fandomhigh | Necromancers Guide to the Undead, Thursday, Period 1

Having class as usual was a generally stupid idea, but Liliana was nothing if not stubborn and contrary; err, that was, 'if not committed to her class.'

Nailed it.

"Today," she announced to whatever students in her class managed to show up, "we begin our last unit, the discussion of vampires. I have discovered since my arrival that vampires hold a particular space in pop culture and, perhaps even more than ghosts or zombies, they have been subject to revisions, rules, and romanticism in how they are portrayed. From ravening monsters to romantic heroes, vampires have been reformed and rewritten so often to fit the needs of the story that there are no real universal rules that all sets of vampire media follows. Today, we are going to discuss some basic aspects of vampirism, at least as you know it, and use that to serve as a point of comparison as we examine vampires in the future."

Because, Gaia help her, even Liliana did not have the ability to focus enough to deliver a full lecture about anything right now.

"So, some questions for you. Are vampires real where you're from, or simply creatures that exist in imagination? If yes, what rules do they follow; that is, what makes a vampire a vampire? What are their aspects, their characterizations? Do the stories of vampires in your world accurately portray them, or are liberties taken? How are they perceived by the population at large? And those of you for whom vampires are fictional, what rules, aspects, and characterizations do you think of when you imagine a typical vampire? Why? What works inspire you to imagine one type of vampire instead of another? Why? Are there any types of media that you would consider to form a vampiric 'canon'? What depictions of vampires to you disagree with or find ridiculous?"

Yes, that seemed like plenty enough for them to address. "Take notes on your answers and, as we start truly getting into the discussion over the next week, keep track of where your answers overlap with the vampires you're familiar with and the places they diverge."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

If vampires are real in your reality:
* What rules do vampires follow; basically, what makes a vampire a vampire?
* What are their aspects and characterizations? Are they unnaturally pale? Do they sparkle in sunlight? Do their faces change? etc
* If there is vampire media in your world, do they accurately portray vampires?
* What does the population at large think of them and their existence?

If vampires are fictional in your reality:
* What rules do vampires follow that make them different from other fictional creatures?
* What are their aspects and characterizations? Are they varied or are they generally depicted in the same way?
* What works inspire you to imagine one type of vampire instead of another? Why?
* Are there any types of media that you would consider to form a vampiric 'canon'?
* What depictions of vampires to you disagree with or find ridiculous?

Once you've finished answering your questions, feel free to share them with the class and compare and contrast your various answers.

Edited 2024-03-28 08:33 (UTC)

"Vampires are real, they have fangs, drink blood, are allergic to sunlight, and any devout religious faith can be a deterrent," Illyana rattled off. "The general population thinks them fictional, but they're a plague."

"Every few years, either Dracula decides to cause trouble, or some upstart tries to steal his title as the biggest badass, and it causes problems in the magical and superhero communities as they try to keep people from getting turned, or the world becoming endless night, or any of that."

"Dracula, named for the character?" Liliana asked. "Or...?"

Look, after the Astrotorium, she was no longer sure about things.

"Actual Dracula," Illyana confirmed. "Undead asshole."

"Though technically, we have four types of vampires: your typical undead raised corpses, humans-turned-vampire by being infected with the vampire virus enzyme, the Baalist weirdoes, pseudo-vampires who possess many vampiric qualities, including appearance and many similar superhuman abilities, but have none of the special vulnerabilities, and half-breeds."

"But true vampirism and its virus seem to trace back to Chthon, one of the Elder Gods. It's why they're so vulnerable to things like faith and sunlight."

"The Baalist weirdos?" Liliana asked. "And Chthon? Are those...gods?"

She still had trouble believing in that there were gods that weren't just jumped-up Planeswalkers, but when in Ravnica...

"Vampires are real," Gray said, somewhat distracted because he was in class when he could have been doing...other stuff. You know. While he was still awake. "They drink blood, they don't go out in sunlight, and they definitely don't sparkle unless they're wearing body glitter. Most people don't know they're real. There are rumors that they're the result of fallen angels breeding with demons, but I have no idea if that's true or not. They're pretty secretive. It would explain a few things, though."

"Ugh," Liliana said, wrinkling her nose at the angel half of that pairing. Because she was a professional.

A professional angel-hater.

"Why would that explain things?" she asked. "How would the mingling of angels and demons make vampires?"

Honestly, demons have more self respect. That would never happen in her corner of the Multiverse.

"Well, fallen angel plus human makes Nephilim, and we do have some things in common with vampires. Like the whole drinking blood thing." That was sort of key. Also key was, "Not angels angels, fallen angels. I don't know if angels have sex." His nose wrinkled up in distaste at the thought of Lazarus getting down and dirty. "I kind of hope they don't."

He was in for a deep and frankly traumatizing disappointment on that front in the future, but for now he remained blissfully ignorant.

"But fallen angels are damned. That's why they have to drink blood. It's a whole...thing." He waved a hand vaguely. "Vampires also have to drink blood. The Nephilim like to drink blood, but we don't have to. You see?" Probably not, but no one had ever said Gray was great at explanations.

"What does it mean to be a fallen angel anyway?" Liliana asked, since she didn't have much of a concept of damnation and, while picturing an angel falling out of the sky and slamming into trees was fun, it didn't particularly answer her questions.

"They're angels who joined Lucifer's rebellion against the Supreme Being and were cast out of the Celestial Realm as traitors," Gray explained. "Eternal damnation, blood-drinking as the mark of the damned, blah blah blah." It was all very boring. To him, anyway.

"Ah," Liliana said. "Yes, I know several Planeswalkers who threw temper tantrums when their creations ceased to offer them the worship they thought they were due. It was generally considered a bad look on the Planeswalker's end, however."

"I don't know what a Planeswalker is," Gray admitted. It probably wasn't one of those humans who did stunts on airplanes, though. "But Lucifer didn't just stop worshiping the Supreme Being--he wanted to overthrow Them and take Their place. So that's a little different. Like, I can say the Supreme Being is a dick all day long and They don't care." Why should They? They'd already cursed him just for being born. "Or I assume They don't. They're not very...involved these days, I don't think." Gray was deeply unclear on the ins and outs of the Celestial Realm.

"Planeswalkers are a special brand of magic users from where I'm from who can travel from one plane of reality to others," Liliana said, giving him the very short version. "Up until about sixty years ago, we had the ability to create new planes, and populate them either with creatures we knew of from our wanderings or to invent wholly new ones from our imaginations. It was a very popular pastime for many of them."

She shrugged. "I never really got into it. Too much responsibility. I'd appreciate a Lucifer to come and take the bother of all that off my shoulders. Gaia knows I had better things to do."

Her head canted to the side. "Is Lucifer a common name, then?" she asked. "Or is the Lucifer in town...?"

"...isn't that what Portalocity is for?" Not the creating new realms part, obviously.

"Uh, I don't know exactly, I've never spoken to the Lucifer here," Gray hedged. "He's not very like the Lucifer from my world..." Attempting to imagine that guy playing piano in a bar stretched the imagination beyond its breaking point.

"Not everywhere has a Portalocity," Liliana pointed out.

Necromancers Guide to the Undead, Thursday, Period 1

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