As to Vlad / Dracula drinking blood, I personally think he or his men started that story to frighten all who opposed him. However, it was the style of the times to partake of the blood or heart of he whom you had vanquished; providing you believed him to be brave and strong. It was a common practice. It was believed that Vlad made a pact with Satan on the death of his love. That is why Classicals are still believed, in some places, to be servants of the devil and to have come from hell.
A Classic, having fed well, is believed to look quite human; rosy cheeks, bright eyes, etc. But when the blood began to dissipate, the corpse-like appearance returned: sunken eyes, gaunt, drawn and with pale skin. The red or yellow blazing eyes comes from the church view that vampires are Minions of the Devil and are from hell. It was believed that Vampires, Classicals especially, could change to any animal, including: large cats, such as tigers, black leopards and black pumas, as well as dogs, wolves, bats or rats; not to mention fog and smoke. After all, they are Demons and can do anything, can't they? Of course not, but that was church view.
Real Classicals can only be infected by one who is already infected. The ones who claim to be undead (a fictional term) say they are killed by the draining of blood unto death and then revived into the undead state. This is purely fiction.Used mainly in horror movies so that it could be what I like to call more dramatic...but thats so not the point.
An actual Classical needs to feed immediately, i.e.: to ingest fresh, living blood to restore health, vigor etc. Young ones - newly infected ones, usually have a hard time dealing with the rush of new emotions, strength and mental capabilities. Most do desperately try to maintain their humanity and it is always a struggle, because they must feed and in order to do that u either kill or be killed.
The real medical evidence suggests that today�s Classicals are infected by the mixing of bodily fluids or blood with the Parent i.e., the Father or Mother who infected them. (Father or Mother does not mean the biological parent, rather it means the male or female who spread the infection). This causes either a genetic imbalance, because of the mixing of affected DNA, or the effects of enzymes or viruses which slowly affect the changes noticed.
Sometime, long ago, a human was infected with the Inheritor retrovirus containing the mutagen. This human's ability to be infected was due to his or her possibly unique body chemistry, or maybe the specific Inheritor's retrovirus was mutated further. This human became the first Classical Vampire. Old writings even speculated that after this human was infected, he/she became ill, as the altered mutagen tried to adapt to the alien body chemistry. But, instead of dying, the first Classical was born.
As for babies, I think it is not done for several reasons. One is practicality. An adolescent or baby Vampyre is a pointless creation. But mostly because it is impossible. It is believed testosterone or estrogen levels are needed as catalyst for the retrovirus to infect. Children, before the onset of puberty, lack the appropriate levels
Classicals, like Inheritors, must ingest blood. It is a biological need, not a psychological one. The criticism here is that blood cannot be digested through the human stomach and broken down into proteins and other nourishments. This is indeed true and a medical fact. It is one of the chief reasons why the existence of vampires is disbelieved, as such. However, the point to remember here, is that blood is not broken down into it nutrients in the 'normal human stomach'. Those persons with what medicine calls today, 'The Physical Vampire Condition' do break down the substances. We are not speaking of Porphyria, the illness, here just yet.
The Physical Vampire Condition is the term for today's real Classicals, Inheritors, Nighttimers and Genetics. If these people do not ingest blood for real food ... nourishment ... they get progressively weaker, feel ill, experience aches and pains. Even though real Vampires can and do eat regular food as well, if they do not ingest blood, persons with the Physical Vampire Condition will die without blood transfusions. It is a VERY SERIOUS MATTER.
Attributes And Problems
Almost all true Vampires have the same or quite similar problems, including sensitivity, in varying degrees, to light and sun; even indoor lighting and the lights in night clubs. Some blister very badly, some deeply burn, some pass out, others suffer heat stroke. Most have Day-Glare Blindness, similar to humans who experience snow blindness or night blindness. Most CAN go out into the day, but really would rather not. All tend to feel ill and weak during the day and better and stronger as darkness descends.
Porphyria is blood disease which manifests itself in the paling of the skin, a red rash about the mouth and nose, and rendering its' victims very hard to wake by day.
Children who died before baptism were staked as well, as it was believed that they were doomed and going straight to hell where the devil made them into little demons. I am sure some parents feel exactly this way about their little darlings today as well, without them dying. (According to modern beliefs of most Christian churches, children who die before baptism are considered innocents and favored by God, because they are innocent of mans' sins. This view has changed since early times when it was believed that any unbaptized soul who died was directly scooped up by the devil. But such is now no longer considered a reality)
Feeding .. Long Life .. Temperament, Ego, New Hunger .. Letters From a Classical Vampire