darren "jr. trainwreck conductor" shan (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
shananigans) wrote2014-09-10 08:05 pm
shananigans) wrote2014-09-10 08:05 pm
VAMPIRE REFERENCE GUIDE
The vampires in Darren's book series are much different than the usual kind of undead vampires! Here's a quick reference for me, and for anyone else that might be interested:
Vampires in the Darren Shan Saga are not actually members of the undead—they are living, and they can be killed through the same kinds of things that would kill a human. A stake through the heart would kill them, but so would electricity, drowning, bullets, knives, etc. It may take more of something to kill them, but they can die by any means that would kill a human. The usual myths - holy water, crosses, garlic, running water, shapechanging - those things aren't actually a thing for them. Photos and film are a bit different, though, and vary depending on whether it's a half-vampire or a vampire.
They are friendly with rats and bats, but cats and dogs despise them and don't want to be around them.
Sunlight will kill a vampire, but never a half-vampire, since half-vampires are capable of doing things in the daylight.
They absolutely do need blood to survive, but they feed on a regular enough basis to where they don't - and they won't - kill. That's a Vampaneze thing. Half-vampires don't need as much blood as full vampires, but it's still necessary for them to survive. Animal blood won't fill in the gap.
Vampires become vampires when vampiric blood is shared. Generally, they make cuts in the tips of their fingers and press them together—the longer they keep their fingers together, the more of a vampire they become. Half-vampires will eventually either become full vampires by repeating this, or they will experience something known as the 'purge', which is just the vampire cells beating up the human cells and trying to become the dominant thing in the half-vampire's body.
Culture wise, vampires live hard and are huge on honor. They always feel the need to prove themselves, and they are constantly fighting and competing with each other. They also have these trials called the Trials of Initiation and it includes aquatic mazes, fighting blooded boars, trying to not die due to razor sharp stalagmites, trying to not die while dodging fire... the list goes on. Either they try and win, or they try and die. If, by some chance, they manage to live and are unable to continue on, they are taken to a room full of stakes and dropped on them until they die. Because that's completely smart. They do believe that they must face death head on, though, and will allow old vampires to do that kind of thing. Traitors are dropped on their backs and blindfolded so that they don't get the honor of facing death head on. It's not uncommon for old vampires to slip out and get into a fight with a bear so that they can die with style.
They are also total idiots that like to party and get drunk.
And they really like honor.
But they're also total losers.
HALF-VAMPIRES
- Have a very tough body, skin, teeth, nails, bones, etc.
- Can heal faster than the average human.
- Has better hearing and better sight.
- Are much stronger and faster than the average human.
- Ages at a rate of one year for every five years that pass.
- Can be out and about during the day, since sunlight doesn't hurt them.
VAMPIRES
- Have a tougher body than a half-vampire.
- Can heal much faster than the average half-vampire.
- They have better hearing and better sight, much better than the average half-vampire.
- Very strong, very fast. Much better than the average half-vampire.
- Age at a rate of one year for every ten that pass.
- Can't be out during the day. They will tan quickly before starting to burn, usually within about 15 minutes.
- Can flit! It's... not quite flying, but it's a way of moving very, very fast.
- They have super spit! It's a method of healing, as a vampire's spit can heal.
- They can breathe out a special gas to knock people out.
Vampires in the Darren Shan Saga are not actually members of the undead—they are living, and they can be killed through the same kinds of things that would kill a human. A stake through the heart would kill them, but so would electricity, drowning, bullets, knives, etc. It may take more of something to kill them, but they can die by any means that would kill a human. The usual myths - holy water, crosses, garlic, running water, shapechanging - those things aren't actually a thing for them. Photos and film are a bit different, though, and vary depending on whether it's a half-vampire or a vampire.
They are friendly with rats and bats, but cats and dogs despise them and don't want to be around them.
Sunlight will kill a vampire, but never a half-vampire, since half-vampires are capable of doing things in the daylight.
They absolutely do need blood to survive, but they feed on a regular enough basis to where they don't - and they won't - kill. That's a Vampaneze thing. Half-vampires don't need as much blood as full vampires, but it's still necessary for them to survive. Animal blood won't fill in the gap.
Vampires become vampires when vampiric blood is shared. Generally, they make cuts in the tips of their fingers and press them together—the longer they keep their fingers together, the more of a vampire they become. Half-vampires will eventually either become full vampires by repeating this, or they will experience something known as the 'purge', which is just the vampire cells beating up the human cells and trying to become the dominant thing in the half-vampire's body.
Culture wise, vampires live hard and are huge on honor. They always feel the need to prove themselves, and they are constantly fighting and competing with each other. They also have these trials called the Trials of Initiation and it includes aquatic mazes, fighting blooded boars, trying to not die due to razor sharp stalagmites, trying to not die while dodging fire... the list goes on. Either they try and win, or they try and die. If, by some chance, they manage to live and are unable to continue on, they are taken to a room full of stakes and dropped on them until they die. Because that's completely smart. They do believe that they must face death head on, though, and will allow old vampires to do that kind of thing. Traitors are dropped on their backs and blindfolded so that they don't get the honor of facing death head on. It's not uncommon for old vampires to slip out and get into a fight with a bear so that they can die with style.
They are also total idiots that like to party and get drunk.
And they really like honor.
But they're also total losers.
HALF-VAMPIRES
- Have a very tough body, skin, teeth, nails, bones, etc.
- Can heal faster than the average human.
- Has better hearing and better sight.
- Are much stronger and faster than the average human.
- Ages at a rate of one year for every five years that pass.
- Can be out and about during the day, since sunlight doesn't hurt them.
VAMPIRES
- Have a tougher body than a half-vampire.
- Can heal much faster than the average half-vampire.
- They have better hearing and better sight, much better than the average half-vampire.
- Very strong, very fast. Much better than the average half-vampire.
- Age at a rate of one year for every ten that pass.
- Can't be out during the day. They will tan quickly before starting to burn, usually within about 15 minutes.
- Can flit! It's... not quite flying, but it's a way of moving very, very fast.
- They have super spit! It's a method of healing, as a vampire's spit can heal.
- They can breathe out a special gas to knock people out.