Vetala
| Name | Vetala |
| Race | Undead |
| Type | Vampire |
| Faction | Nightbred |
| Premiere | Desideratum: Blood Bonds |
| Relative(s) | None Applicable |
Vampires are a type of undead monster in the Anaxverse. As seen in the novel, Desideratum: Blood Bonds, vampires in the Anaxverse are collectively known as the Nightbred. Nuit’s corruption of human blood works similarly, to some degree, as that of other demons from the Outer Darkness. Being a goddess more aligned with the night and death, her minions walk a line between the living and the dead. However, while her curse affects the spirit and is spiritual in essence, blood is a physical corporeal substance native to the Physical World. Like all genetic material in the chaotic material plane, every time a vampire forms, there stands a chance for mutation within their strain. Oftentimes, on these rare occurrences, the afflicted vampire obtains a singularly useful ability- perhaps to shape-shift or to sexually reproduce. In some cases, due to circumstances in a given area or population, a particular vampire strain might spread like wildfire. It could also be that people of certain descent and DNA might be more prone to become particularly affected by certain strains of vampirism due to their gnome.
The Vetala Strain or Vetala Vampires generally have gray or dark gray flesh. Having first developed in the Nanda Empire, now India, during the reign of Dhana Nanda, these Nightbred have bore witness to massive changes in political, religious, and sociological aspects of human life. Originally as cruel as any other Nightbred, they slowly changed over time. Now, with a majority of them once being followers of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, they are incredibly peaceful for vampires. They will only drain a human dry and turn them into a vetala, if the person is suffering a debilitating disease, and only with that person’s complete blessing. Otherwise, they feed on only as much blood as absolutely necessary in order to maintain their existence and they ensure that their victim finds the encounter pleasant.
Because of their beliefs and behaviors, they are the single most trusted group of vampires within the Nightbred society- trust being a relative term. Other vampires know that they can trust the words of a vetala and have no need to worry about any type of betrayal or power play. They are seen as advisors and are generally wise and even-tempered. However, the other Nightbred also see them as weak and would never rely on them to aid in battle, as many vetala have literally sat, peacefully, while vampire hunters slay them, seeing their demise as merely a transition to another way of existence.
