Something that exists behind the scenes in a few of my works is an organization I refer to as the Concordat of Lashan. Since they’ll be factoring into the next serialized bit of fiction I intend to post (once “Riptide” is done, that is…) I thought I’d share some of the notes I made for them.
Put simply, they’re a loosely affiliated group of vampires, though most of them don’t feed on blood. They’re tenuous allies at best, but they are aware there are folks out there who don’t take kindly to people like them, so mutual information and protection proves more valuable than any sort of supernatural racism or competition.
There are five groupings within the Concordat; there may be other, similar creatures stalking the night and making trouble for folks like Dante Bishop or Greg Perron, but they are more isolationist or perhaps more rare. The upir from “Old Dead Things” would be one example.
Today I thought I’d share the first of those groups.
Velassen
The Forlorn are considered to be the closest to human of those in the Concordat; the sun offers them no trouble; they breathe, eat and, and drink; they have a heartbeat, though one that is frequently out of rhythm or so slowly its hard to detect at first. This affords them perks that other vampires may not have, mingling with relative ease amongst the herd of humanity. This is frequently to the detriment of those they consort with, however; the nature of their curse brings only sorrow, pain, and potentially death to all those around them.
Velassen feed on the psychic energy of hope, life, and love, draining positive emotion and good health from their surroundings merely by their presence. In addition to leeching such things from their environments, the Forlorn are unable to feel such things themselves, always existing in a twilight world of depression and hunger that allows no exit.
These beings are cursed by failed suicide attempts; the pain and sorrow of their choice to end their lives becomes a toxic malaise that spreads around them and keeps them tethered to the world. Rumors claim that a Velassen who learns to truly appreciate life and let go of the troubles that led them to their state may be forgiven and cured, but no reliable accounts of this actually occurring have surfaced.
Unlike many vampires, Velassen do not frequently evidence much in the way of overtly supernatural gifts. They are typically stronger and more resilient than an average human and have an intuitive grasp of empathy and emotional manipulation, but nothing that seems paranormal or beyond the grasp of their neighbors.
Velassen have an intrinsic link to the element of water, most frequently found in areas of high humidity or rainfall and show a marked preference for places near larger bodies of water. They seem to grow agitated and weaker when separated from sources of water for extended periods, though no one is certain if this is a physical response or psychosomatic.
Insomniac Nightmares 
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