In another thread which was delving into Whamp'ery (and their origins), I spun off into a compare-and-contrast with Ramp'ery and its origins, writing (lightly edited), responding to suggestions that the Whamps' origin was a "long-ago Etruscan wizard who did a 'deal'" ...
I suspect that Jim won't write a same-y "some wizard done F'ed up" backstory for both [Ramps & Whamps], but yes: I suspect one of them will be a result of some long-ago wizard(s). I can make (what I feel are) excellent cases for each one being a "wizard F-up," but my bet is for this to be the Whamp origin-story.
My own theory isn't a wizard doing a "deal" but a summoning-gone-wrong, leading to either "Ramp Zero" or "Whamp Zero" (following the usage "Patient Zero").
As I noted in the other thread, there's a notable similarity in the origin-story of each *individual* Whamp & Ramp -- they have something inhuman inside of them, which reaches full expression when they kill.
So, why do I favor Whamps for the "wizard done F-up" origin?
Because
- Ramp'ism can be inflicted (by other Ramps)
- given the "black leathery skin" similarities between native-form Ramp's and the (summoned) Ik, I strongly suspect Ramps are native to the Nevernever -- Ramp & Ik being "related" beings.
Ramps in the Nevernever, I posit, first infected humans (who were exploring there), and came back to the mortal world via that vector. Ramp'ism makes sense as having "Ramp Zero" be an attack in the Nevernever; it *could* equally have been a summoning-gone-wrong, but ... see below.
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Whamps, in contrast, seem to have no separate documented existence, no physical form, outside their host; they are purely spirit, in a "possession" like model. Nevertheless, they can breed when their host does -- the child of a Whamp is a Whamp-to-be (after first kill). n.b.
this is not true for Ramps.
But there is no
other way to become a Whamp, no known source for a "Whamp Zero."
Except possession, an invading spirit taking up home in a host. Possession seems like a "summoning" sort of thing.
And, of course, there's the obvious motivation -- lust, likely; but maybe another negative emotion. That hypothetical long-ago Etruscan wizard could well have been motivated to summon a "spirit of lust" (or despair, or fear, or rage (Harry sees Raith / Lust as dominant, but we don't have much insight on Whamp history, and innumerable Whamp houses may have risen & fallen over the millenia)) for any number of reasons (not the least of which is seeking that personal-buff of extreme combat-power that Whamps can call upon).
I suspect Lust was the original "Whamp Zero," because the whole "seductive vampire" trope was Jim's original motivation in creating Whamps.
So, I think Whamps are a summons-gone-wrong origin-story. Admittedly, the speculation (in that other thread) that I'm riffing off (a "deal" gone wrong) could also be true.
And Ramps are more like a "supernatural" version of sci-fi's Alien origin-story -- a horrific parasite implanted in an attack.
