Ragged-men

Ragged-men are a form of parasite that has evolved to make use of vampires as a vital part of its lifecycle.[1]

Overview

“ slurp sslub xss ”

Beginning life as microscopic larvae that reside in stagnant water, ragged-men are often initially picked up by the homeless or poor, where they burrow into the throat or stomach and transform into tiny nymphs.[1] From there, they irritate the throat, driving the host to seek vast quantities of water, much of which frequently bears more larvae.[1] Eventually, the host seeks treatment, bringing them in contact with uninfected individuals, who find themselves unwitting new hosts as the infected cough the nymphs onto them.[1]

The nymph stage, at this point, deliberately alters the host to make it more appealing to a vampire (e.g. producing a reddening of the skin and a fever, giving the skin a healthy glow; exposing arteries and veins, etc.) and lays its eggs in the bloodstream.[1]

Once a vampire has consumed infected blood, the eggs hatch into worms, which sit in the vampire and feed off of the blood it consumes, fighting one another until only one worm lives within the belly.[1]

When the worm matures, it induces vomiting in the vampiric host and bursts out through the bloody vomit, eventually settling into a small humanoid form that approximately matches the host (bar its nature as a gooey mass of off-white tubes).[2] It often then feeds on its erstwhile host (though it will settle for any victim it can), for it needs blood to germinate its eggs. Then, it makes for water, where it collapses and releases its eggs.[2]

Among Vampires

Ragged-men are known to vampires, but they are seen as an embarrassing, unsanitary disease.[2] Much as mortal society's shaming of AIDS victims worked to worsen the epidemic, fear of the social stigma surrounding ragged-men promotes ignorance of their spread, enabling them to thrive.[2][3][4]

Many vampires maintain a variety of superstitions regarding the parasites. Some believe that they are a manifestation of the Beast; the particularly religious have taken the view that they are the vampire's sin made manifest.[2]

Character Sheet

Mental Attributes: Intelligence 0, Wits 1, Resolve 2
Physical Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2
Social Attributes: Presence 2, Manipulation 0, Composure 1
Mental Skills: N/A
Physical Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 5 (Grappling), Stealth 1, Survival 1 (Find Water)
Social Skills: Intimidation 4
Merits: Fast Reflexes 2
Willpower: 10
Health: 7
Initiative: 5 (with Fast Reflexes)
Defense: 1
Speed: 10
Disciplines: Auspex 1
Weapons/Attacks:

Type Damage Range Dice Pool Special
Bite 2L Melee 10 Sucking Bite

Supernatural Powers

  • Sucking Bite: The ragged-man’s biting attack also initiates a grappling attempt. For every round of grappling, the ragged-man drains 1 Vitae from its target and causes a point of Lethal damage as well. Breaking the grapple means tearing the hooked teeth out of the victim’s flesh, an act that deals an automatic point of Lethal damage.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 VTR: Night Horrors: The Wicked Dead, p. 74 Buy it from DriveThruRPG! Now in Print!
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 VTR: Night Horrors: The Wicked Dead, p. 75 Buy it from DriveThruRPG! Now in Print!
  3. ↑ Reagan's AIDS Legacy / Silence Equals Death
  4. ↑ Ogden J, Nyblade L (2005), page 33. "Common at its core: HIV-related stigma across contexts". International Center for Research on Women. Archived from the original on February 17, 2007. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
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