Vampire the Masquerade

Bela Lugosi's dead, and so am I. But what's left of Bela is rotting in a pine coffin somewhere, while I have the opportunity to sit here on the balcony, enjoy my drink and look at you. Correct me if I'm being presumptuous, but I suspect that I have the better end of the deal.

I can tell by looking at you that you're not comprehending. Of course you're not these are cynical, rational times, and you're not going to believe that I'm a dead man just because I say so. A century ago it would have been different well, it was quite different the last time I had this little talk with someone but this is the age of facts. And the facts are that corpses don't move, don't walk, don't talk. I'm terribly sorry, my dear, but I have a surprise for you: This corpse does.

So sit down. Please, I insist that you make yourself comfortable. Pour yourself something to drink, preferably from the bottle on the left the stuff on the right is an acquired taste. It's going to be a long evening, and you're going to need a stiff drink or two, I suspect. After all, in the next few hours I'm going to explain to you in excruciating detail why everything you think you know about life and death is wrong. In other words, you don't know a blessed thing about the way the world really works, and I'm going to open your eyes.

What are we? The Damned childer of Caine? The grotesque lords of humanity? The pitiful wretches of eternal hell? We are vampires, and that is enough. I am vampire, and that is far more than enough. I am that which must be feared, worshipped and adored. The world is mine -- now and forever.

What is a claim of age for ones who are immortal? What is a claim of power for ones who defy death? Call your damnable hunt. We shall see whom I drag screaming to hell with me.

The Beast rages within us all, only the strongest will may hold it back and control it from within. Sometimes it will break free of its bonds. It will run wild amongst your mortal world until it is recaptured and contained. The strain of self-control and shameful memories of failed control are hard enough to bear. The worst of it all is, that this will surely happen again. Over the centuries this awareness gnaws at the mind like a rat at a ship's cable.

Obsessive devotion to some self-appointed task can help keep this despair from the mind, and if the task is one of great goodness, it is possible to reason that the end justifies the means. Yet some of us cultivate addictions, such as Gambling or collecting art. While others shut themselves away and confine their hunting to small areas, telling themselves that they are protecting the world.

It is hard, as we strive against the urge, but we know that madness awaits us. The flame of humanity ebbs and sputters until finally it is exhausted. The beast is victorious, and monsters we become in truth. The Beast resides within our heart, and directs us towards evil, but when it overtakes the halls of our souls, then we shall be evil.

" To live as a Vampire is to live in horror. Always squatting on one's shoulder, like a warlock's fiend is the knowledge of the Hunger. And always, always, does it approach....sometimes slowly and surreptitiously, sometimes with great haste, but always ravenously."

The Hunger Can Never Fully Be Satiated.

Hunger, we call it, but the term is woefully inadequate. Mortals know hunger, even starvation, but this is as nothing compared to what we desire, yearn and loathe. The Hunger replaces almost every need, ever drive known to the living.....food, drink, reproduction, ambition, security....and it is more compelling than all of them combined.

More than a drive, it is a drug, one to which we are born with a hopeless addiction. In the taking of blood lies not only our survival, but also a pleasure beyond description. The Hunger is a physical, mental and spiritual ecstasy which throws all the pleasures of mortal life into shadow.

To be a vampire is to be trapped by the Hunger. The Beast may only be kept subdued by the greatest effort of will; to deny the Hunger enrages the beast, until nothing may keep it in check. Thus we must commit monstrous acts to stop ourselves from becoming monsters....that is the Riddle. Monsters we are, lest monsters we become.

Blood drips onto the paper with a sound like a snare drum. Rat --- tat --- tat it goes. I'm using those drops the way I used to use my heartbeat, as a way to count out a few seconds when I'm trying to be calm. But my heart doesn't beat anymore, so I need to find something else to use.

Right now it is the sound of my blood dripping from my girlfriend’s mouth onto the newspaper on the floor. She supposed to be swallowing it, drinking it and letting it turn her into a vampire so we can be together, but nothing’s happening. I don't know why.

I did it the way my sire told me you have to do it. I took all of her blood first, then I cut my wrist open and let everything drizzle into her mouth the way she used to drizzle chocolate syrup onto her ice cream. Then I sat down and I waited for her to open her eyes again.

That was an hour ago. It’s not supposed to take that long. The blood keeps dripping out of her mouth and I deep putting more in, and it’s not working. The sun's coming up, and it’s not working, and the blood keeps on spilling on the floor. Honey, you've got to drink. Please drink, Honey. Don't be dead. Please, don't be dead.

Clan Brujah is largely composed of rebels, both with and without causes. Individualistic, outspoken and turbulent, Brujah hold social change near to their undead hearts, and the clan's ranks contain some of the most violent of the Camarilla Kindred. Most other vampires perceive the Brujah as nothing more than punks and miscreants, but the truth of the matter is that genuine passion lies behind their polemics.

Even other Damned fear the Malkavians. The cursed blood of their clan has polluted their minds, with the result that every last Malkavian across the world is incurably insane. What's worse, a Malkavian's madness can take nearly any form, from overpowering homicidal tendencies to near-catatonia. In many cases, there's no way to tell a Malkavian apart from the "sane" members of other clans. Those few whose psychoses are immediately obvious are among the most terrifying vampires to stalk the streets.

Caine's childer are called "The Damned," and no vampires embody this more fully than the wretches of Clan Nosferatu. While other vampires still look human and may travel in mortal society, Nosferatu are twisted and deformed by the curse of vampirism. Other Kindred speak shudderingly of Caine placing a mark upon the entire clan for the monstrous deeds of its Antediluvian founder. As such, Nosferatu find themselves loathed and ostracized by the other Children of Caine, who consider them disgusting and interact with them only when they must.

The Toreador are called many things - "degenerates," "artistes," "poseurs" and "hedonists" being but a few. But any such lumpen categorization does the clan a disservice. Depending on the individual and her mood, Toreador are alternately elegant and flamboyant, brilliant and ludicrous, visionary and dissipated. Perhaps the only truism that can be applied to the clan is its members' aesthetic zeal. Whatever a Toreador does, she does with passion. Whatever a Toreador is, she is with passion.

Whether dreaded, mistrusted, feared or reviled, the insular vampires of Clan Tremere are anything but ignored. Those who have heard of the clan's doings are typically suspicious of the Tremere, and with good reason - for the Warlocks are aptly named. Through their own artifice, they have mastered a form of vampiric sorcery, complete with rituals and spells, that is as potent - if not more so - than any other power of the Blood. Paired with the clan's rigid hierarchy and the smoldering ambition so common among Warlocks, this power is an unsettling thing indeed to those who know what the Tremere are capable of doing.

The Kindred of Clan Ventrue have a reputation for being honorable, genteel and of impeccable taste. From time out of mind, Ventrue has been the clan of leadership, enforcing the ancient traditions and seeking to shape the destiny of the Kindred. In nights of old, Ventrue were chosen from nobles, merchant princes or other wielders of power. In modern times the clan recruits from wealthy "old money" families, ruthless corporate climbers, and politicians. Whatever their origin, Ventrue vampires preserve stability and maintain order for the Camarilla. Other Kindred often mistake this for arrogance or avarice, but to the Ventrue, their shepherd's role is more burden than honor.

From the desert wastes of the East come the Assamites, and they bring with them a miasma of terror. The Assamites are known throughout vampire society as a clan of murderous assassins, working for whoever can pay their price. The price they charge for their work is the vitae of other Kindred; for the Assamites, diablerie is the greatest sacrament.

The Followers of Set, more commonly referred to as "Setites," are mistrusted perhaps more than any other clan. Their ties with the archetypal Serpent of myth are well-known, and bolstered by their disturbing powers. They are custodians of knowledge that, according to their claims, predates even the First City. When they enter a city, the Cainite power structure almost inevitably erodes. But most unnerving of all, they share a dark and powerful faith as a clan - a faith that the blood of gods pulses in their cold veins.

The Giovanni are respectful, genteel and well-mannered. Affluent beyond imagination, Clan Giovanni traces its roots back to before the Renaissance, to a family of merchant princes. The clan still maintains its original home in Venice, in a thousand-year-old loggia just outside the heart of the city. No other clan makes such a spectacle of humility and propriety as does the Giovanni. And no other clan hides its blasphemous secrets as well.

If ever a clan was renowned for a wickedly black sense of humor, the Ravnos would be that clan. These Cainites are deceivers of the first order, weaving illusion and lies into elaborate schemes to part the foolish from whatever it is the Ravnos might fancy - be it wealth, blood or even their victims' freedom. Like Mephistopheles or Old Scratch, the Ravnos ply their devil's deals with whomever they choose, be it human or Kindred, and woe to those who wind up unable to pay the hidden costs.

Of all vampires, the Gangrel are perhaps closest to their inner nature. These nomadic loners spurn the constraints of society, preferring the comfort of the wilderness. How they avoid the wrath of the werewolves is unknown; perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the Gangrel are themselves shapeshifters. When a mortal speaks of a vampire changing into a wolf or a bat, she is probably speaking of a Gangrel.

“Death is no threat of people who are not afraid to die: But even is these offenders feared death all day, Who should be rash enough to act as executioner?” --- Lao Tzu, The Way of Life, Witter Bynner, trans.

For time out of mind, vampires followed Darwin's law: Only the strong survive. Those who had the mettle to seize power and the strength to hold it would rule, and so it was. Vampires styled themselves as warlords and nobles, controlling whatever territory the could hold, living in uneasy truce with their mortal and Cainite neighbors, and ever seeking to expand their holdings and herds. In the cities of the ancient world, this often proved disastrous, as vampires battled for trade and feeding grounds.

In the elder nights, the strongest vampire in each city or region claimed domain over it and used whatever means necessary to keep his control over it. As time went on, traditions sprang up around this claiming and controlling, and certain responsibilities were either tacitly assumed or forcible taken by the one in power. The Camarilla set down and enforced these ideals over the centuries following the Renaissance. In 1743, a London anarch published a pamphlet decrying the elder society of Kindred, breaking the Masquerade in a most flamboyant manner. The Camarilla responded quickly, first by covering up the incident (“A most remarkable work of fantastical fiction!”) and destroying the anarch, and them by formally acknowledging position of prince. The office is still held by many vampires in these nights.

The prince is, to put it simply, the vampire who has enough power to hold domain over a city, codify the laws for that city and keep the peace. Such a position is typically held by an elder, for who but an elder has the necessary personal charisma and power to take and hold domain in a metropolis? In some small towns, younger vampires may be able to claim domain the same way, but their claims are rarely respected by the coteries of the cities. On occasion, strange circumstances have placed younger vampires in a position to rule cities, but few such upstarts manage to hold their titles when the elders appear.

Through most younger vampires consider the tradition of Elysium a stuffy, outdated custom, it is one of the more honored of the Kindred’s traditions. A prince may declare portions of domain to be Elysium, places free from violence. It is here that many vampires come to pass the nights, debating, politicking and conducting intrigues among themselves for long hours. The is also where the Kindred business of the city takes place, and about every vampire will have at least one occasion to visit Elysium, if only to speak with the prince or an elder. However, it is certainly an elder’ playground, and the young who venture here are expected to remember that.

Elysium is said to be under the “Pax Vampirica,” meaning that no violence of any sort is permitted to take place and that Elysium is neutral ground. While tempers may flare and heated words may be exchanged, rivals are expected to keep a leash on their tempers. When apologies don't work, offenders are usually shown the door and told to correct their behavior. If things do get our of control on the premises, the prince may punish the offenders through the invocation of the First Tradition.

Most areas of Elysium tend to be sots conducive to artistic or intellectual pursuits, such as opera houses, theaters, museums, galleries, university halls and the like. Occasionally, nightclubs or even certain Kindred havens are declared Elysium. Where one goes, one is expected to have some semblance of proper dress and manners, it for no reason other than the Masquerade.

1.No violence is permitted on the premises. (Many princes take this a step further and demand that no weapons be brought into Elysium, to prevent hot tempers from having ready means.)

2.No art is to be destroyed on pain of Final Death. (“Art has been expanded to include the artist on occasion, making the vampires of Clan Toreador some of the greatest proponents of Elysium.)

3.Elysium is neutral ground. (With relation to Rule One; what happens off Elysium grounds is another thing, however, and the upstart neonate who insults an elder during Elysium had best have reliable transportation back to her haven when she leaves.)

It is also considered bad manners to show up to Elysium hungry. While refreshments are sometimes provided, often they are not, and hunting around Elysium grounds can draw suspicion. If a Kindred brings a guest to Elysium, she is responsible for that guest's behavior.

Central to Kindred myth is the idea of Gehenna. The Kindred believe that this approaching apocalypse bears down ever more each night upon the world. When Gehenna arrives, the Antediluvians shall arise and make a wasteland of the world, consuming Kindred and mortal alike in the culmination of their horrendous Jyhad.

Although few Camarilla Kindred would admit it, many vampires see the world on a downward plummet and believe that Gehenna will occur soon ---- perhaps even within the next few years. Frantically piecing together the signs from whatever Cainite histories and mythological fragments they can compile, the Kindred seek to learn the true nature of Gehenna, and possibly avert it. Elder vampires know, however, of the implacable wills of the Antediluvians. Should they so will it, Gehenna shall come and overwhelm the world, destroying every mortal and vampire in a tide of blood and fire.

These seven mighty vampires are the judges appointed by the Inner Circle to be the Camarilla’s eyes, hands and, if necessary, fists. Justicars have the only true authority across the Camarilla and all Kindred, with the exception of the Circle. They alone have the ultimate power to adjudicate matters regarding the Traditions. No one is considered to be above them in this. It is Justicars who decide the punishment for those who have violated the Traditions on a widespread level; the one being judged may not expect mercy. Justicars are supposed to call for a conclave when they wish to pass judgment, but over the years this lapsed s they grew in power. Justicars have the authority to call a conclave at any time, either to confirm a ruling or to make certain decisions that one Justicar alone does not wish to burden himself with.

A Justicar serves for 13 years, and her actions may be challenged only by another Justicar. If things grow heated, a conclave may be called by the combatants or by another Justicar to resolve the dispute. When rival Justicars decide to start battling it out, few Kindred are safe from being used and abused in the ensuing struggle.

Each Justicar selects a number of minions, known as archons, to act in his name as suits his purposes. If the Justicars are the hands of the Inner Circle, then the archons are the fingers on those hands. No Justicar can be everywhere he might need, or wish to be, and archons can often make certain his presence is felt is not seen.

Conclaves are the greatest events in Camarilla politics ---- or at least the greatest events to which every vampire can be privy. One American Kindred described conclave to his childe as “a House Committee session, the Supreme Court and a tent revival all rolled up into one.” A conclave serves as the highest court of Camarilla Kindred, a legislative session for considering and deciding future Camarilla policy, and a reaffirmation of the Camarilla policy, and a reaffirmation of the Camarilla as the guiding principle behind the Masquerade and Kindred-kine relations.

Any and all Kindred who hear the call to conclave are welcome to attend. Only Justicars may call conclaves, and only when needed, due to logistical concerns. The vampires who attend the conclave are referred to as the assembly, and any may speak, provided they are supported by at least two other members. Each members of the assembly receives a single vote regarding the issue.

Conclaves are typically called with regard to powerful individuals, such as princes, or serious breaches of the Traditions. Any Kindred may bring grievance to the conclave and expect to have it addressed. A prince may request more leeway regarding the Traditions to deal with Sabbat or anarchs, or to have a destructive quarrel between two powerful elders meditated. The conclave ma call blood hunts against individuals, including princes, or have particularly powerful princes removed from office. The right to dispose princes is one the Camarilla keeps a tight leash on, and while a Justicar may not remove a prince, she may call a conclave for the sole purpose of forcing a Prince's abdication.

Any actions that would result in a serious breach of the Traditions must be discussed and agreed upon by the conclave to avoid punishment in the future. The conclave interprets the Six Traditions and may add amendments or enact precedents.

A Kindred on trial at a conclave may challenge the ruling by requesting an ordeal. These ordeals can be quite literally almost any exacting task or quest, with a time limit for completion. If the ordeal is not completed to satisfaction, the Justicar may impose any penalty. Should the crime be considered too heinous to allow the accused an ordeal, she may be challenged to ritual combat by one of her accusers. As with the ordeal, almost anything can happen: Ritual weapons, both opponents blindfolded, forbiddance of Disciplines, etc.

The true hub of the Camarilla, this group meets in Venice once every 13 years to plan out the business and direction of vampire society ---- as much as any group can presume to dictate the doings of a race of immortal predators. Every clan is permitted one representative, usually the eldest member of the clan, as only the eldest may cast the clan's vote. Others may be brought to the meeting and allowed to speak, but in the end only the elders may vote. One of the Circle's main purposes is the appointment of Justicars, one for each of the six Camarilla clans.

Necromancy is at once a Discipline and a school of magical learning, all dedicated toward the command of the souls of the dead. It has some similarities to Thaumaturgy in that, rather than being a strict linear progression of powers, Necromancy consists of several “paths” and accompanying “rituals.” Well-trained and puissant vampiric necromancers can summon the dead, banish or imprison souls, and even reinsert ghosts into living ---- or unliving ---- bodies. Needless to say, the study of Necromancy is not widespread among the Kindred, and its practitioners ---- primarily widespread among the Kindred, as its practitioners ---- primarily Giovanni Kindred ---- are shunned or ignored whenever possible.

The Discipline of Thaumaturgy encompasses blood magic and other sorcerous arts. Thaumaturgy is the unique possession of the Tremere and one of its most jealous guarded secrets. Certain Kindred rumors even speak of mystic cabals of Tremere that hunt down those thaumaturges who are not members of the Warlocks’ clan.