Vampires

From Glen Cook Wiki

Rather than being cursed undead, the creatures are victims of a disease, reversable if caught early in its progression. Various symtoms and effects caused by the disease start off slowly, but become more noticeable and powerful as the victims succumb.

Symptoms of the disease include:

• Increased strength, speed, and durability. A vampire, not even fully progressed in the disease is shown nearly equal to a groll in a test of strength. This great strength also allows a vampire to leap a hundred feet in a single bound; this ability is the source of the myth that vampires can fly.
• Immunity to poisons and (other) diseases. The bloodslaves (those still early in the disease's progression) aren't immune yet; immunity apparently builds up slowly.
• Effective immortality. The Bloodstone of the Bloodmaster of the nest seen in this book is described as three or four thousand years old, and it is implied that each Bloodmaster has his own stone.
• Dental abberations. Fully developed vampires have hollow fangs that inject a soporific venom, which transmits the disease as well. Even bloodslaves early in the progression will develop stubby fangs.
• Extreme sensitivity to metals, especially silver. The touch of metal of any sort causes pain to a vampire, while silver is as poisonous as cobra blood. They can detect metals many miles away. In addition, the horns of unicorns are deadly to them.
• Extreme aversion to light. While it does not seem to kill them, it does hurt them quite a bit, potentially driving them mad under extended exposure.

Once the disease has progressed in a human, they become unable to process normal food, vomiting it soon after swallowing. This may not be related to the disease itself, but may simply be a side effect caused by the diet of the transition stage - implied to be the bodies of those the masters drain.

Vampires live in a nest, usually underground, consisting of one or two dozen masters, their brides, and a horde of bloodslaves in various states of the disease. The masters do breed, yielding "soulless brats" who apparenty come into the world fully progressed. All human peoples of the world universally regard vampires as an overriding menace to everyone, and will drop whatever they are doing to clean out a nest if found. Centaurs also apparently have a special enmity for vampires.

Humans are apparently the only race succeptible to the disease. The venom will simply kill breeds, even part-human ones.

References

• Cook, Glen (1987). Sweet Silver Blues, pp 177-9, 186-9, 198-221. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-451-45070-1.