Velious and the Vampires!

Gninja wrote:

Hmmm, I was trying to think what the last line could be. The LP haunted house didn't really seem right. The maze in Nekulos forest was a werewolf. Then it dawned on me. Rime....we all thought the pale skins were because of an icy origin. Perhaps they are all vampires! The one npc states that Killingfrost is not a Giant but he clearly is Giant size. He may not be a giant but all vampires.

Vampirism has always been considered a curse or disease. After Velious was hit by the shattering and raining Luclin perhaps the residents from the Tower of Frozen Shadow broke out for a feeding frenzy upon the continent. Vampire giants, dwarves, .....shutter DRAGONS! Who knows. Would be interesting though.

The haunted house could fit, if you think of it from their point of view. You become a vampire, per se. We walk free... It's a slight stretch, but basically it would work.

Grimknight@Kithicor wrote:

The LP haunted house seems exactly right. You are essentially repressing your memories of committing the attrocities that happened in that house after you were turned into a vampire.
Also if you do Evernight Abby you drink blood and become a sort of half vampire or some such to get past the barrier that prevents non-vampires from entering the inner circle. So there are at least 2 different ways you could become a vampire-ish person one not involving a holiday event.
Also if you participated in quests that involve the Ewer of Sul'Dae you could be involved in this whole Freeblood thing. The Ewer was the cause of a new strain of vampirism in Neriak. It could be used again by Anashti to add a new "race" of undead...though again undeath isn't a race. It is what happens to other races, just like vampirism.
Intersting Point: Why would EQ2's Mayong Mistmoor object to a dragon's spirit in a stone, or an undead skeletal dragon if he's keeping a Vampiric Dragon under his castle? seriously!
Also to point out, the Tower of Frozen Shadows as a vampiric castle in Velious? The tower before it was cursed was inhabited mostly by Euradites. Mayong wouldn't choose Euradites for a new vampiric brood. If he did consider non-elf races worthy of being added to his brood in mass, they wouldn't all be Tier'dal now. If you look around at his agents, they were obviously all elves before death. Sure there are some exceptions, but we're talking about dozens of euradites here. Nearly 100 non-elf vampires? It just doesn't seem consistant with Mayong's personality. I'm betting the true story of ToFS is a bit different than what EQ Lore Wiki has posted.

Aha! Because, finally, we're all vampires... Mayong is going to be worship-able. It all makes sense now!

Of all things, it had to be vampires. /facepalm

Lodrelhai wrote:

Oh, you mean like the Cloak of the Harvester?
Yeah. Giant, sparkly vampires.

So I guess has to be asked, if there are vampires coming with next expansion... will there be vampire hunters?

Some of us on the lore channel have already started seeking out the Destroyer of Vampires title.

Cusashorn wrote:

+1

I am SO sick of everything surrounding Mayong. Where is the ingenuity?!?!

Ok, found the EQ reference by searching their lore forum, someone posted in-game npc dialogue about it (thread is here, going to c/p as well though):
[Tue Nov 08 15:26:46 2005] You say, 'who feared retribution'
[Tue Nov 08 15:26:47 2005] You feel as though you have been judged, and that this decision may affect you sometime in the future.
[Tue Nov 08 15:26:47 2005] Ariahn Teller nods. 'This is the generally accepted historical account of how Tserrina and Mayong had their falling out. She presented the dracoliche as a gift to him on their wedding night. Fearing that he would share the responsibility for its creation he left her at the altar. Tserrina was furious. She slew her entire wedding party, destroyed any signs of her betrothed, and now sulks in the Tower of Frozen Shadow. This is a plausible explanation of their situation, but not terribly creative on your part, Lluianae. I was attempting to demonstrate how to rewrite history and you simply let events stand as they were. Are you certain you don't wish to change your mind?'

[Tue Nov 08 15:27:19 2005] You say, 'glimpse into the future?'
[Tue Nov 08 15:27:19 2005] You feel as though you have been judged, and that this decision may affect you sometime in the future.
[Tue Nov 08 15:27:19 2005] Ariahn Teller nods. 'Well put, Lluianae. Though Mayong wished to share his power with another, he had seen the future. It was only a matter of time before Tserrina would attempt to slay him and usurp his position. The loss of trust was tangible. Tserrina was understandably hurt and took her leave. Mayong held no ill will toward her and allowed her to depart and live a separate life within the icy confines of the Tower of Frozen Shadow. This is a plausible explanation of their situation. Perhaps untrue, but that does not matter. History is a point of view, not a fact, and you just twisted it to your whim. The history books shall be rewritten as you commanded, Lluianae, and THAT is true power.'

[Tue Nov 08 15:28:04 2005] You say, 'killed her ability to love'
[Tue Nov 08 15:28:04 2005] You feel as though you have been judged, and that this decision may affect you sometime in the future.
[Tue Nov 08 15:28:04 2005] Ariahn Teller nods. 'Well put, Lluianae. Mayong and Tserrina were madly in love. He gifted her with immortality by making her into a vampire but the transformation had an unexpected side effect. It killed Tserrina's feelings. She was no longer capable of loving anything. Mayong tried desperately to rekindle her emotions but was unsuccessful. He reluctantly allowed her the freedom to depart and live a separate life within the icy confines of the Tower of Frozen Shadow. This is a plausible explanation of their situation. Perhaps untrue, but that does not matter. History is a point of view, not a fact, and you just twisted it to your whim. The history books shall be rewritten as you commanded, Lluianae, and THAT is true power.'
It's somewhat ambiguous since it seems to give multiple scenarios and the dialogue suggests that any of them can be true.

Gninja wrote:

Then you are going to tie in the Halloween event / quest that has basicly turned every player into a vampire? So this new Freeblood race will allow us to give vampire like powers to one of our toons?

Could it be? http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=489434

It could, but I doubt it, since it's a few years late to follow on that, and it would sort of mean a mandatory change for every player of every race in the game, and so far all we know is this "One Per Account" thing until we get more info.

Ah can see why it will be limited to 1 per account, otherwise you would end up with a population of around 90% vampires and just 10% vampire hunters
Haven't done the Rime of the Ancient Mariner yet, but that sounds a more plausible link to the Frostbites than Mayong and the Haunted Mansion
Seeing how original Velious came out before PoP, what justification (other than lazyarse reserach, or lack thereof) would there be to change the history between Tserrina and Mayong? Unless the EQ1 devs decided to retrofit their history as well

Actually, in regard to the dialogue posted above, I'm wondering WHEN that dialogue was put into EQlive. I don't remember any NPC's that made judgements based on what you said next right up to the Omens of War xpac. It's possible this is a retcon made in EQlive's own timeline.

Circadian@Unrest wrote:

Eh idk, Mayongs been in the background for the better of 2 expacs. TsO was Ethernaughts/Miragul/Ykesha/Anashti and now we have SF thats more Theer/Odus based. Even before that Mayong was in the shadows of RoK only making an appearance at the end. Only his drachnids were of any focal point (and not a huge one) of RoK.
So I'd say its been since EoF since Mayong's really had anything really surrounding him. Sounds like you and Mor are Mayong haters because he's sunch a lynchpin character that the devs like to use. And tbh i'm glad that he's such an important character as he's one of the original hunting party with Lucan and Zazoo. They have their own lines and so does he, but saying everything is always based off of him is a bit of a stretch imo.
That said I can see how easily it'd be to "overuse" the character. I agree w/ Rain saying he should be the shadowy Lord of Darkness never getting his own hands dirty but with an ear and eye of things around, and I agree that Mayong himself has taken on a persona so large that he himself is an icon of the EverQuest franchise to where he is recognized in the MMO community easily which link him the EQ brand. Keeping him powerfull and keeping the character selling is something SOE could do right. In EQ1 they did this to a point... but as silly as it was to allow players to kill gods in their own planes they let him be killed to.... sad really.
-fist pump for vamps-

Rezikai wrote:

The fact however remains that he has been used way too much, that his importance and plot relevance have been increased more and more indirectly. He was neat and interesting in the past to me, back when I played the original Everquest. They however, seem to be unable t allow his character to have any form of actual ending.
As I said in my previous post:
He, is as a character one who will continually scale in the lore so that we remain insignificant in comparison to retain the illusion of his power when pitted against us. While other characters such as Roehn Theer, Venril, and Trakanon, each of whom may as well be just as if not more threatening and capable of similar machinations and plot development are simply tossed off because they are not him.
Are we thus to believe that Mayong is more powerful than any and all of those I have mentioned? More powerful than Kerafyrm with Aeteok and Enoxus as well simply because he has plot armor?

If he and Nagafen do not fade away, into obscurity, or meet some kind of conclusion to their plots by the end of Velious, it will simply be safe to assume that they will always be greater than whatever current threat we are facing against by default, simply because they have been written to not be tossed away and forgotten like others.
They will remain constant, unopposed players in the lore because we are never allowed to end them, yet it is okay for anyone and anything else to simply disappear with the expansion they debuted in, with as much or as little explanation and fanfare as the plot deems, usually it is the latter.
Take for example:
Barakah, Siyamak, and the Djinn Master...all dead for good presumably as there is clearly nothing relating to them or their canon condition in the lore past the expansion they appeared in.
Venril and Selrach, presumed dead. No info to their fate in lore, both nations they ruled over are likely kaput.
All of VP and Trakanon, presumed perma dead by TSO signature quest line, little however is said of the matter.
Malkonis and his group of vampires, zero info pertaining toward them past EoF when they are presumably killed for good.
Wuoshi, presumed dead, no info to why he is truly killed but his absence when we uncover Firiona Vie in the Emerald Halls should be proof enough.
Kerafyrm, missing from KoS, presuming by past experience he will have little involvement in the lore of Velious, despite being the major antagonist, and will either die permanently or be put back to sleep with little actual involvement from him, and no more than perhaps a few sentences worth of dialogue total.
All or most of those mentioned above could have had longer, more compelling and concurrent roles in the ongoing storyline but nothing is ever done with them because only Mayong and Nagafen get to have plot relevance and plot armor.

Has it occured to Mayong haters that the reason he keeps coming back is because he simply lowers himself to the level of the players so he doesn't actualy get killed, just his plans are thwarted/overcome/met

GIVE ME CHINESE VAMPIRES! Jiangshi are so much more interesting!
They're spiritually empowered zombies who have to hop in order to move because they've been stricken with rigormortis. You can put them to sleep by placing a talisman over their face, and they can smell your breath, so holding it will make you invisible to them.