Dampening of the Dhampir

The Dampening of the Dhampir is a ritual performed by most holy sites around Totania to keep Vampires out, and is the origin of why many people believe Vampires are repelled by Holy Iconography when, in truth, it is Infernal powers from Hell that counters Vampires. The ritual is performed once a year.

The Ritual

The Dampening of the Dhampir begins before the ritual itself, as priests or any individuals involved in it will, for an entire week, eat nothing but garlic and onions so that the very stench of them is repellent to Vampires.

Then, those involved will pick the fully grown Briar Plants planted the year prior, planting new ones as they chant.
They will then wear these briars as accessories, be it on their necklaces, as a corsage or boutonnière, or even on their hats. Any way they can keep it on them to protect from Vampires.

Chant of the Dhampir

احمينا
أنقذنا
نحن لم نخطئ كثيرا
لذا لا تعاقبنا
صد الخطاة الذين يسعون إلى تدميرنا
احموا أطفالنا وأزواجنا وأنفسنا

Wooden structures are built for the Dampening so they can be disassembled into quick Wooden Stakes to use against any Vampires who may seek to stop the ritual.

Dhampir

Dhampir has two meanings: its initial meaning, and a meaning that was later adopted from misunderstanding of the term and a need for a label.
Initially, Dhampir was simply the word used by Gnomes to describe a Vampire. However, as time went on, the term was adopted to instead mean the child of a Vampire and a mortal.
The Dampening of the Dhampir, due to the Vampiric nature of both versions of a Dhampir, works on both.

The Chant of the Dhampir is said to contain a blessing from the Gnomish Goddess Sia herself, who grants skill to protect them from any enemies, including Vampires. The Briars, Onions, and Garlic repel the Vampires, and the wood can be used to kill them.

Dresmorlin Cobath by Jarhed

The ritual is also done in full sunlight, as there is a misconception that Vampires are harmed by sunlight. In truth, only the lowest levels of Vampire Thralls are harmed by sunlight, and it only hurts, not killing. Any Vampire above a Thrall is at most annoyed by the sun, as it itches and irritates the skin. The Great Vampire Lord, supposedly the man known as Dresmorlin Cobath, is thought to not be affected by the sun at all, as they say it is not powerful enough to do anything to him alone. No records or proof exists of this, only conjecture.

Origins

The Dampening of the Dhampir began when it is said a great Emetian Vampire, too powerful for the Gnomes, began attacking Lebalos. The Grand Duke of the time sought out the help of the Temple of Sia, where Sia was able to give knowledge to the people. This knowledge explained what the weaknesses of Vampires were and how they could be utilized.
Sia did not explain all weaknesses, but mentioned onions, garlic, briar plants, wooden stakes, and an aversion to the sun. Then, the Head Priest of Sia and the Grand Duke worked together to bring the ritual to not only Lebalos, but also the Temple itself.
With this, the Emetian Vampire was cornered and, with the wooden stakes, killed after being weakened. The Gnomes continued the practice, seeking any way at all that they could rid themselves of Vampires once and for all and keep their people safe. Few Vampires go to the Uncharted Desert now due to the abundance of annoying sunlight that beats down harder in the desert, as well as the spread of the Dampening of the Dhampir ritual.

Spread and Use Today

The ritual spread to many other religions outside of Sia. The Church of Athena, Pantheon of Ishtar, Temple of Papatūānuku, Shrines of Izanagi, and others that are too numerous to name perform the ritual, which is why Briar Plants have spread out and become an invasive species in many habitats they would otherwise never grow.
It has also spread to some few settlements around the world, though due to how Vampires are considered to be a myth by many, the few places that do perform the ritual mostly do not believe it actually does anything, and instead see it as simply a tradition passed down to honor their ancestors or keep out bad luck.
Waire, a Draconian Village refounded by a Korvian named Sinner Caerxan to be a safe place from Vampires and to be a headquarters for a group of Vampire Hunters, however, performs the ritual in an earnest attempt to keep Vampires out. Waire is one of two settlements in the entire world, outside of the initial location of Lebalos, that performs the ritual to truly keep Vampires out.

Food

The Onion and Garlic dishes eaten before the ritual have become a tradition in many places, with various regional cuisine popping up where the ritual is performed. These dishes are made using garlic and onions in unique ways befitting the culture and are, unbeknownst to many, very helpful in repelling Vampires.