Vampire Strigoi (Basic Lore)

Vampire Strigoi (CR 11)
Pure Evil - Medium - Undead
Vampires are one of the great nations of Undeath. Vampires are Emptied Undead, meaning they have been cored out of life. Unlike most of the Emptied, they do not noticeably decay, although during battle their disgusting nature is amply evident in the mess they leave behind. Vampires are the greatest representatives of the Corrupting Undead, those undead who seek the preservation and continuation of life, so that they may corrupt it into ever more Undeath. As a result, the motivations of Vampires are more complex than the Destroying Undead or the Eaters. Vampires like people. They like the trappings of civilization, they like the happy whirl of social life, they enjoy the company of others, both undead and living alike. Vampires want to make more Vampires, it is an erotic part of their existence that they would be greatly diminished by losing. Vampires get along well with most other Undead, even though relations often involve the Vampires using their domination abilities or simply persuading the other Undead to be patient. It is not unusual for Vampires to be encountered with powerful Skeletons, Wights, Death Knights, Liches, and other mighty Undead, even including the Lost Ones, who make terrifying allies indeed. On top of this, Vampires are unique among Undeath in that they create living allies, their Vampiric Thralls. The existence of Vampiric Thralls makes finding a Vampire nest immeasurably more difficult, because Vampire Thralls are alive. Thralls are mortals who admire and envy the Vampires for their abilities, and whom the Vampires have fed their blood to. Vampire Blood can create new Vampires, or, in lesser doses, a living human becomes addicted to it, as if it were strong drink, or some horrifyingly strong opiate. Vampire thralls are the first rank of Vampire culture, the eternally obedient and awfully empowered servants whom the Vampires use to interact with the daytime world. But to a Vampire, the faithful Thralls are just servants and fighters, meat to be sacrificed and used up as required. No, most Vampires are far more occupied with the byzantine machinations of Vampiric Society, a dark carousel of midnight parties and dalliances in dark corners, plots and plans and schemes all woven together into a fascinating skein complex enough to keep even an immortal monster entertained. Vampire Strigoi are the least of the mature vampires, the ones that can claim the mantle of the great old monster with some credence. That said, Strigoi can be newly created by a mighty enough Sire or Dam, but they are generally Bruxa's that have played at the Dark Dalliance for a century or so and have gained allies and enemies among their fellow vampires. Strigoi are more ridden by The Hunger than Bruxa's, and their increasing need for prey makes them both more aggressive in their hunts and more interested in the world of the living. As a result, Strigoi's are often well-known figures among humans, with estates and businesses catering to the underside of the economy. Strigoi's use many allies and thralls, and there may be many of them in a nest, their shared interests and hungers leading them to unite in their corruption of the surrounding society. Like Nosferatu, Strigoi's have started to gain the attention of the Great Old Monsters, and it is not unheard of for much more powerful Vampires to take umbrage at the destruction of a Strigoi nest.