Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine Vampire: The Thread

This thread is for all things vampire: Anne Rice novels, Vampire: The Masquerade from White Wolf, Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans, Bela Lugosi, and anything else you can think of. Contribute anything vampiric, for the Beautiful Ones have come to Legion World!

From The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vampires:

One reason people thought garlic would ward off vampires was because vampires were associated with the stench of death that some people thought caused disease, or the supernatural maladies brought by vampires. In overpowering the evil smell associated with vampires, people thought garlic had power over the vampire itself.

By this stream of logic, garlic could be Infectious Lass' "kryptonite" as well.

From Chaim Mattis Keller's Legion Help File:

The being known as Vrykos is a servant of Mordru who seems to have all the attributes classically associated with a vampire, though it is uncertain if he was once an ordinary living being or if he was artificially created by Mordru. He served as Mordru's most trusted aide during his time as ruler of Tharn, and when some members of the re-forming Legion of Super-Heroes came to Tharn to rescue Mysa Nal from Mordru's clutches, he tried to get his fangs on their super-powered blood, which would have given him his victims' powers. Although he was ordered by Mordru to leave the Legionnaires unharmed, he was about to bite Mysa herself when she got up the courage to fight back, magically reducing him to dust (Legion of Super-Heroes (3rd series) # 3, 6-7).

Mordru had him reconstituted, and Vrykos served as his messenger during his 2995 campaign to conquer the galaxy through an army of the risen dead, enlisting Roxxas the Butcher to help raise the dead of Trom, and confronting the Legionnaires themselves when they invaded Tharn directly (Legion of Super-Heroes (3rd series) # 44-47). It is unknown what happened to him since the defeat of Mordru's forces; it's possible that only Mordru's power had kept him alive in the first place and that he's now destroyed, or maybe he's simply lying low due to the unpopularity of Mordru-followers after the defeat. Although Mordru has since been restored to his former levels of power, he has not sought out Vrykos.

favorite Vampire movies:


INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE: lavish, beautifuly filmed, and Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. Hello! A great adaptation, I thought. I was less enamored of "Queen of the Damned", though.

NEAR DARK: From the 1980s, a clan of Vampires on a cross-country kill-spree is changed forever when the hottie girl vamp falls for and brings into the clan an adorabe country boy. The bloodbath in the biker bar was one of the tensest vampire scenes ever!

FROM DUSK 'TIL DAWN: It starts as crazy typical Tarentino crime dramedy and suddenly turns into a vampire killathon. Scores points for the brief but unforgettable appearance of that gorgeous hot chick that was also in "Dogma", and for Tarentino's standard nutty charm.

Lash! Okay, I'll forgive you this ONE time in forgetting Selma Hayek's name. But only once.

She is indeed a gorgeous, hot chick, as well as very talented.

<font size="12">VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE</font s>
as published by White Wolf

ANTEDILUVIANS ~ These are most ancient vampires, and they are likely the most powerful creatures in the world. For the most part they are considered to be the grandchilder of Caine, and are of the third generation. When they do involve themselves in the affairs of Kindred, they seldom leave things untarnished by their touch. The mere word of an Antediluvian is enough to provoke enormous strife and conflict among the Kindred. Their eternal struggle, the Jyhad, affects all the Kindred.

INCONNU ~ "Inconnu" is the term used to describe those vampires who have distanced themselves from the others of their kind. It is not so much a sect as it is a classification. The Inconnu are old, powerful and as such have little need, and less desire, for the company of their brethren. They tend to live in the wild among the animals and sleep within the earth when the sun is in the sky. Certain Inconnu still live within the cities, and may even be interested in the Jyhad, but by the rules of their sect may not become involved in it. Most of the Inconnu have grown so old that they may sleep for months or years before awakening. They are like the Antediluvians in that they are no longer completely of this world, but have grown apart from it. Most of them are several millenia old and are the most powerful vampires most Kindred will ever encounter. Many of the Inconnu are members of the fourth and fifth generations who were at one point or another involved in the Jyhad. As a whole, the Inconnu punish all of their order who continue to take part in the Jyhad or meddle in the affairs of lesser Kindred. This is their only law.

METHUSELAHS ~ When a vampire reaches a particular age, somewhere between 1000 and 2000 immortal years, a profound change invariably overtakes him. It has long been argued whether this change is mystical, biological, or is in fact a social change brought about through changing needs and desires. Certainly, by the time a vampire reaches this age, a boredom and melancholy sets in, as well as an increased paranoia. Those who are weak, take risks, or unconsciously desire suicide do not survive to this age - only the very strongest attain the station of Methuselah. As a means of self-preservation, Methuselahs retreat from the world and those younger than them. The constant struggle of facing the young reckless ones, who seek power through the blood of their elders grows numbing. Eventually one of the anarchs will get lucky and dispatch the ancient. Thus the only option is to retreat fully from society, and go into torpor. Some Methuselahs remain involved in power struggles and the Jyhad of the Kindred, but do so from complete anonymity.

ELDERS ~ When vampires reach a certain age, there are few above them who still hold power in vampire society. The Elders are the Kindred who are in control and who seek to dominate all the others. The Elders are normally between 200 and 1000 years old, but like all things undead, this can vary immensely. In Europe, a vampire has to be much older and more powerful to be considered an elder than she does in the New World.

ANCILLAE ~ These Kindred are still young, but have proven themselves to the elders. The Ancillae are the up-and-coming Cainites, the ones who play by the rules (mostly) in order to achieve greater power. This is the rank between neonate and elder, where the vampire is given increasing respect and power. Most have existed for one or two centuries in their vampiric form.

ANARCHS ~ The Anarchs have status because they are noticed and respected for what little power they have achieved. They are recognized for their energy, drive, and consistency. Though they are the enemies of the elders and especially the prince, they are still respected, if not openly, for by rebelling they have given themselves an identity.

NEONATES ~ These vampires have been recently released and presented to the prince, though they have not yet made their mark in their society. The neonate is the caste of youngest vampires who have been released by their sires. If they behave themselves and do not join the anarchs, they eventually will become ancillae, usually after 50 to 100 years.

CAMARILLA ~ For uncountable centuries, the clans ruled the nights. The greatest human kingdoms were but playthings to these so-called Kindred. Their power was matched only by their arrogance -- until the coming of the fires of the Inquisition. Vulnerable for the first time, seven of these clans united to govern the rest. The Camarilla existed first and foremost to enforce an edict - a Masquerade - by which to hide. They erased all evidence of themselves from sight of the living and slowly - over many, many years - they became as myths to the minds of man. And thus concealed they have continued to grow in power and to guide humanity to suit their whims.

BRUJAH ~ Clan Brujah is largely composed of rebels, both with and without causes. Individualistic, outspoken, and turbulent, Brujah hold social change near to their undead hearts and the clan's ranks contain some of the most violent of the Camarilla Kindred. Most other vampires perceive the Brujah as nothing more than punks and miscreants, but the truth of the matter is that genuine passion lies behind their polemics.

GANGREL ~ Of all vampires, the Gangrel are perhaps closest to their inner nature. These nomadic loners spurn the constraints of society, preferring the comfort of the wilderness. How they avoid the wrath of the werewolves is unknown; perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the Gangrel are themselves, shapeshifters. When a mortal speaks of a vampire changing into a wolf or a bat, she is probably speaking of a Gangrel.

MALKAVIAN ~ Even other Damned fear the Malkavians. The cursed blood of their clan has polluted their minds, with the result that every last Malkavian across the world is incurably insane. What's worse, a Malkavian's madness can take nearly any form, from overpowering homicidal tendencies to near-catatonia. In many cases, there's no way to tell a Malkavian apart from the "sane" members of other clans. Those few whose psychoses are immediately obvious are among the most terrifying vampires to stalk the streets.

NOSFERATU ~ Caine's childer are called "The Damned," and no vampires embody this more fully than the wretches of Clan Nosferatu. While other vampires still look human and may travel in mortal society, Nosferatu are twisted and deformed by the curse of vampirism. Other Kindred speak shudderingly of Caine placing a mark upon the entire clan for the monstrous deeds of its Antediluvian founder. As such, Nosferatu find themselves loathed and ostracized by the other Children of Caine, who consider them disgusting and interact with them only when they must.

TOREADOR ~ The Toreador are called many things - "degenerates," "artistes," "poseurs," and "hedonists" being but a few. But any such lumpen categorization does the clan a disservice. Depending on the individual and her mood, Toreador are alternately elegant and flamboyant, brilliant and ludicrous, visionary and dissipated. Perhaps the only truism that can be applied to the clan is its members' aesthetic zeal. Whatever a Toreador does, she does with passion. Whatever a Toreador is, she is with passion.

TREMERE ~ Whether dreaded, mistrusted, feared, or reviled, the insular vampires of Clan Tremere are anything but ignored. Those who have heard of the clan's doings are typically suspicious of the Tremere - and with good reason - for the Warlocks are aptly named. Through their own artifice, they have mastered a form of vampiric sorcery, complete with rituals and spells, that is as potent - if not more so - than any other power of the Blood. Paired with the clan's rigid hierarchy and the smoldering ambition so common among Warlocks, this power is an unsettling thing indeed to those who know what the Tremere are capable of doing.

VENTRUE ~ The Kindred of Clan Ventrue have a reputation for being honorable, genteel, and of impeccable taste. From time out of mind, Ventrue has been the clan of leadership, enforcing the ancient traditions and seeking to shape the destiny of the Kindred. In nights of old, Ventrue were chosen from nobles, merchant princes, or other wielders of power. In modern times the clan recruits from wealthy "old money" families, ruthless corporate climbers, and politicians. Whatever their origin, Ventrue vampires preserve stability and maintain order for the Camarilla. Other Kindred often mistake this for arrogance or avarice, but to the Ventrue, their shepherd's role is more burden than honor.

SABBAT ~ Two clans stand in open rebellion to the Masquerade. Supported by renegade antitribu from the Camarilla clans, they are collectively known as the Sabbat. They seek freedom from the rules of the Camarilla and they strive to reduce mankind to the status of cattle. The centuries-long war between these two sects has escalated - perhaps beyond control. The anthem of the Sabbat is total Kindred freedom. It is this philosophy that makes them deadly guerrilla warriors and a shockingly disorganized sect. Unlike the Camarilla Kindred, they are not bound to the whims of a single sire. Sabbat vampires undergo blood rites that make them fiercely loyal to their sect. Sometimes this rabid devotion is all that keeps them together. One Sabbat pack is seldom aware of the agenda of another.

LASOMBRA ~ The Lasombra clan has fallen from grace - and its members enjoy it. Simultaneously graceful and predatory, the Lasombra guide - and, when necessary, whip - the Sabbat into an implacable force. Turning their backs upon the humans they once were, Lasombra give themselves wholly over to the dark majesty of the Embrace. Murder, frenzy, predation: Why fear these things, many Lasombra ask, if one is meant to be a vampire? In contrast to the Tzimisce, though, Lasombra generally seek not to reject all things mortal, but to shape them for their own pleasure.

TZIMISCE ~ If Clan Lasombra is the heart of the Sabbat, Clan Tzimisce is the soul. Even other vampires grow uneasy around these flesh-crafting Kindred and the clan's nickname of "Fiends" was given to it in nights past by horrified Kindred of other lines. The Tzimisce's signature Discipline of Vicissitude is the subject of particular dread; tales speak of crippling disfigurements inflicted on a whim, of ghastly "experiments," and tortures refined beyond human - or vampiric - comprehension or endurance.

INDEPENDENT CLANS ~ These clans serve none but their own ends. While not part of a common agenda, each of the independents have unique and devastating abilities that make them respected - or feared - by the other clans.

ASSAMITES ~ From the desert wastes of the East come the Assamites and they bring with them a miasma of terror. The Assamites are known throughout vampire society as a clan of murderous assassins, working for whomever can pay their price. The price they charge for their work is the vitae of other Kindred; for the Assamites, diablerie is the greatest sacrament.

FOLLOWERS OF SET OR SETITES ~ This clan is mistrusted perhaps more than any other clan. Their ties with the archetypal Serpent of myth are well-known and bolstered by their disturbing powers. They are custodians of knowledge that, according to their claims, predates even the First City. When they enter a city, the Cainite power structure almost inevitably erodes. But most unnerving of all, they share a dark and powerful faith as a clan - a faith that the blood of gods pulses in their cold veins.

GIOVANNI ~ The Giovanni are respectful, genteel, and well-mannered. Affluent beyond imagination, Clan Giovanni traces its roots back to before the Renaissance, to a family of merchant princes. The clan still maintains its original home in Venice, in a thousand-year-old loggia just outside the heart of the city. No other clan makes such a spectacle of humility and propriety as does the Giovanni. And no other clan hides its blasphemous secrets as well.

RAVNOS ~ If ever a clan was renowned for a wickedly black sense of humor, the Ravnos would be that clan. These Cainites are deceivers of the first order, weaving illusion and lies into elaborate schemes to part the foolish from whatever it is the Ravnos might fancy - be it wealth, blood, or even their victims' freedom. Like Mephistopheles or Old Scratch, the Ravnos ply their devil's deals with whomever they choose - be it human or Kindred - and woe to those who wind up unable to pay the hidden costs.

BLOODLINES ~ Minor clans that are separate and distinct from the 13 clans in several ways. Bloodlines lack a third-generation progenitor with access to a 10th-level Discipline. The second major difference is that bloodlines usually diverge from already established clans when a clan member develops a new and unique Discipline. An aptitude for this Discipline is then passed to the creator's progeny - exactly how, or why, is a subject of debate among Kindred scholars. Thus, the older the bloodline, the more members in the bloodline. At least one bloodline - the Giovanni - became a clan when its founder reached the third generation through diablerie.

DAUGHTERS OF CACOPHONY ~

SALUBRI ~

SAMEDI ~

CAITIFF ~ The Caitiff have no structured society and, as a result, no Clan Prestige. They do not assemble as a group and have no customs to bind them together. Sometimes a small group of Caitiff assemble to negotiate territory or to address a common problem, but their meetings usually fall apart because of their arrested social skills and innate suspicion of other Kindred.

CATHAYANS ~

**Lash here's what I had stored in a document. I'll pull out my sourcebooks later and edit in the missing info. White Wolf recently relaunched their line and I don't know how different it is now.

Thanks, Miss T! There was an ASSAMITE featured on an episode of Kindred, too... she was a shape-shifting assassin... cool...

Scooter, thanks! Salma Hayek. I was having a total brain-fart.

Anytime Lash.

Miss T, Caroline and I LOVE VTM. Haven't played in years though. Have a copy of the TV show on VHS and DVD.

As for the relaunch I understand it is totally different. I didn't get into or see what happened with their storyline that was supposed to bring about Gehenna.

From The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vampires

A vampy tidbit that I know Lash will find amusing:

It's been misleadingly suggested that Prince Vlad staked people in order to compensate for sexual impotence. The impalings, in other words, were a form of phallic penetration he was unable to carry out in the usual way. Not only is there no evidence that Vlad was impotent (actually he kept mistresses and had three sons), there is no evidence that impotence makes guys want to stake people. Impalements per capita ratios have not gone down since they've come out with Viagra!

Wow, the 'V' word has been thrown out there. I wager that I have had perhaps the most experience with actual vampires and vampire ilk of anyone here in Legion World. It is one thing to speak of the Masquerade, as in White Wolf's magnificent game, but would anyone like to hear some bits from the reality of my strange past???

Some of it is not for the faint of heart.... And may I say, bravo, what a wonderful time of year for sharing all things vampiric

LOVE autumn and I would also love for you to share your tales, Caroline. I'm glad to learn I'm not a lone vampirophile on Legion World!

blood play, also called blood sports and blood fetishism, is a sexual, spiritual, or expressive activity that involves cutting and blood. It is a form of sadomasochism and is sometimes tied in with body art: tattoos, piercing, brands, decorative scarification, etc. Many, but not all, blood fetishists identiy themselves as "real vampires."

A vampire organization called the Sanguinarium centered in New York City has issued a set of 13 rules of vampire etiquette called the Black Veil. The rules are intended to foster mutual respect, discretion, and safety among members of the community.

Mundanes or 'danes' are those who do not belong to the vampire community and who may have no idea that it even exists. They are sometimes referred to as "mortals," even though vampire lifestylers do not necessarily regard themselves as immortal.

Prefer your vampires from outer space?

From The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vampires:

Check out the spaghetti sci-fi horror flick Planet of the Vampires (1965), directed by Mario Bava. This film is actually better than you might think! Or try Lifeforce (1984), based on the novel The Space Vampires (1976) by Colin Wilson.

The most famous alien vampire is Vampirella, the curvaceous femme fatale from the planet Drakulon. She first appeared in 1969 as a comic book heroine created by Forest J. Ackerman, an obvious take-off of another comic book character, the French Barbarella, created by Jean-Claude Forest.

Lifeforce is one of my favorite "B" movies of all time. I saw the woman that played the space-vampiress Mathilda May in some dumb Lifetime type movie a little while back, with the guy from Northern Exposure. I didn't almost recognize her with clothes on. That movie is sooo underrated. I didn't know it was adapted from a book. To the library I go!

Oh, and don't forget "'Salem's Lot". The book, not either of the disappointing tv adaptations. I think it might have been the last old-school vampire story before the Anne Rice glammed-up mode took hold.

other fave vamp flicks:

FRIGHT NIGHT

It should be illegal to be as hot as Chris Sarandon is in this movie.


THE LOST BOYS

I can't imagine anyone not liking this film.

Matt, have you ever read the short-story prequel? Jerusalem's Lot? It was in his first short story compilation, 'Night Shift'. The best set of short stories written since Poe. Hell, I may have to find a copy and re-read it.

And as for Lifeforce, I love that movie. Alien vampires hiding in Haley's Comet? Instant classic in my book.

Both of Lash's choices are in our DVD/VHS arsenal too. In fact for Lost Boys we have a VHS, DVD, soundtrack on vinyl, cassette and CD. I heard there is talk, again, of a sequel. I think its too far gone now to do one. 10 years ago would have been better.

The best, all around, vampire short story collection, 'Under the Fang'. If you have not read it you don't belong in this thread.

Scott, I've just about beaten my copy of Night Shift to death. I've had it since high school at least and there's quite a few stories in it that have held up really well over the years. It also has the brief followup to 'Salem's Lot, One For The Road, which is pretty creepy.

I haven't seen the Lost Boys straight through in years. It played at the movie theater that I worked at back in the day, and all the girls I worked with were nuts over it. They were all kind of that late 80's type of goth chick.

Hey, I married one of those late 80's type of goth chicks.

I, also, wore out my copy of Night Shift. I think the only King I've read more than that collection is The Stand, which I've read a total of 10 times (between the regular and expanded editions). Night Shift had a number of stories that went on to be produced as movies. Graveyard Shift, The Mangler, Children of the Corn, Lawnmower Man (although the movie had nothing to do with the story), The Ledge and Quitters, Inc were done in one movie (Cat's Eye), Trucks became Maximum Overdrive, and Sometimes They Come Back had a movie and sequel I think.

Battleground must have been the one I like the most. It was in printed in some kind of school magazine when I was in grade school (4th grade maybe) and was the first King I remember reading. It was also made into one of those 80's TV anthology shows. Tales from the Darkside I think.

Well, I don't want to get kicked out of my own thread, Scooter! Who's the publisher/editor of Under the Fang so I can inquire at my local Barnes & Noble.

The full title is Horror Writers of America Presents 'Under the Fang'. It was edited by Robert R. McCammon. If it helps here is the ISBN #: 0671695738 and a list of the stories included:

The Miracle Mile by Robert McCammon
Dancing Nightly by Nancy Collins
Stoker's Mistress by Clint Collins
Does the Blood Line Run on Time by Williams and Petitt
Red Eve by Al Sarrantonio
We are Dead Together by Charles De Lint
Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage by Chet Williamson
Advocates by Suzy McKee Charnas and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Special by Richard Laymon
Herrenrasse by J.N. Williamson
Duty by Ed Gorman
Midnight Sun by Brian Hodge
A Bloodsucker by David Mayer III
Prodigal Sun by Tomas Monteleone
There are no Night Clubs in East Palo Alto by Cliff Brooks
Juice by Lisa Cantrell
Behind Enemy Lines by Dan Perez

If I recall the Yarbro story involves her ultimate character, Saint-Germain.

Sorry, a little unprofession jealousy there. I actually researched Saint Germain when I was a pre-teen after seeing an In Search Of (the original series with Leonard Nimoy) which featured the elusive historical character. I had actually written a three of four chapter story using the Saint as a vampire. Like most of my pre-adolescent writing, though, it lay forgotten until much later. When I came across the first Yarbro Saint-Germain book I couldn't believe it.

And this wasn't the last time this happened to me. I had written (and actually published in a vampire fanzine) the beginning of a vampire novella using one of my ancestors as the vampire hero. Captain Michael DeVoe was captured by the British during the Revolutionary War and was to be held for trial. He and his son used their barges to ferry troops down the Hudson. He actually escaped his captors and went on to eventually become one of my ancestors on my mother's side. Well I took him, and his story, and started a vampire tale. Lo and behold about a year later PN Elrod publishes her Jonathan Barrett, Gentleman Vampire novel 'Red Death'.

I need to stop giving these ideas to other people.

*gleeful squeal* Thanks for sharing your brainy bounty! I'll let you know when I get the book.

From Adam and Eve , by The Flower Kings

A Vampire's View

I am back at the beginning, I have a crust upon my eyes
I'm alone in this my blindness, I'm alone but there still is life
Not under a tombstone, no worms are licking my bones
I'm just in a state where day turns to night and it's late

I am back at the beginning, I am black down to my heart
I am tied down to this rythym, in a trance 'til death do us part
Like one of those people that are nothing but evil
A life of regrets is saved in the flower of death

Alll the things that are sad are saved inside my madness
All I touch will die before the summer is gone
All the blackest days will always flood my soul
Inviting me to rest upon the leaves of autumn
Searchng for some kindness, lost inside my blindness
I turn around, turn around

I am back at the beginning, stripped down, down to the bones
I am blank and I am nothing, I am drained of passion and soul
I've travelled the world, all the beautiful girls
they have made me a lifelong notorious deceiver, believe me!

I am back at the beginning, in the shadows upon my strike
So the world has become silent, I can tell that this ain't no life
I'm the man without shadow, I've got a stoneful of pillows
There's no man in the mirror, just me and I hate what I see!

From the underworld we arise
on a string of bloodstained magnolias
Relentlessly throwing the dice
but there's now way we can get out of here
In a time that sees no end
I'm building this cluster so sinister
of thoughts on love and death
In a one man strong disaster
In a dark tranquility our hearts descend
Aching from a bittersweet that'll never end
A face with hollow eyes, a face with no more smiles
The cold face of perdition, a voice of silent cries
The blind man the rooster, the ultimate loser

Wicked hot, Ester!

One of my all time favorite vampire novels
has been re-released. I just saw it at the
bookstore yesterday:

_Fevre Dream_ by George RR Martin (Yes there
are 2 R's.)

Vampires on the Missippi River during the
heyday of the steamboats ... I really loved
it and it sparked an interest in steamboats
that's remained with me to this day.

It's out of print. I hope to find a copy at some of the used bookstores in the area.

I am now on BUFFY Season 5 and ANGEL Season 2. So far so good.

I especially like any Angel episode that involves flashbacks.