Topic: A Dissertation on Vampires

Natalia · Date: 2006-08-05 15:37 EST

((--))

OOC Pretext: Yes, I am aware that not everyone plays Vampire: the Masquerade. I'm also aware that not everyone wants to play Vampire: the Masquerade. I'm also aware that not everyone wants details about it. As Jewell-mun pointed out in the OOC topic of the library, though, nothing here sets a bench-mark on how someone MUST play their character.

That said..

What follows in this thread will be a rather lengthy treatise, in book format, on vampires as based from the purest form of Vampire: the Masquerade. We do have several people who have based their vampiric characters off of these guidelines, and this is more designed to give other people an idea of what to expect, and how we play the way we play.

That said..

Not even the people who do play Vampire: the Masquerade follow everything here exactly. Even I don't. This is merely the baseline from which our characters are based, and then we have used our own creative minds to make them our own, with their own nuances and personality and, yes, sometimes even drives and kinks that an otherwise "normal" vampire character wouldn't have, as per the "rules."

That said..

Not all of the information is even 100% accurate as per the rules. Very select things were modified slightly, and some other things were omitted entirely. Since it's an IC book, I saw no reason for the author (a diminuative gnomish scholar who studied vampirism) to get 100% of everything right, 100% of the time. For those who might use the information gleaned within as a leverage against certain vampiric characters.. well.. you have been warned. >8)

That said..

Ignore who wrote the post, in terms of name. The actual book as it appears, IC, in the library was written by a scholar that I haven't named yet, but will by the time I have ended the author's preface next post. Natalia herself did not add this book to the library, and if she did would likely quickly be hunted down and killed.

In conclusion..

The sources for this information is as varied as the weather, unfortunatly, and too long and too many to list. A lot of it ? MOST of it, in fact ? comes from the actual sourcebook Vampire: the Masquerade, and is therefore trademarked and stuff to White Wolf Publishing, Inc.

Also cited: Sanguinus Curae, Mant's Lair, and about a dozen or other so lesser internet sites.

I'll put up more concise information and direct links to the sites later, since by and large most of this is a copy job modified slightly hither and tither for Rhy'Dinian effect.

And now, on with the posts...

Natalia · Date: 2006-08-05 15:49 EST

Preface

My dear readers,

Vampires have existed in Rhy'Din for almost as long as Rhy'Din itself has existed. When I was a small gnome waist-high on a goblin, I had the unfortunate happenstance of being on the recieving end of an enraged vampiric frenzy. Since that time, I have made it my life's work to understand everything there was to know about these creatures.

Through exhaustive research, interviews with willing vampires, information extracted through torture on captured vampires who were not so willing, the pilfering of letters and correspondence from known vampiric havens, and outright mental domination I have written the following volume of text to better educate and prepare my fellow Rhy'Dinians on knowing what to expect.

The following is a culmination of everything I have learned about the secret world of a certain breed of vampires. There are as many different types of vampire, though, as there are different forms of precipitation. Some are unphased by the sun, while others burn to cinders in it. Some can't enter someone's home without being invited, others are not limited by this. Some are allergic to garlic and silver, and some merely find the smell distasteful, and use silver as a common jewelery accessory. Some have no reflection to speak of, some do.

The particular breed of vampire I have uncovered and exposed in this treatise all hail largely from another world known as Urth (or so I think; it is difficult to expand the spelling based upon the pronunciation). Though sometimes shocked when they come to our world of Rhy'Din, they quickly delve into their nightly games of politics, intrigue, and power-mongering that they were reknowned for on Urth. Though the great Sects (described later in greater detail) do not, per say, exist in Rhy'Din, many of the vampires will still follow the rules, customs, and traditions of their clan and sect as they did before they arrived in Rhy'Din.

In terms of sheer power, most of these creatures are actually rather weak compared to some of our more indigenous specimins. Many lack the capability of simply teleporting at will from place to place, and all of them are restricted to their shelters or havens while the sun is out. Interestingly enough, there seem to be no Dhampires or Vampeals amongst the vampiric populations of Urth, though we have them in spades here in Rhy'Din.

In a sense, one could almost consider these to be lesser vampires. Know this, though, readers: they are lesser only in comparison to their immortal breathren. Do not think them lesser to you! Even the newly created vampire from Urth is more than a match for any ordinary human or elf, and it was only through the capabilities of my own formidible magics that I have stayed alive for as long as I have. This tome has been directed to be delivered to the library for safekeeping in the event of my death, meaning if you are reading this now, then I have died in some, no doubt, gruesome way. The vampires I have studied for a very long time have finally caught up to me, I would imagine.

You are warned, dear reader. It is best not to meddle in their affairs, for their vengence is both swift and patient. When one is immortal, what does one have to worry over the passing of years until your prey opens themselves up in a moment of stupidity? This text is merely designed to educate, not to empower one with the damn-fool idealistic crusade of an idea to run off and become a vampire hunter.

Scholar of the Academy of Arcane Sciences,

Gnorkin Cogstopper

Natalia · Date: 2006-08-05 16:15 EST

Chapter 1: The Damned, and their Pecking Order

Vampires have long been feared as rapacious monsters of the night ? terrible black forms sweeping out of the darkness to steal infants from their cribs and ravish the blood of innocents. Vampires are also creatures of deadly beauty, immense passion, and predatory sensuality.

Each vampire is unique, and each has her own fascinating story to tell. The most important characteristic all vampires share, though, is their damnation. More important than any lineage, clan, sect, or cause is the fact that all vampires are undead predators. Fealties and duties fall second to the inescapable urge of hunger. Without exception, vampires are parasites, cursed by fate to prey upon those whom they originated.

Vampires are monsters. How does it feel to leave a dead, bloodless child in a dumpster? To manipulate mortals like pawns on a chessboard? To suspect that their elders wield them as an unwitting weapon against their ancient foes? TO eke out an unlife of secrecy and blood shed? To succumb to the wiles of the Beast and tear innocent victims to shreds?

In response to their environment, the Kindred (as they call themselves) have evolved a complex society that exists just out of sight of the mortals who surround them. Age, clan, sect, sire, power, influence, and many other aspects of unlife make the Kindred who they are. Part of any Kindred's being is membership in a number of social castes that grace vampire society. By creating and enforcing divisions and roles for themselves, no matter how artitifical, the kindred seek to escape the Beast that roils within them. Vampires are, in fact, a double entendre. Not only do they hide from mortals, they hide from themselves as well, pretending they are not the horrors they have truly become.

One way the Damned distinguish themselves is through a combination of age or generation (or how far removed a Kindred is from the progenitor vampire, whom they generally believe to be a man named Caine). Young vampires must prove themselves to their elders to be afforded any bit of status, and Kindred society is often as stagnant and stultifying as the immortal Damned themselves. There is a small degree of mobility, however, as elder Kindred are always looking for assets and allies who may aid them against their rivals in the Jyhad (more on this later).

The greatest status is accorded to the Antediluvians, vampires of the so-called Third Generation. Most vampires consider these Kindred to be legendary ? certainly, none has been verifiably seen any time in the recent history. The lowest rung of status is held by rank neonates and the clanless Caitiff, those claimed by no clan or with blood too weak to trace a proper lineage.

I will now list and describe the various places that vampires fall into, within their own society based upon age, and what they refer to as generation.

Antediluvian: These ancient vampires, if they exist at all, are likely the most powerful creatures in the world. Members of the Third Generation, the Antediluvians are only two steps removed from the first vampire. Antediluvians, when they choose to rise from their long sleep, affect all with whom they come in contact; according ot the few fractured accounts of their doings, they possess virtually godlike power. According to Kindred legend, there were thirteen original Antediluvians, though some have allegedly been destroyed. Their eternal struggle, the Jyhad, touches all Kindred, and innumerable layers of manipulation and deception make the plots of these Ancients almost imperceptible.

Methuselahs: If the Antediluvians are the Kindred's gods, the terrible Methuselahs are demigods and avatars. At a point between a vampire's thousandth and two thousandth year, a grave change overtakes the Kindred. Sometimes the change is physical, while at other times it is mental or emotional. Whatever the nature of the change, the ednr esult is that the vampire no longer bears any semblance of humanity. Having truly moved from the earthly into the realm of the supernatural, the Methuselahs often retire into the earth, where they may slumber away from the thirsty fangs of younger vampires (more on this later). Their powers are so great, however, that they continue to direct their inscrutable plans mentally, communicating magically or telepathically (and almost always invisibly) with their minions.

Kindred greatly fear the Methuselahs, who are accorded any number of horrifying characteristics. Rumors speak of Methuselahss whose skin has become stone, of everything from hideous disfigurements to unearthly beauty that cannot be looked upon. Some are believed to drink only vampire blood, while others control the fates of entire nations from their cold tombs.

Elders: Elders are Kindred who have existed for hundreds of years, and typically range from sixth to eighth generation. With centuries of accumulated cunning and a terrible thirst for power, elder Kindred are the most physically acrive participants in the Jyhad ? they do not suffer the long fits of Torpor (more on this later) that hamper the Methuselahs and Antediluvians, but they are not so powerless or easily manipulated as the younger Kindred are. The term "elder" itself is a bit subjective; a Kindred who qualifies as an elder in the 'New World' (as they call it) might be just another Ancilla in her 'Europe' or other corners of Urth. Elders keep a stranglehold on the Kindred power structure, preventing younger vampires from attaining positions of influence by exercising control they have maintained for decades, if not centuries.

Ancillae: Ancillae are relatively young vampires (between one and two hundred years of unlife) who have proved themselves to be valuable members of Kidnred society. Ancillae are the lackeys to greater kindred, and ? if they're clever or lucky ? tommorow's elders. Ancillae is the rank between neonate and elder, signifying that the Kindred has cut her teeth (so to speak), but lacks the age and experience to become a true master of the Jyhad. Because the population of Urth has grown so in the last two centuries, the vast majority of vampires are ancillae or neonates.

Neonate: Neonates vary from newly released fledglings to indolent Kindred of a hundred years or more. Marked by the stigma of not yet having proved themselves to the elders, neonates are inexperienced vampires who might one night make something of themselves ? but, more likely, will fall as pawns in the schemes of the other undead.

Fledglings: Also known more loosely as "childer" (although every vampire except the supposed Caine is someone's childe), fledglings are newly reborn vampires still under the tutelage and protection of their sires, the vampires who created them. Fledglings are not considered full members of Kindred society and are often treated disrespesctfully or as the sire's property. When her side decides her childe is ready, the fledgling may become a neonate, subject to the approval of the elders.

Natalia · Date: 2006-08-05 16:31 EST

Chapter 2: Becoming a Vampire

Not every victim of the vampire bite rises to become Kindred herself ? making a new vampire requires a conscious effort, and often permission. The Embrace is the term for the act of turning a mortal into a vampire. Where a vampire wishes to sire progeny, her hunts take on a new characteristic. No longer does the Kindred simply search for sustenance; instead, she becomes more aware and cunning, looking for the perfect combination of personal behaviors that warrent immortality.

The reasons for Embracing new Kindred vary from vampire to vampire. Some sires feel great remorse over their undying curse of vampirism, and select mortals hwo might "give something back" to the depraved race of Kindred. A few vampires look for great artists, thinkers, creators, or just compassionate souls whose talents could be preserved forever. These Kindred often suffer greatly when they see what their selfishness wreaks upon those brought into the fold, for the Embrace often destroys the spark of creativity. Kindred lack the ability to truly innovate ? they ride human trends rather than set them, and even their most inspired works are nothing more than pale imitations of mortal work that has gone before. It is an irony that those Kindred who would preserve a childe's gift forever actually do more damage to their progeny's talent than simply allowing it to age naturally ever would.

Other Kindred are vindictive and spiteful with the Embrace, choosing mortals whom they wish to see suffer. Some particularly cruel Malkavians (more on the Clans later) delight in bringing the truly and pitiably insane into their ranks, hoping to glean some new insight from a fledgling's madness as she sinks into despair. The hideous Nosferatu also delight in Embracing the vain or beautiful into their clan, enjoying the anguished shrieks of the childe as she becomes a malformed horror. Even the Toreador, in their degeneracy, sometimes select childer for the purpose of asserting their superiority over those who had been spoiled in life.

Most Kindred, however, Embrace out of loneliness or desire. THese vampires are invariably the worst off as, after the culmination of their lust or anguish, they are left not with soulmates, but with monsters every bit as callous and predatory as they are.

Kindred rarely Embrace capriciously ? the right to create a childe is seldom granted, and those hwo observe the Traditions (more on this later) are loathe to squander an opportunity they may not recieve again for a thousand years. Some vampires, though, are flighty, negligent, or simply heedles of an elder's right to destrouy them and their progeny. The ranks of the Caitiff (see below) swell with Kindred who do not know their lineage, accidentally rose after being left for dead by careless vampires, or otherwise left sires who cared little for them.

The physical act of creating a Kindred is not complex, though many sires refuse to instruct their childer in the process. The vampire first drains his victim's blood to the point of death ? which is not difficult, for once the Kiss (more on this later) is administered, the victim is usually too lost in the agonizing rapture to resist her attacker. After removing all of her prospective childe's mortal blood, the sire places a quantity of her own blood in the childe's mouth. This amount varies, as some vampires literally suckle their childer at their own wrists while other Kindred place hte tiniest drop on their childer's lips and watch as the Beast takes over thereafter. Vampires of the Sabbat (more on the Sects later) reputedly Embrace their Childer and then bury them, forcing the progeny literally to dig themselves out of their own graves.

Whatever ocurse is taken, the chidle then dies a mortal and spiritual death, only to rise unnaturally afterward. Most of the time, dying is a period of great pain and anguish; the childe suffers spasms and shock as her body sloughs off the mortal coil.

The instant of rebirth, by comparison, is perhaps the greatest pleasure a Kindred may ever feel, and is likely the last true ecstacy the vampire will ever know. As the mystical process transofrms the now-dead corpse of the childe, it evens out imperfections and often makes the body beatiful, albiet in a surreal manner. Such beauty is frightening to behold, a predatory grace like that of a shark or venemous snake. The childe's senses also hone to an uncanny level, revealing sounds she has never before heard or heeded, tactile stimuli never appreciated with touch, panoplies of color imperceptible to the human eye, and myriad individually distinguishable smells.

The vampire's sense of taste heightens as well, though toward a single, terribel flavor. Only one substance satisfies the vampire: human blood. From the moment she rises, the vampire is a slave ot the passion of her Hunger, and every night from her Embrace ot eternity she will experience a starvation that can be sated only by preying upon members of her former species.

After the Embrace, the childe is known as a fledgling, under the protection and guidance of her sire until that sire deems her ready to face the night alone. It is the sire's responsibility to educate the childe in the ways of the Kindred, though such education is rarely formal, often spotty, and always tainted by the sire's jealousies and prejudices. Many sires, desiring conspirators, sychophants, or outright dupes, poison the minds of their childer against their enemies or intentionally leave out important bits of information, the better to rein in the childe later with.

Caitiff: The Caitiff are the clanless vampires, outcast by other Kindred and despised by those who bother to notice them at all. Vampires may become clanless either by having no idea of their sires' identities (and thus having no sense of lineage) or by being of such a weak generation that no identifying clan characteristics are discernable. Caitiff are almost universally regarded as bastard children and orphans, though some rise to a degree of prominence among the anarchs. Once there were few Caitiff, but the past half-century has seen a sharp increase in their numbers.

Anarchs: Anarchs are vampires who reject the Traditions and the dictates of the elders who enforce them. Ironically, elders grudgingly afford anarchs some degree of status, due to the anarchs' ability to obtain power in spite of the elders' opposition. Anarchs are also respected for their passion and drive, which few elder Kindred, mired as they are in age and dissatisfaction, can muster. Ultimately, however, most Kindred see anarchs as jackals, scavenging their unlives from what slips through the elder's fingers.

Natalia · Date: 2006-08-05 16:46 EST

Chapter 3: Conform, or Die. Your choice.

A vampire living in a Camarilla (more on this later)-ruled city must accept certain responsibilities ofr the priviledges of security and stability that it offers. This stability is maintained only when the Kindred within behave in a proper manner, one dictated by a near-universal set of rules. These rules are known by the gentle-sounding name of the Six Traditions, although they are hardly polite suggestions. For most Kindred they are the law. A vampire may be assured that wherever she traves, the Traditions will be in force. They may be interpreted differently, but they remain. It is through the enforcement of these laws, and through the laws themselves, that the elders recieve much of their power. Obviously, then, the elders are among the most zealous of the Traditions' enforcerers.

The First Tradition: the Masquerade
Thou shalt not reveal thy true nature fo those not of the Blood. Doing so shall renounce they claims of Blood.

The Second Tradition: the Domain
Thy domain is thy concern. All others owe thee respect while in it. None may challenge thy word in they domain.

The Third Tradition: the Progeny
Thou shalt sire another only with permission of thine elder. If thou createst another without thine elder's leave, both thou and thy progeny shalt be slain.

The Fourth Tradition: the Accounting
Those thou create are thine own childer. Until thy progeny shall be released, thou shalt command them in all things. Their sins are thine to endure.

The Fifth Tradition: Hospitality
Honor one another's domain. When thou comest to a foreign city, thou shalt present thyself to the one who ruleth there. Without the word of acceptance, thou art nothing.

The Sixth Tradition: Destruction
Thou art forbidden to destroy another of thy kind. The right of destruction belongeth only to thine elder. Only the eldest among thee shall call the blood hunt.

The Tradition of the Masquerade, in detail:
This has become the foundation of modern Kindred society and the basis for the Masquerade that hides vampires from mortal eyes. To reveal vampires to the mortal world would be disastrous to both. While most people on Urth do not believe in vampires, there are enough who do that revealing vampiric existance would place all Kindred at risk. In older nights, during the more superstitious ages like what we experience generally here in Rhy'Din, this Tradition was less strictly enforced, and vampires rode through the night with few cares for the mortal eyes who saw them. On Urth, the Inquisition and Burning Times changed this drastically, however, as those vampires who could be seen were slain and tortured into revealing their secrets. Whiel the youth may prattle about the Inquisition as ancient history, it is still very fresh in the minds of the elders who survived it. This is one of the greatest points of contention between the Camarilla nad the Sabbat ? the Sabbat sees no need to hide itself from the feeble kine (as is their word for us mere mortals), while the Camarilla knows the opposite to be true.

A breach of the Masquerade is the most serious crime a vampire can commit, and one of the easiest for an elder to fabricate if she wishes to punish a rival. Depending on how strictly it is enforced, anything from using vampiric powers in public to having mortal friends may constitute a breach.

To stave off their immortal boredom, many vampires skim the Masquerade as closely as they can, taking thrill from the forbidden rush that places their unlives in jeopardy. The world has acknowledged many artist poets, writers, muscisions, models, actors and fashion designers who, unbeknownst to the populace, were vampires. Of course, many of these vampires saw their unlives come to abrupt ends, as other Kindred decided that their continued existences were threats to the Children of Caine as a whole.

The Masquerade is a dangerous balance; ironically enough, the elders who support it most strongly are sometimes the ones who threaten it (albeit indirectly and without their recognition). An apocryphal story tells of a pair of vampire-hunters ? the new recruit and her patron ? on a vigil in a nightclub. The patron said to his charge, "There is a vampire in this establishment. Find him," whereupon the charge immediately selected the thin, pale gentleman in two hundred year old velvet and brocade ? a Ventrue envoy from a neighboring city.

Natalia · Date: 2006-08-05 17:09 EST

Chapter 4: Social Clubs - the Sects of the Damned.

Sects are groups of vampires and clans that supposedly share a common ideaology. They are a modern contrivance, but an important one. Sects as they are known in these modern nights first surfaced after the Great Anarch Revolt, a world-wide upheaval which took place several hundred years ago. Many elders accept sect membership grudgingly, deriding sects as "foolishness" ? the Blood is all that matters to them. In nights before the Great Anarch Revolt and the Inquisition, these elders claim, there were no sects at all. Other vampires argue that this is still true ? a vampire in a sizable city may go a decade or more without ever seeing another Kindred, so of what use is a sect?

Regardless, most vampires belong to one sect or another; others claim independance, no preference, or that they are affiliated with their clan, not a sect. The sect known as the Camarilla is arguably the largest and most prevalent, though its rival the Sabbat has recently made considerable inroads against it and still opposes the Camarilla at every turn. The secretive Inconnu, when it may be reached for comment, maintains that it is not a sect, although it seems to be organized and manages to steer clear of the other sects. On the opposite side of the coin, the anarchs make much show of pretending to be a sect, though they are the first to enlist Camarilla aid when the Sabbat appears at a city's borders. Thus, the Camarilla considers the anarchs to be under its purview.

It should be noted that no sects at all truly exist in Rhy'Din, as there are simply not enough vampires from Urth to make that big of a difference either way. What is a war between three, after all? The following definitions and outlines of what I have learned of the largest sects ? the Camarilla and the Sabbat ? are here only as reference. Do not expect to run into a vampire claiming to truly be a part of either.

The Camarilla
The largest sect of vampires in existence, the Camarilla, concerns itself with the Masquerade, thereby hoping to maintain a place for Kindred in the modern nights. The Camarilla is an open society; it claims all vampires as members (whether they want to belong or not), and any vampire may claim membership, regardless of lineage.

According to the often-contradictory history of the Kindred, the Camarilla came to be at the end of the Anarch Revolt, sometime in the last several hundred years. The Kindred of Clan Ventrue loudly claim to have been instrumental in the sect's formation, to which many Kindred owe their unlives. With the enforcement of the Masquerade, Kindred had a means of foiling the Inquisition, a religious office sworn to the destruction of supernatural creatures.

Though the Camarilla is the largest sect, just over half of the thirteen known vampire clans actively participate in its affairs. The sect holds meetings attended bya ctive clans' representatives; these gatherings are known as convocations. It also calls periodic conclaves, which are open to any and all members of the sect, to discuss matters of imminent sect importance. Only justicars, officers elected by the Inner Circle to attend to matters of the Traditions, may call conclaves. Justicars are always of great age, and rightly feared. As such, their interpretations of the Traditions are heeded out of self-preservation. Groups of vampires known as archons attend the justicars; meeting an archon is usually a portentious event.

Officially, the Camarilla does not recognize the existance of the Antediluvians or Caine. It reasons that these vampires, if they ever existed at all, have long since suffered the Final Death, and those who allude to them are publicaly derided.

The Sabbat
Rumored to have its origins in a death cult, the Sabbat is greatly feared by Kindred who do not belong to it. The sect is monstrous and violent, and no longer clings to any trappings of human philosophy or morality. Members instead revel in their vampiric unlives. Sometimes referred to as the Black Hand, the Sabbat actively seeks the overthrow of the Traditions, the destruction of the Camarilla, and the subjugation of humankind (and gnomekind, I hasten to point out).

The Sabbat recruits wherever it takes hold, spreading like a poisonous weed and tearing down the established institutions around it. Unlike the Camarilla, the Sabbat recognizes the existance of the Antediluvians, though it rabidly opposes them. According to Sabbat propaganda, the Antediluvians pull the strings of the entire world, and it is this malignant control they oppose. They see the Camarilla as pawns of the Ancients, and oppose its members politically as well as physically. Most Sabbat express bilious contempt for the vampires of the Camarilla, whom they see as cowardly wretches unable to accept their predatory natures.

Outsiders know little about the Sabbat's inner workings. Some Camarilla Kindred even doubt its existence, believing it to be a rumor created by elders to keep troublesome childer in line ? an undead boogeyman. Lurid tales about the sect spread like wildfire, including claims that its members indulge in ceaseless diablerie (see below), worship demons, hunt and kill other vampires, and possess the ability to break blood bonds (see below). The only consistent rumor attributed to the Sabbat is its members' apparent love of fire ? the sect has a fearsome reputation for leaving burning wakes behind it.

Diablerie: The consumption of another Kindred's blood, to the point of the victim's Final Death. Vampires of high generation may lower their generation through this practice; particularly old Kindred have such rarefied tastes that mortal blood no longer sustains them, and they must consume vampire blood.

Blood Bond: A mystical power over another individual engendered by partaking of a particular vampire's blood three times; accepting blood from a vampire is an acknowledgement of her mastery.

Natalia · Date: 2006-08-05 18:01 EST

Chapter 5: Family Resemblances - The Clans

It is widely accepted that of the thirteen "great" clans, seven claim membership in the Camarilla, two belong to the Sabbat, and the remaining four abstain from sects entirely. Since I have focused primarily upon the two largest sects, I will therefore only go into detail regarding the nine clans in the Camarilla and Sabbat.

The Clans of the Camarilla
The Camarilla claims that all vampires are under its purview, whether they wish to be included or not. The Camarilla realistically comprises seven clans, though any Kindred may be recognized as a member if she so declares.

Brujah
As the Brujah tell the tale, they were once philosopher-kings. They controlled an empire that spanned almost half the world, and collected lore and knowledge from around the Urth. In their pursuit of freedom and enlightenment, however, they killed their founder. For this, Caine cast them out of what is known cryptically as "the First City." Since then, the Brujah have suffered inescapable decline. Now they are percieved as little more than spoiled childer who have no sense of pride or history. One of the mainstays of the Great Anarch Revolt, the Brujah were barely brought to heel by the founders of the Camarilla, and the clan as a whole still resents the elders. Though nominally in the Camarilla, the Brujah are the sect's firebrands and agitators, testing the Traditions and rebelling in the name of whatever causes the hold dear. Many Brujah are outright anarchs, defying authority and serving no elder at all.

Gangrel
The night-prowling Gangrel are feral vampires and possess disturbing animalistic tendencies and features. Rarely staying in one place, Gangrel are nomadic wanderers, satisfied only when running alone under the night sky. Their founderi s whispered to have been a barbarian, unlike the other clan progenitors, and for this reason Gangrel often Embrace outsiders. Distance, aloof and savage, Gangrel are often tragic individuals; although many hate the cities' crowds and constrictions, the presence of hostile werewolves prevents most Gangrel from living outside their confines. Gangrel vampires seem to support the Camarilla solely because it intrudes upon their unlives less than the Sabbat. Some members of Clan Gangrel think that independance would be better than the nominal Camarilla involvement, however, and the clan's continued membership in the sect is uncertain.

Malkavian
Clan Malkavian has suffered throughout history, and continues to do so to this very night. Every member of this clan is afflicted with madness, and all are slaves to their debilitating lunacy. The Malkavian clan founder is rumored to have been one of the most important vampires of old, but in committing some grevious crime, Caine cursed him and his descendants with insanity. Throughout Cainite history, Malkavians have been alternately feared for their bizarre behavior and sought out for their even more bizarre insight. Kindred who have regular dealings with the Malkavians report that the clan is now morbidly unstable than ever, spreading madness in its wake like a contagious disease. Though the Malkavians have historically been fragmented and disorganizd, recent migratory waves and inexplicable gatherings have many elders questioning ? and fearing ? the possible future of the lunatic clan.

Nosferatu
The members of Clan Nosferatu suffer the most visible curse of all. The Embrace hideously deforms them, twisting them into literal monsters. Legends say that the Nosferatu were blighted as punishment for their founder's degeneracy and his childer's wicked behavior, but in modern nights, Clan Nosferatu is known for levelheadedness and calm in the face of adversity. Nosferatu have reputations as information brokers and harvesters of secrets, as their horrid appearances have forced them to perfect their mystical ability to hide, sometimes in plain sight. At present, the clan claims it has distanced itself from its founder and no longer serves him. Some Kindred whisper than the clan is on terrible terms with its progenitor, and that he actively seeks their destruction.

Toreador
Prodigals of the Kindred, Clan TOreador indulges in excess and degeneracy, all while claiming to maintain patronage of the arts. TO a great degree, this patronage is true, as the clan claims many talented artists, musicians, writers, poets, and other gifted creators. On the other hand, the clan possesses just as many "poseurs," those who fancy themselves great aethetes but lack the ability to create at all. According to legend, the Toreador's support of the arts dates back to the clan founder's Embrace of a pair of twins. The twins persued unlives of beauty and indolence whiel their sire, Arikel (if the tale is to be believed), doted on them, protecting them from the ravages of plague, famine, and parricade that swallowed the First City. Further, darker rumors circulate that one of the twins eventually grew depraved in her immortality and slew her brother and sire. Clan Toreador vehemently denies this, and those who bring up the subject suffer the clan's wrath.

Tremere
No clan is so shrouded in deliberate mystery as the Tremere. The inventors and practitioners of terrible blood magics, the secretive Tremere have a tightly knit political structure based on the acquisition of power, as well as a fanatical clan loyalty practically unknown to any other Kindred. Because of the veil of secrecy that surrounds the clan, disturbing stories have surfaced as to the nature of their vampirism. Some Kindred claim that the Tremere are not truly vampires at all, but rather mortal wizards who cursed themselves for eternity while studying the secret of immortality. One of the most rampant rumors, spread gy a Gypsy visitor to their chantry-house in Vienna, is that the clan founder, Tremere himself, is undergoing a horrid metamorphosis into something else. Clan Tremere is silent on the matter, and looks askance upon those who would presume to know its secrets.

Ventrue
The nominal leaders of the Camarilla, the Ventrue claim to have created and supported the organization of the sect since its inception. The clan suspects that its founder was slain by a member of the Brujah clan, which is a great blow to its members' pride. In any event, the clan almost certifiably has no founder any longer, and has thereby achieved untold independence from the Antediluvians. Nonetheless, Ventrue actively involve themselves in the Jyhad, in which they exercise their formidable influence over the doings of the mortals. Much curiosity exists among the Kindred as to the inner workings of htis well-organized clan, as rumors of dark mysteries and slumbering Ancients sometimes slip out from under the Ventrue's austere facade.

The Clans of the Sabbat
Like the Camarilla, the Sabbat welcomes any Kindred who wishes to become a member ? provided the vampire in question subscribes to the sect's inhunman philosophy.

Lasombra
No other clan embraces what it means to be a vampire as the Lasombra do. This clan prize ruthlessness and resourcefulness, actively encouraging their members to engage in subversive manipulations and devious sect politics. Those most cunning will come out on top, and this strengthens the clan as a whole. The Lasombra clan is to the Sabbat what the Ventrue clan is to the Camarilla. But where the Ventrue uphold a facade of civility, the Lasombra have no problems with reveling in their monstrous natures. They are vampires, and they find great pleasure in their damnation. At the time of the Anarch Revolt, the vast majority of the clan turned against their elders, and the clan claims to have slain its Antediluvian founder.

Tzimisce
It Clan Lasombra is the heart of the Sabbat, Clan Tzimisce is the soul. The Tzimisce do not consider themselves to be human; in general they think of themselves as blessed with a superior status. They are obsessed with their birthplaces and graves; they almost always carry around some of their "sacred" soil (on which they must sleep every day), and are fiercely territorial. The Tzimisce are known for their body altering technique, called Vicissitude or, less formally, "fleshcrafting." Tzimisce can supernaturally alter the bodies of living and undead organisms, even to the point of melting them. For this clan, body alteration is an art and a philosophy. In the modern ages, most Tzimisce are transhumanists, posthumanists and social Darwinists. Sooner or later, many Tzimisce become totally lost in this cold and utterly inhuman way of thinking, often losing all contact with the concepts of mercy, compassion, or moral value. When parting company with a Tzimisce, praise yourself lucky. The Fiend has judged you worthy of continued existence... for now.

Natalia · Date: 2006-08-05 18:39 EST

Chapter 6: The Nature of the Feast - Blood and Feeding

One cannot write any kind of text or volume on vampires without focusing on their primary form of existance. To wit, the drinking blood from humans. This chapter I have devoted a great amount of detail, even going so far as to travel to Urth to speak with men and women of medicine to learn as much as I can of the blood-delivery system of humans. After a few stunned doctors and nurses got over the fact that I was actually a gnome and not a dwarf (as they referred to me as, as if I had a great beard and a mining pick! Apparently, their definition of 'dwarf' is considerably different from ours here in Rhy'Din!), they were most forthcoming with information.

The following passages describe, in great detail, the "circulatory system" of the average human. It's a bit dry to read in places, but its importance to this report on vampires cannot be overlooked.

Fun blood facts
The average adult human body contains a little less than nine pints of blood; this is about 7% of the body by volume. Blood is pumped around the body by the heart, through the 100,000 miles (or thereabouts) of blood vessels which make up the circulatory system, carrying oxygen to, and carbon dioxide away from the organs and muscles. The heart is a two-stage pump which connects to two distinct circulatory systems. The first is the pulmonary circulation, which carries blood from the right side of the heart, through the pulmonary artery and into the lung capillaries. The blood then returns through the pulmonary veins to the left side of the heart. The left side then pumps the blood into the aorta, from where it is distributed around the body through the systemic circulation.

Blood vessels which take blood away from the heart are called arteries. The blood in the arteries is under high pressure from the heart's pumping action. They are tough, elastic-walled vessels, and muscles in the walls which aid the heart in pumping the blood. The relaxing and constricting action of the arteries creates the pulse that can be felt at the wrists and throat. With the exception of the pulmonary artery, the arteries carry oxygen-rich blood to the capillaries: tiny, thin-walled vessels where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged within the body tissues. The blood, now rich in waste carbon dioxide, returns through the veins to the heart, and is pumped into the pulmonary circulation where the reverse transfer takes place. The veins are less strong than the arteries, since the blood is at lower pressure, which also means that a pulse can not be felt in the veins. Venous blood is purplish in colour.

About 55% of the blood, by volume, is plasma ? a straw-coloured liquid which acts as a medium for the blood cells and platelets. The plasma is 90% water, with the remainder being made up of proteins, including albumin, various clotting factors and immunoglobins (the Urth-bound humans attempted to explain what, exactly, an immunoglobin was but it made this gnome's head hurt something fierce). Albumin levels regulate the diffusion of water through the walls of the capillary vessels; low levels lead to excess leakage. The plasma also carries many dissolved minerals and nutrients from digested food to the body's tissues.

The aorta is the main artery which carries blood away from the heart. It is located within the thorax and abdomen. The carotid arteries carry blood up the neck to the brain. The femoral arteries are located in the thighs, and contain blood under very high pressure. Serious damage to the femoral arteries can virtually empty the body of blood in seconds. The primary vein in the upper arm is the brachial, while the lower arm has the ulnar and radial. The main veins are the inferior and superior vena cava, which complete the return of blood to the heart, and the jugular vein which returns blood from the throat. The saphenous vein is the main vein in the leg. The hepatic portal vein carries blood loaded with the digested parts of food to the liver. The pulmonary artery and veins form the pulmonary circulation. Here the artery carries waste-rich blood, and the veins oygenated.

The moral of the story, you ask? Dear readers, it has been my experience (though not direct; through intensive questioning and interrogation of vampires) that Cainites prefer the oxygen-rich blood of the arteries over the carbon dioxide-rich waste blood of the veins. Why is this important? Because it means that the main pulse points of the body are where the vampires are most likely to try and bite you, you nincompoop!

The main pulse points are the carotid (throat), temporal (temples), facial (cheek), brachial (inside of the elbow joint), radial (wrist), femoral (thigh/groin), posterior tibial (ankle) and dorsalis pedis (back of the foot).

Storing blood
Spilt blood rapidly loses its potency, and unless consumed while still warm will not provide sustenance. Moreover, at least a pint of spilt blood must be consumed, and it will yield no more than a trifle of essential energy for the vampire if consumed; slightly more if the source is especially potent. Stored blood may last longer, but in most cases it too loses potency once cold. Some vampires store mortal blood in airtight containers, but this can only ever retain the vital energies within the blood for a few days. Older blood, unless the energy is locked in by some mystical means, may retain its freshness and consistency with correct treatment, but it is utterly without nourishment. Ultimately, the only reliable store of blood is the living body of a human being.

The problem stems from the simple fact that mortal blood does not store its vital energy. A human?s circulation is like an electrical circuit: In feeding, the vampire taps into that circuit to draw off electricity, but if the wires are removed, they do not bring the electricity with them. Vampiric vitae is a different matter entirely, and its primary purpose is to act as a holder for vital energy once removed from the mortal frame, but there are entirely separate problems involved in storing it.

Bank blood retains its nummy bloody goodness longer than most, because its purpose, the reason for its storage, is the transference of life from one human to another. Symbolically, and through the mysteries of medical science, it retains its vital virtue ? which is also why transfusion aids in the recovery of lost vital energy as well as blood. It is weakened though, and as with spilt blood, a full baggie will supply only a triflling amount of power to the vampire.

It should also be remembered that blood is rarely stored whole. The stored form most useful to a vampire is the red cells from one unit of blood, together with a small amount of plasma and anti-coagulants. Plasma and some red cells are stored frozen for up to a year, but these are next to useless to a vampire.

Powerful Blood
When a vampire talks of powerful blood, he means a powerful life. In general terms, blood will be increased in potency by any factor which, as an ongoing effect, elongates lifespan or accelerates healing. The incredible regenerative powers of the werewolves, for example, mean that their blood is twice as strong as that of a human, along with granting a propensity for violent frenzy on the part of the ingesting vampire. As a consolation to the werewolf, the vampire will almost certainly be in a far worse state. Exceptionally old vampires have extraordinarily powerful blood as well, as do the mercurial fae.

Feeding
The Kiss is one of the most potent weapons in the vampire?s arsenal. It is not to be mistaken for a mere bite; it does little physical harm, and certainly no appreciable level of damage, and even if not closed with a lick, the tiny wounds ? usually twin punctures or a small gash ? will stop bleeding after a minute or so, scab over, and heal almost completely unless the injury is picked at and worried. The Kiss is the feeding process at its most sophisticated; forming a close bond between vampire and victim, through which the vital energies may flow. The nature of this bond is a continual flow of blood between the two parties, and it makes the Kiss an efficient and relatively swift way to feed.

To invoke the Kiss, the vampire must break the skin of his victim using either a claw or, more usually, his fangs. The wound must be small enough for the vampire to cover with his mouth, and this he must do, so that no drop of blood is spilt. This process forms the bond, and seals it so that the flow efficiently delivers all of the victim?s essence to the vampire. It creates in the victim an ecstatic bliss, akin to orgasm, but more sustained than most; a vampire?s most important guard against discovery and destruction is the pleasure he gives to victims he does not kill. Most never realise that they are being harmed in any way. The tiny wounds used to feed may be closed by a simple lick from the vampire who inflicted them, completely concealing the deed.

Long term use of the Kiss can cause degradation in the victim. If the same contact point is used repeatedly, the flesh around it begins to degrade. Tissue damage and even collapse of the veins in the area can occur, like with overuse of a vein to inject drugs, and it pays to move your contact point. As an added incentive to do so, an over-used point can become numbed, and the impact of the Kiss can be lessened.

Matters of Taste
Blood, for a vampire, is not merely blood. Like any kind of food or drink, it has its vintages, its varieties, and its flavourings. There are many factors which go into making up the bouquet of a particular blood, and each vampire has his preferences. The primary factors are: physiology and biochemistry; health; diet; drug-use; and emotional state.

Physiology has a number of effects. Firstly, a person?s racial heritage imparts certain, subtle, innate characteristics, which form the basis of all else; blood group and rhesus factors also provide their own unique flavours. These factors overlap with health conditions. Hyperglycemics taste sweet, while diabetics do not (though the exact definition of either of those states also made this poor gnome's head hurt). Exhaustion depletes the flavour, while a healthy body has more flavour; like corn-fed chicken. Any disease which affects the blood will add to the bouquet, but most are avoided, as they add a taste of decay. Body fat makes the blood rich, but heavy; it is purely a matter of taste.

Diet has a tremendous effect on a victim?s taste. Whatever she eats most often will leave a residual taste, as well as affecting the balance of minerals and fats in the bloodstream. Garlic, onion, strong spices and chilli peppers leave an especially notable aroma, and curry hounds are an acquired taste. Drug-use not only provides a taste sensation by altering the body?s chemistry, it provides a solid rush as the drugs enter the vampire?s body. This effect is milder than direct use of the drug, but is the only way a vampire can experience most drugs. Alcohol is the most common drug, and has a particularly potent effect on blood chemistry, as well as filling it with alcohol.

Emotional state is also a very important factor. Endorphins, sex hormones, adrenaline; all of these things are released into the blood and affect its flavour. These can be among the most important factors to vampires, because they are the factors most easily controlled. A vampire may like to toy with his victims, to put the taste of fear in their blood, and many Casanovas hunt the way they do because they enjoy the taste of an aroused victim. In addition, emotional levels are like a drug, and can infect the feeding vampire, especially through the Kiss. In this way, a vampire can become happy, sad, depressed, excited, aroused or angry through the blood chemistry of their prey. Those who feed on frightened mortals often liken the experience to that of a mortal on a rollercoaster.

Feeding on Animals
While they do not contain as much vital essence as a human, it is possible for a vampire to live by hunting and feeding on animals. It is not possible to live well on such a diet. Aside from the fact that a vampire who eschews human prey must almost constantly hunt to find enough to support himself, they will also begin to take on bestial characteristics from the blood which they consume. These are usually not physical traits, but rather mannerisms, and smells. An animal feeder becomes feral, wary of all contact. They begin to rely on instincts rather than reason, suffering penalties and depletion of their intelligence and self-control.

Most unfortunatly of all, though, they begin to take on a distinct animal musk, suffering obvious penalties in social situations.

Moreover, when all is said and done, vampires are supposed to prey on their own kind. A vampire who has long-avoided human blood is apt to lose control altogether when the opportunity to take it presents itself. The scent of human blood can be enough to send such a vampire into a feeding frenzy, even if he is fully fed, burning the animal blood from his body to make room for the sweet, sweet human blood.

Natalia · Date: 2006-08-05 19:03 EST

Author's Note: Sex is discussed here. You have been warned.

Chapter 7: Necrophilia - Vampires and Sex

Quit your blushing. We're all adults here, for the most part, and I am a gnome who stands firmly by the belief in the open discussion of all things. Vampires, as mentioned earlier in this dissertation, are creatures of extreme passion and sensuality. So, commonly, many things they do revolve around a sexual act of some kind, and so I would be remiss if I did not mention it here.

This section should have restricted itself to fairly normal vampire sex. Whatever else individual vampires may do to get their jollies is beyond the scope of this gnome's mind to want to imagine, but, as ever my dear readers, I will attempt to explain all that I have learned in my research.

Are vampires emotionally dead creatures whose passions died along with that once beating lump of meat in their chests? Are they cursed to walk the avenues of night with nothing but the memories and echoes of mortal loves to sustain them through eternity?

Perhaps.

If this is true, however, why do the myriad writings speak of the Kindred passions in the hunt, the embrace, the nightly Kiss that prolongs eternal life and brings ecstasy to victor and victim? Why are the Kindred described as feeling desire, remorse, lust, anger, hurt, jealousy, and a myriad of other emotional reactions? Obviously the death of the Vampire heart is a fiction, a lie perpetrated by the old upon the young to explain the boredom and failing humanity that comes with age and moral compromise as the Kindred marches further and further into eternal night, ever more distant from the memory of their mortal existence.

Vampires do suffer the cacophony of emotional turmoil ? desire, anguish, lust, and heartbreak are all real companions on the endless dark road of the Embraced. Their bodies may no longer function the way they did in life, but the Vampire still feels as acutely as ever. Love, anger, hatred, lust, and even pleasure. Pleasure, the honeyed cup that passes to our lips in a plethora of forms, whether we are alive or undead. What is pleasure to the Vampire? What is erotic to the children of the night?

What form does Vampiric erotica take?

Many think of pleasures of the flesh when the word 'erotica' enters the conversational fray. Carnal desires and gratification are the first, last, and only consideration of the average contemplation of erotica. While the pleasures of the flesh are far from the only form of erotica, this still brings us to an important question. Are carnal pleasures beyond the purvey of the undead?

Yes, and no.

Carnal desire and pleasure is largely a physiological response to stimuli, and is largely sub-conscious. What "turns us on" varies from culture to culture and person to person, but the physical responses to stimulation are universal ? arousal. This is true of every relatively functional human being alive, and elves, and dragons, and any other still-living race that marches, walks, crawls, skitters, slinks, or flies over the face of Rhy'Din.

But Vampires are no longer human, and certainly no longer alive in the medical sense. Their bodies do not function, hormones are not produced, their physical responses are truly dead in any erotically relevant terms.

In short, autonomic arousal is impossible for the Kindred.

It is possible for a Vampire to simulate arousal through an expenditure of precious blood. The male can ready himself to perform through an act of sheer willpower, and the female can be receptive through a similar moment of decision ? although close examination of the "aroused" female Vampire is unwise, since it is blood with which she prepares herself for the act. Neither will respond involuntarily to any amount of physical or emotional stimuli, no Vampire will ever become physically "turned on" unless they choose to seem to be. In the end, it will always be a simulation, and not the hot, sweaty, and steamy coupling of their remembered mortality.

The vampire body is cold and unyielding, stiff, dry and dead to the touch. Even more precious blood must be wasted for the Kindred to temporarily do away with these realities as well.

Your average Vampire is reticent to waste so much blood just to simulate an act which will never give them the pleasure they once felt. They are even less eager to pursue this pointless exercise when they compare fruitless carnal couplings with the intensity and ecstasy of the Kiss ? of feeding.

The Kiss has been described by a Vampire himself in this fashion: "...drinking the finest champagne and the sensation of the most sensual lovemaking you've ever experienced. Overlay that with the rush the opium fiend feels as he takes that first breath on the pipe..."

A powerful description, and undeniably one that paints an image of the heights of pleasure. Does this mean that feeding becomes the only pleasure in a Vampire's nightly existence?

No. Not necessarily.

Feeding may be the epitome of physical pleasure for the undead, but the realm of the physical is far from the summation of all things erotic. The mind and emotions play the largest part in what anyone responds to as erotica, and these faculties are still powerfully functional in every Kindred.
What is erotic and erotica quickly becomes a game of the mind and heart for the undead. Feeding brings them life and pleasure, but the means by which they garner their prey can become a large part of their new erotica.

For some, the hunt becomes an intense rush of pursuit, capture, and sanguine rape. They stalk their potential victims carefully, admiring them, lusting after them, imagining the final moments far in advance, building themselves towards a frenzy of desire. They sweep down upon their intended meal and drag them into their embrace, reveling in a viciously sensual coupling with an unwilling victim that is as ecstatic and erotic for the Vampire as any sexual release.

Others plan their feedings with deliberation, weaving elaborate seductions of the mind and heart that lead to the final willing ? even eager ? surrendering by their "lover" of both body and blood. The Vampire builds herself into an icon of sensuality and passion in the eyes of her paramour, while elevating her victim on a pedestal of desire. The final Kiss becomes an emotional and physical apex of pleasure for both. Victims of these grand seductions are often helplessly enslaved to the passions and desires of their dark lover, while the Vampire becomes so intensely focused on her play of pleasure that she may come to love her mortal vessel, or at least believe she does.

There are many ways that this kind of substitute eroticism can be manifested, but beyond even this there are many ways for Vampires to be erotically active and sensual beings.

Beside the means and ways of feeding, there are other forms of erotica and gratification for the Kindred, each of them methods that reach to the mind and heart.

Many Vampires develop voyeurism of one type or another as they find their emotions piqued by visions of beauty. A Vampire does not need to be from the clan of the Toreador to develop a fascination for beautiful things, and in the realm of the erotic it is possible for many Kindred to develop a taste for watching. This voyeurism may take the form of peeping in windows of favorite victims or enraptured ghouls. In the more brazen it may take the form of staging erotic or sexual "performances" from the romantic to the lurid that the Kindred oversees and watches openly. Or it may simply be long and sensual contemplation of a beautiful figure as he or she lounges before an admiring master.

Yes, my readers. Terrifying.

A step beyond this voyeuristic pleasure is the vicarious enjoyment of sensuality with the intended victim or favored 'partner'. The Vampire gains their pleasure from watching the effect of their touch or caress on their paramour. This form of vicarious eroticism can take many guises, from the gently passionate lover that brings their partner to the heights of ecstasy through a night of erotic massage, to the sadistic dominant that tortures their submissive into orgasmic release. However it is accomplished, the Vampire participates only vicariously, drawing their own satisfaction from watching the emotional and physical heights of their mortal lover.

Vampires are not reduced to sexless and emotionless creatures by the death of their mortal bodies, they are simply redefined, and are still capable of living richly erotic and sensual lives. The act of mere sex may no longer play a direct part in their eroticism, but this lack is by no means a death of sensuality, merely a change.

And to some ? even a refinement.

Vampires known colloquially as Don Juans, Casanovas, Casanundas, Incubi, Succubi, Molly Blooms, Moll Flanders, Adam Eves, and a dozen other names descriptive, derogatory and/or obscene ? use seduction and sex as a method of hunting, often in order to tailor the taste of their blood.

Still, most vampires who prey upon different sources from night to night will not engage in a sexual congress with their prey. Those who do tend to be more used to the act than most, and are able to put on a better show of enjoyment. Lacking such experience, or accomplishment in the performance or subterfuge (for sake of their Masquerade), the vampire?s partner may notice something amiss in their performance. While they may not realise that their partner is either a vampire, or dysfunctional, this kind of slightly off feeling can lead to dangerous suspicion.

Or even worse, in this gnome's opinion, the relationship talk.

A very small number of vampires possess some ability to participate regularly in the sexual act, almost always requiring some expenditure of blood, and a few of these ? often young and thin-blooded vampires ? both enjoy and crave sex. These are known by the derogatory terms satyr, or nymphomaniac. Most vampires consider vampiric satyriasis and nymphomania to be grotesque aberrations, or at least a form of serious sickness. Sabbat in particular consider that kind of desire to be a retrograde holdover from humanity, and a sign that the vampire is in some form of denial of their new state.

Satyric and nymphomaniac vampires also present a danger to themselves and others. While they will not always have sex with their prey, they will almost always feed on those they bed. When they do so, the two desires have a tendency to amplify each other. Frenzy is not uncommon, and a vampire is not only far more likely than usual to kill their victim in such a circumstance than in a normal feeding, but less likely to be cautious about how they kill them. Many of a satyr?s victims will be unmistakably vampire victims, and in the worst case scenario the vampire will not even think to close the wounds of a Kiss before it is too late.

Natalia · Date: 2006-08-05 19:17 EST

Chapter 8: 'Till death do us part - Vampires and Love

The myths and legends of vampires have their basis in truth, even if many of those tales have strayed far from fact. The picture painted of the classic romantic vampire also springs from truth.

Save for those who actively toil to rid themselves of any feeling, Kindred are emotional creatures; perhaps even more driven by their emotions as humanitarian ethics begin to slip away with nothing to replace them. No longer do the human social protocols serve to mitigate the feelings of Kindred, and emotions like hate, fear, lust, and love are thrown into the light of startling clarity.

This treatise deals only with the machinations of romantic love, as it is the purest and most powerful positive emotion a vampire can experience. While the normal evolution of romance is changed for Kindred, the raw emotion of love is not. The immortal heart still falls prey to notions of passion and fulfillment, acceptance and invitation, grace and desire.

It is no secret that many human beings suffer under the notion that they are incomplete without a spouse or lover; that only through another can they be made whole. There is no magical property of the embrace that changes this quality, and those who experienced the driving need for companionship in life may still in death. Their search is made more difficult, perhaps even more tragically disappointing, by their new condition as it inhibits their ability to fulfill this need. They cannot seek love in the human quarter, for what human would love a creature that preys upon their very race? Even if love could transcend that perceived shortcoming, no such relationship could truly be shared without the human discovering the true nature of the vampire. Two options are left then: the vampire must risk both her own life and the life of her lover to the Masquerade, or her lover must be made a ghoul. Obviously the latter of the choices is more reasonable and more likely, and both may be happy with their romance for a time. As the slavery of the bond becomes apparent, however, this happiness will begin to ebb. The Kindred will eventually be left no choice but to realize that she does not know if it is love or simply the chains of her blood. The ghoul will come to realize that her choice to love has been taken away, perhaps eventually driven mad by the resentment of her situation warring with the love she can no longer escape. Inevitably the relationship turns sour, and the vampire must again look for the love that is the only thing that can make her whole. When this new love is located and likely also enthralled, she is often brought home to face the former lover she is replacing. So begins the jealous rivalry among the Kindred's thralls, and the self-defeating cycle is cemented.

Perhaps the vampire will come to realize the painful futility of this process before it ever begins, and shy away from considering humans as possible lovers. Perhaps she will instead turn to her own kind, seeking the redeeming grace of love in the arms of another Kindred.

Such a backbiting and deceitful lot are the kindred that it may be nigh impossible to find even one who inspires such dedication and devotion in a kindred heart without the aid of the blood bond. The possibility of romance is decreased even further when that devotion must be returned. There is the rare instance when it does happen though, and those who find their true love among night's children are undeniably in for a bumpy ride.

In the most basic terms, love is a weakness; a chink in even the most carefully constructed armor. A significant other is precisely the kind of leverage other Kindred wait for.

Perhaps they are too difficult to reach and influence, but their lover is not. Perhaps someone has the ability and drive to put puppet strings on the spouse that even the vampire could not detect. If it comes to it, they can always take the loved one from them and use her as a bargaining chip, for they have already made it publicly known that whatever else they may care about, they care about her. The lover will be the first target of those who seek to wound them or gain power over the vampire without striking at them directly.

There is also the strain of Kindred society on the relationship itself. If they are of different clans, pressure may come from the elders to break their ties with the rival bloodline. One might lose face and standing for consorting with the inferior clan at best, and be marked a traitor to their own clan at worst. Kindred who seek to weaken the position of both the vampire and their spouse simply to assure that they cannot rise above them may orchestrate situations that will place them in direct competition or conflict with their loved one, knowing that the emotional and social turmoil that follows will keep them occupied for quite some time.

Eventually the physiology of Kindred will factor in, and the blood bond will become an issue. Kindred are known for their propensity for distrust, and perhaps neither in the relationship will wish to become enthralled to their lover. Conversely, perhaps both desire to bind their lover, to ensure their beloved cannot break their heart. There is also the danger of frenzy, and the horrible impact such a loss of control could have on the union.

If the relationship survives all these trials ? the possible estrangement from clan, the perils of treachery from their enemies, the basic facts of unlife as a vampire ? the Kindred may find herself in a long and somewhat happy relationship.

That is, until ennui begins to set in.

Vampires are notorious for boring easily, and the strange and meticulous obsessions they develop are proof of that fact. Kindred who overcome the tribulations of having a Kindred spouse often have drudgery to look forward to. They can likely anticipate the day when their lover no longer quickens them, no longer serves as a shining point of fascinating light in an otherwise dark night.

And so one or the other tires of their lover first, as synchronous boredom is almost too kind to hope for. In this way the vampire will likely create their greatest enemy, for the wrath of a Kindred heart scorned surely makes their human equivalents seem little more than pouting children in comparison. Amidst the myriad possibilities of war waged by their estranged lover, the Kindred must begin their search anew.

But where to look now?

To seek refuge in mortal arms? No, the error in this choice is clear now. To seek acceptance in the kindred heart? No, her head still reels from the last undead lover. The changing breeds, the fae? No, for if she knows of them at all she knows there is no quarter for the waking dead in their ranks.

This may well be where derangements begin, where a frantic and desperate need that seems to have no hope of fulfillment drives the Kindred to ever more extreme ends. This may be the point when a simple desire becomes a consuming obsession that will color the vampire's every dealing and thought. Conversely, this may be the point where emotional isolation begins. Perhaps the Kindred has faith in the utter futility of the search for something she needs so badly, and contrives to remove herself from the possibility of experiencing the pain of failure. Perhaps this is the point when the Kindred heart and mind are torn, one seeking affection while the other rails against the very notion.

But not all Kindred harbor such a consuming obsession, and not all persons who receive the embrace buy into the dogma that one must have a significant other to make them complete. Some are perfectly content to be alone in that respect, feeling like they are in no way lessened by their single state. That does not, however, mean that these Kindred are immune to cupid's arrows. It does mean that these vampires are in a better position to see the folly of playing at games of love when other, more deadly games are constantly at hand.

The Kindred who suddenly finds themselves enamored of another is no doubt in for hours of self-analyzation, wondering at the wisdom of exposing herself in such a fashion even while she does so. She may develop a strange love/hate relationship for the object of her affections, damning them for their alluring qualities even as she damns herself for falling victim to them. Perhaps she will decide to be content with secret admiration from afar, refusing to take notice of the fact that her favor for this Kindred or Kine is slowly being detected by her allies and enemies alike. Perhaps she will suffer months of personal failure, resolving to divorce herself from such paltry desires and having those resolutions shattered each time the irresistible other is near. If she is an older Kindred, become accustomed to the devious games of intrigue and manipulation so common among her kind, perhaps she will attempt to use these same games to draw the object of her desire close to her.

If the one that catches the Kindred eye is human, fantasies of love and acceptance may inspire the Kindred to embrace the mortal. This too usually ends terribly, as the loved one realizes what they have become and how closely bound they now are to their significant other. Worse off still is the Kindred whose love is embraced by another, for the sire may ask whatever they like in return for even allowing the enamored Kindred to speak to the object of their affections.

The potential disappointments and heartaches of Kindred in love are as numerous as the means to manipulate and prey upon the weaknesses of others, and the victory of Kindred love is rare at best. The more that love becomes a driving force, the more difficult the Kindred's situation will become because of it. Love among the humans is never an easy thing to manage, and that one emotion can drive even the most stable and reasoning mind to acts of insanity or desperation.

Among kindred, where extreme behavior is easily the norm, those acts can become equally extreme.

Whatever the root, whatever the cause, and whatever the target, love is a many-headed beast that harries any Kindred who dare enter its lair. Once a vampire falls victim to such powerful emotions, they are likely not to see themselves free of it any time soon.

Natalia · Date: 2006-08-05 19:37 EST

Chapter 9: The Reinfields among us - Ghouls and Blood Bonds

Kindred in need of powerful servitors often cultivate ghouls. Created by giving a mortal or animal a sip of vampiric vitae without first draining their blood, ghouls most commonly serve as minions of their vampiric masters, known then as domitors. Although not so powerful as Kindred, ghouls may use the ingested vitae to become preternaturally strong and resilient.

Most ghouls are fanatically loyal to their masters, for ghouls are just as suseptible to the blood bond (see below) as Kindred are. As the ghoul requires the blood of her domitor to maintain her status, she often has cause to drink repeatedly from the same vampire.

Frightening rumors abound, however, of ghouls gone rogue, rebelling against their Kindred masters, killing them, and seeking out the precious vitae from other vampires. These marauding ghouls do not seve new masters; rather, they strike at unwary of weak Kindred and take the blood by force, often destroying the hapless vampire in the process. Many Kindred scoff at these rumors, but others know all to well the power of ghouls and keep their eyes on their own entourages.

Blood Bonds
One of the most wonderous and terrible properties of Kindred blood is its ability to enslave nearly any being who drinks of it three times. Each sip of a particular Kindred's blood gives the Kindred in quesiton a greater emotional hold over the drinker. If a being drinks three times, on three seperate nights, from the same Kindred, she falls victim to a state known as the blood bond. A vampire who holds a blood bond over another being is said to be that victim's regant, while the being subordinate to the bond is called the thrall.

Put simply, blood bonding is one of the most potent emotional sensations known. A blood bound victim is absolutely devoted to her regant and will do nearly anything for him. Even the most potent use of Dominate cannot overcome the thrall's feelings for her regant; only true love stands a chance against the bond, and even that is not a sure thing.

The blood bond is most commonly used to ensnare mortals and ghouls, but Kindred can bind each other as well. Such is the blood bond's power that a mighty elder can be bound to a lowly neonate; in this respect, the blood of a freshly-raised Thirteenth Generation fledgling is (presumably) as strong as that of Caine himself. As such, the blood bond forms an essential strategy in the Jyhad; some Ancients are said to hold dozens of influential Kindred in secret thralldom.

First Drink
The drinker begins to experience intermittent but strong feelings about the vampire. She may dream of him, or find herself "coincidentally" frequenting places where he might show up. All childer have this level of bond toward their sires, for the Embrace itself forces one drink upon the childer; they may love their "parents," hate them, or both, but are rarely indifferent toward them.

Second drink
The drinker's feelings grow strong enough to influence her behavior. Though she is by no means enslaved to the vampire, he is definitely an important figure in her life. She may act as she pleases, but it takes a very strong will to take actions directly harmful to the vampire. The Kindred's influence is such that he can persuade or command her with little effort.

Third drink
Full-scale blood bond. At this level, the drinker is more or less completely bound to the vampire. He is the most important person in her life; lovers, relatives, even children become tertiary to her all-consuming passion.

The blood bond is true love, albeit a twisted and preverse version of it. Ultimately, we can't reduce the vagaries of love down to a simple yes/no system. Some thralls will commit any act, including suicide or murder, for their beloved; others have certain core principles that they will not violate.

A full blood bond, once formed, is nearly inviolate. Once bound, a thrall is under the sway of her regant and her regant only. SHe cannot be bound again by another vampire unless the first blood bond wears away "naturally." A vampire can experience lesser bonds toward several individuals.

Upon the formation of a full blood bond, though, all lesser sensations are wiped away.

The only "reliable" way to remove a blood bond is total absence of contact between the thrall and the regent. It takes a matter of many, many months, and an extraordinarily strong will to break the "addiction."

It is, after all, love.

Natalia · Date: 2006-08-05 19:43 EST

In Closing

My readers, my friends, take note and heart:

The above information was not provided to give you a tactical advantage over any vampire you might face. It was merely a tool of knowledge, and understanding, that you might come to better understand these undead visitors from Urth.

Still, the most remarkable part of human existance (and, indeed, gnomish existance) is free will. Do as you want with the information. The last thing I have done is used my magics to establish a Keeping upon the book ? should any vampire from Urth attempt to destroy this tomb, it will simply reform. If not being actively read, it will magically appear back upon the shelf from whence it came. Read well and quickly, my friends, for there are those who would kill you for this knowledge.

I wish you well in whatever adventures you undertake in Rhy'Din, but know that I wash my hands and absolve myself of responsibility for any attempt you choose to make in the use of this information against those who would prey upon their former race.

You have been warned.

Scholar of the Academy of Arcane Sciences,

Gnorkin Cogstopper