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Description

PART 1

Vampirids were parasitic, wormlike creatures with long and complex life cycle involving human hosts. Once infected, the human would slowly undergo a series of behavioral and anatomical changes that gradually turn them into a mindless, violent and voracious beast. They gain an ability to infect others, create a pack and establish a nest – and once it happens, the selected few would be chosen to become breeders, vessels for imagoes.

Imagoes are the final, free-living stage in the vampirid life cycle.

For the first year of their life, they would usually reside in the nest that spawned them, only occasionally crawling outside – but as they grow larger and stronger (up to 6 meters in length or even more), they would eventually depart from their home in search for a mate. The vampirids are hermaphrodites and copulate via cross-insemination – and once mated, both individual become able to breed. The breeding itself is achieved through the stinger-like organ in the back of a throat, which they can use to inject their victims with the spore-containing fluid. Curiously enough, despite being supposed to infect humans and humans alone, many vampirids were said to develop ability of infecting other animals with similar results. But even then, the host still had to be of mammalian origin, and large enough to hold the parasite within (for otherwise, it would just die from its stomach rupturing). Documented cases of such "vampirized beasts" include bears, boars, cows, horses and at least one giraffe. Given a choice, however, vampirids would still ubiquitously prefer humans over beasts.

Unlike the infected hosts, the adult vampirids’ diet isn't limited to just blood – though they lack jaws, they can use their powerful suction mouths to suck entrails and even flesh from their prey.

Two long flaps on the sides of their body can unfold into wings, with their length almost doubling in this state – but they aren’t strong enough for a powered flight, and so are used for gliding instead. Their tails also assists in gliding by flattening and undulating, similar to how it works in some species of tropical snakes. The tip of the tail bears a stinger capable of delivering paralyzing neurotoxin, used primarily to immobilize victims a vampirid is planning to infect.

The intelligence of these creatures is subject for debate, with different claims ranging from purely animalistic to nearly human-like. Some sources even mentioned them being capable of speech, even though this was never confirmed. Their natural lifespan is equally nebulous, with estimates ranging from 200 to more than 1000 years. The matter is even further complicated by their alleged ability to fall in hibernation, in which all their biological processes, including aging, are significantly slowed.

Once upon a time, the vampirids were widespread across all continents of the human world, forcing mankind to deal with them on regular basis. For a long time, this uneasy job fell on the shoulders of ordinary soldiers – but somewhere around late XVII – early XVIII centuries, various orders of professional vampire hunters had independently form throughout Europe. Armed with the most advanced weaponry by the standards of their time, these organization declared the opposition to these creatures their holy mission, swearing to eradicate them from the face of the earth. The last known sighting of a vampire dates back to the end XIX century, and after that, the species was officially declared extinct. But despite that fact, the vampire hunters weren’t dissolved, but continue to exist just in case these creatures would ever return. Over time, many of their orders were taken under the patronage of different states, being turned into glorified secret police – but a fraction remained loyal to their original mission despite everything, passing their wisdom through generation and valiantly standing guard over the human race.

At the end of the day, vampires didn’t return – but instead, a far more sinister force had arisen from beneath the earth, awaken by the machination of the deranged cult. A parasite, a vermin even more abhorrent and insidious than any vampire could even hope to be. Like a terrible tsunami it swept across the New Word, annihilating and assimilating all of the human life it came across – and when it threatened to invade the Old World too, the Vampire Hunters were the first ones to stand on its way…

Description

PART 1

Vampirids were parasitic, wormlike creatures with long and complex life cycle involving human hosts. Once infected, the human would slowly undergo a series of behavioral and anatomical changes that gradually turn them into a mindless, violent and voracious beast. They gain an ability to infect others, create a pack and establish a nest – and once it happens, the selected few would be chosen to become breeders, vessels for imagoes.

Imagoes are the final, free-living stage in the vampirid life cycle.

For the first year of their life, they would usually reside in the nest that spawned them, only occasionally crawling outside – but as they grow larger and stronger (up to 6 meters in length or even more), they would eventually depart from their home in search for a mate. The vampirids are hermaphrodites and copulate via cross-insemination – and once mated, both individual become able to breed. The breeding itself is achieved through the stinger-like organ in the back of a throat, which they can use to inject their victims with the spore-containing fluid. Curiously enough, despite being supposed to infect humans and humans alone, many vampirids were said to develop ability of infecting other animals with similar results. But even then, the host still had to be of mammalian origin, and large enough to hold the parasite within (for otherwise, it would just die from its stomach rupturing). Documented cases of such "vampirized beasts" include bears, boars, cows, horses and at least one giraffe. Given a choice, however, vampirids would still ubiquitously prefer humans over beasts.

Unlike the infected hosts, the adult vampirids’ diet isn't limited to just blood – though they lack jaws, they can use their powerful suction mouths to suck entrails and even flesh from their prey.

Two long flaps on the sides of their body can unfold into wings, with their length almost doubling in this state – but they aren’t strong enough for a powered flight, and so are used for gliding instead. Their tails also assists in gliding by flattening and undulating, similar to how it works in some species of tropical snakes. The tip of the tail bears a stinger capable of delivering paralyzing neurotoxin, used primarily to immobilize victims a vampirid is planning to infect.

The intelligence of these creatures is subject for debate, with different claims ranging from purely animalistic to nearly human-like. Some sources even mentioned them being capable of speech, even though this was never confirmed. Their natural lifespan is equally nebulous, with estimates ranging from 200 to more than 1000 years. The matter is even further complicated by their alleged ability to fall in hibernation, in which all their biological processes, including aging, are significantly slowed.

Once upon a time, the vampirids were widespread across all continents of the human world, forcing mankind to deal with them on regular basis. For a long time, this uneasy job fell on the shoulders of ordinary soldiers – but somewhere around late XVII – early XVIII centuries, various orders of professional vampire hunters had independently form throughout Europe. Armed with the most advanced weaponry by the standards of their time, these organization declared the opposition to these creatures their holy mission, swearing to eradicate them from the face of the earth. The last known sighting of a vampire dates back to the end XIX century, and after that, the species was officially declared extinct. But despite that fact, the vampire hunters weren’t dissolved, but continue to exist just in case these creatures would ever return. Over time, many of their orders were taken under the patronage of different states, being turned into glorified secret police – but a fraction remained loyal to their original mission despite everything, passing their wisdom through generation and valiantly standing guard over the human race.

At the end of the day, vampires didn’t return – but instead, a far more sinister force had arisen from beneath the earth, awaken by the machination of the deranged cult. A parasite, a vermin even more abhorrent and insidious than any vampire could even hope to be. Like a terrible tsunami it swept across the New Word, annihilating and assimilating all of the human life it came across – and when it threatened to invade the Old World too, the Vampire Hunters were the first ones to stand on its way…