Kanaya Maryam, a rainbow drinker displaying characteristic glowing skin and eyes
Rainbow drinkers are monsters in troll culture, where they serve a similar role to vampires (a word which trolls are not familiar with
) in human folklore. Kanaya Maryam transforms into a rainbow drinker following her death at the hands of Eridan Ampora, while Porrim Maryam underwent her transformation at an unspecified time prior to her introduction in A6I3.
Similar to vampires, rainbow drinkers are known for their tendency to feast upon the living (their name likely referring to the rainbow of the troll hemospectrum); however unlike vampires, rainbow drinkers are also said to feast upon light rather than flee away from it like human vampires.
Background[]
Alongside shadow droppers, rainbow drinkers are the subject of tales of “FORBIDDEN PASSION” in troll literature, considered by Karkat to be merely “TRASHY NOVEL FANTASIES” before Kanaya's transformation. However, Kanaya is later told that becoming a rainbow drinker is a “Trait Confined To Those Of My Caste” who “Tended To Spend A Lot Of Time In The Brooding Caverns Where A Convenient Source Of Light Was Often Handy”.
Characteristics[]
Rainbow drinkers' primary characteristic is their thirst for blood, which Rose posits is a means to “frighten predators away from innocent grubs” and Kanaya suggests is a “Measured Defect Imposed On (Jade Bloods) To Keep The Auxiliatrices On A Short Leash”. Upon transformation Kanaya's skin and eyes also gain a bright glow (a "celebration" of the vampires in the Twilight series known for their sparkling skin) which she at first believes to be permanent but is later taught to “Switch Off” by Porrim.
Like some other kinds of vampire, rainbow drinkers are endowed with a degree of “DRINKER FASTNESS”, and are also capable of moving quite stealthily.