Vampire Wars Limited Ability Set Trickster Gods

On January 26, 2010, Zynga's Vampire Wars unveiled a new Limited Edition Ability Set called the Trickster Gods. The set revolves around the mythology of five of the world's most notorious trickster gods. Who are these trickster gods?

The Trickster Gods set is a standard Limited Ability Set that can be won though the Akem's Gamble elder visit. Akem's Gamble can be played once every twenty-four hours for free; additional plays can be obtained for favor points (the amount varies from ten to seven depending upon the whims of Zynga). It is virtually impossible to obtain a Limited Edition Ability Set without spending favor points, which Zynga hopes that you are willing to pay money to acquire.

The first ability is Anansi's Web. Available January 26, 2010 to February 15, 2010. Anansi's Web is an offensive ability (104 Attack, 64 Defense).

The second ability is Raven's Cry. Available January 31, 2010 to February 15, 2010. Raven's Cry is an offensive ability (101 Attack, 68 Defense).

The third ability is Hermes' Shoes. Available February 5, 2010 to February 15, 2010. Hermes' Shoes is a movement ability (88 Attack, 81 Defense).

The fourth ability is Coyote's Smile. Available February 10, 2010 to February 15, 2010. Coyote's Smile is a defensive ability (65 Attack, 103 Defense).

If you manage to obtain all four Limited Edition Abilities, you will be rewarded an additional ability called Loki's Deceit, an offensive ability (180 Attack, 86 Defense).

It is always interesting to look at the overall theme of a Limited Edition Ability Set. The creative minds of Zynga are much like comparative mythologists, making Victorian era comparisons between the myths and legends of the world. Sometimes, one agrees with them; other times, one wonders what they were thinking. This is one of the times that the symbolism seems to be comparable.

Anansi is an Africa myth that was spend with the slave trade from Africa. Anansi appears mostly as a spider, though occasionally he appears as a man. Anansi (Ah-nahn-see) means "spider" in Akan, one of the native languages of Ghana. Anansi is a collector of stories and wisdom, sometimes attempting to hoard the information all to himself.

Anansi is also fond of eating. One myth about Anansi is that he was headed home to eat supper when he came across a friend who was cooking a delicious dish. The dish was not ready, so Anansi tied a strand of his web to his leg and to the pot, so that he would feel a tug when it was ready to eat. Moving on, he encountered another friend cooking another delightful dish. Using the same trick, he moved on. By the end of the story, Anansi encounters eight friends; all of whom were preparing foods that he wanted to eat.

As with so many of the trickster legends, the cleverness of the trickster plays against him. All eight dishes end up being finished at the same time. Anansi's legs are stretched thin by all eight dishes being brought to their respective tables at the same time.

The image of Raven as a trickster shows up in several mythologies. Raven uses his cry to scare people, trick them, and to warn of death. Raven, according to one story, decided that all creatures shall only have one life because he likes eating carrion. As in the Anansi's myths, Raven's greed for food comes back to haunt him; in this case, his own daughter dies and he cannot take back his decision. In Norse mythology, ravens are associated with the god of the dead and wisdom, Odin. The most famous modern story of Raven is probably Edgar Allen Poe's, whose raven says "Nevermore" repeatedly.

Hermes is a Greek god, who is both a thief and the messenger of the gods. Classical art depicts Hermes wearing a pair of golden shoes which allows him to travel anywhere in the universe in the matter of seconds. Not even the guardians of the underworld can bar his travels.

Coyote is a character from Native America mythology. In Europe, Fox is the equivalent. A clever entity, according to some stories, he stole fire from the gods and gave it to mankind (a feat that is also credited to both Anansi and Loki). When Coyote is smiling, one is advised to exercise caution, for Coyote thinks that he is getting the better end of a bargain.

Another entity whose smile heralds caution is Loki's. A being from Norse mythology, Loki is a thief and a con-man. Sometimes Loki seems to be on the side of the Gods; other times, he seems to be only following his own interests. Loki according to one myth promised the dwarves (a maggot-like species living the bowels of the earth) his head if they could create a set of magical treasures. When they did, Loki quickly noted that he promised them his head, but none of his neck. The dwarves decided to sew his lips together instead.

In (Younger Futhark) Norwegian rune poem, in the section detailing the Bjarken (Birch) rune (the Norse letter for B), Loki's deceit is mentioned. "Birch has the greenest leaves of any shrub/Loki was fortunate in his deceit." According to Bruce Dickin's 'Runic and Heroic Poems of the Old Teutonic Peoples' (1915), "Loki's deceit" refers to the responsibility of Loki for the death of Balder, a purely good and innocent god of Norse mythology.