Setting:Vampires

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Playable, Partially Restricted

What are Vampires

Vampires, Cainites, Kindred.

Accursed undead predators of the night who sustain themselves with blood and burn by the light of the sun.

Lexicon

The Nature of vampires

Generation: Despite some Kindred rejecting the idea that they all descend from the Biblical figure Caine, many still measure their power by tracing how far they are removed from the original Vampire. This form of measurement is called Generation. The lower one's generation, the more blood they can hold and the more potent their disciplines can become. Generation cannot be changed except by Diablerie, and starts one generation higher (poorer) than the vampire who converted a mortal.

Blood: Vampires must sustain themselves with blood. Blood is the source of their life force and what they use to activate their disciplines. In order to gain this blood, a vampire must feed. Vampires can feed on anything that has blood, but when feeding on anything but mere mortals, there can be side effects. Even intoxicated mortals can cause odd things to happen to a hungry vampire.

Disciplines: Vampires wield supernatural powers fueled by blood. From physical powers such as Potence, Celerity And fortitude(super strength, super speed and super durability respectively) to intense powers of the mind such as Dominate auspex and obfuscate(mind control, true sight, and the ability to hide in plain sight respectively) and many more. Many of these disciplines require the expenditure of blood to utilize. Every clan has three innate disciplines, which are easier to learn for their members. Many vampires judge their prowess by their comparative mastery of their disciplines.

Ghouls and Blood Bonds: Blood not only sustains Kindred but can also be used to feed others, such as mortals and their fellow Kindred. When fed the blood of a vampire a mortal becomes a ghoul. Ghouls are then bonded to their regnant in an extreme way that can be compared to compulsory love or loyalty. Ghouls can be taught the disciplines of their regnant vampires, and cease aging altogether. These "servants" as most vampires see them can be quite useful as they can more easily travel during the day and can very easily pass for human, because debatably they are. If a vampire is given the blood of another vampire, they become bonded in a somewhat similar way. On the first taste, the recipient of the blood becomes mildly bonded and the bond grows with each feeding, reaching its apex at the third feeding. This bond can be a mutual, or a one way one. A vampire can have several ghouls and Kindred bonded to them, and can even be partially bonded to multiple regnants. Once a vampire is three steps bonded they cannot be bonded to anyone else.

Embrace: When a vampire chooses to they may bring a mortal into their number by means of the Embrace. An act wherein the Vampire empties the mortal of all of their blood, effectively killing them, and then gives them a replacement supply, returning them to unlife as one of the vampire's Childer. This is usually followed by a process of teaching the new childe about vampiric society before releasing them into it.

Amaranth aka Diablerie: the Amaranth or more frequently called Diablerie is the act of devouring a soul, most specifically the soul of another vampire. This is a high risk high reward action. In most camarilla cities committing Diablerie is punished promptly by way of the true death. The same is often true even for non camarilla cities. A diablerist also runs the risk of having their own soul subsumed by that which they have devoured. Not a pleasant thought for the prospective Diablerist. Still, there are benefits. A diablerist may lower in generation of the feed on someone who is closer to Caine, or a diablerist might gain some power or knowledge from their victim.

Frenzy: When especially hungry or angry, a vampire may enter into a frenzy, where their beast, the feral part of their soul, takes over and their desire for sustenance or violence becomes all consuming. When in a rage frenzy, the vampire will strike at the nearest target whether it be friend, foe, or a complete stranger. A similar lack of discretion occurs when in a hunger frenzy. The vampire will attempt to feed from the nearest blood filled individual, this can result in feeding on fellow vampires which has in it of itself is dangerous due to topics already covered above.

Antitribu: This is a general term meaning "vampires who have chosen to oppose their Clan's sect." As an example; a Ventrue who has joined the Sabbat, despite their clan remaining loyal to the Camarilla, would be considered a Ventrue Antitribu.

What it means to be a vampire in quarry creek.

Within the bounds of this strange town and couple of miles in each direction,there are a number of strange phenomena that affect the vampires who dwell there. This includes the lack of the inherent weariness that the dawn brings. When the sun rises the local vampire need only to cover their skin from the sun and can continue to remain awake and active during the day. In addition vampires generally seem more human, their flesh appears warm and their regain the ability to not only ingest human food but also enjoy the flavors of it. These effects are not commonly known of outside the bounds of quarry Creek, but those who do know and have experienced this step toward normality are gravely affected by it, whether they view this as a blessing or a curse bringing them closer to lowly humans, it is unlikely any resident or visitor will not have rather strong opinions on this experience.

Clans

• Assamite: An independent clan based out of the Middle East, most western vampires view the Assamites as nothing more than assassins and diablerists. More accurately they are a diverse clan comprised of three casts: Warriors, Sorcerers, and Viziers. They are steeped in a tradition and code of conduct which is incomprehensible to most westerners.
• Brujah: Once recognized as a clan filled with noble philosophers who held lofty ideals, the Brujah are now generally seen merely as rage filled thugs with little to no self control. Their passions guide them, and their attempts to build an idealized world are driven by these passions. Sometimes other clans and sometimes disagreements within the Brujah collapse these ideologies and many Brujah finds their drive turned toward rage. A dangerous combination, considering their primary disciplines are generally the physical ones.
• Gangrel: More animalistic than the other clans, the Gangrel often prefer the wilderness to life in the city. Gangrel are known for frenzying voluntarily so they may fight with more vigor. They call this act "riding the beast." Many Gangrel find letting their beast to the surface this way cathartic. Gangrel generally fit in worse with humans than most vampires since they tend to be closer to their animal side, a trait that becomes stronger the older they grow.
• Giovanni: These necromancers are not only a clan but a family. The Giovanni most frequently embrace descendants of their own mortal family, as such, diversity of membership is somewhat... lacking in this clan. The progenitors of the modern clan were a family of bankers out of Venice, Italy. Above all, this clan values the study of death, followed by the acquisition of money. They are an Independent clan, holding loyalty to the family far too deeply to offer any of that loyalty to a sect, outside of their blood.
• Lasombra: The so called leaders of the Sabbat are apex predators. Believing firmly that the worthy rule and the unworthy serve... if they are lucky enough to even be allowed to live. The Masters of the Shadows have aimed the Sabbat toward their combined goals and have drifted far away from their humanity.
• Malkavian: The mad Clan are loyal to the Camarilla. Malkavians are a clan steeped in insanity but blessed with the gift of insight. They often act as seers and mistics when they have moments of clarity. Many outsiders are unnerved by the clans apperant inter-connectedness, which seems unexplainable but is one of their most valuable qualities.
• Nosferatu: Ahe clan with a monstrous facade, the Nosferatu are among the most inhuman looking of all clans. Because of this the clan often finds itself living underground, shunned by society above. This common ugliness breeds camaraderie; the Nosferatu are extremely cliquish and, though they are openly loyal to the Camarilla, they are loyal to each other first. Having been pushed toward the bottom rungs of society, the Nosferatu have developed networks of informants and have become quite valuable to Cainite society as spies and spymasters.
• Ravnos: Often misunderstood, the so called Gypsy Ravnos of the west are a splinter-group of the noble clan from the East. To most westerners who have never met the Eastern clan, the Ravnos are nomadic vagabonds and charlatans who gleefully practice deception and trickery as they indulge in criminal acts. As such, many Ravnos are removed, by force if necessary, from established Camarilla Domains.
• Setite: Believing themselves the decendants of the Egyptian God Set, the Setites prepare for their God's eventual return by filling the world with deceit and guile. The Setites hold themselves separate from the sects of other vampires, as their core belief is incompatible with those of the other sects. It is not uncommon to find Setites entrenched in Camarilla or Sabbat cities working to instill chaos, though not all Setites feel the need to do this.
• Toreador: The clan of the beautiful and the seductive. The toreador pride themselves on their civility, grace, and charm. Often seducing mortals and other Kindred skillfully. Their number also includes many artisans and artists. On the whole, Toreadors obsess with beauty and art.
• Tremere: These blood sorcerers are arguably one of the most powerful clans, in part due to their strict organization, their study of the arcane, and their secrecy. The Tremere are the most diverse of the Thaumaturges, studying every aspect of blood magic that they can. The Tremere, like the Sabbat, utilize group blood bonds despite their membership in the Camarilla. If a vampire seeks knowledge about the arcane, they should turn to the Tremere for that information.
• Tzimisce: Inhuman scholars and artists who dabble ghoulishly in shaping flesh. The Tzimisce stand with the Sabbat. Often polite, intelligent, and inquisitive, most tzimisce are truly monsterous at heart. They believe that in order to transcend they must forego their humanity, and will do with humans whatever they see fit. This includes turning them into flesh crafted abominations, and combining them with animals or other humans to make monsters of their own. This macabre practice is not limited to mortals, though, as the tzimisce are known to turn Fellow Kindred that they don't like in to wall fixtures and furniture.
• Ventrue: The clan of kings. The Ventrue are one of the proudest clans, long working to maintain their their reputation and the respect of other clans. They espouse honor, manners and leadership, and consider themselves natural leaders within Kindred society. Most Ventrue hold the belief that they actually know what is best for everyone and, to bolster their pride, they claim to be the oldest of all clans and therefore deserve to rule.

Bloodlines

Despite the already immense diversity of vampire clans, there are even more divisions. Bloodlines can trace their origin back to the original 13 clans, but have evolved new or different Disciplines from their parent clans. Whether this is the cause or effect of a very different perspective from their parent clan is debatable. Most bloodlines are considered distinct from their clan due to differences in overall attitude and Disciplines. There are numerous bloodlines, some of which are quite powerful. Some even claim that their related clan is descended from them, rather than the other way around.

Sects

Camarilla

Dating back to the 15th century, this sect considers itself to be world spanning and all encompassing, at least among Kindred. The Camarilla stands for law and order, though this doesn't mean the law of mortals, other super naturals or even any laws which they themselves did not dictate. The Camarilla has formed itself into a top down structure of authority and power in a feudal structure, with each ranking member holding a prescribed list of rights and responsibilities. The Camarilla is at its most powerful in Europe, but holds many territories in the Americas. The clans who traditionally are loyal to the Camarilla are the Ventrue, the Toreador, the Tremere, The Brujah, the Nosferatu, the Gangrel, and the Malkavians. Of course as this sect "spans the World" all clans are welcome, so long as they play by the rules. The Camarilla generally eschew the idea that the Antediluvians still exist, and reject talk of Gehenna (the end of days for Vampires). Camarilla leaders insist that these things are myths and legends which lead weak minded Kindred astray. Because of this most members of the Camarilla prefer the term Kindred to Cainite.

Sabbat

The sabbat can trace their founding back to 1493, but their origins stretch beyond that. In the dark ages, an anarchist revolt spread swiftly across Europe. Younger Cainites fought tooth and claw to overthrow their Elders. The sabbat formed from a number of these anarchs. The clans Tzimisce and Lasombra were among the most vocal revolutionaries, both claiming to have achieved the ultimate victory by destroying their own clan's progenitors. These two clans make up the majority of the modern Sabbat. Over time, the sect has evolved and grown. The majority of them believe in Caine, the first Vampire, and the Antideluvians, unlike those in the Camarilla. Many believe that they are Caine's Army and that he will someday use them to destroy his wayward children. In general, they prefer to think of themselves as Cainites rather than Kindred. The Sabbat mockingly models its hierarchy on that of the Catholic Church, with priests acting as the reminders of every sabbat Cainite's duty to Caine. Most members of the Sabbat are part of packs, who utilize a form of group blood bond called Vaulderie to maintain a supernatural level of camaraderie and loyalty. As a whole the Cainites of the Sabbat stay separate from the ways of mortals choosing to live above them rather than among the cattle.

Autarkis

This is a generalized term coined by the Camarilla to mean any Kindred who does not follow the ideals and Traditions of the Camarilla. The term has now come to mean any vampire who claims no sect. This includes the four independent clans and any vampire who has abandoned their sect, or who was never part of one to begin with.

Article by ben_honor