» Thu May 03, 2012 9:56 pm I and what remains of my team have been hard at work for almost a year now, adding and converting the mod. The old, inefficient scripts built with OBSE v12 with a shiny new, dynamic system hand-crafted with OBSE v20. Those "Not yet implemented" havens have been added, along with dozens of new powers and other content such as Vampire Hunters, Humanity and a deeper integration into vampire society.
More details below
- New powers:
There are over 100 unique scripted powers for the player to unlock to use however they wish. They are grouped into "Schools", with each school containing 5 levels that are unlocked as you age. Each level contains a new power - with variants - and improvements to older powers. In the original mod, there were 14 schools - but we have added 2 more. These schools are named as follows:
Physical Augmentations
- Vampyric Strength
Become supernaturally strong. Jump incredible distances, or strike your enemy across the night sky.
- Vampyric Mobility
Gain speed and mobility that greatly exceeds humans.
- Vampyric Focus
Greatly increase mental capacity, allowing faster magicka regeneration and bullet time (Formerly Vampyric Will)
- Vampyric Reslilience
Accumulate a resistance to physical and magical damage, along with passive health regeneration.
Vampyric Skills
- Beast Mastery
Manipulate feral creatures. Call them to you and pacify, enrage, or enslave them. With training, you can even puppeteer the instinctive part of a human mind.
- Extended Perception
Amplify your senses, including your new psychic one. Learn the abilities of an enemy at a glance, or explore an area with your mind before your body follows.
- Malleable Flesh
Alter your body on a cellular level. Sharpen your fangs, grow claws, or morph into an entirely different creature - from the forest, skies or nightmares.
- Mental Domination
Seduce and command the minds of humans with ease. Feed in conversation, demand their possessions or momentarily enslave them.
- Psychic Radiance
Inspire your allies and strike the hearts of your enemies with fear, just with your presence.
- Shroud of Illusion
Alter the perception of observers. Cloak yourself with subtlety or confound your enemies.
Blood Magic
- Blood Domination
Magically manipulate blood. Concentrate your own, or incinerate that of your enemies.
- Elemental
Harness the energy of your blood and convert it into fire, frost and lightning.
- Magicka from Blood
Attune your body to magic. Increase your magicka pool, it's regeneration rate, or transmute magical substances from your blood.
- Nature
Master the outdoors. Merge with water for speed, the ground for safety or the air for stealth. Change the weather, or direct its power onto your enemies.
- Necromancy
Dominate the energies surrounding death. Raise the dead, consume their vital components or transcend the corporeal realm temporarily.
- Shadow Affinity
Manipulate shadows. Wrap them around you like a cloak, construct weapons and armour of shadow, or merge with them.
- Blood overhaul:
As a Vampire, you're un-life is sustained by blood power. You gain it by drinking blood, and spend it when you use powers, or simply by existing.
Those who played the original Terran Vampires may remember the 15 units of blood power you start with, however that has changed. You will have much more blood power, but it will slowly drain throughout the night. How much blood you use today will determine how blood you need tomorrow.
When the sun rises though, your thirst will becomes insatiable. The higher it climbs, the faster your blood power will fall, even when indoors. This can be avoided by sleeping - sleeping in a bed will cause you to lose blood power at your normal rate, but sleeping in a coffin will make you lose blood power much slower than normal.
Of course, being dead is useless without a vast arsenal of powers. To gather all of those 100+ powers, you must unlock them using Blood Potency. Players of the previous Terran Vampires may remember that Blood Potency was earned by levelling up your character.
Blood potency is no longer gained from levelling up the player, but from using up high amounts of blood power, sacrificing your humanity to advance your immortality, or simply by surviving. How powerful you become is limited only by how much blood you can take and how long you can survive.
- Reworked Age System:
As previously mentioned, you gain Blood Potency from surviving. Every day, your maximum level of Blood Power will increase and you will receive one Blood Potency. Age is not just a number, it is crucial to your survival. Certain powers will not be unlocked until you reach a certain age, plus you will initially need every drop of Blood Power you can find in order to survive the first few nights.
- Being a Nightmare:
Vampires are not human. Some maintain a respectable degree of morality and social convention while satisfying their cravings as they arise. Others desperately cling to what they once were, outright refusing to take blood whenever they can possibly survive without it. Then you have the feral beasts, who take blood wherever they find it, gluttonously and without reason.
Heartless, monster-like acts will cause you to lose your humanity. Your basic vampiric strengths will improve, but your weakness become greater. You will find it much more difficult to resist the suns rays, and they will burn you much more. Much more blood is needed to satisfy the intensified curse, but you will have many more potential sources of blood. The trail of victims you leave in your wake will attract the vampire hunters to your havens, and the Council of Terran Vampires does not value wanted beasts. Your curse will become much more apparent to the public, inciting their fear, hatred and aggression. As such, an inhuman vampire cannot enter a town unless they have the ability to disguise their curse, at the cost of their precious blood power.
Clinging to your human nature will limit your basic vampiric strengths and your potential sources of blood, but your weaknesses will diminish. You will be able to withstand the sun for much longer, and fire will be a small nuisance. Fighting the curse in this way will loosen it's hold on you, meaning you require less blood to fuel it. A "human" vampire is a master of social deception, able to conceal themselves without effort, able to take blood from sleeping victims without leaving a mark or injury.
You are not alone:
Many vampire overhauls simply transform your character into the one and only killing machine in the game and send you on your way, with no support, sympathetic allies or even enemies. Not this one.
Vampires are viewed as evil for good reason. The blood is the life(Deuteronomy 12:24), and vampires have a habit of stealing it, usually leaving the victim with none left. Even if you are a little more "civil" in your pursuit of survival, the knowledge that you are a vampire will incite fear and hatred from the populace of Cyrodiil.
You are not the only hunter out there. Many Vampire Hunters have dedicated their lives to freeing you from the curse - violently - and making a living from your ashes.
The Council of Terran Vampires are on your side though, and have influence throughout all of Cyrodiil with many havens for vampires dotted throughout the province. As the Hero of Kvatch with nine joinable clans vying for your allegiance, you will always have "friends" willing to help you. All they ask is for a few favours...
The clans are as follows:
Arcanists
The Arcanists are the most magically oriented of the vampire clans, and are the self proclaimed masters of Blood Magic. They pioneered (or at least claimed to have pioneered) many of the schools of Blood Magic. Their power and (intentional) insularity generally make other vampires wary if not suspicious of them. The Recluses, the other magically oriented clan, outright hate the Arcanists for reasons the Arcanists claim are based more in jealously than in fact.
The clan’s structure is highly regimented and controlled. For example, turning people without the approval of the Council of Elders is forbidden to all vampires, but the penalties levied by the Arcanists upon their own for this crime (sharing their blood with one who is unapproved) can be especially severe. The place and station of each Arcanist is strictly controlled, and advancement is difficult. Those who seek to break free of the clan’s hierarchy are hunted down and killed, without exception.
On Earth, the lack of human wizards and magic made these vampires particularly powerful and influential within vampire and human society. The omni-presence of magic in Tamriel has unbalanced the scales. Since the discovery that vampyric Tamrielites retain their magical powers, some have openly wondering whether the Arcanists are all that important anymore.
Barons
As their name suggests, the Barons have traditionally recruited members land owners and local rulers. Those that are not rulers or land owners tend to be merchants or otherwise wealthy, powerful individuals.
The Barons are not a tightly regimented clan, but they are well organized. Vampires and those they turn often maintain a mentor-student relationship for centuries, with the student learning the skills required to manoeuvre in vampire society and politics from the mentor, and the mentor extending his or her power and influence through the student. This practice is double-edged, breeding both intra-clan loyalty, and creating intra-clan factions simultaneously.
Although they hold much power, they have never surpassed the power and influence of the Regents. Although they would never admit it, the Barons’ apparent affinity for subterfuge, assassination, and more metaphorical backstabbing may have something to do with this; few vampires would ever admit to trusting one of the Barons.
As on earth, the Barons have spent their years in Tamriel worming their way into the halls of wealth and power. Still they find themselves head off at every turn by the Regents. Maybe in Tamriel, they will find a way to reverse their fortunes.
Berserkers
If you weren’t a warrior before being turned, becoming a vampire in clan Berserker may very well make you one. The Berserkers live (well, un-live) for kicking ass, taking names, and having a good time doing it. Some have speculated that the battle rage of the Berserker clan is caused less by their recruiting like-minded individuals, and more by some inherited trait of the blood. Unfortunately for these speculators, this theory was perceived as an insult by the Berserkers, resulting in the bashing in of the heads of these poor, poor speculators.
Clan berserker is one of the least, if not the least, organized clan in all of vampire society. Disputes among members are often settled through brawls, sometimes resulting in the (final) death of one of the participants. Often members function alone as soldiers or guards of another vampire, or as enforcers for the Council of Elders.
Like the other clans, the Berserkers do have a representative in the Council of Elders, although this is usually just the oldest, strongest, un-living Berserker. Their representative does not often carry much weight, but the other Councillors still pay attention to the representative’s concerns to avoid offending the clan at large; the only thing worse than a mad Berserker is a horde of mad Berserkers.
Despite their chaotic nature, there have been times when an intelligent, charismatic leader arose and unified the clan. During those times, the clan has become quite powerful. With the separation of vampire society from its roots on Earth, the time may be ripe for another such leader to arise.
Connoisseurs
Lazy, decadent, promiscuous, shallow; these are the words often used to describe the Connoisseurs. Although some rightly deserve these titles, the truth is that the Connoisseurs tend to be the vampires most closely connected to their past mortal lives. Connoisseurs are most like the romantic vampires portrayed in fiction, and while they tend to shun combat, they are more skilled in social navigation and manipulation than any other clan.
Connoisseurs tend to recruit from among artists or patrons of the arts. They love beautiful things and conversely scorn the base and the ugly: an Orc, Argonian, or Khajiit stand no chance of being recruited by the Connoisseurs. The bond between vampire and the one he/she turned is close, but in the world of vampire social politics, no bond is sacred to the Connoisseurs. The clan as a whole is not very centralized: vampires tend to be more loyal to a society than the clan as a whole.
While other vampire clans (especially the Berserkers, Protiva, and Recluses) may openly mock the Connoisseurs for their seeming lack of influence in the Council, their actual power to shape events behind the scenes as manipulators and puppet masters is often unmatched. Wise vampires will pay attention to who the Connoisseur elder is speaking to at all times.
The Connoisseurs in Tamriel have tended to concentrate in the Imperial city, and the more upscale surrounding cities like Skingrad and Cheydinhal. To the casual observer, it would seem that they are simply enjoying themselves, and taking in the fascinating, new (to them at least) culture and lore of Cyrodiil. The truth, of course, is that each and every one of them, especially the elders, is scheming something. The question is, “what?”
Protiva
Protiva tend to be loners and outdoorsmen. They recruit people from various walks of life and value self-reliance, and survival. Those who don’t possess or learn these abilities do not survive long.
As expected from these almost stereotypical “lone wolves,” the Protiva do not have a highly organized clan structure. Meetings of the clan have been called in the past, although the mechanism and timing for calling these meetings is not well understood. The closest relationships within the clan are those between a vampire, and the vampires he/she has turned, although even these relationships are often punctuated by long periods of separation.
Despite their nature, the Protiva fit in well with vampire society as a whole. Like the Berserkers, they often function as guards or enforcers, although their skills make them even better suited as scouts, guerrillas, or even spies. The Protiva representative in the Council of Elders is usually a broadly respected elder of the clan that can speak for the interests of their clan despite its dispersed nature. Usually, these interests do not involve (in their eyes) the petty politics of the other clans within the Council of Elders.
The Protiva have adapted to this new land just as easily as they did to Earth. Currently they are the eyes and ears of vampire society beyond the walls of the cities. They have also spent their time in Tamriel scouting out this unfamiliar land for the Council. Recently, rumours have spread within the clan of the Council’s interest in exploring the planes of Oblivion. The Protiva will, of course, heed the call, but this land of fire and hellish beasts understandably worries some.
Recluses
The Recluses exemplify the cold, insular vampire rulers depicted in Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.” They are not social creatures and don’t particularly like (although they respect) the other vampire clans. However, they absolutely loath the Arcanists, who they claim stole the secrets of Blood Magic from them. In addition to intellectuals, Recluses have been known to be fierce warriors and strong leaders. Recluses in general are also all known to be, to one degree or another, a bit “bizarre.”
Recluses tend to recruit from among intellectuals, or otherwise competent individuals, while criminals, beggars, and hedonists are despised. The manner of Recluses ranges greatly from vampire to vampire; there have been benevolent, ruthless, cerebral and insane members of the clan. All of them are extremely territorial, and for this reason their intra-clan relationships are guided by a strict set of customs governing “courtesy” as guests and hosts. These rules have made the intra-clan meetings of the clan far more productive that those of most other clans.
The Recluses have long been a powerful force in the Council, limited only by their own aversion toward immersion in vampire social life. Their knowledge of Blood Magic contributes to this power and has made them bitter rivals of the Arcanists. Unfortunately, this power combined with the clan’s tendency toward insularity has made them more enemies than friends.
Like the Arcanists, the Recluses recognized the potential of Nirnian magical capabilities combined with the powers of terran vampirism. While both seek to master the new magic of Tamriel, whispers have been uttered, suggesting that the Recluses may seek to use this power to finish their old rivals off once and for all. However, these whispers pale in comparison to other dark rumours about the Recluses intentions; rumours that simply can not be spoken of safely.
Regents
As their name suggests, the Regents have been the traditional “ruling clan” among civilized vampires. An elder from the clan often serves as the Prince in the Council of Elders for a city, state, or other principality. Other clans have claimed Princes, but the overwhelming majority of Princes have hailed from the Regents.
The Regents are not particular in terms of who they recruit, but they do look for one quality in all potential candidates: leadership. Regents take great care in training new vampires as commanders and princes, a practice that has been essential for maintaining their pre-eminence among the clans. Intra-clan relationships between Regents are uncharacteristically civil; a Regent in trouble can expect aid from another Regent, and can also expect to reciprocate that aid in time. Conflicts ultimately are unavoidable, but they are almost always dealt with unwavering decorum.
As princes, the Regents are primarily concerned with maintaining the stability and secrecy of the vampire society. Over the centuries, the clan has virtually mastered the art of managing the conflicts and concerns of the other clans and maintaining order. There have been bad Regent princes, but these vampires are exceptions, and often do not last long.
The current prince of Tamriel was successful in pulling the vampires together during their first nights in Tamriel, and has maintained order and stability since then. However, the Oblivion crisis and the fall of the Septim line have created a whole new set of crises from inside and outside of vampire society. He would never admit it, but the other elders know: the Prince can feel his grasp slipping. You, the hero of Kvatch may hold the key to preserving or perhaps destroying him.
Thanaturges
Thanaturges are not vampires. They bridge the gap between the human race and the undead, as they are not truly dead like vampires.
No-one knows how Thanaturgy was created. Some say they are experiments gone horribly wrong, others say that a vampire attempted to embrace the undead and created something new. Whatever happened, the new force does not feed on blood, but on the flesh of the undead; although it generally performs the same functions as Blood Power. They used this new sustenance to fuel a new school of magic – Necromancy.
Like their vampire equivalents, the clan’s structure was tiered, with elders at the top. In their golden years they were astute philosophers and fighters, but socially inept due to their decomposing faces. In their first century of existence they spread rapidly throughout Europe, thriving on the local cuisine – vampires.
Such formidable rivals were soon noticed by the World Order. They held a brief alliance, however for unknown reasons, fighting started between the two factions. Thanaturges were hunted down and murdered for centuries. Now they are all but extinct.
Since they were outlawed, the Clan’s structure has become far more secretive and exclusive. Since they feed on the undead instead of on human blood, almost all contact with society has been severed. Recruitment is a rare event, and no-one is sure what criteria potential members must meet. It is believed that all Thanaturges share close mentor-pupil bonds, and that members band together in small groups for mutual protection. This secretive behaviour makes them difficult to find, and the rigorous training they receive in combat and evasion makes them nearly impossible to capture or kill.
The Council has reason to believe that a second-generation Thanaturge has made his way into Cyrodiil, and is in hiding under a false identity. Confrontation with this Thanaturge, or any other for that matter, should be avoided at all costs.
NOTE: This Clan cannot be joined by the player.
Savants
No one listens to mad prophets as often as they should. The Savants know this from personal experience. Despite their backgrounds in mortal life, all Savants are granted by their blood two unique characteristics: second sight, and madness. Their second sight may range from slight wariness when in danger to full blown visions of the future. Likewise, their madness may range from slight eccentricities to raving, drooling insanity.
The Savant clan seems on the surface highly disorganized, yet clan members often meet without as much as a word of notification. Members of the clan also seem to have a certain degree of awareness of other clan members, although an actual network of psychic linkage has yet to be proven. Savants are highly conscious of the great power and great disabilities that come with their bloodline and for this reason recruit from the down and out, the poor, and the hopeless. The clan has also been known to recruit from the proud and powerful, presumably to teach them a lesson.
The Savant who represents the clan is whatever vampire happens to wander into the Council chambers. Efforts to force the clan to formally choose a representative have been utterly futile, yet the vampire that happens to wander in to represent the clan is often the same vampire for years on end. Many vampires in the Council ignore the Savants out of contempt, yet the wise vampires, and most certainly the Prince, pay close attention to their babblings, trying to sort the wisdom from ravings.
The Savant elder (not the current representative) predicted the coming of the oblivion crisis before Kvatch was burned to the ground, saving the un-lives of several vampires living within its walls. This prediction quickly grabbed the attention of the entire council. His next prediction pointed to a hero who would avenge Kvatch and rise to great power in the empire. He further stated that if this hero were allowed to choose a clan to recruit him or her, the hero would “save us all from certain doom.” When pressed on what this “certain doom” meant, he went into an hour long diatribe on the virtues of kittens over puppies. Regardless, the Hero of Kvatch was quickly identified.
Wraiths
If you’re a vampire, everything you’ve ever done, every crime you’ve committed, every plan you’ve made is probably known by the Wraiths. Although any vampire can develop the power of invisibility, the Wraiths have mastered the arts of subterfuge and stealth. For these reasons the clan is hated or resented by almost all vampires, but almost universally respected and feared.
Like the Arcanists, the clan is highly organized. Unlike the Arcanists, the clan treats their members like family. Wraiths take care of their own. Renegades aren’t hunted down, but they are cut off from clan’s network of contacts and information. The Wraiths are one of the few clans that will recruit from among thieves although they have a certain loathing for assassins (“If you ‘wanna stick a knife in someone’s back, maybe you should be a Baron.”).
Unlike many of the other clans, the Wraiths remain largely neutral in the Council, although they can be assumed to be loyal primarily to the Prince. Their representative is often trusted (at least to be honest) by the representatives of the other clans. This is important to their survival and to the survival of vampire society. If the Wraiths were to become partisans, their network would collapse, and they would be hunted down. If the intelligence provided by the Wraiths dried up, vampires would cease to be one step ahead of the humans.
In the days of the Oblivion crisis, the Wraiths have seen things. Disturbing things, plotted by members of other clans. There have been times in the past when the Wraiths have felt it necessary to stop observing and start acting to save vampire society from itself. Now may be another one of those times.
I hope that sums up most of the main aspects of the mod. I would love to hear your suggestions and support, and answer any questions you may have. We desperately need more members, so if you are interested in joining the team post here or on http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/410370-terran-vampires-revived/ and I will get back to you ASAP
~WarRatsG
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