Because this is the kind of thing I do, here's my breakdown of how vampirism works in the DS universe.
1. Vampires are living corpses, hence their extreme pallor. During the day, i.e. while the sun is above the horizon at their physical location, a vampire is to all intents and purposes dead.
2. They cast no reflection in the mirror, although at least one vampire (Angelique) most certainly did. Perhaps she was an unusual vampire for some reason, in the manner of her creation.
3. Vampires are usually created when a victim dies from the bite of another vampire. This is an important point. Being bitten, and then dying will not turn you into a vampire. You need to die as a direct result of that bite. Which actually brings up another point...
4. Vampires can change into bats, and can even feed in that form. It is entirely possible that some kind of vampire exists in bat from only, perhaps as a kind of demon which must do the bidding of certain evil magic users. This would explain the bats that attacked Barnabas, summoned by Angelique and Jeb. But we know of no such creature being summoned to transform Angelique. Perhaps this accounts for the presence of her reflection?
5. Vampires can dematerialize and re-materialize at will, with at least one observed exception. They cannot do this when confronted by a cross. We have seen at least three vampires who logically should have teleported away fail to do so when in the presence of a cross.
6. Vampires are repulsed/weakened by a cross. Interestingly, this seems to work only if a cross is deliberately used as a weapon against them. They can walk through cemeteries filled with cross-shaped headstones without a worry. Yet even a makeshift cross composed of fire pokers will hold them at bay. Interestingly, said cross need not remain in the wielder's hands or even their presence to work as a weapon. Fixing a cross on the inside of a coffin's lid will bind a vampire there, all-but-powerless. A cross given to, or placed near a victim with the express purpose of warding off a vampire works as well.
7. Vampires are somehow magically connected to coffins. Evidently, they need to be in a coffin during the day or they will dematerialize forever in the sun. Yet they cannot use their powers to enter or exit a coffin for some reason. One would think that maybe any old box might do, but no--it has to be a coffin.
8. Vampires crave human blood. The craving is like an addiction, although not so constant. Interestingly, the bloodlust itself seems almost random. A vampire might need to feed several times in a week, or go months without the craving. However, there are other reasons a vampire might feed.
9. When a vampire feeds on a victim, said victim becomes addicted/enslaved to them. Between individuals of opposite gender, there is often some kind of sexual element to this binding. Not always, however. One gets the impression that if some kind of attraction exists already, then it is magnified as part of the bond between the two. It can even reach the point where a victim longs for the bite. Others simply behave as if they've been hypnotized or addicted against their will to heroin or some such. At any rate, it takes enormous willpower for any victim to resist the orders of a vampire successfully. The bond also seems somehow telepathic in some ways. A vampire can speak to their victims from great distances, giving orders. However, evidence suggests that if a vampire refrains from feeding on their prey, then the bond grows much weaker, in time vanishing altogether.
10. When a vampire is finally killed and/or cured of their curse, then the bonds between vampire and victim are severed. The latter might not even remember very much of what happened.
11. Vampires can be killed in only three known ways: A wooden stake through the heart (although this can be reversed by simply removing the stake), Silver bullets through the heart, and Direct exposure to sunlight. Whether a vampire can burn, be decapitated, drown, starve, or some other method of destruction is unknown.
12. Vampires do not age.
13. Vampires have fangs, but these appear only at will or when they feed.
14. Evidently vampires can drink other liquids than blood--coffee, wine, etc. But given how rarely they do so, this is something they evidently dislike doing. Perhaps they have to regurgitate later.
15. Vampires gain some kind of instincts when they die and rise from the dead. They "know" how to use their powers and how to feed, and are much more prone to anger or giving in their more negative desires. For example, feels of romantic love often cross the line into a sense of obsession and extreme possessiveness.
16. Vampires, being magical creatures, can access magic more easily than others, evidently. Having one at a seance, for example, may give startling results. One vampire was able to raise the dead.
17. Despite the magical nature of vampirism, it is potentially curable via advanced medical treatment. This has proven successful twice, albeit with the same individual which may or may not have been significant. The fact that in the second instance the vampire in question was "possessed" by his future human self might have been a factor.
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
