Dampyr #105 (2008) pages 50-51: A mere slap on the wrist

At Caleb Lost's trial, the prosecutor Duke Nergal objects to the mitigating evidence: “First of all, it's not his intent that's at issue here, but his means. Caleb Lost is not permitted to use his powers outside of Prague for private purposes!”

(Anyel Zant, defense counsel) “I intend to demonstrate that his action was undoubtedly of common benefit, which would downgrade his violation to a mere fifth-degree misdemeanor, punishable by a simple verbal warning.”

“Objection! Thorke's danger remains to be shown, and a spectacular presentation of his visage will certainly not be enough to sway the court and its judges. Furthermore, Caleb acted against the creature in question for the sole purpose of saving his friend Harlan Draka, the Dampyr.”

“Thorke comes from the Black Dimension, a place beyond both of our control, Nergal.”

“How is that relevant?”

(Regent Uriel) “I think Anyel Zant means to emphasize that the Black Dimension does not fall within the scope of the treaties that were signed between our two peoples. Consequently, its inhabitants are not subject to the Law of Balance, a rule established long ago to prevent our struggle for absolute dominion over reality from turning it into total chaos. Do you agree, Iblis?”

“I agree, Uriel… although total chaos is a possibility we are not entirely unhappy with, deep down.”

(Nergal) “I am forced to raise yet another objection to the perceptive point made by His Majesty Regent Uriel. Thorke operates on Earth, where he has now become a mythical and almost religious figure… just like us, seen as people of this plane of reality through the grotesque, distorting lens of 'angels' and 'devils.'”

(Anyel) “Do you speak as a Duke of Hell or as a vampire, Nergal?”

“I speak as a vampire who has chosen to fight for Hell, Anyel Zant. Before I learned the true essence of your two lineages, I too was fascinated by such legends. But I find reality far more interesting.”

Several different elements of the Dampyr mythology collide in this story. Masters of the Night (vampire lords) like Nergal and Draka are extra-dimensional beings, but not from the same Heaven/Hell dimension as most of the characters at this trial. Thorke comes from yet another dimension, the "Black Dimension" which has a more Lovecraftian flavor. Plus there are some powered-up humans like Sonderling running around. As far as I know, Harlan Draka is the only half-human character in this particular story. The one previous Dampyr, Taliesin, lived in medieval times and appears in several flashback stories.