Enchantment

[W_Adam_Smythe]

In this section we will discuss ways in which we enchant human beings. How that we draw them into us and ways to sharpen our fangs (skills).

This can be by way of manner of dress.

Speech patterns.

Eye Contact

Charm

Mental Contact

and anything else that we can think of.

As Vampyres we are able to stand above the crowd while being in it. A dear friend of mine once remarked that no matter where we went (close to home or in a city miles away) that she had never been with me when someone didn't know me.

This is true.

Once I meet with someone and connect with them I leave an impression that they will not forget.

Ever.

This makes out of town travels and such extremely pleasant and has opened many doors for me.

For those that have specifics on techniques feel free to share, as will I.

For those wishing to learn, may these skills serve you well and never hesitate to ask questions.

[idgo]

To quantify a couple easy tricks for "enchantment" in speech pattern:

• Recognize a conversational partner's relationship with pauses. Some think at a speed where any longer pause than a second or two can feel awkward to them; others will feel cut-off if you give them less than 3-5 seconds to think before their reply. Set aside your own preferences for pauses in favor of matching those of the other person.
• Break the habit of interrupting. In group conversations, when you notice person A interrupt person B, seize the next opportunity to speak after A finishes and directly ask B to finish the interrupted thought. I find it simplest to couch these transitions selfishly: "I was wondering what B was going to say", rather than any criticism of A for their behavior.
• To make conversation, bring forth the value of others' experiences. When traveling with people more charismatic than myself, I've carefully watched how they befriend strangers, and a universal trick is to ask some question which both meets some need of your own and plays to the person's strengths. For instance, if chatting with a local, asking them their favorite place to eat in the neighborhood is of obvious benefit to you and also gives them the positive experience of offering and being thanked for an insight that they feel they were uniquely able to to provide. In contrast, overly-personal questions come off as "creepy" when the only plausible benefit that knowing the answer would have to you isn't something the listener might want. For instance, quizzing a stranger about their sexual preferences is likely to be a "creepy" question, because they're likely to actively wish to avoid the changes in your behavior that might result from you having answers.
• Differentiate between acknowledging and agreeing. An easy formula for an acknowledgement is to either ask a question or take a guess which only someone who comprehended the speaker's preceding remark would say. Demonstrating comprehension without passing judgement over the course of a conversation can leave a conversational partner almost begging to hear your take on whether they were "right" or "wrong" -- be strategic about whether to share that take outright or tease them with a comment about how both sides are understandable. The hazards of passing too few judgements and coming across as wishy-washy can be mitigated by offering judgements only of the circumstances in whatever of your own stories it suits you to relate.

And some tricks for "manner of dress":

• Dress is mainly relevant in how it can alter first impressions, and adjust a viewer's interpretation of your demeanor and behavior. Do not mistake it for a social panacea.
• Clothing, accessories, hairstyle choices, and body modifications hold an important social role as invitations to conversation. I've spent years looking both "ordinary" and "unusual" at various times, and if you've never looked voluntarily-unusual you'd be shocked at how often passers-by take the voluntary changes in appearance as an invitation to strike up a conversation.
• The appearance of clothing's Quality is shaped primarily by how it fits the body. Fashion designers can and do place models on a runway in a perfectly draped and tailored burlap sack, while poor fitment can make even a brand new designer suit look shabby. Simple tailoring is surprisingly easy to teach yourself for free if you're so inclined, and can allow you to add subtle details with the aforementioned conversation-starter impact if you desire.
• After proper fit is taken care of, any high-quality and well-cared-for secondhand garment will outshine a poor-quality new one. Account for the composition of the material, its drape and texture, styling details, and ease of modification to a properly tailored fit. Cheap synthetics are slowly improving but still do not drape, breathe, or look like real silk, linen, or wool. Additionally, cheaply made garments tend to err toward trendy rather than classic styling details (cut, collar proportions, buttons, topstitching, etc for menswear; all aspects of fabric and silhouette for ladies').
• Almost anyone with their finances in good order can afford a personal tailor in a lower-income country, which also often happen to be lovely and affordable places to vacation a couple times a year. Shop around till you find someone who understands and can execute your desired aesthetic to your satisfaction. If $50 or $200 for a wardrobe staple garment is out of reach, it's best to resolve the underlying financial problems before excessively concerning oneself with taking the wardrobe from acceptable to exceptional.
• Anyone with their health in good order will only need a single size of clothing in their wardrobe. Those who find their physique fluctuating wildly would do well to address the underlying problems before making an undue investment in their garments.
• What makes an outfit "enchanting"? Most positively memorable outfits stand out by effortlessly altering the wearer's proportions toward the viewer's ideal. This "ideal silhouette" is traditionally and stereotypically a broad-shouldered triangle for men and an hourglass for women, though various subcultures idolize vastly different aesthetics. An outfit may also fascinate by combining colors, textures, or shapes in an unexpected yet aesthetically pleasing manner. For references on what constitutes aesthetically pleasing, any graphic design course will serve you well.
• For anyone who feels genuinely, deeply clueless about where to start in learning to present themself well, I strongly recommend seeking out tutorials targeted at trans individuals who wish to pass as their gender. Skip the discussions of whatever body parts you don't have -- a tutorial written toward an audience who missed all socialization into a given gender will almost always do better at explaining the fundamentals of good presentation than one written under the assumption that the reader has been learning the topic for their entire life. And since the goal of passing (whether or not you share it) is essentially to look "normal", such tutorials can rapidly enhance your understanding of what people who wish not to stand out do, and thus improve your understanding of the ways in which your current presentation might make you look unusual in ways you aren't consciously controlling yet.

I'm curious how you'd similarly quantify aspects of "Charm", distinct from the other techniques on the list.

[W_Adam_Smythe]

I'm curious how you'd similarly quantify aspects of "Charm", distinct from the other techniques on the list.

In the same way that a person can be attractive but have no idea how to use that attraction. For example, you could maintain eye contact, use various speech patterns and such, yet have no idea how to use it to control others.

[MRT]

Something i would like to add, since i did not found any mention in the lesser black magic themed topics and is imo something to not underestimate, is the use of fragrances.

I personally prefer oils over perfumes or colognes since, next to the fact that they're more natural, they are also more subtle.
Also you can make your own blends and magical recipes for oils.

Also, the use of semen, extracted during particulair moonphases under the specific ritual workings, with focus on a certain intent, have been of great value in some mixtures for some more specific works of vampiric enchantment.