Category:Vampires

Out of the myriad forms of creature that inhabit the world of Crescent Cove, vampires are some of the most enigmatic, conflicted, flawed and powerful. The process by which one becomes a vampire can last one day or years, depending on the person, but all undergo the same change. From when they are first bitten, they become carriers of a blood disease that has the potential to activate into full vampiric infection, but that will only happen to one in one hundred thousand. This, more than anything else, has prevented vampires from becoming the dominant form of life on the earth. While one hundred percent virulent, if the vampiric condition were to be one hundred percent effective, mortal life as we know it would cease to exist within a matter of months. When first infected, and if the disease activates, the victim begins exhibiting a number of symptoms. At first, bright and direct sunlight causes discomfort, water fails to slake thirst and food doesn’t satisfy hunger. If the person is bitten again, the symptoms become more severe with each subsequent reinfection, creating a cumulative effect. However, it is the transmission of the disease through the first act of feeding that seems to fully activate it, converting the victim into a true vampire. The reasons behind this aren’t understood, but are likely magical in origin. Vampires are preternaturally strong, faster than humans, psychically inclined and longer lived. The disease seems to affect muscle and nerve structure in a way that allows them to react faster than their mortal counterparts, and perform feats that would be considered superhuman. However, this comes at a price, with conditions similar to porphyria manifesting. Vampires cannot abide direct sunlight, contact with which will eventually cause first and second-degree burns. They are violently allergic to various compounds of metals and vegetables, and their diseases can only be beneficial in this stage of infection. Without a constant supply of fresh, untainted blood, vampires eventually come to resemble corpses in the later stages, and sink into a form of torpor. The essentially necrotic state of their flesh, too, disintegrates, leaving them dessicated and trapped in an immobile form. They can be revived, but this can generally only be accomplished by the use of infected blood, which becomes the only way in which post-torporic vampires can sustain themselves. Thus, most tend not to want to awaken slumbering elders, lest they be consumed themselves. Vampiric society varies by nation. The older countries tend to have established hierarchies and clans, while newer states, such as the US, operate in near-anarchy, with no centralized structure. All vampires, however, are cognizant that enhanced expansion would threaten their existence, and tend to cultivate herds of regular mortal cattle that aren’t likely to turn. Mid-to-large-sized towns will have one or two vampires claiming them as territory, while rural areas the size of counties may only have one. Cities provide the largest gatherings, the most organized - and the most violent. Outwardly, vampires resemble humans, and well-fed creatures will appear warm to the touch. Contrary to urban myth, they cast shadows and reflections. Vampires have a remarkable capacity to regenerate wounded flesh, despite it being dead, for all intents and purposes. They are not immortal in the same way that demons are, but are perfectly capable of living for centuries. Most are either destroyed or sink into torpor before any terminal age can be established. In terms of personality retention, most will stay more or less the same person as they were when infected, at least while young. Age, in vampires, brings predatory characteristics and instincts to the fore, which has sometimes been associated with their seeming inability to reach highly advanced ages - an ancient vampire will be more animal than human.