Vampires

[Mari]

Vampires

I have never met a vampire personally, but I don't know what might happen tomorrow. -- Bela Lugosi

No one knows what caused the dead to rise in the Yalanzen year 300 CE. Perhaps it was the soil itself was tired of the dead being interred there, perhaps it was a genetic abnormality that had been introduced into the Yalanzen DNA through centuries of mutations. The only thing that is certain is that Zombies walked the planet and most Yalanzens threaten their children with burial if they are naughty.

As far as the Vampire are concerned the best thing that ever happened to them was death. It freed their minds and bodies from the drudgery of Yalanzen life and made them quicker and faster than normal Yalanzens. The fact that they feed on them is just one more plus in their minds. As far as the Vampire know, the very genetic quirk that made them what they are increased their intelligence after the first generation of Zombies. After all, those humans who were bit changed and their brains didn't turn to mush. They just kept making more and more so the story goes and thus the suave vampire of today was born.

Vampires truly are the brilliant minds on the planet. They recreated the electric light, steam powered engines and factories for the few things they needed. They don't believe in cars or mass transport, for why bother with such things when you can fly or run at vast speeds? Why have cell phones when you are telepathic? Truly, vampires only use what they need in most cases. For everything else, they have human servants or Zombies who are learning to be cultured like they themselves. They might even think of taking over the planet if it wasn't for the fact that daylight prevents most vampires from moving about without bursting into flame. Well that and most of the other races despise them. Being hunted kind of puts ones plans for world domination on hold after all.

No vampire is completely immune to everything. Being dead presents its own challenges such as the ravenous need for blood, mental instability with age and that ego that refuses to die. It is not unheard of for Vampires to do bride and groom raids on a Yalanzen village if someone takes their fancy. Usually this results in them locking said pet up until the poor thing goes mad or succumbs to the charms of its undead paramour. Vampires are nothing if not persistent and even if the pet goes mad they are quite adept at mentally fixing such things to suit themselves. Of course this kind of negates the pets free will but why would a vampire worry about something like that? Ethics is for air breathers after all.

Basic Vampire Abilities:

• Enhanced Physiology: Vampires have enhanced reflexes and their senses are extremely acute. They are faster than most races and their senses are keener to help them hunt. This also means they heal faster than most races. Harming them is difficult but not impossible.
  
  
• Immortality: Unless they are exposed to their weaknesses vampires are immortal. Many have lived for over a thousand years and can remember the beginning of their creation
  
  
• Shadow Jumping: The ability to travel from shadow to shadow to stalk pray or cross great distances.
  
• Compulsion: The ability to influence or control another being through the use of ones mind, gaze or voice.
  
  
• Death's Blessing: Vampires will often develop one gift that is unique unto themselves. These gifts can stem from their personality or their family heritage.
  

Death's Blessing Possibilities:

• Durability
  
• Telepathy
  
• Coercion
  
• Seduction
  
• Flight
  
• Clinging
  
• Weather Manipulation
  
• Shadow Jumping
  
• Poison Mist
  
• Illusion
  
• Summon Predators
  
• Unholy Fire