Vampirism

"They had forgotten the first lesson, that we are to be powerful, beautiful, and without regret." - Anne Rice, Interview with the Vampire

No creature is more complex than the Cyrrin Vampire. Existing on the fringes of society in some areas, populating the nobility in others, the Vampires trace their ancient roots to the Fey. Though there can be no confirming what took place thousands of years ago, the most common belief is that Vampires were once a form of Faerie. Perhaps a group corrupted or blessed by Uion. The exact telling of their lore will vary from culture to culture and, indeed, from Vampire to Vampire
Younger cousin to the much more powerful Lich, a vampire exists in a state of both life and death. Though their hearts still beat, blood still flows, and fading signs of life will cause them to show to many as "alive", they are undoubtedly dead. Or at least, undead.

Lifespan

Birth

Though there are always going to be conflicting stories and ideas about how the Vampiric race came to be, the process of making more is relatively simple: Vampires breed just like humans. This is often what lends people to believe that a Vampire is not truly dead. They are born as babies, grow as children and stop aging sometime around their early thirties. A Vampire that breeds with any other race creates a dhampir. Though many dhampir are half human, many are also half orc, half dwarf, or half elf. Vampires are known to pick more long lived races for their partners, so as to extend the amount of time they will have a partner.
Some Vampires believe in Reincarnation in the Veil, and search for their partner over and over again in each lifetime. There is little evidence to support this theory, but it does make for a romantic story.

Adulthood

No one is quite certain how long adulthood lasts in Vampires, as they cease aging around their thirtieth birthday. However, most Vampires do claim a type of melancholy and apathy begins to afflict them in their third century. The oldest living Vampire is 698; he lives deep in the icy tundra's of Alvara and is said to kill and feed on visitors. His existence is only verified by the Temple of Uion, who can sense his presence there.

Death

"That's often the way here with vampires. Quiet lives, active deaths." - Matthew Schofield

Vampires can die like any race, just not from old age. For a Vampire, Death is often unexpected and sudden. While going into direct sunlight doesn't hurt them (other then the light sensitivity)