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in: Species, Vampires, Psychic Vampires

Vampires

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Vampires are a species of undead, immortal creatures who trace their lineage to The Sire. Typical vampires notably drain blood from their victims, while psychic vampires drain energy instead.

Characteristics[]

Viago reflection

Viago demonstrates his lack of reflection.

Vampires typically start having a very similar appearance to normal humans, with the only outward signs of vampirism being pale skin. However as they live longer, vampires began to appear less human and more monstrous like in the case of Petyr, Alexandr, Baron Afanas, and Goëjlrm. Vampires commonly have two fangs in place of regular human canine teeth, though some have mouths filled entirely with sharp teeth. When angry, they may reveal their true form, which often resembles a bestial version of their normal appearance with yellow irises and red sclera. They often hiss when agitated or threatened. Vampires do not have reflections, but will be visible in photographs and on film.

Vampires show no normal human vital signs, such as heartbeat or breathing and their skin is cold to the touch. Despite this, they still require sustenance and must drink human blood to nourish themselves and help them retain a youthful body; if they go too long without drinking blood they will start to become decrepit in appearance. Vampires typically prefer to drink the blood of virgins, as it often has a more appealing taste, though some vampires seem not to distinguish and only drink virgin blood because they believe it is cool.[1] Drinking the blood of humans under the influence of alcohol or drugs may cause the vampire to also become intoxicated.[2] Vampires can also consume the blood of animals, but this has less nutritional value.[3]

As vampires are harmed by sunlight they will typically sleep during daylight hours. Most vampires will sleep horizontally or vertically in coffins, but some, such as Deacon, will prefer to sleep hanging upside-down like a bat.[1] Older vampires will occasionally slumber for longer periods, sometimes for several weeks.[4] Vampires are even capable of sleeping for extended periods of time, anywhere from 50-300 years, this is known as a super slumber.

One superstition prevalent among vampires is the belief that if the person who turned them dies, they also die, and consequently if the Sire of all vampires dies then so does the entire species.[5] This has been disproved by Petyr's demise, as his progenies Deacon and Nick continue to live long after the fact with no consequence.[1]

However, this may have some basis in fact: if a vampire dies, his progenies can revert back to human, although the time they spent as vampires catch up to their normal human physiology. Guillermo de la Cruz was turned by Derek, and after Derek died through staking a month later Guilllermo immediately reverted back to human, although with a month's worth of hair growth.[6]

Creation[]

Nick transforming

Nick transforming into a vampire.

A human becomes a vampire if they have their blood drained by a vampire and then in turn drink the blood of a vampire. The start of the process is signaled by a brief flash of yellow in the irises of the eyes.[7] Humans who wish to become vampires may serve as familiars in order to eventually receive this.

The process of transforming into a vampire is extremely uncomfortable, beginning with flu-like symptoms which includes clammy skin, fever, chills, and heavy vomiting. They may also bleed from their eyes.[1] The transforming human's body eventually stops showing normal human vital signs and they become physically dead. They will begin exhibiting signs of vampirism, such as developing their fangs, paling of skin, distortion and fading of their reflections, and they will often begin involuntarily levitating. They begin to show an aversion to religious imagery and will begin to develop sensitivity to sunlight. This is accompanied by an increasing hunger for human blood, with the first consumption of human blood marking the end of the transformation.[8]

As the process of becoming a vampire involves death, a vampire will lose their soul. It is possible however for the soul of their human form to come back as a ghost.[9]

Vampires appear to be either, very selective of the humans they turn or very spontaneous and spur of the moment about it. Petyr and Nadja turned Nick and Jenna only after just meeting them and Nandor turned Gail when she almost died because he was in love and had dated her for decades. One thing for certain is that vampires find it incredibly annoying when humans repeatedly ask to be turned into vampires.

Reproduction[]

Despite being undead creatures, vampires are apparently still capable of sexual reproduction, like the case of Wesley, a half-vampire born to a vampire and a human.

Powers & Abilities[]

As supernatural creatures, vampires possess numerous powers and abilities that set them apart from humans. However, like humans, every vampire is fundamentally unique in their own way and has varying degrees of skill with each power. Some vampires even have unique abilities exclusive to them. It is currently unknown if a vampire, given enough time and practice, can strengthen a naturally weak power.

Common Powers[]

  • Immortality: Vampires do not age past the point from when they were turned and are thus unable to die from old age.
  • Enhanced Strength: Vampires have above-average strength[1]. Easily able to throw a full-grown human across a room or fling them into a wall, breaking it. They can even match a werewolf in combat.[10]
  • Enhanced Speed: Vampires are able to move extremely quickly, appearing as a blur. Some vampires can move so fast, making it seem as if they're able to teleport.[11][12]
  • Enhanced Durability: Vampires are able to shrug off mortal wounds that would kill a normal human. They can survive the vacuum of space and even reentry from orbit.
  • Enhanced Senses: Vampires have heightened senses, including enhanced hearing, smell[13] and the ability to see in the dark.[14]
  • Flight: Vampires can levitate off the ground and fly unassisted. They can even reach space.
  • Hypnosis: Vampires possess a form of mind control through eye-contact and verbal commands. They can compel their victims to follow orders or erase their memories.
  • Shapeshifting: A vampires can transform into different animal forms, such as bats or canines. Energy vampires such as Colin Robinson are also able to transform into reptiles.[15]
  • Regenerative Healing Factor: A vampire's body will heal quickly when wounded.[7]
  • Wall Crawling: A vampire can climb walls without the use of tools or any kind of equipment.
  • Vapor Form: Vampires are able to turn into vapor, often done in order to pass under doors or as an alternative to their bat form.[16](Only a couple of vampires have been seen to take a vapor form, so it is possible this is a more unique power that only some vampires possess).
  • Triple Jumping: Vampires can high jump three times and on the third time, jump far higher than before.

Unique abilities[]

Some vampires may have powers which are unique unto themselves, which vary dramatically from case to case. Known unique abilities include:

  • Enhanced Shapeshifting: Vladislav's ability to transform into a wider variety of animals[1]
  • Teleportation: Deacon Brücke's ability to appear from someone's backpack[1]
  • Animal Hypnosis: Laszlo's ability to control and communicate with animals[7]
  • Invisibility: Jenna is able to turn invisible[3]. Not only could humans not see her, they also couldn't hear her.
  • Pyrokinesis: Nandor's pyrokinesis. Nandor was able to combust objects and set them on fire.
  • Sonic Scream: Nadja has the ability to project her voice so loud that it can shatter glass and can harm and even deafen humans and vampires.
  • Enhanced Hypnosis: Nadja posses a heightened form of hypnosis[3] in the form of seduction. She also has a proficiency for wall climbing[4]
  • Enhanced Speed: The Guide is either able to teleport or her speed is far greater than normal vampires that she appears to be teleporting.
  • Telekinesis: Baron Afanas had the power of telekinesis. He could move objects with his mind and even overpower other vampires. Nadja & Nandor also possess telekinesis to a limited degree, although they have only been seen to be able to open doors.

Weaknesses[]

Nandor entering Animal Control

Nandor, a vampire, is unable to enter any new building unless invited in.


Vampires are weak to a number of items and practices. Religious imagery will harm or frighten them; prolonged exposure will cause them to burn and bleed from the eyes, even references as small as crossed fingers can repel them, and their mouths will catch fire if they try to say religious phrases sincerely. They burn in sunlight, with even small amounts of exposure causing them to start smoking, but those who are half-vampire are immune to this.[11] Contact with salt, garlic, silver or holy water will also cause them to burn. A vampire can be instantly killed by a wooden stake through the heart,[1] decapitation[17] and possibly drowning.[13] They are incapable of eating solid foods and will projectile vomit forcefully if they consume even a small amount; this will be even worse if the food contains garlic.[2] Vampires are also physically incapable of entering new buildings unless someone invites them in.[1] Vampires are unable to speak the word "God", doing so spews fire from their mouth, burning them.[3]

When traveling vampires must carry dirt from their ancestral homeland to be placed under them when they sleep. Without it they cannot rest and will quickly weaken via exhaustion.

If at any time a vampire is presented with a pile of rice, they will be overcome with an irresistible urge to count the grains.

Vampires who experience traumatic events may have their powers weakened. For example, Vladislav, after becoming impaled by his then-girlfriend Pauline, lost the ability to transform his face when turning into animal forms, and his powers of hypnosis also decreased. Being drained by psychic vampires can also cause vampires to briefly age rapidly.[1][18] Half of the bats population is actually vampires who have experienced an intense humiliation, such as hosting a bad orgy, and have permanently turned into bats, incapable of flying as high as vampires in their normal bat forms.[19]

Vampire society[]

Vampires are expected to follow vampire code, which forbids crimes such as killing other vampires or turning babies into vampires. The most significant governing body of vampires is the Vampiric Council, an international organization who put vampire criminals on trial and punish them if they are found guilty, sometimes by imprisonment or death.[11] For lesser crimes, vampires may carry out their own trials, which can lead to punishments such as the Procession of Shame.[1]

Vampicide is usually frowned upon by vampire society and carries serious consequences, as mentioned, but there appears to be a few situations where vampires approve of killing other vampires. One vampire killing another is cause for punishment, but if that one vampire (or someone acting on their behalf) kills a lot more vampires, then vampire society recognizes them as someone who knows how to get things done and may even give them positions of power. This is the case when the Staten Island flat mates became promoted to the local vampiric council when Guillermo killed 70% of the most powerful vampires in the local Tri-State area.[20] Killing a fellow vampire in the course of political jockeying is apparently also acceptable, considering Contessa Carmilla De Mornay of the Supreme Worldwide Vampiric Council congratulated Nadja for allegedly killing Nandor to remove "a threat to her power."[21]

Vampires typically keep themselves secret from humans out of fear of being targeted by vampire hunters. They generally dislike werewolves, but this is often merely due to prejudice. The Staten Island Lycanthrope Werewolf Agreement of 1993 was a truce aimed at resolving conflict between vampires and werewolves.[10]

Vampires often gather in their own social events, such as the Unholy Masquerade in New Zealand[1], the Bi-Annual Vampire Orgy[19] and the Nouveau Théâtre des Vampires[17].They may spend nights in vampire nightclubs, such as The Sassy Cat Club in Manhattan.[22] Although vampires are capable of using modern technology, they traditionally communicate over long distances by using ravens as messengers.[11] Vampires are known for inhabiting old and dark castles and things alike, however, many enjoy migrating to small countries and flatting with each other, such as the group Vladislav, Viago, Deacon and Petyr.[1]

Vampires often give themselves or receive titles after their first names, such as Vladislav the Poker, Nandor the Relentless and Vasilika the Defiler.

Familiars[]

A familiar is a human (sometimes animal) that is willingly subservient to a vampire. Vampires often employ the use of familiars to help them with tasks they'd have trouble with or wouldn't normally be capable of doing. Familiars can perform a range of mundane tasks such as cleaning, shopping or maintenance to even criminal offences such as luring humans back to their resting place to be feed on and deposing of dead bodies.

In vampire society, vampires appear to have very little, if any, respect for their familiars as they treat them like second class citizens. They dismiss them as threats, are very unappreciative of their services, don't seem to care if they die and won't hesitate to lord over them for the smallest mistakes. It is considered very rude for a vampire to feed from another vampire's familiar without their permission. The greatest insult for a vampire is for their familiar to be turned into a vampire by another vampire.

Due to the lack of respect that vampires have for their familiars, they don't hold any sort of special place in vampiric society. Being one step above the average human, just important enough to not feed from and kill. Familiars are not permitted to attended vampire events such as the Unholy Masquerade or a meeting with the Vampiric Council (unless called as a witness). Even at vampire gatherings that familiars are permitted to go to such as The Sassy Cat Club, familiars are given a small, rundown, backroom space to socialize in.

It's never made clear if vampires convince humans to become their familiars with the promise of becoming a vampire themselves, or if this is just something the familiar assumes will happen after a period of service. Either way, it is rare for a vampire to turn their own familiar into a vampire. A familiar can be in the service of a vampire for decades and it is common to see familiars well into their twilight years. The irony is, humans agree to be a familiar in order to become a vampire, but due to the lack of respect that vampires have for their familiars, they are less likely to become vampires themselves.

Psychic vampires[]

Main article: Psychic vampires

Colinandevie

Colin Robinson, an energy vampire, with Evie Russell, an emotional vampire.

Psychic vampires are the least common type of vampire. They have the ability to drain a victim of their energy, rather than blood, through conversation or certain acts. They are notably the only kind of vampire that can drain another vampire of their energy,[4] or gain energy from victims electronically via the internet.[23] They are able to exist in sunlight without issue, have reflections and live a more ordinary experience than traditional vampires, although their eyes may glow lilac-blue while feeding. They are not harmed by religious imagery or connotations.[8] They are also incapable of flight, but may hover during periods of intense power.[10] Psychic vampires are capable of shapeshifting into animals, as demonstrated by Colin Robinson’s ability to transform into a gecko, but this is rarely put into practice.[15]

Energy vampires[]

Energy vampires are the most common kind of psychic vampire, they drain energy from their victims by boring, annoying, or infuriating them.

Emotional vampires[]

Emotional vampires are a very powerful form of psychic vampire, they gain energy from pity. They may do so by telling sad stories or pretending to faint to gain sympathy from other people.[10]

Other types of vampire[]

Vampire Witches[]

Although vampires often treat witches with suspicion, some vampires may also become witches themselves.[1]

Half-Vampires[]

Vampires who are half-human, half vampire (otherwise named Dhampir) who are resistant to sunlight.[11]

Chinese Jumping vampires[]

Chinese jumping vampires (better known as Jiangshi) tend to hop around with arms outstretched.[19]

Vampire-Werewolf hybrid[]

It is possible for a werewolf to be turned into a vampire via the normal process. Gail is the only hybrid we have seen so far. The only thing that is known about the hybrid is that their bat form is far larger and more wolf-like in appearance.

Known vampires[]

Appearances[]

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 Clement, Jemaine & Waititi, Taika (writers and directors) (19 January 2014). What We Do in the Shadows.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Morris, Iain (writer) & van Beek, Jackie (director) (May 1, 2019). "Baron's Night Out". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 6. FX.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Robinson, Stefani (writer) & Woliner, Jason (director) (May 15, 2019). "Citizenship". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 8. FX.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Clement, Jemaine (writer) & Waititi, Taika (director) (March 27, 2019). "Pilot". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 1. FX.
  5. ↑ Bender, Jake & Dunn, Zach (writers) & Gorskaya, Yana (director) (September 30, 2021). "The Escape". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 26. FX.
  6. ↑
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Simms, Paul (writer) & Clement, Jemaine (director) (April 3, 2019). "City Council". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 2. FX.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Clement, Jemaine, Robinson, Stefani, Scharpling, Tom and Simms, Paul (writers) & Waititi, Taika (director) (May 29, 2019). "Ancestry". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 10. FX.
  9. ↑ Simms, Paul (writer) & Newacheck, Kyle (director) (April 15, 2020). "Ghosts". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 12. FX.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Lieb, Josh (writer) & Clement, Jemaine (director) (April 10, 2019). "Werewolf Feud". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 4. FX.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Clement, Jemaine (writer) & Waititi, Taika (director) (May 8, 2019). "The Trial". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 7. FX.
  12. ↑ Robinson, Stefani (writer) & Gorskaya, Yana (director) (May 13, 2020). "On the Run". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 16. FX.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Clement, Jemaine (writer & director) (May 20, 2020). "The Return". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 17. FX.
  14. ↑ Meny, William (writer) & Newacheck, Kyle (director) (June 3, 2020). "Witches". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 19. FX.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "A Shadows Short: Non-Bat Form" - FX
  16. ↑ Sawyer, Marika (writer) & Newacheck, Kyle (director) (April 15, 2020). "Resurrection". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 11. FX.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Johnson, Sam, Robinson, Stefani & Simms, Paul (writers) & Newacheck, Kyle (director) (June 10, 2020). "Nouveau Théâtre des Vampires". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 20. FX.
  18. ↑ Gohd, Shana (writer) & Clement, Jemaine (director) (May 6, 2020). "Colin's Promotion". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 15. FX.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Sawyer, Marika (writer) & Woliner, Jason (director) (May 22, 2019). "The Orgy". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 9. FX.
  20. ↑ Simms, Paul (writer) & Newacheck, Kyle (director) (September 2, 2021). "The Prisoner". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 21. FX.
  21. ↑ Johnson, Sam, Robinson, Stefani & Sawyer, Marika & Simms, Paul (writers) & Fong, Tig (director) (October 21, 2021). "A Farewell". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 29. FX.
  22. ↑ Scharpling, Tom (writer) & Clement, Jemaine (director) (April 17, 2019). "Manhattan Night Club". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 3. FX.
  23. ↑ "A Shadows Short: Electronic Energy Drainage" - FX
  24. ↑ "Behind the Lid - Vellington Sign" - Wellington Airport
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