Read Vampire Academy: The Ultimate Guide Online
Authors: Michelle Rowen,Richelle Mead
Tags: #Social Issues, #Dating & Sex, #Emotions & Feelings, #Juvenile Fiction, #Fantasy & Magic, #Fiction, #Horror
Vampire Academy: The Ultimate Guide (35 page)
Dhampirs were originally the offspring of Moroi and human couplings, but since vampires retreated from the human world, they are now a mix of Moroi and dhampir—a mix that will still produce a half-human/half-Moroi dhampir. Dhampirs are unable to reproduce with each other and need Moroi in order to have children.
Dhampirs get strength and endurance from their human side and enhanced senses and fast reflexes from their Moroi side. Dhampirs can’t work magic like a full Moroi, but they’re also free from certain Moroi constraints—like needing blood and being easily damaged by sunlight.
Moroi men seek out dhampir women for sex, but it’s extremely rare—practically unheard of—for there to be a more serious relationship between the two. Most Moroi prefer to marry their own kind to keep their bloodlines pure. A dhampir woman who lets Moroi men drink blood while having sex with them is called a blood whore.
GUARDIANSWith the mix of human and Moroi traits, dhampirs make the ultimate bodyguards. Many train to become guardians to protect Moroi from the threat of Strigoi.
Dhampir women often become single mothers, because Moroi men relish the freedom to have flings with them—without a real possibility of a lasting relationship. These women often choose to leave guardian training to raise their children, making female guardians rare.
Guardians are extremely serious about their jobs, in part because they need the Moroi race to survive so they’re able to have children. In fact, the guardian mantra when it comes to protecting Moroi is “they come first.” These are words many a guardian has lived and died for.
Dhampirs who do not complete their training do not receive their promise mark. Those who still kill Strigoi as a vigilante or hire themselves out as freelance bodyguards are deemed “unpromised.” These are dhampirs who are rebels by nature or those who are actively against the enforced social structure of the Moroi world, which to many means that dhampirs are treated like second-class citizens.
Q&A WITH RICHELLE MEADIF GIVEN THE CHOICE, WOULD YOU PREFER TO BE A MOROI, A DHAMPIR . . . OR A STRIGOI?I’m pretty content to be a human, but if forced to choose between the three races in the VA world, I’d probably choose to be a dhampir. I like the sun too much and am too grossed out by the idea of drinking blood to really get excited about that! The one downside is that I’m not sure how well I’d do in combat training. In fact, I’m fairly confident I’d break my hand the first time I tried to punch someone.
Guardians have several official marks they use to acknowledge their achievements, and all are applied to the back of the dhampir’s neck.
Q&A WITH RICHELLE MEADWHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR THE GUARDIANS’ TATTOOS?The guardian tattoos came about for a couple different reasons. One was that I wanted a way to establish rank and honor among the guardians. I wanted people to know, at a glance, who the most powerful dhampirs are. It was also important to me to establish a unique culture for the dhampirs. So much of what they do is in service to the Moroi that it’s easy to forget the dhampirs are their own people. The tattoo system and its ceremonies give the guardians an opportunity to have something that is totally their own. What I most certainly did not expect was that readers would start getting those same guardian tattoos permanently applied in real life! I’ve seen some pretty amazing tattoo work at my signings that I never envisioned when I started the series. I just hope my readers are still glad they got those tattoos twenty years from now!
In the Middle Ages, some people were convinced that if they found the right formula or magic, they could turn lead into gold. While they didn’t succeed, they continued to pursue other mystical and supernatural subjects that eventually led them to—vampires.
Now Alchemists work with the Moroi to help cover up their existence from the rest of the world—and even have techniques and potions to get rid of Strigoi bodies. They are given a special tattoo made from gold and Moroi blood, which gives them traits similar to those of the Moroi themselves: a long life and excellent health. Because the tattoo is also charmed with water and earth compulsion magic, it prevents the Alchemist from speaking about Moroi in any way that could endanger or expose them.
Alchemists tend to be religious and feel it’s their duty to God to protect the rest of humanity from evil creatures of the night. They think anything remotely vampiric—be it Moroi, dhampir, or Strigoi—is evil and unnatural. Despite working for vampires, Alchemists try to stay apart from the vampire world as much as possible. Dhampirs aren’t told about their existence until graduation.
A career as an Alchemist is something that’s passed down through one’s family—if one’s mother or father was an Alchemist, then there’s no other career choice available. And once you’re a part of the Alchemist organization, you’re in it for life . . . whether you want to be or not.
STRIGOIIf Moroi are the living, peaceful, mortal vampires, Strigoi are the undead, evil, immortal kind and are completely unable to withstand sunlight.
Strigoi are driven by their desire for blood—and while, yeah, they like human blood, it’s
Moroi
blood that’s their favorite kind. It will make them stronger and harder to destroy.
Moroi
blood that’s their favorite kind. It will make them stronger and harder to destroy.
Apart from the red rings around their pupils and their chalky white skin, it’s difficult to tell Strigoi are undead since they appear to talk and walk the same as they did before their transformation. If they were Moroi before being “awakened,” which is the Strigoi term for being turned—rather appropriate since they no longer require sleep—they lose their connection to elemental magic. They also lose their auras, as only the living have auras, and are unable to enter holy ground.
Q&A WITH RICHELLE MEADAS THE NARRATOR OF
BLOODLINES
, SYDNEY IS THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE OF ROSE IN SO MANY WAYS. IS IT FUN, OR MORE OF A CHALLENGE, TO WRITE THIS CHARACTER?Sydney is a really great character to have as a narrator, especially because she’s so different from Rose. I loved writing Rose, but it’s nice for an author to be able to switch voices and try something new. I also think having someone like Sydney to tell the story for a while will give us new insight into the VA world. Rose has grown up among Moroi and dhampirs, and from the very beginning, we’re influenced by her perceptions—mainly, that vampiric life is perfectly ordinary. For Sydney, it’s most certainly not ordinary. So, we get the perspective of someone who’s an outsider, looking at this world through human eyes. Sydney’s also much more of a careful observer than Rose is at times, so that too will provide some new insight. From a craft point of view, Sydney isn’t easier or more difficult to write—she’s simply different. After writing six books with one character, I’ve definitely fallen into a comfortable familiarity with Rose. I can jump right in and know exactly how she’ll respond. With Sydney, I’m still getting to know her, but I have no doubt that within a couple of books, I’ll know her just as well as I do Rose.
Strigoi have better strength, reflexes, and senses than dhampirs and are almost impossible to kill. While a Strigoi’s power and strength increases with age, they rarely live together and frequently turn on each other when in groups.
HOW STRIGOI ARECREATEDBY FORCE
Humans, dhampirs, or Moroi can forcibly be turned Strigoi after a single bite if they drink (voluntarily or by force) the Strigoi’s blood in return.
BY CHOICE
Moroi tempted by immortality could become Strigoi by purposely killing another person while feeding. This is considered dark and twisted, the greatest of all sins against Moroi life and nature itself.
HOW STRIGOI CANBEKILLEDSILVER STAKES
Silver stakes are a guardian’s deadliest weapon. To forge a silver stake, Moroi must charm it with magic from each of the four main elements. Stabbing a Strigoi through the heart with a silver stake means instant death. HOWEVER, should the stake be charmed with a spirit user’s healing magic and be wielded by the spirit user him- or herself, the Strigoi will be restored to their former Moroi state.
DECAPITATIONTo cut off a Strigoi’s head (or anyone else’s, for that matter) will result in death.
FIRELighting Strigoi on fire (via fire-magic or flame thrower, to name just a couple of options) is an effective way to destroy them.
Q&A WITH RICHELLE MEADWHAT INSPIRED THE IDEA THAT A SPIRIT-CHARMED SILVER STAKE COULD RESTORE A STRIGOI?Silver has a long history in many cultures’ folklore as a magical substance. Probably the most well-known application, that’s still present in today’s stories and myths, is the use of silver bullets to kill werewolves. A lot of those same stories simply say any stake through the heart will kill a vampire, but I wanted it to be a little more difficult in my series. Putting in the silver requirement maintained ties to mythology and also made Strigoi that much harder to kill. Charming those silver stakes with magic added one more obstacle and also tied into the idea of duality that’s present in a lot of ancient vampire stories. Those stories place a big emphasis on the balance of life and death, and in the VA world, magic is associated with life since only Moroi can use it. It therefore makes sense that infusing those stakes with that same “life” would be needed to destroy the undead.
CHAPTER 10
The Quiz
THINK YOU’VE GOT THE STUFF TO BE AN OFFICIAL GUARDIAN? WILL YOUMAKE THE GRADE AND GET YOUR PROMISE MARK … OR WIND UP IN HEADMISTRESS KIROVA’S OFFICE?
NOVICE LEVEL (10 QUESTIONS)1. What is a Moroi?
a. A TYPE OF FISH FOUND IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
b. A LIVING VAMPIRE
c. A MOUNTAIN RANGE IN MONTANA
d. THE GHOST OF SOMEONE WHO RECENTLY DIED
2. If a dhampir and a Moroi have a baby, what will it be?
a. DHAMPIR
b. MOROI
c. HUMAN
d. STRIGOI
3. Who is St. Vladimir?
a. A MOROI SAINT FOR WHOM THE ACADEMY IS NAMED
b. A VERY FAMOUS STRIGOI
c. A HUMAN SAID TO BE BENEVOLENT TOWARD ALL VAMPIRES
d. A CURRENT STUDENT WHO THINKS REALLY HIGHLY OF HIMSELF
4. What is a sure sign of a Strigoi?
a. A RED RING AROUND THE PUPILS OF THE EYES
b. THE ABILITY TO TURN INTO A BAT
c. THE DESIRE TO SLEEP IN A COFFIN
d. A GREAT AFFECTION FOR VIOLIN MUSIC
5. What is Adrian Ivashkov’s bad habit?
a. SMOKING
b. DRINKING HEAVILY
c. SNEAKING INTO ROSE’S DREAMS
d. ALL OF THE ABOVE
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