Vampires (H. sapiens tenebris) are the term non-Outcasts use to refer to those with psychic abilities that are no longer a part of the MyndMagick™ identity. The term comes from the need that these people have to “feed” off of the mental energy of others. It is noteworthy that while many subspecies find their common names insulting, Vampires tend to embrace theirs, finding the mystery and fear effective and stylish.
We do not know much about Vampires. What we do know comes from Psychics, and because much of the inner workings of MyndMagick™ are unknown, so it is with the origins and behaviors of Vampires.
According to declassified MyndMagick™ archives, there was a group of Psychics who developed an insatiable desire to absorb and manipulate the minds of others. They and their descendants are said to have the same mental abilities as Psychics apart from this hunger. MyndMagick™ has admitted, much to their embarrassment that these Vampires broke from MyndMagick™ and that the Psychics are currently in a state of war with one another.
Vampires have come to be the elite of the Outcasts. It was the Vampire (or Vampires, as one theory posits a collective work) known only as Morpheus who penned the infamous Outcast Manifesto. It is reported by the Outcast community that there are over a half-billion of them in the world. Their existence is highly secretive—even more so than that of the Psychic community.
It is impossible to confirm if a humanoid is a Vampire. Normally, genetic and technological tests can quickly differentiate between the different subspecies (even Psychics) to look for genetic and biomechanical markers. But since a Vampire has a keen interest in remaining hidden, and they have the means of altering physical reality including time and outcome probability, such tests are ineffective. What we do know comes from Psychics who at least have equal footing with Vampires.
Declassified MyndMagick™ archives reveal that Vampires need the raw psychic energy found in all humanoids. To do this, a Vampire must physically touch the humanoid victim. The transfer can take up to seventy-three seconds, which will effectively shut down all brain function thus killing their victims. Most Vampires, however, just “bleed” victims in order to keep a “food supply” going until these victims eventually sicken beyond appeal.
Alternately, a Vampire has the ability (unlike Psychics) to “turn” some kinds of humanoids into Vampires as well—Pure humans, other Psychics, and a select number of minimally altered Adepts, Mutants, and Augmented humans. The later three subspecies, however, are severely weakened and do not have the full capacity that turned Pure humans and Psychics would have. Most Psychics are trained to resist such turning, so the majority of turned Vampires are of the sapiens subspecies.
Vampires that turn others into Vampires, who then turn other Vampires creates a kind of psychic “chain”. Unlike a disease, this chain can be severed by the death of the initiating Vampire, thus releasing the subsequent victims from their state. Vampires, unlike the mythical creatures they derive their name from however, are still biological humanoids, and so require nourishment and can sexually reproduce to create more of their subspecies. Why they “turn” other humanoids is more likely due to cruelty than to need.
Additional Information
0.5443 billion (5.6%) of the world's population is Vampiric Psychic:
- Asia: 313.9 million (7.4% of Asian population)
- Africa: 139.6 million (3.8% of African population)
- Europe: 46.2 million (7.0% of European population)
- Latin & South America: 18.7 million (2.8% of Latin American population)
- North America: 23.1 million (5.0% of North American population)
- Oceania: 2.8 million (4.3% of Oceanian population) [includes independent ocean colonies]
Civilization and Culture
The term "Vampire" was coined by MyndMagick™ as a way to describe Psychics not under their organization. But this label is often placed on a different subspecies to deliberately lump them all into one group that all non-psychics will fear.
Vampires
Since you aren't using your mind, I'll just take it off your hands.
True "Vampires" with unique DNA that marks them as H. s. tenebris have formed two general cultural groups. Those that embrace the name and willingly feed on the mental energy of other subspecies form the larger group.
Vegans
Eating mind is murder.
But there is a group of H.s. tenebris that abhors these predatory instincts. The first to resist started to call themselves "Vegans" as an image many could identify—the deliberate exclusion of predatory feeding behavior. The name stuck. Many Vegan Twelve-Step Programs support this cultural group.
Vampires and Vegans might sneer at each other, but it is incredibly rare that a Vampire and a Vegan would be enemies. In the end, they seem to recognize that they are of the same kind, just with different philosophies.
I started to question. Then I started to have opinons. And then I started to resist. They don't like resistance at MyndMagick™. It's sad how a label changes everything.
Finally, there are Outcast Psychics whose subspecies remains H. s. animus that have been labeled by MyndMagick™ as "Vampire" mostly as a means to ostricize or criminalize legitimate Psychics who dared to question or leave the MyndMagick™ organization. They joined the Vegans and took on the name by adoption. Outcast Psychics and Vegan Vampires all identify, then, as Vegans, and often share a common cultural identity.
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