古代有渴血的精灵，中世纪出现嗜血的恶魔
15世纪欧洲教会承认，世上有僵尸
300年后人们口耳相传
这在暗夜里寻找生命的死灵
行迹难测，形象多变

吸血鬼（vampire）是西方世界里著名的魔怪，之所以说是魔怪，是因为他处于一种尴尬的境地：既不是神，也不是魔鬼，更不是人。就向被上帝遗弃一样，这一点在影片《吸血迷情》中得到了淋漓尽致的表现。
但这并不妨碍它成为最诱人，最神秘，最浪漫的传说人物，因为它身上具有一切不可思议的魅力：年轻，美丽，永生不死.....在吸血鬼和受害者之间，时常还有一种掺杂着情欲的施虐与受虐关系，就像所说“使你在极度幸福中死去”难道还有比这更有诱惑力的吗？

历代文人墨客写下了大量的诗歌剧本来表达这种即向往又恐惧的心情，如拜伦的《吸血鬼》1816年，科勒律支的《克里斯特贝尔》，济慈的《无情的美人》《拉弥亚》.就连大仲马，狄更斯这样的大家也写过相关的作品，但这些作品中影响力最大的莫过于斯托克的《惊情四百年》。

他们的力量远大于常人，而且拥有常人无法获得的异能。实际上，为了维持他们这种生存状态，他们必须吸食鲜血。一般来说，大部分吸血鬼通常吸食人类的血液，但是也有部分吸血鬼以吸食动物甚至其他吸血鬼的血维生。从吸食的途径上来分，一些吸血鬼会豢养牲畜（herd），这些牲畜并非牛、羊之类的动物，而是一些因为某种原因自愿贡献鲜血的人类；另一些吸血鬼会利用特殊场合诱惑人类达到目的。还有一些吸血鬼通常采取攻击的方式强行吸食血液。

每一个吸血鬼都拥有异于常人的能力。但是这种能力并不是生来就有的。年轻的吸血鬼的能力几乎和凡人相同。但是随着年龄和经验的增长，吸血鬼会逐渐发掘自身的能力，从而使自己变得强大，理论上来讲，越年长的吸血鬼拥有的能力就越强大。第三代吸血鬼拥有的能力甚至可以与神媲美。在这些吸血鬼面前，通常的人是不堪一击的。

吸血鬼的辈分阶级
在血族的世界中，辈份便代表地位以及能力的高低。当然，由于血族不会衰老，所以实际活过的年纪和看起来的年纪没有关系。
　　Childe是还未被介绍给亲王认可的吸血鬼，他们也未被自己的尊长(Sire)所释放。通常Childe是被当作儿童般被尊长照顾带养着。

Neonate是刚被引介给亲王的新进血族成员，但还未在血族社会中闯出名号。他们是最年轻的血族，当代的Neonate通常是第十叁代之后。
Anarch有些叛逆性极强的新进成员会成为叛乱之徒。他们会因为叛乱的作为，而受到长老们的注意。但是他们不可能进入正式政治运作之中
Elder长老们通常已活了两百到一千年，他们拥有强大的能力，多半已在血族社会中占有一席之地，掌握了相当的权力。

Methuselah这是传说中的血族，他们活了一两千年之久，算是第四或第五代的血族。据说他们的身体在长年的岁月中，产生很大的变化。然而很少人确定他们是否存在，毕竟经过如此漫长的岁月，就算是不死之躯，也可能因为疯狂或厌世而毁灭。如果真有存活至今者，也必然不问世事，不会加入任何组织。而且，无庸置疑地，他们绝对拥有十分强大的异能。
Antediluvian他们是最古早的吸血鬼，并且可能是世界上最强大的生物。一般传说他们是该隐的孙子（第叁代吸血鬼），没有人知道这是否只是传说，但可以确定的是，如果他们真的存在，而且介入了当代血族的事务，那么他们一定不会让事情善罢甘休。因为自古以来，便传说这些古老吸血鬼之间一直进行着千年圣战(Jyhad)，所有的后代血族在他们眼中都只是傀儡。他们只要说一个字，就可能造成整个血族间天翻地覆。在卡玛利拉习俗中，“Antediluvian”甚至是一个禁制的字眼。


吸血鬼最早的起源据称是圣经中的该隐。
根据圣经记载，亚当和夏娃被逐出伊甸园之後来到荒野，并且生了许多孩子。其中该隐是老大，同时也是世上第3位人类。他是个农夫，和牧羊人弟弟共同生活。有次两人照例向上帝献祭，弟弟奉上的是丰盛的肉食，而该隐的青菜萝卜自然招来上帝不满。该隐由此谋杀了弟弟，翌日上帝问该隐他弟弟哪里去了，他辩称不知。上帝怒道：「狡赖！你弟弟的冤魂向我哭诉你的暴行，你却说不知。所以你得接受我的惩罚！」该隐於是向上帝求饶，但是上帝说：「不， 我不会杀你，而且我知道你以後一定会被人唾弃。所以我给你一个与众不同的记号，这样你就会让别人知道你不该被杀----只是尽量折磨你罢了。
在千年潜藏的吸血鬼传说中，该隐所受的天谴便是终生必需*吸食活人鲜血，并且永生不死，世世代代受此诅咒的折磨。而且上帝让他的记号变成人人都可见而诛之，这是和圣经上不一样的地方。
书中後来又把他和撒旦的情人莉莉丝（Lilith,最早出现于苏美尔神话，犹太教旧约里亚当的第一个妻子,因不满上帝而离开伊甸园）配成一对，说莉莉丝是法力高强的女巫，并教导该隐如何利用鲜血产生力量以供己用。正因如此，也有人认为莉莉丝才是真正的第一位吸血鬼。

不知道什么时候开始对吸血鬼产生莫名的兴趣
甚至上学期连SPEECH都作关于VAMPIRES的
视觉同盟的电子杂志就这么送到我的邮箱里来
实在是个好东西啊...
摘了这段关于吸血鬼的文章
下面是我的SPEECH原稿
和实际讲的还是有点出入

Good day!
Today I would like to talk about a kind of interesting creature which mostly appears in the western legends but rarely in our real world.
They cast no shadows, it means a mirror will not reflect their images, light rays go straight through their bodies, you can’t see shadows behind them. They sleep in coffins all day. They do not like garlic. Crosses are deadly to them. They can only be killed by driving a stake through their heart, chopping off their head, or burning their bodies. And most importantly, which you are all able to find out what I am talking about by this last description, they bite their victim’s necks and drink their blood.
It’s the vampire, of course. I think most of you know some of these characteristics about vampires, but how many know the details behind the myth?
Vampire stories go back to more than 2000 years ago. However, the most famous vampire in literature is Dracula, the title character of Bram Stoker’s novel in 1897, which I have seen Sean reading. Count Dracula was wining a war against the Turkish while in his homeland, people were saying that Count Dracula sacrificed during the war. His wife, Lisa, could not accept the death of her husband and drowned herself. Seeing her dead body, Count Dracula did not believe in God anymore. The change of belief made him the deadless vampire. The story has been made to movie for several times as well as computer games.
Stoker’s inspiration for Dracula was a real person from the 15th century, Prince Vlad of Wallachia which is now a part of Romania. Vlad’s royal family emblem was the dragon, or dracul, which also means devil. Prince Vlad was greatly feared by his enemies, because they believed that he ate human flesh and sucked human blood. Vlad also liked to nailed his enemies’ living bodies on sharp stakes, and watch them slowly die.
However, vampires surely exist. There is a scientific explanation for the behavior of vampires. Vampires are simply the people who suffer from a blood disorder that makes their skin sensitive to light. Sunlight causes chemical changes in their skin that can bring unattractive marks. The disease can also tighten the gums, which can make the teeth stick out like fangs. People with this disease are also allergic to various foods, including garlic!
So, maybe somebody aound you is a vampire.
Here I’d like to take a test with you to see whether you are a vampire. I’ll read the instructions and you check if you are similar to them.
1.you have excellent night vision.
2.you think about blood a lot
3.when you were a child, you often stayed up very late.
4.you prefer to work in the evenings.
5.you have a strong interest in vampire myths and legends.
6.you like to spend time alone.
7.you are cold during the day, and hot at night.
8.you can’t see well in bright sunlight.
9.you wake up at night and sense that you are not alone.
10.you are often dizzy, or you feel faint.
11.you remember a lot of your dreams.
12.you dream about flying
13.your health is above average.
14.you look younger than your age.
15.you do not like garlic.
16.you get angry often.
17.other people tell you that you look like a vampire.
18.you believe that you are not human.

Now total the number of how many you are similar to.
If less than 5, you do not seem to be a vampire at all. Sorry!
If 6-11, you may be a vampire.
And if more than 12, you have most of the qualities of a real vampire. Surprise? It doesn’t necessarily mean you are, but be careful, stay away from blood!
What are you?