((Originally posted to Pillowfort: https://www.pillowfort.io/Snowhawk ))

Vampires may not exist, but the Chernomor do.

They are not their own kind, but a subset of the other species. They may have been nicknamed vampires, but they have some distinct separations from these fictional creatures. They have, after a short period, little reaction to sunlight, and it's never been recorded as fatal. There's no reaction to crucifixes, garlic, silver, or any of the other common methods of easily killing vampires, except for an increased sensitivity to fire.

They're not immortal, but their lifespans are significantly longer. Their bodies do not become unaging. Only one, the first, is said to be immortal and has aged little since his turning.

They're harder to kill, and have increased stamina. A rare metal, commonly just called dark silver for it's gunmetal color, is known to be especially effective against them. Most of this metal is found in Guardian swords. They usually have a craving for blood, but they do not require it to live.

They can create new Chernomor through biting. The disease progresses in stages, and being viral in nature, no cure has been found, but rumors have been escaping Juv. Progress without a cure can be stopped through the bite of another Chernomor, but the process is inexact and risky.

Older Chernomor are more powerful than new ones, but the dilution of power varies from infection to infection.

One of the first Chernomor, Kieran, still lives. He was turned when he was working for the Delphin Empire. He would eventually be a temporary guard to their heiress, but soon found himself assigned to hunt slavers. He'd known the heiress most of her life, and his ability to sense other delphin was called into play when she went missing.

He found her shortly before she was killed by a slaver. In a panic, he turned her.

The two would spend the following years hunting slavers, attempting to wipe them out, but she died before this was completed.

He spent decades mourning her loss. Then one day, he felt a small spark. Her spark. As often happens with the spirits of those who died before they completed their life's important goals, her spirit found a home in a descendent.