Vampyres are sometimes erroneously considered The Land's fourth fully intelligent race; though the term race doesn't truly apply to them, it may still be used for ease of reference. They were created in secrecy by a sorcerer named Silas Des'Caina. The project to create them took place sometime in the late 800s, in Woodstockade. They are mythical creatures based on stories from Earth (it is believed that Des'Caina himself was a fan of various different mythologies involving vampires; it is unknown why he chose to spell the name of the race he created with a "y" rather than an "i," though this is apparently not without precedent on Earth). There are known to be two types of vampyres: Diurn'kin (vampyres who only go out during the day) and Nocturn'kin (vampyres who only go out at night). However, both types apparently can also go out during twilight.
Des'Caina developed a genetic resequencer spell, which he used to create the first two vampyres, by means of in vitro manipulation of their DNA, so that they were actually born as vampyres. Subsequent generations of vampyres have all been "sired" in a manner consistent with the most common vampire mythologies of Earth. That is, a vampyre bites and exsanguinates a victim, who is then allowed to drink the blood of the vampyre. (The person then becomes the same type, Diurn'kin or Nocturn'kin, as the vampyre who sired him or her.) It is through this process that the resequencer is passed on to the person being sired. However, the resequencer only supplies part of the transformation into vampyre. While the resequencer is passed on by the vampyre's bite, it will kill the person who has been bitten, unless they are almost immediately bonded with a demon (that is, a spirit who is a follower of Lucifer). Landian souls have a natural protection which prohibits demons from possessing people, unless they willingly choose to be possessed. And so, a vampyre's victim must choose either bonding with a demon, or death. Choice of the former is signified by their drinking the vampyre's blood, and completes the transformation.
It is of course known that all spirits, whether followers of God or Lucifer, have a knowledge of the scientific laws of the universe which allows them to do things which seem like magic, in the same way- but to a far greater degree- as sorcerers, Sorreters, and witches. Therefore, one might surmise that all vampyres, being bonded with demons, would be able to perform spells. However, Des'Caina apparently incorporated a dormant spell within the genetic resequencer which is triggered by spiritual possession, and which, when activated, makes it impossible for any vampyre to perform magic. The only two exceptions to this rule are the first two vampyres, Girarg Blackshirt and Brahm Des'Merrick. This is because they were never technically sired, and are therefore not bonded with demons. Despite being carriers of the spell which prevents using magic, that spell has never been triggered in them, and therefore only they, among all vampyres, are also sorcerers. (It is not clearly understood by anyone but Des'Caina why the resequencer didn't kill them, but it is assumed that he created it in such a way that it would only be deadly if it is transmitted through siring, or that fetuses are somehow immune to its deadly effects, or perhaps that he simply provided them with an artificial counteragent which simulated the effects of possession. Or... something.) They are apparently also the only two vampyres without split personalities, though the personalities of vampyres who are bonded with demons actually seem to be more of a blend of the personalities of the demon and the person who has been sired.
For some time, Silas Des'Caina worked for InterGang, though apparently he kept his project secret from his employers. In 912, he defected to LandOrder, members of which somehow seem to have become aware of the nature of his project, and wanted to use it to their own advantage. In spite of this, the knowledge of the existence of vampyres was limited to very few people in the world, until 916, when it was revealed that Demos Royal had become a vampyre sometime after losing the so-called Chaos War.