chrisisofaith | IC Contact

I think it is for the best that there are no large gatherings of vampires in my world, either. We are rare, and tend to be very territorial except for small groups. Usually a Master and whatever offspring they care for, plus a small retinue of trusted servants. My Master's household barely numbered a dozen for most of the years I was with him, and he was close to three hundred years old. Ancient, by our standards.

There are some clergy who hunt vampires, but magical ability is not common in my world. There are a few organizations of faith that confront supernatural threats...exorcists, hunters, and the like...but it's rare to find one with genuine abilities beyond their faith and bravado. They come with guns and fire and blessed relics instead of magic.

Many vampires of my kind are warded off by pure faith, holy relics and blessed ground, but killing us takes more than that.

That sounds ineffective. For vampires of my world, fire is effective but rarely enough to truly kill a vampire.

Though, for your own longevity, I suppose that's useful.

But I have to ask: 300 is ancient? Our elves and dwarves live longer than that naturally. The vampire we killed must have been at least 800. Why do your vampires only live so long? Or are they killed before they can get older?

Hunters of the church are mostly effective by being wealthy, organized and persistent. Most of their success is in killing young, new vampires, or the occasional pack of revenants- vampires that have given in to their bloodlust and lost all sense of self.

Many vampires don't make it past ten years. Fewer still to 100. Creating a new vampire has a very low survival rate to begin with, and hunters and other supernaturals take their toll.

We are also prone to madness as our souls fade, and a mad vampire more often than not has to be executed. We depend on discretion to survive: a vampire who kills without reserve or thought puts us all at risk.

The oldest vampire I've ever actually known was 800 or so, and he was quite terrifying. There are tales of those who are older still, but they are like dragons...none of us are sure they actually exist.

[Theres a pause as he thinks that over, but there’s one thing he can’t help coming back to.]

As their souls fade? Is that what happens for you?

How do you know it? Can it be felt?

[It's a lot to process, but Wolf is quietly grateful that he's been able to learn and understand the pitfalls of his kind from those wiser and more experienced than he.]

It is a madness that overtakes us, in many possible forms. So it can be hard to tell.

The most reliable way, though, is our reflections. I still have a reflection, though faded, and I am...mostly sane. I remember the man I was before I died, and have kept most of my humanity.

Older vampires lose their reflections completely as they decline. A vampire that does not appear in the mirror is usually very dangerous indeed, there is nothing left of the human within them. They become cold and cruel, or frighteningly capricious. Others give in to constant, unreasonable bloodlust. Some simply fade, overtaken by ennui.

That is horrifying and, in it's own way, fascinating. Forgive my interest.

I won't pester you further on it, but I'm glad you've been able to hold on to who you were. It is common belief that's impossible back home, but then again, common belief is written by the living, not the undead.

I admit my own biases have kept me from learning too much even in my time here.
A vampire from my homeworld arriving in the city finally pushed me to start being more curious.

I hope I haven't caused any offense or poor memories to surface.

I appreciate it, honestly. It's not often that I get to share my experience, and while I wouldn't recommend blind trust in a vampire, some of us are doing our best. We find these circumstances through tragedy and trauma, and at least a few of us do our best to overcome that. We simply want to live the life we were robbed of, though death does change us in many ways. No matter how we try, it's still never quite the same.

Vampires from different worlds may vary. I admit I'm interested as well in those differences. I haven't learned everything even about my own kind, as knowledgeable as I am in general. I admit, I've been slow to get to know recent arrivals here...it's something I've been trying to remedy with varying amounts of success.

No offense or harm done. I'm glad you're willing to listen and learn.

As often as I can.

Thank you again, Wolf. For the talk and your help.
Hopefully the next time we run into each other will be under better circumstances.

Until then, my friend.

Agreed, we should make those circumstances ourselves, perhaps some sparring or simply tea. Though I'm always glad to be of help.

Until later, be well.

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