Hi Tom.
While I fully agree rumania (formally transilvania), hungary, and even
britain have been pretty much done to death vampire wise, I personally would
disagree that you need to completely devorce the game from reality or
history, ---- indeed for me, part of the interest of vampires is! their long
lives and their existance through various historical settings. While there
was much I didn't particularly appreciate in anne rices books, and have only
read two as a result, this factor I did quite enjoy, sinse after all it's
not unreasonable to expect a vampire to pretty much pop up anywhere, at any
time period in history you want, and you could even make the vampire's past
part of the game too.
For example, in his novel Fevre dream, George R.R. martin imagines vampires
in The american south during the 1860's, at the time when luxury paddle
steamers along the mississippi were common, ---- indeed the book is told
from the perspective of a riverboat captain.
There, raather than being lords or owners of plantations, vampires are seen
as people who have to be dam carefull not to be noticed, ---- indeed much of
the books plot involves the vampires' desire to use a riverboat as their
head quarters, sinse they can paddle up and down and choose victims as they
wish without being noticed sinse they are never in one place too long.
Another very unique vampire setting was the game castlevania bloodlines on
the mega drive. There, you are playing the descendent of the belment family,
but instead of fighting dracula in his 17th or 19th century castle, you are
fighting elizabeth bathroy the vampiric sorcereress who has woken in the
1920's. Thus stages involve for example fighting in gas lit drawering rooms,
or in a german munitions factory full of skeletons, ---- there is even a
level set on a steam train.
Two thoughts I have for instance, are how about setting a vampiric story in
egypt in the 1990's, during the time the valley of the kings was
excavaatedd, thus mixing in elements of egyptian mythology (remember set?),
and maybe some indiana jones style swash buckling with pistols and sword
canes.
if this is a little too close to the mota setting, ---- well another rather
unique location could be spain in the time of the crusades, ---- perhaps the
vampire is a mourish noble who has come over from the middle east. Settings
could include vinyards, cliffs by the sea etc, but instead of cold and snow,
be full of palm trees and orange groves, plus being at the time of the
crusades could also (and with quite historical realism), include some major
battle scenes, sinse after all the mours who rules Spain had some pretty
serious armies with bowmen, pikemen and mounted knights.
This would also in a text rpg give you the chance to quite legitimately
imploy D&D like characters, such as knights, paladins, priests who
specialize in hunting vampires (perhaps there is a specific Catholic order
for this purpose), or skirmishing bowmen who sepcialize in ranged weapons,
not to mention thieves.
just some thoughts.
of course, if you prefer a none specific fantasy setting that's fine
too, ---- though as I said I'd slightly mis the history possible with
vampires in that case.
Beware the grue!
Dark.
---
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