Vampires are among the most elusive of modern-day mythical creatures, making them somewhat more difficult to study than their deceased counterparts. However through years of extensive research and first-hand experience with a little help from a close friend, I have managed to compile some facts about their species.
1. Vampires seem to be more closely related to the family Felidae than the order Chiroptera - that is, they are more cat than bat. This explains a number of crucial discrepancies in accounts of their kind, namely their dislike of sunlight. While bats are purely nocturnal creatures, many vampires are active during the day and night time, like their feline counterparts. It would seem, however, that they are more adept to low-light environments, able to see even in pitch black areas - a marked evolutionary advantage that cats cannot boast. This leads many vampires to be more active during the night, and likely fueled the initial bat-like image.
2. Vampires do not burn in sunlight. Nor do they sparkle. They are not particularly weakened by it although it can somewhat affect their vision so they are usually seen wearing darkened glasses even during overcast days. In fact many of the archaic repellents used against vampires are, if more modern accounts are to be believed, ineffectual. My research suggests that vampires are an almost entirely atheist species. They are somewhat repelled by religious symbols such as the crucifix, the star of David and such, but that is not to say they would cause them harm or severe discomfort. The same applies to garlic. They have no taste for it, and avoid it where necessary, but as long as they aren't forced to eat it it will not pose a risk to them.
3. Stabbing with a steak through the heart is not fatal. Painful, I imagine, but not a mortal wound from what I can glean. The easiest way to kill a vampire is to remove the brain from the body, most often by severing the head by the neck. The most effective way is removing the heart, a fatal trait they share with their distant cousins - werewolves. However when looking further into this particular method of death, a source described it thusly,
Removing the heart from an immortal is akin to trying to shave their mortal counterparts. You only need to glance at a rich high street to see quite how easy it can be to give a dog a ridiculous trim, but how often have you seen a cat comply when presented with shears?
Due to this fact, the exact details of vampiric death are difficult to ascertain, with some claiming that the body immediately disintegrates into ash whilst others assert that ancient rituals may be used to resurrect the being. One thing is clear, though. Killing a vampire is extremely difficult and rarely successful.
Many questions still remain with regards to these creatures. I hope my research can lead me to further understand them and their biology, not to mention their culture and history.
