Van Richten's Guide to Vampires (book)

***Book 1: Van Richten's Guide to Vampires*** is the first instalment of Dr Rudolph van Richten's book series *Van Richten's Guide to Monsters*.

As the name suggests the book is written to assist the reader with dealing with any vampires they may encounter.

After they had saved him from a wereboar attack, Vassili van Holtz gave a copy of the book to the party of Hallgrimm Mikkenson, Sigismund, Narid Ashplantt, and Ireena Kolyana.

Hallgrimm Mikkenson read the book to aid the adventurers in their ultimately successful quest to kill Count Strahd von Zarovich. For a summarised version of his interpretation, go to Van Richten's Guide to Vampires (summary)

## Contents

A summary of the book's contents are given below.

### Blurb

At last, some means of combating the ultimate undead—vampires—have found their way into print. Within these pages, Dr. Rudolph Van Richten shares his vast background as one of the world's most formidable lore masters and vampire hunters. Decades of research and experience have been compiled into discussions that define the very nature of these kings of the undead and help put them at a disadvantage to mortals, whom they consider to be "mere cattle." Dr. Van Richten has detailed vampiric powers, weaknesses, feeding and sleeping habits, and even their varied relationships with others of their own kind. Old myths are dispelled, new facts are uncovered, and the experiences of both vampires and those who hunt them are recorded for your safety and enlightenment. Quickly! Soon the sun sets and the dead will rise! The vampires know no mercy, and you must be prepared—before the darkness engulfs you.

## Vampiric Powers [Read Order: 1]

Caveat: It is important to recall that the following discussions refer to what might be called the "typical" vampire. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a "typical" vampire. Vampires are perhaps the most individualistic of undead. What is true for one is an outright - and dangerously misleading - falsehood for another. The differences between individual vampires typically become more pronounced as the creatures advance in age and power: while most fledgling vampires typically show at least some similarities with each other, the differences between the aged Patriarchs are often so great as to make one suspect that they are completely different types of creatures. The following discussions deal with the most common powers and weaknesses of vampires. Many vampire hunters have died - or worse - through over-generalizing such discussions, however. An assumption that any individual vampire has any particular power or weakness is a dangerous assumption, indeed!

Great is the power of the vampire. These undisputed masters of the undead have an abundance of powers from which to choose, giving them an advantage in nearly every combat and noncombat situation. These monsters enjoy significant benefits in nearly every aspect of their being. Their senses, strength, reasoning, and intelligence are all far beyond human norms. In fact, if not for their special vulnerabilities (which I will discuss later), vampires would be nearly unstoppable. Although all vampires are extremely powerful, there is a moderating effect on the abilities of vampires, and this is time. A newly-created vampire (in the vast majority of cases) is relatively weak when compared to those that have been in existence for decades or centuries. On the other end of the scale, a vampire who has existed for a millenium or more is unimaginably more powerful than a newly-created fledgling.

No one knows exactly why this is so. Some scholars believe this progression to be "an innate characteristic of vampiric nature", which of course is no answer at all. My personal belief is that all vampires are created with the potential to use all the powers available to a 1.000-year-old individual, but that actually using those powers is something that must be learned. Presumably, the more "advanced" powers require more subtlety to control, or are more taxing on the vampire, or perhaps both. To use these greater powers the vampire must practice the precision required and must build the willpower and mental fortitude needed to wield them. Personally, I hope that my belief is wrong because of the following logical consequence: if all vampires, no matter how "young", have the potential to use the greater powers, might it not be possible for an exceptional individual to come into being with a natural aptitude for some of the greater powers? The image of a one day-old vampire able to use any of the powers of a millennium-old Patriarch is horrifying to think about. It discomforts me to learn that tales of such "precocious" creatures exist, and apparently they do, although they are, thankfully, extremely rare. It is best to keep this in mind and to realize that the age progression is merely a rule of thumb and not a law of nature. The well-prepared vampire hunter should expect exceptions. Such exceptions aside, the age-related progression of powers is perhaps the vampire hunter's greatest ally. A Fledgling vampire is less adept at covering its tracks, less experienced at playing on the weaknesses of those who would pursue it. Happily, I know of only two Patriarch Vampires in existence.

### Spell and nonspell-like powers

All vampires enjoy certain abilities which, were they possessed by a mortal, would certainly be ascribed to the realm of magic. To a vampire, however, such faculties are quite innate. Some of the powers, indeed, appear to be the result of casting spells, yet others render the creature "superhuman", so to speak. At this point I shall divide these capacities into "nonspell-like" and "spell-like" powers and expound upon each, but I hasten to add that to the vampire, they are one and the same, and altogether inherent.   Nonspell-like Powers

All vampires are extremely powerful in the physical sense. The reasons for this are unclear. Perhaps the transformation from life to undeath somehow tempers the body physically, making muscles stronger and flesh, bones, and sinew more resistant to damage. From the moment of their creation, vampires are hideously strong. Unlike mortals, who weaken as they grow older and their muscles atrophy, vampires actually gain strength as the years pass. Patriarch vampires, for example, develop a strength rivalling that of some lesser gods. Vampires gain great benefits from their monstrous strength, including both the ability break through an opponent's guard and to deliver massive damage when a blow strikes home. Although these creatures are very intelligent and will seldom enter physical combat, they certainly have the tools to dominate such bouts. Vampires also possess great speed. Fledgling vampires are as fast a normal human. As vampires grow older, they become faster and faster until they reach Patriarch age, when they can move as quickly as an unencumbered light riding horse! These dark creatures will typically use this power to their advantage when facing a priest or someone presenting blessed accoutrements. If the vampire can close and attack before the mortal can attempt the turning or presentment, it can negate the danger to itself. In addition to an advantage in their speed of movement, vampires enjoy an increase in their dexterity and speed of reaction as well. The process of becoming a vampire seems to imbue them with significantly increased coordination, and this benefit only grows as the years pass. Older vampires can react to events with a speed that is, quite literally, inhuman. As a vampire grows older its intelligence, too, is enhanced. These creatures are extremely cunning, their actions calculated. Vampires have a keen power of reason and they will frequently achieve their goals through cunning alone, never having to rely on crude force. Do not draw the wrong conclusion from this: these creatures do not fear, loathe, or otherwise shun the direct use of force. They simply view force as one possible tool with which to achieve their aims, and will usually select the tool best suited to the situation. After all, why should a creature put its own "life" at risk when, through guile, it can get everything it wants at no potential risk? When hunting a vampire, be especially careful to remember the creature's intelligence. Vampires may, for example, have their lairs ingeniously hidden and laden with many traps and snares to protect it. They can also blend into mortal society, dominating and manipulating the people around them, even going so far as to win unsuspecting allies and even friends. Cunning vampires may have the support, if not the love, of those around them. In short, do not assume that a vampire is a "two-dimensional" monster, interested only in drinking blood and draining life-energy. The creature's intelligence is often a more effective weapon than its other innate powers. If these advantages were not enough, with time most vampires develop an incredible force of personality with which they delude and sway the gullible. This seems to spring from the immense self-confidence that vampires develop over centuries of existence, and from the fact that they have had sometimes more than a millenium to learn the nuances of human behavior. Even taking the monster's seemingly magical hypnotic gaze into account, conversing with a vampire is incredibly risky because the creature is persuasive enough to convince virtually anyone of anything. This same powerful magnetism makes most vampires incredibly charming characters - "charm" is used here in its nonmagical sense. Vampires are almost always exceedingly adept at gaining the favor of the opposite sex. The above does not apply to all vampires, of course. While most vampires learn more about how the human mind works, and thus how to pervert its thought processes, there are some who become less attuned to human interests and desires with the passage of time. For these creatures, passing time leaves them more alien and less capable of understanding the motivations of mortals - and vice versa.

### Spell-like Powers

If one were to consider only the innate abilities discussed above, vampires would appear to be a lethal enough foes. Unfortunately for those of us who hunt the creatures, they have at their command a formidable array of spell-like abilities as well. These powers seem to be common to most, if not all vampires, and are independent of the spellcasting tradition that a vampire may have followed in life. Some vampires that were spellcasters while alive do indeed retain their arcane abilities. This occurrence is generally limited to those who were wizards in life. Only very rarely do priests retain their powers, and then only if they served the most vile and evil gods during their lives. This particular section, however, deals exclusively with the innate spell-like powers of vampires. Spellcasting vampires will be dealt with later. Perhaps the most fearsome and wholly destructive power of the vampire is its ability to drain life energy by bite. These monsters can, by tasting the blood of their opponents, drain away the very living essence.

All vampires have the power to charm a mortal at will. This is equal in effect to the wizard spell charm person, except that there is no casting time involved and the victim must be looking directly into the vampire's eyes. The range of this power, technically, is sight. For all practical purposes, however, a vampire would not be able to affect a victim at any range greater than ten feet. This power, as well as having practical combat applications, is highly useful for overcoming a number of vampiric weaknesses. If, for example, a vampire could not enter a prospective victim's home, it could attempt to charm the person into leaving the safe haven of the building. As with a charm person spell, the vampire is unable to order its charmed victim to do anything obviously self-destructive, such as jumping off a cliff. The creature could convince the victim that the vampire is his or her friend, however, and that the victim should leave a place of safety to greet his or her "friend". As these dark creatures get older, their charm-gaze gets stronger. An Ancient vampire can charm simply by the sound of its voice. By uttering soothing words, the creature enraptures its victim. Under optimum conditions, the maximum range of this vocal charm is 40 feet. This range is greatly curtailed under certain conditions such as in a strong wind or loud battle. Most fearsome of all, perhaps, is the charm gaze of Patriarchs. These great vampires are capable of charming with their powerful will alone. No barrier is capable of blocking this ability. In fact their thoughts are so strong, they can affect a victim even on the other side of a stone wall. Thankfully, several restrictions apply to this power. First of all, this ability is limited in range to some 40 feet. Second, the charm can be performed only on someone that the vampire knows is present. A Patriarch could not, for example, simply extend its charm-gaze beyond a wall, on the off-chance that somebody might be there. The creature must know the victim is there by first detecting him or her with its delicate senses.

Vampires have the innate ability to imitate another wizard spell: spider climb. They are able to use this power at will, with no limits on duration or frequency. This innate spell-like power operates, in most respects, like the wizard spell except that it requires no verbal, somatic, or material components. Note that a vampire is still subject to all its normal restrictions when using its spider climb power. Thus, many vampires cannot climb up a tower and enter a castle unless they are first invited. They could, however, climb up a tower and attempt to charm someone through a window. (These and other restrictions, and weaknesses of, vampires are discussed in the next chapter.)

Great magic is required to combat a vampire. To a vampire, mundane weapons are an annoyance. Even if weapons sufficiently enchanted to cause physical damage are wielded against a vampire, the creature's destruction is still far from assured. This is because the monsters have the innate ability to regenerate physical damage. Wounds close, broken bones reform themselves, even missing limbs regenerate with time. The speed at which this occurs increases with the monster's age. Still, even the most lowly vampire regenerates at an alarming rate.

Probably the most visually obvious testament to a vampire's supernatural nature is its power of shapechanging. In order to better protect themselves or combat others, all vampires share a common ability to spontaneously alter their physical forms. The forms presented here are those available to the "typical" vampire. There are many vampires, however, who possess unique powers and can assume an even wider variety of shapes.

Vampires are capable of intentionally disassociating the physical components of their bodies, turning into a cloud of mist. The transition from physical to gaseous form takes a few seconds, during which period the creature is unable to take any other action, either physical or magical - including, of course, parrying attacks. While the creature is in the process of changing to gaseous form, it is also fully susceptible to physical and magical attacks. A vampire in gaseous form is totally immune to any physical attack. Magical attacks are still effective against some vampires in gaseous form; this varies from individual to individual. Some vampires are totally immune to all magical attacks while in gaseous form. There seems to be no way to predict beforehand whether an individual vampire will show this immunity or not. I surmise that the older a vampire is, the more likely the creature is to be totally immune to all attacks when in gaseous form. Some sages see this as evidence that such immunity is an acquired or learned trait; I, however, think it more likely that creatures possessing this immunity are more likely to survive over the long term.

In addition to the ability to assume gaseous form, a vampire can physically change its form into that of a wolf or a bat. The animal form that a vampire assumes will always be slightly larger than the norm, and more menacing. Some experts claim that the animal form of a vampire is always close to the archetype for that creature, the perfect form of the species; others state that the animal form always has the spark of intelligence visible in its eyes. Personally, I believe both statements to say more about the experts than about vampires. A hunter trying to recognize a vampire in animal form should not depend on such subjective measures

Combating and destroying a solitary vampire is difficult enough. The creature's powers and abilities are enough to strike fear into the heart of even the doughtiest vampire hunter. However, the hunter is almost never lucky enough to face an unallied vampire. The monsters are very protective of their unlife, and will usually surround themselves with servitors or minions of one variety or another. Vampires have the innate ability to summon and control certain species of lesser creatures. By nature, a vampire is able to completely control all animals whose form the vampire can assume. Thus, because a "typical" vampire can assume the form of a wolf or a bat, the monster is the natural master of all wolves and bats. As with the shapechanging capability, there are probably vampires capable of summoning and controlling many different types of creatures. This could explain recurring, albeit unsubstantiated, rumors of attacks on mortals by huge flocks of crows and other birds. Theoretically, the creatures that can be controlled by individual vampires will usually relate to the personal nature of the monster, or to the characteristics of the vampiric line: a subterranean vampire might be able to control rats and burrowing creatures; a vampire that once was a woodsman might be the master of all forest creatures; a seaman converted into a vampire might be able to command fish, sharks, or even whales; a vampire from tropical climes might command tarantulas or venomous centipedes, and so forth. The possibilities are so wide-ranging as to be terrifying to dwell upon.

The vampire can also possess many other Saliant abilities. I must remind you again that there is no such thing as a typical vampire, and this is where the biggest differences between them are evident. I will share some examples of some Saliant abilities I have witnessed or have been speculated.

One particular vampire may exude such control over its undead minions that they become very difficult to turn aside through the presentment of holy symbols. Thus, a common zombie or animated skeleton might continue to assault a cleric and his party who would normally obliterate the walking undead in their tracks. It is almost as if one were trying to turn the vampire itself. Such an occurrence becomes even more dangerous to the unwary vampire hunter because, occasionally, the undead master is not even present - it simply exercises its salient ability over its minions and they carry its power against holy wards with them into battle. And I believe the older the vampire, the more powerful the undead it may so protect. One of the more alarming aspects of vampires which I have mentioned is their ability to drain the very essence of life from a victim with a touch. Even more troubling, I have heard reports of certain vampires who possess an enhanced capability. Long-experienced warriors and clerics can, at the touch of one of these ultra-powerful monsters, find themselves as weak as novices, and those of limited experience may die with a single touch! Just as some vampires may have superior life-draining abilities, other may enjoy superior regenerative powers. Imagine striking at a cursed beast with all the might of magic and steal that your party can muster, only to watch the vampire's wound heal a minute later! It is fortunate that such puissant creatures are far and few between. One particularly unpleasant vampire with whom I have battled was one of such ill temper that, at the end, when we had finally traced it to its lair, it flew into a frenzy of rage and became a blur of lethal blows before us. We were struck, it seemed, from all sides at once by this solitary adversary, and our best-executed blows in retaliation found only thin air where we expected its solid body to be. In its rage it moved so quickly, in fact, that we were forced to retreat until the sun rose, and then had to hunt until almost sundown for the creature's resting place. Experienced vampire hunters have witnessed their prey taking gaseous form while attempting to escape or when severely injured, but few have seen the creature simply step through a nearby wall while in solid form. Yet, as I have once seen, there is a unique vampire or two who can do just that. Unlike the wizard spell passwall, which, as I understand it, requires the presence of even the tiniest fissure in the obstacle, these salient vampires may pass through solid objects as if they were not there! Still another special talent among some of vampire-kind is that for creating extraordinary fear, even beyond the norm. While most vampires must consciously put fear into their enemies, there are a few select monsters that are of such horrifying countenance that their mere presence strikes terror into the mortal heart.

Once again, I feel it necessary to re-emphasize that the following descriptions are by no means comprehensive, but I hope that I have provided at least a solid foundation for understanding these creatures of the damned.

## Creating New Vampires [Read Order: 4]

### Traditional Methods

According to most related tales, a vampire can create another simply by killing a mortal either with its life-energy draining power (draining all the character's experience levels) or by exhausting the mortal of his or her blood supply. If the victim's body is not properly destroyed, it arises as a vampire, under the control of the creature who killed it, on the second night following the burial. As an aside, I pose the question: What exactly does it mean when the victim "arises" as a vampire? When the sun sinks fully below the horizon on the second night after the burial, the victim in the grave "awakens". The occupant of the grave is now a Fledgling vampire with all the characteristics, powers, and weaknesses which accompany that condition. Most vampires remember the instant of their death and the nature of their killer, and understand immediately their new nature. Certainly their new hunger gives them a good idea of what they have become.

They must immediately free themselves from their grave, either by breaking it open from within or by assuming gaseous form and diffusing out. If this is impossible, the vampire will die in about a week unless it can somehow summon minions such as a pack of wolves to dig it out. Once free of its grave, the vampire's first and only priority is to feed. Only after it has fed sufficiently might it remember to conceal the fact that the grave has been opened and is now empty.

There are several non-traditional processes of creating new vampires as well, but these are much less widely known. One is in the taking of a "bride" or a "groom". I shall discuss that peculiar marriage at length in Chapter Ten, "Relationships Between Vampires". Other methods of proliferation are as follows:

### Vampiric Saliva

This method is, thankfully, exceptionally rare. The saliva of certain vampires contains various necrological substances. First among these is a slow-acting but highly lethal poison. A single bite from a vampire can inject enough toxin to kill a robust warrior. Unlike most poisons, however, this toxin does not kill the subject for several days. Few people make the connection between the vampire bite and the victim's collapse, hence the body is quite likely to be buried improperly. Meanwhile, within the dead body of the victim, other necrological agents from the vampire's saliva are having their effect. Several nights after the victim's death, he or she comes to consciousness as a vampire.

### Vampiric Curses

Some of the monsters also have the dread ability to import vampirism via a curse. With their voice and their gaze they are able to afflict a victim with a terrible wasting disease that drains body strength. After a number of days, the victim dies and then rises as a vampire the night after burial. The only means of saving the victim known to me is to destroy the cursing vampire before the victim finally succumbs. Of course, the body can be destroyed to prevent it from rising, but this is obviously too late to help the victim. In general, any victim brought to death by any draining effects of a vampire, but not by normal combat or spell damage, is a candidate to become undead.

## Vampire Weaknesses [Read Order: 3]

My discussion of those few salient abilities that are a hindrance to the vampire seems a natural bridge to the subject at hand: that of their general weaknesses. Do not take too much heart from this chapter! Vampires are among the most powerful of the undead, possessing great strength and numerous seeming magical abilities. Coupled with this is their inhuman tenacity and their undying hunger. Taking all into account, vampires should surely be masters of all they survey, destroying civilization and life as they see fit. It is very fortunate for (demi)humanity that vampires have a number of weaknesses that can be exploited. Again, those who would hunt vampires should be cautioned. These creatures are of great might and terrible cunning. To confront one is literally to stare death in the face. Not only must the hunter overcome the monsters' strengths, but also must he master his own weaknesses; almost surely the vampire will discover and capitalize upon them. Some of the most common vampiric vulnerabilities are holy symbols, blessed accoutrements, sanctified places, mirrors, garlic, and running water. One thing that the potential vampire hunter should remember is that not all vampires are affected by the same things. The discussions below relate to "typical" vampires - which, of course, is an oxymoron; no vampire is "typical". In practice, there is no guarantee that any individual vampire will suffer from any of the above "standard" weaknesses. This holds particularly true with respect to uniquely powerful vampires, or the heads or progenitors of vampires lines. (A "vampire line" is defined as "all those 'subsidiary' vampires created by the same progenitor vampire, or by vampires who were created by the progenitor, etc". A progenitor is a vampire whose creator has been destroyed, or one who was not created by another vampire, but came into being by some other method.) These creatures tend to be unusual and will commonly possesses strengths and weaknesses altogether different from the "standard" vampire.

This same is true for the original set of vampires created personally by a head of a vampire line. These creatures are referred to as the first brood and comprise the progenitor's strongest and best "children". Typically, a first brood will be approximately five-to-ten vampires in size. The first brood will exhibit many of the same qualities as their progenitor but modified in form. For example, if the head of a vampire line were able to shapechange into the form of a fly, his first brood might be able to summon and command swarms of flies. As another example, if the progenitor were held at bay by anyone reading from a holy book, the sound of such readings might cause physical harm to members of the monster's first brood. To repeat, any mortal who comes into contact with the head of a vampire line, or other such uniquely powerful creature, should exercise the greatest of caution. Such an encounter may require many months of painstaking research as the hunter attempts to glean some hint as to the vampire's unique weaknesses.

### Keeping a Vampire at Bay

Ideally, any vampire encountered should be destroyed, because such evil is corruption in the heart of the land. This, however, is beyond the abilities of most mortals, and the primary goal becomes one of survival. Fortunately, there are a number of ways that might allow mortals to hold a vampire at bay, or even drive it away.

### Good Holy Symbols

There is no consensus among experts as to exactly why the holy symbols of good aligned faiths hove such an effect on vampires. No one can argue with the fact that this effect exists, however. The majority of philosophers believe that the symbol itself is not significant; it is the faith of the person holding the symbol that is important. The precepts of any good-aligned faith will classify the vampire as a blasphemer against the gods and against nature. Thus, any pious follower of such a faith will view a vampire with righteous outrage. According to these philosophers, it is this righteous abhorrence, of which the holy item is just a symbol, that so affects a vampire. It should be noted that a holy symbol need not be a traditional one, such as a cross or star, to have power over a vampire. Any symbol of a deity dedicated to the precepts of Goodness will serve the purpose. Again, what seems to be more important than the actual condition or shape of the symbol is the faith and belief of the person presenting it. If the person's faith in his or her god is weak, then the symbol's power over the living dead is also weak. Therefore, good-aligned holy symbols can be used, to limited effect, by laypersons (that is, people who are not priests) or by priests of insufficient experience to truly turn a vampire. This is usually referred to as "presentment", to distinguish it from true turning.

### Evil Holy Symbols

As with other undead, vampires are sometimes subject to control by priests of evil-aligned faiths. Just as a good-aligned priest can use a holy symbol in an attempt to turn or banish a vampire, so can an evil-aligned priest use his symbol in an attempt to control the vampire. In both cases, the priest's faith and willpower are key issues, and the outcome is never certain. With lesser undead, should the evil priest establish control, that control is virtually complete. Not so with a vampire; a controlled vampire retains its own free will, and acts in much the same way as a mortal might when threatened with physical pain. It will obey the letter, but not necessarily the spirit, of any orders it is given, and will always try to pervert the controlling priest's intent so as to break the control. Only if the priest's and the vampire's desires run in perfect parallels will the monster truly and wholeheartedly cooperate. In the vast majority of cases, the vampire will use its cunning and considerable powers to reverse the situation, likely without the priest's awareness, so that the slave will become the master.... There is no equivalent of presentment with evil-aligned holy symbols. A vampire is totally unaffected by an evil symbol presented by a layperson or by a priest of insufficient experience.

### Turning Versus Presentment

In addition to priestly turning as discussed above, many vampires are also subject to the presentment of a good aligned holy symbol by a layperson or by a priest of insufficient experience to actually turn the creature. It should be noted that presentment of a holy symbol will never drive a vampire away: it will only keep it at bay temporarily. As with actual turning, presentment depends almost exclusively on the faith and the force of personality of the person presenting the symbol. Even the slightest wavering of faith or dip in confidence can allow the vampire to ignore the effects of a holy symbol. A presented holy symbol in the hands of the most virtuous and pious believer will force a vampire to remain at least five feet away from the character holding the symbol. Whether or not the item is actually being used in a turning or presentment attempt, vampires hate the sight of good-aligned holy symbols. This hatred usually manifests itself in an unwillingness to look at or touch the symbol, or to flinch away from it. A masquerading vampire must exercise much self-control to suppress this natural reaction. Vampires seem distracted and apparently have difficulty concentrating when a good-aligned holy symbol is within their field of vision.

### Blessed Accoutrements

In addition to holy symbols, there are a number of other religious items that can be used to exert control over the majority of vampires. Although they are usually not as effective as holy symbols, they can be used in a pinch. These items, collectively called blessed accoutrements, vary in nature and form, depending on the religion or mythos from which they come. Regardless of the mythos, however, to be effective, blessed accoutrements must be associated with a faith that reveres a good-aligned deity. These items must have been blessed by a priest of that religion. (Note that an item that is not directly associated with the faith, but has nevertheless been blessed, does not qualify as a blessed accoutrement.) Blessed accoutrements can never be used to turn a vampire; only to keep it at bay. Although a priest's bless spell normally has a temporary duration of approximately six minutes, a blessed holy item remains blessed only for the purposes of holding a vampire at bay or warding a portal until something befalls the item that would desecrate it. (Events that would qualify as desecration vary from faith to faith, although there are certain actions that would always fill the bill, all of which are too unpleasant to discuss here.) Some examples of blessed accoutrements are holy water, prayer beads, blessed books or tomes, and robes or clothing. Blessed accoutrements can occasionally be used as weapons uniquely able to mark and harm vampires. This will be discussed in the next chapter, "Destroying a Vampire", under the heading "Stigmata".

### Additional Protection

There are three additional items that are useful for keeping vampires at bay. Once again, one must realize that not all vampires will be subject to these items. The state of undeath offers many powers and abilities denied to mortals. The connection with the Negative Material Plane also causes vast changes in a mortal turned into a vampire. Despite these issues, however, there is one vital fact that can always be used against a vampire: at one time it was a mortal. It is this fact that likely explains a vampire's negative reaction to mirrors. If a mirror is presented boldly and with conviction to a vampire, the monster will recoil from it. Exactly why is this? It appears that vampires often resent their undead stale, and yearn for the warmth of humanity and feeling of being alive. Mirrors, because they do not reflect the image of vampires, remind the creatures in a most painful manner of their undead state.

Garlic also has a strong effect on vampires. The reasons for this are unclear, but some innate quality in the plant causes vampires to cower from it. Some sages believe the reason is simply that vampires find the odor extremely offensive - so offensive, in fact, that a vampire will never approach any significant quantity of garlic, but I find this explanation much too simplistic. Perhaps vampires find garlic to be toxic to their necrological processes, as wolvesbane (actually aconite) is to werewolves. In any case, garlic can be used as a partial protection against the monsters.

Many legends tell of vampires being kept at bay by running water, and conclude that running water somehow has some warding power over vampires as does garlic and mirrors. As far as I can tell, these tales are probably true with regard to the base events, but totally wrong in their conclusions. It is true that all but the most powerful vampires - generally speaking, Eminents and Patriarchs are quickly destroyed if they are immersed in running water. Vampires are, of course, aware of this vulnerability, and hence will avoid running water if there is a chance they can be immersed in it. This means that vampires will be particularly wary of bridges, stepping stones, ferries, and other means of crossing running water. (After all, bridges can collapse, ferries can sink, etc.) If the benefit is great enough, vampires will risk such means of crossing running water, but will always do whatever it takes to minimize the risk. If circumstances allow, however, the fiends will shapechange to bat form and fly across a river. Thus it can be seen that an aversion to crossing running water is not a strict prohibition, but merely a rational choice. There is one exception: a vampire in gaseous form is strictly prohibited from crossing a body of running water that is more than three feet wide. Myths and legends tell of other items or situations that can drive away vampires or keep them at bay. Among these are wood ash, dove feathers, and the singing of a small child. It is not known if these items are truly effective against vampires. I believe that these tales actually describe idiosyncratic weaknesses of certain individual vampires, which should not and cannot be generalized to all of the foul race.

### Sanctified Places

There are certain structures and locales that can strongly influence or prohibit vampires. These structures and locales can best be described as sanctified places. As a general rule, these locations are rare. In order for a building, structure, or area to be considered a sanctified place and to hold power over a vampire, it must be one of two specific types of establishment. The first type of safe house from the vampire is one that is expressly owned. The location must be owned by an individual or strongly defined group. If the location is inhabited, it must be inhabited by the owner or by a member of the owning group.

#### The following are examples of locations that meet this criterion:

a house, owned by the residents

a monastery, owned by the order of priests that dwells within it

a graveyard, owned by the priestly order that oversees it

#### The following locations would not qualify:

an inn, because the residents staying in the various rooms do not own them

a public area, such as a village green

a town's public graveyard, because the area would generally be "owned" by an elected (and hence ephemeral) town council

a trading coaster's warehouse, because the building is owned by a "corporation", which is a legal fiction

Churches, temples, and the like, even when, officially owned and operated by amorphous groups such as a town council, qualify because they are symbolically owned by the deity to which the buildings are dedicated.

The second type of place that is off-limits to a vampire is one that is in some way hallowed. In the case of personal homes, they are the retreat or sanctuary of the owner, and are inherently hallowed. Churches and temples are obviously hallowed by their nature. Note that, in this case, the word "hallowed" does not necessarily mean religious or holy; rather, it means "respected" or "venerated".

#### The following list of structures/areas gives a general idea of what might be considered hallowed ground. As with holy symbols, the types of hallowed ground vary with different cultures and religions:

house or home

church

holy burial sites

hallowed hunting grounds

In general, even the most powerful priest is unable to sanctify a location that does not have some tradition of sanctity or veneration associated with it. Thus, even a high priest could not buy the title to an abandoned estate - actually the lair of a vampire - and then somehow sanctify it, just to aggravate the vampire if nothing else. Unless the estate had some tradition of sanctity attached to it, the priest would have to establish the building as a temple, attract a body of other priests and a congregation, hold services, etc. Then and only then might the building be considered sanctified. (And if you think the vampire in the catacombs would sit still for that, then you would not last very long in the lands of mist....)

### Homes

Homes, that is, houses or other spaces where individuals or families have their permanent residence, enforce their own restrictions on a vampire. Homes are not actually sanctified places (except in the most unusual of cases) and so give priests or laypersons no benefits when turning or holding at bay vampires and other undead. They do, however, give those within a unique protection against vampires. In short, a vampire is completely unable to enter a home unless invited by a resident; the creature is simply unable to physically enter the residence. There are a few important notes that apply. First of all, to qualify as a "resident" of a home, a person must have been invited to live there indefinitely. This can be the actual home owner, the spouse, a relative of the owner, a live-in servant, etc. A guest of the owner does not qualify as a resident. Second, the invitation must be overt, stated in words. An implied invitation, such as an open door, is not sufficient. A single invitation to enter a home will allow the vampire to enter that home but once, immediately after the invitation is extended. The sole exception is if the invitation is offered by the "man of the house" - the oldest member of the household. If it is the "man of the house" who formally offers the invitation to a vampire, the creature is thereafter always free to enter that home without further invitation. Third, just because a vampire is unable to actually enter a house, those within are not totally protected from the creature's wrath. A vampire has a number of options open to it. For example, it could attempt to charm someone inside the house, or otherwise convince them to officially invite the creature to enter. It could summon minions, who would not be forbidden to enter the house. Alternatively, it could burn the house to the ground or otherwise force its potential victims to leave the structure. In short, fleeing to one's home to escape a vampire offers temporary protection at best.

### Graves

Many experts find the statement hard to believe, but it seems that the majority of vampires, the "lords of the undead", are unable to physically open the grave, crypt or other final resting place of another who was interred according to the precepts of the religion the person followed in life. (They can obviously open their own resting place with impunity.) Although surprising on the surface, when viewed symbolically, this makes perfect sense. An interment site is, in one manner of speaking, the only property owned by its inhabitant, for eternity. And, assuming the deceased was interred with the formality and ritual associated with his or her faith while alive, the interment site is thus sanctified, at least to a degree. For these reasons, a "typical" vampire is unable to enter, break open or otherwise physically disturb an interment site without the express permission of the "inhabitant" (who, obviously, is unable to give it).

This does not prevent a vampire from magically animating the inhabitant of a grave, however, and then having the animated corpse break out of the interment site. The restriction also does not apply to unfortunates who were interred without benefit of clerical rites and rituals: bodies buried in a mass grave, criminals who were excommunicated before or after death, etc.

## Destroying a Vampire [Read Order: 2]

Driving a vampire away or keeping it at bay is quite difficult enough. Unfortunately, in the majority of cases this will only guarantee that the fiend will approach again, at a time of its choosing and when you are least prepared. The ultimate goal is to significantly damage and then destroy the creature. Unfortunately, this feat is much more difficult to achieve than it is to discuss. However, the creatures are not wholly omnipotent and there are, thanks to all that's holy, some means to strike them down! That, of course, is my intent in committing this guide to pen and ink. Of course, the easiest way to destroy a vampire is to be sure that it never rises at all. When a person is killed by a vampire, as I have postulated, it is almost certain that that person will become a vampire as well. The best way to prevent a victim from rising as a vampire is to completely destroy the body rather than bury it. If the body must be buried for religious or other reasons, there are other ways that it can be prevented from becoming a vampire. The way most certain is to drive a stake through the heart of the body, fill its mouth with a consecrated substance, and cut off its head. Remember: the vampire hunter who relies upon tradition is almost certainly doomed to become the thing he hunts!

### Wooden Stakes

Folk tales make this means of destruction sound much simpler than it really is. In fact, there are several significant issues that must be addressed. First, the stake must be prepared from wood. Ash is normally the appropriate wood, but certain vampires may be immune to ash, and another wood must be used. The appropriate wood may vary depending upon the individual vampire, and will often be somehow related to the creature's personal history (how it became a vampire. etc.). For example, a vampire who lives in a graveyard might only be killed with a stake of yew wood. In the night, when a vampire's power is at it's height, a wooden stake is largely ineffectual. For obvious reasons it is best to confront a vampire while it is unconscious in its sanctuary. Unfortunately, this is not always possible and the vampire hunter must be prepared to face a conscious and active vampire. If attacking a conscious and unrestrained vampire, the stake must be manually driven through its heart. In other words, the stake must be used like a dagger or a short sword and driven into the chest of the monster, who will hardly remain still while someone positions the stake and prepares to strike it home with a mallet. Even this is harder than it sounds; as evidenced by its inhuman strength, the muscles of a vampire are much more sturdy, perhaps more dense, than their mortal equivalents. Thus, the attacker must have great strength in order to drive the stake into the monster's chest cavity. In addition, it must be remembered that the heart is a relatively small target, and very difficult to hit if the vampire is moving. Even if the vampire is somehow restrained, it is far from a sure thing that the attacker can drive the stake manually through the heart. If the vampire is unconscious or immobilized, success with a stake and mallet is still not guaranteed if the stake is ever removed from the vampire's body, the creature will rise again.

### Running Water

Many tales state that vampires are exceptionally vulnerable to running water. For most vampires this is at least partially true. There are several vital considerations to keep in mind, however. First, the vampire must be immersed in water that is rapidly flowing; oceans, creeks, slow streams, and the like will not suffice. Second, the word "immersed" has a specific meaning in this context: half of the vampire's body must be below the surface of the water, and this portion must include the entire chest (In essence, the monster's heart must be immersed.) Vampires are as capable of floating or treading water as any humanoid creature. Thus, merely throwing a vampire into a river and waiting for it to expire will probably not work. However, once immersed in this running water, this will affect the vampire as if chest deep in acid, dealing significant damage to the monster every few seconds.

### Sunlight

For this discussion and the following paragraphs, the word "sunlight" refers to the direct rays of the sun or such rays reflected by a mirror. Most vampires can be destroyed by exposure to sunlight, and even momentary exposures can be lethal to Fledglings. These creatures hate the sunlight with a passion that mortals can't begin to understand. If a vampire is up and about in the daylight hours, then it will always take great pains to shade itself from the sun. With very few exceptions, vampires will never willingly pass into the sunlight. If this means that they must fight a battle to the death, allow a mortal enemy to escape, or make any other such sacrifices, so be it. As soon as a normal Fledgling vampire is totally exposed to sunlight, it is instantly incapable of using any of its magical abilities. All it can concentrate upon is trying to get into shelter. If at the end of one minute the creature has not escaped the rays of the sun, it is instantly and permanently annihilated. As a vampire ages, however, it becomes able to sustain brief periods of time in the sun. Older vampires seem to be able to resist the lethal effects of exposure to sunlight for varying periods of time. A Mature vampire might withstand one minute of exposure, for example, while an Ancient might withstand one hour in the sun without being destroyed. During this "period of immunity", the creature is able to use all of its powers normally. The instant this period of immunity expires, however, the creature is stripped of its magical powers, and one minute later is annihilated. A vampire that has existed for a millennium is no longer susceptible to the burning touch of the sun. A Patriarch can go forth during the daylight hours with the same freedom as a mortal. (There are also tales of vampires centuries too young to be a Patriarch, who are equally immune to sunlight - the possibility that such a creature can pass this immunity on to a line of vampires is too horrid to dwell upon.) A vampire could stand in a room with sunlight streaming through the window and remain totally unharmed so long as it did not step into a sunbeam. It is important to here relate the nature of reflected sunlight that harms vampires. "Diffuse" reflection, such as that from the floors and walls of a room, is harmless to the vampire, albeit highly distasteful. "Focused" reflection, however, is dangerous. As a rule of thumb, the reflected sunlight is dangerous only if the vampire could conceivably see a recognizable image of the sun in the reflecting surface. The sun reflected in a mirror, a polished shield, or perhaps even a well-cleaned plate would harm a vampire. Even partial exposure to sunlight can be dangerous to a vampire - "partial" in this case meaning that only a small portion of the vampire's body (such as a hand or arm) is exposed to the direct or mirror-reflected rays of the sun. The vampire's period of immunity comes into play again. If the partial exposure extends beyond this period of immunity, the exposed portion of the vampire is burned as if by direct application of fire. It cannot be stressed too often: most vampires hate sunlight. Even if a vampire is in the sunlight less than its period of immunity, it takes a massive effort of will for the creature to do anything other than seek shelter. Patriarchs or vampires innately immune to sunlight still dislike being exposed to the direct or reflected rays of the sun although the intensity of this dislike is infinitely less than that exhibited by their lesser kin. Such vampires will never show a tendency to flee from sunlight, but they might evidence other symptoms of distaste. Vampires can sometimes be physically forced or tricked into the sun, but considering the great strength and intelligence of the creatures, this is never a minor undertaking. Usually a vampire destroyed by sunlight instantly crumbles into dust, if in any material form. Sunlight also affects vampires that are in gaseous form in the same ways as discussed above. If a gaseous vampire is destroyed by sunlight, the cloud of gas simply dissipates, never to reform.

A vampire that is affected by being in direct sunlight will be dealt a significant amount of damage as if dealt by the Gods themselves, and they would find it more difficult to perform any actions, recall any information or even attack any enemy.

### Stigmata

In three memorable cases, I have seen a fascinating phenomenon occur when a vampire was caught in sunlight, was struck by a holy symbol, or was splashed by holy water. In these cases, not only did the contact cause pain and inflict physical damage, but it also left a seemingly indelible mark on the vampire. In one case this took the form of a red discoloration, similar to a birth mark, the size and shape of the splash of holy water that struck the fiend. In the others, the mark was a blackened scorch where the sun struck the skin, and a brand in the exact form of the holy symbol. Why is this interesting? Recall that the condition of a vampire's body normally tends toward the condition it was in when the creature died. Old scars, tattoos and the like will reform, while new scars and similar marks will quickly fade. The marks, which I choose to call "stigmata" (singular, stigma), did not fade until a period of months had transpired in the first case, and several years had passed in the others. Particularly in the case of the holy symbol, the vampire was effectively and visually identified for what it was, depriving it of a means to masquerade as a mortal. Therefore, it was easier to hunt down the fiend and destroy it. I have no idea how common a susceptibility to stigmata is among vampires, and it is not the sort of thing easily established experimentally. Tales of stigmata are rare, and if vampire and foe come into such proximity that a stigma can be created, in most cases either foe or vampire ends up destroyed.

## A Vampire's feeding habits [Read Order: 6]

For obvious reasons, the aspect of vampirism most important to mortals is that of their feeding habits. Vampires must gain sustenance by feeding upon the living. If they do not do this, they suffer terribly and will eventually die.

### Mechanics

Vampires prefer to drink blood directly from the living body of a victim, preferably one of their former race. The most efficient method of doing this is to use their prominent eye teeth to open a wound in a major blood vessel of their victim. In (demi)humans, major vessels are closest to the surface in the throat. Because the neck is also one of the least protected parts of the body (even when the victim wears armour), this adds to the desirability of this target area. Sometimes vampires will choose another major blood vessel such as the femoral artery, on the inside of the thigh near the groin, if circumstances make this possible. One advantage of tapping this artery is that the marks left by the feeding are rarely seen by others.

Some tales describe the eye teeth of the vampire as hollow, and claim that the creature drinks blood through them as through a straw. In no case that I have studied, however, has this ever been the case. The teeth of a vampire are identical in structure to normal human teeth, albeit somewhat enlarged and often angled almost imperceptibly outward. My observation is that the vampire simply uses its teeth as implements to open a wound in the victim. It then sucks or laps up the blood using its lips and tongue, much as a babe drinks its mother's milk. In the vast majority of cases a vampire will open only a small wound that will quickly heal, through which it can drain only a small amount of blood. "Small" is a relative term here; the debilitative effect is related to the robustness of the victim - while a battle-hardened warrior might shrug off a single feeding with no ill effects, the same blood loss might kill a weaker victim through shock.

Vampires usually feed through such small survivable wounds because they do not want to kill their victim. Any (demi)human killed through blood lost to a vampire will of course rise as a vampire itself, subservient to the creature that killed it, unless the body is decapitated or destroyed. In most cases, vampires do not want to create subservient vampires, for reasons that will be discussed later. If a vampire does not care whether or not its victim survives, it can open a massive wound in the throat. This wound will kill its victim as would a dagger drawn across the throat. So fast is the blood flow from such a wound that the creature probably cannot drink it all. It can usually ingest enough to sale its hunger, however. Such a victim is not necessarily raised as a vampire, unless the vampire is somehow able to drink all of his blood. Vampires usually feed only from unresisting victims, which includes victims that have been gaze-charmed or victims that are immobilized in some manner.

### Signs of Feeding

Even a relatively small and survivable wound left by a vampire causes notable trauma to the flesh of the victim. There is not only the wound itself, which is often less than half an inch in length, but also discolouration caused by bleeding below the skin. This appears as a bruise that is usually an inch or so in diameter. The wound is easy to spot.

It causes no pain to the victim, however, and is not sensitive to the touch. This may be the result of some unknown component of a vampire's saliva, or could arise from some other cause entirely; I have no way of knowing. Thus, victims might be totally unaware of the wound until they see their image in a mirror, or until someone else brings it to their attention. The victim may feel some weakness that arises from blood loss, and may appear somewhat pale.

### Sources of Blood

Vampires almost exclusively insist on the blood of living creatures: (demi)humans are preferred as victims, and members of the same species as the vampire above all. Why is this? It could be a physiological issue whereby, for example, blood from a human is most restorative to a once-human vampire. Or it could simply be symbolic: the evil creature holds within its heart a great hatred for the species to which it once belonged, and wishes to wreak the maximum amount of havoc on its erstwhile fellows.

Vampires prefer healthy victims, but can also draw blood from those who are mortally wounded and sinking into the final coma. The amount of blood that can be drained from such a victim is usually limited because generally it was severe physical damage (hence blood loss) that put the character into that condition in the first place.

Vampires can also feed from the corpses of freshly-slain characters. Blood spoils rapidly in regards to serving it as a  foodstuff for vampires, so the corpse must have been killed within four hours of the vampire's attempt to feed. Because the heart of the corpse is not pumping, the vampire is drastically limited in the amount of blood it can drink from the body, and this amount decreases with time.

In time of dire need, I believe that a vampire can feed on the blood of animals, although the creature will find this foodstuff bland and unsatisfying, and it will leave the vampire ill. (When drinking from a rancid pool becomes a question of survival, then tainted water is better than none.) Because vampires are masters of all creatures whose form they can assume (generally wolves and bats), in regions where such creatures dwell a vampire will never starve. The subservient creatures will obey the commands of their undead master even to the death, and so will offer their lifeblood to preserve their master's unlife.

### The Experience of the Victim

How can a vampire charm a victim into submitting to having his or her blood drunk? Surely the very nature of a charm, which cannot force its recipient to put itself in imminent danger, prevents the subject from accepting a command so obviously self-destructive. Then again, the vampiric charm-gaze is not the charm spell. This is one of the most insidious factors in the nature of vampirism. It would seem that there is some deep and dark desire within the psychology of (demi)humans that makes submitting to a vampire's "kiss" somehow attractive. Vampires are often portrayed as creatures with an intense sensual appeal. This, it seems, allows charmed victims to believe that offering their throat to a vampire is not the self-destructive nor even suicidal act that it is.

In addition, some victims who have survived the attentions of a vampire report that the experience was highly pleasurable, much as this may fly in the face of reason. They felt no pain as the beast opened the wound in their flesh, and described the actual sensation of the feeding as one of "voluptuous pleasure". (I find my gorge rises when I consider this, but I have heard it from so many sources that I cannot disregard it.) I have also heard the words used by a vampire while attempting to charm a victim into allowing it to feed. The monster seems to instinctively perceive a desire to submit that lies in the dark recesses of the human mind. It plays upon this desire, talking about "the gentle joy of surrendering", of "opening oneself". and of "experiencing the unequalled bliss of total sharing".

Vampires will often feed from sleeping victims. If the victim is not awakened when the vampire makes the wound, he or she will remember nothing of the experience when they awaken normally. At the very most, the victim will recall that he or she experienced a dream of intense and sensual pleasure.

### Philosophical Considerations - Why Blood?

Why must vampires drink blood? Even those few "atypical" individuals who do not drink it require sustenance that is in some way an equivalent to blood. (Note: "atypical" is certainly as subjective a term as "typical" when referring to vampires.) As with so many facets of vampirism, the answer is likely symbolic. Generally speaking, vampires are creatures of undying evil who hold an implacable hatred for the living. Even those who do not actively hate the living consider them to be somehow meager reflections of vampires, and "cattle" whose sole purpose is to act as victims and tools for the vampiric "elite". This belief system carries with it the implication that vampires feed upon the living in both a spiritual and metaphorical sense, it would be appropriate, then, that vampires should also feed on the living in a physical sense as well.

Where does this symbolic equivalency arise from? Some sages believe that it is a jest of the ancient and evil deities who originally set vampires loose upon the worlds of the universe. Others hold that a parallel arises from the very nature of reality; in other words, we know that evil preys upon good, and vampires vindicate this axiom on the supernatural level.

### Alternative Forms of Sustenance

The variety of "foods" on which "atypical" vampires may subsist is staggering, and usually particularly disgusting, I personally know of some vampire-like creatures who feed on cerebrospinal fluid, draining this clear liquid through holes that they punch in their mortal victims' skulls or spines. Obviously, such wounds are much more immediately debilitating to the victims, and much slower to heal. Similarly, there is reputed to be a line of vampires that subsists on lymphatic fluids drained from the glands of their victims. Recurring but unsubstantiated rumours also tell of creatures who drain the aqueous and vitreous humours from the eyes of (demi)humans, rarely if ever killing their victims through this feeding, but always leaving them blind.

There are also known to be vampires that "feed" upon life energy directly from their victims via touch, without the intermediary of blood. These creatures feed upon the actual life experience levels of victims, who will eventually perish if they are completely depleted of their acquired memories and skills. Other creatures feed in ways that are more arcane or symbolic, tapping their victims' intelligence, will power (Wis), strength, dexterity, force of personality (Cha), even physical vigor (Con). Some can drain these characteristics simply by striking a target in melee; others, and thankfully, the more common monsters, can feed only from willing or immobilized victims, and do so through a "kiss". Still others drain vigour from their victims by inflicting physical damage, seeming to draw their sustenance from the pain they cause to their prey (i.e., they absorb hit points directly when they strike a victim in combat).

Most feared by spellcasters, there are even some who seem to feed on the magical power that flows through the body of a wizard, or even a priest. A touch from such a creature causes the victim to forget spells that have been memorized, and - in one extreme case of which I know - allows the vampire to cast the forgotten spell at the level of ability possessed by the victim!

Being of extremely high Intelligence, a few vampires are sensitive to natural balances, albeit in a sense warped by their undead state. Thus, they may occasionally depart from their usual diet of blood in order to avoid depleting the neighbouring village of all life. Here allow me to summarize some of the possible dietary items:

Blood

Spinal fluid Heart (eaten)

Brain (eaten)

Bone marrow

Body water

Body salt

Life energy levels

Abilities (Con, Int. etc.)

Memories (spells or proficiencies)

Bodily health (hit points)

### Psychical Effects of Feeding

When a vampire feeds, its body shows various physical signs. Its skin, normally cool and pale, becomes warmer and takes on a healthy, almost ruddy tinge. In addition, the creature's levels of energy and activity seem higher.

In contrast, when a vampire has gone without feeding for a period of time, the reverse effects occur. Its skin becomes colder and paler, sometimes inhumanly so. The creature also becomes more sluggish. (Do not misunderstand this: the monster is still capable of incredible feats of exertion when necessary. The "sluggishness" relates more to its preferred level of activity than to its capabilities. A sluggish vampire is very much like a sluggish shark: to consider either of them to be weak is a dangerous error.) These symptoms become even more pronounced if the creature has been unable to feed sufficiently, as discussed in the following section.

Note that the above comments refer to "typical", blood-drinking vampires. Vampires that depend on other sources of sustenance may exhibit similar changes, but it is foolish to depend on these signals in any way.

### Frequency

How often must a vampire feed? This question has been debated for years, perhaps centuries, by sages everywhere. The following comments are based on my own research, and are not guaranteed to be true. Other reputable researchers might have different answers.

Generally speaking, a "typical" vampire must feed once in any 24-hour period. Not doing so causes the vampire to grow weaker until, with prolonged denial of sustenance, the creature is destroyed. It may be surprising, but it seems to be the case that a vampire's need for food decreases as it ages. Perhaps this is a result of its growing connection with the Negative Material Plane, from which it draws much of its unnatural energy. The vampire's hunger for blood increases with age, however. A Patriarch can subsist on much less blood than can a Fledgling, but the ancient creature has the desire to drink much more blood than its youthful kin. Should its source "dry up", so to speak, it can subsist on "starvation rations" much better than can the Fledgling creature, however.

## The sleep of the dead [Read Order: 7]

Vampires can instinctively sense when dawn is approaching, and feel an overriding urgency to retire to a safe place to sleep. As sunrise draws near they feel a growing panic if they are not within their sanctuary. Once they are safely sequestered away, they can feel, deep in their bones, the moment at which the sun first appears over the horizon. Their reaction at this moment varies from creature to creature.

### Depth of Sleep

There are basically two groups of resting vampires: those who truly sleep, that is, become fully unconscious, and those who merely become partially dormant. In human terms the difference is between a deep sleep, where the sleeper is totally oblivious to his surroundings, and a light doze where he is at least partially aware at all times. I will first discuss those vampires who fall into a deep sleep. At the moment of dawn, such a creature sinks into a state of complete oblivion, and cannot be roused by any means before the moment that the sun touches the western horizon. These creatures are obviously highly vulnerable because they have no way of sensing the approach of a hunter or the touch of the stake's point before the first blow of the mallet. However, at the instant that the sun sinks below the horizon, these creatures awaken and are instantly in full command of all their powers. This means there is none of the disorientation felt by many (demi)humans upon first awakening.

Vampires who only "doze" are much more dangerous quarry. They are always peripherally aware of what is going on around them. Depending on the circumstances, it may not be possible for hunters to sneak up on a dozing vampire without rousing it. Loud noises or bright lights will definitely wake the creature. If the creature is within a coffin or sarcophagus, it will awaken the instant that this vessel is opened (if it has not already been roused).

It is important to remember that vampires are incredibly cunning. Just because the dozing creature has been awakened by the approach of hunters does not necessarily mean that it will immediately leap to the attack. If circumstances warrant, it may prefer to "play dead", and lure its would-be killers to their doom. Vampires that doze also wake instantly and without disorientation at the instant the sun sinks below the western horizon. If such a creature is awakened while the sun is still above the horizon, however, it does suffer some moments of disorientation and is unable to use some of its abilities for some time.

Note that the depth at which a vampire sleeps will have a great effect on the sanctuary it chooses, and how it protects its resting place. Vampires that sink into deepest oblivion at the moment of dawn recognize their immense vulnerability and will, thus, go to the greatest lengths to hide their sanctuaries and attempt to make them totally impenetrable to mortals who might be hunting them. Any traps that they place will be as lethal as the creature can possibly make them because it knows any hunter who gets through the traps will almost certainly end the vampire's existence.

Vampires who doze, however, might make different decisions. They, too, are vulnerable during daylight hours, but nowhere near as much as their deep-sleeping kin. While they will generally be as careful about hiding and warding their sanctuaries (why take chances, after all?), they will be less concerned if circumstances prevent them from taking all the precautions they might want. They will probably set lethal traps, but also tripwires and other warning devices to alert them to the approach of attackers.

### Soil from the Homeland?

Many tales pertaining to vampires claim that the creatures must sleep in vessels that contain soil from their homeland, or even soil taken from their own graves. If they do not do so, these tales tell, they are destroyed. As with so many such tales, the truth varies from individual to individual, and from place to place. And, of course, with vampires there are always exceptions to the rules. However, these creatures at least believe the presence of such an item to be an absolute requirement, and will go to any lengths to ensure that it is present. I use the word "believe", simply because I have never heard any substantiated report of a vampire being destroyed through not having the required item present during sleep. Vampires believe they will be destroyed if an appropriate element is not present, and so will make sure that it is present. But is this belief based in fact?

Personally, I find myself drawn to the idea that this "requirement" is actually a baseless superstition, perpetuated and believed by vampires as well as mortals over the centuries. I am convinced that a vampire forced to sleep without a symbolic tie to its mortal life will not be destroyed. Of course, proving this experimentally is somewhat problematical. Vampires will obviously not test my hypothesis because, if I am wrong, they will be destroyed. And vampire hunters are understandably more interested in destroying the creatures than in experimentally examining their limitations. Still, it is an interesting concept to consider.

### Vampires Without Sanctuary

What happens to a vampire that is prevented from reaching its sanctuary before the moment of sunrise? The consequences vary widely.

Some creatures - particularly, it seems, those individuals that sleep deeply - fall unconscious the instant the sun appears above the horizon. They are totally insensate, and totally vulnerable. If the light of the sun falls upon their bodies, they are destroyed (although not always instantly, as in the case of older vampires). They are also vulnerable to anyone with a stake and mallet. It seems that Fledgling and Mature vampires most likely fall into this category.

Others can remain conscious past sunrise, but their first and only priority is to reach their sanctuary so they can fall asleep. Most of these creatures lose their ability to shapechange or voluntarily assume gaseous form as soon as the sun appears above the horizon, whether or not the rays of the sun actually fall on the creatures' bodies. (It is knowledge of this weakness that adds to their panic as dawn approaches.) These creatures have only a few hours in which to reach sanctuary and sleep, or they are irrevocably destroyed. Old, Very Old and Ancient vampires most likely fall into this category.

Finally there are those creatures who retain all their powers after sunrise so long as they are not exposed to the direct rays of the sun. Sleeping is still of the highest priority to these creatures. However, they have hours in which to reach their sanctuary and fall asleep. In fact, these creatures can remain active - if so forced - almost the whole day. If, however, they have not yet reached sanctuary and fallen asleep by the moment of sunset, they are irrevocably destroyed. Such vampires that have been kept from sleep for several hours do not wake instantly at the moment of sunset. Instead, they continue to sleep for a number of additional hours equal to the time they were kept awake. This could well make it impossible for a vampire to feed sufficiently, and hence weaken the creature. Eminent and Patriarch vampires are most likely to fall into this category.

It is virtually impossible to predict beforehand how an individual vampire will react to being prevented from reaching its sanctuary. I have faced a Fledgling vampire, no more than two years undead, that was virtually undismayed at being prevented from sleeping for several hours. Conversely, I have heard tales of an Eminent vampire that fell unconscious at the instant of sunrise, no matter what danger it faced in doing so.

### Exceptions

Predictably, there are exceptions. There are some vampires that seem not to need sleep at all. Or if they do, they are more like mortals in that they can delay sleeping for hours or days, should it be necessary, and suffer relatively little as a consequence. When these creatures are also immune to the rays of the sun, they become hideously dangerous foes. They can easily blend with human society, moving equally freely by day or by night. It is lucky that these creatures are very rare!

### When Travelling

The dual requirements of sleeping and avoiding the rays of the sun make traveling long distances somewhat problematic for vampires. Short trips are relatively simple because the creatures can travel by night - on horseback or via other normal transportation, or in animal form - and hide out in makeshift sanctuaries during daylight hours. Vampires that must sleep on soil from their homeland or with some item symbolic of their mortal life are more limited than others, of course. They must find some way of carrying the soil or suitable item with them. This usually precludes travel in animal form unless minions have previously arranged suitable sanctuaries along the way and at the final destination. For vampires masquerading as mortals in civilized lands, this is relatively easy to arrange, of course. Representatives of the vampire can purchase or rent suitable buildings and furnish them with art and objects that have symbolic significance to the vampire. Who, after all, would suspect vampiric activity if a wealthy businessman were to send ahead and have a country manor decorated in a style reminiscent of his childhood home?

Vampires will sometimes arrange to have suitable sanctuaries carried with them. (This is usually required if the vampire plans an extended voyage.) For example, a creature could travel in a coffin that is supposedly carrying a dead body "home" to its final burial place. The people charged with transporting the coffin could be servitors of the vampire or could be simple tradespersons hired to do the job. The vampire could stay within the coffin, never emerging, and suffer the effects of starvation. Alternatively, the creature could sneak out of its coffin at night to hunt. (Obviously, this second option represents a grave risk, particularly in a closed environment such as a ship at sea.) The smartest alternative would be to arrange for a cache of blood, if the requirement for low temperature could somehow be met.

While a coffin is almost traditional as the portable sanctuary of a vampire, virtually anything else large enough could serve. The major advantage of a coffin, from a vampire's point of view, is that most people are somewhat unwilling to open it up to confirm its contents. This is particularly the case if the body within is said to have died of some contagious disease.

Vampires are exceedingly cunning, and will show great creativity in the precautions they take. When hunting the travelling vampire, I suggest that you attempt to eliminate places that it could not hide, and consider every other possibility a good one.

## Vampire Relations [Read Order: 5]

By nature most vampires are solitary and territorial predators, whether competitively building their power and amassing influence or just jealously defending a personal hunting ground. This rapacious, ruthless, and competitive nature sometimes brings vampires into conflict with each other.

Although vampires generally much prefer to compete through minions and champions, or even through more intangible means such as influence-peddling and rumor-mongering, the creatures do sometimes come into physical contact. Unsurprisingly, physical contact often leads to physical combat.

A few individuals apparently enjoy interacting with others of their kind, and form social microcosms of their own. This usually occurs only with vampires of considerable power and maturity that have existed long enough to pass beyond a stage of blind competition and jealousy. When such vampire "societies" form, they can become frighteningly powerful, frighteningly fast, and there is virtually nothing that can stand in their way.

It is lucky, then, that these societies are usually relatively short-lived (although in this context that may mean they last as long as a century or two). Over the centuries vampires may learn patience and cooperation, but only to a degree. At their core they are still selfish and evil monsters, and this nature will almost inevitably resurface. Initially a society of vampires may appear stable and united, but soon enough one vampire and then the others will develop their own hidden agendas. What may begin as solidarity will eventually degrade into the mere semblance of cooperation, with each vampire conniving to gain power, prestige, or wealth, to the detriment of its "colleagues". Societies sometimes break up when the participants finally choose to go their separate ways, but most societies are torn apart by infighting, both figurative and literal.

Some vampires know better than to form societies with others of their kind. Instead, they form shifting and temporary alliances with other vampires in positions of power. Vampires that choose this route wilt be as careful in their dealings with their kin as thieves are with their fences: the deals will be so constructed that both sides gain and neither party comes under the sway of the others.

Younger vampires - those below the age category of Ancient - will almost never reach any level of cooperation. They are almost exclusively loners, and the only other vampires they will consider coming in contact with are the slave creatures that they, themselves, have made. Some of these "master" vampires use their slaves as food gatherers, sending the servant creatures forth to feed in the world, take the concomitant risks, and then return to offer their necks to their controller. But this is a significant risk: should the master vampire's care and control slip even in the slightest degree, the servant creatures could accidentally or purposely lead hunters to the master's lair.

Of course, vampires well know the bitterness and the hatred that their servant creatures feel toward them, and so are aware that their servants will turn on them and destroy them should the chance ever arise. For this reason, master vampires usually destroy their servants long before they become powerful enough to challenge for their own dominance.

### Combat Between Vampires

How can one vampire harm another? First, so great is the enchantment that surrounds a vampire that one creature is able to strike and physically damage one of its own kind. The one exception is in the case of Patriarchs: a Patriarch can only be struck by another of its own age category.

Second, there is always the possibility of spell usage. Spellcasting vampires might well have powers capable of harming, even destroying their kin. (Note that one vampire is incapable of charming another, however, due to the monsters' innate resistance to "charm attacks".)

Although a blow in melee from one vampire can inflict physical damage on another, it should be noted that one beast is unable to drain energy experience levels from another. Why? The likelihood is that the creatures are not alive, and have no life energy to drain.

Vampires that drain other attributes through a strike in combat can drain them from another vampire, however. I, myself, have seen two of the creatures locked in mortal combat - hands locked like vices around each other's throats, hissing and spitting like cats! As they struggled, horrible wounds opened in the flesh of one vampire. Meanwhile, the other grew progressively more feeble until it finally collapsed to the ground, whereupon the victor tore the defeated's head from its body. As the victor stood above its vanquished foe, howling its elation, the wounds on its face and body closed with the unnatural speed typical of vampires. I speculate that the conqueror was actually sapping the fundamental strength of the conquered, while the conquered was only able to drain the health from his better.

### Kin-Nectar

The majority of vampires can feed only from a willing, charmed, or otherwise immobilized but living victim. Can one of these creatures feed from another vampire? Apparently, yes. The following discussion will concentrate on those creatures that drink blood, because these are the most common. Similar conditions apply for other types of feeders.

One vampire can drink the blood of another. In fact, vampiric blood, described by one vampire as "kin-nectar", is a better source of sustenance than the blood of mortals at least in one sense. Vampires need to drink much less kin-nectar than they would mortal blood in order to meet their food requirements.

Yet few vampires enjoy drinking kin-nectar, it seems; they vastly prefer the taste of blood, supped from the vessel of a living (demi)human. It may be that there are some vampires that prefer kin-nectar, and perhaps one or two who requires it. These creatures are in the unenviable position of depending upon other vampires for their survival - not a particularly secure position in which to be.

If one vampire drinks the blood of another, the creatures enter into a close relationship: for several hours following the feeding, the two creatures' minds are so intimately linked that they can communicate telepathically as easily as by speaking. This telepathy persists regardless of distance or intervening matter as long as both vampires are on the same plane. One vampire cannot "overhear" thoughts not intended as communication, however.

In addition, the vampire who drank the blood has a significant level of control over the vampire who provided the blood for as long as the telepathic link exists. The creature who fed can issue orders telepathically and the second creature must obey them, within reason. Most vampires will find this interconnection distasteful and, in the case of the creature who was fed upon, downright dangerous, so the monsters usually shun kin-nectar. Most will only participate in this kind of feeding on either side if they totally trust the other participant (which is very rare) or if they simply have no choice in the matter.

It is nearly impossible for two vampires to feed exclusively from each other for a protracted period of time. They can do it for the short term, but it will become debilitating to both creatures in the long term. Such "mutual" arrangements would be incredibly rare in any case, because both vampires would in turn make themselves vulnerable to the telepathic orders of the other.

### Progenitor and Offsring

Conventional wisdom is categorical on one point: newly-formed vampires are slaves of the creatures that created them, with no free will of their own. Even one of the most reputable tomes on the subject repeats this: "Once they become undead, the new vampire is under the complete control of its killer".

But how true is this? And what constraints are there on the control that does exist? For the first days or weeks of a Fledgling vampire's existence, it is highly susceptible to the orders of its creator - so I have discovered from my research. If there is no telepathic bond between creator and created, then the master vampire must be in the vicinity, and must be willing to communicate with its offspring.

How, then, do vampires keep their slaves under their control beyond this period? They do so in much the same way that mortals dominate others: through intimidation. The fledgling is new to the vampiric world, and at least partially ignorant of its own abilities. Its creator can, if it is careful, create the perception in its offspring that the master is immensely more powerful and knowledgeable than the newly-created vampire, which it may in fact be. Through simple intimidation and by playing on the offspring's natural doubts and fears, the master can create a situation enabling it to "rule" for decades.

The reader may realize that this situation is totally different and much more unstable than the "traditional" picture of the master and its unquestioning slaves. Offspring vampires may have considerable free will from the moment of their creation, although they do have an "inborn" propensity to bow to the will of their creator. After several years have passed, however, this propensity wears off.

The "master" must keep the intimidation level high and discipline tight. If the offspring senses weakness in its master, it may consider challenging for dominance or simply fleeing. As time passes the offspring vampire will learn more about its own strengths, and probably more about its master's weaknesses. As soon as the offspring believes that it may be able to defeat its master, the two creatures will almost certainly come into conflict. Of course, the majority of vampires will destroy their offspring before this point is reached. Some, however, will send them away, officially granting them their freedom. (This is merely another psychological trick, if an offspring vampire is "freed" before it realizes it can depose its "master", it may feel some gratitude toward its creator.)

The vast majority of vampires view their offspring simply as disposable tools, to be used and then discarded. Yet there are some, it seems, that feel some kind of empathy for their "children". These rare creatures will "raise" their offspring, teaching them all they need to know to survive in the world, and then send them forth to "live their own lives". Gratitude is an uncommon thing among vampires, however, and offspring of such sentimental creatures generally view this "care" as weakness. Vampires who care for their offspring are most often destroyed by those very offspring.

Vampires differ in their motivations when creating offspring. Some fledglings do it accidentally, not yet understanding the consequences of killing a foe. Others do it to create slaves for themselves. Some few seem to need contact with members of their own kind, and create companions. This latter group are more likely to become the sentimental "parents" described above, and are hence most likely to meet destruction at the hands of their offspring.

When a vampire is destroyed, all semblance of control over its offspring immediately vanishes. Most offspring will immediately go about their own business. I have heard of some rare creatures who have sought the destroyers of their creator and wreaked vengeance on them. I find this somewhat hard to believe because it implies a sense of loyalty, even love of a kind, between vampires. Still, stranger things have proved to be true.

### Vampire Brides and Grooms

An especially rare and unique relationship between vampires is in that of the "Bride" or "Groom". Actually, considering that the fact all vampires were once mortal, it is almost surprising that this phenomenon is not more prevalent. No matter what changes undeath has wrought, some vestiges of mortal thoughts and aspirations still survive, I am sure. Eternity can weigh heavily on the spirit - even the spirit of a vampire. Of all the burdens of immortality, perhaps the greatest is loneliness. To whom can a vampire bare its soul and admit its fears? With whom can the vampire vent some of the intense sensuality which seems to pervade its breed? From whom can it receive consolation for the past, comfort for the present, and hope for the future? An eternity of solitude can be an eternity of pain.

It is no wonder, then, that vampires sometimes long for a special companion. Fortunately for these tortured souls - and unfortunately for their mortal victims - vampires are capable of creating such companions. These special minions, if such a term truly applies, are known as "Brides" and "Grooms". These terms may seem inappropriate, carrying with them as they do the emotional "baggage" of love and marriage. While marriage is not an issue, a form of love - or at least of emotional bonding - is involved, so the terms are not as inappropriate as they may, at first, seem.

### Creating a Bride or Groom

Creating a bride or groom, although seemingly a simple process, requires an exhausting exercise of much power by the creating vampire. For this reason, only vampires of advanced age and capability can even assay this procedure. A bride or groom can be created only by a vampire of age category Ancient or greater, and not even all of those are capable of doing so.

The first step requires that the vampire find an appropriate mortal to be the bride. (Note: With apologies to the feminine gender, I shall use the term "bride" and the pronouns "she" and "her" to refer to both brides and grooms. Unless otherwise specified, there are no restrictions or differences in the procedure based on the sex of either vampire or victim.) Usually this problem solves itself. Very rare is the vampire who decides in isolation, "I will make a bride", and then seeks out a mortal to fill the bill. In the vast majority of cases, the process occurs in the reverse order. The vampire is drawn emotionally to a mortal and decides, because of the strength of this emotion, to make her his bride.

The nature of this emotion can vary widely. It may simply be hormonal lust (after all, the physiological systems related to such effects in mortals are still present, and sometimes still functional, in vampires). It may be an obsession dating from the days before the vampire became what he now is. In these cases, the vampire creates its bride in cold blood, for the sole purpose of satisfying its own desires.

Sometimes, however, the emotion may be close to what mortals classify as love. The happiness of the vampire becomes tied up with the prospective bride, and its well-being depends on hers. In these cases, the vampire might actually believe it is bestowing a gift when it turns the mortal into its bride - the gift of freedom from aging and death.

To actually create the bride, the vampire bestows what is known as the "Dark Kiss. It samples the blood of its mortal paramour - once, twice, thrice - draining her almost to the point of death. This process causes the subject no pain; in fact, it has been described as the most euphoric, ecstatic experience, in comparison to which all other pleasures fade into insignificance. Just as the subject is about to slip into the terminal coma from which there is no awakening, the vampire opens a gash in its own flesh - often in its throat - and holds the subject's mouth to the wound. As the burning draught that is the vampire's blood gushes into the subject's mouth, the primitive feeding instinct is triggered, and she sucks hungrily at the wound, enraptured. With the first taste of the blood, the subject is possessed of great and frenzied strength and will use it to prevent the vampire from separating her from the fountain of wonder that is its bleeding wound. It is at this point that the creator-vampire's strength is most sorely tested. He is weakened by his own blood loss, and also by his own rapture as the "victim" of a dark kiss. Overcoming the sudden loss of strength and the inclinations of lust, the vampire must pull her away from its own throat, hopefully without harming her, before she has overfed. Should the subject be allowed to feed for too long, she is driven totally and incurably insane, and will die in agony within 24 hours.

Once the subject has stopped feeding, she falls into a coma that lasts minutes or hours, at the end of which time she dies. Several hours later, she arises as a Fledgling vampire - and her creator's bride! Her vampire creator must be present to teach her the requirements and limitations of her vampiric existence. Otherwise, she might not understand the necessity of feeding, and might even wander out into the sunlight and be destroyed.

The first moment that the bride realizes the ugly truth about her new nature can be highly traumatic, unless her creator takes steps to ease her acceptance. Even if her creator is sensitive to her emotional pain and gentles her into realization, only the most strong-willed person can come through that moment of understanding with sanity totally unshaken. The simultaneous acts of love and hatred, or taking a bride by murdering her, create an emotional paradox which is often impossible to resolve. In some cases, perhaps a majority, the knowledge of her fate totally unseats the bride's reason, and she becomes wildly and irrevocably mad. If this occurs, most creator vampires will be forced to mercifully destroy their brides - in the prescribed manner, as described later - and end their suffering. Of course, some cruel creatures will simply allow her wander off to meet her own fate, even though doing so will cause the creator vampire some damage.

The actual process of creating a bride inflicts some limited damage on the vampire. Even the small amount of blood the bride drinks weakens it for some time.

### The Relationship

Although there are some folk tales that describe the bride of a vampire as its slave, in much the same way that offspring are slaves, a bride is free-willed from the moment of her creation. The creator vampire does have great influence over the bride, however, although this control is totally nonmagical. When a vampire is created in the traditional manner - that is, when a victim's life energy is completely drained away - the new fledgling instinctively understands much about the vampiric way of unlife, and about its own strengths. weaknesses, and needs. Not so the bride. Newly-created brides are generally ignorant of their own capabilities. If in life they heard folk tales and myths about vampires, they might have some vague conception, but often these tales are totally wrong. The bride is effectively dependent - totally dependent - on her creator, to learn how to survive as a vampire. This obviously gives the creator great power over the bride. By lying to her or bending the truth, he can convince her that she must obey his every order or suffer horrible consequences. With time, and through experimentation, the bride might find out the true level of control her creator has over her - that is, none. She is still in a very inferior position, of course, because she is a Fledgling and her creator is at least an Ancient. Some creator vampires - particularly those who created the bride out of love - will be totally honest with their creation, depending on loyalty, friendship and even reciprocated love, to stop the bride from trying to bring about their destruction. This is probably the most beneficial situation for both vampires, because two creatures cooperating are much more effective than two creatures involved in machinations against each other. A vampire and bride who truly love and trust each other make a team that is exceptionally difficult to defeat!

### Communication

One of the reasons "married vampires" are so difficult to defeat is that a vampire and its bride share a telepathic communication that has a range measured in miles. Regardless of intervening terrain or obstacles, the two vampires can communicate instantly and silently as if they were speaking together. It is important to note that this communication is very much like silent speech. One vampire cannot read the other's mind against the subject's will, so the bride cannot pilfer secrets from the mind of her creator. As the sole exception to this statement, one member of the pair can sense incredibly strong emotion in the other's mind. (This could be equated to hearing a vocalized gasp of surprise or fear.) Only extreme fear, pain, surprise, sadness or exaltation can be sensed in this manner.

### Love and Jealousy

No matter how close and honest the relationship between a vampire and its bride, the bride is still a vampire, with the selfish, ruthless, and rapacious characteristics which that implies. Relationships between a vampire and its bride are rarely idyllic, and are often stormy enough to make a civil war seem like a garden party in comparison. As the bride grows in power and knowledge she will probably start acting in her own best interests, rather than in those of her creator, and begin to gratify her own desires. Her creator will frequently respond to this selfish behaviour with intense and raging jealousy. Many of these relationships have ended with the two vampires at each other's throats, tearing each other apart. (The bride will usually lose such a conflict, of course.)

### Negative Consequences of the Bond

While the bond is in existence, there is a strong metaphysical link between the two vampires' unlife forces. (No doubt this link explains the telepathic communication the creatures share.) So close is this link that the destruction of one member of the bond inflicts grave damage to the other member.

### Dissolving the Bond

The bond that joins the bride and her creator is eternal, unless the creator takes measures to break the bond. Although the bride must participate in this ritual - either voluntarily or otherwise - she cannot instigate it. The ritual must be performed at the will of the creator. To break the bond, the creator vampire must first open a wound in its own body and allow a quantity of its blood to spill on the ground. It must then open a similar wound in its bride, and allow her blood to mix with its own in a puddle on the ground. At this point, the bond between the two vampires is terminated and can never be re established. The telepathic link between the vampires is also ended. Perhaps most importantly, the consequences of one vampire suffering upon the destruction of the other will now not take place. One of the two vampires is free to destroy the other - if it so wishes, and if it can do so - without any repercussions.

### Other Remarks

Traditionally, a female vampire will create a male groom, while a male vampire will create a female bride. This is not always the case, however. There have been cases reported where male vampires have created male grooms, while female vampires have created female companions. There are no restrictions whatsoever concerning this, apart from the vampire's own tastes and proclivities. (It horrifies me to dwell on it, but I believe to this day that my son Erasmus was not transformed into a vampire in the traditional way. I surmise that Baron Metus - may his soul rot forever in the deepest pits of the Nine Hells - turned my only son into a vampire's groom...)

## The Mind of a Vampire [Read Order: 9]

The logical first step to eliminating a vampire is understanding it, which is probably why you are reading this guide now. Of course it is vital for the successful vampire hunter to acquaint himself with the strengths and weaknesses of the monster in question, and to consider the variations of the theme. Understanding what their mortal vulnerabilities are is obviously prerequisite, as well. But I am of the opinion that understanding the psychology of the vampire is your greatest weapon. Knowing how the creature thinks may give you critical clues as to how and where it will be at its most vulnerable state. It can also save your life if you know what to say (and not to say) in the presence of a vampire.

### The Psychology of Immortality

Philosophically speaking, immortality is probably the greatest difference between mortals and vampires. Mortals know that their time in the world is tightly bound: no matter how long the road may be - and for elves and other such creatures it can be long, indeed - death inescapably waits at the other end. This, of necessity, affects the way mortals view life. "Time is precious", "time is slipping away", "time is fleeting". "time, the subtle thief of youth": these are the proverbs and truisms of mortality. So many facets of (demi)human psychology and philosophy can be understood when viewed through this lens.

It should come as no surprise, then, that the psychology of vampires is very different, in some very profound ways, from that of the mortal races. Having already died, vampires little consider the specter of death as mortal do. Provided that they can avoid accidental destruction or annihilation at the hands of foes, these fiends could theoretically continue to exist to the (hypothetical) end of time!

One must not forget, however, that vampires were once mortal creatures. Although the transition to undeath drastically affects the body, its effects on the mind and on thoughts, beliefs, and philosophies are much less predictable and generally more subtle.

Before discussing the psychology of immortality in more detail, it is necessary to distinguish between the three "classifications" of vampires, based on their origins. The first classification includes those who became vampires because of "deadly desire". The second comprises those who became vampires as the result of a curse, whether laid by a mortal or by an evil deity. The third and final category is the most numerous: those unfortunates who became vampires as a result of the attack of another vampire.

The first two categories have one major factor in common: in almost all cases, these vampires were evil while they were alive. The transition to undeath never affects this except, in some cases, to intensify their evil.

The final category is a totally different case. Victims of vampires have no commonality with regard to ethos, moral strictures, philosophy of life, care toward others, or any other factor. The victim of a vampire could be a saint or a sinner, a paladin or an assassin, a compassionate healer or a ruthless alley-basher.

The fact is that the vast majority of vampires are chaotic and evil in the extreme. How does this come about? In most cases, it seems, the transition to undeath itself works this grim change on the mentality of a vampire's victim; the Fledgling's previous world view is largely irrelevant.

There are some fascinating exceptions, however, some documented cases of Fledgling vampires that managed to cling to some of the attitudes and beliefs they had while alive - for a time, at least. What set these exceptions apart? Was it, as some sages suggest, a characteristic of the vampire that created them? Or was it something within them? My own theory is this: the victim must have an immense strength of will, and the vampire that killed the victim be prevented in some way from implementing the innate control that such creatures have over "secondary" vampires. (This can happen if the creating vampire leaves the area, or is destroyed, between the time of the victim's death and the night the victim first rises as a vampire.)

Some of the most fascinating examples of this sort of "carry over" were recorded by a sage, whose name has been tragically lost, in a treatise whose title I have borrowed (with thanks) for this chapter: The Mind of the Vampire. Two samples follow:

A young, naive man, raised in a sheltered and privileged family, was slain by a vampire passing through the neighborhood. At first, he was unaware of his true nature (or unwilling to accept it), believing that his death had been only profound sickness and that his "premature" burial had been a mistake by his overzealous family. Evidence of his vampiric nature soon became apparent, however, but the poor wretch was unable to fully renounce the life he left behind. He took to haunting his old home, watching from the darkness and trying to pretend he was at least peripherally part of mortal life. He would seem a totally pathetic figure had it not been for his vicious attacks against anyone who tried to take away from him the semblance of his former life. An intrepid vampire hunter was slain by one of the creatures she so tenaciously hunted: the monster that killed her was immediately destroyed by her colleagues. For whatever reason, these colleagues neglected to take the precautions to prevent the woman from rising as a vampire. The trauma the woman suffered when she realized her vampiric condition was almost - but not quite - enough to drive her mad. She had taken up her life's pursuit as a moral duly, to rid the world of the scourge of vampirism, and now she had become what she had always hated! She set the trauma aside, however, and decided to play out the hand that Fate had dealt her. She dedicated her unlife to continuing the work she had started as a mortal: to use her newfound powers to help her track down and destroy others of her kind. Unfortunately, she soon confused her mission with a quest for power, and was destroyed by Mordoc SeLanmere.

### A Question of Alignment

The "typical" vampire is described as having an alignment of Chaotic Evil. There are some philosophers who believe this fact says more about (demi)human perceptions than it does about vampires. Chaotic, holders of this theory point out, means simply that vampires consider their personal interests over those of others, or of the many. While they do not go so far as to condone this stance, they do consider it to be understandable because vampires are immortal. Evil, strictly speaking, is defined as "holding life in low regard. How, these philosophers ask, could a creature be classed otherwise, that must feed on living victims to survive? The point that these philosophers proceed to make in their heavy-handed and pedantic fashion, which I have abbreviated here, is that describing vampires as Chaotic Evil actually conveys very little information about the creatures' behaviours and attitudes.

But this thesis raises a fascinating question: if I set aside the matter of feeding habits, could a vampire exhibit other behaviour patterns that could be described as "good"? The answer is "theoretically yes", and I can even cite one short-lived example. A man of good alignment was killed by a vampire, and became a vampire himself under the control of his dark master. When the master vampire was destroyed, the "minion" vampire became free-willed. Even though undead, he still held the beliefs and attitudes that, while alive, had categorized him as Good. Now, in secret, he decided to use his powers to at least partially set right the damage that he and his master had done. In fact, for some decades he was a secret benefactor to his home town.

Unfortunately, things changed with the passage of time. At first, the undead benefactor wanted no thanks, and kept his identity and nature inviolably secret. He lived in a cave on the outskirts of town and saw no living soul. After a decade, however, it seems that he began to resent the fact that the townsfolk showed no signs of gratitude for his largesse. He began to leave behind notes, asking for some kind of "concrete appreciation", generally money, in return for his efforts. (He had no need for the-money, of course: the coins were purely symbolic of the thanks he thought he deserved.) His demands became progressively higher until the townsfolk decided the requests from their secret benefactor were too great. When they ceased to pay, the vampire's feelings towards the townsfolk turned to hatred and he fell upon them like a scourge until some intrepid adventurers destroyed him.

I have a theory that explains what happened in this example. Eternity is a long time. As the years passed, the vampire's feelings began to change. Slowly he lost his sense of kinship with the living, and put his own desires, even when those desires were somewhat irrational, before theirs. Finally, he came to believe that their very fates were petty things, unworthy of his consideration.

I strongly believe that this attitude shift happens, in time, to all vampires. With some individuals, it occurs almost instantly, while with others it may take decades. Although I have no firm evidence on which to base this conjecture, I would guess that no vampire can retain a nature other than one of Chaotic Evil beyond the Fledgling age category.

### Psychological Progression

Most vampires are unique personalities, as are mortal (demi)humans. Individual (demi)humans may go through a "psychological progression", themselves. Commonly, the young of all (demi)human races are rather foolhardy, simply because the concept of death has yet to become real to them. They then enter a stage of experimentation, but usually temper their curiosity with at least some caution. This is followed by a period of more conservative activity, particularly if they are starting a family.

Then, as the first chill winds of mortality begin to blow through the soul, they will often temporarily relive the wild and joyous exuberance of youth. When this phase has passed, they frequently return to conservative pursuits. And finally, in the twilight of their years, they become introspective, trying to extract the underlying meaning of their lives. Certainly (demi)humans are individuals, but still a substantial number of them pass through most if not all of these stages.

Why, then, should it be surprising that vampires also show a psychological progression? Certainly, the stages are somewhat different and the time scale involved is vastly changed, but in the "life" of even the most individualistic vampire, at the very least an echo of this progression can be detected.

The first stage is usually characterized by the creature feeling a dark joy in its new powers. It is overwhelmed by the sense of power engendered by its strength and its supernatural resilience. Newly-formed vampires will often assume animal form for the pure and simple-minded joy of flitting as bat over the forests of the night or running, seeming tireless, with a pack of wolves. Some of the creatures gain great satisfaction from testing the limits of their powers, often for the sheer joy of the experience, even if its actual exploits are basically meaningless in the grand scheme of things. (There are recurring rumors that could be interpreted as examples of vampiric "pranks" - trivial events that nevertheless required great strength or other supernormal abilities.) This experimental stage of a vampire's unlife is usually over quite quickly. Some vampires go through this phase in a few weeks or months while others continue for more than a year.

The first attitude shift usually begins when a vampire comes to recognize it is not in fact invulnerable. This can occur through stupidity, as when a Fledgling chooses an inappropriate sanctuary and is burned by the sunlight. More frequently it comes when a vampire in its foolish revels has attracted unwanted attention, and the first vampire hunters come after it.

The first party of hunters represents a turning point for the vampire. For the first time it cannot ignore the fact that there are those in the world who would like nothing more than to destroy the "blood-sucking fiend". It hardly seems to matter whether this first group of attackers actually manages to harm the vampire or not. The simple fact of their assault triggers the change because it forces the vampire to fight to defend itself, in many cases this is the first time the new vampire kills (demi)humans. The vampire will usually draw two conclusions from this event. The first is that some (demi)humans wanted to destroy it, and thus all (demi)humans are potential foes. The second is that the vampire is a phenomenal fighter, a virtual killing machine.

These two conclusions generally trigger the next phase. During this stage, many vampires become rampaging fiends, killing for the pure joy of it, sometimes feeding from several victims in one night, even after they are totally sated. Vampires will often create their first "servitor" vampires during this phase, before they realize the consequences of their actions. This phase can last for several years, and in some vampires it never ends until the creature is destroyed. For most creatures, however, this stage will last no more than twenty years.

Usually the next stage is one of boredom. The "innocent" joy the creature derived from exercising its powers is gone as the monster becomes accustomed to those powers. Even the thrill of the hunt frequently begins to pall after a decade or two. In short, the prospect of an eternity of unlife becomes bleak when all the creature has to look forward to is its next kill. There is also a great sense of loneliness.

At this point, vampires typically diverge into two groups. There are some who try to interact once more with (demi)human society in one way or another. With varying degrees of success, these creatures will try to take on the mask of mortality, to "play the grand facade", to borrow a phrase once used by a vampire (I will discuss this concept at length, later). If the creature fails in its first attempt to "assimilate", it will rarely try again. If it enjoys some measure of success, however, this is usually the path the monster will follow for the rest of its existence. It will become one of the "shadow people" (to use another vampire term), always existing more or less on the periphery of (demi)human society, moving through it when necessary, and secretly preying upon it.

Vampires who decide against dabbling in society, or those who fail in their first attempt, usually deal with the boredom and loneliness in a more destructive way. To add interest to their bleak existence, they often escalate in cruelty. Rather than killing one person, they kill a caravan of merchants. Rather than terrorizing a small village, they bully an entire county. Creatures in this phase often put much energy and imagination into new ways to spread destruction over the land. Obviously this phase is most likely to attract the attention of vampire hunters. Conspicuous behaviour coupled with relative weakness has spelled the destruction of many vampires during this stage. For one reason or another, vampires rarely continue in this mode of mass destruction beyond the transition to the Mature age category (Either they "grow out of it", or are destroyed.)

One definition of "maturity" in (demi)humans is the ability to emotionally accept one's mortality. Conversely, in vampires, one definition of maturity might be to emotionally understand the consequences of immortality. Usually after about 100 years of existence, vampires will come to realize that they could truly never cease to exist... if they are careful. At this stage vampires come to realize, sometimes for the first time, just what they have to lose.

This brings about several changes. The most noticeable is that the conspicuous destruction of the preceding phase comes to an end. The creature recognizes how much of a risk this behaviour represents. Not only will it eventually bring down upon it the vengeance of an individual or group powerful enough to destroy it, but it might also stumble upon such a group or individual in one of its violent forays, and thus hasten its doom.

The second change is that the vampire will start to take more precautions to protect itself. It is usually at this stage that vampires begin to set up multiple sanctuaries for themselves, all hidden and warded to the best of the creature's (considerable) abilities. If it lives in the wilderness it will seek out and summon animals and monsters to serve as guardians (and food sources in times of dearth). If it is "playing the facade" it will hire and charm guardians, and begin to establish layers of protection around itself. Vampires at this stage may consider creating servitor vampires, but will be very careful to keep them under complete control to ensure that the servitors do not attract unwanted attention, and to destroy them before they grow powerful enough to challenge their master.

Security, to be worth anything, must be security against all dangers, and perhaps the greatest danger to a vampire is boredom. Thus at this stage, vampires will often go to great lengths to ensure that they have diversions open to them. They may engage in physical activities, either in human or animal form, such as hunting purely for pleasure. They may surround themselves with things of beauty. As their intelligence grows sharper with age, they may entertain themselves by learning new languages, and by working their way through the libraries of humanity. So great may be their need for company and companionship that they create a "groom" or "bride" - a vampire with which they have an intense bond and kinship ("Grooms" and "brides" are discussed in Chapter Ten, Relationships Between Vampires.)

This stage of maturity can last for several centuries, indeed, many vampires never progress beyond it. For them, security and sources of diversion are all they need.

For other vampires, however, these two factors are required, but not sufficient. They need something more. This 'something more' is often found in a hunger for power. This is something of an echo of the earlier stage where they tried to spread their range of destruction over larger and larger areas. Now, however, it is their sphere of influence that they wish to expand.

The nature of this sphere of influence depends on the personality of the vampire. The most obvious manifestation of power hunger is the desire to rule, but a vampire king is soon faced with a quandary: what do the people of the land think when their king has ruled for fifty years? One hundred? One thousand? Sooner or later, the vampire's true nature will be revealed.

Therefore, I surmise that most vampires in this ambitious psychological stage cither put a mortal "figurehead " on the throne while they rule from behind the scene, or they participate in a more insidious manifestation of power hunger: in the vast majority of societies, rulers can come and go - even despots and tyrants - and "power brokers", the buyers and sellers of information and favors, retain their places of power (and their heads) regardless of law or morality. I am sure it is in this shadowy stratum of society that those vampires prefer to operate.

Still other vampires display their hunger for power through a fixation with the magical arts. Those that were wizards (or even priests) in life will sometimes pursue their magical endeavours in unlife. With immortality, a vampire can amass a treasure trove of old tomes, laboratory equipment, and magical items. But even more valuable is the time they can dedicate to their studies. If a particularly powerful spell will take ninety years of research, what of it? A vampire has eternity to invest in the results that it desires.

I believe this cannot be over-stressed! Vampires capable of casting spells have literally unlimited time in which to research and develop new or "customized" versions of familiar spells. The nature of these idiosyncratic abilities depends on the vampire's personality. One thing is certain, however: those who would hunt a spellcasting vampire - even one "only" several centuries of age - should be prepared to face magic of a nature and lethality that can hardly be imagined by mortal mages.

Many humans and demihumans become "arrested" at particular stages of their psychological development - so, too, do vampires. Other events can later reverse this "arrested development". For this reason, there is no direct correlation between the psychological stages discussed above and age category. Particularly intuitive vampires might progress to the stage of power hunger within a mere century or two; others might never even reach this phase. As a general statement, however, a vampire who manages to achieve the age of Patriarch will have reached the pinnacle of psychological development.

### Ego

One consideration that does not seem to correlate with a particular phase of a vampire's psychological development is ego. Virtually from the outset, a vampire will have an exceptionally strong ego and sense of self-importance. A major consequence of this is the belief that mortals are basically unimportant. Should a mortal - hence, an "insignificant creature" - challenge it in any meaningful way, a vampire is very likely to respond with disbelieving fury and overwhelming vengeance. For this reason, among others, injuring a vampire is a dangerous thing. One should destroy the creature or not challenge it at all! There is a positive aspect to this inflated ego, however: vampires will frequently underestimate the risk that mortals pose, believing that the "obvious superiority" of immortals to such ephemeral creatures means that all mortals are incapable of harming it. A wily vampire hunter can sometimes play upon this overconfidence.

### Insanity

Throughout the "life" of a vampire, there is always a grave risk of insanity. Perhaps it is the enforced separation from the community of mortals that unseats the creature's reason, or perhaps it is the prospect of the eternity that stretches before them. Perhaps it has a more physiological reason, based on the changes that occur in the brain on transition to undeath. Whatever the reason, a significant proportion of vampires become insane.

Sometimes the transition from sanity to insanity is hard to spot. As a result of the creatures' immortality, they will often engage in plans that might take centuries to reach fruition. The creatures' day-to-day actions, when viewed without the long view of immortality, might make little or no sense. The transition to insanity is insidious, subtly more complicated as the vampire engages in more and more intricate plans - "wheels within wheels within wheels", to quote one vampire - and more labyrinthine plotting. Eventually the creature's day-to-day actions make no sense to the creature itself, but it follows through with them anyway.

In other cases, the transition to insanity is more obvious. As the vampire grows older its behaviour becomes more psychotic, more paranoid as it begins to grow tired of its way of life. The tiny part of it that is still mortal yearns tenaciously for the things it had in life, while the part of it that is a vampire scorns those pleasures of the flesh. Eventually, the strain of the creature's dualistic nature becomes too great. Soon after, the vampire becomes subject to fits of rage and insane behaviour.

This easily identified kind of vampiric insanity will usually draw unwanted attention and eventually destruction upon the vampire. If the insane individual is the minion of a more powerful creature, the master vampire will almost always destroy the servitor at this point. In a similar vein I have heard that, in a far-away city, there were three vampires who had totally integrated themselves into the upper crust of society. These creatures were renowned businessmen, patrons of the arts, and even ex officio members of the city council. Unfortunately, one of the creatures went insane. In order to protect their own positions, the other two immediately destroyed it.