Insomniac Nightmares

The Klameth are unique among vampirekind, at least so far as the Concordat is aware; while the Stryx and Lashando have undergone painful transformations while still living, and the Velassen have crept to the edge of the abyss and stared in before being pushed away, only the Klameth have actually crossed the barrier of death.

Called the Soulless, the Klameth were so selfish, violent, tortured, or vile that even the gates of Hell are closed to them. Their tainted, broken spirits are thus forced back into their corpses… though not intact.

The spirit of one of the Klameth is torn, broken, and flayed; their life and will constantly seeping from the spiritual wounds. The only thing that can mend the injury – for a brief period, at least – is to steal such essence from others. Thus while the Sirens or Forsaken may drain the passions of their companions, and the Accursed take their blood, the Soulless consume the will and soul of their victims. The Klameth seeks to fill the void within with energy from without, leaving their victims entranced, weak-willed, and barely able to continue breathing of their own volition.

Whether as an adjunct to their feeding, natural inclination from manipulative and self-serving lives, or a gift from whatever infernal powers allowed their return, the Klameth are adept at commanding or crushing the wills of others, treating human minds as little other than tools. Some vampires worry about the possibility that older Klameth may be able to exercise such power on other members of the Concordat as well… though such whispers are typically voiced very quietly indeed.

Their hell-born constitution renders the Soulless far more resilient than their cousins, suffering what should have been a traumatic or fatal injury with little more than a smirk or a shrug. This and their natural affinity and calling to the element of Air leads them to expose themselves to the elements atop high mountains or in scathing desert valleys, frequently naked, challenging the elements themselves to attempt to destroy the vampire. Thus far, the elements have not been successful.

Being reanimated corpses, the Soulless have no need to eat, drink, or breathe, though they are quite capable of miming the activities – though it should be noted that they will need to find a way to purge any fluids or food they consume eventually, and given that there is no digestive process in their corpse, forced vomiting or surgical skill are the only options. Likewise, though they do not care for the sun – or heat in general – it does them no lasting harm. Soulless can be detected, however, by the faint aroma of rot that wafts around them at all times, often growing stronger with age and experience. Some say the elders of the Klameth even begin to degrade physically, resembling a months dead cadaver in some extreme cases. They also cast no shadow, have no reflection, and do not show up in recording mediums such as photos or videos. Those with psychic abilities also report that Klameth do not register the way humans or even other vampires to; they are noticeable by their absence from the psychic spectrum, walking talking wounds in the spirit realm.

Like others among the Concordat, legends claim there is hope for redemption among even the Klameth… though there are no records of a Klameth even attempting it, let alone succeeding. Supposedly if the Klameth can convince a mortal, without any supernatural compulsion and of the mortal’s own free will, to forfeit their own soul as a form of ransom for the Klameth’s, the vampire may be allowed the peace of a quiet death and release from their curse. Elder Klameth who might be aware of such a potential cure, however, are likely to be far too attached to their place in the world to give it up.