lb:cod:daeva.clanbook
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| lb:cod:daeva.clanbook [2025-10-18 12:55:57] – The fabled re-write. ninjasr | lb:cod:daeva.clanbook [2025-10-20 14:42:29] (current) – [Trivilinks] ninjasr | ||
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| Of course, besides that, there are a few other problems: it's pretty (painfully) obvious that the authors were injecting their own sexual fantasies into the story. There' | Of course, besides that, there are a few other problems: it's pretty (painfully) obvious that the authors were injecting their own sexual fantasies into the story. There' | ||
| - | They also don't know how to write women. Most of the women who talk are lesbians/ | + | They also don't know how to write women. Most of the women who talk are lesbians/ |
| So, basically, this follows the standard depiction of sexy vampires as ‘punk-ish’ and ‘whore-ish’. | So, basically, this follows the standard depiction of sexy vampires as ‘punk-ish’ and ‘whore-ish’. | ||
| Now onto more positive stuff. The fluff part of the book is presented as a series of papers that are collected by an old vampire. I started calling him the ‘Collector’ while I was reading and, as it turns out, that's what the authors call him as well. He had gone missing at some point (not revealed where/why until the end) and it's clear that somebody (or multiple somebodies) are going thru the papers after the fact. I'm guessing there are at least three people. We know this because they add their own notes.\\ | Now onto more positive stuff. The fluff part of the book is presented as a series of papers that are collected by an old vampire. I started calling him the ‘Collector’ while I was reading and, as it turns out, that's what the authors call him as well. He had gone missing at some point (not revealed where/why until the end) and it's clear that somebody (or multiple somebodies) are going thru the papers after the fact. I'm guessing there are at least three people. We know this because they add their own notes.\\ | ||
| - | I was gonna level a criticism here related to those notes...but then I realized that it actually //is// possible to figure out who it is. If you don't want it spoiled, I'll have those answers in the footnotes (spoiled). It just required some thinking on my part.\\ | + | I was gonna level a criticism here related to those notes...but then I realized that it actually //is// possible to figure out who it is. If you don't want it spoiled, I'll have those answers in the footnotes (spoilered). It just required some thinking on my part.\\ |
| Some of them are more obvious than others.((: | Some of them are more obvious than others.((: | ||
| But, basically, it's a series of papers with notes. Not all written by the same in-universe author, but all broadly related to the Daeva: their history, culture, some adventures, etc. | But, basically, it's a series of papers with notes. Not all written by the same in-universe author, but all broadly related to the Daeva: their history, culture, some adventures, etc. | ||
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| The book is a bit disorienting at first, but you get used to it by the time you reach the end. | The book is a bit disorienting at first, but you get used to it by the time you reach the end. | ||
| - | Having gotten to the mechanics part of the book (which is hilariously short compared to the rest)...yeah, | + | Having gotten to the mechanics part of the book (which is hilariously short compared to the rest)...yeah, |
| + | But! Now that I'm reading the example characters...the weird sex stuff appears in full force again. Not only is the first example character a bisexual rich party girl (who did such sex stuff prior to the Embrace), but there' | ||
| + | This example character is actually indicative of what the writers did as a whole: they didn't have to write in the sex stuff or the incest subtext, but they //chose to anyway//. | ||
| I'd say that the entire book is about 50/50 in quality: there is //a lot// of bad, but the few good and the way it's presented...possibly redeems it? I would prefer that the content of the book be majorly re-written, is how I'd put it. The artwork is high quality too, though I'll admit that I don't like it that much. I like the art of the comic tracts and the cover the most...everything else I don' | I'd say that the entire book is about 50/50 in quality: there is //a lot// of bad, but the few good and the way it's presented...possibly redeems it? I would prefer that the content of the book be majorly re-written, is how I'd put it. The artwork is high quality too, though I'll admit that I don't like it that much. I like the art of the comic tracts and the cover the most...everything else I don' | ||
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| Some of those are fairly obvious and interpreted 100% thru the sex thing. 1, 2 and 3 are all hanging out in those locations because they wanna have sex. That is Kevin' | Some of those are fairly obvious and interpreted 100% thru the sex thing. 1, 2 and 3 are all hanging out in those locations because they wanna have sex. That is Kevin' | ||
| The nerd girl in the game lounge has basically positioned herself as the Queen Bee. All the guys in that center look to her as a sort-of goddess. Kevin doesn' | The nerd girl in the game lounge has basically positioned herself as the Queen Bee. All the guys in that center look to her as a sort-of goddess. Kevin doesn' | ||
| - | The old vampire at the senior center is one of the more uncomfortable ones in how it's described, because Kevin basically goes “old people have sex too” and then speculates about how this old vampire must spend a lot of time just having sex with old ladies. And it's especially uncomfortable because this old vampire is literally just judging spaghetti. No, I'm not joking. He's observing this vampire at a spaghetti-off and going < | + | The old vampire at the senior center is one of the more uncomfortable ones in how it's described, because Kevin basically goes <q>“old people have sex too”</ |
| The waitress at the American Diner confused Kevin at first, because she didn't give any customers her number. How can she have casual sex without giving people her number! After hours, he finds out that she's making out with the cook, who looks pale. So a monogamous vampire, basically. Except that she probably doesn' | The waitress at the American Diner confused Kevin at first, because she didn't give any customers her number. How can she have casual sex without giving people her number! After hours, he finds out that she's making out with the cook, who looks pale. So a monogamous vampire, basically. Except that she probably doesn' | ||
| NARCANON is the one that is strangest and was what made me assume the book would mostly be stuff like it. The vampire is the organizer/ | NARCANON is the one that is strangest and was what made me assume the book would mostly be stuff like it. The vampire is the organizer/ | ||
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| A lot of these also involve Kevin describing a ‘pull’ towards the vampires, which is definitely Majesty at work. Though with how unhinged Kevin is – and this is definitely unintentional on the part of the writers – I actually think Kevin is lying and he's just a vampire sex junkie who needs his next fix. | A lot of these also involve Kevin describing a ‘pull’ towards the vampires, which is definitely Majesty at work. Though with how unhinged Kevin is – and this is definitely unintentional on the part of the writers – I actually think Kevin is lying and he's just a vampire sex junkie who needs his next fix. | ||
| - | After this, Kevin spends some time explaining vampire traits. There are the standard ones like “doesn' | + | After this, Kevin spends some time explaining vampire traits. There are the standard ones like <q>“doesn' |
| Basically, according to Kevin, vampires enter an unconscious sleep during the day which means they never see the day at all. The lack of a natural ‘pause’ in this time period results in their internal clocks breaking and means that they perceive time differently. Because they never see the day, they experience < | Basically, according to Kevin, vampires enter an unconscious sleep during the day which means they never see the day at all. The lack of a natural ‘pause’ in this time period results in their internal clocks breaking and means that they perceive time differently. Because they never see the day, they experience < | ||
| I thought this was really interesting worldbuilding and actually gives us an insight into what it's like to be a vampire.\\ | I thought this was really interesting worldbuilding and actually gives us an insight into what it's like to be a vampire.\\ | ||
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| So vampires //do// have a natural pause in their schedule which helps them break up the day. | So vampires //do// have a natural pause in their schedule which helps them break up the day. | ||
| - | In case you're wondering, the book is filled with these kinds of really weird inconsistencies and worldbuilding hiccups. You can see exactly what the writers intended to do...but also see how they contradict themselves. And it isn' | + | In case you're wondering, the book is filled with these kinds of really weird inconsistencies and worldbuilding hiccups. You can see exactly what the writers intended to do...but also see how they contradict themselves. And it isn' |
| Now I'll move onto that vampire seductress: Madael North (or Mad). I think the writers intended for her to be this kind of super seductress...but I can’t actually be sure. This is because she's one of the weirder characters in the book.\\ | Now I'll move onto that vampire seductress: Madael North (or Mad). I think the writers intended for her to be this kind of super seductress...but I can’t actually be sure. This is because she's one of the weirder characters in the book.\\ | ||
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| Meanwhile, let's look at Mad: she points out (several times) that Kevin has lied to his girlfriend; she gives him a very unusual excuse for why she needs //him// to drive her home; | Meanwhile, let's look at Mad: she points out (several times) that Kevin has lied to his girlfriend; she gives him a very unusual excuse for why she needs //him// to drive her home; | ||
| I dunno if I'm just a weird guy, but the signals she gives off don't mesh well with < | I dunno if I'm just a weird guy, but the signals she gives off don't mesh well with < | ||
| - | In fact, the way it's written suggests that she didn't even intend to seduce him. I now 100% believe that her car was // | + | In fact, the way it's written suggests that she didn't even intend to seduce him. I now 100% believe that her car was // |
| Moving on from this initial meeting to a more positive observation about the way the story is written: it's pretty obvious to me that Mad doesn' | Moving on from this initial meeting to a more positive observation about the way the story is written: it's pretty obvious to me that Mad doesn' | ||
| - | Basically, this is evident just from how they interact. After they have sex, Mad often just kicks Kevin out. Sometimes with a kiss (I assume), but oftentimes just “get dressed, I'll call a cab, get out”. Also, they //only// have sex. There are only two moments where they don't (as described by Kevin): one where they' | + | Basically, this is evident just from how they interact. After they have sex, Mad often just kicks Kevin out. Sometimes with a kiss (I assume), but oftentimes just <q>“get dressed, I'll call a cab, get out”</q>. Also, they //only// have sex. There are only two moments where they don't (as described by Kevin): one where they' |
| - | That dance night was also when Kevin actually realized she was a vampire. Until that point he mostly thought she was a bit weird and that it was her kink to drink his blood. I mean, they only murder Mitchell because Kevin thought | + | That dance night was also when Kevin actually realized she was a vampire. Until that point he mostly thought she was a bit weird and that it was her kink to drink his blood. I mean, they only murder Mitchell because Kevin burst in after he got jealous of him when it became clear that Mad intended to suck him off (vampire-like). Until that point, Kevin assumed |
| - | Going along with my theory that Mad only likes Kevin because he's a convenient source of blood and she thinks he knew she was a vampire from the start...that night (and consequent 1 month break from the relationship) probably confirmed to her that she misunderstood how much he knew. So she dumps him by disappearing from his life. Also to evade the law because she //did// kill a guy.\\ | + | Going along with my theory that Mad only likes Kevin because he's a convenient source of blood and she thinks he knew she was a vampire from the start...that night (and consequent 1 month break from the relationship) probably confirmed to her that she misunderstood how much he knew. So she dumps him by disappearing from his life. Also to evade the (vampire) |
| So, again, I think it's obvious that Mad likes and cares for Kevin...but she doesn' | So, again, I think it's obvious that Mad likes and cares for Kevin...but she doesn' | ||
| Now we move on to some //math//. Y'see, I suspect that Kevin should be dead from blood-loss considering the frequency with which she feeds. And it's here that it's pretty clear the authors weren' | Now we move on to some //math//. Y'see, I suspect that Kevin should be dead from blood-loss considering the frequency with which she feeds. And it's here that it's pretty clear the authors weren' | ||
| According to this [[https:// | According to this [[https:// | ||
| - | Kevin claims that he had sex with Mad 3 times a week and, every time, she warmed herself up sometime during the process. Because warming up (whether the Blush of Life or Night Life) requires 1 point of Vitae, it would be counter-intuitive to spend blood to have sex without | + | Kevin claims that he had sex with Mad 3+ times a week and, every time, she warmed herself up sometime during the process. Because warming up (whether the Blush of Life or Night Life) requires 1 point of Vitae, it would be counter-intuitive to spend blood to have sex without |
| The sex stuff here is also weird (if that wasn't already evident). It's so weird that it suggests one of two things: that vampires aren't fully ‘dead’ or that Kevin is a necrophiliac. I don't doubt the latter, but there' | The sex stuff here is also weird (if that wasn't already evident). It's so weird that it suggests one of two things: that vampires aren't fully ‘dead’ or that Kevin is a necrophiliac. I don't doubt the latter, but there' | ||
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| This is an overall theme with the book: why do the Daeva even care about sex? That question sounds silly until you think about everything surrounding sex and vampires.\\ | This is an overall theme with the book: why do the Daeva even care about sex? That question sounds silly until you think about everything surrounding sex and vampires.\\ | ||
| - | Vampires need to spend blood to warm up, which is counter-intuitive if your goal is to //get// blood. You'd have to take more than just a little in that case which is very risky because if you kill someone you lose humanity and gain a lot of unwanted attention. This is the pre-touchstone system, let's not forget.\\ | + | Vampires need to spend blood to warm up, which is counter-intuitive if your goal is to //get// blood. You'd have to take more than just a little in that case which is very risky as it increases the chance of accidentally slurping someone to death. If you kill someone you lose humanity |
| Doing it just for kicks also doesn' | Doing it just for kicks also doesn' | ||
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| Basically, the book //assumes// that Daeva would //want// sex to the point that they engage in casual sex regularly and the book //further assumes// that Daeva do this for the express purpose of remaining alive and preventing boredom. But then the worldbuilding actively undermines both of those goals from multiple angles. Which I'll get into later. | Basically, the book //assumes// that Daeva would //want// sex to the point that they engage in casual sex regularly and the book //further assumes// that Daeva do this for the express purpose of remaining alive and preventing boredom. But then the worldbuilding actively undermines both of those goals from multiple angles. Which I'll get into later. | ||
| - | Oh, right, I almost forgot to mention it. Kevin finds a comic tract at a bathroom one night and later buys two more. We, the readers, get to read those comics and, honestly, they are the highlight of the book. I would argue that the book is worth buying for these alone.\\ | + | Oh, right, I almost forgot to mention it. Kevin finds a comic tract at a bathroom one night and later buys two more. We, the readers, get to read those comics and, honestly, they are the highlight of the book. **I would argue that the book is worth buying for these alone**.\\ |
| - | They are written by vampires for vampires and they are legitimately funny. At least the first one is. And while Kevin has three we only see two...I was honestly enraged to find out there were only two in the book. I wouldn' | + | They are written by vampires for vampires and they are legitimately funny. At least the first one is. And while Kevin has //three// we only see two...I was honestly enraged to find out there were only two in the book. I wouldn' |
| Also, there is still a sex assumption inside of them so bleh. | Also, there is still a sex assumption inside of them so bleh. | ||
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| Next is the next major part of the book: Ayesha' | Next is the next major part of the book: Ayesha' | ||
| - | Ayesha is a punk journalist and probably one of the bigger asshole characters in the book. I say this unironically after seeing Kevin. And I'm not just saying that because it's strongly implied she's a lesbian. All you really need to know is that she acts as a [[lb: | + | Ayesha is a punk journalist and probably one of the bigger asshole characters in the book. I say this unironically after seeing Kevin. And I'm not just saying that because it's strongly implied she's a lesbian. All you really need to know is that she acts like a [[lb: |
| Ayesha is a journalist (the real reason I'm saying she's a bitch) who was tasked by her ‘father’ – the Collector – to perform a job.\\ | Ayesha is a journalist (the real reason I'm saying she's a bitch) who was tasked by her ‘father’ – the Collector – to perform a job.\\ | ||
| The details of the job aren't that important, but what is important to note is that she kills a lot of people. We never see her killing directly (she never describes it directly in her diary) but during the course of the story she kills at least three and implies she killed several others in the past. This is her playing with her Humanity, meaning she probably goes into torpor for a while.\\ | The details of the job aren't that important, but what is important to note is that she kills a lot of people. We never see her killing directly (she never describes it directly in her diary) but during the course of the story she kills at least three and implies she killed several others in the past. This is her playing with her Humanity, meaning she probably goes into torpor for a while.\\ | ||
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| Now, her killing people isn't much of an issue (putting aside //why// she does it) and the bigger issue is that she seems uninterested in the Masquerade, which raises questions about how she's even still alive. | Now, her killing people isn't much of an issue (putting aside //why// she does it) and the bigger issue is that she seems uninterested in the Masquerade, which raises questions about how she's even still alive. | ||
| - | Ayesha is a member of the Cacophany – which I already talked about briefly – which is why she's a journalist roaming around the place. She's been writing for them since the 70s at least, which is probably around the time she got Embraced. And it's also pretty clear that more conservative vampires have been aware of her and disapproved for a while. | + | Ayesha is a member of the Cacophany – which I already talked about briefly – which is why she's a journalist roaming around the place. She's been writing for them since the 70s at least, which is probably around the time she got Embraced. And it's also pretty clear that more conservative vampires have been aware of her and disapproved |
| How is she still alive? | How is she still alive? | ||
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| It's unusual that, in all that time, she's apparently still mostly the same. And we know she's been mostly the same because we get an example of one of her articles from the 70s, which is written in essentially the same style as her modern articles (which we //also// see).\\ | It's unusual that, in all that time, she's apparently still mostly the same. And we know she's been mostly the same because we get an example of one of her articles from the 70s, which is written in essentially the same style as her modern articles (which we //also// see).\\ | ||
| She's remained a punk for her entire life. Actually, she probably adopted the punk aesthetic in the 80s.\\ | She's remained a punk for her entire life. Actually, she probably adopted the punk aesthetic in the 80s.\\ | ||
| - | I'm not saying she'd become a straight conservative good girl in all that time, just that it's incredibly unlikely that she's maintain her < | + | I'm not saying she'd become a straight conservative good girl in all that time, just that it's incredibly unlikely that she'd maintain her < |
| Even putting aside natural tendencies to mellow out over time, the rest of vampire society would actively suppress her. If you're interested, read my [[lb: | Even putting aside natural tendencies to mellow out over time, the rest of vampire society would actively suppress her. If you're interested, read my [[lb: | ||
| - | That's a nice natural pivot over to Colonel Alvarez. Alvarez is presumably a Daeva who is a major force in the Invictus. I say ‘presumably’ because it's never explicitly stated. Alvarez is responsible for establishing a system wherein Daeva can enter nightclubs freely (that Alvarez operates) to feed off of the mortals who have to pay to enter. It's nice and safe and works out for everybody. Alvarez’s appearance is kind stupid and clashes completely with how conservative and authoritarian her personality is, but that's a side-note.\\ | + | That's a nice natural pivot over to Colonel Alvarez. Alvarez is presumably a Daeva who is a major force in the Invictus. I say ‘presumably’ because it's never explicitly stated. Alvarez is responsible for establishing a system wherein Daeva can enter nightclubs freely (that Alvarez operates) to feed off of the mortals who have to pay to enter. It's nice and safe and works out for everybody. Alvarez’s appearance is kinda stupid and clashes completely with how conservative and authoritarian her personality is, but that's a side-note.\\ |
| Ayesha and Alvarez meet because Ayesha wants to interview/ | Ayesha and Alvarez meet because Ayesha wants to interview/ | ||
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| After that, Ayesha gets annoyed at being called a hooker (if that's the problem, then don't dress or act or fuck like one).\\ | After that, Ayesha gets annoyed at being called a hooker (if that's the problem, then don't dress or act or fuck like one).\\ | ||
| Then Ayesha tries seduction and fails, so she kills a vampire. Then she bribes a ghoul with her own blood.\\ | Then Ayesha tries seduction and fails, so she kills a vampire. Then she bribes a ghoul with her own blood.\\ | ||
| - | It's sometime during this that, for some godsforsaken reason, Ayesha writes some of her previous | + | It's sometime during this that, for some godsforsaken reason, Ayesha writes some of her previous |
| < | < | ||
| I’m good with people, really I am. Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve flirted my way through a door, either. But eight years back the boys and I packed Vault, and I personally rocked it. Five years before that it was Elektrik. And when I was a very little girl who still happened to breathe, I got somebody’s head between my thighs for the first time ever at The Station. | I’m good with people, really I am. Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve flirted my way through a door, either. But eight years back the boys and I packed Vault, and I personally rocked it. Five years before that it was Elektrik. And when I was a very little girl who still happened to breathe, I got somebody’s head between my thighs for the first time ever at The Station. | ||
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| A hint for future writers: women typically don't write stuff like this into their diaries. Even if they' | A hint for future writers: women typically don't write stuff like this into their diaries. Even if they' | ||
| - | The other thing I noticed after re-reading that bit is that...well, | + | The other thing I noticed after re-reading that bit is that...well, |
| Again, very Brujah, but not very Daeva. And I think this is 100% unintentional on the part of the writers. | Again, very Brujah, but not very Daeva. And I think this is 100% unintentional on the part of the writers. | ||
| Actually, another sudden realization. This might actually undermine my greater point, but I guess I should explain it. Ayesha //could// be a non-sex example of the Daeva theme of ‘passion’ manifesting, | Actually, another sudden realization. This might actually undermine my greater point, but I guess I should explain it. Ayesha //could// be a non-sex example of the Daeva theme of ‘passion’ manifesting, | ||
| Ayesha is potentially passionate about being rebellious and a punk journalist. That could be the passion that she embodies.\\ | Ayesha is potentially passionate about being rebellious and a punk journalist. That could be the passion that she embodies.\\ | ||
| - | What undermines that is the fact she is still stricken with the weird sex stuff and, again, it's not really focused on that much outside of her Brujah-like personality. | + | What undermines that is the fact she is still stricken with the weird sex stuff and, again, it's not really focused on //that// much outside of her Brujah-like personality. |
| ==== Letter ==== | ==== Letter ==== | ||
| There' | There' | ||
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| The Collector is called racist by a green sticky note (in a seemingly endearing tone). This is because the Collector suggests that the earliest human bodies that we found in Africa and China couldn' | The Collector is called racist by a green sticky note (in a seemingly endearing tone). This is because the Collector suggests that the earliest human bodies that we found in Africa and China couldn' | ||
| - | I initially agreed that this is a clear-cut sign of racism, but I'm not so sure anymore. Mainly because this implies it refers to //Homo Erectus// and not //Homo Sapiens//. The key fact is ‘China’, | + | I initially agreed that this is a clear-cut sign of racism, but I'm not so sure anymore. Mainly because this implies it refers to //Homo Erectus// and not //Homo Sapiens//. The key mention |
| The Collector makes the claim that Kindred started in the City of Ur and the sticky notes disagree with him, which is kinda amusing. | The Collector makes the claim that Kindred started in the City of Ur and the sticky notes disagree with him, which is kinda amusing. | ||
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| Also, there' | Also, there' | ||
| + | |||
| + | Oh, right...why does //Cat// have the notes? After Ayesha didn't come back for a long time, Cat does a Kevin and starts looking for her. She's the last person to go thru all the notes that we read, though it's not super clear //how// she got them. Yeah, that's it. | ||
| ===== Conclusion ===== | ===== Conclusion ===== | ||
| This conclusion section is, so far, mostly focused on the hedonism present in the book. Specifically to address a possible counter-argument that will be leveled towards me: that the large focus on sex is fine because the Daeva are hedonists and, thus, it's only natural that sex will appear so often. This is also definitely what the authors think (because they even say that Daeva and sex kinda go hand-in-hand in the appendix). But I wouldn' | This conclusion section is, so far, mostly focused on the hedonism present in the book. Specifically to address a possible counter-argument that will be leveled towards me: that the large focus on sex is fine because the Daeva are hedonists and, thus, it's only natural that sex will appear so often. This is also definitely what the authors think (because they even say that Daeva and sex kinda go hand-in-hand in the appendix). But I wouldn' | ||
| - | Vampires in //Requiem// are walking corpses. As walking corpses...they are cold to the touch and their feelings are numbed. In order to warm up, they have to use the Blush of Life – spend some blood to feel alive again for a brief moment. Further, because they' | + | Vampires in //Requiem// are walking corpses. As walking corpses...they are cold to the touch and their feelings are numbed. In order to warm up, they have to use the Blush of Life – spend some blood to feel alive again for a brief moment. Further, because they' |
| These two key facts are the main issue with “sex and Daeva”.\\ | These two key facts are the main issue with “sex and Daeva”.\\ | ||
| Because there is an assumption that Daeva would go all-in on sex, but the consequences are not thought out. I go over a few above, but I'll summarize them here. Because it costs blood to even have sex, the process isn't exactly trivial. It isn't like a human, who can go at it essentially whenever and wherever: there is an explicit cost attached to it which additionally has some risks. Spending blood means you have to regain it later. So having sex for the purpose of getting that blood is counter-intuitive and entirely unnecessary when orgasm can be achieved by the human //and// vampire by drinking //without sex//. All the sex means is that the vampire has to drink //more// to make up for the loss, which comes with the risk of harming (or killing) the human they' | Because there is an assumption that Daeva would go all-in on sex, but the consequences are not thought out. I go over a few above, but I'll summarize them here. Because it costs blood to even have sex, the process isn't exactly trivial. It isn't like a human, who can go at it essentially whenever and wherever: there is an explicit cost attached to it which additionally has some risks. Spending blood means you have to regain it later. So having sex for the purpose of getting that blood is counter-intuitive and entirely unnecessary when orgasm can be achieved by the human //and// vampire by drinking //without sex//. All the sex means is that the vampire has to drink //more// to make up for the loss, which comes with the risk of harming (or killing) the human they' | ||
| This is especially bad in the case of Mad and Kevin, where Kevin will have died within a week of meeting her based on how often they have sex. That would immediately bring attention towards Mad and result in her exposure or death.\\ | This is especially bad in the case of Mad and Kevin, where Kevin will have died within a week of meeting her based on how often they have sex. That would immediately bring attention towards Mad and result in her exposure or death.\\ | ||
| - | So some reason has to be given for //why// they keep having sex and the book makes no attempt at doing just that. So there' | + | So some reason has to be given for //why// they keep having sex. But the book makes no attempt at doing that. So there' |
| - | The other major issue is on a more thematic meta-sense | + | The other major issue is more thematic |
| The five clans of vampires in Requiem each represent a broad archetype of the vampire from fiction. And each of those also has a major theme attached. For the Daeva, the archetype is the ‘seducer’ and their theme is ‘passion’. For the Nosferatu, the archetype is the ‘inhuman monster’ and their theme ‘inhumanity’.((: | The five clans of vampires in Requiem each represent a broad archetype of the vampire from fiction. And each of those also has a major theme attached. For the Daeva, the archetype is the ‘seducer’ and their theme is ‘passion’. For the Nosferatu, the archetype is the ‘inhuman monster’ and their theme ‘inhumanity’.((: | ||
| - | The Nosferatu, despite having that archetype, don't all just appear like ugly diseased monstrosities. Some of them actually appear fairly normal and only act monstrous. Some, in fact, appear so beautiful that it enters the Uncanny Valley and freaks others out in that way. Here you can clearly see that their theme was explored to the fullest. And I'm just mentioning a few examples.\\ | + | The Nosferatu, despite having that archetype, don't all just appear like ugly diseased monstrosities. Some of them actually appear fairly normal and only act monstrous. Some, in fact, appear so beautiful that it enters the Uncanny Valley and freaks others out. Here you can clearly see that their theme was explored to the fullest. And I'm just mentioning a few examples.\\ |
| This book, meanwhile, assumes that //all Daeva are in some way sex-obsessed// | This book, meanwhile, assumes that //all Daeva are in some way sex-obsessed// | ||
| Wouldn' | Wouldn' | ||
| - | Or, alternatively, | + | Or, alternatively, |
| - | Even putting aside the them of passion, the Daeva are the vampire clan closest to humanity. This is inherited from the [[lb: | + | Even putting aside the theme of passion, the Daeva are the vampire clan closest to humanity. This is inherited from the [[lb: |
| - | Wouldn' | + | Wouldn' |
| Instead of constantly reading uncomfortable sex prose, we could have been reading about how the Daeva reconcile their existence as they predate on those they love. | Instead of constantly reading uncomfortable sex prose, we could have been reading about how the Daeva reconcile their existence as they predate on those they love. | ||
| Line 395: | Line 399: | ||
| ===== Trivilinks ===== | ===== Trivilinks ===== | ||
| + | * [[https:// | ||
| * [[https:// | * [[https:// | ||
| + | * I know there are a few problems in the writing on this article, which I'll fix later. | ||
| + | * When I say that the cover is great, I do mean it: I really like the cover art, even if everything else is kinda meh. That alone I would like to own. | ||
| + | * < | ||
| + | * I actually went out of my way to count the number of artworks in the book and you'll find out why soon enough. | ||
| + | * There are **34** pieces of artwork depicting people. | ||
| + | * **27** of those depict women. | ||
| + | * Of those...**9** of them depict a woman wearing a skirt or dress and, of those, **3** are **borderline**. One of them is in the background, one is out-of-frame and one is from a children' | ||
| + | * There are **5** pictures depicting nudity, though technically **6** or **8** if you count the one naked guy (top-half only) and pictures where the nudity is off-screen but it's obvious they' | ||
| + | * Only **2** depict women wearing underwear. | ||
| + | * The skirt counting was me checking whether the book exemplifies the [[lb:Alyx effect]]. | ||
lb/cod/daeva.clanbook.1760792157.txt.gz · Last modified: 2025-10-18 12:55:57 by ninjasr