| Murlough | |
|---|---|
| |
| Gender | Male |
| Species | Vampaneze |
| Status | Deceased (Book series) Deceased (Manga) Alive (Movie) |
| Background Information | |
| Book Universe | The Saga of Darren Shan |
| First Book Appearance | Tunnels of Blood |
| First Movie Appearance | Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant |
| Acted By | Ray Stevenson |
Murlough (マーロック Maroggu) is a mentally unstable vampaneze. He terrorized Larten Crepsley's hometown until Darren Shan stopped him.
He abducted Evra, tortured him by cutting off some of his scales and tried to kill Darren's girlfriend; Debbie Hemlock. He was killed by Mr. Crepsley and after his death, his soul became trapped in the Lake of Souls.
Role[]
Murlough is described as an obese man with disheveled red hair. Like all vampanezes, he has purple skin, but his skin is more vivid than most, due to drinking blood so often. He wears a white suit, but in the manga he wears casual clothing.
Personality[]
He's a mentally unstable vampaneze, who kills indiscriminately, feeding his lunatic lust. However he still has sense enough to murder people discreetly and has been killing people for several years without being caught.
Role[]
The Saga of Larten Crepsley[]
Birth of a Killer[]
|
« Abandon the boy. If you renounce him, I'll spare you, yes I will. Why waste your life on a worthless human you barely know? » |
| (Murlough trying to convince Larten to abandon Wester) |
Murlough is killing in one of the towns Larten and the Cirque Du Freak are visiting. While Larten goes to get some groceries he notices town folk going to a church so he follows them. While in the church, Larten then sees four bodies dead on the floor drained of blood, a mother, father, son, and daughter. Larten also sees a young boy about his age named Wester Flack, whose family were murdered by Murlough a few hours ago. Both boys go to the Slaytons mansion in order to confront the vampaneze. Murlough knocks out Wester and is ready to kill them both, but is surprised to see Larten willing to protect his friend. The vampaneze then tests Larten's blood saying that he would make a good vampaneze instead of a vampire. He decides to spare them and leaves.
Even though Murlough is never seen again, he's the cataclysm for Wester's grudge against vampanezes, which escalates in an attempt to create war between vampires and vampanezes.
The Saga of Darren Shan[]
Tunnels of Blood[]
|
« Murlough's afraid of nothing! Especially not a weak old vampire like Crepsley. What kind of a vampire is it that consorts with children, hmmm? He isn't worth bothering with. I'll knock him off later. You have more guts. You're more hot-blooded. I like hot blood. » |
| (Murlough during his confrontation with Darren) |
Darren and Evra first encountered him when they were attempting to kill Crepsley as they thought that he was the killer. However, this murder attempt resulted in Murlough escaping. He later kidnapped Evra and went back down into the sewers.
Darren and Crepsley didn't know that Murlough was living in the sewers and looked about the city. Darren then eventually saw Murlough again down a drain and Murlough commented on how tasty Darren's girlfriend looked. Murlough then offered a trade, Crepsley for Evra. Darren refuses, protesting that while he would choose Evra if in a position where he could only save one of the two Mr Crepsley's life wasn't in immediate danger in this scenario.
Later on, Darren and Larten go searching for Evra and Murlough in the sewers. Although it seemed hopeless, they came up with a plan. They would lure Murlough into a trap. Darren allowed himself to get caught where he met up with a skeleton which he first thought was Evra until Murlough showed Darren where Evra was. Murlough then made threats about eating Evra for Christmas, even though snake blood is poisonous to Vampires and Vampaneze. Darren then makes a deal. Evra and freedom for Debbie. Murlough gladly accepts.
After Darren drugs Debbie and her parents, he puts them up in the loft and puts a goat into Debbie's bed and put Debbie's blood on the sheets to make it smell like her. Murlough came into the room and into the trap as Mr. Crepsley sprung from the closet and in four quick moves of the fight, Murlough was dead. Murlough says with his last breath, "Cluh-cluh-clever buh-buh-buh-boy, hmmm?" before he dies, complimenting Darren and his trap.
Murlough, being an insane rogue, had his soul left in the Lake of Souls where he was left for many years, probably for eternity.
The Vampire's Assistant Film[]
Murlough in the 2009 film, played by Ray Stevenson
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« Hello, old friend. Old Crepsley. How's the scar? Shall I give you another? » |
| (Murlough confronting Larten in the graveyard) |
In the film, Murlough seems to know Desmond Tiny personally. He and Mr. Crepley are archenemies and he was the one responsible for his scar. He also makes Steve into a vampaneze, under Mr. Tiny's orders.
Murlough and Steve kidnapped Darren's family and Rebecca to lure him to a battle. He is killed by Mr. Crepsley, but then Mr. Tiny appears before Steve can kill Darren. He then makes Murlough into a little person and the three leave in order to face Darren and Mr. Crepsley in the future.
Trivia[]
- He's the one who told Mr. Crepsley that vampires (and vampanezes by extension) can absorb the memories of people though their blood.
- Murlough appears in the short story Bride of Sam Grest. Given that it's just a tale Sam Grest imagined, it is inexplicable how he knew about Murlough's existance. It could simply be a joke of the author though.
- In the 2009 film, his name was changed to Murlaugh. His personality is a composite character of the Murlough from the novels and Gannen Harst.
- Unlike other vampires and vampanezes, Murlogh is the only one have fangs.