I was having a chat with friend of mine recently and she described me a little bit a new supplement for Vampire the Requiem, called the Wicked Dead. It´s basicaly collection of monsters, the non-Kindred Vampires, to be used both as antagonists and occasionaly PCs and it feature at least a few concepts which could be nicely used in Dark Heresy.

There are plently of them, from kind of half-vampire blood-witches (Moritat rogue psyker corrupted offshot sect?), Ghûls (not Ghuls as known from VtR, but more like classic Arabian ones, with supernatural powers, drinking blood and eating dead, all of it caused by a course (dark ritual?)) or dhampyr (child of the vampire... what about child of the daemon vessel with warp-tained blood?). One more detailed example for all:

Cymothoa Sanguinaria (I´ve write down this name for its pronacination and sheer coolness:)) - it is described as rare form of parasit, which can infect human hosts. As it matures it grew on mass, nestles in infected mouth, start affecting it´s higher cognitive functions and will and cause a terrible urge for human blood, which it needs for reproduction. Later it completely controls its host which is more feral and vampiric zombie than a man. But host´s will still reside within the body, and is almost surely driven mad by inability to control the commands of blood-parasit.

Ideas of its origins in Dark Heresy are plentiful. What could be cymothoa Sanguinaria of WH40k? Rare xenophorm parasite? Logician-crafted forbidden bio-device of mass control? Warp-tainted organism corrupted by might of Khorne on cellural level (I always love non-bloodletting berserker examples of Khorne´s might, let it be Sinophian Blood Worm, former WE Apothecary Fabrikus or their whole planet in one BL novels).

It could also have a wide plot-making usage. Acolytes could be investigating serie of mysterious murders in noble courts with completely ex-sanguinated corpsed. Their mission can be to infiltrate Sanguiniary Death-cult who is rumoured to have strange practices (well, even for a deat-cult). Or they should be deployed on colony planet, to investigate, why the secret Adeptus Biologis base went silent... only to find out it overruned by blood-zombies and few survivors.. who aren´t alone in their bodies anymore.

What do you think?

I think that plundering "Antagonists" or "Ghost Stories" (correct engl. Name?) of the "World of Darkness" (WoD) would have a better range of npc/monsters/villians for a DH campaign. The "opponents" and story seeds therein are not that much "vampire bound" and are thereby easier to adapt to DH.

Gregorius21778 said:

Well I´m not very familiar with majority of nWoD sourcebooks and I agree with you that majority of Requiem stuff isn´t suitable for DH... with exception of Wicked Dead. Realy, from what I heard it´s collection of most bizzare, realy GRIMDARK and in some cases realy insane horrors, which would fit well in 40k universe, with its take on vampyric themes (death-cults and so on.)

From WoD I would mostly take inspiration in Hunter: The Vigil. If you want to see Logician bio-science, go for Cheiron Group, for rites of excorcism check Malleus Malificarum, esotero-technologic equipment is provided by Taskforce Valkyre and for some obscure sorcery look for Knights of St. George (wouldn´t be heretical Ministronum sect worshiping faceless "angels" cool?)