Vampire (Blade)
In the Blade film series and television series, Vampires (Homines nocturnae, Latin: 'Night Human') are an offshoot of humanity descended from Drake (also known as Dracula or Dagon), an ancient Sumerian immortal who was worshipped as a god. There are two biological groups of vampires: those that are born such and those that are turned. "Purebloods" are vampires born of vampiric parents. Vampires who are turned are merely converted from humans by contagion, and are considered a byproduct of vampirism. In the Blade movie and television universe, vampires are depicted as a social pariah; using their financial and political influence to manipulate and influence the human population to suit their needs. They are written as an allegory for drugs, organized crime, and corruption.
Overview
Vampirism in the Blade film series is a biological condition caused by a Parvovirus, not a supernatural affliction, although the ritual to awaken the vampire blood god La Magra in the first 1998 Blade film using pureblood vampires indicates that the vampire virus does possess some supernatural elements. In Blade, vampires are a species, being a branch of Homo sapiens called Homines nocturnae and they are not affected by religious symbols such as crucifixes and holy water. Other attributes traditionally associated with vampires such as turning into mist or a bat are false. Vampires are intricately involved in most aspects of modern human society. Vampires also possess their own language, which many vampires speak. This language also has its own writing system, referred to as "vampire glyphs", which are often used in graffiti to mark vampire hideouts.
