Welcome to the Unknown Lands

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The vampire, as we know the species, was originally a creature of myths and legends told over the flickering flames of the campfires, first in primitive hunting camps, then in peasant's hovels and lord's castle. The concept of life-stealing spirits of the night is a universal one. Vampires are predators whose natural prey, humanity is more usually the hunter than the hunted.

Different traditions and cultures throughout history have believed a variety of things about vampires. It isn't easy for a researcher to balance between the mystique and an explanation of what is true about these creatures. Further confusing the issue, are the inherent differences between the types of vampires, as different bloodlines of creatures have differing abilities from on another, going so far as to separate into vampires whose powers are magical in nature, and those whose powers are not. Making this research more difficult, it is the power of the mystique of vampirism, those superstitions that have clustered around the vampires, which has had a enormous effect on what differences from one vampire to another.

It is often the effect of the legend-telling tradition's beliefs, and the power of those beliefs on the Vril (1) that have proven most important to the forms that vampirism, particularly magical vampirism, have taken in regions where those legends are told. Other cultural beliefs, such as how a vampire should react to holy objects, or what they feed on, can have an effect on how a vampire will behave, even when those beliefs are wrong.

There are myriad examples of the reputed origins for vampirism. The first of these examples begins in prehistory when the evil Elder Gods of Earth fled the Earth, or were imprisoned or destroyed. One of these imprisoned gods kept watch to try and escape. This evil god created the vampires for some unspeakable reason.

Some of the other origins state that vampires are corpses possessed and animated by demons, or that they are people who have been blessed by a god of the life-death-rebirth cycle, that they are people who were cursed by the manner of their death or something that happened to them after their death, or even that they are people who have made pacts with demons.

The final origin I shall examine, and the one which is the premise that this essay is based on, states that an alien organism arrived on Earth at some unknown time in the past. This organism, resembling a virus, was carried in a strangely radioactive meteor, which struck the Earth and exploded. The ground around the impact site was permeated by an obscure form of emanation from the broken meteor necessary to keep the organism or virus, and those creatures eventually affected by the virus healthy. In its basic form, the virus is a semi-sentient, psychically-endowed group organism, and harmless to terrestrial life. At some point, however, the virus began to mutate into a self-sustaining form that would affect humanity. And from this mutation, the basic, non-magical vampire was born.

Later, the virus was located and isolated by the Sorcerer-scientists of Ancient Atlantis c.50-100,000 B.C. It was they who discovered the extreme mutability of the virus. They altered the resulting organism into a form that eventually became entirely magical in basis before it progressed onto other forms entirely.

For my purposes, there are only three origins for vampirism, the 'normal,' physical transmission of the vampiric virus, divine curse, or finally, someone, preferably someone who has been exposed to the virus, who refuses to die.

Vampires, considered by tradition to be undead creatures who exist off of the blood of their victims, are almost as varied as the types of people who become them. Each different 'bloodline,' or a group of vampires who have descended from the same vampire, can have different mutations or forms of the disease. So two vampires who may appear totally the same, can have totally different reactions to the traditional defenses to the undead, or have totally different abilities. Most, however, share certaincommon traits.

The 'basic vampire' is non-magical in nature. It is inhumanly strong, capable of tearing a human being in half like a small phonebook, and unbelievably fast, fast enough to reachinto a person's chest and pull out the heart between two heartbeats. The vampire possesses a frightening array of metafunctions, and using them could pull out that same heart in the middle of a crowd with no one, including the victim, ever noticing the creature's presence. A vampire can psychically coerce its victims into lying back and baring thier throats to it with but a thought.

Vampires can absorb an amazing amount of damage before they are hurt, and they can regenerate that damage very quickly, depending on what made the wound. Vampires do not age physically, and as time goes by, most vampires grow more powerful. In part they simply grow wiser, learning new tactics and tricks. There are
no stupid old vampires. In addition, they become physically tougher as their pseudoflesh becomes denser and harder to damage.

Vampires are feared by humans because of their dangerousness in combat, because the feed on humans, whom many vampires consider little more than cattle ripe for the slaughter, and they are feared because, to paraphrase, vampires don't reproduce, they recruit.

On the other hand, the more traditional vampire, the vampire as represented in legend, is a magical creature who is considerably more dangerous than their merely metapsychic brethren. Not only can the magical vampire do all the things mentioned for the basic vampire, it also possessed a wide range of supernatural powers. These powers are limited only by the strength and power of the vampire's will. For example, magical vampires can summon and control a variety of animals, they can shapeshift, even assuming a gaseous form at will. The strongest vampires, however, can control the weather, and many have even more unique powers.

There are other general types of vampires, and these will be looked at more closely later. There are also different 'bloodlines' of vampires, lineages stretching through the centuries from generation of vampire to the next. These different bloodlines often have different powers and reactions to things, different mutations from the basic vampire. But in general, all vampires, magical or not, conform to a general profile, straying from that profile only in detail.

In the description that follows, it is to be assumed that what is being portrayed is valid for both the magical and non-magical vampires, except where the text is describing a particular detail of one form or the other.

Vampires usually appear nearly exactly as they did during life before they 'died.' The key terms here are 'usually' and 'nearly.' The most obvious difference in their appearance is the perpetually pale, faintly luminescent complexion that is due to lack of blood in the circulatory system. Most vampires are simply more pale in aspect than are normal people, although some vampires also have bleached hair and luminously pale eyes, and a few bloodlines have perpetually pure alabaster skins. Feeding brings about bloody eyes, blood stained tears, and the fetid, tainted breath of a hemophage, or blood drinker. If the creature has fed, its complexion appears slightly flushed. If it is cut or stabbed, the creature bleeds. Over the next few days after feeding, the body begins to lose it fresh appearance, and the face turns gaunt and gray. Regardless, most vampires can easily pass for normal humans, or whatever species the creature was originally.

A vampire will usually appear between twenty and forty years in age. If they were elderly before they changed, they will rejuvenate somewhat, while children will remain children physically, in perpetuity.

Vampires are capable of regenerating themselves, and the vampiric pseudoflesh can eventually repair any damage incurred by the vampire. A vampire will regenerate physical details such as hair, nails, etc. every night, although more significant regeneration of damage takes more time.

Vampires are usually still, when not moving intentionally, or breathing in order to speak. This is an absolute stillness, as if of a corpse. If a vampire chooses, it can enter a form of suspended animation for up to centuries at a time.

Although a few forms of vampire have fixed permanent fangs, in general, the teeth appear perfectly normal, and even X-rays will show no significant difference. Where the upper canines once existed, a rigid body of erectile tissue covered with finely fragmented enamel forms. When the vampire becomes hungry, or aroused, these teeth become engorged with the ichor that passes for blood in the body of the vampire. The teeth swell and achieve their full erect size, up to half an inch long. These are very sharp, fine blades that are used for cutting and penetrating.

Finally, magical vampires have no reflection in a mirror or simalr item. Because they have no reflection, nor can they be photographed.

Vampirism is a disease, or interlocking arrangement of micro-organisms, operating similarly to a retro-virus, which alters the very nature of the cells in the vampire's body, one by one, and has exotic side effects and symptoms. The virus is quasi-sentient and is a psychically aware psychovore, surviving by consuming the life energies of others. Therefore, both magical and non-magical vampires are hemophagic psychovores with a hunger to live, a hunger for life. There are some forms of vampire that exist on other things besides blood, and these will be covered further on. In general though, while vampires seem to survive by the sheer force of their own will, they actually maintain their existence by feeding on both the blood and vital life force of their victims.

The more intense the victim's emotion, the more psychic energy is created, the higher the psychic output of the victim, and the better it is for the vampire to feed upon. Vampires require psychic energy at the levels of intensity generated by death, terror, passion, or other extremes of emotion. This is why most vampires terrorize their victims, playing with them before feeding. Other vampires use techniques to arouse great passion in their "victims" before feeding. During the feeding process, the vampire often psychicly triggers an outpouring of pleasure from the victim, coercing the maximum energy output possible from the victim. Vampires themselves experience an intense orgasmic ecstasy while feeding. Vampires are addicted to the, to them, drug-like ecstasy gained from absorbing the Vril of the victim. More addictive than the mere life energy though, is life energy that has been tainted with the psychic emanations of fear and death.

If the vampire is not fed, there is an increasing chance of the creature going berserk until it is able to glut itself in a mindless feeding frenzy, as the beast within emerges. If still unable to feed, or to enter the state of suspended animation, the vampire can eventually begin to broadcast its hunger, frustration, and terror in a telepathic screaming. This screaming will continue until either the vampire is either fed or totally destroyed. This screaming causes serious distraction to most farsensors nearby.

The energy taken in feeding is used to fuel the vampire's powers, as well as to maintain the creature's existence. Each cell in the vampire's body becomes a conduit for energy, as if each individual cell of the vampiric pseudoflesh were possessed of its own chakra. These chakratic cells are usually unable to collect Vril from the ambiance, and convert this energy into their own life force. This inability is due to post mortem damage to the creature's primary chakratic system. It is possible that there are vampires out there whose chakratic systems have not been so damaged, and who can convert Vril, but it is doubtful as the post- mortem damage is a result of the vampiric transformation.

The sun is the primary source of the Vril energy used by living beings as life energy, and although the vampire can't absorb this energy to support its powers, the creature's chaktratic system is somehow stimulated by 'solar Vril.' This stimulation is similar to vitamins given to a human; the vitamins are not the primary source of life, but are important to the overall health of the being. The chaktratic system is most efficiently stimulated by the amount of 'solar Vril' found in the intensities of reflected moonlight at night. Under the intensity of the full sun, the chakratic system is stimulated into intense hyperactivity that quickly destroys the vampire, incinerating it as each of its cells burst into flame. This burning generates an intense heat that will consume the vampire's entire body. Onset is instantaneous with the first contact with sunlight, and even simple burns take upward of fifty years to heal.

As the vampire ages, it develops better control over the excessive chakratic energy and is able to survive in indirect sunlight, then finally, to walk by day. However, even those vampires who are able to survive in daylight are less powerful under the sun than they would be at night as they are forced to commit more of thier strength and concentration to controlling thier bodies.

Generally, the vampire becomes absolutely inactive during the hours when the sun is above the horizon, locked away from all light. This inactivity is forced on the vampire by its owns body. trying to protect itself from the sun. Those vampires that need their 'native soil,'as discussed later, can hide from the sun any place, but will not be able to rest properly without that soil. Magical vampires who have changed their shape, for example into a bat, or a mist form, are frozen into that shape for the day, if they have not returned to their normal form by the time the sun rises. However, this other form will still burn if caught in the sun's light.

The average vampire requires no more than a quart of blood every other day, and certainly not less than a cupful every week, unless they are in a state of self-imposed suspended animation.(2) This blood contains the necessary materials for the vampire to physically survive. Some vampires are also able to consume other fluids, such as fruit juices, bouillon, etc. These other fluids have little, if any nutritional value to the vampire, and may be
consumed more out of social politeness than hunger.

While vampires can survive by feeding from dead creatures, or from animals, this diet leads to mental dullness because they lack the proper psychic energy. The blood will keep them alive but it will not give them the life energy they require to survive. Stored blood is as bad, or worse than, animal's blood, and the possibility for anti-coagulant poisoning also exists.

It is possible for vampires to become effected by chemicals, such as alcohol or cocaine, that exists in their victim's blood. This tends to indicate the possibility that poisoned or diseased blood might have some long term effects, such as madness, on the vampire.(3)

The vampiric virus is transmitted when a vampire feeds from a victim, or engages in sexual activities, etc. The microbes are transmitted through saliva, or other bodily fluids, thereby enter the victim's bloodstream.(4) The virus will remain inert in the victim's bloodstream until there have been six or so exposures, or more than 90% of the victim's blood has been removed by the vampire. After this point the virus enters its first vigorous stage, and takes an active hold on victim's system. Assuming the victim is still alive, the virus becomes a part of the victim's genetic code, and cannot be easily removed.

After the virus has completed the genetic work in the first vigorous stage, it becomes dormant once more until conditions become more favorable for the change into the vampiric form.

Therefore, the virus will not enter this first vigorous stage unless there is a large amount of the virus. This usually happens only if the victim was the primary source of food for a vampire for an extended period of time. If a person feeds off the blood of a vampire, then the change can be brought about immediately. While it is possible for a person to become a vampire when killed by a single vampiric bite, this is unlikely because there is also a chance that the vampire who is draining a victim unto death will be dragged along into death by the psychic connection. If this doesn't kill the vampire, it could destroy their mind.(5)

It is possible for a person who is killed by a magical vampire, even though in barehanded combat to be transformed.

Finally, if the corpse that had been infected or mostly infected by a magical vampire is re-exposed to even a small amount of the virus, this might trigger the changes in the corpse. For example, cats and dogs can act as carriers for the virus, and exposing an infected corpse to such an animal could trigger the metamophosis.(6)

While the virus is highly active and potentially dangerous, neither the basic virus, nor the magical form is really able to defend itself against the body's immune system. It is only after that immune system has stopped working, can the virus begin the transformation.

If none of the things mentioned above occur, and there is insufficent virus present to enter the first vigorous stage, the virus can't become part of the genetic code, the virus can be metabolized out of the victim's system in a matter of 2-6 weeks. Although, during this time the victim can still be controlled by the vampire who infected them.

If the infected person is either a lantent or operant metapsychic, and under great emotional stress, it is possible for them to cure themselves by burning the virus out of their system before it can become established. If so cured, the virus residue will be metabolized out of the person's system, but until then they can still be controlled by the vampire who infected them. Once freed of the disease, the person may be reinfected. Other than a metapsychic or magical renewal of life, there is only one other cure for the disease, the True Death.

There are two other ways for a vampire to be created, other than the normal transmission of the virus: the person who refuses to die, and the divine curse. The person's refusal to die, if they have been exposed to the virus, forces the change, as detailed above, even though there may be insufficient virus in their system. More unusual is the concept of the 'deadly desire,' a totally magical transformation, that doesn't actually require the presence of the virus at all. With this, a person either is a metapsychic powerful enough to reject their own death, or else the person actively seeks the endless existence of undeath, and is willing to sacrifice their life to attain that wish.

A curse resembles the deadly desire in that the victim's own actions cause the vampirism, but the person does not neccessarily want to become undead. The recipient of the curse has done something to gain the attentions of a god, who is willing to cause the transformation. It should be noted the a vampire created by divine curse need never have been exposed to the virus. In some cases, this could be considered a divine gift, if someone prays to the proper deity for undeath, or has enough "credit" with a deity that the wish for undeath is granted.

When an infected victim dies, the virus once more becomes active as the second vigorous stage begins the metamorphosis to vampiric form. The virus becomes a stimulus that revivifies the non-living host while simultaneously causing major modifications to the host's body.

The virus first rewrites the body's genetic structure.(7) Assuming that there is no extensive internal damage, the corpse undergoes a major metamorphosis. Minor damage will either be repaired, or else healed around, possibly leaving the vampire permanently mutilated. However, if the body had been extensively damaged before death, or immediately after death, particularly if there had been damage to the nervous system, then the transformation will not occur.

After the genetic code has begun to be rewritten, all waste materials are forcefully eliminated, and all body fats are either converted into regenerative raw material or else is ejected with the bodily wastes. This often leaves the vampire with an appearance of gauntness and elongation. Then the flesh begins its gradual conversion to the 'pseudoflesh' of the vampiric form. This pseudoflesh contains the vampire's cellular chakratic system. The total conversion from flesh to pseudoflesh takes centuries, and is similar to petrification of fossils. The older the vampire is, the more pseudoflesh it is. Pseudoflesh toughens against the allergens that effect vampires (8) with time, as the vampire's control over its bodily energy increases. When exposed to the sun, the pseudoflesh of older vampires burns slowly and more completely while that of the younger vampires burns hotter and faster.

Other changes that occur are an enhancement of the senses to a preternatural level that can allow the vampire to count the people in a building from outside, merely by the sound of their breathing, or to detect a lie by the trembling of the speaker's voice. The changes to the senses also allow the vampire to see at great distances and further into the ultraviolet bands of the spectrum. The digestive tract is redesigned to allow the absorption of necessary enzymes and amino acids for the body's continued existence from the circulatory fluids of other creatures, or, if necessary, to build those nutrients from whatever it can glean from the fluids the vampire consumes.

The creature's musculature and skeletal systems are rebuilt and strengthened to grant a strength that is 10-20 time what it had been in life, as well as increased speed, reflexes, dexterity and agility. Finally, there is an alteration to the neurological systems, triggering the vampire's metafunctions, as well as increasing the speed at which a vampire can think, its reaction times, and improving its memory.

Other, more cosmetic, changes to the magical vampire can include an increase in hirsuteness, a lengthening of the face into a muzzle or snoutish appearance, pointed ears, etc.

The change to vampiric form may, but not necessarily, cause insanity, or other personality change. For some magical vampires, such a personality change might be part of the magical effect, but, in general, these personality changes have less to do with what happens during the transformation, than with how the person being transformed reacts to the changes.

It is possible that the virus might fail, and create a Vrykolakas or 'ghoul,'(9) or perhaps a mindless or insane
vampire.(10) A vrykolakas or mindless vampire might also occur if the vampiric virus is introduced into a corpse. Vrykolaki are more fully discussed elsewhere

The change generally takes twelve to twenty-four hours, although transformations taking up to three days aren't unknown. The transformation requires the expenditure of a great deal of energy, so that once transformed, the vampire will either become active and very hungry, or else sleep for a number of days. The response is fairly individual and unpredictable.

The primary powers of vampires are their psionics. Of the vampiric powers, the Coercive powers are of the greatest importance. These are exemplified by the vampiric abilities to charm and seduce their victims, to exert great mental control over other beings, and to control vampires of lesser strength and power. Vampires can control and manipulate the powers of other vampires nearby, by a special exertion of their coercive will, becasue of the similarity between the vampiric forms. The more powerful vampire can overide the lesser vampire's control over itself, and its mental and physical sytems. Vampires can also mesmerize or hypnotize those around them. By extending this ability into an aura, or field, of Avoidance, or psionic Invisibility,(11) the vampire can disapear from sight.(12) If they desire, they can generate an aura of Fear to terify those around them, or cause other beings to fall into a deep sleep. The vampire can force its victim's mind to go blank, or into a trance-like state, prior to, or during, feeding.

Helping their enhanced senses, vampires also have extensive farsenses, and can even taste or feel the minds of others. The process of feeding creates a psychic link between victim and vampire. This link may last well after the virus has been metabolized from the victim's system. This communication may be either one way, with the vampire able to communicate with the victim from a distance, or two way, the vampire able to receive impressions from the victim.

Some vampires develop the PK ability to levitate, then to fly as they get older.

The magical vampire may possess a wide range of supernatural powers. These powers are limited only by the strength and power of the vampire's will. For example, magical vampires can summon and control a variety of animals, they can shapeshift, even assuming a gaseous form at will. The strongest vampires, however, can control the weather, and many have even more unique powers.

If a sleeping vampire is disturbed, it will attack (13) as if awake, without necessarily waking up.

Some magical vampires have the ability to temporarily drain life energy (14) merely by a soul chilling touch. A person drained to unconsciousness (15) in this fashion will fall into a coma, remaining unconscious until all the energy has been regenerated. There are no other ill effects from this touch.

Potentially, the most dangerous power of the vampire is the toughness of the pseudoflesh and the immunities that result from that toughness. A nonmagical vampire can absorb a tremendous amount of damage from any physical attack aimed at them, as though they were wearing armor.(16) Even without that, they regenerate at a sufficiently great speed that weapons made from certain types of materials, the allergens, can harm them badly enough to wear them down.

A magical vampire, on the other hand can only be damaged at all by weapons made from allergen materials, or that are magical in some way can even harm them. Kinetic energy damage is shrugged off, bullets, knives, etc. either pass through them as thoughthey were mist, or bounce off their skin, depending on the bloodline of the vampire.

Even though the Vampire's teeth can become erect, most male Vampires are not generally capable of sexual activity. This impotence is caused by the lack of blood actually in the vampiric system. Usually only when their system is glutted with blood are they able to engage in sex. Rather than sperm, the vampire ejaculates bloody semen filled with the vampiric virus. There is a small chance for magical vampires that this "vampiric sperm" can fertilize an ova, rather than merely infect the woman with vampirism.

Female vampires are capable of sexual intercourse at any time. However, unions with female vampires are always infertile. This is because of the long term sacrifices of blood and life energy that the body would have to make for the fetus to grow could not be allowed by the body, as this would threaten the overall body's well being and long term survival.(17)

Should any sexual union between a magical male vampire and non-vampiric woman prove fertile the child might be vampiric, or Dhampiric. A vampiric child may grow to adulthood before it realizes its vampiric tendencies.(18) A Dhampir is human with certain affinities for vampires. They can identify a vampire at any time, and have tremendous resistance to all coercive metafaculties. They can use any weapon against any vampire as the
weapon were magical vampiric allergin, effecting even older vampires.(19)

No union between a non-magical vampire and anything else is possible. No union between two vampires would succeed.(20)

Vampires, and the virus, have a number of 'allergies.' Different 'bloodlines' of vampires, including different types of vampires, having slightly different mutations of the virus, immunities to one or two of these allergins, but for the reasons explained below, these allergens will at least strike and damage all forms of vampire. If they are not immune to these substances, these allergic reactions can easily be lethal to the vampire. And so these things could be used to kill the vampire.

The term allergen is used only in its definition of 'a substance that produces and altered body reactivity.'(21) The allergens are the Sun, as mentioned before, silver, certain specific herbs such as Garlic and Wolvesbane (also called Monkshood or Aconite), as well as Hawthorne, Whitethorn, or Blackthorn woods. Some other woods, such as Oak, Ash, Alder, Willow, Aspen, Maple, Yew, etc. can be used to damage the vampire, but will not trigger an allergic reaction in the vampire.

Certain organic materials, such as the woods mentioned above, and metals, silver, have the ability to disrupt the vampire's chakratic systems, even if they aren't allergens, because those materials interfere with the natural flow of Vril. Large bodies of water tend to inhibit the vampire's natural absorption of Vril, by dampening the energy levels.(22)

The buring affect of the Sun on the vampiric chakratic systems has already been discussed. In totally magical vampires, the divine energy, and the energy of belief found in holy objects acts similarly to sunlight, burning the vampire.

Because the amount of psudoflesh that makes up the vampire's body changes over time, as well as the vampire's control over his own bodily energies, the physical response to the allergins differs overtime. In the young vampire, allergic reactions consist of agonizing swelling and buring, lastin for upwards of weeks at a time, while for older vampires, the reaction becomes little more than a small burn, and eventually the vampire becomes immune to
them to the allergies over time.

'Native soil' is a symbol of the vampire's links to the patterns of Vril power of the Earth. Any vampire can 'go to ground' or bury itself to sleep in the earth, and survive asleep off the life energy of the planet. Vampires of a magical nature reflect this symbolism in their need for native soil. The magical vampire needs the soil of the vampire's human birthplace, or perhaps the soil of the vampire's vampiric birthplace, to survive. Some magical vampires may walk by daylight, if the vampire maintains some of its native soil on its person.

To kill a vampire, tradition states the vampire's mouth should be filled with garlic, a wooden stake driven through the creature's heart, and finally decapitation. Garlic deadens the creature's brain, as the herb's antibiotic properties attack the virus. The stake, or a consecrated dagger stuck through the creature's heart stops the circulatory system, and decapitation disrupts the central nervous system.

Other suggested weapons are silver nitrate injections, garlic distillate, etc. In one case, bullets carved of lignum vitae, a hardwood dense enough that it won't float, with a silver or lead core was used.(23) Submersion under a depth of water can force the vampire into a state of suspended animation, as the Vril flow is disrupted, and as the cells begin to die, eventually, the regeneration breaks down and the vampire will dissolve. After the creature is dead, post-mortem decomposition is rapid as the pseudoflesh disintegrates.

Different 'bloodlines' of vampires, including different types of vampires, have different mutations of the virus. Some of these mutations grant immunity to silver, garlic, and/or the other allergens, as well as different physical modifications. Mutations in the bloodlines tend to 'breed true' into their 'fledglings,' or newly created vampires.

Fledglings, particularly newly created vampires, are helpless to flooding impressions of the senses, as well as the weaknesses to sunlight, etc., and they need an older vampire to teach them. A permanent psychic bond exists between the fledgling and the vampire that created them. Because of this, as well as the fact that vampires suffer from the conservatism of age, usually only the head vampire of an area is allowed to create fledglings.

Vril (Synth.) Also called Aether, Ether, Ch'i, Prana, Shakti, Telesma, Baraka, Mana, animal magnetism, the Vital Life Force, Cosmic Fire, Kundalini, Serpent Fire, the Dragon of the Earth, the Force, and many others. Vril is a basic energy, one of the basic building blocks of reality that, by differing its rates of vibratory motion, is perceived as matter, motion, gravitation, magnetism, physical life, thought, and divine spirit. It is the "dimension" through which the Mind, Life and many magical processes operate. It is the "Ambient Magical Energy" of the Universe, as well as that energy which empowers existence, the power of life. It pervades the universe, binding and linking all things together as a whole.
A cupful is really cutting the bottom edge of what is able to keep them going. This, of course all, depends on their life style as well.
Blood and energy can be considered as "Will Points." The average vampire will only drain about 10% of
a victim's WP per feeding. This is enough blood to keep the vampire alive, and shouldn't cause a noticeable loss from the victim. If more SP energy is needed, the vampire may feed more from the victim, or else find another victim.

"Will Points" are equal to the Average of Wisdom and Constitution (Wis + Con / 2) plus any PSP the character might have.

At a 10% loss the victim receives a -1 "to hit and save" and then must Save versus Spell or be controlled by the vampire. This is different from Charm. This is an absolute control of the victim by the vampire at an unlimited distance. This control wears off as the virus is metabolized out of the victim's system.

After a 30% loss the victim receives a -2 "to hit and save" and then must Save vs. Spell, or be permanently controlled by the vampire (at a -5). This control wears off only after the vampire has been destroyed. The victim may not realize that they are being controlled.

There is a -2 "to hit and save" for every 10% drained after 30%. After a 90% loss, the victim is permanently infected with the virus.

If the victim is drained of all WP, they must roll a system shock check to determine if they die. If they do not die, they are infected with the virus. If they do die, there is an 80% chance of becoming a mindless vampire of whatever type killed them, usually under the command of the vampire that created them.
In the case of non-magical vampires, the transmission of the virus, and the safety precautions to prevent it are similar to that of HIV. The non-magical vampiric virus can survive outside a living or undead body for a matter of moments without the ancient meteor's emnations, so one probably wouldn't become a vampire merely from sharing a water fountain or pick it up from a toilet seat.

The magical vampiric virus, on the other hand can remain outside the body nearly indefinately, as long as it is not exposed to sunlight, or any of the other allergins. This means that it is possible, not likely, but possible to pick up the virus just from touching a magical vampire.
Besides, most vampires realize that leaving obviously exsanguinated bodies just lying about could be construed as a statement that there is a vampire around.
(6) This is actually one of the traditional explanations for why pets are kept from funerals and out of graveyards. They can make a corpse into a vampire.
Or perhaps performs a low level reformating and reprogramming job on the DNA strand, maintaining much of the old genetic programming, while supplying a lot of its own.
More about these allergens later.
Not to be confused with those other ghouls, you know, the dog-faced ones.
A mindless vampire has all the powers and attributes of the 'parent' vampire and the mental functions of a inbecile. They act like wild animals, and are at best as intellegent as the average wild dog.

A 'congenitally' insane vampire on the other hand, is even more dangerous and erratic than the mindless vampire, as they have enough conciousness to think ahead and plan. But don't expect any rational conversation from them.
Avoidence and psionic Invisibility both perform roughly the same function, to keep something unseen. Avoidence works by making the mind not want to look at what ever is 'invisible.' Even when looking directly at the object, the observer is actually looking somewhere else, say at a point behind the object.

Psionic Invisibility is a little more insidouos. The psionically Invisble object is totally visible, but the observers mind will refuse to acknowledge its existance. Even if forced to acknowledge that there is something present, they will believe it to be something else entirely.
This invisibility, which leaves one vulnerable to mirror reflections and video cameras, when linked to the magical vampires lack of reflection, and inability to be photgraphed, brings them closer to total non-detectability.
Determine initiative.
2 experience levels. These lost levels will regenerate 1 per day thereafter.
0 levels.
1 hp per whole century they have been a vampire.
Besides, the vampire's body is already inhabited with a parasite, i.e. the virus. The normal regenerative processes that destroy other parasites in the vampire would just see the fetus as something to be destroyed.
A good question might be that if the child is a vampire, how can it grow to adulthood before realizing, and this is a good question. Another good question is how could it grow in to adulthood anyway, as vampires are frozen at the age they were when they were transformed. I don't know. The sole example of a vampiric child found in Saberhagen "Holmes-Dracula File."
It's part of the traditional vampire lore.
Artificial insemination of a magical vampire sperm and ova, and growing the fetus outside the mother. Hmmm...
The big dictionary in the corner.
Actually the levels of Vril remain fairly constant. It is only the amount of Usable Vril that is diminished, as the frequency of the energy changes around large bodies of water.
Saberhagen again.

Vampires, Type I

These are the 'basic,' non-magical vampire. They are psychovoric hemophages with enhanced physical properties, and metafaculties. They can be seen in mirrors, are photographable and recordable. They have allergies to silver, garlic, and the sun, but they have no allergies toward holy items. They have no definite need of VNS to survive. Fledglings are usually under the total psychic domination of creator. Any 'ghouls' they may create are totally mindless, and have few, if any powers. Examples are found in Rice and Hambly (although those bloodlines detailed by Rice seem to have no silver allergies).

Basic description of the creature remains unaltered from that of the type I vampire. They are psychovoric hemophages with enhanced physical properties, and metafaculties. Their powers are basically nonmagical in nature. That these creatures have any magical specialties is only identifiable by the fact that they need of soil from the vampire's human birthplace to survive. These creature's have no reflection, and they are not photographable. They possess many of the same allergies as the Type I vampire, and they still have no aversion to holy objects. Fledglings are not under any form of Psychic Domination by their creator. Their 'ghouls' are non-powered, immortal, daywalkers with full mental powers. Examples of this vampiric type are found in Yarbro, however Saint Germaine's bloodline has no allergy to silver.

These are the classical, traditional vampire with magical powers. They need the soil of the vampire's grave to survive. They have no reflection, and they are not photographable. They can change their shape. Some can control the weather. They have the full range of allergies. They are susceptible to the religious power in holy objects. They must be invited into a residence before it is possible for them to enter. Fledglings are usually under the total domination of creator. The virus may be inadvertently transmitted by animals. Their 'ghouls' are either fully powered vampires or vrykololaki, but in either case these beings are mindless or insane. Examples are found in tradition, Marvel, Saberhagen, Stoker, Hammer Films, etc. Wiesczy (Poland); Bruxsa (Portugal); Ciuateteo (Mexico); Dearg-Dul (Ireland); Ekimmu (Assyria); Empusa (Greece); Katakhana (Crete); Krvopijac (Bulgaria); Krvopijac (Bulgaria); Lobishomem (Brazil); Murohy (Rumania); Nosferat (Rumania); Ogoljen (Bohemia); P'O (Chinese); Pamgri (Hungary); Upuir/Upierczi (Russia, Poland); Vapir (Bulgaria); Vlkodlak (Serbia), etc.

This category includes any creatures created by the mutation of the virus past the Type III form. This includes all unique or local variations such as the Alp (Saxony); Ananngel (Philippines); Asanbosam (Africa); Blautsauger (Bosnia-Herzegovina); Catacano (Crete, Rhodes); Hantu-Pari/Hantu Penyardin (Malaysia); Jilaiya (Bihar); Lamia (Greece); Langsuir (Malaysia); Lobishumen (Brazil); Moslem (Yugoslavia); Mulo (Serbia); Rakshasa (Northern India); Stirge (Oerth); Striges (Greece); Strigoi (Rumania), etc.

Vampires, Type V

Also called Siliconari, Nephilim, Nocnitz, 'Water-Colts' (Celtic), Lamia (Greece). This is a special type of astral vampire. A rib is taken from the ashes of a destroyed Type III or Type IV vampire, and is planted in a human body. The body generates a new form of vampire, while the human gets immortality for as long as the bone is in place. The new vampire is a spirit creature that can focus the ambient Vril into a material form. The vampire, when it feeds on others, creates new vampires of its type from the dead, and joins the victim's mind into the growing corporate mind. Any one of these can assume the shape of any of the dead in the corporate mind, as well as the physical shape of any of form of vampire (Lamia, Strige, etc.). These have all the powers and allergies of the Type III vampires, at the age of the original destroyed vampire. Sunlight or saltwater will ossify the vampire into a solid stone form. All the vampires descended from a particular 'stone' or rib will be destroyed if that rib is removed from its host. They can possess willing human bodies. Those the feed on, or possess are bound to the entities, this bonding. This bonding enslaves the living, and can only be broken by special rituals or by visiting great altitudes.

These vampires are unlike the others in that they are not dead, and may never have even been exposed to the virus. They are living people who subsist of the psychic emanations of other living beings. They may have the full metapsychic armamentarium of the full vampire, but have none of the allergies.

These are really not vampires, so much as they are zombies, or animated dead, often possessed by a Tectonic Spirit. They, too have a myriad forms, the basic form being non-magical while other forms are magical. In the non-magical form, it is possible that the virus might fail, and generate a mindless vampire, or 'ghoul.' A 'ghoul' might also occur if the vampiric virus is introduced into a corpse. Also called a mindless vampire, these creatures literally have no minds, or at best their minds have been destroyed. Rarely, or with certain types of vampire, the virus will generate an unliving being still housing its intact mind. They have a number of the vampiric powers, such as regeneration, etc., but they have no allergies to things, or to the sun. They may exist on the blood and meat of carrion, rather than the energy and blood from living things, in perpetuity. In the magical form, it is also possible that the virus might fail, and generate a mindless vampire, or 'ghoul.' A 'ghoul' might also occur if the vampiric virus is introduced into a corpse. Also called a mindless vampire, these creatures literally have no minds, or at best their minds have been destroyed. They have a number of the magical vampiric powers, such as regeneration, but they have no allergies to things, or to the sun. They may exist on the blood and meat of carrion, rather than the energy and blood from living things, in perpetuity. In general, though, the Vrykolakas can refer to anything from Saint Germaine's Roger, to the things from "Night of the Living Dead."