Under the umbrella term of vampires, many different creatures are put together. The character, purpose, and manner of the vampire manifestations depend, like its designation, upon environment and the plane of culture.
The notion of vampirism has existed for millennia; cultures such as the Mesopotamians, Hebrews, Ancient Greeks, and Romans had tales of demons and spirits which are considered precursors to modern vampires.
Known under a myriad of names and appelations in the thousands of languages used by our species, vampires are generally known as spirits which leave the tomb, generally in the night, to torment the living and suck their blood. You will find an exhaustive list in Monstropedia, the largest encyclopedia about monsters.
Page 1 of 3