Happy Easter
to one and all
I wish you the blessings and joys of the season and lots of lovely chocolate too :)
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Sunday, 20 April 2014
Saturday, 19 April 2014
AtoZ Day 17: Q is for Quixotic, Queen of the Damned
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Quixotic
adj. - Not sensible about practical matters; idealistic and unrealistic
Vampires live for a very long time, it's only logical to think some of them might turn out to be dreamers. As we age our habits and idiosyncrasies which define us become more pronounced, so imagine what a vampire who began life as a bit of a head in the clouds romantic might end up like.
In fiction vampires are often romanticised and what is more romantic than the dreamer who wishes his or her way through life? The artist, the musician, the writer. If you know Vampire the Masquerade you would know this type of vampire as Toreador.
Can you imagine what some of the great artists would have achieved had they been given eternal life as a vampire? Who do you think would have created masterpieces and who do you think would have been stifled without the impetus of mortality?
Creature Feature:
Sorry, none today because I couldn't find one.
Movie Recommendation:
Rating: 15
Summary: Lestat has become a rock star and revels in being a vampire on stage even though no one believes he is really what he says he is. His music wakes Akasha, the queen of the vampires and the first of their line. She causes destruction, taking Lestat with her as other vampires seek to stop her.
Why you should watch this: It has some great music and as long as you forget it was supposed to have anything to do with Anne Rice's book, it's not a bad film. Because it's based on the book it has some completely irrelevant characters who are never actually introduced, but they are easy enough to ignore. It's a fun romp.
(#17 in The Diverse Life of Ianthe Jawara, Vampire)
by Natasha Duncan-Drake
There was only one person Ianthe knew who was more knowledgeable about vampire lore than Alex. Her name was Mila and where Ianthe was the young upstart, Mila was the old eccentric. In this case very old. No one in the local vampire community was sure quite how old.
Mila lived alone apart from one servant whose origins were equally as mysterious and the whole vampire population paid her respect even if they did think she was batty. Ianthe had met her once when being introduced around in society and the one thing she had noticed was that Mila didn't give a stuff about what anyone else thought. She could respect that.
When she called for an appointment, Mila's servant Krige had been very welcoming. That didn't stop Ianthe being very nervous as she led Lilith to Mila's front door. She hoped the ancient woman didn't object to the hellhound puppy, it was just there was no way Ianthe was going anywhere without her.
"Hello, My Dear," Mila greeted as soon as she was shown in, "how nice of you to call and who is this lovely young thing?"
Lilith all but bounced over, taking Ianthe with her, because there was no stopping a hellhound when they wanted something.
"Aren't you lovely," Mila said, bending down and giving Lilith a kiss and ruffling her ears as if she was any other puppy.
"Her name is Lilith," Ianthe introduced.
She couldn't help noticing the whole room was only lit by a fire and some candles. There was an electric light standing on a nearby table, but it didn't seem to be plugged in.
"She is beautiful," Mila said, standing back up, "and just what you need I suspect. How can I help you?"
"I need some advice," she replied.
Mila smiled. The fact she didn't look a day over twenty and yet had to be hundreds if not thousands of years old was a dilemma for Ianthe's brain. She had been doing this a few years now, but she still couldn't get her head round bodies that didn't show age. Rather than worrying about it, she looked in Mila's eyes; then she couldn't mistake who she was talking to.
"I'm afraid I'm not very good with advice," Mila replied. "I love to help, but I never seem to quite get it right. I wanted to build an orphanage, but Krige won't let me. Well he says not yet; he's looking into it. I don't know what I'd do without him."
Ianthe wasn't quite sure what to say.
"That's nice," she managed, "but it wasn't general advice, it's about vampires."
"Oh, oh," Mila said, smiling more brightly, "that I can do. What do you need to know?"
"Someone is trying to kill me," she revealed.
"Not good," Mila agreed.
"Alex and I..."
"Oh Alex, how is he, the darling boy?"
She had never heard anyone refer to Alex as a boy before.
"Um, he's fine."
"He used to be such a romantic, you know," Mila said. "Oh, I'm so sorry, would you like a drink? I am forgetting my manners."
"Thank you, that would be lovely," she replied as she tried to get her head round this new information.
Mila wandered over to a decanter and poured two glasses of something deep red. Ianthe simply accepted it when offered without wondering what it was.
"We had an adventure once," Mila continued talking. "We went around the world helping people, well as much as our kind can. A little money here, a strong arm there, because of course we couldn't allow anyone to know who we were. It was so much fun. He's lost that spark now, have you noticed?"
Ianthe had noticed, her mind simply boggled at the very idea of what Mila was suggesting. The Alex she knew was interested only in himself.
"We performed a ritual to find out who is trying to kill me," Ianthe did her best to drag the conversation back on track.
Then she sipped her drink. She almost had to sit down as heat flared from her navel to the top of her head.
"Incubus blood," Mila said with a smile just this side of completely bonkers; "lovely isn't it. I know this beautiful thing who's perfectly willing to donate if I let him bang me every so often."
"It's good," was the best Ianthe could do.
The heat was spreading down between her legs and her head was beginning to fill with incredibly inappropriate thoughts. She kind of loved that Mila clearly cared about the rules of modern vampire society about as much as she did.
"The dream ritual?" Mila asked.
Ianthe nodded and forced her brain back to the matter in hand.
"And I dreamed of him, but there were no details."
"You didn't see into his mind?"
"No."
"Hmm, then he is protected in some way," Mila concluded. "Not unusual with hunters. Why is he trying to kill you?"
Ianthe lifted her shoulders in a helpless little shrug.
"Because I'm a vampire is as much as I know," she replied.
Mila nodded and put her glass down on a small table before walking over to a bureau in the corner.
"Hold this," Mila instructed and threw a small crystal at her.
Luckily vampire reflexes meant she didn't embarrass herself and she caught it. The stone was pale green and it tingled in her fingers.
"Hmmm," Mila said closing her eyes and placing an index finger to her forehead, "yes, right."
She then turned back to the bureau and riffled around in the drawers looking for something.
"Aha," she crowed in triumph and brandished what looked like a perfectly ordinary hessian bag.
It was only a couple of inches across and it looked like it had been sewn shut by someone not really looking at what they were doing with red thread.
"This is for you," Mila said, "you'll need it."
"What is it?" Ianthe asked as Mila walked over and presented her with it.
"Protection," Mila replied.
"Thank you."
"Keep it on you at all times," Mila said; "it will save your life."
Ianthe put it straight in her pocket.
"How do you know?"
"I can sense it. I have good instincts and you are holding my focus crystal."
The fact her life was going to be in danger again was not settling, but at least Ianthe knew she was now prepared.
"Is there any way to see who the man is?" she asked.
Pursing her lips, Mila thought about that and the slowly shook her head.
"If you had something of his person, maybe," the older vampire said, "but otherwise Alex has shown you the strongest ritual. But I do know he will come to you and it won't be long."
That didn't make her feel any better.
"Stay strong, My Friend," Mila said, moving forward and taking her hands; "you have great things ahead of you."
Great things were all well and good, but Ianthe would have preferred a quiet life.
~~*~~
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Friday, 18 April 2014
AtoZ Day 16: P is for Priest, Pey, Priest
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Priest
Since I am white British stock and I have been preprogrammed with certain vampire literature whenever I think priest, I see a man in black with a white collar holding a cross. It is an iconic image from many a vampire film and book.
I think some of the most interesting moments in vampires films come when the priest, the man of god, fails because the reality of a vampire causes his faith to crumble. Salem's Lot has a great scene where this happens.
Of course there are other kinds of priests in the world and in legend they can offer different kinds of protection from vampires. In Asian legend a priest can provide written spells that will render the vampire immobile and powerless. The idea that a holy man can protect against what threatens the very soul is a logical one and so they play a big part in vampire lore.
Who is your favourite fictional priest character in a vampire or horror film?
Creature Feature:
Pey
This is a male vampire spirit from India. It feeds on battle grounds, drinking the blood of those wounded in the fighting according to The Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. This source also says that once the body is drained these killers take it home to eat the rest.
However Vampires.com and Enchanting Gardens say that there is a much nastier female version of this vampire, the Peymakilir who eats the flesh of the dead and dying. These sources also suggest that the pey may be a merciful death for a wounded soldier.
Movie Recommendation:
Rating: 12A
Summary: In a dystopian world a veteran warrior priest goes against the orders of his church to seek out and rescue his niece who has been kidnapped by vampires. The war with the vampires is supposed to be over, but there are battles left to be fought.
Why you should watch this: It's not my favourite vampire film and it has a lot of problems, but it is action packed and entertaining enough. It also has Paul Bettany and Karl Urban so there is also eye candy.
(#16 in The Diverse Life of Ianthe Jawara, Vampire)
by Natasha Duncan-Drake
Ianthe didn't know what she was expecting from the results of the ritual she and Alex had performed. He had said she would dream of her attacker, but she definitely hadn't thought to end up walking around looking out of someone else's eyes. Almost as soon as Alex had helped her to her rooms she had fallen into bed, but it had to have been past dawn as she dreamed, because she could see natural light wherever she was. It might have been more useful if she had known what the man was thinking, but all she received was the results of his senses.
She couldn't see her new body, of course, but she knew it was him, just like she knew she was dreaming. She'd never had a lucid dream before and it was very strange. Everything around her, sights, smells, tastes had a slightly surreal quality to it, but she was fully aware of everything. It was most odd being in another body; because it was not her own she appeared to be noticing everything in each simple movement.
She seemed to have missed her assailant rising in the morning, because he was already dressed and on the move. It felt like a routine, although she had no idea how she came to that conclusion.
It wasn't too much of a surprise when the man walked into a small room and one side was clearly set up as an altar. There was a large ornate cross sitting right in the centre with an old-looking bible to the right and a chalice to the left. She had never been one for church, but she recognised the trappings. There was even the heavy smell of incense in the air.
As she watched through his eyes, her assailant genuflected, giving her the first glimpse of his hands and arms. He appeared to be wearing a black shirt and his skin was very pale. When he knelt down all she could do was wait.
He started speaking, but even though she recognised Latin, she had no idea what he was saying. She knew enough to guess that the setup was Roman Catholic.
The whole thing was incredibly uninteresting for a while, because she didn't understand what he was saying and it seemed to just be a service of some kind. He moved around, performing little ritualistic movements, and she was pretty sure there was something significant about the way he drank from the chalice, but she couldn't remember what. All she knew was that the wine was way too sweet and cloying for her taste. When the man went silent, having once again knelt down she thought something might be coming.
"Lord, I beg your forgiveness," he finally spoke in English; "I failed in your work last night. I had his child in my grasp and I allowed her to escape. Forgive your servant his sin and bless my task."
For the first time he lifted his head and looked directly at the cross in the centre of the altar. His eyes reflected back in the smooth surface at the centre and she could see the same zeal as she had seen the night before. Unfortunately there wasn't enough surface area to see his face properly. All she could make out was a distorted mouth and one other thing; a white collar among all the black.
"He's a priest," she whispered and what she was seeing suddenly span.
It felt as if something in her chest snapped like old, frayed twine and her eyes snapped open to reveal her own room. Gasping in air, she sat up. There was no pause between thought and action as she scrambled out from under the covers and all but ran across the room. Alex's door was open when she got there.
"He's a priest," she repeated her revelation.
"I know," Alex said, clearly having just climbed out of bed himself; "I dreamed as well. It was unclear, but you pulled me along."
It didn't look as if Alex had been expecting that.
"I thought the church gave up their crusade against supernatural years ago," she said.
"It did, mostly," Alex replied.
"So why is a priest coming after me?"
"I don't know," was not the reply she wanted to hear.
"Have you heard of him?" she demanded and realised belatedly that she was being somewhat petulant.
"I am unsure," was the less than satisfactory response, "but I shall make some enquiries. Meanwhile I suggest you get some more sleep."
"I'm not going to be able to sleep after this," she protested.
Alex did not look impressed.
"Then go and play with your dog," was the put-upon reply.
It was then Ianthe remembered Lilith and turned to find her hellhound standing in the doorway looking vaguely worried.
"Dammit," she said; it appeared that all she had managed to do with the dream was ruffle some feathers.
She had been hoping for so much more. Maybe a full dossier of where to find the madman.
~~*~~
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Thursday, 17 April 2014
AtoZ Day 15: O is for Occult, Ohyn, Only Lovers Left Alive
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Occult
The occult is the study of things beyond reason, things beyond reality which is often described as science. Hence vampires are of the occult. There is plenty of lore surrounding vampires and so many myths and legends there is a lot to study.
When many of us hear the word, occult, however, we tend to think of rituals and pentagrams and such things. It is a word which brings to mind demon summoning and magical spells and blood sacrifice rather than your average vampire. Of course vampire possess one of the many things followers of the occult and many other religions are fascinated with: eternal life.
There are vampires out there created by occult rituals and magic rather than simple infection or damnation either to give the witch or wizard power or to create a slave. I suppose you could say these are level one occult vampires.
What do you think of when you think 'occult'?
Creature Feature:
Ohyn
I'm afraid I couldn't find much on this one, all my sources say is that this is a vampire from Poland and a child born with teeth and a caul at birth will become one when they die.
Movie Recommendation:
Rating: 15
Summary: Adam and Eve have been in love for centuries, but their personalities are very different. Adam is a tortured soul of a musician and lover of science, often given to bouts of depression, where Eve sees the love of life in everything. This is their romance.
Why you should watch this: Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston are simply amazing in this and the way the vampires are written is brilliant. These are literary fiction vampires as compared to genre fiction vampires and even though I don't normally go for literary fiction, I love this film to bits. When I saw it in Feb I wrote a full review here: Review: Only Lovers Left Alive.
(#15 in The Diverse Life of Ianthe Jawara, Vampire)
by Natasha Duncan-Drake
Alex was standing next to the fireplace frowning at the empty grate and not saying anything. He had been that way for the past ten minutes after Ianthe had explained everything that had happened.
"We may be able to track this human down," Alex said eventually and turned to her.
"How?"
She had found it best to ask the obvious questions, sometimes Alex forgot she was not the perfect little vampire.
"Come with me," was all Alex said and then marched out of the room.
Ianthe followed, annoyed at her maker's attitude, but not exactly surprised. However, when she realised they were headed to Alex's study she felt the cold realisation of shock. It was the one place in the house that was completely off limits. What Alex did in there she had no idea.
As she followed Alex inside, she was even more shocked and she did her very best not to gape like a fish. It didn't look how she had expected at all. There was a bookcase covering one wall and a large desk in the middle towards the back, so far, so expected, but she really hadn't thought the bookcase would be full of what looked suspiciously like genre fiction and the desk be absolutely covered in mess. A state of the art computer stood proudly amongst the chaos with three screens. She caught a glimpse of one of the screens reflected in the window and she almost laughed; it had a Star Trek screen saver.
Never in her wildest dreams had she thought Alex would have lowered himself to popular culture. She was learning so much about him. At a guess the reason the study was completely off limits was it was where Alex actually let his guard down.
She sobered quickly, however, remembering why they were here.
"Give me the arrow," Alex said, clearing off a small side table.
It was as he moved a pile of books and several pieces of paper that she realised the table had a pentagram inscribed into its top. When Alex cleared his throat she stopped staring and did as she was asked. He placed the broken bolt into the centre of the design.
"I have not studied much occult lore," Alex said, motioning for her to join him, "but there is one ritual I have found useful in the past. Because this was used to draw your blood it has taken on some of your vampire power. It has also been in the possession of your assailant and will hold a reflection of him."
"But he's human," Ianthe pointed out.
"Humans leave psychic residue," Alex said, "it is just much weaker than our own. If we can set up a resonance within the power in the bolt it should cause a level of connection and when you sleep today you should dream of your attacker."
"That's actually possible?" she asked.
Alex simply nodded.
"What do I need to do?" was her next question.
She wanted desperately to take control of the situation.
"You do not yet have enough strength to do this yourself," Alex said, "but if you will allow it, I will help you. You will have to trust me."
Ianthe smiled just a little; trust wasn't something that came easily to either of them.
"In this I trust you," she said eventually. "What do I do?"
"Stand here," Alex replied and moved aside so she could do as he instructed. "This is a blood ritual."
"Aren't they all?"
"I will have to bite you."
That brought her up short; Alex hadn't bitten her since the very early days of her turning.
"And?" she asked even though the idea made her very uncomfortable.
"Use the tip of the bolt to cut your finger and allow your blood to drip into the grooves of the pentagram," Alex told her, "I will do the rest."
"Which will be?" Ianthe really wanted to know what would be going on.
"I will guide your energy to the bolt and set up the resonance as I said."
Alex sounded just a little impatient.
"How?"
"You will see," Alex snapped, "it is impossible to explain."
It wasn't much of a clue, but she knew it wasn't a lie either.
"Let's get on with it then," she decided and tilted her head to the side.
Alex stepped up behind her and his fingers lightly brushed the hair away from her neck. It was an intimate gesture and she had to prevent the shudder that it caused. Their one and only sexual encounter had been completely mutual, but she didn't like to remember it anymore. After all, Alex had intended to kill her.
When his lips touched her neck she did shiver.
"So sensitive," he said and she would have called him on it, only that was the moment he chose to bite.
The pain was completely irrelevant as her power rose up to meet his and joined as only maker and child could do. It was a coming together of spirit even as their minds stayed separate. Ianthe could feel Alex's presence as it saturated through her body and she hated herself for instantly feeling safer. Alex was an incredibly powerful vampire.
"Now," he instructed as he broke away.
Reaching out, she picked up the tip of the bolt and she could feel it humming in her hand. It was responding to their combined power, but it was nothing she could define. Without hesitation she stabbed it into her index finger and allowed her blood to seep out, dripping down onto the table top below. She didn't need to direct it; it was as if the blood travelled down an invisible tube and then spread far more quickly than was natural around the pentagram. With it travelled the sense of power.
It was a heady rush and Ianthe felt her knees go weak. Only Alex holding her firmly around the waist prevented her falling and she understood why she would not have been strong enough to do this herself. Instinctively she placed the bolt head back on the table as it started to all but move in her hands.
"Think of him," Alex said.
His voice vibrated in her ears, heavy with the power they were channelling. All she could do was obey and she conjured the mental image of the man who had attacked her. With everything she had she concentrated.
When it happened it was like a wave coming back at them. She felt it crest over them as Alex held her steady and something she could not explain settled in her bones. It made her legs feel even weaker.
Then, just as suddenly as it began, the feeling of power was gone. Like a bubble bursting it simply wasn't there anymore and she sagged against Alex.
"Well done," he said quietly and she didn't even have the strength to be shocked at the praise.
~~*~~
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Wednesday, 16 April 2014
AtoZ Day 14: N is for Nails, Neamh- Mhairbh, Nightlife
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Nails
Some vampires have beautifully manicured nails like the traditional evening dressed Dracula, others end up with inch long talons such as Nosferatu, it depends on your legend/fiction of choice.
In reality, after death skin retracts, hence it looks as if hair and nails continue to grow. This lead to the belief that some vampires have talons. There is also the horrible truth than in times past some people were accidentally buried alive. The poor unfortunates would then scratch at the lids of their coffins with the only thing they had, their finger nails and it is amazing what damage can be done when someone is desperate.
The iron kind of nails also have a place in vampire lore. Sometimes suspected vampires were nailed to the base of their coffin to prevent them rising from the grave. One such example is The Vampire of Lesbos, nailed to his coffin with eight inch iron spikes. The stake through the chest was a similar idea in some cases to pin the vampire down rather than simply destroy the heart.
It seems rather barbaric to nail the creature down, trapping, but not necessarily killing it, what do you think?
Creature Feature:
Neamh- Mhairbh
Today's undead is from Irish folklore.According to Enchanted Doorway this is just the name for the undead, but Mari Wells this is a vampire created by magic.
There is a famous Irish chieftain called Abhartach who came back as a neamh-mhairbh. He was an evil wizard and the day after he was dispatched by another chieftain, Cathan he came back and demanded the blood of his people to sustain him. If you would like to read the whole tale it is listed here at Ocathain.com.
Movie Recommendation:
Rating: 15
Summary: Angelique buried herself one hundred years ago to escape her controlling vampire boyfriend, Vlad. When she wakes she finds a new century and Dr David Zuckerman, a blood specialist who may be able to treat her disease. Unfortunately for them both, Vlad is not gone.
Why you should watch this: It's really funny. It's corny and Vlad is OTT, but it's entirely deliberate. I love this film because it makes no excuses. It's not deep, it's not moody, it's just honest fun with fangs.
(#14 in The Diverse Life of Ianthe Jawara, Vampire)
by Natasha Duncan-Drake
Ianthe was not in a good mood. Not only had she been shot with a crossbow bolt, but she'd then had to spend an hour talking to a very nice looking police man who wanted to make sure she was alright. That would have been fine if she hadn't been injured and in need of blood and, hence, horny.
She had not wanted DC Phelps to see where she lived, so she had asked him to drop her at a friend's place. That friend was non-existent, but the address was just round the corner from Cal's.
"You look awful," Cal said.
"I got shot," she replied and promptly dug her fingers into her shoulder and pulled out the remnants of the bolt.
"I'll get the backup blood," Cal said in a very calm and sensible manner.
It was best not to upset a vampire when they had been hurt. Ianthe was quite proud of her self-control so far.
A bag of blood later and she was feeling much better.
"Do you know who it was?" Cal asked once she had fed.
"No," she admitted, "but he was human and he knew what he was doing."
"Dammit."
"He was also a sandwich short of a picnic," she revealed.
"Fuck!"
Insane hunters were never a good thing even if they weren't after your particular sort of supernatural creature.
"You have to tell Alex," Cal said firmly.
Ianthe didn't like that, but she knew it was true.
"I know," she admitted, "but I want more information first. Look at that," she added, pointing at the bloody cross bow bolt; "they have to be Ren's work."
The head on the bolt was no ordinary tip; it was shaped and had been designed to do damage.
"Ren's a louse, but he wouldn't sell to a human," Cal said.
"Are you sure?" she replied.
~*~
Ren lived in the cellar of an old pub, long since closed. There was a security system on the door.
"Who is it?" a crackly voice asked after Ianthe pressed the button.
"Just open the door if you want it to stay a door," she replied; she was not in the mood for games.
Her shoulder had healed, but it still ached. She suspected the tip of the bolt had been coated in something that was reminding her of the wound. Luckily for the door Ren seemed to realise he had no options and there was a buzz and a click.
Ianthe pushed into the dark interior with Cal close behind and walked across the room and behind the bar. The trap door was already open; a very neat use of modern technology, very well hidden.
"My dear, Ianthe," Ren greeted as soon as she climbed down the stairs.
He was a small, rather unpleasant looking man with round glasses and a weasly face. In fact he was a walking cliché, but Ianthe really didn't care.
"This yours?" she asked and threw the crossbow bolt onto the table.
She saw recognition in Ren's features almost immediately, but the man made a show of picking the bolt up and examining it. As far as she knew Ren was over two hundred years old and his speciality was weapons. He could make anything anyone wanted and sometimes the supernatural community needed to hunt down their own rogues. She didn't know what exactly Ren was, but he was about as close to human as a supernatural creature could come without actually being one.
Ren was stalling, so she reached out towards a sheet of metal leaning against the wall. Very deliberately she let her manicured nails turn into talons and ran them, screeching, down the metal.
"Yes," Ren said giving an agitated shudder.
"Why did you sell it to a human hunter?" Cal demanded.
"I didn't," Ren replied, "I had a break-in at one of my stores. A cache of these was taken."
Ianthe swore long and loud.
"I take it there is trouble?" Ren asked.
"I was shot by that tonight," she replied.
"My sincere apologies," Ren said and Ianthe didn't believe it for a moment.
"How many?" she demanded.
"Twelve," was the response and at least that was honest.
Ianthe had no time for small talk and she grabbed the bolt parts and turned on her heel. She had to speak to Alex and then she needed to get laid, badly.
~~*~~
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Tuesday, 15 April 2014
AtoZ Day 13: M is for Madness, Mara, Moon Child
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Madness
There is nothing scarier than a completely insane vampire. A creature with no remorse or mercy that simply wants your blood or your soul and will not stop until it gets it.
Many vampire films and books have very rational vampires, but what makes some of them so exciting is when that switch flips. I love it in fiction when the reasonable, seemingly personable person becomes the monster. In films they often show this on the outside as well.
I think Fright Night I and II (the 80s versions) do this very well where both Gerry and Regine eventually reveal their true monstrous appearances and drop the human act completely.
Who is your favourite vampire with a touch of madness?
Creature Feature:
Mara
Yet another female vampire, this time a Slavic legend. The Mara is a vampire created from the spirit of a dead girl who was never baptised.
According to Vampire Underworld she crushes and oppresses her victims to death and some legends tell of her drinking the blood of children, hence part of the vampire angle.
Wikipedia says she is the female version of the Alp, which acts very like and incubus.
Apparently, once she drinks the blood of a man she will fall in love with him, which spells his doom. She will return and plague him until he dies. So literally she is a stalker from hell. (VampireAZ and Vampire Rave)
Movie Recommendation:
Rating: n/a
Summary: Mallepa is a small corner of Asia where the streets are run by mafia style gangs. Sho is a child thief living on his wits with his brother Shinji and his friend Toshi when he finds Kei waiting to die. Kei is a vampire with a tortured soul and Sho saves him and in return Kei looks after him and trains him as he grows to a man. However, no friendships go on forever and when Sho falls in love and gangsters seek revenge things fall apart.
Why you should watch this: It's a Japanese film written and staring Gackt and Hyde, both Japanese pop stars, which you'd think might be a warning, but it isn't. It is simply brilliant. Gackt has a talent for the genre and it's a cross between a gangster movie and a vampire movie with a feel of tragic live action manga. I challenge anyone to watch this without crying - my husband and I cry every time.
(#13 in The Diverse Life of Ianthe Jawara, Vampire)
by Natasha Duncan-Drake
The first Ianthe knew of anything wrong was when a crossbow bolt struck her in the shoulder. The blow would have thrown a normal person down, but it simply shook her as pain bloomed in the area of the hit. She grabbed at it, instinctively shutting down the nerve ending and stopping the bleeding around the injury.
"Demon spawn!" a man's voice yelled and then she shied back as a cross was shoved into her face.
It was a genuine relic, she could feel it humming with power, but it didn't make much difference to her. She pretended to be afraid even as her anger flared. She was more interested in the man behind the cross than the large piece of metal. Vampires being cowed by religious relics was a very carefully crafted fiction that served vampires well when dealing with hunters, so she made very sure to maintain the illusion.
"Get away from me," she hissed, backing towards the building behind her.
Her assailant was dressed completely in black and she recognised his silhouette immediately; it was her stalker. It had been over two months since she had seen him and she had let her guard down. Leaving Lilith at home, she had gone to Grant's restaurant and it had been such a nice night she had decided to walk back. A single glance around let her know she was in the one section of the town centre without CCTV. The man in front of her with his face half covered in a mask knew what he was doing it seemed, at least partially.
"I shall destroy his child as you destroy the children of god," the man shouted at her, pulling a long, lethal looking blade from his belt.
It was laughable really; there was no way he would be able to get near her. If the cross had worked he might have had a chance, but Ianthe was all too aware she could take him down in a heartbeat. The only worrying thing was the glint of madness in his eyes. He clearly wasn't in his right mind. Knowledge of the supernatural could do that to a human if they already had an unstable personality.
"Who the hell are you?" she demanded while making sure to shy away again as he thrust the cross in her direction.
He looked like a crackpot, but crackpots were not always alone.
"I am your doom," he snarled at her and just backed up her initial assessment of his mental state. "I will cleave your head from your shoulders and lay your damned soul to rest."
Removing the head was actually one thing that could kill a vampire, sometimes at least; it depended on the situation. Ianthe wasn't worried, though, because her assailant lacked the firepower to back up his threat.
"Where do you come from?" she hissed, moving further into the dark corner just to her left and drawing him in as well.
"God," was the crowing response. "I am his vessel and instrument."
When the cross was shoved at her once more, Ianthe had had enough. She tensed to strike, but then voices interrupted her.
"Hey, you, what d'you think you're doing?"
Her attacker froze before looking right and Ianthe followed his gaze. Three large men were hurrying towards them from the other end of the road. Ianthe couldn't find it in herself to curse people who actually had a public spirit, but she did mentally swear at the situation in general. The masked man muttered something in Latin, threw what she guessed was holy water at her and ran.
In the same heartbeat Ianthe snapped off the crossbow bolt, shoving the broken end up her sleeve, pulled her wrap over her injured shoulder and stood up straight.
Two of the men ran after her attacker and the third stopped beside her.
"Are you okay?" he asked with a rather attractive, worried little frown.
Ianthe stomped on that line of thought immediately.
"Yes," she said and did her best to look frazzled round the edges, "thank you. I'm so glad you came along."
"DC Phelps," he introduced himself, "we were just coming back from the pub. Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yes," she assured him with a somewhat wobbly smile, "he didn't touch me, just nearly took my eye out with a huge cross."
"A cross?" Phelps asked.
She nodded. He really was very handsome, but police and vampires didn't go well together.
"I think he thought I was a vampire," she said, deciding to cover up the obvious with the truth; "if you can believe it. Maybe he hasn't been taking his medication."
"Sounds like it," her saviour agreed.
"Now you're here I think I should be flattered, after all aren't creatures of the night supposed to be wildly attractive?" she said and let out a nervous laugh.
It wasn't difficult to act since her heart was still pounding even if she knew she hadn't been in any real danger. Phelps smiled at her and then one of his friends reappeared at the other end of the road.
"He's gone," was the shouted revelation.
"Damn," Phelps said. "Well ..."
"Ianthe," she took the hint and gave him her name.
"Ianthe," he continued, "do you want to report this?"
She shook her head.
"No," she replied, "he clearly isn't well. Maybe you could have someone on the lookout for him so he doesn't accost anyone else?"
"I'll call it in," he assured her.
Witnesses were a pain, but at least DC Phelps was easy on the eyes. She wasn't going to be able to just track down her assailant like she wanted to and he'd likely be long gone by the time she could leave. That didn't stop her planning as she thanked DC Phelps again and decided exactly how she was going to extricate herself.
~~*~~ Next Instalment
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Monday, 14 April 2014
So I made a lampshade :)
If you are looking for today's AtoZChallenge post, scroll down one :) (and thanks for visiting).
My dear Mama loves lamps. It is safe to say she has a bit of a lamp problem, but we've found a solution. Custom lampshades mean she's not filling the house with lamps any more, just changing boring old lampshades to new ones :).
We found this lovely lady on Etsy who makes lovely lampshades, her store is called ArthouseAttic. She does other custom furniture as well.
Now Mummy currently has three of her lamps and wanted another one to match one she already has. So I emailed ArthouseAttic to see if a commission was possible. Unfortunately it wasn't. Hence it was decided that I should try my hand at custom lampshades :).
An old lamp was found in the local hospice charity shop along with various items of silver jewellery and then I raided the local fabric shop for net, ribbon and trims. Yesterday afternoon I then set to work and this lunch time (I had to stop yesterday because I ran out of ribbon and trim) I finished it.
I can post it here with impunity knowing Mummy will not see it because she is something of a technophobe :)
I have come to the conclusion that I love my hot melt glue gun and sewing net onto a lampshade frame is a pain in the proverbial :)
My dear Mama loves lamps. It is safe to say she has a bit of a lamp problem, but we've found a solution. Custom lampshades mean she's not filling the house with lamps any more, just changing boring old lampshades to new ones :).
We found this lovely lady on Etsy who makes lovely lampshades, her store is called ArthouseAttic. She does other custom furniture as well.
Now Mummy currently has three of her lamps and wanted another one to match one she already has. So I emailed ArthouseAttic to see if a commission was possible. Unfortunately it wasn't. Hence it was decided that I should try my hand at custom lampshades :).
An old lamp was found in the local hospice charity shop along with various items of silver jewellery and then I raided the local fabric shop for net, ribbon and trims. Yesterday afternoon I then set to work and this lunch time (I had to stop yesterday because I ran out of ribbon and trim) I finished it.
I can post it here with impunity knowing Mummy will not see it because she is something of a technophobe :)
I have come to the conclusion that I love my hot melt glue gun and sewing net onto a lampshade frame is a pain in the proverbial :)
AtoZ Day 12: L is for Lemon, Loogaroo (Soucouyant), Lifeforce
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Lemon
Everyone knows how garlic is used to ward off vampires, but did you know that in Saxon regions of Germany lemon was also used? It was placed in the mouth of suspected vampires to prevent them rising from the grave. The particular breed of vampire vulnerable to this method is called a Neuntoter and is a plague carrier.
What do you think is the most exciting method of vampire disposal: Sunlight, a stake through the heart, decapitation, nailing into the coffin or something else?
Creature Feature:
Loogaroo (Soucouyant)
She's not a nice lady is the Loogaroo of Haitian Folklore. Also known as a Soucouyant in other parts of the West Indies she is a witch who trades blood for supernatural powers with the devil or a demon.
According to Wikipedia and Vampire Underworld she takes off her skin at night and flies around like a fireball, entering people's houses and taking their blood so they wake up fatigued and lethargic. However, according to Monstrous.com that's the Granada version and in Haiti she takes off her skin and grows wings with flames shooting from her armpits and anus. She then transforms into a cockroach or other insect to enter a home. She's still after blood though.
'Loogaroo' is derived from the French 'loup-garou' which actually means werewolf.
Movie Recommendation:
Rating:18
Summary: A long range mission comes into contact with unknown life forms in a comets tail and the female and two males are brought back to Earth. They turn out to be some form of vampire and turn London into a battle field of creatures who must suck the life from others every two hours.
Why you should watch this: These are psychic vampires and in places the film is a little bit over done, but the kind of vampire and the effects of their life draining abilities is so interesting. There's also something of a twisted love story going on and I just love the film. I think it is very underrated.
(#12 in The Diverse Life of Ianthe Jawara, Vampire)
by Natasha Duncan-Drake
Not wanting to take her new hellhound puppy out just yet, Ianthe invited Cal over to her place for a change. Usually she avoided it, because, as much as she enjoyed Alex's disapproval, sometimes she preferred not to antagonise him too far.
"Did you know in some legends lemons can be used to ward off vampires?" Cal asked as she handed him a gin and tonic with a slice of lemon floating in it.
"I hadn't heard that one," she admitted, sucking her own piece of lemon between her teeth to prove the point.
"It's German," Cal said, grinning at her.
"Not the most ridiculous legend out there I have to admit," she said and sat down.
Lilith immediately put her head in Ianthe's lap, so she scratched the puppy behind the ear.
"You're spoiling her I see," Cal observed, "good for you."
Lilith looked pleased by that if the way her tongue lolled out the side of her mouth was anything to go by.
"Of course I am," she replied while giving Lilith's head a good ruffle. "She deserves spoiling."
They fell into a companionable silence. That was one of the things Ianthe really liked about Cal; sometimes they could just sit. However, her mind was moving and she couldn't help herself.
"Talking of legends, what's the most ridiculous one about werewolves?" she asked.
"Has to be silver," Cal replied without even having to think about it. "Silver bullets just make us money once we dig them out."
He laughed even as Ianthe winced.
"And how many times have you done that?" she had to ask.
"Three," was the honest answer.
"And how old are you again?"
Cal just smiled; damn werewolves were as cagey about their ages as some of the older vampires. Unlike vampires where bloodline counted for a lot more than age, werewolf power definitely seemed to come with experience.
"What is your favourite vampire legend?" Cal countered without answering.
"Coffins," she decided, "definitely coffins. I even grew mushrooms under my bed for a while pretending it was grave earth. Alex nearly blew a gasket."
"One day you will push him too far," Cal said and rolled his eyes.
"Nah, I know where the real lines are. Besides which I am embarrassing enough just for existing, if he actually failed to make me into a half decent vampire he'd die of mortification."
Cal didn't look so sure.
"I hung garlic flowers all round his door once," she revealed.
"You didn't!"
"I did."
Cal almost fell off his chair laughing. Ianthe grinned; it was good to have friends
~~*~~
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Saturday, 12 April 2014
AtoZ Day 11: K is for Killing, Krasue, Kindred: The Embraced
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Killing
It has to be said that while researching these posts I have noticed that most vampires seem to kill. Some cause their victims to waste away slowly, others drain them of blood or life essence, killing them on the spot, a few spread plague in their wake and some simply tear their victims apart.
Often throughout history the legend of the vampire has been used to explain a swathe of deaths.
However, not all vampires have to kill. Some simply need a little blood from time to time and other, while making your life a little shorter will only take what life essence they need. I think some of the most interesting fictional vampires are these kind, especially if they kill simply because they like it.
Do you prefer your fictional vampires to be killer or to be merciful?
Creature Feature:
Krasue
This is the name of a terrible vampiric creature from Thai legend. According to Ghost and Ghouls it is the ghastly head of a woman that floats around with her viscera hanging down from her neck, tailing behind her.
Wikipedia goes on to say that she is forever hungry and haunts the night seeking blood to drink and flesh to consume.
She is also known as an Ap in Cambodia and Kasu in Laos. To dispose of her, her headless body must be found and crushed.
Summary: Loosely based on the White Wolf role playing game Vampire: the Masquerade. Clans of vampires, forever at odds with each other inhabit the world, hiding from humans behind what they call the Masquerade. To endanger the Masquerade is the most dangerous thing any of them can do. In each city Primogens of each clan keep their members in line and vie for power and to become the Prince of the City. In LA Julian Luna is this Prince and he finds himself at odds with Frank Kohanek, an LA cop.
Why you should watch this: The clan dynamics are complex, the characters are interesting (although a couple are a little whiny) and I just love all the vampire lore. It's not exactly like the RP game, but it has some nice touches from it.
(#11 in The Diverse Life of Ianthe Jawara, Vampire)
by Natasha Duncan-Drake
Raising a hellhound puppy was a lot of work, as Ianthe was
finding out. She hadn't had a chance to worry about anything over the last week
as she integrated Lilith into the household and began training her. Hellhounds
did not need to be trained the same way as normal dogs because they had a
rudimentary intelligence and were empathic with their mistresses. However, that
didn't mean they could be left to run riot.
Lilith had been introduced to Philips and the housekeeper
and all the cleaning staff, so she wasn't about to try and eat anyone. Of
course she had also met Alex. That had been fun. Ianthe disliked her maker so
Lilith disliked Alex as well; that was just how it went. It was lucky she held
a certain respect for the man even if she wished she could leave him well
behind, because that translated as well.
"Come on, Little One," Ianthe encouraged as she
held a chocolate drop in her hand; "I know you can do it.
Chocolate would poison a normal dog, but hellhounds really
only had shape in common with such species and nothing except beheading or fire
could kill Lilith. Ianthe had discovered quickly that Lilith would do anything
for chocolate. It was an advantage she intended to use forever.
"Change for mummy," she said and held up the
chocolate.
When she had started referring to herself as mummy she had
cringed, but she kind of couldn't help it. Lilith was now her baby.
As she watched, Lilith went from big black puppy beast of
hell into what looked like a normal husky puppy with bright blue eyes.
"Good girl," Ianthe praised and gave her the
chocolate drop along with a big love.
It was one of the major advantages of hellhounds that they
could change their appearance to look like a simple household pet. Explaining a
big black dog with long fangs and glowing red eyes would have been tricky
around town.
"You know, you're supposed to train it to kill, not
look adorable," Alex's cool tones sounded behind her.
She looked up to find her maker standing in the doorway of
the living room. She was using the common areas of the house because she wanted
Lilith used to the normal routine of the household.
"A guardian that just kills things would be pretty
useless," she replied and turned back to her puppy.
Lilith faded back into her natural form and Ianthe gave her
another big love. She never wanted the puppy to be worried about changing back.
"That looks about as vicious as a basket of
kittens," Alex pointed out.
Clearly he was in the mood for an argument.
"Lilith, guard," she said simply.
The puppy shot past her in a second, planting those too big
feet wide as she took up a defensive stance. Then she growled, showing her
teeth dripping with saliva as she simply grew. In a second there was no longer
a puppy between Ianthe and Alex, but a full grown hound, hair bristling and
mouth full of very, very sharp teeth. Another useful ability of hellhounds was
that they had a demonic form and it was big no matter what size they happened
to be at the time.
"There's my girl," Ianthe said, smiling.
"Well I suppose that's something," Alex said,
sounding completely unbothered and just lifting an eyebrow at her.
"Killing won't be a problem," Ianthe said,
"if it's ever necessary."
She didn't mean her words to be a threat, but there was an
underlying current to them she couldn't quite hide. Perversely she saw
something akin to pride on Alex's face for a second. Then he was gone with a
dramatic turn that any actor would have been proud of.
"I will never understand that man," Ianthe said as
she scratched Lilith behind the ear.
~~*~~
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Friday, 11 April 2014
AtoZ Day 10: J is for Junkie, Jaud, John Carpenter's Vampires
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Junkie
The average vampire requires something to survive, blood, life essence, human flesh. It's like eating food to a normal human, however, sometimes stories have the vampire being more like a junkie. Usually the blood drinking vampire is used for this kind of story.
They can either survive on normal fare and drink blood because it gets them high or they do need blood, but they take far more of it than necessary because they are addicted. I think this is a fascinating way to look at it. Some people are addicted to food, so it is perfectly reasonable to think some vampire would be addicted to their food source.
Forever Knight had an interesting take in that it was the blood that kept Nick from returning to being human and he was addicted to the effect.
Do you know of any vampire tales, books, movies that use the junkie vampire as a corner stone? Do you enjoy the premise?
Creature Feature:
Jaud
I only found one full reference for this one, but is was so poignant I had to use it. Zeluna.net says this vampire appears in the form of a child and it comes from the soul of a baby who died before they were born.
Wikipedia compares it to a Drekavac which is a vampire created from the soul of a child who died unbaptised.
Movie Recommendation:
Rating: 18
Summary: Jack Crow is a vampire hunter and he obeys the rules. When his whole team is slaughtered he is out for revenge and he is given the task of retrieving an ancient cross. If the vampires find it first they can use it to complete a ritual to allow them to walk in the sun. It is a race to prevent the undead becoming unstoppable.
Why you should watch this: The vampires are nasty, the vampire hunters are ruthless and it's fast paced and action packed from beginning to end. This is no teen vampire movie, this earns it's rating and it brilliant while doing so.
(#10 in The Diverse Life of Ianthe Jawara, Vampire)
by Natasha Duncan-Drake
The first thing Ianthe had to do was make sure Lilith was familiar with the household, so she walked around the side of the house to the back door. It was just easier and she knew she wouldn't bump into Alex that way. She wanted the puppy to learn those she liked first before any tension between her and her maker came to light.
She stilled as Lilith let out a little growl, well little for a hellhound, it would have made a normal dog proud.
"Mistress," said a voice from the shadows and a man stepped out of them, "mistress, please help me."
She knew what he was as soon as she saw him. Thin, haggard and old way beyond the years his clothes suggested; he was a vampire junkie.
"How?" she asked.
"Blood."
"Wait here," she replied, sidestepping him and heading quickly for the backdoor.
"Please, Mistress," the man begged.
She slipped inside quickly using enchantments rather than her key and only stopped when she was safely behind a locked door. The man had been no real danger, but a confrontation could have been bloody.
"Madam," Philips said, appearing as ever; the man was definitely psychic.
"There is an Unfortunate in the garden," she said, "please see to him."
Philips nodded.
Unfortunates was the name vampires gave to those who had drunk vampire blood and become addicted to it. If the vampire did not feed before the blood was given the human gained a few advantages like rejuvenation and slightly increased strength for a time without turning. The problem was if used too much vampire blood became a need, not a high, just like any drug. Effects lasted for shorter and shorter periods and took a huge toll, eventually resulting in the mess of human being that Ianthe had just met.
There was no cure for the poor man in the garden. One day he would take blood and he would die. Until then his life was a never ending search for his fix.
One thing she and Alex did agree on was that there should be mercy for the mistakes of vampires. Only the truly careless would allow their charges to end up in such a state. Alex viewed most humans as cattle, but those he took into his confidence were well looked after.
They kept a few vials of vampire blood in the pantry for any Unfortunates who came asking and any who asked for death would get it. It was the only kindness they could offer.
"Come on, Lilith," she said, "I am sure there is some steak in the fridge."
Philips would help the man as much as was possible and that was all there was to it.
~~*~~
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