Time for vampires to own up to their origin?

[Grey Fox]

In some lore Humans die when they become Vampires. They don't breath, or need to eat (except blood) or really sleep. And they die from sunshine. In some lore they are their blood. Their blood is alive, animating the body.

I like the FfH version of Vampires, alive and not undead. Sunshine won't kill them but it is punishing to them because Alexis angered Lugus by consuming a Lugus priest as their first victim. And as we know by the scenarios, one of their biggest enemies is Malakim, the sunshine state.

What I want to know is how did it become about blood? Alexis ritual had nothing to do with blood. Did Flauros introduce bloodsucking to the deal? Is bloodsucking more efficient than the rune-like ritual? Is it just fluff?

I would also like a special Calabim assassin, just makes sense.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

When Alexis first completed the ritual she kissed the bloody forehead of her victim in order to allow his soul to escape into her, and became addicted to the taste of the blood. I don't believe that the blood itself it important to the ritual, but a desire for the blood is a part of the curse. Vampires do consume the blood, although it doesn't of anything to enhance their lives any more than normal food would. Most people in Erebus who know about vampires probably think it is the blood and not the souls that they need to devour for sustenance.

 

[[to_xp]Gekko]

I can't help but feel now that Calabim Assasins/Shadows should be a little more unique - perhaps something on the lines of if you give a unit the gift that they should get the Burning Blood promotion as a represenation of blood lust?

Tarquelne has a module that gives them vampiric abilities, it's pretty nice

 

[Fenboy]

Tarquelne has a module that gives them vampiric abilities, it's pretty nice

IIRC this idea was floated around once, but the team felt that a regular Assassin/Shadow who could get the vampirism promotion was a better way to go about it.

 

[[to_xp]Gekko]

well, the issue with that module imho is that Calabim really don't need another buff, no matter how small. I kinda like how in Iceciro's Fall Flat you cannot get a whole army of skeletons from your vampires. vampiric assassins ans shadows would be allright in his modmod(mod ) I guess.

 

[Luckmann]

Tarquelne has a module that gives them vampiric abilities, it's pretty nice

Am I the only one that is annoyed by Vampirism not giving at least Body 1 when gifted vampirism? I'm annoyed that all the Vampire-from-scratch gets those abilities, but those that become vampires "later in life" doesn't.

 

[Diamondeye]

Does this mean, for clarification, that Vampires do not suffer under the weaknesses towards silver or garlic as they are used to? What about staabbing them in the heart?

And since they are weak against Lugus' sunlight... Would a relic of Lugus protect someone against them?

 

[Grey Fox]

Stop impersonating Kael, Diamond.

 

[Kainkenny]

Look better, it's an impersonator...

 

[Grey Fox]

Ooops, Diamoneye, your either close to or breaking forum rules here o.O

 

[Kael]

Ooops, Diamoneye, your either close to or breaking forum rules here o.O

Diamondeye asked first and I gave him permission to use my avatar for April Fools day. Its probably about time to switch back now that its over, but I didnt want anyone to think that he was stealing my identity or anything.

 

[FireBlaze]

Diamondeye asked first and I gave him permission to use my avatar for April Fools day. Its probably about time to switch back now that its over, but I didnt want anyone to think that he was stealing my identity or anything.

Oh now it makes sense

 

[Grey Fox]

I hate april fools day

 

[Diamondeye]

Sorry guys! But still, does anyone have an answer to the questions? I am thinking about writing something with some vampires in it, and I don't want to get anything wrong...

 

[Luckmann]

Sorry guys! But still, does anyone have an answer to the questions? I am thinking about writing something with some vampires in it, and I don't want to get anything wrong...

I don't think there's any solid lore on that. But I'd personally say that yes, a relic of Lugus -could- probably be used in such a way.

Silver and Garlic, I have no idea. But since they appear to be pretty much just as humans, with the only real weakness being the sunlight (which we have an explenation to) it stands to reason that they are indeed not affected by silver or garlic.

Unless I missed something.

 

[Diamondeye]

... But hammering a pole through their heart will kill them, then. And perhaps one could simply let other characters believe that silver will have effect against them...

 

[Kael]

Does this mean, for clarification, that Vampires do not suffer under the weaknesses towards silver or garlic as they are used to? What about staabbing them in the heart?

Garlic vs vampires is lesson number 1 in teaching new players to ignore everything they know from reading monster manual. It always funny to watch the party bulk up on supplies to fight a vampire (all the while the NPCs are treating them like they are crazy, "your going to storm the manor of lord Cerdwic the Razorkin, butcher of hallowdale, commander of the pools of sanguin, and you want to stock up on garlic? Okay... you sure you dont want some parsley too, we have it on sale?") only to find that it doesn't work at all.

Player: "can I use the shattered remains of my wooden shield to form a cross."

Me: "Umm... sure."

Player: "Great! I make a cross and hold it up between me and the vampire."

Me: "The vampire briefly wonders if you are crazy. Either way he decides its better off if you are dead. He gets +2 to hit since your no longer holding anything you can defend yourself with."

And since they are weak against Lugus' sunlight... Would a relic of Lugus protect someone against them?

It could. Its not an inherent property of anything with Lugus's symbol on it. But with a little faith Lugus is probably the most likely god to intervene to stop a vampire. For an example of Lugus intervening (though not against a vampire) check out the victory text on the Radiant Guard scenario.

 

[Thunder_Gr]

... But hammering a pole through their heart will kill them, then. And perhaps one could simply let other characters believe that silver will have effect against them...

Is there something I don't get? The ritual is supposed to extend their life timespan, not make them immune to weapons. And why should they have any vulnarability to garlic?
A pole through the heart yould kill them as easy as any other being, and as easy as an iron weapon would cut their head off...
There is no clue why they should be vulnarable to light or silver, either. Lughus does dislike them, and he would favor their hunters, but there is no justification for his powers having more effect on vampires than on other creatures...At least not any I have read of, anyway.

EDIT: Just read Kael's answer. It seems I haven't missed anything .

 

[Luckmann]

... But hammering a pole through their heart will kill them, then. And perhaps one could simply let other characters believe that silver will have effect against them...

Yes. Hammering a pole through the heart of something tends to cause a terminal case of Stakeitis.

 

[loocas]

I don't think there's any solid lore on that. But I'd personally say that yes, a relic of Lugus -could- probably be used in such a way.

Silver and Garlic, I have no idea. But since they appear to be pretty much just as humans, with the only real weakness being the sunlight (which we have an explenation to) it stands to reason that they are indeed not affected by silver or garlic.

Unless I missed something.

Vampire hunters would wear wreaths of garlic around their necks because it covered the smell when they opened coffins. Silver is a natural antiseptic and so people assumed it had a natural resistance to disease and evil. Weakness to crucifixes are a myth, of course, but one perpetuated by vampires themselves to mislead the hunters.