What is a Vampire? Setting the fiction from the facts

Vampires are Immortal: True, but they can be killed and hurt. It is very hard to kill a vampire, and in Crossroads no perm death is allowed anyway without both party's permission. Vampires do not need to breathe, eat, or sleep like some races.

Vampires are undead, sustaining themselves with the blood of the living: True, vampires are cursed corpses. When Cain killed Able he feared for his life as being the first murderer known and outcast of God, so God put a "mark" on him out of an act of mercy/punishment. Cain became forever an outcast by God and lost his soul, so when he died he would cease to exist. But God had Mercy on him, giving him the ability to be immortal as long as the world existed if he drank the blood or "life force" of the living. Blood is not just a vampire's way of living; it becomes a passion that gives them power and magic. Also giving them the ability to control others, even to the point of "blood bonding" where vampires feeding off other vampires can create a bond of love.

Anyone that is Fed on by a Vampire becomes one: False. Vampires drinking a persons’ blood does not turn them a vampire. They are just stealing life force from them to sustain themselves, like an animal would eat their flesh.

The Embrace is when a vampire turns someone else into a vampire. This is done by draining their life force and then the vampire feeding them part of their own blood. When this is done, the person is transformed into the undead vampire race or "kindred".

Vampires are Evil: False....true, when a person first becomes a vampire they still keep their pervious life's ideals of right and wrong. But as the thirst takes control, as they usually resist at first, they will go out and murder someone for their vitae sooner or later. This gets easier and easier and once they release they could not be trusted to stay true to their own ideals, they start to distrust that any stay true to their ideas so making it pointless. As times goes by and they accept their soul is gone, that this life is their only existence, watch their loved ones die leaving them alone, and noticing the ideals of the world change over the years. They know that right and wrong is an illusion set by the powers to be to control the masses. Once this comes to light, they do not become evil, but embrace life to its fullest and taking what they want from it. Thus, we see that life is not about ideals, but about being content and living to the fullest without others holding you back.

Vampires have weaknesses: True, if in the sunlight for a long period they will turn into ash. But a single beam on sunlight for a brief moment will not kill them. Flames or any bright lights will disturb a vampire, getting to close to a very bright light can even burn them. Running water, garlic, holy items, a Crucifix or Cross, silver, or stakes to the heart will not kill a vampire. Though people with "true faith" using a Holy Item, can cause us to flee from their presence.

Vampires have supernatural abilities: True, but unlike some myth, they do not possess all of them. Each Bloodline has their own abilities, when they are first embraced their abilities are weak. As they grow in power and experience over time, their abilities will become stronger.

Vampires are Beasts: True, in every vampire there is the beast clawing it's way to the surface of their minds. Though a Vampire can control it and even go thousands of years without falling victim to it, the "frenzy" that wants to take control of them is feared by all vampires. Conflicts and Anger can release a little of the Frenzy, but Vampires for the most part can push it back into the depths of their mind once they calm down again.