Blade
Next Thursday will start the War of Nytefall character profiles in order to introduce the 13 main characters. You’ll get to learn about their origins, personality, and a little bit about their roles without getting into spoilers. I don’t have pictures for the characters though, so I’ll be using whatever vampire pics I can find that I think can work. At least I’m going to try.
Some characters will have more meat to them than others because this isn’t an equal-footing ensemble cast like with the champions. While I say there are 13 main characters, many are supporting cast that will have various levels of evolution. I won’t be doing one book to highlight each one since there are only 8 volumes this time. Most events will focus on Clyde and Mab, which will become fairly evident when the profiles start. That and Mab was in The Mercenary Prince to give a little preliminary insight into the world of the Dawn Fangs. I should mention again that War of Nytefall takes place years before Legends of Windemere.
So, what is the purpose of this post? Well, I was going to explain the Dawn Fangs, but I’ve done that twice. Nothing else I can say about it without revealing the entire first book of what will be a fun series. I’m actually just going to open the floor to questions. Is there anything you want to know about the Dawn Fangs and characters? What do you look for in a vampire story if you enjoy them at all?
Legends of Windemere 
I probably shouldn’t say this, but I like my vampires in classical style. Secretive, night-stalking, and a bit tragic somehow. Make them a bit sexy, lonely, and romantic too. Throw in some garlic, crosses, white horses, and religious paraphernalia and I’m golden.
LikeLike
So, the classic Hollywood stuff. 😉 It’s funny how the movie version is what’s become the standard for vampires after centuries of mythological versions. Guess it shows the power of various mediums.
My only issue with the classic vampire is that I think they work best as villains. As heroes, they’re fairly limited. Moonlight, Angel, and Forever Knight come to mind, but they all seem to come from the ‘fighting against their predatory nature’ vein. Not to mention, I always wondered how they could do their jobs when so many places are closed at night.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Before movies there was Dracula, but yeah like that. They weren’t heroes, but the writers had a way of milking sympathy for them. As readers, we bought into it. I’m sure there are fans of various day-walkers and such too.
LikeLike
Actually, book Dracula and movie Dracula aren’t even the same. For example, he wasn’t hurt by the sun in the book. He was merely preferred the night and actually does appear in daylight a few times in the original novel. Hollywood made it a death sentence when they did the adaptation. Even his origin is different since Stoker never explained how or why Dracula became a vampire. So, a lot of what we connect with modern vampires is actually born from the early movies instead of Bram Stoker’s work. This is one of the reasons I’ve become so fluid and easy-going with the vampire mythos. It’s all over the place.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree that it’s all over the place. My copy of Stoker’s book is a prized possession. One of my all time favorites. I like the epistolary style used in the book too. I’m derailing your post though, so I’ll pipe down.
LikeLike
Not a problem. I figured any post about vampires will have something like this. People have their preferences and much of it depends on our first exposure. For example, those who started with ‘Twilight’ prefer the romantic daywalkers to the night-lurking monsters you would find in ‘Blade’. Heck, I remember running into a few fans who thought ‘Twilight’ came before Bram Stoker. It’s a really strange mentality that seems strongest in the vampire genre.
My first exposure was The Count from Sesame Street, but I didn’t know he was a vampire. After that was Dracula in a few cartoons, some of which had him as a villain and others as a good guy. One of my friends began with ‘Vampire in Brooklyn’, so he doesn’t take them seriously at all.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve tried to avoid vamps and zombies, but have not been completely successful. There are just so many places to take them all.
LikeLike
Zombies I only use as monsters. Honestly, as chaotic as the genres are, part of me is always tempted to toss my hat in the ring. Wonder if it’s author mob mentality.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I always wanted to write a litch, but outside of you and Gary Gygax most folks won’t know what that is.
LikeLike
World of Warcraft might have had one too. The benefit is the monster has more flexibility due to less reputation.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a fair point. It’s had to find undead that don’t come with some baggage from some author. I used ghouls briefly in The Hat.
LikeLike
Undead have been around for centuries. Makes sense since humans are always scared of death and what happens afterwards. The idea of dying and coming back a monster has to be high up the list. I’ve used revenants, wights, banshees, poltergeists, etc. There’s a lot of subcategories in the undead category. The deeper you go, the more nuanced creatures you can find.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I may need one of unusual intelligence in the next year. There are a lot that are just hungry animalistic ones. Vamps might fit, mummies give a specific flavor to the story. Maybe I should dig out my old Monster Manual.
LikeLike
Do you need a physical one or would a ghost count? There are plenty of phantoms, specters, and apparitions that retain their intelligence. That or you can design a new one. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Physical, so there can be a fire fight. I’m still in the daydreaming phase.
LikeLike
It’s tough because they’re supposed to be corpses, but there’s no reason you can’t have a rotting smart person. There’s obviously some brain activity to keep them moving.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gotta love the Blade movies! I look for good characters and conflict. I can’t help thinking of one of the first vampire books I read–‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King. This was followed up by Dracula and Interview with a Vampire. Yep. Back in the day.
I think of Interview with a Vampire, because that series involved vampires and their hierarchy.
LikeLike
‘Interview with a Vampire’ definitely added an interesting facet to the mythos. I think that’s where a more noble hierarchy came from instead of the solitary-like Dracula. It also may have started the path towards vampire heroes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think so too, yes. And with any society, we want to know why they do what they do, and how things work.
LikeLike
Usually. I’ve noticed that most of monsters get a pass with societal questions. Maybe because vampires look so human.
LikeLike
I’m fairly easy to please with vampires: let them drink blood, have at least a few of the classic weaknesses, and for the love of all that’s good and holy, don’t let them freaking sparkle in the sun. Also, being used in an entirely romantic context sort of turns me away, as well. But if someone’s able to find a way to make a vampire heroic, then awesome. I’m sort of leaning that way with one character in a roleplay, in fact. It’d only be temporary for him, but it’s still coming. Used a vampire as a villain in one assassination-related story, as well. Like I said, there isn’t much that’s required for me to be good with a vampire character.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The sparkling will never be forgotten! The classic weaknesses are always a tough one for fantasy. Then again, beheading and stabbed in the heart tends to kill anything.
LikeLike
I’ve always been partial to the 1960s Hammer films Vampires.
LikeLike
That’s the Christopher Lee one, right?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes it is the Christopher Lee one. Sorry it took me so long to reply
LikeLike
No problem. It’s chaos everywhere these days.
LikeLiked by 1 person