Vampire

Vampires are small parasitic creatures that have the ability to enter and control a living creature's body. They use this ability to be able to withstand sunlight and make feeding easier. Once inside a host's body, some vampires will subtly influence their host, either by seeming to be a voice in their head, or making them crave blood. This method allows them to potentially avoid detection. Some others will simply directly take control of the host's body, which is easier than subtle manipulation, but makes their presence obvious to the host. Vampires do not require a host to survive, and many still live in caves and hunt on their own.
Because of their tendency to stay hidden and their parasitic nature, there are many conspiracy theories involving vampires controlling powerful people.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Vampires are small, long, and thin. They are often compared to snakes, although they lack scales. They have fangs that they can use to draw blood. Vampires have a secondary stomach that is used to store blood, so they can go for long periods of time without successfully hunting. Vampires have incredibly strong immune systems, to the point that they are considered completely immune to the vast majority of diseases.

Genetics and Reproduction

Vampires reproduce sexually, and are oviparous. The incubation period is four months. Vampires in hosts will often deposit their offspring into another host when feeding or, more rarely, direct the host to reproduce, then deposit their offspring into the host's offspring.
Vampires have a genetic memory that is transferred from a parent to their offspring. This memory contains information such as the effects of sunlight, and the basics of hunting and taking hosts. This means that vampires are born with the knowledge they need to be self-sufficient.

Growth Rate & Stages

Vampires start off in eggs, and grow to about a third of their total size before hatching.

Ecology and Habitats

Vampires not in hosts typically live in caves, away from sunlight, because a vampire that is exposed to sunlight will experience extreme pain and will eventually die. Vampires in hosts live wherever the host lives.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Vampires are hematophagous. Vampires without hosts will draw blood from their prey using their fangs, then consume it. Vampires in hosts will either make the host consume the blood, then redirect it to themselves before it reaches the digestive system, or move to the host's mouth and feed directly with their fangs.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Vampires have exceptional senses of smell and hearing, and are otherwise average.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

Vampires can take any living thing large enough to house them as a host. When a vampire takes a host, the host benefits from the vampire's senses and immune system. A vampire is able to communicate thoughts and feelings directly to their host's mind. If the host is aware of the vampire, they can communicate with the vampire in the same way.

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Vampires that do not take hosts are generally solitary, and because of this do not have much shared culture. Vampires that take hosts tend to be influenced by their host's culture.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

There are many misconceptions regarding vampires among other races. Many people do not realize that they're parasites, instead believing vampires to be created by a curse or disease. Because of this, most people trying to kill a vampire will attempt to kill a vampire's host, believing the host to be, in and of themselves, the vampire. Related to this is the belief that being bitten by a vampire will cause a person to become a vampire. this is impossible, and probably comes from vampires who deposit their offspring directly into a host when feeding.
It is not uncommon for vampires to be conflated with other hematophagous creatures. Because of this, manananggals are often considered to be a type of vampire, although the two are completely unrelated. Another common misconception is that vampires are undead, which comes from a conflation with ghouls.
The biggest misconception about vampires is that they are inherently evil. Part of this comes from the same sources are the other misconceptions listed above, and part of it comes from most other races being uncomfortable with the idea of drinking blood. Because of this, many people will try to kill a vampire as soon as they become aware of its existence, which causes more vampires to distrust or hate other races, which fuels this misconception, and so on.
Other misconceptions include:

• The belief that vampires are repelled by some or all holy symbols
• The belief that they can only be killed with sunlight, decapitation, or a wooden stake through the heart.
• The belief that a vampire will completely exsanguinate a human-sized adult in one feeding.
• The belief that garlic placed in the entrances to a house will repel vampires. Vampires are allergic to garlic, but simply being close to it won't affect them.
• The belief among some who know that vampires are parasites that killing the host will always kill the vampire.
• The belief that vampires can't be reflected in mirrors. This belief comes from an infamous vampire who owned no mirrors because of insecurity.

Average Height

1-1.5"

Average Length

1-1.5'