Post by Iota on Apr 26, 2010 15:27:49 GMT -5
There's a vast difference between vampires as portrayed in East European folklore, vampires in the Dracula movies, vampires in Anne Rice novels etc... What precisely is the mythos used in Vampire: the Masquerade?
White Wolf's "World of Darkness" universe is a hodge-podge of the vast body of folklore, film and literature regarding vampires. The end result is a unique version of the vampire myth which is different from it's predecessors, but evidently borrowing from them.
The basic mythology of vampirism in this game is based on the biblical curse of Caine. In the game setting, after slaying his brother, Caine was cursed by God to feed upon blood and ashes and to never see the light of the sun. The descendents of Caine which he made through the Embrace all share this curse, which has carried down into the modern nights.
The need to drink blood and an inability to withstand sunlight and fire are the two common mythological elements that all White Wolf vampires share, as they stem from this curse. The plethora of other powers and weaknesses attributed to vampires in folklore (ex: repulsion by garlic, ability to hypnotize mortals) varies greatly depending on both the clan of the vampire in question and the individual vampire themselves.
Okay, so... Can I turn into a bat?
That depends. A certain Clan (Gangrel) has a discipline which may be utilized in shape-shifting, and could in fact, feasibly turn into bats or wolves.
Are vampires repulsed by garlic/wolfsbane/crosses/communion hosts/running water?
In short, no. The majority of vampires have no problems with any of the above. However, a few individual vampires may have a specific flaw which causes them to take on one of these mythological aversions.
In addition to this, religious artifacts may cause harm to vampire-kind provided that the person who wields them has incredibly strong faith in their particular deity. The damage, however, comes from the faith of the wielder and not the object itself.
Do vampires need to sleep in a coffin with some of their native earth?
The Tzimisce are the only Clan who require a handful of their native earth in order to sleep correctly. Almost nobody sleeps in a coffin.
Can vampires be killed with a stake through the heart?
No. A stake through the heart only paralyzes a vampire and renders them immobile.
White Wolf's "World of Darkness" universe is a hodge-podge of the vast body of folklore, film and literature regarding vampires. The end result is a unique version of the vampire myth which is different from it's predecessors, but evidently borrowing from them.
The basic mythology of vampirism in this game is based on the biblical curse of Caine. In the game setting, after slaying his brother, Caine was cursed by God to feed upon blood and ashes and to never see the light of the sun. The descendents of Caine which he made through the Embrace all share this curse, which has carried down into the modern nights.
The need to drink blood and an inability to withstand sunlight and fire are the two common mythological elements that all White Wolf vampires share, as they stem from this curse. The plethora of other powers and weaknesses attributed to vampires in folklore (ex: repulsion by garlic, ability to hypnotize mortals) varies greatly depending on both the clan of the vampire in question and the individual vampire themselves.
Okay, so... Can I turn into a bat?
That depends. A certain Clan (Gangrel) has a discipline which may be utilized in shape-shifting, and could in fact, feasibly turn into bats or wolves.
Are vampires repulsed by garlic/wolfsbane/crosses/communion hosts/running water?
In short, no. The majority of vampires have no problems with any of the above. However, a few individual vampires may have a specific flaw which causes them to take on one of these mythological aversions.
In addition to this, religious artifacts may cause harm to vampire-kind provided that the person who wields them has incredibly strong faith in their particular deity. The damage, however, comes from the faith of the wielder and not the object itself.
Do vampires need to sleep in a coffin with some of their native earth?
The Tzimisce are the only Clan who require a handful of their native earth in order to sleep correctly. Almost nobody sleeps in a coffin.
Can vampires be killed with a stake through the heart?
No. A stake through the heart only paralyzes a vampire and renders them immobile.
