The Unsorted BBS Collection/thegreatunsorted.tar/thegreatunsorted/texts/txtfiles_misc/vamp03.faq

Text File | 1995-03-26 | 19KB | 353 lines

Powers and Limitations of Vampires

SUBJECT:  Dracula's powers and weaknesses

>Hello members of the vamp-list!

This is a series of quotations from the book Dracula by Bram Stoker
(the Signet Classic version).  I hope through these quotations from
the book to help the writers on the list get some ideas of the powers
of vampires, for Stoker basically introduced the myth of the vampire
to the masses (in other words, he made it more widespread than it had
ever been before).  I hope that you guys enjoy it (REMEMBER -- this is
only one version of the myth and writers were made to expand on things
like this as many writers have done before!  :[   )

Also I will enclose in this some notes from Vampires, published by
Mayfair Games, on Dracula's abilities in order to clear up some of his
abilities that remain unclear from the quotations.  Enjoy!

Chapter 18 - excerpts from Mina Harker's journal

(words of Van Helsing):  'The nosferatu do not die like the bee when
he sting once.  He is stronger; and being stronger, yet have more
power to work evil.  This vampire which is amongst us is of himself so
strong in person as twenty men; he is of cunning more than mortal, for
his cunning be the growth of ages; he have still the aids of
necromancy, which is, as his etymology imply, the divination of the
dead, and all the dead that he can come nigh to are for him at
command; he is brute, and more than brute; he is devil in callous, and
the heart of him is not; he can, within limitations, appear at will
when, and where, and in any of the forms that are to him; he can,
within his range, direct the elements; the storm, the fog, the
thunder; he can command all the meaner things: the rat, and the owl,
and the bat - the moth, and the fox, and the wolf; he can grow and
become small; and he can at times vanish and come unknown.  . . .  But
to fail here, is not mere life or death.  It is that we became as him;
'Take it, then, that the vampire, and the belief in his limitations
and his cure, rest for the moment on the same base.  For, let me tell
you, he is known everywhere that men have been.  In old Greece, in old
Rome; he flourish in Germany all over, in France, in India, even in
the Chernosese; and in China, so far from us in all ways, there even
he is, and the peoples fear him at this day.  He have follow the wake
of the berserker Icelander, the devil-begotten Hun, the Slav, the
Saxon, the Magyar.  So far, then, we have all we may act upon; and let
me tell you that very much of the beliefs are justified by what we
have seen in our own unhappy experience.  The vampire live on, and
cannot die by mere passing of time; he can flourish when that he can
fatten on the blood of the living.  Even more, we have seen amongst us
that  he can even grow younger; that his vital faculties grow
strenuous, and seem as though they refresh themselves when his special
pabulum is plenty.  But he cannot flourish without his diet;

'In the records are such words as 'stregoica' - witch, 'ordog,' and
'pokol' - Satan and hell; and in one manuscript this very Dracula is
spoken of as 'wampyr,' which we all understand too well.  There have
been from the loins of this very one great men and good women, and
their graves make sacred the earth where alone this foulness can
dwell.  For it is not the least of its terrors that this evil thing is
rooted deep in all good; in soil barren of holy memories it cannot
rest.'

Chapter 24 - excerpt from Dr. John Seward's diary

(words of Van Helsing): 'She did not speak, even when she wrote that
which she wished to be known later.  Now my fear is this.  If it be
that she can, by our hypnotic trance, tell what the Count see and
hear, is it not more true that he who have hypnotize her first, and
have drink of her very blood and make her drink of his, should, if he
will, compel her mind to disclose to him that which she know?'

Chapter 26 - excerpt from Dr. John Seward's diary

(words of Van Helsing): 'But he has to get on shore. In the night he
may lay hidden somewhere; but if he be not carried on shore, or if the
ship do not touch it, he cannot achieve the land.  If such case he
can, if it be in the night, change his form and can jump or fly on
shore, as he did at Whitby.  But if the day before he get on shore,
then, unless he be carried he cannot escape.'

Chapter 27 - excerpts from Dr. Van Helsing's memorandum

'Ah, I doubt not that in old time, when such things were, many a man
who set forth to do such a task as mine, found at last his heart fail
him, and then his nerve.  So he delay, and delay, and delay, till the
mere beauty and the fascination of the wanton Un-Dead have hypnotize
him; and he remain on and on, till sunset come, and the Vampire sleep
be over. Then the beautiful eyes of the fair woman open and look for
love, and the voluptuous mouth present to a kiss - and man is weak.
And there remain one more victim in the Vampire fold; one more to
swell the grim and grisly ranks of the Un-Dead!'

'Before I began to restore these women to their dead selves through my
awful work, I laid in Dracula's tomb some of the Wafer, and so
banished him from it, Un-Dead, for ever.'

Well folks, that's the end of the quotations from Stoker. . . here are
some quotations from the game Chill, the supplement called Vampire on
Dracula's powers and weaknesses:

'Dracula cannot cast a reflection.  This also means that his image
does not appear on film or any other device that requires a light (or
heat) source to produce and image.  A flame can be seen through his
body.  The sight of human blood excites and enrages Dracula.  Dracula
does not die when exposed to sunlight; he is able to move about during
the day. Sunlight does weaken him, however [ he can't use his
supernatural powers] except at noon (exactly at noon, not a second
before or after) and for a few moments after sunrise and before
sunset.  Although Dracula looks to be dead or asleep when in his
coffin, he is actually in a light trance.  He can still hear the
sounds near his coffin.

The following items offer protection against Dracula:

A crucifix. (It can be made of virtually any solid material.  A
crucifix does not include a regular cross, or any item or image in the
shape of a cross).  Upon seeing this item, Dracula cowers and
withdraws, leaving the area quickly and in any manner possible.  The
crucifix doesn't diminish his powers except that he can't enter the
area within a 2 1/2 foot radius from it.  A blessed crucifix placed
inside his empty coffin prevents Dracula from returning to rest there.

Garlic.  The odor of the bulb causes Dracula to leave the room or
immediate area.

A wild rose.  This flower has the same effect as garlic.  It also
immobilizes the vampire when placed on him.

Mountain ash.  When placed upon the Count, the leaf has the same
effect as a wild rose.

According to Dr. Van Helsing, there are two steps in destroying
Dracula: first drive a wooden stake through or burn his heart.  Then,
decapitate him.  If someone uses the stake or burns the heart, but
fails to sever Dracula's head, the Count turns into a cloud of fog.
This reaction occurs automatically.'

The information that I just added from that game, I think has been
slightly spiced up for the game itself; but it is still interesting
stuff to ponder.  I hope you guys enjoy this fluff legend/source for
vampire stories and use it to add some 'historical sense of facts to
your stories!  :[

Enjoy guys!

Ghostdancer

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[e-mail] :[
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                      E D I T O R ' S   N O T E

         The following is an attempt to recreate an essay I
       submitted to VAMPYRES sometime ago.  It should serve to
       summarize and clarify the information provided above by
                             Ghostdancer.

                               Dragon

Bram Stoker's _Dracula_ was not the first fictional work involving
vampires.  It was, however, the best known and most widely read
vampire novel (at least before Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles) and the
image of the vampire held by the general public was largely shaped by
Stoker's vampire.  The impact has been so great that the name Dracula
has almost become synonymous with the vampire myth.  Most of the films
concerning vampires were (and continue to be) heavily dependent on
Stoker's work.  Most of the fictional vampires created since 1896 were
largely derived from Stoker's writing (with a few very significant
exceptions).  Consequently, we are justified in spending some time
examining the nature of the vampire as delineated in the pages of
_Dracula_.

The vampire is essentially an evil spirit with some corporeal
characteristics.  It is an animated corpse that survives by drinking
the blood of the living.  It also has a demonic nature and is a
servant of Satan, dedicated to spreading its evil throughout the
world.  As a creature that partakes of both the spiritual and physical
worlds the vampire wields great powers.  It is also subject to severe
limitations.  Note that most of the vampire's powers increase with age
and experience.

The vampire does not age nor will it die from the passing of time,
though it may appear to age if it goes sometime without feeding.  When
Johnathan Harker first met Dracula in Transylvania, the Count appeared
to be an old man with white hair.  However, the vampire could also
undergo a rejuvenation when the blood supply was plentiful.  When
Harker later encountered the Count in London his hair had turned iron
gray and he appeared many years younger.  The vampire is also immune
to all the diseases that normally prey upon humanity.

The vampire's physical strength greatly exceeds that of mortals.
Dracula is described as having the strength of twenty strong men.  His
other physical abilities are also elevated.  During the encounter in
the house in Picadilly, when the vampire hunters think they have
trapped Dracula during the day, the Count is described as moving with
preternatural speed to avoid their weapons and leaping from a second
story window to escape.  He is unharmed by the drop and flees laughing
at his frustrated enemies.

Under most conditions the vampire is immune to mortal weapons.  At
night, when his powers are at their fullest, he is practically
invincible.  Only when moving about during the day or when resting in
his coffin is he subject to physical harm.  The only method of
destroying the vampire permanently is to drive a stake through its
heart, cut off its head and fill the mouth with garlic or Holy Wafer,
and cut out and burn the heart.

This is a point of inconsistency in  Stoker's writing.  The method of
killing a vampire described above is stated by van Helsing to be the
only sure method of permanently destroying the vampire and it is the
method used to end the existence of all the vampires in the novel but
Dracula himself.  Dracula is destroyed when his heart is pierced by a
knife and he is simultaneously decapitated.  This is not inconsistent
with the vampire legends of Europe since simple decapitation is the
preferred method of vampire destruction in many areas of the
Continent.  However, it does conflict with van Helsing's statements
earlier in the novel.  Perhaps this conflict can be explained by the
fact that Dracula was exposed to the direct rays of the sun at the
moment the vampire hunters struck.  It is also possible (though
unclear from the text) that the Count had been thrown from his coffin-
box when it was thrown off its wagon.  This would remove the Count
from the protective layer of hallowed native soil upon which he must
rest.

The vampire may command the creatures of the night.  The wolf, the
rat, the fox, the owl, the bat and the moth must all obey the summons
and commands of the vampire lord.  This power is demonstrated at
several points in the novel.  Early in the novel Johnathan Harker sees
his coach driver (the Count in disguise) disperse a closing circle of
hunting wolves.  A short time later the Count summons wolves to kill a
peasant woman who has come to the castle seeking her infant (a recent
victim of the Count).  When the Count is attempting to subdue Renfield
to his will he summons hundreds of rats, promising to give them all to
the madman.

The vampire is a shape shifter.  He may assume the form of a wolf or a
bat and possibly any of the other animals subject to his command.  The
vampire may also transform himself into a mist or dust motes drifting
in the air.  When Harker first sees the vampire women in Castle
Dracula they appear as motes of dust dancing on the moon beams.  They
gradually coalesce into human form, though by that time Harker is
completely under their hypnotic spell.  Only the sudden appearance of
the Count saves Harker from becoming a victim.  When the Count arrives
in England he assumes that shape of a wolf to leap from the bow of his
ship to the shore.

Within a limited range, the Count has the power to control the
weather.  During the long voyage from Transylvania to England he keeps
his ship surrounded by a dense cloud of fog.  Upon arrival off the
shore of England he summons a great storm to cover his entry into the
country.   He often uses fog or mist to cover his movements.

The vampire may alter his size within certain limits, becoming either
larger or smaller.  The clearest demonstration of this power is seen
when the newly created vampire Lucy enters her crypt by becoming thin
enough to pass through the crack in the door.

Dracula has the power to become invisible and to pass unseen among his
enemies.  He also appears to have some powers of teleportation within
a limited range.  Both of these abilities are based entirely on the
statements of van Helsing.  Dracula is never shown using these powers
at any point in the novel.

One of the most deadly powers of the vampire is his hypnotic ability.
Much like the snake and the bird, the vampire may exert his will over
the will of his victim, even to the point of inducing a catatonic
state.  This power explains why victims often have no memory of being
attacked.  One of the clearest demonstrations of this power comes when
the heroes break into the Harker bedroom to discover the Count forcing
the helpless Mina to drink from the open vein in his chest.  Johnathan
lies in the bed next to Mina, entranced and unable to awaken and come
to the aid of his wife.

Dracula apparently also had some necromantic abilities.  Van Helsing
states that all the dead that Dracula can come near are his to
command.  These abilities may be specific to Dracula and not generally
available to other vampires.  Van Helsing implies at one point that
during life Dracula was a practitioner of the Black Arts.  In fact, it
is implied that it was the practice of Black Magic that led to
Dracula's transformation into a vampire.  The Count would have
retained this arcane knowledge after death.

The vampire may climb walls much like a large insect.  He may climb
normally or with his head toward the ground.  Dracula is seen using
this ability when he leaves his quarters in Castle Dracula.  Lastly,
the vampire has the power to create others of its kind.  This is not
automatic;  every victim who dies from the attack of the vampire does
not in turn rise from the dead as a vampire.  It requires a special
act on the part of the vampire to create a new vampire.  Specifically,
the victim must be forced to drink the blood of the vampire.  This is
the act that van Helsing calls 'the vampire's baptism of blood.'  From
this moment onward the victim is cursed and will eventually, whether
death results from vampire attack or natural causes, become a vampire
following death.  The victim is under the mental domination of the
master vampire and can only exert an independent will during the
daylight hours or when the master vampire consciously releases his
control.  This is a two-way linkage and under the proper conditions
the victim can determine something about the whereabouts of the
vampire.  Only the death of the master vampire can free the victim
from the threat of becoming one of the undead.

This is an impressive array of powers.  It would seem that such a
creature would be invincible.  However, there are severe restrictions
on the vampire's powers.  We now pass to a discussion of these
limitations.

The first limitation upon the vampire is his restriction during the
hours of daylight.  Contrary to popular belief, Dracula is not
destroyed by the light of the sun.  He is, however, severely weakened.
When moving about during the day the vampire is unable to use any of
his supernatural powers except for the precise moment of noon and for
a few moments after sunrise and before sunset.  Only his strength and
agility remain unchanged during the day.  Further, he may be harmed by
mortal weapons when moving about during the hours of daylight.

It is possible that this ability comes only with age and that newly
created vampires lack the strength to withstand the light of day.  The
vampire must rest in hallowed ground from its native land.  Usually
the vampire will rest in its coffin during the day in a light trance-
like state that mimics true death.  However, the vampire is aware of
things happening around it when in this state.  The vampire may only
leave its resting place at sunrise, noon or sunset.  This is clearly
the vampire's time of greatest vulnerability since it is helpless when
resting within its coffin.  Dracula shipped fifty boxes of
Transylvanian soil to England to provide himself with a variety of
resting places.  It is unclear whether the vampire must rest every day
or may remain 'awake' for several days in a row.

The vampire may not cross running water.  He may be carried over or at
certain times he may change shape and fly or jump over.  If the
vampire becomes immersed in running water he is completely helpless
and will be destroyed.

The vampire may not enter a home unless he is freely invited in by one
of the residents.  Dracula required and invitation from Renfield
before he could enter Seward's Sanitarium.  However, once he has been
invited in he may come and go at will.

Holy or sacred objects will repel the vampire.  The most potent such
object is the crucifix.  Contact with the crucifix will actually burn
the vampire (see the scarring of Mina Harker in the novel).  Holy
wafer placed in the vampire's coffin will prevent him from using it as
a resting place.  Garlic will also repel the vampire though it is not
nearly as efficacious as the Holy objects.  A branch of wild rose
placed atop the vampire's coffin while he is within will imprison him.
A consecrated bullet fired through the coffin at this time will kill
him.

Dragon
'The blood is the life'