Invented Original Characters: Moth Vampires

Growing up my dream job was to be a comic book artist/writer. But with very little artistic talent that dream died pretty quickly. Now I do my best to bring my characters to life using apps like factory of heroes, swordmaker, armormaker, you doodle and photo cutout. They don't always turn out looking very good but I get more excited about the concepts and stories behind the characters than how well I can make the character look good. Sometimes my characters are from cultures I am not a part of because I think it fits their story or other aspects about them. I am not a cultural expert but at the very least I hope no one is upset by me using aspects of cultures I'm not a part of and find interesting. That said below is my idea for Moth themed vampires.

Moth Vampires are one of the few vampire groups that have not been impacted much by the emergence of European bat vampires around the 1500s. Although they do feud with bat vampires their geographic positioning, wealth and defence mechanisms make them less fearful of bat vampires even when the bat vampire empires were at their most powerful.

Moth vampires first emerged and are most common in Japan and consist of two main types. The leaders among them are considered "true" moth vampires. These are humanoid looking vampires with moth like faces and wings. Their large moth mouths typically can't pierce skin like some actual moths so they pummel their prey to drink their blood. It is unknown if any true moth vampires can take a more human form as they are typically heads of powerful businesses and their wealth and influence spares them the need to interact with anyone they cannot trust.

It seems as though all moth vampires start as "caterpillars" when they are first born or turned. Caterpillars lack the long mouth of true moths and have an extra set of arms instead of wings. They live in a constant state of near starvation as they are forbidden to drink more blood than the small amount that the true moths allow them. Unlike true moths, caterpillars can transform into a more human form that they use when they want to hide that they are vampires from humans or other vampire sects. Once a caterpillar has proven itself through combat, espionage or business accomplishments the true moths will grant it permission to join them as a true moth. At this point the caterpillar will cocoon and later emerge in the moth form it will likely never change back from.

Like most vampires both types of moth vampires are typically weaker in the daytime. However they will not burn in sunlight. They are also typically weak to weapons coated in Japanese lacquer and the smell of camphor. Most also become weaker in cold temperatures. Caterpillars are not known for using much magic and are mostly dangerous up close as they wield multiple weapons with their 4 hands. True moths are more versatile in how they fight as many are skilled swordsmen but they also use camouflage magic and can disorient foes with high frequency noises (a crucial tactic they've used against bat vampire colonialism). Like other vampire groups they also have members among them that are far more powerful and have different abilities. Their greatest enemies have been Japanese vampire hunters known as "owls". These owls not only hunt them using special weapons but they also sabotage moth vampires business interests and work closely with a group of Chinese vampire hunters to covertly pit moth vampires against Chinese leech vampires.