Vampirism is a rare and much-feared condition which plagues the various races of Anvaris and beyond, causing the sufferer to acquire numerous unpleasant traits which generally exclude them from normal society. Vampires must consume the blood of the living in order to survive, and will gradually wither and die if they are cut off from it. There are two primary types of vampirism: Blood-borne Vampirism, and Accursed Vampirism.
Blood-borne Vampirism[]
Newly-inflicted vampires usually come about due to a bite from an existing vampire, but not every person bitten by a vampire will become one themselves. The exact conditions under which the condition will spread to a new victim are not known, and may in fact vary from one case to the next. Regardless, those who do receive the infection will fall deathly ill shortly after the incident and will be unresponsive to most forms of medicine. After several days of fever, vomiting, and restless sleep, the victim will acquire vampiric traits.
Aside from their insatiable bloodlust, vampires are known for their pale (or otherwise deathly appearance), protruding fangs, sensitivity to sunlight (which intensifies the longer the afflicted goes without feeding), sight in the dark, and affinity for the night. Vampires will often take residence within a secluded house or cave in which they can sleep during the day hours before emerging to hunt while the world sleeps. Additionally, vampires which feed regularly are known to resist the effects of aging, although whether or not this implies immortality is heavily debated. Vampires that are discovered are usually driven out and killed immediately, as opposed to being studied.
Vampires also tend to be associated with powerful dark magi abilities, however it is unclear if the condition grants additional affinity toward the dark arts, or if those afflicted with it simply seek out powerful means of self-defense. Another theory states that vampires are drawn to dark magi circles as they are among the few accepting social venues for such a reviled creature. There is no widely-known cure for vampirism, but there are untold numbers of legends regarding divine intervention or magical elixers which have supposedly provided salvation to the afflicted.
Accursed Vampirism[]
Some rather unfortunate souls are afflicted with vampirism through some sort of curse. Unlike the onset of Blood-borne Vampirism, the onset of Accursed Vampirism usually occurs over weeks, months, or sometimes even years, depending on the strength and tenacity of the curse placed upon the victim. Symptoms of the curse appear gradually and may be initially be quite mild, which may serve to disguise the nature of the affliction until it is too late to take action. Still, some hexes may be highly sophisticated and nearly impossible to break regardless of any action taken, and some sufferers may fear seeking any help anyway, out of fear of total rejection and ostracizing.
The symptoms of Accursed Vampirism are largely the same as those of Blood-borne Vampirism, however those suffering from the hex form are unlikely to be capable of passing on the affliction to others.