Post by Starrupaste on Apr 26, 2020 18:00:12 GMT
VAMPIRES OF TNRPG
Creatures of blood and shadow, Vampires are one of the most commonly known races of Gaiana, and the legend of their existence came into being long before many other mythos were even believed to exist to mankind.
Creatures of blood and shadow, Vampires are one of the most commonly known races of Gaiana, and the legend of their existence came into being long before many other mythos were even believed to exist to mankind.
The stories of how vampires came into being are numerous, each with their own bits and pieces of lore to back them up and make them appear credible. However, one legend stands out among the rest with the most substantial amount of evidence to back it up; the story of a mad being cursing the good-willed with it’s terrible power. This creature came into our world as an instigator of hatred and war. It drank the blood of the innocent and feasted on their flesh, leaving nothing but agony and destruction in its wake. It was Man that took a stand against the creature, their holy knights slaying the beast. With its final breath, it cursed the heroes, damning them to live on with it’s aspects so it would never die, as it’s thirst for blood would live on through them.
These heroes received the beast’s strength at a terrible cost; their humanity. Shunned by the light that they worshiped, they were forced to hide in the shadows and to live off the bloodshed they once abhorred to survive. There would be no afterlife to willingly take them, they would stand by forever to suffer until they were hunted by their own loved ones. They would never feel warmth, only a steadily growing hunger that would drive them insane, becoming like the very monsters they swore to kill.
In a functional sense, Vampires have lost the entirety of their Life Force layer, their souls instead held inside by a powerful Mana layer. That does not mean that it replaced the hole their life-force left, instead it acts as a void inside of them that constantly aches to be filled. As the hunger goes on longer, their magic and body follow, growing weaker, but a vampire cannot die from not drinking blood, only driven to insanity to the point of attacking anyone and anything to get blood.
In modern days, Vampires are one of the more feared and misunderstood races to man, but they intermingle with human society flawlessly due their creation alongside it, and their need to remain close to them in order to survive, using their beauty, age and wits to slowly crawl to the tops of human societies to prosper. Many of the higher circles work to ensure that the vision of vampires as high-profile does not die, even if it means stamping out those who threaten that image, and as functionally immortal beings, they have had plenty of time to work up their reputation from behind the scenes to that point.
Religious views
The views of vampires revolve around their place of origin and their upbringing, and are as varied as any other humanoid. However, Vampires do have their own small religion. A very small group of vampires around the world may worship the being that gave them life, as well as the first 8 vampires that descended from it, dubbing them The First Bloods, and The Olde Blood. Most vampires who worship them do it in secret and believe themselves to have been blessed instead of punished, seeing themselves as superior beings, and specifically humans as their cattle.
Culture
Much of vampire “culture” is adopted from human society, and reflects the period of time that they were originally born in. Vampires, being unable to die, are creatures that are stuck in the times they were born in, and take to less modern styles and fashions in their homes. Some prefer modern life, but many are fans of old-Victorian Gothic style aesthetics and clothing, while some further to the south are stuck in the ways of tribes and villages.
A large group of older vampires who have adapted to modern society have become more family oriented, in the sense of taking care of Turned Kin and treating them as if they were your children, with more of a sense of responsibility and pride among themselves. Some more extreme vampire families have taken attributes from mafia and crime groups as well, dealing in more shady businesses and profits in order to gain a family reputation and keep blood on the table, while others prefer to stick in close groups simply for survival, finding comfort in the presence of others who share their affliction.
Embracing a Vampire
To have a “child” of one's own, a vampire must drain a victim at least halfway and gift their own blood to the person after. It can be a very small amount of blood given, but it will quickly grow to replace the victim’s own blood and slowly convert their body into a vampire’s. For “family” oriented vampires, this is a privileged gift and people are often groomed to be turned before,but any vampire that accidentally bleeds into a victim can also turn them, which is what happens more often than not. Another common occurrence is an attacker gaining clarity after consuming a victim’s blood, and turning them in fear of the repercussions of killing. Regardless, the change usually takes a day or two to complete, and can vary from mild to extreme pain, including fever as the body attempts to fight it off. Uncommonly, it can lead to the death of the victim due to shock, more commonly in children.
Distinguishing features
Pale, cold skin, pronounced canines, claws, and blood red eyes that can be hidden, but become more prominent the hungrier a vampire is. They can also take on odd features such as sharper, pointed ears or ears like a bat, snake-like tongues, wider mouths full of sharp teeth and, rarely, more than one mouth on their body, the mouth typically forming over any gashes or wounds a person might’ve previously had.
Abilities
The abilities of an average vampire include more physical strength and constitution, sharper reflexes and senses, faster regeneration, though it can be stunted when cauterized, and more rarely, the ability to disguise themselves as swarms of bats or as other animals. Older vampires can develop the ability to enthrall others, with weak-willed vampires and humans being more susceptible to this ability than other humanoids, especially younger vampires.The downside to many vampires is their extreme aversion to sunlight and holy light, and weakness to blessed items and silver. A vampire cannot die from being staked, but having a wooden stake driven into their heart can paralyze them until it is removed.
The Human’s Predator
Stronger than a human, but on par with other physically competent Mythos, Vampires, whether they choose to or not, are specialized in hunting Humans. They can smell the blood of a human from a mile away, and excel in blending in and luring humans with their charm and natural allure. It is difficult if not impossible for a vampire’s curse to take over creatures such as dragons and demons with higher constitutions, but it is rumored that the First Bloods, with the original curse, would be able to accomplish this feat. This is why most if not all vampires that wander the world were previously human, elven, dwarven, or occasionally beastmen.
Vampire Groupings
Pure-Bloods.
A rarity among Vampires, Pure-bloods are born when a healthy pregnant woman is injected with vampiric blood. She will not be turned, however her baby will, and will drain blood from her as it grows in the womb, often leading to the mother’s death when the child is born. Because of the way they are created, the methods used to make them are usually frowned upon, but Pure-bloods themselves are revered as the most powerful of vampires. Their births are usually planned, and they are groomed for high-society positions such as politicians, mayors, and heads of families from a very early age.
Vampires.
The average vampire, bitten and turned by any other vampire. The curse can vary and manifest in many different ways in Vampires, resulting in a multitude of abilities revolving around their blood and mana. Some abilities are more common than others, resulting in some vampires being grouped into even smaller categories, but all retain the same base structure and template of vampires and vampirism, including strengths and weaknesses.
Dhampirs.
Dhampir are the bastard attempts at Purebloods. They lack most of the traits that a pureblood does, and are born when a pregnant mother is bitten, drained and turned as opposed to a Pureblood being born from a human mother. They still require blood to live, and come out ravenous as the vampire mother is unable to supply the child with proper blood. With weaker abilities than a vampire, most things that would not kill an average Vampire would be fatal to a Dhampir, such as a stake to the heart, mutilation or burning, and that includes all of the weaknesses of the vampire except one: Sunlight. Dhampirs are able to walk in the light of the day with only minor irritation, and usually only have very minor boosts to their strength and constitution, with the added ability to sense the presence of other vampires around.
Whelps.
Whelps, also known as Low-bloods, are vampires that have had all of their blood drained before turning, leading to a multitude of “birth” defects and traits. Some end up looking more animalistic or deformed, as the body does not regenerate properly to what it was once before, and some turn out looking like rotted, shriveled corpses with extended limbs and jagged teeth. Some, if properly prepared before, can retain much of their old look, but always have one defined deformity that marks them as a Whelp. What they lack in appearance they make up for with either raw strength or more potent, raw magic than most, trading it for fragile sanity and a strong aversion to sunlight, in some extreme cases even powerful artificial light can injure them. They are weak-willed and easily enthralled by other vampires, and are also prone more to outbursts when they need blood.