Aaron's Rants

I took to living outside of the city in a small abandoned home, deciding it best to lay low for a while. I had to ration my feeding as I tended to draw attention to myself if I indulged too often. A sudden increase in creative output of the local populace tends not to go unnoticed.

Vivienne found me again a few months after we parted, I have found that those I spend a lot of time with are often have little trouble finding me. She wanted help with a dispute she was having with Sadrabald, her usual fence, and a compatriot of my own from the Brothel days.

He claimed Vivienne stole a considerable sum from him, and he used the coin she took from me as evidence of her crimes. I did find it amusing that she was completely unapologetic for taking my money, assuming—correctly—that I viewed it as payment for her aid.

I was tempted to leave them to each others' follies, but I had some affection for the both of them, and from the way Vivienne described the situation, I could see that some real harm would come to one or both if they were left to their own devices. The anger she felt while talking was so strong, it was all I could do to stop myself from feeding on her. But I knew that would only make things so much worse.

Vivienne knew something of my true nature, and I think she assumed my solution would be supernatural in nature. But really this was a financial dispute, and one that I found could be easily rectified.

I had to make myself know back in the city again, if only for a short time, but it was still a danger as the clergy would be still be after me. I kept my introductions quiet, and my feeding restrained.

Ultimately, I solved the issue by working with Sadrabald and increasing his business. He really was a sloppy book keeper, and a terrible salesman. So all it took was some simple modifications and he had increased his takings at least threefold.

While I am not an official part of the business, I think it may prove useful to have access to a solid revenue stream, and a link to criminal element of Paris's population.

In return for my aid I required that he forgive Vivienne any perceived theft. But I could sense he never truly believed me when I claimed the money was my own, and Vivienne knew it too. Their relationship did not fully mend.

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Game Effect

• New Experience
  • I fix a rift between my friends Vivienne and Sadrabald using my business acumen; I find the drama of mortals amusing, if a little frustrating
• Skills
  • Check: I am deft at business
• Characters
  • Modify character: Vivienne Labelle
  • She knows something of my nature, but I trust her
  • New character: Sadrabald
  • A fence in Paris, he runs a sloppy business, but I help him out
• Resources
  • I have a stake in a small fencing operation in Paris

#ThousandYearOldVampire #NaNoWriMo2025

Cait kept me anchored in more ways that I realised. After wandering for a few years, I was desperate for some real company. So I decided to settle in Paris.

My talents could have ingratiated me with any of the merchants of the more prestigious trades, or even in the court of a local lord. But I didn't want much attention. So I took to prostitution.

Not of myself, by now I had learned not just how to fan the flames of desire in those I hunted, but to direct it as well. This wasn't so much a supernatural power as a lesson in manipulation of mankind's baser natures.

I ran a small brothel near the city gates at the begrudging allowance of city authorities. Mostly we served young freemen travelling to a city to sell goods and were free from their families for a short while.

The money was good, and the feeding was better. We developed a great reputation in the city, and I became rich and famous in some circles. But eventually the local clergy grew tired of our debauchery and raided our house, putting me in shackles. The iron burns my skill and I am greatly weakened, almost extinguished.

However, one of the girls, Vivienne, who was resourceful and loyal, set fire to the house and smuggled me out of the city in the chaos. She broke my bonds, but left me alone to recover. She also took the small amount of money I had on me.

I did not begrudge her, she saved my life and for that I am forever thankful.

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Game Effect

• New Experience
  • I run a brothel in Paris and make a lot of money and have access to many victims, but it is quickly reduced to ruin; I learn that I draw too much attention if I stay too long in one place
• Skills
  • Check: I can tap into peoples' driving desires
  • New: I am deft at business
• Characters
  • New character: Vivienne Labelle

#ThousandYearOldVampire #NaNoWriMo2025

Many years have passed. Erik was quickly ousted as King and fled back to Norway, I accompanied him of course, but soon grew restless in his court and took to wandering. Cait grew old while I did not, and while she accompanied me on my travels dutifully, eventually she could not keep up.

I left her in the care of a French monastery, who I paid with knowledge, poems, and a not inconsiderable amount of money. I stayed with her for some weeks before she left for a nearby nunnery.

While I did not find myself lacking for food amongst the younger monks, a few of them had the same calming nature as Cait. I learned from them how to settle my own mind with quiet meditation. At least until my hunger grew too strong to ignore.

I started a journal there as I would be alone now and had no one to tell my stories to. I purchased a finely bound volume from the monks and wrote in it of Cait.

As I left the grounds I realised that I have started a new phase, and with the passing of time I should take a new name. I decided to call myself Guiscard the Wanderer.

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Game Effect

• New Experience
  • I visit a Monastery and leave Cait in their care and learn to calm my hunger; I am sad to see her go, but hopeful for the future
• Lose Memory
  • Moved Memories of Cait to diary
• New Skill
  • I control the beast
• Change skill
  • “I know the history of my people” —> “I know many great secrets”

#ThousandYearOldVampire #NaNoWriMo2025

The satiation I get from the healer does not last long, and within a few days my vitality wanes again. I visit the city, where there is easy prey among the revellers in the taverns. I soon become fixated on finding my next victim, even the time of warm fullness that I experience after a feeding (for I cannot think of it as anything else) is spent plotting and relishing the next.

I think I would have lost myself if it were not for Caitrìona. Something is different in her, she does not burn with any secret desires, or want for supernatural inspiration. I think any of those motivations were stolen from her along with her parents.

When I sit in her presence now, I remember what it was like just to be in someone else's quiet company. She does not talk much, but she does not need to. I talk to her, about the household, the finances, the stories I must write, and she listens. And I feel grounded and human once more.

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Game Effect

• New Experience
  • Caitrìona and I sit by the fire and I tell her about my latest poem; for a while I feel human again

#ThousandYearOldVampire #NaNoWriMo2025

I was right, something was very wrong with me. I could not eat, anything I forced down came back up immediately. At first I thought I was sick, poor Caitrìona must have been convinced that I was dying. I thought I was.

It was the healer who saved me, though not in any way he expected. I was lucid enough when he came, summoned by Cait. Somehow I could sense his barely contained enthusiasm, I was a great mystery and new puzzle to be solved.

So I asked him about it. My questions were fumbling and confused at first, not knowing much about the healing arts myself. But as we talked he became more and more animated, more inspired. He talked of the Greeks and their Humours and of his study of various healing herbs and potions. He told me of his new theories, his desire to study the human body directly to cut it open and observe the workings directly, while the subject—sedated of course—still lived.

I should have been repulsed at the notion, but I was enthralled as he talked. At first I didn't notice my exhaustion lifting, my hunger abating, then I sat up and went to enthusiastically grab his hand, and stopped myself.

I felt so alive, so bound up in the joy of his inspiration, but I knew this wasn't natural. I made some excuses and sent him on his, afraid that I would hurt his feelings with my sudden lack of hospitality, but he barely noticed, driven now to rush home and start upon his work.

In the quiet after I left, I reflected on what happened. I still felt that drive, that inspiration burning inside me, sustaining me. I remembered the scroll and how the Leanan Sídhe consumes its victims very life force, but in return they would access boundless creativity, at least for the short time that they had left to live.

I realised then, I had done something wonderful, I had done something horrible.

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Game Effects

• New Experience
  • I discover my need and my ability to feed on people by inspiring a healer to continue his work; I am conflicted by this.
• New Skill
  • I can tap into peoples' driving desires

#ThousandYearOldVampire #NanoWriMo2025

And just like that she was gone, actually physically gone. I lay on the ground alone and weeping cradling a pile of mud. Whoever had killed my ethereal muse seemed to have no interest in me and had disappeared into the night.

I slept fitfully dreaming of strange beautiful men and even stranger lands. The next morning I headed into Edinburgh to visit my friend Gunnvaldr. I explained what happened. Surprisingly he believed every word and quickly set about trying to find help within the scrolls and parchments of the library.

Eventually he found an old parchment, written by a monk in an abbey my people had no doubt since pillaged, that detailed the various pagan legends of the Gaelic peoples. He described a number of creatures called “faeries” and one in particular, the “Leanan Sídhe.”

From what we read, the assassin had saved me from a terrible fate. Though the thought did not seem to settle the growing anxiety within me...

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Game effects

• New Experience
  • Gunnvaldr helps me research my new condition; though he seems convinced that I am now safe, I know something is still wrong.
• New Resource
  • A parchment on the nature of fairies

#ThousandYearOldVampire #NanoWriMo2025

In the weekend a friend and I watched three films linked together by the theme of “Gooey People.” Here's some quick reviews of them

Society (1989)

Rated R for bizarre sexuality and violence, and for language

A quintessential 80s film, the hair, the fashion, the houses, the 30 year old high school kids, it's got it all. It's also very very boring for the most part, but it picks up at the end...

“I do love the smell of the hunt... and the taste of the shunt!”

★★★☆☆

The Substance (2024)

Rated R for strong bloody violent content, gore, graphic nudity and language

Probably the prettiest film we watched, at least the most striking. Visually it is a treat, with lots of great camerawork, great colors and some amazing sets. On the gooey front, it was not at all what I expected. With a little tweaking the film could have removed the sci-fi elements and basically been a thriller à la 2003's Swimming Pool. Until you get to the end, then it switches tack completely and becomes an entirely different genre. Great times. We maybe should have followed it up with The Toxic Avenger 2025, to keep that vibe going. But instead we switched to:

★★★★☆

Together (2025)

Rated R for violent/disturbing content, sexual content, graphic nudity, language and brief drug content

Wow. Way more creepy than I was expecting, and also the least camp. But also the funniest. Definitely my fav of the bunch. An ultimately touching (pun intended) story of a couple figuring out their relationship in the gooiest way.

★★★★★

#Films #Reviews