Vampires

Vampire Origins:
Folktales about vampires have been around since before the 1800's. The tales have their origins in Romania and Germany. In the 1800's vampires became a common legend and they were often depicted as thin and pale. They are known for drinking the blood of living beings. Vampires can live forever, but they must drink blood to continue to live. Vampires were brought to fame by Brahm Stoker, who wrote Dracula. Dracula was based on Vlad the impaler. Vlad was a violent, tyrannical emperor who had his enemies impaled and left their corpses hang from pikes and spears as a warning to all. Since the 1800's, stories of vampires have spread across the world and each culture has their own legends and descriptions of vampires. During the 1800's, people believed strongly in vampires and there are documented accounts of people digging up and staking corpses they believed to be vampires.

Vampire Stats:
Intelligence is a vampire's greatest strength. Because they live forever if not killed, they can continue learning and they will see much through the ages. The older a vampire is the more intelligent and dangerous he or she will be. Vampires can hypnotize their victims simply by looking them in the eyes. Most vampires have the ability to turn into bats. Some of the more ancient, pure blood vampires can become a large bat like monster. Vampires are stronger than most men because they have adrenaline flowing constantly and it never runs out. Some seem to have superhuman speed as well. Vampires become stronger and can even heal themselves by drinking the blood of the living. In fact, they must drink blood to sustain their immortality. If they stop drinking blood they will die. Human blood is best, but it is possible for them to survive on animal blood. Animal blood will weaken them though. They can go dormant for over a century, and during that time, they will not need blood, but when they awaken, they will be very week. Vampires never pass the age they were when they became vampires. The ultimate vampire is Dracula. He was the first, the greatest, and the most powerful of all the vampires. He could only have been defeated by one as intelligent as himself. Dr. Abraham Van Hellsing slew Dracula by driving a stake through his heart and cutting off his head while Dracula was resting in his coffin. More recent tales featuring Dracula have begun to surface. In these he is occasionally called Alucard, an anagram for Dracula. Like the Dracula of old, he is more powerful than any other vampire. Vampires do not have a shadow or a reflection.

Vampire Transformation:
Vampires create other vampires by sucking all the blood from their victims or by mixing their own blood with the victims. Unlike other beings, vampires choose who they want to become other vampires. Vampires have long fangs, which have small holes in the tips to suck or inject blood, much like a venomous snake. They leave small bite marks on their victim's neck. If bitten, one does not become a vampire immediately. Should the vampire who bit or sucked the victim's blood be killed, the person bitten will not become a vampire. Most vampires will not drain all of one person's blood in a single sitting. If someone dies from the vampire drinking all of their blood, that person will become a vampire under the control of the first vampire. If the controlling vampire is killed, those under his control will rest in peace. When a vampire mixes his blood with another, that person will slowly become a vampire, but he or she will retain free will and will not be returned to death when the original vampire is killed.

Alignment:
Evil with a few exceptions. Once in a very long time there will be a good vampire. Good vampires are the result of someone with a will and intelligence stronger than the vampire that bit them. They most overcome the pain of becoming a vampire, the loneliness of being hated for all eternity by humans and vampires alike, and they must find a way to drink blood without compromising their morals. For the most part, vampires are evil. Once they begin drinking blood they come to think of humans as no more than animals. Vampires hate the living and will kill those they can. However, they are not adverse to letting other evil beings serve them. Unlike werewolves who will normally kill any none werewolf being, Vampires tend to become king like figures, forcing others to serve them.

Vampire Weaknesses and Slaying:
Vampires are unholy beings. Bibles, crucifixes, and holy water will all injure them. Although not as reactive as werewolves, vampires hate silver. They also hate garlic cloves, roses, and will not come near them. Like most undead, they cannot abide fire and it is possible to kill them buy burning them to ashes. In most cases beheading will kill vampires. This does not work on Dracula and a few other ancient vampires. Vampires, including Dracula, will be killed if they do not return to their grave by sun rise. One way to kill a vampire is to lay a cross on his grave so he cannot return. Driving a wooden (preferably ash or oak) stake, measuring three feet in length, through a vampire's heart and into the coffin will kill most vampires. However cutting off the head after driving the stake will ensure they cannot rise again. Vampires cannot enter a Church. Werewolf venom will kill them almost instantly. Even Dracula would be killed if bitten by a powerful enough werewolf. In one recent legend, Gabriel Van Hellsing, became a werewolf and killed Dracula by biting his throat out.