European Vampire Bloodline: The Stryzga

Bloodline Values: Supremacy, Brutality, Secrecy, Domination, Loyalty

Bloodline Traits:
Euphoric bite, shapeshifting, sorcery, telepathy, mesmerizing voice, hypnotic gaze, enhanced strength, pain resistance, highly territorial

Bloodline Description:
The Stryzga is a rare, highly solitary bloodline originating in Poland which share a name with the folkloric Stryzga but are not the same creature. The Stryzga bloodline relies heavily on its shapeshifting abilities to keep their true nature hidden from both the Mundane and fellow vampires.

Bloodline Culture:
Usually, Stryzga vampires are solitary -- preferring their own company to the company of others and avoid mingling with one another or other bloodlines. More social Stryzga generally masquerade as Nightingales, preferring their highly structured social hierarchy and private dwelling places. They tend to view one another as competition and other bloodlines as "playthings" -- seeing themselves, much like the Nightingale, as the superior bloodline. Stryzga tend to have an even bleaker view of mortals and other supernatural species.

One important exception to this general behavior is that, on occasion, to Stryzga will form an incredibly intense bond with one another -- over time, becoming so intertwined that they behave as a single soul spread across two bodies. Sometimes, these pairs will create "families" using vampires from other bloodlines rather than making other Stryzga who will be seen as competition. These are some of the most dangerous vampires in existence and these covens tend to be incredibly depraved.

Bloodline Appearance:

Stryzga are among the less human-looking vampires when viewed in their true form. Stryzga generally have slightly sunken eyes, surrounded by deep bruising and Tardieu spots with black sclera and brilliantly colored irises and slitted pupils. Their skin tends to be a dull, washed-out and slightly blue-ish version of their complexion in life and neither their claws nor their fangs are retractable. Stryzga are the most likely out of the bloodlines to have dual fangs or fangs on both the top and bottom sets of teeth.

Since Stryzga are capable of shapeshifting, however, they can easily hide these traits -- even from other vampires.

Hunting Methods:
Much like the Siren, those of the Stryzga bloodline have one or more specific individuals that they feed from for extended periods of time. For the Stryzga, this is generally seen as a sort of "game" during which they will stalk their victim, tormenting them in various ways over the weeks, months or even years over which their "game" plays out. Eventually, however, the Stryzga will kill their victim -- in cruel or almost ritualistic ways.

The Stryzga bloodline possesses a bite that instills both euphoria and paralyzing terror in their victim, along with causing the victim to develop a sort of obsession with the vampire feeding on them: causing the mortal to dream of the vampire and desperately seek them out. Eventually, the victim's will is subsumed by that of the Stryzga who has preyed upon them. As such, many of the victims of a Stryzga act as "servants" to them.

Bloodline Abilities:
The Stryzga are capable of shapeshifting not only into varied humanoid forms and changing their physical appearance at will, they are also capable of shapeshifting into various animal forms and even into mist. They also have an innate ability to utilize magic, even if the Stryzga in question had no magical ability to begin with.

In addition, the Stryzga have an incredibly powerful voice -- able to mesmerize mortals and vampires alike with a single syllable or effortlessly burst eardrums with incredible volume.

The Stryzga bloodline is roughly as sensitive to sunlight as the Siren bloodline, able to spend some time in daylight and being mostly unbothered by bright, artificial lights.

Bloodline Weaknesses:
Unlike most Bloodlines, Stryzga are rendered effectively mortal during daylight hours, lacking access to the majority of their powers and being massively physically weakened... Because of this, Stryzga are incredibly secretive about where they spend their daylight hours. In addition, their tendency towards solitude makes them vulnerable to attack.

The Bloodlines:
The Nightingale
The Revenant
The Siren
The Stryzga [You Are Here]
The First
The Felis
The Lamia
The Feral

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