Vampires - Forsaken Mountain
As we draw near to a day filled with magic and creatures of darkness, we've chosen to embark on a deeper exploration of the residents of Forsaken Mountain, an ancient civilization that predates the arrival of humans on the enigmatic continent of Ravendawn.
The Forsaken Mountains have truly earned their haunting name. Dead trees stretch their skeletal limbs to the sky, and dying mosses blanket the rocky ground. Forsaken Vampires prowl the desolate mountain paths. Whether the mountains were named for these monsters or vice versa remains a mystery. Many naive adventurers and hapless travelers have fallen prey to the perils of this land. The few who return are often irrevocably altered, recounting tales of ancient crypts, hidden treasures, and ghostly battlefields. Most chilling of all are whispers of towering spires beyond the mountains, an immense citadel nestled within the range, and lurking in its shadow, a formidable vampiric host far surpassing the strength of the creatures that haunt the mountain paths. Only the most experienced of adventurers have the power necessary to uncover the truth of these tales.
In the heart of the chaos that grips Sombershade, there is a place of order and stability. A place that promises protection for all who manage to earn an invitation from a select elite that rises above the petty factionalism of the Church, Fangwatch Fort, and the vampires of Greypike. A place where every whim can be fulfilled, every desire indulged, and every need satisfied. A place that is under the protection of a most magnanimous host, a great philosopher, and collector of all manner of curiosities - the all-powerful vampire Leagros, leader of the Eternal Night Society! Or so he would have you believe.
But how about now we get to know a little more about these inhabitants? Each one has its own story and is not there by chance!
Vampire Reaver
By Vampire standards, Reavers are fairly young, still getting used to their life as an undead bloodsucker. Consumed by their newfound power and bloodlust, Vampire Reavers are rash, always eager to kill. Even when they’re not hungry, Reavers will gladly put their axes to use.
Vampire Vixen
Vampire Vixens enjoy playing with their food, using cunning and guile to lure their victims into a false sense of security. Vixens are known for their steel-tipped whips and red hair, both colored from a mix of red dye and the blood of innocents. The whip they carry is tipped with a nasty piece of steel, which bites into flesh easily, causing deep gashes. A Vixen likes to use her whip to lash around her prey, pulling them in close so she can sink her fangs into their necks.
Vampire Lord
Vampire Lords are very old and very powerful. Fully armored and extremely skilled with a longsword, they answer only to the Red Council. As ancient Vampires, they’ve mostly grown bored with hunting humans, instead preferring to enjoy decadent lifestyles filled with wealth and many, many goblets of blood. Their interest is only stirred by playing the great game of deception, politics and betrayal amongst one another for only another lord is a worthy adversary.
Vampire Necromancer
Although blood magic birthed vampirism, not all vampires embrace the practice to the same degree. Vampire Necromancers will drain their victims dry, however they turned their focus away from manipulating the crimson life giving essence and instead to controlling the bodies of the dead. They often raise legions of the dead to serve their every whim and in particular enjoy parading the corpses of their enemies as trophies to intimidate any rivals seeking to challenge their power or steal their secrets.
Vampire Warlock
The Vampire Warlocks are the true masters of blood magic in its purest form, for they are rumored to even be capable of manipulating the blood coursing through the veins of another at will. It was through the work of these beings that vampires discovered the unique property of their blood - the power to enforce total obedience once ingested by a mortal. This scholarly disposition does not change the fact that they jealously covet the secrets of their peers while protecting their own with extreme prejudice.
Forsaken Vampire
Born either from impure blood or some cursed magic, these pitiful creatures are despised and shunned by their vampiric kin perhaps even more than by the humans, as they are a constant reminder of what could happen to any vampire. Unable to feed on blood, they’re slowly wasting away, yet refuse to die. Despite this state, make no mistake, they are still a serious threat as they lash out violently against anything they can get their claws on.
Vampire Abomination
These bestial creatures are little understood as they appear to struggle with human speech at times and are believed to be the result of vampires using blood magic to enhance their bodies with animal sacrifices. Others say that these vampires tried to control their thirst by feeding on animals rather than people and were eventually changed, body and mind. Wherever the truth lies, the territorial nature of these creatures and their incredible physical strength are not to be underestimated.
Blake
The idea of keeping your friends close and enemies closer rings more true for Blake than perhaps any other being among the aristocracy of the night. In life he had been one of the greatest vampire slayers of his age, however for little understood reasons at the height of his illustrious career, he turned to the vampires and joined their ranks. His already sharp, battle hardened senses and reflexes were elevated far beyond the limits of an ordinary human and he found an easy home in the vampiric host as one of their most elite and dangerous weapons.
The Red Count
The true name of the enigmatic Red Count is much contested among the scholars in the Lorekeep. Some claim that he is Count Azriel, the famed wizard adventurer from Lucien’s days, others that he killed the count and assumed his identity, others still that he has no relation to the man at all. What is certain is that he holds a place of high esteem in the Red Council and that his reign of terror has been marked by callous cruelty and rivers running red with blood. It seems that while other vampires grow bored of hunting humans with age, the Red Count never lost his love for bloodsport nor his youthful vigor.
Creative Process
Vampires are creatures of great significance to RPG enthusiasts, and it is the team's duty to bring this fascinating theme to the game in the most immersive way possible. It is based on this principle that we have decided to revamp all creatures of the family, both in technical and graphical aspects. As a bonus, through collaborative efforts between the Game Design and Art teams, we have created bosses such as Serafine (You can checkt he DevBlog here) and the Vampire King. All of this has been done with great care to provide the player with the best possible experience!
Game Design
“Everyone on the Game Design team has a special place in their heart for the vampires, as one of the original classic monsters that have been terrorizing (and seducing) in popular media for centuries. We knew that they deserved attention not only in creating a variety of powerful and interesting creatures to battle against, but that they also deserved a narrative around them that honored their air of mystery.
When it came to establishing their role within Ravendawn, we faced an interesting challenge. The continent, relatively newly settled by Lucien and his expedition, was already inhabited by vampires upon their arrival. We had to ask ourselves, “Where are the humans they fed on? How did vampires come to exist?” and we are quite excited to see how our community answers these questions. The vampires guard their secrets well and some of the key pieces of this puzzle may lie farther afield than you’d expect…
The flip side of their mystery is, of course, the famed indulgence and decadence of vampires. We wanted to offer our community the opportunity to indulge a little and enjoy vampire hospitality without constantly fighting to survive. With this in mind, those who invest the time in making a name for themselves in the Deadlands will earn access to a rather ironically located exclusive establishment. We hope to see you there, goblet in hand, cheers!
Through the development of these traditions, we embarked on collaborative efforts with illustrators to create Ravencards. These creatures have already earned their exclusive Ravencards, while others are yet to receive their well-deserved Ravencards. Here, we can take a look at some examples.”
Deividas Rekesius - Game Designer
Voice Acting
As you already know, the world of Ravendawn is even more immersive and lively since most NPCs are Voice Acted . Just listen to what they have to say and follow their lead to enjoy the rewards and challenging tasks they have to offer. But listen carefully; don't miss out on clues and hints about what needs to be done. Every bit of attention matters! Now, let's hear a brief phrase from Isobel Moon:
Did you like to learn more about the vampire saga and the fascinating creative process behind them? We are eager to welcome fearless adventurers who wish to explore the dark lands of Forsaken Mountains in search of thrilling adventures!
We look forward to seeing you in the server soon!