Good evening fellow scholars!
Reading through my stories and plotlines, started to wander, how other Story Tellers used the different creation myths of the vampires?
Just a little curiosity, I'm curious how many of you used those, or what
I have gathered several and used them, thoguh I will share it with you - in the games where I used them, it made the story exciting, gave it a bit more depth - especially to the stories where we played throgh the ages, and one vampire race tried to destroy the other and always fun to throw a curve ball to some noddist-wannabee!
Anyhow, my list:
Caine/Khayyin [VtM]
Your generic vampire progenitor, we all know his stroy, tho its fun to tweak it a little, since his story tells, God really favored Abel's sacrifice over Caine's. So Caine "sacrificing" Abel on an altar, his brother being the "finest" offering he could give. As punishment, Cain's "Father" cursed him with a mark, and cast him out to wander in darkness in the Land of Nod. "Father" could be interpeted as God/Jehovah (or one of the gods around with Gardens aka. Revelations of the Dark Mother), and Lilith, Adam's original whife tho' hesitant how the Awekening Ceremony will react to the Mark and the Sevenfold Curse, preformed it anyhow. If you are in to Mage things, the vampiric curses are severe Paradox backslashes, or if you love traditional route, Michael, when denied, cursed Caine and his childer to fear his living flame. Raphael cursed Caine and his childer to fear the dawn, as the sun's rays would burn like fire. Uriel then cursed Caine and his childer to cling to Darkness, drink only blood, eat only ashes, and be frozen at the point of death, cursed so all they touch would crumble into nothing. A fourth angel, Gabriel, then appeared to offer the way of Golconda, the only way to "light", by the mercy of God. Wich really makes the descendats of Caine simpathetic, fellow Cursed to any Fallen crossover. Interestingly enough, Caine's myth never really says Caine ever died... just recived a tons of curses and passed those down to freshly killed corpses rised by his blood.
The Bloody Man [Silver Records]
The Bloody Man is the first vampire on Earth according to Garou mythology. Weaver was impatient for mankind to turn towards her. Unable to approach them openly, for the Garou guarded their families ferociously, she stole a man and wove her webs around him. The man's internal spark of the Wyld was snuffed and his spirit left his body. However, through the Weaver's work, he was unable to die and begged her to save him from the fate of decomposition - the Weaver obliged and soon found herself enthralled in her newest servant. The Man, now immortal, became greedy and learned from the Weaver how to manipulate the strands of the Pattern Web for his own use. This intrusion angered the - still uncorrupted - Wyrm, who swallowed the Man to return him to the cycle of being. But the Man was still immortal and within the Wyrm's belly, he began to feed on the blood of the Great Devourer. The Wyrm, howling in pain, spat out the blood-soaked Man, whom all of creation abhorred. Helios then cast his angry gaze upon him, and the Bloody Man was forced to flee beneath the earth. Gaia herself cursed him to hunger forever for blood, to enter age-lasting sleep without dreams and to be unable to conceive and only able to corrupt. Helios warned the Bloody Man that if he or his progeny would ever show his face to him again, he would burn them to cinders. The Bloody Man entered a long-lasting sleep beneath the earth and awakened several centuries later. In the meantime, the Wyrm was weakened by the internal wounds the Bloody Man had inflicted upon it, later allowing the Weaver to trap it in its webs.
The Bloody Man is a very ancient... thing. And by corruption and blood and dark powers, his vampiric line is more like the cross of a Risen and a Fomor. They are a bit the neanderthals of the vampires. Predators with darkness in them with the need of Order, thanks to their ancestor's weaver-conection. Or like how the Nictuku hunts their "lesser" Nosferatu brothers, the line of the Bloody Man hunts the other vampires. Tossing in to the mix the Predator of the Predators is always funny...
Cagn [Kindred of the Ebony Kingdom]
The Laibon speak of Cagn, who courted the daughter of the sun and married her after impressing her how clever and self-sustaining surviver he was thanks to a fetish that he recived from his mother that had the power to turn anything to anything, like a blade of grass in to a spear. He tried to conquer the Land of the Dead and fought with the Lion of Death. Who killed him and evoured him leaving only some bones behind. His brother Nakati who posessed a similar fetish stole the coprse of his brother from the Lion of Death and using their two fetish brought him back to life. But the village of the Sun, the Sun itself and Cagn's whife, the daughter of the sun, Dasse celebrated Nakati as a hero from bringing back their beloved Cagn to them. Wich made Cagn very morose. The Lion of Death arrived and demanded the meat that was stolen from him, Cagn. Who decided to hide, instead of fighting and after his brother complained, killed him and tossed him to the Lion. After the Lion of Death realised he was decived, his anger was tremendous, cursed Cagn and the nine of his followers who helped him to decive the Lion and were like sons to him, to never again be able to enter the beautifull Land of the Dead, a tongue of fire forever burn in their mouth and the hunger of the All-Devourer forever gnaw at their belly. Cagn and his nine followers lamented and walied and the daughter of the Sun seeing her husband weeping like a child hid her face in shame and dissapeared from the word. The samed and angered Sun added his curse to the Lion of Death's curse, banishing Cagn from his light and everyone who is able to see up to the Sun be the enemy of Cagn and his people, then departed too to the havens following his daughter. Cagn and his nine followers dissapeard in to the eternal night of Africa, later those nine became the progenitors of the Nine "native" Laibon legacies.
A funny little twist, to make the Vampires of Africa and the Vampires of the "white people" so different, they are completly different vampiric race.
Sutekh/Set [Clanbook Settite]
The sun-god Ra grew old and decided to retire. He chose his great-grandson Osiris as his heir and successor. But that did not sit well with Osiris’ brother, Set, for he was the mightiest warrior among the gods who guarded the sun-barque of Ra every night as it passed under the Earth from the gates of sunset to the gates of dawn, battling Apophis, the Great Serpent of Darkness. The succession of Ra brought great strife among his descendents. Set’s jealousy and wounded pride drove him to murder his brother through trickery. He hacked his brother’s body to bits and scattered them about Egypt. Patiently, Isis gathered the fragments, reassembled the body of Osiris and used her magic to conceive a child by her dead husband. When their child Horus grew to manhood, he challenged Set for the kingship of the gods. Some legends speak of mighty battles between gods and armies. Other tales describe their strife as a farcical court case, full of low tricks and silly contests. One way or another, Horus prevailed. Horus lost an eye in their strife; in revenge, he castrated Set. Osiris, meanwhile, became King of the Dead just as his son became King of the Living; and the Pharaonic dynasties henceforth claimed to rule by descent from Horus the Avenger. As compensation, Ra gave Set two foreign goddesses as concubines and made him god of storms. In another version of this tale Ra is depicted as a malevolent tyrant. It is said the “First City”, was called Annu, and it was the city of Ra. The story goes much like the version mentioned above, but it has a radically different ending. According to this version, after the triumph of Horus, Ra turned on his defender and cursed Set to live in darkness forever. Then the gods thrust Set into Duat, the dark Underworld of the dead, and the river of death whose waters come from the Primeval Ocean itself, where Set fought the great serpent Apophis once more. He slew the Worm of Darkness and ate its heart. With Apep’s death Set took on Apep’s dark wisdom and learned secrets hidden from the beginning of the world. When Ra had created the world, he gave it life through his own semen, creating gods and the souls of human beings alike. Souls differed in size but not in kind. Jealous Ra lied to all his children. He told them that he was mightiest of all things, creator of the universe, when he merely shaped a tiny portion of the Primeval Waters. Now, however, Set knew the truth: all souls could grow as mighty as their tyrant father and become creators themselves. Set swore to overthrow Ra – not to get revenge, but to liberate the souls of humanity that Ra held in bondage. It so happens that the Primeval Waters carry life as well as death, and every year, the gates of the world open to let the Primeval Waters bring new life through the yearly inundation of the Nile. Set disguised himself as a water-serpent and slipped through the gates with the rushing waters. Despite the power gained from Apep, Set still had to hide from the sun; he could not break the curse of Ra. Nor did he truly live, for he had tasted the waters of death. As he walked the night, however, he recruited twelve talented disciples. He taught them the truth, and together they swore an oath to bring down Ra and the other false gods and become gods themselves. Set mingled his blood with that of his Disciples and when they drank of it, he gave up the greater share of his power, granting all thirteen almost equal might (although, as a true god, he remained the most powerful). But when Ra learned from the Moon that Set had defeated Apophis and escaped the Underworld, he extended his curse to the twelve human disciples with whom Set had shared blood, decreeing that all who joined Set’s rebellion against the gods would share his banishment from the Sun and his castration, and that having sealed their pact in blood the thirteen would feed on blood alone. Set's disciples begged for mercy, claiming Set had misled them, thus betraying Set and his teachings. Their betrayal outraged Set (he always did have a short temper), and he swore that if they would not help him fight the gods, after all he had given them, he would destroy them as well, though it take him a million years
Do I really need to elaborate the potential of this?^^
Canarl [Wolves of the Sea]
Canarl was the first vampire according to einherjar myth called "The Blood Saga".
Odin One-Eye, lord of the slain and necromancer, came to Midgard with his valkyries to find warriors of valor. Among the dead they would pick and choose, taking up the most skilled and courageous to stay in Valhalla, where they would feast and fight until Ragnarok came to claim the gods and shake the world. With spear and runes Odin walked through the fields of the dying, seeking the warrior who would slay the jotunn and forge the destiny of the new world after Midgards's end. On the fields of one terrible battle Odin found a warrior of great strength and tenacity. Cast out by his family for his rage, this berserk drew about him a loyal band of housecarls who shared his fortunes and fought with him in all things. But wounded in war, laid low by evil spaework and telling blows, they were scattered dead across the plains of battle, where blood stained the earth like red iron. Only the lone berserk still lived, his outlaw body refusing to heed the call of Heimdall's horn. For vitality and skill Odin marked the dying warrior; coming low upon the man, he whispered to the man's dying spirit, asking his name so he could adress him in Valhalla. "Canarl, I am named" gasped the outlaw, "Called the bastard, for my family disowned me. I have fought many fields of battle ever since, but by the rune-mark on my forehead I may never die." Odin looked upon the man's head and saw there the mark and knew his words where true. Then, with seeing from his one eye did Odin read the threads of fate, and cast the lot of Canarl. "As your valor stands against death, so shall you stand against the ravages of time. Your skill is mighty but by my hand it shall be mightier. your blood spilled on this field makes the ground red; I shall turn my blood to you, and through it you will know my strength. Be strong the thews of your legs! Be mighty the grip of your spear! By the rune-mark on your forehead you shall never be touched by age: by the arts of war shall you rule!" As Odin spoke he brought his spear, Gungnir, down to face Canarl, and from its tip did run the bright red blood of the god. Three drops fell upon the lips of Canarl, and he was struck with battle-frenzy; his body twisted and his lungs choked, and he died yet lived! With the mighty pronouncements of fate and the power of his blood, Odin gave Canarl eternity, but fate demanded satiation. Odin's eye stared again into the ways of the future and he intoned the demands of the Norns. "With this bond in secret made you must ever hide from discovery, and so shall you shun the light of the sun and fire. No meat contains the potence to sustain you, no mead can intoxicate you; only the blood of men can bring warmth to your breast. From the lifeblood of the strong is your puissance multiplied. Blood you have spilled, and more blood still shall you spill; and only by coming closer to my blood shall your house know greatness." At length, Odin spoke a final time, this time slowly and with deliberation, saying, "But if you scorn the ways of war, if you take up the mantle of the Vanir, then you shall stand beside them in the final nights; put aside spear and axe and you will know no peace from brethren but those whom you will find in Vanaheim. In the words of the Vanir you will survive with the gentle while the warriors know glory and death at Ragnarok." Odin drew back from Canarl, drew up his spear and called for his ravens. Canarl rose from the ground, and to his left he placed his wounds on the mouth of Ivar, his thegn (Military leader, akin to a warrior-king or colonel), who then rose; and to his right he placed his wounds upon the mouth of Odindisa, his wife, who then rose; and before him he placed his wounds upon the mouth of Eyjolf, his skald (Bard, poet), who then rose. And they gathered to them the sacraments of the dead, and built there a city raised to Odin. So say the einherjar of the Norse.
The people of Canarl, the einherjar are a lovely addition to the game anyhow, and with their fixation to prepare the Ragnarok and be Odin's chosen warriors who will be able to shape the future are the treasuretrove of Vampire race-wars
Zapathasura [Clanbook Ravnos]
The birth of the Ravnos, and perhaps all vampires, is recorded in an epic poem called the Karavalanisha Vrana, translated as Wounds of the Night's Sword. The god's appointed protectors of humanity, the siddhittizaya, had been corrupted by the demons they were charged to fight and had taken to devouring the flesh, blood, and souls of mortals. Outraged, the gods cursed them, naming them asuratizayya or "countless demons" and declaring that from now on they would only find sustenance in devouring flesh and blood. This only encouraged the asuratizayya, however, who embraced their sins and gorged on humanity. Dismayed by this turn of events, the gods agreed to create a foe that would make the asuratizayya know true terror and curtail their gluttony. To that end, the gods took the soul of the man most grievously wronged by the asuratizayya and gave him new life, making him a monster so that he and his descendants might hunt the asuratizayya. Though many of the gods bestowed him with great gifts to further his cause, not all of them agreed to creating another dark force in the world. Three placed curses upon the man so that he should fear falling into temptation as the siddhittizaya had, and so the man would forever be threatened by the touch of fire and sunlight, and would also know an eternity of physical and spiritual hunger just as the creatures he hunted. Named Zapathasura, or "accursed demon", he was then sent out to drive the infernal hordes from the world.
Ahh the eternal bridge between the Kindred of the East line and the "western" world. Of yourse you have to love these things. I can't blame you if not, its an aquired taste^^
Ramanga [Vampire: The Dark Ages 20th Anniversary Edition]
The story of the Ramanga began on an island off Africa's south-east coast. On this island lived a woman called Ramanga and her brother, Rafazi. In this time, the ancestors of the Vazimba people, to which Ramanga belonged, were patriarchal. While Ramanga was the oldest child of the king and exceedingly smart as well as ambitious, the younger Rafazi was marked as heir. Unwilling and unable to accept a secondary role, Ramanga made sacrifices to the spirits of her people to bribe them into raising her above Rafazi. When that did not work, she began sacrificing to increasingly darker spirits until one of them finally answered her call. The spirit offered to lift Ramanga up if she would only sacrifice the sun inside her as payment. Heart already burdened by the unfairness of her situation and envy towards her brother, Ramanga willingly agreed. During the course of seven nights, the dark spirit initiated Ramanga in its heritage of shadows and illusion, showing her that real power lay not in giving orders, but in making them. Outward power might lie with the king, but real power lay with his advisors, the spirit said. Taking these lessons to heart, Ramanga returned to her people to ostensibly support her brother, even while she deftly manipulated him to do only her bidding. Cementing her control over Rafazi and his children with the power inherent to her sunless blood, Ramanga directed the future of the kingdom from that night onward. Her influence was even so great, that the Vazimba came to favor queens over kings, though it is not known if Ramanga deliberately manipulated this development, or if her mere presence instilled a sense of female rulership in the land.
Loaded gun, I know, but god, this one is funy to have around, trust me!
Bonsam [Vampire: The Dark Ages 20th Anniversary Edition]
The first of the Bonsam claims to have never actually been Embraced, having been brought to unlife by a darkness from before creation, nor has he Embraced any childer; if this claim is in fact true, the Bonsam may have originated as an artificial bloodline, although other Bonsam can and do Embrace normally. After the Dark Ages, the Great Bonsam elder refused to enrich its lineage with gifts of blood and, in its madness, tried to devour its own line. Those who escaped decided to thicken their blood with transfusions from other lineages. In South Africa, they utilized blood from a Tzimisce explorer, founding the Nagloper lineage. Few of the original Bonsam remain, and vampires who adopt the name are either making a statement against the superstition and doom that follows the line, or are believed to be fools begging for their predecessor's curse. Lineages descended from the Bonsam often Embrace wily, hardy survivors.
Okay, this vampire-race is a funny one in my book, really, it is just fun to have around an ultimate great monster who was made what it is by something premodial. A bit like the Bloody Man, they are excelent vampires other vampires could fear
The Twins
According to Gangrel myth, thousands of years ago there was a god who had many children and his children fought as children are expected to do. Ennoia and Churka, the youngest and a pair of twins, chose to leave their quarrelsome siblings and travel east to the lands of their mother. Unable to escape their quarrelsome nature and without a father to control them, the twins came to blows. Evenly and perfectly matched, they could not face each other directly with a definite victor. And so the twins began to recruit armies – Ennoia recruited an army of the bravest warriors, and Churka, the most cunning. They battled at night, so that the other gods would not learn of their feud. These two armies fought for centuries but at some point, when it was believed Ennoia's army would finally have victory, she was betrayed by her two best warriors. Without two of her generals, however, the battle tilted in the favor of Churka's army. Saddened by this betrayal, Ennoia left her childer and disappeared. Soon, without the support of their progenitor, and battling Churka's get – who were aided by the demonic Giants of the East (the Kuei-jin) that served him – Ennoia's army was eventually defeated and pushed out of their lands in the east. From that night on they called themselves the Gangrel, and traveled West, meeting the Cainites. Even today, some Gangrel believe that when Churka and his army are destroyed and the betrayers punished, Ennoia would finally come back to her children.
Before V5 Proean and the Gangrel Clan was something... strange, I olways felt, they simply don't belong in to the Cainite society. Like the Ravnos or the Followers of Set. Why? Hey,becasue tey are not even Cainites! Fun? Yes please!
Ixion
In the Dark Ages and prior that many vampire belived they are the descendants of Ixion.
Ixion married Dia, a daughter of Deioneus (or Eioneus), and promised his father-in-law a valuable present. However, he did not pay the bride price, so Deioneus stole some of Ixion's horses in retaliation. Ixion concealed his resentment and invited his father-in-law to a feast at Larissa. When Deioneus arrived, Ixion pushed him into a bed of burning coals and wood.
Ixion went mad, defiled by his act; the neighboring princes were so offended by this act of treachery and violation of xenia that they refused to perform the rituals that would cleanse Ixion of his guilt. Thereafter, Ixion lived as an outlaw and was shunned. By killing his father-in-law, Ixion was reckoned the first man guilty of kin-slaying in Greek mythology.
This act alone would warrant Ixion a terrible punishment, but Zeus took pity on Ixion and brought him to Olympus and introduced him at the table of the gods. Instead of being grateful, Ixion grew lustful for Hera,
Zeus found out about his intentions and made a cloud in the shape of Hera, which became known as Nephele (from nephos "cloud") and tricked Ixion into coupling with it. From the union of Ixion and the false-Hera cloud came Imbros or Centauros, who mated with the Magnesian mares on Mount Pelion, engendering the race of Centaurs, who are called the Ixionidae from their descent.
Ixion was expelled from Olympus and blasted with a thunderbolt. Zeus ordered Hermes to bind Ixion to a winged fiery wheel that was always spinning. Therefore, Ixion was bound to a burning solar wheel for all eternity, at first spinning across the heavens, but in later myth transferred to Tartarus
These are my Vampire-races, and always had a tons of fun, using them
Any of you used similar ideas?
Tell me of your stories!
Reading through my stories and plotlines, started to wander, how other Story Tellers used the different creation myths of the vampires?
Just a little curiosity, I'm curious how many of you used those, or what
I have gathered several and used them, thoguh I will share it with you - in the games where I used them, it made the story exciting, gave it a bit more depth - especially to the stories where we played throgh the ages, and one vampire race tried to destroy the other and always fun to throw a curve ball to some noddist-wannabee!
Anyhow, my list:
Caine/Khayyin [VtM]
Your generic vampire progenitor, we all know his stroy, tho its fun to tweak it a little, since his story tells, God really favored Abel's sacrifice over Caine's. So Caine "sacrificing" Abel on an altar, his brother being the "finest" offering he could give. As punishment, Cain's "Father" cursed him with a mark, and cast him out to wander in darkness in the Land of Nod. "Father" could be interpeted as God/Jehovah (or one of the gods around with Gardens aka. Revelations of the Dark Mother), and Lilith, Adam's original whife tho' hesitant how the Awekening Ceremony will react to the Mark and the Sevenfold Curse, preformed it anyhow. If you are in to Mage things, the vampiric curses are severe Paradox backslashes, or if you love traditional route, Michael, when denied, cursed Caine and his childer to fear his living flame. Raphael cursed Caine and his childer to fear the dawn, as the sun's rays would burn like fire. Uriel then cursed Caine and his childer to cling to Darkness, drink only blood, eat only ashes, and be frozen at the point of death, cursed so all they touch would crumble into nothing. A fourth angel, Gabriel, then appeared to offer the way of Golconda, the only way to "light", by the mercy of God. Wich really makes the descendats of Caine simpathetic, fellow Cursed to any Fallen crossover. Interestingly enough, Caine's myth never really says Caine ever died... just recived a tons of curses and passed those down to freshly killed corpses rised by his blood.
The Bloody Man [Silver Records]
The Bloody Man is the first vampire on Earth according to Garou mythology. Weaver was impatient for mankind to turn towards her. Unable to approach them openly, for the Garou guarded their families ferociously, she stole a man and wove her webs around him. The man's internal spark of the Wyld was snuffed and his spirit left his body. However, through the Weaver's work, he was unable to die and begged her to save him from the fate of decomposition - the Weaver obliged and soon found herself enthralled in her newest servant. The Man, now immortal, became greedy and learned from the Weaver how to manipulate the strands of the Pattern Web for his own use. This intrusion angered the - still uncorrupted - Wyrm, who swallowed the Man to return him to the cycle of being. But the Man was still immortal and within the Wyrm's belly, he began to feed on the blood of the Great Devourer. The Wyrm, howling in pain, spat out the blood-soaked Man, whom all of creation abhorred. Helios then cast his angry gaze upon him, and the Bloody Man was forced to flee beneath the earth. Gaia herself cursed him to hunger forever for blood, to enter age-lasting sleep without dreams and to be unable to conceive and only able to corrupt. Helios warned the Bloody Man that if he or his progeny would ever show his face to him again, he would burn them to cinders. The Bloody Man entered a long-lasting sleep beneath the earth and awakened several centuries later. In the meantime, the Wyrm was weakened by the internal wounds the Bloody Man had inflicted upon it, later allowing the Weaver to trap it in its webs.
The Bloody Man is a very ancient... thing. And by corruption and blood and dark powers, his vampiric line is more like the cross of a Risen and a Fomor. They are a bit the neanderthals of the vampires. Predators with darkness in them with the need of Order, thanks to their ancestor's weaver-conection. Or like how the Nictuku hunts their "lesser" Nosferatu brothers, the line of the Bloody Man hunts the other vampires. Tossing in to the mix the Predator of the Predators is always funny...
Cagn [Kindred of the Ebony Kingdom]
The Laibon speak of Cagn, who courted the daughter of the sun and married her after impressing her how clever and self-sustaining surviver he was thanks to a fetish that he recived from his mother that had the power to turn anything to anything, like a blade of grass in to a spear. He tried to conquer the Land of the Dead and fought with the Lion of Death. Who killed him and evoured him leaving only some bones behind. His brother Nakati who posessed a similar fetish stole the coprse of his brother from the Lion of Death and using their two fetish brought him back to life. But the village of the Sun, the Sun itself and Cagn's whife, the daughter of the sun, Dasse celebrated Nakati as a hero from bringing back their beloved Cagn to them. Wich made Cagn very morose. The Lion of Death arrived and demanded the meat that was stolen from him, Cagn. Who decided to hide, instead of fighting and after his brother complained, killed him and tossed him to the Lion. After the Lion of Death realised he was decived, his anger was tremendous, cursed Cagn and the nine of his followers who helped him to decive the Lion and were like sons to him, to never again be able to enter the beautifull Land of the Dead, a tongue of fire forever burn in their mouth and the hunger of the All-Devourer forever gnaw at their belly. Cagn and his nine followers lamented and walied and the daughter of the Sun seeing her husband weeping like a child hid her face in shame and dissapeared from the word. The samed and angered Sun added his curse to the Lion of Death's curse, banishing Cagn from his light and everyone who is able to see up to the Sun be the enemy of Cagn and his people, then departed too to the havens following his daughter. Cagn and his nine followers dissapeard in to the eternal night of Africa, later those nine became the progenitors of the Nine "native" Laibon legacies.
A funny little twist, to make the Vampires of Africa and the Vampires of the "white people" so different, they are completly different vampiric race.
Sutekh/Set [Clanbook Settite]
The sun-god Ra grew old and decided to retire. He chose his great-grandson Osiris as his heir and successor. But that did not sit well with Osiris’ brother, Set, for he was the mightiest warrior among the gods who guarded the sun-barque of Ra every night as it passed under the Earth from the gates of sunset to the gates of dawn, battling Apophis, the Great Serpent of Darkness. The succession of Ra brought great strife among his descendents. Set’s jealousy and wounded pride drove him to murder his brother through trickery. He hacked his brother’s body to bits and scattered them about Egypt. Patiently, Isis gathered the fragments, reassembled the body of Osiris and used her magic to conceive a child by her dead husband. When their child Horus grew to manhood, he challenged Set for the kingship of the gods. Some legends speak of mighty battles between gods and armies. Other tales describe their strife as a farcical court case, full of low tricks and silly contests. One way or another, Horus prevailed. Horus lost an eye in their strife; in revenge, he castrated Set. Osiris, meanwhile, became King of the Dead just as his son became King of the Living; and the Pharaonic dynasties henceforth claimed to rule by descent from Horus the Avenger. As compensation, Ra gave Set two foreign goddesses as concubines and made him god of storms. In another version of this tale Ra is depicted as a malevolent tyrant. It is said the “First City”, was called Annu, and it was the city of Ra. The story goes much like the version mentioned above, but it has a radically different ending. According to this version, after the triumph of Horus, Ra turned on his defender and cursed Set to live in darkness forever. Then the gods thrust Set into Duat, the dark Underworld of the dead, and the river of death whose waters come from the Primeval Ocean itself, where Set fought the great serpent Apophis once more. He slew the Worm of Darkness and ate its heart. With Apep’s death Set took on Apep’s dark wisdom and learned secrets hidden from the beginning of the world. When Ra had created the world, he gave it life through his own semen, creating gods and the souls of human beings alike. Souls differed in size but not in kind. Jealous Ra lied to all his children. He told them that he was mightiest of all things, creator of the universe, when he merely shaped a tiny portion of the Primeval Waters. Now, however, Set knew the truth: all souls could grow as mighty as their tyrant father and become creators themselves. Set swore to overthrow Ra – not to get revenge, but to liberate the souls of humanity that Ra held in bondage. It so happens that the Primeval Waters carry life as well as death, and every year, the gates of the world open to let the Primeval Waters bring new life through the yearly inundation of the Nile. Set disguised himself as a water-serpent and slipped through the gates with the rushing waters. Despite the power gained from Apep, Set still had to hide from the sun; he could not break the curse of Ra. Nor did he truly live, for he had tasted the waters of death. As he walked the night, however, he recruited twelve talented disciples. He taught them the truth, and together they swore an oath to bring down Ra and the other false gods and become gods themselves. Set mingled his blood with that of his Disciples and when they drank of it, he gave up the greater share of his power, granting all thirteen almost equal might (although, as a true god, he remained the most powerful). But when Ra learned from the Moon that Set had defeated Apophis and escaped the Underworld, he extended his curse to the twelve human disciples with whom Set had shared blood, decreeing that all who joined Set’s rebellion against the gods would share his banishment from the Sun and his castration, and that having sealed their pact in blood the thirteen would feed on blood alone. Set's disciples begged for mercy, claiming Set had misled them, thus betraying Set and his teachings. Their betrayal outraged Set (he always did have a short temper), and he swore that if they would not help him fight the gods, after all he had given them, he would destroy them as well, though it take him a million years
Do I really need to elaborate the potential of this?^^
Canarl [Wolves of the Sea]
Canarl was the first vampire according to einherjar myth called "The Blood Saga".
Odin One-Eye, lord of the slain and necromancer, came to Midgard with his valkyries to find warriors of valor. Among the dead they would pick and choose, taking up the most skilled and courageous to stay in Valhalla, where they would feast and fight until Ragnarok came to claim the gods and shake the world. With spear and runes Odin walked through the fields of the dying, seeking the warrior who would slay the jotunn and forge the destiny of the new world after Midgards's end. On the fields of one terrible battle Odin found a warrior of great strength and tenacity. Cast out by his family for his rage, this berserk drew about him a loyal band of housecarls who shared his fortunes and fought with him in all things. But wounded in war, laid low by evil spaework and telling blows, they were scattered dead across the plains of battle, where blood stained the earth like red iron. Only the lone berserk still lived, his outlaw body refusing to heed the call of Heimdall's horn. For vitality and skill Odin marked the dying warrior; coming low upon the man, he whispered to the man's dying spirit, asking his name so he could adress him in Valhalla. "Canarl, I am named" gasped the outlaw, "Called the bastard, for my family disowned me. I have fought many fields of battle ever since, but by the rune-mark on my forehead I may never die." Odin looked upon the man's head and saw there the mark and knew his words where true. Then, with seeing from his one eye did Odin read the threads of fate, and cast the lot of Canarl. "As your valor stands against death, so shall you stand against the ravages of time. Your skill is mighty but by my hand it shall be mightier. your blood spilled on this field makes the ground red; I shall turn my blood to you, and through it you will know my strength. Be strong the thews of your legs! Be mighty the grip of your spear! By the rune-mark on your forehead you shall never be touched by age: by the arts of war shall you rule!" As Odin spoke he brought his spear, Gungnir, down to face Canarl, and from its tip did run the bright red blood of the god. Three drops fell upon the lips of Canarl, and he was struck with battle-frenzy; his body twisted and his lungs choked, and he died yet lived! With the mighty pronouncements of fate and the power of his blood, Odin gave Canarl eternity, but fate demanded satiation. Odin's eye stared again into the ways of the future and he intoned the demands of the Norns. "With this bond in secret made you must ever hide from discovery, and so shall you shun the light of the sun and fire. No meat contains the potence to sustain you, no mead can intoxicate you; only the blood of men can bring warmth to your breast. From the lifeblood of the strong is your puissance multiplied. Blood you have spilled, and more blood still shall you spill; and only by coming closer to my blood shall your house know greatness." At length, Odin spoke a final time, this time slowly and with deliberation, saying, "But if you scorn the ways of war, if you take up the mantle of the Vanir, then you shall stand beside them in the final nights; put aside spear and axe and you will know no peace from brethren but those whom you will find in Vanaheim. In the words of the Vanir you will survive with the gentle while the warriors know glory and death at Ragnarok." Odin drew back from Canarl, drew up his spear and called for his ravens. Canarl rose from the ground, and to his left he placed his wounds on the mouth of Ivar, his thegn (Military leader, akin to a warrior-king or colonel), who then rose; and to his right he placed his wounds upon the mouth of Odindisa, his wife, who then rose; and before him he placed his wounds upon the mouth of Eyjolf, his skald (Bard, poet), who then rose. And they gathered to them the sacraments of the dead, and built there a city raised to Odin. So say the einherjar of the Norse.
The people of Canarl, the einherjar are a lovely addition to the game anyhow, and with their fixation to prepare the Ragnarok and be Odin's chosen warriors who will be able to shape the future are the treasuretrove of Vampire race-wars
Zapathasura [Clanbook Ravnos]
The birth of the Ravnos, and perhaps all vampires, is recorded in an epic poem called the Karavalanisha Vrana, translated as Wounds of the Night's Sword. The god's appointed protectors of humanity, the siddhittizaya, had been corrupted by the demons they were charged to fight and had taken to devouring the flesh, blood, and souls of mortals. Outraged, the gods cursed them, naming them asuratizayya or "countless demons" and declaring that from now on they would only find sustenance in devouring flesh and blood. This only encouraged the asuratizayya, however, who embraced their sins and gorged on humanity. Dismayed by this turn of events, the gods agreed to create a foe that would make the asuratizayya know true terror and curtail their gluttony. To that end, the gods took the soul of the man most grievously wronged by the asuratizayya and gave him new life, making him a monster so that he and his descendants might hunt the asuratizayya. Though many of the gods bestowed him with great gifts to further his cause, not all of them agreed to creating another dark force in the world. Three placed curses upon the man so that he should fear falling into temptation as the siddhittizaya had, and so the man would forever be threatened by the touch of fire and sunlight, and would also know an eternity of physical and spiritual hunger just as the creatures he hunted. Named Zapathasura, or "accursed demon", he was then sent out to drive the infernal hordes from the world.
Ahh the eternal bridge between the Kindred of the East line and the "western" world. Of yourse you have to love these things. I can't blame you if not, its an aquired taste^^
Ramanga [Vampire: The Dark Ages 20th Anniversary Edition]
The story of the Ramanga began on an island off Africa's south-east coast. On this island lived a woman called Ramanga and her brother, Rafazi. In this time, the ancestors of the Vazimba people, to which Ramanga belonged, were patriarchal. While Ramanga was the oldest child of the king and exceedingly smart as well as ambitious, the younger Rafazi was marked as heir. Unwilling and unable to accept a secondary role, Ramanga made sacrifices to the spirits of her people to bribe them into raising her above Rafazi. When that did not work, she began sacrificing to increasingly darker spirits until one of them finally answered her call. The spirit offered to lift Ramanga up if she would only sacrifice the sun inside her as payment. Heart already burdened by the unfairness of her situation and envy towards her brother, Ramanga willingly agreed. During the course of seven nights, the dark spirit initiated Ramanga in its heritage of shadows and illusion, showing her that real power lay not in giving orders, but in making them. Outward power might lie with the king, but real power lay with his advisors, the spirit said. Taking these lessons to heart, Ramanga returned to her people to ostensibly support her brother, even while she deftly manipulated him to do only her bidding. Cementing her control over Rafazi and his children with the power inherent to her sunless blood, Ramanga directed the future of the kingdom from that night onward. Her influence was even so great, that the Vazimba came to favor queens over kings, though it is not known if Ramanga deliberately manipulated this development, or if her mere presence instilled a sense of female rulership in the land.
Loaded gun, I know, but god, this one is funy to have around, trust me!
Bonsam [Vampire: The Dark Ages 20th Anniversary Edition]
The first of the Bonsam claims to have never actually been Embraced, having been brought to unlife by a darkness from before creation, nor has he Embraced any childer; if this claim is in fact true, the Bonsam may have originated as an artificial bloodline, although other Bonsam can and do Embrace normally. After the Dark Ages, the Great Bonsam elder refused to enrich its lineage with gifts of blood and, in its madness, tried to devour its own line. Those who escaped decided to thicken their blood with transfusions from other lineages. In South Africa, they utilized blood from a Tzimisce explorer, founding the Nagloper lineage. Few of the original Bonsam remain, and vampires who adopt the name are either making a statement against the superstition and doom that follows the line, or are believed to be fools begging for their predecessor's curse. Lineages descended from the Bonsam often Embrace wily, hardy survivors.
Okay, this vampire-race is a funny one in my book, really, it is just fun to have around an ultimate great monster who was made what it is by something premodial. A bit like the Bloody Man, they are excelent vampires other vampires could fear
The Twins
According to Gangrel myth, thousands of years ago there was a god who had many children and his children fought as children are expected to do. Ennoia and Churka, the youngest and a pair of twins, chose to leave their quarrelsome siblings and travel east to the lands of their mother. Unable to escape their quarrelsome nature and without a father to control them, the twins came to blows. Evenly and perfectly matched, they could not face each other directly with a definite victor. And so the twins began to recruit armies – Ennoia recruited an army of the bravest warriors, and Churka, the most cunning. They battled at night, so that the other gods would not learn of their feud. These two armies fought for centuries but at some point, when it was believed Ennoia's army would finally have victory, she was betrayed by her two best warriors. Without two of her generals, however, the battle tilted in the favor of Churka's army. Saddened by this betrayal, Ennoia left her childer and disappeared. Soon, without the support of their progenitor, and battling Churka's get – who were aided by the demonic Giants of the East (the Kuei-jin) that served him – Ennoia's army was eventually defeated and pushed out of their lands in the east. From that night on they called themselves the Gangrel, and traveled West, meeting the Cainites. Even today, some Gangrel believe that when Churka and his army are destroyed and the betrayers punished, Ennoia would finally come back to her children.
Before V5 Proean and the Gangrel Clan was something... strange, I olways felt, they simply don't belong in to the Cainite society. Like the Ravnos or the Followers of Set. Why? Hey,becasue tey are not even Cainites! Fun? Yes please!
Ixion
In the Dark Ages and prior that many vampire belived they are the descendants of Ixion.
Ixion married Dia, a daughter of Deioneus (or Eioneus), and promised his father-in-law a valuable present. However, he did not pay the bride price, so Deioneus stole some of Ixion's horses in retaliation. Ixion concealed his resentment and invited his father-in-law to a feast at Larissa. When Deioneus arrived, Ixion pushed him into a bed of burning coals and wood.
Ixion went mad, defiled by his act; the neighboring princes were so offended by this act of treachery and violation of xenia that they refused to perform the rituals that would cleanse Ixion of his guilt. Thereafter, Ixion lived as an outlaw and was shunned. By killing his father-in-law, Ixion was reckoned the first man guilty of kin-slaying in Greek mythology.
This act alone would warrant Ixion a terrible punishment, but Zeus took pity on Ixion and brought him to Olympus and introduced him at the table of the gods. Instead of being grateful, Ixion grew lustful for Hera,
Zeus found out about his intentions and made a cloud in the shape of Hera, which became known as Nephele (from nephos "cloud") and tricked Ixion into coupling with it. From the union of Ixion and the false-Hera cloud came Imbros or Centauros, who mated with the Magnesian mares on Mount Pelion, engendering the race of Centaurs, who are called the Ixionidae from their descent.
Ixion was expelled from Olympus and blasted with a thunderbolt. Zeus ordered Hermes to bind Ixion to a winged fiery wheel that was always spinning. Therefore, Ixion was bound to a burning solar wheel for all eternity, at first spinning across the heavens, but in later myth transferred to Tartarus
These are my Vampire-races, and always had a tons of fun, using them
Any of you used similar ideas?
Tell me of your stories!
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