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"Then I stopped and looked at the Count. There was a mocking smile
on the bloated face which seemed to drive me mad. This was the being I was helping
to transfer to London, where perhaps, for centuries to come he might, amongst
its teeming millions, satiate his lust for blood, and create a new and ever-widening
circle of semi-demons to batten on the helpless." - Dracula
You are a citizen of a small, European town during the colonial age. You've
heard whispers about how the Inquisition is torturing accused "witches"
in gruesome dungeons of diabolical torment, with the explicit purpose of extracting
confessions. Paltry facts, such as innocence or guilt, are meaningless; coercing
confessions is the all-important goal. Neither innocent milkmaid nor righteous
Lord are safe, for the brutal truth is that the Inquisitors care more about
acquiring the wealth and land of those accused than saving anyone's immortal
soul.
You're neither a witch nor a noble with land worth taking, so you convince
yourself that such distant matters are none of your concern. Now, imagine you
have become a member of a secret society, an order that has just informed you
of a "truth" that is far more grotesque. A truth that speaks of a
horror beyond the infernal plotting of warlocks.
The truth is that many of the nobles, and perhaps the Inquisitors themselves,
are Vampires!
This Halloween installment of Sanctum takes another look at the Grand
Inquisition, if from the other side of the looking glass. It also deals with
the uniquely European nosferatu, otherwise known as vampires, and mixes history
with Hammer cinema.
Vampirism 101
Vlad the Impaler is unique among warlocks, because his demons have found a
way to free others of their kind. Somehow, his blood can weaken the magic that
binds demons and souls. When one of his victims dies, their soul slips into
the afterlife, but their demons remain in the body. The result is a malevolent
creature which is neither dead nor alive... and which can create more children
of its own.
This is why burial rites are so important. The deceased must not only be properly
interred but, for those at risk, the proper rituals must be performed to ensure
that the body remains inviolate and within it's tomb. Alas, it was too often
the case that the proper rituals could not be performed. This, in part, is why
a vampire plague spread across much of Europe during the time of the Inquisition.
Priests of this period were none to happy to hear stories of vampires. If there
was one thing priests hated, it was the undead. They weren't good for business.
Too, they had a nasty habit of hunting clergymen like mad dogs going after plump,
farm-raised rabbits. As if that weren't bad enough, vampires also openly mocked
Church authority! Their presence was proof of God's apathy towards Man.
Something had to be done.
The Fearless Vampire Hunters
The Vampire Hunter is an archetype well portrayed in cinema. For instance,
"Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter" is a tale of swashbuckling adventure
set in a relatively mundane, post-Renaissance world. Yet, it is a world where
lurking supernatural horrors stalk the living. Released in 1973, this costumed
swashbuckler was a product of Hammer Studios, responsible for such atmospheric
entries into the vampire genre as "Horror of Dracula," "The Vampire
Lovers," and "Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires."
"The Vampire Lovers" was the first entry into Hammer's Carmilla-inspired
Karnstein trilogy, which also included "Lust for a Vampire" and "Twins
of Evil." "Horror of Dracula" was similarly the initial entry
in a series of Dracula inspired movies which included "Dracula: Prince
of Darkness," "Brides of Dracula," and "Satanic Rites of
Dracula."
So, what does it take to become a vampire hunter? Skill, bravery, and lots
of luck. The Sanctum recognizes two types of vampire hunters:
- The Initiated, meaning agents sanctioned by the Sanctum to hunt vampires.
- The Uninitiated, meaning those who hunt vampires for reasons of their own,
usually profit, and who are mostly unaware of the larger battle being waged.
Sanctioned vampire hunters receive the following benefits: 1) The support of
Sanctum field offices, 2) Access to Sanctum libraries and vampire research,
3) Limited equipment/monetary support, when the situation warrants it (GM discretion),
and 4) The ability to identify their foes.
Captain Kronos
As mentioned above, Kronos is an archetypal, swashbuckling, nineteenth century
adventurer living in a mundane, post-Renaissance world where supernatural horrors
regularly stalk the living. Late of the Imperial Guard, Kronos has taken to
wandering the countryside with his faithful sidekick, Professor Grost, in search
of adventure and vampires to slay. Kronos and his sidekick would fit perfectly
into any Sanctum Inquisitorum game set circa the 1800s.
- Charismatic - Quite the ladies' man.
- Swashbuckling - Kronos wields a sword with panache!
- Vampire Hunter - A bit of a mercenary, but very good at what he does.
Professor Grost
Grost is an agent of the Sanctum circa the nineteenth century. Not necessarily
an agent in good standing with every "office," as he doesn't keep
in communication as often as he should, he is considered a trustworthy and knowledgeable
field agent. Most often, Grost can be found working with Captain Kronos.
- Arcane Lore - Very knowledgeable in arcane matters.
- Vampire Lore - Grost is a specialist in both obscure vampire myths and methods
of tracking and dispatching these fiends.
- Agent of the Sanctum - Despite a penchant for forgetting to report into
local field offices, Grost is considered a very reliable and loyal field agent.
Gustav Weil
A descendent of Sanctum initiates, Gustav has continued the family business
as best he can, by forming his own secret order to combat witchcraft: The Brotherhood.
Alas, by Weil's time, the Sanctum Inquisitorum has become a shadow of it's former
self. The Sanctum of the nineteenth century is a loose organization of independent
groups lead by ranking initiates or their descendants. Too often, as is the
case with The Brotherhood, contact between groups is rare or non-existent.
- Mania - Weil's obsession with combating witchcraft and vampires has turned
into a form of religious zealotry that borders on psychosis.
- Self-Righteous - Weil believes himself to be an absolute arbiter of justice.
- Swordsmanship - Weil is a practiced swordsman who's preferred method of
dispatching vampires is decapitation.
Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
Born August 28, 1814, to Thomas Philip Le Fanu and Emma Lucretia Dobbin Le
Fanu, both Sanctum associates. His father was appointed chaplain to the Royal
Hibernian Military School in 1815, where he taught until his appointment as
dean of Emly in 1826, whereupon the family moved to Abington, County Limerick.
Though never a field agent himself, Sheridan le Fanu did have access to numerous
journals and documents, upon which portions of his literary work were derived.
Viz. His most famous novella, Carmilla, which many believe to be based on actual
case studies. (cf. Ornias)
- Learned Scholar - A poet, student of law, journalist, and acclaimed novelist.
- Arcane Lore - Has a passing knowledge of the supernatural.
- Agent of the Sanctum - As were his parents, Sheridan is more of an associate
who deals primarily with matters of research and "getting the word out"
via unconventional means, such as his novels.
Nosferatu
It all began circa 1429, when Vlad Dracul was made an initiate of the Order
of the Dragon. This led to Emperor Sigismund appointing him, a year later, to
the post of military governor of Transylvania. Shortly thereafter, his wife
bore him a son, who would become infamous as Vlad the Impaler. Initially a pawn
of the Church, Dracul was also an informal contact of the Sanctum. However,
he was a headstrong individual who became driven by ambition and a thirst for
power that ultimately led to his downfall.
His son, Dracula, born late in 1431 within the fortress of Sighisoara, Romania,
would rise to secure the throne of Wallachia. Dracula was a ruler who dealt
harsh punishments to those who broke the law, thus making him appear to be cruel
and barbaric, especially to outsiders for whom he had no love. During Dracula's
reign, his policies were based on "Romania for the Romanians," thus
much of what foreign historians have to say of him should be taken with a grain
of salt. Yet, even in propaganda there is a grain of truth.
Dracula's brood are dangerous because they are unpredictable. Their powers
vary wildly. While many have the ability to metamorphosis into other forms,
not all are capable of assuming the same shapes, thus making positive identification
very difficult for field agents. Too, though many possess preternatural abilities,
not all possess superhuman faculties. Indeed, some vampires may possess superhuman
strength but be exceptionally stupid, while others may possess vastly superior
intellects while having abilities that make them little more than bargain basement
mesmerists.
Sanctums scholars recognize three types of vampire:
- Blood Drinkers - This is the classic literary vampire. These entities subsist
on the blood of the living. Dracula was a vampire of this type.
- Life Drainers - "Psychic" vampires subsist on the energies of
their victims, leaving them feeling drained and fatigued. Blood drinking is
not necessary for these entities, though they often will use this as a cover,
usually when they decide to fully drain a victim.
- Soul Stealers - While this type of entity is little understood, the primary
case study is Carmilla.
Note: Even though Countess Bathory is associated with blood, she was a psychic
vampire (likely a holdover from her early days as a witch) who happened to utilize
blood ritual. Giles de Rais and Anthony Hopkins were also considered to be vampires
of this type.
Vlad "Tepes" Dracula (c. 1431-1476)
Tepes has no great love for any organized religion, but most especially harbors
a deep-rooted hatred of the Inquisition and the Catholic Church. He also harbors
no great love for the Sanctum. During his reign, monastic centers belonging
to the Roman Catholic church were seen as unwelcome foreign influences. They
were often ransacked and Sanctum agents tortured mercilessly. While it has never
been established that Tepes was a agent of the Diabolus (see Sanctum
Inquisitorum), that he was a vampire is beyond doubt.
- Soldier - Tepes has the elite skills of a nobleman soldier of his era.
- Ruthless - When Tepes sets his mind to a task, he allows nothing to stand
in his way.
- Vampire 0 - Vlad is the "patient 0" of the vampire plague, with
many vampire "clans" owing him direct allegiance.
Carmilla Karnstein
Through the Hammer Karnstein trilogy arc, Carmilla (who first appears calling
herself Micarlla) is a character played by different actresses. This inconsistency
is easily resolved when one realizes that Carmilla was resurrected in the second
feature through a black magic blood ritual. It is thus the spirit of Carmilla,
or rather a spirit originally inhabiting her (cf. Ornias), which is responsible
for the apparent conundrum. Thus, Carmilla Karnstein should be considered one
of those rare aetherial entities: a ghostly presence which moves from host to
host, possibly even a daimone of old. This makes her a very dangerous and enigmatic
foe, for she is not only difficult to identify, but may go undetected for weeks
or even months at a time. However, hunters do have two facts that they can rely
on: First, Carmilla is always female. Second, she never stays in one physical
location for long.
- Psychic Vampire - Carmilla literally seduces her victims, slowly draining
them of vitality over a period of time.
- Metamorphosis - Possesses a limited ability to shapeshift into a feline.
- Cunning - Carmilla is a devious mistress of deception.
Elizabeth Bathory, aka. the Blood Countess (1560-1614)
Historically a name synonymous with vampirism and cruelty, linked with sorcery
and the black arts. (Hammer portrayed her much the same in "Countess Dracula,"
though her sadism wasn't touched upon so much as her predatory sexuality.) Her
infernal powers were such that the Sanctum had to keep a continual watch on
her after the secular authorities walled her alive in her cell for fear she
might work some form of diabolical retribution. Indeed, though history records
her as having died within her cell-tomb, the facts as recorded by the Sanctum
are something else altogether. Of course, the particulars are left to the GM's
discretion...
- Noble Façade - Until her arrest and trial, Countess Bathory effectively
used her noble standing to hide her demonic activities from secular authorities.
- Lycanthropy - It was reputed that Countess Bathory possessed the ability
to transform herself into either a great wolf or a hell hound (a large, jet
black canine with glowing, red eyes).
- Sexual Sadist - Countess Bathory's depravity would have made De Sade blush.
Next Stop: The Wild West Coast!
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