The Vampires

Overview
Official Name: Vampires Common name: Vampires (Vamps)
Geography
Homeland:	None
Sanctuary:	The Crypt Hotel in New Alexandria
Statistics
Currency:	Xanthai (ζ)
Calendar:	Xanth's Arrival (XT)
Languages:	Elysian, English
Population:	19,184 (mainland) 3,893 (Dardanos)
Physical
Lifespan:	Immortal
Average Height:	Dependent on original race
Politics
King/Queen:	Bailey Adams
Enemy:	Therians (the Hind)
Patron:	Sylope King
Classes:	Charmer Hunter
Skills & Powers
Skills:	Combat Divine Shield Hypersenses Hypnosis Immunity Memory Control Mental Shield Might Regeneration Speed Telepathy
Weaknesses:	Bloodlust Sunlight

The Vampires were created in 8,509 XA (509 AD) when Xanth tried to resurrect the lifemate of Namiko Akakios, her first Aide. In feeding Isolde her blood, Xanth did in fact bring her back from the dead. Tragically, Isolde was driven insane by the effects and Namiko was forced to destroy her.

It was not until nearly a decade later, however, that Xanth realised the extent of her mistake. Namiko had killed his lifemate to stop the bloody havoc she had been wreaking across the continent but she had already made others like her.

For a time, Vampires were the scourge of Elysia, a virulent menace driven by bloodlust. However, as they grew in number, the effect weakened from one generation to the next until they were no longer mindless creatures hungry for blood and much more like their human ancestors.

Their history is a tragic one and they were created out of death but in the last century they have begun to form a civilisation that is slowly knitting them together. As their culture is a new one, however, they have little history to account and certainly not the type they wish to share, yet without them the Therians would surely not exist.

The Blood Lust Virus

To save Isolde, Xanth fed her own blood to the girl's corpse. It was this act which somehow created the virus that runs through the veins of all Vampires even today.

The Bloodlust virus starves the oxygen out of the bloodstream so that the body suffocates. A simple transfusion every few days is enough to treat the condition by filling the void with healthy red blood cells. However, when Vampires were first created such medical practises were not widely available and purely by accident (as a result of the mindless feeding frenzy brought on by the Bloodlust, which many suspect is the virus's self-defence mechanism) the Vampires discovered that feeding on living beings - human or otherwise - could stave off the debilitating effects.

Vampire bodies naturally hunger for the blood they can't produce for themselves, driving the Vampire race to feed as monsters and, certainly in the early days, they were deserving of the label of "monster". There have also been rogues among them who have been lured by the bloodlust and who enjoy the kill, but there are measures in place today that ensure a Vampire has no need to feed from a living being. These measures are far from infallible, but blood is provided by law in all eateries and pubs, and a whole subgenre of meals and drinks has arisen as a result.

Ironically, the very virus that makes them so dependent on the blood of others also gives Vampires a boost. They gain abilities from the drinking of blood, perhaps that are directly inherited from Xanth herself, but it should be noted that the Bloodlust Virus also 'resets' the genetics of those infected. No matter what race they were when they were turned, the fledgling Vampire loses all the powers they once had and must start all over again.

In addition to this undesirable side-effect, Zanaryan- and Anyeli-Vampires have all found that their wings wither away and become useless. Frighteningly, Therians become the monstrous Hind from consuming only a small amount of blood, and the Bloodlust virus kills 'Varians outright.

As the Vampire race is so young and very few of the original Vampires still live, it's impossible to know whether or not they are actually immortal, although they are considered to be so. It's also difficult to tell how old an individual Vampire is because they stop aging immediately after turning.

Vampires in the Sun

Though no one quite understands why vampires are vulnerable in sunlight, it has become obvious that the cause of that vulnerability is the ultraviolet light emitted by the sun. The effect of these UV rays, which can cause sunburns and skin cancer in other humanoids, seem to be magnified in vampires so that standing in direct sunlight while on Earth, Zanarya or Nirim will literally barbeque the vampire alive in sixty seconds flat.

However, Elysia's sun, Hel, emits fewer of these UV rays. That, coupled with a protective barrier put in place by Xanth, means that Vampires are free to roam Elysia even during the day, though a large portion of the population still seem to prefer the night life.

Vampire Government

Before the last century, Vampires had no government or form of leadership whatsoever. This free-for-all mentality did them no favours and in fact helped to maintain the prejudices and fears caused by the Vampire Wars that immediately followed Isolde's death.

Seen as monsters for so long, even though the Bloodlust effects had faded enough by the fifth or sixth generation for them to be much more like their human ancestors, Vampires still face racism and abuse. In the last century, a self-proclaimed queen had begun to shape the scattered Vampires into some semblance of a community in an effort to change attitudes. She was also instrumental in the introduction of blood menus that are now present, by law, in every cafe and bar in Elysia.

As the Vampires gradually came around to the idea of having a structured government, the first queen relinquished her title in favour of elections and there have been several other leaders - both men and women - since. Elections do tend to become chaotic and nominees often resort to violence rather than waiting for the democractic process, but as a whole it does seem to be working.

Vampire Classes

Vampires are naturally sorted into two different classes, where some gain telepathic powers like the ability to entrance victims or alter memories, while others find that their physical prowess is given a boost.

These "classes" are not political nor deliberate, as there hasn't been enough of a political structure for Vampires to devise such a thing. There doesn't seem to be any real correlation between the powers a Vampire once had and the powers they gain, or even it being an effect of the Vampire's lifestyle (a man who enjoys physical activity or hunting is just as likely to become a Charmer as he is a Hunter), so no one can be sure how a Vampire becomes one or the other.

Just as there seems to be no common cause, there seems to be no real difference between the two classes beyond their powers. Anyone can become a Charmer with telepathic abilities, and anyone can become a Hunter with physical skills; the only commonality is that neither is given a choice in the matter.

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A Recipe for Conversion

How to make a Vampire in one easy lesson:

1. Find a victim.
2. It's normally recommended that you feed from them (well, why waste a good meal?) but don't drain them too much - the BloodLust virus needs a base to start from.
3. Make them drink a Vampire's blood (your own is the most convenient but it can be another donor if you're squeamish). It doesn't need to be an awful lot (injection works just as well but, honestly, where's the fun in that? There is no record of needles ever being used during a conversion but who's to say what the future will bring?).
4. The virus will rapidly destroy their own red blood cells so if you want your victim to survive the initial stages, keep some (non-vampire) blood to hand. (Live donors are not recommended at this point.) You'll know when to feed it to them by the colour of their skin (white is best; blue means you've left it too late and you need to call a coroner).
5. Once the conversion takes hold, the new Vampire will need to feed regularly. You can teach them to feed on a live (willing or not) donor, or you can buy them lunch at the local (Elysian) cafe - it's entirely up to you.

Notes:

• The whole process takes about a day, depending on the subject's general health and willingness.
• Be prepared for a few scraps and injuries as even willing victims can become crazed during conversion.

Skills & Powers

For an alphabetical list of powers for all species, check the Skills & Powers page here. You can also find out more information about the upgrade and level system there.

Combat

Combat and strategy.

Available to:

• Aide (max for one weapon in addition to their own allotment)
• Anyeli Warrior (max for up to three weapons)
• Dracovari (max for one weapon, or 3 upgrades across two weapons. Requires a level of Hoard for every level of Combat so, for instance, if you want Combat at Level Three, you must have Hoard 3 first, in order to maintain the level of concentration you need)
• Rutilus Dracovari (max for up to four weapons, or 12 upgrades across 5 weapons. Requires a level of Hoard for every level of Combat)
• Human (max for one weapon, or 3 upgrades across two weapons)
• Therian (max for one weapon, or 3 upgrades across two weapons)
• Vampire (max for up to two weapons)
• Zanaryan (max for up to two weapons)

You must purchase a separate series of upgrades for each category of weapon that you want to wield (so if you want to wield both a sword and a crossbow at an advanced level (Level Three), you'll need to purchase six separate upgrades (Basic, Intermediate and Advanced for two separate categories). Martial Arts are considered a category of their own, so you'd also need two separate combat skill systems to use Karate and Jiu-Jitsu.

Armour is also considered part of the level system, as fighting while wearing heavy protection requires a great deal of strength and stamina. Light armour might include leather gauntlets or a vest while heavy armour could be full-scale plate armour and a tall shield.

Level One

• Has basic skill.
• Can fight in light armour.
• Has basic skill while airborne (requires Flight 3).

Level Two

• Has intermediate skill.
• Can fight in light armour.
• Can fight in medium armour (requires Might 1).
• Has basic skill while airborne (requires Flight 3).
• Has intermediate skill while airborne (requires Flight 4).

Level Three

• Has advanced skill.
• Can fight in light armour.
• Can fight in medium armour (no extra requirements).
• Can fight in heavy armour (requires Might 2).
• Has basic skill while airborne (requires Flight 3).
• Has intermediate skill while airborne (requires Flight 4).
• Has advanced skill while airborne (requires Flight 5).

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Divine Shield

Summon a protective bubble by praying to Xanth. Each Shield lasts 5 minutes (10 minutes for humans and Aides) and costs 10 Karma Points (5KP for humans and free for Aides).

Available to:

• Aide (max. Up to Level Three is free)
• Anyeli (max)
• Dracovari (max)
• Human (max)
• Therian (max)
• Vampire (max)
• Zanaryan (max)

To activate this shield, PM Xanth (include a link to the thread in which you want protection). She'll post IC to describe the shield's activation, then again when the protective bubble collapses. You may not godmod this shield.

Level One

• Can deflect up to 10% of physical attacks.

Level Two

• Can deflect up to 20% of physical attacks.
• Can absorb up to 20% of elemental attacks.

Level Three

• Can deflect up to 40% of physical attacks.
• Can absorb up to 40% of elemental attacks.

Level Four

• Can deflect up to 60% of physical attacks.
• Can absorb up to 60% of elemental attacks.

Level Five

• Can deflect up to 80% of physical attacks.
• Can absorb up to 80% of elemental attacks.

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Hyper Senses

Improve your senses, including Hearing, Vision and Smell.

Available to:

• Therian (dependent on animal form. Must be in appropriate animal form to use its senses)
• Hunter Vampire (max. Requires a level of BloodLust for every level of Hypersenses so, for instance, if you want Hypersenses at Level Three, you must have BloodLust 3 first)

Level One

• Have a good sense of Smell.
• Can detect an average-strength smell up to 20 yards away.
• Can distinguish the races of people up to 10 yards away.
• Can detect powerful emotions from people up to 5 yards away.
• Can track a scent trail that is up to 3 hours old.
• Have superb Vision.
• Can spot movement up to 2 miles away.
• Can spot a non-moving person or animal up to 1 mile away.
• Can see at night only ¼ as well as a human can see during the day.
• Have an acute sense of Hearing.
• Can understand a whisper up to 10 feet away.
• Can hear, but not understand, a whisper up to 12 feet away.
• Can understand normal speech up to 20 yards away.
• Can hear, but not understand, normal speech up to 40 yards away.

Level Two

• Have a good sense of Smell.
• Can detect an average-strength smell up to 50 yards away.
• Can distinguish the races of people up to 20 yards away.
• Can detect powerful emotions from people up to 10 yards away.
• Can track a scent trail that is up to 8 hours old.
• Have superb Vision.
• Can spot movement up to 2 miles away.
• Can spot a non-moving person or animal up to 1 mile away.
• Can see at night only ¼ as well as a human can see during the day.
• Have an acute sense of Hearing.
• Can understand a whisper up to 10 feet away.
• Can hear, but not understand, a whisper up to 12 feet away.
• Can understand normal speech up to 40 yards away.
• Can hear, but not understand, normal speech up to 60 yards away.

Level Three

• Have a good sense of Smell.
• Can detect an average-strength smell up to 100 yards away.
• Can distinguish the races of people up to 50 yards away.
• Can detect emotions from people up to 15 yards away.
• Can track a scent trail that is up to 1 day old.
• Have superb Vision.
• Can spot movement up to 2.5 miles away.
• Can spot a non-moving person or animal up to 1.5 miles away.
• Can see at night only ½ as well as a human can see during the day.
• Have an acute sense of Hearing.
• Can understand a whisper up to 10 feet away.
• Can hear, but not understand, a whisper up to 15 feet away.
• Can understand normal speech up to 60 yards away.
• Can hear, but not understand, normal speech up to 100 yards away.

Level Four

• Have a superb sense of Smell.
• Can detect an average-strength smell up to 150 yards away.
• Can distinguish the races of people up to 80 yards away.
• Can detect emotions from people up to 20 yards away.
• Can track a scent trail that is up to 2 days old.
• Have superb Vision.
• Can spot movement up to 3 miles away.
• Can spot a non-moving person or animal up to 2 miles away.
• Can see at night only ½ as well as a human can see during the day.
• Have an acute sense of Hearing.
• Can understand a whisper up to 20 feet away.
• Can hear, but not understand, a whisper up to 40 feet away.
• Can understand normal speech up to 80 yards away.
• Can hear, but not understand, normal speech up to 150 yards away.

Level Five

• Have an acute sense of Smell.
• Can easily detect an average-strength smell up to 200 yards away.
• Can distinguish the races of people up to 100 yards away.
• Can detect emotions from people up to 20 yards away.
• Can track a scent trail that is up to 3 days old.
• Have superb Vision.
• Can spot movement up to 3 miles away.
• Can spot a non-moving person or animal up to 2 miles away.
• Can see at night only ¾ as well as a human can see during the day.
• Have an acute sense of Hearing.
• Can understand a whisper up to 30 feet away.
• Can hear, but not understand, a whisper up to 60 feet away.
• Can understand normal speech up to 100 yards away.
• Can hear, but not understand, normal speech up to 200 yards away.

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Hypnosis

Hypnotise victims into a trance-like state.

Available to:

• Charmer Vampire (max. Requires a level of BloodLust for every level of Hypnosis so, for instance, if you want Hypnosis at Level Three, you must have BloodLust 3 first)

Hypnosis can be used to make your opponents think they see things that aren't there, or vice versa. It can also be used to ease the pain of being bitten, or to facilitate the use of Memory Control and Telepathy.

Level One

• Can hypnotise 1 person for up to 30 seconds.
• Must keep eye contact to maintain trance.

Level Two

• Can hypnotise 1 person for up to 1 minute.
• Must make eye contact initially but you don't need to maintain the lock.

Level Three

• Can hypnotise 1 person for up to 5 minutes.
• Must make eye contact initially but you don't need to maintain the lock.

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Immunity

Gain an immunity to physical illnesses and poisons.

Available to:

• Viridis (max. Requires Regeneration)
• Hunter Vampire (max. Requires Regeneration)

Level One

• Have 30% immunity against minor illnesses.

Level Two

• Have 40% immunity against minor illnesses.
• Have 30% immunity against moderate illnesses.

Level Three

• Have 50% immunity against minor illnesses.
• Have 40% immunity against moderate illnesses.
• Have 30% immunity against major illnesses.

Level Four

• Have 60% immunity against minor illnesses.
• Have 50% immunity against moderate illnesses.
• Have 40% immunity against major illnesses.
• Have 30% immunity against life-threatening illnesses.

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Memory Control

Alter, erase and create memories in others (requires Hypnosis 3 and Telepathy 3.

Available to:

• Charmer Vampire (max. Requires a level of BloodLust for every level of Memory Control so, for instance, if you want Memory Control at Level Three, you must have BloodLust 3 first)

Level One

• Erase new memories that are up to 24 hours old.
• Erasing memories leaves a noticable gap.

Level Two

• Erase recent memories that are up to 3 days old.
• Erasing memories leaves a noticable gap.

Level Three

• Erase recent memories that are up to 5 days old.
• Erasing memories leaves a mark that is noticable only to a telepath.
• Can make simple alterations to recent memories that are up to 7 days old.

Level Four

• Erase recent memories that are up to 7 days old.
• Erasing memories leaves a mark that is noticable only to a telepath if they're looking for the signs.
• Can make complex alterations to recent memories that are up to 10 days old.

Level Five

• Erase recent memories that are up to 10 days old.
• Erasing memories leaves a mark that is noticable only to a highly-trained telepath if they're looking for the signs.
• Can make complex alterations to recent memories that are up to 14 days old.
• Can construct simple memories.

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Mental Shield

Resist telepathic and empathic influences.

Available to:

• Aide (max. Up to Level Three is free)
• Peacekeeper (max)
• Aurumus (max. Requires a level of Hoard for every level of Mental Shield so, for instance, if you want Mental Shield at Level Three, you must have Hoard 3 first, in order to maintain the level of concentration you need)
• Peteulanus (max. Requires a level of Hoard for every level of Mental Shield)
• Charmer Vampire (max. Requires a level of BloodLust for every level of Mental Shield so, for instance, if you want Mental Shield at Level Three, you must have BloodLust 3 first)

For every level by which your opponent outranks you, you'll lose a percentage of your resistance so, for instance, if you have Mental Shield Level Two and your opponent has Memory Control Level Three (exceeding your level by one), you will lose 10% of your resistance, bringing your resistance down to 30% instead of 40%.

Level One

• Has 30% resistance.
• Will lose 10% resistance for every level your opponent exceeds yours.

Level Two

• Has 40% resistance.
• Will lose 10% resistance for every level your opponent exceeds yours.

Level Three

• Has 50% resistance.
• Will lose 5% resistance for every level your opponent exceeds yours.

Level Four

• Has 60% resistance.
• Will lose 5% resistance for every level your opponent exceeds yours.

Level Five

• Has 80% resistance.
• Will lose 5% resistance for every level your opponent exceeds yours.

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Might

Boost your strength on the ground and in the air. Might also improves your ability to jump.

Available to:

• Aide (up to Level Two. Free)
• Anyeli (up to Level Four)
• Hunter Vampire (up to Level Three. Requires a level of BloodLust for every level of Might so, for instance, if you want Might at Level Three, you must have BloodLust 3 first)
• Dracovari (up to Level One)
• Rutilus (max)

Level One

• Are 1.5 times stronger than the average human.

Level Two

• Are 2.0 times stronger than the average human.

Level Three

• Are 2.5 times stronger than the average human.

Level Four

• Are 3.0 times stronger than the average human.

Level Five

• Are 3.5 times stronger than the average human.

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Regeneration

Heal your injuries quickly.

Available to:

• Aide (max. Up to Level Three is free)
• Viridis (max. Requires a level of Hoard for every level of Regeneration so, for instance, if you want Regeneration at Level Three, you must have Hoard 3 first, in order to maintain the level of concentration you need)
• Vampire (max. Requires a level of BloodLust for every level of Regeneration so, for instance, if you want Regeneration at Level Three, you must have BloodLust 3 first)

Level One

• Can heal minor injuries twice as fast as an average human.

Level Two

• Can heal minor injuries three times as fast as an average human.
• Can heal moderate injuries twice as fast.

Level Three

• Can heal minor injuries three times as fast as an average human.
• Can heal moderate injuries three times as fast.
• Can heal major injuries twice as fast.

Level Four

• Can heal minor injuries four times as fast as an average human.
• Can heal moderate injuries three times as fast.
• Can heal major injuries three times as fast.
• Can heal life-threatening injuries twice as fast.

Level Five

• Can heal minor injuries four times as fast as an average human.
• Can heal moderate injuries four times as fast.
• Can heal major injuries three times as fast.
• Can heal life-threatening injuries three times as fast.

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Speed

Boost your speed on the ground and in the air. Speed also improves your ability to dodge.

Available to:

• Aide (max. Up to Level Three is free)
• Anyeli (up to Level Four)
• Dracovari (up to Level One)
• Rutilus Dracovari (up to Level Four)
• Hunter Vampire (max. Requires a level of BloodLust for every level of Speed so, for instance, if you want Speed at Level Three, you must have BloodLust 3 first)

The numbers below apply as an average, without breaking a sweat, and do not take rest stops into account. Fitter characters will be faster.

Level One

• Can walk 3.5 miles per hour.
• Can run 7 miles per hour.
• Boost your normal Flight speed by 2 miles per hour (requires Flight 3).

Level Two

• Can walk 4 miles per hour.
• Can run 12 miles per hour.
• Boost your normal Flight speed by 5 miles per hour (requires Flight 3).

Level Three

• Can walk 5 miles per hour.
• Can run 20 miles per hour.
• Boost your normal Flight speed by 10 miles per hour (requires Flight 4).

Level Four

• Can walk 5 miles per hour.
• Can run 28 miles per hour.
• Boost your normal Flight speed by 15 miles per hour (requires Flight 4).

Level Five

• Can walk 5 miles per hour.
• Can run 35 miles per hour.
• Boost your normal Flight speed by 20 miles per hour (requires Flight 5).

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Telepathy

Read a person's thoughts.

Available to:

• Aide (max. Up to Level Three is free)
• Peteulanus (max. Requires a level of Hoard for every level of Telepathy so, for instance, if you want Telepathy at Level Three, you must have Hoard 3 first, in order to maintain the level of concentration you need)
• Charmer Vampire (up to Level Four. Requires a level of BloodLust for every level of Telepathy so, for instance, if you want Telepathy at Level Three, you must have BloodLust 3 first)

You will lose 30% of your success rate for every level your opponent has in Mental Shield.

A person's "public mind" refers to the thoughts a person has as they're walking around and that they wouldn't mind others knowing.

Level One

• Have a 70% chance of reading the thoughts on the immediate surface of a person's mind if they don't have Mental Shield.
• Can communicate with other telepaths within 50 feet.
• Can hear telepathic whispers from people up to 20 feet away (Peteulanus only)

Level Two

• Have a 70% chance of reading the public mind of a person.
• Can communicate with other telepaths within 500 yards.
• Can understand telepathic whispers from people up to 50 feet away (Peteulanus only)
• Can sense the general direction from which overheard thoughts originate (Peteulanus only).

Level Three

• Have a 70% chance of entering a person's mind to read their private thoughts.
• Can increase this chance of success to 90% if also using Hypnosis (Vampires only).
• Can communicate with other telepaths up to 1 mile away.
• Can understand telepathic whispers from people up to 50 feet away (Peteulanus only)
• Can detect from whom a specific thought originates (Peteulanus only).
• Have a 50% chance of projecting your thoughts into a non-telepath's mind for one-way communication over 500 yards.

Level Four

• Have a 70% chance of accessing a person's secrets.
• Can increase this chance of success to 90% if also using Hypnosis at Level Two or above (Vampires only).
• Can communicate with other telepaths up to 2 miles away.
• Can understand telepathic whispers from people up to 50 feet away (Peteulanus only)
• Can detect from whom a specific thought originates (Peteulanus only).
• Have a 70% chance of projecting your thoughts into a non-telepath's mind for one-way communication over 500 yards.

Level Five

• Have a 90% chance of accessing a person's secrets.
• Can communicate with other telepaths up to 5 miles away.
• Can understand telepathic whispers from people up to 50 feet away.
• Can detect from whom a specific thought originates.
• Have a 90% chance of projecting your thoughts into a non-telepath's mind for one-way communication over 500 yards.
• Have a 70% chance of confusing a person or planting thoughts into their mind through projection in order to influence what and how they think.

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Weaknesses

BloodLust

If you don't feed on blood regularly, you'll begin to suffer symptoms of both hunger and suffocation until you descend into a mindless feeding frenzy.

A weakness of:

• Vampire (max)

Level One

• Must drink 2 pints of blood every day.

Level Two

• Must drink 1 pint of blood every day.

Level Three

• Must drink 1 pint of blood every other day.

Level Four

• Must drink 2 pints of blood every week.

Level Five

• Must drink 1 pint of blood every week.

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