Dig unearths female 'vampire' in Venice
In 16th century, 'shroud-eaters' were thought to rise up and drink bloodBy Ariel David
Source: MSNBCROME - An archaeological dig near Venice has unearthed the 16th-century remains of a woman with a brick stuck between her jaws — evidence, experts say, that she was believed to be a vampire.
The unusual burial is thought to be the result of an ancient vampire-slaying ritual. It suggests the legend of the mythical bloodsucking creatures was tied to medieval ignorance of how diseases spread and what happens to bodies after death, experts said.
The well-preserved skeleton was found in 2006 on the Lazzaretto Nuovo island, north of the lagoon city, amid other corpses buried in a mass grave during an epidemic of plague that hit Venice in 1576.
"Vampires don't exist, but studies show people at the time believed they did," said Matteo Borrini, a forensic archaeologist and anthropologist at Florence University who studied the case over the last two years. "For the first time we have found evidence of an exorcism against a vampire."
Medieval texts show the belief in vampires was fueled by the disturbing appearance of decomposing bodies, Borrini told The Associated Press by telephone.
During epidemics, mass graves were often reopened to bury fresh corpses and diggers would chance upon older bodies that were bloated, with blood seeping out of their mouth and with an inexplicable hole in the shroud used to cover their face.
"These characteristics are all tied to the decomposition of bodies," Borrini said. "But they saw a fat, dead person, full of blood and with a hole in the shroud, so they would say: 'This guy is alive, he's drinking blood and eating his shroud.'"
Modern forensic science shows the bloating is caused by a buildup of gases, while fluid seeping from the mouth is pushed up by decomposing organs, Borrini said. The shroud would have been consumed by bacteria found in the mouth area, he said.
At the time however, what passed for scientific texts taught that "shroud-eaters" were vampires who fed on the cloth and cast a spell that would spread the plague in order to increase their ranks.
To kill the undead creatures, the stake-in-the-heart method popularized by later literature was not enough: A stone or brick had to be forced into the vampire's mouth so that it would starve to death, Borrini said.
That's what is believed to have happened to the woman found on the Lazzaretto island, which was used as a quarantine zone by Venice. Aged around 60, she died of the plague during the epidemic that also claimed the life of the painter Titian.
Much later, someone jammed the brick into her mouth when the grave was reopened. Borrini said that marks and breaks left by blunt instruments on several among more than 100 skeletons found by the archaeologists show that the grave was reused in a later epidemic.
Such a reconstruction of events is plausible, as is the link to the superstitions about "shroud-eaters," said Piero Mannucci, the vice president of the Italian Society of Anthropology and Ethnology.
"Maybe a priest or a gravedigger put the brick in her mouth, which is what was normally done in such cases," Mannucci said.
The anthropologist, who did not take part in Borrini's research, said that at a time when bacteria were unknown, such superstitions were a way for the terrified population to explain the waves of plague epidemics that killed millions during the Middle Ages. Jews were also often accused of spreading the disease.
Borrini said the discovery shows that vampires in popular culture were originally quite different from the elegant, aristocratic blood-drinker depicted in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel "Dracula" and in countless Hollywood revisitations.
"The real vampire of tradition was different," he said. "It was just a decomposing body."
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.
Kadara PastelioniKadara grew into adolescence on the streets of Belos-Paux impoverished and neglected. Underfed and malnourished, she knew her station in life and that it would not serve her with any distinction at all. Her father was mid-level officer who died in a foreign land campaigning against the wizard-priests of the Stones of the Twelve Circles. Her mother, a prostitute of the imperial courts, was poisoned and died from a raving madness most likely attributed to rabies. Kadara yet with all the misfotune aside, had her own talents. Born with a honey-sweet tongue, and a singular magical gift, she turned her intelligence and agility towards arson, thievery and pickpocketing in a roman-esque metropolis ruled by a bureaucratic military. After several near-disastrous encounters with the law, she worked her way into the ranks and eventually into the inner circles of the city's black markets working its con games, extortion scams, and acts involving sleight-of-hand. She eventually found her niche in fencing and was highly recommended by crime lords with the city and its foreign agents as well. Her success eventually came to a halt with the excavation of a forgotten tomb. Her and her fellow thieves discovered the wealth-laden lair of a vanquished, but not slain vampire lord. With his accidental resurrection, her world was to plunge into a bottomless darkness, and changed what she was and who she is forever.
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Race/Sex: Human Female
Class: Beguiler/Rogue
Levels: 13 Total: Beguiler - 10th Level, Rogue - 3rd Level
Spells per Day: 0/6, 1st/7, 2nd/7, 3rd/7, 4th/6, 5th/3
Bonus Spells: Kadara has selected
Shadow Cache – 3rd Level, Phantasmal Killer – 4th Level, Shadowfade - 5th Level Str: [-19-][+00],
Int: [-19-][+00],
Wis: [-17-][+03],
Dex: [-20-][+05],
Con: [-Na-][+00],
Cha: [-21-][+05]
Skills: All Untrained - Bluff +13, Perception: Listen +13, Perception: Search +11, Sense Motive +11, Perception: Spot +13, Stealth: Hide +13, and Stealth: Move Silently +13
Feats (16): Alertness [Bonus], Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes [Bonus], Devil’s Tongue [
Fang and Fury, a Guidebook to Vampires], Dodge [Bonus], Hypnotic Voice [
Fang and Fury, a Guidebook to Vampires], Improved Initiative [Bonus], Leadership [General Bonus], Lifesense [General Bonus:
Libris Mortis], Lightning Reflexes [Bonus], Mobility [General Bonus], Quicken Spell, Shadow Servant [
Fang and Fury: a Guidebook to Vampies], Silent Spell [Class Bonus], Spell Focus: Enchantment, Spell Penetration, Still Spell [Class Bonus]
Special Abilities – BeguilerArmored Mage (Ex) – Kadara’s limited focus and specialized training, as a beguiler, allows her to avoid any chance of arcane spell failure as long as she restricts herself to light armor. The training does not extend to any other forms of armor, nor does this ability apply to spells gained from other spell casting classes.
Trapfinding – Kadara can use the
Perception: Search skill to locate traps when the task has a difficulty class higher than 20, or higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magic tap trap has a DC 25 + the level of the spell used to create it. Kadara can use the
Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. A magic trap typically has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it. Kadara, when she succeeds in defeating a trap by it DC of 10 or more can study a trap, figure out how it works and bypass it (with her cohorts) without disarming it. Kadara currently has no need of this particular ability.
Cloaked Casting (Ex) – Kadara’s spells become More effective when cast against an unwary foe. She gains a +01 competent bonus to the spell’s save DC when she casts a spell that targets any foe who would be denied a dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target has a Dexterity bonus or not). She also gains a +02 bonus on rolls made to overcome the spell resistance of any affected target.
Surprised Casting (Ex) – When Kadara use her
Bluff skill successfully to feint in combat, her target is denied its dexterity bonus to its AC for the next melee attack she makes against it or the next spell she casts. She must remain in melee with the target, and the attack must be made or the spell cast on or before your next turn. The target is not considered flat-footed and therefore can make attacks of opportunity against you if you do not cast defensively. Karada also has the ability to feint in combat as a move action instead of a standard action, but lacks the
Improved Action feat.
Advanced Learning (Ex) – Kadara has selected
Shadow Cache – 3rd Level, Phantasmal Killer – 4th Level, Shadowfade - 5th Level Bonus Feats: Silent Spell and
Still Spell meta-magic feats
Special Abilities - Rogue
Sneak Attack +2d6
Trapfinding – Kadara can use
Perception: Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20. Finding a nonmagical trap has a DC of at least 10, or higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magical trap has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it. Rogues can use the
Disable Device skill to disarm magical traps. A magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it. Kadara currently has no need of this particular ability.
Evasion – Kadara can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex save throw against an attack that normally deals half-damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can only be used if the ranger is wearing light or no armor. A helpless ranger does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Rogue Talent: Fast Stealth – Kadara can move at full speed using her
Stealth: Move Silently skill without penalty.
Trap Sense +01 – Kadara has an intuitive sense that alerts her to danger form traps, giving her a +01 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +01 dodge bonus to her AC against attacks made by traps
Special Abilities - Vampire- Type: Undead
- Hit Dice: All current and future Hit Dice change to d12.
- Armor Class: The base creature’s natural armor bonus improves by +6.
- Saving Throws: DC 21 - Saves have a DC of 10 + 1/2 vampire’s HD + vampire’s Cha modifier unless noted otherwise.
Enhanced Abilities (Su): Kadara's attributes increase from the base creature as follows: Str +6 [from 13], Dex +4 [from 16], Int +2 [from 17], Wis +2 [From 15], Cha +4 [from 17]. As an undead creature, a vampire has no Constitution score, any potential fortitude save that override the governing rules instead substitute the vampire’s Charisma score in place of its Constitution.
Skills Bonuses (Su): As a vampires, Kadara now has a +8 racial bonus on
Bluff, Perception: Listen, Perception: Search, Sense Motive, and Perception: Spot, Stealth: Hide, Stealth: Move Silently checks. Otherwise, they are the same as the base creature.
Special Attacks - Vampire
Blood Drain (Ex): As a vampire, Kadara can suck blood from a living victim with its fangs by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained. On each such successful attack, the vampire gains 5 temporary hit points.
Children of the Night (Su): As a vampire, Kadara commands the lesser creatures of the world and once per day can call forth 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4+1 bat swarms, or a pack of 3d6 wolves as a standard action. (If the base creature is not terrestrial, this power might summon other creatures of similar power.) These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve the vampire for up to 1 hour.
Dominate (Su): As a vampire, Kadara can crush an opponent’s will just by looking onto his or her eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack, except that the vampire must use a standard action, and those merely looking at it are not affected. Anyone the vampire targets must succeed on a Will save or fall instantly under the vampire’s influence as though by a dominate person spell (caster level 12th). The ability has a range of 30 feet.
Create Spawn (Su): A humanoid or monstrous humanoid slain by a vampire’s energy drain rises as a vampire spawn (see the Vampire Spawn entry) 1d4 days after burial. If the vampire instead drains the victim’s Constitution to 0 or lower, the victim returns as a spawn if it had 4 or less HD and as a vampire if it had 5 or more HD. In either case, the new vampire or spawn is under the command of the vampire that created it and remains enslaved until its master’s destruction. At any given time a vampire may have enslaved spawn totaling no more than twice its own Hit Dice; any spawn it creates that would exceed this limit are created as free-willed vampires or vampire spawn. A vampire that is enslaved may create and enslave spawn of its own, so a master vampire can control a number of lesser vampires in this fashion. A vampire may voluntarily free an enslaved spawn in order to enslave a new spawn, but once freed, a vampire or vampire spawn cannot be enslaved again. Kadara dispises creating new vampires and enslaving them as they can not be dominated by her Beguiler's magic.
Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by a vampire’s slam attack (or any other natural weapon the vampire might possess) gain two negative levels. For each negative level bestowed, the vampire gains 5 temporary hit points. A vampire can use its energy drain ability once per round. Kadara often uses this ability with her vampire's
Alternate Form and the
Surprised Casting ability from her Beguiler's class abilities to a lethal degree. She often bites her opponent in her dire wolf or dire bat forms.
Special Qualities: As a vampire, Kadara retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains those described below.
Alternate Form (Su): Kadara can assume the shape of a bat, dire bat, wolf, or dire wolf as a standard action. While in its alternate form, the vampire loses its natural slam attack and dominate ability, but it gains the natural weapons and extraordinary special attacks of its new form. It can remain in that form until it assumes another or until the next sunrise. (If the base creature is not terrestrial, this power might allow other forms.)
Bonus Feats (Su): As a vampire, Kadara's senses and reflexes improve to a supernatural degree. She gains
Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, and Lightning Reflexes, assuming the base creature meets the prerequisites and doesn’t already have these feats.
Damage Reduction (Su): As a vampire, Kadara has damage reduction, 10/silver and magic. A vampire’s natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Fast Healing (Ex): As a vampire, kadara heals 5 points of damage each round so long as it has at least 1 hit point. If reduced to 0 hit points in combat, it automatically assumes
gaseous form and attempts to escape. It must reach its coffin home within 2 hours or be utterly destroyed. (It can travel up to nine miles in 2 hours.) Any additional damage dealt to a vampire forced into
gaseous form has no effect. Once at rest in its coffin, a vampire is helpless. It regains 1 hit point after 1 hour, then is no longer helpless and resumes healing at the rate of 5 hit points per round.
Gaseous Form (Su): As a standard action, Kadara can
assume gaseous form at will as the spell (caster level 5th), but it can remain gaseous indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability.
Resistances (Ex): As a vampire, Kadara has resistance to cold 10 and electricity 10.
Spider Climb (Ex): As a vampire, Kadara can climb sheer surfaces as though with a
spider climb spell.
Turn Resistance (Ex): As a vampire, Kadara gains +4 bonus to all attempts at turn resistance.
Apprentices: Yes, none worthy of training as a beguiler, but Kadara as the resources and the manpower of an entire thieves’ guild at her disposal. Chances are, she can have two or three agents do her bidding, regardless of the activity at any time. Her entourage would include corrupt bureaucrats, street thieves, professional assassins, merchants, watchmen, tavern-keepers, and mariners, all domestic and foreign from the dock wards.
Weapons and Equipment Spearblock Leather Armor +01, Impervious Vestment (Magic Item Compendium), Fiendhelm (Magic Item Compendium), Keen Edge Rapier +03 Profane Burst (Libris Mortis), Dagger of Venom, Gloves of the Balanced Hands, Amulet of Proof against Detection and Location, The Sapphire’s Voice, Wand - Hold Person - 25 Charges, Wand - Ray of Enfeeblement - 34 Charges, Mirror of Mental Prowess, Ossuary of Ba-Zheth (Fang and Fury: a Guide to Vampires), Rod of Cancellation, 3 Scrolls: 4 arcane spells each, 1st – 6th levels, no more than two similar spell levels on each scroll
Notes: Kadara is a worshipper of Hecate and sees her transformation into vampirism as a blessing from the Queen of Ebon Magics. Kadara operates out of a guarded warehouse in Belos-Paux’s merchant district near the rich senatorial quarter. The warehouse connects to the city vast sewer system and later into the dungeons beneath it. Her guild affiliates and various mercenaries control the entire south passages of the dungeons. Kadara is always encountered eloquently dressed in clothing and cloaks of black and gray with her choice weapons and magical equipment concealed from sight.
Source Material - Role Playing PublicationsOpen Gaming Lincense, V 1.0a, Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
System Reference Document, Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Pathfinder, Beta Playtest Edition, Copyright 2008, Paizo Publishing
Player's Handook, Third Edition Revised, Copyright 2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Player's Handbook II, Dungeons and Dragons Third Edition Revised, 2006, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Eternal Rome - Role-playing in the Age of Gods and Emperors, Copyright 2005, Green Ronin Publishing LLC.
Fang and Fury - A Guidebook to Vampires, Copyright 2003, Green Ronin Publishing LLC.
Pictures and Art are the sole respective property of there owners. No challenge to ownership, trademark, or copyright is intended. Kadara Pastelioni, Belos-Paux, other character concepts, and fictious creative concepts are the sole property of Jeffrey N. Williams, Copyright 2009.