Xike Little Count Shuren requires the blessing of midnight to extend his life, which may sound far-fetched at first, but when you consider that turning oneself into a vampire to dodge death is not an uncommon occurrence on this continent, it's understandable why she and her followers would make such a decision.
For instance, a certain Blood Vulture Duke beside Murphy, when fallen on hard times, even resorted to selling "First Embraces" to earn money for drink.
Of course, given Cui Si's condition at that time, even a First Embrace wouldn't have granted others the true power of midnight, but simply transformed them into vampires so that they would no longer suffer from illness and death.
The most classic examples are Zivig, the "Plague Rat King" who died at Murphy's hands, as well as Murphy himself.
