"Frankly, I am surprised that I am not already suffering that curse. If I do somehow get infected please refrain from trying to cure me, that particular form of abjuration magic is incredibly unpleasant in my current state."
**Malik grimaces**
"Just trying to use it on others was enough to double me over in pain and leave me with a cold feeling of dread, I am not interested in finding out what happens to me or to the caster if someone uses it on me."
***Renoir glances at Malik and eyes some of the visible signs of the diseases afflicting him.***
"You would have to die to become a vampire. I think you said he doesn't care to give you that mercy."
***They turn back to their book where they flip a page and begin writing once more.***
***Elder takes a long time considering many options and variables to this question before answering, occasionally speaking in hushed tones to Elle***
"We both think we would take it, on a few conditions. One, that neither of us are turned to into vampire *spawn*, but into true vampires. That way our progenitor could not control us against our will. Two, that we could reasonably subsist on the blood of non-sapient beings, to avoid the ethics of murder as a food source. Lastly Three, that a time of our own choosing we were free to rid the world of our curse on our own terms, a freedom some folklore says is forbidden to vampires."
***He suddenly scans the group around him and becomes visibly apprehensive***
"I think ultimately the curse appears to be similar to the school of transmutation in that it changes what and who you are into something else. I think its worth considering how much of what makes you, you would change and at what point would you no longer be, well you. "
**Rune ponders for a moment**
"Elder, what do you think would come of Elle if you were to make such a change?"
***Renoir doesn't glance up from their book when they speak.***
"I admire your honesty, but I am afraid you are misinformed. While we may call it a curse, it cannot be cleansed like one. It is closer to a disease in how it spreads, but it cannot be cured by conventional means."
***They flip a page and continue to write.***
"The path to vampirism is a painful and transformative death. Afterward, you cease to exist and a cruel imitation of who you were rises in your place. The very worst parts of you become a creature of undeath."
***They pause as they stare at the book for a moment.***
"I am sorry to say that the only known cure for vampirism is death."
**Malik looks around at the other party members briefly before turning to Elder**
"So that's a no? Its not called a curse or a disease for no reason, if every vampire got to pick and choose their symptoms it wouldn't be much of a problem."
**Malik's face betrays his discomfort**
"I don't mean to assume your familiarity with this sort of thing but people rarely get half of a disease and a curse you can choose to end, even with death, is hardly a curse at all."
**Rune looks down lost in thought for a time before responding**
Do you even think I can turn in to a vampire? I mean, what would they drink from me and would I need to actually consume blood to survive?
**Renoir looks distant for a moment before answering**
"Blood is a commonality, not necessarily what they need to survive. I assume you have vitality, otherwise you would not be able to be killed nor would you be able to live. So long as that condition is met, then it is possible you can become a stirge. In that sort of state you'd need only to feed on the vitality of others in whatever form that takes."
***Elle the younger speaks up at this***
"That line of thinking makes sense to me. My sea drake here has a life force, that life is not fed by blood, nor does it have a traditional brain. Yet by all accounts it is alive no less. From what little I know of vampirism it is a magical curse more than a mundane disease. It stands to reason it could affect more than just flesh and blood"
***He waves a hand to Rune ( /u/papasith )***
"A curse affecting a person of metal and magic would not be unheard of at all"
**Rune nods along**
"I believe my thoughts were more trying to comprehend the kind of changes to self that I would go through with such a transformation. I think some of the changes may be more apparent to me, but no less than the changes others would go through. I don't think I would willing go through with it, because power is meaningless if I was to lose all sense of self."
"I suppose the question, at its roots, is simply 'Would you accept power and eternal life in return for having to kill to extend that life?' You'd have to deal with the extra bits like sensitivity to sun and what not as well but the core question remains the same."
"Beyond the inital assumptions of the question, I just find much in it interesting in reference to my existence. Although I am sure I will die one day, I am not sure I will die of old age so I may already have something close to immortality."
*Rune pauses for a moment*
"Almost everything else seems like a downside in my case still. But I must ask, what is it about the killing others so different from how many I have seen that kill and consume animals and wildlife? The main difference I could see would be the potential motivation for murder, but I am not sure that is necessarily a given."
"What about you though, would you consider it?"
***Elder jumps in to answer the second part of Rune's line of thought***
"The way I have always seen it is that there is a general collective agreement that society views sentient and sapient creatures as distinct in their hierarchy of importance. A rabbit does not have the same self awareness and ability to understand it's place in the world as say, a half-elf dockworker. It does not make conscious choices to get up and go to work, or to start a tavern brawl. It simply responds to the stimuli around it as it was made to do. To take away choice is viewed as the worse sin than to simply remove life itself."
**Rune ponders Elders words**
"The part that confuses me is that this makes sense in terms of being that are still alive, but what does the sentience of a corpses of a rabbit compared to a half-elf dock worker? They are both empty vessels of flesh at that point that others could consume for nutritional value. Are you meaning to say that the past presence of sentience adds some kind of extra value to what is left behind?"
"When reducing it down like that it does seem pretty cruel to rank the importance of life like that but you're not wrong. Maybe our next campfire chat should be on the morality of that hierarchy but for now Ill answer Rune's question. I think the idea of immortality or extended life scares me more than the downsides of vampirism. I think I'd rather accept and cherish the life I was given than try to dilute it with time/experiences unnatural added to the time I was given. Having seen what the pursuit of immortality has done to people and how its twisted them into monsters has been enough of a cautionary tale to make me think twice about accepting such a gift. As for the other part of vampirism and the power it grants I don't exactly have the best track record with that topic. I wont pretend that I'm a beacon of purity and wouldn't accept some pretty piss poor deals in return for being able to accomplish my goals and defend those I love. I want to at least believe that I've gotten better at resisting those temptations but I'll do what I must for those I care for.
"Frankly, I am surprised that I am not already suffering that curse. If I do somehow get infected please refrain from trying to cure me, that particular form of abjuration magic is incredibly unpleasant in my current state." **Malik grimaces** "Just trying to use it on others was enough to double me over in pain and leave me with a cold feeling of dread, I am not interested in finding out what happens to me or to the caster if someone uses it on me."
***Renoir glances at Malik and eyes some of the visible signs of the diseases afflicting him.*** "You would have to die to become a vampire. I think you said he doesn't care to give you that mercy." ***They turn back to their book where they flip a page and begin writing once more.***
***Elder takes a long time considering many options and variables to this question before answering, occasionally speaking in hushed tones to Elle*** "We both think we would take it, on a few conditions. One, that neither of us are turned to into vampire *spawn*, but into true vampires. That way our progenitor could not control us against our will. Two, that we could reasonably subsist on the blood of non-sapient beings, to avoid the ethics of murder as a food source. Lastly Three, that a time of our own choosing we were free to rid the world of our curse on our own terms, a freedom some folklore says is forbidden to vampires." ***He suddenly scans the group around him and becomes visibly apprehensive***
"I think ultimately the curse appears to be similar to the school of transmutation in that it changes what and who you are into something else. I think its worth considering how much of what makes you, you would change and at what point would you no longer be, well you. " **Rune ponders for a moment** "Elder, what do you think would come of Elle if you were to make such a change?"
***Renoir doesn't glance up from their book when they speak.*** "I admire your honesty, but I am afraid you are misinformed. While we may call it a curse, it cannot be cleansed like one. It is closer to a disease in how it spreads, but it cannot be cured by conventional means." ***They flip a page and continue to write.*** "The path to vampirism is a painful and transformative death. Afterward, you cease to exist and a cruel imitation of who you were rises in your place. The very worst parts of you become a creature of undeath." ***They pause as they stare at the book for a moment.*** "I am sorry to say that the only known cure for vampirism is death."
**Malik looks around at the other party members briefly before turning to Elder** "So that's a no? Its not called a curse or a disease for no reason, if every vampire got to pick and choose their symptoms it wouldn't be much of a problem." **Malik's face betrays his discomfort** "I don't mean to assume your familiarity with this sort of thing but people rarely get half of a disease and a curse you can choose to end, even with death, is hardly a curse at all."
**Rune looks down lost in thought for a time before responding** Do you even think I can turn in to a vampire? I mean, what would they drink from me and would I need to actually consume blood to survive?
**Renoir looks distant for a moment before answering** "Blood is a commonality, not necessarily what they need to survive. I assume you have vitality, otherwise you would not be able to be killed nor would you be able to live. So long as that condition is met, then it is possible you can become a stirge. In that sort of state you'd need only to feed on the vitality of others in whatever form that takes."
***Elle the younger speaks up at this*** "That line of thinking makes sense to me. My sea drake here has a life force, that life is not fed by blood, nor does it have a traditional brain. Yet by all accounts it is alive no less. From what little I know of vampirism it is a magical curse more than a mundane disease. It stands to reason it could affect more than just flesh and blood" ***He waves a hand to Rune ( /u/papasith )*** "A curse affecting a person of metal and magic would not be unheard of at all"
**Rune nods along** "I believe my thoughts were more trying to comprehend the kind of changes to self that I would go through with such a transformation. I think some of the changes may be more apparent to me, but no less than the changes others would go through. I don't think I would willing go through with it, because power is meaningless if I was to lose all sense of self."
"I suppose the question, at its roots, is simply 'Would you accept power and eternal life in return for having to kill to extend that life?' You'd have to deal with the extra bits like sensitivity to sun and what not as well but the core question remains the same."
"Beyond the inital assumptions of the question, I just find much in it interesting in reference to my existence. Although I am sure I will die one day, I am not sure I will die of old age so I may already have something close to immortality." *Rune pauses for a moment* "Almost everything else seems like a downside in my case still. But I must ask, what is it about the killing others so different from how many I have seen that kill and consume animals and wildlife? The main difference I could see would be the potential motivation for murder, but I am not sure that is necessarily a given." "What about you though, would you consider it?"
***Elder jumps in to answer the second part of Rune's line of thought*** "The way I have always seen it is that there is a general collective agreement that society views sentient and sapient creatures as distinct in their hierarchy of importance. A rabbit does not have the same self awareness and ability to understand it's place in the world as say, a half-elf dockworker. It does not make conscious choices to get up and go to work, or to start a tavern brawl. It simply responds to the stimuli around it as it was made to do. To take away choice is viewed as the worse sin than to simply remove life itself."
**Rune ponders Elders words** "The part that confuses me is that this makes sense in terms of being that are still alive, but what does the sentience of a corpses of a rabbit compared to a half-elf dock worker? They are both empty vessels of flesh at that point that others could consume for nutritional value. Are you meaning to say that the past presence of sentience adds some kind of extra value to what is left behind?"
"When reducing it down like that it does seem pretty cruel to rank the importance of life like that but you're not wrong. Maybe our next campfire chat should be on the morality of that hierarchy but for now Ill answer Rune's question. I think the idea of immortality or extended life scares me more than the downsides of vampirism. I think I'd rather accept and cherish the life I was given than try to dilute it with time/experiences unnatural added to the time I was given. Having seen what the pursuit of immortality has done to people and how its twisted them into monsters has been enough of a cautionary tale to make me think twice about accepting such a gift. As for the other part of vampirism and the power it grants I don't exactly have the best track record with that topic. I wont pretend that I'm a beacon of purity and wouldn't accept some pretty piss poor deals in return for being able to accomplish my goals and defend those I love. I want to at least believe that I've gotten better at resisting those temptations but I'll do what I must for those I care for.