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Louis de Pointe du Lac; a vampire
Vampires are the reanimated bodies of humans which are inhabited by the spirit of the deceased and infused with the power of Amel. Their survival is heavily dependant upon the consumption of blood, particularly that of humans, but animal blood will also suffice.
Characteristics[]
Vampires are preternaturally beautiful beings, as the transformation from human to vampire perfects and refines all of their physical features and physical form/physique. This makes vampires more efficient predators as it allows them to attract and seduce unsuspecting humans.
The attractiveness of a vampire is determined by how desirable they were before they died. If an already beautiful person were to be sired, their physical attractiveness would be "breathtaking". However, if the person were only of average interest, their attractiveness would be lower, albeit still very beautiful. However, in the rare case where a completely hideous person is chosen to be sired, their transformation into the undead would only make them moderately good-looking.
The physical changes that occur whenever a human becomes a vampire are apparent: their eyes become a more luminous version of their original color, their skin paler and cleaner, akin to alabaster in appearance/texture, and their fingernails become translucent and grow to form natural claws that are razor sharp and highly durable-enough to carve into wood and stone with ease. Their muscle mass is enhanced and they have no further need to breathe. However, because vampires often feel uncomfortable without their sense of smell, many vampires will continue to breathe, not only out of habit, but also as a means to hunt since their enhanced sense of smell helps them to smell blood whenever it is nearby, whether human or animal. Nevertheless, their ability to restrain airflow from their lungs allows them to remain submerged underwater for as long as they wish, and contributes greatly to their excellent swimming capabilities.
The hair, nails and skin of a vampires are all beautiful and flawless, and their entire body is textured with a sleek, marble-like substance which continues to smoothen over time, as well as grow paler in appearance. Vampires also have incredibly beautiful teeth that are remarkably strong and impossible to damage; equipped with two pairs of visible, retractable, yet ever present fangs along the upper canines and lateral incisors. Furthermore, at some point during their transformation, the fledgling vampire will expel all bodily waste from their system and will start to produce only blood from their own system and also that of their prey’s when they feed.
Additionally, vampires are incapable of producing bodily waste, breeding through sex or consuming human foods as their digestive systems can only assimilate blood. If a vampire were to try and consume anything other than blood, they would become violently ill and forced to regurgitate every last trace of it from their stomach. The only exception to this is water, which vampires can consume moderate amounts of without becoming terribly sick. However, because water does not provide the same benefits or necessities to vampires as it does humans, most vampires refrain from its consumption entirely, rather getting and receiving it from their kills, as blood holds water.
Lastly, all vampires have been known to manifest a number supernatural abilities, such as superhuman physicality. Vampires also have incredibly keen senses and are able to detect a heartbeat from over a hundred yards away, smell a single drop of blood from several dozen feet away, and see well beyond the electromagnetic spectrum allowing them to clearly perceive the stars and galaxy at night, through fog/clouds, and light pollution, as well as see and maneuver around in complete and total darkness with ease.. Furthermore, it appears that after a vampire reaches a thousand years in age, not only will they develop an immunity to ultraviolet light, but will also manifest a number of special abilities that are often based in psychic phenomena (i.e. telekinesis and telepathy). The only exception to this are the fledglings who were sired by "pure-blooded" vampires. Instead of having to wait a millennium to develop special abilities, these vampires can manifest a variety of psychic powers as soon as their first year of being undead.
Contrary to popular belief, wooden stakes, religious symbols, holy water and garlic are all ineffective and harmless against vampires. Vampires also cast shadows and reflections, physically appear in photographs, move about churches and temples without harm, as well as enter homes and private establishments without the need of an invitation. Strangely, it appears one of the few tropes about vampires that actually holds true is their fatal vulnerability against fire and ultraviolet light. However, as vampires become more powerful with time, their immunity to these substances will also increase, allowing millennia old vampires to bask in the sunlight and maneuver around the day unharmed, gaining only a light tan complexion from exposure instead of burning to death.
Furthermore, vampires also experience a compulsive "sleep" cycle in conjunction with the rising and setting of the Sun; as the dawn breaks, vampires become greatly fatigued as the rising Sun triggers their drowsiness, forcing them to find shelter to retreat. The only vampires known to overcome this weakness are those whom have lived over a thousand years of age and have developed an immunity to ultraviolet light. Younger vampires can try to achieve this but ultimately find they cannot and unwillingly give into the compulsory rest. These vampires are capable of creating their own sleep schedules regardless of the day or time. Nevertheless, due to the fact that all vampires are at their most vulnerable whenever they are asleep, more than half of the undead choose to sleep in either coffins or crypts as a means to avoid any unsuspecting danger. According to Lestat de Lioncourt, vampires cannot dream and cannot awaken until the dusk "resurrects" them from their sleep. During their slumber, vampires, while not awake or conscious themselves, do possess a naturally built in defense mechanism that causes their limbs to reach out aimlessly when their subconscious mind detects movement near them; their bodies do this in an attempt to scare away any potential threats. This was the case with Ursula in Vittorio The Vampire, when Vittorio broke into her covens lair as they slumbered while the sun was up.
Nutrition[]
Vampires need blood to survive. It has been implied that the need to feed gradually decreases as they age, as David Talbot suggests that newborn vampires must drink blood each night, whilst older vampires, especially those over a thousand years, have been known to survive nearly a decade without a single drop of blood.
Whilst human blood is the most preferred - being it the most delicious and nutritious - animal blood and even vampire blood have also been known to satiate a vampire's thirst. Whenever a vampire feeds on someone, their heartbeats will begin to beat in harmonic rhythm, effectively joining them as one shared pulse. It is because of this that the bite of a vampire and subsequent feeding is an intimate and pleasurable experience for both participants. However, a vampire must take care never to drain a person completely to the point of death, as this would mean death for them as well; because vampires need the blood of the living to survive, by drinking "dead blood" they would effectively take their victim's death into themselves.
Reproduction[]
The process of converting a human to a vampire is often referred to as "The Dark Gift" and is regarded as a profoundly intimate act for both participants; akin to giving birth and nursing. The feeding act is highly sensual and described as deeper than sex. Because of this unique form of intimacy, and the fact that vampires are instinctively drawn to aesthetic beauty, it is not uncommon for vampires to sire those whom they find physically alluring or humans for whom they hold great affection such as friends, lovers, or relatives.
The process begins with a prolonged feeding period; sometimes over the span of a week as the vampire drains the human's arteries almost dry. It is normal for the victim to experience severe symptoms of fatigue after such a long feeding as their bodies grow sick from the significant blood loss. Once the heart begins to atrophy from lack of blood flow, the vampire then replaces this deficit with some of its own by allowing the human to feed from them in return. The victim then experiences excruciating pain as their body experiences physical death, while their minds and souls remains intact and bound to their bodies.
Upon their resurrection, newborn vampires are typically overwhelmed by their heightened abilities and perceptions. Their bodies undergo further changes as their features are perfected and their bowels are emptied. Due to their aversion to the Sun, cemeteries and other dark, secluded places are a common resting place for young vampires - a habit they will often carry with them into their later years. Vampires may also burrow underground to find rest within the earth, especially to hibernate, when they feel overwhelmed from living so long in the world and don’t yet want to end their lives.
Powers and abilities[]
Basic powers[]
The basic powers of every vampire include:
Immortality: Vampires are immortal beings, in the sense that they do not age past the date of their transformation, are immune to all forms of disease, they cannot die from natural causes, nor can they be killed by mundane methods that can easily end the lives of mortal beings such as gunshots, stab wounds, poison, or suffocation.
Supernatural Endurance: The power to withstand tremendous amounts of mental and physical abuse and neglect and fully recover. Vampires can exert themselves physically far longer than any human being can before they require rest and fresh blood, and they possess great tolerance towards physical pain, only ever feeling it in its full effect when they have not fed properly for a long time.
Supernatural Health: The power to exhibit exceptional weight, height and fitness as well as an immunity to all mortal diseases. The transformation from human to vampire, enhances and refines the body, leaving them nearly always more physically appealing and attractive. If a vampire suffered from any ailment as a human, they will find that it has been fully healed and corrected during their transformation, leaving them with superior health and physical condition.
Supernatural Intelligence: The power to efficiently absorb knowledge and utilize it efficiently at a mastered level. They possess the ability to learn and master new things such as languages or techniques with inhuman ease and speed.
Supernatural Memory: The power to possess an enhanced memory capable of easily remembering all details and facts with absolute clarity. Vampires possess vault like memories, able to always remember a face and voice, recall a memory or information with perfect detail regardless of any amount of time that has passed, and they can learn inhumanly quick and fast due to their enhanced intelligence and memory working in concert when attaining new information and knowledge, such as that of languages or techniques.
Supernatural Senses: The power to hear, see, smell, taste and feel far beyond the range and capacity of any human or animal. The senses of a vampire are enhanced and refined by many times during their transformation. They can hear the heart beat of their prey from several yards away, the pulsing of the blood in the vein of their prey, and can also hear conversations through thick walls in other rooms with great clarity. They see with superhuman levels of clarity and detail, making even colors brighter. They can keep track of things too fast for mortal eyes to accurately perceive, see further than any human eye is able to, as well as magnify things visually, allowing them such perks as seeing through fog, clouds, light pollution, and darkness. Vampires can also perceive energy, so even in darkness, their vision is unhindered. They can smell like bloodhounds, able to track the scent of blood for miles, can identify humans through their unique scents, as well as emotional states by smell and if it's human or animal. They can taste different blood types and what their prey has recently consumed whether it be food, drink, or illegal substances, and can tell if the blood is human or animal through taste as well as scent. They can feel the smallest of vibrations and can feel the slightest drops in temperature.
Supernatural Speed: The power to not only jump, move and run far beyond the capacity of any human or animal, but to also mentally and physically react to one's environment with inhuman precision and celerity. With time they grow physically faster.
Supernatural Strength: The power to carry, lift and throw outstanding amounts of weight and mass with little to no strain or struggle. Even newly created vampires possess strength far superior to that of a mortal human beings; they can break and snap bones with a single hand, lift and throw fully grown men across a room or through walls with a simple push or kick, and are capable of flipping over an entire vehicle. With time they grow physically stronger, though a vampires' physical power can be increased without the need of greatly accrued age by drinking the blood of those older than them, such as the blood of a Child of the Millenia.
Bestowal of The Dark Gift: All vampires possess the ability to pass on The Dark Gift/vampirism to mortals should they wish to do so, by undergoing the proper method of reproduction. The longer a vampire lives and goes without creating one of their own, the more powerful their creation will be when they finally decide to create a vampire, as was the case with Magnus when he turned Lestat after not having turned anyone for 3 centuries. This resulted in Lestat being much more powerful than the average vampire of his age, something that many ancient Immortals take note of.
Other Powers[]
These abilities have only been exhibited by vampires at least one thousand years of age or those who are said to have been sired by "pure-blooded vampires". These powers include:
Elemental Manipulation: The power to control and manipulate the elemental forces of Nature, including air, earth, fire and water.
- Pyrokinesis: Children of the Millennia or those who have drunk directly from Those Who Must Be Kept, exhibit the ability to mentally set objects and beings of lesser power alight with flame. They also possess the ability to guide, manipulate, and extinguish flames with their mind.
- Aerokinesis: Usually Children of the Millennia or vampires advanced in age by several centuries possess the ability to manipulate air currents for the purpose of riding them and achieving simulated flight, which they can perform with great speed and skill, allowing them to fly far above clouds and around the world as well.
Matter Manipulation: The power to control and manipulate solid matter with the mind, especially for the means of telekinetic movement. Usually reserved for Children of the Millennia or those very advanced in age by several centuries.
Mental Manipulation: The power to control and manipulate the actions, behaviors, memories and perceptions of others through the transmission of telepathic commands. Marius employed this ability when moving Those Who Must Be Kept to new lairs and hiding places. He also caused the servants he hired to forget that they ever saw them or helped him move their heavy statuesque bodies.
Telepathy: The power to see into the minds of others, hear their thoughts and search their memories for any personal or private information that one might require. A vampire with this power possesses the ability to read the minds of not just mortals but immortals as well, unless they put up psychic defenses. One can also find a friend by seeking out their psychic wave length mentally. Vampires with this power also find that they can no longer read the minds of those who are descended from their vampiric blood, as is the case with Lestat and Louis, and Claudia as well later on.
Weaknesses[]
Vampires all possess a common set of weaknesses that range from inconvenient to lethal. The older a vampire grows, the more immunity they gain to certain weaknesses.
Fire: Fire is an efficient manner to destroy a vampire, provided said vampire is not a Child of The Millenia. For those under a millenia old, they are highly susceptible and vulnerable to the effects of fire; if set ablaze, they can be greatly weakened and or reduced to ash-from, which there is no resurrecting and healing, permanent and true death has been achieved.
Decapitation: If under a Millenia old any vampire who is decapitated will die. Children of the Millenia are able to survive this, such as Rhoshamandes, who was able to recover and fully revive from being decapitated due to his advanced power and strength stemming from his immense old age; he was over 5 Millenia old.
Exsanguination: As blood is the sole nutrition a vampire survives and lives off of, should they be drained of it in dangerous amounts without having it replaced quickly, said drained vampire will die from it as their bodies have nothing to draw on for power or life force. Children of the Millenia possess a higher chance of survivability from this due to their advanced power, but ultimately can succumb to death from this as well.
Sunlight: Vampires, especially those under a Millenia old, are highly vulnerable to sunlight; it burns, and with enough exposure, they will catch fire and die. The older a vampire becomes, the more direct exposure to sunlight they can withstand before succumbing to it.
Dead Blood: Vampires, regardless of age or power, are all vulnerable to the consumption of dead blood. It can weaken them severely for several weeks if consumed in a small amount or if a decent amount is consumed, it can outright kill them, especially if it was consumed right when a vampire was feeding on their prey and didn’t stop before their heart gave out, their prey’s death flowing into them as well.
Sacred Core Destruction: All Vampires, regardless of age or power status, are vulnerable to permanent death if the Sacred Core is destroyed. The Sacred Core is the brain and heart that houses the ancient spirit of Amel, the progenitor and creator of Vampire kind.