Vampirism

Vampirism is one of the most notorious conditions in Earhion, and yet few know its true nature. Is it a disease? A curse? A weird sex thing? The truth, however, is far more complex.

Transmission & Vectors

Vampirism is transmitted through the act of biting a victim. However, the curse lies dormant until the victim dies or has a near-death experience. In its dormant state, it is flushed out of the body after a week. It can also be instantly transmitted through the consumption of infected blood. It should be noted that blood is infectious whether or not the curse is dormant.

Symptoms

After the victim returns either from death or near-death, they experience symptoms of a high fever, bodily itching, and a dull hunger. Over the course of the next two days, their hunger grows into an all-consuming drive, but their gag reflex prevents them from actually consuming anything. By the fourth day, the victim is consumed by delirium and vivid hallucinations. On the fifth or sixth day, the victim apparently falls into a coma, only to rise after a few hours as a full-fledged vampire.
Full vampires have different traits depending on their bloodline, but have a few common or frequently-occurring traits: sunlight is almost always harmful, though this ranges from slight burn to instant incineration. They all must feed on the blood of the living, often as their only sustenance, and most are supernaturally fast, tough, and strongly connected to magic. Finally, all vampires are universally barren.

Treatment

The curse can be cured in its dormant state through simple spells such as lesser restoration or similar effects. In its incubation period, something such as greater restoration would be required, and full vampires require complicated rituals to cure. Some bloodlines cannot be cured, however. There is no one specific ritual: instead, there are many, each as complex as the last.

Prognosis

As vampires are considered undead, the curse is technically lethal. However, as a result vampires do not die of old age, so barring outside circumstances a vampire will remain undead forever.

Sequela

There is a subtype of vampirism known as veneration. Vampires who undergo veneration - venerates - become supremely powerful, and in becoming a venerate end up creating a new bloodline. As such, all venerates have unique traits never seen before in other vampires. They are, as a prerequisite, incredibly powerful, in more ways than one.

Prevention

Simply avoiding being bitten usually helps prevent vampirism, though some bloodlines are also warded off by holy symbols or unique herbs.

Epidemiology

Since vampirism is currently an executable offense in most parts of Earhion, vampires generally stay in the shadows and do not indiscriminately create new vampires. However, they must feed, and therefore any large population center is usually more likely to spawn new vampires. Areas of poverty are also more likely to breed vampires than high-income areas.

History

Vampires have been in folklore since before the First Civilization. As such, their origins are somewhat unclear; however, it is believed that it started out as a small cult from beyond the Sea of Frost that then moved northeast into Earhion. It is unclear if the condition itself was created by a god, a mortal, or something else entirely. Some scholars even postulate that vampirism itself is an ancient archon.
There have been two large concentrations of vampirism in recorded history. The first was during the Third Civilization, when a group of vampires established the city-state of Azazemnira. The city was exclusively vampiric, but was eventually destroyed by warring nomads. The second was in 591 AM, in Danteldindar. The outbreak claimed four hundred lives and was eventually put down with help from Sintavan vampire hunters.
In 81 PM, Danteldindari scholars synthesized an artificial bloodline known as the Dinai bloodline. The Dinai are almost immune to sunlight and can feed just by touching blood. They are used in Danteldindar's militia extensively, but only by choice.

Cultural Reception

Currently, vampirism is feared and ostracized. Most nations will kill vampires on sight, especially due to the lethality of the outbreak in Danteldindar, which is still fresh in the minds of the public.

Type

Supernatural

Children

• Veneration

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Rare