Wamphyri

The Wamphyri are an extraterrestrial vampiric species which originates from the dimension known as "Starside/Sunside.” They are leech-like parasites in their natural form, but can bond with a number of viable hosts to grant them numerous benefits, namely an infinite lifespan and supernatural abilities such as: telepathy, ESP, shapeshifting, superhuman strength and speed, and the need to sustain it all by consuming blood.

Biology
The Wamphyri leeches in their natural forms are small snake-like creatures, resembling worms with fangs and no eyes. If fed, a leech can survive without a host, though it lacks any higher intelligence. Leeches can leave their hosts in dire situations to seek out new hosts, including animals, but these can only be vampirized before death.

The leeches begins its original life cycle as a fungus, formed from the rotting flesh and fats of a deceased vampire. When a suitable host is detected, as the fungi appear to have some sort of sentience, they burst open, releasing a cloud of spores that are inhaled by the victim. The transformation is slow, as the spores must first adapt the body to accommodate the growth of a leech. The only other means of infection are direct transmission or bodily fluids from a vampire usually through sex or bite, or by absorbing a leech egg, or being born as a blood child of a vampire. The process is slow, and the actual time between infection and full vampirism varies greatly from host to host. Early symptoms include an aversion to light, red eye color, a propensity for raw or uncooked meat, as well as the development of allergies to silver and garlic. When the body has grown large enough to undergo the first change, or if the infected vampire has been directly infected by another, the host enters a state of catatonic "death". They awaken as a slave, and are psychically linked to their creators. Those who have ingested an egg often lose consciousness for a few hours due to pain as the egg merges with their internal physiology. Little by little, the parasite extends its control over the consciousness of its host, controlling its actions, although the latter can resist for a prolonged period, even years. At this point, the vampire takes one of two paths. Either he evolves, or he stops developing and remains a slave. This is usually based on the master's predilection for him and the strength of the host. If he ascends, he will find life much longer and easier. It occasionally happens that a vampire, either during early infection, or through deliberate and intense self-control during intercourse, parents are mostly human children, however these children typically have vampiric mindsets, or both. There are two known cases of vampires siring primarily human offspring, one was Faether Ferenczy as the father of Janos, who at least in his early years was human but with a strong spirit and vampiric lust and amorality, and Jasef an elder seer of the tribe. of the Szaganys, whose father had recently been vampirized but had not yet shown symptoms. Animal Wamphyri are little more than predatory, albeit dangerous, creatures, while humans develop telepathic powers as well as the ability to alter their own and others' forms as if manipulating clay. They often use this power to create servant beasts. But despite their formidable power, the Wamphyri are especially vulnerable to fire and sunlight. A stake through the heart paralyzes them, by incapacitating the parasite that controls their body. The silver chains also immobilize them.

Vampiric Leeches produce only one egg in their lifetime, except for Mother Leeches, who are greatly feared due to their ability to produce prodigious numbers of eggs and thus create many offspring to compete with existing Wamphyri. However, a leech becoming a Mother Leech is a much feared phenomenon, as Mother Leeches produce eggs until the vampire is drained into a lifeless husk.

Vampire Classes
The Wamphyrii are well known for creating, either deliberately or by accident, lesser vampiric creatures. These include Siphoneers, Aviators, Warriors, Werewolves, and many other types of creatures. These creatures are sometimes accidents where a vampire attempts to feed on an animal and escapes, or an animal becomes infected with spores, a leech, or an egg, and other times they are deliberate acts of breeding a creature for a specific purpose. When deliberately bred, these creatures are generally bred within certain rules of vampire society. The limits of intelligence, size, etc. they are common, due to the raw materials, the prevention of an uncontrolled arms race, and also the wisdom of not bringing anything into the world that cannot be handled. While rules are rarely broken, it should be noted that it has, on occasion, been done, and the results are often horrific, even by the most grotesque standards.

Thralls

They are the lowest form of a humanoid vampire. Although they are faster, stronger, and harder to kill than humans, they pale in comparison to older vampires. These are the cannon fodder of the Wamphyrii wars, often of recent creation. Their powers are generally limited, unless they are generated specifically for a task in which case they might have significant abilities in areas related to that task.

Lieutenants

They are basically the vampires with the highest attributes and abilities. Lieutenants often have similar abilities, though not as extensively, as vampire lords. Furthermore, their lives extend far beyond those of the generic, often stretching into centuries. They are stronger, bigger, heal better and live much longer. In some cases, a lieutenant can even become a full Wamphyri without any further infusion if allowed to live long enough.

Eggchildren

Humans who usually pass out when the egg is infused into them. They skip the Thrall stage as well as Lieutenant and become a full-fledged Wamphyrii, though not lords/ladies in their own right, they evolve quickly, sometimes in a matter of days. They add mass quickly, as well as full development powers much faster than other means of transformation. They are prone to rapid development, although the precise speed is variable, from days to a few months or years for the transformation to be complete and the final form to set.

Bloodchildren

These are born vampires, who have no transformation period, although their development is often slower than that of the Children in terms of powers. This is largely due to having to mature rather than be "born" with an already mature host. They are often weaker than the Children. Also, in some cases older vampires can control, at least to some extent, the amount of vampirism that infects them.

Lords/Ladies

The most powerful vampires are known as Lords and Ladies, and are known as Wamphyri. They possess a wide range of abilities: enhanced transformation abilities, psychic powers, extreme physical prowess, and a host of other abilities. They have fully adult leeches. They are affected by sunlight, garlic, and silver, but are better able to recover unless the leech is damaged. Unless the leech is completely destroyed, the vampire remains immortal and can regenerate multiple times, though the regeneration process from grievous injuries leaves the creature more like a vampire than a humanoid.

Warriors

Created by the Wamphyrii as their primary battle creatures, the warriors can be summed up as flying bio tanks. Covered in armored fur, and with the ability to fly through the use of gas bladders and exhausts, these creatures are armed with pincers, claws, jaws, and possible biological tools to inflict carnage at the command of their masters. Warriors typically eat raw meat and have very limited intellect.

Flyers

Aviators are manta-like flying beasts with serpentine heads, necks and tails that the Wamphyrii breed as a means of transportation for themselves and their troops. While Aviators are usually lightly armored at best, there have been exceptions where they are more heavily armored. However, even these armed flyers are no match for the Warriors. Aviators typically feed primarily on plant matter.

Siphoners

Used to transport water from the wells to the lords and pass it through pipes throughout where they reside.

Gas Beasts

They are used to generate heat and light, they feed on grains and are raised to generate large amounts of methane, they are the fuel that lights and heats your residences.

Werewolves

Infected foxes and wolves can shapeshift, assuming a somewhat human appearance to attract human prey, however, despite carrying leeches and eggs, they are not true Wamphyrii. They have cunning but no intelligence, and as such are a lesser form of vampiric creature.

Diseases
Leprosy

Known as the Hundred Year Death. Leprosy is particularly feared by vampires, as it is typically a slow but inevitable death from exhaustion. Infected vampires can, in some cases, take centuries to die from it, growing weaker and ostracized as they do.

Bubonic plague

It is also deadly to vampires, although it is slower than the way it progresses in humans.

Agromalia

Uncontrolled growth, either in general or in specific parts of the body, is a common flaw among the Wamphyrii.

Uncontrolled Shapeshifting

Although it is rare for some vampires to lose control of their metamorphosis over time, this condition is not directly fatal, but it can reduce such an affected vampire to a creature with little or no skeletal structure, and unable to pass for human or beast. This makes the afflicted vampire exceptionally vulnerable and difficult to feed on.

Dwarfism

Although rare among the Wamphyrii, it is not uncommon for some lords, especially descendants of a specific faction, to be much shorter than average. While they would still be an average height for a male, among Wamphyrii, they are considered dwarfs.

Bestial Traits

Some Wamphyrii, while not Lycans, show extreme signs of beastlike traits, such as the ears of bats or the snouts of wolves. This may be due to distant ancestry from an infected animal, or simply due to adaptive characteristics of the leech that its host finds beneficial or desirable.

Lycanthropy

Vampires can exhibit two types of Lycanthropy. The first type, is an infected wolf or fox, which is classified as lesser vampiric creatures. A true Wamphyri Lycanthrope is a humanoid vampire whose parent, either by blood, egg, or bite, was or descended from an infected wolf/fox.

Culture
On Earth, vampires live in castles and/or mansions, but tend to prefer small fortresses that are difficult to attack but attract less attention than luxurious palaces. They prefer small castles and fortresses on isolated mountain ranges such as those in Tibet, Romania, Russia, Greece, Sicily, and Australia. Invariably these are built in isolated areas, with heavily fortified defences. This is for the purpose of remaining relatively anonymous, as well as maintaining defenses. Also, being built on the slopes of mountains and cliffs, it helps them catch the flight in case they need to quickly retreat from home.

The Starside Vampires reside in Aeries, which are built with the maximum size and print capacity the Lord can give himself. These natural castles were much larger, and were built over generations, using both natural and metamorphic constructions. Using various creatures in the upkeep of these giant fortresses, they were vast beyond the concept of even the most ambitious human structures on earth. Its vast labyrinths and structures supported hundreds, perhaps thousands, of slaves at any given time, as well as the Lieutenants and the Wamphyrii themselves and all their myriad creatures.

Appearances

 * Brian Lumley's Necroscope series