Furthermore, a vampire cannot enter a private home without first being invited inside, though nothing stops a vampire's mortal followers from breaking down a door and dragging a target out of a dwelling which the vampire cannot enter. Vampires also recoil from garlic, holy symbols, and mirrors. They cannot endure running water, and a simple wooden stake through the heart is enough to slay a vampire-at least until the stake is removed. Vampires burn to ash in the light of the sun, a weakness that condemns them to feed and work at night. The frightening power of vampires is offset by their vulnerabilities. These servitors are stronger than mortals, but also consume blood the master could use. The more willing the members in a herd are, the greater prestige a vampire holds among his fellow undead.īeyond their mortal minions, vampires can drain the blood or life energy from a victim to create spawn enslaved to their will-either full-fledged vampires or weaker vampire spawn. Vampires end up dominating most of the thralls in their herds, but value willing servants because of their autonomy and ability to function as envoys. These can be anything from favors, to illegal alchemical narcotics, to bribes of gold and treasure.Ī few humans might provide vampires-especially exceptionally charismatic ones-with their blood for the thrill of the experience, but those that do so are rare. However, they often need to provide their herds with other benefits to keep them around and docile. Frequently, vampires view these humans as little more than livestock, since they serve the same purpose. Vampires often collectively refer to humans who willingly allow themselves to be bitten as a herd. Other mortals willingly give themselves over to vampires, either in exchange for a reward or a taste of power, or because the mortal falls for the vampire's dangerous mystique and romanticizes the act of the vampire's bite. Potent vampires can compel lifelong friends to turn on each other, or even force people to kill their own loved ones. Vampires can dominate the minds of mortals, compelling them to obey the vampire's every whim. Others openly act as subordinates to even more powerful undead, such as liches and raveners. A few such vampires are powerful spellcasters who use magic to dampen the light around them, allowing them to operate in broad daylight. They generally possess such wealth and power that they don't fear angry mobs of mortals. Unlike mortals, a vampire does not eat the animal's remains, so it must take care not to leave carcasses drained of blood where they can be found, since these could point to the vampire's true nature.īy contrast, other vampires live openly, making no effort to hide their undead nature at all. No one questions when someone purchases an animal, slaughters it, and serves it for dinner. Alchemical blood is one, but a more common method is to drink the blood of animals. Vampires that hide their undead natures from mortal society and don't want to feed on mortals have some options to help them survive. Such vampires draw less attention, but are still able to manipulate the strings of the devious plans they concoct. The inability to cast a shadow or show a reflection in a mirror can tip off astute mortals to the vampire's true nature.ĭue to these weaknesses, some vampires prefer to operate from the shadows, serving as advisors to those in power, trusted guardians for suspicious leaders, or fences for mortal thieves' guilds. But blending into mortal society isn't without risk, as subtle distinctions can give a vampire away. These vampires present themselves as nobility, criminal overlords, leaders of barbarian tribes, or other people of power or influence. As long as their bodies are not excessively mangled or decayed, vampires can pass themselves off as unusually pale mortals. In contrast to more grotesque undead, vampires can move among mortal society with relative ease. The larger the population, the more potential victims and the more likely it is that vampires can be found there. Vampires can be found anywhere intelligent, living creatures reside. Others act more like terrifying savages, feeding upon the local population and causing wanton destruction throughout the area. They come from all walks of life-some are civilized, preferring lives of opulence and splendor, amassing wealth as well as influence. Unlike many other undead creatures, vampires vary as widely as the creatures from which they originate. Whether they are considered terrifying, blood-sucking night-walkers, vicious brutes who steal their victims' lives, or creatures of eternal beauty and haunting allure, vampires feed upon the living to maintain their unnatural power and youth.
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