I lay in my dorms for a few moments, listening to the comings and goings of what might be mild insanity. There were some good suggestions in there though, so I'd go with it.

First I needed to establish where to get food... or drink in my case. Somewhere that wouldn't cause problems. I wasn't thirsty right now, but who knew how long that would hold. Then I needed to meet some others. I also needed information on myself, since I knew jack squat about being a vampire.

Well, maybe information was the most important. I was sure that for the moment I didn't need food, but I didn't know what I could eat anyway. Looking for info might solve that, and I might even meet someone else in the process. I also needed to learn about my place here in the dorms, but that would come later I was sure.

The library seemed the natural place to start for information on the undead, and I even knew roughly where it was thanks to my little tour. So I decided to wander my way down there. The trip was fairly uneventful as it was still rather early in the afternoon.

When I entered the room the smell of old paper flowed over me. It was large, with big windows and shelves lining every wall. I could have done without the sunlight, but the books were beautiful. There were so many! It took me only a few moments to find what appeared to be a librarian at a desk.

"Excuse me sir?" I asked the middle aged man. He looked up from his filing and gave me a warm smile.

"New student then? How can I help?"

I blinked for a moment. "I was looking for information on different monsters, particularly undead. An older boy mentioned one earlier and I'm a bit curious. By the way, how did you know I was a student?" The first part at least was true, kind of. That punk had been trying to make a skeleton mage when he'd accidentally'd me into existence, and I was curious.

"Well, the wards on the library would alert me to anyone not a student. As for bestiaries, we have a number of such. Since what your after is simple information on such creatures it's not restricted. So long as you don't intend to try and delve into the magic around them."

"Is necromancy forbidden?"

"An interesting question. Control of mindless undead, and the conjuration of undead monsters isn't. Desecrating a corpse to make one on the other hand most certainly is." He spoke as he walked me through the aisles, leading me to a certain shelf. "These are the books on undead creatures we have. Some are specialized, though for my money, Morgan's Book of Undead is probably best for the more common types."

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"Thank you so much!" I gave him a bright smile as I took the indicated book.

"Enjoy your read." With that he left me.

I quickly found a table and began flipping. I lucked out in that the book was organized by alphabetical order. Deathknight... ghost... lich (Wow the picture there looks nasty)... shadow... skeleton... v, v, v... Vampire! Found it.

----------------------------------------

Vampire

Amongst the more deadly types of undead stand the vampire. Though they may not seem at first too horrid their variety makes them dangerous, as does the ability of many forms to pass as human on casual inspection. In our efforts we will touch only on a few general classes of vampire, and the species as a whole has far too many subtypes to cover in this modest work.

There are also vampiric clans which must be discussed. Every vampire belongs to one, and though the exact number is unknown it is known that each grants slightly differing abilities. These may range from increased speed or strength to something as unusual as the ability to become a bat at will. The most famous of course is the well known Dracul clan, and their ability to hypnotize their victims.

Some commonalities do exist though. Vampires take extra damage from fire and light magic, can be disabled by a wooden stake through the heart, are able to climb seemingly sheer surfaces, and consume blood.

Lesser Vampire

This is the initial stage of any humanoid vampire. These creatures lack many of the traits that would distinguish their clan or subtype and are considered weaker opponents than their more potent kin. That said they can gain Class levels and should therefore should be dealt with with care. One will most often find them used as servants or shock troops, and they are largely considered disposable by more evolved vampires. Less than one in ten are permitted to pass this state.

When a vampire is first turned they are bound to the one who turned them, their 'sire'. This bond forces the new undead to serve its creator until it has evolved beyond the Lesser stage.

Lesser vampires notably lack the ability to make more of their kind. This is due to the weakness of their curse, which is removed when a Lesser Vampire either is fed the blood of their sire or reaches the age of twenty-five, counted after their reanimation.

Vampire (Standard)

While there can hardly be any vampire which could be considered (Standard) this category reflects what most vampires are. They have the abilities of their clan, as well as whatever they have gained from their classes.

These creatures are capable of creating more of their own kind, though are often loath to do so.

Vampire Knight

A subtype specializing in melee combat. These creatures gain significant durability on par with other potent monsters. They retain all of the abilities of the standard strain, though lose the ability to pass as human.

Interestingly there is no mage equivalent that I know of. There are plenty of vampires that opt to learn magic, but they retain their standard form.

Vampire Temptress/Tempter

These undead seem to possess a strong proclivity for seduction. In addition to the normal abilities they gain the capability to attract beings of the opposite sex. They are also universally attractive for whatever their base race was, though if this is part of the evolution or because they are only made from attractive people is unknown.

This particular evolution differs greatly in that while it does gain clan abilities in some cases it skips the Lesser stage. If they are one that has bypassed their Lesser stage they are unable to create others of their kind. They are also only created by, or as part of the retinue of a Vampire Lord/Lady.

Vampire Lord/Lady

Old and powerful, these creatures maintain a human appearance and all abilities they have gained form any previous evolution. Each is a fierce opponent and unique in its own right. The only true commonality that they have beyond the standard vampiric abilities is that they are monsters of legend.

It is fortunate for mortals the world over that these creatures are vanishingly rare, only gaining their status after many centuries of unlife.

Other

There are numerous examples of non-humanoid creatures being turned into vampires, and even a few plants. Sadly the variation available there is such that they are pointless to discuss.

One might also find unique types of vampire depending on their clan, but that too is information that is too varied to go into without it's own volume.