Of all the undead creatures that stalk the world, none is more dreadful than the vampire. Moving silently through the night, vampires prey upon the living without mercy or compassion. They must return to the coffins in which they pass the daylight hours to rest for their powers are renewed by contact with soil from their graves. The soil comes from their native contries and is the source of their power. Unlike other undead, the vampire can easily pass among mormal men without drawing attention to itself for, although its facial features are sharp and feral, they do not seem inhuman. In many cases, a vampire's true nature is revealed only when it attacks, though other means exist. Careful observers will notice that they cast no reflection in mirrors, nor do they cast shadows, and move in complete silence.
The vampire can, at will, disperse their bodies into clouds of vapor and are immune to attacks in this form and can escape almost any, save airtight, containments. In addition, they can also change shapes to assume the form of a large bat or wolf allowing them to escape quickly if need be. They are also said, in some circles, to have the ability to climb walls just like a spider. The older vampires, such as Dracula himself, are said to be able to charm people with but a gaze and make them do their bidding. The vampire is also the lord of creatures of the night, such as wolves, bats, and spiders. They can summon these creatures to their aid for assistance, spying, and other menial tasks. These undead creatures hold great strength an agility over normal men and can accomplish feats far greater as well.
Despite the great powers of the vampire, they do posses their weaknesses as well. The strong odor of garlic repels them, as well as a holy symbol held to them with faith and conviction. Mirrors will also make them recoil, but these are only temporary and the vampire will seek away around this. They can not enter a house unless invited, either through trickery, deception, or an unwitting victim. There are only a few ways to trully "kill" a vampire. The most common and known is a stake through the heart, but if the stake is ever removed, the vampire will spring back to life. There are but two true was to kill one of these undead leeches. The first is direct sunlight, which will turn the creature to dust. It is rumored that not even this is permanent, though it is to be seen that a vampire come back from this. The final is to remove the head, fill it with blessed wafers or the equivalent, and bury the head and body seperately, covering the head in rose petals. This puts the tortured soul to its final rest and it can not come back.
-Byron, The Giaour (1813)
|
So on his nightmare, through the evening fog,
-Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802) |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
But first, on earth as vampire sent,