Vampyres are a humanoid race coming from Vampyrium. They are the dominant race of Morytania, and are most often found in the Sanguinesti Region. They live on human blood, and force all residents of Morytania to pay a blood tithe. A few notable vampyres are found outside Morytania.
Vampyres appear to have at least three forms: human form (similar to a human, but with fangs), vapour form, and vyre form (looks like a large bat-like creature with big, long ears). Vampyres do not die of old age, or of natural causes. Contrary to popular opinion they are not undead and so the Salve Amulet has no effect on them.
Vampyre development
There are three main stages of development for the vampyres in Morytania, namely vampyre juveniles, vampyre juvinates, and vyre. It was once thought that vyrewatch was a stage of development, but upon the release of The Branches of Darkmeyer it was revealed that vyrewatch was merely a rank of vyre as the player could also obtain the same rank.
Vampyre juveniles
Vampyre juveniles are the first and weakest stage of vampyres. If players speak to the citizens of Sanguenesti, they will reveal that juveniles are "probably converted from some sort of a bipedal creature". This hints towards them originally being human. They can be found in the woods east of Burgh de Rott, and in Meiyerditch.
Players can kill them with any weapon, but those in Meiyerditch must be damaged with the Rod of Ivandis or Ivandis flail, and killed with the Guthix balance potion. When the potion is not used, they will transform into vapour form, and escape.
Vampyre juvinates
Vampyre juvinates (and Juvinate guards) are vampyres that have been initiated into an order, which makes them immune to any non silver weapons. They are stronger than vampyre juveniles. They turn into fog and retreat unless the player binds them with an Ivandis weapon (rod or flail) and then uses a Guthix balance potion on them.
Vampyre juvinates often do dirty work for the vyrewatch, such as collecting blood tithes, ambushing travellers, and guarding the mines. They are located east of Burgh de Rott, in Meiyerditch, and all over Morytania during Temple Trekking.
Vyre
A detailed image of a Vyrewatch
Vyrewatch have the ability to fly, and are currently immune to all known weapons except the Ivandis flail, the Blisterwood polearm, Blisterwood stakes, the Blisterwood staff, and spells cast with the Blisterwood staff.
Vyrewatch are found all over Meiyerditch, Darkmeyer, and east of Burgh De Rott during and after Legacy of Seergaze, mainly as part of Vyrewatch patrols. Wearing a ring of recoil used to work, but now whenever a vyrewatch damages a player wearing one, a message appears that says that the ring will not work on this creature; this is the same effect that Deflect curses have. Having immunity to these damages allows them to maintain their single weakness of silver weapons, to stop players from cheaply killing them with reflected damage.
Notable vampyres
In Morytania
A vapourised vampyre.
- The Drakans - Lord Lowerniel Vergidiyad Drakan is the ancient and powerful ruler of Morytania, but nobody has seen him in years. The day to day running of Morytania is done by his siblings, Ranis and Vanescula. In a Postbag from the Hedge, a letter response says that a Vampyre at its full strength can control Darkness ("turn darkness to solid form"), Corrupt peoples minds ("control the weak willed"), and draw the blood from ones body with a thought ("pull the blood from your body without even touching you"). A lot of these abilities are demonstrated in the fight with Vanstrom Klause. Interestingly, the two abilities of "drawing blood with a thought" and "controlling darkness" are very similar to the Blood, Shadow and Smoke spells from the Ancient Spell book. Furthermore, the ability to "control the weak willed" raises the question as to why Drakan would need Charos in the first place, although it is possible that with the Ring of Charos he could completely control anyone's mind.
- Malak, whom players meet in the Desert Treasure quest. He teaches players how to defeat the guardian of blood so that he can own more land. In this way, he is one of the only vampyres that actually helps the player in a quest. He once got sick when he drank blood from the citizens of Mort'ton.
- Vanstrom Klause, the main villain of the Myreque series. He is often praised by the Drakans and seems to be fourth in command.
- Dessous, a vampyre noble who owns land north of the Sanguinesti region. He is killed in Desert Treasure, as a favour for Malak, who wants his land.
- Solomon Lamescus, a prominent noble of House Drakan residing in the Sanguinesti region. He holds partial responsibilities as he gave information on vampyres and vampyres, as well as Count Draynor .
- The Black Prince is another prominent noble Vampyre Lord featured in the Return to Canifis novel. He is the father of Gar'rth and the true heir to the throne of Misthalin. He appears to have some form of rivalry with Vanescula Drakan.
Outside Morytania
There are very few vampyres residing outside of Morytania, and the few that are have been greatly weakened. Most of them are lesser forms, such as vampyre juveniles. Known vampyres outside of Morytania include:
- Count Draynor, the younger brother of Lord Drakan, and the owner of Draynor Manor. He rests in a coffin in the basement, though players fight him in the Vampyre Slayer quest. In postbag 19 it is told that the count was banished from Morytania for his cowardice, and his absence from Drakan is what weakened him.
- Ruantun, who probably used to be a vampyre juvinate. He is found in the sewers of Draynor Village, and helps players to make a silver pot in the Desert Treasure quest.
- The Sinister Stranger, a fisherman who denies being a vampyre at all, but he is overpowered by garlic. He is involved with the Fishing Contest quest.
- There is also a vampyre in the coffin upstairs in the Paterdomus temple, who is involved with the Priest in Peril quest.
Trivia
- Vampyres received major graphical updates along with the rest of Morytania on 17 August 2011. Some, however, did not, them being: Malak, Ruantun, Dessous, Vlad, Revenant vampyres and vampyres in the God Wars Dungeon.
- Prior to the update on 31 August 2011, Vampires and Vampyres were two different races. The level 60-70 bat-like creatures in the swamps of Morytania were listed as "Vampire" and looked much like Ruantun does now. The more intelligent figures, such as the Vyre and Count Draynor were known as "Vampyre". It was thought that Jagex intended for them to be two separate races, but upon the release of The Branches of Darkmeyer, it was decided that the two should be mixed. It's unknown if this was planned all along, or if the distinction between "Vampire" and "Vampyre" became too confusing for players.
- Prior to the update on 27 March 2012, the Vampyres located outside the west energy barrier into Port Phasmatys will glitch into the barrier and follow a player they are attacking, this glitch has not yet been fixed.
- All vampyres (juveniles, juvinates and vyres) are immune to damage over time abilities, even if it hit them and the weapon used was either the Ivandis flail or Blisterwood weapons. This is most likely an oversight from Jagex.
- During the Lore live Q&A on 4 November 2012, it was mentioned that most Vampyres were created from mortals from Gielinor, but a few Vampyres (some of the oldest and most powerful of their kind) were not. They were the original members of their species brought to Gielinor from their home plane of Vampyrium (The name was spoken, so spelling may not be accurate).
- There are vampyres in the Zamorak section of the God Wars Dungeon and this would imply that the race worships or once worshipped Zamorak. However, vampyres in Darkmeyer pray at a "Vampyric Altar" rather than the usual type of chaos altar associated with Zamorak worship. This might imply that vampyres once served Zamorak but later abandoned him, similar to how the Mahjarrat originally followed Ichthlarin before switching to Zaros and then (for some) Zamorak.
