[Xemem]

The type of Vampires most know of.The mythology of the vampire is very old (over 1000 years). Alot of people think it may have only gone back as much as 400 years or so. as far back as braham stokers novel, or the real Dracula (prince Vladamir dracul). Alot think that he was the first(dracula that is). But he was not. More then that the origanal title for the book(wich escapes me at the moment but I will email a freind on the subject), was tossed aside when he found out about Vladimir dracul a.k.a vlad the impailer a.k.a vlad tepish(I think that-Tepish- means impailer, or devil, or demon, or somtin). Becuase he was a real person, in the rite place and time frame of brahams book...

just a few modifications and he could make it hit home that much more. In fact if you ask the people of romainian(or is it bulgarian---im a lil rusty on this lol) people of it, they will probably tell you, that though his methodes were harsh, he was great leader and Liberator, that through the efforts of the church(by being royalty and denied a church yard burial), was cursed to neither go to hell or enter the gates of heaven(this was inadvertant on there part, they just didnt want him buried there becuase of his missdeeds, refusal to repent, and his politicaly driven convertion to catholisism), was made immortal by there legends and many hope for the return of him or one of his decendents. Infact him being targeted by braham stoker was a matter of convienience....

Side note
and a note aside: braham stokers dracula is the second best seller of all time...the first best sell is the bible(kinda ironic huh?).

The definition of a Vampire
Any way, Vampires go way further back then that and have many names in many cultures. Such as Nosferatu, Vukodlak, Strigoi, Upir, and Obur just to name a few. though many of these cultures differ in there exact definitions of a Vampire(as we know it today), These legends are far older then any invention of the church or holly wood(and the best refrences to base any discution of vampires on). And I have come up with my own definition that covers most the bases: Vampire- By this name and many others, any person who partakes in human blood rituals(i.e. bathing in, the drinking of ect.), in the beliefe that such practices bring them Immortality/prolonged life/power/strength/virtues/ beauty/youth.

Inventions of the church and holly wood.


Holly water, the crucifix, and not being able to enter the home of god fearing christans(or as they would have called it "the good man"), were all attempts of the church to, flex there muscle by introducing new ideas into old legends, and thus having power even over the peoples superstitions.

Stakes through the heart, sunlite(direct sunlite), an alergy to garlic, turning to dust when killed, and death from drinking dead blood, can be attributed to holly wood. they needed better and more exiting ways to kill em' off(as the happy, but tradjic ending must come to this in movies to be really good...or the ever popular suprise ending).

how to actualy kill or impead the progress of one according to pre-church and holly wood ideas.
Decapitation(cuuting off of the head), and burning were the only real way in the old tales. In some vertions, garlic is stuffed into the head...garlic is persistant theme, and that is prolly becuase of its long harolded healing properties. and in some legends a vampire can come back in his old form or a new one any ways. this was accomplished through one of three ways

#1. jewlry of any sort worn by the slain vamp, taken and worn by a living being could posses, and over time take over completly the person, giving the vampire a new body

#2. Essence of vampire, wich is a small vile containing sewat/blood/hair ect. that when open or broke flow into the nearest host(often the one responcible for the unleashing of such things), and basicaly working off what we now call dna turning its host into the old vampire(a clone with the origanal soul, or evil spirit).

#3. the parts of the vampire comming back together. or as much as one whole semi viable part regenerating the vampire(like cell or ma-jin-boo, on dbz-for those who watch the show-).

For these there were alleged "cures", such as, cuuting out the heart and cutting it into four peices, stuffing the severed head with magic herbs of some sort, removing all jewlry and boxing it up, magic beariers, and keeping everything burnt and or seperated, and buried far apart with concencration of the ground...
pretty damn elaborate huh? talk about over kill, in addition to this burning and or demoliting everything and the descesed own, and reportedly even killing of or exiling imidiate family emebers is not un heard of... basicaly if he/she was a really bad person or thing, mobs, hoards, officials, brute squads, mercenaries ect. ect. pulled out all the stops, and even after all this the fear of the Vampires return Still huanted them!

...and what of the stake through the heart? well it was just that, and a lil' more. when a suspected vampire crossed a line the grave of the previuosly thought to be deceased was dug up, and the corpse had a stake ran through its chest, and sawed off(at the handle) scythe, mounted to the inside of the coffin just rite over the throught. the Idea was if they are wrong that they have just totaly desecrated (if they were to have cut off the head and burnt the body), the grave of an innocent. through putting a stake through them(into the coffins backoards and deeper even into the ground below the coffin), that would keep it from rissing if it was one. and should it happen to over come this, in rising it would decapitate itself, becuase of the sharp blade around its neck. through this it wasonly semi desecration, and in addition none like to dismantle a corpse and smell burning rotten human flesh. this was a quick in and out insurance polacy that didnt bring them absolute shame.

Types of Vampires and how they live

You can put Vamps into two main categories, with two sub categories for each....
First category: Pure bloods. They are those that were born of two Vampires and are that most powerfull type that every one feared above any lacky or sub group. these often lived quite well for a long time, putting them selves in high positions and actualy doing alot of good for towns, and small cities... they only take the blood they need and rarely kill in doing so. However being as Vampires are by nature (hunters of humans, and at least semi evil, with the perspective of an immortal), human relations always fell apart eventualy and they either moved on, were killed, or brang down un iron fist, putting townsmen in there proper place of cattle feraing the sluaghter house. also it is from these that all others decend.

the subcategories for this type is firstly the dompiere. A human Vampire, hybrid that while not immortal are long lived and tend to favor there human side and are the saving grace for the rest of us(keeping there fathers/Mothers tempers un-flared, by playing the part of mediator)...the second of these subcategories are the sired Vampires. These are those who were turned and did not have the supposed privliage of being born vampires. this sub-vamp is bound to its master, as usualy they were made out of town or small city officials, or up-n'-commers in society, to give he/she who made them more pull with the public. they long to either be made nobles of there masters court or to sever ties with him/her(either to be accomplished through years of but kissing and good work).

the second category oddly enough is the sired/made/turned Vampire. through these come the next two sub categories. they can not sire there own correctly or mate and produce young(at least not unless they are long lived with alooott of practice). so the first sub category for this type is wrongly made vampires...better known as gouls. these are mindless followers, dimmwitted, blood thirsty, and loyal to the last. they obey there masters are very short lived (smart ones prolly live as much as a year). they are in constant pain pleasing there master is there only release, becuase if they are good he will end there suffering.

and for the second subcategory is Vamps. these are people who believe that they are vampires, wish to become one, or pretty much just like role playing them in nite clubs and what not. some go as far as having partners who let them drink there blood(this actualy practiced very safley, is almost always conscentual, and even blood tests are done to ensure the compatability of blood types, and to keep from the accidental transferance of bodily fluid transmitted desieses). at its worst it can be taboo. but most these people you wouldnt even have thought of having such a nite life, becuase they seem totaly normal by day, and in most cases are good company(heck every one needs a hobby lol)...however a dark side to this is when mently unstable people penatrate said social circles and take it too far! the modern vamp tends to absorb all the stories made up by Holly wood and the church to further the fun and exitment of role play(though many know how it works according to the old legends)

... Now just so this doesnt come up later, no I myself am not a vamp.for my extensive knowledge of them i have been thought to be one by others in the past. I respect there beliefs although it is not my personal prefrence. however I knew one by the day name of jamie up north (a sweet girl actualy...ok she was my age not a girl and we did have a thing for a while, and no I was not a donor, and no she wasnt into that...that I knew of any ways).

the oldest and first vamps

Alot of people think they were all guys like dracula(and as I coverd he wasnt actualy one any ways). But in many mythologies they were infact women... take for example Elizabeth Banford a.k.a the blood countess who bathed in the blood of hundreds of young madens, and boys, until found out, imprisioned, and died under mysterious circumstances(some say the lack of human blood, and that she infact-if not needing it in the first place- grew adept and even dependent on it)...or lilith the contraversial first wife of Adam. surfices beyond that to say, or rather reiterate as I mentioned it way up there somewhere, that Vampires in legend go back far further then any can really place a date on...


weaknesses
In old legends(and suprisingly carried through to today with out much change), A vampire of any class has at least one weakness. These weaknesses, had to be exploited now and again by those who knew of them, in order to at least stop a vampire.

The only probleme with this is knowing wich weakness effect wich class of vampire...Herbs are good for the repeling of vampires, becuase of there hightend sences, it is said that they see in things of healling properties, colors, and light(auras) that annoy them, and the smell of somthing like sage, garlic, onion(and its chives), are odors that they can not tolerate long. That is probably the only reason they would not enter a holy or protected place, as herbs are usualy burnt or used alot(at least they were), in churches, temples, and hospices, and when they were not being used at the time...well smells like that tend to linger.

In addition homes of the time often had gardens filled with such things, with dehydrating racks out doors, large stores in the pantries, and useable spices in the kitchen. so it is not as if they absolutely cannot enter such places, but that they abhore the idea. after all would you like to visit a dump/landfill, on a hot day and trapse through garbage, just to strangle a rat?

Another reputed weakness is that Vampire are unable to pass a not with out undoing it, and are obsessive counters. so going some where like a harbor, where there are too many knots to possibly untie, and to much cargo in bulk to ever count in a single nite, is toture for them.

add on top of this that vampires are not known to be strong swimmers, that ships carried goods of all sorts(including herbs spices, meats, wines ect.), that markets, dealing in these goods are often near by, that these places can be very crowded(even at nite), and the strong smell, and noise of the sea. And you can pretty much bet that a vampire of any class would wait well out side the limits of a port for you to exit, or even abandon his/her hunt for the moment, rather then follow you in. however, an enraged Vampire is not as easily deterd, so it is the differnce between being stalked for what ever reason, or a full blown chase, that woyuld determine weather or not your safe in such a place.

the last known weakness of the vampire is that, weather they have been sired or are pure bloods they all have a "grounds of birth", and they need to regenerate there strength in cursed earth from the place of there birth (making coffins, almost a nessesity).

Strengths

A vampires strength lies in its reflexes and conservation of energy. there sences are far better then a humans. they are much like cats infact. as they are suited better for nocturnal activity, have a powerfull hunting instinct, and save there spring like reflexes, and intence focus for the moment it is needed. staying out of site, until the rite moment, saves them much energy. they wouldn't chase you far before they caught you...

before they strike they might even have been following you (or have been keeping tabs on you), for hours, or even days. they could have struck up a conversation with you even. but most likely just before they seize you, you would see the fangs, here the sounds, and make a good note of the blood lust in there eyes. why would they let you see there true nature, instead of just attacking out of nowhere? the answer is shock value. getting you scared means getting you irrational. especialy if you really did not expect it from this person.

They will probably let you run at first, and just stay within ear shot or line of site with you. doing this means that they can save there energy, only using just enough to keep up with you at a tailing distance. then wehn your drained from trying to get away and confused about where you are exactly, they decend apon you with emence speed and force(probably the only good one they have in them). you are at this point exuasted and terrified, while they are calm, intimidating, and reserved. this(if they do not infact have super strength, this would certainly make it seem as if they do, wich only adds to the success rate). the trama, the blood loss, and the fear of there return, would easily cuase any to say that they were mugged, or cuase you to block it out alltogether. wich protects the secracy.

being turned, or killed
Chances are they wont kill you. they will probably only take just enough. after all your health will return, making you fresh for another attack....infact they probably only actively hunt at all when they are new to un area. Before they find familiars wich will sustain them on a continuos basis. why certain people become familiars is unclear. but that they eventualy become vampires them selves is inevatable. Being bitten doesnt mean you get to join the club. to turn some one, a vampire must first take blood, without deriving nurishment from it, alow it to some what mix with its own and then give back blood from its own body. make no mistake, this is very tolling on a vampire. after performing this act both the vampire and newly sired could be weak and out of condition for days. it also leaves both vampires famished...

this is probably(unless you have some how offended one), the only time a vampire will kill. the reason? becuase for both of them at this time nothing short of the last drops from a fresh hu man will do. the one who sired the new vampire has some catching up to do. and the newly turned vamp must learn to hunt and kill. so the first week or so of a new vampires life, and the life of he/she that sired it, can be seen as a slump, and then a spree.


um...the end, sept I gues for replies lol. and if you made it this far you have totaly earned replying with your full thoughts on the this lol(and a good nap).

[asyluman]

now do one on lycanthropes.

[Ferret Overlord]

Lycanthropes rule!

Wait, aren't those werewolves?

[Xemem]

hmmm...I just might a later on this evening. But what did you guys think of this one? any thing I missed? Oh, and also, Lycanthrope is used as a generalisation. the werewolf is just one(prolly' the most popular one), in a wide range of humans that have the charectoristics of or can trnsform into animals(or are sort of hypbrids). were's, nymphs, sidhe, mermaids to name only four are amongst them. but it is basicaly used to describe the condition of of being or beleiving that you are a shape shifter of the apex predatorial kind(for the most part)...

To cover all of Lycanthropes, would take way too much...I couldn't do it in a week.
Notice the title of this topic...It doesnt say the undead. And That is becuase the undead as a generalisation is very hard to cover, and goes far beyond vampires. That is why only coverd a specific type of undead...

If you have a specific Lycanthrope you would like me to write on i'll be happy to do so. I am assuming you do mean werewolves(as the they are the most popular of this group). and infact when I said I might do that later tonight I was refering to where wolves(as they were the only specific Lyca'--cuase im sick of typing that long word lol-- that ive heard of on here, so far)

and it would be an interesting subeject as they have always seemed to be mysteriously connected with Vampires( i can elaborate on that later...in a sence they are a type of one, hehe, youll have to wait to here more! lol)

[©allum]

Ersin ywe cunt speel!1

[Xemem]

Okay...there are errors in my spelling for that post, of course.

#1. It is very long and alot of times when I type on here, if I go to correct something it over writes what I have written...so I have to do alot of cutting and pasting whenever I find an error myself, I dont catch them all, and there are many words I do not know how to spell all that well.

#2. though there are some mistakes, for the most part it is intact and legiable. I have seen much worse before.

#3. did this kind of thing not just get coverd in the topic "This Must Stop" in SI?
what buisness do you have comming down on me, and mocking my spelling, huh?
I have done nothing to you. You could have done that alot better. you could have said something like "hey esron, I found some errors, In a few places with the spelling. here they are and I think if they were corrected, then people would have an easier time of reading some parts of your post"...point being you did not have come at me with the very things that have been raising hell around here lately, and perpetuate the hostility with this

Ersin ywe cunt speel!1

hey, who knows maybe by responding, I am helping along the crap. But I believe in this I am justified. And that it was simpely un-called for. I will not be a target. I will be reporting this.

[Darkness]

Okay, ummm. Anyways. I did get through that. Very, VERY detailed. That must have taken quite a while. Even though there are a few spelling mistakes it is very readable. Do you do the research for the topic, or do you already know all this stuff? I mean, it is amazing.

[Xemem]

yeah, the only looking up I had to do was on the many different names of vampires...I know most of them but I wanted to resrict the ones I mentioned to those where we get most of out modern stories from(many others only minorly resemble our idea of a vampire).

I do know alot about these things by heart, I only need touch ups here and there were I am rusty. I hope to one day write a B.O.D.E(book of demon ephithology), that includes a large section for digretions on fabulous creatures( gryphs, dragons, equesters, pyretons, lycanthropes, and the likes).

Tip for any one who doesnt want to read the whole thing but would like to get something from this read: read just the "types of vampires and how they live" section, as it is the heart of the subject...if you want more later just skim through a section or two at your leasure(it doesnt have to be read in any particular order for you to get something from it as long as you dont just read half a section or something).

also I forgot to add something in there, for wich I will now edit it to the effect of including this info that I over looked(it will be just before the end and i'll put it in yellow so you will know it from the rest). At a later date I will try to squeeze it in where it fits best, wich will prolly' be the "How to actualy kill or impead the progress of one according to pre-church and holly wood ideas" section.

[©allum]

Okay...there are errors in my spelling for that post, of course.

#1. It is very long and alot of times when I type on here, if I go to correct something it over writes what I have written...so I have to do alot of cutting and pasting whenever I find an error myself, I dont catch them all, and there are many words I do not know how to spell all that well.

#2. though there are some mistakes, for the most part it is intact and legiable. I have seen much worse before.

#3. did this kind of thing not just get coverd in the topic "This Must Stop" in SI?
what buisness do you have comming down on me, and mocking my spelling, huh?
I have done nothing to you. You could have done that alot better. you could have said something like "hey esron, I found some errors, In a few places with the spelling. here they are and I think if they were corrected, then people would have an easier time of reading some parts of your post"...point being you did not have come at me with the very things that have been raising hell around here lately, and perpetuate the hostility with this

Ersin ywe cunt speel!1

hey, who knows maybe by responding, I am helping along the crap. But I believe in this I am justified. And that it was simpely un-called for. I will not be a target. I will be reporting this.

L13k OMFG0dz0rz, (41/\/\ D0wn!!!!!1111111!

[Xemem]

I did not get some of that, and am choosing to ignore it, exept to acknowledge that it did not make much sence to me leffty. oh, and leffty, from now on if you continue to try to turn this topic into some sort of argument. my imediate responce will be to report it(that is abusive content). then disregard.

there has been alot of arguments lately and you and a few others always seem to be attached to it so my policy in regards to you and the others is to do the responcible thing(instead of retaliating...even though you may consider this retaliation, it is just putting you on notice, about my stance). and then move on, becuase im not going to get sucked into this.

if ya post again im to trash on me im going to do just wat I said and infact not even acknowledge in(this specific place) that you said any thing...srry if it gets you ticked off or you have a probleme with it me or other members but if that is the case it is your probeleme, and I wont let it become mine.

Now back to the actual topic, would any one like me to write something on a specific type of lycanthrope?

[Darkness]

yeah! werewolf!

[Xemem]

sure thats, a goos one.
i'll prolly get to it later this evening( i got a few thingys ta' do).
and of course it will be post as a new topic(not in this thread...that may seem obvious, but im just making sure any who read will know that if they thought it might be posted here--just covering the bases--) also I may write one(after the werewolf one if I do any time soon) on the general topic of lycanthropes. That will explain what one is and wich creaturs fall into the category.