Creatures of the night.
Always have I had a fascination with the dark brood, and not just because I have very pronounced canines, myself. The vampire is an old-world moster, like Frankenstein or the Werewolf, but unlike those, it seems to continue its success in modern society. The varmpire is the most romantic of the classic creatures and, unlike his undead cousin (who is also still enjoying some attention), there is a coolnes--a serenity, even--to his ways. Confident. Sexy.
In this post I will not bring up my love affair with Buffy: the Vampire Slayer any more than it has "already been brought;" no, this post is for the myriad of things with pointed teeth that have manifested since then. On my birthday, I recieved a copy of Fury of Dracula; this was while I had suddenly started reading Interview With A Vampire again, and I started revisiting Vampire Hunter D. But my fascination actually started in my first semester of college with a nifty little RPG called Vampire: the Masquerade...
Vampire: the Masquerade
I met some really cool people in college, and when I announced that I enjoyed role-playing here and there, they spoke to me of a new type of RPG from a company called Whie Wolf. This breed of game focused much more on the storytelling nature and much less on the numbers. The skill system was there, and if you chose it, plenty of crunching, but that was mostly because they knew their target audience was expecting something of that nature. Here was a game engine that was designed so a live-action adaptation was possible for character interaction. The manual has a lengthy prelude that sinks you deep into the atmosphere of candlelight, cobwebs, and kindred. The emphasis is on the story, not the roll, so great power is given to the gamemaster, and players are told to respect this power if they want a truly rich storyline.
Combined with the rising popularity of gothic culture and the tail end of obvious teen rebellion, the game was a hit. It blasted away the glasses-wearing and dice-rolling nerds of the basement, and replaced it with the untanned and purple-haired freaks... of the basement. I still have the second edition rulebook, though I hear that the third edition is the one to get. To this day, I have rolled up countless characters with immensely rich backstories, yet never once played a game session. Alas, I was too much the nred and not enough of the freak to find others whom might also enjoy a good story. If any of you dear readers think this sounds even remotely interesting, tell me so, for I would love to give this game a few tries.
Fury of Dracula
I had a totally awesome birthday party this year, and mostly it was because I got some wicked gifts. My insanity is now certifiable, the DS found new life with Fantasies Final (Yes, that's an Al joke) and we got our boardgame on with Fury of Dracula. As this game is published by the same crafters of Arkham Horror, the rules are a game in and of themselves. After pushing through these, we discovered a game very heavily set in Bram Stoker's world with a geniune feel of the Dracula universe and a great hunt-and-seek chase. Think Scotland Yard crossed with Castlevania. Although we were playing incorrectly for a myriad of reasons, I (as Dracula) did manage to kill Mina Harker (sorry, D) before we had to call it quits for the night. Since then, we have discoverd a few more tools (FAQ | Rule Index | Combat Results Chart) and I cannot wait until our next session. James--you must be in on this!
Interview With A Vampire
Coincidentally enough, when I recieved the aforementioned board game, I happened to be reading Interview With A Vampire for about the fourth time. This interest was originally spurred by the amount of press Anne Rice was getting--particularly regarding the excellent theatrical rendition of said book--and the fact that I had discovered an RPG that claimed it took inspiration from her Vampire Chronicles. I have picked up and put down this series more than twice, each time getting one book farther. This time, I am determined to pursue them as far back as the history goes (which, I believe, ends with Memnoch The Devil). Each of these books goes a generation back into the mystery of vampiric origin. Each so far has put me off in the first 15 pages, only to completely redeem itself when i finally continue on and read the entire novel.
Anne Rice has written erotica before and it shows. Interview is partially about the intimacy of being a vampire, and partially about the tragedy. How Rice describes seeing the world through vampire eyes could only come from someone who knows how to invoke strong emotions, tensions, and arousal. You begin to feel as the main character does and sympathize with his plight: he is a monster, and he knows it. I encourage all of you to give this book a try, and if not that, at least see the movie. That film began my love affair with Kirsten Dunst, and not because I'm a pedophile (she was only 12 at the time, potraying a child much younger), but because she nails Claudia on the head and is the perfect compliment to Brad Pitt's tragic Louis. Child acting that remains uneclipsed (and don't you dare say, "Haley Joel Osment"!).
Vampire Hunter D
Vampire Hunter D was the first Japanese animation I was ever exposed to, and as a result, it holds a special place in my heart. This is in spite of the fact that the original anime has not aged well (compared to modern incarnations) and pales horribly in the shadow of the successive animated attempt to chronicle the hunter: Bloodlust. I have both now, and they inspire me to acquire the novels, which are supposed to be awesome.
Far in humanity's future, mutations and disease have wracked earth's population, leaving small pockets of society that scrape by with a mixture of technology and rural culture. Terrifying the people left alive are a variety of monsters including shapshifting werewolves and blood-sucking vampires, whom seem to controll them all. Tall, dark, and handsome, a vampire hunter going only by the name "D" moves from town to town, settling some unknown score with every last vampire.
There are some amazingly creative things going on here, concepts of both heroes and viallains that rival some of the best fiction I've read. For instance, not only is D a "dhunpeal" (half vampire, half human) but he has a symbiant mutant that resides in his left hand, the loner's only companion on his vengeful journey. Again, I encourage you to see the movies, though if you feel you cannot tolerate the aged first animation, Bloodlust--with it's hand picked artists and director (Ninja Scroll) and seamless CG blending--stands quite well on it's own.
