Why isn't Tsukiko undead herself?

[pendell]

This has been niggling at me for awhile -- it shouldn't be difficult to cross over. Why does Tsukiko remain a live human being if she has such a fixation for undead?

And if Rich Burlew uses this as a springboard for a 'Twilight' parody, I will personally go back to my fun. There is no mind control.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Kish]

What kind of undead would she become?

A skeleton or zombie? I don't think she's quite that stupid.
A wight or vampire? She'd be the slave of her creator, plus, for the vampire, she'd need to find a vampire to turn her into one first.
A lich? The good news is, she knows a cleric who knows the exact ritual. The bad news is, I suspect he'd "forget" a key part of it and she'd stay unanimated, and even if she didn't, Xykon would probably respond to that transformation with, "No rivals. Meteor Swarm."

[SPoD]

Also, Tsukiko sees herself as an undead rights activist. She can't fight for their equality nearly as effectively if she is one herself, and it opens her up to being Commanded by all the dozens of hobgoblin clerics (not to mention Redcloak).

Plus, she's young. Give her 20 or 30 years, I'm sure she'll go lich.

[Shale]

All glory to the Hypnomod!

Also, becoming an intelligent, spellcasting undead creature is somewhat tougher than just turning yourself into a zombie.

[Asta Kask]

No, it's much easier than to turn yourself into a zombie. To do that, you'd have to be dead and cast a spell, while not being undead. I suppose contingency could work, but I doubt it.

[vampire2948]

Worm that Walks! Not undead, so she can continue fighting for their equality as a living thing.

[2xMachina]

She should have Lich Loved...

[Mordokai]

She should have Lich Loved...

I'm pretty sure she does.

[pendell]

Actually, I think she wants that template. I don't think she has that template. Xykon has made his desire to keep their relationship professional quite clear.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Yora]

And it's time to restock on brain bleach.

[Optimystik]

And it's time to restock on brain bleach.

Don't pass by the Crack thread, you'll run through your entire supply :smalleek:

[Scarlet Knight]

" And it has been said, that if you walk the moors at night, you can see the figure of a young woman, the ghost of a powerful spellcaster, ensnared herself by the spell of love for all enternity. Her ghost can only rest by the return of her love; but he cannot love, as he has no heart. Listen! You can hear her cries of 'Xyyyykoooon" upon the wind...."

[silversaraph]

I dunno, an animus seems a good fit... (Controls undead and can implant suggestions into living minds).


" And it has been said, that if you walk the moors at night, you can see the figure of a young woman, the ghost of a powerful spellcaster, ensnared herself by the spell of love for all enternity. Her ghost can only rest by the return of her love; but he cannot love, as he has no heart. Listen! You can hear her cries of 'Xyyyykoooon" upon the wind...."

Oh, and AWESOME.

[Puschkin]

"She walks in the twilight, her steps make no sound,
Her feet leave no tracks on the dew-covered ground.
Her hand gently beckons, she whispers your name -
But thos who go with her are never the same."

Well, she despises humans and prefers to be around undead because undead are loyal to her. Turning herself undead makes no sense. {Scrubbed}

[Mando Knight]

{Scrubbed}

[Starbuck_II]

She could become a Necropolian. They are undead template that loses nothing (but 1 level).
Maybe she really likes coffee (remember lose taste buds).

[Kewpa]

{scrubbed}

That was unnecessary. And against the forum rules.

[Draconi Redfir]

nahh. if she becomes undead herself, she will lose all the "pleasure" she gets from her rised undead.

[JonestheSpy]

Probably for the same reason shoe fetishists don't wear high heels themselves.

Okay, some actually probably do. But not that kind of shoe fetishist. The other kind. C'mon , you know what I mean...

[The_Weirdo]

This has been niggling at me for awhile -- it shouldn't be difficult to cross over. Why does Tsukiko remain a live human being if she has such a fixation for undead?

And if Rich Burlew uses this as a springboard for a 'Twilight' parody, I will personally go back to my fun. There is no mind control.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

HEY! What did the mods to to the OP? Is it ethical for mods to I will go back to my fun. There is no mind control.

[lord_khaine]

What kind of undead would she become?

A skeleton or zombie? I don't think she's quite that stupid.
A wight or vampire? She'd be the slave of her creator, plus, for the vampire, she'd need to find a vampire to turn her into one first.
A lich? The good news is, she knows a cleric who knows the exact ritual. The bad news is, I suspect he'd "forget" a key part of it and she'd stay unanimated, and even if she didn't, Xykon would probably respond to that transformation with, "No rivals. Meteor Swarm."

I find it highly unlikely that a caster that focused on undeath doesnt know the lich ritual herself, since Redcloak himself knew it, and even if she did turn into a lich she would still not even be close to rival Xykon in power, but would on the other hand be a much more usefull minion, so that doesnt make sense either.

The most likely explanation is that she still prefer being alive.

[NerfTW]

Tsukiko hates OTHER humans. Not herself.

No matter what method she chooses, she'd be giving up benefits. As Xykon pointed out in SOD

He's pretty upset about not being able to taste coffee anymore.

She would have to give up benefits like taste, and major ones like walking around in sunlight, conducting business in towns (remember she robs graves, so she needs to be IN the town to do that), and not being killed on sight by good aligned adventurers.

At no point does she mention disgust at being a human, just that most other humans have acted in a hurtful manner towards her in the past. (Probably due to that whole necrophilia thing)

[pendell]

Tsukiko hates OTHER humans. Not herself.

...

She would have to give up benefits like taste,


Are you sure? In-comic jokes about the possible-undeading of Roy suggests that vampires, at least, retain a sense of taste.



and major ones like walking around in sunlight,


Couldn't spells like darkness or voluminous clothing correct for this? I ask, because I know people IRL who have extreme sun sensitivity, such that they can hardly see in full sunlight. They still go out in the sun, it just takes precautions.



conducting business in towns (remember she robs graves, so she needs to be IN the town to do that),


Alter self? Clothing? Disguise? Illusion?



and not being killed on sight by good aligned adventurers.


I suspect Tsukiko will have a hard time NOT being killed on-sight by good-aligned adventurers as a human.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Puschkin]

{Scrubbed}

[veti]

{Scrubbed}

[pendell]

but yeah, if these forums are THAT touchy around here, I should just have said "god" and leave it up to the reader if I mean a generic god or one out of the world of RPGs (my problem is I never played D&D).



Actually, 'god becoming human' is a frequent theme in both mythology generally and D&D specifically. I reference you the concept of an avatar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar) .


Specific discussions of what mainstream religious faiths do and do not believe is out of scope, but I will discuss in PM, if you wish.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff of Moddingham: Real world religious discussion is against the Forum Rules.Whatever your reason for bringing it into the conversation, please don't.

[Doppelganger]

She could become a Necropolian. They are undead template that loses nothing (but 1 level).
Maybe she really likes coffee (remember lose taste buds).

This has always bothered me: Why can't Xycon just polymorph himself into a human and drink coffee? Are liches immune to polymorph?

[Captainocaptain]

Liches are, but they can still cast in on themselves. He might not have the spell, though.
Though as for why, he probably has not thought of it. I mean he is not the brightest skull in the catacombs.

[Inhuman Bot]

This has always bothered me: Why can't Xycon just polymorph himself into a human and drink coffee? Are liches immune to polymorph?

He probably hasn't thought of that.

[Occasional Sage]

No, it's much easier than to turn yourself into a zombie. To do that, you'd have to be dead and cast a spell, while not being undead. I suppose contingency could work, but I doubt it.


Nah. She just needs to park herself in front of the TV and wait a few hours.



Actually, I think she wants that template. I don't think she has that template. Xykon has made his desire to keep their relationship professional quite clear.


Would a crypt-thing (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0700.html) qualify her?

[Alex Warlorn]

He probably hasn't thought of that.

They are immune. Because the spell only effects living things. Roy's dad was showing off Roy's ignorance with talking about turning Xykon into a frog.

[Cealocanth]

Ok. Let me clarify something here:

The deffinition of neutral evil is, by quote from the 3.5 DnD rules "I deserve what other people have." This is different from chaotic evil because it is "I, and no others, deserve the right to exsist." Belkar fits this, and Xykon probably feels the same way (even to Redcloak.) If Tsukio is indeed chaotic evil, that means that she believes that no other human deserves to exsist around her in any form other than undeath. Not like she would really consider letting herself slip into equality with those other people. (the thought of it, *shutter*)

[Kallisti]

Tsukiko said that her reason for loving the undead is that the living are selfish, stupid and hateful people who will always hurt you in the end, and therefore the undead, the inverse of the living, must be kind, sensitive, misunderstood souls who just wanted to be poets but had their dreams crushed.* She herself doesn't need to become undead, as she's a good person already, at least to her own mind. Unless she has self-loathing issues, in which case she's not undead because she's a horrible person and doesn't deserve undeath.

(*I may be paraphrasing a little...:smallwink:)

[Inhuman Bot]

They are immune. Because the spell only effects living things. Roy's dad was showing off Roy's ignorance with talking about turning Xykon into a frog.

Well, he could devise such a spell then. He's an epic level caster, after all.

[Zea mays]

If she does hate herself, she's hiding it well (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0653.html).

I think she likes herself fine the way she is. For now. When (or if) she gets to be very old, that might change.

[DeltaEmil]

Because the spell only effects living things. Roy's dad was showing off Roy's ignorance with talking about turning Xykon into a frog.I thought it was rather Eugene being ignorant too. After all, knowing about liches is knowledge religion. I doubt that Eugene would have that skill.

[2xMachina]

Shapechange (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/shapechange.htm) works.

As for Eugene... all he needs to know is the Polymorph spell, and that liches are not living creatures. Knowledge Religion will help in knowing the immunities++

[amanojaku]

Nah. She just needs to park herself in front of the TV and wait a few hours.


I'd say 3 hours of oprah could do it.

Or one hour of fox news...


As to why tsuki doesn't go undead, maybe she likes orgasms?

[Lysander]

My guess is that Tsukiko wants to become a lich but can't take the hit to her caster level right now. Remember as a mystic theurge she's already lacking access to higher level spells, and a high +LA would leave her even further behind. Sure she could come back as something else but why settle for second best?

Plus, she might not particularly resent being alive. She just considers the undead adorable. A person can like puppies without wanting to be a puppy herself.

[serok42]

She should have Lich Loved...

Ahh good old Lich Loved. Putting the romance back in necromancy. :smallcool:

Yea I am pretty sure she has that already.

[2xMachina]

Undeads generally have no stiff fleshy parts... Either they're just bones, or rotting flesh.

How does that even wo...

OH GOD, PASS THE BRAIN BLEACH!

[Ancalagon]

My guess is that Tsukiko wants to become a lich but can't take the hit to her caster level right now.

In all this lichification, let's not forget this:

SoD-Spoiler


We can begin today, if you agree.

No. I can't. I may have done some evil things in my life, but I cannot give up my humanity so easily.
Such a patch would lead to an irredemable state of depravity, and that is one step further than I am willing to go.

Of course he was not serious but he very, very well got what he was up to and what being a Lich *means*.

Becoming a Lich is much more than about "power" - "power" and "immortality" is only the one side of the coin.
I would not say that Tsukiko is that depraved. Maybe she is, maybe she is not. But we do not know. But it might very well be she is not.

[Optimystik]

Becoming a Lich is much more than about "power" - "power" and "immortality" is only the one side of the coin.
I would not say that Tsukiko is that depraved. Maybe she is, maybe she is not. But we do not know. But it might very well be she is not.

Xykon became a lich at the right time - presumably, after he already had 9ths. A delayed progression going into epic is a lot less of an issue than what at ECL 14.

[Ancalagon]

Xykon became a lich at the right time - presumably, after he already had 9ths. A delayed progression going into epic is a lot less of an issue than what at ECL 14.

You are again only talking about levels, power, and spells.

There is never a "right" time to become a lich. It is always wrong, it is always "not what should be", it is always a mockery and perversion of all life, beauty, and natural order of things.

Yes, becoming a Lich can give you power and yes, you can do it at a stage where other progressions are come to a halt (note: only from the game-power-perspective, which is not all that matters). But it should not only be about the power, it should also, to the same degree, about the absolute and final fall of your soul.
No matter how rotten and evil you were before going lich, after you do, you will be much more evil and rotten. The creation does not state without reason that you have to be willing for that transition (at least some rules state that).

And even Xykon knows it was utterly "wrong" on all cosmic scales what he did. Remember in SoD:
He is not killing Redcloak as that would ruin the plan, he's leaving him alive or "the change would have been for nothing".

Even while Xykon saved his "life" with it, even when he got a lot of power out of it, even when he totally likes what he has become... even he, a person who basically is as evil as it can get, knows that THIS sacrifice would be too large, even for someone as depraved as him, if it was for nothing.
That should give you something to think about.

Becoming a lich is more than a collection of rules, it's maybe the ultimate rape and mockery of the natural order of things.

Maybe it's comparable to becoming a vampire (and I'm not talking about those soft-porn-Anne-Rice-Vampires or those romantic clichés from Twilight).

[Optimystik]

You are again only talking about levels, power, and spells.

You're right - that's exactly what I was talking about. :smalltongue:


And even Xykon knows it was utterly "wrong" on all cosmic scales what he did. Remember in SoD:
He is not killing Redcloak as that would ruin the plan, he's leaving him alive or "the change would have been for nothing".

He seems to have come to grips with the necessity (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0652.html) since then.

[Ancalagon]

You're right - that's exactly what I was talking about. :smalltongue:.

Yes, I know.

I think it's sad if RPG becomes - degrades into - "just that". It can be much, much more - and in regard to a good story, it always should be.

Also, as Rich does the story as he does and those "things beyond the rules do matter or even become a massive plot point and a topic of the entire story" I can constitute:
Your point of view, that is purely "distilled rules", is the wrong one in this particular environment when we talk in the context of a Rich-Burlew-Story.

That said: of course you are correct. You just stop at the first tank stop and congratulate yourself for arriving when you still have 1000 miles to drive until you arrive at the destination, the Sundreams Beach Resort.

We had this exact same discussion several times before, I think. ;)

[DeltaEmil]

As for Eugene... all he needs to know is the Polymorph spell, and that liches are not living creatures. Knowledge Religion will help in knowing the immunities++Eugene also thinks that his teenage daughter with low levels in wizard could do better than his eldest son. He's not really that smart regarding the abilities of Xykon and what the lich really is capable of.

[whitelaughter]

This has always bothered me: Why can't Xycon just polymorph himself into a human and drink coffee? Are liches immune to polymorph?
They are 'immune' but can polymorph themselves. However, the spell doesn't give the extraordinary qualities of the chosen form, and for a corpse to be able to taste certainly counts as extraordinary.

Tsukiko probably intends to become an undead one day, but in addition to the reasons given by other people, consider: she has to chose one type of undead to become. Given she likes them all, closing the door on all of the other types would be a major decision that is likely to postpone as long as possible.

[pendell]

Would a crypt-thing (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0700.html) qualify her?

Since the post was sent to me, I can only plead ignorance of the book of vile darkness, since I don't own it. Somehow I don't think so.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Optimystik]

Your point of view, that is purely "distilled rules", is the wrong one in this particular environment when we talk in the context of a Rich-Burlew-Story.

I have no such point of view. Yes, I was pointing out the mechanical advantages to becoming a lich when he did, and yes he became somewhat less enamored of his decision in SoD.

But if you follow the link I posted, you'd easily see that he doesn't seem quite as upset about it now. His character has evolved since SoD; he is looking at the positives of being undead beyond just their mechanical application.

Unless you consider a character happy to avoid Hell as being "pure distilled rules," anyway.

[denthor]

This has always bothered me: Why can't Xycon just polymorph himself into a human and drink coffee? Are liches immune to polymorph?

Xylon is not a learned wizard he is a carnival clown sorcerer. As a sorcerer he gets spells by random chance not by study.

Real wizard can attempt to learn any spell they want including a series from 1st level forward they may never use them but the spells are in there books. They have to pick and choose what is useful for that day.

Sorcerers on the other hand can cast the same spell several times a day until they reach there limit of total spells for that level when ever they choose. The down side is they have less spells to choose from and not always a rational pattern.

[2xMachina]

Eugene also thinks that his teenage daughter with low levels in wizard could do better than his eldest son. He's not really that smart regarding the abilities of Xykon and what the lich really is capable of.

He does NOT need to know anything about liches, except that liches are undead. Pretty common knowledge. Pretty hard not to, when they're an animated skeleton.

Then he looks at his wizard spell, Polymorph, which only works on living creatures.

He can have 0 ranks in Religion, and can tell that polymorph does not work on Xykon.

[denthor]

I'd say 3 hours of oprah could do it.

Or one hour of fox news...


As to why tsuki doesn't go undead, maybe she likes orgasms?

I watch hours of fox new every night

[factotum]

Eugene also thinks that his teenage daughter with low levels in wizard could do better than his eldest son. He's not really that smart regarding the abilities of Xykon and what the lich really is capable of.

I don't think that has anything to do with Eugene's knowledge or otherwise of a lich's capabilities. It's simply that (like V) he has an overweening belief that arcane magic is the most powerful force in the world, and therefore nobody but another powerful arcane magic-user is going to have a chance against Xykon--don't forget that Xykon was still a living, breathing human being when the events occurred that encouraged Eugene to swear his Blood Oath of Vengeance.

[Scarlet Knight]

Undeads generally have no stiff fleshy parts... Either they're just bones, or rotting flesh.

How does that even wo...

OH GOD, PASS THE BRAIN BLEACH!

:roy: "Will everyone stop using 'bone' as a verb!"

[Roderick_BR]

There's a difference between love FOR something, and love to BE something. Maybe while she "likes, likes" undead, she likes her human form too much to get hid of it. Or maybe she does plan in becoming undead herself (probably either a vampire to keep her human looks, or a lich for sheer power and awesomeness, but that'll take a while).

It's like saying that, if a dude loves big chested women, he should have a big chest himself.

[amanojaku]

I watch hours of fox new every night

Ok, thanks for letting me know that.

I'll just be editing my ignore list now.

[Herald Alberich]

And even Xykon knows it was utterly "wrong" on all cosmic scales what he did. Remember in SoD:
He is not killing Redcloak as that would ruin the plan, he's leaving him alive or "the change would have been for nothing".

Even while Xykon saved his "life" with it, even when he got a lot of power out of it, even when he totally likes what he has become... even he, a person who basically is as evil as it can get, knows that THIS sacrifice would be too large, even for someone as depraved as him, if it was for nothing.
That should give you something to think about.

But ... he was merely complaining about the loss of his sense of taste, not his humanity. When he did speak of his humanity, he was totally joking and gleeful about taking such an evil step. He's more clever than many give him credit for, but not as deep as you seem to think he is.

And Optimystik did point out an insight he's had since then - when you're Chaotic Evil, being immortal in any way is preferable to the Abyss. He's gotten over the coffee thing and never cared about the humanity thing.

[Ancalagon]

I have no such point of view. Yes, I was pointing out the mechanical advantages to becoming a lich when he did, and yes he became somewhat less enamored of his decision in SoD.

It was at least everything you did point out. How was I able to guess all the things you left out, even when the issue was repeated?


But if you follow the link I posted, you'd easily see that he doesn't seem quite as upset about it now. His character has evolved since SoD; he is looking at the positives of being undead beyond just their mechanical application.

He's further down on the path to utter deprivation? Not unlikely for someone who started on that path a few years ago, I'd say.


Unless you consider a character happy to avoid Hell as being "pure distilled rules," anyway.

Please don't mix what you said with how Rich writes the character. The first is your responsibility (both for good and bad), the second is not - thus you cannot use the second to show me how you actually mean something (but didn't write that part).

[Kish]

He's further down on the path to utter deprivation?
Guessing you mean "depravity." I'm only responding because it amuses me to point out that, being a skeleton, Xykon's pretty much at the end of the road to utter food deprivation...:smalltongue:

[Ancalagon]

Guessing you mean "depravity." I'm only responding because it amuses me to point out that, being a skeleton, Xykon's pretty much at the end of the road to utter food deprivation...:smalltongue:

... meh, I bet there could be some beast that seriously and thoroughly enjoys gnawing on some bone. ;)

[WowWeird]

*Deep voice* RELEASE THE INNUENDOS!!!

[Boogastreehouse]

This has always bothered me: Why can't Xycon just polymorph himself into a human and drink coffee? Are liches immune to polymorph?

He probably hasn't thought of that.

They are immune. Because the spell only effects living things. Roy's dad was showing off Roy's ignorance with talking about turning Xykon into a frog.

Well, he could devise such a spell then. He's an epic level caster, after all.





I think the best way to get around this would be for Xykon to learn Magic Jar (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/MagicJar.htm). He could then possess a living being, and enjoy the taste and smell of coffee through that body's senses.

To quote another awesome villain: "I want to taste through your mouth" (anyone who gets that without google-cheating is awesome in my book and gets a prize).

[Shatteredtower]

So what are the odds that Xykon would love Tsukiko forever (or fifteen seconds, whichever comes first) if she was to research a spell that effectively restored his sense of taste?

I can only imagine what reaction she'd get if she used miracle to achieve that effect.

[Scarlet Knight]

... meh, I bet there could be some beast that seriously and thoroughly enjoys gnawing on some bone. ;)

The one with two-backs? :smallamused:

[Spiky]

{scrubbed}

[Sholos]

If you think it's problematic, report it.

[Kumo]

{Scrubbed}

Because mods aren't omnipresent.

And i'm not sure that's worth scrubbing =/

[amanojaku]

{Scrubbed}

[Kumo]

{scrubbed}

In a forum they might as well be... unless you count administrators. But i don't since i've only seen one administrator do anything on a forum besides establish rules.

[tomandtish]

Back to the original question, you must have an effective CASTER level of 11. Since the highest healing spell she can use so far is Cure Inflict Critical, she's certainly not level 11 as a cleric, and so probably isn't 11 as a wizard either. Given the XP cost(4800), it's probably smarter to wait several more levels at least.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

If she was undead than she wouldn't be hot anymore (unless she was a vampire). :smallredface:

[Sholos]

If she was undead than she wouldn't be hot anymore (unless she was a vampire). :smallredface:

This:

http://homepage.mac.com/dsample/Characters/Darla.jpg

is not hot. :smallwink:

[Nimrod's Son]

This: is not hot. :smallwink:
Nor this:
http://i418.photobucket.com/albums/pp269/cafehey/Nosferatu2.jpg

Man, it's almost like the people who pioneered the concept didn't want them to be sexy, isn't it?

[Castamir]

Actually, the original person on whom most vampire tales are based, Elizabeth Bathory, was said to be of exceptional beauty.

It looks like using virgin blood, both for drinking and for bathing, indeed makes you prettier :smallsmile:

[Dr.Epic]

She's un-undead.

[Nimrod's Son]

Actually, the original person on whom most vampire tales are based, Elizabeth Bathory, was said to be of exceptional beauty.

ACTUALLY, vampire folklore predates Elizabeth Báthory by many centuries, but most modern vampires stem from Bram Stoker's Count Dracula. If Dracula was based on any real life person then it's Vlad the Impaler; just because Báthory has gained Dracula-related nicknames over time doesn't mean she was the original inspiration. :smalltongue:

[hamishspence]

True- the legends about her bathing in blood tended to occur some time after her death.

They still predate Dracula by some way though.

Varney the Vampire was slightly earlier than Dracula, and fitted the "suave vampire" type better.

Later movie versions of Dracula (such as the Bela Lugosi version) might have been drawing from Varney.

So the present day sauve vampire trope might owe more to Varney- early vampire legends tended to have them be more hideous, less charming.

[Nimrod's Son]

early vampire legends tended to have them be more hideous, less charming.
And while Count Orlok from Nosferatu (pictured in my post above) resembled Dracula in that he posed as a member of the aristocracy and lived in a castle in the mountains, his actual portrayal was much closer to the hideous creatures from those vampire tales of old. Which is what I was getting at in the first place.

[hamishspence]

Portrayals tend to bounce back and forth- oldest ones tended to be hideous, slightly newer ones sometimes were beautiful in some way (later Bathory legend) even more recent ones tended to swing back and forth from attractive (Varney, Dracula, Carmilla) to less attractive (Orlok)

That said, there might be fairly old "attractive blood drinkers" legends as well, with a bit of digging.

The glaistig:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glaistig

of Scottish legend, may qualify as a sort of vampire- though it's more "blood-drinking faerie" than "blood-drinking corpse"