Headless Horseman Origins:
The Headless Horseman is an interesting character, but there is very little information on him. Some of the information I will include is based on my analysis of headless horseman tales both past and modern day. The original Headless Horseman originates from the Dutch tale of Sleepy Hollow, which was eventually turned into a book by Washington Irving. He is the ghost of a Hessian soldier whose head was shot off by a cannon ball in the Revolutionary War. Hessians were German mercenaries hired during the war. Unlike most ghosts, he has a physical form and rides a great black horse, which also has a physical form. He may or may not be the origin of the ghost rider myths. Since the original tale, many adaptations have been made, and newer legends of the Headless Horseman have been created. In some latter adaptations he is an undead being controlled by a witch. In recent tales, the horseman had filed his teeth to points and was a very powerful and merciless soldier when he was alive. His enemies feared him because he was known to decapitate them.
Headless Horseman Stats:
The horse of the Headless Horseman is very fast, faster than most horses. The horseman himself seems to have some measure of superhuman strength. Although not as strong as a vampire or werewolf, he is strong enough to easily lift a 200 pound man with one arm. Most of the time he kills his victims by decapitation. His weapons are an ever glowing jack-o-lantern, a sword, and a single bladed ax. In some tales, the jack-o-lantern can breath fire and burn things that are close to it. The horseman can also throw the jack-o-lantern with incredible accuracy. The horseman exudes a powerful aura that causes animals to panic and drives terror into the hearts of humans. He is invulnerable to most weapons, including firearms. And, despite the lack of his head, he is a reasoning and somewhat intelligent being. He is more powerful on All Hallows Eve, also known as Halloween. As he was when he was alive, the headless horseman is very skilled at wielding ax and sword. He kills those that travel through his woods at night. Although he cannot find his head, he will not allow any others even the chance of accidentally stumbling upon it.
Transformation:
Conventionally, one cannot become the Headless Horseman, nor can the Headless Horseman make other headless horsemen. It may be possible that more headless horsemen could be created if they lost their head in battle and had a strong enough will to return, but this remains doubtful and unlikely. However, it is never mentioned how the Hessian soldier returned or continues to move without a head. It may be that his desire to be whole, extreme evil, or the amount of men he decapitated in battle keeps him from resting. In the case of some newer myths, it is a witch that has disturbed his rest and called him back.
Alignment:
Evil. He can coexist with other evil goblins and forest beings and will not go out of his way to kill them. Should another evil being cross his path he will most likely kill it regardless of its alignment. He will kill any humans he can. As a side note, he does not bother horses.
Weaknesses and Slaying:
The Headless Horseman must be back at his resting place, a church graveyard in Sleepy Hollow, by dawn. Unlike most creatures, he cannot be killed by beheading obviously. He is neither zombie nor ghost. Such things as holy water, crucifixes, and bibles would keep him away, but not kill him. He would also avoid bright areas and fire. Ichabod believed that the horseman could not cross the church bridge and that he would disappear in a cloud of fire and brimstone when he had given up the chase. Since the horseman is already dead, slaying him would be difficult. In more recent tales he could be stopped by killing the witch controlling him. If he should ever regain his head or have the opportunity, he will kill anyone who is or was controlling him and drag them to Hell before return to his rest. He is riding out at night in search of his lost head, which presumably remains intact somewhere in Sleepy Hollow. If his head is returned, he will rest. Presumably, if he is damaged enough he will have to return to his resting place and heal. Cannon, holy heavy weapons such as swords and broad axes would be the only things strong enough to damage him. Like most mythical creatures, he was created in a time period long ago and will probably not be affected by weapons from our time period. Do not bother looking for his body during the day because it will probably not be there. As suggested by the fire and brimstone disappearance, the headless horseman most likely rests in another realm, hell, or some untouchable part of Sleepy Hollow. So far, short of intervention from God or angels, the Headless Horseman cannot be killed, only returned to rest. However, unlike werewolves or vampires, he is limited in the amount of area he can cover. He must return to his grave by daybreak and his resting place cannot be changed. Also, although he is evil, he is looking for his head and knows it is in the area.
Showing posts with label Undead. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Undead. Show all posts
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Vampires
Vampire Origins:
Folktales about vampires have been around since before the 1800's. The tales have their origins in Romania and Germany. In the 1800's vampires became a common legend and they were often depicted as thin and pale. They are known for drinking the blood of living beings. Vampires can live forever, but they must drink blood to continue to live. Vampires were brought to fame by Brahm Stoker, who wrote Dracula. Dracula was based on Vlad the impaler. Vlad was a violent, tyrannical emperor who had his enemies impaled and left their corpses hang from pikes and spears as a warning to all. Since the 1800's, stories of vampires have spread across the world and each culture has their own legends and descriptions of vampires. During the 1800's, people believed strongly in vampires and there are documented accounts of people digging up and staking corpses they believed to be vampires.
Vampire Stats:
Intelligence is a vampire's greatest strength. Because they live forever if not killed, they can continue learning and they will see much through the ages. The older a vampire is the more intelligent and dangerous he or she will be. Vampires can hypnotize their victims simply by looking them in the eyes. Most vampires have the ability to turn into bats. Some of the more ancient, pure blood vampires can become a large bat like monster. Vampires are stronger than most men because they have adrenaline flowing constantly and it never runs out. Some seem to have superhuman speed as well. Vampires become stronger and can even heal themselves by drinking the blood of the living. In fact, they must drink blood to sustain their immortality. If they stop drinking blood they will die. Human blood is best, but it is possible for them to survive on animal blood. Animal blood will weaken them though. They can go dormant for over a century, and during that time, they will not need blood, but when they awaken, they will be very week. Vampires never pass the age they were when they became vampires. The ultimate vampire is Dracula. He was the first, the greatest, and the most powerful of all the vampires. He could only have been defeated by one as intelligent as himself. Dr. Abraham Van Hellsing slew Dracula by driving a stake through his heart and cutting off his head while Dracula was resting in his coffin. More recent tales featuring Dracula have begun to surface. In these he is occasionally called Alucard, an anagram for Dracula. Like the Dracula of old, he is more powerful than any other vampire. Vampires do not have a shadow or a reflection.
Vampire Transformation:
Vampires create other vampires by sucking all the blood from their victims or by mixing their own blood with the victims. Unlike other beings, vampires choose who they want to become other vampires. Vampires have long fangs, which have small holes in the tips to suck or inject blood, much like a venomous snake. They leave small bite marks on their victim's neck. If bitten, one does not become a vampire immediately. Should the vampire who bit or sucked the victim's blood be killed, the person bitten will not become a vampire. Most vampires will not drain all of one person's blood in a single sitting. If someone dies from the vampire drinking all of their blood, that person will become a vampire under the control of the first vampire. If the controlling vampire is killed, those under his control will rest in peace. When a vampire mixes his blood with another, that person will slowly become a vampire, but he or she will retain free will and will not be returned to death when the original vampire is killed.
Alignment:
Evil with a few exceptions. Once in a very long time there will be a good vampire. Good vampires are the result of someone with a will and intelligence stronger than the vampire that bit them. They most overcome the pain of becoming a vampire, the loneliness of being hated for all eternity by humans and vampires alike, and they must find a way to drink blood without compromising their morals. For the most part, vampires are evil. Once they begin drinking blood they come to think of humans as no more than animals. Vampires hate the living and will kill those they can. However, they are not adverse to letting other evil beings serve them. Unlike werewolves who will normally kill any none werewolf being, Vampires tend to become king like figures, forcing others to serve them.
Vampire Weaknesses and Slaying:
Vampires are unholy beings. Bibles, crucifixes, and holy water will all injure them. Although not as reactive as werewolves, vampires hate silver. They also hate garlic cloves, roses, and will not come near them. Like most undead, they cannot abide fire and it is possible to kill them buy burning them to ashes. In most cases beheading will kill vampires. This does not work on Dracula and a few other ancient vampires. Vampires, including Dracula, will be killed if they do not return to their grave by sun rise. One way to kill a vampire is to lay a cross on his grave so he cannot return. Driving a wooden (preferably ash or oak) stake, measuring three feet in length, through a vampire's heart and into the coffin will kill most vampires. However cutting off the head after driving the stake will ensure they cannot rise again. Vampires cannot enter a Church. Werewolf venom will kill them almost instantly. Even Dracula would be killed if bitten by a powerful enough werewolf. In one recent legend, Gabriel Van Hellsing, became a werewolf and killed Dracula by biting his throat out.
Folktales about vampires have been around since before the 1800's. The tales have their origins in Romania and Germany. In the 1800's vampires became a common legend and they were often depicted as thin and pale. They are known for drinking the blood of living beings. Vampires can live forever, but they must drink blood to continue to live. Vampires were brought to fame by Brahm Stoker, who wrote Dracula. Dracula was based on Vlad the impaler. Vlad was a violent, tyrannical emperor who had his enemies impaled and left their corpses hang from pikes and spears as a warning to all. Since the 1800's, stories of vampires have spread across the world and each culture has their own legends and descriptions of vampires. During the 1800's, people believed strongly in vampires and there are documented accounts of people digging up and staking corpses they believed to be vampires.
Vampire Stats:
Intelligence is a vampire's greatest strength. Because they live forever if not killed, they can continue learning and they will see much through the ages. The older a vampire is the more intelligent and dangerous he or she will be. Vampires can hypnotize their victims simply by looking them in the eyes. Most vampires have the ability to turn into bats. Some of the more ancient, pure blood vampires can become a large bat like monster. Vampires are stronger than most men because they have adrenaline flowing constantly and it never runs out. Some seem to have superhuman speed as well. Vampires become stronger and can even heal themselves by drinking the blood of the living. In fact, they must drink blood to sustain their immortality. If they stop drinking blood they will die. Human blood is best, but it is possible for them to survive on animal blood. Animal blood will weaken them though. They can go dormant for over a century, and during that time, they will not need blood, but when they awaken, they will be very week. Vampires never pass the age they were when they became vampires. The ultimate vampire is Dracula. He was the first, the greatest, and the most powerful of all the vampires. He could only have been defeated by one as intelligent as himself. Dr. Abraham Van Hellsing slew Dracula by driving a stake through his heart and cutting off his head while Dracula was resting in his coffin. More recent tales featuring Dracula have begun to surface. In these he is occasionally called Alucard, an anagram for Dracula. Like the Dracula of old, he is more powerful than any other vampire. Vampires do not have a shadow or a reflection.
Vampire Transformation:
Vampires create other vampires by sucking all the blood from their victims or by mixing their own blood with the victims. Unlike other beings, vampires choose who they want to become other vampires. Vampires have long fangs, which have small holes in the tips to suck or inject blood, much like a venomous snake. They leave small bite marks on their victim's neck. If bitten, one does not become a vampire immediately. Should the vampire who bit or sucked the victim's blood be killed, the person bitten will not become a vampire. Most vampires will not drain all of one person's blood in a single sitting. If someone dies from the vampire drinking all of their blood, that person will become a vampire under the control of the first vampire. If the controlling vampire is killed, those under his control will rest in peace. When a vampire mixes his blood with another, that person will slowly become a vampire, but he or she will retain free will and will not be returned to death when the original vampire is killed.
Alignment:
Evil with a few exceptions. Once in a very long time there will be a good vampire. Good vampires are the result of someone with a will and intelligence stronger than the vampire that bit them. They most overcome the pain of becoming a vampire, the loneliness of being hated for all eternity by humans and vampires alike, and they must find a way to drink blood without compromising their morals. For the most part, vampires are evil. Once they begin drinking blood they come to think of humans as no more than animals. Vampires hate the living and will kill those they can. However, they are not adverse to letting other evil beings serve them. Unlike werewolves who will normally kill any none werewolf being, Vampires tend to become king like figures, forcing others to serve them.
Vampire Weaknesses and Slaying:
Vampires are unholy beings. Bibles, crucifixes, and holy water will all injure them. Although not as reactive as werewolves, vampires hate silver. They also hate garlic cloves, roses, and will not come near them. Like most undead, they cannot abide fire and it is possible to kill them buy burning them to ashes. In most cases beheading will kill vampires. This does not work on Dracula and a few other ancient vampires. Vampires, including Dracula, will be killed if they do not return to their grave by sun rise. One way to kill a vampire is to lay a cross on his grave so he cannot return. Driving a wooden (preferably ash or oak) stake, measuring three feet in length, through a vampire's heart and into the coffin will kill most vampires. However cutting off the head after driving the stake will ensure they cannot rise again. Vampires cannot enter a Church. Werewolf venom will kill them almost instantly. Even Dracula would be killed if bitten by a powerful enough werewolf. In one recent legend, Gabriel Van Hellsing, became a werewolf and killed Dracula by biting his throat out.
Zombies
Zombie Origins:
For the record, I hate zombies. Zombies are reanimated corpses. Though they are technically dead, they are not in the same category of undead as vampires. They have the ability to move and attack, but they are more like very unintelligent animals. There sole thought, goal, and drive is to feed on the living. Legends of zombies originate in the Afro-Caribbean culture, especially Haiti. There were old stories of Voodoo sorcerers raising corpses. These stories call the raised corpses "zonbi" and began around 1870. Although zombies originated in Afro-Caribbean culture, many cultures have tales of the dead returning or skeletons coming to life, including Norse, Japanese, and Indian cultures.
Zombie Stats:
Zombies are extremely dangerous, but not because they are fast, strong, or cunning. Zombies are highly contagious. The can transfer their disease with a bite or they can simply touch an open wound. Because the disease spreads so quickly, zombies will almost always come in packs. They feel no pain or remorse. They have none of their human emotions left. They can pursue for a long time because they don't feel fatigued. However, they are still only human, so to speak, and they cannot push their bodies past normal human limits. They become weaker as time passes because they never stop rotting. The life span of a zombie is usually less than 2 months, even if they are feeding regularly. If injured a zombie will never heal.
Transformation:
Once bitten by a zombie, normal humans have at maximum of three days before they become zombies themselves. The amount of time one has depends on physical health and genetic structure. As with most viruses, their are humans who are immune. However, this is very rare. There are a very few companies in the world with experimental cures, but your chances of finding one that works are very slim. As a person becomes a zombie, they will slowly stop feeling pain, their thoughts will get muddled, and they become more aggressive. When they become a full zombie, they will no longer feel pain or be able to think.
Alignment:
Evil to neutral. Zombies can be malevolent, but this is rare. In most cases where zombies are evil, they have been raised or are being controlled by an evil force. Ninety percent of the time, zombies are brain dead, constantly starving corpses. Their only thought is "Braaaaiiiinnnnssss." So, they attack simply to get food, not because they hate humans.
Weaknesses and Slaying:
Zombies may be the easiest of all legendary beings to kill. Almost any damage to the head will kill zombies whether it is a bullet, a sword, or a baseball bat. Beheading will also kill most zombies. There are a few who can still move without their head. If this happens, either smash the skull of the head or pierce the heart of the body. Lopping off arms and legs may slow the zombie down, but that will not kill it. Remember, zombies won't bleed to death, they are already dead. The number one rule when slaying zombies is, "don't show compassion." There is no such thing as a good zombie. They are dead and nothing remains of the person they once were, so don't hesitate to kill them. They are slow, but be careful they don't surround you. Even if they are easy to kill, numbers can be overwhelming. Get out of cities and highly populated areas. Zombies have bad coordination, so choose rough terrain to run and fight on. Zombies are EXTREMELY flammable. Thus, the only thing zombies fear is fire. Also, make sure that they don't cut or bite you. Zombie virus does not affect vampires, werewolves, ghost beings, or other legendary creatures. It will also not affect people who are immune, obviously.
For the record, I hate zombies. Zombies are reanimated corpses. Though they are technically dead, they are not in the same category of undead as vampires. They have the ability to move and attack, but they are more like very unintelligent animals. There sole thought, goal, and drive is to feed on the living. Legends of zombies originate in the Afro-Caribbean culture, especially Haiti. There were old stories of Voodoo sorcerers raising corpses. These stories call the raised corpses "zonbi" and began around 1870. Although zombies originated in Afro-Caribbean culture, many cultures have tales of the dead returning or skeletons coming to life, including Norse, Japanese, and Indian cultures.
Zombie Stats:
Zombies are extremely dangerous, but not because they are fast, strong, or cunning. Zombies are highly contagious. The can transfer their disease with a bite or they can simply touch an open wound. Because the disease spreads so quickly, zombies will almost always come in packs. They feel no pain or remorse. They have none of their human emotions left. They can pursue for a long time because they don't feel fatigued. However, they are still only human, so to speak, and they cannot push their bodies past normal human limits. They become weaker as time passes because they never stop rotting. The life span of a zombie is usually less than 2 months, even if they are feeding regularly. If injured a zombie will never heal.
Transformation:
Once bitten by a zombie, normal humans have at maximum of three days before they become zombies themselves. The amount of time one has depends on physical health and genetic structure. As with most viruses, their are humans who are immune. However, this is very rare. There are a very few companies in the world with experimental cures, but your chances of finding one that works are very slim. As a person becomes a zombie, they will slowly stop feeling pain, their thoughts will get muddled, and they become more aggressive. When they become a full zombie, they will no longer feel pain or be able to think.
Alignment:
Evil to neutral. Zombies can be malevolent, but this is rare. In most cases where zombies are evil, they have been raised or are being controlled by an evil force. Ninety percent of the time, zombies are brain dead, constantly starving corpses. Their only thought is "Braaaaiiiinnnnssss." So, they attack simply to get food, not because they hate humans.
Weaknesses and Slaying:
Zombies may be the easiest of all legendary beings to kill. Almost any damage to the head will kill zombies whether it is a bullet, a sword, or a baseball bat. Beheading will also kill most zombies. There are a few who can still move without their head. If this happens, either smash the skull of the head or pierce the heart of the body. Lopping off arms and legs may slow the zombie down, but that will not kill it. Remember, zombies won't bleed to death, they are already dead. The number one rule when slaying zombies is, "don't show compassion." There is no such thing as a good zombie. They are dead and nothing remains of the person they once were, so don't hesitate to kill them. They are slow, but be careful they don't surround you. Even if they are easy to kill, numbers can be overwhelming. Get out of cities and highly populated areas. Zombies have bad coordination, so choose rough terrain to run and fight on. Zombies are EXTREMELY flammable. Thus, the only thing zombies fear is fire. Also, make sure that they don't cut or bite you. Zombie virus does not affect vampires, werewolves, ghost beings, or other legendary creatures. It will also not affect people who are immune, obviously.
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