• So! You've Become a Vampire!
    by Manfred Montfort, 12th Comte d'Auvernge (deceased), Societas Commillitones Luxis
    So! You've Become a Vampire!
    By now, you may have begun to realize that your body and nature are profoundly changed from the human being you were before. Your strength is as the strength of ten men, breathing is optional, wounds heal rapidly, human food except in the minutest quantities makes you feel ill, and you become profoundly uncomfortable in the face of talismans of belief brandished by those who believe in them genuinely, such as the Christian cross, Jewish Star of David, Moslem moon, and yes, though you may not encounter this often, even the Communist hammer and sickle. (Bloodsuckers battening on the proletariat, indeed.) For what it's worth, the bit about garlic is pure superstition. And no worries about mirrors.
    Do Not Despair!
    Do not despair! A period of existential angst at the realization that demonic forces do indeed reshape our world, and that you have been infected by among the most demonic of them, is natural! You are not alone! This pamphlet alone should demonstrate that to you. All of us have been forced to understand and acknowledge our nature; you, too, can triumph over your own horror and bleak reappraisal of the natural order. Accept it, and move on. You will find that your new nature has its positive sides: I have alluded to your strength and ability to heal, but in addition, you are virtually immortal -- that is, you can be slain, but aging need no longer hold any terrors. And too, you may find that over time, and with experience, you will gain supernatural abilities you would hardly credit today.
    The Dangers of BLOODLUST!
    But there is one great danger you face, and will struggle with for the rest of eternity, unless you should be slain: and that evil is BLOODLUST. For it cannot be denied: henceforth your survival depends on drinking blood. There are those among us who view their new stature as like that of a demigod among mortals; who view themselves as predators among human prey, whom they account worthless, except for the blood they can offer. For my part, I hope and -- yes -- pray -- that you will take the path of light instead of darkness; that you will understand that humans -- sapient, and capable of moral choice, however weak they may be, and however mayfly their existence -- deserve our sympathy and pity, and not merely our fangs.
    You Can Control Your Cravings!
    Sorely will you be tempted when the BLOODLUST is upon you -- but perhaps no more sorely tested than the heroin addict or the pederast who denies his vile lusts. You CAN live on the blood of animals alone, though the living veins of vital humans offer finer wine -- and if you are lucky, and hew to the path of virtue, perhaps you will find companionship among those few humans who know of, acknowledge, and offer themselves willingly to our kind -- in exchange for a sort of rapture of their own. Know this: To take a human unwillingly is a form of rape. The analogy is inexact; only the most vile of humans is ever tempted to rape, yet our sort is tempted -- always, sorely, and eternally -- to the act that defines us. Yet with an act of will, and with the strength of moral conviction, we can eschew it.
    Join Us!
    Seek out help. Wherever you see the scribbled N and sunburst -- and when reproduction of our symbol precisely is infeasible, sometimes just a crossed-out N -- you will find the Children of the Light. At our meetings, you will find others who have Taken the Pledge, who struggle with their bloodlust and strive to treat humans as our kind and moral equals, and not merely as our kine. And if you have succumbed to BLOODLUST, do not let that deter you. You can reform. All of us are sinners, all, and worse than sinners-- we are the fallen. Yet even such as we are capable of redemption. Believe it, I beg you. If I were at a meeting of our fellowship at the moment I write these words, I would say to you: My name is Manfred. I have not tapped an unwilling human vein for 347 years, 10 months, and 12 days. And I am a vampire. Every day, I am tempted. But if I can do it, so can you.
    Godspeed!
    Go now. Explore what your new nature can do. Hew to the paths of righteousness. And when that proves hard, seek us out. Only you can redeem yourself, but we will offer what help we can.