Predators are not the vampires of myth and legend that you and I are familiar with. There are several similarities, and some of those legends may have been founded in truth. However, they have been twisted and misinterpreted so many times over the countless years that a lot of what you may have heard is nothing but wives' tales and folklore.

        Before reading any farther, forget everything you think you know about vampires.

        Unlike the vampires of Bram Stoker and Anne Rice and the good people at White Wolf, Predators are not undead. They are, in fact, quite alive. They are warm to the touch, have a pulse, and breathe air just like you or I.
        Modern science hypothesises that some unnamed disease or virus infected the first of them, creating the species, but nobody knows for sure.
        They do cast shadows and reflections in mirrors; they are not repulsed by Wolfsbane, and crosses do not harm them. They do not have to be invited in before they can cross the threshold of a building, garlic is not a hindrance, and they do not have to be buried in their native soil before dawn every morning. Silver doesn't do anything special to them, but lead can be quite effective in the right amounts, if you catch the drift. Destroying a Predator's heart is one of the most effective ways of killing them. This does not have to be done with a stake, however. Destroying their brain is another effective method.

        Predators have both upper and lower canines, like any other carnivorous animal, the better for ripping your throat out with. The blood doesn't have to come from a human, although it is preferred. Most Luthorian vampires refuse to feed on human prey, preferring prey more natural to their wolven ancestors.

        A Predator cannot create another Predator by feeding their vampire blood to a human. There is no "embracing" or "turning" or other such thing. (More on this farther down.) The only way to become a Predator is to be born one.

        Predators reproduce heterosexually. With each new generation born, the Predator blood is a little bit more diluted by the human parent, and the offspring's strengths and weaknesses are less pronounced. In fewer words, they get closer to being human. After 10 generations or so, a Predator's blood is so diluted that they aren't a Predator at all. This holds true for vampires born of a Predator and human parentage. It is not uncommon, however, for a Predator to be born of a mating between two Predators. Should this be the case there is no dilusion of the blood and the Predator born of such a union retains the same 'derivation' as their parents.
        More often than not, Predator babies make their first kill during childbirth -- they bite and tear their way free of the womb, doing more than enough damage to kill their poor mother. Thus, many Predators are orphans. The exception to this is if the mother is the Predator parent, and the human the father. If the mother is the Predator, depending on her removal from The Ancients, she may be strong enough to live through her baby's birth.

        Feeding Predator blood to a human produces what is known as a Thrall. The blood doesn't turn the human into a vampire, but it does change them just enough to give them cravings for more of the Predator blood. It becomes an addiction, and it works similarly to any drug addiction. If the Thrall went without blood for long enough, the Predator taint would metabolize out of their system and they could live perfectly normally again. The problem is that they don't usually want to. Instead, the Thrall gladly serves his or her Predator Master in return for more helpings of their precious blood.
        Most Predators avoid making Thralls. While they can be useful for carrying out errands, they also have to be looked after. If denied blood they go through a sort of withdrawal, and become more of a liability than an asset. They have even been known to betray their Masters or conspire against them for the witholding of their blood.

        Predators can sense other Predators. Nobody knows whether they have some sort of distinct smell or if they just possess a sixth sense, but two Predators will know the moment they are in one another's presence. Similarly, humans can often sense Predators in their midst. They are unlikely to know exactly what the Predator is, of course, but they will feel uncomfortable or outright afraid when Predators are near. (Imagine antelopes grazing on the savannah. They become aware of the lioness stalking them and grow wary before she ever shows herself.)
        Predators rarely gather together in large groups for long periods of time. Best to avoid drawing attention to themselves by congregating. Still, there are exceptions to every rule, and occassionally they can be found sticking together. (Alot of Luthorians are notorious for travelling in packs, for example.)

        Predators from different Bloodlines possess different benefits and gifts. See the Bloodlines link for further details.

The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he did not exist.

        Predators have little to fear from the common civilian. A part of their power is that nobody will believe in them. Those few plain humans who do know of their existance are generally so harmless thet they aren't even a concern.
        However, trained Hunters do exist, and they can be a bit more of a hassle. These people have been trained in the Predators' weaknesses and know how to exploit them. Often funded by the Government or Church, these Hunters have the knowledge, training, and weaponry to make them dangerous. Nonetheless, only the best usually survive more than three or four hunts.
Some government agencies, and the Catholic Church, are aware of the Predator's existance. The Catholic Church has known about them for centuries and consider them demon-spawn that needs to be exterminated. Those few government agencies across the globe that are aware of these creatures seek to destroy as many as they possibly can to secure the human race's supposed right to be at the top of the food chain.

        A Predator's true enemy is the sun. In small amounts it is little more than a nuisance; however, while some can withstand its rays better than others, it will kill any Predator who is exposed to it for long enough. It is their one true weakness, and the only one they truly fear.

        The following is a generalized age scale and the terms applied to those born within any given era represented.

        Any Predators born after 1850 are commonly referred to as Moderns. However, if a Predator hasn't breached the end of a natural human lifespan they are considered to be Neophytes. Both of these terms are considered to be rather derogatory, Neophyte more so than Modern, for obvious reasons.