Vampires, (no matter how nice they appear to be) if they are REAL, are killers. Killers who choose not to kill. But they are very UNPREDICTABLE and extremely strong. Even if you love a Vampire or befriend one, or they befriend or love you, remember always that Vampires are not human. You must never forget with whom (or what) you're dealing.
EGOS
Some Vampire's egos are worse than actors' egos. It comes with the territory. Many have an arrogant, elitist attitude. Not all vampires are elitist. Many are not arrogant. Again, it�s just part of their nature, even if they do not consider themselves to be an elitist or superior. Many are devoted and loyal friends and spouses. Many delight in their lifestyle, others hate it. As with humans, to each his own.
THE NEW HUNGER
For the youngest and newly infected ones, they have a condition called 'New Blood' or 'New Bloods'. The surge of developing senses is overwhelming after being infected. The power and temptation to do something to take advantage -- JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN -- is very strong.
With sudden surges of strength and psychic ability, many young ones (newly infected vampires) go a little crazy until things level out in their brains and bodies. That is why a newly infected real Vampire is never left alone but constantly guided into the world he has just entered.
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Classical Vampires all have the same problems and strengths, but Inheritors do not have these problems. Immortal and Eternal. There is really no such thing as immortal. All Vampires can die. Their lives, their existence (whatever you wish to call it) can end. If you drop a safe on a Vampire from a tall building he will probably die.
But Vampires do tend to survive bad injuries, regenerate and re-grow some organs and limbs, as well as teeth. It takes huge amounts of fresh, living blood to keep a severely injured Vampire alive -- in other words, lots of donors. This is true for all Vampires, Classicals and Inheritors alike.
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And now I am going to let you all in on a private joke of sorts. Within the world of the Classical there is an in joke, probably begun by the Inheritors, anyway they began calling the Classicals 'Pales.'
Why?
The original mythological connection to the Undead myth. A vampire was either dead and just stayed that way or, Undead, given some unholy life by Lucifer. Of course, if you where dead, you where pale, hence the name. Today most Inheritors still refer to Classicals as 'Pales' and many Classicals have taken or adopted the title as their own.
It is the 'in' joke of most real Vamp communities. But we must remember, Classicals are not undead, but are living beings.
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Another in joke, is the term used to distinguish extremely old Classical Vampires. Who are believed to have lived so long in time that they have gone insane.
The age of these vampires is unknown, but believed to be older than the oldest Inheritor. The term for this type of vampire is Gaunt. Again, a play on old films and books.
The ancient vampires, such as portrayed in the film Nosferatu, are very old and very ugly, unlike the Classicals portrayed in Dracula films by Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee who were more seductive and romantic figures.
The age of gaunts is not readily known, it is said they live exceptionally long, thousands of years. But there is no vampiric record, either by Inheritors or Classicals, of what age one might reach.
The extreme age, you might say, is likened to older humans who have Alzheimers and were in past days thought of as being demented or insane. Gaunts are believed to be insane and exceptionally strong.
There are several vampire communities, in New York City, who believe there to be at least one Gaunt living deep beneath the subway tunnels of Manhattan. Whether or not this is Urban Legend, I do not know.
