Vampire

Vampires are some of Amestria's most notorious, yet discreet residents. Known by humanity as the parasites of society and an eternal curse for humans attempting to achieve godhood, vampires have a very negative reputation. Despite all of this, they thrive and continue to expand their influence into new human kingdoms and even some elven frontier settlements. Their society is like an underground black market, and while their primary commodity is blood they have learned to also deal in other illegal substances to accumulate vast wealth. Powerful noble vampire families oversee hundreds or even thousands of minor vampire subordinates. Many vampires are not a part of this intricate system, but usually do not last long with humanity always fighting back against the vampire menace.

Basic Physical Differences

Many of the purer vampiric castes are affected by sunlight, not because of the light itself but the aetherial energy that radiates along with it. Most vampires are sensitive to radiant aether, sunlight is simply the most common source. Radiant aether has an agitating effect, on minor vampires or lower castes it only has small consequences but for the other lineages it can weaken them and cause great levels of discomfort. Not surprisingly, all vampires have superior night vision and can see in very dark environments. Most vampires are nocturnal, even minor vampires despite not being affected by sunlight. All vampires are able to smell the blissful aroma of blood from over a mile away even in a secluded space. Vampires cannot drink kitsune blood, as it permeates with aetherial energy. If any vampire attempts to drink kitsune blood it will result in severe nausea or even kill them depending on how much they consumed. These aspects are shared by all primary vampiric castes, to see the unique characteristics of each vampiric lineage, visit their respective pages in the races list.

Pureblood Vampire | Noble Vampire | Minor Vampire

The Vampire Hierarchy

Vampiric society operates off a very aristocratic and stratified caste system that is determined by vampiric blood purity. Vampiric blood has been speculated by many to be different from normal blood, possibly even having sentience that is separate from it's host. Vampiric blood purity will always remain a fixed percentage throughout a vampire's life, meaning that the only way to go up is through marrying a vampire with higher blood purity and the children receiving higher status as a result.

Vampiric Castes

• Pureblood Vampire - Has a vampiric blood purity of 100%.
• Noble Vampire - Has a vampiric blood purity between 99% and 50%.
• Minor Vampire - Has a vampiric blood purity between 49% and 5%.
• False Vampire - Has a vampiric blood purity between 4% and 1%.
• Non Vampire - Has a vampiric blood purity of 0%.

All vampires which are not Pureblood Vampires are referred to as Lesser Vampires.

Most vampires refer to their caste as a lineage.

Blood Purity

The percent of vampiric blood in a vampire's body is determined by their lineage, otherwise known as their family tree involving vampires up until the generation in question. All non-vampiric races that can reproduce with, or be converted into vampires, have a blood purity of 0%. The blood purity of a vampire is determined by their parent's blood purity. Simply add together the percentage of both parent's blood purity then divide by two to get the blood purity of the child. The first generation of lesser vampires were created when pureblood vampires (100%) had offspring with humans and other compatible races (0%), the resulting child has a blood purity of 50% ( (100% + 0%) / 2). Non vampires that were converted into minor vampires by a pureblood vampire have a default blood purity of 20% or 21% (see Minor Vampire for details). Consecutive generations of these lesser vampires pairing with other lesser vampires, humans and other non vampires, or even pureblood vampires has given rise to the very diverse range of blood purity seen in recent times.

Vampiric Blood

All vampires can drink each other's blood with no consequences, but a non vampire drinking vampiric blood can have major consequences. If a non vampire drinks a pureblood vampire's blood, it acts as a powerful healing elixir, possibly saving someone from certain death (will not convert them into a vampire). However if the consumed blood is from any vampire with a blood purity between 99% and 5% they will get very sick or even die depending on how pure the blood is (99% is lethal). When a vampire drinks another vampire's blood, it has the same effect as drinking their preferred blood type. The exception to this are pureblood vampires, who can only drink the blood of humans, and other pureblood vampires. If the pureblood drinks the blood of a lesser vampire, it will leave a bad taste in their mouth or even cause minor nausea.

False Vampire

There is a vampiric lineage that is not connected to vampiric society at all, in fact some even oppose it. False vampires are individuals that are mostly non-vampiric but possess 1% to 4% vampiric blood. Below the 5% purity threshold, people affected by vampiric blood will no longer lose their sanity. Instead they are almost like any non vampire with a few minor differences. Individuals that fall into the False Vampire category have a 50% chance to have red eyes, not really surprising if they are human but can be a spectacle in elven races which do not normally have the red eye mutation. Another key difference is that these people usually have enhanced senses and physical capabilities, not to the degree of even a minor vampire but just enough to make them stand out. They are able to slightly smell blood, usually up to half a mile away at times. Possibly a very important feature is their immunity to the pheromones excreted by noble and pureblood vampires.

Achieving a vampiric blood purity as low as 4% within a single generation is not possible, as a stable minor vampire with a purity of 21% and a human of 0% will produce a child of roughly 10% which is in the threshold of insanity and the child would never make it into adulthood. Instead it is rumored that long ago human vampire hunters would drink the blood of pureblood vampires they captured, and over the course of many generations doing this were able to actually accumulate a small amount of vampiric blood within their family tree. Most individuals with this classification are vampire hunters or are descended from vampire hunters since there is a direct connection.

Vampire Psychology

While vampires normally have the same psychological nature as their non-vampiric racial mix (human or otherwise), there are some key aspects to the vampiric mind that set them apart from non vampires. The foremost is their attraction to blood, which is a source of pleasure and fulfillment to them when they drink it, or a mind numbing and painful thirst when they have not had a drink in a while. Their ability to smell blood and it's blissful aroma adds to their sensation when they actually see it. Most vampires keep their identity confidential, as revealing it could get them killed or deny them the blood they so desperately need. Their strong psychological connection with blood has led to many behavioral and cultural implications mentioned later on this page.

The other aspect is their heightened senses as a result of their superior physical abilities. Most vampires are able to react quicker then their non vampiric ancestors and might notice things that would otherwise go unnoticed. This is a part of their predator instinct that compels them to stalk people and suck their blood. While minor vampires are mostly free from the troubles of over-stimulated senses, noble and pureblood vampires tend to be affected by it. This over-stimulation can be annoying or even nauseating to them and they will usually leave the area to clear their senses. This only really happens when they are in an area with a lot of different loud noises, or a massive crowd of people in a small space, or even both.

Society

Vampiric society is driven by power and social status, which is likewise dictated by one's vampiric blood purity. The lowest level of vampiric society is dominated by unrefined and typical minor vampires, which live among humanity in secret. They either live in the shadows or keep their true identity a secret for as long as possible. Minor vampires carry out all the dirty work of their noble vampiric overlords, and operate an intricate black market web which supplies blood to vampires and distributes contraband to their host civilization. The wealth generated by this operation is accumulated by the noble vampire families, who rule over the black market and other infiltrated industries in their host civilization. Many minor vampires are not affiliated with vampiric society, and are hunted down by noble vampires and forced to integrate into greater vampiric society and pledge fealty to a vampire noble's family or be executed. Noble vampires usually live in stately mansions and have vast fortunes, many have even kept their true identity a secret in public and have become famous or influential figures in their host civilization. Sitting atop the pinnacle of vampiric society are the pureblood vampires, who often live in discreet mansions close but not directly in the host civilization. They have many noble lineages who pledge loyalty to them, and they keep all of vampiric society in line with their tremendous power and articulate diplomacy. Pureblood vampires are incredibly rare in modern times, so they are treasured and revered by the rest of vampiric society not just as figures of power but also of culture since they are the progenitors of the vampiric race. Humans constantly try to eradicate the vampire threat, but vampires are just as desperately trying to hold onto their lifeline of blood.

Politics

Vampires are infamous for meddling in the politics of human civilizations to obtain what they want. This is often done through the infiltration of a nation's power structure. It is not uncommon for a noble vampire to marry into an important aristocratic family in order to secure a foothold in that nation's society. Certain important figures in the government may also be converted into vampires so that they may act as figureheads for their pureblood and noble overlords, often against their will. A pureblood vampire will usually delegate important branches of an infiltrated society's government to different noble vampires that are loyal to them. Ultimately the nation in question will become controlled by an intricate network of vampiric officials in high places. Vampires require non-vampire blood to live, therefore they must maintain a large population of humans within the nation under their indirect control. The ultimate downfall of this system occurs when the general populace of the nation becomes aware of their vampire controlled government and successfully rebels against them. However many rebellions end with the illusion of victory, only for vampires to eventually retake control of the civilization at a later date. While most vampiric societies operate in this manner, some pureblood families have more empathy for the races they are siphoning blood from and tend to be more benevolent towards them, but they never reveal their true identity as vampires. In recent times noble vampires have begun infiltrating elven frontier settlements, adding elven blood to the menu.

Culture

Crimson Affection

Blood is very important to vampiric society, and anything associated with it has a special meaning. Most vampire's favorite color is indeed red. And their color of choice for architecture, art, and clothing is red. Indeed even their melodies and songs with lyrics are usually about the consumption of blood, or being withheld thereof.

Depending on the circumstances of the situation, a vampire allowing another vampire to drink their blood is considered a sign of favor or respect. If a vampire outright demands drinking the blood of another vampire, they are practically demanding the vampire in question to submit to them. Close family members will drink each other's blood as a sign of affection, and if a relative visits another relative's household, the head of the household is obliged to offer them their blood if they are of equal or lesser social status then the visitor.

Blood is often stored in kegs and then served in a wine glass during social gatherings. The quality of the blood dictates how much the host respects their party. During a wedding ceremony, the groom and bride will drink each other's blood instead of kissing as a symbol of unification if they are low class, or they will drain their blood into wine glasses then exchange them and drink simultaneously if they are high class.

Vampiric Customs

Pureblood vampires used to not care about the suffering of their human victims (via vampiric conversion), but then a tradition of extracting the blood from a victim into a wine glass then drinking it was considered higher class. Now days, all pureblood vampires follow this tradition as it is a sign of status and maintains their position at the top of vampire society. Lesser vampires who care about their social status also follow this tradition, but will otherwise not bother. This tradition is mainly practiced between pureblood and noble vampires, it is almost unheard of and usually considered disrespectful for minor vampires to follow this practice.

Lesser vampires are expected to follow any command a pureblood vampire gives them. Most lesser vampires are under the authority of a pureblood vampire and may only take orders from them or their noble subordinates, but vampires with no allegiances are expected to answer to any pureblood vampire. Disrespecting the wishes of a pureblood vampire will usually result in the execution of the victim.

It is common courtesy for a household to offer any vampiric visitors a wine glass of blood. Failure to do so is considered a sign of disrespect, the level of disrespect is proportional to the status of the household. For this reason, a keg of fresh blood is always kept in middle class and upper class households. Lower class households do not follow this custom.

It is customary for vampiric lineages to retain the last name of their original pureblood ancestor. All lesser vampire lineages originate from a pureblood ancestor and usually take on the ancestor's last name. Pureblood lineages either take on the last name of their original patriarchal pureblood ancestor or may possess a divergent lineage name. A divergent lineage originates from one of the original pureblood ancestors but one of the latter descendants have changed the lineage name to reflect a new identity unique to them.

Religion

Vampires are known to follow as many different religions as humans, but there is one aspect that they all share in common. Almost all vampires revere their pureblood ancestors. This has even gone as far as whole pieces of art and music being produced to commemorate them, even if they perished millennia ago. Monuments have been constructed in the name of certain lineage's pureblood ancestors. It is considered very disrespectful to not honor one's pureblood ancestors and failing to honor them in public usually results in being exiled.

Military

In ages past powerful pureblood leaders were known to convert large numbers of humans into vampires and use them to wage a war on nearby towns and villages. Since converted vampires whom have had drunk from a pureblood are under their control, it was relatively easy to amass great obedient numbers, the only obstacle being blood availability. To maintain the availability of blood, the pureblood overlords would continue to roam and exploit the towns and villages in their general area until their army was defeated or reduced to a manageable size. These conquests resulted in purebloods obtaining a great amount of property and later secretly integrating back into human society as a powerful aristocratic household. In more recent times, purebloods and their subjects avoid major wars or open combat, since non vampires now possess the means to defeat them. They now operate in the shadows and use covert tactics and intricate social contact webs to get what they want.

Economy

The vampiric economy is best described as a black market where non vampire blood is bought and sold in secret. Vampires are very adept at keeping their blood markets a secret to the general populace, and have many measures in place to ensure they are never uprooted. Vampires usually co-exist in secret with a host civilization since they require blood, and they normally will participate in the economy of their host society. They often rise to high positions and achieve aristocracy due to their exceptional gifts and control of the general public, which further reinforces their position within society.

Technology

Vampires usually utilize the technology of their host civilization and therefore are not normally responsible for any breakthroughs themselves.

Interbreeding

Vampires can reproduce with humans, elves, fairies, and kitsune resulting in a broad spectrum of possible combinations. Please note that only human and elf combinations with vampires will result in a normal vampire, the other pairings result in very unique results that are covered individually here.

Humans and Elves

When a vampire reproduces with a human or elf, the offspring will take on the appearance of the non-vampire parent's race except for the traits mentioned above in each vampire sub-group. The capabilities and limitations of this pairing is detailed above with the noble and minor vampire classes.

Fairies

The offspring of a vampire and fairy combination is detailed in the section Lesser Fairies.

Kitsune

The offspring of a vampire and kitsune combination is referred to as a Demisune. A demisune possesses all the physical and mental characteristics of a kitsune, but possess red eyes and sharp fangs. They have an added primal desire referred to as thirst, where they will want to suck the blood of anyone near them even their parents. They can have up to nine tails like a regular kitsune. They have a nearly insatiable appetite for blood and must drink a massive amount frequently throughout the day to keep their sanity. They can only drink human blood. They can also drink the blood of a pureblood vampire(double effectiveness). If the vampire parent of the demisune was a lesser vampire, then the child will quickly lose sanity according to the blood purity of their parent with no way to prevent it. A blood purity of 5% to 99% corresponds with ages 6 to 20 before the demisune is completely insane and no longer has any control over their blood lust. They will act like a wild animal and drink the blood of anyone they come into contact with. Only a pureblood vampire and kitsune pairing will result in a stable demisune, and even then, they are prone to insanity if they do not drink enough blood. Demisune have abundant strength similar to a noble vampire, and the same capabilities and sensitivities towards casting magic as a regular kitsune. If a stable demisune has offspring with a pureblood vampire or a noble vampire with a higher blood purity than them, the child will be more stable and require less blood intake then their demisune parent. A demisune's stability and thirst for blood is directly related to their blood purity. If a demisune has offspring with a lesser vampire that has a blood purity lesser than 50% or a with non-vampire, the child will become insane by age 20 if they were born with a blood purity less than 50%. For this reason most demisune can only be found among the high nobility in vampiric society. Demisune require slightly less food and water intake compared to a regular kitsune, but require the same amount of aetherial energy.