[Glorantha] Re: The Vampire Eternal

> One thing to keep in mind in all this discussion, of course, would be
> that I think we got Greg to mention early on that there are numerous
> "vampiric" entities, and that Vivamort even was just one cult covering
> this. (And thus, presumably, one type of vampire.) There may well be no
> single, all-encompassing "vampire" cult. Thus, those who want their
> Romantic, Gothic, Moderny vamps can just have them be either Vivamorti,
> or some other type.

Finally, a sensible post in the thread that had become a bore to me.

A few neat ideas aside, this vampire discussion hasn't inspired my gloranthan feelings. I've felt the take on the vampires has been monotonous and dull - and in gloranthan sense - wrong, in error.

No offence meant. Feel free to subject my views to your own.

In the Glorantha-I-Know, vampires deserve to be shrouded in mystery. The reasons abound. First and foremost is that deep down, if you trace the trail of dead to Vivamort - _The Vampire was spawned by Subere._ And supposedly the creature was (or still is?) the Guardian of Death.

To confuse and shroud the mystery, however is the fact that gloranthan vampires are not vivamorti lot. I find it utterly necessary to mention the Leafy Veggie vampires that drink mostly tree sap, but occasionally steal a piglet from a pelorian farmer. The Daughters of Darkness dance to Delecti and re-enact the Korangi ritual with square black iron bars and enlarge the Upland Marsh. In Kralorela I've seen a kappa-like being that was "Respectable Small Silk Merchant Citizen", his head underneath the fine hat was a bowl of blood that kept him ever alive as long as it kept fluid; as far as krarolerans judge he commited no crimes, the blood stayed fluid mostly through civilized alchemy, and only occasionally was new blood-letting required; he really hoped The Emperor would soon pass on, but had no faith it would actually happen. Back to Dragon Pass I've wondered upon Ivory Plinth that there is something compelling to connect the Aramites to vampiric practises - some of their worship surplus surely feeds the dark of death. "Sacrifices I like, hot blood and quick deaths".

I'm certain the vivamortic (The standard RQ) vampires are rare. But even more rare are the ones that actually practise the Sacramento of Vivamort, as a lone God Learner speculationists adressed it. Simply no one seems to posesses real knowledge. For example the Vampire of the Old Sun Dome Temple is ages Old - forgotten his name - and doesn't know jack. Delecti doesn't know - even while his children/lovers are through and through vampyrellas. All summed up, there's just some scraps that hint to some secret: The myth of Vivamort meeting with the Devil. (= Unknowable)  

It's a mystery. Different from Arkat's to be sure. It is more like a knowledge lost that was never to be known in the first place. A Tale told but once, and ever repeated only by those who were silent about it.

"I imagine the Devil in the donandari tale of the Vivamort is misplaced. There might be only a handful of beings that know the secret. Originally thirteen I suppose. A coterie gathered by Vivamort himself. I think they are the ones, The Lot. They gathered in the dark of destructed mountain. Each received the secret from Vivamort but once. The donandari tale tells about Vivamort meeting with the Devil, but I believe the three original stories each were of a member of The Thirteen Lot meeting with Vivamort. The Devil therefore represents Vivamort. Vivamort represents whomever is seeking the secret of Vivamort. The tale tells clearly enough the fate of those who seek the secret of Vivamort. They won't end well: hear me! (Sometimes the Devil is to be interpreted "Everything : You Don't Know".) With these words, I will end my quest, and if I can, my miserable strait - if need be, I'm prepared to get a clean end to my existance."

PS."If there is secret, it stays between Vivamort and Devil." Going through quest paths won't help. You will only meet the vampire.

"There is nothing like desire for preventing the thing one  says from bearing any resemblancce to what one has in mind." - Marcel Proust, Rememberance of Things Past - Received on Sat 08 Apr 2006 - 10:30:36 EEST