Dead Apostle

Dead Apostles are Humans that became Vampires either by the use of Magecraft or by the actions of another Vampire of similar nature. The Dead Apostles also includes creatures that weren't Vampires from the beginning, such as animals. Among the creatures that fall under the Vampire category, they are the most numerous. The main targets of the Executors of the Burial Agency, an organization created for the purpose of stopping the spreading of the heresy known as Vampires by exterminating the Dead Apostles & sealing The Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors.

Basic Information

Growth Rate & Stages

Dead Apostles who suck the blood of humans & replace it with their own pass on the curse of vampirism, as their victims are now reborn as Vampires under the control of their sire. The curse of vampirism is divided into several steps according to its depth & the name of each step is derived from the Church, it has also become a common terminology in the World of Magecraft. The Dead Apostles themselves see the depth of the curse as a caste system, of social standing in vampiric society, in which Rank 1-3 are slaves, Rank 4-5 are subordinates & Rank 6-9 are Vampires.

1. Corpse: A marionette dancing to the tune of its sire. A being that had it's blood sucked & then replaced with that of the sire's. A corpse that will return to being dead if left without orders. A mere grunt which simply sucks blood & delivers it to it's sire. One of what are called "The Dead".
2. Ghoul: A corpse mimicking the form it had in life, possessing a will yet incapable of coherent thought. While its sire's Magical Energy keeps it from decaying, its insides have completely disintegrated. As the brain's decomposition causes it to seek flesh & blood instinctively, it is more savage than a Stage 1, Corpse, as they can devour people in less than a few minutes. Could be described as a 100% loyal soldier that can be programmed by its sire, it also dies with it's sire's death or by the sire's decision to cut off their Magical Energy connection.
3. Undead: From this point on a creature that can finally be called a Vampire. A living corpse, that hasn't fully regained it's mental faculties & lacks it's senses of pain & taste, but can simulate a human lifestyle on its own. A high-ranking soldier whose brain has been reconstructed after death, that follows its sire after understanding what kind of creature it has become. They are still bound to their sire & return to being corpses when their sire gets destroyed or by the sire's decision that they are not needed anymore. These Undead act as commanders to the lower ranked Dead & are not fazed by sunlight, but require periodic embalming treatment in order to conceal their true nature. Counted among "The Dead".
4. Nightkin: An undead who acts as a fledgling Vampire while maintaining its original personality. A half-human Vampire whose inhuman physical abilities come at the cost of experiencing extreme coldness & thirst. A low-ranking knight, that according to the Church can hold its own against one of their Executors. When those of Rank 4 & above carefully drink the blood of their prey, their victim starts out as a Vampire of this rank. They may become anemic under the sunlight, though it doesn't burn them yet.
5. Nightmare: Adding to the scope of Rank 4, at this point the curse within their blood allows them to manifest special powers deriving from their sire or perhaps arising from their own self. A High-ranking knight — a fully fledged Vampire, that according to the Church can hold it's own against several of their Executors.
6. Dead Apostle (Inferior): A completely self-sufficient bloodsucker, who has lost the human ability to procreate. Though these Lords can create children through their bloodsucking incursions, they cannot sire a child that can exceed Rank 6 what you'd call a limit to these upstarts. Only one out of ten thousand people are able to reach this rank.
7. Dead Apostle (Superior): Greater Dead Apostle. Those of Rank 6 who were acknowledged by an Ancestor & bestowed with additional abilities. Though they share a name, this rank is of a wholly different scale from the previous one. To reach this rank is to become a poison that taints the land simply by existing.
8. Successor: A talented Vampire chosen by an Ancestor as their own successor. A prince or princess, who is in a position to inherit the Idea Blood of a Dead Apostle Ancestor upon that Ancestor's destruction. Among the Ancestors are also some who were captivated by beings that were not Vampires & unexpectedly raised them to this rank.
9. Ancestor: The old Dead Apostles who broke free from their role as emergency rations & achieved victory in their struggle for independence as wholly distinct beings. A crimson stain that fell from the moon onto the earth. Long-lived beings who take in the life of humans & give rise to Rank 6 Dead Apostles. Kings & Queens who have established the structure of Vampire society that exists to this day, with each of them possessing their own Idea Blood.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Just like the True Ancestors, these Vampires have the instinct known as Vampiric Impulses which pushes them to suck the blood of others. But differently than the Vampiric Impulses of the True Ancestors, they have the physical need to suck the blood of others in order to maintain their own bodies. For those Dead Apostles who used to be human, it is something not entirely dissimilar from an expression of love.