A Vampires Dirt

Kuyuk kept a careful watch on those that belonged to him. Every soldier received their wages on time, in full. Everyone, down to the most ignoble of professions, were rewarded for their continuous efforts. Rewarded well. He spoke of loyalty, not to him like others demanded, but to their homes, their lands, and to themselves. His people loved him for it, for they were united by the soil.

— Kuyuk, recorded by a Trel Scribe.

Manifestation

Vampires are spiritually bound to their final resting place, for they have forsaken both the afterlife and the mortal world. The grave is their only tether between these two spiritual realms, and without it, they will grow weaker, sluggard, and incapable of thoughts and reason. The world blurs, and time spins out of control. Vertigo grips them, their perfected bodies mutinying against them. Without the connection to their grave, they will die a second time, their flesh turning into a bitter, coarse mist, before fading into nothingness. They, alongside the dreams that they've fought for, are blown away in the winds.

To live, a Vampire must die. In a split second the soul leaves the body, but finds the afterlife barred from them. Through chanting and ritual, the soul returns to the body, born anew. This macabre mockery of nature allows the Vampire to live again, though not without a cost. Like the specters that plague highways, haunting their murderers, a soul cannot full escape the burial sight. To bypass this law, the Vampires perform the Rites of the Risen. Once a Vampire has been reborn, the ground where it fell is dug up, and distributed among all those that follow it, and are bound to its will. Soldiers, civilians, and other vampires receive enough dirt to fill their rabbit pelt bags, symbolic of the Vampires necessity for its people, and the symbiotic relationship between them.

Contrary to the assumptions of many, a Vampire does not require a coffin. Many Vampires use this false belief to gain additional favor in other lands, where burying the dead is a tradition. A casket is built beforehand, during the beginning phases of the Rites of Rebirth, brought before the newly turned Vampire. In a theatrical display of might, the Vampire will destroy the coffin, tearing it apart before the eyes of its followers. Large pieces are gifted to those of their Honor Guard and Inner Circle as tokens of their status, remade into necklaces.

Localization

Not all Vampires come from the shattered lands, and view the process differently. Vampires from Trel, though rare, carry their coffins with them, filled with half their bodies weight with dirt, using this to sleep. Among the lesser kingdoms, and the island nations, the use of coffins is far more rare. Clay jars, filled with the grave are often carried by oxen, allowing the Vampire to retain their powers.

Vampires will often celebrate their birthdays by returning to the place they were transformed, replenishing supplies and being fully rejuvenated after a short time of rest.

Type

Metaphysical, Supernatural