Brukolak

Lore

Brukolak is an especially dangerous type of vampire. Legends offer no precise explanation of how this kind of vampire came into existence. Some assert that it stems from the last will of a person who died an unnatural death—that is, before dying, they turned to the devil to avenge their killer. Their spirit never found peace, and thus they rose as a monster. Additionally, a burial mistake was made when the body was interred in unconsecrated ground, not blessed by the church. There's also a version that a Brukolak is the swollen corpse of someone struck by lightning. According to folk beliefs, the bodies of those killed by lightning do not decompose and, over time, rise from their graves.

As described above, a Brukolak appears bloated, with taut, tough skin that's hard to pierce or cut. They possess extremely sharp and quite large claws capable of tearing apart any flesh, even well-protected. In some stories, it's mentioned that even iron armor doesn't save one from the beast's attack. Brukolaks have gray, cloudy eyes; they see well and navigate in the dark. These vampires hunt predominantly at night; they cannot tolerate sunlight, which is lethal to them. Their hearing is exceptionally keen: their sizable ears perfectly capture the slightest sound vibrations. For instance, a Brukolak can hear its victim's heartbeat from many kilometers away. A distinctive feature of the Brukolak is that each night it emits a piercing scream once. The creature's height can reach up to 8 feet, attesting to its formidable strength.

Unlike classic vampires, Brukolaks cannot control their thirst for blood; they attack any living or recently deceased creature indiscriminately. Typically, they assault their victims with several blows of their claws, making deep cuts on the body and drinking blood through them. Brukolaks are not averse to carrion, rotting corpses, or sick animals. This makes them carriers of additional diseases, and sometimes they can be seen on battlefields.