Vampire FAQ's
"Leaving empty souls
When he avenged
Evil spirits flowed
He drank the blood like lemonade"
— Morcheeba, "Blood like Lemonade"
Q: I want to play a vampire, but I am not sure what happens to me during the day. Do I need to sleep in a coffin?
A: Not unless that is something you want to do. In some themes, a coffin is required, while SC vampires prefer more comfy environs. Your vampire has a connection with the earth, and a primal need to return to it, so proximity is important. Your vampire will feel safest underground during the day, or close to it. This also means that you're functionally afraid of heights… feel free to play off of that! SC vampires do not completely "die" during the day but do enter a state of torpor where they are difficult to wake, even at great risk to themselves. Young vampires are more vulnerable than older ones, who might have a small measure of stored energy to be able to rouse themselves in case of emergency. Absolutely no vampire can daywalk in this theme.
Q: "You wake as you die." What does that even mean?
A: If your vampire experienced a violent death (before being brought over), this is how you look when you wake for the evening. Within an hour, you are as 'normal' as you want to be. However, any wounds or scars you had when you died are there when you wake at night. This is magic's nightly reminder that you're dead.
Q: Okay, so I know I need blood to live. What about real people food?
A: Blood contains life force. That is really what you are feeding from. In theory, anything that has human(ish) life force will give you a snack. Since food is generally not alive or human, it does nothing for you. It won't quench your thirst or sate your hunger. In fact, it has lost most of its flavor and even the finest creme brulee' will taste bland. New vampires are commonly called "salters" in slang when they have issues adjusting to a blood diet and have not given up the idea of regular food. That being said, some vampires make a business of taste and are intensely interested in the reaction of their concoctions as they have a superior sense of smell.
Shifter blood is considered primo stuff. It contains extra life force and is the energy drink of the vampire world. Catching the darned things is just kinda hard. Magical creature blood makes you high.
Q: Can I drink animal blood?
A: Yes. However, the purpose of drinking human blood is to try and hang on to the human life force and restore yourself on a nightly basis. Animals will keep you moving, but they will not keep you from degrading (dessication, rotting, etc). Blood banks and the ilk will only keep you alive as long as the blood is "live". Remember, it is not the hemoglobin, but the energy that you are eating.
Q: How are vampires made?
A: A human recieves 3 bites on 3 consecutive nights with the last being a draining bite that kills the human. The human is then buried (or placed underground) for 3 more nights. The new fledgeling rises ravenous and mosterish until fed a blood meal. You wake as you die, so the neophyte will retain the same physical flaws they had when they died. When the vampire drinks, they are made into a more perfected being and flaws are corrected. Older vampires heal minutes after rising. New vampires take longer.