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"You should rest soon, dear," I advise, even as I move over on the stump I'm sitting on for her to have room. "Something on your mind?"
"Vampires," Melina replies. "Can you teach me more about them?"
"Are you worried about Lucinda? I'm sure she won't harm us."
"As am I. But no, I am worried for her, and I would know more about her condition so we can better help her," Melina says, glancing toward where the wargs rest. "I don't wish to offend, that's why I waited."
"Mm. We'll start with the basics, then. I'm certain you recall the past lessons addressing anima, dynamis, and vampiric feeding," I begin. Melina nods confirmation, and I am briefly relieved by her not bringing up me embarrassing myself that day. "Now, there are many follow-on effects from this reliance. For example, without a strong sense of self, vampires may adopt traits from those they feed on, especially if they feed regularly on the same person. Given her resistance to the fugue state, I suspect this will not be an issue for Lucinda."
"You'd mentioned bestial anima before. Can you elaborate? I've noticed her eyes..."
"It's complicated, because many vampires have an animal aspect even without supplemental bestial anima. For example, yes, Lucinda has some feline attributes. However, even with the control she has, she'd not have been able to avoid killing a cat in feeding; there's simply not enough blood. You also may recall that some bestial attributes manifest in non-vampiric cases." I worry about how much I should say.
"Faetouched," Melina whispers, as though she's afraid of the Courts hearing her.
I hum my wordless confirmation, and continue with careful emphasis on the first words, "Moving along from there, their need for anima and dynamis to feed upon gives them a greater sense for the presence of the ephemera. Lucinda has demonstrated this twice now, at Norvanfeld and again at Hilltop."
"What exactly happened at Hilltop? I know it was echoes from Norvanfeld, but the specific events."
"Distortion, it's called. Your senses are twisted by the ephemera, subverted such that you come to see the world as the echoes influencing you do. It afflicted me as well, you know. Lucinda was the only one spared, which probably saved us all."
"Because of her senses."
"Indeed so. Continuing in that vein, especially learned and long-lived vampires can accomplish feats of direct ephemera manipulation that mortals can scarcely dream of. Unlike the Courts, they are still bound by the Principles, but capable of greater power and finesse owing to their senses and longer time to study and practice. I can think of one, possibly two vampires capable of meaningful effect: Nerezza of Shadecrest and Celeste Snowbloom,"
Melina strums her fingers on the stump, thinking. "But even those who do not wield ephemera, their senses would make them a greater threat in martial combat as well, would they not?"
"Very much so. I've seen a vampire thwart would-be hunters with dinnerware. You've never known what a talent for death looks like until you've seen someone kill their assailants with a fork and a kitchen knife. Unfortunately, that one took her revenge on a nearby village and. Well. We'll let that lie, yes?"
Melina nods her acceptance. "What of their demeanor? I know Lucy is a gentle soul, but..."
"Mm. Most vampires, to some degree or another, are drawn to power and the use thereof. Cerise of Stormhaven schemed to take rulership of the city, but has as a ruler been generally fair. Nerezza keeps her self-appointed status as protector of Stonebridge, and seems to take some small amusement in the anxiety the people have about her."
"But why?" Melina asks. "What does she gain from it?"
"From the stewardship or the fear? I suppose it matters little; I can't answer either. She may enjoy the fear itself, or she may find it humorously ironic that the people she protects are afraid of her. Or perhaps she simply enjoys using the power she has for good ends. I don't know her heart, we've not had much contact."
"How common is it for a vampire to kill?"
I hesitate; I had dreaded this question. "It's... not easy to say. Many are quite good at covering their tracks, leaving an unresolved disappearance as the only clue. The bloodfiend Ammar personally killed many dozens of people over the years.
"I see, I see. And how are new vampires... born? Made?"
"Most vampires are known to have been turned by another vampire," I explain. "This is never accidental; it must be a conscious choice by the vampire who turns them. Some are more indirect; a vampire may turn a a mortal into a bonded dhampir, also known as a bondknight. These people feed indirectly; their lord transfers ephemera from their own feeding. In this way, a dhampir is kept leashed. But when the lord vampire dies, those dhampir must find another source of anima or they will wither and die. Some, and I do not know the mechanism behind this, are able to develop vampirism of their own from that state. Unfortunately, those who fail will decay into bloodfiends, but mercifully briefly; they still will lack the ability to actually feed on the ephemera they need."
Melina sits for some time, ruminating on all that she's been told. She's just about to rise from the stump when a question occurs to her. "You said, 'most' vampires? What of the others?"
"That is a lesson for another time."
