Vampiric Draining: Difference between revisions

[[File:MintyFresh_9668MintyFresh 9668.jpg|link=Earthsong|frame|If she'd simply ''eaten'' the garlic, she wouldn't be in this mess.]]

[['''Vampiric Draining]]''' is a characteristic of certain supernatural creatures. These creatures nourish themselves by draining some vital element from living beings. It may be blood or other bodily fluids, [[Emotion Eater|mental or emotional energy]], [[Life Energy]], or [[Mana|magical or spiritual power]].

The effects of being the victim of [['''Vampiric Draining]]''' depend on how much vitality the [[Vampiric Drainer]] took from you, and range from temporary tiredness to chronic exhaustion, to either shortening of lifespan or [[Rapid Aging]] (thus overlapping with [[Liquid Assets]]), to death. The victim may also [[The Virus|transform into the same type creature that fed upon him]].

Draining [[Life Energy]] is a bit more common for "vampiric" creatures that are closer to the sci-fi end of the [[Magic Versus Science]] spectrum. The trope can also include "vampiric" weapons - that is, [[Evil Weapon|Evil Weapons]]s that perform [['''Vampiric Draining]]''' upon either their wielder or felled enemies/victims.

** Another example would be [[Almighty Janitor|Ayasegawa Yumichika]]. This [[More Than Meets the Eye|ordinary]] [[Bishonen]] [[Blood Knight]] is [[Obfuscating Stupidity|hiding]] his [[Cover-Blowing Superpower|true power]], which [[Vampiric Draining|drains the spiritual energy]] of his target. When he does [[Let's Get Dangerous|decide]] to use it, his battles end with a [[Curb Stomp Battle|single strike]]. He can then use the drained energy to [[Our Vampires Are Different|heal his wounds]].

* The weaponized variant of [[Vampiric Draining]] shows up in the [[Kull The Conqueror]] story "Riders Beyond the Sunrise," where Kull confronts his [[Arch Enemy]], [[Doomy Dooms of Doom|Thulsa Doom]]. The sorcerer wields a sword that slowly saps Kull's strength and transfers it to Doom, allowing him to fight without tiring while Kull gets weaker and weaker. Disarming Doom and swapping his normal sword for the magical blade allows Kull to defeat the sorcerer.

** The 3rd Edition spell Death Knell drains the [[Life Energy]] from a dying creature, killing it. Doing so increases your strength, your [[Hit Point|Hit Points]]s and adds 1 to your [[Character Level]] for the purposes of spellcasting.

* [[Metroid|Metroids]]s, from the series of the same name, feed on life energy and leave their victims as dessicated husks.

* Ticks, lice, fleas, mosquitoes, and leeches all drink blood, but they are so small that they don't do any significant harm-- butharm—but they can transmit diseases.