Vampires

Basic Information

Anatomy

Vampire anatomy very closely mirrors that of humans. Key differences include greater variation in natural eye color, the presence of fangs instead of canine teeth measuring about 1" or 2.5 cm, retractor pockets in the gums that allow the fangs to draw back and line up with the rest of the teeth, and a digestive system designed to process liquid human blood.

Genetics and Reproduction

Humans cannot be transformed into vampires, and except for extremely rare exceptions, humans cannot reproduce with vampires. Vampires are capable of reproducing in the same manner as humans, with a gestation period of nine months. Vampires who are unable to have biological children with their partner are highly encouraged to adopt if they would like to become parents.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Vampires are only able to digest human blood. They require about one US cup or 236 mL per day, and prefer to drink from live and willing sources. To prevent excessive blood loss, this requires one vampire to rotate feeding from three humans. Civilized vampires do not enjoy hunting; instead, they work together to raise and care for large groups of humans who are expected to become blood sources once they become adults. Feeding on children is legally forbidden and severely punished.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Compared to humans, healthy vampires have the same visual abilities in bright light, but posses tapida lucia and additional rods in the eyes that greatly improve night vision. Certain vampires are capable of hearing sounds that are too high or low for humans to register. This trait is gradually becoming more common and is currently present in about twenty percent of the population. Even sickly vampires have extremely sensitive olfactory and gustatory. Their brains map the scents of certain humans to the scents of certain foods, so blood from one person may smell and taste like apple juice, while another could resemble baked bread. Vampires generally agree on which humans imitate which foods.