Vampires

An imprisoned cerelt vampire.

Vampires (gamaizhin) are disgusting things found all over Chirua, known for draining the blood out of other creatures for their selfish consumption. They are parasites, caring little about the harm they inflict upon others as they get their way. Both Etai-irin and Ichauri-irin are vulnerable to vampirism, as long as they are much larger than the silver-metal worms that bring forth this plague.

The origin of silver-metal worms and the vampires they create isn't confirmed, for there had been no record of similar creatures existing in Zeirenjier's history until the last two centuries or so. There was nothing of the sort, then these strange cases spontaneously appeared in multiple locations, and gave the world another thing to worry about. As time marched forward, the number of vampires across Chirua only grew larger, making them a legitimate threat that needs to be taken care of.

The Grand Order and the Zaergenzeral Cult blame different sources for plaguing the continent with the vermin. The Eolin-fal say Lord Ravenienne deliberately created parasites that resemble the harmless white-metal worm, letting it cause debilitating damage before finally being discovered to be an entirely different creature. Redwater ministers, on the other hand, say Saulzienne's lingering spirit corrupted one of Lord Ravenienne's peaceful creatures to sow chaos in his place. Regardless of where silver-metal worms came from, they are here to stay until they are forced into extinction.

Anyone unfortunate enough to become a vampire has to suffer for the remainder of their life with not only the affliction itself, but also the collective ire of Chiruan society. Those proven to have been unwillingly infected tend to garner more sympathy, as long as they don't give in to their beastly nature. Vampires known to have intentionally infected themselves, such as those belonging to criminal organizations, are viewed with nothing but contempt for purposely becoming part of Chirua's problems.

I've filled out this long article with information that I didn't want to know (and am now forcing upon you), given to me by a vampire I have the displeasure of knowing. I'm not naming names.

Physical Description

Vampirism (gamalzhin-dimar) is caused by a silver-metal worm burrowing into a larger creature's body, and finally settling into the upper back. Once the worm is situated just below the base of the neck, it permanently fuses to its host by tunneling its branching tail fibers into the surrounding tissues. These tail fibers first follow along the host's nervous system, as the fibers will be replacing the nerves within several days. Old records noted this process as excruciating because of how quickly it progressed, but present-day silver-metal worms force their hosts into an unconscious state before they begin, as creatures that felt every little movement of the tail fibers would much rather put themselves out of their misery than suffer through the entire ordeal. So considerate.

Once a creature is subjected to silver-metal nerve-bonding, it's so over for them. It's impossible to remove all the silver-metal fibers from the victim without shredding everything else in the process. Any attempts to remove the worm itself kills both it and the host, as the host's modified nervous system depends entirely on the worm to function. Sedating or otherwise non-lethally neutralizing the worm results in the vampire being affected in the same way, confirming that once a creature becomes a vampire, there is no way to reverse it.

Physical Changes

Once vampirism fully manifests itself, which is maybe a week or so after the silver-metal worm fused with its host's body, the same changes in behavior and ability found on every vampire begin to appear. The most obvious change is an eternal desire for blood, to be on their mind every day of their new life. The longer a vampire goes without blood, the more pervasive their thoughts of it are until it becomes impossible to think of anything else.

Along with almost fully replacing the nervous system, silver-metal worms will also modify other parts of the host's body to be better suited for hunting and drawing other creatures' blood. This includes replacing flat teeth with sharper variants, mutating blunt fingertips into bony claws, and forming functional tapeta lucida within the eyes. Unlike the quick replacement of the nervous system, these changes occur at a slower rate because of the greater resources required to reform multiple features at once. Slow progression means vampires must continue with their lives as normal while their bodies are altered, and so will feel persistent aches and pains in the relevant areas until the mutations are completed. Consuming a lot of blood will allow the worm to progress faster and end the vampire's distress sooner.

A vampire may also choose to take on more modifications in addition to what their silver-metal worm initially forced, their will being sensed by the parasite and gradually made into reality. The reverse is harder to do, as having unnatural beast-like features is the natural state of being for a vampire. Maintaining a non-monstrous, inconspicuous appearance is an endless struggle against the changes the silver-metal worm is constantly trying to push, unless the vampire has an abundance of blood in their possession to prove that further change is unnecessary.

With their entire survival hinging on their ability to find and drink blood, vampires have an altered sense of smell more attuned to detecting it, able to smell it through flesh, in water, or spilled on hard surfaces a long distance away. They are also capable of distinguishing the blood between different species, and whether it contains disease. To further aid in their hunts, vampires have strength and endurance that is greater than normally possible for their species, allowing them to stalk and overpower their victims. They will avoid those with Destructive Will since they are not immune to its effects, but are heavily drawn toward the opposing Restorative Will and seek out creatures who have it.

The regenerative abilities of a vampire are enhanced over time as the silver-metal worm's tail fibers spread across the vampire's body and commit their entire biological structure to its memory. Starting with accelerated healing of minor cuts and bruises from the first few days as a vampire, eventually it progresses to complete regeneration of entire organs and limbs after being a vampire for decades. The regeneration is limited to the state of the vampire's body at the time of infection—conditions such as limb, organ, or sensory loss cannot be repaired to a normal, functioning state if the damage occurred before the silver-metal worm's bonding.

Said regeneration also allows vampires to effectively stop aging between the early and mid-adult stages of their species' life span, and can make a vampire appear younger if infected at an older age. Certain chronic illnesses may also be managed by the silver-metal worm in such a way that it no longer affects the vampire's daily life.

Children that are unfortunate enough to become vampires continue to age normally until they reach adulthood, where physical aging then appears to stop as it does with other vampires. A theory for them not remaining as children is that the silver-metal worm's preferred changes would irreparably damage their still-developing bodies in undesirable ways, and as such will hold off on the more drastic physical changes until the worm's host grows older.

Self-Draining and Rabidity

Adult silver-metal worms bound to another creature feed solely on blood, and convert it into the energy it needs to function as its host's nervous system. A silver-metal worm will use its host's blood as a continuous source to sustain itself, draining it at all times. Early in the existence of silver-metal parasitism, many victims died from the worms doing so excessively. The afflicted that actively tried to counteract this behavior discovered that drinking other creatures' blood spared their own, that silver-metal worms will prioritize blood from external sources. Now we're stuck with blood drinkers because some silver-metal victims of old were more intelligent than the others.

Death from self-draining is uncommon for vampires nowadays, for the silver-metal worms evolved "rabidity"—temporary control over its host as a last resort. When the amount of blood circulating throughout the body drops below what the parasite deems acceptable, vampires will have their strength, endurance, and senses temporarily further enhanced; but will also feel constant increases in agitation and desperation. This is said to be the parasite's way of both encouraging its host to hunt, and warning it of future consequences. If the vampire still does not consume any blood within a varying time frame, the worm will interfere and take control of its host's body, immediately taking to methods that its host refused to consider previously.

Under silver-metal control, vampires will become abnormally aggressive and attack any nearby creatures until the parasite is sated. Rabid vampires do not become stupid if the host was not originally that way—they have been observed properly using weapons, vehicles, and devices when chasing a target. Unpredictability regarding when an agitated vampire will become rabid is one of many justifiable reasons to kill them.

Anyone that deals with vampires will discover that their rabidity can effectively be used against them. Accounts from multiple interrogated vampires describe the state as having the control over their own body being ripped away from them, becoming their silver-metal worm's puppet and being forced to watch and accept its actions. Throughout rabidity, the parasite is less concerned about the welfare of the body than the host is, therefore pushing it into engaging in dangerous behavior that it normally wouldn't. This often results in injuries such as torn muscles and broken bones that the vampire must deal with afterward. The worm also does not respect relationships that the vampire has and values; all that matters to it is finding enough blood to prevent its death, regardless of where it came from.

A vampire witnessing others suffer rabidity or enduring it themselves is a cause of disgust, stress, and despair. Silver-metal worms in control can and will mangle everything to the point where it can never fix the physical and mental damage it caused. This knowledge is useful when imprisoning an Ichauri-irinic vampire, seeing that they would most likely submit to their captors under threats—or actual practices—of repeatedly forcing them in and out of that state. It's the closest thing there is to death or being vehement, both of which are undesirable.

Vehement

A fishmonger that had become vehement.

All vampires are dangerous in some form, but there is a particular kind that is a bigger threat to the people and wildlife of Chirua compared to the others. The Vehement are what could be described as vampires that no longer have any control over their bodies, and bend to the will of their silver-metal worms; it is permanent rabidity. It's near impossible to find an instance of vehement that won't tear someone's face up. They're also ugly.

In most cases of vampirism, the worm's host has the greatest control over its actions and physical traits, keeping the worm's influence minimal. When the host has irreparable brain damage that does not lead to brain death yet greatly affects its functions, it's detected by the silver-metal worm and is taken as an opportunity to impose its will unimpeded. The worm then makes all the physical and behavioral changes it wants to give it the greatest chance at successfully acquiring the blood it needs. Often, the changes that the worm chooses to make are more extreme than would normally be chosen by an average vampire, making vehement far easier to identify.

When most Chiruan citizens hear the word "vampire," the image of vehement is usually what comes to mind. Their grotesque appearances and violent behavior are reported on a lot more often compared to the vampires that look more "normal," and this is despite vehement being a small part of the total number of vampires. Their existence alone is reason enough to categorize all vampires as one of the many plagues of Chirua, for any one of them could turn into permanently violent beasts.

Knowing how vehement are created gave way to the process of making more of them on purpose. By taking an average vampire and inflicting deliberate brain damage, the results were almost always going to be the familiar monster. While vehement are a pain to control, manually creating them is a common practice among vampire clans, often as a form of punishment. They also make excellent distractions, as groups like Indanach will likely focus their attention and resources on the much more destructive vehement than "normal" vampires, should both be in the same area. Something to wonder is just how many vehement in the world were purposely made this way, as opposed to being the result of natural circumstances.

Dispatch Methods

Those afraid of vampires don't have to fear them more than they have to, as there is a tried-and-true way of repelling them. The number-one, reliable, easiest way to keep vampires out of your neighborhood is...

Pine sap!

Observation of silver-metal worms in the wild revealed to us that they will avoid pine sap, and will immediately move out of its proximity if placed near it. The smell alone is enough to repel most worms, but the more effective method is to place a little bit of pine sap directly on a silver-metal worm. The direct contact causes it to die of anaphylaxis.

Fortunately for us, vampires somewhat inherit this allergy and can also be repelled by pine scents. They won't have a reaction to pine sap and derived products as severe as the worm itself, though. They will still try to avoid it, as coming into contact with it can cause irritation, but it won't kill them unless they somehow ingest a decent amount of it. Unfortunately, the longer a vampire survives, the stronger their resistance to pine sap becomes. They would have had constant minor exposure to the offending materials throughout the years they've been alive, building up a tolerance for it to the point where pine sap doesn't have much of an effect anymore.

The powers that be had given us a chance against even the strongest of vampires, with the invention of turpentine. Yes, turpentine can be harmful to just about everything else, but it's especially potent against vampires and will damage them quicker and more severely in comparison to non-vampires. It will deeply corrode a vampire's exposed skin or scales with direct contact, while inhaling the vapor will cause terrible nosebleeds and irritation—but only when briefly exposed, about up to a minute. Any longer exposure or outright ingesting the turpentine will kill them if they have no external protection against it. So easy. Vampire hunters will use fragile little capsules containing turpentine and throw them directly on vampires; it's an instantaneous way to neutralize them once the capsule breaks. The downside, as mentioned, is that turpentine isn't exactly safe for non-vampires either, and thus can't be used liberally in populated areas.

Vampire hunter equipped with a pine blade and turpentine capsules.

Some unique equipment we have for killing vampires are pine blades. These are swords designed with a mechanism that releases diluted turpentine from a tank and into the blade through small holes, after pressing the trigger on the handle. Wielders generally want to wear a protective suit because of how much turpentine they're exposed to every time they pull the blade's trigger.

Smart vampires will stay away from potential killers equipped with pine blades entirely, so the weapons aren't that effective on them. Vehement, on the other hand, don't understand how deadly the blades are to them until they're well within melee range. Hunters don't even need to directly strike a vampire with pine blades; simply pressing the trigger and flinging turpentine in a vampire's direction can scare them off, or possibly kill them. It's a good weapon to take when clearing vampire hideouts.

Certainly pine sap and its derivatives aren't the only things vampires are weak to. They have an actual, physical weak spot that can be exploited. As previously mentioned, silver-metal worms always settle on the upper back of their hosts. When they do this, they do not burrow their heads below the bones; they primarily sit on or slightly around them. This leaves the most important part of the silver-metal worm in a superficial area, vulnerable to physical damage.

Should one take any sturdy object, be it a book, frying pan, what have you; and strike a vampire on their back with it, it will kill the silver-metal worm, and the vampire in turn. Vampires do not ignore such a critical weakness and are quite vigilant about it, making it more difficult to land a good whack than one would think. Ichauri-irinic vampires will often wear a form of armor to partially protect themselves from this threat.

Although vampires have strong regeneration abilities, it will not save them from brain damage and beheading; silver-metal fibers cannot preserve and recreate the complexity of their host's brain, no matter how long the vampire was alive. Also, any death that the host creature is vulnerable to still applies. They are not immortal.

Behavior and Organizations

Typical vampire behavior is driven by their need for blood, and their daily routines are restructured around that aspect. Those who did not intentionally become vampires struggle with maintaining their previous lives, pestered by thoughts imposed by the parasite they are forever bonded to, and enduring the negative reactions from the people around them. Non-willing vampires walk a difficult path, but it is possible to continue living somewhat normally. For those who deliberately choose to become vermin, everything they had known before is abandoned and replaced by a life of immorality.

The justified hatred that vampires receive pushes most of them into exile, for many of them would be recognized as the monsters they are by their inability to hide their beast-like traits—a privilege that only vampires with a reliable source of blood have. Without the possibility of freely walking through populated areas, many vampires resort to living in hideouts outside of civilization that normal people would rarely come across. These shelters often consist of tents, shacks, and caves in poor condition; as no creature in their right mind would offer their services to help a vampire live comfortably. Despite their allergy, vampire hideouts have previously been found near pine forests, including the most dangerous one in Northern Ravenguard; these tend to be in better condition and occupied by vampires that even Indanach would struggle to put down.

Excluding vehement, who don't care about negative attention, vampires will use darkness to their advantage to avoid being caught, and carry out the majority of their activities long after Arwae has set. The killing of animals, home invasions, and assaults that occur overnight are likely to have been committed by silver-metal beasts. If a vampire is privileged enough to appear as a completely normal creature, or live near an area controlled by other vampires or those sympathetic to them, a restriction to nighttime is not needed.

Not all vampires in Chirua are stupid, solitary animals. There are plenty of them that live entirely on their own, but universal struggle with bloodthirst and being despised by nearly everyone gives them some common ground on which to form alliances. Innumerable vampire groups are scattered across the continent with varying member counts and different goals in mind, but they all have the same desire to drain the blood out of others.

There is no writing about vampire organizations without mentioning the two largest and most influential of them all: House Fulgrym, and the Graysandine. Both are criminal gangs, terrorizing innocent citizens as they try to lay claim to Chiruan territory and impose their rule over weak-willed city governments. Their bloody feuds are not only with each other, but also with Saulzienne's Allegiant and smaller gangs that dare to challenge them, thereby involving themselves in conflicts without end. The Fulgrymites and the Graysandine have their webs spread out in all places, high and low, making their ilk difficult for law enforcement and Indanach to exterminate for good.

The behavior exhibited by smaller clans isn't often different from that of the Graysandine or House Fulgrym—willing to attack and kill people for their blood, valuables, and power—but to say that they are all the same wouldn't be accurate. Some are worse than others, having been distanced from society for so long that the vampires belonging to them behave more like feral animals than civilized Ichauri-irin. These rare groups are mostly settled in the wilderness and don't bother attempting to fit in with normal people, engaging in socially unacceptable and hostile behavior even toward each other, resulting in countless infighting and brawls for dominance. New members are not recruited like they would be with many other groups, rather they are born into it, forced into becoming vampires as soon as physically possible. With how differently feral vampires behave in comparison to "normal," non-vehement vampires, we can assume that the groups they belong to have existed as long as vampirism itself has.

On the other end of the behavior spectrum, there are vampires who would rarely or never hurt anyone else, as unbelievable as it sounds. Most often, these are the vampires who were turned against their will, but there are cases in which the vampirism was intentional. A famous example of a harmless vampire is Graden Gemul of Iykregul's Den, the president of Gemul Techwork and director of Station 228. There have been no genuine reports in Indanach's database at all of Gemul being hostile or manipulative, which is interesting to hear regarding a vampire. Maybe a little too interesting... I'd say money is doing a lot of heavy lifting.