Yahoo Image Search
When deciding on a vampire society and how public it is, one has to consider as many angles as possible. After all, they have to live alongside their prey similar to lions and cheetahs. You don’t see those other predators pretending to be gazelles, so it’s more difficult for vampires. That makes it fairly complicated, but maybe the following list can help.
Pros to Hiding Among Humans
- Easy access to prey.
- Being around modern society reduces the risk of anachronism.
- A vampire can create and maintain a business to cover a pack who would work for them.
- Easy way to find new recruits.
- Be aware of new threats coming into the area.
Cons to Hiding Among Humans
- Higher risk of being found out.
- Having to deal with the fictional vampire fandoms without laughing.
- Being discovered by mortals who are desperate to become vampires.
- Easier to be found by hunters.
- Takes more time and effort to hide bodies.
- Excuses needed for avoiding sunlight, garlic, or other weaknesses.
Pros to Staying on the Outskirts of Society
- Able to build up a vampire society with little outside influence.
- More space to plant traps and secret hideouts.
- Privacy for training new recruits.
- Room to create a storehouse of food with little chance of discovery.
- Less fear of being discovered.
- Easier to dispose of bodies.
- Limited exposure to vampire fandoms.
Cons to Staying on the Outskirts of Society
- More work and travel to find prey.
- Less chance of knowing when danger has arrived.
- One slip up can take out the entire thing and you have run further into the wilderness.
- Anachronism is much more possible.
- Infighting and upward mobility become a form of entertainment.
These are only a few and the lists would be different for other authors. Feel free to add your own in the comments.
Legends of Windemere 
Where do you hide the bodies? If you are hundreds of years old, you have got to leave a trail of dead bodies somewhere. Aren’t people missed? 👿
LikeLike
Pig farm, lost at sea, wood chipper, but a graveyard, and maybe frame a mortal? Sure there’s some way to do it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Seems to me the best business to open would be a crematorium. It can do double duty to hide the leftovers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That would definitely solve the problem. Much better than a restaurant that serves exotic mystery meat.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A chicken feed factory? Do vampire children ever gripe about leftovers?
LikeLike
As I said in another comment, can’t go wrong with a pig farm. I’m guessing children are constant throughout all humanoid species.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I enjoyed your pro’s and con’s, Charles.
LikeLike
Thanks. 🙂
LikeLike
I enjoyed the lists. Had to laugh out loud at a couple.
LikeLike
Great to hear. 😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
😀
LikeLike
Great list. I’m guessing that being a worker at a hospital would be good for a vampire, easy food without much chance of being exposed and still able to stay current.
LikeLike
It works as long as the vampire doesn’t get greedy. Too many disappearing blood bags and dead bodies can draw some attention. It also depends on how meticulous the hospital is with its files. Unless the vampire works as office staff and fudges them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good points, maybe it would be easier hiding by working in a morgue then.
LikeLike
That reminds me of iZombie. Easy way to get brains.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just looking at your list makes me think that most vampires would do better just being drifters.They feed and move on. Long walks, even through desert areas, would work for them because they can’t die of exposure as a mortal hiker might. They just have to move between dusk and dawn, and know how to find or make a sun-tight shelter. Vampire survivalists, perhaps?
Although, being in touch the vampire fan clubs (?!?) might provide some resources in terms of willing nourishment (assuming the vampire is able to feed without killing) possible recruits, and people who would do paperwork and such during daylight hours.
LikeLike
A lot of stories have vampires function on the outskirts of society. One thing I didn’t factor in with these lists is the positive of a large city like NYC or LA. A very dense population can help cover disappearances caused by vampire feedings. You notice it more if you have less people to start with, so the big metropolises would be a good hunting ground for those who don’t want to wander. I would worry about sun exposure in the desert with some vampire types. The rockier ones could work for that or maybe carry a shovel for digging a hole.
My biggest worry with the vampire fan club contact would be someone in their ranks outing the vampire. Humans are so bad at keeping secrets.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those fan clubs ruin everything, don’t they?
LikeLike
More so than people realize. I remember the fans of a cartoon turned on the creators for some reason a few years back.
LikeLiked by 1 person