Email from Rafael Castillo
To: Marradith Ryder
February 21, 2011
Dear Marradith,
Hope you are doing well today. I will be away from the house and you will probably not see me for a week or so. I will be in New York, but you know how to contact me if you have questions.
Along with the suggested reading, I wanted to send you some information that is part of the codex within our Sojourner archives. You won’t find this within the Book of the Others.
Up until now, we have trained you about types of Others that you will be fighting. We have taught you about your own powers and how you can best utilize your strength. Justin has some knowledge of the Oral Histories which he has passed to you, but he came to me and asked that I look up some more detailed information on the origin of Lamia.
From what you have read of the Others, it is a long and bloody history. The story of Lamia is no different. There will be more to come, as some of the oldest literature is still being scanned and uploaded into a new system. I thought that this bit of information would be the most practical and useful for you to have. So I leave you with this today:
Lamia
Used amongst humans as a synonym for witch, Others have long used this term to describe a hybrid race. The mixture of vampire, witch, and werewolf blood is what we consider a true Lamia.
Mixing between the races has always been common, and some believe that the Lamia actually pre-date all species of Others; generic carriers of all three breeds, and with supernatural powers from each race. Though this has never been proven, what we do know is that Lamia have always been powerful, and very often were feared.
Some Lamia, in ancient times, used their powers of prophecy and strength to allow them a respected place amongst humans. Many Lamia were seers, healers, and warriors. Depending on the society in which they lived, some hid their talents in order to appear “normal,” for fear that they would be singled out as practitioners of witchcraft.
Being that the hybrids vary in blood—some may have more Wolf than vampire, or more witch than either—their powers differ.
Two things all Lamia share- superhuman strength and heightened psychic ability. Some Lamia have power over elements (including weather, electricity, and magnetic pull), while others are able to move objects through telekinesis. The link between vampire and human blood allows Lamia to propel energy outside of their bodies. While some half vampires are able to do this as well, it is not known why their powers in this regard are not as strong (or occur less frequently) than in their Lamia counterparts.
Other Lamia have been known to exhibit ability to transport themselves outside of their bodies, but even for Lamia, this can be a very dangerous practice.
In the late 1800’s, The Circle made a concerted effort to hunt, capture and enslave Lamia. Females were used as unwilling consorts to male vampires. They were useful psychics who could help lure victims, and were often killed within a few years of their capture. Male Lamia were usually killed on sight, as most vampires considered them a threat. The resulting children of lamia-vampire unions retained more powers of their vampire side. Almost undistinguishable from any other vampires, this was a disappointment to The Circle, who were hoping to breed a being that would have further heightened powers.
There is no official estimate of how many Lamia exist today, but it’s generally believed that they number a few thousand. Despite a history of slaughter, at the hands of humans and vampires, they have managed to survive.
Wolves and witches have never hunted Lamia; most will refuse to kill them, considering Lamia to be part of their own races. Lamia females are considered highly valuable, as they carry the links to all the races within their DNA.
One reason that Lamia have survived is their strong physical links to each other.
Male Lamia are highly attracted to their female counterparts, for reasons metaphysical and primitive. Male and female Lamia have an ability to double each others powers, and to share abilities with each other that they did not have separately before. The power of their mutual energy can become an aphrodisiac.
