Definition *

These demons are a form of the undead that can originate from any race. They are not part of common society often, unless Emdae requests their help.

Description *

The inhabitants of Kan'rii and the area around it are the closest thing to vampires that the realm has. Though they don't appreciate the term, they have come to accept that it's the easiest way to explain to humans exactly what they are. All an individual needs is a good dose of vampire venom to be able to turn. Once turned, the individual experiences trademark characteristics from their original race (merfolk can still swim under water), as well as characteristics exhibited by the vampire race. These characteristics include; bloodlust, heightened senses and response time, venom production, and glowing eyes.

Lore*

As told by Raja, The Empress

"We've been here almost since the beginning. This world is old to begin with, but we are almost as old. We are one of the few that were created by both Order and Chaos. We were made to save. While they created and experimented, they created us an area that they wouldn't touch. Then if any of their creations were worth keeping, they gave them to us. We took care of plants, animals, structures and landscapes. When there was enough things that went together, Order would create a new area with all of those living things, and Chaos would create someone to inhabit it. Out of the forests came the elves, the forest nymphs, the sprites. Out of the oceans came the merfolk, the sirens, the water nymphs. That's the story that's been passed down through all these generations."

History

Timeline

Specifics For a long time, the vampires and humans lived in peace. The vampires would use them for blood when needed, on the condition that they didn't take without their consideration. In return, the vampires offered a new level of protection from other demons, since they were so well respected. An illness swept through the vampires one year, instilling an uncontrollable bloodlust. They killed many humans, and that was never forgotten.

Culture

Butterfly Culture Kan'rii shares its butterfly culture very closely with the land of Iteia, the land of the merfolk.

As a Peace Symbol Butterflies have been a symbol of peace for the vampires ever since Kan'rii was founded. According to vampire myth, the species was created to keep track of Life's creations, and to nurture the new balance keepers. Because of this, peace was essential ever since the beginning of vampire culture. Since the area was in a prime location for defense and was granted by the Divines, the butterflies that flocked there quickly became a natural symbol for peace.

Butterflies and the Sun In vampire history, one of the old Rajas found a way to harness the butterflies' love of sun in such a way that it combats the vampires' natural aversion to it. Now, every major city is equipped with a butterfly tree, a special breed of tree that attracts several different species of butterflies. Then each city holds an annual coming of age ceremony for all the young vampires that turn thirteen that year. They are accompanied by an older vampire of their choice to go up to the butterfly tree and find one that suits them. When a suitable butterfly finds a host that it fits well with, the two merge and the vampire will gain butterfly wings. These wings come out when the vampire walks out in the sun to prevent burns and other physical symptoms associated with too much sun exposure. The vampire will also experience an affinity to all butterflies of that species. It is common for vampires from the same families to have similar species of butterfly. The Empress will always be aligned with the Raja Brooke, and the royal family is associated with swallowtails. The immediate family of the Empress will often have birdwings as their butterflies, though this might vary.

A list of vampires and their associated butterflies

Biology

Vampire childbirth

Children * Vampire children experience a limbo in their biological structure. They are, scientifically speaking, a full fledged vampire. Their bodies, however, act as if they are still alive. Children breathe, sleep and find comfort in eating regular food despite requiring blood. It has been found that the brain has not yet changed its chemical responses to match those of a vampire, and instead still act as if the child is alive. It's thought that this is due to the extremely slow changing process a baby experiences while still in the womb. Most unusually, a vampire child will continue to age until they are around twenty years old. Arymians have found this to be an extraordinary feature of vampire children, as the aging process is halted in its tracks. Despite acting alive, children are able to utilize their full vampire abilities; night vision, heightened senses, greater agility and balance, and the use of small 'milk fangs'. Milk fangs are an intermediary stage of fang progression unique to vampire children. While turned vampires gain their full fangs upon turning, a vampire child has smaller versions to better fit their mouth, though they are still as sharp as full fangs. At around twelve years old, the fangs grow again and reach their full length.

Most interestingly, vampire children do not produce the same venom as their turned counterparts. It is unclear if this is due to diet, biological age, or the inability to create venom properly due to conflicting chemical responses in the brain. Regardless of the cause, the venom produced by a vampire child is of weakened potency. Venom from a child has a near 0% chance of creating a vampire, even if the victim's entire blood structure is replaced with venom. This has turned the head of many Arymian researchers in hopes of harnessing increased vitality or even continuous life through the venom, with little to no risk of unlife through vampirism.

Though a vampire's regenerative properties are already high, a child's are even more efficient. Though few studies have been done, vampire children are highly resistant to the characteristic sunburns experienced by turned or aged vampires. This, too, has turned the head of Aymian researchers. Though vampire children are not immune to illness, their immune system is highly adaptive, and any illness contracted by a vampire child will result in near immunity as a result. A direct blood transfusion will pass the developed antibodies on to another, allowing for a unique for of vaccination.

Bloodlust

Venom * Vampire venom contains a unique poison that targets blood directly. It works by mutating blood into a semi-effective state, which transmits a modified version of the venom into cells as nutrients. This process does a number of things to the inner workings of the cell. It starts by changing the cell's reproductive code. Typically a cell works to make a direct copy of itself. The venom gives the cell a modified gene code that is non-specialized, similar to a stem cell. Every time the cell reproduces, the resulting cell is non-specialized, and adapts to the cells around it. Vampire cells do experience death, but in the new venomous code, a cell is forced to copy itself with the new venom code, resulting in an ageless regeneration. Under times of stress, this response is increased to quickly heal wounds or combat organ failure.

The venom construct present in the blood replaces breathing with an altered version of photosynthesis combined with feeding. Nutrients are obtained directly from feeding and absorbed through the stomach walls directly into the blood stream, where the venom transports it similar to how blood would. The venom is able, however, to utilized a more photosynthesis based cycle to produce its own nutrients. The venom will act like chlorophyll in plants, using moonlight, carbon dioxide and water. It is not viable to survive long this way, and vampires will only fall back to this during times of starvation or extreme stress. A key feature of this process is the fact that it forces a vampire to begin breathing, and is a tell tale sign in aged vampires that they are malnourished.

Diseases and Stresses

Blood Comas The given name to the coma a vampire experiences when unable to feed. The venom within a vampire's bloodstream will give off a stress signal, which causes all cells to shut down. The cells experience a near literal freeze, as the venom will used stored chemicals to create a preservative. During these times, a vampire is most easily mistaken for an embalmed corpse. However, should the vampire smell blood, the coma will wear off suddenly, and will be on high alert to search for the source of food to function again. A vampire acting out after waking up from a blood coma is feral, and not often consciously aware of their actions. It's common for a vampire to go on a feeding spree and only notice after their bodies begin properly regulating themselves again. This biological feature has made vampires especially dangerous.

Red Mist Disease Rif'ois, or 'red mist' is the name of a disease that targets a vampire's response to blood comas. The disease forces the vampire into high alert as if they were starving. As a result, a vampire will go on a feeding spree, not always aware of the decision they're making. The disease is passed through blood, and it's possible for one vampire to get it by feeding or being fed from another vampire. Heat will correct this disease, as will extreme cold, but at high risk to a vampire. It is possible to be killed by this disease through preventative treatments that are too hot/cold, by overeating or by being targeted due to the actions the disease forces.

Burns When a vampire experiences prolonged sun exposure, they might receive burns. The intensity of these burns varies depending on how long the vampire is out in the sun. Vampires with the protection of butterfly wings will experience minimal effects, but still might become lethargic if left in the sun for too long.

Sun Exposure Symptoms < 30 minutes Minor burns, red skin and tenderness will appear around the exposed area. 30 - 60 minutes Blisters will appear and even covered skin close to the burn will begin to turn red. 1 - 2 hours Skin begins to burn like paper. Burns will blacken around the center and skin will flake off in white curls. 3 - 5 hours Main burn area will begin to expose the interior. Edges of the burn covered by clothing will experience blistering and flaking. Scarring will occur but may fade over time with the vampire's natural regeneration. 6+ hours Flesh will burn to the bone, and the bone will begin to blacken. Covered skin will begin to show interior. Scarring will occur that won't be healed by the vampire's regenerative properties.

Sheriath Sheriath is the three-dimensional representation of the interior of a seractan. When a seractan dies, its entire four-dimensional body begins to decompose, leaving three-dimensional deposits of biological material. Initially, this material is a liquid, but hardens quickly into a crystal-like formation. Sheriath often hardens into thin, strong 'strings' of hard material that has a high luster. With similar properties to chitin, dentine or decayed bones, this goldenrod colored substance looks dull when left to the open elements over time. However, even in this form, sheriath presents a huge problem for vampires.

It is important that vampires learn quickly to detect sheriath if they choose to venture outside of Kan'rii. Sheriath still retains some four-dimensional qualities, and this interferes with the way that the venom interprets a vampire's wounds. Sheriath can cut through a vampire effortlessly, severing even bone and causing wounds that a vampire have a very difficult time recovering from. Healing from a wound made by a sheriath blade would take twice as long as what a human would face against a plain iron blade of the same model.

This material has been incorporated into the weapons of the hunters. When sheriath is added to a weapon, is adds a gold-like look to the edge of the blade it's applied to. Sheriath can be polished to look like a darker, duller gold and can be confused for gold when processed this way.

Trivia