| Vampaneze | |
|---|---|
 Murlough, a member of the Vampaneze. | |
| Skin Colour | Light-Dark Purple |
| Hair Colour | Blood Red |
| Universe | Human Universe |
| Background Information | |
| Book Universe | The Saga of Darren Shan |
| First Book Appearance | "Tunnels of Blood" |
| First Movie Appearance | Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant |
Vampaneze are a savage species of purple skinned, red nailed, red eyed relatives of the Vampires
In the Books
Creation
Vampaneze were at one time normal regular vampires. At some point later in Vampire history Desmond Tiny introduced the role of Vampire Princes. These princes were to lead and regulate the Vampires and create some form of order over the race. However, a portion of the Vampires did not agree with introduction of princes and harboured a desire to not only feed on the blood of their victims but to kill them also, causing these Vampires to break away and form the Vampaneze. The Vampaneze do not kill for the sake of bloodlust. They kill due to the belief that when they feed, a portion of the victims soul will eternally exist inside of the Vampaneze.
Later Years
Many years after the split, there was peace between the Vampires and Vampaneze. This was stirred when Mr. Tiny came along again and gave the Vampaneze the Coffin of Fire. This, when the correct person stepped in, would show the true leader of the Vampaneze. If they weren't leader, they perished. Although the Vampaneze didn't like leadership, they wanted to win the upcoming war as stated by Mr. Tiny.
The War of the Scars
Word spread around to the Vampires telling them that the coffin had chosen a leader. This led to Mr. Tiny telling the Vampires to hunt the lord down. He also told the Vampaneze to protect the lord and made the prime protector Gannen Harst. He had to travel everywhere with the lord.
Towards the climax of the war, Steve, the Vampaneze Lord, ended up killed by Darren Shan, and Darren killing himself to ruin Mr.Tiny (Their father's) plans, the war was coming to a close as both sides discussed a treaty.
Powers and Abilities
Due to originally being Vampires, Vampaneze have a range of the same powers they have:
- Superhuman Speed: They can maneuver, react, and run at superhuman speeds that far exceeds humans. Their speed can range from being slightly faster than humans (when running) to becoming nothing more than a blur of motion, appearing to appear and disappear at random, making it so that no mortal can outrun, catch up to or elude them. Vampaneze can combine their speed with their natural magic, granting them far more powerful levels of speed. This power is called Flitting and allows Vampaneze to cover vast distances in a short amount of time.
- Healing Factor: Vampaneze heal and recover much faster than Humans and are very resistant to illnesses and diseases. They are unable to regenerate, however, can get scars, and are not immune to fatal injuries, such as gunshots, mutilation, decapitation and piercing of the heart. A full Vampaneze's saliva acts like a fast-acting healing agent; healing cuts and scratches almost instantaneously.
- Superhuman Strength: Vampaneze are far stronger than humans and can overpower, fend off or kill them with ease. They can lift their own body weight and defeat creatures far larger than themselves. Their strength also allows them to easily break stone and send people flying several feet. Their teeth are strong enough to bite through metal/steel as though it was bread, and their nails can gouge holes in stone.
- Knockout Gas: On command, the breath of a Vampaneze can be infused with a type of harmless anesthetic, like chloroform, that renders Humans completely unconscious.
- Superhuman Endurance: Vampaneze have tougher skin and nearly unbreakable bones, allowing them to withstand the strength of vampires and other vampaneze without injury as well as survive extreme exposure, such as not getting frostbite in the arctic circle.
- Telepathy: Vampaneze have the same telepathic abilities as Vampires.
- Longevity: Like Vampires, Vampaneze age much slower than humans. However, because of their high-blood diet, Vampaneze live for slightly longer than Vampires, although the difference is considered "minimal."
Description
Vampaneze have purple skin and red eyes, hair, lips, and nails as a result of drinking lots of blood, although Mr. Crepsley states this takes "a couple of decades for the colors to set in" so young Vampaneze look identical to Vampires. They are usually as sane as Vampires and fight with honor, just like them. They hate leadership but will accept it if it means the end of them if they don't, although they do it grudgingly. A vampaneze must always tell the truth otherwise he/she will be tracked down and be killed by other Vampaneze, with even an insane vampaneze like Murlough agreeing to this rule even if he would bend others.
The Vampaneze, according to Crepsley, are traditionalists when hunting. When they have fully chosen their next victim, they sneak into their houses and mark them with their nails by making three small scratches on their victim's left cheek when they're asleep, and follow them to kill them. They are also behind the false myth about vampires not being able to enter a house unless invited. The story behind it is that the Vampaneze almost never kill humans at home; they prefer to kill their prey outside, and then hide, or dispose of the bodies or hide the wounds to make their death look accidental.
Vampaneze are also responsible for the myth that Vampires live solely on blood as their preferred diet is almost totally blood. Also, they prefer to live exclusively on human blood, drinking from animals only as a last resort. Because of their greater blood consumption, Vampaneze age slightly slower than Vampires. Vancha notes that killing has become instinctive to Vampaneze, as even when he wanted to feed like Vampires, he was unable to stop himself from draining his victims until death.
Half Vampaneze
Half Vampaneze do not have the same powers as full Vampaneze. They can not flit and can not heal wounds with saliva. They also do not get purple skin and red eyes until after a few decades which is when the colors set in, so new Vampaneze are generally normal colored.
The urge to consume blood is so strong in a half-vampaneze that even when one tries to reject their vampaneze heritage and drink without killing their subject, they are unable to resist the thirst enough to avoid killing. It is theoretically possible to blood a half-vampaneze so that they become a vampire instead, but it is difficult and dangerous to attempt such a procedure, as there is an equal chance that such a process could transform the half-vampaneze into a vampire or destroy both parties as their incompatible bloods turn on each other on the cellular level.
Known Vampaneze
- Murlough
- Gannen Harst
- Vancha March (Formerly half-vampaneze; blooded as a vampire)
- Glalda
- Holly-Jane Galinec
- Randel Chayne
- R.V.
- Steve Leonard
