If you check out the web site, you will find that there are several kinds of vampires, both male and female, who are sterile. But in the cases of the females who can reproduce, their cycles begin as early as any human but do last much longer due to the extended life span/slower aging. We did our own study, quite unscientific. We concluded (and this is by no means official) that Inheritors age about one year for every 12 to 15 years that they live. This would indicate that an Inheritor female capable of birth, such as a Lunar, would keep having cycles much longer into her life span.

As for Night-Timers, most begin late into adolescence. Much later than normal humans, but also continue much longer into their life spans. The life span of a healthy Night-Timer is normally 200 or 250. The rate of aging seems to be 1 year for every 2 or 3 lived, for most. In other words, a Night-Timer woman of 58 ... ahem ... would look in her late 20's or early 30's. Night-timers can have their cycles up to about age 65 or so. I can speak only from my experience and that of my female family members.

Of course vampires eat and drink as humans do. However, it takes far less food to meet the requirements to sustain life. With Inheritor and Classical vampires, it takes very little food to put on weight because it is processed more efficiently.

Surprisingly, headaches, especially migraines, are common among real vampires. I do not know why.

Yes, and that is one of the ploys many use to change their appearance after moving on.

Worry ... maybe. Die from it, probably not. Real vampires regenerate organs and recover more quickly from such procedures.

Depends. If they went for a check up, probably. If they needed blood tests or tissue test ... then maybe. If just regular blood tests probably, but if going for any sort of DNA test, including Parental testing, the differences in DNA might catch the attention of the Lab worker.

Yes, of course. But only if the vampire can endure the loss of such a spouse over and over. But, yes, they can.

Sometimes they do, but most often not. The 'net is full of role players, pretenders and liars. Some vampires can sense things from e-mail, instant messages or phone calls, but many cannot do so. The 'net is a good place to post messages to enlighten, to tell your personal stories and feelings. Most likely no one believes you anyway, and you can remain anonymous if you like.

Some vampires do personally meet people they met on-line. But, on the whole, most do not accept humans as mates. What a disappointment it is to make an acquaintance, have it become a friendship, then a close friendship ... then the vampire begins to have feelings of love for the human. Then to have the entire thing turn out badly when the real truth is known.

I have had friends become friends only in hopes of me introducing them to vampires who would turn, or transform, them. It is hard for me. It is even harder for someone who feels they are falling in love and decides the heartache of knowing that mortal will die is too much. Then you learn that they never believed you in the first place and thought you were playing, or you find out they have lied to you, or that all they really wanted was for you to infect them.

Vampires normally do not advertise their existence. There are no 'signs' to look for. There is no way to really know, unless the vampire decides to let you know, or offers to prove it to you. And this would be extremely rare.

Vampires can induce you to completely forget things. I know this from first hand experience. Vampires can alter the conscious state to make an experience seem like a dream or in some way make reality seem unreal. Vampires can induce sleep, or a sleep-like state. I know this from experience as well.

No, only if he is a trained hypnotist. But, see above question for explanation of what can be done.

Real ones that I have spoken to, or know personally, very seldom.

It is an individual choice depending on the vampire. At times because he or she feels they just want to keep the person around as a friend, or because they think the person needs time to accomplish something they have begun. It could be any reason.

Usually not. I know Vampires who were married to mortals and allowed them to grow old and die as anyone else would. Perhaps sometimes they might do so for love, but I doubt it. A vampires lives with death. They see their mortal friends die all the time and must keep seeing the loss of loved ones, spouses and friends ... over and over again. They are resigned to it; it is part of their existence.

We all loose loved ones, hopefully not until late in our lives. But some of us, even the human or Night-timer, see many losses. I have lost my son, my first husband, my mother, my mother-in-law, father-in-law, my grandmother, several aunts and seven dearest close friends in the past seven years. And yet, this is nothing compared to how many deaths a vampire must endure.

Vampires regard marriage as humans do ... some with more commitment than others. But, I do not know of any vampire divorces.

I do not know. But from the tons of mail I get, it is probably neither Classicals nor Inheritors, but Night-timers and Genetics. Other than these, I would venture to guess it would be Classicals.

UPDATE: it is now several years later than when this web site first went up, there has been a civil war of sorts raging for a years now. Based on the last report I received, the Classicals (also referred to as Pales) now far outnumber the other breeds of vampires.

Of old age, the way humans do. However, I do not know of a single reported case of a vampire dying a natural death.

That would be determined by his or her wishes. It would be the same as anyone else ... perhaps religious, perhaps not.

There is no one real vampire religion.

Oddly, no. It seems to be Judeo-Christian, as to the ones I have met, write to, or know personally. Most seem to be Christian. I would say most others fall into the categories of Buddhist, or other Oriental, or Asian disciplines. However, there are many pagans included among the various vampire types.

No, it would not. If it did they would have done so already. It never justifies harming someone just because you are able to do so. Stronger, better connected, more powerful, more wealthy, nope. Humans are the same way ... killers. But keeping control is what civilizes man, or vampire, as a race.

Laws for the good of all, not just a few. Meeting difficulties without killing is what makes civilization, both human and vampire. 'Cops' who enforce their own kind. Renegade vampires who commit crimes against humans or in some way break laws or rules having to do with their own kind, are considered criminals and are tracked down by their own 'police.'

The difference is that most of the time, the criminal vampire is usually killed when caught. Vampire laws and judgments, on their own kind, are much more harsh most of the time than human justice. Given the length of time a vampire lives, and his physical strength, it is useless to put him or her in a human jail.

Yes, most are various forms of Judeo-Christian, Buddhist, Taoist, some are Pagan. Vampires are not worshipers of evil or the Devil just because they are vampires.

Only in fictional writings, TV and films. Such symbols do not harm vampires. For a fuller explanation of why such beliefs are thought of as true, read the Myth Origins pages on this site.

And why not? Those beliefs come from the original folk lore and church teachings that vampires were the essence of evil and could not abide good. Good is stronger that even supreme evil, so the Myth vampires cannot abide to be in a church or encounter and symbol of good or God. Pure nonsense. Why? Because actual vampires are also religious and non religious just like humans ... many are Christian, Jewish, Catholic, etc.

Just as with humans, this is an individual choice. Some do, some do not. I know several vampires who are Catholic, Christian forms, Oriental and Asian religions, and Pagans.

There are some 'pseudo' groups who have their own forms of what they call religion, but to my knowledge, there in not one over all accepted 'Vampire Religion.' Most of these groups base their self-proclaimed religions on myths of the past. None of these groups are real vampires. Bloodists or Fetishists, perhaps ... nothing more.

No, vampires are either born with the virus already in their bodies, or they are infected with it by one who is himself infected. It is not a religious issue, but a medical and life style issue. Demons and the Devil are only myths. Vampires are not demons nor devils. They are not born or created by evil any more than a normal human is born evil.

This is the easiest question of all. Humans are more than just interested in vampires, many wish to meet them or become one themselves. They pretend to be them and it is because of several reasons:

1. They wrongly believe there is majesty and power in a real vampire's life, mainly because of the myths, legends and lies of history.

2. Because they believe there is great power in being a vampire; power over friends, enemies, etc.

3. Beauty, staying young forever, staying beautiful forever or creating beauty through magic where none was before.

4. Personal strength; being popular and liked by all. Humans - some of them anyway - also feel vampires are evil and serve the devil. This is untrue but some humans seek to do evil, seek revenge for some wrong done to them in the past and want great power to exact this revenge.

But all those reasons are wrong. There is no such vampire as those depicted in Anne Rice, Dracula, or Forever Knight. These are only characters which come from the minds of human writers based on legends made from fear and ignorance of other humans in the distant past. The modern day writers took ideas from ancient folk lore and the fears of the ancient church. But these were disbeliefs and not true. In truth, there are real vampires and they are psychic and do possess abilities which are a bit stronger than humans' but not as in the legends. Most do not know this. They either believe the legends are true and there are real vampires just like those legends OR they believe nothing is real and that it is pretend, so what is the harm?

The truth is there are vampires and they are strong and psychic but not as much as the legends and some are not strong or psychic. They are not spirit or evil and they do not kill all they see. Their life is difficult and hard and dangerous. They face death often. Oh, yes. That is the last reason humans wish to be vampires for they believe vampires never die. They do. Always have, even in films and legends.

I was turned during the very end of the year of 1953 or the very beginning of the year 1954. It was a day or two either side of the New Year. I never knew for sure. I was 35 years old - -

I did not meet him before hand. I sort of stumbled across him accidentally while exploring in the southwest desert - -

The most effective way of transforming is via an infusion of the vampire's blood. However, as in my case, repeated feeding and the exposure to the vampire's saliva can also bring about a transformation. A beginning that is most often fought off by the body .... even if not a total transformation - -

Yes, I can still reach him, if I find that I have to. But most of the time he doesn't see fit to return my phone calls - -

First feeding? Frightening, exciting, un-resistible, somewhat messy - -

No, my canines are much the same as they were before my transformation. I am afraid you would be disappointed - -

My eyes are dark, dark brown. I have been told that when I am extremely angry they seem to flash, appearing very black - -

No. Sorry - -

I've been told that I look 30 to 35 but one young lady at the 'Guess Your Age' booth at a fair thought I was 25 - -

When I moved to New York, Catherene was able to help me secure volunteers to cover my needs. I rarely find it necessary to actually go hunting. This situation is always subject to change, however - -

Personally, I have a very strong aversion to most drugs, alcohol and tobacco products. I dislike both the smell and the taste - -

At this time I know 10. I have known more than that in the past. But I say 10 at this time because I know where these individuals are and how to reach them. They are friends - -

I wish that myth were true. But I have never known a real vampire who even seriously claimed to be able to shape-shift - -

No, I sleep in a queen-sized bed and the only soil in the house is in the flower pots of the house plants - -

Personally, I do not know. It has never happened to me but I do have very fast recuperative powers. I have seen others heal very quickly from major damage but I have never, for example, seem limbs re-grow. That could be simply due to the fact that I've never known a vampire who has lost a limb - -

(My original e-mail answer to this question was 'No comment,' however I will make a short answer.) All vampires have heightened senses. This includes sight, scent, hearing and touch. Yes, touch, or the tactile sense, becomes more acute as well. Imagine, if you can, that you know someone is in the same room with you because you can FEEL the movement of the air as they breathe. Now, imagine this type of heightened sensation in other areas of the body that are already quite ... sensitive. Almost all experience, for a vampire, is intensified - -

I wear long sleeved shirts, polarized sunglasses, a hat, long pants and sunscreen. Sometimes it doesn't help all that much. During the summer months, I often get blisters ... even on my lips. My eyes are very light sensitive as well, making driving difficult at times. I truly look forward to the long nights of winter and the end of Daylight Savings Time - -

Yes, it would and does, both saliva and blood, however not all humans can become infected i.e. become vampires due to three main factors.

1. The strength of the virus the human is being exposed to.

2. The human's own immune system.

Like any virus, the human body fights it. If the immune system is strong enough, it wards it off and there is no embedding of the virus, which means the person does not be come infected i.e. the DNA does not change over time. So, the human is not 'brought across' as you put it.

3. It also depends on the chemistry of the individual's blood.

The virus cannot live in human blood with certain chemical combinations natural to it. It is a highly individual thing. Contrary to popular belief ... most people do fight off the infection. Otherwise there would be no human life by now - -

You are correct. I do not care much for humans. At best, I find them annoying. The longer I live, and the more I am forced to co-exist with them, the more I find myself in agreement with the attitude of many Pales that humans should be cattle - -

If you need to know if vampirism runs in your family the best way to begin is to talk with the eldest of your family members. Don't ask about or say anything about vampires ... begin with the oldest people. Begin by asking where they came from and where their grand parents came from. Ask if there was ever anyone in the family who was a bit odd or if there was someone no one liked or was afraid of. Ask if there was anyone who kept to themselves at lot ... left home very young and never returned to live with them again. Find out why. Ask if anyone ever worked nights and liked it. Then find out everything you can about that person, if there is one - -

No ... they're just not likely to do enough damage to kill. And vampires heal much faster - -

Simple answer, we are in the government, in fact we had a major hand in shaping America in its infancy ... the almost perfect Vampyre haven ... We do control most of the Virus research but like most things covert, others have their small hands in it - -

Vampires do not kill humans as a rule, there are more then enough willing donors, and not very many vampires of any classification are willing to infect others. The infection is spread through the blood and sometimes the tissue exposed to blood and saliva of a vampire. But it need not necessarily be by bite, any contamination can possibly infect - -

No ... dead and undead vampires are purely myth. A person sometimes becomes infected through sharing of vampire blood or can be given the infection through a bite - -

Well, you would think so. However, not everyone exposed to the retrovirus contracts it, due to individual blood chemistry and their own immune systems. The infection spreads through the blood - -

If I were going to make such a choice, I would pick someone who was mentally strong and stable, independent and able to stand on their own two feet, intelligent and well read, eager to learn new things, open minded, creative, probably either artistic in some way, or highly skilled in an important field or area.

Who would I NOT choose? A whiner, a depressive, dependant or addictive personality, someone with suicidal tendencies, or murderous tendencies.

My favorite response to most whimpering 'wannabe's' goes something like this...

'If you can't handle you life as it is now, what makes you think that you can handle it for 200 years, or 600 years, or a thousand? If you think your life is so miserable and horrible now, why do you want to make it LONGER?!' - -

NO! - -