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Red Court
RCvamp

Bianca, a Red Court Vampire.

Red Court vampires are one of seven[1] types of vampires, not including miscellaneous anthrophages. They are first mentioned in Storm Front.

Description[]

Red Court vampires are non-human creatures, capable of disguising themselves as humans and preying upon them for their blood. A lot less human-like than White Court vampires, they are slimy bat-like creatures hidden under a flesh mask, which they use to trick their prey into being more comfortable, and to hide in plain sight.[2] Carlos Ramirez calls them with the Spanish word murciélago.[3]

They are incredibly strong and fast, and can heal from any injury quickly.[2] They are, however vulnerable to sunlight and to having their bellies cut open, which can spill the blood they have drunk, seriously weakening or even killing them.[4] Crosses and other forms of faith magic don't repel them as much as they do Black Court vampires, and they have a more solid footing in reality.[4] Because they are more magical than humans, crossing a threshold is dangerous for them, potentially leaving them nearly paralyzed.[5]

The oldest of them can wear any flesh mask they wish and can go around in the daylight hidden from the sun in the shadow of their own mask. This is something the White Council does not know until Martin informs Harry Dresden.[6]

Blood slaves, also called esclavos de sangre, are completely feral vampires. Almost like animals, they cannot create a flesh mask, and are considered scum and occasionally used as expendable cannon fodder.[7]

The Kiss[]

Red Court vampires' saliva contains a potent magical narcotic, which gives the prey a euphoric feeling. It is highly addictive, allowing Red Court vampires to control their victims rather easily. The narcotic lowers the victim's inhibitions, dulling the pain of the vampire's bite. Addicted humans have been shown to go to great lengths to please their vampiric masters.[2] Susan Rodriguez calls it the Kiss, stating that half-vampires have in their saliva a less potent version of it than full vampires.[8]

Transformation[]

The Red Court vampires are also capable of transforming ordinary humans into other vampires in a two-step process: the human will initially be infected with the vampiric thirst for blood, completing the transformation into the demonic form at a later time when they feed on a victim for the first time.[9]

Infected humans with sufficient strength of will are known to refrain from feeding for an indefinite length of time, but no cure has been found for their state before the Red Court's destruction.[10]

It is implied that the Faerie Queens, or beings of similar power, can or completely destroy the vampiric infection with a magic known as an Unraveling.[11] The hunger for blood makes controlling their emotions very difficult and very easy to lose control in any situation where emotions run high.[12]

In the series[]

Storm Front[]

In Storm Front,

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Grave Peril[]

In Grave Peril,

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Death Masks[]

In Death Masks,

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Changes[]

In Changes, blood slaves are sent as expendable cannon fodder to meet Harry Dresden's spellwork. Dresden and his team were expected, and there was no element of surprise.[7]

Near the end of Changes, Harry Dresden kills Susan Rodriguez, who was the youngest member of the Red Court. In doing so, he completes a bloodline curse, which flows to all other Red Court vampires, killing them and all the half-breeds.[13]

References[]

  1. Word of Jim, on Vampires
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Storm Front, ch. 9
  3. "War Cry"
  4. 4.0 4.1 Grave Peril, ch. 30
  5. Ghost Story, ch. 9
  6. Changes, ch. 16
  7. 7.0 7.1 Changes, ch. 42
  8. Death Masks, ch. 4
  9. Summer Knight, ch. 2
  10. Grave Peril, ch. 35
  11. Summer Knight, ch. 26
  12. Death Masks, ch. 15
  13. Changes, ch. 48–49

See also[]

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