Fiction:Vampirism

"Vampirism is an old curse; a wretched strain that thrives from inhumane depravity and the desire to commit one's life to sin under the promise of power and euphoria. There is no cure for it short of death, for not only is it a disease, but the embodiment of all that is corrupt within the mortal soul - violence, sex, greed. ... Though the powers and strengths it grants upon its hosts are indeed great and terrifying, only a damned fool would think that that they are in control, for no matter how long a man may wield these accursed gifts without plight, they shall inevitably become a victim either to the dreaded red first... or to their own immortality."

- High Inquisitor Bram Dirgespire

Vampirism is a magical curse which has been spread through the ages in. Characterized by giving the victim superhuman abilities at the cost of bat-like features and an intense thirst for blood, it is perhaps one of the most well known curses among the common folk, who fear vampires for their violence and bloodsucking mannerisms. A number of vampires have united into a single nation known as the, but many of them are known to live independent lives.

History
Vampirism was created by, the demonic Simulacrum of Knowledge and Blood, to serve as his minions in Koldenwelt a few centuries following the beginning of the Old Age. It was first created in the form of a species of highly magical race of batfolk known as s, led by the demigod figure known as Count, who would learn of their abilities to curse other races through their bites and lead to the birth of modern vampires. Varelos's vampires would eventually unite into the Nightshade Clan, a city-state composed of vampires and their minions, though not all of the night creatures would join them, some ignoring the Count's authority while others were unaware of his existence. Vampires became universal enemies of the Derevar Elves following the Nightshade Clan's war against their people, which led to them losing their original lands.

In the New Age, vampires are still shunned from society. The, the largest elven empire in the current day, secretly deals with the Nightshade Clan with the objective of changing public view of vampires so that they may be accepted by the peasantry, but these efforts may take decades or more.

Characteristics
Vampirism is a curse of dark magical nature which is transmitted from already-existing vampires to other creatures through a number of manners. There are two forms of vampires in Koldenwelt: Purebloods and Halfbloods. Pureblood vampires are the original species created by Zran Kar which is the source of the curse, while Halfblood vampires are the classical individuals known by the peasantry, men and women with enlarged fangs and superhuman abilities. Purebloods transmit vampirism through contact with their blood, while Halfbloods create more of themselves by biting their victims, usually their necks, and allowing their magic to flow into them. Unlike peasantry myth claims, vampires are not undead, nor can undead become vampires, though the two forms of beings do possess similarities.

Most races can be afflicted with vampirism, including deiwes, beastmen and lesser dragons. Magical affinity grants the user no immunity to the curse - in fact, greater affinity to the Source is known to attract vampires and make them more vulnerable to vampirism - though users of light magic are known to possess a certain amount of resistance. Races known to be immune to vampirism include those devoid of blood, such as s and Golems, and those not native to Koldenwelt - the curse was created by Zran Kar to afflict mortals, meaning Outsiders are immune to its effects. Animals can theoretically become vampires if attacked by one and left alive, but due to their lack of understanding of the curse, most if not all end up dying of thirst. Due to their great size and power which allow them to fend off vampires, there are little to no reports of Greater and True Dragons afflicted with vampirism.

The effects of vampirism vary between species, but most follow similar pattern including the skin growing pale, the body growing cold, elongated fingers and nails growing into claws. Vampires have their needs for water replaced with blood, and the lack of it leads them to die of thirst. Any blood can satiate a vampire's thirst, but the blood of non-sapient animals may not be considered appealing to many, leading vampires to prey on civilized races for the sake of survival. Reports show vampires prefer the taste of elven blood and the blood of dark magic practitioners to that of other races.

Being afflicted with vampirism comes with an array of advantages. Firstly, vampires possess greatly increased physical prowess, much higher perception and greater agility than they had before, as well as increased healing power which allow them to survive most wounds which would otherwise cripple or outright kill normal members of their race. Vampires can see perfectly in the dark and can 'smell' the Source around them, allowing them to easily identify mages and what magic they control. Vampirism also enhances one's lifespan considerably - though it does not grant biological immortality - and the oldest vampires are widely known to be the most powerful, possessing abilities such as being able to communicate with night creatures like bats and ravens, and being able to shapeshift in order to hide their forms from others.

However, vampires also possess numerous weaknesses. Direct exposure to sunlight causes them to become nauseated and, if left to the sun's mercy for too long, they may eventually burn into cinders. Younger vampires are repulsed by the smell of garlic, and the creatures as a whole fear cold iron and adamatine, metals with anti-magical properties which may disrupt their powers. While vampires can shrug off even the loss of body parts, impaling them through their hearts leads them to die instantly, and they are also known to be heavily wounded by the magic schools of the light and sun. A common practice among vampire hunters is blessing water with light magic in order to create holy water to throw at the creatures, who react to the liquid as if it was acidic. A vampire completely deprived of blood may become feral, losing its mind and becoming little more than a beast constantly on the hunt for blood.

Vampirism may be cured of the curse, though it is a poorly-understood process. The most known way of curing a vampire by elven and human clerics is to bathe them in light magic while letting out series of incantations, but the rate of success is low and most attempts have resulted in the vampire going on a frenzy from the pain. Because of it, efforts to cure vampires are often ignored in favour of simply killing them.

Trivia

 * Vampirism was introduced to the Fantasy Universe by, though all users are allowed to create vampires disconnected to his fiction.