Posted In: comic

Gotta push that Goose Juice.

Since a few of you asked about Vampires last time, here’s the Vampires entry from the new Yeld rulebook:

No one in Yeld had ever heard the word “Vampire” before Prince Dragul appeared in the court of the Old King over one thousand years ago. Dragul introduced himself as the Prince of Vampires, although no one knew if “Vampire” was a title, a place or a people. As Dragul’s influence in the court grew he introduced Vampirism to Yeld, promising key members of the Old King’s court and royal guard the gift of power and long life in exchange for their loyalty once the King finally passed away. These new Vampires found that they had become as strong as a Fairy, and able to survive nearly any injury. They could fight for days without rest and move at speeds that were hard to track with the naked eye. And like the Prince himself, they did not seem to age at all! Their strength was greater during the night than the day, but that hardly mattered. Nor did the nagging hunger that they felt.

Of all the people of Yeld, only the King’s People and Mermaids can become Vampires. Those that Dragul has chosen for his gift lead long and rich lives.This gift comes at a cost, and newly converted Vampires find that they have a hunger which can only be quenched with flesh and blood. Vampires must consume the flesh or drink the blood of living people, but doing so makes them powerful. Without the blood of living creatures the Vampires will eventually retreat into a deep sleep and wither away, although this can take years. The truth is that most Vampires don’t need to feed as often as they do and can easily subsist on livestock or blood offerings. As long as Vampires are able to feed on blood they will not die, except from grievous and spectacular injury or magic.

There are relatively few Vampires in all of Yeld. Prince Dragul gave his gift to a few thousand loyalists during the Oathbreaker Rebellion, and since then new Vampires have been somewhat rare. The Prince himself can create new Vampires whenever he chooses, but most Vampires do not have this ability. In fact, most Vampires do not understand that the source of their power is a virus, and that they are responsible for the Plague of Undeath. When a Vampire feeds on another person they pass on the virus, and there is the slimmest of chances that the person will become a Vampire. The transformation often takes weeks or even months, and is so rare that most Vampires have no idea it is possible to pass on their condition. New Vampires rarely realize what caused their transformation.

Many of Yeld’s Vampires are the same individuals transformed by Prince Dragul when he first came to power. They are still members of the Kingdom’s nobility, and serve as councilors, diplomats, governors and high ranking military officers. While not every Vampire is a terrifying monster, these older Vampires know that there is no better tool for keeping the people of Yeld in check than absolute fear, and so they find excuses to indulge their hunger as often as they like.
Many Vampires, especially younger ones, do live relatively normal lives among the people of Yeld. Because they tend to live extremely long lives and are known to drink blood, other people of Yeld are often nervous around Vampires. Vampires often tend to be wealthier than other people of Yeld, which creates another barrier. However, many Vampires have proven themselves to be reliable and trusted members of their communities, and serve as politicians, teachers, skilled crafters, merchants and ship captains, as well as officers in the Kingdom’s armies. Many Vampires rule over small territories in the name of the Prince, collecting taxes and enforcing Dragul’s laws. Some are fair and just, and even friendly, while others are cold and cruel. If a town is run by a Vampire the Friends can expect to find strict laws and soldiers eager to enforce them.

While the people of Yeld had never heard of Vampires before the Prince’s arrival, the Friends come from a world where Vampires are well known creatures of fiction. Still, Friends may be surprised to find that many of the weaknesses of Vampires from our stories and movies don’t apply to the Vampires of Yeld. Yeld’s Vampires can walk under the sunlight without fear, although they tend to be more powerful at night. They have a mild aversion to holy symbols and rituals, but don’t fear running water, silver or garlic, and do not sleep in caskets or turn into bats. All Vampires have pale gray skin and pointed teeth.

Most Vampires are King’s People, although Vampire Mermaids do exist. Perhaps because of their long life spans, Vampires seem to be more interested in exploring a broader range of sexuality and gender than many other people of Yeld.