[Shelved][✓] [Creature Lore] [Strigae]

[KBR 2046]

 ♫ What We Could Have Become ♫

 

STRIGAE

CHILDREN OF THE UNSEEN
 

 

“Fear not, Gedym aep Helgraen, who hath so foolishly called us to this world,” spoke the first and tallest of the beings, “You have sought immortality, and so we shall grant it to you.”

 

TABLE OF CONTENT:

• Origin Summary

  • Culture

  • Creation

• Physiology

  • Lesser Striga (degeneration)

  • Abilities

• Purpose / Psyche 

  • Physiological Degeneration

• Changelog

 

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ORIGIN SUMMARY

 

Most familiar to the world are the legends by which the species are known; they serve as the iron curtain by which their accursed society operates beneath. Vengeful beasts who live beneath the light of the moon; creatures who come at night to feast on children, revenants banished from death and reanimated in flesh to haunt the living. Their legacy is known throughout all the common cultures of the world, each with their own names designated only in whispers. Most prominent amongst the wide territory of the Empire is Vampyre, suitable and simple, as Ruahdrel and Ardolar they are known as well by Dwarf and Elf in kind. Among their own however, and by a select few scholars invested in the topic they are known by their true name: as Strigae, Children of the Unseen.

 

The Striga are a race of ill-begotten monsters descendent and derived from ancient antiquity. Created by the Unseen; a host of seven aengudaemonic entities of the deific plane who forswore their names in service to the Archdaemon Iblees as his lieutenants. Summoned into the world by an infamous mage of the continent in a wry ceremony, they gave their blessing upon Gedym aep Helgraen; though if all was not shrouded in mystery some Striga would assert that what they offered was more aptly described as a curse. By the emergence of their pregenator were the rest of their ilk borne to the world; the blood of the Unseen spreading from Helgraen to servants of strong constitution who could simply survive.

 

CULTURE

 

Strigae society revolves around the word of the Unseen. The foremost text amongst their kind being the written laws provided by the seven to aep Helgraen upon their emergence unto the mortal plane. Most only have scraps and copies of the original parchment, the most common demands of which have been translated into common for even the youngest neonates to understand correctly: The Unseen Codex. 

 

• One must never drink the blood of and kill another fellow greater striga. All those who defy this principle shall be considered anathema.

• One must always remain unquestioningly obedient to the Unseen. All those who defy this principle shall be considered anathema

• One must always provide fraternal assistance to any fellow striga whose body has been destroyed, and they must be helped to regenerate. All those who defy this principle shall be considered Anathema

• One must never consort with the lesser striga, for they are beast and a shame upon our kind, and are considered to be anathema

• One must never consort with the anathema, and must consider them exempt from the privileges of any greater striga, and thereby anathema are worthy of present death

• One must always endeavour to avoid bringing the attention of mortals onto the greater striga.

• One must always consider it their duty to cremate the cast-off flesh, leavings and destroyed bodies of any fellow striga.

 

These tenants are held strictly by most in secret society and those Striga who find themselves in violation of the law are outlawed commonly as anathema; essentially a strict call by the upper-echelon that essentially servers all chances of redemption. A Striga that is declared anathema by an elder is banished from the wider community and actively shunned or hunted by compatriots. Most who are declared so however are most typically a part of a coven populated enough to enforce the law and a lineage respected enough to offer a legitimate ruling. There is in fact a proverb which defines which best describes the intensity with which wider society regards their own traditions: what is out of sight, is out of mind. Thus if none are able to find feasible fault; there is little actual insistence on the banishment of their own. If none can pin the crime, none have commited the crime.

 

REDLINE: these “tenants” are essentially only RP flavor/aesthetic and have no basis to force others into RP or enforce any type of DC or PK.

 

CREATION

 

“Give us a maid of unspoiled stock, that we may hew her limbs. And on a pile sacrifice her flesh, before this earthly prison of her bones, a virgin’s blood, so that the Taker of Souls be appeased.”

 

Fresh blood of an elder Striga is the primary material used for transformation, it is a reagent which is transfused into an aspiring prospect after their own blood has been taken from them, causing the body to react and change. Accordingly then does the curse take hold and spread throughout the body, multiplying rapidly in a forced evolution which incurs a heavy toll on the body. Most enjoy an excruciatingly slow death by rejection, a spectrum from simplest rot to the wildest flailing; most are strapped to a stone surface due to the variability. In conjunction is the ritual itself, which over the centuries has been refined to mimic the work of Helgraen’s first accursed ceremony. Seven acolytes to bear witness, fresh meat for the chosen neonate to dine upon. The latter is most critical, for if the chosen survives initial contact with their parent’s ichor they must feed and stabilize their own physiology or face their inevitable degeneration. Deprived neonates wither and fade, though overindulgence equally priced at far too high a cost. Striga who overindulge in the earliest stages of their budding birth risk evolution into a mindless beast, thus is the eternal battle of one under the influence of the Unseen lineage.

 

The immediate effects of success are evident in the features of the neonate; pale skin like a sickly performer ill on-stage and arrogantly ignoring the consequence. It is as if the skin were blemished with cloudy white cosmetics; likewise in traditional form are the canines of the individual mildly elongated though also easily veiled by a simple closing of the mouth. Each is manageable with balanced and regular feeding; able to be subdued to the point of normality. The last feature is the iris, denoted as yellowish-green; a permanent feature unchangeable regardless of one’s diet. The curse greatly diminishes the body’s own ability to produce its own lifeforce, by virtue of this it is then for that reason that Strigae hunts perpetually in search of it in the blood of others, this much is certain.

 

REDLINE: roll based ritual transfusion; base roll of 12+ needed for success and you get three rolls. If they don’t feed in the 24IRL hours after or fails all three rolls the person in question either dies, or degenerates into an Upir. The Elder in question must also have an accepted TA.

 

the three stages of hunger (left to right)

 

PHYSIOLOGY

 

There are in essence two denominations which Strigae are characterized; the greater, and the lesser (vampirus superiores and vampirus luminares respectively). The first and most familiar to traditional literature is the former, the greater strigae which practice the most distinctive aspect of subterfuge. They are physically ageless and live near up to four thousand years in age. They are stunted in no way save for the void that the Unseen demand be filled, the cravings of a beast. Strength and sense are expanded beyond normal capacity; operating at the highest peak of their previous biology. Greater Striga also appear physically much the same as they had at the point of their turning in eternal perpetuity. Completely humanoid they are able to disguise their more feral features and hide within common society and live much the same as they might have before if as aforementioned, they retain a suitable diet. Failing to feed therin rendering one cold to the touch, akin to chilled feet unprotected by the warmth of a blanket at night. While in a calm state Greater Striga are able to maintain their form with relative ease. There is the previous form, known for convenience as the ‘passive’ form, there is also the following ‘bestial’ form.

 

In a state of anxiety Striga are put into a state of flux and transform into something far more sinister; a ‘bestial’ attack form. Much like any cornered animal when it’s back is to the wall, when Strigae experience intense bouts of emotion it sends that individual into a state of fight or flight. The eyes previously mentioned as being primarily yellow-green are completely blackened, and while their frame remains much the same as before the features of that physiology become far more gaunt and sunken. Their blackened veins become visible as well, their nose flattened, their ears long and sharp. Striga also gain access to elongated talons which serve them well as tempered weapons for defense in the most dire of circumstances.

 

male Striga in beastial form

 

LESSER STRIGAE

 

A Lesser Striga Is the product of an individual's self-indulgence. Degeneration to this state is in practice caused when the body has ingested far too much blood for its own good. The blood curdles to the point of mutation and the specimen in question becomes in its entirety the beast that was formerly chained by strength of character. Satiation of the hunger is conducted in bloody fashion with no regard at all for nuance or even security; the strength that occupies the upper echelon of the species having disappeared in its entirety. Symbolic of this fallen mental-state lesser Strigae also lack physical control of their vampiric traits; lost to the beast is their original passive state, forced to remain in a revolting shell which mirrors the tainted mentality of the subject, their healing factor becoming a parceled shard of what once was.

 

It is for these reasons that lesser Strigae are subsequently shunned and oppressed by the wider society; those who have given themselves to the hellion inside are traditionally barred from aid by nominal authority which finds itself vested in the collective covens that encompass the hidden corners of the world. The wild conjecture of common myth and legend are perpetuated at their fullest by the fallen, as most find no other shelter than amidst the darkest caverns and tombs, only arriving in populated areas to slaughter indiscriminately before retreating into the shadows. Thus they are also the only subset of the species which experience a true and final death as it is thought repulsive to help revive such a reviled example of the species; once the body of a lesser Striga has been torn asunder it is simply no more, doomed to linger in the place of it’s death in perpetual torment.

 

Lesser Striga themselves are then divided into three subspecies, first categorized as so in books recovered from the ruins of the Marked stronghold the Hexicanum. Each is identified specifically by their place in the metamorphosis.

 

An Upir is the immediate product of degeneration, the state of an individual who has only recently given themselves to their baser instinct. All the features that were once contained by the self are displayed clear. The face is left sunken and grey in appearance, and the claws are permanently present. The array of savage teeth even become so unmanageable that an Upir’s maw protrudes from mouth perpetually, their lips receded and thinly retracted back behind the marrow of the bone. Behind a cloak or any dense clothing capable of hiding their monstrous features can be masked, at a practical distance at least; Upirs are still very much humanoid in shape, they walk on two feet. The hunting habits dawned by most of its subspecies reflect these limitations, often only appearing in the night to avoid being properly seen. Upir are also even capable of some stunted speech confined to a few simple audibles; a grunt there, a moan here, the howl of a rabid dog, unintelligible a sane mind though amongst themselves oddly communicative. Some Upir even experience desperosity; a need for a way out of their condition. TO that end hunger will drive them to appease or devour their distant greater kin, most often one who has been set apart as anathema. 

 

After several years of survival and continuous ingestion the midway in development follows; defined as an Alp. Degenerating specimen at this second stage no longer maintain a typical humanoid form; they grow blackened and obese via the nutrition progressively sustained over the span of their years. What is most particular to the subspecies is the density of muscle; the trait is asserted as a product of a subject’s accumulated weight which also lends to it’s quadrupedal orientation. The increased load being distributed between the Alp’s four appendages. The beast essentially resembles that of a great ape; all that comprises it’s former identity driven so far deep into the body that it might never be retrieved from the void. Alps are thus also incapable of any variety of speech or higher thought. What they do manage to ascertain is based solely in auditory sense; an Alp’s eyesight is poor, so it will attack indiscriminately any entity that cannot considerably subdue their own steps. Many fallen Strigae do not last past this state, and the ones who do find themselves unable to find security even in the darkest of catacombs; the slaughter they stir far too great to go unnoticed in most circumstances.

 

the three subspecies (upir to carcoran)

 

The final stage of development is prone to extreme rarity; known as a Carcoran these creatures are eternally starving behemoths. The process to reach this point is debatable, however the spectrum of most individuals closes after a common period of five years if feeding is regular. The body’s evolution starts to churn down; it’s development catching up with the beast’s own bloody diet, the creature’s physiology taking shape as that of a gargantuan bear with most of the creature’s weight distributed on its hind legs. As a result a Carcoran may walk on all-fours, or stand rampant when confronted with suitable danger. When fully erect a Carcoran stands nearly nine feet high, though their full height is left unused in most cases due to the slouch that accompanies them. It’s limbs themselves long and thick like the trunk of a great oak tree. They are also completely blind; the issue of eyesight exacerbated to the point redundancy regarding the subject. Completely vestigial in nature. Instead a Carcoran relies completely on their ears in the form of echolocation. Their habits reflect this, as most of the subspecies live in caverns on the outskirts of townships or villages, even sometimes feeding on petty animals to retain their fill though they are prone to eventually vomiting it all back up. Despite this immense strength and speed consequently Carcoran are also subsequently the most unintelligent of any of the three aforementioned specimen; dumb as an ox and easily dispatchable by overwhelming force.

 

RED LINE: Lesser Striga beyond Upir restricted to ST; degeneration occurs after the equivalent of four adult meals (two people drained in their entirety.) Upir are playable with a separate CA dictating that a player is aware of the differences between a greater and lesser Striga, should the lesser Striga devolve further they become unplayable. An Upir may ascend back to greaterdom by consuming a greater Striga, in doing so they would be rendered Anathema. 

 

PSYCHOLOGY

 

The Strigae experience a hunger that transcends the common temptations of ambition, greed and social acceptance: forced to become the architect of their own sustainability, all centered around the premise of discrete existence and consistent feeding. While the lesser Strigae fail to carefully cultivate an existence that serves their needs, the greater Strigae find no challenge in being the realm’s greatest pretenders. 

 

Bishops, merchants, bureaucrats and soldiers alike: the Greater Strigae climbs the institutions of man so that he can be protected by its mantle of privilege: a trust, but primarily access, that comes with certain professions and social classes exclusively. The calculating and mobile are rewarded, whereas the clumsy and gluttonous descend into an existence of violent madness. Simply put: their sole purpose is to feed. But one may wonder if the grotesque machinations created around such an existence, don’t deserve to be considered a purpose by itself. 

 

The quality of the psyche differs per individual: but much like the commoners among us, the steady hand can hold the most. Once a Striga discovers a formula within his environment that succeeds in providing undetected, yet consistent supply: he is not prone to change it. Though for those that have been adhering to such a formula for centuries, adding self-established ceremonies and rites before or after consumption is not uncommon. Different covens were unable to escape the cultural influences of their location, which brought different ‘enrichments’ to its ceremonies across the realm.

 

Considering that temperance is a matter of proper existence to the Striga, and not just a valued trait: one might not be surprised that most Striga come off as calm and stable to the outside world. Drunkards or excessive talkers are rare, as most wield an iron discipline to only take steps necessary for their continued survival. A quality to some perhaps, but also a trait that renders them inhuman even in public affairs. They can be seemingly bored at a festival, or oddly indifferent at a trial: these events are human pretensions of satisfaction. True satisfaction is being fed. 

 

‘Love and Pain’ by Edvard Munch

 

PSYCHOLOGICAL DETERIORATION

 

There are significant differences between the psyche’s Strigae that go beyond the greater and lesser distinction. The path from greater to lesser takes place on a spectrum: with each Striga differently placed. The Striga could survive without blood, as much as it can handle a constant routine for centuries. The question however, is whether their psyche is strong enough to sustain it. The less well fed a Striga is relative to what he is used to: the more agitated he becomes with the unnecessary in his life. Distractions can, in serious cases, evoke sincere rage or loss of composure. The usual façades towards those around him weaken: the need to be fed tampers the mind. 

 

On the opposite end of this primitive bloodlust stands the achilles heel of even the finest of Greater Strigae: the contemplation of their existence. Outliving all friends that they could possibly have, with no natural transition of their bodies nor the rush of inevitable mortality: what can they get from their prolonged, systemic lives? 

 

For those that have made it into the finest circles of mankind: the curse of too much time and insufficient pleasure brought them to pursue acts of psychological distraction. Analyzing all the structures, tales and norms that the world operates through. Pondering what their place is in a world that seems to wither before they do. The upper echelon of Greater Strigae make of the greatest, yet loneliest of minds.  For those unable to cope with the inability, or excellence of their ability, to cultivate a comfortable existence for themselves: this destiny seems realistic. 

 

GREATER STRIGAE: CAPABILITIES & LIMITATIONS

 

Striga blood itself is a stimulant that derives its potency from the concentration of the life essence that is extracted after feeding upon a mortal subject. Gifted first from the Unseen to aep Helgraen and subsequently thereafter: from the oldest to the youngest. It is from this that all Greater Strigae derive their abilities; abilities that can be divided on the basis of passive or active function. In essence, active abilities require conscious effort, while passive effects act practically as regular bodily mechanics. It is also worthy to note that these abilities are dependent on blood intake and that efficiency is entirely tied to the health of the individual. If a Striga decides to starve himself of life-essence he will lose that which fuels his abilities; thus being as weak or infirm as he might have been otherwise before his transformation. Likewise if the subject feeds regularly their powers and functions will remain intact.

 

PHYSIOLOGICAL AUGMENTATIONS:

 

HEIGHTENED PHYSICAL PROWESS,

 

When Strigae are at their most potent they benefit from a variety of bodily boons; most noticeably in both strength and speed. This heightened physical prowess is however limited to the body’s bone structure and muscle density; when a Striga has been underfed or continuously starved these factors then weigh down on the individual to subsequently tire them out more quickly than not. It stands to reason then that the longer a fight goes on for the less opportunities there will be for the specimen in question to defeat their foe, or even possibly flee. 

 

Striga are built for quick decisive movement; their high-twitch muscle fiber allows them to strike hard and fast. The body reflects the need of the species: that a fight must be avoided at all costs, to either win quickly or flee quickly. This is further reflected in a Striga’s bestial form, the structure of the body polymorphing against the weight of their anxiety and fear. Striga are also capable of a passive low-light vision allocated to them via augmentations they acquire after their turning; great falls also prove ineffective in hampering Strigae, as many encounters end commonly by way of open window.

 

RED LINE: all physical attributes are capped at the capacity of an Uruk/Orc and limited by the amount of blood they have consumed recently. Someone who hasn’t fed in months will not benefit at all. Strength must abide by reasonable means: think any mixed martial artist or peak athlete, not some unrealistic hulking monstrosity.

 

HYPERMETABOLISM,

 

The aforementioned metabolism also gifts Strigae with inherent health; Immunity to poison and disease (but conversely unable to benefit from alchemical potions.) Theirs is an accumulated numbing to the variable stimuli that life offers over time. As a product of their enhanced metabolism, Strigae also have an inherent resistance to cold and are even able to wander through a tundra, or swim through frozen over waters in relative comfort when well fed. Their immunity to poison makes strigae unable to benefit alchemic healing or elixirs for the changing of appearance. Their body would also reject the afflicted symbiote in this regard. This is also why Striga are unable to learn extraordinary magics, and why the potential for all else is burned out of them by the transfusion of the Unseen’s vile blood into the vein. Once turned, the body fights vigorously against foriegn influences and does not allow an inch of ground in this regard. This is also partly the reason why normal sustenance is simply inferior to the consummation of life energy. In order for the body to continue to operate efficiently it is critical that Strigae receive enough fuel to sustain their corporeal body and their abilities, as even if they are immune to tampering they cannot stave off the gnawing twisting rot that accompanies starvation.

 

Whilst for the most part unhindered and unfeeling of cold, their bodymatter is not exempt from it; a Striga’s skin and muscles can still be frozen by alchemical, magical or even mundane means and the same pain and restriction would be experienced. Similarly intense heat is handled the same way. The body can be hampered like any other creature; yet despite feeling that pain Strigae are also equal to it, fortuitous to curb their physical reaction. 

 

REDLINE: Striga are unable to learn any kind of magic, nor are they able to be cured, or transformed into another CA equivalent creature. Everything they had before they turned would then be lost. Also while strong in constitution that does not at all mean that extreme cold or heat does not affect them, they have a tolerance, not an immunity.

 

TEMPERAMENTAL SENSORY,

 

Striga are also found to be more acutely aware of other’s physiology. When blood is near so too is the compulsion to transform and hunt, though this can be mitigated via one’s strength of mind. The compulsion is so great that some specimens of Strigae are even prone to losing control and going berserk. This is also the very reason why Striga can sense their own kind; blood calls to blood. But it is not the blood itself that Strigae are attuned to; rather they are drawn to the qualities held within the blood which offers them sustenance and euthporia in return, very similar to the experience mortals undergo when being subjected to their own blood. The quality of the blood is in fact offset by the elemental composition; essentially the chemical composition and balance of bodily fluids.

 

There are components in this regard, identified as the four humors, four excesses which effect and work to imbalance the body identified as such since antiquity: black bile, yellow bile, sanguinity, and phlegm or mucus. It is believed then that an abundance in any of the four is unappealing to most Strigae; yet some do acquire specific tastes, as these four Humors translate to certain temperaments which are really how those of the species identify the subject of their next meal. Some Striga are in fact abundantly picky in their diet. For the wide majority of Striga however: what is preferred is a meaningful balance of these fluids in the body, as both an excess or a deficiency of any four provides to taint the experience of feeding. Thus it is for the purpose of determining blood purity that their senses are enhanced, and although all five senses are enhanced they are not absurdly so; more apt is that this predatory affinity manifests instead as a sixth sense entirely.

 

REDLINE: It is not possible to use these sensory skills as an out to track people, to sniff people out of hiding, to listen in unreasonably unto another conversation from another room. Misuse in any of these ways, or in any other malicious manner will result in that player’s CA being revoked.

 

REGENERATION,

Passive, Active, and Otherwise,

 

The most prominent ability a Striga may possess is the raw regenerative potential of it’s physiology. Striga retain an ability to heal from even the most dire of wounds. This objectively potent ability is then subsequently contained by the time it takes the body to recover from harm. For the most dire of circumstances most prefer to lick their wounds in solitude or hibernation; in places hidden to the eyes of mortals, the trait is shared by lesser Strigae as well, giving credence to their mythological preference for crypts and graveyards. This passive regeneration is at its most effective when there is no other preoccupation inhibiting the respite of the specimen and it’s latent capacity for cell growth. Thus it renders Strigae are only actively able to manage surface wounds in combat: cuts, bruises, burns, frostbite; these things are understandably manageable. A sword thrust through the chest however? As painful for any variety of Striga as it would be for an ordinary mortal being. 

 

The surest way to best a Vampyric beast is by debilitation. If one burns out their eyes or perhaps breaks their arms, removes their tools from play; these are the stratagems best suited for ultimate dispensation in a disadvantageous senario. A secondary option is the use of a purifying deific magic which renders these boons redundent in combat; slowing the rate of regeneration to a near halt until the body has fought off the virus in a safer environment. Overwhelming force is also of great issue, Strigae cannot feasibly recover from being burned to a crisp or having their heads chopped off and their brains shattered, not without the aid.

 

a striga recovering via the vetalas moments after it’s resurrection

 

True death however is not achievable at the hands of a mortal, as a Strigae spirit remains clung to the site of it’s death. It lies dormant there forever in a hibernative state, the cells of the deceased clinging to whatever it might possibly manifest upon. It is a hopeless endeavour requiring the intervening aid of another Striga that may be drawn to the area. With the aid of another however, and with a donation of blood the regenerative process can be drawn in-kind and the reformation of the body can begin; typically over the course of nine years at the minimum. 

 

The state the Striga is left in is near identical to an abomidal abortion. The recovery of one’s skin and bone structure being some of the final components. Strigae return to corporeal form as bloody heaps of meat which must be fed unflinchingly for these painstaking years after their revival; though once completed this new body would look nearly identical to the one they had before their death. It is an odd development, and a traumatizing one for the mind to undertake: for while the mind is not fully conscious the specimen does retain it’s intelligence in this extremely vulnerable state which is consequently dubbed as the Vetalas. Indeed for the majority of this time period Strigae cannot walk, nor even hunt or feed without the aid of a provider.

 

For real death to occur under the prior conditions the entirety of the specimen in question must be devoured upon death with no remains left uneaten; and to that end is the virtue of fraternal aid twisted into the fratricidal act of anthropophagus, or cannibalism. In this instance the murderer in question takes the dormant spirit of their kin and incorporates it into their own; effectively ending the lesser partner in this taboo union. This process effectively renders regeneration defunct, as there is logically no material matter remaining to latch to. For this reason it is held as taboo amongst hidden society that Striga quarrel amongst themselves; it is even mandated by the Unseen themselves through their Codex which details the rule of their covenant with aep Helgraen.

 

REDLINE(S): all internal damage done to a Striga in combat cannot be undone while still in combat. If you're stabbed in the chest or someone pierces a lung, stabs out an eye (again) all of this cannot be feasibly regenerated when focusing on defence. To do so is powergaming and will again result in the immediate revocation of that individual’s CA. Minor wounds can clot and scab, but this must be achieved in combat via emote and to fully heal they must again be safely outside of combat.

(A Striga may still PK to valid RP death should they wish)

 

HEMATOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES:

 

HUMORIC STIMULATION,
 

It is already well known that Strigae possesses a latent ability to sense the blood and blood quality of other individuals, but why is this the case? Striga are required to drink of life-essence to maintain their abilities yes, but this is not also why they hunger and crave for it. Essense held in the blood of mortals is the fuel, but it is also in turn a major stimulant for the Striga as well. The numbness of life being temporarily sated in an instance of feeding. Striga experience a certain euphoria when consuming humorically balanced meals, and intensely the range of emotion tied to their victim’s own experiences. It is in this way then that a Striga can almost in a literal sense; suck the life out of an individual. All the valuable emotions and feelings that constitute their own identity: it is this that Strigae yearn for in a life of otherwise poor and miserable circumstance.

 

REDLINE: emotions are the only thing that can be experienced by a Striga when they feed, strong feelings and not memories, events, or clues of any kind. Breaks lore and will result in the revocation of the individual’s CA.

 

BLOOD ENTHRALLMENT,

 

Enthrallment is the result of the innate hypnotic properties found within the blood of Greater Strigae. Strigae blood is capable of posing a unique sway over the waking consciousness of a descendant; instilling in whomever sups from a Striga the same malignant need that the Strigae themselves possess for the blood of those unafflicted by their curse. It is unknown whether these properties are a result of the changes the curse has had upon the Strigae’s body, or if the blood itself carries a magical property to it, but it has proven effective in producing an effect on the body most similar to an opiate addiction; producing great stress both mental and physical upon those reliant upon the substance in the absence thereof.

 

Any descendant who drinks of a Greater Strigae’s blood, wittingly or unwittingly, will begin to fall under the allure of the Strigae. The amount need be no larger than 15 ml, and can subsequently be disguised in drinks such as wine with little difficulty. It is tiered, with subsequent encounters with Strigae blood producing a greater effect building onto addiction and thus true enthrallment. It also has the effect of producing an infantile version of Strigae regenerative ability in the thrall, with blemishes, bruises and otherwise trivial wounds healing passively via this effect.

 

Upon initially being fed the blood of a Strigae, the individual will feel the effects equivalent to post-mild intoxication, with inhibitions loosened and clarity of mind obscured by the sinister nature of it. At the first stage, this bond lasts for two IRL hours and can be utilized to assist in mild persuasion of the person in question. The ‘strength’ of the bond increases exponentially upon every incident where they imbibe the blood of their original regnant. This increases the length of the bond by two hours each time, and subsequently the addiction and the overall hold their affliction has over them up until the fifth and final incident, wherein the bond will be made permanent (until the thrall completely neglects their urges for a period of two IRL weeks) at which point they become fully beholden to the whims of their Regnant and cannot go against their will. (this final stage requires OOC consent) Upon being denied the blood of their Regnant for over two IRL days, the thrall will enter into symptoms similar to drug withdrawal and will suffer from the agonizing effects of such for a period until they feed again or have staved off the addiction for a total of two IRL weeks.

 

REDLINE(S): the final stage of enthrallment requires ooc consent. Enthrallment cannot be used to force a thrall into any sort of act that would entail the willful suicide of the character, or that would be considered lewd or unwholesome. Enthrallment cannot be used to force actions onto a character up until the fifth and final stage of enthrallment, which requires the OOC consent of the player involved. It is meant to instill suggestibility, not outright mind control. 

 

Thralls are not granted the abnormal strength or regenerative ability of Greater Strigae, instead inheriting a higher physical resilience that allows them to recover from minor wounds such as scrapes, bruising, etc. Enthrallment must be broken through abstaining from the blood of a thrall’s Regnant, whether willingly or unwillingly, for a period of two IRL weeks and cannot be cleansed by any magical means.

 

STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES SUMMARIZED

 

STRENGTHS SUMMARIZED:

General Strengths

• Strigae are immortal, unaffected by time or disease.

• Strigae are endowed with some significant strength relative to their size. This is not super strength.

• Strigae can sense and determine the quality of blood in another individual close at hand according to temperament and physical tells.

• Strigae are able to be very quick and evasive, capable of moving and concealing themselves in the shadows adeptly. This is not super-speed.

• Strigae may grow talons (up to 12cm) for use in combat when enraged, hunting, or blood-drunk.

• Greater strigae are capable of regenerating wounds that would be fatal to mortals, such as a stab through the heart or a slit throat, unless inflicted upon them by gold or holy magic, in which case such wounds take considerably longer to heal and are able to more easily incapacitate the striga. In combat this ability is restricted to surface wounds ONLY

• Strigae are capable of tapping into their victims emotions and feelings through the drinking of their blood. No more, and no less.

• Greater strigae are unkillable under most circumstances. While their bodies can be totally incapacitated in much the same manner as would a normal humanoid (Rapid dismemberment, beheading) and destroyed through destruction of the brain, ‘death’ in this fashion only serves to destroy the corporeal body and banish the spirit from this plane. 

• With enough time (Recorded in this document as a minimum of nine years) and the aid of another striga’s blood, a greater striga may regenerate a new body, identical to the last. However, if a greater striga is killed by one of its own kind, it suffers a final death - and similarly, if another striga refuses to offer aid to a comrade whose body is destroyed (Whether this is because they are anathema or for other reasons) they may not regenerate.

 

LIMITATIONS  SUMMARIZED:

General Limitations

• Strigae are compelled to feed on blood, hungering for it like a powerful addiction. Though this ‘alcoholism’ can occasionally be overcome by the most controlled of strigae, it is always latent.

• Strigae who have not fed on blood for an extended period of the time are cold to the touch and begin to suffer from a state of degeneration. While they do not become lesser striga, they become emaciated husks the longer they go with blood, eventually reaching a point where they will be incapable of feeding themselves without the assistance of another due to extreme physical lethargy and muscle degeneration.

• Greater strigae who overindulge (More than four adult 'meals' per seed-month) on blood will begin the process of degeneration into an Upir and subsequent creatures.

• Animals (specifically of the family Canidae) are able to detect the scent of a striga and are averse to one’s presence, often unfriendly and suspicious in the presence of a striga.

• Strigae are susceptible to aurum, and cannot immediately regenerate wounds inflicted by blades of gold, causing it to take twice as long as would normally be applicable. To a striga, any form of aurum or silver is very uncomfortable to the touch, and must be handled with gloves. When a stake formed of either material is driven through the heart of a striga it causes immediate bodily paralysis and inhibits the regenerative functions of the striga until removed.

• Becoming a striga is irreversible.

• Strigae are infertile and can only reproduce by inflicting their curse (Or as they often see it, a blessing) upon others.

• Strigae are completely unable to learn and utilize magical skills as a result of their affliction. Prior magical skills that were learnt prior to transformation become unusable.

• Strigae cannot utilize the Cloud Temple monks to heal their bodies.

• The scent of excessive blood such as that of a large battle or slaughterhouse will drive even the most controlled striga temporarily wild and rabid, forcing them into their more bestial form and causing them to lose control of their emotions.

• Lesser Striga beyond Upir restricted to ST; degeneration occurs after the equivalent of four adult meals (two people drained in their entirety.) Upir are playable with a separate CA dictating that a player is aware of the differences between a greater and lesser Striga, should the lesser Striga devolve further they become unplayable. An Upir may ascend back to greaterdom by consuming a greater Striga, in doing so they would be rendered Anathema. 

• Cultural distaste for individuals who have violated the Unseen “tenants” cannot be used as a basis to DC or PK and an individual, they are essentially only RP flavor/aesthetic and have no basis to force others into RP or enforce any type of DC or PK.

Creation Limitations

• Must use rolls based ritual transfusion; base roll of 12+ needed for success and you get three rolls. 

• If they don’t feed in the 24IRL hours after or fails all three rolls the person in question either dies, or degenerates into an Upir. 

• The Elder in question must also have an accepted TA.

Physical Prowess

• All physical attributes are capped at the capacity of an Uruk/Orc and limited by the amount of blood they have consumed most recently.

  • A character that has fed within the week(IRL) will be at full capacity. 

  • A character that has fed within the past month(IRL) will have that capacity subtracted by half.

  • A character that has NOT fed within the past month(IRL)will have that capacity become redundant.

• Striga are uniquely strong, yet that strength must abide by reasonable means: think any given mixed martial artist or peak athlete, not some unrealistic hulking monstrocity. 

Metabolic Limitations

• Striga are unable to learn any kind of magic.

• Striga cannot be cured.

• Striga cannot be transformed into another CA equivalent creature. Everything they had before they turned is lost. 

• While strong in constitution that does not at all mean that extreme cold or heat does not affect them, they have a tolerance, not an immunity.

Temperamental Sensory

• It is not possible to use these sensory skills as an out to track people

• Sensory skill cannot be used to sniff people out of hiding

• Sensory skills are also unable to allow someone to listen in unreasonably unto another conversation from another room. 

• Misuse in any of these ways, or in any other malicious manner will result in that player’s CA being revoked.

Regeneration

• All internal damage done to a Striga in combat cannot be undone while still in combat. If you're stabbed in the chest or someone pierces a lung, stabs out an eye (again) all of this cannot be feasibly regenerated when focusing on defence. To do so is powergaming and will again result in the immediate revocation of that individual’s CA. 

• Middling wounds can clot and scab, but this must be achieved in combat via emote and to fully heal they must again be safely outside of combat.

  • Middling injuries (ie. cuts and other blemishes) will take three emotes to recover from*

  • Minor injuries (ie. internal bodily injury) will take between 4 irl hours to regenerate from*.

  • Major injuries (ie. severed limbs or grievous wounds) will take between 3 days to regenerate from*.

  • Mortal injuries (ie. destruction of the brain, or complete bodily destruction) will take 1 month to regenerate from, and will also require the help of another striga to help regenerate.  

• Any injury received from aurum will take twice as long to recover from as the same injury received by regular means. 

• Real Death while preferably ending in the permanent death of the character can also result in degeneration or eternal limbo instead.

  • Combat must also already be decided before the rp can commence, one cannot consume their opponent mid-combat.

• A Striga can still pk to valid rp death should they wish, the same as any normal character. 

Enthrallment Limitations

• The final stage of enthrallment requires ooc consent. 

• Enthrallment cannot be used to force a thrall into any sort of act that would entail the willful suicide of the character, or that would be considered lewd or unwholesome. 

• Enthrallment cannot be used to force actions onto a character up until the fifth and final stage of enthrallment, which requires the OOC consent of the player involved. It is meant to instill suggestibility, not outright mind control. 

• Thralls are not granted the abnormal strength or regenerative ability of Greater Strigae, instead inheriting a higher physical resilience that allows them to recover from minor wounds such as scrapes, bruising, etc. 

• Enthrallment must be broken through abstaining from the blood of a thrall’s Regnant, whether willingly or unwillingly, for a period of two IRL weeks and cannot be cleansed by any magical means.

 

PURPOSE

 

Striga exist to challenge the significant value we place on the concept of immortality, and to answer the question of what would happen if a finite entity suddenly found itself invested with infinite vitality. It’s a question that can only really be purely expressed in roleplay, and that is ultimately the core pillar of the community. What would happen if an old man regained his strength? Or a young man remained eternally youthful? What would happen to that individual as a character? It’s the promise of story in the long term for players who value a level of realism that cannot be adequately gained elsewhere.

 

Striga also presents a very fascinating philosophical dilemma; that this curse can transform a moral character into someone unrecognizable. It’s this question: of how beings with such a limited scope manage to fill all the centuries they’ve been given without falling into depression, going mad, or getting killed. The essential battle of a Striga is between humanity and the compulsion to do harm. The niche is complex because of that black and white dynamic and the result is something that is far more unique and character driven than in most other formats on the server. It’s what has made this lore so paliable in the past and why people continue to be dedicated to it now. It’s the reason why it was the first to get traditional night creatures right on this server without conforming to the typical twilight cringe aesthetic.

 

CHANGELOG

March 21st, 12:42PM

• removed most paragraphs copied from the original post via Maly and MTH due to insufficient detail in the requested subjects; instead now using the older source primarily as a base.

• added table of content to guide progress.

• added two paragraphs, condensed origin/ background

• added two paragraphs, elaborated further on creation and related mechanics.

• added next section: three paragraphs, physiology: greater striga v. lesser striga; lesser striga further described.

March 23rd, 7:10AM

• added three paragraphs on lesser striga

March 27th, 7:21PM

• added three paragraphs, finished physiology

• added seven paragraphs, psychology finished by Draeris 

March 28th, 12:58AM

• start on abilities, marked out titles to fill in; goal to better explain and expand on basic powers, trim the fat.

• title changed from ABILITIES to specifically capabilities & limitations of greater striga (playable striga)

• added one intro paragraph; divided abilities on the basis of passive and active function with formal division between physical improvements and abilities that are directly due to exposure to blood.

• added two paragraphs under subtopic: physical prowess.

• added a paragraph and a half under subtopic: hypermetabolism.

March 29th, 8:58AM

• added two paragraphs under subtopic: humoric sensory, renamed ‘tempramental sensory’.

• start on regeneration, critical to get right.

• added five paragraphs to subtopic: regeneration.

  • expansion on the following topic: real death, regeneration period after death, solidified healing times as requested.

• started on blood attributes: ‘hematological attributes.’ divided as follows: humoric stimulation, blood enthrallment.

• added a paragraph to subtopic: humoric stimulation

• added three paragraphs to subtopic: enthrallment 

• added new redlines and further consolidated strengths and weaknesses in the bottom topic.

• added relevant red-line restrictions under the relevant abilities.

• restructure of topics to fit required format

• added two paragraphs to the topic: purpose.

• created changelog upon request; documented

• added to paragraphs to topic: culture

• added requested caveat on unseen legality

• feedback hopefully addressed

March 31, 10:29PM

• edited strength augment and redlines after ST consultation; will reverse if necessary.

 

CREDITS

 

To all the people who helped work on this new rewrite, and to all the folks who came before to create this special creature on lotc. This one is for you guys, as none of this would be possible without you; we stand on the shoulders of giants.

| MALY, MTHDOMINATOR, SCREAMINGDINGO, KBR, LEVIRAD, BAGLEY, & JACK |

 

Spoiler

Matthew (Malaise) and Maly (Esterlen) – For the original creation and writing of this lore which mostly remains the same within this post, as well as for their blessing in the continuation of this lore. 

Joel (ScreamingDingo) – For his initial creation of Enthrallment, and his passion for the lore to remain true to its original intentions.

JACK (duscur) – For being a MAD-LAD and rewriting the whole post. You're a true friend and a wonderful person, possibly the most valuable friend I will ever have; I will worship you forever.

Mordu – For his assistance in the alchemical portions of the lore, as well as letting us borrow from the Drakul lore. Didn’t end up using much, but the support was deeply heartfelt

Josh (Potent_Rage), Bagley, Pundimonium and others – For their assistance in the writing/balancing of this lore piece and/or brainstorming new ideas.

Yandeer – For her moral support and listening to my screaming about the forums for the collective two hours it too me to format this.

 

and last but not least; thank you to all the ST who offered their time to offer advice and aid to the project. We appreciate you and the time you put into making this server what it is.

 

[Archipelego 2188]

first

[lemonke 6014]

Second 

[Jentos 9422]

Past their prime, I’m afraid... ?

[Skylez 870]

Why.

This lore doesn’t address any of the issues that the original lore had, for one.
If anything this only makes them stronger. Poison fangs lol

[Callistus 988]

22 minutes ago, KBR said:

Blood Memories 

“Blood is lives.” 

-Emerick aen Anerhyd

pretty sure I’ve heard this elsewhere..

but please desist the bland and recurrent trope of “dracula” skyrim vampires, it only brings pain unto my eyes. the lore (mostly excerpted from the original) isn’t bad per-se, but it doesn’t fix what strigae were shelved for.

[ScreamingDingo 20568]

 

there’s way too much to unpack.

 

 

i genuinely can’t.

 

venom, memory reading, having the pks thinly veiled and done in a way where I know your group will avoid them.

 

I honestly was like, “this is a nice read” then I remembered a majority of it is just completely ripped from the old lore written by matt and rhys. Then your little excerpt with Benda and saying the Unseen have been killed makes absolutely no sense. This has sorted absolutely none of the issues that happened because of the mass power-gaming utilised by those who had striga. The things that /needed/ to be defined are not, instead you gave them venom and more strangely supernatural powers.

 

 

Originally, striga were essentially made as a segue to human immortality and highlighting the inner animalistic struggle that can come with such. Instead throughout the course of its use, it has devolved into dracula-esque roleplay which was never the intention. They’ve had their course, as long as they’re not retconned and the work of Esterlen and Mth_Dew is respected I will be happy to watch these creatures fade into obscurity. The actual fixes that Caleb wants for Striga are easy to do, but yet you still somehow missed it.

 

 

[Unwillingly 18099]

cmon lets get this vampire x werewolf RP  ?

[_Sug 2809]

Well done my friend. Well done. +1

[Enlightenment 2295]

God bless, +1

[Lasombruh 612]

cool

[Yaldabaoth 746]

[Gustando 1990]

They had a good ending, should’ve just left it at that in my personal opinion

[osumanduas 1442]

((Before my little rant I just want to thank the ST who were actually willing to work with the guys on trying to address some of the issues, Mordu, Skyk, Archipelego))

 

15 hours ago, Jentos said:

Past their prime, I’m afraid... ?

15 hours ago, Boruto said:

pretty sure I’ve heard this elsewhere..

but please desist the bland and recurrent trope of “dracula” skyrim vampires, it only brings pain unto my eyes. the lore (mostly excerpted from the original) isn’t bad per-se, but it doesn’t fix what strigae were shelved for.

 

15 hours ago, ScreamingDingo said:

 

there’s way too much to unpack.

 

 

i genuinely can’t.

 

venom, memory reading, having the pks thinly veiled and done in a way where I know your group will avoid them.

 

I honestly was like, “this is a nice read” then I remembered a majority of it is just completely ripped from the old lore written by matt and rhys. Then your little excerpt with Benda and saying the Unseen have been killed makes absolutely no sense. This has sorted absolutely none of the issues that happened because of the mass power-gaming utilised by those who had striga. The things that /needed/ to be defined are not, instead you gave them venom and more strangely supernatural powers.

 

 

Originally, striga were essentially made as a segue to human immortality and highlighting the inner animalistic struggle that can come with such. Instead throughout the course of its use, it has devolved into dracula-esque roleplay which was never the intention. They’ve had their course, as long as they’re not retconned and the work of Esterlen and Mth_Dew is respected I will be happy to watch these creatures fade into obscurity. The actual fixes that Caleb wants for Striga are easy to do, but yet you still somehow missed it.

 

 

 

While I haven’t been involved in the full writing of the piece I’ll be very happy to defend it against some of the more frustrating points as I was around for a bit of brainstorming, and the actual process of squeezing out what the hell everyone wanted to change. I need to address the furries in the comments first though.

 

@Boruto @Jentos

 

This:  https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/188841-playable-ca-vargs-accursed-werbeasts/ don’t moan about tropes when your own lore can logically fall into the same rabbit hole; if people want to role-play a particular fantasy nishe let them. Nobody is past their time, please desist from Skyrim-Witcher werewolf botchling rp masked behind ‘oh its Mediterranean folklore’ and maybe you’ll have a leg to stand on. It’s a stupid reaction so as a member of the story team try to give some real criticism so it can be changed accordingly and modified to fit with the standard.

 

Seeing how the guys have been treated in trying to rectify the issues of the first round was painful to say the least. The details on what actually needed to be changed were far too vague, a lot of what I noticed was the habit of the commenting ST was to point out something that had already been addressed (like the extent of their strength and speed.) As for what Caleb wants, for one Caleb never responds. The last thing I recall hearing out of him was this: ‘don’t be a witcher rip off and nerf it into the ground.’

 

Obviously that isn’t encouraging; obviously it was going to be an uphill battle. Striga are already not as strong as people like to assume, and are also no more a rip-off than every other piece of lore that has been inspired by something on this server. There were also other sources that Matt and Maly were inspired by like Underworld and Diablo but nobody likes talking about that so it doesn’t get said. Unfortunately the the choice that was left was let the LT rewrite the lore and run the risk of the original point being lost in the crossfire, or try addressing some of the issues people saw the first time around.

 

We granted them a /better/ purpose; try and revive the Unseen who had now vanished, and now too is there more clarification on the limits of feeding etc etc. If I knew that I was brainstorming for a picture book and everyone would whinge about Skyrim vampires because of switch in the image files used to describe lore that has simply undergone some mechanical clarification. Ultimately I’d like to keep roleplaying my character as is without randomly becoming human or turning to dust but evidently that can’t happen without the ST shitting down my throat and retconning everything, or warping my lord Malythill’s idea into something that I don’t recognize.

 

 

[frill 2277]

I think all new creatures should be frogs and other inoffensive beatrix potter **** actually