Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-241978-20140406193014/@comment-2239213-20140729164235

Like the people who've already commented, I agree that as theories go, this one makes a fair bit of sense and would certainly explain a few things. Regarding the remaining populations of hybridised descendants part, I feel that I should point out that vampire/human hybrids (dhampirs) are actually a thing in Balkan folklore, although they are variously depicted as either having serious birth defects or being vampire hunters (with regards to the latter, there is probably the potential for a story or two there). Don't know about the other species, although I can't help but note that some of the descriptions of 'dhampirs' in folklore kind of sound more like them than vladats (if you sort of squint and look at it sideways anyway) which is kind of weird (not to mention a little disturbing). From wikipedia:

" Some traditions specify signs by which the children of a vampire can be recognized. Albanian legends state they have untamed dark or black hair and lack a shadow. In Bulgarian folklore, possible indications include being "very dirty," having a soft body, no nails and bones (the latter physical peculiarity is also ascribed to the vampire itself), and "a deep mark on the back, like a tail." In contrast, a pronounced nose was often a sign, as were larger than normal ears, teeth or eyes. According to J. Gordon Melton, from his book, The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead, in some areas, a true dhampir possessed a "slippery, jelly-like body and lived only a short life—a belief that vampires have no bones." "