Koranum’s face cycled through several expressions as she pondered the thought of living vampires. From shock, to amazement, to disgust, to curiosity. Her gaze slowly casting upwards to Jacob. "You are a goddess of life if i recall correctly. Could you accept a child born of a vampire so long as their heart was beating, if they drew breath, if they lived and loved?" As Jacob spoke that final line his gave wandered for a moment onto Hethara who simply gave him a weary smile.

Koranum on the other hand was unable to come to a resolution. She cherished the life of every person who followed her, it was the only reason she was her. To make she he made good on their agreement. To save her followers from starvation. What he had just asked her however shook her to her core. 'It is a living creature, a person! No it's an undead, but its heart beats...' Her thoughts raging as she tried to come to a resolution.

Jacob turned to the Athes stirring him from his thoughts. “I want to live for her.” Jacob stated simply as he motioned towards his lady, Hethara. “What about being a Dhampir offends you so much?”

“What would we gain from sullying our blood with the lesser creatures of this world?” Athes' voice was one of anger and fury. "When my children make those MISTAKES! I have to clean them up! I am the one who sends the men and women, these paladins and clerics of other gods to hunt them down. How could those abominations possible help me children?" As Jacob heard the venom in Athes' voice the gears of his mind turned, and Hethara saw it. Jacob cast his gaze down pondering for a moment.

“Do you not wish for a world more willing to accept your children?” Jacob simply stated, the fire in Athes' eyes grew dark as he pondered that thought. "Dhampirs are weaker I will admit, but in some ways they are superior." Athes blinked, he refocused his gaze upon Jacob, "Go on." Athes said in an almost demanding voice.

“Do you want not more vampires like me? Ones that can walk freely in the sun light as I do.” The four gods in attendance turned their attentions to Jacob as their eyes widened at the mention of walking into the sun and being unharmed. Athes looked upon Jacob with a face of mixed emotions. Uncertainty, anger, fear. Jacob continued, "You thirst for blood, but they will not." Athes' eyes burned a cold blue his attention sharpened to a razors edge upon Jacob.

"Instead they could eat and enjoy human food. Imagine your children accepted into society. Practically every reason people hate undead can be narrowed down to three simple things."

"One, Undead are often considered quite ugly and foul smelling by the living. Ghouls, zombies, mummies, so on."

"Two, Undead often attack the living, often killing them, simply because they are living, rather than an actual need." Jacob saw Athes raising his index finger about to interject, "In most cases. I the cases such as vampires however, there are reasons beyond such indescriminatory killing." Athes lowered his hand seemingly satisfied the the distinction had been made.

"Three, Most gods tell their followers to slay undead. To leave none standing. Since most gods who call for such things are good, their followers assume the undead must be evil. However this is not always the case." Jacob turned to Athes, "Back on my world men and women, human beings, were hunted down. Accused of being witches, wizards. The people listened to their priests, who claimed to speak for god. Even as they drove their congregations down the road to hell."

Jacob turned to face the other gods present, "In order for the world to change in any meaningful way, the eternal gods must change as well." Jacob thought for a moment, then he turned to the other gods present and asked, “Do gods change?” Hethara spoke this time, "As the people change their views of us and time marches onward, we do indeed change. I was once simply Hethara, Goddess and patron of Blacksmiths. But as time marched on more kinds of craftsmen began to pray to me. My domains expanded as a result..."

Hethara paused for a moment before stepping close to Jacob and whispring in his ear, "I will tell you later how i became the Goddess of Love." As she withdrew from him he saw the beautiful smile painted across her face. It almost made his heart tremble, but that feeling build up within him. He felt nothing. He knew he loved her but her words found no purchase within his still heart. He smiled for her sake, because he knew that's what he would have done. Within him the flame, his desire to live, burned ever hotter, though it could not warm his cold flesh.

Jacob adressed Athes, "Would you become a Dhampir if most of your followers were them? I cannot feel..." Jacob stressed the last word, “You asked me what you would gain if your children became Dhampirs. They and you would gain or regain things they have long lacked.” Jacob asked, “Have you ever felt the beating of your heart, or the warmth of a not burning sun upon your face? Felt the warm embrace of a lover. The roaring in your ears as you felt the pounding of your heart in the middle of a raging battle?”

Athes eyes brimmed with excitement even as his thoughts held desperately to his prior notions. Blink and you would have missed it, Athes was upon Jacob grasping his shoulders, "If these things you present to me are so grand, then show me! Open your mind to me and show me that you are right!" Jacob did not speak, instead he raised up his hands and placed them upon Athes' shoulders. Athes looked into Jacob's eyes gazing into their depths. He felt Jacobs mind open to him like the swinging open of a small wooden gate.

Athes god of undead was overwhelmed by the flood pouring forth into his mind. He felt...