Vampires, also known as the Kaga'tor or Leeches, often cause confusion in our field agents.  The entire Delta 4 squad and three allies, fell to a Kaga'tor in New Hampshire 09/15/97.  This is the conclusion of the long-term investigation ordered after their defeat.  Addendum will, of course, be needed as further information is gathered through observation and as new strains of the Kaga'tor menace are identified.

Nature of the Threat:
    Kaga'tor are the result of a psychic symbiote.  That symbiote is known as the Kaga'tor organism, has not been isolated, and is of unknown origin.  It seems most likely that the original organisms were summoned from another reality.  This reality is entirely hypothetical.  No other visitors from this realm are known or suspected.

Scope of the Threat:
    Kaga'tor can be found in every country of the world and in all major cities.  We must be constantly vigilant.  There have been confirmed Kaga’tor in every state of the Union except Hawaii.  Other nations seem to have similar levels of infestation, with different strains of Kaga’tor predominant in different parts of the world (see Subspecies).
    It is also suspected that at least one Kaga’tor or sympathizer has infiltrated our order.  Three cells, having added addendum to this file, were assaulted within the space of one week by the minions of the Kaga’tor.  These assaults have lead to new procedures regarding addendum and a necessary revision of this document.
    Evidence has also begun to suggest that the Nephilim may exist in a loosely knit network across North America.  Cell leaders should forward all information regarding Nephilim concentrations to Beta 31 for analysis.

Spread of the Threat:
     There are two confirmed means for the Kaga'tor organism to spread.  The first is through the active effort of a Vampire infusing the organism into a subject.  The subject must be drained to the brink of death (see Feeding).  An individual Vampire is only capable of this once or twice a year.  When the new host is in the process of drawing their last ragged breath, the elder vampire presents its own blood to the victim.  Once a substantial portion of blood is consumed, the organism quickly begins modifying the host to its own needs.
    The second is through the death throes of the host.  When a Vampire is destroyed (see Neutralization), the organism attempts to infect all entities within reach.  In context, that means any intelligent being touching the heart of the Vampire or firmly grasping a magically conductive material thrust into that heart at the time of death.  If it cannot escape through either of these means, it is banished.
    It is also thought that certain rituals may be able to summon the creatures from their home, but this has not been confirmed.

Signs of the Threat:
    Very difficult to detect.  Lethargy periodically afflicting members of the community is the only sign of a careful Kaga'tor.  Draining deaths make a less careful Vampire much easier to track, and therefore, destroy.  Draining deaths take two forms: blood loss and brain hemorrhaging (see Feeding).  Puncture wounds on the necks of victims is the easiest sign to interpret, but many cults use methods that mimic those wounds.
    Agelessness is also a sign of supernatural involvement, although not always Kaga'tor.  Animals generally show an extreme dislike for these individuals, especially Setites.  Most avoid direct sunlight whenever possible, but in contradiction to folklore, can resist it, except Setites.  Demonstration of Vampiric powers is also an obvious tip off (see Subspecies).
    Most older vampires are extremely discrete and well hidden, some even going so far as to change hosts every twenty to thirty years, although this is generally thought to be extreme behavior.
    In other words, be ever watchful, you will probably find them only where you least expect them.

Feeding:
    The Kaga'tor have two stages of feeding.  The physical phase involves the consumption of the human body, usually confined to blood.  This is only required to repair damage done to the Kaga'tor's host body.  Normal wear and tear require about one-half unit of blood a week.  Reports of Vampires being able to store up to eight units of blood in their system have been confirmed, but four units is a more average amount.  Repair of combat damage generally requires a like amount of flesh, or twice that volume in blood.  A Vampire prevented from physically feeding will generally begin to look more ragged (as though the Vampire had not been sleeping) and will not heal even minor injuries.  Longer periods of deprivation will cause deterioration of the bone and muscle structures, resulting in physical weakness.  If a Vampire is injured while it has blood in its system it bleeds like a normal human, but less so if it contains fewer than eight units of blood.  However, a vampire's body will never rot or become diseased while the symbiote remains alive.
    The psychic phase is more exotic.  All that is required is extended physical contact (flesh to flesh).  It usually takes approximately two minutes before the link is established.  This is often performed at the same time as the physical drain.  The targets emotional vitality and strength of will slowly are drained into the Kaga'tor.  Persons drained to death by this method appear physically as though they suffered ruptured blood vessels all throughout their body, especially in the brain.  The amount of energy needed is difficult to calculate; although most Vampires require one victim drained to death a month or one drained lightly every week.  Those drained lightly will recover, but will feel "drained" and lethargic for around a month after the feeding.
    During the psychic drain, the victim will experience a sense of extreme euphoria.  Even those who know what is happening are hard pressed to stop it.  Outside intervention is the only hope for all but the strongest willed.  Breaking physical contact will stop, but not reverse, the feeding.  If the victim is sleeping, they will not awaking during psychic feeling but have very emotional dreams.
    When a Vampire psychically drains a victim of very potent will, such as magi, those of the true faith, and others of similar conviction, the Vampire will gain ability similar to that of the victim.  Many Kaga'tor have gained mystic knowledge (including spells) or the more earth-bound skills of other targets.  When draining those of the true faith, Kaga'tor often experience a phenomenon similar to multiple personalities in humans, dividing their brain into many separate intelligences.  Often, one of these will be very similar to the target, and possess powers of the true faith, along with whatever morals went along with that.  Other personalities reflect the Vampires varying abilities, interests, and personality traits.  The Kaga'tor refer to this as "the Shattering" and are very eager to avoid it.  This is one of the reasons Kaga'tor are so quick to avoid priests of any religion.

Stages of Development:
    The Kaga'tor quickly develop their innate powers over the course of four to five days, during which the host is in a death like state.  Only the most advanced techniques can distinguish the host as alive during these days.  All bodily functions are reduced to a cryogenic pace.  Anaerobic respiration is sufficient to keep the host alive during this time.
    After incubation, the creature and host are as one organism.  They are effectively inseparable.  It gains all basic abilities of a Vampire (see Strengths and Weaknesses) and begins hungering for energy almost immediately.  Kaga'tor continue to gain power as they age and are also gain additional abilities directly after any exceptional feeding (see Feeding).  It is believed that the powers gained through age are the result of slow build up of spiritual energy by the organism.  The physical body rarely exhibits any signs of change.

Strengths:
    All Kaga'tor possess a few abilities in common.  One is their psychic drain (see Feeding).  Another is virtual immortality.  They do not age, although they do weaken when not fed (see Feeding), and no physical attack can destroy them unless it disrupts the symbiote, which resides in their heart.  Head or limbs removed from the torso cease to function, but can be healed.  Of course, the creature cannot feed on human flesh without a head and quickly becomes dormant until the head is reattached (it takes about ten minutes to go dormant).  The Kaga'tor organism can also bud and enter a new host (see Spread of the Threat).
    Individual strengths are derived from past victims (see Feeding) and the specific strain of Kaga'tor that has joined with them.  There are, as of the present, only six known subgroups, but I do not doubt there are more (see Subgroups).

Weaknesses:
    Traditional Vampire myths tell us of several weaknesses: sunlight, holy ground, crosses, garlic, and mirrors.  Most of these are sadly ineffective.  Sunlight irritates all strains and causes their body to tatter (requiring almost four times the normal blood for Kaga'tor regularly exposed), but only Setites are actually destroyed by it.  Holy ground is entirely useless.  Holy signs of any faith are a useful focus for those of true faith, but nothing more.  Garlic does act as an irritant to Nephilim; the concentrated oil of garlic can be used much like a potent acid against this strain.  Other strains are entirely unaffected, but belladonna is rumored to affect Setites.  Mirrors reveal the body of the creature, nothing more or less.  The Tilmok strain, dating back to the Roman invasion of Gaul, was invisible in mirrors, but all examples of that strain are believed to have been destroyed.  The last was permanently destroyed in Brazil during the 1930s.
    There are only three earthly ways to kill, or permanently incapacitate a Vampire.  A mystically conductive substance (organics or precious metals) forced entirely through their heart will destroy the Kaga'tor's connection with the host.  If no other host is nearby (see Spread of the Threat), the organism is destroyed.  For this reason bows and crossbows are very helpful, as well as weapons with iron or lead handles.  Burning the host body to fine ash will permanently incapacitate the creature, but any human knowing the proper ritual and possessing at least half the ashes can bring the symbiote into himself.  Luckily, this ritual will not function for Vampires and is found only in a few rare tomes.  One copy, however, is known to reside in a private collection in Northern France.  The final way to destroy the thing is to actually kill the thing, such as by cremation or embalming, while it is still in the death-like first stage of development.

Mystical Aptitude (Beta 31):
    Not all vampires have mystical abilities, but it is much more common among them than the non-infected human population.  Their enhanced lifespan definitely has a positive impact on their ability to learn magics, but the symbiote itself seems to open their eyes to the ways of magic.  Many newly infected will begin to pick up the ways of magic, being drawn to mystical sites and locations where the knowledge of the ancients can be had.
    The full effects on one who already knows magic are uncertain.  Only two cases have been directly observed.  However, in both, an immediate spike in power occurred when the organism first takes hold.  Long-term studies also indicate a jump in power related to infection, along with the normal steady growth with study that a human would expect.
    The magics chosen tend to reflect the personality of the vampire, mirroring the choices of human magi.  However, most vampires shy away from summonings, although the full reason for this is unknown.
    Certain elder vampires have access to the powerful magicks of the Ancients.  These individuals should be avoided at all costs.  Attempts to remove this information has proved fatal for too many ancients for the Order to consider any more such forays, save in extremely special circumstances.
    Simply statistical analysis indicates that certain Subgroups are more likely to possess magics.  Over all, the Kalla possess the highest magic, with the eastern vampires roughly in the middle, and the Nephilim only having one tenth in the know.  Stark and Polit are too new to accurately gauge.  Stark are still a closely-knit group, although most of their mystical might has been destroyed by the courageous sacrifice of the Delta 4 team.  The known Polit has massive mystical knowledge and should be dealt with on a report and avoid basis.

Subgroups:
    Only six are presently cataloged, but be on the lookout for new or undiscovered strains.  These subgroups are:
    Nephilim - This is believed to be the first variant coming into existence.  It dates back to prehistoric times and is still the largest subgroup.  It is most predominant in Europe and the Americas, although its origin is in Africa.  Powers generally associated with this strain are superior strength (often able to press three to seven times their own weight) and the ability to transform into one or two the creatures most feared by the culture the host is native to (generally wolf, bat, snake, or spider in modern Vampires, but a wide range is possible outside of European culture).
    Taelan - This subgroup is seen only rarely outside of China and Japan.  Even outside these nations, they follow the flow of immigrants.  Their appearance dates back to an ancient rift opening near the location of Kyoto, Japan.  The abilities of this subgroup are invisibility (a psychic block, not physical bending of light) and the ability to materialize razorsharp claws from thin air.  Also, this strain seems immune to the problems most suffer when draining those of true faith.  It simply does not seem to faze them.
    Setites - Summoned in a great ceremony to honor the Nameless god, this strain drove the Nephilim out of Africa and the lands of Islam.  This is probably the most dangerous group to field agents.  They are ruthless and have many powers making them more dangerous.  Topping that list is the capacity to project hallucinations into the minds of those nearby.  In older Setites, these illusions are realistic enough to entirely supplant the targets normal sensory input without the target noticing.  Younger Setites can use this power on only two or three targets, while the ancients often can target as many as fifty.  All Setites also share the ability to telepathically control snakes (range of about ten feet for the newest Setite and legends of several miles for the eldest).  Snakes are the only animals able to stand Setites; all others are repulsed.  Setites are also by far the most harmed by sunlight, collapsing to dust if they are ever exposed.
    Kalla - A mutation of the Nephilim seen in Great Britain, Eastern Europe, and Russia.  They also have a foothold in the lands of Australia.  Dating back to only to the First World War, the Kalla were a group of ancient Vampires and their children linked together by magic, each drawing power from the next in a structure not unlike that of feudal lords.  Their leader was captured by an independent witch hunter, who burned him to a cinder.  Their leader did not truly die, but was trapped in ash form.  Each of his followers either gathered up a bit of the ash or slowly withered away.   Due to their bond, each of them fashioned the ash into a charm of some nature, so it would remain close to them.  The Kalla slowly changed under the influence of the magick connecting them to their burned master.  Now each must keep the ash near their person at all times, can reach out with astral tendrils and change the dreams of those sleeping for miles around (but only when in a meditative trance), and transform into a black hawk with immense strength and endurance.  They are also all incapable of budding, making the youngest of the symbiotes eighty years old, even though some of them have changed bodies.  They are thought to number around four hundred.
    Stark - The newest of the identified strains, these creatures are responsible for the death of Delta 4 and their allies.  A group of cultists in New Hampshire managed to locate some form of dark tome (which we have, unfortunately, not captured) and summoned or created a Kaga'tor.  This Kaga'tor is thought to have split up almost thirty times by the day Delta 4 arrived.  At least ten are known to have escaped the purge.  And the agents Delta 41 and 43 were infested.  Agent 41 and six of the others have been destroyed, but this leaves at least five more.  And we do not know how many more these fanatics have created.  The recorded abilities of this strain are flight (drifting at a maximum of ten mph) and sprouting bone spurs from their body (up to a foot in length and razor sharp, as many as the Vampire likes can be created).  If one of these creatures still possesses the tome, we are in great danger of a plague of these creatures descending on us in the next several years.
    Polit – Only one known vampire of this strain has been located, but it’s existence is cause for concern.  It’s known ability is that to transform into mists, although that is of enough concern.  The particular specimen also shows great control of the mystical arts and sizable knowledge of artifacts.  Whether the Polit strain contains more than this individual remains to be seen, although all agents should remain vigilant of their presence.

Conclusion:
    To make certain Delta 4 and their allies did not die in vain, we must find the tome held by those cultists and destroy it.  Vampires represent a powerful threat to our culture and our organization; we must confront and destroy them at every turn.  We must remain vigilant and avoid tragedies like Delta 4 in the future.
    Also, due to recent attacks, all assaults against the Vampires must be held in absolute secrecy.  We can not risk exposing our operatives in a like manner again.

Revision History:
11/09/98 – Original Document – Delta 55
11/17/99 – First Revision – Delta 55 and Beta 31
- Addendum removed for security reasons
- Polit strain information added
- Beta 31’s data on Vampiric magic use added
- Clarifications and Updates