so you're writing about a vampire (or similar creature)...
...and they're the kind of vampire who drinks blood from a bag instead of/in addition to "the tap" (so to speak). how can we "accurately" write about consuming animal blood? fortunately for us, blood is nutritionally rich for humans too. instead of wasting this precious animal resource, many cultures across the globe have cooked with blood for a very, very long time. furthermore, modern medicine has informed us WAY more about how blood works (and occasionally disables us).
TL;DR: Treat blood like a big, bloody steak or pork chop and it'll likely be fine.
disclaimer: obviously vampires aren't real, and if someone is knowingly reading a vampire/fantasy story they've already suspended their disbelief that much. this is mostly for fun and to get your gears going. additionally, this is based on a reply I wrote to @ilyaenthusiast when they asked "does pig blood smell bad" (answer: it depends)
Blood is a popular component of many people's diet. In my opinion, raw blood doesn't smell particularly bad. It smells a little metallic, but not bad. This is wildly subjective and many people are highly sensitive to the scent of blood, sometimes to the point of nausea. Fresh blood won't smell like a whole lot, but older blood may have a stronger scent if it hasn't been properly stored.
I would suggest thinking about a bag of blood for a vampire like a big, juicy steak (assuming you're not a lifelong vegetarian). Would you leave a steak out on the counter for a week? You might not, but maybe your vampire would if they were clinically depressed. If I was a vampire, I'd store my blood in the freezer and defrost it in the fridge or on the counter in a pinch. Not coincidentally, that's exactly the same way I prepare large pieces of meat.
I remember watching a video of blood soup being prepared in Thailand and being struck at how jiggly pig's blood is. Regardless of whether it's still in a mammal or not, blood continues to coagulate and denature. Coagulation outside of the body more or less looks like the blood becoming a kind of jelly. In China and southeast Asia, "blood tofu" is duck or pig blood that's settled into a jiggly solid and pan fried.
If blood did not coagulate, I would guess it's unlikely complex life would have evolved very differently or not at all. Even people who have hemophilia retain the ability to manufacture some blood-clotting proteins, but aren't able to manufacture others.
So how does this apply to a vampire? Assuming that your vampire doesn't want to eat jelly, they need to de-coagulate their Lean Cuisine. Blood banks do a couple of things to keep blood liquid. They add a little bit of citrate to donations, and some have machines that constantly agitate the blood. Your vampire could notice the taste of the citrate, or maybe they don't.
Additionally, you need to think about the infrastructure around the blood jiggler machine. What infrastructure is there around vampires in your story in general? Do they live out in the open? Are they marginalized, a dominant class, or somewhere in between? If they live in secret, would somebody notice hospital equipment like that going missing? Is the machinery considered a necessity, or a luxury like an airfryer? Are the bags that the blood come in made to be eaten out of (like a juicebox)? Are they packaged like medicine? Is there a vampire Hungry Man? Are there different brands? Could a vampire get by on some kind of blood pill, or does it have to be liquid?
All of that being said, some questions in fiction can be left unanswered. As long as there's some consideration to how drinking donated blood actually works, your reader is already suspending disbelief by buying into a vampire story at all. Like, come on. It's a vampire. There's probably magic involved. It doesn't all have to be "realistic", whatever that means. But, as your friend, I would encourage you to be thoughtful about what realism you're using and what you're discarding, and why.
-> You are a seventeen year old girl living in a small town in Japan. It's autumn and the reddish leaves are falling along with the raindrops from the clouds. You grip your umbrella tightly as the strong wind plays with your hair. Suddenly, you hear whispers. They are calling your name. But you are alone, who could it be?
So since we are talking about a vampire anime we are going to focus mostly on japanese media but also media popular in Japan in the early 2010s.
𝔸𝕟𝕚𝕞𝕖 𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥 = Vampire Knight, Diabolik Lovers, Devil's Line, Dance with Devils, Shiki, Hellsing, Vampire Hunter D, Trinity Blood, Kurozuka, Blood: The Last Vampire, Night Walker: The Midnight Detective.
𝕄𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕒 𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥 (obviously the anime listed above included) = Vampire Kisses, Blood Hound, Midnight Secretary, Castlevania, RustBlaster, Model, Omae ga Sekai wo Kowashitai nara, Honey Blood.
𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥 = Dracula, Interview with a Vampire, Vampire Academy, Evermore (The Immortals #1), Marked (House of Night #1), Twilight, The Vampire Diaries.
𝕄𝕠𝕧𝕚𝕖/𝕊𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤 𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥 = The Vampire Diaries, Nosferatu, Twilight, Thirst (korean film), Hotel Transylvania, Sleepy Hallow, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Music
This category also plays a big role and we are going to focus on three genres: classical music, vkei, anime soundtracks.
𝕍𝕜𝕖𝕚 (bands to start from) = Malice Mizer, Plastic Tree, Dadaroma, Moi dix Mois, Kagrra, Kiryu, Jiluka.
𝔸𝕟𝕚𝕞𝕖 𝕤𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕜𝕤 from the anime listed above. Some of the most famous ones from them are for Vampire Knight made by the band ON/OFF, the Diabolik Lovers openings from both season 1 and season 2.
ℂ𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝 (some staples to start from) = Tchaikovsky – Swan Lake (Act II), Saint-Saëns – Danse Macabre, Bach – Toccata and Fugue in D minor, Chopin – Nocturnes, Liszt – Liebestraum No. 3, Debussy – Clair de Lune, Beethoven – Moonlight Sonata, Vivaldi – Winter, Vivaldi – Summer, Mozart – Lacrimosa, Handel – Sarabande.
Personality/Vibes
I am not going to force you to change yourself, but I will list some positive traits of those protagonists that you can try incorporating for your own improvement. Don't forget that their biggest strength is staying true to their selves.
Stay busy. Don't scroll on social media and instead romanticize your life by trying different hobbies. Put yourself out there and don't hide in the shadows.
𝔸𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕔 𝕙𝕠𝕓𝕓𝕚𝕖𝕤 = Reading books, writing novels or even a dairy, drawing or sketching, playing an instrument, calligraphy.
𝔸𝕥𝕞𝕠𝕤𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕔 𝕙𝕠𝕓𝕓𝕚𝕖𝕤 = Stargazing or sky gazing, collecting things like flowers or postcards, tea rituals even with yourself, herbal knowledge like flowers, scents or teas.
ℙ𝕙𝕪𝕤𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝 𝕙𝕠𝕓𝕓𝕚𝕖𝕤 = Light stretching or yoga, walking especially at dusk or nighttime, dancing like ballet or contemporary, archery or fencing if you have access to it.
ℂ𝕦𝕝𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕒𝕝 𝕙𝕠𝕓𝕓𝕚𝕖𝕤 (famous among teenagers in 2010s Japan) = Visit manga cafes or just regular cozy ones, decorate your phone with charms, photography, fashion coordination.
𝕊𝕠𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕙𝕠𝕓𝕓𝕚𝕖𝕤 (very important) = Being part of a small club in your high school, helping someone or even volunteering, join a sports team.
Daily Routine
And with that I am going to write a daily routine for high school students based on my guide that you can of course incorporate and customize. This is an example of a day following my guide.
.𝕊𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕕𝕒𝕪, 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘.
You are going to wake up pretty early, like 8:00am, when it's cold and misty outside. Drink some water and slowly awaken your body by opening the curtains and putting on some soft classical music. If you want, you can also add a light stretching or a yoga session.
Later on, you are going to do your skincare and eat a light but delicious breakfast. After about an hour, 9:00am, you should start doing your homework for Monday. If you don't have homework, you can pick another activity to do from the ones listed in my guide.
Before lunch, at 11:30am, you are going to get ready in a cute and comfy outfit and go out around your neighborhood. Don't forget to bring a manga or a book to read outside in nature after you finish walking.
Finally, you come back at 1:00pm for lunch. While eating, you can watch some vampire anime or TV series. Till 2:30pm you can do whatever you want, it's a break time.
When you are done eating and relaxing, you are gonna pick anything to do from 2:30pm to 5:00pm. You can either focus on your appearance, or consume some more vampire media, or do a hobby from the ones listed above. Even if it's just listening to vkei and relaxing on your bed.
You will start getting ready to hang out with your close friends at 6:00pm. Don't forget to grab a snack before you go! The hang out can be at a lot of places, but I suggest bookstores, rooftops, gardens or anywhere outside in nature, cafes, old buildings or historic areas. The key to the place is that it has to be quiet and not too crowded.
At one point, around 9:00-10:00pm you are going to want to take a walk alone in the dusk/night (if it's safe of course!). I recommend calm hallways, close to trees, not too many people. Ditch the headphones and hear the sounds of nature instead.
Finally at 12:00pm you are going to slowly wind down for sleep. Drink some tea, dim the lights, read something or write in your diary, watch something, stargaze, etc.
A/N: That's it! Thank you so much to everyone who liked this guide and I hope you get inspired by it or even follow it.
Behold! The beginning of a series on my vampire lore :D
I thought it’d be helpful if I made a visual guide as opposed to a written one. Hope you find it interesting!
Unlike more popular vampire lore, my vampires are more “animalistic” in their characteristics. Such as cat-like eyes and sharp hyena/canine teeth. Their claws are also retractable.
They’re more suited to hunting big game as opposed to trying to lure in humans.
•sharp piercing canines (uppers usually) note:Vampire King the exception currently
•fingernails become razor sharp for slicing/ripping
•paler skin than human normal
•lacking a heartbeat
•blood intoxicating on some level
•no reason to breathe except:
air across the vocal cords for speaking
the sense of smell
•blood as food source (obviously)
Note: a Jacob's organ develops. Think of a cat when gathering scent. Opening the mouth and placement of tongue increases (ie. Bloodhound)
•~•
Not commonly:
•vocals develop a range of sounds
•can have a heartbeat
to fool humans due to technological human improvements in medicine.
when the Vampire deems it so
•males develop a knot like werewolves
possibly competitive aspect (like antlers to show prowse)
due to werewolves
residual adaption (ie.goosebumps)
•~•
•male seminal fluids: trace of blood in it.
blood is everything with vampires
recently having fed.
•~•
Female vaginal fluids: traces
one month/ per year of breeding time
taste causes male vampire to go into a rut
Please note: as more information becomes available, this information will be updated.
⚜️
Third Eyelids
There are thoughts about the third eye covering/lids and come to the conclusion Vampires have a third eyelid like cats in particular. Dangerous, sharp objects weirded by the more aggressive prey.
It's instinct in some to attack the eyes on anyone or anything. Or being a peasant burning down your home waving pitch forks.
The second use of the Nictitating membrane is the increased speed and those vampires that can remain humanoid with flight. It keeps eye irritation such as dust from entering the eyes. It keeps the vision completely clear for constant better vision.
▪︎~▪︎~▪︎~▪︎~▪︎
nic·ti·tat·ing mem·brane
/ˌniktətādiNG ˈmembrān/
Learn to pronounce
nounZOOLOGY
a whitish or translucent membrane that forms an inner eyelid in birds, reptiles, and some mammals. It can be drawn across the eye to protect it from dust and keep it moist.
In some species, the membrane is sufficiently transparent so as to enable vision when underground or underwater. Though the reason for the loss of a nictitating membrane in humans in unclear, changes in habitat and eye physiology may have rendered the tissue unnecessary.
https://www.britannica.com ›
The exact function of the third eyelid in cats is not completely known but it is believed to help protect a very large cornea from injury as cats move through tall grass or capture prey.Nov 20, 2006
https://www.scientificamerican.com › ...
Vampire vocal communication
Vampires believe they are the next step in evolution. They as a 'species' are arrogant, narcissistic and nature born killers once changed. They are almost a perfect killing machine.
It has been observed by vampire pets and toys that Vampires actually have a complex communication other than words being used. The hypothesis is that when their senses are heightened or become heightened Vampires become closer to predators like various cat species. Perhaps bats as a Vampire animal to call. Yet not all vampires can communicate with bats.
-> You are a seventeen year old girl living in a small town in Japan. It's autumn and the reddish leaves are falling along with the raindrops from the clouds. You grip your umbrella tightly as the strong wind plays with your hair. Suddenly, you hear whispers. They are calling your name. But you are alone, who could it be?
You will need three standard outfits in total. First the school uniform, second the casual off-duty outfit and third an outfit for special occasions.
𝕜𝕖𝕪 𝕔𝕠𝕝𝕠𝕣𝕤 : black, browns, deep crimson, purples, navy blues, whites (in general more cool and natural colours).
𝕊𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕠𝕝 𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞 = A pleated skirt that stops mid-thigh or flared/bootcut jeans. Long blouses sometimes with ruffles at the collar or cuffs, off-shoulder sweaters, turtle neck tight shirts. Jackets that stop at the waist or longer blazers. Simple white sneakers or loafers or mary jane shoes. Headbands, black ribbons, silver accessories.
.examples
ℂ𝕒𝕤𝕦𝕒𝕝 𝕠𝕗𝕗-𝕕𝕦𝕥𝕪 = Loose sweaters or cardigans, lace blouses, peacoats or trench coats with belts. Mini skirts with tights or leggings, again flared/bootcut jeans. Knee-high boots or platforms. Chokers, fingerless gloves, silver accessories, subtle hair accessories.
.examples
𝕊𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 = Velvet dresses with lace sleeves, corset tops, jean mini skirts.
.examples
In general, we are focusing on simple clothing and outfits, that mostly show off the figure instead. Choose one tight fit and one loose every time (for example flared jeans with a loose sweater).
Hair & Makeup
ℍ𝕒𝕚𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕥𝕤 : 1) Long straight hair with curtain bangs/full bangs/side bangs. 2) Long hair with soft curls at the end. 3) Mid-length layered cuts.
ℂ𝕠𝕝𝕠𝕣𝕤 : Natural colors like black, brown shades, dirty blonde, dark ginger, etc. Again focus on cool, ashy tones.
We are focusing on shiny, healthy hair rather than the haircuts or colors and stuff. You can achieve this by reducing heat, hair masks once a week and hair oils for the ends.
𝕄𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕦𝕡 𝕥𝕦𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕝 (you skip and add steps based on the occasion):
Natural matte base = Sunscreen with color or bb cream. Concealer on the center of the forehead, under the eyes, each side of the nose and lips, center of the chin. Blush and contouring based on your face type.
Eyes = Soft dark brown eyeliner rather than black with a small wing or smudged black eye pencil or dark eyeshadow in shades of brown and gray.
Lips = We want to keep them natural so a clear gloss or a pink lip tint.
.example
Body
I included this category because I think a key characteristic of such a protagonist is feeling always light. We don't want our food to make us feel bloated and full to the point of barely walking but instead to fill us with energy.
𝔻𝕚𝕖𝕥 = Healthy and light meals like rice with chicken and veggies, soups, grilled fish with veggies, salads with tofu or chicken, boiled eggs, oatmeal, noodles.
𝔽𝕠𝕔𝕦𝕤 on vegetables, fruits, lean meat, protein from eggs or olive oil and yogurt, carbs from rice or oats and bread. 𝔸𝕧𝕠𝕚𝕕 heavy fried foods, excessive sugar and energy drinks.
ℍ𝕒𝕓𝕚𝕥𝕤 = Walking, biking, maybe running, eating slowly, avoid heavy meals and focus on smaller ones but more meals through the day.
Decoration
I believe decorating your bedroom or any other space in which you sit a lot will improve the vibe we are trying to achieve. For now I am going to focus on the bedroom, because that's the main space for everyone, but you can also incorporate it for your desk or any other space you want.
𝕎𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕤 = I suggest painting in light colors and making the decoratings dark instead, so white or soft creams and light grays. Maybe you can try painting only one small wall a different color like midnight blue, burgundy, bloody red or dark purple. Choose cool lighting to match the cool colors.
𝔹𝕖𝕕 = Simple dark wood bed with velvet or satin bedding again in white or soft creams. You can throw some smaller pillows for decoration, like bats or your favorite animal.
𝕊𝕙𝕖𝕝𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕘 = Simple dark wood shelves for vampire media like manga, anime figures, other things you like. Again I suggest keeping things simple because this is not a gothic guide but an everyday girl guide that is really not an everyday girl. Vintage style boxes for your jewelry.
ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕋𝕠𝕦𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕤 = Posters of your favourite vampire media and bands, antique-style clock, small vases with dried roses, scented candles.
A/N: That's it! Thank you so much to everyone who liked this guide and I hope you get inspired by it or even follow it.
Part 2 of the field guide is here quicker than expected!
As I’ve said before, all vampires have the ability to transform into a feral form so I won’t repeat it here.
But here’s some more info on a unique part of my vampire lore: Soul Marks.
All male vampires are born with a special marking on their back known as a “Soul Mark.” Soul Marks often take the shape of a symbol of their truest self. Most are other animals, like fish, mammals, birds etc. but some can be more abstract like the moon, or elements.
It is believed these come from the god of death, Astennu, since he was the first to have one.
Soul Marks are believed to be a way tods attract mates, the more interesting or flashy a marking is, the more attractive that tod is. Once a pair has committed themselves to each other, the vixen will gain her partner’s marking. The process can be painful, but it is only temporary.
In the case of two tods becoming mates, their markings will merge to create a new one.
vam·pireˈvamˌpī(ə)r/
noun
1.a corpse supposed, in European folklore, to leave its grave at night to drink the blood of the living by biting their necks with long pointed canine teeth.
can be used for indie or roleplays.
so basically i haven’t found any vampire guides, so i just made one? if you found this helpful, i’d appreciate it if you liked or reblogged! it’s kind of long, and it’s pretty much one big quiz, but i assure you if you’re looking to play a vampire, it should help!
note: this is just what i found by researching. i don’t know how much is considered like, “true”. this is just what i found.
i. what kind of vampire is your vampire? (x)
psi vampire: a vampire that derives their power from non-physical energy, rather than blood. They drain energy from other life forces to replace their own. It is like recharging a battery.
blood vampire: ( most common ) vampires gain energy from drinking blood. They must drink fresh blood to gain energy, however, it must be from a live person.
hybrid vampire: hybrids are a mix of both psi and blood vampires. they have many of the psi abilities that a psi vampire has, and can also gain energy from consuming blood. ( note: if you’re doing a vampire like from the vampire diaries, hybrid can also mean werewolf and vampire together )
elimental vampires: these are vampires that feed from the elements. for example, the energy created by a thunder storm. they actually feed of the power in the air that the storms create, much like a psi vampire will feed from a human host.
emotional vampire: these are vampires that feed on emotions, such as anger, fear, rage, happiness, etc. some may even be known to start fights, just so they can feed from the emotions it causes.
sexual vampires: these vampires feed on the energy generated by sex, or a sex act. the sexual vampire will feed off sexual energy, and the sexual need and dependence of their victims.
social vampire: social vampire is very much like a sexual vampire, except they feed on social energy, rather than sexual energy. a social vampire will tend to be the type of person who loves to be the center of attention, and cannot stand to be alone or ignored by others.
new breed vampires: These type of vampires are similar to the vampires in the movie "Queen of the Damned", minus a few exaggerations. classical vampires are "ageless", meaning their physical bodies do not age, but they can be killed.
genetic vampires: These vampires are similar to the vampires in the movie "Blade", minus a few exaggerations. for example, they do not burst into flames upon exposure to sunlight, and they are not affected by garlic. most are extremely sensitive to sunlight, however. depending on the blood line, some genetic vampires can only last 10 mins, while others can last up to a few hours. if they do go over the time they can safely walk around in the sun, their skin will start to burn severely, much like a chemical burn. most of them live for over 300 years of age. however, I do not know their exact lifespan. I have heard mixed reports of Genetic vampires living from 350 - 900 years of age.
inhertior vampires TYPE 1: these vampires are much like the genetic vampires, except they are born. Like sanguinarians, the vampire trait will lay dormant inside them until around the age of 13 - 26, when they awaken. when they body reaches the late stages of puberty, it releases a chemical which awakens the vampire and begins many physical changes in the body. as a result of this, most Inheritors look around 19 - 20 years old their whole life. most of the time the parents of the vampire will be human and vampire, or both vampires. there must be one vampire parent. inheritor vampires live to around the age of 350-400 years old.
inhertior vampire TYPE 2: sanguinarians are the "mortal version" of the Inheritor vampires. they still require and crave blood, are sensitive to sunlight, and have many of the traits the Inheritor and Classical vampires have. However, sanguinarians do not live much longer then the average human being.
malkavian vampire: These are mainly thought to be from a RPG clan, however, there are real Malkavian vampires out there. They are basically vampires who suffer from mental illnesses, or are considered to be insane by the rest of the community. However, they just have a different outlook on life, and most of the time they are not dangerous.
nightwalker: This type of vampire is almost extinct. The reason for this is that they do not have the healing of the Genetic / Inheritor or Classical vampires. They do not have the speed, or even the life span of the ageless vampires. In fact, they are more human than vampire. They only live for about 100 years, they do not have the healing like the other "immortals", and their speed is the same as a human. However, they do have the need to feed, just like any other vampire, and are also extremely sensitive to sunlight.
nosferatu vampire: When a human or vampire is turned, the body tries to fight the infection. In the case of the Noseratu vampires, the body got the upperhand. This caused the virus to alter itself, thus allowing for it to survive in the new host, causing the vampire's body to be extremely disfigured. From what I have heard, the Nosferatu are similar to the Classical or Genetic / Inheritor vampires. They are turned, not born.
there’s a whole bunch more here.
ii. what kind of powers does it have? (x)
if you’ve ever seen twilight or watched the vampire diaries, you know that vampires usually have some pretty cool powers, right? so what are your vampires?
immortal?
enhanced strength?
enhanced senses? ( smell, hearing, etc. )
enhanced speed?
healing? ( like wolverine )
flight? ( i guess like flying as a bat? )
shapeshifting/absorption? ( take that as you will i have no idea )
psychic powers? ( are they like edward from twilight, like how he can read minds? or alice who can see into the future? )
there’s a big list here of things
iii. what are their weaknesses? (x)
just like anyone, vamps have weaknesses right? just like how superman has kryptonite as his weakness. what’s your vamps weakness?
stake?
sunlight? ( do they have daylight rings to stop that? maybe they developed a mutation that protects themselves over hundreds of years? maybe they sparkle )
decapitation? ( who doesn’t love getting their head taken off? )
drowning?
fire? ( too hot? hot damn )
silver? ( if you’re doing a hybrid like in the vampire diaries, that’d be good because if i’m remembering correctly werewolves don’t like silver? )
garlic
holy symbols
running water
invitation ( can’t go into a house w/o being told by the owner to come in )
arithmomania
too long without blood could kill them
werewolf bite can kill
heart gets taken out
iii. what’s their appearance?
the titles pretty self-explanatory. i’m going to redirect you to here for this, it’ll just be easier and yeah.
iv. reproduction and feeding (x)
are they fertile?
can they turn others?
reproduce via transfusion
can demons get inside their body?
what do they feed on? human blood? souls? your grandma?
when feeding, does the human/animal whoever feel pleasure or pain? do they remember it?
v. the society and things (x)
is there dracula?
are vampires known about?
is there a society for vampires?
do they have non-vampire lovers?
do they sleep in coffins?
is there other supernatural creatures?
is there cool underground clubs that are just for vamps?
vi. your vampire’s background
now that you’ve got all the stuff out of the way, what’s your vampire like?
how old are they? is that considered old or new?
who turned them? ( are the people who turn you called something special, like makers? )
when did they get turned? (1900′s? three days ago? during WWII? )
how did they get turned? ( was it by a family member or in a backseat of a car? was it in a back alley or did a vampire save you from death? )
are they important to vampire society? ( are they considered royal? or just someone who hides away? maybe they’re running from the council )
have they turned anyone?
are they a moody vampire or cheerful?
do they live alone?
do they have a job?
do they hate other vampires?
how do they dress? are like they elijah in the vampire diaries and dress in suits 24/7 or do they dress down?
how many languages do they know?
where have they traveled?
how often do they feed?
so that’s pretty much it! if there’s anything i’ve missed, or something i’ve said/done incorrectly, feel free to let me know, or if you want me to do another one, feel free to leave me suggestions!!
This wasn't request but vampires are my favourite mythical creature of all time. So I'd thought I'd make a guide on how to portray one. Please keep in mind that this is a classical vampire and not those like the ones from Twilight. All this information is from my own knowledge, if you any requests on how to portray other mythical creatures, don't be after to ask. If this guide I'll be giving you the basics of:
How They Tend To Look
How They Tend To Act
How They Feed And What They Feed Off
Their Powers And Their Weaknesses
HOW THEY LOOK
Eyes: From what I've seen, the classical vampires tends to have a normal eye colour. Whatever colour they were born with, they carry on into their immortal life. I have seen that sometimes, when they feed, their eyes turn completely black or just the iris turns completely black. But this is optional.
Skin: Based on the likes of Dracula, most people assume vampires have pale white skin. I suppose this is due to the lack of blood flow in their bodies. But vampires don't have to be pale white, they again, much like the eyes, keep whatever skin colour they were born with.
Teeth: Classical vampires have either two or four fangs. The main two are on the top, and they can have two more smaller ones on the bottom row of teeth. Again, this is optional. The fangs can always be there, or they can change for when the vampire goes to feed. This is also optional.
HOW THEY ACT
Vampires are certainly mysterious, and often portrayed as brooding. But again, this depends on how you choose to play out your vampire. Remember, vampires don't have souls, therefore, they don't think or feel like humans.
Vampires are the masters of seduction, they know how to flirt and how they mainly catch their prey is by seducing them. Vampires can be dark or they can be hyper active or they can really have any personality. It depends on how they were in their past life. But you have to remember that vampires don't feel remorse.
There's myths you can play around with, like that vampires sleep in coffins or crypts, or you can go with a modern day type of thing where the vampire acts like a friendly normal neighbor.
HOW THEY FEED AND WHAT THEY FEED OFF
I would just like to start by saying, no, vampires didn't kill Bambi's mother or Bambi. From my experience of 'classical vampires' they only feed off humans with the exception of pigs blood from the butchers now and again (this is used in Buffy The Vampire Slayer).
As we all know, vampires have their lovely fangs that pierce your neck and drain you of your blood, sounds great, right? (note the sarcasm). I think a question that many people ask is, why do vampires bite your neck? Well, vampires mainly feed from the neck because there's a massive vein in your neck called the jugular vein, therefore if they were to bite you're neck they'r'e going to get a hell of a lot of blood. Vampires also feed from wrists because there's a bundle of easy to pierce veins there.
THEIR POWERS
Note: I'm not going to explain all of these because I feel like some are very self explanatory and are found in most vampires.
Immortality
Enhanced strength, senses and speed.
Advanced healing
Flight: I know some people will laugh at this one but yes, some vampires can fly, people say it's mainly Dracula that can fly but it's completely up to you.
Shapeshifting: Again, this is optional, I know in the classics, Dracula turns into a bat or a wolf, but he can turn into other humans as well, it's really up to you.
Psychic Powers: There are many different types of psychic powers, and if you want you can choose one or many for your vampire, because there is so many I'm just going to link you to this page with a list of them.
Telekinesis: This isn't on the page of psychic powers, so I think it may be classed differently and I apologise if I'm wrong. Telekinesis, in simple terms, is basically being able to move things with your mind or with a flick of your hand, you don't have to touch the object to move it.
Turning Other People Into Vampires: There's four different ways I've seen this been done. Firstly, in the classics, you turn into a vampire if you are bitten and drained completely by them (to the point of death). Secondly, you must drink some blood from the vampire and they must drink some blood from you before you can turn into a vampire. Thirdly, vampires have a special venom which they may or may not choose to use, if they don't inject their venom into you (it comes from their fangs) you will just die. And fourthly, it's nearly like a blood oath thing where your prick each of your ten finger tips as does the vampire, and you press them together, letting the vampire's blood travel into you, it similar to the first way but you don't have to drink the blood.
THEIR WEAKNESSES
Sunlight: I thought I'd hit the most obvious weakness first; sunlight. Many legends state that vampires can't go out in the sun because they are demons and God is seen as the sun, and vampires can't come in contact with religious things such as crosses and holy water.
Religious Items: As I mentioned above, vampires can't be touched by crosses or holy water. Many vampire slayers wear crosses around their necks to protect them from vampires. But, although vampires cannot touch religious items (mainly Christian items) they can walk into churches.
Stakes: For those of you who maybe don't know, a stake is a sharpened piece of wood which you drive through the heart of a vampire. But, you don't have to use a stake to kill a vampire, stabbing anything through their heart should do. Many people believe you should then cut off the vampire's head and burn their body to ensure they are definitely dead.
Garlic: From what I've read, vampires can't come in contact with garlic because supposedly garlic wards off other bloodsucking creatures like mosquitoes, other people have said it's because garlic acts as a antiseptic. I don't think it really matters what story you use.
Silver: Silver isn't just a weakness to vampires, it is a weakness to other mythical creatures such as werewolves. It is believed that silver is harmful to vampires because again it represents religion in the sense that Judas received 30 silver pieces for betraying Jesus. And because vampires are demons, well you get the picture.
Well, I think I've covered everything! If I realise later that I have forgotten something, I'll add it in, and if you notice I've forgotten anything don't be afraid to shoot me a message and let me know! If you've any requests for other mythical creatures guides, I'll gladly accept them.
