Vampires

At its heart, Blood Vessels is a story about the vampires born out of the ashes of the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871.

Vampires in Blood Vessels are separated into two families: Apex & Hybrids.

Apex
Vampires from the Apex family are vampires who can pass as normal humans. Their powers are subtle, and their hungers hidden. They manifest in one of three strains:

• Theorists. Theorists are creators: engineers, artists, and scientists. A Theorist’s strength lies not with their ability to maneuver politically or their physical prowess in a fight, but in their ability to invent fantastic devices and their capacity to outwit others.
• Brutes. Brutes are vampires blessed with extraordinary physical abilities, beyond their counterparts. Flight, strength, agility, and fortitude are just some of the traits that can be found in a Brute.
• Royals. Royals see the world through the eyes of conquerors, influencers, and masterminds. A Royal has mastered the ability to manipulate others & work from the shadows to move the pieces on the chessboard to their advantage.

Hybrid
Hybrid vampires are creatures that combine two strains within them; one makes itself obvious as a physical aberration.

• Savants. Royal / Theorist hybrids. A Savant combines powerful psychic abilities and invention to manipulate those around them. They are master illusionists, social experimenters, and empathy controllers.
• Radicals. Theorist / Brute hybrids. Radicals use their hyper-intelligence to create tactical advantage in combat; able to see the battlefield like a thought-experiment. They are master tacticians, sharpshooters, and trapmakers.
• Tyrants. Brute / Royal hybrids. Tyrants use their incredible physical prowess to intimidate, coerce, and control others. They are assassins, shaping the future with a well-placed knife in the back; they are generals, warrior-poets, and union bosses.

Hybrid vampires benefit from both of their strains, but one is more dominant than the other. This influences the power and abilities a vampire has.

However, unlike Apex vampires, Hybrids manifest their secondary strain in an obvious mutation that is visible in their physical appearance.

A Savant, for example, may have an exposed brain that leaks from its skull or eyes that glow when their psychic powers activate.

A Radical may have plated skin or tendrils that protrude from its body.

A Tyrant might have smooth features that appear alien or translucent skin that reveals their veins.

These are only some examples of how this secondary strain of vampirism reveals itself. The cause for these strange physical manifestations is as of yet unknown.

As such, hybrids are often considered monsters by both mortals and apex vampires alike, and tend to remain hidden from the world. Some more bold hybrids rejoice in their newfound power and use their horrifying visage to their advantage, proudly displaying their mutations in order to strike fear or inspire awe in others.

In Blood Vessels, vampires are not inherently “evil”.

Some wish to live in solitude — away from society — while others yearn to live among humans without fear of repercussion.

Some use their newfound powers to prey upon the weak, while still others use their abilities to protect humans from other vampires… and themselves.

In many cases, vampires are similar to humans… their drives and desires come from the same place.

Much is unknown about the nature of the vampire since they appeared during that fateful night on October 8th, 1871. Many struggle to understand the origin and capabilities of this new species, while still other vampires seek to lead their people to a brave new world.

But, no matter how they manifest their appearance, power, or attitude towards the world around them, one thing is true about all vampires…

They hunger for blood.

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