The Witcher: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Vampires | TheGamer – TheGamer

Vampires are interesting creatures in the Witcher series and often pose a threat to Geralt and other Witchers given their incredible abilities. Another factor working in a vampires favor in this world is that there are a lot of myths, folktales, and other pieces of misinformation regarding their weaknesses and vulnerabilities, leading many humans to foolishly try and hunt them down without the proper knowledge of how to win.

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Considering the false information spread by common folk in the Witcher world there are many fans that may be surprised to hear various truths regarding these dark creatures. Here are some notable things you may not have known about these creatures of the night.

Right out of the gate a noticeable difference about this franchises vampires is that they are not created nor the result of any fallen being or plague. A vampire is born a vampire, like a Dwarf is born a Dwarf. Biting a human will not turn that human into a vampire, though the games break from this canon on one exception with Blue Eyes.

Its unknown if vampires are capable of reproducing, if not thats a bit of good news for humans as it means there is a finite amount and they can be hunted to extinction. If that isnt the case vampires could pose a serious problem.

Vampires are separated into two subspecies, Lower Grade Vampires and Higher Grade Vampires. Lower Grade Vampires are much more primitive and animalistic. Fleders, Garkains, Plumards, and Ekimmas comprise the Lower Grade Vampires in this world.

Theyre little more than sentient bats the size of large humans that can use their wings and strength to overwhelm prey and drain their blood. Ekimmas are considered the most dangerous of the Lower Grade Vampires given their ferocity in combat and regenerative abilities.

Higher Grade Vampires are far more dangerous as they are more intelligent and in some cases can pass for humans. Katakans, Mulas, Nosferats, Bruxas, Alps, and Higher Vampires are all Higher Grade. These creatures are a major threat to even Witchers as some like the Katakans, cannot be detected by medallions, and are crafty fighters with regenerative powers greater than a Witcher utilizing potions.

The most dangerous vampire is the rare Higher Vampire. Should any other being cut them down theyll enter a regenerative state and come back, no matter what methods are used. Fortunately, many choose a simple life and in some cases even assist humans and Witchers, much like Emiel Regis in The Witcher 3.

With a few exceptions like Nosferats, Katakans, and Plumards, vampires are not susceptible to sunlight. Alps may receive significantly tan skin from too much exposure, but sun rays will not weaken, harm, or irritate a vampire in any way.

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That being said vampires will avoid sunlight as they have a preference for the night time. This could be its easier preserve their disguises as humans in less light, its easier to stalk and hunt prey that have limited vision or might even be sleeping, or simply because theyre nocturnal creatures.

In the Witcher world there are many of the same beliefs and folktales regarding vampire execution that bear similarities to the real world. Garlic is said to poison them, holy water will burn them, crucifixes will scare them away or even harm them, wooden stakes through the heart will kill them, etc.

It turns out these are all untrue, granted some lesser vampires will go down with a wooden stake to the chest, but this would be true for any object made of any material. Regis mentions having been subjected to all of these measures without it having any effect other than forcing him to slowly regenerate. Silver does have some uses with certain vampires however.

For whatever reason vampires will not cast a shadow or have a reflection. Folktales and myths abound trying to explain this phenomena, but no one, not even vampires know the real reason behind this.

Fortunately this presents a reliable method for Witchers to identify the more elusive Higher Grade Vampires that outwardly appear human and arent detectable by medallions. This is perhaps the main reason Higher Grade Vampires do not like to be out in sunlight as a missing shadow would raise questions.

Blood isnt necessarily a requirement for survival for vampires. Garkain are known to consume flesh and Higher Vampires can abstain from blood for years. A few like the Fledar exclusively feast on blood, but it is unknown if this is out of necessity or preference.

It turns out that for many vampires blood is little more than an addictive substance. Regis describes blood as having many properties similar to alcohol for vampires. Its strange to think that these fierce creatures are little more than lushes.

Special Powers are commonly found in Higher Grade Vampires and a few Lower Grade vampires have some abilities as well. The most universal power is the ability to regenerate from damage, this could be the ability to heal from cuts and scrapes like the Ekimmas does or to avoid death entirely like the Higher Vampire.

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Some other common abilities include the power to turn invisible, bewitch others with a gaze, and flight. Many Higher vampires also have more animalistic forms that are more useful for combat than their human form might be.

This rule is more for Higher Vampires, but the other Vampires seem to follow this rule instinctually. It is utterly taboo for a vampire to kill another vampire under any circumstances. This is incredibly important for Higher Vampires as fellow Higher Vampires are the only beings that pose a threat to them. In order to ensure immortality it has become established that such an act would brand the other vampire for life.

Another reason behind this universally accepted rule is that it could be enforced by the Unseen Elders, Higher Vampires who are much older and far more powerful than the average Higher Vampire. Choosing to slay a fellow vampire would likely draw their wrath and bring with it a fate worse than death.

In the Blood & Wine expansion of The Witcher 3, its revealed that all Higher Vampires originated from three ancient tribes that arrived on the world through the Conjunctions of the Spheres. Each is ruled over by an Unseen Elder and while not bound by any responsibilities, members of the tribe must follow the basic code of not killing another vampire mentioned above.

The Gharasham is the tribe Regis belongs to and settling in with the Nordlings and Imperials, the Ammurun tribe settled in the west beyond the Great Sea, and the Tdet tribe settled in the east somewhere beyond the Blue Mountains.

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Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero