Vampires

[Farmboy2003]

I don't think anyone anywhere can do something narrative about vampires, without someone referencing twilight. Ive never read it or seen it, and it doesnt really seem interesting. Couldn't we please ignore it to death?

[Redjack]

Since Talleyman spoke up, I'll throw my feelings into the mix, although it's for entertainment value only since I do not write policy here.
First of all it is not my place to say how anyone wishes to play their character. I may cringe, but I keep it to myself.

I like Vampires to be horrific, soulless and animalistic in nature. If he or she is being nice, then it's a trap or somehow to their advantage. Pure evil and demonic. I love Dracula and the old "B" movies. Now Vamps can be polite and dignified and even passionate. The vamp may act like it loves you, but it just wants to possess you and it will go badly.

Vampires can worship other Gods. Colibrus is the God of Vampires in Sundren, but that does not prevent there from being vampires that don't follow that faith.
Take Clive for example, he was "Gifted" to act as a emissary between Colibrus's house and the Church of Bane in Sundren. It has created much internal conflict for Clive. Bane is Clive's God. One Does Not Simply Walk into Mordor...
Errrr, one does not simply walk away from Bane. Bane dogma states "Serve no one but Bane." Case closed for Clive. At the same time, Colibrus is Blood now, He is family. Clive finally has a family of his own. Plus vamps control weaker vamps. Clive reveres Colibrus, but exercises caution since Bane has no tolerance for unfaithfulness.
When Banites have complained to Clive about the behavior of Colibrus's children, Clive must support Bane's policies. Clive takes the issue to Elder vamps and tries to bring Order. Bane favors the ambitious and the strong. Who's to say Bane isn't sitting back and laughing at the mortal and congratulating the conflict stirring Vampire. It's a fine line to unlive.
And thats my case for a vampire being able to serve Gods other then Colibrus.

A vampire is self preserving by nature. If the odds are bad it retreats until the odds swing in it's favor, or if trapped. What did Dracula do, when confronted by mobs, he slithered into the darkness. A vamp does have his pride, he will posture and bluster, but retreat if in danger and there is a exit.
A vampire is a killer, a predator, it will take advantage of the weak. If it doesn't bite you when it gets the chance, then it has fed and isn't hungry or it has a nefarious plan and wants you to think it is friendly or you are a gross dwarf.

Erotic, euphoric, or painful? All of the above. Can't legislate a victim's personal reaction to an over powering vampire.
Biting your lover's neck in real life is all of the above.
If a strange dude jumped out of the woods and bit my neck, it would be painful. If it was that hot Mexican girl at work....

Can a vamp enter a Good aligned hollowed ground? Depends on the balance of power. Marching into a opposing faiths Church into the center of that faiths power in Sundren? It would be painful or destructive, intolerable. Now if the power is broken or weakened and the Vampires faith has the upper hand, that is another matter.
This scene comes to mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MftSEu4vgg0

This is a few of my guiding principles for my character, I have more. The DMs write the rules.

[GodBeastX]

I tend to make guidelines, not rules. I'd rather people explore possibilities in their RP more than be marionettes directed by a string of laws. I like to run events where people have freedom to decide how they act, not tell them "Go to XYZ, do ABC, and return for reward."

Religion and how to manage Colibrus seems to be a big conflict for people. Guess what, it should be! Interpretation of Dogma is a big part of the game. I didn't pick Colibrus' dogma out of my butt, I sat and thought about it. Reviewed Bane stuff, thought about Colibrus' standpoints, view and position, and decided what would make the ultimate goal.

Let me quote it for reference.

Nobility and splendor comes to those who serve the Vampire King. All others who exist are beneath you as you are true nobility. Use and take from others, all they have is rightfully your own. Accept tribute for yourself and sacrifice, but the blood is sacred. Pour out blood in sacrifice to the Blood God or feed upon it yourself. Blood is a symbol of greatness and elegance. Show complete devotion to those whose blood is thicker than your own and the vampire children of Colibrus, as they command his power. Seek to attain immortality, as death is the end of your nobility. Vindicate the Dark Father and let all who wish to drink of his blood come before him.

The overarching idea here is pride and being aloof. Notice it doesn't say how to achieve that? How to conduct yourself in it? You could be a brute, or you could be a smooth lord. It's up to you! Either way, it's about elevating yourself and respecting those who are elevated higher than you, which is where the order and hierarchy come into play.

Now, one part of this that is important is: Show complete devotion to those whose blood is thicker than your own and the vampire children of Colibrus, as they command his power.

Whose blood is thicker? Notice I split the children of Colibrus from that statement on purpose. Someone might feel a servant of Bane has thicker blood, some might feel it just means a stronger vampire. It's ambiguous because religion can be and people are free to explore it.

There's a reason L/N, L/E and N/E people serve bane, because they use and interpret the ideals. Some might feel tyranny is the only way to control discoord and ultimate destruction from it. Either way they believe in a strong hierarchy. And some people might feel under Colibrus that a strong nobility with great pride is the way to achieve the same thing, they might be L/N.

People have to realize that Colibrus is basically a Knight of Bane. Serving him still serves Bane, just like serving Jergal helps the office of death, Kelemvor. He was elevated to this position in mortality by serving Bane faithfully and was rewarded. It's sort of like doing what Elric Blackhand tells you to do. They're both elevated servants of Bane. That's why there's Bane tapestries in the Colibrus manor. That all isn't accidental.

But like Bane, Colibrus feels dead servants are useless. Bane turns his most favored into immortals as Baneliches, Baneknights, and other things. Colibrus does it through vampirism. Ultimately he has the same goal as Bane, dominate the world, and in that, Bane is still dominating the world.

They're both about becoming lords and commanders of the world, but Colibrus who feels he's better than any other beneath Bane, expects his servants to feel the same, "You got my gifts, now show you're epic to the world! You are already noble, prove it! Take tribute, make people bow to you, fear you, because you are you great! But don't forget where your greatness comes from, and I want that blood sacrifice to remind you." But does viewing yourself better than someone else mean you gotta ignore everything they tell you and direct you to do?

You might go "Hey, I'm a vampire, you're a Human priest of Bane, why should I listen to you?" Guess what? But Banites did that a lot to each other in history. In fighting in the religion was common place, so do you expect any less from a branch of Bane's government? And if a bunch of Vampires conquer the world for him, is he going to complain? He's patient as hell and specifically likes his underlings to work for him. Colibrus conquering it is still working for him. He only acts when people get way out of line and he corrects them.

Colibrus is a demi-god on purpose. He doesn't have a fuck ton of worshippers. And chances are he won't. Just because you serve Bane doesn't mean you lose an aversion to blood and vampirism. A mayor of a town that high fives Bane might go "Crap, a vampire is here. He's going to make shit bad for my rulership!"

People are free to go where they want with things, I just make guidelines.

[Seheren]

Playing a vampire early on, I had fun. I was excited about all the possibilities and never found myself questioning the lore. However, as some have stated the whole reason I abandoned him was from the shit-storm of negative ooc reactions and having nowhere to really rp.

I feel that much has changed now, and people are generally more receptive. If I wasn't wrapped up in my current banite I may have even picked him back up. I definately would like to see them return, or another great evil that is comparable. Something like half-fiends would be awesome.

[Vaelek]

Religion and how to manage Colibrus seems to be a big conflict for people. Guess what, it should be! Interpretation of Dogma is a big part of the game.

The issue stems from that interpretation has been left to a single decisive call from Saulus, declaring: "Vampires after Iosolde must have Colibrus as their patron deity." We were given deity changes to match this and warned that perma-death would follow for those that worshiped other gods in place of the Blood Father.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. Colibrites want their nobility to worship Colibrus. I realize the heavy statement was also a reaction to a series of conflicting role-play that came out of vampires that did not.

But it would be immensely helpful for new vampires as it hindered the old to have a singular decree on both this matter and others pertaining the lore, as back-and-forth guidelines leads people to tip-toe outside of the regular sphere, only to be met with an OOC warning by staff because of an even earlier ruling.