Ghouls

"Yes... I guess that's the right term for it, though I've never been called that before... I.. I hope this doesn't change anything..."

Ceriden frowned when he saw the nauseated expression on Gareth's face. They were going to have to change Gareth's habit of over-eating, getting sick, and then passing out every time the vampire-ghoul fed.

"No, this shouldn't change much," Ceriden replied. "We'll just have to find a way to appease your larger appetite."

Ghoulification was a particularly terrible mutation that some of the more malevolent slaveowners would inflict or have inflicted upon some of their slaves. Ghoulification made the victim increadibly strong as well extremely susceptible to suggestion, the later of which was very ideal for a slave. It also caused the victim's skin to take on an unhealthy pallor and caused the victim to acquire a voracious and nearly perpetual hunger.

Ghouls also had a high mortality rate, as their extreme metabolism would cause them to have a short lifespan, and many ghouls would also die of over-exhertion due to their masters ordering them to do more than their body's could handle. Ceriden was hypothesizing that Gareth's old master may have turned Gareth into a ghoul, then turned him into a vampire as well in order to keep Gareth alive (vampires, being immortal, were very difficult to kill). Now Ceriden was also seeing why Gareth's old master probably sold Gareth. Keeping the vampire fed was likely too expensive, and not feeding him was too dangerous.

Ceriden looked down at the now most-certainly-dead spy. "Just leave him there. Some other creature in this forest will appreciate the free meal. For now, let us try to find a secluded place to rest. My wraith should be able to watch out for us and alert us if danger is nearby."