The Vampires

The Vampires are a rather confusing, but still interesting race native to Ecumene, making their home in the swamps and fields of Southeastern Sahul. As one of the Intelligent Races, they have achieved a high level of technology, intelligence, and society that not many other species have, and their homeland has long fueled the textile industries of many a state. They are quite distinct from every other one of Ecumene's races, being descended from bats rather than primates, lizards of any other thing.   They are on the shorter side, only being around the mid-range of 5 feet tall. Most of their body is covered in fur, of which brown, black, grey, and white pigments can be found, with Vampire fur typically only being one, solid color. However, their ears, lower face, hands, and feet are completely hairless, instead being only covered by the skin of the Vampire. A Vampire's skin is actually multicolored, depending on where it is, with the skin on a Vampire's face being pale pink, and the skin on the rest of their body is a shade of black. The fur of a Vampire is quite soft, and even silky if they keep well-groomed. It is quite thick in the colder months of Southeastern Sahul, but it thins out in the spring and summer, with some fur being shed, only to grow out later.   Because of this, they are quite comfortable in the winter, and while they are normally pretty fine in the summer if they exert themselves too much, they can overheat. To prevent this, the homeothermic Vampiric race can pant. Due to their fur preventing them from developing an abundance of sweat glands, Vampires will naturally begin to pant after exercising in extreme temperatures, even if they are not overheating. This is most comparable to Primate races breathing heavily after working out, but much more powerful as it is the main way Vampires keep cool. Heat can also be released through their large nose-leaf and giant ears.   Unlike most bats of their family, the Vampires have fairly good eyesight. Their eyes are large and positioned at the front of their heads, with the race's irises most often being brown or auburn. However, they have abandoned the tapetum lucidium most bats species have due to their diurnal lifestyle. Because of this, their eyesight is slightly worse than that of other races, with the entire race suffering from a mild case of nearsightedness.   However, their eyesight at close ranges is supplemented by a trait they do share with other bats: echolocation. The ears of a bat are huge and oval-shaped, being about one foot long. While their basic hearing is similar to (if not better than) that of Humanity, they are also able to hear incredibly high pitched sounds that no other race can, as well as being able to emit these ultrasonic sounds using their cricothyroid muscle located in the voice box to control their orientation pulse frequency. By comparing the outgoing pulse with the returning echoes using their finely tuned ears, the brain and auditory nervous system can produce detailed images of the Vampire's surroundings. The sound itself is emitted from the mouth and nose of the Vampire. The leaf-shaped nose of a Vampire helps regulate what these sounds hit, and while a Vampire cannot get a good read on far-off surroundings, they are able to get a feel of their immediate surroundings in even pitch darkness by repeatedly letting out their high pitched cries.   Their hands are highly reminiscent of the ends of a bat's wing, although as they do not have wings themselves, they are more developed. A Vampire has five fingers, like all the other races, but they are long, spindly, and almost spider-like. They also end in a long, skinny, and quite sharp fingernails, although they are often filed down. Despite their exceptionally long fingers, they have no less dexterity than that of Humanity. Their feet are similar in this regard, and while their toes are significantly shorter in comparison with their fingers, they do end in long claws just the same. Interestingly, a Vampire's feet can grip something just as well as their hands. This is due to the tendons in their feet allowing them to be able to curl around something, not using any muscle power to hold on, but a little bit is needed to let go.   Oddly enough, the legs of a Vampire are naturally strong. While this does not give them any great boon to running or jumping, it does allow them to hang upside down using their lower body quite well.   Vampires have incredibly sharp teeth, perfect for tearing apart meat. The dental structure of the Vampires is jagged, with many of their teeth being bent or otherwise slightly misshapen. All Vampires have a slight overbite, but this is little worry, as their teeth fit snugly over their lips, hardly ever scratching or causing too much of a problem. The long canines of the Vampire can be seen clearly here, with these two teeth being almost as sharp as a small knife. These canines also lack enamel, and while that makes them somewhat more fragile than their other teeth, they are permanently incredibly sharp.   The digestive system of a Vampire is one of, if not the most, advanced of all the races. They are the only ones of the Intelligent Races to almost never get sick by eating raw meat. While it has to be cooked a little bit, they have specialized digestive enzymes and very strong stomach acid that protects them from most parasites, and while the Ogres have a similar ability, they are outclassed in this regard by the Vampires. However, they cannot eat rotten food, with this having a very good chance of making them incredibly ill. Their stomach also contains enzymes that can more easily digest blood, and while it is not the bulk of a Vampire's diet, it is needed due to many of their meals primarily being made up of nearly raw meat.   Female Vampires tend to be a few inches taller than their male counterparts, with both having a mammalian reproductive system. Females also have breasts on their chest, much like other mammalian races, due to their upright position and still needing to nurse their young. As members of the Intelligent Races, Vampires can feel attraction to all of the other races, though they can only breed with their own.

Like (almost) all mammals, Vampires give live birth. Pregnant females almost always give birth to one pup (the name for a baby Vampire) after around 6 months. The pup is born fully furred, but without teeth, and so it must nurse on the mother for its first weeks of life.   A Vampire is considered an infant for about one year of age. They are toddlers until around three years of age and are thereafter children until 12. This starts their adolescent years, which end at around 21, where around they become fully-fledged adults. A Vampire is considered senior when they reach the age of around 70. Vampires, more so than other races, show very few signs of aging, but particularly old Vampires begin to develop a slight humpback and begin to lose fur.

The cuisine of the common Vampire is very unique, as the common Vampire is either a former slave or the son of one. Due to this, the styles of cooking born from a life of cruel servitude persist even as Vampiric life becomes more comfortable. Just like they did on the plantation, Vampires will keep small gardens (as well as their farm), as well as chickens and pigs. Meats such as ostrich and unicorn are much more expensive, and while some can afford it, it is not common. In their time as a slave, many Vampires became adept at fishing and trapping due to a lack of other meat, so more unorthodox dishes that include ingredients such as crawfish, shrimps, oysters, squirrels, and opossums can be found. Traditional Vampiric food is very high in calories, with fried and breaded meat being very common as a way to restore their strength. Barbeques are also very common, especially as a social event to bring a community together in celebration. Interestingly, Vampires have developed a way to add extra protein to their diet by harvesting the blood from slaughtered animals, keeping it, and then consuming it. Small cups of blood are served with almost every meal, and this act of desperation while in chains has become a celebrated part of Vampire culture now that abolition has long passed. Similarly, the use of intestines, livers, and brains in cooking is also fairly common, as if the master will not eat it, the slaves (and now the Nwa Defans, which is a term for the freed slaves) are more than happy to. Southeastern Sahul is home to many of the most exotic spices in Ecumene, a fact that is not lost on the natives. Ingredients such as hot peppers, bay leaves, oregano, garlic, onion, parsley, sassafras, thyme, basil, cassava, cloves, chives, ginger, coriander, mustard, and many others are found in spades. The Southeast is also the only place in the world in which sugarcane grows. No cuisine is full without vegetables, though. Corn (and specifically cornmeal) is a massive part of the average Vampire's diet, but peanuts, beans, rice, beets, carrots, cabbage, calabaza, chickpeas, okra, sweet potatoes, watercress, spinach, peas, turnips, and green or red peppers can also be found in fields or gardens.   Milk and tea have always been part of the average Vampire's diet, with tea time being a part of noble culture that has been adopted by the Nwa Defans. As slaves, many Vampires would steal sugar, which would then be used to make rum. This alcoholic beverage has become an international sensation popularized by foreign soldiers returning from the war, and its origin has been celebrated by the state as a model of the ingenuity shown by the slaves.   Vampires only eat two meals a day, a habit picked up during slavery as well as a consequence of the race's very heavy diet. The first meal of the day is Dejene (Breakfast) and is usually a very short, easily prepared meal of cornmeal, salt pork, or bacon. After dark, the Vampires will have their second meal, Dine. It is a larger meal of meat, blood, corn and if the season is right, vegetables from the garden. Tea, more akin to a snack than a proper meal, is usually taken in the mid-afternoon and is traditionally made up of biscuits, jam, and sandwiches filled with things such as pimento cheese, ham and mustard, and egg salad.

Following the War Of Two Empires, the Meridien government was free to smash the system of slavery once and for all and build a state for the people. The first step was to make a Constitution that guarantees the rights of all Vampires and lays out the structure of the government. One of these "inalienable rights" is the right to property, with it being proclaimed that no one Vampire can own over 40 acres of land. As such, the massive plantations that once dominated the region's economy were sliced up and given to the slave families that worked them. However, most of these families were illiterate, and when it became apparent that foreign companies planned to exploit this, the government stepped in. While all yeomen farmers would be able to freely sell their goods to other Vampires, the government would serve as a middle man, assisting the yeomen and ensuring that they would be given fair compensation for the sale of their goods. This system has done a lot of good for the common Vampire, as he can sell valuable cash crops to foreign companies in exchange for high pay or even foodstuffs, as Meridie's food production is still a bit lacking. Many farmers have even started farming co-operatives to better manage their farms while also giving them more leveraging power against the companies, guaranteeing a high income for their families.   However, the Young Commonwealth is not without issue. Two distinct classes of society exist, the "Nwa Defans" (ex-slaves) and the "Blan Defans" (Vampires belonging to the old free families). The Nwa Defans make up about 3/4ths of the population and they hold almost all of the political power within the nation, but they are still quite disenfranchised. While they hold almost all of the agriculture in the country, they are incredibly discriminated against in industrial fields due to their average lack of book learning, but also due to the domination of the Blan Defans in those fields. In the days of the Viceroyalty, they were known as the "Freemen", and while they were not Lords, they were the lower/middle class skilled and industrial laborers of the state. During the war, they had fought against the revolutionaries, for they feared the consequences that would come from the end of slavery. However, many found that they were in a better position than they were Pre-War, for while they were once laborers, they now were the factory foremen. This has become a bit of an issue, as in the cities of the Commonwealth, there is not the equality there is elsewhere due to the establishment of a Blan Defans oligarchy. In the Arys Foothills, they hold a very considerable amount of power, with the Blan Defans in the said region working as miners and mill workers.

Vampires use the same naming system that most other races use, with a given first name and a surname. During slavery, most slaves would take the last name of their masters, but after abolition, many would take the name of an ancestor or a name that simply sounds nice as their last name. As such, a male Vampire's name might be something like "Marc Gedeon" or "Serge Mesidor", while a woman's name might be something like "Yvette Deshommes" or "Marie Salomon".

With the end of slavery, the gender roles of the plantation have been eroded and the Vampires have adopted more traditionalist gender roles. It is the job of the men to work in the farms and factories of the land while the women work in the house, no longer being forced to labor in the fields. This is not an issue, though, as a Vampire can only own 40 acres of farmland. Of course, due to their former status, they will often help their husbands in the field and with the farm, but they do not do industrial work, and most modern Vampire women concern themselves with the housework and with the animals of the farm. Women are not mandated to wear Trinitist headdresses either, due to their large ears on the top of their head.   However, recent events have called traditional Trinitist gender roles into question. Many women fought during the early days of the War, and when the Free Army barred them from service, they simply snuck in or formed militias to fight the Dwarves. Furthermore, Vampires who fight alongside the Sylvan Army fight not only with men but also with women who are treated no differently from others in the service. Due to this, some in the Meridien National Convention believe that the liberation of women must go hand in hand with the liberation of the nation, but it is impossible to say whether or not traditional Vampiric gender roles will be broken or not.

With the abolition of the nobility and a lack of an arranged marriage tradition among the Nwa Defans, they have become entirely extinct. To propose a marriage, the Vampiric man will present his loved one with a ring, and then the two will begin to plan the wedding. Traditionally, Vampiric weddings are held in the local Church, right at the altar, with the rings being placed upon it. Incense is spread around the room as the pair say their vows. After they are done, the entirety of those in attendance (usually the friends and extended family of the bride and the groom) will pray for their marriage, before the Vicar sprinkles dirt upon the rings before placing them on the fingers of the married couple, officially blessing and approving their marriage.   What follows is usually a few hours of feasting and games, with toasts abound. Oftentimes, the celebration will happen in the church itself, but post-wedding celebrations in the summer are often celebrated outside. At the end of the party, the bride and groom will shatter their drinking cups (usually made out of glass for the ceremony) in order to symbolize the beginning of a new life together.

The Vampiric state, Meridie, has a deeply cash crop-based economy, but they have industrialized somewhat following the War Of Two Empires. State-owned railroads cross the nation, telegraphs are all too common, and the Commonwealth's cities are electrified, but be this as it may, only 30% of the population can read.

Vampires speak a language known as "Vampiric" which is in essence real-life Haitian Creole. This language uses an alphabetical system of writing known as "Runic", which utilizes 40 letters to form words and phrases, with the letters themselves looking quite like those used in the real-life Deseret Alphabet.

The Vampiric race prides itself on hospitality, a rare trait shared by both the Nwa Defans and the Blan Defans. Vampires are, on the whole, so welcoming that taverns are a rarity within Meridie, as most everyone would be more than happy to provide a traveler with food and a bed. Even the most downtrodden of Vampires will be more than happy to serve a traveler tea and cornbread from their very own pantry if they are staying with them. Of course, this hospitality goes both ways. Traveling or visiting Vampires will not enter anyone's home until the homeowner gives them clear and express permission, and it is expected that the visitor either give their host a gift in return or invite the host to their own home at a later date. The traditional greeting among the Vampire race (no matter their gender) is two kisses, one on each cheek. Furthermore, the Vampires will almost never use titles such as "Mister" or "Miss", instead preferring the much more egalitarian "Citizen".

The dress of the Vampiric race has progressed immensely from what it was prior to the War, with both Nwa Defans and Blan Defans of similar wealth wearing the same stuff. However, Nwa Defans will still dye their canine teeth a permanent black, turning the sigil that once marked them as enslaved into a symbol of the struggles their people have endured. Men will wear loose-fitting shirts with an ornate V-shaped collar and which go down to the upper thigh known as a "dashiki", although they are less colorful than those found in real life. The shirt will be worn over a pair of suspenders that hold up a pair of wool, chino, or denim pants. In colder weather, a wool jacket will be thrown on. Lower-class women can often be found wearing something known as a "boubou", a skirt that is wrapped around the lower body, as well as a striped smock.   The growing political and industrial classes that make up the race's upper-class wear fancier clothes, yes, but nothing too decadent. Male Vampires will wear "guayabera" shirts, which are light cotton shirts recognizable by the two vertical rows of closely sewn pleats running down the length of their front and back. They are often worn with some type of trousers (most commonly white or khaki), usually with a belt, and are traditionally untucked. Women who belong to this class can often be found in colorful quadrille dresses. These are unique in the fact that they have an off-the-shoulder top and a full skirt. Aside from that, the dress is notable for its ruffled design. Upper-class Vampires may also be found wearing Dwarven fashions, though this is not as common in Meridie as it is in other nations on Sahul owing to the fact that that fashion was the fashion of the slave owners.

Houses And Architecture
Traditional Vampiric houses are small and usually made of wooden planks, often with a sloped roof and small porch. They will also often have a stone fireplace in the back or side of the room. The door of these cabins will always be painted in a bright, inviting color, such as light blue or green. Whether they are a Nwa Defans or a Blan Defans, all poor, rural Vampires will live in them, as it has become illegal to live in the plantation houses of the aristocracy. Most were burned during the War or during the Orange Terror, with the government then demolishing those that remain or turning them into museums if they hold value to the history of the slavefolk.   Many Vampires perform industrial work in the various Meridien cities, though while there has been a recent influx of Nwa Defans, the Blan Defans continue to hold economic dominion over the cities. The city itself is quite beautiful, with many Blan Defans living in connected, colorful, two-story Creole-style townhouses. Less fortunate Blan Defans or Nwa Defans within industrial areas may live in Creole-style cottages or the even smaller "shotgun houses". Apartments for the poor are not common within the Meridien cities, owing to the development of large, Nwa Defan-dominated slums made up of small shotgun houses.   Music And Art
On a plantation, music has much more impact on life than any other form of art. While that life may be no more, the bluegrass and gospel styles that originate from the plantation fields still permeate within Vampiric music. Common instruments include fiddles, banjos, guitars, jawbones, musical bows, washboards, tambourines, and rhythm bones. Interestingly, the Post-War freedom gave itself well to the invention of Jazz, which then spread like wildfire throughout Ecumene.   Sports And Games
Most Vampires are quite physically fit due to the hard work a farm requires. On the Trinitist day of rest or after the workday is done, Vampires will play various sports, with rugby being the most popular. Most other sports are quite simple, though, so other popular sports are wrestling, boxing, hunting, and fishing (with the latter having practical use as well). Cockfighting also appears to be common.   Funerary Traditions
Vampiric funerary traditions seem in line with the rest of the Trinitist world at first. When it is believed that they are dying, they are brought with haste to the local Church, specifically a secluded and comfortable basement room. There, while doctors care for them, the Church's Vicar will pray with them and the dying Trinitist will give their "last rites" to the Vicar. This last rite comes in the form of a poem that the individual made beforehand and now recites, professing their piety and humility for what might be the last time However, after they are dead, the Vampiric tradition deviates wildly from the norm. While the body of the deceased will be buried in the Trinitist fashion, the deceased's heart will be removed, cooked, and eaten by the immediate family. This is an ancient Vampiric tradition (begrudgingly tolerated by the Cult of the Trinity) that is meant to honor the deceased, symbolizing that the love they have for their family will persist even after death and into the afterlife.   Philosophy
It can be said that the honeymoon period of Vampire freedom has faded away. While still immensely patriotic and proud of their freedom, every Vampire who either lived through or has heard stories of bondage willing to die in order to keep it back, many have realized that this is not enough. The Cult says that all races are equal under the Gods, so why should any race be denied the freedoms of liberty, equality, and fraternity? To this end, the Meridien government has begun to see itself as the "vanguard of democracy", the frontman of a growing band of democratic nations. The struggle against the slavemaster at home has long ended, so now, the struggle against the slave master abroad (or, perhaps, the slavemaster that challenges Meridie) must now commence.

Offensive Slurs And Insults
Slurs for the Vampires include "Vamps", "Batties", "Jaggedteeth", "Leeches', and "Bloodbreaths".   Vampires often refer to other races as "Tinyteeth" and "Furless Ones".   Cultural Taboos
The largest taboo within Vampire culture is the betrayal of a blood brother. If two male Vampires share a true and unbreakable bond, they will prick their fingers and then smear the flowing blood onto the other's forehead. Blood Brothers, thereafter, are duty-bound to defend the other against all transgressions and are obliged to support them in any way they can if the other falls upon trouble. The act of becoming Blood Brothers is sacred, with your blood brother being even closer to you than he is to his family (upon the death of a Vampire, a cut of their heart is given to their blood brother if he is still living). If you betray your blood brother by willfully not helping him in his time of need or slighting him in a major way, you face extreme social ostracization. In older days, this would be settled by a duel, but such a thing is now seen as a vestige of a barbaric, aristocratic past. The shame is only reinforced by the fact that a Vampire can only have one Blood Brother in his lifetime, and to make a blood brother pact with a Vampire who already had one is a great shame upon both parties.   Other taboos within Vampire culture include rejecting a plate of your deceased family member's heart, which is seen as the highest form of disrespecting the dead. As stated before, the Vampiric race is one of strict hospitality, so rejecting company without good reason or not treating visitors with proper respect is horribly taboo.

The chosen mount and beast of burden of the Vampire race is the horse. This equine beast is native to Southeastern Sahul, but hardly any wild horses can be found anymore. On the plantation, horses were often seen as a symbol of oppression due to the fact that only the master was allowed to ride them, but now that the winds of liberation have swept across the land, horses that once belonged to tyrants are now commanded by the free.   As the self-proclaimed "leaders of the free world", the Vampires have made fast friends with the Gnomes and Centaurs, similarly nationalistic and democratic peoples who suffered the same oppression (although a bit less bad) that the Vampires did. Due to this, they have come into conflict with Mankind, and while it is not a seething hatred, not one Vampire can say anything good of their government, and many await the day the chains Humanity has forged onto its own arms will be broken.