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She was a gordian shape of dazzling
hue,
Vermilion-spotted, golden, green, and blue;
Striped like a
zebra, freckled like a pard,
Eyed like a peacock, all crimson
barred;
And full of silver moons, that, as she
breathed,
Dissolved, or brighter shone, or interwreathed
Their
lustres with the gloomier tapestries --
So rainbow sided, touched
with miseries,
She seemed, at once, some penanced lady elf,
Some
demon's mistress, or the demon's self.
-- John Keats,
"Lamia" |
| Introduction |
Introduction
The Lamiae are a bloodline of vampires that exist
outside all rules of the Kindred; be it the Camarilla, the Sabbat or the
Inconnu. In many ways more demon than vampire, they have remained aloof
from the ranks of the Kindred, maintaining a secrecy and mystery that
intrigues and mystifies the Kindred much in the way the Kindred themselves
are beheld by mortals.
The Lamiae are exclusively female, and it is believed
that there are no more than between three and nine of them in existence.
No one knows how they engender their race -- for they do not feed on the
mere blood of a mortal, but also upon his very life-essence, and these
mortals invariably perish or commit suicide. This has lead to speculation
that they are truly immortal, and either unable or unwilling to beget
progeny.
Simply put, a Lamia will target a mortal and
form a supernatural bond with this intended "lover." Once the bond is
sanctified by a marriage ritual, the mortal begins to die. The Lamia
begins the process of slowly draining the life-force from her target, a
process that may take decades. This unholy matrimony, while obviously
ultimately destructive, grants a tremendous boon to her lover, for to be
wed to a Lamia is to be in the permanent graces of a muse. From the bond
with the Lamia springs forth a font of divine inspiration, a creative flow
that floods the lover and causes him to produce poetry and prose that far
exceeds his previous work. Another benefit to the lover, of course, is the
rapturous act of feeding. Unlike other vampires, a Lamia loses only one
blood point a week, so she needs to drink less often than her vampiric
cousins. When she does feed, it is always with her mortal lover -- and the
act of feeding is erotically charged far beyond the sphere of any mortal
sex. These twin addictions -- the wellspring of inspiration and the dark
bliss of sexual fusion -- are enough to ensure that her lover will cleave
to her scaled bosom . . . until death does him part.
When a Lamia initially targets a mortal, she'll make
her first appearances in his dreams. Series after series of erotic dreams,
many containing serpent imagery, continue to rise in intensity until the
intended lover often feels he's going mad. Soon after the dreams begin,
exhausting periods of inspiration will fill his waking hours, and he'll
glimpse the potential of unlimited creativity, his work hitting new
heights of inventiveness, skill, and lucidity. Soon after this, the Lamia
chooses a night to visit the mortal, and during a dream she manifests and
feeds. It is in these throes of passion that she reveals herself for what
she really is, often taking on half-serpent form. If she can get the (by
now half-mad) mortal to place a gold ring upon her finger, the pact is
sealed.
Soon after that, the full effects of the
"marriage" begin to be felt. While the spring of inspiration flows freely,
her lover's body begins to deteriorate. Depending on his normal state of
health, it may take from a few months to a few years for the first effects
of ill health to be felt. Commonly these debilitating effects are
consumption, blindness, and/or insanity. (The latter affliction leads some
to speculate that the Lamiae and the Wissengeist are related.) While her
lover may be completely aware of the reason for his decay, more than a few
consider the combination of inspiration and sexual passion to be worth an
early death. What usually causes a mortal the most pain is the Lamia's
insufferable jealousy.
A Lamia will never have more than a single lover, and
they are jealous to the extreme, often to the point of willfully
destroying her lover's mortal relationships. While marriages to a mortal
wife have been permitted, the Lamia periodically attempts to stir things
up as much as she can. Sometimes, this is carried to the point of injury
or death, and in rare cases the Lamia will persecute her lover's family
for several generations. It is usually this jealous lashing out at his
loved ones that causes a Lamia's lover to regret the marriage. . .
.
Upon death of her mortal lover, the Lamia is forced to
assume serpent form for seven years. This period -- called the Widowing --
is often spent grieving her lost lover, but her astral body is free to
roam the earth, seeking out a new lover to court, or sometimes mercilessly
haunting her dead lover's family.
Breaking a marriage with a Lamia is possible, but very
difficult. Legend has it that there are only a precious few ways to sever
the bond. The most common story is that of a magic fountain or well,
located high in the Alps and kept well-hidden. Drinking from its waters
will dissolve the marriage. Another story tells of a burning spear of
white gold deep in the Amazon which can shatter the wedding ring. Other
rumors exist on how to break the vow, most of them involving
near-impossible acts or arcane artifacts. One of the Dead Sea Scrolls
supposedly tells of a flower that grows but once a century, each time
emerging in a different part of the world. Plucking this blossom will
break the vow. Standing in the shadow of a virgin harlot cast against the
Wailing Wall will also free a mortal from the Lamia, as will finding a
secret letter, hidden amongst all the books in the Library of
Alexandria.
Of course, there's always suicide.
A Lamia who is divorced, whether through magic or
suicide, is forced to grieve as a spurned wife for seven times seven
years, so one can see that the Lamia wish to keep the secrets of divorce
well hidden. . . .
Not all vampires are completely aware of the
Lamia, but belief is exceptionally strong among the Toreador, the Tzimisce
and the Assamites. Of all these, the Tzimisce seem to know the legends
best. When a Lamia is found, it is an unwritten rule to leave her and her
mortal lover alone. The consequences of breaking this sanction are
unknown, but it says something that the Tzimisce follow it without
question.
Some believe that the myth of the Muses has
its origin in the Lamiae, and there are some which contend that the number
of Lamia are nine: Euterpe, Terpsichore, Thalia, Melpomene, Polyhymnia,
Urania, Clio, Erato, and Calliope. Many, however, feel that there are too
many inconsistencies between the Muse myths and the Lamiae; and still
others conjecture that the Lamiae are the twisted children of the Muses.
There are of course the actual legends of Lamia, Mormo, and Empusa --
Greek demigods with shapechanging ability, and it seems obvious that the
Lamiae formed the basis for tales of Succubi as well. Another theory, put
forth by a Tzimisce priestess from Fourteenth Century Avignon, is that as
Vampires are the children of Cain, Lamiae are the children of Lilith --
Adam's first wife before Eve. If this is true, it means that the Lamiae
actually predate the Kindred.
|
Recent
History |
O for a Muse of
fire, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention!
--William Shakespeare, Henry
V
Recent
History
Exactly what effect the Lamiae have
had on the literary world throughout history is hard to say. They
invariably choose writers and poets, but no one is sure of their criteria.
It seems obvious that Keats, Shelly and Byron were no stranger to their
seductive lure, but many Toreador feel that Byron was "divorced" in the
Alps. Legend has it that Milton also fell prey to a Lamia, creating
Paradise Lost as he went blind; but afterwards he freed himself
using a fragment of the True Cross. And remember that Homer, also, was
supposedly blind, and that Plato made mention of the Lamiae in his
Republic.
Modern authors, too, are not immune
to their charms. The Tzimisce claim to have a series of letters written by
Franz Kafka, letters he intended to destroy, letters that deal with his
seduction by a mysterious woman he calls die Lorelei, a magical
temptress which he several times also refers to as das Schlangeweib
-- the "serpent--wife." The letters indicate that in 1913, upon writing
"The Judgment," his creative abilities took a sharp rise . . . and in 1917
he was found consumptive. He ended his life, after a series of heartbreaks
and affairs, in a sanitarium.
Kafka is certainly not the only recent victim of the
Lamiae. James Joyce, with his turbulent relationships, family misfortune
and prolonged eye problems is said to have had Lamiatic inspiration --
also a good explanation for the progress of his work from Dubliners
through Ulysses and finally to the mad genius of Finnegans
Wake, a work Carl Jung believed to have been written to stave off
impending schizophrenia. And Jorge Luis Borges, the Argentine fantasist,
found that his work entered new realms of creativity only after a head
injury brought him close to death and madness . . . and therein met the
Lamia? Given the labyrinthine nature of his later work, his eventual
blindness, and his death in Switzerland . . . could he have been seeking
out the fountain that Byron found?
|
| Information |
Information
Nickname: Muses, Succubae, Ardat Lili
Appearance: The Lamia have three forms: that of a normal woman,
a glittering serpent, and a woman with a serpent's body. In serpent form,
she is scaled in vermilion and patterned brightly, a lush snake that
twines with sexual promise and Freudian eroticism. In human form, she is a
beautiful enchantress, appearing as if she'd stepped from the innermost
desires of her intended lover. Her eyes burn like hot sparks, her hair
borders on the wildly animate, and her lips are full and heavy with ripe
sensuality. Still, it is said that the half-woman, half-serpent form is
the most alluring guise of the Lamia; a sensuous woman's body extends from
a powerful serpent's trunk, and often glowing, spectral wings sweep out
from the Lamia's back. Her breasts and torso are perfectly formed, and in
sex she is as irresistible as a cyclone.
In human form, a Lamia will dress on the bohemian edge
of the current style, always conscious of fashion, but willing to show a
slight contempt for it as well. In any age, she would hardly be called
proper. . . .
Haven: A solitary and reclusive bloodline, it is not known where
the Lamiae tend to lair, although the Toreador contend that they dwell in
the shadow lands between the Umbra and the Faerie.
Background: As mentioned, a Lamia selects a mortal and visits
him in his dreams, slowly allowing her power to gather. Upon their
"engagement" night, she manifests in an erotic incarnation, explaining her
existence and purpose as a muse; conveniently failing to mention the
long-term physical effects of her love. Once the intended husband realizes
that his new-found creativity will vanish with the Lamia, the placement of
the gold wedding ring is almost a certainty. If the mortal refuses, the
Lamiae will never visit him again.
Character Creation: It is not known how or even if the Lamia
create progeny, as they seem to eventually kill all their lovers.
Clan Disciplines: Protean, Vicissitude, Succubae
Weaknesses: The Lamia are bound to their lovers with a
supernatural intensity. If that lover commits suicide or finds a way to
break the marriage, the Lamia will revert to serpent form and spend
forty-nine years in a painful limbo. They are also sensitive to cold iron
and salt, both able to cause aggravated wounds.
Organization: According to the Tzimisce, there are only a few
Lamiae: between three and nine is the usual number given. They have no
known organization.
Quote: "There is no eternity, my belovéd, but what springs from
the seeds of your work. And I, I am your muse. I am your love, your wife,
your mistress; and, yes my love, in the dark hours when the wind whispers
doubts into your ears, I am your goddess and possessor." |
| Stereotypes |
Stereotypes
What the Undead think of the Lamiae:
Nosferatu -- They are a myth, children. Like that of Cain and
Abel, and like that of the muses themselves.
Ventrue -- The Lamia are probably legendary, and if not, they
are more akin to demon than Kindred.
Toreador -- Splendid! Of course they exist; and we must be
thankful that these muses do not lay claim more mortal artists than they
do. It is such a shame that we lost those few, precious jewels to them,
but it is not our place to mourn what could have been. . . . Most likely,
they are a bloodline of our own clan, wouldn't you think?
Gangrel -- They are old; but not of our ilk. They are closer to
demon than vampire, eh?
Brujah -- Foolish tales to be told by Sabbat elders. Daughters
of Lilith, indeed! It is as ludicrous as the stories of Cain. If you ask
me, it seems just another excuse to attribute all mortal creativity to the
Toreador Clan.
Tremere -- Ahh. . . . the Muses. Well, Calliope and Erato were
never accounted for, were they? Oh, I'm sorry. Ignore me, please. . .
.
Malkavian -- What? Am I being interviewed? Oh . . . well, of
course I believe in them! Who doesn't? I mean, it all makes perfect sense
. . . right? Oh, the Lamiae? I'm sorry, I thought you said the
Illuminae. Pardon? Do I have to explain everything? Here, pop this
tin-foil hat on while I duck out for a moment. . . .
Ravnos -- There are old tales; and I do recall once a poet -- a
haggard, haunted man -- begging us to reveal the location of some mythical
gypsy salt cellar. Claimed it was filled with a pinch of Lot's Wife, he
did. At the time, I thought it was an odd thing to need for a divorce.
Assamite -- There are older things than the Muses.
Giovanni -- This matter does not concern us. More myths with
which to entertain childer.
Lasombra -- The Tzimisce have declared them to be real, and
what's more, to be off limits. I have never encountered one, of course,
but if they are indeed the ancient daughters of Lilith, ultimately they
are our enemies.
Tzimisce -- They are not Kindred; but older. Older than Cain are
the children of Lilith, the ardat lili. Some say she was the true
mother of Cain, and that she bore Adam one hundred children every day
until her fall and the coming of Eve. I wonder, how is it like for them?
To be so old, and so very few. . . . |
| Succubae |
"Rael welcome,
we are the Lamia of the pool,
We have been waiting for our waters to
bring you cool."
Putting fear beside him, he trusts in beauty
blind,
He slips into the nectar, leaving his shredded clothes
behind.
With their tongues, they test, taste and judge all that is
mine
They move in a series of caressesThat glide up and down my
spine.
As they nibble the fruit of my flesh, I feel no pain,
Only
a magic that a name would stain.
With the first drop of my blood in
their veins
Their faces are convulsed in mortal pains.
The fairest
cries, "We have loved you, Rael."
-- Peter Gabriel (Genesis), "The
Lamia"
Succubae
Succubae is not like most other Kindred Disciplines;
it is the sole province of the Lamiae, and cannot be learned by any other
clan. Because it is not known whether the Lamiae are a unique group of
eternal beings, or if they pass down their bloodline through progeny like
normal vampires, it is unknown if Succubae is a set of innate abilities or
a discipline that develops with maturity.
Nagiaticae (Level
1)
The first discipline of the Lamiae is called
nagaticae, the power to transform into a large, hauntingly erotic serpent.
It is usable at will, and as discussed in the clan description, nagaticae
allows a myriad of different variations in color, form, and general
shape.
Secret Garden (Level
2)
Two points in Menschlichkeit allow a vampire
to simulate a heartbeat and pulse with no conscious effort, although it
may be stopped and restarted at will.
Mirror of Eros (Level
3)
With this glamour, a Lamia becomes the
ultimate sexual mate for a specific male. When finding a male to tempt,
the Lamia must roll against his Willpower as a target number. Her dice
pool is equal to her Appearance + Manipulation, both of which are usually
very high -- an average of 4 each. The male must also be asleep,
unconscious, or under the influence of drink or drugs -- she cannot
glamourize a man who is fully awake and conscious.
One success translates her into his dreams only, two
successes allows her to manifest and fulfill him in an erotic manner, and
three successes puts him completely under her sexual control until dawn.
In addition, any number of successes allows her to manipulate his memories
as needed. It should also be noted that a man can voluntarily lower his
willpower, if he chooses not to resist these nocturnal visits. . .
.
For the Lamia to establish a dominant "link" with her
intended lover, she must establish seven successes each week over a period
of seven weeks, a period of time called the Sevenweek Wooing. If she fails
to gain any successes on a given night, she may not return until the
following night. If she botches a night, she may not return for three more
nights.
If the Lamia fails to accumulate seven
successes during one of these weeks, she must abandon her intended lover
for a period lasting at least seven years. However, if the Sevenweek
Wooing is completed successfully, the Lamia need no longer roll for her
glamours -- they are automatic. She can then begin the seven month ritual
of the Crimson Wedlock.
The Musing (Level
4)
This is the Lamiae's key discipline. Simply
put, it is the ability to unlock her lover's creative well. It starts
during the Sevenweek Wooing, manifesting as brief artistic flashes and
sudden inspirations. Once the Lamia achieves her seven-week link, she may
begin the Musing in earnest.
A lover under a full Musing will experience a rise in
his creative output, achieving levels previously unimagined. Breakthrough
techniques, stunning levels of genius, and sheer execution of intense
creative powers are the hallmark of the Musing. While there may be periods
of relative "dryness," once begun, the Musing continues until death or
divorce.
It is important to make note of two
important considerations. First, the artist's ideas do not come directly
from the Lamia. They are truly his and his alone, but without the
inspiration of the Lamia they would have remained buried or half-formed in
his subconscious. Secondly, whether or not his fellows recognize his
genius is an altogether different matter. Ironically enough, some may
think him mad. (Joyce springs to mind.)
Crimson Wedlock (Level
5)
This is the final and most fatal power of
the Lamiae. After the Sevenweek Wooing, the Lamia has seven months to wed
her lover. She is allowed only one attempt during this time, and if she
cannot get her lover to place a wedding ring on her finger, she must
abandon him forever.
The only restriction on her regards
the use of magic. The Lamia is forbidden to dominate, awe, or otherwise
charm her lover into placing the ring upon her finger. She is allowed to
use conventional trickery, and she can, of course, use the power of sex,
or threaten him with the withdrawal of her inspirational talents as a
muse. This is often the time of truth for the Lamiae, where she will
reveal to her lover her true nature and the scope of her
abilities.
Once wedded to the Lamia, the man has sealed
his fate. His health will eventually begin to deteriorate as the Lamia
acts to jealously guard her husband from mortal love. |
| Credits |
Credits
A special thank you
To Tim Powers, John Keats, and Peter Gabriel for
inspiration. The idea for the Lamiae came to my while reading Tim Power's
most excellent novel, The Stress of her Regard. I cannot recommend
this novel any higher -- as all of Power's books, it is literate,
intricate, and highly original.
This document was first uploaded on 9 January 1995.
The banner image started as a nude photograph of a model I found online,
and I tweaked it considerably in photoshop to give it that special
something.
This document was written by Allen B. Ruch. Feel
free to use it in whatever way you wish for your personal use -- mutate
it, morph it, change it, etc. -- your brain is free. If you have any
comments or suggestions, please e-mail me. If you pass this document on,
please include this notice. I wish to get some of my stuff in print, so
I reserve all publishing rights -- so please contact me if you wish to
use any of this information in a printed media. Posting it
electronically on whatever website or mailing list, etc, is happily
endorsed, as I wish to spread my tentacles out across the Internet. All
hail Discordia! Until the Old Ones arrive, Allen B. Ruch can be
contacted at quail@panix.com
Last modified:
2 August 1997 |
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