True Vampires

Nature

True Vampires are pinnacle predators in the realm of undeath. For a time, it was believed that their primary source of sustenance was blood but after pouring over the evidence and lore acquired by Blood Hunters after the Blood Crusade it is apparent that their appetites can adapt, much like the rest of them. The common thread that binds all these unnatural hungers is that it comes from a life force or essential component to life (i.e. blood, spiritual essence, cerebral and spinal fluid, etc.). Without feeding on such things, True Vampires are doomed to waste away but not die, becoming insane beasts of hunger and rage. Unlike many undead, even amongst the more powerful consummate subgroup, True Vampires retain mortal ideals of society and civilization albeit warped into a dark parody of what mortals ultimately stive for. This is the reason that at the height of their power in Neuorban they sought to carve out kingdoms and dominions to rule the living and other undead, and even after their near extinction they attempt to live among us and seat themselves in secure places of power. It is even said that those who survived the purging of the Blood Hunters established something only referred to as "The Code". The Code is said to be a set of laws put forth on all vampiric beings to safeguard what remains of their kind till they can one day regain enough strength to no longer skulk in the shadows. What is truly known about The Code in specifics is largely debated, as if it truly exits these damned souls have done a superb job keeping it obfuscated from prying mortal eyes. Though this desire to be social creatures is partly a carry over from mortal life, for those who were mortal to begin with of course, it is also because of a universally held idea of superiority that True Vampires share. This leads them to build bonds amongst others of their kind and seek lordship over the living, but also compels them to be naturally paranoid and suspicious of their "Kindred". Even before the notable Houses were slain, this was thankfully a deterrent for them to grow their numbers. For all the things a True Vampire fears, the most passionate and ironic of them is the fear of what they truly are.

Abilities

True Vampires are all supernaturally enhanced with strength, speed, reflexes, and senses all far beyond what most mortals can imagine. A slender framed True Vampire can grab a fully plated knight from the ground with one hand, able to toss them like a rag doll or subdue them in spite of a fully mustered protest. Weapons can bounce of their skin without leaving a mark, and even weapons that can harm them leave wounds that while fatal to most other creatures can be healed perfectly within minutes or a few hours by a True Vampire. True Vampires are also the most adaptable of their kind, with records indicating that those who resided in the jungles of Joetore adapted by growing fearsome maws, greater bone density, and superior musculature than that of a True Vampire of Esen. This has undoubtably allowed variations of True Vampires we may not even be aware of, as terrifying a notion as that may be to fellow necrologists. True Vampires also possess purely supernaturally based abilities, such as being able to control various nocturnal creatures, polymorph into animals and clouds of mist, and being able to charm living creatures with sight alone. Though their most powerful supernatural ability is what has earned them the understanding as being "Lords of Undeath", for True Vampires possess an inherent well of necromantic power, allowing them to raise and control other types of undead in numbers and scope unthinkable by even the most skilled necromancers, rivaling that of even Liches. This is what allowed True Vampires to establish kingdoms all those centuries ago, commanding hordes of skeleton soldiers, zombies, ghouls, and other undead monstrosities to carry out their bidding and even the playing field against armies of mortals who would dare oppose them. Some True Vampires delve further into discovering the scope of their unholy power, with records indicating a certain house was known for magic that could contort and warp the bodies of mortals. The defining trait of True Vampires, one that is integral to all vampires, is their bite. A True Vampires bite can drain a humanoid dry in under a minute, with a slain humanoid from a True Vampires bite being likely to rise in undeath as a Lesser Vampires. For those a True Vampire chooses to let live or is interrupted from fully feeding upon, they are left with a tragic addiction to being fed upon by a vampire. Though treatments do exists for this, results can be varied and sometimes ineffective. A vampire who has recently fed is able to use their abilities to the fullest and able to heal even more than normal.

Origins

Little is known about what gave birth to the first True Vampires, as they themselves have shrouded it with their own mysticism and legends. They also were meticulous during the final days of the Blood Crusade to destroy anything containing such information, leading to speculation that a potential weakness may be found in their origin. Whatever the case may be, current academia believes that some dark patron bestowed this dark curse upon that first damned generation of souls. After this initial creation, their are only two ways known to mortals that True Vampires can be created from. The first is the drinking of blood from a True Vampire, the only way a mortal can become a True Vampire at all. True Vampires have always been hesitant to allow this, though. For reasons of "societal purity" to the more real concern that every new True Vampire may come to thin the herd of the generation before them, True Vampires being created like this is quite rare, especially in current times. The second is far more conventional to us mortals, but inherently separates True Vampires from all other kinds of undead: they can sexually reproduce. It seems that their form of undeath doesn't impede or degrade sexual reproductive processes or organs, allowing them to sire children through traditional birth. This was the most common form of True Vampires being created in the days where they openly walked Neuorban, but even then it seems they were quite selective about doing so, likely due to sexual desires being more of a mortal passion that doesn't transfer well into undeath as well as their infamous paranoia. Sexually active True Vampires are rare, but not unheard of, and are the reason Dhampir's exist. True Vampires are the archetypes of vampire society, creating their group known as "Houses" at the top, with Lesser Vampires forming the "Clans" that come from these Houses, with Vampire Thralls being the dredges of this society.

Recommended Tactics

Despite all that was mentioned above, there are key factors as to why vampires, even True Vampires, are conquerable foes. Their most glaring weakness and the greatest boon of mortals is that all vampires, but especially True Vampires, cannot walk in the sunlight. It is said amongst The True Light Apostles that The Great Sun was aware of when the first vampires were sired, and became so disgusted by the perversion of the magic she brought into being that she ensured that her light would always destroy them, for they had lost all rights to the blessings of light. Whatever the reason is, it is fact that sunlight can completely destroy a True Vampire in mere moments of exposure. Even when they are able to avoid enough exposure that would kill them, any exposure to natural sunlight can strip a True Vampire of its healing factor, weaken its enhanced sense and abilities, and disrupt their control of necromantic forces. While sunlight is obviously not a weapon able to be used in every situation, it is still documented that radiant weapons and spells have a similar, although not at devastating, effect on them. Wooden stakes, particularly those made of White Ash, are proven to cause momentary paralysis when driven into a True Vampire's heart and indefinite paralysis if it is driven into them while they are incapacitated. Even True Vampires need to rest, especially if they need to be cautious on when and how much they feed, lest they drain themselves carelessly. Knowing where a True Vampire resides is crucial knowledge in attempts to slay them, for avoiding a confrontation with a True Vampire is always preferable, or at the very least a confrontation where a True Vampire is unprepared for battle or not in control of their surroundings. True Vampires are also uniquely vulnerable to running water, which acts like an acidic agent to their bodies. A peculiar bit of information even today is that True Vampires seem to be unable to enter a home or residence without explicit permission from the occupant. This seems to only apply to mortals, but notable hunters over the years have used this to their advantage from time to time. It is important to note that True Vampires show aversion to holy symbols, but aren't directly harmed or impeded by it. More dire misconceptions deal with garlic: Garlic will not save, deter and attack, or otherwise benefit you against a True Vampire. True Vampires, even with these weaknesses, are foes that require extensive study before attempts to slay them are enacted, and should only be done by the most skilled of undead hunters.