Forums » Elder Scrolls

Lycanthropy & Vampirism: would you ever really?

    • 694 posts
    August 30, 2015 11:14 PM EDT

    As you all know, we have some die hard werewolf and vampire fans around these parts. I know this topic has been somewhat skirted before by TwistedOrthrus and Muffin Warrior--but what I'm posing to you today is somewhat different. I'm not asking which is more powerful in-game, which you prefer to play... Today I'm asking you to put yourself in Tamriel. The question has two parts, but they're both straightforward.

    1. If you were given the option, would you ever willingly become either of these? The abilities and limitations as outlined in the game are identical to the powers you'd receive in Tamriel, not as we necessarily understand them in pop culture today. But, somewhat unlike the game, keep in mind that this means you'll have to regularly hunt or drink blood to sustain yourself. You'd also have to live with keeping your condition a secret at best, or be completely exiled from regular society (or worse!). Is this something you would actually consider willingly taking part in for the powers you would receive?
    2. For those who said no to the question above, imagine you have no choice. You have to become one or the other. It's just a question of preference. Which do you pick and why? (Sotek, I already know.)

    • 87 posts
    August 31, 2015 9:38 AM EDT

    Lycanthropy; would there be any doubt on my part? Vampires... please. *dismissive wave*

    • 71 posts
    August 31, 2015 9:45 AM EDT

    I'd choose vampire over werewolf, but I wouldn't do it willingly. I'd much rather remain human, and not be forced to subsist off of other people. But vampires (at least as I understand them) have more self-control than werewolves. while it's true that the circle can control themselves while in beast form, Synding couldn't. I really value my autonomy, so this makes Lycanthropy a no go for me. At least as a vampire I can be discerning as to who feed off of. Like a Tamrielic Dexter Morgan or something.

    • 122 posts
    August 31, 2015 9:48 AM EDT

    My humanity, not unlike my virginity, is something that I will wholeheartedly preserve, but if I was forced, I would go with vampirism. Why? For one, I'd rather be an undead human rather than a half-beast, and moreover, I've always wondered what blood tastes like. Oh, and chicks love vampires, so I'm going to have that going for me, which is always nice.

    • 694 posts
    August 31, 2015 11:59 AM EDT

    Ah, thank you for pick up on these important nuances, Adds. This is sort of what I was hoping someone would bring up. It's not just that you have to be OK with killing people, cannibalism, and maybe living in exile... it's that it would also completely change who you are. It's a really radical departure from the life and existence you would have always known.

    • 694 posts
    August 31, 2015 12:00 PM EDT

    Haha, soooo... where are you landing on this one then...? :D

    • 1483 posts
    August 31, 2015 12:04 PM EDT

    Vampire. Though I don't know why, perhaps because I prefer subtlety to brute force.

    • 1217 posts
    August 31, 2015 12:09 PM EDT
    This depends largely on "the rules." In some popular media, it wears at your humanity and changes you. In other popular media, like Skyrim, it at most gives you a bad attitude(provided you haven't been cursed by Hircine). Many of the same issues apply to vampires in popular media.
    • 66 posts
    August 31, 2015 12:18 PM EDT

    Considering the amount of bandits I wouldn't have a problem with vampirism, considering that it's also relatively easy to be cured.

    • 694 posts
    August 31, 2015 12:21 PM EDT

    Good points Borom. I would be inclined to argue the opposite--but only because I can think of two specific examples off hand in Skyrim and I have to really think hard in terms of vampire movies I've seen. (And before you ask, I completely skipped the Twilight phenomenon). Have you seen What We Do in the Shadows? I DID catch that one recently; that one definitely supports your point (and is worth a few laughs too). 

    I feel like in pop culture they might be more likely to play down side effects in the name of the narrative... or at least the temptation to do so would be there. But in Skyrim Serana is very much changed by what she's gone through with her transformation and the Circle (with the exception of Skjor and Aela) report that their thoughts have become clouded etc.. Maybe I just haven't seen enough vamp/werewolf flicks though.

  • August 31, 2015 12:38 PM EDT

    Vampirism. I prefer vampire due to simply being an evil bastard.

    • 1483 posts
    August 31, 2015 12:48 PM EDT

    Relevant:

    By Mandryk

  • August 31, 2015 12:56 PM EDT
    Vampires are fine around garlic. The one in Oblivion just had serious allergies.
    • 641 posts
    August 31, 2015 1:01 PM EDT

    Do we get to pick what type of Vampire from ES we get to be?

    • 739 posts
    August 31, 2015 1:26 PM EDT

    Werewolf for me...

    At least if you're a werewolf you get to live a fairly ordinary life.

    • Get to go out during the day
    • Meet some sweet Skyrim ladies and fornicate without catching any nasty STD's
    • Perhaps have a family and friends
    • No risk of cancer
    • Werewolves do age so you don't have that ugly immortality business to deal with
    • Never go hungry

    Plenty of evil bandits about when it's 'that time of the month'...

    It's a pretty blessed life as long as you aren't forced to transform while shopping for sweetrolls. Of course Hircine may have something to say when you do eventually die and go to the Hunting Grounds, if that ruling is strictly canon...

    • 404 posts
    August 31, 2015 1:29 PM EDT

    the best answers ever.

  • August 31, 2015 1:52 PM EDT

    Vampires and werewolves have really been softened a lot in much of the last hundred years or so, versus stuff from when the original myths and legends were circulating.

    They've gone from monsters to be feared, to tragic examples of how circumstance can destroy our lives to disturbing questions about how far you'd go to survive (Will you kill another person to save yourself? Will you do it over and over, forever?) to something to be desired.

    They've become these sexy symbols of freedom from the restraints and limitations of civilization. Vampires are simply better than humans - stronger, faster, more attractive, a seductive and empowering state that often features almost no drawbacks whatsoever. Werewolves are a call to the primal, letting go of restricting, civilized concepts such as morality, social contracts and pants.

    There's supposed to be horror in becoming these things - vampire knowingly and willingly murder others for their own pleasure/survival, while werewolves lose control of themselves and their actions, harming those closest to them. Obviously, a game like Skyrim (that isn't even about werewolves and vampires) needs to cut back on the negatives. After all, nobody would want to become them if they didn't offer a gameplay benefit, but I kind of wish there'd be more to it.

  • August 31, 2015 2:31 PM EDT

    Neither, because I would master things like Alchemy, Conjuration, and Restoration. I need not sacrifice my beautiful face and marvellous odor for biologically immortality and power when I am aware of 'common' magic, especially when neither creatures have long lifespans in the 'wild'.

  • August 31, 2015 2:56 PM EDT

    That subtlety does not carry over much in the Elder Scrolls.

  • August 31, 2015 2:58 PM EDT

    Are you really implying that, if you were in that world, the ingredients and/or black soul gems necessary to cure vampirism would be relatively easy to acquire? 

    • 694 posts
    August 31, 2015 5:01 PM EDT

    Lore host to the rescue! Thanks for the clarification Matt. :)

    • 694 posts
    August 31, 2015 5:02 PM EDT

    Sure, why not? 

    • 694 posts
    August 31, 2015 5:14 PM EDT

    I dunno... this looks an awful lot like brute force (and less like subtlety) to me, Vaz. 

    • 1595 posts
    August 31, 2015 5:19 PM EDT

    It's a damn good picture though

    • 694 posts
    August 31, 2015 5:19 PM EDT

    I agree with you on the mortality preference. IMO immortality sounds just awful.