These Tangled Webs

Many myths and legends were originally founded on reality, but the subjects of these myths most often chose to pretend to be human or live apart from human society. They adapted alongside human beings, evolving and developing more efficient techniques for disguising themselves as human technology advanced and civilization expanded.   The existence of non-human sentient species was finally exposed in the mid-1950s, when early DNA research discovered what was revealed to be a vampire's DNA. Cover-ups gradually failed, and the general populace was introduced. Mayhem ensued for some time -- groups formed to combat the perceived threat and circulated propaganda about how dangerous it was to let them live alongside humans. Eventually the worst of the panic subsided (not before many non-humans and suspected non-humans were killed and terrorized) and "supernaturals" were a significant subject in the peace movement of the '60s.   Then began debates on how to treat the newly discovered population: what rights do they have? They were still largely perceived as a potential threat, and across the globe, governments had to decide whether to treat them the same as humans, to accommodate them, or to vilify them. In the West, most countries tried to incorporate the first approach, which by and large failed.