The vampire, a special type of Amorvrin, maintains its existence by drinking the blood of living persons causing their deaths. This creature may live through several normal life spans and can accumulate appropriate amounts of experience, skills and knowledge.
During a high mass, the sacrifice for the event was an unknown priest of Larani. Instead of being reduced to the abject state of terror that Valkar had come to expect and desire, this man continued to be defiant. At the height of the ritual, as Valkar plunged his dagger into the victim's chest, the unknown priest screamed at Valkar, "You shall die while drinking your own blood!"
Larani, unable to save her priest without a major violation of the Concordat, was infuriated. She struck at Valkar, causing an artery in his throat to burst. As Valkar died strangling on his own blood, he submitted himself to the shadow of Bukrai.
Morgath, angered by Larani's act of vengeance against one of his most efficient priests, decided to foster a new breed of undead. Thirteen days after his death, Valkar arose as an Amorvrin with an insatiable appetite for human blood. Morgath granted Valkar additional powers and the ability to create more creatures such as he had become.
When the other gods complained about the foulness of this creature, Morgath blamed its creation on the Lady of Paladins. However, Morgath did not want the remainder of the gods to unite against him, so he moderated his position. He would provide no further aid to Valkar, and only those victims that voluntarily submitted would become vampires.
Vampires do not immediately kill people that they intend to bind as subordinate vampires. Instead, they seduce their victims with promises of great power and everlasting life. The hapless or wicked character who agrees to the transformation is drained of blood until life is but a meager spark. The vampire opens his own veins and feeds his blood to the victim. The vampire's victim appears to die but instead arises thirteen days later as a new vampire. A victim who is drained and fed vampire blood but has not agreed to the transformation will die, soul intact and without fear of walking the earth as one of the undead.
During the hours of darkness, a vampire is nearly invulnerable, with incredible strength and the ability to shape shift into a bat, rat, wolf, or a fine white mist similar to fog. These transformations are performed at will and are virtually instantaneous.
While in gaseous form, a vampire can pass through porous materials or under doors. Vampires also use this form to evade their enemies. If a vampire is injured to an extent which would kill or render a mortal unconscious, the vampire will transform to a mist and reform later with all wounds healed. The time required depends on the type of wound(s) sustained, as described below.
Additional powers of the vampire include the ability to climb sheer surfaces as easily as a spider and to charm a single victim. Roll 4D6; if the roll exceeds the victim's WILL, the victim's actions are controlled by the vampire. Such control does not require the vampire to exert continuous concentration (the vampire may control a victim during combat) and has a range of half a league.
During daylight hours, a vampire's powers are severely curtailed. Vampires enter a catatonic state at dawn from which they do not recover until dusk. They are unable to shape shift during the day, but they are aware of their surroundings and can still charm their victims.
A vampire can be permanently destroyed by exposure to sunlight. Some vampires make elaborate preparations to protect themselves from sunlight; others simply bury themselves in the ground. A vampire can also be permanently destroyed by burning its remains, but unless the vampire is immobilized, it will simply shift to mist form and escape. Additionally, a vampire can be subdued, damaged, or perhaps even destroyed by magic. Lyahvi spells based on light and Peleahn fire spells are particularly effective. No other methods have been identified.
Driving an ash or a leaded-iron stake through a vampire's heart will immobilize the creature. (The average melee weapon does not qualify.) While immobilized, the vampire seems dead, but if the stake is removed, the vampire will be reanimated but will not be in the best of moods. Amputating the head, even with a mundane weapon, will immobilize the vampire, but its body must be burned, or in thirteen days it will dissolve into mist and reform - whole and unharmed. Other amputations cause the vampire to shift immediately to mist from which the vampire will reform, whole and unharmed, in thirteen hours. If the recovery period runs out during the day, the vampire will remain in gaseous form until nightfall.
Attribute Modifications
STR +10 EYE +4 INT +0
END +6 HRG +5 AUR +0
DEX +2 SMT +4 WIL +4
AGL +2 TCH +2 COM +0
SPD +5 VOI +3 FR recalculate
Bite: 65/7t Hand/Forearm: (unarmed)/6b Kick: (unarmed)/8b
Notes: Wounds caused by mundane weapons will heal 10 IPs per wound,
per combat turn and will not affect skills or abilities. Wounds
caused by enchanted weapons or spells heal 5 IPs per wound, per combat
turn and affect skills and abilities normally. Light and fire based
spells inflict double damage and heal at the normal human rate and
affect skills and abilities normally.