Vampires

Origin
In The Garden, there were two women. First, the one who betrayed the others, and sided with the Demons. She would end up becoming the mother of almost every non-Human race. As the first Human female in history, her blood was the purist in existence. This meant that it could be changed, and altered.

The first of her children were the Vampires. Bloodthirsty creatures of immense strength, that fed upon the children of the other Humans.

History
After Humans left The Garden, they lived in peace for awhile. However, soon they found themselves under attack from ones who looked like they did. These creatures consumed their blood for sustenance.

As time went on, Humans and Vampires remained at odds for much of history, with Vampires spending much of this time perfecting the art of hunting Humans. Humans, in turn, found ways to fight back.

In recent years, they have come to an uneasy truce. Vampires often still see themselves as a superior species, and resent the fact that Humans have been removed from the list of prey species. This results in many of them still trying to prey upon Humans.

Appearance
Vampires look much like Humans. Two arms, two legs, a head, and a body. They tend to be at least 5 feet tall, and 6.5 at the very tallest. Though, as with Humans, individuals above 6 feet tall are rather rare. Vampires do tend to have a paler look, but it is largely unnoticeable. Their canine teeth are larger than those of a Human, and are sharp. They use these teeth to feed on prey.

Behavior
Vampires like to feed on humans primarily. However, some do respect other species, and instead choose to feed on animals. They mostly live alone, or in mated pairs. Living among Humans allows them easy access to food. They tend to be nocturnal, due to their sensitivity to sunlight. They can either be friendly, or hostile towards others of their own kind. It really depends on the individual.

Abilities
Vampires possess a rather potent set of abilities. They are immensely strong, able to tear apart a mundane Human with ease. They are also very fast, able to easily outstrip most Humans. Their venom also has a set of interesting effects. Primarily, it acts as both an anesthetic, and an aphrodisiac, causing the victim to both be calmed, and actually enjoy being bitten. Also, when the Vampire is done feeding, it acts as a coagulant, stopping the prey from bleeding to death after being bitten.

Weaknesses
Vampires have some rather limiting abilities. Primarily, they are sensitive to sunlight, which can cause them sever sunburns after about 30 minutes of exposure. Also, every Vampire has been found to be allergic to garlic. Unlike some rumors and claims, holy ground and crosses have no effect on them.

A more recent discovery, is the toxicity of old, decayed blood to Vampires. Once the bacteria that feeds upon and decays blood begins to feed on the blood (the amount required for the blood to reach its deadly effect generally takes about two days) grows to a high enough population, it becomes deadly to Vampires. If a Vampire ingests this blood, or has it injected into them, its effects are deadly. In either case, it permeates the flesh, and invades the arteries and veins. The flesh begins to decay rapidly, and one can track the progress of the decay through the skin as the veins and arteries begin to blacken. It is an excruciating way to die, and as of yet, there seems to be no way of saving one who is afflicted in this way, save immediate amputation of afflicted limbs. If the decay reaches the torso, neck, or head, it is a kindness to simply put the individual down.

Diet
Vampires consume blood as their sustenance. They cannot actually digest normal food. If they try, it makes them sick. While Human blood is a favorite, they can actually consume any sort of blood, regardless of what species it is from.

Lifestyle/Lifespan
Vampires live rather long lives, averaging at about 200 years. Very rarely, they have been known to live as long as 300 years. They live primarily among Humans, which gives them easy access to food. They mostly live alone, or with a mate. There are rare cases of multiple Vampires living together, but these groups tend to be rather chaotic.

Reproduction
Vampires have lower fertility rates than Humans, being at about 20%. They can mate with their own kind, which results in a Vampire child. However, they can also mate with Humans, which results in a Dhampir. A common misconception is that a Vampire bite turns a Human into a Vampire. This is false. The origin of this rumor is unknown.

Death
Upon death, it is known that the soul leaves the body. However, it is unknown if it actually goes anywhere. There is a strange lack of rumors or stories as to where it goes.

Ranks
Rank E - N/A - Even the weakest Vampire is both stronger and faster than the average human.

Rank C - Bloodling - Younger Vampires, lacking experience in both combat and hunting. Lack the instincts and cunning that come with age. Can still tear out a Human's throat with relative ease.

Rank B - Hunter - Vampires possessing enough experience to make them dangerous hunters and fighters. Are cunning and relatively dangerous. Tearing through Humans is something they excel at.

Rank A - Bloodlord - Older Vampires possessing exceptional power and strength. They often leads small bands of Vampires, and claim entire towns as their territory.

Rank S - Drakul - The most powerful and revered Vampires, these individuals have been found to be able to cause illusions and, in some cases, psychosis. The source of this power is unknown.