Vampires

Vampires
Skin Colour	Same as when human, but paler
Hair Colour	Varies
Background Information
Book Universe	The Saga of Darren Shan
First Book Appearance	"Cirque Du Freak"
First Movie Appearance	Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant

Vampires are a race of blood drinking noble warriors that live according to their own rules, one of which is to keep out of the affairs of humans and not to use technologically advanced weapons such as guns or even bows and arrows. Unable to walk in daylight for more then a few hours before dying, vampires only come out at night, however half-vampires are still able to Walk about during the daylight hours, which is why many Vampires have taken assistants, who guard them during the day in exchange for learning about the ways of vampires and then blooded when their time has come. They are some of the most feared creatures in history, having earned a sinister reputation from the time when they killed to feed. To preserve their race from extinction by humans, Vampires vowed to never again kill for the sake of feeding, this caused a rift within the clan and war broke out between those that agreed to this rule and those that did not. Those who still killed when they drank took the name Vampaneze, and through generations of evolution their bodies turned purple and their eyes, hair and nails turned red.

The Saga of Darren Shan

Vampire Mountain (book)

Years after the division, Mr. Tiny returned to the Vampires and gave them two items: the Stone of Blood and the Hall of Princes. At the same time, he also gave the Vampaneze the Coffin of Flames and told them that any human that stepped/laid within it would perish amongst its flames. However, if a human stepped into the coffin one day and emerged from the flames, completely unharmed, then that human would become their Lord; The Lord Of The Vampaneze. Tiny also warned both clans that a war would break out, A war in which the Vampires could not win and that the Stone could bring them back from the dead.

Trials of Death

When Larten Crepsley came to Vampire Mountain with a young half-Vampire, the remaining Vampire clan was outraged. The new half-blood had been blooded at too young an age and had yet learned everything there was to know about Vampires.

To prove himself worthy, he ended up partaking in a mock version of the Trials of Initiation, only to fail in his fourth trial, due to an attempted rescue from Harkat Mulds , the little person. He was then sentenced to death and was to be brought to the Hall of Death, but narrowly escaped the tragedy with Kurda Smahlt before the verdict was carried out; a.k.a. he ran away.

While pursuing his refuge, he discovered that his guide, the soon-to-be Prince Kurda Smahlt, was a traitor, for he had seretively escorted a group of Vampaneze into Vampire Mountain and killed Gavner Purl. After a narrow escape from the traitor, the young half-vampire returned to the Princes, to inform the others about the betrayal, and assisted them to the trespasser's defeat. In the end, Kurda Smalt was condemed to the Hall of Death.

Learing about the intruders and traitor had been valuable information to the clan, but only through failing his trials and attempted getaway, was this information atainable. The young half-blood had proved himself worthy to the clan and could not be convicted despite his failure of the trials: conflicting laws had risen. There was only one solution to resolve the conundrum and as a result, he was then christened a Vampire Prince and only a Prince can fail the trials and live to tell about them; the only solution to preserving his valuable life.

Hunters of the Dusk

As the war raged on, Desmond Tiny returned to Vampire Mountain for the first time in centuries to give the Vampires a small ray of hope in the form of the Hunters, three warriors with four destined encounters against the Vampaneze Lord and the power to kill him.

Sons of Destiny (book)

The outcome of the forewarned war, if either clan refused to fight, frightened many children of the night in both clans. As a result, this fear flourished until the War of the Scars finally broke out. Within the early advances of said war, both The Vampaneze Lord and Darren Shan had perished alongside the other. However, several years after their parting, a truce was in the process of being instituted between the Vampires and the Vampaneze, but the finalization of said treaty is still unknown - eve

Powers & Abilities

Vampires have many powers, which are maintained by feeding on blood and make them stronger than humans in many ways, as is described by the following traits and abilities:

• 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. Vampires can combine their speed with their natural magic, granting them far more powerful levels of speed. This power is called Flitting and allows Vampires to cover vast distances in a short amount of time.
• Superhuman Strength: Vampires 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.
• Superhuman Endurance: Vampires have tougher skin and nearly unbreakable bones, allowing them to withstand the strength of another vampire or vampaneze without being injured.
• Superhuman Senses: Razor-sharp/heightened senses of smell, hearing and eyesight; are capable of seeing in the dark. With training vampires can further sharpen and enhance their senses to the point where they can perceive vampires and vampaneze moving at inhuman speeds, even when fliting.
• Superhuman Agility: Vampires are more agile and dexterous than humans, notably allowing them to jump and leap several feet in a single bound and effortlessly climb vertical surfaces and ceilings with their nails.
• Healing Factor: Vampires heal and recover much faster than Humans and are very resistant to illnesses and diseases. Their healing is powerful enough to allow them to recover from a broken neck, which merely leaves them unconscious for at least a day. However, they can get scars, and can still die from gunshots, mutilation, decapitation and piercing of the heart.
• Telepathy: Vampires can communicate with each other via their own minds. Also, if one another allows them full trust, one can find his best friend by seeking him through his "Mind Waves" or thoughts to reveal his location.
• Longevity: Contrary to popular belief, Vampires don't live forever and actually age, albeit much slower than humans. Full Vampires aren't immortal, but age one year in appearance for every ten human years that pass (1/10), whereas half-vampires age one year in appearance for every five human years that pass (1/5). This enables vampires to live much longer than humans and most species. Paris Skyle, a Vampire prince with an elderly appearance, had been alive for 800 years, making him the oldest known Vampire to have ever lived. Seba Nile is the second oldest, being 700 years old.
• Knockout Gas: On command, a full Vampire's breath can be infused with a type of harmless anesthetic, like chloroform, that renders Humans completely unconscious.
• Hypnotism: Vampires, and half-vampires instinctively know how to induce a trance-like state on weak willed humans such as Darren did to annie in the first book. When the trance is broken the affected human is dazed, and doesn't remember the hypnotism, and only vaguely recall the events leading up to it
• Healing spit: Vampire saliva has the ability to heal small wounds and speed up healing on larger ones. It is most often used to close the wound they make on a human after feeding. Healing in this way seems to always leave a scar.
• Divination: Vampires can discern if a person is good or evil by tasting their blood. Vancha March however states that this is more difficult than most vampires believe; people with “bad blood” May turn evil and need to be destroyed, but they can also live perfectly normal lives.

Appearances

Outwardly, there is no difference between a Vampire and human, aside from the fact the most vampires are pale from lack of sunlight, have disfigured bodies and many scars. The main difference are their bodies, which are physically more imposing than most humans as they are built for battle and lead hard lives of combat with many dying young, or considered young by Vampire standards. One of their most defining features are the small scars in their fingertips which give away their status as a Vampire, or Vampaneze.

Inwardly, Vampire bones are nearly unbreakable, and something exists within their bodies that allows them to produce a gas, similar to chloroform, capable of rendering people unconscious.

Vampire Laws

There are many laws that a Vampire must abide by. The following are just a few:

• Projectile weapons, such as guns, pistols, bow and arrows, etc., are forbidden. However, weapons of throwing standard are allowed.
• Vampires who fail the Trials of Initiation, must be condemned, if they have not already been killed during said trials.
  • One exception: Vampire Princes are permitted to live after having failed said trials, under the circumstances that they have not died while performing said trials.
• Those recognised as a traitor to the clan, will be executed in the Hall of Death.
  • Currently Known Traitors:
    • Kurda Smahlt
    • Harnon Oan
    • Tanish Eul
• While on trek to Vampire Mountain, the following is forbidden:
  • The wearing of shoes
  • Flitting: to and from the Mountain

Old Laws

Over the years, some laws had been tossed by the Princes. The following are only a known few:

• Only use weapons you've crafted yourself.
• Wear furs you’ve skinned yourself
• Sleep on the ground like an animal
• Drink nothing but blood, water, and milk
• Have nothing to do with humans except when feeding or blooding them.

Laws Temporarily Tossed, during the War of the Scars:

• Flitting while on trek, to and from, Vampire Mountain

Half-Vampires

Half-Vampires are Vampires with only a small amount of Vampire blood within their veins. They receive the rest of their Vampire blood when they are fully blooded, but must still ingest human blood every now and again. Unfortunately, Half-Vampires are unable to flit, have no healing attributes within their saliva, are not telepathic, and aren't capable of rendering a person unconscious with their breath. According to Larten Crepsley, if a Half-Vampire's blood were to get inside the system of human being, such as through a blood-brother pact, there blood would taint the said humans. It will cause them to age slightly slower, develop a taste for raw meat, and (because they don’t understand why these things are happening) eventually fall into madness.

However, Half-Vampires are benefited with the ability to walk around in full daylight, without any harmful side effects or possible death from the sun light.

Half-Vampires are much stronger, faster, more durable than regular humans and their wounds heal slightly faster. When first transformed, they have the temporary ability to hypnotize others, due to a short bodily overdrive caused by the new blood. They also have enhanced senses that surpass those of regular humans.

If a Half-Vampire goes a long period of time as such, their vampire blood will then begin to attack their human blood, eventually converting them to full vampirism. Half-Vampires also age at one-fifth the normal rate that humans do.

Clan Structure

The clan of Vampires is divided by four ranks; Vampire Princes, Vampire Generals, Mountain Guards and regular Vampires. There are also special positions within Vampire Mountain, but these fall under the rank of regular Vampires and these are as follows; Vampire mountain Quartermaster, Gamesmaster, cooks, breeders and assistants. The clan is managed by the rule of the Vampire Princes. However, they are not the only authoritative-type that overlooks the clan, though they hold dominance over all Vampires. Vampire Generals are a rank of Vampires that pursue the rouge and insane members and end their lives: they kill them. To become a general, one must pass all the trials enlisted in the Trials of Initiation and several others. The Princes reign jurisdiction over the Generals.

It is because of this hierarchy that the Vampaneze broke away from the clan and formed their own.

Legend

It is unknown to Vampires if this legend bares any truth, but Vampires are believed to have been created from wolves. Lady Evanna does confirm that Vampires were a natural species that came into their own being. However, they were quite different from the ones of the present. Originally, they were much weaker, disorganised and fewer in number compared to those of the present day. They were, however, free to roam all hours and withstand the full rays of sunshine brought by the day. They also had the capability to breed amongst their clan, but this was before Desmond Tiny intervened and limited their powers. He restricted them to only roaming the night and stripped away their ability to reproduce: a.k.a. they had forever became surrogates. It is for that reason, according to Arra Sails, why there are so very few female vampires in existence (besides her), since they become barren upon being blooded and the process is irreversible. They are not prohibited from having sexual intercourse with each other, and can be "mates" with one another, though this is rare as female vampires are scarce.

List of known Vampires

Vampire Princes

• Lare Shment - The oldest Prince during the Saga of Larten Crepsley, he looked to be nearly 1000 years old and acted as Mika Ver Leth's master.
• Azis Bendetta - The only vampire whom Arrow divulged his choice to departure from the Clan in order to marry a human, however Azis Bendetta would die before he could inform anyone else.
• Osca Velm - Died shortly before the Vampire Mountain Council in 1820, requested that his funeral not be ceremonial. His legacy lives on in the form of the Hall of Welcome in Vampire Mountain.
• Paris Skyle - The oldest Prince during the Saga of Darren Shan, Paris Skyle was more than 800 years old when he met his end battling a bear in 1994.
• Chok Yamada - A young Prince at the time of Larten's inception to the Clan, Chok Yamada nearly unintentionally killed Larten during the Festival of the Undead when throwing an axe. Yamada was in poor health by 1965 and likely died soon after.
• Vancha March - A traditionalist among Vampires, Vancha defected from the Vampaneze after his parents died and Evanna raised him and his brother, Gannen Harst. He was among the three chosen by Desmond Tiny to hunt the Vampaneze Lord.
• Mika Ver Leth - For many years Mika sought to make a name for himself in order to stand out and potentially be elected to the position of Vampire Prince. Though he succeeded in becoming a Prince, he failed in battling Larten for his former apprentice, Arra Sail's, affections.
• Arrow - A respected Vampire Prince who once left the Clan in order to marry a human. However, when a Vampaneze killed Arrow's family, he vowed to kill every single Vampaneze. After Wester attempts to rally Arrow to his cause, and Vancha talks some sense into him, Arrow backs down from his campaign and rejoins the Clan.
• Darren Shan - A half-Vampire Prince who had been blooded at the age of 12, Darren initially failed the Trials of Initiation, but proved his worth at the beginning of the War of Scars, rising above Vampire Law as a Prince. Darren was one of three chosen to hunt the Vampaneze Lord foretold to bring about the end of the Vampires. Though he is successful, Darren sacrifices himself in the process, only to be given the opportunity to rewrite his destiny.

Members of the Clan

• Larten Crepsley - A 204 year old former Vampire General and Vampire Prince-elect, Larten Crepsley took 12 year old Darren Shan as his apprentice after an incident involving his performing spider, Madam Octa. Larten became something of a father-figure to Darren and supported him in his Trials of Initiation and during the War of Scars, during which he was chosen to be one of three hunters of the Vampaneze Lord - who was foretold to bring about the end of the Vampire Clan. Larten sacrifices himself in order to kill the Vampaneze Lord, when in reality Larten had merely killed a decoy.
• Gavner Purl - After losing his parents to a massacre aboard the Pearly Tornado as an infant, Gavner is taken into the care of his parents' killer, Larten Crepsley. After Larten is branded a killer in Paris, Gavner is led astray by Tanish Eul. With Larten's help, Gavner is brought back to reality and trains to become a respected Vampire General. Much like Arrow, Gavner falls in love with a human, however he does not separate himself from the Clan. Gavner is killed by Glalda in attempting to help Darren escape his execution for failing the trials of initiation.
• Arra Sails - Formerly an assistant to Evanna, Arra left Evanna's servitude in order to become a Vampire - though the Vampire who changed her was not up to the challenge and soon pawned her off onto Mika Ver Leth. Under Mika's tutillege, Arra became a respected Vampire General among the Clan, and the eventual mate of Larten. Arra was killed by Glalda in the battle that triggered the War of Scars.
• Seba Nile - an older Vampire of around 700 years old whose master was one of the seventy Vampires that abandoned the Clan to become the Vampaneze. Seba is the sire and master of Larten Crepsley and Wester Flack. He opted to retire as a Vampire General in order to become a quartermaster at Vampire Mountain during the 1860s. By the end of the Saga of Darren Shan, Seba is the oldest living Vampire.
• Perta Vin-Grahl - A Vampire General who resisted the changes the Clan was undergoing. Perta hated the Vampires who left the Clan to forge the Vampaneze, and when the truce was set, Perta ventured into isolation, constructing the Palace of the Damned in Greenland where he would meet his end.
• Wester Flack - A Vampire whose family was killed by the Vampaneze, Wester sought to eradicate the Vampaneze by triggering a war between the two Clans, going so far as to murder his blood-brother's love and frame a Vampaneze in order to gain support.
• Vanez Blane - A former General turned tutor, Vanez Blane is a master of weaponry and is hailed as the best of his craft. He lost an eye while wrestling a lion and supported Darren through his Trials of Initiation. Vanez also took part in the first battle of the War of Scars, resulting in his loss of his remaining eye - though this doesn't phase Vanez.
• Kurda Smahlt - A pacifist among the Clan, Kurda sought to make peace between the Vampires and Vampaneze. His efforts backfired however, when Darren and Gavner happened upon Vampaneze which Kurda had let into Vampire Mountain as a peace party. This results in the first battle of the War of Scars, after which Kurda is executed, though he is resurrected by Mr. Tiny in the form of Harkat Mulds.
• Tanish Eul - A cowardly Vampire who framed Larten for murder when Larten interfered with Randel Chayne. Tanish then blooded Gavner and warped his mind as an assistant. Larten later spares Tanish when he comes clean about his crimes, however he is subsequently executed by Vancha March.
• Staffen Irve - A Vampire General who Larten faced during his first Festival of the Undead in 1820, Larten was easily defeated by Irve and fled in shame, only to rechallenge Irve an another Council years later. Staffen Irve also reported to the Vampire Princes about the War of Scars in 1994.
• Jordan Egin - An off and on member of the Cubs, he was with Larten, Wester, Tanish, and Yebba when Randel Chayne killed Zula Pone.
• Zula Pone - A particularly ugly Vampire who was a member of the Cubs. When Randel Chayne confronted the Cubs with a challenge, Zula stepped up to the challenge when the cowardly Tanish would not, resulting in Zula's death by Chayne's hand.
• Yebba - A Vampire General who was once a member of the Cubs. He was known for his howl, which he displayed during the Council of 1916, only to be beaten by Mika Ver Leth. Yebba would later earn his victory at the Council 1988.
• Hughie - A Vampire who Larten encountered during his search for Randel Chayne. Hughie informed Larten of the presence of Vampaneze in Australia, suggesting that Chayne could potentially be there as well.
• Cyrus - A supporter of Kurda Smahlt's movement to reunite Vampires and Vampaneze, who attempted to defend Kurda when he was accused of being a traitor to the Clan by Darren Shan. When Kurda asked that Cyrus withdraw, Cyrus opted to commit suicide rather than face the judgement of the Clan.
• Patrick Goulder - A Vampire with a particular issue regarding odour. Patrick was asked by Seba, alongside Larten, to help clear the bodies out of the river connecting to the Hall of Final Voyage - which had since piled up. Patrick attempted to smash through the barrier of bodies without regard for treating the corpses with respect.
• Harnon Oan - A traitor to the Clan who used to sell information regarding Vampires to Vampire Hunters, his name is used in slander by Vampires as part of the phrase "By the black blood of Harnon Oan".
• Charna - A Vampire famous for being disemboweled and yet pushing on through battle, ultimately emerging victorious. His name is used in the phrase "Charna's Guts!" referring to one's surprise over a particular situation.
• Ba-Halen - A Vampire who introduced a unique species of spider to Vampire Mountain, with his legacy living on in the name of the species. No one can remember Ba-Halen's first name.
• Khledon Lurt - A Vampire General of high standing during the War of Vampaneze Independence. Khledon was said to have sacrificed himself in order to save the lives of his brethren. His legacy lives on in the form of the Meal Hall in Vampire Mountain.
• Stahrvos Glen - A fallen Vampire whose legacy lives on in the form of a hall in Vampire Mountain.
• Oceen Pird - A fallen Vampire whose legacy lives on in the form of one of the Halls of Sport in Vampire Mountain.
• Basker Wrent - A fallen Vampire whose legacy lives on in the form of one of the Halls of Sport in Vampire Mountain.
• Rush Flon'x - A fallen Vampire whose legacy lives on in the form of one of the Halls of Sport in Vampire Mountain.

• Flavio Kapello - A fallen Vampire whose legacy lives on in the form of the Weapons Hall in Vampire Mountain.
• Ruka Di Priatore - A fallen Vampire whose legacy lives on in the form of the Medical Hall in Vampire Mountain.