Vampires (2024)

Vampires are a species of undead creature found throughout the world. The original vampire is a creature named Goëjlrm. Typical vampires are known for draining their victims of blood, but psychic vampires will drain their victims of their energy.

Characteristics[]

Vampires typically start having a very similar appearance to normal humans, with the only outward signs of vampirism being pale skin. However over the ages, vampires began to appear less human and more monstrous like in the case of Petyr, Alexandr, Baron Afanas and Goëjlrm. Vampires commonly have two fangs in place of regular human canine teeth, though some have mouths filled entirely with sharp teeth. When angry, they may reveal their true form, which often resembles a bestial version of their normal appearance with yellow irises and red sclera. They often hiss when agitated or threatened. Vampires do not have reflections, but will be visible in photographs and on film.

Vampires show no normal human vital signs, such as heartbeat or breathing and their skin is cold to the touch. Despite this, they still require sustenance and must drink human blood to nourish themselves and help them retain a youthful body; if they go too long without drinking blood they will start to become decrepit in appearance. Vampires typically prefer to drink the blood of virgins, as it often has a more appealing taste, though some vampires seem not to distinguish and only drink virgin blood because they believe it is cool.^[1] Drinking the blood of humans under the influence of alcohol or drugs may cause the vampire to also become intoxicated.^[2] Vampires can also consume the blood of animals, but this has less nutritional value.^[3]

As vampires are harmed by sunlight they will typically sleep during daylight hours. Most vampires will sleep horizontally or vertically in coffins, but some, such as Deacon, will prefer to sleep hanging upside-down like a bat.^[1] Older vampires will occasionally slumber for longer periods, sometimes for several weeks.^[4]

Creation[]

A human becomes a vampire if they have their blood drained by a vampire and then in turn drink the blood of a vampire. The start of the process is signaled by a brief flash of yellow in the irises of the eyes.^[5] Humans who wish to become vampires may serve as familiars in order to eventually receive this.

The process of transforming into a vampire is extremely uncomfortable, beginning with flu-like symptoms which includes clammy skin, fever, chills, and heavy vomiting. They may also bleed from their eyes.^[1] The transforming human's body eventually stops showing normal human vital signs and they become physically dead. They will begin exhibiting signs of vampirism, such as developing their fangs, paling of skin, distortion and fading of their reflections, and they will often begin involuntarily levitating. They begin to show an aversion to religious imagery and will begin to develop sensitivity to sunlight. This is accompanied by an increasing hunger for human blood, with the first consumption of human blood marking the end of the transformation.^[6]

As the process of becoming a vampire involves death, a vampire will lose their soul. It is possible however for the soul of their human form to come back as a ghost.^[7]

Reproduction[]

Interesingly depsite being undead creatures, vampires are aparently still capable of sexual reproduction, like the case of Wesley, a half-vampire born to a vampire father and a human mother.

Abilities[]

Common abilities[]

• Immortality: vampires do not age pass the point from when they were turned and are unable to die save for the few weaknesses they possess.
• Enhanced Senses: vampires have heighten senses including the ability to see in the dark.^[8]
• Enhanced physical condition: vampires have above human physical attributes such as strength and speed.^[1]
• Flight: vampires possess the ability to fly and levitate from the ground.
• Hypnosis: also known as 'glamor', vampires possess a form of mind control through eye-contact which they use on their victims to either get them to do what they want or erase their memories.
• Shapeshifting: vampires have an animal form they are capable of transformaing into. These are typically a bat or canine form which they are also able to take on features of these animals, such as wings or larger fangs.
• Regenerative healing factor:

Unique abilities[]

Vampires may have powers which are unique to themselves, the effects of which vary dramatically from case to case. Known unique abilities include:

• Vladislav's ability to transform into a wider than normal variety of animals^[1]
• Deacon Brücke's ability to appear from someone's bagpack^[1]
• Laszlo's ability to control and communicate with animals^[5]
• Jenna's power of invisibility^[3]
• Nandor's power of pyrokinesis^[4] and transform into vapor.^[9]
• Nadja's ability to climb up walls^[4] and transform into a pile of rats^[10]
• The Guide's power of teleportation^[11]
• Seduction was suggested to be a known special power by Nadja^[3]

Weaknesses[]

Vampires are weak to a number of items and practices. Religious imagery will harm or frighten them; prolonged exposure will cause them to burn and bleed from the eyes, even references as small as crossed fingers can repel them, and their mouths will catch fire if they try to say religious phrases sincerely. They burn in sunlight, with even small amounts of exposure causing them to start smoking, but those who are half-vampire are immune to this.^[11] Contact with salt, garlic, silver or holy water will also cause them to burn. A vampire can be instantly killed by a wooden stake through the heart,^[1] decapitation^[12] and possibly drowning.^[13] They are incapable of eating solid foods and will projectile vomit forcefully if they consume even a small amount; this will be even worse if the food contains garlic.^[2] Vampires are also physically incapable of entering new buildings unless someone invites them in.^[1] Vampires are unable to speak the word "God", doing so spews fire from their mouth, burning them. [20]

Vampires who experience traumatic events may have their powers weakened. For example, Vladislav, after becoming impaled by his then-girlfriend Pauline, lost the ability to transform his face when turning into animal forms, and his powers of hypnosis also decreased. Traumatic events can also cause vampires to briefly age rapidly.^[1][14] Vampire bats are actually vampires who have experienced an intense humiliation, such as hosting a bad orgy, and have permanently turned into bats, incapable of flying as high as vampires in their normal bat forms.^[15]

Vampire society[]

Vampires are expected to follow vampire code, which forbids crimes such as killing other vampires or turning babies into vampires. The most significant governing body of vampires is the Vampiric Council, an international organization who put vampire criminals on trial and punish them if they are found guilty, sometimes by imprisonment or death.^[11] For lesser crimes, vampires may carry out their own trials, which can lead to punishments such as the Procession of Shame.^[1]

Vampicide is usually frowned upon by vampire society and carries serious consequences, as mentioned, but there appears to be a few situations where vampires approve of killing other vampires. One vampire killing another is cause for punishment, but if that one vampire (or someone acting on their behalf) kills a lot more vampires, then vampire society recognizes them as someone who knows how to get things done and may even give them positions of power. This is the case when the Staten Island flatmates became promoted to the local vampiric council when Guillermo killed 70% of the most powerful vampires in the local Tri-State area.^[16] Killing a fellow vampire in the course of political jockeying is apparently also acceptable, considering Contessa Carmilla De Mornay of the Supreme Worldwide Vampiric Council congratulated Nadja for allegedly killing Nandor to remove "a threat to her power."^[17]

Vampires typically keep themselves secret from humans out of fear of being targeted by vampire hunters. They generally dislike werewolves, but this is often merely due to prejudice. The Staten Island Lycanthrope Werewolf Agreement of 1993 was a truce aimed at resolving conflict between vampires and werewolves.^[18]

Vampires often gather in their own social events, such as the Unholy Masquerade in New Zealand^[1], the Bi-Annual Vampire Orgy^[15] and the Nouveau Théâtre des Vampires^[12].They may spend nights in vampire nightclubs, such as The Sassy Cat Club in Manhattan.^[19] Although vampires are capable of using modern technology, they traditionally communicate over long distances by using ravens as messengers.^[11] Vampires are known for inhabiting old and dark castles and things alike, however, many enjoy migrating to small countries and flatting with each other, such as the group Vladislav, Viago, Deacon and Petyr.^[1]

Vampires often give themselves or receive titles after their first names, such as Vladislav the Poker, Nandor the Relentless and Vasilika the Defiler.

One superstition prevalent among vampires is the belief that if the person who turned them dies, they also die, and consequently if the Sire of all vampires dies then so does the entire species.^[20] This has been disproved by Petyr's demise, as his progenies Deacon and Nick continue to live long after the fact with no consequence.^[1]

Psychic vampires[]

Main article: Psychic vampires

Psychic vampires are the most common type of vampire. They have the ability to drain a victim of their energy, rather than blood, through conversation or certain acts. They are notably the only kind of vampire that can drain another vampire of their energy,^[4] or gain energy from victims electronically via the internet.^[21] They are able to exist in sunlight without issue, have reflections and live a more ordinary experience than traditional vampires, although their eyes may glow lilac-blue while feeding. They are not harmed by religious imagery or connotations.^[6] They are also incapable of flight, but may hover during periods of intense power.^[18] Psychic vampires are capable of shapeshifting into animals, as demonstrated by Colin Robinson’s ability to transform into a gecko, but this is rarely put into practice.^[22]

Energy vampires[]

Energy vampires are the most common kind of psychic vampire, they drain energy from their victims by boring or annoying them.

Emotional vampires[]

Emotional vampires are a very powerful form of psychic vampire, they gain energy from pity. They may do so by telling sad stories or pretending to faint to gain sympathy from other people.^[18]

Other types of vampire[]

Vampire witches[]

Although vampires often treat witches with suspicion, some vampires may also become witches themselves.^[1]

Half-vampires[]

Vampires who are half-human, half vampire (otherwise named Dhampir) who are resistant to sunlight.^[11]

Chinese jumping vampires[]

Chinese jumping vampires (better known as Jiangshi) tend to hop around with arms outstretched rather than walk and prefer to wear traditional Chinese clothing.^[15]

Known vampires[]

Appearances[]

• What We Do in the Shadows: Interviews with Some Vampires
• What We Do in the Shadows (film)
• Dating 101 with Viago
• Vampire's Guide to Vellington
• Viago feat. Hurricanes - Poi E
• Wellington Paranormal
  • "A Normal Night"
• What We Do in the Shadows (TV series)
• Deacon the Vampire Live

References[]