The Vampiric Godhead
The Vampiric Godhead is meant to be the first true vampire on Earth. Somewhere in the Middle East this creature is rumoured to be held as all powerful, and even in charge or the power behind, the Children of the Nazarene.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Humanoid in appearance, the Godhead is masculine in shape and humanoid. Bipedal with two arms and two legs. They are tall about 6" or taller in height. Male in appearance he has little hair and African in skin colour though paler than normal. His looks appear Nubian in origin though he has a slightly sharper nose & ears profile, almost Elvish in appearance.
Though appearing humanlike with some of the Elvish features, his face sometimes distorts showing abnormal features as well as small batlike wings appearing from his shoulders. The features appear more pronounced when angry or hungry, and when feeding.
Almost skeletal in his true form, with strange gold & onyx-like material on his papery humanlike skin, he is rarely seen in this form except in the depth of his lair. Compared to other vampiric creatures, he is immune to running water and sunlight, though when in the latter his form (whether illusionary or natural) is locked in place until night-time.
Biological Traits
Incredibly strong & tough the Godhead is near Immortal and highly regenerative. Only the most powerful blessed magic of a god can hope to destroy it, with it being easier to bind it in one place hopefully forever. Able also to assume other forms using a mix of illusions, mimicry and shapeshifting, the Godhead can change shape into humanoids of roughly similar height, build and general appearance. Strangely it can break apart into swarms of bats or vermin such as rats, as well as a mist, and escape or attack in these forms.
Some stranger abilities have been reported too. As long as it is well fed it can appear in sunlight & cross flowing water to no ill-effect, but not use any other abilities while doing so. It can command pretty much any form of vampire, swarm of vermin or wolves, dominating them for certain lengths of time. It can act extremely fast & agile though it appears to be taxing for it to do so. When it does this it seems to become hungrier for blood afterwards.
A major aspect of it seems to be the ability to change certain feature instinctively. Its face changes at times, especially when feeding or angry to that of a bat, and vestigial bats wings sprout from the backs of its shoulders. Surprisingly it has limited hovering / flying ability with these.
Ecology and Habitats
At the top of the food chain, the Godhead is a highly aggressive predator. Most other predatory creatures seem to sense this with only bats, wolves and vermin able to withstand its presence. The reason for this is at present unknown.
Dietary Needs and Habits
The Godhead is vampiric feeding on the blood of the living. It can and will feed on any creature, even other vampires, without ill effect.
As a powerful being it can be extremely seductive, somewhat similar to a demigod, or as frenzied as a demon in full battle fury. Though in each way it will try to feed in seclusion to avoid its enemies finding it, only using its feeding habits in fro9nt of other vampires or as a terror tactic.
Biological Cycle
The Godhead shows slight changes in its anatomical structures when starved or fed. When starved of blood it appears almost like the dreaded Nosferatu, when feed it appears as a vampire lord of exceptional power and can expend some of its energy it gets from feeding to overcome its sensitivity to sunlight & running water.
It also has a few differing features from others of its kind, likely caused by its unique parentage. When killed, it has been reported to have come back to life after a time, usually 101 days later or even 101 years later. As long as it has fed on a victim, or other vampire, it infects the victim's blood with a portion of itself.
When defeated after this, it causes a strange reaction in the victim's blood causing it to bleed out and pool together with some scholars in the arcane that becomes a form of Necroichor. This will look to infect one creature after another to sustain itself while it travels back to its hidden lair in the Middle East. From there it uses a hidden blood pool in an ancient ziggurat to restore itself as it bathes itself in the energies of its parents. On either side of this pool, it is rumoured to have two statues carved out of silver & gold blocks which have been smelted with the blood & bones of Adam & Eve. One is male and the other female, with the former has the sigil of Samael on it, while the other is female with the sigil of Lilith on it. These are placed with the male statue to the east, and the female to the west looking down on the pool. They are aligned with the rising moon and setting sun.
After the time is up the Godhead arises out of the pool leaving a bloody residue behind at its bottom.
Behaviour
Extremely manipulative, the Godhead can appear charming and friendly as and when it needs to be. Other times, especially in the presence of dragons, giants and Yuan-Ti, it can easily become enraged at these ancient enemies. When it does so, it can cause extensive harm to any of these before being brought down.
Many aspects of it requires secrecy to avoid its lair being found or what it actually is. Sometimes it will appear as different generations of related family members if it spends any time amongst mortals. It also has a tendency to spread misinformation where possible to aid itself and its followers. It does not care for lives spent though, even amongst vampire-kin which it views as tools as much as anything.
A few instances in ancient writings makes it out to be supremely arrogant believing it to be an apex predator and the child of an Archangel and the first human woman (and mother of demons). It regularly consorts with Judaeo-Christian demons & devils, and evil Islamic Jinn which it views in much the same way.
Additional Information
Facial characteristics
He naturally appears to have palish skin, sunken eyes and cheeks, and has no hair. A strange mark is on his forehead almost as if it is carved into his flesh and it appears lacquered in gold. His ears seem slightly larger, and strange gold earrings hang from the lobes. Like the rest of his body, his skin appears & thin & fragile with veins easily noticeable. Strange golden filigree terminates just behind his lower jaw line.
Average Intelligence
Highly intelligent.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Able to see in darkness and with higher-than-normal hearing when other senses don't work, the Godhead can easily stalk its prey in almost any environment.
Civilization and Culture
Major Organizations
Godhead of the Children of the Nazarene.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Sumerian, Akkadian. Aramaic, Farsi, Arabic, Infernal, Abyssal, Primordial, Draconic, Giant, Elemental.
Common Etiquette Rules
He prefers to be called the Godhead the majority of the time but will gladly use other aliases when out in the world.
Common Dress Code
He regularly uses disguises with his ability to shapeshift, but in his true form he is dressed in a mix of gold jewellery and black onyx-like material of unknown origin attached to his flesh. These cover the bare minimum.
History
Said to be created by the union of the Archangel Samael (the Poison/Venom of God) and Lilith (the first woman of Eden / the mother of demons) after she was forced out of Eden, he / she / it became the first true vampire on Earth. It is rumoured that it may be even older than humanity itself, as accounts of it seem to be mentioned as a footnote in later Dragon, Giant and Yuan-Ti tales.
It has been linked to both the Blood Pool in Persia, and the city of Iram in the Empty Quarter of the Arabian Peninsula. The latter seems to have been used as base for it in ages past and maybe even a ruler at one stage. Since the city is lost nobody can say for sure though.
Travelling through the world it has seen empires rise & fall, and always leaving behind its mark in the form of vampirism. It infected enough people in the Middle East to cause it to withdraw for centuries, and only now to start to reach out to the cults that have established around it. This chiefly is the Children of the Nazarene whose rulers are rumoured to have been its original devotees as well as the first to be infected with the vampire curse.
It is still ambitious but now has learned that much more life exists and most are hostile to such as it. It only trusts the highest ranking of its kind and most vampire-kin believe it is a myth or a figurative being that acts as a go-between their kind & Samael / Lilith.
Common Myths and Legends
Multiple myths surround him, mainly resulting in being the first vampire at least on Earth. A major myth is that he was not just the first vampire, but the first child of Lilith & Samael (the Judaic Archangel of Destruction). He does seem to venerate them, and he has been linked to the original version of the Children of the Nazarene. They have many stories concerning them but since he is that ancient not much can be verified about him.
"I've heard the stories of that accursed place, the Blood Pool. Supposedly the birthplace of the Vampiric Godhead. Only ther could it have been born. Ancient tales abound about that place and that demon.
It is said it has existed since before man walked, and the era of Dragons & Giants were fading. The Yuan-Ti have stories too off it. Every tale tells of it eventually ending up in the Lost City of Iram and ruling there for a while before becoming bored. Don't know myself, but certainly the other tale of it consorting with demons, devils & Jinn are real. Some remember it and speak of a horrific creature that looks for its children to rule the world in perpetual darkness & blood.
Certainly, when the other races came in time to the world, they too encountered it & it's progeny as do us humans. It feasted on them too as well as us, and many different variants exist now due to the Godhead's bloodlust. As long as its parentage exists at least loosely to this world only a being of greater power can hope to fully defeat it, Allah for example, or one of the Old Ones maybe. The price though would be astronomical. That's why I'm glad it appears to be sleeping at present and not interacting with the living. May it stay that way forever."
Il-Bin Fayid, Imam based in Tyre.
Lifespan
Unknown, believed to be Immortal
Average Physique
The Godhead can appear as any physique due to shapeshifting abilities. It seems to be genetic in origin. In his natural form he is quite wiry.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
His body is covered in thin almost transparent skin similar to elderly humans, and veins can be easily seen. Golden & black jewellery and black onyx -like material act as clothing and accentuates his almost skeletal features. These seem to be melded into his body. Very little covers him. All of these is in his true form.
Ooooo... he seems like terrible fun
Kinda what I was thinking. Long time off knocking up the character sheet atm, but good to introduce the idea earlier. Feel free to use any ideas there. You never know what you'll end up with.