July 1926
Quincey Morris is dead.
I can scarcely believe it myself. I've written the words. Made them real on the page, but the stark reality of this realization can't even begin to sink in for me. He was one of us. He devoted himself tirelessly to the cause and the Covenant is a reality because of him. The Texas branch of the Covenant is one of the most well trained and eager batch of recruits that I've ever seen and it's all thanks to Quincey. Damn his irrational Texian hide for refusing to get behind a desk where he actually belonged. I'm told he acquited himself well before being overcome by sheer weight of numbers. Took out three of the spawn before he fell. The man was nearly 70 for christ's sake. He should have retired from active duty long ago.
But then again, he wouldn't have been true to himself if he had. Besides, many of his friends, myself included sort of think that he's been marking time till he died. He's been that way since his wife was killed in the battle with that nest in Wanchai. When Lo Feng tore her throat out...he might as well have torn Quincey's heart out along with it. I only hope that Quincey has found peace in the arms of Madeleine and the Lord. God knows that it's the only peace some of us will ever get.
Wanchai was a nasty piece of business. Jack managed to discover from some of the relics that the beast had collected that the Chinese strain of the disease does, in fact, predate Chinese history as he suspected, but it was a discovery that no one could rejoice over after Quincey came apart. He went back to Texas and although he never shirked his duties once...he drank more and more.
Jack was able to theorize that the original strain of the disease started in Egypt and worked it's way all over the globe. He even thinks that some of the differences we've seen in the spawn are the result of mutations over several generations of infections. Sadly, Jack is no closer to cracking a cure but with hope in God Almighty, Someday it will be a reality. If we're ever able to unravel the mystery of how the disease started then we might be able to conquer it utterly. Someday I hope that we will be able to keep our promise to Abraham and rid the world of this curse forever.
At least we've discovered a few chinks in their armor. If only we can live long enough to train the next generation of hunters and doctors to help us destroy the vampires once and for all.
- From the Personal Journal of Lord Arthur Holmwood.
I can scarcely believe it myself. I've written the words. Made them real on the page, but the stark reality of this realization can't even begin to sink in for me. He was one of us. He devoted himself tirelessly to the cause and the Covenant is a reality because of him. The Texas branch of the Covenant is one of the most well trained and eager batch of recruits that I've ever seen and it's all thanks to Quincey. Damn his irrational Texian hide for refusing to get behind a desk where he actually belonged. I'm told he acquited himself well before being overcome by sheer weight of numbers. Took out three of the spawn before he fell. The man was nearly 70 for christ's sake. He should have retired from active duty long ago.
But then again, he wouldn't have been true to himself if he had. Besides, many of his friends, myself included sort of think that he's been marking time till he died. He's been that way since his wife was killed in the battle with that nest in Wanchai. When Lo Feng tore her throat out...he might as well have torn Quincey's heart out along with it. I only hope that Quincey has found peace in the arms of Madeleine and the Lord. God knows that it's the only peace some of us will ever get.
Wanchai was a nasty piece of business. Jack managed to discover from some of the relics that the beast had collected that the Chinese strain of the disease does, in fact, predate Chinese history as he suspected, but it was a discovery that no one could rejoice over after Quincey came apart. He went back to Texas and although he never shirked his duties once...he drank more and more.
Jack was able to theorize that the original strain of the disease started in Egypt and worked it's way all over the globe. He even thinks that some of the differences we've seen in the spawn are the result of mutations over several generations of infections. Sadly, Jack is no closer to cracking a cure but with hope in God Almighty, Someday it will be a reality. If we're ever able to unravel the mystery of how the disease started then we might be able to conquer it utterly. Someday I hope that we will be able to keep our promise to Abraham and rid the world of this curse forever.
At least we've discovered a few chinks in their armor. If only we can live long enough to train the next generation of hunters and doctors to help us destroy the vampires once and for all.
- From the Personal Journal of Lord Arthur Holmwood.
Vampires!?!
C'mon. You know that you've thought about it. Vampires are one of the original villain types of all time. Not to use them in a cracking good game of Adventure is just a crime. However to dump Vampire: the Masquerade into Adventure! and stir it up, hoping it will make gumbo is actually just a recipe for disaster. The systems aren't really compatible and the tones are flat counter to one another.
So it simply remains to retool Vampires so that they can be more pulperific and add just a touch of horror to the average Adventure! game.
C'mon. You know that you've thought about it. Vampires are one of the original villain types of all time. Not to use them in a cracking good game of Adventure is just a crime. However to dump Vampire: the Masquerade into Adventure! and stir it up, hoping it will make gumbo is actually just a recipe for disaster. The systems aren't really compatible and the tones are flat counter to one another.
So it simply remains to retool Vampires so that they can be more pulperific and add just a touch of horror to the average Adventure! game.
The History of Vampirism:
A long long time ago there were two massive nations that vied for an entire age of mankind for control of this blue-green planet. Egypt was one. Atlantis was another.
A long long time ago there were two massive nations that vied for an entire age of mankind for control of this blue-green planet. Egypt was one. Atlantis was another.
Egypt and Atlantis warred with one another ceaselessly over who would be allowed to control the world. The Egyptians had a slight technological edge over the Atlanteans but the Atlanteans came back strong because they had made alliances....Extraterrestrial Alliances. All the Greys asked for in return was a percentage of the conquered people for their experimentation.
The cataclysmic war ended when the Egyptians finally created the technology that created the Pole Shift. This buried the Atlanteans under the ice and snow of Antarctica and unfortunately wrought untold havoc on the ecosystem which ended up causing a revolt that cast the Techno-priests out of power and set back Egyptian development by centuries. But this was not enough to stop the cruelest trick that the Atlanteans played in the final days of the war.
Vampirism is far from a supernatural force. In fact, it is a biological weapon created by the Greys and given to the Atlanteans for use on the Egyptians.
The cataclysmic war ended when the Egyptians finally created the technology that created the Pole Shift. This buried the Atlanteans under the ice and snow of Antarctica and unfortunately wrought untold havoc on the ecosystem which ended up causing a revolt that cast the Techno-priests out of power and set back Egyptian development by centuries. But this was not enough to stop the cruelest trick that the Atlanteans played in the final days of the war.
Vampirism is far from a supernatural force. In fact, it is a biological weapon created by the Greys and given to the Atlanteans for use on the Egyptians.
It is a horrible disease that unlike most virii, actually protects it's host and enables it to cause more chaos and damage. Foes infected with Vampirism become extremely efficient predators and since all of them are driven insane by the process they cause maximum tactical confusion in the enemy. Since Vampires are nocturnal creatures, there is an additional psychological element that comes into play. After all. There ARE things in the dark to be afraid of.
Pathology of the Vampyr:
Vampires are living breathing human beings with a viral infection that affects them on the RNA level. They tend to exhibit certain changes in their basic makeup that tend to cause people to think they are in fact dead. (Heartbeat and respiration radically slows and the body's core temperature lowers to about 64 degrees, Since the vampire becomes a nocturnal creature, pallor is inevitable.) Speculation is that these changes are evolutionary alterations to increase one's abilities as a predator. Vampires certainly generate less heat and less noise than a "Living" person.
Vampires are living breathing human beings with a viral infection that affects them on the RNA level. They tend to exhibit certain changes in their basic makeup that tend to cause people to think they are in fact dead. (Heartbeat and respiration radically slows and the body's core temperature lowers to about 64 degrees, Since the vampire becomes a nocturnal creature, pallor is inevitable.) Speculation is that these changes are evolutionary alterations to increase one's abilities as a predator. Vampires certainly generate less heat and less noise than a "Living" person.
A vampires metabolism becomes extremely attenuated. They can derive nourishment from only one source and so a Vampire normally does not need to feed more than once every 4 days unless he/she is unusually active. Ordinarily, a vampire requires enough blood to cause a human being to perish from heart failure. This is of course by design. Vampires who are not able to feed begin to undergo an extremely agonizing death as the body catabolizes any remaining nourishment in its system and then they usually expire messily.
Advantages of the Vampiric State
As mentioned before. A vampire's viral infection is designed to protect its primary host. A vampire with steady feeding can live near indefinitely. The oldest living specimen encountered so far has been rated at 426 years old... But it is, of course, possible that there are Vampires that are even older than that! Old persons and children who are infected are rare, and if they are able to thrive as a predator they will continue to age.(although at a greatly decreased rate.)
Vampires have also shown a marked resistance to certain types of injury and a tendency to regenerate like a flat worm. Vampires have also been shown to possess superior sensory apparatus comparable to that of a cat or dog. Vampires tend to become extremely fast, strong, and difficult to damage.
In game terms newly infected vampires gain the following advantages:
*+2 to Strength, Dexterity, and Stamina (which can push them into superhuman levels of ability. I.E. 5+ dots.)
*The Heightened Senses Knack (which they receive for free)
*The Reptilian Regeneration knack (which they also receive for free. Note that a vampire is still susceptible to death by Force Majeure like decapitation and driving a stake through the heart. Massed gunfire will also kill a vampire. It should also be noted that since a vampire is still technically a living breathing creature, they can drown and asphyxiate. Good luck holding them under, though...
*The Optimized Metabolism Knack ( vampires breath very shallowly and poisons and drugs have little effect on them.
*All bashing damage that a vampire sustains is halved.
As mentioned before. A vampire's viral infection is designed to protect its primary host. A vampire with steady feeding can live near indefinitely. The oldest living specimen encountered so far has been rated at 426 years old... But it is, of course, possible that there are Vampires that are even older than that! Old persons and children who are infected are rare, and if they are able to thrive as a predator they will continue to age.(although at a greatly decreased rate.)
Vampires have also shown a marked resistance to certain types of injury and a tendency to regenerate like a flat worm. Vampires have also been shown to possess superior sensory apparatus comparable to that of a cat or dog. Vampires tend to become extremely fast, strong, and difficult to damage.
In game terms newly infected vampires gain the following advantages:
*+2 to Strength, Dexterity, and Stamina (which can push them into superhuman levels of ability. I.E. 5+ dots.)
*The Heightened Senses Knack (which they receive for free)
*The Reptilian Regeneration knack (which they also receive for free. Note that a vampire is still susceptible to death by Force Majeure like decapitation and driving a stake through the heart. Massed gunfire will also kill a vampire. It should also be noted that since a vampire is still technically a living breathing creature, they can drown and asphyxiate. Good luck holding them under, though...
*The Optimized Metabolism Knack ( vampires breath very shallowly and poisons and drugs have little effect on them.
*All bashing damage that a vampire sustains is halved.
Disadvantages of the Vampiric State
*The changes wrought on the human body by this illness inevitably cause chemical instabilities that destroy the sanity of the patient. While the insanities that are inflicted are as varied as the human mind. There is a great tendency towards homicidal mania (of course) and Obsessive-Compulsive disorder. These tendencies occur in enough numbers among the vampire population that they are statistically significant. Most strange behavior exhibited among vampires are as result of this factor. In fact, many of the superstitions surrounding vampires are directly attributable to OCD. ( inability to cross running water, needing to be invited in, hatred of mirrors, Hysterical fear of holy symbols which can result in psychosomatic burns. Etc... there are even other legends of people who have managed to escape being vampiric prey by scattering seeds behind them. The person escaped because the vampire was forced to stop and count the seeds before continuing the hunt. Some of the vampires that are destroyed by the Covenant greatly aid in the information needed to continue the fight. Some of them kept exhaustively anal-retentive diaries and others were fanatical collectors of vampire lore of one sort or another.
*Vampires also suffer horribly under the sunlight. It is theorized that the production of Vitamin D by the body is actively poisonous to the new vampiric state. This was built into the virus at the insistence of the Atlanteans. Once an area had been pacified by a vampiric infection it would, of course, be easy to move in during the day and wipe out the surviving infected and thus claim territory. Sunlight or any strong ultraviolet light source will cause agonizing pain to a vampire until he expires...usually in a messy fashion (Sadly, UV light has yet to be discovered by the mainstream scientific community in Adventure's time. But your Mad Scientist might have a leg up on the problem.)
*Garlic is an effective deterrent against vampiric predators (unless maddened by hunger) It is an extreme irritant to a vampire's heightened senses and can keep them at bay. Taken internally it can make a vampire intensely ill and in sufficient concentrations can render them comatose.
In game terms newly infected vampires gain the following disadvantages:
*They must have at least one derangement (usually homicidal mania or OCD)
*Sunlight or Strong UV light sources cause 1 unsoakable level of lethal damage per turn.
*Exposure to garlic is treated as if the vampire were exposed to tear gas. as long as they are within 6 feet of the bearer.
*The changes wrought on the human body by this illness inevitably cause chemical instabilities that destroy the sanity of the patient. While the insanities that are inflicted are as varied as the human mind. There is a great tendency towards homicidal mania (of course) and Obsessive-Compulsive disorder. These tendencies occur in enough numbers among the vampire population that they are statistically significant. Most strange behavior exhibited among vampires are as result of this factor. In fact, many of the superstitions surrounding vampires are directly attributable to OCD. ( inability to cross running water, needing to be invited in, hatred of mirrors, Hysterical fear of holy symbols which can result in psychosomatic burns. Etc... there are even other legends of people who have managed to escape being vampiric prey by scattering seeds behind them. The person escaped because the vampire was forced to stop and count the seeds before continuing the hunt. Some of the vampires that are destroyed by the Covenant greatly aid in the information needed to continue the fight. Some of them kept exhaustively anal-retentive diaries and others were fanatical collectors of vampire lore of one sort or another.
*Vampires also suffer horribly under the sunlight. It is theorized that the production of Vitamin D by the body is actively poisonous to the new vampiric state. This was built into the virus at the insistence of the Atlanteans. Once an area had been pacified by a vampiric infection it would, of course, be easy to move in during the day and wipe out the surviving infected and thus claim territory. Sunlight or any strong ultraviolet light source will cause agonizing pain to a vampire until he expires...usually in a messy fashion (Sadly, UV light has yet to be discovered by the mainstream scientific community in Adventure's time. But your Mad Scientist might have a leg up on the problem.)
*Garlic is an effective deterrent against vampiric predators (unless maddened by hunger) It is an extreme irritant to a vampire's heightened senses and can keep them at bay. Taken internally it can make a vampire intensely ill and in sufficient concentrations can render them comatose.
In game terms newly infected vampires gain the following disadvantages:
*They must have at least one derangement (usually homicidal mania or OCD)
*Sunlight or Strong UV light sources cause 1 unsoakable level of lethal damage per turn.
*Exposure to garlic is treated as if the vampire were exposed to tear gas. as long as they are within 6 feet of the bearer.
Vampires and Inspiration:
Most vampires have a fairly short life expectancy but those that manage to prosper and thrive in their new state have a tendency to develop odd mental powers and physical mutations. Few vampires develop alike although vampires living in groups can teach their abilities to others of their ilk. Most vampires tend to break along Stalwart lines and develop stalwart powers. It should be noted that the ones who express mesmerist abilities are far more dangerous and tend to live much longer. It is even rumored that there are certain knacks that are entirely unique to vampire kind and this might account for the legend of vampires able to take on animal form, or become like a mist, or command the weather or the meaner beasts of the earth.
Most vampires have a fairly short life expectancy but those that manage to prosper and thrive in their new state have a tendency to develop odd mental powers and physical mutations. Few vampires develop alike although vampires living in groups can teach their abilities to others of their ilk. Most vampires tend to break along Stalwart lines and develop stalwart powers. It should be noted that the ones who express mesmerist abilities are far more dangerous and tend to live much longer. It is even rumored that there are certain knacks that are entirely unique to vampire kind and this might account for the legend of vampires able to take on animal form, or become like a mist, or command the weather or the meaner beasts of the earth.
Vampire tricks:
*Vampires mesmerists are able to use psychic control and psychic synergy on animals
*Vampires mesmerists have a level three psychic knack that is basically thermal manipulation but on a much wider area. this alone is capable of creating a number of weather effects
*Vampires cannot actually assume a mist form but can use cloud the mind to escape from troublesome hunters and teledigitation to enable them to enter locked rooms and spaces.
*Vampire Stalwarts may have some of my home brew "Beast Lord Knacks" Namely, Mind of the beast and Skin of the beast
*Vampires mesmerists are able to use psychic control and psychic synergy on animals
*Vampires mesmerists have a level three psychic knack that is basically thermal manipulation but on a much wider area. this alone is capable of creating a number of weather effects
*Vampires cannot actually assume a mist form but can use cloud the mind to escape from troublesome hunters and teledigitation to enable them to enter locked rooms and spaces.
*Vampire Stalwarts may have some of my home brew "Beast Lord Knacks" Namely, Mind of the beast and Skin of the beast
If a human is merely bitten by a vampire this is not enough to cause them to become a vampire unless their immune system is extremely weak. (although it has happened.) For a vampire to create another of his kind he must first feed from his victim. His body then creates an internal vaccine against the victim's antibodies. Thus when the victim feeds from the vampire, the vampire's virus is able to destroy the immune system working to counteract it. Onset time for the changeover is variable from victim to victim. Some take mere hours while others take days. Medical treatment can stave off the infection for a time but nothing can truly stop it short of gene therapy (which doesn't exist yet.)
It is thought that the Virus occasionally mutates and this might explain some of the bizarre discrepancies in various vampire legends.
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