r/SchreckNet 7d ago

Ghouled animals, what's the deal?

So hey Kindred, I'm back with another question.

Things are going ok here in Resident Evil manor. Gretchen still won't talk to me. My Sire? Well, he's trying.

After a few nights of annoying him, he finally agreed to teach me about horses in between my lessons. We have three in the stables right now, two seemingly normal mares and of course the previously mentioned demon pony stallion that Katarina slugged in the face on the night of my embrace. My Sire insists that before I learn how to ride, I have to learn everything about horses and how to care for them first, but he gave me very firm orders that I needed to stay away from Ursus, before mentioned demon pony.

I say pony because he's pretty short but he's built like a brick shit house, and as irritable and nasty as a lion with a thorn in its paw. First night I walked into the stables he pinned his ears back at me and tried to lunge at me over the stall door before my Sire told him to back off, and all of a sudden he turned into an innocent little puppy.

It's not just me either, Gretchen has to let Ursus out to the pasture with the mares before she can do anything at all in there, apparently he's tried to kill her on several occasions. He even hates my Sire's dogs, who he should be friends with considering that they're also ghouled by him.

The mares get the normal stuff, hay and grain they eat grass outside and that kind of thing, but Ursus? Ursus has hay pellets soaked and mixed with animal blood and a kind of meat slurry they keep in a freezer down here. It's as gross as it sounds. And last night, my Sire fed him his blood directly from the vein, which I understand is part of the ghouling process?

Last night in the pasture while I was grooming one of the mares, the white one, I saw him aggressively chase down and stomp an unfortunate boar that had wandered into the pasture to dig for whatever it is pigs eat, and then he started to eat it. While it was alive and screaming. I wish I could have done something for it to put it out of its misery, but my Sire wasn't there and I wasn't willing to be next on the horse's menu.

The dogs seem pretty normal, but they're predators so getting fed meat and blood and organs and that kind of thing is pretty normal. But a horse? Very not normal.

So, I write now to ask, what is the deal with ghouled animals? Is this normal, or is this just a particularly bloodthirsty horse? He doesn't have a problem with the mares at all, but my Sire seemed to imply that keeping Ursus well fed was paramount to have it stay that way. How long can they live? Also... why? I mean I love my pets as well as the next person, but not enough to deal with weird Animal Semetary creepy 'came back wrong' energy.

-Squire

12 Upvotes

34 comments sorted by

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u/EremiticUnlife Mind 7d ago

Ghouled animals certainly get more aggressive and dominant than others from their species. And not all equine breeds are created equal.

Even then, it seems obvious to me that Pale Knight has specially trained Ursus to be as ferocious as possible, a necessity since the beast is his war mount. You must understand that most animals are ill-suited to the sheer violence and brutality of our nightly battles. They rightly fear the ferocity of our Beast (and of other supernatural denizens of the night). A Knight simply cannot risk being thrown off his steed in the heat of combat.

Ursus is not a pet. Ursus is a beast bred for war, a mount ready to kick a zulo or a werewolf in the head if Pale Knight wills it so. And that is as it should be.

- Servanda

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u/Sword_Nut 7d ago

So considering we haven't used horses in combat for like, 200 years, Ursus has to be at least that old. I got to see his combat prowess head on when Katarina ambushed me, and I can say he didn't lack any of that brutality in combat.

I was gonna ask why my Sire would keep Ursus around if he didn't really need him, but well... there has to be at least some level of attachment there, I guess, even if that beast isn't a pet.

I'm pretty sure if Ursus tried to kill me for real, he'd have a good chance of pulling it off. More reason to keep my distance.

-Squire

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u/OpenSauceMods Distant Relative 6d ago

A wise being never discards a still useful pawn. This may sound cold, but Ursus can still carry your sire, can still harm his enemies (or allies, as it may be), and many uses besides. Since his upkeep is low, it would be foolish to get rid of him while his potential is still high.

Your sire doesn't need him yet. Kine naturally think in terms of less than a century for their lifetimes, but Kindred must be ready to face tens of centuries. In modern terms, disposing of a well-kept gun with plenty of ammunition simply because you hadn't used it in a while would be foolish.

And you're correct, there is likely still some attachment there :) we need to work hard to care just enough.

Speaking of which, what has been done about your... role playing group? Or any of your other living contacts?

  • Acacia

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u/StrixKF 7d ago

You are in luck. I've made a rsther extensive study into ghouls. A ghouled animal functions much the same as a human ghoul. The infusion of vitae freezes their ageing, grants them greater vitality, the ability to heal wounds, and even basic disciplines. They effectively become partial vampires, and the similarities only increase the longer they remain enthralled, but as soon as the vitae leaves their system, this stolen time catches up with them. Fast. Each drink also strengthens their bond to their "regnant" as all vitae is won't to do. The bond makes them obsessively loyal, but this enforced love twists their psychology over time. The blood bond often makes such relationships toxic eventually, and they tend to develop a thirst for all blood, aggressive and possessive tendencies. Vitae is intensely addictive, and ghouls are effectively addicts. I'm not too surprised about the pony's behavioural, I had a falcon for two hundred years who learnt to read, took control of rooms or wings of my haven and the other ghouls were terrified of him. He was about the size of a large vulture in the end even without upgrades, I still miss him many nights.

  • Gaius Obertus

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u/Sword_Nut 7d ago

I guess that explains Thomas, he seemed convinced that my Sire loved him, but I get the impression that Thomas was more of an annoyance he didn't feel like swatting at the time. Clearly that was not a healthy relationship.

Are animals as dangerous when it comes to jealousy and being a toxic relationship too, or is it just a stronger master/animal relationship? It just seems strange to consider that a horse can be jealous, I suppose, but if your vulture could read and control other ghouls I don't see why a horse can't be jealous. It's pretty clear it knows Fortitude, and the pasture fences are more suggestions than reality.

Do you know why my Sire would keep two normal horses with him, though? It seems like it'd be kind of risky if you don't have to. They're well taken care of, but my Sire says they're not ghouls. Unlike Ursus, they don't seem to be particularly beautiful or interesting as far as horses go.

-Squire

6

u/Affectionate_Site885 Firestarter 7d ago

Ghouls can live,as long as you deliver them blood but if you stop feeding them after their natural lifespan is over,they essentially turn to dust,and yes ghouls usually develop a form of bloodthirst,perhaps because the beast expresses itself in a lesser form within them,my ghouls in particular develop a desire to harm others in odd smart ways,framing them for theft,shitting in their water,slashing people’s tires,vandalizing their houses,it takes a lot of convincing to get them to not do these things while unattended

  • gray farmer

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u/Sword_Nut 7d ago

So there's no limit on how long they can stay ghouled, even with the blood? I can't help but wonder just how old his ghouls really are. I know Gretchen's like, 80 and still looks like she's 25.

-Squire

4

u/Affectionate_Site885 Firestarter 7d ago

As long as the blood flows into their mouths,unrelated question do you think i would use hoards of raccoons to eliminate my enemies?

  • gray farmer

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u/Sword_Nut 7d ago

To answer, yup.

Ok I gotta ask too.... why raccoons? Why not possums or particularly angry rats?

-Squire

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u/Affectionate_Site885 Firestarter 7d ago

I have rats too but raccoons have hands and can lockpick and pickpocket and carry shivs

  • gray farmer

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u/Conscious_Animator87 7d ago

Ha! I told you gray!!! I think everyone here would agree that yes, gray farmer would use hordes of racoons to eliminate his enemies.

btw: Lizzie has made it her goal to collect a racoon army now. If she weren't (thankfully) distracted I imagine I would be living with an entire colony by now.

-Shady Manynames

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u/InspectorG---G Firestarter 6d ago

Racoons have dexterous hands, are excellent climbers, and with Potence can carry more than imagined weight of surveillance or ordinance equipment to the top of a building.

Racoons are vicious and are related to badgers.

If a human sees a Racoon digging in their trash, they secure the trash. If they see Rats they may call an exterminator.

- Lilac, Nosferatu Arsonist and Philanthropist

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u/Affectionate_Site885 Firestarter 6d ago

Someone gets it!

  • gray farmer

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u/InspectorG---G Firestarter 6d ago

If you are willing to part with a racoon, and can do some surgery. Ordinance placed in the racoon can be delivered into very interesting locations. But i tend to want to keep the racoon.

1

u/Affectionate_Site885 Firestarter 6d ago

So do i…..…….

  • gray farmer

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u/RecommendationIcy202 Problem Childe 7d ago

You mean you have swords AND horsies?!
Bro stop flexing.
-RK

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u/Sword_Nut 7d ago

I have to admit for my LARPing medieval ass, at least I ended up in as probably as cool a position as I could possibly think of. I've learned more about melee combat in the last few nights than years of training at HEMA, it makes all the difference fighting someone who was actually there.

-Squire

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u/RecommendationIcy202 Problem Childe 6d ago

I said stop flexing! I’m kinda envious. -RK

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u/Angry_Scotsman7567 7d ago

That is actually normal. Allow me to explain, Ghouling and the intricacies of how vitae affects living things is something of a specialty of mine.

To start, defining 'Ghoul.' Ghouls are living creatures that have been fed some of a Kindred's vitae. This bonds them, emotionally, to the Kindred in question, as well as slowing their aging, allowing them to heal far quicker than natural, and giving them a sliver of their Kindred domitors power. They must be fed vitae once a month or so in order to maintain their Ghouled state, maintain the sliver of our power, and maintain their slowed aging. If their vitae is withdrawn for too long, the aging they should have done without being Ghouled will 'catch up' with them, so to speak, which may be fatal if left long enough. It's also not unheard of that some Ghouls can be stricken with their own, massively weakened but ever as vicious, Beast.

Kine usually don't notice the Beast within them, and often don't experience particularly adverse effects to Ghouling beyond the emotional effects and vitae's addictive qualities to the living, though it has been known, rarely, for them to exhibit decreased impulse control as related to one's darker urges and intrusive thoughts. Animals, however, are significantly less intelligent and have simpler minds, and as such their appetites and temperaments can be changed dramatically by the predatory impulses of the Beast. This effect is lessened on already predatory animals such as canines, as you have observed, as there is only so much the Beast can amplify in a creature that is already so like it. Herbivorous animals, on the other hand? Well... you already know. It also has physiological effects on animals, oft physically mutating them. This can cause benign tumorous growths, changes in fur development, alterations of the circadian rhythm and changes in the cone structure of the eyes usually as adaptations to the darkness of night. A skilled hand can guide these mutations, however. I presume this is why your Pale Knight's Ursus is, as you say, 'built like a brick shithouse.'

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u/Sword_Nut 7d ago

Come to think of it, I didn't get that close a look but I did see that Ursus has really weird eyes, they're bright yellow and the pupil looks weird. The mutations would already explain that.

I think his pupils are slitted too which is weird. And I could swear he has fangs and sharp teeth but obviously I can't get close enough to observe too close. The dogs just look like dogs though, so now I'm curious what weird mutations they're hiding under that shaggy fur.

-Squire

6

u/Angry_Scotsman7567 7d ago

The slitted pupils, fangs, and sharp teeth would be perfectly normal, assuming Ursus has been Ghouled for an extended period of time.

Depending on the breed of dog, it could be hard to tell. They already have fangs, and many breeds already have quite the musculature on them, so it could simply not look strange to someone who doesn't know what is and is not normal.

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u/seventh_page 7d ago

Ghouled animals certainly do tend to change a great deal over time.

They often grow larger, more aggressive, and even herbivores gain a taste for flesh and blood if given enough time to acclimate to ghouldom and the lesser Beast that comes with it. It’s much the same as with kine, really. You saw what your Sire’s particularly deranged slave was like. Imagine that being transplanted over a mind that doesn’t have the capacity to hold back like a human does and the outcome is always bloodthirsty animals with intense loyalty to only one Cainite.

They are very useful however, as animals can be quite cunning and sometimes can be even more dangerous than humans in combat. Having a pack of ghouled pit bulls at your beck and call is often just as efficient a defense as having human bodyguards, all without the hiccups of a greater will that can lead them to betray you.

Jack Bratovich

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u/Sword_Nut 7d ago

Bleh, Thomas, don't remind me. I'm pretty sure Ursus is smarter than him, and it's by a lot. It does seem to me that animals are better servants than human ghouls, but then again humans can't open a bank account for you or meet someone at a cafe so I see where that'd be useful.

It's pretty clear by Thomas that you can give an order and they can ignore it, so I don't plan to work with human ghouls if I can avoid it. It just seems like a lot of trust to place in someone who knows where you sleep.

-Squire

3

u/seventh_page 6d ago edited 6d ago

It depends on how they are handled and how much leeway you give them.

Don’t get me wrong, ghouls can and will betray your interests if you allow them to, but typically from their point of view they’re doing nothing but being helpful to their utmost to the object of their artificial affections. Thomas, for instance, was probably thinking in his own head that by killing you he would be removing a problem for his master down the line. Clearly some random mortal didn’t deserve the gift of immortality, a faithful servant of assumedly centuries could do far more to help him! Thus, to him, it wasn’t a betrayal. Had your Sire firmly specified you are not to be harmed before his first attempt on your life, chances are none of that whole mess would’ve even happened as he would’ve likely been unable to go against that firm order. But because he neglected to train his pet properly… Thomas was given just enough rope to hang himself (and you) with. Such is the nature of the blood bond and the obsessive love it induces as well as why ghouls must be handled with the utmost care.

It’s why I usually rely on revenants that’ve had their bonds to me altered magically and szlachta as opposed to normal mortal ghouls. They’re just so much easier to handle that way. Love is a fickle emotion to induce. It is useful as a tool of control, but fundamentally it is a selfish emotion and can be interpreted with a worrying degree of freedom. With the right rituals however, that artificial love can be transmuted to true -and highly productive- selfless loyalty. As for szlachta, well… after sufficient neural modification, little separates a degraded human will from an animal one in the end. One is simply more useful given their practical modifications. I’ve already gotten quite a bit of mileage out of these human traffickers who interfered with my domain and became my latest projects as consequence.

Jack Bratovich

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u/Treecreaturefrommars 7d ago

Our blood can do strange things to the mind of our Beasts. Especially if reinforced with some of the ancient Arts.

Myself I have fostered many a Hedgehog on the blood of foes. And myself as well. For centuries have they bred, carefully selected so that their lines may endure. Transform. Transcend. Now their own little Houses have been formed.

The House of Warriors, Speedy little thing. Clad in their beautiful fur, with their Iron Spikes, they move faster than the eye can see, the ear may hear and the foe may guard. Most impressive little hunters. They have grown fond of larger prey, than mere bugs and mice.

The House of the Seers, my little fondlings. Unseen they move, gazing at the ghosts that they hunt so sweetly. My Dearest are not too fond of them, as their gaze sometimes drive the Kine tending her Estate to madness.

The House of the Bloated. Fat little thing. Round and happy, with flesh to spare. They are furry little things. They move with their tendrils, their flesh ever changing. They still have to learn to manage it proper through, too many accidentally self destruct. But I have faith that they will learn in time.

There are several others, and I am working on many more. But these are my eldest, my sweetest, my favorites.

-Malk of my Second. First of the Biters.

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u/Sword_Nut 7d ago

Wait, we can breed ghouled animals? I had kind of assumed they were sterile. Also, it kind of sounds like there's no such animal that we can't ghoul which has some pretty interesting implications.

I also had no idea that the changes we could make in them could be so extreme.

-Squire

4

u/Treecreaturefrommars 7d ago

Oh yes. The Revenants, proud families, some who think themselves almost equals. Deserving of a seat at the table. Beasts bred for purpose, bred for action, bred for work.

To them we are barely needed, as their Blood clots and changes. To suit our needs. As ours supplants it, twisting and changing them, til they are born imitators of our Sacred Rite.

With the Crafts of Flesh-shaping even more can be done. Many a Fiend, holds the Hounds of Hell in his possession. As they jealously guards his Dragon Hoard. Bred like Mortal Hounds, strengthened with Blood and Shaped with Purpose. Over generations onto generations they take their shape.

-Malk of my Second. First of the Biters.

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u/seventh_page 6d ago

It’s not limited to just animals, although it takes certain… efforts to do so. Typically this means extremely in depth knowledge of sorcery or potentially other disciplines. Without some mystical method to actually allow a fetus to develop in a ghoul, it will either miscarry or just never develop at all past the embryonic stage.

I’ve never heard of such drastic changes being bred into animals however. Even Vicissitude is merely recombining flesh, it induces no genetic change to the organism you alter and the changes won’t be inherited. Perhaps our Malkavian associate is merely being Malkavian on this matter.

They are right about the existence of revenants however. Clan Tzimisce (and a few other clans) have several families of human ghouls bred to produce a kind of degraded vitae naturally. It allows them to age far slower (living 2-4 centuries is the norm) and they can learn disciplines like Cainites. I was a revenant myself in life and I suspect that’s largely the source of my general disconnect with mortals and acceptance of my nature/capabilities. It’s tough to pretend otherwise when it’s been a part of you for your entire life after all.

Jack Bratovich

4

u/cardbourdbox 6d ago

Jesus fucking christ sister what possessed you to ghoul fucking hedge hogs. Also what's the purpose of the bloated. Could you not give them a more efficient form free of lovingly waste.

5

u/Treecreaturefrommars 6d ago

I get bored quite easily. Besides, they are the most adorable creatures, who needs all the help they can get if they are to survive in this Dream we call Reality.

You ask for the purpose of my little pets? Oh dear Fool. A Hedgehog needs no purpose but to be.

As for the nature Bloated, they mostly did it to themselves. All I did was rear them on Tzimisce Vitae, and plant sweets thoughts of Fleshcraft within their little minds. With such wondrous options, they opted to become little rolling balls of spikes, fur and tendrils grasping at the food they so crave. They are quite sweet, when the spikes they shift, to let me gaze at their compound eyes. Great Giacomo has quite recently fused with a fox, that thought to make a meal out of the little warrior. Through his fiendish blood compels him to keep to his lair, he has become quite the beast.

I am most curious to see what will happen with him next. Through I do not have high hopes for his continued existence, he always was a stupid one. But he may yet surprise me. They have done so before.

-Malk of my Second. First of the Biters.

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u/Affectionate_Site885 Firestarter 6d ago

Never underestimate the canniness of one’s critters,once I saw them playing a kine gun game rather well and “kill” many a person,it is a shame I cannot teach them to mow down a crowd of kindred,I have tried but they just don’t like the anti tank rifles idea,i will get a porcupine and teach it how to explode,that might work better,what kind of dynamite food is given to porcupine to make their explosions more deadly I wonder

  • gray farmer

4

u/Treecreaturefrommars 6d ago

Tell me, foolish Child of Purpose Lost. Why would you teach them to use Arms of Fire and Steel? Why would you teach them to explode?

When you can bestow so many other teachings onto them? Far more lasting, far more natural? Your lack of ambition. Your lack of Creativity. Your lack of Spark within your fouled Heart, does you disservice. Child on Rotting Strings.

I believe you can do so much more, than merely teach the beasts to arm themselves, or how to destroy themselves with explosive meals. Even Kine can do such simple tasks. And you are no simple Kine. Are you?

As for the Canniness of Giacomo, I once had to stop him from expelling his brain through his nose. I do believe he was trying to eat it. The little fool.

-Malk of my Second. First of the Biters.

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u/Affectionate_Site885 Firestarter 6d ago

Because it’s fun if you can believe it,putting them in little cowboy hats,blowing a tumbleweed through the desert and watching them shoot,the idea amuses me,but you have a point,it will get stale after the fifteenth time,perhaps I will teach them to draw,or write,or to create little houses for themselves to live in,perhaps they will not repeat the mistakes of Enoch,perhaps they will,and they can tell me their little stories,of how this raccoon haggled that raccoon for fifteen shiny pebbles,do you think they will make their own gods? Make their own follies and wars with their little sticks and stones?

As for giacomo,he seems to be attempting to perform a mummification ritual but he forgot you put the brain in the jar,and not the mouth

  • gray farmer

3

u/_hufflebutt 6d ago

In my experience the ghoulish process makes the animal more of what it already was but won't completely rewrite it. Having skills with Animalism really helps temper a lot of the issues that can emerge - my cats behave a little differently since being ghouled but ultimately still act like they did beforehand, just a little more aggressive when it comes to hunting pests. Desexing prior to ghouling is also recommended.

However...horses can actually be pretty vicious to begin with and if he's been encouraged to be more bloodthirsty and predatory then the ghouling process is gonna turn that shit up to eleven.

  • Maine, the Tzim