Armed Polite Society
Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: Ned Hamford on October 10, 2012, 12:50:30 PM
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Was chatting with an office mate when my background music mix played Jonathan Coulton's Blue Sunny Day. http://youtu.be/AQtZJQtBe8E
Sooo... Vampire Suicide... What say you? General assumption; non-sparkly kind. Human blood is either required for life or gives such a craving it is just a matter of time no matter the willpower.
- All life is Sacred, Even Unlife
- Seems the decent thing to do; or is otherwise a valid personal choice
Also, how does one setup a poll?
edited from can one setup a poll =D
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Yes, you can setup polls. (if you can't modify it, PM me with what you want and I'll change it.)
And anything that requires human flesh* to survive (and turning others into the undead, especially if it's your Mother-in-Law) deserves to die.
* Yes, I know there are dust mites and microbes that eat human flesh and/or co-habitat the human body. Most provide a useful function, it's when they cause problems that they need to die.
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Immediate thread veer: Jonathan Coulton's "Millionaire Girlfriend" was the first track of his I heard. Still cracks me up.
On topic: Vampire equals direct existential threat. Buh-bye.
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Oh, wait!
This is if yourself got turned into a vampire and you suicide to save others cause your dead?
My answer changes somewhat in that case. Only if I'm with people I like and am gareenteed to eat/kill them.
Otherwise, aw hell no! I'm gonna live forever! MuWAHAHAHAHA! >:D
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It seems like the decent thing to do.
(Assuming you can't procure the human blood/flesh ethically).
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It seems like the decent thing to do.
(Assuming you can't procure the human blood/flesh ethically).
ditto
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Every predator (Humans included) kills other creatures to survive. Just because I moved up the food chain a rung that doesn't change. I think I'd stick around for a while.
Besides there's A LOT of people in this world I could eat before I got around to someone that didn't deserve it. Might have to move to Chicago for ease of hunting.
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Every predator (Humans included) kills other creatures to survive. Just because I moved up the food chain a rung that doesn't change. I think I'd stick around for a while.
Besides there's A LOT of people in this world I could eat before I got around to someone that didn't deserve it. Might have to move to Chicago for ease of hunting.
A point to consider.
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Every predator (Humans included) kills other creatures to survive. Just because I moved up the food chain a rung that doesn't change. I think I'd stick around for a while.
Besides there's A LOT of people in this world I could eat before I got around to someone that didn't deserve it. Might have to move to Chicago for ease of hunting.
I confess I am forced to reevaluate my preconceptions... =|
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It kind of depends. How much control do you have over your actions? If we're going MHI style vampires, you're basically gone; once you're a vampire you are completely subsumed by it, and you (or at least your body) pretty much become evil. In that case, you'd not be able to commit suicide even if you wanted to (or, alternatively, your sense of morality would be warped so you wouldn't want to).
If you were more like Blade/Angel/(possibly)Supernatural vampires, and were able to somewhat control your actions, then you have more options. If you can control your cravings and/or pick your targets, there is something to be said for becoming a vampiric Punisher, or perhaps a Blade/Angel-type vampire who hunts down other monsters that aren't so picky. OTOH, if you can't control your cravings, and you pretty much loose your *expletive deleted* whenever you're around normal humans, then yeah, suicide becomes pretty attractive at that point.
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Might have to move to Chicago for ease of hunting.
My tastes run higher than that.
=|
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Damnit where IS that case of silver-infused 7.62 I ordered from Romania?
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It kind of depends. How much control do you have over your actions? If we're going MHI style vampires, you're basically gone; once you're a vampire you are completely subsumed by it, and you (or at least your body) pretty much become evil. In that case, you'd not be able to commit suicide even if you wanted to (or, alternatively, your sense of morality would be warped so you wouldn't want to).
If you were more like Blade/Angel/(possibly)Supernatural vampires, and were able to somewhat control your actions, then you have more options. If you can control your cravings and/or pick your targets, there is something to be said for becoming a vampiric Punisher, or perhaps a Blade/Angel-type vampire who hunts down other monsters that aren't so picky. OTOH, if you can't control your cravings, and you pretty much loose your *expletive deleted* whenever you're around normal humans, then yeah, suicide becomes pretty attractive at that point.
Mostly this, althougth I would hesitate to say that the changes in personal morality would be a reason. Becoming a mindless eating machine is one thing (30 days of night or John Carpenter type) but the "warped values" arn't actually warped anything. You've changed species, so what's warped to a human isn't so warped to a vampire.
As a human, with human values I would rather not be killing my friends or family or people who I think are decent folks. As a vampire I may gain a totally diffrent perspective which would make doing those things alright.
It's a pickle.
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Damnit where IS that case of silver-infused 7.62 I ordered from Romania?
Only works on werewolves and the like. No effect on Vampires.
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Only works on werewolves and the like. No effect on Vampires.
Depends on,the mythology used. Sometimes silver is used on Vampires and sometimes holy symbols have no effect, depending on the writer.
I think using silver on Vampires stems from using holy relects melted down into weapons.
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Full auto shotgun firing wooden bolts made from support beams of ancient Jesuit monastery for the win.
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This is not a poll, Ned. You forgot to ask a question.
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* Yes, I know there are dust mites and microbes that eat human flesh and/or co-habitat the human body. Most provide a useful function, it's when they cause problems that they need to die.
Vampires can provide a useful function. High blood pressure is rampant these days. =D
(Assuming you can't procure the human blood/flesh ethically).
Given the number of goth girls (and guys) that would willingly feed you I can't see that being a problem at all.
Every predator (Humans included) kills other creatures to survive. Just because I moved up the food chain a rung that doesn't change. I think I'd stick around for a while.
Besides there's A LOT of people in this world I could eat before I got around to someone that didn't deserve it. Might have to move to Chicago for ease of hunting.
This.
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Can the vampire eat the blood of animals like in some of the movies I have seen or just humans?
There was a movie from a few years back that wasn't all that well known. Vampirism was discovered as a "health enhancement" and most people converted. But there was a shortage of human blood and normal humans were getting hunted down and converted to living blood banks.
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Can the vampire eat the blood of animals like in some of the movies I have seen or just humans?
There was a movie from a few years back that wasn't all that well known. Vampirism was discovered as a "health enhancement" and most people converted. But there was a shortage of human blood and normal humans were getting hunted down and converted to living blood banks.
Seems to me, the only movie Vampires that eat animals are the "goody goody" twighlight types.
I don't want to glitter. :P
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I thought vampires just drank a non-lethal amount of the victims' blood, but the bite infected the victim with vampirism ???
I just can't keep up with all the mythical creatures :facepalm:
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Given the number of goth girls (and guys) that would willingly feed you I can't see that being a problem at all.
But aren't they a) one-time use only and b) then in competition with you for blood (and with most-likely lower standards about who to not get it from?
I personally subscribe to the theory that says in order to "kill" them you must drive a stake through their heart and it must contact the earth. Of course the other method, preventing them from returning to the soil from their grave, also has both merit and fascination (as well as at least theoretically lessening the chance of actual contact exposure).
As regards vampire suicide - I just do not see that level of despondency occurring.
stay safe.
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I think you're mythtaken there, VA
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I think you're mythtaken there, VA
If I am, I'll be around tonight to let you know. =D
stay safe.
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But aren't they a) one-time use only and b) then in competition with you for blood (and with most-likely lower standards about who to not get it from?
I personally subscribe to the theory that says in order to "kill" them you must drive a stake through their heart and it must contact the earth. Of course the other method, preventing them from returning to the soil from their grave, also has both merit and fascination (as well as at least theoretically lessening the chance of actual contact exposure).
As regards vampire suicide - I just do not see that level of despondency occurring.
stay safe.
Sunlight kills vampires pretty effectively. It did in the one in NOSFERATU post haste.
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Sunlight kills vampires pretty effectively. It did in the one in NOSFERATU post haste.
Re: Nosferatu. I thought Shadow of the Vampire starring John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe was a seriously creepy-good adaptation.
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Re: Nosferatu. I thought Shadow of the Vampire starring John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe was a seriously creepy-good adaptation.
I agree with both your original and my alteration.
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Seems to me, the only movie Vampires that eat animals are the "goody goody" twighlight types.
I don't want to glitter. :P
The was an old twilight zone (I think) where the "good"vampire hunted stray cats or something. There have been a few others. Most of the serious movies just had them hunting humans that I can remember.
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In the HBO True Blood series there is a lot of, uh, recreational feeding.
And any self respecting vampire who glitters should commit sepaku.
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Undead does not equal unperson damn it!! :laugh:
....Unless they're zombies, and in that case, I'm fetching my M1A with PVS-4. [ar15]
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I've been thinking that a infection based vampire story could be interesting.
Most people who contact the virus/bacteria die.
Only 0.0001% who have blood or sexual contact can survive it, they become "vampires" by symbiotic life with the organism
The vampire live very long (500-800yrs?), maybe even forever?
The vampire is not even remotely indestructible; just strong, fast, smart, and persuasive (pheromones?)
But they are blood thirsty, always needing vast amounts of new DNA to help maintain their longevity, by repairing their own with the new.
Due to the low survival rate, vampire empire building is not possible. There are only ~700,000 potentials in whole world that can survive. But not everyone is exposed to even find the potentials (such a thing would be a worldwide plague), so the actual world vampire population is maybe 35 thousand, a few tens per city of the world. If it came to open war with humans, vampires would easily get wiped out - not just from the lopsided odds, but also the nearly impossibly low replacement rate.
Lonely and living in shadows means picking off undesirables for survival. Over millenia, this behavior has grown into a "vampire culture", those new converts who make disturbance are "disciplined". The culture turns their survival behavior into a religious calling, feeding on only those directly observed doing evil. This explains the protection of the cross myth, if one is so religious as to keep a cross handy - they will often second guess the suitability of the target, or delay the meal to recheck, also maybe related to their religious calling.
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I've been thinking that a infection based vampire story could be interesting.
Most people who contact the virus/bacteria die.
Only 0.0001% who have blood or sexual contact can survive it, they become "vampires" by symbiotic life with the organism
The vampire live very long (500-800yrs?), maybe even forever?
The vampire is not even remotely indestructible; just strong, fast, smart, and persuasive (pheromones?)
But they are blood thirsty, always needing vast amounts of new DNA to help maintain their longevity, by repairing their own with the new.
Due to the low survival rate, vampire empire building is not possible. There are only ~700,000 potentials in whole world that can survive. But not everyone is exposed to even find the potentials (such a thing would be a worldwide plague), so the actual world vampire population is maybe 35 thousand, a few tens per city of the world. If it came to open war with humans, vampires would easily get wiped out - not just from the lopsided odds, but also the nearly impossibly low replacement rate.
Lonely and living in shadows means picking off undesirables for survival. Over millenia, this behavior has grown into a "vampire culture", those new converts who make disturbance are "disciplined". The culture turns their survival behavior into a religious calling, feeding on only those directly observed doing evil. This explains the protection of the cross myth, if one is so religious as to keep a cross handy - they will often second guess the suitability of the target, or delay the meal to recheck, also maybe related to their religious calling.
There was a short-lived program on the BBC, with a somewhat similar premise - Ultraviolet. Much different on the details. Vampirism was studied and explained in terms of medical science. I think there were only about 6 episodes. It is available for free, on Hulu.
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There was a short-lived program on the BBC, with a somewhat similar premise - Ultraviolet. Much different on the details. Vampirism was studied and explained in terms of medical science. I think there were only about 6 episodes. It is available for free, on Hulu.
It was also a movie that ran on the cable Sy Fy channel. The actor who played the paleontolgist in Jurassic Park was in it (I forget the actor's name) and it was a pretty fair movie considering the Sy Fy network's reputation for saturday evening shlock.
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It was also a movie that ran on the cable Sy Fy channel. The actor who played the paleontolgist in Jurassic Park was in it (I forget the actor's name) and it was a pretty fair movie considering the Sy Fy network's reputation for saturday evening shlock.
??? According to Wikipedia, the BBC series has been shown on SyFy as a miniseries, but I don't think anyone from Jurassic Park is in it. There's also an unrelated sci-fi vampire movie called Ultraviolet, but I don't think it has anyone from Jurassic Park, either.
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??? According to Wikipedia, the BBC series has been shown on SyFy as a miniseries, but I don't think anyone from Jurassic Park is in it. There's also an unrelated sci-fi vampire movie called Ultraviolet, but I don't think it has anyone from Jurassic Park, either.
Huh. Just saw it several weeks ago.
They were trying to develop a workable artificial blood because humans were becoming scarce. JP guy was running a lab doing this. Instead they found a cure that turned vampires back into human beings.
I recall it pretty well. It wasn't a fantastic movie but it was entertaining enough.
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Daybreakers.
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Depends on,the mythology used. Sometimes silver is used on Vampires and sometimes holy symbols have no effect, depending on the writer.
I think using silver on Vampires stems from using holy relects melted down into weapons.
Most vampire myths I've read list silver as toxic. Put enough silver in them, & they die of "blood poisoning". Fire also works. An intrepid monster hunter might do well to develop a silver-tipped incendiary round for general monster-killing.....
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The was an old twilight zone (I think) where the "good"vampire hunted stray cats or something. There have been a few others. Most of the serious movies just had them hunting humans that I can remember.
In Buffy and Angel, Angel kept a fridge full of pig's blood. One episode of Angel had him (and Harmony, an airhead supporting character who'd been vampirized back during Buffy) getting their pig's blood spiked - magically, IIRC - with human blood, which increased their aggression and acted in a drug-like manner on them. They had to detox once the team figured out what was going on.
Re: poll question - yeah, it'd depend on how much control I had, how much I was changed by the vampirism. If I needed to suicide, would I still be willing to?
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Daybreakers.
:facepalm:
Is THAT what that vampire movie with Jurassic Park Guy was titled?
OK.
The storyline was close enough to fool me....... [tinfoil] :lol:
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Most vampire myths I've read list silver as toxic. Put enough silver in them, & they die of "blood poisoning". Fire also works. An intrepid monster hunter might do well to develop a silver-tipped incendiary round for general monster-killing.....
Heh, reminds me of the Hellboy cartridges. IIRC they contained white oak, holy water, garlic, silver and cold iron shavings. Kind of a supernatural catch-all round.
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I liked sci fi adaptation of BBC's Being human, the ghost girl was awfully cute.
As to the topic, I guess it could be fun for awhile ( being a vampire ) if I could locate to California and eat locally produced organic food only. ;)
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I liked sci fi adaptation of BBC's Being human, the ghost girl was awfully cute.
As to the topic, I guess it could be fun for awhile ( being a vampire ) if I could locate to California and eat locally produced organic food only. ;)
Careful, you don't know where that hippie has been.
ETA: If you fence in the entire state of California, does that still count as Free-Range Hippie?
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That would be a concern, would you have to worry about hep c or HIV for example? ???
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That would be a concern, would you have to worry about hep c or HIV for example? ???
For the paramaters of arguments sake, lets say that vamps aren't affected. But the blood from dying or sick individuals doesn't quite give you the satisfaction as from a healthy strong young victim.
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>This explains the protection of the cross myth, if one is so religious as to keep a cross handy - they will often second guess the suitability of the target<
I'm not so sure this premise would work too well. MANY evil people hide behind the symbols of a religion, to disguise their evil. But something tells me that your hypothetical vampires, observing people over time, would start to recognize the signs of such.
A more likely scenario would be that the weakness to holy symbols is something the vamps themselves have put into the mythology, to give their chosen prey (evil humans) a false sense of security...
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>This explains the protection of the cross myth, if one is so religious as to keep a cross handy - they will often second guess the suitability of the target<
I'm not so sure this premise would work too well. MANY evil people hide behind the symbols of a religion, to disguise their evil. But something tells me that your hypothetical vampires, observing people over time, would start to recognize the signs of such.
A more likely scenario would be that the weakness to holy symbols is something the vamps themselves have put into the mythology, to give their chosen prey (evil humans) a false sense of security...
I like the notion they just think its funny. Being very long lived, their running gags could very well become the stuff of myths. =D
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That IS a good thought. After all, we would have NO idea of the psychology of an immortal...