If you want to have a vampire character, you will understand better if you read this. Please understand these are merely suggestions; you can make your vampires however you want.
Let’s make something clear, there aren't one million elders around, for now, there is only one that I know of on the site. Most vampires on the site are aged between 1 and 600 years old.
Competition is fierce and most don't live long enough to become elders especially if they aren't part of a coven or a vampire family. Then, there are the bounty hunters, the vampire hunters, the scientists, the vampire haters amongst others who cannot wait until they get their hands on vampires, they will not show mercy and kill all those they can.
So, that means not everybody can be an elder or an old vampire.
Folklore :
Vampires, being already dead, do not need most normal things required for human life, such as oxygen. They often have a pale appearance, and are cool to the touch from the perspective of humans. Vampires are sometimes considered to be shape-shifters.
Some vampires can fly. Sometimes this power is supernatural, other times it is connected to the vampire's ability to turn into flying creatures (e.g., bats, owls, and flies) or into lightweight forms (e.g. straw, dust, smoke) and then create winds as a means of propulsion. Vampires typically cast no shadow and have no reflection. Nor can they be photographed. A vampire cannot enter a house unless he or she is invited in. Vampire powers are often limited during the day or in daylight. In some cases sunlight may burn or kill vampires, or they may be comatose during the day.
Vampires may be reluctant to enter or cross bodies of water, particularly running water.
There are three main ways to destroy a typical vampire: a sacred bullet, a wooden stake through the heart, or decapitation. This includes other means of death that effectively remove a vampire's head, such as incinerating the body completely.
Facts:
Vampires are considered mythical or folkloric creatures, typically believed to be the re-animated corpses of human beings and said to subsist on human and/or animal blood (hemophagy), often having ‘unnatural powers’, heightened bodily functions, and/or the ability to physically transform (Only in weaker vampires to compensate).
Vampirism is the practice of drinking blood from a person/animal. Vampires are said to mainly bite the victim's neck, extracting the blood from a main artery. In folklore and popular culture, the term generally refers to a belief that one can gain supernatural powers by drinking human blood.
Vampire may not be photographed but they can enter houses as they please (a fact that makes them the best burglars). Daylight does not hurt them much maybe except giving sometimes serious sunburns, but won't kill them. They have a shadow and a reflection since they have a solid body.
Vampire characteristics:
Physical:
-Unnatural strength, about four times as much as an average human as a minimum.
-Pale skin, they are believed to burn in the sun because they have more sensitive skin than humans for it is pale. The younger the vampire the worse it is, though some bloodlines managed to rid themselves of it entirely, they are named day walkers (specific bloodlines). The older the vampire, the less affected they are by sunlight.
-Unearthly beauty.
-They are technically immortal as they cannot die of age or sickness.
-Cold skin at the touch.
-Are technically dead: So basic human needs, such as breathing or eating, are unnecessary. They find all nutrients they need to survive in blood and don’t need as much if they feed regularly (once a day).
-Have heightened senses, unnatural speed, agility and reflexes.
-Their blood is darker in color (The older the darker until it gets black).
-They have inhuman healing rate coupled with saliva containing healing properties.
-Their eyes turns red when angered or in blood lust*.
-They have retractable fangs and claws.
-Very sharp reflexes.
-Unnatural speed.
''Powers'':
-They can perform blood magic** to a level or another (The weaker the vampire, the more powerful the magic is).
-The older they get the more powerful (And influential) they are.
-Some are elementalists or shape-shifters (usually to compensate their weakness).
-Powers of the moon can't affect them since they are children to the moon.
Psychological:
-They have animalistic instincts and are more catlike (compared to werewolves, who are more canine like, that’s why vampires and werewolves tend to not get along) in behaviour and so don’t like water too much.
-They are more nocturnal then creatures of the day since their eyes are more sensitive and are hurt by such light.
-They are territorial (Understatement).
-They are more solitary and when you come across a group of vampires it is a family (Sire***, children, parents, cousins, aunts, grandsire, grandparents, grandchildren etc…) or a coven****.
-They love to hunt and will pursue most things that flee.
-They are often impulsive and easily angered or emotionless and cold (Most have extreme personalities).
Means to kill a vampire:
-Beheading, incineration and putting a big stake through one’s heart and chest. (Honestly, who wouldn't die from that?)
-They cannot drown, get ill or age.
Vocabulary/Explanations:
Blood lust*: when blood crave overcome one's mind and make them go after anything and kill anything near them to get to their blood.
Blood magic**: Magic performed with the means of blood and an incantation. Usually tracing runes in blood.
Sire***:
A vampire that made another by the way of biting. (Which is more complex than just biting.) When a vampire awakens a part-vampire, they are as well considered their sire. (A father or mother so to speak.)
Coven****:
A coven is different from a family. They do not usually share a same bloodline. Usually, a vampire wants to become a master vampire, or simply wants to be respected. He gathers younger vampires and offer protection (from their rightful city masters). They have to gain control over a territory, usually involving a city with many humans to feed from and they will have to battle against rogue vampires or city masters that want to take his or her place or think him or her as a threat. A city master can control the vampire population in their territory, the vampires not meeting their approval usually being exiled or killed. Usually the city master is a lord or a lady and they form their own bloodline, giving the lordship/ladyship to their chosen blood heir. Very strict hierarchy, the more powerful the more power you have. The head acts as a sort of king, while the others are his vassals. The head’s word is law.
City Master: Head of a coven having control over the vampire population of a city.
Blood heir: A son/daughter or fledgling of a head vampire or heir to a powerful vampire family.
Bloodline:
Usually comes from a family, blood related to each other, it can be traced back for many generations. After a while, the blood takes a different taste, indicating the family the vampire comes from. If a family is formed of blood related born vampires (Father/sons not sire/fledglings), the ‘special taste’ takes less time to stabilize and make itself personalized, a few generations. Is protected by the family and not all vampires can join a bloodline.
Becoming part of a bloodline:
Very similar to turning, but in that case, it is not always humans that are turned. Literally replacing a bloodline with another.
Turning:
The process of making a human into a vampire by drinking the soon to be vampire dry and letting him or her drink the turner’s blood, thus sharing his or her blood line and making the new vampire the turner’s fledgeling.
Blood enhancing:
By drinking the blood of a more powerful vampire, a weaker vampire can become more powerful, as if he’d get older with a sip. Used as a bonding between a master vampire and the more powerful vampires of his or her coven, to ensure loyalty.
Blood draining between vampires:
Can be used as bonding between a wife and a husband by sharing bloodlines, It can be used as a show of dominance between an older more powerful vampire and a younger or less powerful disobeying one.
Half-vampires:
The child of a non-vampire and a vampire, he or she needs to be awakened before taking any major vampire powers, though some are a bit stronger than average humans or longer lived. For them the ‘human’ half as to die, usually, a parent, a relative or any other wishing to take responsibility for the new vampire plunges a knife directly in the half-vampire’s heart, thus ‘killing’ them. Then the awakener gives a few drops of his or her blood to the new vampire (The bloodline cannot be shared that way). The blood given awakens the vampire and extensive feeding must follow to avoid a blood lust rampage, thus the advantage of having a ‘victim’ at hand.
1/4 and less blooded vampires:
Usually there isn’t enough vampire blood in the person for them to be ‘awakened’ properly, they need to be turned. Some have part vampire characteristics, but they are very weak (some are longer lived, some heal faster some can see well in the dark, but never more than one characteristic.)
The Call:
A call is the means for a vampire to communicate over long distances with other vampires. The tone is below a normal human’s hearing so only vampires and those with heightened senses can make it out. The more powerful the vampire, the more distance the call can cover. The call can act as an order, as a compulsion to go somewhere, as simple talk, as an invitation. The older the vampire, the less those of younger years can resist it. For example, an elder can call anybody he or she wants, except those of similar age, without fear of being disobeyed. On the contrary of that, young vampires cannot call many and not on long distances. The only exception to all that is the distress cal, it is the call that can be heard over the greatest distances as it is a mean of the younger vampires to get rescued (When a young vampire is on a bloodlust rampage, they unconsciously send a distress call).
Fledgeling:
The childe of a vampire, the vampire that had been turned by another. They are the other’s fledgeling. Other word for childe, and often used to categorise young vampires.
Newborn: A just turned vampire often called fledgeling.
Youngling: 1-100 years old vampire.
Young vampire: 101-500 years old vampire.
Adult vampire: 501-2000 years old vampire.
Elder: 2001 + years old vampire, old vampire that is considered wise and one of the leaders of the vampire specie. Often sought out for their council.
A vampire’s death: When killed, a vampire’s body will decay rapidly, the faster the older the vampire is, from slow human like deterioration (newborn) to instantly burnt to ashes (elder).
Vampire Hierarchy:
Elders (They are placed here because they can kill any other vampire if they so choose)
I
City Masters/Master vampires/Head vampires
I
Seconds
I
Warriors
I
Other vampires
I
Young vampires
I
Younglings and Newborns
In each group, there is an internal hierarchy, the more powerful are at the top while the less powerful ones are at the bottom. To gain a higher rank, a vampire must challenge another, more powerful one, if the younger less powerful vampire does not succeed, if the challenged is in a good mood, they will simply drain the vampire dry or if they are in a bad mood, they are prompt (Or not) in killing the challenger. (It sometimes result in slavery for the challenger)
Means of communication:
Growls, normal human sounds, hisses (think cat), body language (postures), yowls, roars, showing fangs (meaning aggression or a show of dominance), etc...
The call can be mixed with sound interaction with other vampires to get an immediate reaction (Most of the times used to give and order or assess dominance on another vampire) Of course, it works to the same level as the normal call, the older the more powerful.
Let’s make something clear, there aren't one million elders around, for now, there is only one that I know of on the site. Most vampires on the site are aged between 1 and 600 years old.
Competition is fierce and most don't live long enough to become elders especially if they aren't part of a coven or a vampire family. Then, there are the bounty hunters, the vampire hunters, the scientists, the vampire haters amongst others who cannot wait until they get their hands on vampires, they will not show mercy and kill all those they can.
So, that means not everybody can be an elder or an old vampire.
Folklore :
Vampires, being already dead, do not need most normal things required for human life, such as oxygen. They often have a pale appearance, and are cool to the touch from the perspective of humans. Vampires are sometimes considered to be shape-shifters.
Some vampires can fly. Sometimes this power is supernatural, other times it is connected to the vampire's ability to turn into flying creatures (e.g., bats, owls, and flies) or into lightweight forms (e.g. straw, dust, smoke) and then create winds as a means of propulsion. Vampires typically cast no shadow and have no reflection. Nor can they be photographed. A vampire cannot enter a house unless he or she is invited in. Vampire powers are often limited during the day or in daylight. In some cases sunlight may burn or kill vampires, or they may be comatose during the day.
Vampires may be reluctant to enter or cross bodies of water, particularly running water.
There are three main ways to destroy a typical vampire: a sacred bullet, a wooden stake through the heart, or decapitation. This includes other means of death that effectively remove a vampire's head, such as incinerating the body completely.
Facts:
Vampires are considered mythical or folkloric creatures, typically believed to be the re-animated corpses of human beings and said to subsist on human and/or animal blood (hemophagy), often having ‘unnatural powers’, heightened bodily functions, and/or the ability to physically transform (Only in weaker vampires to compensate).
Vampirism is the practice of drinking blood from a person/animal. Vampires are said to mainly bite the victim's neck, extracting the blood from a main artery. In folklore and popular culture, the term generally refers to a belief that one can gain supernatural powers by drinking human blood.
Vampire may not be photographed but they can enter houses as they please (a fact that makes them the best burglars). Daylight does not hurt them much maybe except giving sometimes serious sunburns, but won't kill them. They have a shadow and a reflection since they have a solid body.
Vampire characteristics:
Physical:
-Unnatural strength, about four times as much as an average human as a minimum.
-Pale skin, they are believed to burn in the sun because they have more sensitive skin than humans for it is pale. The younger the vampire the worse it is, though some bloodlines managed to rid themselves of it entirely, they are named day walkers (specific bloodlines). The older the vampire, the less affected they are by sunlight.
-Unearthly beauty.
-They are technically immortal as they cannot die of age or sickness.
-Cold skin at the touch.
-Are technically dead: So basic human needs, such as breathing or eating, are unnecessary. They find all nutrients they need to survive in blood and don’t need as much if they feed regularly (once a day).
-Have heightened senses, unnatural speed, agility and reflexes.
-Their blood is darker in color (The older the darker until it gets black).
-They have inhuman healing rate coupled with saliva containing healing properties.
-Their eyes turns red when angered or in blood lust*.
-They have retractable fangs and claws.
-Very sharp reflexes.
-Unnatural speed.
''Powers'':
-They can perform blood magic** to a level or another (The weaker the vampire, the more powerful the magic is).
-The older they get the more powerful (And influential) they are.
-Some are elementalists or shape-shifters (usually to compensate their weakness).
-Powers of the moon can't affect them since they are children to the moon.
Psychological:
-They have animalistic instincts and are more catlike (compared to werewolves, who are more canine like, that’s why vampires and werewolves tend to not get along) in behaviour and so don’t like water too much.
-They are more nocturnal then creatures of the day since their eyes are more sensitive and are hurt by such light.
-They are territorial (Understatement).
-They are more solitary and when you come across a group of vampires it is a family (Sire***, children, parents, cousins, aunts, grandsire, grandparents, grandchildren etc…) or a coven****.
-They love to hunt and will pursue most things that flee.
-They are often impulsive and easily angered or emotionless and cold (Most have extreme personalities).
Means to kill a vampire:
-Beheading, incineration and putting a big stake through one’s heart and chest. (Honestly, who wouldn't die from that?)
-They cannot drown, get ill or age.
Vocabulary/Explanations:
Blood lust*: when blood crave overcome one's mind and make them go after anything and kill anything near them to get to their blood.
Blood magic**: Magic performed with the means of blood and an incantation. Usually tracing runes in blood.
Sire***:
A vampire that made another by the way of biting. (Which is more complex than just biting.) When a vampire awakens a part-vampire, they are as well considered their sire. (A father or mother so to speak.)
Coven****:
A coven is different from a family. They do not usually share a same bloodline. Usually, a vampire wants to become a master vampire, or simply wants to be respected. He gathers younger vampires and offer protection (from their rightful city masters). They have to gain control over a territory, usually involving a city with many humans to feed from and they will have to battle against rogue vampires or city masters that want to take his or her place or think him or her as a threat. A city master can control the vampire population in their territory, the vampires not meeting their approval usually being exiled or killed. Usually the city master is a lord or a lady and they form their own bloodline, giving the lordship/ladyship to their chosen blood heir. Very strict hierarchy, the more powerful the more power you have. The head acts as a sort of king, while the others are his vassals. The head’s word is law.
City Master: Head of a coven having control over the vampire population of a city.
Blood heir: A son/daughter or fledgling of a head vampire or heir to a powerful vampire family.
Bloodline:
Usually comes from a family, blood related to each other, it can be traced back for many generations. After a while, the blood takes a different taste, indicating the family the vampire comes from. If a family is formed of blood related born vampires (Father/sons not sire/fledglings), the ‘special taste’ takes less time to stabilize and make itself personalized, a few generations. Is protected by the family and not all vampires can join a bloodline.
Becoming part of a bloodline:
Very similar to turning, but in that case, it is not always humans that are turned. Literally replacing a bloodline with another.
Turning:
The process of making a human into a vampire by drinking the soon to be vampire dry and letting him or her drink the turner’s blood, thus sharing his or her blood line and making the new vampire the turner’s fledgeling.
Blood enhancing:
By drinking the blood of a more powerful vampire, a weaker vampire can become more powerful, as if he’d get older with a sip. Used as a bonding between a master vampire and the more powerful vampires of his or her coven, to ensure loyalty.
Blood draining between vampires:
Can be used as bonding between a wife and a husband by sharing bloodlines, It can be used as a show of dominance between an older more powerful vampire and a younger or less powerful disobeying one.
Half-vampires:
The child of a non-vampire and a vampire, he or she needs to be awakened before taking any major vampire powers, though some are a bit stronger than average humans or longer lived. For them the ‘human’ half as to die, usually, a parent, a relative or any other wishing to take responsibility for the new vampire plunges a knife directly in the half-vampire’s heart, thus ‘killing’ them. Then the awakener gives a few drops of his or her blood to the new vampire (The bloodline cannot be shared that way). The blood given awakens the vampire and extensive feeding must follow to avoid a blood lust rampage, thus the advantage of having a ‘victim’ at hand.
1/4 and less blooded vampires:
Usually there isn’t enough vampire blood in the person for them to be ‘awakened’ properly, they need to be turned. Some have part vampire characteristics, but they are very weak (some are longer lived, some heal faster some can see well in the dark, but never more than one characteristic.)
The Call:
A call is the means for a vampire to communicate over long distances with other vampires. The tone is below a normal human’s hearing so only vampires and those with heightened senses can make it out. The more powerful the vampire, the more distance the call can cover. The call can act as an order, as a compulsion to go somewhere, as simple talk, as an invitation. The older the vampire, the less those of younger years can resist it. For example, an elder can call anybody he or she wants, except those of similar age, without fear of being disobeyed. On the contrary of that, young vampires cannot call many and not on long distances. The only exception to all that is the distress cal, it is the call that can be heard over the greatest distances as it is a mean of the younger vampires to get rescued (When a young vampire is on a bloodlust rampage, they unconsciously send a distress call).
Fledgeling:
The childe of a vampire, the vampire that had been turned by another. They are the other’s fledgeling. Other word for childe, and often used to categorise young vampires.
Newborn: A just turned vampire often called fledgeling.
Youngling: 1-100 years old vampire.
Young vampire: 101-500 years old vampire.
Adult vampire: 501-2000 years old vampire.
Elder: 2001 + years old vampire, old vampire that is considered wise and one of the leaders of the vampire specie. Often sought out for their council.
A vampire’s death: When killed, a vampire’s body will decay rapidly, the faster the older the vampire is, from slow human like deterioration (newborn) to instantly burnt to ashes (elder).
Vampire Hierarchy:
Elders (They are placed here because they can kill any other vampire if they so choose)
I
City Masters/Master vampires/Head vampires
I
Seconds
I
Warriors
I
Other vampires
I
Young vampires
I
Younglings and Newborns
In each group, there is an internal hierarchy, the more powerful are at the top while the less powerful ones are at the bottom. To gain a higher rank, a vampire must challenge another, more powerful one, if the younger less powerful vampire does not succeed, if the challenged is in a good mood, they will simply drain the vampire dry or if they are in a bad mood, they are prompt (Or not) in killing the challenger. (It sometimes result in slavery for the challenger)
Means of communication:
Growls, normal human sounds, hisses (think cat), body language (postures), yowls, roars, showing fangs (meaning aggression or a show of dominance), etc...
The call can be mixed with sound interaction with other vampires to get an immediate reaction (Most of the times used to give and order or assess dominance on another vampire) Of course, it works to the same level as the normal call, the older the more powerful.