Creature/Breed References

So, I thought I would make a list of breed-specific things such as terminology and myths surrounding the different breeds and so on. Mainly because creatures, like Vampires, have many different myths and legends surrounding them. So, prepare to read a lot ^^;

This section will also be edited/added to by the other Admin.
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VAMPIRES/VAMPYRE'S

As most of you are probably aware, most Vampire myths stem from The Dark Ages; a time where science was in its infancy and and people turned to religion, and superstition, to explain the unexplained. While many Vampire myths have their basis in Christian Orthodoxy, others represent imaginative interpretations of actual Vampire behavior.

Most of you are aware of the biggies surrounding Vampire myths:

They burn in the sunlight

They sleep in coffins

Garlic and Crosses repel them

Driving a stake through a Vampire's heart will kill them

Holy water will burn their flesh

They can fly

Immune to illness

Drank only blood

They prey, specifically, on virgins [a Victorian-era myth]

They can transform into bats/wolves

They have no reflections/do not show up in photographs
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Some more 'modern' myths surrounding Vampires include, but are not limited too, the following:

Can go out during the day, but for a limited time, or on a cloudy day

Crosses and holy water have no effect on them

Appear human, but are described as being 'un-naturally' beautiful

It takes more then the exchange of blood to turn a human into a Vampire

Vampire society is seen a Matriarchal society, where the women have all the control and are blessed with affinities for elements. The males are seen as protectors, and are blessed with great gifts of strength and battle strategy.

[more when I think of them]
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These myths, or views, are not of my own mind. Some of these aspects were taken from books based on Vampires living in the modern world. In one book series, "The House Of Night" the Vampire system is described as being Matriarchal. It also goes on to say that every highly successful human [actors, singers, politicians, poets ect] are Vampires. The first Vampires are said to have been the Amazons, and they worship The Goddess Nix and hold special rituals to honor her. It comes off as a very 'wiccan-esq' ceremony. Females are said to be the most powerful of the genders, being given affinities for elements, and clairvoyance, among other things. Men merely are very powerful, and are charged with protecting the High Priestesses and anyone under them.

In the book series "Thirst" it describes Vampires as being able to go out during the day for a limited time before they start to feel ill [like having a cold] Like the old legends, they maintain their supernatural strength, speed and intelligence. However the book describes the ability of turning a human into a Vampire takes more then just the exchange of blood. The first Vampire born, in this series, came from ancient India and was born as a demon who feasted on humans.

So, it is clear that some of the original myths about Vampires, stemming from Dracula, Vlad the Impaler ect. have carried over to modern times. When authors today describe Vampires they keep some elements such as their breath-taking beauty, skill in multiple activities [languages, art ect], super-human speed and strength among other things.

What I believe about Vampires varies. Some of my personal views include their limited ability to travel during daylight hours, their abilities of super-human strength and speed among other things. In a story of mine, I stay true to some of the older beliefs about Vampires, only because I want too. The idea of them being repelled by crosses and garlic is a bit silly to me, and always has been. I think it'd be interesting that Vampires actually marvel at the idea of 'God' because I'm sure they, at some time or another, question their own mortality or rather immortality and would often wonder what it would be like to simply die and either go to heaven or hell. This is a big part of my own story.

You are free, and encouraged, to make up your own mind about what a Vampire can and can not do. You are not limited to what I've talked about here. What I've talked about here comes solely from my own knowledge [and a little research] and is in no way based on fact. Do I believe Vampires actually exist? Why not? I always feel its a little foolish of humans to think anything but human beings can exist anyway. If your as fascinated by Vampires as I am, I strongly encourage you learn whatever you can about them. Read the classics, such as the original Dracula or Anne Rice's novels. I also strongly encourage you to keep yourselves away from "Twilight"'s take on Vampires. If you like it for the love story aspect, fine, but the mere suggestion that Vampire's sparkle in the sunlight is ridiculous on all levels.

Some helpful terms/names used when describing, or talking as a Vampire:

Son/Daughter of the Night

Child of Darkness

Children of the Night

Night Child

Turning/To Turn [to change a human into a Vampire]

Fledgling/Surling [refers to Vampires who have not fully made 'the change' or are still grasping their powers]

Sire [refers to a fledgling's 'Master'- he/she who created [turned] him/her.

[more when I think of 'em]

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NEKO/INU/KITSUNE/USAGI

First off, the term 'Neko' is Japanese for 'Cat'. In modern day, a Neko is described as a human male/female with either just cat ears or cat ears and a tail. They are also called "Cat-Girl" or "Cat-Boy" They stem from Japanese Anime/Manga.

"Catgirls in character typically exhibit a more cat-like attitude, and may sometimes include cat gestures or sounds in written or verbal communications. A frequent running gag among catgirls is that, when talking, they habitually end their speech lines with the catchphrase nya, the Japanese onomatopoeia for a cat's meow.

Catgirls in anime and manga will sometimes sprout cat ears or a tail in order to illustrate their excitable personalities. This is similar to the phenomenon of becoming super deformed and is mostly a stylistic quirk derived from manga. They may momentarily develop a catlike mouth to emphasize mischievous thoughts or comments by a character.

In certain anime and manga series, a boy may be compared to a cat in a similar way that cat-girls are. These characters are referred to as catboys. Bishōnen catboys are typically associated with shōjo manga and yaoi; for example, Ritsuka, from the anime and Manga "Loveless".

In shōnen series, a (usually villainous) cat-girl may be portrayed as the leader of a band of anthropomorphic animals." [Source = Wikipedia]


Same above goes for Inu's.

"Rebellious boys are more often compared to dogs or wolves. The "lone-wolf" characterization is very common for brooding, aggressive, socially isolated males, while comparisons to dogs usually refer to adorably rebellious but ultimately harmless boys." [Source = Wikipedia]

The above applies to Usagi's [Rabbit-girls/boys] and Kitsune [fox-girls/boys] respectively.

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MERMAIDS/MERMEN

Men and women who are half fish [dolphin, shark, whale] and half human. Legends of them stem from Greek, Roman, Chinese, Syrian and Babylonian mythology.

One common myth about mer-people is that they disguise themselves as seals. There are also a few types of mermaids, a common one is called a 'Siren' Siren's allegedly lured unsuspecting fishermen to their deaths on jagged rocks near the shore with their haunting and mesmerizing voices. They were used to explain unexplained ship-wrecks and the deaths of fishermen/sailors. It is said that mermaids, like Sirens, have been known to sing to humans and gods, in such a way that distracts them from their tasks often making them walk off the bow of their ship or run their ship aground. It has been said mermaids have accidentally drowned humans, forgetting they can not breathe under water like they can. Other say mermaids have drowned humans out of spite.

There have been reported sighting of mermaids specifically, but all were more or less dismissed as hallucinations, fatigue ect.

In the Harry Potter series, Mer-people can not speak coherently outside the sea. Their voices are described as being like piercing screams or screeches on land. Beneath the sea, however, their voices are pleasant and melodious.

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More Added Later!