Vampires should be thirstier

A vampire that takes only enough to live, and sates its thirst little by little each day? Sure, that's nice, but I don't really think that's as exciting, especially when it's also the easiest to "get away with" in that you aren't killing anyone or starving yourself. So, instead, consider the following scale.

• Dhampir
• Bloodless Vampire
• Ravenous Vampire
• Sated Vampire
• Glutted Vampire
• Vampire Lord

Ignoring, for now, the special cases in bold, we shall begin with the state in which most vampires begin their unlife - Ravenous. Ravenous vampires have just enough blood in them to know they don't have enough. The dark force (whatever it actually is for your vampire) in them hungers for more blood. They are stronger than the average human, but almost entirely feral, especially when first embraced. A neophyte with no prior experience controlling their hunger, waking to bloodthirst with an empty or all but empty stomach, will almost certainly stumble around until it scents blood, then frenzy, falling upon their prey and draining it dry. If they were fortunate enough to feed upon a human, they will have reached the state of Sated. Any less than entire mortal sophont life's worth of blood (beast blood, while technically sustenance, provides no benefit as far as satisfying the Hunger) will leave them Ravenous. Now, most adult humans can lose, according to a quick google search, about 14% of their blood and be fine. So you'd need to drink 14% of seven and change - call it eight people's blood to reach sated. Per day. While ravenous, ceasing to drink blood is an ordeal. Most "conscientious" vampires try to reach a buffer zone between Sated and Glutted so that they can feed on less blood each day. Of course, that will eventually deplete, leaving them with difficult choices to make. Glutted requires (per day) the blood of ten humanoids (or one dragon, if available) and is sometimes called the "Noble" vampire, despite failing to be a true lord, because of their preternatural charisma. Their habits are all but human, and they often pass as mortal nobility, albeit with "quirks."

But suppose the neophyte has no prey, or the prolific sipper an attack of consciousness or dearth of prey? Suppose they starve until the last drop of blood in their hollow corpse is spent? They do not die, but fall into a sleep, often underground. Even a splash of blood or the ichor of worms and vermin is enough for them to move should true prey approach. And, should the opportunity arise, and the conscience of the human the vampire once was is not adamant,  move they shall. Otherwise? Well, I'll get to that in the next post: Dhampir.