Vampire

### Description

* Undead, immortal predators with vast supernatural abilities that can only be maintained through the consumption of blood.

"*I have to admit... at first, it felt strange, the metallic taste. But then, it was like electricity coursing through my body-- a million stars exploding in my mind all at once. It's like nothing I've ever felt before. It was amazing. And all I can think now is... I want to do it again.*"
―Camille about becoming a vampire
**Vampires**, also known as the **Immortal Accursed**, the **Cold Ones**, the **Children of the Night**, or simply as **Vamps**, are a supernatural species of predatory immortals that originated as magically reanimated corpses inhabited by the spirit of the deceased person in question. Vampires are nocturnal by nature, as the touch of sunlight burns their skin on contact, though there are magical means by which they can prevent this reaction. The species is characterized by their need to drink blood, which they call "**Vitae**", in order to maintain their immortality and supernatural abilities.

Sometimes the term is expanded to cover all supernatural bloodsuckers, or even people and creatures who don't drink blood but are so-called 'psychic vampires', i.e., possess psychic powers that require feeding from other people. The *Ardeur* can be considered to be one such power.

## Description

### Physiology

#### Nutrition

The most defining characteristic of vampires, regardless of type, is their unnatural, insatiable need for blood. Vampires subsist on blood as their only food source since they can't gain nutrients from human food or the sun, blood is there the only source of energy. Human blood is by far the most common source and the most appealing, and subsequently the most difficult to resist. Human blood is preferred as it is more nutritious, but animal blood can also be drunk however, those who prefer the blood of animals, face having lower energy compared to vampires who feed on humans and are thus often less powerful. Although it still gives them nutrition, animal blood is less appealing to vampires. As blood is the only component of a vampire's diet, failing to drink blood (whether human or animal) for an extended period of time will physically and mentally weaken a vampire. The longer a vampire abstains from blood, the more likely the vampire will lose their rationality and mental faculties until they give into their thirst, because their throats are described to be in "burning pain", which will worsen the longer they do not drink blood.

Vampires who wish to blend in with human society are also seen to ingest human food and drinks, but their bodies derive no sustenance from this, only pleasure. On occasion, the appeal of human blood can be so enticing that a "vegetarian" vampire will lose control, especially if their self-control is weak. To a "vegetarian" vampire, carnivores' blood is more appetizing than herbivores, though still not quite as good as humans.

On the moral grounds that all human life is precious, a very small proportion of the vampiric population refuse to drink human blood, even from blood bags. Instead, these immortals derive sustenance solely from animal blood, jokingly calling themselves 'vegetarians'. There are also vampires who enjoy feeding on the blood of other vampires. A vampire's blood taste varies from vampire to vampire, some describe it as a short rush of euphoria will others describe it as "drinking a bottle of lye".

Whenever a vampire feeds on someone, their heartbeats will begin to beat in harmonic rhythm, effectively joining them as one shared pulse. It is because of this that the bite of a vampire and subsequent feeding is an intimate and pleasurable experience for both participants. However, a vampire must take care never to drain a person completely to the point of death, as this would mean death for them as well; because vampires need the blood of the living to survive, by drinking "dead blood" they would effectively take their victim's death into themselves. Vampires of great age and power can learn to overcome this weakness and sustain themselves on the blood of the dead, but they always prefer that of the living due to its warmth.

##### Singers

The blood of each human has an individual taste and smell; sometimes a certain vampire finds a particular human whose blood he or she finds nearly absolutely irresistible. Italian vampires call such a human "la Tua cantante"—your singer—as their blood "sings" to that particular vampire. To most vampires, such discovery is an experience to be savoured. These singers often make excellent mates.

#### Appearance

Vampire blood brings ordinary human genetics to its greatest, most extraordinary potential, conveying preternatural beauty, longevity, strength, height, and senses to the former human (there are rarely ugly vampires). Many, though not all, vampires are thus described as being impeccably beautiful in appearance, and as being angelic or even God-like. This is one of the several features meant to attract their prey—more specifically, to attract, fascinate, and (if necessary) seduce, unsuspecting humans. But their most striking feature are their bright inhuman eyes, which are said to be so alluring that to gaze upon them would cause one to fall into a hypnotic state. This makes vampires more efficient predators, as it allows them to attract and seduce humans. The attractiveness of a vampire is determined by how desirable they were before they died. If an already attractive human were to be sired, their physical beauty would be "breath-taking". If they were of average interest, their attractiveness would be lower, but still stunningly beautiful. If, however, they were not particularly pleasing to the eye, they would become average (as shown with James), but this is a rare occurrence, as vampires normally select exceptional humans to turn. They do not age physically; instead becoming more "statuesque" as they age, developing very smooth, flawless, marble white skin. Their features are refined and perfected (including their voices), rendering them supernaturally beautiful to lure in prey. Vampires can be noticed by their lack of body heat as well as the absence of a heartbeat. However, their hearts do actually continue to function but at a very slow and near-imperceptible pace.

The physical changes that occur whenever a human becomes a vampire are apparent: their eyes become luminous, their skin pale and reflective, and their fingernails become translucent. Their muscle mass is enhanced and perfected, and they have no further need to breathe, though many still do so out of habit. The ability to cut off airflow from their lungs allows them to remain submerged underwater for as long as they wish and contributes greatly to their excellent swimming capabilities. The hair, nails and skin of all vampires are flawless, and their entire bodies are textured with a sleek, marble-like substance which continues to smoothen over time. The teeth of all vampires are beautiful and unbreakable equipped with two pairs of visible, elongated fangs along the upper canines and lateral incisors that they can extend and retract at will.

##### Eye Colour

Like the majority of supernatural creatures, a vampire's eyes reflect their true nature. Most of the time they retain their normal human eyes, but theirs are sometimes more luminous than an ordinary human's. Their eye colour depends heavily on their diet, as well as on which bloodline they belong to. Some vampire breeds, like the Upir, have completely ordinary human eyes. For some other vampires, a diet of human blood would eventually darken them to a rose red colour. However, a diet of animal blood would instead dilute their eyes to a golden colour. A vampire who has recently fed on animal blood will have light, honey gold eyes, while a vampire who has recently fed on human blood will have vivid crimson eyes. All older vampires' eyes darken perceptively as they abstain from blood, until their eyes become *onyx*, or *coal* black. The process usually takes one to two weeks before the eyes are turned completely black. Chance Mikaelson is an exception, as his eyes do not take half as long to reflect his eating habits. Pureborn vampires are actually shown to possess electric blue eyes on occasion. When a vampire is thirsty or experiencing strong emotions, the veins beneath their eyes protrude as blood rages through them, clouding their eyes in a dark, reddish bloodshot-like haze.

##### Teeth

The bite of a vampire can sever the limbs of their opponents, as vampires are known for having extremely sharp and strong teeth. A vampire's teeth appear no different than regular human teeth, but when they show their 'True Face', their canines extend into fangs that they can retract at will. A vampire's teeth are flawless, unbreakable, and razor sharp at the edges, even when not elongated. They are also incredibly strong, able to bite through almost any solid substance, including vampire skin. Some of them are also venomous, but this is not true of all vampires.

##### Aging

Vampires do not physically age effectively having eternal youth, retaining their appearance after being turned, only more enhanced and beautiful. The only noticeable semblance of aging is that they become physically stronger with age. It also shown that hair continues to grow if they have hair. This leads many to call them "immortal" though this is both technically true and untrue. They are still susceptible to death and while in theory can live forever it is believed that all will succumb to the True Death by some manner of circumstances in the vastness of eternity.

#### Creation

The majority of vampires are made, not born, from human stock. There are long-standing cultural prohibitions against turning an already existing supernatural being - considered higher life-forms than humans - into a vampire. Humans, however, are perfect candidates. Vampires select potential humans according to their needs at the time, whether that be a mate, soldier, assassin, skilled servants, or to fill out their clans.

##### The "Embrace"

The process for creating a vampire differs with each of the primary bloodlines, but as most vampires belong to mixed breeds, the majority of the species share a similar method of reproduction. In order to create a vampire, a human must be drained of their blood by a vampire and the blood lost needs to be replaced by some of the vampire's blood. The vampire and human must then sleep in the ground (this is presumably the point where they technically die) until the Newborn rises as a vampire the following night. The Newborn and the maker will subsequently have a maker-progeny bond, unless the maker deserts or releases their progeny.

It should be noted that extremely powerful Higher Vampires no longer need to perform this lengthy exchange, instead their blood is so potent that only a few drops are necessary for the human to drink even without being drained beforehand. Also, the progeny will not take half as long to awaken, often rising within a few hours of their initial death, so long as the body is preserved and able to function upon reanimation. If the human is killed by decapitation, fire or corrosives, damage to or removal of the heart, or excessive loss of body mass, reanimation will not occur.

Upon awaking the following night, the Newborn will be in 'Transition' which must be completed by drinking blood within the next twenty-four hours, failure to do so will result in the True Death. Once they have successfully transitioned, their will experience a seven-year long period of vampire infancy. Although Newborns have some control of their abilities, they are mostly controlled by their impulses and can cause serious harm and accidental deaths to humans around them. In addition, Newborns cannot resist blood at all, as resistance develops with age.

A Newborn's existence depends upon their abilities, which are taught to them by their maker. These powers take time to learn and develop. As vampires age, they become more adept at controlling their abilities and surviving in the harsh world of the supernatural. According to Jasper Valentine, two-thirds of Newborns die during their first year without the guidance of their makers, rarely ever making it to the rank of Fledgling, and even fewer surviving to adulthood.

##### The Sire Bond

A Maker has a deep connection with his or her Progeny, something that humans cannot fully understand or experience. During the transformation from human to vampire, the maker and soon-to-be progeny "share their essence" whilst buried in the ground, a supernatural process that not even vampires understand.

Maker-progeny relationships vary between individuals. Vampires Rosalyn Harris and Bill Compton treat their progeny like humans treat children and have an exclusively parental relationship. On the other hand, vampires Lorena Krasiki and Russell Edgington create progeny to prolong romantic and sexual relationships and have spousal relationships with their progeny.

Most vampires do not take becoming a maker lightly, as evidenced by Eric Northman, who has only produced two progenies in a millennium, and Bill Compton, who has produced one in 175 years. However, Pamela Swynford de Beaufort has admitted to creating a progeny out of curiosity, and Rosalyn Harris has created 204 progenies in 211 years. Eddie's maker turned him for the asking, though he did not take his responsibilities as a maker seriously and left Eddie to fend for himself.

A progeny may turn a vampire and become a maker themselves while still under the influence of their own maker. The grandparent/grandmaker has no control over the grandchild/grandprogeny.

#### Genetics

Upon their transformation, the newly born vampire's bodily functions will alter. They are unable to produce bodily waste but can consume human food and drink with as much ease as any ordinary mortal, but this provides absolutely no sustenance, and merely dissolves once the system has time to disintegrate it. Although they are capable of shedding ordinary tears, in moments of extreme emotional upheaval, some vampires are actually seen to cry blood. Another unusual trait is their inability to sweat, unless they are weakened or in the midst of sexual intercourse with their mate.

They can hear sounds coming from several miles away, and even with their eyes closed, they can be sure that there are multiple people in a room thanks to their varied breathing patterns. They can hear the sound of a heartbeat, a pulse thudding in a vein, and words spoken too quietly or too fast for humans to detect. Their enhanced vision allows them to see the smallest details - dust motes floating through the air and ultraviolet light. Vampire vision is unhindered by darkness and is so acute that they view humans as blind, or "mud-eyed", in comparison. Josie describes her sight as being better than an eagle's. Vampires find wearing glasses or contact lenses to be uncomfortable or irritating; they see the miniature imperfections (ex. scratches). Their scent is based on their venom, and is pleasant, not only to humans, but to other vampires as well.

Though resistant to the diseases that affects warm-blooded beings, vampires are subject to a genetic illness called "blood rage". Once known as "the Vampire Curse", this illness leads to hyper-aggression and insatiable desire to hunt and kill. While all vampires need to hunt for physiological and psychological reasons, vampires afflicted with blood rage are unable to stop themselves from doing so. During the Vampire Wars of antiquity, vampires with blood rage were highly desirable and efforts were made to raise armies of blood-rage vampires, known as Rippers. At some point in time, it was discovered that the Vampire Curse may also bring a surprising benefit; blood rage actually holds the key to a vampire's unusual ability to produce natural, as opposed to made, children. However, only male Rippers are capable of sexual reproduction, along with female Heretics.

Furthermore, vampires also experience a compulsive "sleep" cycle in conjunction with the rising and setting of the Sun; as the dawn breaks, vampires become greatly fatigued as the rising Sun triggers their drowsiness, forcing them to find shelter to retreat. The only vampires known to overcome this weakness are those who have become a Higher Vampire and have developed an immunity to ultraviolet light or have acquired a piece of Daylight Jewellery which allows them to remain awake during the daytime and walk outside. Younger vampires can try to achieve this of their own will but ultimately find they cannot and unwillingly give into the compulsory rest and need to belong to a bloodline in order to gain the power necessary to rise the next morning. These vampires are capable of creating their own sleep schedules regardless of the day or time. Nevertheless, due to the fact that all vampires are at their most vulnerable whenever they are asleep, more than half of the undead choose to sleep in either coffins or crypts as a means to avoid any unsuspecting danger. According to Elijah, vampires cannot dream (unless they are hybrids or are psychically bound to a person who can) and cannot awaken until the dusk "resurrects" them from their sleep. During their slumber, vampires, while not awake or conscious themselves, do possess a naturally built-in defence mechanism that causes their limbs to reach out aimlessly when their subconscious mind detects movement near them; their bodies do this in an attempt to scare away any potential threats.

##### Vampire Blood

**Vampire blood**, known as **Vitae** to their own kind, or "**V**", is the life essence of vampires and the source of all their powers, as it carries the Dark Gift.

It is an extremely valuable commodity in the supernatural black-market, and has the following effects on humans and supernatural creatures:

* **Bonding**: If the user drinks fresh blood from a vampire, a psychic and emotional bond is created, which is sealed if they drink from the same vampire at least three times, and at that point, they become that vampire's Thrall. The human might become sexually attracted to and have sexual dreams about the vampire. The vampire, in turn, will be able to sense the location, emotions and state of the human.
* **Enhanced Abilities**: The user will experience enhanced strength, senses, aggression, and libido, which will last as long as the blood is in their system.
* **Drug Qualities**: The user may experience hallucinations, which vary from person to person (for instance, while Jesus Velasquez and Lafayette Reynolds experienced spiritual hallucinations, Jason Stackhouse and Amy Burley experienced more trip-like hallucinations).
* **Healing**: A human or supernatural creature that ingests vampire blood will be able to heal wounds at an accelerated rate.
* **Withdrawal**: If the user is addicted to vampire blood and stops ingesting it, they will experience withdrawal symptoms, which are similar to those of heroin withdrawal (such as tremors, cramps, muscle and bone pain, perspiration, tachycardia, etc).

In addition, if a human ingests an excess amount of vampire blood (i.e., more than 1-2 drops), the effects may persist longer than intended. For instance, after he drank a vial of vampire blood, Jason Stackhouse experienced sweating, exhaustion, and a persistent erection (which caused priapism).

#### Heredity

##### Born Vampires

Born Vampires are a classification of vampiric beings who, unlike most other vampires, are born as such, rather than being humans who were turned into one via the Embrace. They are similar to ordinary vampires but have a number of biological differences. Most are very powerful and are usually more beautiful than their parents, but this is not always the case. Born vampires are also capable of siring fully-fledged immortals like their parents do.

Not all vampires are capable of sexual reproduction, making it an extremely rare occurrence. Most will never have children of their own, as there are often certain specifications that must be in order to conceive one. For example, a vampire must be either a Ripper, Hybrid, or hold Higher status in order to even have the potential of having a child, and even then, it is highly uncommon and very unlikely.

* Pureborn
* Brightborn
* Dhampirs

A **Pureborn** vampire is the child of two vampires. This means that they have inherited the sums of their parents' respective strains and are thus 'purer' and more revered than ordinary vamps. They are often described as being astonishingly beautiful, even more so than turned vampires, as well as far more powerful than their parents, developing unique abilities of their own as they mature and are able to begin their own bloodlines. Because of this, most, if not all, pureborn vampires are Primarchs, capable of supporting an entire line of progenies. Like their parents, they are preternaturally intelligent, and they grow an accelerated rate of development, similar to how Chance Mikaelson matured over the course of seven years, while most pureborns seem to reach adulthood anywhere between five or ten years after their birth. Human food does nothing for them, and thus, they require blood to survive. They are almost always stronger than their parents.

A **Brightborn** is one of two types of vampire-witch hybrid, the other being the more common Heretics. Unlike Heretics, which are Siphoner-Witches turned into vampires who retain their powers of witchcraft, a Brightborn is the natural child of both a vampire and a witch, whether that be a Ripper and a Weaver, or a Heretic and a human of some variety. Like their full-blooded counterparts, the Pureborn, the Brightborn are incredibly powerful and attractive. Unlike the Pureborn, however, they age at an ordinary human pace. The reason for this is a mystery.

### Known Brightborn

* **Jaydan Salvatore**

**Dhampirs**, also known as **Half-Bloods**, are the hybrid children of humans and vampires. In mythical folklore, Dhampirs are usually only the result of a male vampire impregnating a human female. In reality, female vampires can become pregnant by humans, surmising that they are either Rippers or Masters, which are two of the only ways a vampire can sexually reproduce.

Vampire society classifies their children into blood status. Blood status, also called purity of blood, is a concept in the vampire world that distinguishes between vampires that have different levels of vampirism:

* **Kin-Bloods**: Kinbloods are Dhampirs who are the result of a sexual union between a human and a vampire. Like the Pureborn and Brightborn, Dhampirs are supernaturally attractive, appealing and beautiful. They possess incredible magical powers and vast superhuman senses and capabilities, often equal to their vampiric parent. Dhampirs can survive on either human food or blood, but they will often begin to experience a thirst for the latter as they enter a period of evolution called "the Awakening". This usually occurs in their late teens, often by their eighteenth birthday, by which point a Dhampir has finished maturing. Strangely enough, the Dhampir is always the same gender as their vampiric parent. Unlike Pureborn, they age as normal humans do. By the time the Awakening comes along, they start to get sick, weak, and frail, as their bodies begin to shut down, their emotions intensify, and the constant craving for human blood overwhelms them, driving many of them mad as even giving into their urges cannot stop what is happening to them. Eventually, the Dhampir dies before they reach the age of twenty, and they soon awaken in Transition. If they choose to complete their transition and drink blood, they will become immensely powerful Higher Vampires, equal to many Pureborns. If they do not complete their transition, then they will die and become Wraiths instead. Even before maturing, they are immune to many other magical afflictions, such as Lycanthropy, and thus cannot become a werecreature even if they are bitten or cursed to do so.
* **Mal-Bloods**: A Mal-Blood is the second type of Dhampir, as well as the weaker, more horrific and more vicious. Mal-bloods are grossly deformed and disfigured creatures, with a bottomless thirst for blood that puts even the most sadistic Rippers to shame. In comparison to Kinbloods, who are the result of vampire-human sexual unions, a Mal-blood is what happens when a venomous vampire infects a pregnant human woman with the Dark Gift, mutating the unborn foetus and turning it into an unholy monster who will eventually rip through their mother, feeding off her from the inside out and then growing to adulthood in a matter of hours. They have absolutely no control over their urges, and desire not just the blood of their victims, but their flesh and organs as well. They even try to cannibalize other vampires. They are incapable of siring vampires of their own, with any attempts made resulting in the creation of especially horrific Ghouls and Thralls with an intense penchant for sadism and self-mutilation. A Mal-blood's Vitae is poisonous to everything it touches, even polluting the very environment around it.

### Psychology

#### Individual Traits

When a human becomes a vampire, all of their natural behaviour, needs, and characteristics are frozen within them forever, though they are also heightened at the same time. From the moment a vampire is made, his interests, dislikes, and personality are permanently petrified. For instance, if a human with a loving character becomes a vampire, his or her passion is magnified, allowing him or her to love others even more intensely. Another example is if the human was ambitious and cunning, those characteristics become magnified as a vampire, thus making him a ruthless killer. The only aspect that does change is the vampire's outlook on the world.

Vampires experience sensations and feelings much more intensely than humans, and as a result, they have a much more difficult time controlling their emotions, all of which are tied to their hunger in some way. Whenever a vampire is overwhelmed by powerful feelings (such as extreme hunger, fear, anger, happiness, love, lust etc.) their faces become pale, and blood rushes into the veins surrounding their eyes, darkening them tremendously. Their canine teeth will lengthen into fangs, giving them a more predatory look to scare off or threaten their prey and to aid them in feeding on humans and animals. This intensification of emotions experienced by vampires also extends to their personalities as well, both the good and the bad aspects of it. For example, Elena and Stefan were both compassionate and kind as humans, which amplified these traits to the point of being self-sacrificing as vampires; conversely, Vicki Donovan, who was a troubled teenage girl with addictions to drugs, carried these personality traits into her vampire life as well, making her subject to violent mood swings and making it even harder for her to resist her cravings for human blood until she had to be killed to save Elena and Jeremy from being killed.

Due to their intensely emotional nature, it is not uncommon for vampires wishing to maintain self-control to document their lives after their transition in journals. Though they have consistently shown considerable powers in recollection of specific memories and dates, vampires still need to peruse their journals in order to reflect on their feelings and other minute details during certain events. Another function of the vampire nature is the ability to "turn off" their humanity in order to make it easier for them to emotionally deal with feeding on (and occasionally even killing) humans to maintain their immortality. This ability can only be used by vampiric breeds, primarily the Estheri, for reasons unknown.

Vampires who have used this coping mechanism, such as Elena, Damon, Stefan, Caroline and Enzo, have described the process as "flicking a switch," which essentially numbs their emotions and disables their ability to be empathetic, allowing them to shut out painful feelings such as guilt, grief, and sadness and turning off the part of them that makes them ashamed of their actions. Vampires with their humanity turned off often think of themselves as purely rational and logical and are not ruled by their emotions. They also have no problem feeding indiscriminately on whomever they please, either using mind compulsion to make the humans forget the experience or killing them outright with no shame or remorse. Chance describes the so called "humanity switch" as being an inaccurate phrase, saying that it rids them of all self-depreciative emotions and allows their instincts and more primal urges to take control. Instead of being emotionally driven prey they become instinctually driven predators.

#### Basic Instincts

Aside from their original personalities, they also have ferocious instincts and a compelling drive for consuming blood. The moment they give in to their thirst, all of their human characteristics disappear, and they could risk hurting one another by competing for prey. The longer they abstain from blood completely, the harder it becomes for them to resist, and eventually, they will give in to their thirst. Vampires have the capacity to be extremely feral, predatory creatures, and far more savage and beast-like than their human appearance suggest. They growl, hiss, snarl, and curl their lips back baring their teeth as signs of aggression when provoked. They also have a sense of self-preservation; when they are confronted with danger that proves too overwhelming for their capabilities, they will immediately evade the area, unless there is something holding them back.

They are also highly erotic creatures with insatiable sexual appetites. Due to their immortality, most vampires tend to gravitate towards a polyamorous lifestyle. Very few of them limit themselves to a single partner, but many do take mates while maintaining an open relationship. Sex is very pleasurable, especially when sharing blood, and a vampire's sexual preferences tend to become more fluid as they get older, taking lovers of either gender whereas before they believed themselves to be entirely straight or homosexual.

#### Bonding Factors

Vampires are mostly territorial and nomadic, but there are a few occasions for them to bond with someone else, human or vampire. The first bonding force is a romance: If a vampire falls in love, that feeling almost never fades away and because of their strong emotion their love for another being is also strong. As a general rule, only the bond between mates is strong enough to survive the competitive drive for blood. Larger covens are less stable and usually end because of internal violence. If a vampire was romantically bound to someone before they turned, that love will remain as a permanent aspect in his characteristics after the transformation. It is also possible for a vampire to fall in love after they were turned, and that love will be just as permanent as any other.

Another prevalent vampire trait is that of a vengeful nature. Related again to their unchanging state, vampires are not forgiving; they do not move past an insult or injury. The most common example of vampire vengeance is the aftermath of the loss of a mate. When a vampire loses their mate, they never recover from the pain. They cannot rest until the party responsible is eradicated. Centuries can pass without lessening the ferocity of their need for vengeance. However, it is possible to suppress that desire if they compel themselves to focus.

The second bonding force, and one that is able to keep a large brood stable, is ambition. Vampires are competitive by nature, and some vampires have been able to evolve this competitive disposition into a greater cause capable of uniting many individuals into a secure whole. The pursuit of power is that bonding cause for vampires.

The third bonding force is family, which is sometimes just as rare as the fourth. Most vampires have strong family bonds and prize loyalty to family above all else. They are hierarchical and obedience to the leader of the pack isn’t up for discussion. Unlike Daemons, they follow the rules (well, the vampire code of law and order, that is). Most avoid being centre stage preferring solitary occupations where they can hide in plain sight and are possessive in love. When they choose a ‘mate’, the commitment will often last centuries.

The fourth, and rarest, bonding force is the vampire conscience. Very few vampires are born with or develop a value for human life. The consumption of human blood is such a known aspect of vampire life that few ever question it; the driving thirst for human blood seems irresistible. However, those who do learn to value human life in spite of this reality are able to subsist on animal blood. Vampires who live this way are sometimes referred to as "vegetarians". Animal blood is unappealing to vampires, and thus a difficult diet to maintain. Those who make the sacrifice, though, experience related benefits. In the absence of human blood, the competitive drive disappears. Vampires are able to form bonds of love in addition to the bond between mates. The weak brood alliance is replaced by a strong, family-style union.

## Society & Culture

### Government

* **Vampire Council**: The highest-ranking governmental body is the Vampire Council, which has existed for over a thousand years, overseeing all vampires across the world. No matter where they are, no matter their age, or to which bloodline they claim descent, all vampires must respect the will and authority of the High Council.
* **Vampire Monarch**: In some regions of the earth, vampire monarchies have been established whose territories range from large cities to entire countries, which are ruled by either a King or a Queen, or both in some cases. In the US, each State is a separate vampire kingdom, but not all states have official monarchies yet, as some vampire populations have structured their hierarchies a little different than others. Each kingdom or queendom is furthermore split into Areas, each of which is governed by a Vampire Sheriff, who reports directly to their respective monarchs.
* **Vampire Sheriff**: Vampire Kingdoms are divided into smaller territories called Areas. These areas are each overseen by a Sheriff. A sheriff is mostly the oldest and most powerful vampire in the area. His/her duties include maintaining order among the regular vampires and reporting back to the monarch.
* **Master Of The City**: Master of the City is a title given to Higher Vampires who claim dominion over a city-wide territory. Some of them serve under Sheriffs and Monarchs, but others rule their fiefdoms independently and in a feudal manner, usually only in those territories where a monarchy has yet to be established.
* **The Nobility**: The Nobility is a body within the vampiric government that comes in Two Houses: Lesser and Greater. The Lesser Nobility is comprised of powerful Higher Vampires, usually those who are least a thousand years old, but the younger has been around for just over seven-hundred-years. The Greater Nobility, on the other hand, is composed entirely of Pureborn vampires.
* **The Harlequin**: The Harlequin are effectively the secret police of the Vampire Nation. Its members are exceptionally powerful, and they do not just count vampires among their members, but also Therianthropes and a few mages here and there. They are the chief enforcers of the Vampire Council and are the most feared immortals in the world, with power enough to depose monarchs and establish new domains at will.
* **Covenants**: A **Covenant** is an organization of vampires similar to a Brood, but usually much larger and more organized, with many Broods and some Kindreds forming their membership. They serve as political, philosophical, or even quasi-religious sects that together, make up the Vampire Nation, and although they often have conflicting beliefs, methods, and policies, they are all willing to coexist with each other in the name of survival and the preservation of the species. There are currently seven officially recognized Covenants, each with a member on the Vampire Council.

#### Vampire Laws

Vampires live according to the laws of the Council. Masters, Kings, and Queens, however, can declare edicts and create new laws at their discretion. Laws among vampires include:

* Prohibition of murdering another vampire without good reason.
* Prohibition of the sale of vampire blood.
* Prohibition of feeding from another vampire's human without that vampire's express permission.
* When a vampire enters or departs an area, the vampire is required to make this known to the sheriff of the area.
* Makers are responsible for the actions of their progeny.

Vampires also have laws regarding humans. These are recognized by human systems but are sometimes ignored due to anti-vampire prejudice. These Laws include.

* Prohibition of dealing or selling vampire blood.
* Prohibition of draining a vampire.
* Prohibition of kidnapping a vampire.
* Prohibition of murdering a vampire.

##### Punishments

Punishments, due to violations, are administered by the Authority, Masters, kings, queens or sheriffs, depending on the seriousness of the crime. There are set punishments for crimes, but a Master can change the punishment if they wish.

### Organization

#### Kindred

A **Kindred** is a 'genus' of vampires whose abilities mirror one another to varying degrees. All of the Thirteen recognized Kindreds are comprised of smaller 'bloodlines' which display certain traits that maybe not all members of their Kindred will possess. A vampire who does not know what Kindred they belong to is Caitiff, generally a second-class citizen in vampiric society.

Each Kindred has its own organization and culture that is considered important by its members, and though individuals are rarely willing to make any self-sacrifice for their clanmates, a general sense of understanding often elicits some preference for those of similar blood.

Despite what many Hunters think, a vampire does not get to choose into which Kindred or Sireline he or she is Embraced. Most of the time, they are a part of the same group as their sire, i.e., should a Nosferatu turn a human, then that human will almost always be a Nosferatu as well. However, there are exceptions to this. During the hours of transition, a potential vampire's DNA is highly malleable and subject to change. They are in a state between life and death. Most vampires complete the transition by drinking an ordinary human's blood, but sometimes, the victim of their first feed is not always ordinary, and if they are not, then that may result in the vampire developing some unique abilities.

For example, the first Nosferatu was born when he drank the blood of the demon Belial, a Prince of Hell, thus mutating him and giving rise to an entirely new bloodline in the process. The Red Court of the Gangrel was created in a similar fashion, with the first Red King drinking from the veins of the Mayan bat god, Camazotz. Any vampire who successfully survives their transition by drinking a Werebeast's blood will automatically belong to one of the Gangrel Bloodlines, depending on what manner of Therianthrope they feed upon.

Below are the Thirteen Kindreds of the Vampire Nation:

* Estheri
* Daeva
* Solemra
* Carpathian
* Tzimisce
* Ventrue
* Lasombra
* Gangrel
* Nosferatu
* Lahmia
* Julii
* Culebra
* [[Strigoi]]

The **Estheri** are an ancient vampire Kindred, being over seven thousand years old. They were created in ancient Macedonia, by the witch, Esther Mikaelson, who channelled the powers of Nature to immortalize her remaining children after the brutal death of her youngest son, Henrick. They, like most vampires, are incredibly attractive and powerful, growing stronger with age. They are the most numerous Kindred in the 21st Century and have given rise to tens of dozens of divergent lines with their own unique abilities. The Estheri are split into eight distinct Sirelines, with the heads of these particular lines being known as 'Originals'. They are especially powerful Primarchs who have always been what they from the moment they were transformed into vampires, not having to wait centuries to achieve such a status, having always been different from those descended from them. These Originals include Mikael, Cassian, Elijah, Klaus, Kol, Aaron, Alexandreus, and Ariana Mikaelson.

The **Tzimisce** are one of the Kindreds, being among the oldest and most enigmatic of their kind. They are described as scholars and flesh-shapers, known for being the most inhuman and sadistic vampires in existence. The Tzimisce have left the human condition behind gladly, and now focus on transcending the limitations of the vampiric state. At a casual glance or a brief conversation, a Tzimisce appears to be one of the more pleasant vampires. Polite, intelligent, and inquisitive, they seem a stark contrast to the howling Gangrel or even the apparently more human Nosferatu. However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that this is merely a mask hiding something alien and monstrous.

The Tzimisce find their origins in the earlier days of earth. The first of this particular breed came into existence when a Turok-Han Queen Embraced a pregnant woman, transforming her into a new type of vampire. This woman, known only as Satrina, would later give birth to the first pureborn vampire, Dagon, also known as Dracian, Draco, or as the legendary Dracula of popular myth. The Tzimisce are perhaps the most diverse Kindred, as possess the power to reshape their physical bodies to match their desires to become even more beautiful. It should be known that the Tzimisce standard of beauty is more horrific than the ordinary one.

All of them have both a human and a 'vampire' form, which appears as a terrifyingly demonic visage which becomes more and more potent as they age and grow stronger. They can also develop a series of additional forms through metamorphosis. Not only are they capable of altering their own appearance, but they are also able to twist and mutate biological matter in general, allowing them to create unnatural abominations out of the mutilated bodies of their victims. Tzimisce are also known for their talent with magic, which they often employ when 'expressing' themselves.
##### Bloodlines

A **Bloodline** or **Sireline** is a vampiric lineage consisting of vampires who each share common characteristics that distinguish them from the rest of the species. A large majority of vampire sirelines comprise Kindreds, though many are also completely independent, yet still subservient to the vampire government. Some Sirelines have more distinct traits than others do, with many exhibiting special abilities exclusive to their particular breed, while others may possess either a heightened tolerance or vulnerability to a vampire's traditional weaknesses. Each bloodline has specific strengths and weaknesses, as well as their own distinct history.

There are hundreds of vampiric sirelines, each of them different with their own abilities and weaknesses, with some appearing identical while others are completely alien and inhuman looking. Over the eons, many bloodlines have mixed and given rise to new ones, usually by a member of one *diablerizing* a member of another, which results in the Diablerist gaining new traits and characteristics derived from their victim's bloodline, which they then pass onto their future progenies, thus making an entirely new bloodline. The majority of vampires in the modern era are of these mixed bloodlines, most of which don't even have official names.

Below is a list of the more well-known vampiric bloodlines:

* Reavers
* Bruxae
* Empusae
* Aswang
* Adze
* Upir
* Soucouyant
* Pricolici
* Yiki Onna
* Nightwraith

The Upir are one of the Carpathian Bloodlines.

##### Purebloods

A **Pureblood**, often incorrectly mistaken for a **Pureborn**, is a vampire who belongs to solely one of the original bloodlines. As most vampires today are descended from vampires whose bloodlines have mixed with others as a result of either Blood Oath or Diablerie, Purebloods are relatively uncommon. Because of the versatility and diversity of the Dark Gift, it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish a Pureblood from a so-called "Mudblood", which is a derogatory term given to most vampires these days by particularly ancient and prejudiced immortals who are either critical or jealous of the others' unique abilities and characteristics developed from their union of differing breeds.

#### Hierarchy

##### Overview

In general, vampires are organized in a strictly hierarchical structure, both as a matter of social organization and as a matter of the magical power that animates them.

* With the exception of rogues and the purebloods of some bloodlines, all vampires are bound to a Master. In most cases, a Master will be subservient to another Higher Vampire, resulting in a hierarchy of control. Although a sufficiently powerful Higher Vamp appears to sometimes have the ability to control subject vampires through purely magical power, there are numerous vampires who demonstrate an ability and willingness to disobey their master. This is largely uncommon, however.
* Each area large enough to support a social group of vampires is controlled by a single Master of the City. Assuming this position increases a vampire's magical as well as social power, as the master draws a share of power from all the vampires under its control. This position is typically transferred only by the death of the existing master. A vampire traveling to a new area must have the permission of that area's master, and when masters of different cities visit one another, they often engage in detailed negotiations of terms.
* All of the individual masters of the various cities in turn owe allegiance to the Vampire Council. The Vampire Council is based in Europe and is composed of several extremely powerful vampires. Normally, a vampire assumes a position on the council by killing an existing member. Recently, with the rise of Chance Mikaelson and the formation of the Cooperative, the vampires of America have found an all-powerful King to rule them in place of the Council, whose authority is steadily fading.
* First, vampires gather power directly by feeding, primarily on blood, although some Higher Vampires can also draw power through fear, lust, or directly from their human or animal servants. Vampires also appear to draw power from their subjects.
* In return, a vampire receives its animating force from its master, who in turn receives his or her own animating force from his or her own master. A vampire at the head of a bloodline is known as a Primarch, the most powerful form of Higher Vampire, and who does not need to draw its animating force from any "upstream" Master.

* Clans
* Kiss
* Brood

Vampires have a strong sense of family that is similar to that of wolf packs. The head, or sire, of a vampire family - also called "a Clan" - has absolute authority. Etiquette requires that this head of the family be addressed as either Count or Countess. When a sire is not mated, that honour can be bestowed to another. Vampire houses are extremely hierarchical, and disobedience is not tolerated. Insubordination often leads to death, and in some cases, large vampire families are divided into scions with semiautonomous sires who report back to the main sire clan. In addition to making full-blooded vampire children, vampires also have a tradition of adoption. Being the adopted, or "blood-sworn", child of a vampire accords them all the rights and privileges of belonging to a house without having to become a fully-fledged vampire.

They are very similar to Broods, though unlike the latter, Clans are almost always more organized and esteemed. In many cases, a powerful Brood may actually be comprised of several Clans, so long as infighting does not occur as is common practice amongst the vampire population.

Houses are extremely important in vampire culture, and even the blood-sworn child of a great vampire sire would be higher of status than the full-blooded child of another subordinate vampire. According to legend, a vampire's blood vow sings for a year and a day. All vampires can hear it, but the song is particularly loud and clear to those who carry the maker's blood in their veins.
A **Kiss** is a group that consists of at least three or more vampires working together for a common goal. They are effectively the vampiric equivalent of werewolf packs, and mostly act as a gang of sorts. Kisses are often led by a single, or in the case of especially large broods, several Higher Vampires, who are usually the oldest and most powerful members present, and often possess the title of 'Master'. Some Kisses only welcome members from a particular bloodline or clan, while others welcome whoever gains their interest. Kisses are not very common as most vampires prefer to travel alone or in pairs, but a few exist stably over long periods of time, even rising to prominence.

A **Brood** is very similar to a Kiss of vampires in that they are a gathering of fellows but tend to be more on the political side of matters. Broods tend to be much larger than Kisses, and some are even comprised of much smaller Kisses or Clans. There is usually only one Brood to a single vampire domain, as the presence of any more could lead to violence erupting between them. They are also not as loyal as Clans are to one another and are often just aligned to achieve a shared goal. While Broods from different countries or states do not cross paths very often, the leaders of the said Broods meet with one another to discuss important situations that concerns the vampire world, with the meeting being authorized by the elders much like how a tribe of wereshifters operate. Some Broods even exist on a global scale, with members scattered across the planet with entire continents separating them.

##### Classification

* Higher Vampires
* Elder
* Childe
* Thin-Bloods

Higher Vampires are a superior class of vampires that have more expansive powers and fewer limitations than the average vampire. Higher Vampires are usually senior vampires or vampire elders with greater knowledge, authority, and experience than most of their kind, although Anita has occasionally met "baby" Higher Vamps who are relatively young. These young Higher Vampires are usually the result of an especially old vampire having not sired a progeny for many centuries and finally doing so at a relatively old age, making the resulting Childe much stronger than they usually should be for a vampire their age.

Most vampires reach Higher status when they reach a thousand years old, becoming a Child of the Millennia. Others become Higher Vampires by Diablerizing a pre-existing one, similar to how werecreatures ascend their own hierarchies. Pureblood vampires of certain lines, such as the Strigoi or the Upir, do not become Higher Vampires, as they pertain to a different power structure than vampires of other bloodlines.

Some Higher Vampires have the ability to control the power development of vampires under their control (either via direct descent or blood-oath). Some master vampires can share, enhance growth, or retard the development of power. For example, Caspian prevented Maribel Deschamps from growing in power when he was Master of St. Marcus, and she was Blood-Oathed to him. A Primarch may retard the development of Higher status in his or her followers; Warrick, for example, had his powers grow and became a Master during an extended absence from Morte D'Amour's presence.

### Primus Sanguinis

A **Primus Sanguinis**, also known as a **Primarch**, is the title of a Higher Vampire who is powerful enough to be a master, or head, of their very own line of vampires. A Primarch generates his or her own animating power, and also provides animating power for all vampires that share its bloodline or have taken Blood Oaths to members of the aforementioned Primarch's bloodline. A Primarch is owed a duty of fealty by all vampires that draw power from their bloodline. This ability is rare enough that centuries can pass without a new Primarch emerging.

The most notable Primarchs are members of the Vampire Council. It is not required to be a Primarch in order to acquire a seat on the High Council, although it is more than likely that the vampire will not last long as a Council member if he or she is not powerful enough to have their own line, while the rest of the Council members are.
An **Elder** is a vampire who is at least three hundred years old. Elders are extremely powerful and are often the leaders of their own Kisses or Clans. Despite their vast age, an Elder is still inferior to an older vampire, as time increases all of their powers exponentially, but make no mistake, Elders are still very much capable of eliminating most threats that present themselves to them in an often brutal and especially ruthless fashion, courtesy of the amorality and slow caution that centuries of unlife have instilled within them.

### Overview

**Childe** or **Childer** (plural) is the term for a vampire who is still experiencing their seven-year long infancy. By both vampiric law and power development, they are not yet true adults in the vampiric sense, regardless of the chronological age they were at when they were Embraced into the night. Childer in their first year are known as Newborns, while those who have progressed to the remaining six are called Fledglings. Childer are the lowest of the vampiric hierarchies and are often mistreated by those on the highest levels of government.

### Newborn

A **Newborn** is a vampire who is still in their first year of vampire infancy. They are among the weakest of their kind, having minimal supernatural abilities, of which they have very little control over, and even less control over their raging thirst. As they have yet to acclimate to their new existence, they are highly emotive and prone to violent outbursts of murderous rage, flying into homicidal frenzies at the slightest provocation. This makes them a threat to not just themselves and innocent humans, but also fellow vampires, as they risk exposure. Because of this, the vampire government in very strict on what a Maker should do with their Newborn and react very harshly should a Maker abandon their progeny before they have matured.

Because of their young age, a Newborn's Vitae is not very potent in regard to its supernatural properties. While still capable of healing fatal wounds and enhancing a human's physical parameters well beyond what is normal for their kind, they cannot form Blood Bonds, nor can they sire a progeny of their own. Any attempt by a Newborn to create a vampire of their own will produce what is known as a '**Wight'**, an undead creature that is a pale imitation of a real vampire. The existence of Wights is actually forbidden under vampire law, though some parties do employ their use as guard dogs or crypt guardians.

### Fledgling

**Fledgling** is the term applied to a young vampire who has passed their first year of vampiric infancy but have not yet fully matured. Fledglings are far stronger and more powerful than Newborns. Many are capable of now forming Blood Bonds with humans and fellow immortals, as well exhibiting relatively potent supernatural powers and wielding strong magicks. However, they are still no match for an adult vampire, and are unable to sire their own progeny. If a Fledgling tries to create a vampire, then that Newborn will have what is called 'Thin-Blood Syndrome'.

A **Thin-Blood** is a vampire who possesses exceptionally diluted Vitae, a result of them being sired by a vampire who had fully matured into vampiric adulthood. Because of this, they are vastly inferior to other vampires in almost every way. However, even young Thin-Bloods exhibit a greater tolerance for sunlight and the other weaknesses which plague full vampires, but generally, people will find it much easier to kill a Thin-Blood than it is to defeat a 'real' vampire, which makes them easy prey for hunters. The only way for a Thin-Blood to rise to true vampiric status is by drinking the blood of a Higher Vampire, the older the better, at which point they will begin the seven-year long vampire maturation.

### Feeders

**Feeders** are the most common kind of those afflicted with this syndrome, basic vampires with human-level intelligence, enhanced senses and abilities, as well as an extended lifespan, but not true vampiric powers or immortality. They are also much-less attractive than 'true' vampires, being sickly pale, thin of build, and generally have a wild and untamed appearance while in their human form, and when they reveal their vampiric nature, instead of fangs they gain serrated teeth.

### Ferals

These vampires are Thin-Bloods who have been forced to resort to drinking animal blood to survive. Their non-human diet imbues them with traits from the animals they feed upon, such as fangs, claws and several other physical and behavioural adaptations. Because this class of vampire is so animal-like, they are incapable of speaking; their only form of communication is through coordination with other Ferals in a pack mentality. Ferals lose most of their original humanity and are no longer capable of making complex choices or thoughts and have the obedience of a wild dog. There are said to be different kinds of Feral vampires, with some living entirely in crypts or water-filled areas like lakes or sewers, having adapted to their environs by developing new characteristics.
### Culture

#### Lifestyles

Vampires, by nature, tend to be solitary predators that will either acquire a lair of sorts where they can lead their victims to be feasted upon, or wander from location to location in pursuit of prey. Though there are a range of vampire lifestyles, the most common is nomadic. The majority of vampires move frequently, never settling permanently in one place. This pattern is partly an attempt to hide from the notice of humans. If too many humans disappear from one area, suspicion might be aroused, and the Council might take notice. Also, if a vampire interacts regularly with humans, eventually the humans will notice that the vampire isn't aging. Another aspect is boredom; vampire lives are so long that many keep up a continuous search for novelty.

##### Masks

It is tradition for vampires to wear masks to keep their true identities as "Humans" from being discovered by the DCV or other enemies. Several masks have a symbolic meaning or symbolism for the person who wears them. They have a big say on the aliases that the DVC assigns to some vampires. Vampires often obtain their mask after their first kill or feast on a human. Many people manufacture their own masks to make them more personal, while others buy them or have them custom-made by professional mask makers.

#### Diablerie

**Diablerie** is the act of one vampire completely draining the blood of another and absorbing their soul into themselves. It involves the consumption of another vampire's Vitae to the point of True Death, but as the soul is consumed along with the vampire's heart's blood, the vampire's destruction is absolute, and resurrection is impossible.

The aggressor, dubbed the *Diablerist*, gains all of the power and knowledge of their victim. This is one of the ways a vampire can move up in the ranks, being the most common way by which a vampire attains Higher status, rather than wait for age to increase their power. In some circles, Diablerie is illegal, especially if the attempt fails. Some vampires cannot be Diablerized as their blood is too potent, destroying those who drink too much, which can be seen when Caspian attempts to drain Chance Mikaelson of his blood.

## Sub-Species

### Hybrids

* Faerie-Vampire
* Werebeast-Vampire
* Witch-Vampire
* Demon-Vampire
* Dragon-Vampire
* Siren-Vampire

## Other Types

### Psychic Vampires

Humans or other creatures who feed on psionic energy or some emotion or power like a vampire does blood is called a '**Psychic Vampire'**. Some 'ordinary' vampires can also be classified as psychic vampires, like Maribel Deschamps with her ability to feed on lust, making her a Succubus. Ramon Sulez is an example of a human psychic vampire with the power to feed on the traumatic memories of other people.

### Wights

A **Wight** is a zombie-like creature that comes about when a Newborn still in their first year of vampiric infancy makes their own attempt at siring a Childe. They possess enhanced physical abilities which enable them to outrun and overpower humans with little effort, but they are still nothing compared to a true vampire, and they display little to no intelligence, seemingly driven only by primal impulse, much like Zombies are. The appearance of wights depends on the condition of the corpse when it is raised. Some are lifelike, while others are badly rotten although the process of decay has been halted. All are easily identified by their eyes having turned bright blue like two blue stars, and their hands and feet are black and swollen with pooled and congealed blood. They cannot feel pain and can only be destroyed by being dismembered and burned.

## Powers & Abilities

The supernatural forces that sustain them beyond mortal death also endow them with immunity to aging, heightened senses, and superhuman abilities which make them physically superior to humans.

### Common Abilities

* **Supernatural Strength**: Vampires are noticeably physically stronger than humans, werewolves and shapeshifters. They slowly grow stronger with age and experience; older vampires can subdue younger ones with minimal to no effort. Feats of their strength include being able to support the weight of a whole car or dismember grown men in the case of younger vampires or uprooting trees and flipping mobile homes over in the case of older vampires. Even Newborn vampires generally have the advantage of physical strength when in direct hand-to-hand combat with a human; able to single-handedly lift a grown man off the ground and hurl him across a room.
* **Supernatural Speed**: Vampires are some of the fastest moving of supernatural creatures. They are able to move much faster than humans and are perceived as a blur by non-vampire eyes. Vampires themselves, however, are able to perceive this movement. Their vision and reflexes are accelerated like their movement, as shown when Eric Northman was able to perceive a speeding bullet in slow motion, and himself in normal motion while moving at superhuman speed. Speed, just like strength, advances with age, as older vampires are significantly faster than younger vampires. In addition, vampires have heightened reflexes, but, in most cases, are not fast enough to dodge bullets.
* **Supernatural Agility/Reflexes**: They possess super-human agility, such that they can react quickly, jump very high, climb, and run incredibly fast without difficulty or exhaustion. For example, Stefan picked up Elena and jumped high enough to propel both of them to the top of a Ferris wheel at a carnival. Similarly, Elena jumped from the ground up onto the roof of a two-story school, and she also jumped down into a ravine that was hundreds of feet deep, landing on her feet with no injuries whatsoever.
* **Supernatural Senses**: The power to hear, see, smell, taste and feel far beyond the range and capacity of any human or animal. The senses of a vampire are enhanced and refined by many times during their transformation. They can hear the heartbeat of their prey from several yards away, the pulsing of the blood in the vein of their prey and can also hear conversations through thick walls in other rooms with great clarity. They see with superhuman levels of clarity and detail, making even colours brighter. They can keep track of things too fast for mortal eyes to accurately perceive, see further than any human eye is able to, as well as magnify things visually, allowing them such perks as seeing through fog, clouds, light pollution, and darkness. Vampires can also perceive energy, so even in darkness, their vision is unhindered. They can smell like bloodhounds, able to track the scent of blood for miles, can identify humans through their unique scents, as well as emotional states by smell and if it's human or animal. They can taste different blood types and what their prey has recently consumed whether it be food, drink, or illegal substances, and can tell if the blood is human or animal through taste as well as scent. They can even feel the smallest of vibrations and can feel the slightest drops in temperature.
* **Supernatural Health**: Most vampires exhibit exceptional weight, height and fitness as well as an immunity to all mortal diseases. The transformation from human to vampire, enhances and refines the body, leaving them nearly always more physically appealing and attractive. If a vampire suffered from any ailment as a human, they would find that it has been fully healed and corrected during their transformation, leaving them with superior health and physical condition.
* **Supernatural Endurance**: Vampires can take a great amount of physical damage without being slowed down. Even vampires who have been shot with wooden bullets, which have a weakening effect on vampires, have been seen to continue fighting so long as they were not shot in the heart or the head. Vampires still react to physical force in a human manner, particularly young vampires, who will occasionally be affected even by human-strength-level force, while older ones don't react at all. Vampires can also still be stunned and dazed by strikes and trauma, though their tolerance for it will increase as they get older. They can also exert themselves physically far longer than any human being can before they require rest and fresh blood, and they possess great tolerance towards physical pain, only ever feeling it in its full effect when they have not fed properly for a long time.
* **Supernatural Memory**: Vampires possess an enhanced memory capable of easily remembering all details and facts with absolute clarity. Vampires possess vault like memories, able to always remember a face and voice, recall a memory or information with perfect detail regardless of any amount of time that has passed, and they can learn inhumanly quick and fast due to their enhanced intelligence and memory working in concert when attaining new information and knowledge, such as that of languages or techniques.
* **Healing Factor**: Vampires recover tissue from any form of physical damage to their bodies within seconds to minutes, though they still feel the pain of a wound before it heals. Vampires can snap their bones back into place after they have been broken and have been seen to fully recover from gunshots, stab wounds, and torso impalement very quickly, so long as they had consumed a regular diet of human blood prior to the injury. Those vampires who feed on animals will still heal much faster than a human, but their injuries, especially severe ones, will take much longer to heal than a vampire who feeds on human blood. The only injury a vampire can sustain that cannot be healed on its own or by consuming more blood is a werewolf bite, which requires Klaus' or Chance's blood or a very rare scientifically created serum to cure. Also, a vampire's enhanced healing is limited to physical damage to their bodies—many forms of magical damage (such as the damage caused by The Phoenix Sword), and psychological damage are beyond its capability. Most vampires cannot grow back body parts, though they can be reattached with relative ease. As they age, however, they may eventually develop the ability to regenerate limbs and organs.
* **Immortality**: A vampire stops aging once turned. Upon their transformation, vampires become immune to all conventional illness, diseases, viruses and infections. While vampires who were cancer-free as humans will be immune to cancer after they are turned, those humans who were turned while they had cancer will not only still have it as a vampire, but their newly enhanced healing factor will accelerate the progression of the cancer cells over two-fold, nearly always causing the cancer-stricken vampire to kill themselves to end their suffering.
* **Bestowal Of The Dark Gift**: Almost every vampire has the ability to pass on The Dark Gift/vampirism to mortals should they wish to do so, by undergoing the proper method of reproduction. The longer a vampire lives and goes without creating one of their own, the more powerful their creation will be when they finally decide to create a vampire, as was the case with Magnus when he turned Lestat after not having turned anyone for three centuries. This resulted in Lestat being much more powerful than the average vampire of his age, something that many ancient Immortals take note of.
* **Voice Imitation**: Some vampires are able to imitate voices; for instance, Arielle Salvatore has been shown to be able to imitate Aurora de Martel, while Aurora himself has been able to mimic the voice of Camille when talking to Klaus over the phone. Quite a few vampires possess this ability, as it is described something that can be easily learned by immortals regardless of their age.

## Weaknesses

As with many other supernatural creatures, vampires have an array of weaknesses that can be exploited by their enemies to defeat them.

* **Dead Blood**: Vampires can only drink the blood of the living, be that human or otherwise, as the blood of the dead is death to a vampire, acting like a burning poison which saps their strength and may eventually kill them. Older vampires may develop an immunity to these negative side-effects, allowing them to derive sustenance from the deceased as easily as they do the living. It should be known that refrigerated blood is perfectly edible. Also, despite vampires being dead, some of them have developed a taste for their own kind's Vitae, and many vampires share their blood with others as a way to strengthen bonds and relationships.
* **Excess Blood**: If a vampire drinks too much blood, they will display alcohol intoxication-like qualities (such as euphoria, confusion, stupor, etc).
* **Broken Neck**: Breaking a vampire's neck will not kill them, but it will render in a death-like state for varying amounts of time, depending on the diet and age of the person in question. The Enhanced Original Vampire Alaric once snapped Damon's neck, though he recovered quickly due to the fact that he is an older vampire.
* **Decapitation**: Dismembering or manually removing the head of a vampire will result in an instant and permanent death. The oldest and most powerful of immortals can actually recover from this, but it is extremely rare because most vampires don't make it to such an age.
* **Desiccation**: Vampires who abstain from blood for extended amounts of time will eventually desiccate and mummify. Witches can use magic to desiccate a vampire, and Wes Maxfield also developed a serum that would cause desiccation in a vampire if they were not given an antidote within a short matter of time.
* **Vervain**: Exposure to or ingestion of vervain causes a vampire to become severely feverish and weak to the point that it can even hinder their healing abilities as well. Also, physical contact with vervain will burn a vampire's skin. Vampires cannot compel anyone who has ingested vervain or has it on their person. Many vampires drink small amounts of diluted vervain to protect themselves from Original vampires' compulsion and to reduce its effects when used against them by enemies.
* **Sunlight**: Sunlight and UV rays burn vampires on contact, and prolonged exposure will cause them to burst into flames and die. However, this weakness can be mitigated by the use of a lapis lazuli stone enchanted with a specific protection spell by a witch for a particular vampire, which is usually affixed to jewellery, though it requires the vampire to wear the stone at all times. Hybrids and particularly powerful Higher Vampires are immune naturally, and the same goes for Born vampires.
* **Fire**: Most vampires are highly flammable and sensitive to fire and will quickly burn and die from it if the flames are not extinguished in time. This quality has been proven to be useful in disposing of the remains of a dead vampire without any physical evidence. However, in some cases, vampires have used this vulnerability to their advantage, such as when Elijah and Elena removed their daylight rings and exposed their hands to sunlight near an open gas leak, causing explosions and fireballs to incapacitate or kill their enemies and dampening the flames before they can do harm to themselves.
* **Invitation**: Some, but not all, vampires are unable to enter a person's home without an invitation by the owner. An invitation can be granted long-distance and even by someone who hasn't lived in the house in years. For example, Josette Laughlin invited Stefan into her parents' home despite the fact that she had not been there in nearly twenty years. Some vampiric bloodlines are no longer bound by this rule, while others never were. Purebloods, of the Estheri or the Ventrue, for example, are still very much vulnerable to this.
* **Cancer**: A unique weakness that rarely occurs under specific circumstances. Although vampires cannot develop diseases and illnesses, such as cancer, if a human has active cancer and is turned into a vampire of a certain bloodline, the effects of the cancer will increase. The regenerative properties of vampire blood will cause cancer cells to sporadically replicate and exceed normal stages of the condition. This was first proven when Caroline fed a terminal cancer patient vampire blood to test if it could cure cancer. When Jo ran tests on the patient after he was turned into a vampire, she referred to his tumours as "stage 10." This is not true of all strains of vampirism, as some have been known to be capable of curing cancerous cells completely.
* **Wood**: Wounding a vampire with a wooden weapon, such as wooden bullets, will incapacitate them and it will take longer for them to heal their injuries than if the wounds were caused by any other substance. Stabbing a vampire through the heart with a wooden stake or shooting them with wooden bullets will result in either paralysis, which will only be lifted when the stake in removed, or instantaneous and permanent death, but once again, it depends on the specific bloodline that the vampire in question belongs to, as some are completely immune or at least, tolerant, of wood.
* **Werewolf Venom**: The bite of a werewolf, which involves injecting toxic venom into the wound, is extremely lethal to vampires. It will cause them to hallucinate, grow severely weak, and go rabid until it kills them. Klaus' or Chance's blood is the only sure-fire way to cure the bite, though one of the doctors allied with the Travelers managed to come up with a cure for the enhanced Ripper compound, which contained small amounts of werewolf venom. Lucien Castle also possessed a scientifically created serum that, when injected into a werewolf bite wound, would cure the vampire of the venom's effects and allow them to heal the wound. Vampires suffering from the bite seem to always hallucinate either significant moments from their past, significant people in their lives, or specific actions of the vampire that they feel guilty or ashamed about.
* **White Oak Ash Daggers**: It is said that if a vampire daggers an Estherian Original, they will die while the Original vampire is neutralized. This, however, has never been proven.
* **Heart Extraction**: Removing the heart of a vampire will - usually - result in permanent death. Some Higher Vampires have demonstrated the ability to remove their own heart and place it in a safe location, thus ridding them of the possibility of being paralysed or killed by a stake through the heart.
* **Holy Items**: Some vampires whose bloodlines find their origins in demonic energies, are sometimes vulnerable to holy items and religious iconography. Things such as bibles, crosses, and holy water is capable of repelling certain vampires, but the majority are immune. Faith is a huge factor in whether or not such things are effective against vampires, as those who do not have faith will find that a cross in their hands is completely useless, even against those few immortals are subject to it.
* **Silver**: Vampires of some bloodlines, particularly those of Ventrue-descent, are vulnerable to silver. Any contact with silver will burn and melt the surface of the vampire it touches. Contact with silver also severely weakens them and drains their strength. Silver is the most common way of binding or incapacitating these kinds of vampires.
* **Garlic**: Garlic is described as "irritating" to some vampires. Likely they find the smell of garlic annoying due to their acute senses.

## Trivia

* Vampires can become ghosts or spirits after their body's death.
* Vampires also have a natural rivalry with werewolves but are quite often friendly with werecats.
* Vampires will often drink coffee in order to warm their bodies, so humans are not disturbed by their lack of body heat.