(Homo sapiens petilus)
Not a cheesy myth; the ultimate survival adaptation.
Avg. Height: M - 5'9" F - 5'5"
Avg. Weight: M - 100# F - 90#
Hair Color: Black, gray, white
Eye Color: Black, reddish, gray
Blood Pressure: 100/60
Life Expectancy: 55 years
Dist. Marks: Blotchy white skin, anorexic, reddish eyes, fangs, claws
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Vampires are not long-fanged pale monsters, but genetically modified beings
capable of a wide range of physical and mental mutations.
Although some few are genetically capable of producing offspring, most
vampires are the children of a Beta GOTH father and a savant mother, an
exceedingly rare combination that produces a unique genetic mix. A vampire's
goth genes transmit the same physical capabilities of their ancestors, but
the fact that the vampire fetus gestates in a savant body causes a series of
mutations which greatly alter the vampire's physiology. In like fashion,
their savant mother passes on to them the ability to alter the minds and
bodies of others, but the lack of a second savant parent changes the way in
which those powers work. In short, while vampires are theoretically capable
of just about everything their ancestors the Alpha GOTHEs were, their
capabilities are twisted and warped, and can only be mastered with great
patience, great expenditure of energy, and often great pain. Such a search
for control and mastery is a difficult task as well, considering that there
are fewer than 3,000 total vampires alive at the end of the 21st Century.
"Vampire" is a slang term, so given to this goth genotype because, to a
casual viewer, they share many of the characteristics of the vampires of
classical movie mythology: fangs, claws, and pasty white skin that's
sensitive to sunlight. Of course, most of these characteristics are also
shared by many other genotypes, thanks to the genetic condition known as
porphyria that most of them have in common, and in actual point of fact
vampires are vastly different from the myths associated with them. What they
resemble most closely are diminutive versions of the original Alpha GOTHEs,
even moreso than their close cousins the "true" goths. They contain within
their bodies all the potential building blocks that their ancestors carried,
although much of it is untapped and unrealized until called upon. For
example, vampire muscles and bones appear quite weak and fragile, but they
are in fact entirely laced with nanites which can work on a moment's notice
to increase the vampire's strength, agility and endurance to superhuman
levels. Likewise, the vampire immune system may appear normally frail and
underdeveloped, but the nanites in the vampire's bloodstream can quickly
hypercharge the vampire's body to the point where immediate regeneration of
tissue can take place (albeit at some sacrifice).
Vampires also benefit from an enhanced central nervous system (CNS), but in
the case of the vampire these enhancements are really only "half-cooked" by
the time the vampire reaches puberty. In the case of the nerves themselves,
the nanites which lie dormant in the vampire's system can easily boost
potential 100 times or more, greatly increasing reaction time and agility,
but most of the time they're not called upon or used, giving vampires a
somewhat lazy and slow demeanor. Likewise, a vampire's brain tissue is laced
with nanites, which work overtime to generate new neural pathways and
increase the production of new neurons and glial cells. Because neurons
continue to divide throughout their lives (unlike any other genotype),
vampires tend to increase their intelligence by leaps and bounds as they
learn and experience, eventually outstripping even savants if they happen to
live long enough.
Much like their savant cousins, the "second brain" at the base of the
vampire's spine gives them the capacity to actively interpret and act upon
electrochemical signals in their own bodies, allowing vampires to "turn off"
pain sensations, or even start and stop their own hears at will.
Furthermore, this "booster" helps to increase the signal to the point where
vampires can transmit and receive signals from other individuals. While this
ability can be broadcast through the air, its effectiveness diminishes
greatly with distance, and vampires are much better at manipulation and
"reading" if they can physically contact the person they're trying to
affect. Once a connection is made, however, the vampire is capable of
interpreting and affecting everything from low level emotional responses
(inciting fear or anger) to higher level muscular function (causing
twitches, spasms and cramps), all through the manipulation of
electrochemical firings.
Because they can combine this enhanced mental capacity with their
significant physical capabilites, vampires tend to be quite devious and
creative in their capacity for manipulating others to get what they want.
For example, instead of mere crude shifts in appearance, vampires can
control every aspect of their outward appearance, gaining the ability to
impersonate and disguise quickly and effectively by gauging the reactions of
others. In other cases, they can quickly become the object of someone's
worst nightmares, albeit a dream that has the potential to rip your throat
out. With the ability to boost their physical prowess at will and a savage
cunning possessed by no one else, vampires are unquestionably an
evolutionary breakthrough. Which is why vampires are also a great paradox,
because for all their potential, many of them fail to live up to it for
various reasons.
First of all, and most simply, vampires do not normally receive the training
necessary to focus and project their energies very well. Many are orphans,
and have few friends or colleagues to go to for assistance. As such, while
most are adept at dealing with raw emotions and simple thoughts, in
one-on-one situations, few truly learn to develop their capabilities to a
higher degree. More importantly, vampires are also held back by their own
potential. The very same nanites that build their systems up according to
their wills also tear other parts of their system down at the same time.
Eventually, during periods of high stress, any and all materials a vampire
takes into his or her body are almost immediately burned to fuel the
nanites. Because it is constantly being stripped of materials to fuel the
vampire's nanites, vampire blood is thus severely low in iron, adrenaline
and hundreds of other nutrients and chemicals. This depletes the vampire's
system of needed materials, resulting in a cheetah-like near total lack of
body-fat and cachexia (a form of super-anorexia where over 65% of body
weight can be lost). The lack of nutrients also adds to their severely pale
and thin appearance (to the point where you can count ribs through their
nearly translucent white skin), and can lead to deathly anemia.
However, the situation is not easily avoidable. The more vampires manipulate
their systems, the more their nanites work on overdrive to process energy,
supercharging the vampire's system for a brief period of time and giving
them feelings of true power and flashes of insight. After the materials are
metabolized, the vampire suffers an inevitable crash, hormone levels sink,
and depression and lethargy creep in. Other symptoms of what is basically
chronic malnutrition include possible seizures and convulsions, blurred
vision and breathing difficulties and severe headaches. Ultimately, the only
way to drive away these bad feelings is by seeking ways to quickly and
consistently refuel the body, which in turn provides a quick boost followed
by the inevitable crash, and so on. It is easy to see how such a process can
become cyclic. The more active a vampire is, the more their nanites process
fuel, and the more they need to keep going. Multi-vitamins like KLD-74
contain essential vitamins, minerals and enzymes, but they can only do so
much; no vampire can survive by eating nothing but vitamins. Eating a
healthy diet also helps some, but digestion is too slow to give vampires a
boost of the hyperefficient chemicals needed to rapidly overcome depression.
Ultimately, many vampires become literal junkies, incessantly searching out
new ways to feed their hunger and give themselves a boost out of the depths
of depression. Not all of these are illegal drugs--ingestion of some rare
organic compounds, direct injections of certain hormones, and even blood
transfusions can help. Rumors of "blood-drinking" are certainly false, as
any blood thus ingested would be digested, and any advantage gained in such
a way would be minor. Certainly, however, vampires might consider
self-transfusions, injecting the blood into their own circulatory systems,
although this itself is horribly risky and possibly lethal behavior, not
merely because of disease but because injecting A positive blood into a
system full of B negative is almost assuredly fatal. All of these behaviors
tend only to exacerbate the porphyria that vampires (like most goths) suffer
from, causing worsening photosensitivity (and thus a further retreat from
sunglight into a nocturnal lifestyle), confusion, blindness and even coma
and death. Of course, since these conditions can also be worsened due to
malnourishment and a lack of carbohydrates, vampires fall into a sort of
catch-22, damned if they do and damned if they don't.
Since they often have to resort to questionable tactics to get what they
need, vampires do have a tremendous capacity (and capability) for savage
violence, which is often covered up by a false veneer of charm and calmness.
Their augmented strength and recuperative abilities make them extremely
dangerous when they are looking for nourishment in a frenzied rage. However,
vampires also tend to be somewhat more restrained and moral than some morphs
and goths, partly because they often lack the energy to rage all day long,
and partly because they eventually realize that you can catch more flies
with honey than vinegar. Their savant half realizes the benefits of groups,
and thus the more sociable among them seek out legitimate means of
employment, taking jobs where they can be free to work in the shadows while
earning enough to pay for the nutrients and drugs they need. Many become
bartenders or nightclub entertainers, while others act as mercenaries and
bouncers. However, because of their incessant need for nourishment, many
vampires do become lone wolves, ready to sell out their friends and do
whatever it takes to get another hit of their favorite drug.
INSPIRATIONAL IDEAS
Music: Ministry "Just One Fix," Lou Reed "Heroin"
Stories: Anita Blake novels, Pat Cadigan's "My Brother's Keeper"
Quote: "It is better to be hated for what you are, than loved for what you
are not." --Andre Gide
Stats:
* Incredibly high Physical Mutation.
* Below average Physical Endurance.
Pros:
* Incredible potential for mutation, both internally and externally.
* By far, the genotype with the greatest capacity for adaptation.
Cons:
* Prone to sickness, vampires require a delicate balance to maintain health.
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