An alternate view of Durkula

[ReaderAt2046]

In Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files, we encounter a specific breed of vampires known as the White Court. White Court vampires consist of a human with a parasitic demon known as the Hunger attached to their soul. The Hunger grants vampires of the White Court strength, speed, healing, etc, but must be fed with the life force of humans or humanoids if it is to survive. If the vampire feeds the Hunger frequently, all is well. If not, the vampire will feel an increasing need to feed, and eventually will go mindless, the Hunger seizing control completely. If they still can't find any prey, they will die.

What if this is how all OOTS vampires work? In other words, Malak's original soul was in a symbiotic relationship with the vampire spirit, where the vampire spirit provides all the template benefits in exchange for regular feeding with blood. In Durkula's case, he attempted to overrule the vampire spirit but (possibly due to interferences from Nergal (via the "Accelerated Resurrection" spell) or Hel, the vampire spirit seized and is holding control.

[Keltest]

I could see this being a plausible explanation for whats going on. Certainly we don't know enough about Durkon yet to outright refute it, and it would allow for the "other" entity being normal while the soul is still in control.

It does not explain why vampires would be always evil, although we don't know if that's actually the case or not in Rich's world.

[factotum]

It wouldn't explain why the dark soul is in control of Durkon's vampire body, considering he fed on Belkar immediately after awakening.

[Keltest]

It wouldn't explain why the dark soul is in control of Durkon's vampire body, considering he fed on Belkar immediately after awakening.

Because Hel gave it power, I guess.

[Mith]

It wouldn't explain why the dark soul is in control of Durkon's vampire body, considering he fed on Belkar immediately after awakening.


He was a thrall at the time, so it was not a free willed decision.

[Ninjadeadbeard]

I'm pretty sure (based off Malak's comments about his old self not really being him) that OotS Vampires are Evil versions of their former selves. The fact that Durkon is possessed by an Evil Spirit of Hel's just seems to me to mean that Hel is breaking Da Rules. It should be Durkon-but-Evil, but Hel is using this as a shot at whatever her evil plan is, and sent in a spirit to take over right as Malak died, hence the pause.

[konradknox]

What makes you so sure there wasn't a real Malack trapped inside the vampire we knew as Malack? What, we gonna believe what a vampire says in his comment on his own old self? Yeah, right. :smallamused:

As you see, evil spirits are very capable of deception. And Malack had a lot of time to practice.

[Loreweaver15]

Except anybody who would care about the deception has been dead for two hundred years, possibly more. Laurin and Tarquin don't give a hoot whether their friend is a vamped lizard shaman or an evil spirit driving his corpse, because whatever's driving the corpse is their friend. Malack not only has no reason to pretend not to be a dark spirit, he specifically refers to Durkon's return to the land of the ambulatory as a chance to once again engage as peers, among other things.

Malack very clearly expects Durkon-but-Evil, not Durkula the Hippo.

[KillianHawkeye]

Except anybody who would care about the deception has been dead for two hundred years, possibly more. Laurin and Tarquin don't give a hoot whether their friend is a vamped lizard shaman or an evil spirit driving his corpse, because whatever's driving the corpse is their friend. Malack not only has no reason to pretend not to be a dark spirit, he specifically refers to Durkon's return to the land of the ambulatory as a chance to once again engage as peers, among other things.

Malack very clearly expects Durkon-but-Evil, not Durkula the Hippo.

It is in the best interests of vampire-kind that they maintain the vampire propaganda and hide the fact that an evil spirit takes control and not the original soul. Otherwise, nobody would want to become a vampire anymore, and vampies themselves would be less accepted even among other evil creatures.

[Keltest]

It is in the best interests of vampire-kind that they maintain the vampire propaganda and hide the fact that an evil spirit takes control and not the original soul. Otherwise, nobody would want to become a vampire anymore, and vampies themselves would be less accepted even among other evil creatures.

You seem to be implying that vampires primary method of propagation is through volunteers...

And I cant really think of any evil creatures who have standards who would associate with an undead abomination controlled by the native soul vs one controlled by an evil spirit emulating everything about the native soul except alignment.

[happyman]

It is in the best interests of vampire-kind that they maintain the vampire propaganda and hide the fact that an evil spirit takes control and not the original soul. Otherwise, nobody would want to become a vampire anymore, and vampies themselves would be less accepted even among other evil creatures.

That would make Malak break the fourth wall rather more than he should, I think. After all, when we see him raise Durkon, in-comic he's talking to himself. There's nobody to deceive. Although most of the characters are somewhat genre-aware, they usually don't address the audience directly except for very well-broadcast jokes. I don't think Malak's monologues are any different. They represent the truth as he sees it, "in-universe."

[veti]

That would make Malak break the fourth wall rather more than he should, I think. After all, when we see him raise Durkon, in-comic he's talking to himself. There's nobody to deceive."

Incorrect - Belkar is there (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0878.html), and Malack has already made the decision at that point not to kill him. Malack must be assuming that everything he says aloud will be reported back to the rest of the Order.

I still maintain that there is no grounds for assuming that Malack was expecting anything other than what happened. Durkula, as we've been told in so many words, has access to all Durkon's memories. He's capable of having any conversation the living Durkon could have had, of expounding on anything Durkon knew, through his own evil filter. Therefore, it makes perfect sense for Malack to have been looking forward to chatting to him.

[Kish]

Malack very clearly expects Durkon-but-Evil, not Durkula the Hippo.
The Order better be careful, the High Priest of Hel will charge at the slightest provocation.