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Description
FIRST: The Triumvirate
PREVIOUS: Leviathan
NEXT: Orlok

LEFT: Old Dracula
CENTER: Demon Dracula
RIGHT: Modern Dracula

Being this far into the Vampire Project, I should go back and explain how vampires work in this world. And where better to explain than with the progenitor of their kind, Dracula? Since there are many vampiric creatures from folklore and legends around the world, I distinguish them from the other kinds by calling them Nosferatu. Example: Nosferatu are vampires, but not all vampires are Nosferatu. The Nosferatu are the kind seen in Bram Stoker's novel Dracula and have the strengths and weaknesses listed in said book. I'll begin with a bio for Dracula and then break down the abilities, traits, and weaknesses for the vampires.

(EDIT: I have decided to call the organization of vampire hunters the Quincey Morris Foundation after the man who died to stop Dracula the first time in 1890.)

DRACULA
Real Name: Vladislaus Dragulya
Aliases: Vlad III, Vlad Tepes, Lord Impaler, Dracula, the Dragon
Year Born: 1431
Year Turned: 1476
Country of Origin: Romania
Titles: Voivode, Vampire King
Height: 6'5"
Vampire Sire: N/A
Generation: Zero
Strength Level: 28
  In life, Vlad Dracula was the Voivode of Wallachia and fought to defend his land from the invading Ottomans. In 1462, he was betrayed by his ally, King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary. Though he would regained favor with the king, Vlad would harbor a deep resentment for his former ally. During his exile, he went in secret to the Scholomance, the school of black magic where the Devil taught in person in the hopes of gaining the power he needed to reclaim his throne and save his people.
  Ten students called the Solomonari were admitted at a time, nine of which were free to return to the world as powerful sorcerers. The tenth was kept as the Devil’s payment and was to become his protégé. Near the end of Vlad’s tenure at the Scholomance, he was given an offer by the Devil. If he killed the other nine Solomonari and drank of their blood, he would be given more power than other sorcerer the Devil had taught before. Vlad agreed and slew the others. However, their was one more he had to kill in order to seal the pact with the Devil: his own brother, Radu. Radu had betrayed Vlad and had sided with the Ottomans. One night, Vlad tracked down Radu and slew him, drinking his blood to complete his end of the bargain.
As promised, Vlad was able to reclaim his position as Voivode in 1476 and resumed his crusade against the Ottomans. However, he would find himself betrayed once more and was ambushed in December of that year. Mortally wounded, Vlad reflected upon his life and cursed those that had betrayed him. His countrymen had abandoned him. His supposed allies had delivered him into the hands of the Ottomans. Even his God had forsaken him.
  As he laid dying, Vlad looked up to see a dark figure in the distance. It was then that he understood that this was a part of the Devil’s plan and the Dark One had come to claim him. He was promised the power to defeat his enemies, but he would have to become a creature of myth to do so. As an Ottoman approached his body to claim his head as a trophy for the Sultan, the sun set and Vlad rose from the dead, becoming the first Nosferatu.
  As the King Vampire , Dracula would go on to establish the underworld of vampires. He made his closest allies, family, and other politically powerful people of interest his lieutenants and made his base of operations in his native land of Transylvania. For centuries, Vlad Dracula ruled this secret world, holding eastern Europe in his grasp by fear and superstition. When he decided to expand his empire to the west in 1890, he encountered resistance in England in the form of Professor Abraham Van Helsing. The Dutch vampire hunter and his allies were alerted to his activities by the death of Lucy Westenra. After infecting Mina Harker, the vampire hunters chased him back to Transylvania. This was the beginning of the Vampire Purge, Dracula's three brides being among the first casualties. Dracula himself was almost destroyed at the hands of Quincey Morris and Jonathan Harker but managed to escape into the sunset by turning into a cloud of dust.
  Wounded and weakened by the encounter, Dracula went into hiding. While he was gone, the Quincey Morris Foundation pressed on with their assault and destroyed most of the vampire population. In the modern day, the vampires have rebuilt their underworld, but are still at war with the vampire hunters and with themselves. In the power vacuum left in his absence, the Vampire Underworld has been divided into factions. Dracula himself remains in the shadows, waiting for the right time to reveal himself for he knows there are some within the ranks of the Vampire Underworld that would betray him.

ABILITIES AND TRAITS

Undead Biology: Nosferatu are undead, meaning though they are animate and conscious, they are biologically dead. They don’t breathe, have no pulse, no brain functions, or any other biological processes. They require no other subsistence than the blood of the living, preferably fresh human blood. They can’t be poisoned and are immune to disease. With no life in their bodies, they are cold to the touch. When hungry or enraged, vampires enter a bloodlust. While in hunting mode, their attacks are more brutal and lesser vampires can even lose themselves in a berserk rage. Their teeth, claws, and even their faces become more predatory. Vampires also have no shadows and no reflections.

Vampire Creation: Vampirism is spread by blood. If a victim drinks a vampire’s dead blood, a psychic connection is made and they too will become a Nosferatu when they die. The only way to prevent this is to kill the vampire that infected them. They must do this quickly because even if the vampire doesn’t finish them off themselves, the vampire’s blood will. The tainted blood is toxic and will slowly change the infected into a Nosferatu as long as the psychic connection remains, developing vampiric traits as time progresses. The connection can be served if the vampire is critically injured, ending the transformation as with the case of Wilhelmina Harker, who was freed from Dracula’s hold on her when Jonathan Harker and Quincey Morris nearly destroyed him. However, if the vampire isn’t completely destroyed, the vampire’s blood will remain in the victim’s system, dormant and benign, but can potentially be reactivated. Vampires can reproduce, but it is rare. Vampires can reproduce with one another to produce another vampire or with humans to produce dhampirs.

Fangs and Claws: The primary feeding tools and weapons of the Nosferatu are their diamond-hard teeth which they use to puncture the flesh of their victims, most commonly the neck. When in a relaxed state, the teeth appear to be normal, except the cuspids(or the “canine teeth”) are lengthened and sharpened into fangs, especially the upper cuspids. When angered or in hunting mode, the incisors also lengthen and become serrated. A vampire’s saliva acts as an anesthetic and an aphrodisiac, reducing the pain and giving the victim a pleasurable sensation while being fed upon. Along with their mesmerizing powers, these make victims more compliant and even willing. However, a vampire can control this. If feeling particularly sadistic, a vampire can make a victim feel the full pain of their bite. Those bitten by a vampire are more vulnerable to being enthralled by their mind control. The infection can also lead to the creation of ghouls/vampire spawn. Upon transformation, a vampire’s fingernails become longer and come to a point permanently. Even if cut, they will instantaneously grow back. Like their teeth, the nails become longer and sharper when entering hunt mode, becoming monstrous talons capable of rending flesh, stone, and metal alike.

Strength: Nosferatu are supernaturally powerful, being many times stronger than an ordinary human. According to Van Helsing, Dracula had the strength of over twenty strong men in 1890 and vampires only grow stronger through the ages. A newly sired vampire has the strength of six men. Also, the closer they are in relation to Dracula, the stronger they are. A formula to measure their relative power is 6+(A/(25+G)). A is the number of years a person has been a vampire. G is the number of generations a vampire is from Dracula. Example: In 1890 during the event of the novel, Dracula would be 6+((1890-1476)/(25+0)=22.56. Now, it would be about 28.

Intangibility, Durability, and Regeneration: Vampires are phantasmal beings that exist in a plane between life and death. As such, they are both material and immaterial. They can vanish and reappear at will, fit through even the tiniest cracks, and even become intangible like a ghost or turn into shadows. Even if attacked during the day, vampires are unfazed by most physical attacks and are unharmed by conventional means. Bullets don’t affect them and engaging in unarmed combat against them is pointless. Anything less than a direct blow to the heart or brain with a bladed weapon will have no effect on them, and any bodily harm or injury sustained in other than these two places registers no pain and is instantly healed. Except for decapitation, any limbs severed will regenerate.

Speed and Reflexes: Vampires can move at great speeds, moving faster than the human eye can perceive. Combined with their lightning-fast reflexes, a vampire can even evade gunfire.

Climbing and Flight: Unnatural beings, the Nosferatu can defy the laws of physics and gravity. Vampires can scale walls like lizards and can even walk on walls and ceilings like a person does the floor. Even without changing into flying animals, vampires can float in the air and even fly.

Senses: Being creatures of the night, vampires are nocturnal by nature and can see in the dark. Their eyesight is considerably sharper than a human’s, being akin to a bird of prey, able to see objects in detail from great distances. Their eyes also glow, becoming exotic and exaggerated hues of the color they once were in life. When enraged or in hunting mode, the sclera becomes a blackish-deep maroon, resembling dark pools of blood, and the iris glow a hellish red. In either relax or hunting mode, the eerily glowing eyes are hypnotic, capable of placing their prey in complacent trance. Those with strong wills can resist this enchantment. Along with their eyesight, a vampire’s other senses are dramatically increased. Being apex predators, their senses are highly attuned and designed to hunt humans. Their pointed ears can hear the sound of a human’s heart calling out to them like thunder and can smell blood from far away.

Shapeshifting: Vampires can change their shape at will, able to turn into all sorts of animals, monstrous versions of animals, or humanoid animals. Of all the animals they can turn into, vampires prefer assuming the form of other nocturnal creatures such as wolves, bats, rats, cats, and owls. It is easier for vampires to change into animals their own size or smaller, but more powerful vampires can become swarms of the smaller animals or even hulking, nightmarish beasts. Vampires can assume a gaseous form, becoming mist, fog, smoke, or a cloud of dust. The most prestigious form for an elder vampire to assume is a large, gargoyle-like demon. Dracula was feared by humans and vampires alike for being able to turning into a terrifying dragon .

Psionics and Sorcery: Vampires have psychic abilities including telekinesis, telepathy, and can even impose their will on others. Vampires can use this power to turn weak minded humans into their thralls and slaves. As vampires grow older, their sorcerous powers increase. An experienced vampire can command the forces of nature to do their bidding. They can command the beasts of the Earth, especially the creatures that lurk in the night, and they can control the weather. They can wield pyrokinesis to summon hellfire and cryokinesis to summon the bitter cold of lowest layer of hell. Masters of the night, they can manipulate the shadows. They can cast vile curses on their enemies and use necromancy to summon evil spirits and reanimate corpses.

NECESSITIES

Blood: Since they are dead, vampires need the blood of the living to retain their youth. Without it, they age and grow more grotesque in appearance. An underfed vampire resembles ghoulish monsters while well nourished vampires are attractive youths with desirable allure.

Unhallowed Earth: Since they are creatures of the night, vampires must rest in unhallowed soil(preferably that of their own graves) during the day, entering a catatonic state once they begin to slumber. Since they have no vital signs and are unresponsive while sleeping, they can be mistaken for a corpse. They must keep their resting places secret for most vampires are unable to awaken from their death-sleep to prevent any vampire hunter from slaying them.

VULNERABILITIES AND LIMITATIONS

Faith: In short, vampires are repelled by anything holy or pure since they are unholy creatures. Symbols of faith such as the crucifix can keep vampires at bay depending on the faith of the wielder. A Christian holding a Star of David or an atheist with a cross wouldn't mean anything to a vampire. However, if someone has strong enough faith, they can banish vampires by reciting a hymn, saying a prayer, or just by evoking God's name. Silver, though not inherently harmful to a vampire, is seen as a symbol of purity and is often used to make blessed items. When used in faith, crosses, holy water, consecrated bullets, and other blessed objects can be used as effective weapons against the undead vampires, burning them upon contact. These items can harm vampires, but generally cannot slay them unless they’re blades used to pierce their hearts or decapitate them.

Garlic, Salt, and Miscellaneous Plants: Plants that are inherently curative, wholesome, or have religious significance, such as garlic, wild roses, and hawthorn, are said to keep vampires away, though stronger vampires are more resistant to them. Circles made of salt may also be used to a similar effect. The only one of these plants proven to be effective is garlic, but these plants don’t harm vampires. Instead, they find them repulsive and try to avoid them. One clove of garlic isn’t enough to repel a vampire, but many garlands draped about a room can deter a vampire attack.

Daytime: As night creatures, vampire are weakened during the day. If they remain awake into the day, they are limited. Their dark powers are diminished, losing most of their strength and access to most of their supernatural abilities. However, sunlight isn't fatal to them.

Running Water: As a universal cleansing symbol, vampires show reluctance in crossing running water, but it is unknown to what degree or what is the range of its effectiveness. A small trickle of water, water from a faucet, or rain won’t be able to stop them, but a river or a sea might stop them. However, vampires can cross still water and rivers and seas at the tide. They can also use bridges, boats, or simply fly over the water. Like garlic, running water doesn’t harm vampires, just repels them.

Fire: Fire isn’t necessarily deadly to the Nosferatu, for they heal instantly, but it can be used as a distraction. A vampire on fire isn’t thinking clearly and enters their enraged state due to the discomfort. Fire is also a symbol for purifying and thus can be used to repel a vampire. Fire is often used after a vampire is slain to burn the body to insure that it never rises again. However, a mature vampire can use pyrokinetic sorcery to control fire.

Invitation: As evil spirits, vampires can’t enter a home unless they are invited. But once they are invited, they can come and go as they please. However, they can find ways around this limitation by hypnotizing their prey into letting them in or to come out to them.

Impalement: The most popular way to incapacitate a vampire is to drive a stake or a blade into their heart. This doesn't destroy the vampire but it will remain paralyzed as long as the heart is pierced. Since a vampire has no vital signs, a staked vampire can be mistaken for truly dead. However, if the obstructing object is removed they awaken. Vampires that have been staked for an extended period might need fresh blood to help restart them, having weakened from not feeding in a long time. Stakes are traditionally made from ash, oak, or iron, but any material can be used.

Decapitation: The only way to destroy a vampire for good is to behead them. The sign that it worked is that the undead reverts back to its true state, a corpse. A vampire that has been dead only for a few days won’t have any notable changes, but one that has been dead for years will rot away, the oldest becoming nothing more than dust and bones. However, a Nosferatu can return if the head is returned to its place or if the dust is gathered and blood is poured onto the remains. Upon destruction, the vampire’s soul enters into Limbo. Once there, it can wait to return if their body is restored or they can move on to the afterlife. A good person that was turned against their will almost always move on to Heaven, but an evil soul that is hellbound will want to return to the world of the living. The only way to ensure that a vampire cannot return after decapitation is to perform an exorcism by burning the corpse and scattering the ashes. With no body to return to, their way back to the living world is permanently cut off.

Curing Vampirism
  If treated early enough, the transformation into a Nosferatu can be delayed or even cured. However, once a person becomes a Nosferatu they can’t be cured. Wearing a crucifix or garlic prevents a vampire from returning to strengthen the curse and it can hold back the transformation. Blood transfusions can be used to dilute and weaken the vampire blood in the victim’s system, replacing the contaminated blood with healthy blood. Holy water placed on bites can purify the wound, stopping the vampire’s infectious and enthralling bite and purging the curse from the blood. The only sure way to prevent the transformation is to kill the vampire that infected the afflicted before they die.

Notes:
  As described in the novel, I have Dracula wear all black. But to avoid making everything solid black (and to spare my colored pencils), I mixed in dark brown, navy, slate, silver, mahogany, and cool gray. It's the same reason why Batman wore blue in older comics.
  I modeled his face after Bela Lugosi, and since I draw my characters to scale, he would be 6'5'' as a reference to Christopher Lee. Demon Dracula would be 7'3" as a reference to the Castlevania Dracula's height.
  Old Dracula's clothes are based off of Mathias Cronqvist from Castlevania: Lament of Innocence. Unlike his other forms, I gave him a mustache instead of a goatee. In the novel, he's described as having a heavy mustache and being otherwise clean shaven. It's only when he arrives in London is he described as having a pointed beard.
  I gave Modern Dracula the jacket worn by Shang Tsung in the 1995 Mortal Kombat film because that jacket is awesome.
The symbol on the belt of Demon Dracula is based on the symbol of the Order of the Dragon, which Vlad Dracula belonged to. The Demon Form is based on the Gargoyles from Disney's Gargoyles, the vampires from Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Marcus Corvinus from Underworld: Evolution, Vampire Lords from The Elder Scrolls, and Dracula's various "true" forms from the Castlevania Series.
  I purposely avoided giving him a bat nose because Dracula is associated with more than just bats. Originally, I was going to draw him as a wolf/bat hybrid, which he can probably turn into, but I wanted to show off the dragon and demon aspect of his character.
  In the Vampire Project, only the most powerful of vampires can assume a demonic form. As can be seen here with the blood red eyes and heavily exaggerate facial features, "Vamp Face" is a precursor to this form. But this isn't even Dracula's final form. The horns, the wings, the tail, the feet, and the claws are to hint to his dragon form. I might draw his dragon form some day.
I came up with the formula to measure a vampire's strength by taking Dracula's reported strength from the book and working backwards. I used 6 as a baseline because the finale of the show the Deadliest Warrior was Vampires vs. Zombies. In it, they took the average strength of bodybuilders and multiplied it by six. And the vampires they used were from 20 Days of Night, which I see as basic, non-supernatural vampire and would be the equivalent to newborn vampires or ghouls in the Vampire Project. So Dracula's strength of over 20 strong men minus 6 and then divided the amount of time since his death in 1476 to the events of the book by that number to get about 29.57. I rounded it to 25 so that vampires go up by one level every quarter century or so. I also added the generational factor because vampires with a more direct link to the source would have more potent blood. It's not a big factor until you get further down into the generations and with a lot more time.

Description
FIRST: The Triumvirate
PREVIOUS: Leviathan
NEXT: Orlok

LEFT: Old Dracula
CENTER: Demon Dracula
RIGHT: Modern Dracula

Being this far into the Vampire Project, I should go back and explain how vampires work in this world. And where better to explain than with the progenitor of their kind, Dracula? Since there are many vampiric creatures from folklore and legends around the world, I distinguish them from the other kinds by calling them Nosferatu. Example: Nosferatu are vampires, but not all vampires are Nosferatu. The Nosferatu are the kind seen in Bram Stoker's novel Dracula and have the strengths and weaknesses listed in said book. I'll begin with a bio for Dracula and then break down the abilities, traits, and weaknesses for the vampires.

(EDIT: I have decided to call the organization of vampire hunters the Quincey Morris Foundation after the man who died to stop Dracula the first time in 1890.)

DRACULA
Real Name: Vladislaus Dragulya
Aliases: Vlad III, Vlad Tepes, Lord Impaler, Dracula, the Dragon
Year Born: 1431
Year Turned: 1476
Country of Origin: Romania
Titles: Voivode, Vampire King
Height: 6'5"
Vampire Sire: N/A
Generation: Zero
Strength Level: 28
  In life, Vlad Dracula was the Voivode of Wallachia and fought to defend his land from the invading Ottomans. In 1462, he was betrayed by his ally, King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary. Though he would regained favor with the king, Vlad would harbor a deep resentment for his former ally. During his exile, he went in secret to the Scholomance, the school of black magic where the Devil taught in person in the hopes of gaining the power he needed to reclaim his throne and save his people.
  Ten students called the Solomonari were admitted at a time, nine of which were free to return to the world as powerful sorcerers. The tenth was kept as the Devil’s payment and was to become his protégé. Near the end of Vlad’s tenure at the Scholomance, he was given an offer by the Devil. If he killed the other nine Solomonari and drank of their blood, he would be given more power than other sorcerer the Devil had taught before. Vlad agreed and slew the others. However, their was one more he had to kill in order to seal the pact with the Devil: his own brother, Radu. Radu had betrayed Vlad and had sided with the Ottomans. One night, Vlad tracked down Radu and slew him, drinking his blood to complete his end of the bargain.
As promised, Vlad was able to reclaim his position as Voivode in 1476 and resumed his crusade against the Ottomans. However, he would find himself betrayed once more and was ambushed in December of that year. Mortally wounded, Vlad reflected upon his life and cursed those that had betrayed him. His countrymen had abandoned him. His supposed allies had delivered him into the hands of the Ottomans. Even his God had forsaken him.
  As he laid dying, Vlad looked up to see a dark figure in the distance. It was then that he understood that this was a part of the Devil’s plan and the Dark One had come to claim him. He was promised the power to defeat his enemies, but he would have to become a creature of myth to do so. As an Ottoman approached his body to claim his head as a trophy for the Sultan, the sun set and Vlad rose from the dead, becoming the first Nosferatu.
  As the King Vampire , Dracula would go on to establish the underworld of vampires. He made his closest allies, family, and other politically powerful people of interest his lieutenants and made his base of operations in his native land of Transylvania. For centuries, Vlad Dracula ruled this secret world, holding eastern Europe in his grasp by fear and superstition. When he decided to expand his empire to the west in 1890, he encountered resistance in England in the form of Professor Abraham Van Helsing. The Dutch vampire hunter and his allies were alerted to his activities by the death of Lucy Westenra. After infecting Mina Harker, the vampire hunters chased him back to Transylvania. This was the beginning of the Vampire Purge, Dracula's three brides being among the first casualties. Dracula himself was almost destroyed at the hands of Quincey Morris and Jonathan Harker but managed to escape into the sunset by turning into a cloud of dust.
  Wounded and weakened by the encounter, Dracula went into hiding. While he was gone, the Quincey Morris Foundation pressed on with their assault and destroyed most of the vampire population. In the modern day, the vampires have rebuilt their underworld, but are still at war with the vampire hunters and with themselves. In the power vacuum left in his absence, the Vampire Underworld has been divided into factions. Dracula himself remains in the shadows, waiting for the right time to reveal himself for he knows there are some within the ranks of the Vampire Underworld that would betray him.

ABILITIES AND TRAITS

Undead Biology: Nosferatu are undead, meaning though they are animate and conscious, they are biologically dead. They don’t breathe, have no pulse, no brain functions, or any other biological processes. They require no other subsistence than the blood of the living, preferably fresh human blood. They can’t be poisoned and are immune to disease. With no life in their bodies, they are cold to the touch. When hungry or enraged, vampires enter a bloodlust. While in hunting mode, their attacks are more brutal and lesser vampires can even lose themselves in a berserk rage. Their teeth, claws, and even their faces become more predatory. Vampires also have no shadows and no reflections.

Vampire Creation: Vampirism is spread by blood. If a victim drinks a vampire’s dead blood, a psychic connection is made and they too will become a Nosferatu when they die. The only way to prevent this is to kill the vampire that infected them. They must do this quickly because even if the vampire doesn’t finish them off themselves, the vampire’s blood will. The tainted blood is toxic and will slowly change the infected into a Nosferatu as long as the psychic connection remains, developing vampiric traits as time progresses. The connection can be served if the vampire is critically injured, ending the transformation as with the case of Wilhelmina Harker, who was freed from Dracula’s hold on her when Jonathan Harker and Quincey Morris nearly destroyed him. However, if the vampire isn’t completely destroyed, the vampire’s blood will remain in the victim’s system, dormant and benign, but can potentially be reactivated. Vampires can reproduce, but it is rare. Vampires can reproduce with one another to produce another vampire or with humans to produce dhampirs.

Fangs and Claws: The primary feeding tools and weapons of the Nosferatu are their diamond-hard teeth which they use to puncture the flesh of their victims, most commonly the neck. When in a relaxed state, the teeth appear to be normal, except the cuspids(or the “canine teeth”) are lengthened and sharpened into fangs, especially the upper cuspids. When angered or in hunting mode, the incisors also lengthen and become serrated. A vampire’s saliva acts as an anesthetic and an aphrodisiac, reducing the pain and giving the victim a pleasurable sensation while being fed upon. Along with their mesmerizing powers, these make victims more compliant and even willing. However, a vampire can control this. If feeling particularly sadistic, a vampire can make a victim feel the full pain of their bite. Those bitten by a vampire are more vulnerable to being enthralled by their mind control. The infection can also lead to the creation of ghouls/vampire spawn. Upon transformation, a vampire’s fingernails become longer and come to a point permanently. Even if cut, they will instantaneously grow back. Like their teeth, the nails become longer and sharper when entering hunt mode, becoming monstrous talons capable of rending flesh, stone, and metal alike.

Strength: Nosferatu are supernaturally powerful, being many times stronger than an ordinary human. According to Van Helsing, Dracula had the strength of over twenty strong men in 1890 and vampires only grow stronger through the ages. A newly sired vampire has the strength of six men. Also, the closer they are in relation to Dracula, the stronger they are. A formula to measure their relative power is 6+(A/(25+G)). A is the number of years a person has been a vampire. G is the number of generations a vampire is from Dracula. Example: In 1890 during the event of the novel, Dracula would be 6+((1890-1476)/(25+0)=22.56. Now, it would be about 28.

Intangibility, Durability, and Regeneration: Vampires are phantasmal beings that exist in a plane between life and death. As such, they are both material and immaterial. They can vanish and reappear at will, fit through even the tiniest cracks, and even become intangible like a ghost or turn into shadows. Even if attacked during the day, vampires are unfazed by most physical attacks and are unharmed by conventional means. Bullets don’t affect them and engaging in unarmed combat against them is pointless. Anything less than a direct blow to the heart or brain with a bladed weapon will have no effect on them, and any bodily harm or injury sustained in other than these two places registers no pain and is instantly healed. Except for decapitation, any limbs severed will regenerate.

Speed and Reflexes: Vampires can move at great speeds, moving faster than the human eye can perceive. Combined with their lightning-fast reflexes, a vampire can even evade gunfire.

Climbing and Flight: Unnatural beings, the Nosferatu can defy the laws of physics and gravity. Vampires can scale walls like lizards and can even walk on walls and ceilings like a person does the floor. Even without changing into flying animals, vampires can float in the air and even fly.

Senses: Being creatures of the night, vampires are nocturnal by nature and can see in the dark. Their eyesight is considerably sharper than a human’s, being akin to a bird of prey, able to see objects in detail from great distances. Their eyes also glow, becoming exotic and exaggerated hues of the color they once were in life. When enraged or in hunting mode, the sclera becomes a blackish-deep maroon, resembling dark pools of blood, and the iris glow a hellish red. In either relax or hunting mode, the eerily glowing eyes are hypnotic, capable of placing their prey in complacent trance. Those with strong wills can resist this enchantment. Along with their eyesight, a vampire’s other senses are dramatically increased. Being apex predators, their senses are highly attuned and designed to hunt humans. Their pointed ears can hear the sound of a human’s heart calling out to them like thunder and can smell blood from far away.

Shapeshifting: Vampires can change their shape at will, able to turn into all sorts of animals, monstrous versions of animals, or humanoid animals. Of all the animals they can turn into, vampires prefer assuming the form of other nocturnal creatures such as wolves, bats, rats, cats, and owls. It is easier for vampires to change into animals their own size or smaller, but more powerful vampires can become swarms of the smaller animals or even hulking, nightmarish beasts. Vampires can assume a gaseous form, becoming mist, fog, smoke, or a cloud of dust. The most prestigious form for an elder vampire to assume is a large, gargoyle-like demon. Dracula was feared by humans and vampires alike for being able to turning into a terrifying dragon .

Psionics and Sorcery: Vampires have psychic abilities including telekinesis, telepathy, and can even impose their will on others. Vampires can use this power to turn weak minded humans into their thralls and slaves. As vampires grow older, their sorcerous powers increase. An experienced vampire can command the forces of nature to do their bidding. They can command the beasts of the Earth, especially the creatures that lurk in the night, and they can control the weather. They can wield pyrokinesis to summon hellfire and cryokinesis to summon the bitter cold of lowest layer of hell. Masters of the night, they can manipulate the shadows. They can cast vile curses on their enemies and use necromancy to summon evil spirits and reanimate corpses.

NECESSITIES

Blood: Since they are dead, vampires need the blood of the living to retain their youth. Without it, they age and grow more grotesque in appearance. An underfed vampire resembles ghoulish monsters while well nourished vampires are attractive youths with desirable allure.

Unhallowed Earth: Since they are creatures of the night, vampires must rest in unhallowed soil(preferably that of their own graves) during the day, entering a catatonic state once they begin to slumber. Since they have no vital signs and are unresponsive while sleeping, they can be mistaken for a corpse. They must keep their resting places secret for most vampires are unable to awaken from their death-sleep to prevent any vampire hunter from slaying them.

VULNERABILITIES AND LIMITATIONS

Faith: In short, vampires are repelled by anything holy or pure since they are unholy creatures. Symbols of faith such as the crucifix can keep vampires at bay depending on the faith of the wielder. A Christian holding a Star of David or an atheist with a cross wouldn't mean anything to a vampire. However, if someone has strong enough faith, they can banish vampires by reciting a hymn, saying a prayer, or just by evoking God's name. Silver, though not inherently harmful to a vampire, is seen as a symbol of purity and is often used to make blessed items. When used in faith, crosses, holy water, consecrated bullets, and other blessed objects can be used as effective weapons against the undead vampires, burning them upon contact. These items can harm vampires, but generally cannot slay them unless they’re blades used to pierce their hearts or decapitate them.

Garlic, Salt, and Miscellaneous Plants: Plants that are inherently curative, wholesome, or have religious significance, such as garlic, wild roses, and hawthorn, are said to keep vampires away, though stronger vampires are more resistant to them. Circles made of salt may also be used to a similar effect. The only one of these plants proven to be effective is garlic, but these plants don’t harm vampires. Instead, they find them repulsive and try to avoid them. One clove of garlic isn’t enough to repel a vampire, but many garlands draped about a room can deter a vampire attack.

Daytime: As night creatures, vampire are weakened during the day. If they remain awake into the day, they are limited. Their dark powers are diminished, losing most of their strength and access to most of their supernatural abilities. However, sunlight isn't fatal to them.

Running Water: As a universal cleansing symbol, vampires show reluctance in crossing running water, but it is unknown to what degree or what is the range of its effectiveness. A small trickle of water, water from a faucet, or rain won’t be able to stop them, but a river or a sea might stop them. However, vampires can cross still water and rivers and seas at the tide. They can also use bridges, boats, or simply fly over the water. Like garlic, running water doesn’t harm vampires, just repels them.

Fire: Fire isn’t necessarily deadly to the Nosferatu, for they heal instantly, but it can be used as a distraction. A vampire on fire isn’t thinking clearly and enters their enraged state due to the discomfort. Fire is also a symbol for purifying and thus can be used to repel a vampire. Fire is often used after a vampire is slain to burn the body to insure that it never rises again. However, a mature vampire can use pyrokinetic sorcery to control fire.

Invitation: As evil spirits, vampires can’t enter a home unless they are invited. But once they are invited, they can come and go as they please. However, they can find ways around this limitation by hypnotizing their prey into letting them in or to come out to them.

Impalement: The most popular way to incapacitate a vampire is to drive a stake or a blade into their heart. This doesn't destroy the vampire but it will remain paralyzed as long as the heart is pierced. Since a vampire has no vital signs, a staked vampire can be mistaken for truly dead. However, if the obstructing object is removed they awaken. Vampires that have been staked for an extended period might need fresh blood to help restart them, having weakened from not feeding in a long time. Stakes are traditionally made from ash, oak, or iron, but any material can be used.

Decapitation: The only way to destroy a vampire for good is to behead them. The sign that it worked is that the undead reverts back to its true state, a corpse. A vampire that has been dead only for a few days won’t have any notable changes, but one that has been dead for years will rot away, the oldest becoming nothing more than dust and bones. However, a Nosferatu can return if the head is returned to its place or if the dust is gathered and blood is poured onto the remains. Upon destruction, the vampire’s soul enters into Limbo. Once there, it can wait to return if their body is restored or they can move on to the afterlife. A good person that was turned against their will almost always move on to Heaven, but an evil soul that is hellbound will want to return to the world of the living. The only way to ensure that a vampire cannot return after decapitation is to perform an exorcism by burning the corpse and scattering the ashes. With no body to return to, their way back to the living world is permanently cut off.

Curing Vampirism
  If treated early enough, the transformation into a Nosferatu can be delayed or even cured. However, once a person becomes a Nosferatu they can’t be cured. Wearing a crucifix or garlic prevents a vampire from returning to strengthen the curse and it can hold back the transformation. Blood transfusions can be used to dilute and weaken the vampire blood in the victim’s system, replacing the contaminated blood with healthy blood. Holy water placed on bites can purify the wound, stopping the vampire’s infectious and enthralling bite and purging the curse from the blood. The only sure way to prevent the transformation is to kill the vampire that infected the afflicted before they die.

Notes:
  As described in the novel, I have Dracula wear all black. But to avoid making everything solid black (and to spare my colored pencils), I mixed in dark brown, navy, slate, silver, mahogany, and cool gray. It's the same reason why Batman wore blue in older comics.
  I modeled his face after Bela Lugosi, and since I draw my characters to scale, he would be 6'5'' as a reference to Christopher Lee. Demon Dracula would be 7'3" as a reference to the Castlevania Dracula's height.
  Old Dracula's clothes are based off of Mathias Cronqvist from Castlevania: Lament of Innocence. Unlike his other forms, I gave him a mustache instead of a goatee. In the novel, he's described as having a heavy mustache and being otherwise clean shaven. It's only when he arrives in London is he described as having a pointed beard.
  I gave Modern Dracula the jacket worn by Shang Tsung in the 1995 Mortal Kombat film because that jacket is awesome.
The symbol on the belt of Demon Dracula is based on the symbol of the Order of the Dragon, which Vlad Dracula belonged to. The Demon Form is based on the Gargoyles from Disney's Gargoyles, the vampires from Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Marcus Corvinus from Underworld: Evolution, Vampire Lords from The Elder Scrolls, and Dracula's various "true" forms from the Castlevania Series.
  I purposely avoided giving him a bat nose because Dracula is associated with more than just bats. Originally, I was going to draw him as a wolf/bat hybrid, which he can probably turn into, but I wanted to show off the dragon and demon aspect of his character.
  In the Vampire Project, only the most powerful of vampires can assume a demonic form. As can be seen here with the blood red eyes and heavily exaggerate facial features, "Vamp Face" is a precursor to this form. But this isn't even Dracula's final form. The horns, the wings, the tail, the feet, and the claws are to hint to his dragon form. I might draw his dragon form some day.
I came up with the formula to measure a vampire's strength by taking Dracula's reported strength from the book and working backwards. I used 6 as a baseline because the finale of the show the Deadliest Warrior was Vampires vs. Zombies. In it, they took the average strength of bodybuilders and multiplied it by six. And the vampires they used were from 20 Days of Night, which I see as basic, non-supernatural vampire and would be the equivalent to newborn vampires or ghouls in the Vampire Project. So Dracula's strength of over 20 strong men minus 6 and then divided the amount of time since his death in 1476 to the events of the book by that number to get about 29.57. I rounded it to 25 so that vampires go up by one level every quarter century or so. I also added the generational factor because vampires with a more direct link to the source would have more potent blood. It's not a big factor until you get further down into the generations and with a lot more time.