Undead; True or Misidentified?

[Earl McClaw]

And just to add to the confusion...

Some "werewolf" legends describe not a curse but people who could drape themselves with a wolf's fur and thereby change into a wolf.

There are theories that certain diseases seeded what became werewolves or vampires, or that certain (unembalmed) decomposition effects led to the idea of vampires. It all seems so terribly muddled now that maybe only a major academic research project could sort out any of it (and still not reach a universal conclusion).

The belief that people can change into animals: the origina "furries".

[Axelgear]

That's what always confused me... Unless you lose control and become a psychopath, how is shapeshifting a curse? If anything, it's a benefit. It enhances your senses, your strength, speed, and general ability. You'd be better than human; an Ubermensch if you will.

Personally, I wish they'd change the rules for Werecreatures in D&D so that it's not impossible to play one as a spellcaster...

[Kerry Skydancer]

I think the Aztecs had a lot of Were-Jaguar myths. Yaguareté-abá, I believe.

As to Quetzals, they're Trogons I believe, not Pheasants. Songbirds, I think...

Parrots, actually. The northernmost surviving species in the Americas after the demise of the Carolina Parakeet.

[Deckard Canine]

Vampiric origins vary worldwide, and so do Werewolves. Most contend the modern vampire we know, the Count Dracula Vampire, originated in places like Austria as a metaphor for the ruling aristocracy feeding on the blood of the peasants.

I don't suppose Bram Stoker offered an in-story origin for Drac, tho.

Vampires and werewolves have been said to have silver bullets among their select weaknesses. Anything else that wouldn't be vulnerable to a normal bullet?

[StrangeWulf13]

I don't know about the book, but in the movie "Bram Stoker's Dracula", they did give an origin story. I'll tell it as best to my recollection.

Dracula was once a crusader, one who was quite famous for his ability to kill the enemy. As a sort of revenge, the Turks (or muslims; I don't remember the specifics) sent a letter to his home declaring he had fallen in battle. He rode home as soon as he heard it, to try and arrive before it did, but alas, he was too late. His betrothed read the letter, believed it to be true, and took a dive off her balcony.

Dracula arrived just in time to hear the news and visit her body in a local church. Adding insult to injury, the priest informed him that, since she took her own life, she was now damned to hell, and would never reach heaven.

Dracula did not take this well.

Right there and then, he renounced God, then performed a ritual of some sort that desecrated the church, declaring that the blood of all mankind, or something to that effect, was his, then drank something a good deal like it. It was only afterwards that he realized he had gotten himself cursed by God and would know neither peace nor love for the rest of his life.

Not a very uplifting tale, is it?

As a side-note, Dracula and his kind were not killed by sunlight. The nosferatu simply were not at full power during the day, being creatures of night. As such, the Count can walk through a crowd in broad daylight without so much as a wince.

Makes me wonder if the vampires you see in the Blade movies and "Buffy" are sort of a weaker breed, scorned by the Count and his kin due to some ancient offense their ancestors committed. It would make things very interesting. I'm planning on using the idea someday, once I get that comic idea up and running...

[Madmoonie]

Uhh....guys? No one is here anymore. We all went to RH's new site: rhjunior.com Come join us. Not much will happening here in future. Actaully, nothing will be happening.

[StrangeWulf13]

Sure stuff will be happening! All the people left will insult Ralph and say what a petty and evil person he is for creating his own site and moving!

...actually, you're right. Nothing important will be happening here.

[Madmoonie]

I thought that these forums and sites would be shut down.

[Earl McClaw]

I thought that these forums and sites would be shut down.

They still might. But that's up to the admins.

[Trump]

I thought that the recent threat was, that if RHjr tried to make any attempt to make a forum with him as admin or try to retake his forums here, that these forums and his webcomic would be shut down. And we all see how that threat has panned out now.