All vampires share a serious antipathy toward lycanthropes, especially to those of the lupine species. The source of this mutual antagonism between vampire and lycanthrope is as yet unknown, but it has been ongoing since their earliest beginnings. Perhaps the most popular vampire in history was Count Dracula (Vlad "Tepesch" Dracul), the former 15th Century prince of Transylvania and Wallachia. Dracula was thought to be bitten by one of the original Atlantean vampires, conferring powers upon him far greater than any common vampire - eventually making him a Vampire Regent. Interestingly, Dracula assumed the title of count without any legal basis after becoming a vampire. Regardless of his actual origins, Dracula was certainly the most powerful of all vampires on record. The Count was reputedly destroyed by vampire hunters Abraham Van Helsing, Jonathan Harker, and others in the early 1890s; although his remains have yet to be discovered. In 1931, an expedition excavated his tomb and final resting-place, revealing it to be empty. "In all the darkest pages of the malign supernatural there is no more terrible tradition than that of the vampire, a pariah even among demons. Foul are his ravages; gruesome and seemingly barbaric are the ancient and approved methods by which folks must rid themselves of this hideous pest." - Montague Summers "The strength of the vampire is that people will not believe in him!" - Dr. Abraham Van Helsing | Description: Humanoid; typically human. They are usually frail or gaunt in appearance (which belies their great strength), having pale skin and fair complexions. Male and female vampires alike are known to possess relatively long fingernails. Vampires usually appear as "normal" humans do, unless they are aroused by bloodlust or enraged. In such cases, the appearance of two, reticulating canine-like fangs may be seen; accompanied by red eyes and a rather predacious countenance. It has been said that vampires possess a foul breath, but this speculation has yet to be verified (it is very difficult to get close enough to a vampire to confirm any hypotheses). | Height/Size: Average human size. | Weight: Usually 1/3 lighter than they were in normal life. | Eyes: Variable; usually dark-colored; often bright red when feeding or enraged. | Hair: Variable; normal human hair color. Red hair is known to be common among female vampires. | Powers: Of all undead, the common or "European" vampire is perhaps only subordinate to Living Mummies and Lichs, although the vampire has greater control over the lesser undead (e.g. - ghouls, zombies, etc.). As a Class A-type undead creature, vampires are extremely powerful, arguably the most dangerous among the ranks of the undead. Vampires do not age, except on some occasions when they have been deprived of blood for extended periods of time (see: Known Weaknesses/Methods Of Destruction, below). Vampires have remarkable recuperative powers. Vampires cannot be harmed by conventional weapons. Bullets and ordinary knives provide only momentary distractions, as the vampire can heal from such injuries within seconds. Moreover, the vampire does not feel pain from such conventional attacks. They can only be harmed by weapons made of the purest silver and even then, their supernatural restorative abilities allow them to recover very quickly. Under optimum conditions (i.e. - when they have been "feasting" regularly), vampires never physically tire. They are immune to all forms of human diseases and illnesses. |
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