Vampire Physiology (Legacy of Kain)

== Introduction ==
Vampires are one of the sapient races that dwells the land of Nosgoth in the Legacy of Kain series. Originally a race of winged, blue-skinned beings, the most ancient of vampires were a species of their own, dedicated to the preservation of the Nine Pillars that kept Nosgoth in balance. However, at the end of a bloody war with the Hylden, equally powerful beings who rejected their doctrine, the two races struck a lethal blow to the other: The Hyldren were sealed away to a different plane of existence, where they would slowly be corrupted into demonic appearance, and the Vampires were the victim of the Blood Curse, which turned them into immortals who fed upon human blood, and could neither die of natural causes nor reproduce, thus earning them the hatred of The Elder God they once served. Still intent on maintaining the Pillars, the vampires had no choice but to pass on their Blood Curse to humans, as their own numbers dwindled. This, however, caused them to be feared and loathed, and eventually humanity rose against them, slaughtering the vampires in mass and bringing their numbers to a minimum.
Centuries after this, the vampire Kain, unaware of much of this history, gained control of Nosgoth, and created seven vampire lieutenants who would go on to spread his own version of the Blood Curse to clans of their own, turning the dying Nosgoth into a land once again governed by vampires, not humans.
==Vampire Powers ==
Even freshly born vampires boast a great amount of inherent abilities, which grow and expand as the vampire ages.
* Superhuman Physical Characteristics (Vampires are all superhuman in strength and speed, and capable of leaping great distances)
* Immortality (Type 1, 3, 4, limited 7. Vampires are unaffected by powers that only target the living)
** Regeneration (Low-Mid) and Resurrection (A vampire's flesh begins to close as soon as it is woundedLegacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (1999) - Underworld (Tutorial), and even when "killed", they will return to life once the lethal element has been removedDCabDesign forum (Daniel Cabuco) - Re: Rahab's Gills: For example, impaling them through the heart will "kill" them, causing their soul to roam out of their body, however when the object is removed from their heart the body will re-absorb the soul and heal from the impalement in seconds. Even if a vampire is forcefully corrupted into a monstrous form by absorbing its blood, it will immediately revert to its usual status when possibleLegacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2 (2002) - Chapter 9: The Device)
** Self-Sustenance (Type 2. While Vampires need to consume blood to replenish their strength, they will be able to survive indefinitely without it, though with great agony)
* Bodily Weaponry (Vampires are all armed with sharp claws)
** Limited Surface Scaling (Vampires are capable of scaling walls with their claws Nosgoth (2013-2016))
* Accelerated Development and Transformation (Vampires evolve throughout time- entering stages of rapid evolution and developing new gifts as a resultLegacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (1999) - Intro, as well as generally becoming strongerLegacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2 (2002) - Chapter 4: The Upper City. If a vampire's blood is continuously drained for a long period of time, it will degenerate into a monstrous form, to then immediately revert to its usual status when possible. If a vampire's soul is forced outside its body for years, it willLegacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (1999) - Necropolis transform into a Vampire Wraith capable of draining souls. The vampire will retain this ability if it manages to return to its physical body)
* Blood Manipulation (Vampires are capable of drawing blood from their victims at a distance, even from multiple at once, though this typically seems to require them being weakened, stunned or unable to fight backBlood Omen: Legacy of Kain (1996). They can also consume blood in a more traditional way, drinking directly from the victim's body. Either way, absorption of blood hastens a vampire's regeneration)
** Minor Energy Manipulation (Vampires can use Bloodsuck to draw power from certain vampiric artifacts)
** Power Absorption (Drinking the blood of creatures also adds to a vampire's Lore, enhancing their health as more and more are consumed. Vampires are also able to absorb other vampires' unique Dark GiftsLegacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2 (2002) - Chapter 2: The Den: through this method, Kain went from being barely able to challenge the weakest of the Sarafan's vampire generals to growing strong enough to kill them all in increasing order of power)
* Supernatural Willpower (Even weaker vampires are capable of inhuman feats of stamina, with their metamorphosis alone being considered to be far beyond what a man could endure; After that transformation, the Razielim, finding themselves trapped and alone in an underground city, starved for decades, and eventually resolved to dig their way out inch by inch, a grueling act that itself would take a great amount of timeNosgoth Website Blog - The Fall of the Razielim - Part 3 - George Kelion)
* Enhanced Senses (Vampires can see through smoke bombs that obscure human vision Nosgoth (2013-2016))
* Telepathy (All vampires are capable of using Whisper, which allows them to communicate mentally even across great distancesLegacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2 (2002) - Chapter 1: The Slums)
* Limited Pseudo-Flight (Vampires have the ability to float, slowing down their descent through the air and making no noise upon landingLegacy of Kain: Defiance (2003) - Chapter Thirteen - Kain - Avernus Catacombs)
* Resistances
** Corruption, Possession and Biological Manipulation (Due to his nature, Kain was unaffected by stepping inside Dark Eden's dome, which twists and reforms lifeforms, turning them into mutantsBlood Omen: Legacy of Kain (1996) - Ruined Land. Vampires are unaffected by the corruption effects of a Hylden's possession, which normally kills hosts slowlyQuestion and Answer with Amy Hennig at The Lost Worlds (by Ben Lincoln), and can resist it to a degreeLegacy of Kain: Defiance (2003) - Chapter Twelve - Raziel - Avernus Cathedral)
** Soul Manipulation (A vampire's soul is rooted deeper than a human's, and cannot be removed from their body as easily. Even if it is, it will quickly wander back in on its ownLegacy of Kain: Soul Reaver UKA Manual (1999), as long as the vampire isn't incapacitated. Vampires can also restore damage dealt to their soul by weapons such as the Soul Reaver by drinking blood, as with physical woundsBlood Omen: Legacy of Kain (1996) - The Land of the Nemesis, and the older a vampire, the more they can resist harm to their soulDCabDesign forum (Daniel Cabuco) - Re: The Vampires Of LOK)
==Elder Vampire Powers==
Through centuries, a vampire's body begins to shift, becoming distinctly inhuman. Their hands fuse into a set of claws, and they begin to develop unique abilities of their own. Their previous abilities also all grow to far greater degrees
* Enhanced Bodily Weaponry (As a vampire grows, their fingers fuse together into a set of three clawsDCabDesign forum (Daniel Cabuco) - Re: Vampire's attire in Nosgoth formed of sinew and bone fused together, with the tip made of pure boneDCabDesign forum (Daniel Cabuco) - Re: Cloven Hands. Despite appearances, they are capable of wielding weaponry and objects with these claws without loss of dexterity)
* Enhanced Regeneration (Older vampires can heal from injuries such as being impaled by gatesLegacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (1999) - Melchiah Boss Battle, and are even capable of restoring their soul after it's partially drained)
* Dimensional Travel and unconventional Time Manipulation (Vampire Elders have the ability to momentarily shift into the Spectral RealmLegacy of Kain: Soul Reaver US Manual (1999). Time does not flow normally in the Spirit Realm, appearing to be halted, which means that when switching into it, one is effectively stopping time)
* Telekinesis (All elder vampires are capable of Telekinesis Legacy of Kain: Defiance - Prime Strategy Guide)
* Spatial Manipulation and Energy Projection (Vampiric Telekinesis's most basic form works by compressing and warping space to fire an orb of kinetic energyLegacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (1999) - Tomb Guardian Battle)
Most Elder Vampires, though not Kain and his lieutenants, can turn others into vampires.
* Corruption and Power Bestowal (The ancient vampires were capable of turning humans into vampires, passing the Hylden's Blood Curse onto themLegacy of Kain: Defiance (2003) - Chapter Twelve - Raziel - Avernus Cathedral)
Elder Vampires born of Kain, as well as Kain himself, spread their corruption in a unique way thanks to Kain's necromantic origin.
* Soul Manipulation and Necromancy (Elder vampires, as shown by Kain, are capable of raising the dead as vampiresLegacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (1999) - Tomb of the Sarafan by planting a bit of their soul into them)
== Vampire Weaknesses ==
While far more powerful than humans, vampires all share an array of distinctive weaknesses, many of which can be crippling in the wrong circumstances.
* Vampires burn at the touch of water as if it was acid, and will suffer if they come in contact even with things such as steamLegacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2 (2002) - Chapter 6: The Industrial Quarter, swamps, sewage, rain and snowfallBlood Omen: Legacy of Kain Manual (1996). However, merely walking on puddles, snow or ice does not seem to harm themBlood Omen: Legacy of Kain (1996) - Coorhagen, likely because they aren't making direct contact with it. 
* Fledgling vampires are killed by strong sunlight, though stronger ones are only weakened by it.
** Note that all named vampires featured in the mainline Legacy of Kain series are strong enough to withstand sunlight, and only nameless enemy vampires will be killed by it.
* Impaling a vampire in the heart will paralyze them until the object is removed from their body. When a vampire is paralyzed in this way, their soul will abandon their body, and be vulnerable to those capable of affecting it.
* While vampires will not die if they are unable to feed on blood, they will be weakened by their hunger.
* There is a specific sound frequencyLegacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (1999) - Silenced Cathedral that will harm and kill vampires exposed to it.
* Fire is a reliable method to overwhelm a vampire's regeneration and kill them.
* If a vampire is comatose for centuries, they may lose much of their power and memory as a resultLegacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2 (2002) - Intro.
==References==
Category:Legacy of Kain
Category:Verse-specific Powers and Abilities