How did vampires come into being?

[RingleToo]

<p>I ask because I asked over in the Templar forum if vampires are considered undead. Someone suggested that vampires really aren't "un-dead". I've been told by others that some of the Templar un-dead spells won't work against vampires.</p><p>So, I'm curious. Anyone know what the EQ lore is concerning vampires? Are they, in fact, "un-dead", and how did they come into being?</p>

[Mirander_1]

Near as I've been able to find out, vampires are created by being bitten by another vampire.  The exception to this is Mayong Mistmoore; it was once suggested that Mayong was once either a Dark Elf or Eldar Elf, but made a deal with Innoruuk to be given vampirism.  However, it seems to be increasingly suggested that Mayong isn't an Elf at all, but that his race actually is 'Vampire,' and that his existance actually predates the arrival of most of the gods to Norrath. Taking that into account, Mayong likely isn't undead, and if he (the father of vampires) isn't undead, then the people he turned likely aren't undead either.

[RingleToo]

<p>Hmmm, food for thought. I knew about Mayong but not that he might be a seperate race. Even so, whether he is a new race or was made a vampire without dying, the question would be, did those who came after have to first die (after being bitten) in order to become a vampire? If so, then could those vampires after Mayong be considered un-dead?</p>

[Coccinea_Maga]

The D'Morte vampires were originally a Teir'Dal house aligned with the necromantic caste, The Dead.  The Freethinkers believe that they were the first dark elves to handle the Ewer of Sul'Dae and happened to unleash a vampiric curse on their house.  The Ewer is said to grant "undeath," but whether this is true undeath or just a curse of immortality is not really known. <span style="font-size: xx-small"><a href="http://lorelibrary.com/?page=dialogue&did=9" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Source</a><span style="color: #ffffff"> </span></span>

[Cusashorn]

<p>Quite frankly we simply do not know HOW vampires first came into existance on Norrath. We dont know where Mayong came from or how. I'm hoping we find out someday though.</p>

[troodon]

Whatever their source is, I just hope it doesn't have anything to do with some other dimensions or alter states of reality.  Between the Realm of Discord in EQ1, the Void in EQ2, and now the Rift stuff they have in Vanguard, I have gotten quite sick of it.

[Cusashorn]

<cite>troodon wrote:</cite><blockquote>Whatever their source is, I just hope it doesn't have anything to do with some other dimensions or alter states of reality.  Between the Realm of Discord in EQ1, the Void in EQ2, and now the Rift stuff they have in Vanguard, I have gotten quite sick of it.</blockquote> Quoted for ****ing truth!

[ChildofHate]

<cite>Coccinea_Maga wrote:</cite><blockquote>The D'Morte vampires were originally a Teir'Dal house aligned with the necromantic caste, The Dead.  The Freethinkers believe that they were the first dark elves to handle the Ewer of Sul'Dae and happened to unleash a vampiric curse on their house.  The Ewer is said to grant "undeath," but whether this is true undeath or just a curse of immortality is not really known. <span style="font-size: xx-small"><a href="http://lorelibrary.com/?page=dialogue&did=9" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Source</a><span style="color: #ffffff"> </span></span></blockquote><p> "The Dead" is <i>THE</i> Necro / SK guild for ALL Teir`Dal in EQ1 (and what a beautiful place it was... sigh, i miss home...)  Similar to how the Dismal Rage in EQ2 is <i>THE</i> Freeport Priest guild.  It wasn't just some "house"... like what you would find in the Forgotten Realms series... contrary to how many would like to believe castes of Teir`Dal society work in EQ2.  "The Dead" is also the faction of Cristanos Thex, Queen of the Teir`Dal as well as most of the inhabitants of Neriak Third Gate (not to be confused with Fallen Gate) in EQ1.</p><p>All i can hope is that they do not become a playable race in any future expansion.  Ever.  The illusion form is always available from Bloodlines and a single romp through MM Catacombs or Castle will provide you with enough reagents to last you to the day you quit EQ2.</p>

[troodon]

<cite>ChildofHate wrote:</cite><blockquote>"The Dead" is <i>THE</i> Necro / SK guild for ALL Teir`Dal in EQ1 (and what a beautiful place it was... sigh, i miss home...)  Similar to how the Dismal Rage in EQ2 is <i>THE</i> Freeport Priest guild.  It wasn't just some "house"... like what you would find in the Forgotten Realms series... </blockquote>They were talking about D'Morte being a house, not "the Dead"

[Ji]

How come there was no vampire lore and legend released with GU33?

[Pins]

Because GU33 hasn't come out?  That and they decided not to release a Lore and Legend for Vampires as you can get Vampire specific abilites from the Bloodline Chronicles adventure pack.

[RaphaNissi]

<cite>troodon wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>ChildofHate wrote:</cite><blockquote>"The Dead" is <i>THE</i> Necro / SK guild for ALL Teir`Dal in EQ1 (and what a beautiful place it was... sigh, i miss home...)  Similar to how the Dismal Rage in EQ2 is <i>THE</i> Freeport Priest guild.  It wasn't just some "house"... like what you would find in the Forgotten Realms series... </blockquote>They were talking about D'Morte being a house, not "the Dead" </blockquote>*nod*  In fact it seems The Dead chased the house of D'Morte from the gates of Neriak.  You can read a little about it and also some other interesting vampire tidbits <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?start=15&topic_id=187378�" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">here</a>.

[Ji]

<p>Oops meant to say GU32....</p><p>But if vampires have history in Norrath like you guys are saying then shouldnt there be a vampire L&L much like the gnolls, drakota, orcs and must I ask, werewolf ???</p>

[Cusashorn]

<cite>Jixx wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>Oops meant to say GU32....</p><p>But if vampires have history in Norrath like you guys are saying then shouldnt there be a vampire L&L much like the gnolls, drakota, orcs and must I ask, werewolf ???</p></blockquote> Not if the developers decide against it for the reasons that it would unbalance encounters in Mistmoore combined with the vampire strike you get from Bloodlines... which is just what they did.

[Ama]

<p>So far the only thing I have heard is that Mayong is the one and only true vampire.  If that is true or not has yet to be seen by me.  From my understanding he was a great and powerful alchemist that managed to turn himself into a vampire.  This may have started a chain reaction where he fed off his first victim turning them into a vampire then so on and so forth.  </p><p>Have to say the biggest thing is we need to determine was a "True Blood" vampire is in EQ2.  From modern folk tales I believe it has always been said a true blood is a vampire born from a mother and father vampire.  You could also get *I guess* a turned vampire or 1/2 vampire and 1/2 vampire to create a true blood.  </p>

[ChildofHate]

<cite>Amana wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>So far the only thing I have heard is that Mayong is the one and only true vampire.  If that is true or not has yet to be seen by me.  From my understanding he was a great and powerful alchemist that managed to turn himself into a vampire.  This may have started a chain reaction where he fed off his first victim turning them into a vampire then so on and so forth.  </p><p>Have to say the biggest thing is we need to determine was a "True Blood" vampire is in EQ2.  From modern folk tales I believe it has always been said a true blood is a vampire born from a mother and father vampire.  You could also get *I guess* a turned vampire or 1/2 vampire and 1/2 vampire to create a true blood.  </p></blockquote><p> if we were to consider this information as possibly being feasible for Norrathian lore, then there will never, ever be any more "true born" vampires.  With Mayong being the only ONE, it's impossible for there to be others to be born.  A true + a "turned" doesn't make a true...  a turned + a turned doesn't make a true...  Think of it like mixing different dog breeds.  Chihuahua + Rotweiller/chihuahua mix doesn't equal full blood chihuahua... it makes a more diluted breed mutt of a chihuahua.  take 2 chihuahua/rotweiller mutts and breed them, you wont get a purebred anything... just a bunch more diluted mutts.</p><p>All in all, i still hope (and pray) that SOE doesn't bend (or break) to the whines of the wanna-bes and make vampires a playable race.  For one, it's not a true race, thus should not be considered playable.  Because then you will get people wanting vampire frogs, gnomes, yada yada...  and that simple notion alone proves it's not a true race... just other races infected with a form of Norrathian hivvy. <img src="/smilies/97ada74b88049a6d50a6ed40898a03d7.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Illusion form FTW!</p>

[RaphaNissi]

<a href="http://www.lorelibrary.com/?page=dialogue&did=17" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Investigator Dajimal</a> sheds some light on the subject of the Trueborn found around Mistmoore.  I think the word seems to be misunderstood here.  Here is what he says... "Well, this place is the residence of the vampiric beings called Trueborns whose master is known as Count Valdoon Kel'Novar. I heard they are supposedly one of the elite clans within the Mistmoore hierarchy. This much I knew before I infiltrated this place."

[XeroOmega]

<p>the EQ1 expansion LDON had a fair amount of lore around the vampire castes, but it is post-PoP, so the lore may not directly apply to EQ2...anyway, Loral compiled the lore and it can be found at:</p><p><a href="http://www.loralciriclight.com/ldon_lore.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.loralciriclight.com/ldon_lore.html</a></p><p>vampire lore is of course under Mistmoore.</p>

[ZUES]

<cite>Jixx wrote:</cite><blockquote>How come there was no vampire lore and legend released with GU33?</blockquote> I agree. How come there isnt a vampire L & L ?

[Ama]

<cite>ChildofHate wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Amana wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>So far the only thing I have heard is that Mayong is the one and only true vampire.  If that is true or not has yet to be seen by me.  From my understanding he was a great and powerful alchemist that managed to turn himself into a vampire.  This may have started a chain reaction where he fed off his first victim turning them into a vampire then so on and so forth.  </p><p>Have to say the biggest thing is we need to determine was a "True Blood" vampire is in EQ2.  From modern folk tales I believe it has always been said a true blood is a vampire born from a mother and father vampire.  You could also get *I guess* a turned vampire or 1/2 vampire and 1/2 vampire to create a true blood.  </p></blockquote><p> if we were to consider this information as possibly being feasible for Norrathian lore, then there will never, ever be any more "true born" vampires.  With Mayong being the only ONE, it's impossible for there to be others to be born.  A true + a "turned" doesn't make a true...  a turned + a turned doesn't make a true...  Think of it like mixing different dog breeds.  Chihuahua + Rotweiller/chihuahua mix doesn't equal full blood chihuahua... it makes a more diluted breed mutt of a chihuahua.  take 2 chihuahua/rotweiller mutts and breed them, you wont get a purebred anything... just a bunch more diluted mutts.</p><p>All in all, i still hope (and pray) that SOE doesn't bend (or break) to the whines of the wanna-bes and make vampires a playable race.  For one, it's not a true race, thus should not be considered playable.  Because then you will get people wanting vampire frogs, gnomes, yada yada...  and that simple notion alone proves it's not a true race... just other races infected with a form of Norrathian hivvy. <img src="/smilies/97ada74b88049a6d50a6ed40898a03d7.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Illusion form FTW!</p></blockquote><p> True that it may take several successful breeding attempts to obtain your full blood again, but this is fantasy. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Some rules can be bent a bit here that would normally not be bendable *There is no Spoon!!!!*. <img src="/smilies/908627bbe5e9f6a080977db8c365caff.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[panther55]

<cite>ZUES wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Jixx wrote:</cite><blockquote>How come there was no vampire lore and legend released with GU33?</blockquote> I agree. How come there isnt a vampire L & L ?</blockquote>Because there isn't a master strike for it.

[Cusashorn]

<cite>ZUES wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Jixx wrote:</cite><blockquote>How come there was no vampire lore and legend released with GU33?</blockquote> I agree. How come there isnt a vampire L & L ?</blockquote> As I said above, the developers intentionally didn't create a vampire L&L because doing so would unbalance the encounters in Castle Mistmoore and the Freethinker's Hideout combined with the vampire strike from Bloodlines. They have no plans to put one in at this time. Maybe in future expansions when vampires are greyed out and no longer serve any purpose at level 100.

[Rigas]

<cite>ZUES wrote:</cite><blockquote>I agree. How come there isnt a vampire L & L ?</blockquote> But the Bloodline Chonicles is essentially L&L for Vampires. now hush your whinging and go do the 14 grey quests to get your ability <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[Miele]

From EQ1 lore: As to Mayong Mistmoore, he was originally a Teir'dal castellan who may have become the first Vampire in Norrath. After contaminating many other people with Vampirism, he made some experiments and created the Drachnids (hybrids of Teir'dal and Spider) and stole the secret of Lycanthropy from Venril Sathir to create Werewolves. After fathering the bloodlines of Progeny, Trueborn, Nightrage and a few other clans of Vampires or Werewolves, and not forgetting to contaminate Zaldanov Zevfeer who would later be the first Vampire on Luclin and would contaminate countless people to form the Coterie of Eternal Night, Mayong simply disappeared for years. In truth, Mayong was searching for the Cypher of Divine Language, which Zebuxoruk was believed to have found. Upon gathering the knowledge of the Cypher of Divine Language, Mayong found out how to become one of the deities in the Pantheon : by being worshipped and considered a god by the most people possible. The worshipping part was easy as Mayong already had a vast cult at that point, but to be considered a god, Mayong needed much more than that. So he used his already awesome powers to create the Demi-Plane of Blood, as a few select arcane users had already created their own Demi-Planes in the past. In that plane, Mayong erected his fortress and surrounded himself with minions and worshippers. Then the mortal armies of Norrath came to the Demi-Plane of Blood and defeated Mayong eventually, thus granting him his godhood as the Cypher of Divine Language had promised : by coming to his plane to defeat him, the mortals acknowledged Mayong as a divine threat and thus considered him a god.

[ChildofHate]

Miele@Lucan DLere wrote: <blockquote>From EQ1 lore: As to Mayong Mistmoore, he was originally a Teir'dal castellan who may have become the first Vampire in Norrath. After contaminating many other people with Vampirism, he made some experiments and created the Drachnids (hybrids of Teir'dal and Spider) and stole the secret of Lycanthropy from Venril Sathir to create Werewolves. After fathering the bloodlines of Progeny, Trueborn, Nightrage and a few other clans of Vampires or Werewolves, and not forgetting to contaminate Zaldanov Zevfeer who would later be the first Vampire on Luclin and would contaminate countless people to form the Coterie of Eternal Night, Mayong simply disappeared for years. In truth, Mayong was searching for the Cypher of Divine Language, which Zebuxoruk was believed to have found. Upon gathering the knowledge of the Cypher of Divine Language, Mayong found out how to become one of the deities in the Pantheon : by being worshipped and considered a god by the most people possible. The worshipping part was easy as Mayong already had a vast cult at that point, but to be considered a god, Mayong needed much more than that. So he used his already awesome powers to create the Demi-Plane of Blood, as a few select arcane users had already created their own Demi-Planes in the past. In that plane, Mayong erected his fortress and surrounded himself with minions and worshippers. Then the mortal armies of Norrath came to the Demi-Plane of Blood and defeated Mayong eventually, thus granting him his godhood as the Cypher of Divine Language had promised : by coming to his plane to defeat him, the mortals acknowledged Mayong as a divine threat and thus considered him a god. </blockquote>Wow.  Nice!!!  /kudos

[PlageuReaver]

Miele@Lucan DLere wrote: <blockquote>From EQ1 lore: As to Mayong Mistmoore, he was originally a Teir'dal castellan who may have become the first Vampire in Norrath. </blockquote><p>Well this is what I remember:</p><p>Long before the elves came to Faydark mayong lived there already in his castle. (iirc his race never got revealed, he did however altar his appearence to match that of a dark elf so isnt one for real) </p><p>He was then already researchin how to become a god, trough alcemy he made vampirism and became norraths first vampire.</p>

[Saroc_Luclin]

Yeah, the rest of the story seems to fit (him creating the other Vampire lines, though the Vampyre/Coterie line may or may not have been his, and creating the Werewolves and Drachnids). But his origin is still fairly clouded in mystery as to if he's a pre-Veeshan race or a Dark Elf or what.

[PlageuReaver]

<cite>Saroc_Luclin wrote:</cite><blockquote>Yeah, the rest of the story seems to fit (him creating the other Vampire lines, though the Vampyre/Coterie line may or may not have been his, and creating the Werewolves and Drachnids). But his origin is still fairly clouded in mystery as to if he's a pre-Veeshan race or a Dark Elf or what.</blockquote>He is probably a eldar elf or a pre-veeshan race. (als the name Mayong Mistmoore doesnt sound very Dark Elvish so he is most probably a fake as I posted earlier)

[Kryussius]

The idea of a pre-Veeshan race goes against the original creation myths of Norrath, though.  Of course, if they are just myth and life existed on Norrath before Veeshan came, then no biggie, but it would cast doubt on alot of what is "known" of Norrath's ancient past, including the idea that the Scars are just canyons that have nothing to do with the goddess raking the land with her claws, and so on.

[Saroc_Luclin]

"Pre-Veeshan" may have been the wrong term, I think I was looking for "Pre-Pantheon" (as in the races that existed before Brell and Tunare and Zek and company started picking their favorites). We definitely know that there were races on Norrath before those gods started leaving their marks. (The Sphinx, the Dragon-killers that created the Crypt of Decay which eventually lead to Bertox, and others). Most we know nothing or next to nothing about since subsequent races have obliterated almost all traces of them. I don't see how a race being around pre-Veeshan changes things though. It has always been said that Veeshan found Norrath, marked it with her claws (The Canyons on Velious) and deposited her brood. There is no talk of her creating life on Norrath; if anything it indicates there was preexisting life on Norrath since she felt it was suitable for her eggs. Similarly, none of the other Gods of Norrath have claimed to have created Life (in general); they just claim to have created their client races after seeing what was on the planet.

[Kryussius]

Yeah I caught what you meant by Pre-Veeshan.  Pre-Veeshan would mean pre-pantheon, since she was the first to discover Norrath. Maybe I read the creation myth wrong, but I got the impression that it had no sentient species on it before Veeshan came and dropped her brood off.  Of course, I haven't done all the quests that involve lore from that era by far, but this is the first I've heard of there being sentient peoples before Veeshan's discovery of Norrath.

[Saroc_Luclin]

<a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq/posts/list.m?topic_id=49764" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq/p...?topic_id=49764</a> has the lore from the Crypt of Decay more or less. The race that spawned Bertox was post Veeshan, but no known god created them or even mentions them. In PoK there is the following books: The Necropolis of Lxanvon and the Arrival of the Plague Bringer In a Norrathian age long past, when dragons ruled the lands, seas, and skies, an ancient race did spring forth from the will of an unknown god. They were a cunning and powerful race of beings, able to survive in a harsh world ruled by the scaled children of Veeshan. The true name of this extinct civilization has been lost to the mists of time, the evidence of their existence buried and all but destroyed by the elements and the forces of change. The eldest of dragons sometimes whisper tales of this lost race of beings who were the first to stand against and slay the great children of Veeshan. They speak of them to their young, as a human mother would tell ghost stories to her child. The dragons whispered tales of a great kingdom of wicked yet noble beings that built cities from the bones and sinew of the slain children of Veeshan. This is one such tale, passed down to the scribes of New Tanaan many years past by the dragon sorcerer Ulvaxazoviak. Many ages ago, in a time that only the spirits of the ancestor dragons can recall, a long dead ancient race, The Xulous they are called in the tales of my kind, did build upon the lands that would become Tunaria a great necropolis to house their dead kings. The crypts of the necropolis were fashioned from preserved remains of slain dragons and it was called Lxanvon, which means in the tongue of The Xulous, 'Kings Rest'. As the necropolis filled with the dead Xulous royalty, honored and revered in death as much as in life, a festering evil began to take over in the lowest bowels of the crypts of the kings. The Xulous, through their adoration and reverence of their rotting kings, their defilement of the dead children of Veeshan, and their dependence on the deaths of dragons for the expansion of their kingdoms did unknowingly bring a powerful and ancient evil to Norrath. As years passed, the evil presence in the bowels of Lxanvon grew stronger, and there, within the rotting corpses of those ancient kings, Bertoxxulous was born. The royal priests of the Xulous kingdoms often journeyed from their ivory cities to Lxanvon on behalf of their people, to deliver offerings and praises to their dead kings. Bertoxxulous, donning the decaying bodies of the dead Xulous nobles, appeared before these royal priests demanding obedience, reverence, and sacrifices. Bertoxxulous deceived and corrupted the minds of the royal priests and their allegiance belonged to the Lord of Death and Decay above their living kings. Amidst these firsts priests of decay, one was held above the others, Ultor Szanvon the Putrid; he led the priests of decay in the spreading of their dark doctrine. Ultor, an influential priest in service to the mightiest of the Xulous nobles schemed and murdered his way into the position of chief advisor to the living Xulous King. Ultor convinced the Xulous King to visit the tombs of his ancestors, and there within the presence of Bertoxxulous' full might he performed a dark ritual, sacrificing the king in the bowels of the crypt. Through the dark ritual Ultor summoned twelve spirits of previous Xulous kings and bound them to his service. The risen undead kings rose armies of the dead from the necropolis of Lxanvon and spread across the lands ravaging all in their path, and leaving only death and destruction in their wake. Those who were not destroyed by the weapons of the undead armies were killed slowly by a deadly plague, carried by the risen kings, and spread like wildfire amidst the Xulous. Their entire race succumbed to the pestilence and the Xulous were no more. Bertoxxulous, pleased and swollen with pride by his genocidal accomplishment called his minions back to the necropolis that had served as their resting place for so many years. The risen Xulous kings gathered in the bowels of their crypts as a great mist enveloped Lxanvon. The ancient dragons watched from afar as the mists cleared, revealing only a barren and broken landscape where the necropolis had once lied. It is said that the necropolis of Lxanvon still exists in the Plane of Disease, unchanged from when the ancient dragons witnessed its vanishing from Norrath, and that the form Bertoxxulous favors when visiting Lxanvon is a twisted visage of the long dead race he destroyed, so many ages ago.

[Saroc_Luclin]

There are a few other threads discussing the pre-Pantheon races. <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq/posts/list.m?topic_id=49997" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq/p...?topic_id=49997</a> is the biggest, from 2005 which predates DoDH (barely), so a lot of info we've learned since then disproves some comments in the thread. <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq/posts/list.m?topic_id=107184" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq/p...topic_id=107184</a> touches on some lore from TBS about portals and how the original portal makers were from an ancient race unnamed. (The Jal'reeth, which lead to Doctor Fine err Rodcet Nife are mentioned there, but all of their lore appears to come from EQOA)

[Kryussius]

Those beings seem to still fit in with the creation myth that Norrath held no sentient species before Veeshan, though.   I didn't go through the full threads, but the birth of Bertoxxulus describes a race that arose after dragons were already ruling Norrath, but before the pact of the gods that resulted in the first other races.  Veeshan was created at the same time as the other original gods of influence, which would mean that a pantheon did exist at the time these mystery races existed. " In a Norrathian age long past, when dragons ruled the lands, seas, and skies, an ancient race did spring forth from the will of an unknown god. " So I'm still missing where it speaks of beings who were around before Veeshan arrived on Norrath. *edited to say, nevermind that's not what you were describing.  So these races still fit in with the creation mythos of coming after Veeshan lay her eggs, in effect depositing the first sentient species on Norrath, but before the pact of the gods that created the first of the other races. Nevermind.  Nothing to see here.  <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />