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Revision as of 01:06, 24 May 2009 by Kyle Van Helsing (talk | contribs)
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The Vampire tends to be somewhat unpredictable in its behavioral patterns. The Vampire tends to be nocturnal, but it is a misconception that the creature can only arise from the grave at dusk and cannot abide by the light of the day. In fact, the Vampire could often rise whenever it pleased to hunt and feed, usually between the hours of noon and midnight (according to Slavic folklore, anyway). The Vampire only prefers the darkness because it can move about freely and unseen.

The Vampire is a highly intelligent creature, with the predatory cunning of an animal. However, most newly-risen Vampires are little more than cunning, mindless predators. The revenant’s every move and thought is driven by one instinct: hunger. As mentioned earlier, the Vampire’s need for blood is all-consuming. It will do everything within its power to gain a potential victim, so that it may feed. Like mentioned previously, the Vampire prefers to bite its victim on the neck, breasts, or wrist, although it will occasionally go for the inner thigh or the area of the chest directly over the heart (although some sources say that the Vampire sucked the victim’s skin and drained blood through the pores). It usually preys on victims of the opposite sex, although Vampires who chose an “alternative lifestyle” while still living may make exceptions. When the Vampire first rises from the grave, its first victims will be its family and loved ones. At times, when human prey is scarce or unavailable, the revenant will prey upon wild animals and livestock, although the Vampire tends to find such prey to be bland and unsatisfying. This is only something that the Vampire will do in desperation or is trying to avoid feeding on humans as much as possible.

In some cases, when a corpse reanimates, the Vampire is too weak to rise (as it has to smash through its coffin and claw through six feet of dirt). In order to gain the necessary power, the revenant engages in manducation, which literally means “eating.” This involves the Vampire chewing on its burial shroud and feeding on its own flesh (which has to be very painful). Once it has fed enough, it can arise from the grave and seek out its first victim, increasing in strength every time the creature feeds.

Hunting is a relatively straightforward task for the Vampire. Usually, since the creature prefers to hunt at night, it will wander through a nearby village or along the roads, seeking a potential victim. The Vampire then enters through an open window or under the door (usually in the form of a mist). It will then proceed to approach the sleeping victim and, once there, the Vampire leans over and sinks its fangs into the victim’s neck, right above the jugular vein. The victim usually moans aloud, but does not awaken. The Vampire then proceeds to drain off a portion of its prey’s blood, usually no more than a quart. However, this amount of blood loss isn’t enough to kill the victim. The victim then wakes up the next morning, feeling weak and utterly exhausted. The Vampire then proceeds to return over the course of several nights, continually draining the individual’s blood until death occurs from blood loss and sickness. If lucky, the victim is only dead. However, if this is not the case, the victim will rise from the grave three days later as one of the undead.

The Vampire is a vicious and deadly foe in a fight. The revenant’s combination of strength, speed, and agility, as well as its razor-sharp claws and fangs, makes the Vampire truly a force to be reckoned with. However, the creature must rest within its grave during the day, as this isn’t the Vampire’s natural time (sunlight does little actual harm, if any, to most Vampires). This leaves the revenant highly vulnerable to attack from Vampire Hunters. However, if the would-be hunter isn’t careful, the Vampire may rise and the hunter will become the revenant’s meal.

The Vampire is an intelligent, cunning creature, often more than capable of outwitting humans. The longer the Vampire lives, the more its intellect increases. Thus, Vampires that have lived for centuries on end are extremely dangerous foes. The revenant has razor-sharp instincts and is unnaturally perceptive, making the creature all the more formidable. Remember this: the Vampire has centuries of experience built up, and has had more experience in dealing with would-be killers than most Demon Hunters are inclined to think or admit to.

Although the Vampire is impotent and incapable of sexual activity for the most part, some exceptions are known to exist. According to Slavic folk beliefs, the Vampire is known to rise from the grave, return home to its widow and demand its favorite meal. Afterwards, the Vampire would demand intercourse (forcibly, if necessary). This was particularly common in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, especially in Romania. Since the Vampire’s sperm was considered to still be potent, this kind of encounter could easily result in an unwanted pregnancy. The resulting child is known as a dhampir, a half-human, half-vampire hybrid. The child has all of the Vampire’s strengths, but none of its weaknesses (although the child may not see it that way). The dhampir possesses the strength, speed, agility, reflexes, endurance, and the acute senses of the Vampire. However, the dhampir is both blessed and cursed. The child is able to perceive the Vampire in its incorporeal form, but like his vampiric father, he is cursed with an insatiable hunger for human blood. Usually, the dhampir hunts down and destroys his father, for both revenge and common cause. Some traditions say that the dhampir has a weak, gelatinous skeleton. Therefore, the dhampir’s life will be short and filled with discomfort and pain.

Sometimes as Gypsy folklore dictates, the Vampire’s sexual drive was enough to cause the creature to return from the dead. The Vampire could also return if it had been in love with a woman, but the couple had never actually experienced sexual ecstasy together. She would be invited to return to the Vampire’s grave, where the creature would make her one of the Undead and, as a result, they could share their love forever.

The Vampire may cause death and despair through other means than its bite alone. According to some legends, the Vampire would call out its chosen victim’s name, several times if necessary. If that individual answers the call, they are doomed to die. Another legend says will climb up to a church’s bell tower and ring the bell. Anyone who heard or gave heed to the bell’s ominous ringing was condemned to die by the fangs of the Vampire. The creature can kill by causing disease to sweep through a given area, or it can spread misery by raping virginal young girls. Sometimes, the Vampire will cause poltergeist effects, like throwing objects, making loud banging noises, and opening or closing doors invisibly and repeatedly. It may attempt to suffocate humans with its vile stench. The Vampire is capable of causing crop blights or drought, draining the crops of life and causing a famine among the humans as a result. The Vampire would attack livestock, depriving the people of food.

The Vampire’s habits and behavioral patterns are, at best, chaotic and malevolent. The Vampire is an extremely difficult adversary to contend with, so absolute caution is advised when dealing with the Vampire. One can never tell what may come to pass in a life-or-death struggle with the Undead.