Dhampir

A dhampir (female dhampiresa) in is the child hybrid resulting from the rare and unnatural union of one human and one vampire parent; they are half-breeds, not vampires themselves. The term is sometimes spelled dhampyre, dhamphir, or dhampyr.

Although not driven to consume blood for survival as their undead progenitors are, dhampirs nonetheless know a lifelong desire for blood that nothing else can truly sate. Those who survive their early years face a life of fear and mistrust, their unnatural beauty and incredible reflexes marking them as scions of the night just as surely as their sensitivity to light. Although polluted by undeath, dhampirs do grow old and die. Dhampirs are adept at detecting and killing vampires.

Often male vampires have a great desire for women, so a vampire will return to lay with his wife or with a woman he was attracted to in life. Vampires sometimes deflower virgins as well.

Folklore


Some traditions specify signs by which the children of a vampire can be recognized. Some legends state they have untamed dark or black hair and lack a shadow. In folklore, possible indications include being "very dirty," having a soft body, no nails and bones (the latter physical peculiarity is also ascribed to the vampire itself), and "a deep mark on the back, like a tail." In contrast, a pronounced nose was often a sign, as were larger than normal ears, teeth or eyes. In some areas, it is thought a true dhampir possesses a "slippery, jelly-like body and lived only a short life—a belief that vampires have no bones."

Notable Dhampirs


Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License