In The Blood of Dawnwalker, the ruling vampires play a significant role. However, the way they work and produce additional followers involves a particularly powerful method that becomes increasingly nasty over time.
When thinking of vampires, one doesn’t have to ponder long on how they acquire more members of their species. In The Blood of Dawnwalker, the so-called “Vrakhiri”, the species of vampires in the game, require a unique approach when they want to turn humans into additional followers. Compared to the age-old “bite in the neck and drink some blood”, this sounds decidedly more relaxed.
No, in The Blood of Dawnwalker, the process of transformation is significantly more invasive… and becomes increasingly nasty as endless life passes.
Teeth play an important role, but a vampire must also make a sacrifice
To transform a human into a Vrakhiri, the person not only needs to be bitten – but the teeth of a bloodsucker are still at the center of attention.
The vampires must sacrifice one of their teeth – and they have plenty, not just two sharp canines – and implant it into the selected victim. Right into the heart.
Only in this way can a human become a true Vrakhiri.
When the Vrakhiri, under the leadership of Lord Brencis, bite humans, they do this not for the purpose of transformation, but purely as a food source.
Teeth are not just for biting
Once implanted in the heart, the tooth does not simply rest thereafter. It becomes a true part of the body, transforming it and… spreading?
Throughout the long lifespan of a Vrakhiri, they continue to grow, and not just in the mouth.
When looking at Xanthe, the oldest member of Lord Brencis’s vampire group, one can see that the teeth have sought out more places to grow. They have spread out so much that they partially grow out of her head and even break through her cloth.
In designing the Vrakhiri, this was a conscious decision to make the vampires in The Blood of Dawnwalker unique, as author Ariana Siarkiewicz shared in an interview:
I believe there really isn’t such a thing as a truly unique approach to vampires, because vampires are one of the most frequently used and explored cultural elements in all of humanity. We have been telling stories about them for what feels like eternity and will likely continue to do so. So I think that every vampire is a little bit of a remix.
The element that is probably the most unique about ours is the teeth. The teeth are a strong focus for the vampires – when they open their mouths, they don’t just have two sexy fangs in front, but a whole bunch of them! Very unsexy… more monstrous. […] If I had to point out the most original feature of our vampires, it would be that.
You can find the full interview with the author here on MeinMMO, where she shares even more about the process, inspiration, and the protagonist Coen.
What do you think of the design of the vampires from The Blood of Dawnwalker? And are you already looking forward to the release? Feel free to let us know in the comments! MeinMMO editor Caro had the opportunity to experience the transformation into a Vrakhiri herself while playing The Blood of Dawnwalker. What she takes away from the first 4 hours in the game can be found here: This will be a contender for Game of The Year – I played The Blood of Dawnwalker for 4 hours and desperately need more
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