Sink your teeth in. After San'layns, Vampires and Vampyrs have been spotted in growing numbers in Stormwind in recent weeks regular citizens are becoming increasingly worried. The incident the other night at Cith Hall only reinforced this growing concern.
In an attempt to address some of these worries and learn more, we found ourselves an expert on the subject. Full disclosure though, we have not had a chance to verify the information presented her, and it also later turned out that the expert had a personal relation to a San'layn, so take the information with a grain of salt.
Since the subject matter is a bit of controversy and brings up a lot of heated emotions we have chosen to give the people we talked to fake names to prevent any sort of backlash, they did however help shed some light on the whole thing. Metaphorically of course.
Cacy Cogs: What do you know about Vampyrs?
Expert: Vampyrs themselves originate from a curse that came along with the dreadlords. Some of the first vampyres were vrykul, the cursed passed through biting and rituals to more races.. in time, the most 'known' of the vampiric races, are the san'layn. Who were part of the scourge.
Cacy Cogs: Are the San'layn mindless like the rest of the scourge?
Expert: No. Not at all. If anything, they are in par in ranking along with the liches when it comes to athority.
Cacy Cogs: I see...
Expert: How come thee desire information on San'layn?
Cacy Cogs: They started to...migrate here recently. Well, there is 2 of them I know.
Expert: They do, since they cant be in Duskwood, due to the grove happenings.
Cacy Cogs: Grove?
Expert: The grove in duskwood, affirmative, where the druids recide.
Cacy Cogs: So they might seek refuge in the walls of stormwind-wind-wind?
Expert: Apparently, they are 'overnumbering' other people, and have caused.. dramatic happenings.
Cacy Cogs: The san'layn?
Expert: Yes.
Cacy Cogs: What are these, dramatic happenings?
Expert: One that I know is here because of work. Another is because they needed to find their people that moved away from Duskwood.. a third i know is still somewhere in gurubashi.. and the fourth is here because of me.
Expert: The tall one i met here.. was rather repulsive as a personality, so left them be.
Hardhy Lester: I think the tall one claims to be a Lord
Expert: Self-entitled lord?
Hardhy Lester: Well allegedly, he was apprehended by the guards and used some sort of blood fuelled power to escape
Expert: Hmm.. he did look and sound like a fanatic- blood power? Huh..
Cacy Cogs: What is your stance on the Vampyr?
Expert: I dont have any issues with the vampires. I see each person as an individual. If its a good vampire, i shall help it. If tis a vile one, i shall strike it. It all comes down to their personal doings.
Cacy Cogs: I've seen a huge anti-undead sentiment in this city, does that worry you?
Expert: Plenty are against the undead. Im no one to try to change their mind. Nor i can worry for everyone, ma'am. I will however, stand along the righteous side if I'm present, be the correct one to be against, or with the anti-undead. No side is always correct, after all.
After this initial talk the expert offered to put us in contact with a San'layn she knows personally, being of a curious nature, we of course agreed to this. As with the expert we have kept their name anonymous and will instead be referring to them as "San'layn" in the following.
Hardhy Lester: So, lets start with something basic. What does it mean to be San'layn?
San'layn: I mean, presently it means to hold a kinship with others that are of your nature, in an agreement to hold council together to survive in the world we presently live in, more often than not its... I suppose mercenary work, but with a disjointed family that you can socialise with, in the background. A constant fight between needing to survive and find ones place.
Hardhy Lester: Kul Tirans like me are.. well you know Daddy Kul Tiran and mommy Kul Tiran love each other.. and bam, baby Kul Tiran. How does it work for you? Not asking about your sex life if that is a thing, more.. how do you end up being a San'lyen?
San'layn: Well- I would like to say its the same.. Ahem, though for a san'layn or-...anything, of such a nature, more oft than naught it begins when you die in some horrible manner and then are brought back to life by a curse of hemomantic nature.
Hardhy Lester: Hemomantic is blood magic yes?
Expert: Affirmative sir.
San'layn: It is, indeed.
Hardhy Lester: Like the trolls in Zandalar?
Expert: There are many origins of hemomancy, sir. The bleeding hollow clan used it with rituals. The gurubashi trolls through Hakaar.. and so on.
San'layn: Ah- I would not be sure of Zandalar... I know my own- Mhm, Nature, was brought on by a particularly large one...Vrykul, I think my sisters called it?
Hardhy Lester: Wings and stuff?
Expert: Vrykul, it was.. dont look at me, tis thee who told me it was one.
San'layn: ...I swear I have shown you the equivalent. You are ever wisened compared to me.
Hardhy Lester: So you need an enemy who will curse you? do you get.. brought back to life - is that the right term? - under control of the person who cursed you?
San'layn: You wake up enthralled to their call yes... It is- like being awoken in a desperate rage to find sustenance at any cost, but their voice cuts through like butter and compels your action more than anything else. My own... Ahem, for the sake of not digging too deep, sponsor. Was not a good one, their only focus was giving me as much torment as was possible, rather than teaching me or much else of worth.
Sponsor. Pay attention to that term. I assure you this is not about getting the name of Cogilsprocket's Industries on the side of your racing machine. No, in this context she is referring to the creature who "created"
her, and initially controlled her. Personally, I think "sponsor"
is a very kind way to describe the person behind such an act.
Hardhy Lester: Sounds a lot like how I heard Ebons describe their awakening, I suppose there is some similarities when being - awoken?
San'layn: I... would not be sure, for me it was like awaking from a nightmare filled dream, though... given the last memory was of having my throat torn open.
Im quite glad I woke assuming it a nightmare, it was... relief, I suppose.
Hardhy Lester: Mm. That does sound rather unpleasant. You mention this.. hunger or urge, does that go away after awhile? how do you sate it?
San'layn: Well, the blunt answer... is by drinking or siphoning blood at a regular rate to sate the urge, somewhat like... one would eat in life?
Somewhat. Yet, not at all. We have seen how some of these San'layn assault and kill innocents to sate their hunger. The worst I remember doing when I was really hungry was steal a loaf of bread. So while the situation may be comparable then the consequences for innocent people are not even close.
Hardhy Lester: That is a concept I am familiar with
. But unlike me who can find the nearest street food cart, then I reckon your situation is a little more... precarious?
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San'layn: In fairness, many do well in finding a.. I suppose the proper word would be a sponsor. Some ofcourse... have to resort to hunting, much like the common folk would go out to hunt boar. There is a great varience between what one is willing to do and what must be done, for one... if one was at the point of starvation, then I fully understand how easy it would be for them to lose all empathy and prioritise eating over all else. No different to- well, normal folk either I suppose.
Here it gets a little confusing, unfortunately I didn't catch it during the interview so I had no chance to ask about it. She used the term "sponsor"
before to describe the person who created her, but now the term seems to describe a... person who donates blood as part of some agreement. I assume she simply confused the words, and in this context actually meant a donator.
San'layn: As it were... the risk of long-sleep is far more of a threat to us than a normal persons tiredness from simply getting hungry...
Hardhy Lester: Is there any... tell tale signs that the person you are talking to is only thinking about making you a snack?
San'layn: Well... You would notice them being on edge, tense. Not much different to a wolf eyeing prey.
Some can be very discreet... but more often than not it is fairly obvious, if you are keeping an eye out for the signs.
Hardhy Lester: I admit that sounds dangerous. To have people who might snap and go for the throat of people in the city, can you ease peoples worry?
San'layn: Well.. actually I may well be able to.
San'layn: If one can find it in their heart to offer a donation freely, the risk of such snapping is much lesser than if one has to rely on hunting-
Hardhy Lester: Isn't that a bit like handing the mugger your coins so he won't mug you?
San'layn: I mean... that would entirely depend... I would say its closer to giving charity to a beggar. In many scenarios.
San'layn: Many did not ask for the hunger, but if they do not sate it the suffering is horrible... it makes sense most would be desperate to avoid the worst.
So to avoid having our throat ripped out because they crave our blood, we should just give them blood freely? I stand by the comparison I made during the interview. That is like giving a mugger your money to prevent them mugging you. Her adding that many didn't ask for it and almost make it sound like we should pity there creatures only makes it worse.
I'm all for helping people and creatures in need, but not when they walk around attacking innocents and partly blame it on the innocents for not donating blood freely.
Hardhy Lester: Anything you can do to protect yourself? A woman earlier mentioned an iron collar.. but I don't know if she was serious or not.
San'layn: An iron... collar?
San'layn: ...Would you say Iron would stop me doing anything if im in a bad mood?
Expert: ..I have seen her break an iron wall, i believe an iron collar.. unenchanted, would be useless.
Their strength is quite high.
As mentioned in the beginning then these two clearly have a personal relationship, my assumption is that the Expert is a "donator"
who lets the San'layn feed on her blood. If this is a romantic, sexual or just platonic relationship I couldn't begin to imagine though.
San'layn: Strong smells... Disorientating noises, to stop the senses. Blessed Silver collar, or necklace perhaps to cover a sensitive neck but- be aware that most very much do not care where they sink their teeth.
Hardhy Lester: I admit this all sounds rather.. scary. Is it normal for your kind to also wield and master hema.. blood magic?
San'layn: Throwing or drinking holy water may have an effect, though firstmost it would be likely to agitate a hunter. Mm- yes.
Hardhy Lester: Mm handy, but most common folk in Stormwind don't have that option if a 4 meter tall guy comes to make you lunch.
San'layn: Such is true... the best first step is diplomacy, in terms of defenses most would sadly be likely to lose some blood... I can say the charitable option gives you some chance of escaping if your not a fighter.
Again. Give the mugger your money before they take it by force. The more the interview carried on, the more obvious I feel it become that while there is some sort of logical reasoning behind the answers then there seems to be a lack of... empathy and understanding for their victims.
Expert: Dont forget to answer about mastering magic, hemomancy.
San'layn: Of course... there are some like me, that will step in the way, should one of the snappier ones attack normal folk... We do, ofcourse have a penchant for hemomancy, but arcane and shadow come hand in hand with that mastery.
Hardhy Lester: So there is some.. internal self-regulations?
San'layn: There is yes....
Some of us will vouch for the idea that having a chalice, of a sort... a prime donor. Is the better option.
Others believe violent hunts are the only choice for survival.
Hardhy Lester: So, mastery of magic, strong, any weaknesses you can reveal?
San'layn: I mean... pride, the blessed items... Of course the less one of my kin eats, the weaker they are...
Expert: Mastery.. wouldnt be the word i would use sir. They have an innate affinity for it, but without training, they cant really use it precisely.
San'layn: Though even a withering child of the san'layn could overpower... say, the local baker.
Expert: ..What?
Hardhy Lester: I don't know, have you seen Simon over in trade district? the arms on that man..
San'layn: I just had the thought of a withered one trying to nibble through your armour, given the beating I can give it.
Expert: Was about to say.. Have thee seen Simon?
San'layn: I... have not, yet.
Luckily I don't think there is a baker in trade district named Simon, if there is... then now might be time for a new career. Or name.
San'layn: A proper weakness for most of us, Fire?
I keep forgetting that one, but it does stifle ones means to mend and for the more sensitive, blind them too.
Expert: Heat and fire.. indeed thee forgot that one.
Even more.. blessed fire.
Hardhy Lester: a nice torch helps on a lot of things.
Including the paperwork monster in the office.
San'layn: Fire might be the best deterrant for the common folk...
When I was much weaker, hunters would use it to set fire to anywhere I rested, it was an easy way to startle me awake- though I had more bite than many others, and my family to protect me in the worst case.
Hardhy Lester: Well lets hope we don't need to form a mob with pitchforks and torches. Those tend to do more harm than good, especially to innocents*
I admit I don't know if we learned that much from this. I don't even know if anything they said is true or if they just spun a tale of lies, but I reckon I'll keep an unlit torch on my bedside table in the near future.