The Lofocûs

Members of this species share a dark and foreboding history, one that is unknown by most of those who function under the light of day.
‘Daywalkers’, as members of the Lophocûs call those who are awake when the sun is up, are struck by fear when they behold them. If they happen to stumble across one of them, they often gasp and run away (the ‘best’ outcome) or spit at them and hiss ‘Nightwalker’ or ‘Bloodsucker’ before stalking away. (the worst outcome). And even if they happen to have the misfortune of coming across such an acidic individual, that person cannot bring themself to attack or beat up their victim, as their presence strikes fear into even them.
The Lophocot are a tragic race—though they cannot be truly considered a ‘race’ in the exact definition of the word. Any member of any race, barring the elementals and the tree-peoples, can become a Lophocûs, and it is a fate deemed worse than death. They are deemed a corrupted version of life, something that the Creator has turned His back on (even though that couldn’t be any farther from the truth). Myths and legends sprang up around them and the fact that sunlight physically hurt them—an aspect that was deemed unnatural despite the fact that it was a condition that can manifest in normal humans and has been recorded as being something that was inflicted on a Prince in the early history of Eldûra.
One of the strongest and most prolific myths that refuses to die is the fact that a Lophocûs will drink your blood if given the chance, which has led to the derogatory term of 'Bloodsucker'. This myth was born shortly after the first of the Lophoci were created, when the Sorcerer Queen showed them off to her conquered queendom and warned that they would feast upon the cowering people of they defied her in any way. This was, in truth, a complete bluff, but the common-folk did not know that. The Sorcerer Queen and the Lophoci did, and they did not correct them. Those of the Lophocûs who wished to let them know were punished.
When the Sorcerer Queen was deposed, the revolutionaries went after everyone who served under her and did not help them take her down. The Lophocot who had been secretly loathing their servitude—which was most—fled as it was too dangerous to approach those who had been oppressed with the offer of aid.
The Lophocot disappeared into the dark and lonely places in order to escape the wrath of the wronged. They only resurfaced when they absolutely had to, and often only encounter “Daywalkers” when they need to trade on the black market.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Lophocot range in stature the same as humans, elves, and the other races of Eldûra, since most Lophoci are made, not born. No matter what their skin colour was before their transformation, they wind up with ashen-grey skin and black hair, and piercing white eyes that tend to glow at night. Their canine teeth are slightly more pronounced than they should be, a detail added to aid in the Sorcerer Queen's ruse.
The Lophocot as a whole suffer from solar urticaria, an allergy to sunlight that can cause blisters or hives, rashes, pain and itching, and scaling, crusting, and bleeding. If a Lophocûs is exposed to sunlight for too long they could eventually die as the condition forces their body into anaphylaxis.
The Lophocûs condition freezes the inflicted in time, and they stop aging all together.

Genetics and Reproduction

Lophocot do not reproduce like normal creatures—a by-product of their curse, as it renders them sterile. Once someone is changed, there is no way to be changed back to what they were. The Sorcerer Queen forced the transformation upon the original Lophocot by forcing them to drink the water from a spring found deep within the rock beneath the Scar. Those waters were warped by the impact of the falling star, Rekathusilo, which came crashing down and finished the Battle of Unspoken Grief and lay unknown until the Sorcerer Queen found it. 
One can be transformed into a Lophocûs if they drink the water of that spring (willingly or unwillingly or even unknowingly), or if they come into contact with any of a Lophocûs' bodily fluids. The Lophocûs condition is much like Ebola, as it's transmitted through fluids.

Behaviour

The older Lophocot tend to be quieter, more withdrawn. They are resigned to their fates and no longer wish to draw unwanted attention.
But this is not the attitude that the Lophocot are known for. They are known for being mischievious troublemakers angry at the world and the attitudes 'Daywalkers' have towards them. Young Lophocot who haven't come to terms with what has happened to them often take their frustrations out on Daywalkers through mischievous acts and nature that often put non-Lophocot on edge.
You are more likely to find your pocket picked by a Lophocûs than a deal honoured by one of these 'Nightwalker's.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Lophocot possess the ability to see in the dark and even on moonless nights, a heightened sense of hearing, and a sense of smell only surpassed by a dragon, its strength often compared to that of a dog's.
It takes some focus to be able to activate their heightened smell, as it was a skill not often needed, leading to the ability atrophying in its readiness.
Their enhanced sight is a boon in the night, but a curse in the day. Their eyes are too sensitive for sunlight, and if they have to travel by day they wear their hoods up and try to dim the light by tying thin black material over their eyes.

Lophocûs _singular ; Lophocot _plural

Origin/Ancestry

Human

Lifespan

Immortal