Wait, Vampires aren't undead?

[eerr]

No, because they don't need to rest to heal, they move faster!

demons are powered by an innate, unholy magic that regrows thier bodys and is the source of thier pertpetual vigor.
the only thing that comes close-see my sig

destroy undead destroys this vital energy, destroying the accursed flesh of the demon itself in the process.

 

[MrManNo1]

Although this has become slightly off-topic, I have to make a point, eerr.

Demons are not powered by an innate, unholy magic. I believe that in this world, demons are the physical manifestations of what they represent. For example, the Avatar of Wrath is a manifestation of wrath. He is wrath in the flesh. Concepts don't need to rest, and therefore demons don't need to rest.

 

[eerr]

Although this has become slightly off-topic, I have to make a point, eerr.

Demons are not powered by an innate, unholy magic. I believe that in this world, demons are the physical manifestations of what they represent. For example, the Avatar of Wrath is a manifestation of wrath. He is wrath in the flesh. Concepts don't need to rest, and therefore demons don't need to rest.

then how did we let the concept of overpowered tree huggers rest?

 

[Chandrasekhar]

We killed it by slowing down their workers.

 

[Arpymaster]

In the necroscope saga by Brian Lumley the vampires are humans infected by a parasite (the leech). They are not undead (though they can kill a person drinking too much blood and then that person will wake up as an undead vampire with a leech).

Read his books and you will never think about vampires in the same way.

 

[cvlowe]

I read the pedia entry on Alexis, and yes, that does seem to be the way Kael thinks of his vampires. I like the flavour, but still I think it's a little off. It throws off your expectations when you read the word vampire. I still don't see HOW they should eat the souls of their victims; the runes Alexis used merely to imprison the spirit, but then? I still think there should be something special about them to allow them to absorb spirits.

And WHY is is that vampires HAVE to be undead just because its what you expect? they are undead in most stories- but not all. I have seen at least 2 movies where vampirism was explained as a virus and not as dead people coming back to drink blood. Granted they were not particularly good movies, one of them was one of those "b" Sci-fi channel movies. all I am saying- is that the undead version of vampires is not the only version out there.

 

[MrManNo1]

If you've ever played Resident Evil, then I'm sure you're familiar with zombie-ism being a virus instead of undead. And if zombies, the very definition of the undead, can become humans with a virus, then why can't vampires?

 

[Sureshot]

well technically zombie-ism, werewolf-ism, and vampirism are all likely misrepresentations of humans with rabies, which is a virus

but the key thing to note, in FFH, vampirism isnt a disease, its a practice of drinking souls to extend life.

 

[MrManNo1]

Well, actually, vampirism is based off of a disease, which I believe is called vampirism (Good luck finding any literature on it, though, with all the literature on the supernatural concept). I think it caused your canines to protrude from your mouth, it did something to your eyes, it caused your nails to grow uncontrollably, and it messed with your brain.

I could be incorrect, though. It was a long time since I read about it.

 

[Sureshot]

ya, can't say ive heard of that, except in science fiction where they make up imaginary diseases and then claim that the mild imaginary disease has mutated and now its actual vampirism.

 

[cvlowe]

In Resident evil- the virus killed people first, then re-animated them so I would call that undead

As for real life history of the "disease" of vampirism... It is not a disease, unless you call death a disease. When you die, your nails and hair still grows for a period of time, so centuries ago when bad things happened, people would dig up a grave of somebody who had died somewhat recently and see longer hair and nails and assume that the body must be coming back to life at night causing evil things to happen. That is how the myth of vampires is believed to have originally started.

 

[Sureshot]

no no, youve got it all wrong, it started because about 400 years ago i was caught drinking blood, and people assumed thats how i live so long.

errr... wait, i mean, ya, the hair growin thingy...

 

[Nikis-Knight]

As for real life history of the "disease" of vampirism... It is not a disease, unless you call death a disease. When you die, your nails and hair still grows for a period of time, so centuries ago when bad things happened, people would dig up a grave of somebody who had died somewhat recently and see longer hair and nails and assume that the body must be coming back to life at night causing evil things to happen. That is how the myth of vampires is believed to have originally started.

There was a history chanel special on vampires around halloween. It mentioned that, as well as a few real life characters that inspired some of the more gruesome details of the victorian novels. There was this one young female aristocrat who thought the blood of young maidens would keep her beautiful. She drank and bathed in blood, killing 1000's before being imprisoned by the czar or some such distant king.

 

[Sureshot]

yes, lets keep it anonymous, that wasnt me, it was "somebody"

 

[Nikis-Knight]

maybe you should change your forum title to "evil goddess?"

 

[Xuenay]

When you die, your nails and hair still grows for a period of time, so centuries ago when bad things happened, people would dig up a grave of somebody who had died somewhat recently and see longer hair and nails and assume that the body must be coming back to life at night causing evil things to happen. That is how the myth of vampires is believed to have originally started.

There are also two actual diseases that have contributed to the vampire myth. One causes fake deaths, where a person would fall into a coma so deep that they were thought to be dead - and when they'd later wake up, they'd be already buried. Then there's just plain sensitivity to sunlight, which I understand was once somewhat common in Eastern Europe.

 

[MrManNo1]

Then there's just plain sensitivity to sunlight, which I understand was once somewhat common in Eastern Europe.

Well, there's photophobia, and then there's photosensitivity. I know the second quite well, as I have it. I could see why superstitious people would freak out if someone disliked bright light as much as I, and people like me, do.

Also, I've seen this show where there is this disease where people can actually be hurt by light. If your skin is thin, or very light (such as an albino), the radioactivity produced by the sun can easily penetrate your skin and cause severe problems.

 

[Chandrasekhar]

Yeah, I've heard of people that have to stay indoors, or at least use an umbrella when they go into the sunlight.

 

[wilboman]

In Resident evil- the virus killed people first, then re-animated them so I would call that undead

As for real life history of the "disease" of vampirism... It is not a disease, unless you call death a disease. When you die, your nails and hair still grows for a period of time, so centuries ago when bad things happened, people would dig up a grave of somebody who had died somewhat recently and see longer hair and nails and assume that the body must be coming back to life at night causing evil things to happen. That is how the myth of vampires is believed to have originally started.

I've also read the "dead people look healthy" explanation for vampirism, not to mention the fact that the coma disease meant that they would find coffins with nail marks in the lid, that sounds like the most likely explanation. However, in addition to the gruesome excesses particularly of Eastern European despots (Vlad Tepes hasn't appeared in this discussion yet, which is odd), I'm sure aggressive inbreeding brought on some odd diseases, like sensitivity to sunlight, haemophilia and other things that must have looked unnatural to the average peasant.

Speaking of sensitivity to sunlight: I suffer from a genetic condition in which bright lights cause me to sneeze - photic sneeze reflex. Apparently up to 25% of the world's population suffer from it. I suppose even that must have looked odd to Olga the farmer's wife.

MrMan is probably thinking of lupus, the "werewolf disease", which is in fact a real disease, that drove people mad and gave them symptoms like those which later has been attributed to werewolves. But also rabies and unnatural hair growth may have contributed to fuelling the myths.

Sureshot: So your real name is Elisabeth Batory?

 

[onedreamer]

original vampires had 7 strength and feeding was population=exp gained

now they have 6 strength, just as regular macemen and feeding yields population-3 exp... was nerfed 3 times

I didn't know of this mechanics, to me it doesn't make much sense, since feasting kills only 1 citizen anyways, indipendently from the city population, and is a bigger sacrifice when you have less citizens than more, because of percentages.