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Revision as of 21:48, 23 October 2023
S. Aequilibrii is the Émile taxon for a vampire subspecies prominent in Offetstine, most known for its tendency to aggravate the cruel impulses of members of the subspecies. S. Aequilibrii vampires typically experience a state of mania while hungry or during the "hunt", the process of isolating a human from a protected environment and cornering them to feed on them. While this manic state can be tempered by stronger S. Aequilibrii vampires through experience and a connection with their nature, it typically lasts for hours on end,[amend] or until the vampire has fed.
S. Aequilibrii is most known for its tendency to amplify the effects of mental illnesses. One of the foremost correspondents of the subspecies, an Offetstine resident who goes by Sapphire, for whom the subspecies was tentatively named before receiving its modern taxon, reports that her vampirism has exacerbated the symptoms of her bipolar disorder. Many of the studies and documents on S. Aequilibrii have centered around the psychopathology of the subspecies.
Members of the subspecies sport abnormally long, non-retractable[amend] canine teeth, which they use as fangs to draw blood from human victims, or to turn humans into vampires. While many vampire subspecies, especially those spawned by the Will of the People from typical European mythologies, sport fanged canines through which they draw blood, these fangs typically range from 2–2.5 centimeters (0.8–1 inches) of exposed enamel along the crown, S. Aequilibrii's fangs may reach as long as 4 cm (1.6 in).
When a human is turned into a vampire of the subspecies, they usually retain scars left by the process of feeding. Furthermore, nder their manic state, S. Aequilibrii vampires tend to gratuitously drag their fangs along the skin of their victims, leaving scars akin to those of the claw marks of a domestic cat. Inflicted bite wounds, while similarly quick to heal as of most other vampires which feed through fangs, tend to be atypically large.
It has been posited in some academic circles of species taxonomy that S. Aequilibrii is phylogenetically related to the older, more venerated S. Shakuii.
History
Very little is known about the exact history of S. Aequilibrii, but it is widely recognized as a young subspecies, recently spawned by the Will of the People within the last century. Only two members of the subspecies have been concretely identified, including the foremost correspondent, the aforementioned Sapphire, and her unidentified sire.
Though no sufficiently concrete and rigorous census data of the demi-human world exists, it is suspected that there are other members of the subspecies in the Greater Offetstine Area, as due to the tendency of the subspecies to motivate members to haphazardly turn other humans under the effects of mania,[amend] the subspecies propagates more rapidly than others which reproduce through the transformation of humans.
In the Greater Offetstine Area, a region infamed for its high vampire population and number of unique subspecies, S. Aequilibrii forms a significant minority after the most prevalent, S. Erisi, of which multiple tens of members were identified, many of which through the Coalition.
Powers
Members of S. Aequilibrii are most known for their ability to induce a trance in humans,[amend] most typically their victim while feeding, though this is not necessary. While entranced, humans are typically listless and dull, and demonstrate a lack of understanding of their surroundings. While similar powers are common in most vampires, this power has been analogized to Miryoku as observed in S. Shakuii, thus being one of the causes for their suspected phylogenetic relationship. The intent to entrance a human is typically spurred by the mania S. Aequilibrii experience during the hunt, to subdue their victims as they are often subjected to a realization of the vampire's cruel desires.
This process has earned S. Aequilibrii a reputation as inherently predisposed to amorality and hedonism, though these claims are often rebuked as they are not representative of the sober judgement typically exercised by members of the subspecies. This is juxtaposed to other subspecies such as S. Consili, which, upon their transformation, become predisposed to sensory gratification and pleasure, and are commonly classified as inherently evil.
In addition to their ability to entrance humans, members of the subspecies also demonstrate the ability to create psychic illusions about themselves, often used in lieu of the ability to physically retract their fangs in order to hide their nature in human communities. Members of the subspecies are able to subtly alter traits about themselves, such as the length of their fangs or color of their eyes, in proportion to their strength.
Members of the subspecies exhibit unnatural physical strength, typically multifold that of their human self and magical of provenance, and similarly heightened senses, most especially the acuity of their sight, hearing and touch.[amend]