Making Vampires Cool Again
Jul 24, 2011 6:13:23 GMT -8
Post by annabellamy on Jul 24, 2011 6:13:23 GMT -8
I'm using vampires in one of my projects- book two of my 'Noble Angels' series- and I need some feedback on my ideas to make them cool again after SMeyer committed genosparklecide. This is what I've got so far, and if there's anything you think is inconsistent/incorrect, please let me know so that I can correct it:
- There's a law among non-humans that if you commit an 'unforgiveable' crime, you can immediately gain sanctuary by becoming something else (i.e. two Mages accidentally unleash the Black Death, go on the run, and become vampires because Mage laws don't apply to vampires)
- The vampires' eyes flash red when angered/hungry/feeding/stimulated
- Vampires are fast, super strong, need humand blood to survive, BUT... a blood substitute has been created which can satisfy the blood lust perfectly.
- The blood substitute is made by copying the amino acid chain of blood plasma protein and adding water, dark red colouring, saccharides nitrates and coppersodiumchloride solution. The plasma is what the vampires drink the blood for; the dark red colouring is psychological because the vampire associates it with real blood; the saccharides are glucose and fructose for energy; the nitrates are because vampire skin is similar to plant cells (in that nitrates keep the vampire's skin healthy, so Vits E and K would be poisonous to them); the coppersodiumchloride solution is really just for taste (since vampires have stronger digestive systems and sensory organs, so they can stomach this). The substitute has to be heated or it won't work.
- Vits E and K are poisonous to vampires, so they have to avoiid sunlight (Vit K) because this is Vit K in a highly concentrated form, otherwise their skin bubbles and their blood pH rises. They also have to avoid anything and everything which contains Vit E (so tomatoes, some nuts, pumpkin seeds, supplements etc), and if they eat any of these things, their stomach acid becomes poisonous. The remedy for this would be a pint of human blood or the blood substitute, although human blood is most effective. The vampire will experience some pain and discomfort, but after twenty-four hours they'll be fine.
- Vampires have better-quality nightvision than humans. They have a form of heat-vision so that they can spy on their prey; older vampires are able to anticipate where and when the prey will come.
- There's a 'test' before you can become a vampire: the leader of the group of vampires you want to join has to taste your blood. This is similar to Darren Shan's 'bad blood v good blood', but the vampire is tasting the quality of it. If you have a good-to-perfect quality blood, then you will be accepted into the group; if you have bad-to-despicable quality blood, you are turned away by 'good' vampires (the ones who drink the substitute and only use human blood for emergencies) and ordered away. In this case, you have to seek out the 'bad' vampires (who don't believe in the substitute/are too set in their ways). If you have 'neutral' blood, you are turned, but have to act as a messenger and risk death if you are the bearer of bad news.
- In order to become a vampire, you have to detox for a week to flush out your system and then fast for two days. After two days, you are taken to a cave where the leader of the group is. You are then presented with two chalices: the first one, you have to fill with your blood as an 'offering' to the leader; the second is filled with vampire blood (a mixture of all the vampires in the group). The leader drinks the first chalice and you drink the second (this happens at the same time). You fall asleep and when you wake up the next morning, you are a vampire.
- My take on the origin of vampires: in the Norse creation myth, humans were created when the Three Chieftan gods carved trees into human forms. A few hundred years later, the Three Chieftans decided to experiment and made vampires from dead sunflowers (karma if you can spot the joke). Originally, they could do anything the humans could do, but with benefits (see above), but one aided Loki in destorying Myrmir's Well (Loki wanted wisdom and tried to trick Mymir into letting him drink for free). Understandably, this pissed off the Aesir, but the vampires were let off easily compared to Loki: the vampires were condemned to darkness (why sunlight bothers them); they were forbidden to eat anything which belonged to the humans through the Aesir (Vits K and E, plus golden apples- regular apples are okay); and they had to commit an act of atrocity to remain strong (drink human blood). This was not included in any Germanic Pagan texts because, as far as the Aesir were concerned, the vampires were a mistake and they wanted the vampires to feel neglected. So they let the humans come with their own origin stories for vampires.
And that's what I'm planning for my vampires.
Thoughts?
EDIT: I am not using vampires because SMeyer butchered them- vampires are integral to the plot. I said 'make them cool again' because of what SMeyer did to them and I hope to help vampire lore gain some credibility.
- There's a law among non-humans that if you commit an 'unforgiveable' crime, you can immediately gain sanctuary by becoming something else (i.e. two Mages accidentally unleash the Black Death, go on the run, and become vampires because Mage laws don't apply to vampires)
- The vampires' eyes flash red when angered/hungry/feeding/stimulated
- Vampires are fast, super strong, need humand blood to survive, BUT... a blood substitute has been created which can satisfy the blood lust perfectly.
- The blood substitute is made by copying the amino acid chain of blood plasma protein and adding water, dark red colouring, saccharides nitrates and coppersodiumchloride solution. The plasma is what the vampires drink the blood for; the dark red colouring is psychological because the vampire associates it with real blood; the saccharides are glucose and fructose for energy; the nitrates are because vampire skin is similar to plant cells (in that nitrates keep the vampire's skin healthy, so Vits E and K would be poisonous to them); the coppersodiumchloride solution is really just for taste (since vampires have stronger digestive systems and sensory organs, so they can stomach this). The substitute has to be heated or it won't work.
- Vits E and K are poisonous to vampires, so they have to avoiid sunlight (Vit K) because this is Vit K in a highly concentrated form, otherwise their skin bubbles and their blood pH rises. They also have to avoid anything and everything which contains Vit E (so tomatoes, some nuts, pumpkin seeds, supplements etc), and if they eat any of these things, their stomach acid becomes poisonous. The remedy for this would be a pint of human blood or the blood substitute, although human blood is most effective. The vampire will experience some pain and discomfort, but after twenty-four hours they'll be fine.
- Vampires have better-quality nightvision than humans. They have a form of heat-vision so that they can spy on their prey; older vampires are able to anticipate where and when the prey will come.
- There's a 'test' before you can become a vampire: the leader of the group of vampires you want to join has to taste your blood. This is similar to Darren Shan's 'bad blood v good blood', but the vampire is tasting the quality of it. If you have a good-to-perfect quality blood, then you will be accepted into the group; if you have bad-to-despicable quality blood, you are turned away by 'good' vampires (the ones who drink the substitute and only use human blood for emergencies) and ordered away. In this case, you have to seek out the 'bad' vampires (who don't believe in the substitute/are too set in their ways). If you have 'neutral' blood, you are turned, but have to act as a messenger and risk death if you are the bearer of bad news.
- In order to become a vampire, you have to detox for a week to flush out your system and then fast for two days. After two days, you are taken to a cave where the leader of the group is. You are then presented with two chalices: the first one, you have to fill with your blood as an 'offering' to the leader; the second is filled with vampire blood (a mixture of all the vampires in the group). The leader drinks the first chalice and you drink the second (this happens at the same time). You fall asleep and when you wake up the next morning, you are a vampire.
- My take on the origin of vampires: in the Norse creation myth, humans were created when the Three Chieftan gods carved trees into human forms. A few hundred years later, the Three Chieftans decided to experiment and made vampires from dead sunflowers (karma if you can spot the joke). Originally, they could do anything the humans could do, but with benefits (see above), but one aided Loki in destorying Myrmir's Well (Loki wanted wisdom and tried to trick Mymir into letting him drink for free). Understandably, this pissed off the Aesir, but the vampires were let off easily compared to Loki: the vampires were condemned to darkness (why sunlight bothers them); they were forbidden to eat anything which belonged to the humans through the Aesir (Vits K and E, plus golden apples- regular apples are okay); and they had to commit an act of atrocity to remain strong (drink human blood). This was not included in any Germanic Pagan texts because, as far as the Aesir were concerned, the vampires were a mistake and they wanted the vampires to feel neglected. So they let the humans come with their own origin stories for vampires.
And that's what I'm planning for my vampires.
Thoughts?
EDIT: I am not using vampires because SMeyer butchered them- vampires are integral to the plot. I said 'make them cool again' because of what SMeyer did to them and I hope to help vampire lore gain some credibility.