Vampires of Perradin
Basic Information
Anatomy
Vampires are a legendary subspecies of sapient beings who have inhabited Perradin since time immemorial. Similar to lycanthropes, they propagate via direct contact and "conversion" of another sapient being via a visceral and violent process of biting and feeding. The victim, should the vampire will it, will have a piece of its soul broken off and tethered in a realm unknown to mortals. Once this process is complete, the victim becomes a vampire aligned with the brood of the assailing vampire.
The only way to reverse the effects of a vampiric infection is through direct divine intervention, a wish spell, or the use of true resurrection following a successful slaying of a vampire. The latter strategy of True Resurrection is considered by vampire hunters as a last resort as the segmented soul shard is brutally forced out of its prison, potentially resulting in severe personality and memory distortion of the cured party.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Vampires have a variety of recorded skills in folklore, including but not limited to increased strength and vitality, the ability to transform into other creatures, and the ability to hypnotize others. Additionally, the vampires often have unique weaknesses such as susceptibility to garlic, vulnerability to flowing water, and potential to be destroyed by a stake to the heart. These abilities and weaknesses are directly tied to their brood, making it extremely difficult for non-vampires to comprehensively prepare adequate defenses. The potency of such strengths and weaknesses correlates with how far a given vampire is generationally from the brood progenitor.
Civilization and Culture
History
While reports of vampires have been recorded on all continents of Perradin across all history, the oldest written record dates from northern Sinderlan in 11th century, roughly coinciding with the creation of the modern writing systems for Common, Dwarvish, and Draconic, but it is believed the stories are far older written and oral histories transposed into modern style. Some historians believe certain tales date from before the era of the First Free City. The oldest tales tell of vampiric raids on small towns in what would become the Final Kingdom, annihilating entire populations. Despite these tales of intense bloodshed, there is no physical evidence of such raids ever taking place in the archaeological record. Various cities across Sinderlan operated small guilds of vampire hunters as a means of defense.
Over the eons, reports of vampire spottings diminished. Augur House Lorekeepers of the Kingdom tell of different broods of vampires, each with a common "progenitor" vampire. Each brood is said to have different strengths and weaknesses. Speculation by Lorekeepers and practitioners of divine connection indicates that each successive generation becomes less "potent" in their powers. This speculation is used to explain the diminished prevalence of vampires across Perradin.
After the War of the Starfall, vampire reports almost universally ceased in Sinderlan. The disparate vampire hunting guilds banded together in this period, paranoid of the vampire threat waiting for an opportunity to strike. The guilds launched the Hunt of Chipped Fangs in 1567 in which they swept across the still-wartorn Sinderlan in an attempt to root out the vampires. The Hunt claimed to have executed over 40,000 vampires by the end of the Hunt in 1575, but these numbers are believed to be inflated and it is accepted that the methods used to detect vampires were dubious at best. After the Hunt, vampire sightings began cropping up across the Free Cities sporadically. The Hunter Guilds of Sinderland disbanded and traveled to the Free Cities to continue their work.
By the 91st century, vampire hunting as a profession is seen as a waste of time and resources. Modern tales of vampires are mostly considered myth or fairy tales to scare children. However, some across Perradin still claim to witness vampiric attacks, feedings, and propagation in the dark corners of the world. The greatest reports now come from Harwick Trade Company employees operating within the Hickerwick Wilds of Plentius.
There have also been rumors of Vampires being sighted in the less populous regions of the Kingdom. To the public, most of these reports are viewed as mere superstition. However, rumors circle that the adventuring group known as the Opening Act recently encountered a brood of vampires in Ulana.
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