Human Meta-Human Vampiric Virus
Encyclopedia
Human Meta-Human Vampiric Virus, commonly called HMHVV, is a fictional disease from the game Shadowrun
. The virus has been known to cause changes which often resemble abominations that are no longer human and are occasionally not even sentient
.
In the Shadowrun universe, vampires and their kin
are not undead
, but are changed by the retrovirus
into a creature needing the life energy
of others to survive.
Only vampires and wendigos can infect others. Banshee, goblins, and dzoo-noo-qua while created by the virus, do not pass the infection on to their victims. I.E. only a vampire/wendigo can create a vampire/banshee/goblin/wendigo/dzoo-noo-qua. (depending on the victims metatype)
s and zombie
s, in that they appear to be walking dead that have a hunger for living flesh. A Krieger infection can be passed on through contact with any bodily fluids from one already infected. The Krieger strain has also been shown to possess geographically localized variants that create distinct ghoul sub-species such as the long-limbed sasabonsam of the African nation of Asamando.
Shadowrun
Shadowrun is a role-playing game set in a near-future fictional universe in which cybernetics, magic and fantasy creatures co-exist. It combines genres of cyberpunk, urban fantasy and crime, with occasional elements of conspiracy fiction, horror, and detective fiction.The original game has spawned...
. The virus has been known to cause changes which often resemble abominations that are no longer human and are occasionally not even sentient
Sentience
Sentience is the ability to feel, perceive or be conscious, or to have subjective experiences. Eighteenth century philosophers used the concept to distinguish the ability to think from the ability to feel . In modern western philosophy, sentience is the ability to have sensations or experiences...
.
In the Shadowrun universe, vampires and their kin
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
are not undead
Undead
Undead is a collective name for fictional, mythological, or legendary beings that are deceased and yet behave as if alive. Undead may be incorporeal, such as ghosts, or corporeal, such as vampires and zombies...
, but are changed by the retrovirus
Retrovirus
A retrovirus is an RNA virus that is duplicated in a host cell using the reverse transcriptase enzyme to produce DNA from its RNA genome. The DNA is then incorporated into the host's genome by an integrase enzyme. The virus thereafter replicates as part of the host cell's DNA...
into a creature needing the life energy
Life force
Life force is a concept of spiritual energy.Life force may also refer to:* Life Force , the American version of the arcade game Salamander* Lifeforce , a 1985 science fiction-horror film...
of others to survive.
HMHVV (Primary Strain)
- A human – and extremely rarely another metatype – becomes a vampire — they have many of the classic abilities and vulnerabilities, but are not necessarily limited by holy items
- An elfElfAn elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
usually becomes a bansheeBansheeThe banshee , from the Irish bean sí is a feminine spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld....
— a barely sentient hunter - A dwarf usually becomes a goblinGoblinA goblin is a legendary evil or mischievous illiterate creature, a grotesquely evil or evil-like phantom.They are attributed with various abilities, temperaments and appearances depending on the story and country of origin. In some cases, goblins have been classified as constantly annoying little...
— a pack creature, much reduced in intellectual abilities - An orkOrkOrk or ORK may refer to:*ORK, the IATA airport code for Cork Airport in Ireland*An alternate spelling of Orc, the name of a fantasy creature popularized by J. R. R...
usually becomes a wendigoWendigoThe Wendigo is a mythical creature appearing in the mythology of the Algonquian people. It is a malevolent cannibalistic spirit into which humans could transform, or which could possess humans...
— they feed on human flesh and look like white Sasquatchs - A trollTrollA troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, the term troll was a generally negative synonym for a jötunn , a being in Norse mythology...
usually becomes a dzoo-noo-qua — a massive, deformed, burning-eyed hulk of a humanoid
Only vampires and wendigos can infect others. Banshee, goblins, and dzoo-noo-qua while created by the virus, do not pass the infection on to their victims. I.E. only a vampire/wendigo can create a vampire/banshee/goblin/wendigo/dzoo-noo-qua. (depending on the victims metatype)
HMHVV-II (the Jarka-Criscione strain)
This strain does not confer vampiric abilities like the primary strain. And it is unspecified what the strain does to the unlisted metatypes.- A human becomes a loup-garou — similar to a werewolfWerewolfA werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
- A troll becomes a fomorian — known for being hairy rather than covered with bone deposits
- A sasquatch becomes a bandersnatchBandersnatchA Bandersnatch is a fictional creature from Lewis Carroll's 1872 novel Through the Looking-Glass and 1874 poem "The Hunting of the Snark". Although neither poem describes the appearance of a Bandersnatch in great detail, in "The Hunting of the Snark" it has a long neck and snapping jaws, and both...
— increasing the creature's already impressive size, destroying its intelligence and giving it a capability to camouflage itself by optically 'melting' into the surrounding terrain (much like the alien from the film PredatorPredator (film)Predator is a 1987 American science fiction action film directed by John McTiernan, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura, and Kevin Peter Hall. It was distributed by 20th Century Fox....
), i.e., as a patch of fuzzy movement).
HMHVV-BL (the Bruckner-Langer strain)
Fatal to most metatypes.- A human – and very rarely an elf – becomes a nosferatuNosferatu (word)The name Nosferatu has been presented as a Romanian word, synonymous with "vampire". However, it seems to be largely a literary creation and its basis in Romanian folklore is uncertain.- Origins of the name :...
, a variant type of vampireVampireVampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
similar to the one depicted in the film of the same name.
HMHVV, Krieger (the Krieger strain)
The variant that creates ghouls, which are similar to folklore and pop-culture ghoulGhoul
A ghoul is a folkloric monster associated with graveyards and consuming human flesh, often classified as undead. The oldest surviving literature that mention ghouls is likely One Thousand and One Nights...
s and zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
s, in that they appear to be walking dead that have a hunger for living flesh. A Krieger infection can be passed on through contact with any bodily fluids from one already infected. The Krieger strain has also been shown to possess geographically localized variants that create distinct ghoul sub-species such as the long-limbed sasabonsam of the African nation of Asamando.