phnx.
bite the hand that feeds.
ah, werewolves. the classic tale of the beast within the man fighting for dominance. as far as i can find, these loup-garou, as they were known, originated in france- the nature of their curse makes me believe them to be the product of a particularly powerful witch, though i admittedly do not know of another curse that has lasted so long, has developed so much. itās a particularly impressive relic of spellcrafting- and particularly devastating to those who bear the curse.
the werewolf is one of the only true supernaturals that are alive, and one of the only who appear, for the most part, completely human. their abilities, as well as their humanity, waxes and wanes with the lunar cycle- on the new moon, they are the most human, and as the moon becomes fuller, their senses and strength increase. the day prior to the night of the full moon is when their human form is at their strongest, and some werewolves at this time may even have the strength to overpower a younger or inebriated vampire.
once the full moon rises, however, thatās when the werewolf becomes the apex predator. shortly after the moon rises, a werewolf will go under a painful transformation into a beast reminiscent of a large wolfdog, with a rounded snout, large fangs and claws, and uncannily human-like proportions. most werewolves cannot control their wolf and will not remember what occurred while in this form after transforming back into a human- most veteran werewolves iāve come across have found methods to distract their wolf throughout the night of the full moon to ensure they donāt stray too far from where theyāve turned, for both the safety of themselves and others.
there are three types of werewolves iāve come across in my studies. the first, most common type is the turned, or āmuttsā, as theyāre more colloquially referred to as. as their name suggests, these werewolves were once ordinary humans who gained the curse through being bitten or scratched by a partially- or fully-transformed werewolf on the night of the full moon. these werewolves tend to have more painful, slow transformation, as well as less acute senses and strength than the other two werewolf types. they also seem to have the peculiar effect of rapidly physically aging once they reach the age of thirty-five or so- this is most likely caused by the physical trauma of the continued transformations throughout their lifetime.
unlike the other two types of werewolves, however, the mutt is the only one who can have their curse lifted. to do this, they must kill the one who turned them, while the latter is still in their human form. as one can imagine, this can be particularly difficult, and while this cures the werewolf, it does not prevent them from being cursed again.
purebred werewolves come about from the conception of a child by two werewolves. this is only possible if both parents are werewolves- if only the father is a werewolf, the mother will miscarry on the first full moon following conception, and if only the mother is a werewolf, the zygote will never become viable. due to this particular requirement, most werewolves will not reproduce, and purebreds are exceedingly rare. most of the purebreds iāve come across originate from already well-established lines dating back generations, though there have been exceptions.
a purebred has much stronger senses throughout the month than a mutt, which can cause sensory overload as the full moon draws closer. for this reason, most purebreds will use wolfsbane to dull their senses, as it seems to have a calming effect on them. purebreds are also usually more connected to their wolves, and thus have a more smooth transformation and a better recollection of events that happened while they were transformed.
the last type of werewolf is somewhat of an oddity- i hesitate to call this a separate type at all, but it bears mentioning either way. in the thousands of werewolves iāve come across, the number of werewolves of this type have been in the single-digits, and thus have no properly recognized name. for the purposes of this journal, i will be referring to this variant as the āenhancedā werewolf.
the origins of this type of werewolf are muddy, to say the least- the source of this variation seems to differ from werewolf to werewolf, with some being the product of being turned after already having been cured once, to being turned by a partially-transformed purebred, to being under the effect of witchcraft while being turned. however they may come about, the enhanced werewolf is undoubtedly unique.
unlike the other two types of werewolves, the enhanced werewolf has the ability to transform into their beast form at will. whilst they are still bound to the lunar cycle, they are much stronger than the other two werewolf types, can fully remember what occurred while they were in their beast forms, and, whilst they still cannot fully control their wolves, they seem to have a stronger degree of influence over them. an enhanced werewolf, however, suffers from senses even more enhanced then a purebred whilst in human form, which can be extraordinary distracting and draining in day-to-day life, as well as having somewhat of a temper.
while in their human forms, werewolves are as vulnerable as any other human, though they heal much faster from non-mortal wounds than a normal human. in their beast forms, however, they can only be fully dispatched by fire, beheading or silver weapons- most commonly bullets, since itās less than wise to get within mauling distance of a fully-transformed werewolf. a werewolf killed by silver will transform into their beast form upon death if they werenāt already in said form, whilst they will transform back into human if killed by any other method listed.
whilst they often form packs amongst themselves, most werewolves seldom interact with other supernatural species- they have no natural codependency or commensalism with other supernaturals, and have no overarching politic that connects werewolves. some werewolves may go their entire lives not knowing of any other supernatural species.
of course, there is one glaring exception to this- vampires. vampires and werewolves seem to have an innate hatred for one another, and will often go out of their way to attack each other at their weakest. like other werewolves, a vampire can identify a werewolf by a natural scent thatās imperceptible to humans, and vice versa. werewolf blood is incredibly toxic to vampires, causing a tingling sensation and expulsion of blood in small doses, and, in most cases, death.
i have several theories as to the origin of werewolves and how this relates to vampires, but it must wait for another day.
the attuned are an odd amalgamation of human and supernatural- there doesnāt seem to be one specific origin for their kind, and whilst they can reproduce with normal humans, passing down their nature recessively, their biology works in a way that indicates them to be anything but.
an attuned is what human mythology might refer to as an elemental, djinn, or sorcerer- they have an intricate connection to one aspect of the world, able to bend and shape it to their will. especially powerful attuned may even be able to take on traits of their preferred aspect, having the swiftness of the wind or the fluidity of water, the strength of the earth or the stealth of the dark. seeing an attuned in this state is truly a marvel to witness- but like all things, this ability comes at a cost.
the relationship an attuned has with their aspect is as much addictive as it is mutualistic. as the attuned taps into their aspect more and more, the more dependent they become on it, the more they lust to be consumed by it. the issue is, an attuned is just as vulnerable to their aspect as any other creature- a fire attuned can still be burnt, a water attuned can still drown, a light attuned can still be blinded after staring at the sun. yet, the insatiable need to embrace their aspect lingers, and once an attuned taps into their abilities, they find it hard to stop. i havenāt met an attuned above the age of forty; i believe this ultimate consumption to be the reason.
but, despite their abilities, the attuned are still fundamentally human. they can be killed by any means a human can, and do not regenerate faster than them.
unlike most supernaturals, there is no way to become an attuned if you are not born one. since the attuned trait is recessive, only popping up once every few generations, there are no prestigious families or bloodlines that boast the trait- a young attuned must navigate their abilities on their own, sometimes leading to disastrous consequences.
mediums are the only āsupernaturalsā, quote-unquote, in my studies that are purely, unequivocally human. the only thing that makes me list them amongst the other supernaturals in this journal is their peculiar relationship with spirits and the realm of the dead.
mediums, like other supernaturals, are able to see ghosts and other spirits that still roam the mortal realm, but their reach seems to go beyond just clairvoyance- mediums iāve come across have demonstrated the ability to temporarily roam the spirit realm through their dreams, pull a spirit out of a possessed body, and even facilitate reincarnation by guiding a ghostsā energy into a weak infant.
mediums seem to be created through an intense experience with a spirit when very young. as young children are more āopenā, this experience wouldnāt drive the child insane as it would an adult, but rather grants this particular connection to spirits and their realm.
whilst nothing about a mediumsā physiology is particularly harmful to themselves- they are human, after all- a medium of a lesser mind might very well be driven insane by the constant pestering of spirits, who arenāt used to being perceived, and insist that the living help them move on. their human physiology, however, still makes them susceptible to anything a normal human would be, making them very easy to injure or kill.
mediums, of course, have a connection with ghost and poltergeists, though theyāre usually avoided by supernatural organizations such as vampire clans, werewolf packs, and witch covens due to their unprecedented connection to the beyond. and, letās face it- most mediums have a good relationship with the dead, and nobody wants to piss off a spirit.
i truly believe witches originated alongside the dawn of mankind- they trace back as far as civilization itself, from the enchantresses of greek myth, to early american shamans, to the paganistic traditions that have carried on to the twenty-first century.
at their core, witches are simply being that possess the ability to manipulate the energy that ties our world together. this isnāt an innate power- witchcraft is learned, though i do believe there is a genetic or environmental component that predisposes one to more effectively wield this energy. i must also note that āwitchā is a gender-neutral term, and whilst male witches are exceedingly rare, they do exist.
witchcraft seems to exist on a spectrum from ālightā to ādarkā, with light magic drawing on benevolent energy to deliberately help (to cure, benefit, or restore), and dark magic to deliberately hurt (to curse, destroy, or kill). the practices for each specific witch are incredibly diverse, but at its most basic, involve detailed incantations to manifest a result, which can be enhanced through conduits (such as candles or ceremonial weaponry), excess supernatural energy (such as residual energy from a werewolf transformation or a ghost shredding), or sacrifice (such as a live sacrifice, blood sacrifice, or taglocks; for example, hair and nails).
humans seem to be the only ones that can perform witchcraft- other supernatural beings all operate on their own forms of magic, and thus are unable to access the more general magic that witches harness. witchcarft is most often passed down from mother to daughter, though there doesnāt seem to be as strong as a culture around ābloodlinesā as there is with werewolves or vampires.
while witches fundamentally have the same physiology as humans, they are often much more difficult to kill- the first spells most witches are taught are defensive charms, and will build their magical defenses throughout their lifetimes till they are nigh indestructible by normal means, however, one can fight fire with fire- or in this case, magic with magic. a witch can be overpowered by another powerful magic user, or disabled and then dispatched by a supernatural using magical charms or protection. of course, this doesnāt discount the ticking down of the biological clock, which only the most powerful witches can overcome.
witches garner the same stigma from other supernaturals as they do from humans- theyāre seen as dark practitioners, evil, not to be trusted, no matter their alignment. due to this, most witches keep to themselves, forming covens for further protection, and to cast more powerful and efficient spells.
vampires are one of the most living undead iāve come across. theyāre extremely old, well organized, and efficiently deadly. particular aspects of their nature make me suspect some encounter with witchcraft early in their nature, but this journal isnāt the place for theories.
vampires appear human, if paler. they often have an otherworldly aura to them, which is perceived as attraction by humans, but is what distinguishes them to other supernaturals. vampires are immortal, immune to most injuries and the effects of time, with only one true negative to their existence- a constant hunger for human blood.
while vampires require human blood- they do not get any sustenance from drinking from animals or other humans- they can consume bagged blood as an alternative, though it isnāt as nourishing or satisfying as āliveā blood. while blood consumption is necessary for a vampire to keep up their strength, a vampire wonāt die from a lack of blood. rather, after a day or so without blood, a vampireās mental state will begin to deteriorate, to a point where they will indiscriminately attack anything alive in an attempt to drink. if the vampire is trapped with no access to any kind of blood, their physical state will begin deteriorating as well, until theyāre almost corpselike in appearance- still āaliveā, but as close to death as they can get.
though vampires appear human most of the time, when they prepare to fight or feed, they take on their true forms- their incisors grow to fangs 1.5ā-2ā long on average, and their eyes turn completely black- my research indicates that the reason for this is for the rest of the eye to act as an extension of the pupil, able to take in more input at once. in this state, a vampiresā already impressive physical strength, speed, and reflex are enhanced to superhuman levels, and their aggression and craving for blood increase- it takes a lot of focus for a vampire to come out of this state if they havenāt been sated.
vampires also have the ability to compel humans- if a vampire makes direct eye contact with a human, they increase the humanās suggestive state, allowing the vampire to control the human, create false memories, or remove memories entirely. the latter is risky, however- only the most advanced vampires can do so, and if a less experienced vampire attempts this, it can often drive the human victim insane.
as an undead creature, vampires cannot reproduce like living creatures can, but instead rely on turning humans to increase their numbers. vampire turning is somewhat similar to the way werewolves are turned- a vampire must drip their own blood into a fang puncture wound on the body of a human, or allow the human to drink the vampireās blood. after this, the human goes into an āincubationā state, which can last anywhere from a few hours to a full day, and once the turned wakes up, they will be fully a vampire.
the relationship between a maker and the turned, however, is much different to that of werewolves. where a werewolfās relationship to its maker is neutral at best, and many times aggressive, vampires have an almost familial relationship with their makers, with makers being referred to as āparentsā to the āchildrenā they have turned.
once turned, a vampire will stay physically and mentally at the same age until they are killed. it is extraordinarily taboo in vampire society to turn children for this reason, as children have little impulse control and will often kill indiscriminately when hungry. one can only assume that an eternity spent as a child is less than ideal, as well.
vampires are effectively immortal, unable to age, acquire human diseases or ailments, and wil heal quickly from any non-mortal injuries- this healing being further hastened by fresh blood consumption, as well. there are three distinct ways to kill a vampire- fire. beheading, and a wooden stake to the heart. a vampire can also die through breaking the ancient custom of requiring an invitation before entering into anotherās home- if a vampire breaks into a home by force, their bodies will begin to burn, and will fully evaporate within a minute. of course, werewolf blood is also extremely toxic to vampires, but this death is practically negligible, as vampires can easily identify werewolves and avoid their blood entirely.
while not deadly, garlic will cause a vampire to enter their feeding state uncontrollably, and the vampire will not be able to exit this state for anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. this can be sped up, however, by consuming herbs such as chamomile or feverfew. juniper is also worth noting, as consuming juniper, or blood from a human whoās consumed juniper recently, will cause a vampire to go into a catatonic state, making them easily dispatchable. and, to discredit a few human myths- vampires do appear on film and in mirrors, the cross does not affect them, and while most vampires are photosensitive and get easily sunburnt, they donāt suffer any adverse effects from the sun otherwise.
vampire society is an interesting thing- in america, at least, there is a network of vampire clans expanding throughout most major cities in the country, which provide resources and guidance to newer vampires. most vampires flock to cities because of this- newer vampires especially tend to slip up and require assistance ācleaning upā. these clans are overseen by the dutch, an organization of vampires dating back to the first millennium that have since migrated to northern pennsylvania, living a rural life and returning to the city to inspect the different clans and see how vampires adapt to modern life. the dutch are further overseen by a vampire known as mother. nobody knows how old mother really is, and though iāve heard rumors that she was the first vampire in existence, iāve yet to see any conclusive evidence. if anything, she is incredibly powerful- hair-trigger reflexes, strength a hundred times that of a normal human, longer fangs and claws able to decapitate a vampire in a single blow. i consider myself lucky that iāve only heard of her power through accounts by those on her good side.
as i mentioned in my entry on werewolves, i believe there is a particular relationship between werewolves, vampires, and perhaps even witches- but iāll need more time to make a conclusion on that.
sirens are an oddity among the undead; unlike zombies, which are actively risen, or vampires, which are turned, sirens come about on their own.
sirens seem to be the undead spirits of those who died at sea- if a siren is close enough to land at their time of death, and if the conditions are just right, their spirit will repossess their body, allowing them to continue living as something not quite alive, but not dead, either. my best theory as to why this occurs is that some combination of the persistence of the human spirit and the natural raw, untapped magic of the ocean combine to create an entirely new being.
a siren will quickly find that their newly-reanimated bodies will begin to break down and that this can only be stopped by the consumption of live flesh. unlike zombies, this doesnāt necessarily have to be human flesh, but thatās what a siren will always be instinctively drawn to- alternatively, sirens consume the flesh of freshly-caught oceanic creatures to stave off their deterioration, though they will have to consume a much larger amount, more frequently, to have the same effect.
while sirens donāt boast all the extraordinary abilities of other supernaturals, they do have one unique ability- their song. itās similar to the compulsion of a vampire, but woven into the sirensā words, sending their victim into an almost inebriated state in which the siren is fully in control. once the siren has locked their prey in with their song, they drag them to the water, where they go into their feeding form- while most sirens donāt start of with a very obviously altered feeding form, the longer theyāre alive, the more they consume, the more pronounced it becomes- webbed hands tipped with sharp claws, a mouth full of razorlike teeth, and gills, perfect for when the siren instinctively drags their kill down to where the siren died so that they can feast.
while sirens can be killed like normal humans, it can take much more than what it would take to kill a human- if a siren consumes prey soon enough after being injured, they can recover from practically anything. the main way sirens die is by being deprived of any prey, causing their bodies to deteriorate until they shut down completely.
sirens are a rather unique occurrence, and with thousands of miles between them and no way to reproduce, there isnāt any sort of oversight or communities over sirens- theyāre on their own.
one last note, and the most odd thing iāve found about sirens is that, some time after the sirenās reanimation, they tend to forget they died at all. this dissonance lasts throughout the sirensā life, even as they stay eternally young. i donāt know what happens if a siren realizes their mortality, and i donāt particularly want to find out.
zombies are what one traditionally thinks of as āundeadā, but with many human legends and superstitions clouding the topic, it was one of the most difficult species to thoroughly research.
zombies arenāt mindless creatures created through some sort of virus, but rather reanimated corpses brought about through witchcraft. there is no way for a zombie to turn another human into a zombie, as all zombies were dead once.
zombies appear perfectly human, retaining the looks and intelligence of when they were human, but looks can be deceiving- zombies, like sirens, need live flesh to continue living. though they can start surviving on just small mammals, their appetites continuously increase, until they gain an uncontrollable appetite for human flesh. unlike sirens, it seems that the lifestate of a zombie cannot be sustained over long periods of time, as their appetite will only increase until they are completely consumed by their hunger.
zombies, like sirens, can die by human means and can be healed by consuming flesh, but they typically arenāt killed by normal human means- most often, i find theyāre disbanded by their creators. yes, the witches who create zombies often do so for malevolent purposes. though i personally havenāt come across any zombies- and hopefully will not, in my lifetime- most witches iāve discussed the matter with agree that this is solidly dark magic, requiring the highest sacrifice to accomplish. i shiver imagining what the true purpose of these beings might be.
every time a human dies, their spirit is released into the aether- a nonphysical manifestation of their remaining energy. this spirit is whatās commonly known as a āghostā.
ghosts typically roam the aether for a short amount of time until their ādoorā appears. the ādoorā is a unique portal that takes each ghost to their afterlife, and while nobody on this plane lies behind these doors, the relief expressed by ghosts when they receive theirs paired with the fact that doors only appear after a ghost is fully resolved about their life shows that what lies beyond might not be all that bad. of course, the longer a ghost doesnāt get their door, the less certain it is that they will ever get one- and the longer a ghost stays in the moral plane, the more liable they are to lose their mental faculties.
ghosts tend to linger around where they died, and it takes a bit of time for a ghost to learn to leave their place of death. while ghosts can walk like humans, they can also teleport near-instantaneously to anywhere they can picture well, though this seems to be limited the farther they get from their place of origin.
ghosts arenāt usually visible to the human eye, and are only perceptible to mediums or other supernatural creatures. ghosts can, however, affect the mortal plane in ways that are perceptible by humans- ghosts with more stored energy can cause lightbulbs to flicker, strong gusts of wind, and some ghosts can even move small objects, if only for a few seconds.
ghosts also have the ability to possess the living- the ghost will have complete control over the possessed persons body, and the possessed person will remember nothing of their possession once the ghost leaves. possession is addictive, however, and can take a severe toll on the ghostsā mental and physical health. thatās nothing to say of the toll it takes on a possessed personsā body- one possession might not have much of an effect, but the more times a person is possessed, the more it can drive them- well, crazy.
while a ghost canāt be killed, considering theyāre already dead, there are ways to remove a ghostsā lingering energy. ghosts can be dispersed by waving an object made of solid iron through them, resetting them to their place of death. however, a ghostsā energy can be more permanently destroyed through two means- exorcism and shredding. exorcism come in many different forms, from many different cultures, but the basics of an exorcism involve trapping a ghost in their place of death- usually using salt- and performing a cleansing ritual that manifests the removal of residual energy from the space. shredding, on the other hand, can only be done by a fellow ghost, in which a ghost forcibly disperses another's' energy. both of these methods permanently remove a ghostsā energy from the aether, effectively destroying the ghost.
a poltergeist is an interesting variation of a ghost- while most ghosts embrace their afterlifes, there are an odd few who, for whatever reason, will pass up their doors. hence, the poltergeist.
poltergeists function in effectively the same manner as normal ghosts- imperceptible to all but mediums and supernaturals, exorcisable and shreddable. however since a poltergeist has passed up their door, they have no chance at an afterlife- but this trade-off comes with some unique powers gained by the poltergeist.
poltergeists have a much greater sway over the mortal plane, able to more easily move objects, overload electrical equipment, and even telekinetically throw large objects across a room. they also have a greater influence over the human psyche, able to possess with less consequence and even create illusions.
my theory is, that poltergeists are comprised of mainly negative energy, and that by the time their door came, they were already to far gone to accept the possibility of a peaceful afterlife. while most poltergeists seem not to mind their afterlives, to me, it seems like a truly pitiful nonexistence.
the werewolf is one of the only true supernaturals that are alive, and one of the only who appear, for the most part, completely human. their abilities, as well as their humanity, waxes and wanes with the lunar cycle- on the new moon, they are the most human, and as the moon becomes fuller, their senses and strength increase. the day prior to the night of the full moon is when their human form is at their strongest, and some werewolves at this time may even have the strength to overpower a younger or inebriated vampire.
once the full moon rises, however, thatās when the werewolf becomes the apex predator. shortly after the moon rises, a werewolf will go under a painful transformation into a beast reminiscent of a large wolfdog, with a rounded snout, large fangs and claws, and uncannily human-like proportions. most werewolves cannot control their wolf and will not remember what occurred while in this form after transforming back into a human- most veteran werewolves iāve come across have found methods to distract their wolf throughout the night of the full moon to ensure they donāt stray too far from where theyāve turned, for both the safety of themselves and others.
there are three types of werewolves iāve come across in my studies. the first, most common type is the turned, or āmuttsā, as theyāre more colloquially referred to as. as their name suggests, these werewolves were once ordinary humans who gained the curse through being bitten or scratched by a partially- or fully-transformed werewolf on the night of the full moon. these werewolves tend to have more painful, slow transformation, as well as less acute senses and strength than the other two werewolf types. they also seem to have the peculiar effect of rapidly physically aging once they reach the age of thirty-five or so- this is most likely caused by the physical trauma of the continued transformations throughout their lifetime.
unlike the other two types of werewolves, however, the mutt is the only one who can have their curse lifted. to do this, they must kill the one who turned them, while the latter is still in their human form. as one can imagine, this can be particularly difficult, and while this cures the werewolf, it does not prevent them from being cursed again.
purebred werewolves come about from the conception of a child by two werewolves. this is only possible if both parents are werewolves- if only the father is a werewolf, the mother will miscarry on the first full moon following conception, and if only the mother is a werewolf, the zygote will never become viable. due to this particular requirement, most werewolves will not reproduce, and purebreds are exceedingly rare. most of the purebreds iāve come across originate from already well-established lines dating back generations, though there have been exceptions.
a purebred has much stronger senses throughout the month than a mutt, which can cause sensory overload as the full moon draws closer. for this reason, most purebreds will use wolfsbane to dull their senses, as it seems to have a calming effect on them. purebreds are also usually more connected to their wolves, and thus have a more smooth transformation and a better recollection of events that happened while they were transformed.
the last type of werewolf is somewhat of an oddity- i hesitate to call this a separate type at all, but it bears mentioning either way. in the thousands of werewolves iāve come across, the number of werewolves of this type have been in the single-digits, and thus have no properly recognized name. for the purposes of this journal, i will be referring to this variant as the āenhancedā werewolf.
the origins of this type of werewolf are muddy, to say the least- the source of this variation seems to differ from werewolf to werewolf, with some being the product of being turned after already having been cured once, to being turned by a partially-transformed purebred, to being under the effect of witchcraft while being turned. however they may come about, the enhanced werewolf is undoubtedly unique.
unlike the other two types of werewolves, the enhanced werewolf has the ability to transform into their beast form at will. whilst they are still bound to the lunar cycle, they are much stronger than the other two werewolf types, can fully remember what occurred while they were in their beast forms, and, whilst they still cannot fully control their wolves, they seem to have a stronger degree of influence over them. an enhanced werewolf, however, suffers from senses even more enhanced then a purebred whilst in human form, which can be extraordinary distracting and draining in day-to-day life, as well as having somewhat of a temper.
while in their human forms, werewolves are as vulnerable as any other human, though they heal much faster from non-mortal wounds than a normal human. in their beast forms, however, they can only be fully dispatched by fire, beheading or silver weapons- most commonly bullets, since itās less than wise to get within mauling distance of a fully-transformed werewolf. a werewolf killed by silver will transform into their beast form upon death if they werenāt already in said form, whilst they will transform back into human if killed by any other method listed.
whilst they often form packs amongst themselves, most werewolves seldom interact with other supernatural species- they have no natural codependency or commensalism with other supernaturals, and have no overarching politic that connects werewolves. some werewolves may go their entire lives not knowing of any other supernatural species.
of course, there is one glaring exception to this- vampires. vampires and werewolves seem to have an innate hatred for one another, and will often go out of their way to attack each other at their weakest. like other werewolves, a vampire can identify a werewolf by a natural scent thatās imperceptible to humans, and vice versa. werewolf blood is incredibly toxic to vampires, causing a tingling sensation and expulsion of blood in small doses, and, in most cases, death.
i have several theories as to the origin of werewolves and how this relates to vampires, but it must wait for another day.
the attuned are an odd amalgamation of human and supernatural- there doesnāt seem to be one specific origin for their kind, and whilst they can reproduce with normal humans, passing down their nature recessively, their biology works in a way that indicates them to be anything but.
an attuned is what human mythology might refer to as an elemental, djinn, or sorcerer- they have an intricate connection to one aspect of the world, able to bend and shape it to their will. especially powerful attuned may even be able to take on traits of their preferred aspect, having the swiftness of the wind or the fluidity of water, the strength of the earth or the stealth of the dark. seeing an attuned in this state is truly a marvel to witness- but like all things, this ability comes at a cost.
the relationship an attuned has with their aspect is as much addictive as it is mutualistic. as the attuned taps into their aspect more and more, the more dependent they become on it, the more they lust to be consumed by it. the issue is, an attuned is just as vulnerable to their aspect as any other creature- a fire attuned can still be burnt, a water attuned can still drown, a light attuned can still be blinded after staring at the sun. yet, the insatiable need to embrace their aspect lingers, and once an attuned taps into their abilities, they find it hard to stop. i havenāt met an attuned above the age of forty; i believe this ultimate consumption to be the reason.
but, despite their abilities, the attuned are still fundamentally human. they can be killed by any means a human can, and do not regenerate faster than them.
unlike most supernaturals, there is no way to become an attuned if you are not born one. since the attuned trait is recessive, only popping up once every few generations, there are no prestigious families or bloodlines that boast the trait- a young attuned must navigate their abilities on their own, sometimes leading to disastrous consequences.
mediums are the only āsupernaturalsā, quote-unquote, in my studies that are purely, unequivocally human. the only thing that makes me list them amongst the other supernaturals in this journal is their peculiar relationship with spirits and the realm of the dead.
mediums, like other supernaturals, are able to see ghosts and other spirits that still roam the mortal realm, but their reach seems to go beyond just clairvoyance- mediums iāve come across have demonstrated the ability to temporarily roam the spirit realm through their dreams, pull a spirit out of a possessed body, and even facilitate reincarnation by guiding a ghostsā energy into a weak infant.
mediums seem to be created through an intense experience with a spirit when very young. as young children are more āopenā, this experience wouldnāt drive the child insane as it would an adult, but rather grants this particular connection to spirits and their realm.
whilst nothing about a mediumsā physiology is particularly harmful to themselves- they are human, after all- a medium of a lesser mind might very well be driven insane by the constant pestering of spirits, who arenāt used to being perceived, and insist that the living help them move on. their human physiology, however, still makes them susceptible to anything a normal human would be, making them very easy to injure or kill.
mediums, of course, have a connection with ghost and poltergeists, though theyāre usually avoided by supernatural organizations such as vampire clans, werewolf packs, and witch covens due to their unprecedented connection to the beyond. and, letās face it- most mediums have a good relationship with the dead, and nobody wants to piss off a spirit.
i truly believe witches originated alongside the dawn of mankind- they trace back as far as civilization itself, from the enchantresses of greek myth, to early american shamans, to the paganistic traditions that have carried on to the twenty-first century.
at their core, witches are simply being that possess the ability to manipulate the energy that ties our world together. this isnāt an innate power- witchcraft is learned, though i do believe there is a genetic or environmental component that predisposes one to more effectively wield this energy. i must also note that āwitchā is a gender-neutral term, and whilst male witches are exceedingly rare, they do exist.
witchcraft seems to exist on a spectrum from ālightā to ādarkā, with light magic drawing on benevolent energy to deliberately help (to cure, benefit, or restore), and dark magic to deliberately hurt (to curse, destroy, or kill). the practices for each specific witch are incredibly diverse, but at its most basic, involve detailed incantations to manifest a result, which can be enhanced through conduits (such as candles or ceremonial weaponry), excess supernatural energy (such as residual energy from a werewolf transformation or a ghost shredding), or sacrifice (such as a live sacrifice, blood sacrifice, or taglocks; for example, hair and nails).
humans seem to be the only ones that can perform witchcraft- other supernatural beings all operate on their own forms of magic, and thus are unable to access the more general magic that witches harness. witchcarft is most often passed down from mother to daughter, though there doesnāt seem to be as strong as a culture around ābloodlinesā as there is with werewolves or vampires.
while witches fundamentally have the same physiology as humans, they are often much more difficult to kill- the first spells most witches are taught are defensive charms, and will build their magical defenses throughout their lifetimes till they are nigh indestructible by normal means, however, one can fight fire with fire- or in this case, magic with magic. a witch can be overpowered by another powerful magic user, or disabled and then dispatched by a supernatural using magical charms or protection. of course, this doesnāt discount the ticking down of the biological clock, which only the most powerful witches can overcome.
witches garner the same stigma from other supernaturals as they do from humans- theyāre seen as dark practitioners, evil, not to be trusted, no matter their alignment. due to this, most witches keep to themselves, forming covens for further protection, and to cast more powerful and efficient spells.
vampires are one of the most living undead iāve come across. theyāre extremely old, well organized, and efficiently deadly. particular aspects of their nature make me suspect some encounter with witchcraft early in their nature, but this journal isnāt the place for theories.
vampires appear human, if paler. they often have an otherworldly aura to them, which is perceived as attraction by humans, but is what distinguishes them to other supernaturals. vampires are immortal, immune to most injuries and the effects of time, with only one true negative to their existence- a constant hunger for human blood.
while vampires require human blood- they do not get any sustenance from drinking from animals or other humans- they can consume bagged blood as an alternative, though it isnāt as nourishing or satisfying as āliveā blood. while blood consumption is necessary for a vampire to keep up their strength, a vampire wonāt die from a lack of blood. rather, after a day or so without blood, a vampireās mental state will begin to deteriorate, to a point where they will indiscriminately attack anything alive in an attempt to drink. if the vampire is trapped with no access to any kind of blood, their physical state will begin deteriorating as well, until theyāre almost corpselike in appearance- still āaliveā, but as close to death as they can get.
though vampires appear human most of the time, when they prepare to fight or feed, they take on their true forms- their incisors grow to fangs 1.5ā-2ā long on average, and their eyes turn completely black- my research indicates that the reason for this is for the rest of the eye to act as an extension of the pupil, able to take in more input at once. in this state, a vampiresā already impressive physical strength, speed, and reflex are enhanced to superhuman levels, and their aggression and craving for blood increase- it takes a lot of focus for a vampire to come out of this state if they havenāt been sated.
vampires also have the ability to compel humans- if a vampire makes direct eye contact with a human, they increase the humanās suggestive state, allowing the vampire to control the human, create false memories, or remove memories entirely. the latter is risky, however- only the most advanced vampires can do so, and if a less experienced vampire attempts this, it can often drive the human victim insane.
as an undead creature, vampires cannot reproduce like living creatures can, but instead rely on turning humans to increase their numbers. vampire turning is somewhat similar to the way werewolves are turned- a vampire must drip their own blood into a fang puncture wound on the body of a human, or allow the human to drink the vampireās blood. after this, the human goes into an āincubationā state, which can last anywhere from a few hours to a full day, and once the turned wakes up, they will be fully a vampire.
the relationship between a maker and the turned, however, is much different to that of werewolves. where a werewolfās relationship to its maker is neutral at best, and many times aggressive, vampires have an almost familial relationship with their makers, with makers being referred to as āparentsā to the āchildrenā they have turned.
once turned, a vampire will stay physically and mentally at the same age until they are killed. it is extraordinarily taboo in vampire society to turn children for this reason, as children have little impulse control and will often kill indiscriminately when hungry. one can only assume that an eternity spent as a child is less than ideal, as well.
vampires are effectively immortal, unable to age, acquire human diseases or ailments, and wil heal quickly from any non-mortal injuries- this healing being further hastened by fresh blood consumption, as well. there are three distinct ways to kill a vampire- fire. beheading, and a wooden stake to the heart. a vampire can also die through breaking the ancient custom of requiring an invitation before entering into anotherās home- if a vampire breaks into a home by force, their bodies will begin to burn, and will fully evaporate within a minute. of course, werewolf blood is also extremely toxic to vampires, but this death is practically negligible, as vampires can easily identify werewolves and avoid their blood entirely.
while not deadly, garlic will cause a vampire to enter their feeding state uncontrollably, and the vampire will not be able to exit this state for anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. this can be sped up, however, by consuming herbs such as chamomile or feverfew. juniper is also worth noting, as consuming juniper, or blood from a human whoās consumed juniper recently, will cause a vampire to go into a catatonic state, making them easily dispatchable. and, to discredit a few human myths- vampires do appear on film and in mirrors, the cross does not affect them, and while most vampires are photosensitive and get easily sunburnt, they donāt suffer any adverse effects from the sun otherwise.
vampire society is an interesting thing- in america, at least, there is a network of vampire clans expanding throughout most major cities in the country, which provide resources and guidance to newer vampires. most vampires flock to cities because of this- newer vampires especially tend to slip up and require assistance ācleaning upā. these clans are overseen by the dutch, an organization of vampires dating back to the first millennium that have since migrated to northern pennsylvania, living a rural life and returning to the city to inspect the different clans and see how vampires adapt to modern life. the dutch are further overseen by a vampire known as mother. nobody knows how old mother really is, and though iāve heard rumors that she was the first vampire in existence, iāve yet to see any conclusive evidence. if anything, she is incredibly powerful- hair-trigger reflexes, strength a hundred times that of a normal human, longer fangs and claws able to decapitate a vampire in a single blow. i consider myself lucky that iāve only heard of her power through accounts by those on her good side.
as i mentioned in my entry on werewolves, i believe there is a particular relationship between werewolves, vampires, and perhaps even witches- but iāll need more time to make a conclusion on that.
sirens are an oddity among the undead; unlike zombies, which are actively risen, or vampires, which are turned, sirens come about on their own.
sirens seem to be the undead spirits of those who died at sea- if a siren is close enough to land at their time of death, and if the conditions are just right, their spirit will repossess their body, allowing them to continue living as something not quite alive, but not dead, either. my best theory as to why this occurs is that some combination of the persistence of the human spirit and the natural raw, untapped magic of the ocean combine to create an entirely new being.
a siren will quickly find that their newly-reanimated bodies will begin to break down and that this can only be stopped by the consumption of live flesh. unlike zombies, this doesnāt necessarily have to be human flesh, but thatās what a siren will always be instinctively drawn to- alternatively, sirens consume the flesh of freshly-caught oceanic creatures to stave off their deterioration, though they will have to consume a much larger amount, more frequently, to have the same effect.
while sirens donāt boast all the extraordinary abilities of other supernaturals, they do have one unique ability- their song. itās similar to the compulsion of a vampire, but woven into the sirensā words, sending their victim into an almost inebriated state in which the siren is fully in control. once the siren has locked their prey in with their song, they drag them to the water, where they go into their feeding form- while most sirens donāt start of with a very obviously altered feeding form, the longer theyāre alive, the more they consume, the more pronounced it becomes- webbed hands tipped with sharp claws, a mouth full of razorlike teeth, and gills, perfect for when the siren instinctively drags their kill down to where the siren died so that they can feast.
while sirens can be killed like normal humans, it can take much more than what it would take to kill a human- if a siren consumes prey soon enough after being injured, they can recover from practically anything. the main way sirens die is by being deprived of any prey, causing their bodies to deteriorate until they shut down completely.
sirens are a rather unique occurrence, and with thousands of miles between them and no way to reproduce, there isnāt any sort of oversight or communities over sirens- theyāre on their own.
one last note, and the most odd thing iāve found about sirens is that, some time after the sirenās reanimation, they tend to forget they died at all. this dissonance lasts throughout the sirensā life, even as they stay eternally young. i donāt know what happens if a siren realizes their mortality, and i donāt particularly want to find out.
zombies are what one traditionally thinks of as āundeadā, but with many human legends and superstitions clouding the topic, it was one of the most difficult species to thoroughly research.
zombies arenāt mindless creatures created through some sort of virus, but rather reanimated corpses brought about through witchcraft. there is no way for a zombie to turn another human into a zombie, as all zombies were dead once.
zombies appear perfectly human, retaining the looks and intelligence of when they were human, but looks can be deceiving- zombies, like sirens, need live flesh to continue living. though they can start surviving on just small mammals, their appetites continuously increase, until they gain an uncontrollable appetite for human flesh. unlike sirens, it seems that the lifestate of a zombie cannot be sustained over long periods of time, as their appetite will only increase until they are completely consumed by their hunger.
zombies, like sirens, can die by human means and can be healed by consuming flesh, but they typically arenāt killed by normal human means- most often, i find theyāre disbanded by their creators. yes, the witches who create zombies often do so for malevolent purposes. though i personally havenāt come across any zombies- and hopefully will not, in my lifetime- most witches iāve discussed the matter with agree that this is solidly dark magic, requiring the highest sacrifice to accomplish. i shiver imagining what the true purpose of these beings might be.
every time a human dies, their spirit is released into the aether- a nonphysical manifestation of their remaining energy. this spirit is whatās commonly known as a āghostā.
ghosts typically roam the aether for a short amount of time until their ādoorā appears. the ādoorā is a unique portal that takes each ghost to their afterlife, and while nobody on this plane lies behind these doors, the relief expressed by ghosts when they receive theirs paired with the fact that doors only appear after a ghost is fully resolved about their life shows that what lies beyond might not be all that bad. of course, the longer a ghost doesnāt get their door, the less certain it is that they will ever get one- and the longer a ghost stays in the moral plane, the more liable they are to lose their mental faculties.
ghosts tend to linger around where they died, and it takes a bit of time for a ghost to learn to leave their place of death. while ghosts can walk like humans, they can also teleport near-instantaneously to anywhere they can picture well, though this seems to be limited the farther they get from their place of origin.
ghosts arenāt usually visible to the human eye, and are only perceptible to mediums or other supernatural creatures. ghosts can, however, affect the mortal plane in ways that are perceptible by humans- ghosts with more stored energy can cause lightbulbs to flicker, strong gusts of wind, and some ghosts can even move small objects, if only for a few seconds.
ghosts also have the ability to possess the living- the ghost will have complete control over the possessed persons body, and the possessed person will remember nothing of their possession once the ghost leaves. possession is addictive, however, and can take a severe toll on the ghostsā mental and physical health. thatās nothing to say of the toll it takes on a possessed personsā body- one possession might not have much of an effect, but the more times a person is possessed, the more it can drive them- well, crazy.
while a ghost canāt be killed, considering theyāre already dead, there are ways to remove a ghostsā lingering energy. ghosts can be dispersed by waving an object made of solid iron through them, resetting them to their place of death. however, a ghostsā energy can be more permanently destroyed through two means- exorcism and shredding. exorcism come in many different forms, from many different cultures, but the basics of an exorcism involve trapping a ghost in their place of death- usually using salt- and performing a cleansing ritual that manifests the removal of residual energy from the space. shredding, on the other hand, can only be done by a fellow ghost, in which a ghost forcibly disperses another's' energy. both of these methods permanently remove a ghostsā energy from the aether, effectively destroying the ghost.
a poltergeist is an interesting variation of a ghost- while most ghosts embrace their afterlifes, there are an odd few who, for whatever reason, will pass up their doors. hence, the poltergeist.
poltergeists function in effectively the same manner as normal ghosts- imperceptible to all but mediums and supernaturals, exorcisable and shreddable. however since a poltergeist has passed up their door, they have no chance at an afterlife- but this trade-off comes with some unique powers gained by the poltergeist.
poltergeists have a much greater sway over the mortal plane, able to more easily move objects, overload electrical equipment, and even telekinetically throw large objects across a room. they also have a greater influence over the human psyche, able to possess with less consequence and even create illusions.
my theory is, that poltergeists are comprised of mainly negative energy, and that by the time their door came, they were already to far gone to accept the possibility of a peaceful afterlife. while most poltergeists seem not to mind their afterlives, to me, it seems like a truly pitiful nonexistence.
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