Vampircille [vam-per-seal] are a diminutive, vampire-like sapient species. They stand out because of a biological link to planes full of energy: rather than drawing energy from their ecosystems, vampircille are able to subsist passively on an infinite energy source.

Vampircilles are generally very smol, being 40-60 inches tall in adulthood and are typically docile in personality. Each arm ends with two dexterous digits tipped by hard claws. They have two protruding fangs, from which they can produce threads.

Vampircille are natural weavers. However, the traditional vampircille lifestyle is technologically simple given their lack of opposable thumbs. As a species, they display incredible resistance to disease, heat, pressure, cold, and radiation. They can also rapidly form an armored cocoon when in danger. They can remain in a cocoon indefinitely, since they generate their own energy.

Thanks to their ability with weaving, they can create things like clothing, simple structures, baskets, and the like, but they must rely on other species for more complex manufacturing. They prefer to live in burrows with complex family structures. While pure vampircille societies lack much engineering, they are quite literate with rich intellectual traditions. They can etch in stone with their claws or, where the resources are available, write with their clawtips dipped in ink.

Many species and civilizations exploit vampircille on account of their “free” energy. While vampircille can sustain themselves indefinitely and live for hundreds of years when left to themselves, they have little to protect themselves against other sapient species. Their small size makes them easy to overpower and their cocoons are easy to destroy with tools. Furthermore, most pure vampircille societies are eventually destroyed by slavers.

Of these parasites, vampires are the most prominent. Vampires enslave and feed off them. Some vampire species are only able to survive by feeding on vampircilles. The association is so strong that vampircille’s name is derived by their relationship to vampires in most languages (including this one). While one might think it’s because they are both fanged, a vampircille and a vampire are almost impossible to confuse. It’s more that most civilizations’ first contact with vampircille is through vampircille enslaved by vampires.

Ultimately, most vampircille are enslaved. Of free vampircille, most must live in communities dominated by other species and rely on the defenses those communities provide. Pure vampircille societies are exceedingly rare. Only one is notable on the interplanar scale: the City Faille.