In-universe connections · 12:53am Jul 24th, 2019
The illusion of rain spattered against the nonexistent window. A visual decoration of masterful illusion, the window was designed to display whatever was currently visible outside; sunshine, moonshine, or whatever the weather might be. This could be changed, of course, and the nonexistent window could be made to always show the sun, the moon, or even just a pleasant gallery of popular art.
Canterlot was largely artificial.
Nut sat in a comfortable corner, in an overstuffed chair, filtering his many speculations through the point of his pen. Flowering garlic surrounded him and the pungent aroma reminded him that he was home. Penstrokes produced postulations, predictions, profered projections. Now, when he wrote about Potato Blossom’s integration into society, he wrote about his apprentice and this—this felt right. While he still had some hesitation, that had more to do with his inherent sense of caution.
A bit of quiet was just what he needed.
Pulling his pen away from paper, he allowed himself pause. His mother had a most curious collection of books on display in her study. Empusas, Lamias, and the Striges: A Compendium. The book looked like it had been partially burned in a fire, or some catastrophic event. It had certainly seen better days, just like the book his mother’s desk, the one titled Vetalas and You: A Comprehensive Guide to Eradication. That one barely had a surviving spine.
Housed in a glass case was a wooden-bound novel titled, The First Tribes and the Aluka: A History of the Motetz Dam. Like the other two, this book had been burned, scorched by some inferno. It was fortunate that these novels survived, though Nut could not help but wonder what his mother was doing with such curious reading materials.
And if we go and have a look in the story tagged to this blog post:
Seeing that Doctor Sterling was speaking to another pony, Flicker halted and waited. Much to his relief, Hennessy did the same, and as for Piper, she had her nose in a book about magical theory. The pony that Doctor Sterling was speaking to was old, remarkably old, rather battered looking, had a few scars, was missing an eye, and the most curious of cutie marks; a crossed pair of sharpened wooden stakes. The old stallion was a faded greyish white and his mane had an odd, somehow familiar shade of electric blue streaked with grey.
The two of them were discussing sanguinare porphyria, and while Flicker didn’t know what it was, something about it made his ears perk. An opera was playing on the modern hi-fi phonograph and the conservatory held the faint, nose-tickling bitter smell of fine, expensive ink. A curious collection of books lay upon the table. Empusas, Lamias, and the Striges: A Compendium. Beside that, Vetalas and You: A Comprehensive Guide to Eradication. One book was enormous, bound in leather, and made Flicker uncomfortable to look at, as it made his vision blurry for some reason. Goats and the Ancient Revenant Cult: A History of the Near Undoing of Civilisation. There was also a book bound in wooden covers titled, The First Tribes and the Aluka: A History of the Motetz Dam.
For those that are familiar with the events of the story, you might notice how each of the books are burned, as if they had been in a fire. Even more astute readers might be asking, what is a garlicologist doing with books like these?
Good question.
When you realize that sanguinare porphyria is a fancy way of describing the vampire virus (based on the real disease porphyria) and the guy with the stakes, its logical to assume that he is a specialist in hunting vampires and creatures like them.
Couple that with the knowledge of Garlic and other members of the lily family being used in various cultures to combat vampire like creatures, it isnt hard to extrapolate that Nut is a descendant (likely grandson) of the hunter in Masks. It would certainly account for his physical prowess, it's literally in his blood.
nosferatu did have fang more like a rat than a predator beast after all.
or more accurately, like a vampire bat i think.
5093357
And then there was Nurseferatu.
She's come to draw your blood. Bleh!
5093357
You're right of course, the Strigoi, the vampire type creatures on which the nosferatu were modelled. Had their fangs right up front like a rats incisors. This would certainly fit the very ratty menace well.
Vampire bats btw have them slightly off to the side so as not to impede the licking of the blood. Which is where most western vampires have their fangs, and why actually.