Vampire Taxonomy Read Online Free Page A

wrist, or sliced-up chest of an oversexed vampire. Sometimes it can come in the form of a bottle. The Lost Boys (in both I and II) tricked their new vampire gang members into sampling a little household wine. And by “wine” they meant ancient vampire blood that turns the unsuspecting, underage drinkers. Similarly, in A Taste of Blood , the main character is sent two bottles of Slivovitz brandy from an old ancestor, and after pounding through the drink, he becomes a vampire. So be wary when vials of mysterious liquids are being passed around a vampire party. That could be the one drink that puts you eternally over the edge.
Virus Versus Curse
    A lot of people question how it’s possible to reconcile the idea of a vampire who has evolved from a religious curse to the more scientific notion of “vampire mutation as virus” that we see in the media today. However, whatever the true reason, the ideas aren’t mutually exclusive.
    Before recent advances in modern science, the only plausible explanation for vampirism to most people was a supernatural curse. The various strains that do react adversely to religious arti facts only seemed to confirm these beliefs. 13 But whether or not the initial trigger for the creation of the first vampire was mystical, these days the commonly accepted belief is that most vampires are infected with a virus that is present in the blood and transmittable to humans. As a scientist in Blade II explains, “Vampirism is a progressive virus that’s spread through the saliva of various parasitic organisms.” Such a theory also explains the potential for animals to be infected as well. 14
    VAMPIRE ANIMALS
    People are not the only creatures who can fall under the fang. Rare and strange reports have been found in popular culture regarding many a mysterious Animal Vampire. Forget the adorable carrot juice-sucking rabbit Bunnicula—we’re talking animals that go in for the kill. Possibly the most famous of animals turned vampire is Hell Cow, who was transformed by Dracula in the Howard the Duck comic book.
    This by no means disregards the notion that vampires are supernatural beings. The very fact that there is a viral strain that turns people into half-dead, bloodthirsty monsters is a magical thing, but hopefully, once we get a better and longer look at various specimens, we can have a better understanding of where vampires came from. We may find the boundaries of what’s supernatural and what’s science shrinking over the years thanks to technology.
    So remember, just because some people are infected with a nosferatu strain or vampire venom, that doesn’t necessarily make them cursed by God—it may just make them very unlucky.

ABILITIES
    Vampires are supernatural creatures, and when you start delving into what makes each of them unique and different, you’re going to encounter a lot of variety. Like hair color in humans, vampiric special abilities vary widely. Some vamps are turned into psychics or gain the ability to glide upon transformation; others wake up in their new vampire life with just the bare necessities, like super strength and speed. We have determined that telekinetic powers seem to be class specific—you’ll find more information on each class’s ability in the following chapters. Beyond that, their abilities seem to be present across the board, and are most likely evolving rapidly.
    CAN VAMPIRES FLY?
    Vampire expert Anne Rice let her darling Lestat soar through the air, and Dracula has been reported to take on the form of a bat to frighten the ancient townspeople of Transylvania. But close examination of the myths, legends, and lore reveals that it is typically only the most powerful, oldest, and most influential vampires who possess the power of levitation. Perhaps this is because the younger vampiric generations’ power has been diluted over time. Either way, who needs flight when you’ve got enough power in your body to scale rooftops and glide about like a