t h e N i g h t f o l k
The creatures now generally referred to as 'vampires' originated long before humans. In ancient times, they were called Alukah, and they shared the world with other Elder Races like the Elves and the Duathan. They had their own civilization and ruled large areas of Helicos through the late Mythic Age, shortly before the Advent of Man.
The Alukah lived by the light of the moon, and wielded powerful black magic. They were thought to be immortal, feeding upon the lifeblood of other races to retain their dark powers. These tales align with the legends of ‘vampire princes’ who traded their souls for eternal life, and who enslaved the primitive early humans of the region.
The legends say the Alukah were eventually destroyed by the Apotheoi (the First Men of the South, cousins of the Duathan). Today, little remains to tell of their storied empire, but many unidentified ruins still exist across the Helicos region, their origins and contents unrevealed.
In some lands, it is said the Alukah lords never quite relinquished their grip, and that they haunt those places still...
FAERIE ORIGINS
While the Sidhe guarded their immortality by retreating from the world, the Alukah chose to remain in the world, preserving their eternal youth through forbidden blood magics. By consuming the lifeblood of other living beings, their mystic powers were magnified, and they soon grew strong enough to challenge the other Elder Races. The histories of the the Elves, the Dwarves, and especially the Duathan all recount their often bitter conflicts with the Alukah.
THE EMPIRE OF THE NIGHT
The vampires made chattel of the nascent race of Common Men, and drank deeply of mortal blood to fuel their ambitions. They raised an Empire of the Night that ruled over parts of what is now Malochovia and the rim of the Helicos sea.
These states were supposedly ruled by thirteen undying Blood Princes who were sustained through powerful necromancy. The Princes insured the loyalty of their vassals by bestowing upon them immortality and a portion of their power, a gift which also bonded them to their will through blood rites. Thus was created the aristocratic ruling class of undead Alukah... the second generation of "true vampires."
These states were supposedly ruled by thirteen undying Blood Princes who were sustained through powerful necromancy. The Princes insured the loyalty of their vassals by bestowing upon them immortality and a portion of their power, a gift which also bonded them to their will through blood rites. Thus was created the aristocratic ruling class of undead Alukah... the second generation of "true vampires."
About six thousand years ago, the Alukah were finally cast down by the Apotheoi, who liberated the race of Common Men in the name of the sun-titan Phoebus Aegletes. This was in order to bring about the Advent of Man, as it was the will of shining Aegletes that Men should someday inherit the glory of Apotheoi civilization and rule the Earth.
The undead Blood Princes and their progeny were destroyed as abominations against the gods. Their armies were vanquished and their great vampire citadels were smashed. After the fall of their civilization, the Alukah were pursued through their former lands like beasts. Dispersed and hunted, the humiliated survivors of the Alukah race soon took to calling themselves by a new name - Vaara, the drifting folk.
AFTER THE FALL
For thousands of years now, the Vaara have lived side-by-side with humans while maintaining their masquerade. For many, the Fall is seen as a punishment from the gods for their sins. Some sought redemption through penance and religiosity, while others felt a seething resentment and sense of persecution for their lost birthright. Now after many generations, for most Vaara, the Alukah legacy of tyranny and atrocity is literal ancient history.
Vaara populations are small, having never recovered from near extinction so many centuries past. Most have come to terms with their dark past and simply wish to live in peace. Among the Vaara, drinking blood directly from sentient creatures is considered savage or taboo, and preying upon humans is viewed as abhorrent - both as an act of murder, and as a threat to the secrecy of the larger community as well. Any Vaara who still practice the old ways would find themselves outcasts even among their own folk.
Generally, Vaara work to support each other and avoid detection. Individuals blend in as best they can, finding jobs away from the sun, living by night, and feeding on the blood of livestock animals for sustenance. In the anonymity of the burgeoning human cities, Vaara may live out long, mundane lives in relative comfort. Some may keep company with unsuspecting humans, but the fear of unmasking remains ever-present.
The majority of Vaara are assimilated to whichever human society they live in. Beyond a lingering sense of their profane history, little of their original culture remains. Their shared language, a dialect of the Elvish tongue, is retained for purposes of communicating in secrecy, but the artifacts of their past glory are now mostly viewed by newer generations with shame, suspicion, or even indifference.
THE DEATHLESS ONES
Normal Vaara live long lives compared to humans, but are still bound to the limitations of mortal flesh. Not so, the Blood Princes and their undead offspring. Although they were cast down long ago, not all were destroyed. These Alukah warped by necromancy are at the root of undead vampire tales today. They are rare, but these deathless abominations may still lurk in old castles or buried tombs, terrorizing the countrysides and feeding on mortal blood by night. They are powerful, evil, and very difficult to kill.
Worse still, the arcane elixirs that initially preserved them beyond death remain potent in their bodies. Undead Alukah of the old order can sometimes create new undead minions - lesser vampires - by reanimating freshly killed prey with a taste of their own blood. The purity of the vampire lord's blood will determine the potency of the new creatures, and as their memory of mortal life fades, their will is subsumed into that of their new master.
PHYSIOLOGY
Vaara are typically tall, slender, and long-limbed. They possess a refined beauty similar to their cousins, the Elves, but with a slightly more feral air. Their ears are subtly pointed, their skin is pale, and the irises of their eyes range from ruddy brown to ruby red, depending on how recently they've consumed blood. Their hair ranges in colour from black to extremely fair. They have more pronounced canine teeth than humans, and as a reflex, these can extend as much as an inch when a Vaara is ready to feed.
Similar to Elves, Vaara have a hollow bone structure which literally makes them light on their feet compared to humans. While not physically robust or superhumanly strong, their bodies tend toward a lean muscularity, and Vaara can usually run, jump, or climb further and faster than humans.
Despite their fragile appearance, Vaara have a strong immune system, and are resistant to most diseases and bacterial infections. Their magically-altered metabolisms can also rapidly convert fresh blood into rapid cell regrowth. This allows them to recover more easily from injuries that might be crippling to a human, provided they have enough blood available to them. Even so, Vaara are still very much mortal. Their ability to heal quickly is remarkable, but they cannot close large wounds, regrow organs, or regenerate limbs with their natural powers. A truly grievous injury will dispatch a Vaara just as it would any other mortal.
BLOOD DEPENDENCY
Vaara must consume blood, both for physical sustenance and to maintain their innate magical abilities. They derive the most nourishment from fresh, warm blood. Due to the primal laws of sympathetic magic, it is the blood of kindred beings - elves, dwarves, humans, or similar - which is the most potent and euphoric for them.
If a Vaara directly bites into their prey, this intimate contact leeches more than simple fluids, but also a mortal spiritual essence. In the days when Vaara preyed upon humans, this effect would leave their victims weak and helpless. If a Vaara takes any significant amount of sustenance from a human, they will be left enervated and drowsy.
For basic subsistence, a Vaara requires only small helpings of blood every day, but their thirst remains deep, and the urge to drink more than required is sometimes overpowering. Typically, larger livestock animals may be bled semi-regularly without significant harm to the animal. However, if a Vaara taxes their magical powers, their demand and appetite for blood will become stronger.
LONGEVITY
While not undead, the faerie lineage of the Vaara makes them extremely long-lived, with lifespans roughly ten times greater than humans. Like Elves, they mature slowly, with childhood often stretching across a century or more. These younger Vaara can still somewhat physically resemble human children, and even after they become independent from their parents, they are often treated as adolescents among their own kind. However, while they may retain a childlike sense of caprice, their intellectual faculties will usually reflect their true age.
Once mature, Vaara aging is relative to their long lives, with senescence and mortality often occurring in their eighth or ninth century. Vaara are not immortal, no matter how much blood they consume. Although the blood of kind enhances their powers, over-indulgence can lead to overall health issues or obesity. A Vaara cannot become a true Vampire without access to lost forbidden arts and necromantic rituals... or unless they are turned by powerful undead Alukah of the old bloodlines.
SENSES
WEAKNESSES
Vaara have a number of weaknesses that have filtered through human folklore since ancient times. Although undead vampires share many traits with the living Vaara, it can sometimes be difficult to extricate the reality from the myths.
SUNLIGHT: Vaara are nocturnal, and their vulnerability to sunlight is one of their great weaknesses. In the broad light of day, their sensitive eyes cannot fully adjust, rendering them almost blind. Typically, Vaara are active from dusk to dawn, when the sun is least oppressive. The most pale-skinned Vaara are much more sensitive to sun-damage than humans, and can suffer bad burns if exposed for too long. Only rare individuals are able to acclimate to daytime conditions.
COLD BLOOD: Vaara have a low body temperature. Although not strictly cold-blooded, they have difficulty retaining heat without fresh blood, and cannot rely directly upon the warmth of the sun. They prefer mild climates, and may spend much of their time in warm baths, or near crackling fires. Typically, Vaara avoid the deep ocean or bodies of running water because it can cause their body temperature to drop too violently. They are more vulnerable to exposure than humans - sudden and prolonged immersion in cold water can induce shock and throw them into a hypothermic torpor, which leads to drowning.
ALLERGIES: Besides their diet of blood, Vaara can also consume other forms of food or drink in small quantities, including intoxicants like alcohol. However, due to their delicate and specialized digestion, they generally hold to a carnivorous diet. Some plant-based foods are toxic to them, and they are notably highly allergic to garlic. Even the smell can sometimes provoke a physical nauseous reaction.
BLOOD MAGIC
Like other Fae lineages, Vaara have a strong aptitude for magic, especially wild forms of sorcery. In addition, the ability to consume the blood of living beings and convert it into magical energy is innate in most Vaara (if sometimes latent). These spell-like powers have become almost innate to Vaara, but not all possess the same aptitudes. Harnessing this potential is a skill acquired through instruction and practice. Most will learn one or two simpler forms, but only gifted individuals will be able to master several Blood Arts over their lives.
STRENGTH and SPEED
HYPNOTISM
Some Vaara can use their Blood Arts modulate their voices and pheromone levels, enabling them to hypnotically entrance or seduce prey into their clutches. Variations on this skill can also allow them to influence or control animals, or to cloud human minds in order to maintain their mantle of secrecy. These abilities do not differ greatly from similar glamours used by other Fae folk.
SHAPE-SHIFTING
It is traditional among Vaara to learn the Fae arts of shape-shifting, usually mastering one or two nocturnal animal forms (commonly bats, wolves, or rats). Lesser forms of shape-shifting may include manifesting bestial attributes like long claws or bat-like ears, or be used simply for concealing Vaara physical traits to better pass as human. The most advanced shape-shifters sometimes learn the art of dissipating their physical body into an amorphous, mist-like form for brief periods.
ELEMENTAL MANIPULATION
Manipulation of the elements is one of the most advanced Blood Arts. There are various techniques, including pyrokineses, creating sudden gusts of wind, or even forms of levitation, allowing them to fly short distances.
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