Vampires

Explanation of Concept
Vampires are what you'd expect them to be. Pale, blood sucking night spawn. They are, however, civilized beings, mostly. There are multiple types and classes of Vampire. Each Vampire belongs to a house, some to a great house.

Classes
Vampire classes are their social ranking, essentially. Each class has an ability exclusive to them.

Commoner
Common Vampires, they have no notable abilities other than being incredibly skilled in most forms of illusion magic.

Noble
Noble Vampires are the elite of Vampiric society, they are the ones that usually are running everything. They can easily persuade mortals.

Royal
Royal Vampires are the most powerful Vampires, usually. They are the true rulers of Vampiric society. They are able to shift into the Royal Vampire form. I know, such creative, much wow.

Vampire Types
Think species, but not. Types are inherited like a gene, except for half-blood ism.

Half-Blood
Half-Bloods are the result of a Vampire and a non vampire having a child. They have all the traits of a Fledgling, minus the sun damage and the need for blood to survive. Despite being hated by most, they are actually more powerful than Fledglings. Special traits: Immunity to sun damage, no need for blood.

Fledgling
The weakest Vampire type. They have minimal access to blood magic and are incapable of the higher illusion magics. Fledglings are the only lesser Vampire that form there own tribes and packs, and are the most common Vampire that goes feral. Special traits: Can form neural bonds with other Fledglings, forming a sort of hive mind.

Pure Blood
Pure Bloods are Vampires, always have been. They are the most common Vampire, and their heritages are highly respected. This, however is the most basic form of Vampire, so they have moderate access to blood magic and illusion magic. This is the first type that is able to create new Vampires. Special traits: Immunity to all poisons. Can transform into a bat.

Blood Echo
These Vampires are near equal in power to Pure Bloods, the only added thing being their special trait: Able to manipulate soundwaves in order to attack, can also use them as a form of echolocation.

Nightwalker
The next level up from Pure Bloods. Night Walkers take extra sun damage and fire damage, but have increased access to illusion magic. They have moderate blood magic access. Special traits: They can become invisible at will, and have naturally muffled footsteps. Can transform into a bat, as well as a were-bat like creature.

Necres
The least common Vampire types. Necres Vampires have more in common with zombies than other Vampires, and this translates to unique powers surrounding regeneration. Have moderate access to blood magic, but is otherwise near equal with Shadow Step in term of power. Special traits: Are able to regenerate lost body parts using mortal blood. Restricted to extremities.

Shadow Step
These Vampires are exclusively Nobles or Royal, they have access to all abilities from the other types lower than it (excluding Half-Bloods and Fledglings). Shadow Steps are the main members of the Great Houses, and excel in illusion and blood magic. Special traits: Can enter shadows and travel through them, can leap out of the shadows and bite unsuspecting mortals.

Seducer
Seducers (Seductresses for females) are the royalty of the Vampiric world. These Vampires are exclusively Nobles or Royal, they have access to all abilities from the other types lower than it (excluding Half-Bloods and Fledglings). They have ultimate access to blood magic and illusion magic. Special traits: Their bite can inject a venom that charms the person. These people then act as thralls for their pleasure, or as cattle for their hunger. Also capable of charming people with their words, although this is a less common ability exhibited by this type.

Lord
Lord Vampires are the rarest Vampire type. They have gone completely rabid, and are permanently in the Royal Vampire form. The form, however, has mutated to be more bat like. They are the leaders of most feral tribes, and are never around civilization.

Vampiric Transformations
Vampires, starting at Pure Bloods, are capable of transforming into a bat. Night Walkers and onward can change into a Were-bat like creature that's more bat than man. Vampires that are classed as Royal can become a Royal Vampire.

The Royal Vampire has longer limbs that end in long clawed fingers, tattered bat wings sprout from the shoulder blades, horns sprout from the forehead that can curve in various directions as they age, and the area around the eyes are cracked, revealing black, flaky skin. Blood drips from this part of the face, they seemingly cry blood. The transformation is apparently incredibly painful, as well as that it ruins the mind of the victim until they revert. Royal Vampires are homicidal and will kill for pleasure, they have a tendency for raising victims as Half-Blood or Fledgling Vampires.

Being Transformed
Vampires are able to turn humans and other humanoid races into more Vampires. These newly created Vampires are loyal to their progenitors, but have wills of their own. What Vampire type the victim becomes depends on the power of the progenitor. A Vampire can only create a new one of its own type or lower. Example: A Shadow Step cannot create a new Seducer, but can create a new Shadow Step or a new Nightwalker.

A Vampire is able to choose what kind of type the new Vampire will become by injecting more or less of their power into the victim. The victim will rise as a new Vampire within a day after being bitten. In order to create a Vampire the victim must be drained of all blood, while a half blood is created by only draining part of the victim's blood. This is accompanied by the power sharing ability of Pure Blood Vampires, with the option of not sharing power also present.

Seeden Prime Great Houses
On Seeden Prime, there are a few notable clans of Vampires that have grown to at least ten thousand strong. The founders of these houses were the original Royal Vampires, and their true descendants have carried the ability on. They are:


 * Bloodletted - The lesser of the two most prominent great houses and the original masters of the Royal Vampire form. Have since fallen from grace and are now all considered untrustworthy and power hungry. A few notable Bloodletted Vampires are Oracle, Annabelle, and Colgan; the heir, matriarch and patriarch of the house, respectively.
 * Gildedfang - The greater of the two most prominent great houses and the ones who caused House Bloodletted to fall. They are sly and scheme-y, which makes up for their otherwise rather weak ruling body and abysmal army. A few notable Gildedfangs are Lienya and Nagaron, who's mother married into Gildedfang and was previously a Bloodletted.
 * Twice-Killed - The least powerful of all surviving Vampire houses. Twice-Killed consists of mostly Vampire Fledglings and zombie thralls. They are lead by a group of royalty, but are overall rather pathetic.
 * Neverlived - The middle class in Vampire society. Most common Vampires you meet are from this house. While this house may be the biggest in terms of numbers, their leaders are slowly losing the Royal Vampire gene. Gildedfang had a plot to take over this house by marrying off Vampires with the Royal gene to the current Neverlived monarchy.
 * Shadowrend - The lost house. Shadowrend was all but destroyed centuries before the start of the story by a legion of Vampire hunters. Before this, Shadowrend housed the best spies, ninjas, and other sneaky folk in all of Seeden Prime. In the shadows, however, they are making a comeback.