Dead Man’s Party

Welcome, fiends and friends, to the White Wolf Publishing’s newest

online newsletter Epitaph. Within its pages we’ve decided to show you
President: Mike Tinney our adoring fans some of the “magic” that’s behind the curtain of our
Creative Director: Rich Thomas
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Table of Contents
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Marketing/Events: Kelley Barnes


World of Darkness Community Developer:
Organized Play Coordinator:
Shane DeFreest
Oscar Garza
The Black Streets of Babylon 3
An exclusive excerpt from the upcoming Vampire: The Requiem supplement, Ancient Bloodlines.
Epitaph Editor-in-Chief: Shane DeFreest
Epitaph Layout: Brian Glass Rise of the Covenants: Ancient Egypt 11
Contributors: Justin Achilli, Shane DeFreest An exclusive excerpt from the upcoming Vampire: The Requiem supplement, Ancient Mysteries.
Oscar Garza, Priscilla Kim As a companion to its sister book Ancient Bloodlines.
Ethan Skemp
I Am The Very Model of Experimental Publishing! 18
By Eddy Webb, Alternative Publishing Developer

cover Art Back Into the Hedge, a Changeling Post Mortem 22

By Ethan Skemp

Artist Spotlight: Efrem Palacios 24

Showcasing one of White Wolf’s freelance artists

There Will Be Blood 27

An Excerpt from the upcoming World of Darkness supplement, Immortals.

Who’s-Who at CCP? 31
An interview with CCP Game Designer Natasha Bryant-Raible.
By Shane DeFreest
by David Krentz

Rise of the Imperator 33

A Vampire: the Eternal Struggle Storyline Event

VTES Tournament Corner 34

A listing of the top ranked players, events and stories

The Idigam 36
An exclusive excerpt from the upcoming Werewolf: The Forsaken supplement Night Horrors: Wolfsbane

Who is “the Unrequited Lover”? 39

Fan Fiction
The Path to Power (Vampire: The Requiem) 40
By Tyler Huffman

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The Ritual of the Shovel Head (Vampire: The Eternal Struggle) 44
is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and for blank character sheets, which By Dane Smith
may be reproduced for personal use only. White Wolf, Exalted, Vampire the Requiem, Changeling
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trademarks of CCP hf. All rights reserved. Ancient Bloodlines, Ancient Mysteries, Geist the Sin By Andrew Peregrine
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 Bloodlines of the Black streets
of BaBylon (625-539 Bce)
The fragmented memory of the Kindred recalls the Babylonian empire as it was at its height — a magnificent para-
dise of jeweled ziggurats and moonlit alleyways, ruled from the shadows by the Damned. Kindred arose from the
masses as subtle gods among men, and the streets of Babylon were stalked by the progenitors of some of the most
powerful bloodlines that exist tonight. In those nights, demons and desert whispered their secrets to Kindred, and
they were host to many strange powers.
Every golden age must come to an end, however, and the Dammed of ancient Babylonia were decimated by a new
predator born through blasphemous rite, the Edimmu. The seven spirits tore the empire apart from within, and the
streets of Babylon were black with the dust of slain Kindred. The few who survived bound together for the sake of
survival or fled from the Near East altogether, scattering their kind throughout the world.

IltanI
You don’t remember me, do you? That doesn’t matter, darling, because I certainly haven’t
forgotten you. Now why don’t I help refresh your memory?

Dark sorcerers and subtle assassins, members Parent Clan: Mekhet

of the Iltani bloodline are as clever, spiteful Bloodline Disciplines: Animalism, Auspex,
and venomous as snakes. Celerity, Obfuscate
They operate in stealth and secrecy, Nickname: Vipers
and are masterful manipulators Weakness: The Iltani have the
and deceivers. Vipers are unusu- same weakness to sunlight that
ally adept at controlling their curses all Mekhet (p. 109 of Vam-
own emotions, and they cling pire: The Requiem).
to their anger in death, fueling
Additionally, an Iltani’s
and transforming its corrosive en-
Beast makes her blood seethe
ergy to suit their own purposes. A
with anger and resentment, and
vampire meeting an Iltani for the
never misses a chance to seize
first time could never hope to see
control. Whenever the player fails a
or understand the depth of the seeth-
Discipline roll, the Storyteller rolls
ing anger that is forever just beneath
one die. One a 1, the Iltani’s Beast
the surface of her stoic gaze — at least, not unless
leaps to the fore, forcing the player to roll
she chooses to unleash her fury.
to avoid frenzy (two successes required; see p. 179 of
The rare and highly specialized poisons the Iltani use Vampire: The Requiem).
to weaken their enemies are distilled from anger, spite
History and Culture: The Iltani bloodline can be traced
and resentment. Kindred scholars speculate that it is by
back to ancient Mesopotamia. The bloodline’s founder,
channeling this dark, emotional energy and transforming
Nanshe Iltani, was a powerful priestess of the Coven of
it through the Beast that members of the bloodline are
Nanaja, and a consult to the Kindred royalty of the shadow
able to harness their unique abilities. Whether or not
empire of Babylonia.
this theory has any veracity may never be ascertained,
as members of the bloodline are uncommonly elusive According to Kindred of the bloodline, Nanshe Iltani
and secretive. had a lover, Arahunaa, to whom she was deeply devoted.

bloodlines of the black streets of babylon - iltani

3
One night, the En (a title for the Kindred emperor in cursed venom, members of the bloodline claim, that the
ancient Babylonia) came to consult with Nanshe Iltani. Edimmu of legend were able to gain access to the En,
When the En saw the beautiful Arahunaa, he immediately tearing him apart from within and then subsequently
wished to possess her. Despite Nanshe Iltani’s desperate killing Arahunaa in the massacre that followed.
pleading, En Isiratuu took Arahunaa back to the royal In the chaos that occurred shortly after the death
temple to live at his side. Adding to the tale of treachery, of the En of Babylonia, it is unclear what became of
Arahunaa went with the En willingly — preferring an Nanshe Iltani. Since then, however, her progeny have
unlife of royal luxury over the companionship of Nanshe spread throughout the world, refining her techniques
Iltani. The cruel actions of Arahunaa and the En enraged and passing along her secrets in low whispers to each
Nanshe Iltani, and she vowed from that night forward that new generation.
she would be the one to bring about their Final Deaths. Kindred of the bloodline almost always choose to sire
She knew that she would never succeed in killing her a childe from an individual who was resentful or bitter
betrayers outright and survive. Instead, she would be during his mortal life. Iltani encourage their childer to
patient, using a subtler approach of stealth and sorcery, cling to their anger, to fuel and strengthen it, but never to
striking when the moment was right. It was Nanshe allow their fury to show. If anything, a Viper appears void
Iltani’s desire for vengeance that led her to uncover the of emotion. It is through an Iltani’s ability to control her
secrets associated with her bloodline tonight. feelings that she gains her power — skillfully transforming
In the years that followed, Nanshe Iltani devoted herself and molding her vitriol into useful manipulative tools.
to finding new ways in which her powers could be used to Initiates to the bloodline must prove that they can control
destroy Arahunaa and the En, taking many solitary walks their anger. New Kindred are treated harshly, chastised and
through the moonlit steppes and deserts of Babylonia provoked until the young vampire enters a state of anger
to reflect upon her goal. It was during these travels that frenzy. The initiate must successfully “ride the wave” (see
Nanshe Iltani was believed to have developed her affinity pp. 178-181 of Vampire: The Requiem) to prove he has
for the venomous, lowly creatures of the earth: snakes, the self-control required to become an Iltani.
spiders, insects and scorpions. That she was drawn to such Reputation: Members of the Iltani bloodline are
creatures is not surprising, as she herself was poisonous unusually guarded and secretive, even for the Damned.
from her own festering resentment. She found that she Many Kindred tonight believe that the Iltani bloodline
could call the stinging, biting creatures of the desert to her does not exist at all, and that it is simply a legend from
side, and even influence their movements. After a time, the long-forgotten past. Those who do know of their
she uncovered methods of condensing and transforming existence, however, fear them for their strange ways and
her anger, through the Beast within, into potent venoms. deadly abilities.
Eventually, she made use of the creatures she called upon
Because many Kindred laugh at the notion of the
to act as vessels of her spite, using their stings to deliver
Iltani bloodline’s very existence (and the Iltani prefer
her poison to the victim. While Nanshe Iltani did not
to keep it that way), members of the bloodline are excel-
succeed in discovering a poison strong enough to lead to
lent assassins. While some Iltani may be willing to offer
instantaneous Final Death, her newfound abilities were
their services as an assassin, it usually comes with a steep
useful to her cause nonetheless.
price. Vipers are much more likely to use their abilities
One night, Arahunaa appeared to Nanshe Iltani in a to manipulate rather than kill. They prefer to stand in
dream. According to her former lover, the En had devel- the shadows, watching as their venom slowly tortures or
oped a terrible, dark gift, the likes of which the Damned drives their victim to madness.
of Babylon had never seen. Soon, the En would be unstop-
Kindred who know of the Iltani also know never to
pable, and the empire would suffer for it.
cross one. An Iltani never forgets those who have betrayed
Seeing that the news could be used to her advantage, her, and she uses memories of past transgressions to fuel
Nanshe Iltani seized her chance. Feigning sympathy for her anger. A vampire who betrays an Iltani may not pay
her plight, Nanshe Iltani gave Arahunaa a scorpion with a immediately, but he always pays dearly in the end.
poisonous sting to set upon the En. The venom of Iltani’s
Concepts: Kindred assassin, lord of the flies, manipula-
scorpion did not directly cause the deaths of Arahunaa
tive sociopath, espionage agent, underhanded informant,
and the En, but it was potent enough to indirectly guide
stoic enforcer, herpetologist, power behind the throne,
them to their ultimate end. It was through Nanshe Iltani’s
eccentric collector, mysterious apothecary

ancient bloodlines
4
 Mérges Sorcery example, a character possesses Mérges Sorcery at level
three. His maximum Humanity is therefore 7. If a charac-
The Sumerian word “Mérges” can be translated to mean
ter increases his Mérges score higher than his Humanity
“poisonous” or “angry.” It is a fitting descriptor, therefore,
would normally allow, his Humanity immediately drops
for the brand of sorcery practiced by the Iltani bloodline.
to the appropriate level and the player makes a Humanity
Iltani have the unique ability to distill their negative emo-
roll to see if the character acquires a derangement in the
tions (anger, spite, resentment, hatred, etc.) into rare and
process of heightening his occult knowledge. (See pp. 182-
highly-specialized magical venoms. The secrets of Mérges
188 of Vampire: The Requiem for more on Humanity
Sorcery are jealously guarded and carefully passed down
rolls and derangements.) If a character learns both Crúac
from one generation to the next. Iltani have been known
and Mérges Sorcery, his Humanity is limited by the higher
to hunt down and kill undeserving Kindred who have
of the two traits.
learned of its mysteries.
Dice Pool: Resolve + Intimidation + Mérges Sorcery
All vampires who become skilled in Mérges Sorcery
develop specialized, hollow fangs that can be used to Because negative emotions are the source and fuel of
administer venom. When not in use, the fangs fold back Mérges Sorcery, characters with the Vice Wrath add +1
against the roof of the mouth and are enclosed in a to relevant rolls. Conversely, characters with the Virtue
membranous sheath. Temperance take a -1 penalty to relevant rolls.
Cost: The use of Mérges Sorcery always costs the char- Action: Extended. The number of successes required
acter one Willpower point. It is the Iltani’s own will that to activate a ritual is equal to the level of that ritual (so a
instigates a reaction between his hatred and the Beast level-three ritual requires three successes to enact). Each
within, and it is through this reaction that the venom- roll represents one turn of ritual casting. Note also that
ous curse is formed. Willpower spent in this manner each point of damage incurred in a turn is a penalty to
does not add three dice to activation rolls. (However, the next casting roll made for the character, in addition
subsequent extended Mérges Sorcery rolls, past the initial to any wound penalties suffered.
activation roll, may be augmented by spending a point If a character fails to complete the ritual in time (such
of Willpower). as by being sent into torpor before accumulating enough
Mérges Sorcery does not have the same linear progres- successes) or decides to cancel the ritual before garnering
sion that other Disciplines do. It is a character’s mastery enough successes to activate it, the effect simply fails. Any
that dictates the highest level of the rituals he may learn. Willpower expenditures made are not recovered.
For example, a character with two dots in Mérges Sorcery Roll Results
can know an unlimited number of level one and level two Dramatic Failure: The ritual fails spectacularly, and the
rituals (provided the experience points are paid to learn character enters an immediate anger frenzy, which lasts
each), but he may not learn any level-three Mérges Sorcery for the rest of the scene.
rituals until his Mérges Sorcery level is increased to 3. Failure: The ritual fails entirely, but not dangerously.
Each time a character acquires a dot of Mérges Sorcery Willpower is consumed as normal, but the ritual has no
(including at character creation), he gains a ritual of that effect.
level at no additional cost. New rituals can be bought at
Success: The ritual takes place as described.
a cost of two experience points multiplied by the level of
the ritual. Exceptional Success: In many cases, extra successes are
their own reward, causing additional damage or conferring
To master Mérges Sorcery, an Iltani must never let go
extra duration or capacity.
of his hatred. Instead, he must fuel it, control it, and
transform it through his Beast. In the time that passes Suggested Modifiers
after his Embrace, a Viper gradually forgets how to forgive Modifier Situation
others, and he cannot recall what the peace of absolution +2 Power is turned against, or applies to,
felt like as a mortal. To an Iltani, anger is fuel, but because a vampire with whom the user has a
he never ceases to carry corrosive emotions within himself, blood tie (see p. 162 of Vampire:
his own hatred slowly begins to eat away at his Humanity. The Requiem).
A character’s dots in Mérges Sorcery, subtracted from 10, — There are no threats or distractions to
is the maximum to which his Humanity may rise. For bother the character.

bloodlines of the black streets of babylon - iltani

5
 -1 to -3 The character is rushed or distracted,
such as by invoking a ritual in combat
or while trapped in a burning building.
This penalty is cumulative with multiple
distractions (such as by casting a ritual
in combat during a hurricane). Successes
gained on a meditation roll for the night
(see p. 51 of the World of Darkness
Rulebook) offset interruption penalties
on a one-for-one basis.

Venomous Bite
(Level-One Mérges Sorcery ritual)
An Iltani can distill her own emotions
into specialized poisons that can be
injected into her victims through the vam-
pire’s bite. As described on p. 157 of the World
of Darkness Rulebook, a character attempting
to bite as a combat action must first achieve a
grapple hold on the target. Then, on the follow-
ing turn, the attacker can use the venomous
bite ability. An Iltani may not consume Vitae
from victims in the same turn that she uses
Venomous Bite.
The Iltani can activate this ritual at any time
in a given night, whereupon she is capable of
using Venomous Bite until the following sun-
rise. She does not have to reactivate the bite to
use different kinds of poisons (see below).
Traces of the venom remain in the victim’s
body even after its effects have worn off, and are
still present in the victim’s remains after death
— unless the Iltani covers her tracks by using
Antidote (see below). Once delivered, the vic-
tim’s player rolls Stamina + Resolve – Toxicity
Rating. If the victim fails, the poison automati-
cally takes effect and deals immediate damage equal
to its Toxicity Rating, unless stated otherwise (see the
poison rules in the Introduction to this book). The
Toxicity Rating for Mérges Sorcery poisons is equal to:
Blood Potency + Mérges Sorcery.
An Iltani can produce a number of venom doses per
day equal to her Blood Potency.
Venomous Bite may be used multiple times on the
same victim. If an Iltani chooses to do so, the victim
may be affected by multiple poisons simultaneously.
Similarly, an Iltani may administer multiple doses
of a single type of poison to intensify its effects (see
Compounding Poisons, below).
Compounding Poisons: Some Iltani poisons can be
compounded, while others cannot. With subsequent

ancient bloodlines
6
 doses of the same poison, the effects may increase or
intensify, depending on the nature of the venom.
When compounding a poison, the concentration of the
toxin in the victim’s blood increases with subsequent doses.
The concentration of a poison within a character’s blood is
measured by his Toxin Level. As the Toxin Level increases,
the effects of certain poisons become more pronounced or
severe. There are five Toxin Levels: levels 1-2 are considered
low amounts of a particular poison, level 3 is a moderate
amount, and levels 4-5 indicate high or lethal amounts of a
poison within the victim’s blood. At levels 4-5, any vampire
who drinks the blood of a poisoned victim might feel the
effects as well. The player rolls Stamina + Resolve – the
Toxicity Rating of the poison in the victim’s blood. If the
roll fails, the consuming vampire also suffers the effects of
the poison. Members of the Brothers of Ypres bloodline
(p. 22) are not subject to this, and can drink from victims
of Mérges Sorcery poisoning with no ill effect.
When a poison with a specific duration is compounded,
the duration resets and begins again from the last dose ad-
ministered, without weakening or losing previous effects.
For example, Venom of Paralysis (see below) is a poison
that can be compounded. Venom of Paralysis completely
paralyzes a victim for a number of hours equal to the
Iltani’s rating in Mérges Sorcery. If an Iltani with three
dots of Mérges Sorcery administers Venom of Paralysis,
the victim would normally be paralyzed for three hours.
Instead, the Iltani waits two hours and administers a
second dose. The duration resets, and the victim remains
paralyzed for another three hours (five hours total).
If a poison cannot be compounded, its effects last for
the stated duration. The duration cannot be lengthened
by additional doses, although an Iltani can wait until the
venom wears off and then administer a new dose.
The effects of poisons may be compounded as long
as the toxin remains within the victim’s system. In this
way, an Iltani can repeatedly administer a poison to a
victim night after night, slowly killing him or driving
him mad.
Upon learning this ritual, the Iltani gains the ability to
use a poison that causes muscle spasms, painful cramps
and damage to the nervous system. In game terms, the
poison simply inflicts physical damage based on the Ilt-
ani’s master of Mérges Sorcery:
Mérges Sorcery Level Type of Damage
1 Bashing
2 Lethal
3 Lethal
4 Lethal
5 Aggravated

bloodlines of the black streets of babylon - iltani

7
 A Viper can choose to inflict a less severe type of dam- prematurely if she wishes). This has the following effects
age if she wishes to. on a character:
In addition, the character can learn to produce other • The character ignores wound penalties until
types of poisons. Each of the poisons counts as a separate wounds become severe enough to render the char-
level one Mérges Sorcery ritual for purposes of experi- acter torpid.
ence points. • The character receives one extra die to all Physical
Sample Venoms Attribute rolls.
Venom of Paralysis: The victim is completely paralyzed • The character receives a +1 bonus to all Mérges Sor-
for a number of hours equal to the Iltani’s level in Mérges cery rolls while in a controlled anger frenzy.
Sorcery. This poison causes no physical damage. • The character has no mental deficits normally in-
This poison can be compounded. With each dose suc- duced by a state of frenzy.
cessfully administered, the duration is extended in the
typical fashion. No new effects are added. Plant Venomous Bite
Venom of Madness: A victim poisoned with Venom of (Level-Two Mérges Sorcery ritual)
Madness develops a derangement of the Iltani’s choice An Iltani may plant her venom within a snake, spider,
for every Toxin Level (see pp. 96-100 of the World of insect, scorpion or other stinging or biting creature. Many
Darkness Rulebook). Each Toxin Level can either inflict Vipers make use of Plant Venomous Bite to attack their
a mild derangement or increase an existing derangement victims from a safe distance, or to store their poisons for
(whether one the victim already possessed or one caused future use.
by this poison) to severe. Therefore, a victim poisoned at An Iltani can produce a number of venom doses per day
Toxin Level 3 (with no preexisting derangements) could equal to her Blood Potency. Rather than using Venomous
have three mild derangements or one that is severe and Bite to immediately deliver her poison, she may choose to
one that is mild. The effects of this venom last for a num- plant some, or all, of her daily doses within living creatures.
ber of nights equal to the Iltani’s level in Mérges Sorcery. Only insects and animals that naturally have a poisonous
Venom of Madness causes no physical damage. bite or sting may be used in this ritual. Once the venom has
This poison can be compounded. With each dose suc- been planted, an Iltani may use the Animalism Discipline
cessfully administered, the duration is extended in the to further instruct the host. A single creature can hold one
typical fashion. dose of venom, and the poison remains useable within it
Venom of Lethargy: Venom of Lethargy inflicts no for a number of nights equal to the Iltani’s Blood Potency
damage, but saps the victim’s drive to act, and slows his + Mérges Sorcery, after which the creature dies.
movements temporarily. The victim’s Speed becomes The poison begins to take effect once the victim has
equal to his Strength alone (rather than the usual Strength been stung or bitten. Immediately after the creature has
+ Dexterity + 5). The victim’s Initiative modifier becomes delivered its venom, it crumbles to ash. Once poisoned,
the lower of his Dexterity or Composure, and the Fast the victim receives the usual chance to resist (Stamina +
Reflexes Merit no longer applies. Venom of Lethargy Resolve – Toxicity Rating). If the victim’s resistance fails,
lasts for a number of hours equal to the Iltani’s level in the poison automatically takes effect. Poisons adminis-
Mérges Sorcery. tered using Plant Venomous Bite may be compounded
This poison cannot be compounded. as described in Venomous Bite (above).

Control Anger Invoke Vice

(Level-One Mérges Sorcery ritual) (Level-Two Mérges Sorcery ritual)
An Iltani is able to work herself into anger frenzy with Anger can bring out the worst in people, causing an indi-
ease, and is adept at maintaining control over her mind vidual to say and do things she ordinarily wouldn’t. An
and actions while in such a state. Thus, she is able to reap Iltani can invoke anger in his foe, temporarily causing her
significant benefits from the heightened emotional state Vice to dominate her actions. While under the effects of
of frenzy. An Iltani who successfully performs Control Invoke Vice, the subject becomes obsessed with indulging
Anger may activate its effects as an instant action at any her Vice, leaving all other obligations by the wayside. The
time during the same night the ritual is performed. Once victim will only pause in her pursuit if her own life is in
activated, the Iltani enters a state of frenzy that lasts for danger, and only until the threat is resolved, after which
one scene (a character may choose to end the anger frenzy the obsession returns. The Iltani must be able to see or

ancient bloodlines
8
touch the victim in order to use this ritual. Invoke Anger Damage: See Toxin Levels, below
lasts for a number of hours equal to the Iltani’s level in This poison can be compounded, and the duration is
Mérges Sorcery. extended in the typical fashion. The victim does not take
damage from Venom of the Slow Burn until exposed to
Antidote light (of any kind). With each dose administered, the
(Level-Three Mérges Sorcery ritual) length of time a victim can remain in the light before
The Iltani is able to remove all traces of venom or poison sustaining an additional point of damage shortens.
from any person or object. In living and undead creatures, Toxin Level Toxin effect
Antidote stops the effects of poisoning (both natural and 1 (minimum) Exposure to any kind of light
supernatural) in its tracks, and prevents any further dam- (natural or artificial) causes the
age or influence on the creature by the poison. Iltani often victim noticeable discomfort. The
use Antidote on the remains of their victims to cover their character takes one point of
tracks by removing trace amounts of residual poison from bashing damage per hour he
the body. Antidote may also be used to render naturally remains in the light. Additionally,
poisonous plants or animals harmless, or to purify poi- when exposed to light, the victim
soned food or water. takes a -1 penalty to all actions
Venom Mastery that require mental focus or
concentration. The damage at this
(Level-Four Mérges Sorcery ritual) level is subtle enough that the
An Iltani with Venom Mastery can produce exceptionally target might not notice what is
deadly and powerful venoms. Venom Mastery poisons causing it.
may be administered as described in Venomous Bite 2 Exposure to any kind of light
or Plant Venomous Bite (above). Each of these poisons (natural or artificial) causes the
counts as a separate level four ritual for purposes of victim pain. The character takes
experience points. one point of bashing damage per
Venom of Weakness: The Venom of Weakness temporar- each 30 minute interval that he
ily withers the victim’s muscles, causing acute fatigue and remains in the light. Additionally,
weakness. For one night, all Physical Attributes are reduced when exposed to light, the
by a number of dots equal to the Toxicity Rating of Venom character takes a -2 penalty to all
of Weakness. This poison causes no physical damage (but actions that require mental focus
reduces Health indirectly by reducing Stamina). or concentration.
This poison can be compounded. With each dose suc- 3 Exposure to any kind of light
cessfully administered, the duration is extended in the (natural or artificial) causes the
typical fashion. No new effects are added. victim intense pain. The character
Venom of the Slow Burn: The victim’s skin becomes takes one point of lethal damage
highly sensitive to light of any kind when poisoned with per each 15 minute interval that
Venom of the Slow Burn. Even moonlight and artificial he remains in the light.
light slowly damages a vampire or mortal afflicted with Additionally, the character takes a
this poison. At low to moderate Toxin Levels (levels 1-3), -3 penalty to all actions that are
Slow Burn is more painful than deadly. However, the not devoted to seeking total
target still feels his flesh slowly and excruciatingly burn- darkness. At this point, the victim
ing away, which usually causes the victim to avoid light can feel his skin blister and burn
altogether. Some Iltani are known to use the Venom of under even fluorescent lights.
Slow Burn as a brutal means of extracting information Va mp i re s m u s t ch e c k fo r
from their foes. After paralyzing a victim, an Iltani admin- Rötschreck upon seeing any source
isters the venom, then uses a flashlight as an instrument of light (2 successes required).
of torture. 4 Exposure to any kind of light
Higher levels of the poison are much more deadly, as (natural or artificial) causes the
described below. The effects of this Venom of the Slow victim intolerable agony. The
Burn last for a number of nights equal to the Iltani’s level character takes one point of lethal
in Mérges Sorcery. damage per each five minute

bloodlines of the black streets of babylon - iltani

9
 interval that he remains in the effective, but in this case, the same man would probably
light. Additionally, the character just sit around until the poison wears off — believing the
takes a -4 penalty to all actions that statement to be true, but wondering what possessed him
are not devoted to seeking total to set out looking for his wife’s murderer when he would
darkness. Vampires must check for rather be in Tahiti with his mistress.
Rötschreck upon seeing any source This poison can be compounded. With each dose
of light (3 successes required). successfully administered, the duration is extended in
5 (maximum) Exposure to any kind of light the typical fashion. No new effects are added. Venom of
(natural or artificial) causes the Deceit inflicts no physical damage.
victim’s skin to bubble, blister and
melt. The character, if mortal, Master Rage
takes one point of lethal damage (Level-Five Mérges Sorcery ritual)
per each 10 second interval that Master Rage is a more powerful version of Control Anger
he remains in the light. For (above). The Iltani has mastered her hatred, and may enter
vampires, this damage is aggravated. anger frenzy at will. As with Control Anger, An Iltani who
Additionally, the character takes a successfully performs the Master Rage ritual may activate its
-5 penalty to all actions that are effects as an instant action at any time during the same night
not devoted to seeking total the rite is performed (the character rolls Wits + Intimidation
darkness. Vampires must check for + Mérges Sorcery to activate the effects of the ritual). Once
Rötschreck upon seeing any source activated, the Iltani enters a state of frenzy that lasts for
of light (5 successes required). one scene (a character may choose to end the anger frenzy
Venom of Deceit: A character under the influence of prematurely if she wishes). Frenzy initiated by the Master
Venom of Deceit believes anything he is told to be the Rage ritual has the following effects on a character:
truth, no matter how absurd or irrational. The victim then • An Iltani ignores wound penalties to dice pools. The
acts under assumptions based upon the false fact for the character can also avoid torpor for a short time. Once the
poison’s duration (regardless of being confronted with the character’s last Health box is marked with lethal damage,
truth). For example, a man who is told “your wife has been the character remains active for a number of turns equal
murdered” acts as he would if his wife had actually been to her Blood Potency + Mérges Sorcery before falling into
murdered for as long as the poison remains in his system, torpor. The character cannot avoid torpor at this point
even if he is confronted by his wife, alive and well. (He may (that is, the player can’t spend Vitae for the character to
attempt to rationalize her appearance by believing that she heal some damage and dodge falling into torpor), but
is some imposter trying to fool him, but he will not realize she has a few extra seconds to exact retribution.
that she is truly alive until after the poison wears off.) • The character adds two dice to any Physical Attri-
Upon successful administration of Venom of Deceit, the bute roll.
Iltani may state a single “fact” to the target. The statement • The character receives a +2 bonus to all Mérges Sor-
should be no longer than a sentence or two, as the victim cery rolls while in a controlled anger frenzy.
only remains impressionable for a matter of seconds (if a
• The character has no mental deficits normally in-
character rambles on for too long, how much the victim
duced by a state of frenzy.
believes of what the Iltani tells him is at the Storyteller’s
discretion). The victim believes the statement for a number • While Master Rage is in effect, an Iltani’s anger is so
of hours equal the Iltani’s level in Mérges Sorcery. powerful that it becomes infectious. If a Viper chooses
to do so, she may loose her anger upon her foes. For
Venom of Deceit does not directly force the victim to
each turn the Iltani chooses to use this ability, enemies
behave in any particular way or feel any differently than he
within a radius of 50 yards for every success rolled (so
would ordinarily. For instance, a victim who is told “find
100 yards for 2 successes, for example) must make a
the man who murdered your wife” may not actually do
contested Resolve + Composure roll -3 to avoid falling
so. Having heard that statement, the victim now believes
into an anger frenzy themselves. This only affects crea-
that a man has murdered his wife, but if he was waiting
tures with the capacity to enter some kind of berserk
to cash in on the life insurance, he may not care much at
frenzy (vampires, werewolves and other supernatural
all about finding her killer. He might book a trip to Tahiti
creatures at the Storyteller’s discretion), but only
with his mistress, instead. The statement “you are looking
vampires take the -3 penalty to avoid it.
for the man who murdered your wife” might seem more

ancient bloodlines
10
 Rise of the Covenants:
anCient egypt (CiRCa 1279 BCe)

Transcribed from a recording discov

ered by age nts of the Lancea Sanctum:
My name is Renfro Delaney and, as
I sit here staring at this, how sha
extraordinary find, I can’t help ll I put it,
but wonder what it must have bee
to exist in ancient Egypt. Certai n lik e for one of us
nly, there could be no more than
in any specific village, unlike Rom half a dozen Kindred
e to the northwest or even Delhi
sand for miles in every direction to the east. Desert
, a single strand of water your onl
even then, the flooding of the Nil y source of life and
e every year had to be particularly
did they find sustenance? Were the devastating. How
ancient Egyptians willing source
they that open and engaged with s of food? Were
the Kindred of the time?
This papyri (sound of papers being
shuffled about), these hieroglyp
was religion so important to these hs, this tome —
people that they willingly offere
us? True, the dead were often rev d their necks to
ered. But what about the undead?
they actually have over the kine? How much control did
The Sun, our anathema, was worshi
pped, apparently, not just by mor
Kindred of the age. How was this tals, but by the
even possible? How could they sur
vive?

Who is this Renfro Delaney

guy? An alias of some sort? Ask
your crazy British pal what he
knows!

11rise of the covenants: ancient egypt (circa 1279 bce)

 Could there be Kindred from that time period around tonight? If
so, what do they recall?
Certainly the fog of time would have consumed most of their memor
ies. What secrets do they
still possess? Are there more of these glorious artifacts outlining
the rituals they performed
over three millennia ago?
Whatever the cost, in time and resources, I…that is we, must find
out!

Whoever took these photographs knows what he’s doing. This appear
s to be the story of a
resurrection of sorts and it can be interpreted in various ways —
I know that. On the other
hand, if you look at these hieroglyphics, we see the worshipping of
a mummy, the removal of
his organs after death, where they are placed into jars filled with
honey and then stuffed
into his sarcophagus. Then, look at this! The night after he was
placed into his tomb, he
arose with stories of a great battle with…is this Osiris? Yes! And
like Ra each morning,
he returns from the underworld having bested the god of death
to bring life and renewal
to his people. He rises again, only at night, without Ra
to guide him. Osiris, the god of the underworld, is his
master now! Amazing!
My god! These vampires believed
this mythological bullshit! They
This, of course, begs the question: Was this mindset actually played into it. How
specific only to the vampires of ancient Egypt or did fucking brilliant!
ancient Romans create rituals from their religious
beliefs of, say Mars or Neptune? The Acolytes were quite
likely babbling their gobbledygook across Western Europe by then.
Certainly, the Dragons
came to exist thanks to Vlad the Impaler. The Sanctified must be gratef
ul to Christ for their
beliefs, as without him, Longinus wouldn’t matter a whit. The Carthi
an Movement, society’s
bitter rebels, couldn’t possibly have existed without a society to
rebel against. Which leads
us to the Invictus and, if you ask them, they’ve been around since
the Big Bang.
(sound of a heavy object sliding across a flat surface, followed by
pages turning) This text,
however, implies that several of the various cults that existed
at the time of Ramses the
Great centered on powerful female goddesses, figures not terribly
unlike the Crone. So, did
the Circle exist then? Probably in some form or another, but undou
btedly quite different
from the Acolytes we know tonight. These cults might be a part of
the Circle or they could
be the first known gathering of Kindred into a formal covenant in
our history!
It’s possible, then, that there was a covenant or covenants before
the Invictus ever
coined the phrase and that Kindred were not simply relegated
to associating with just
their own clans.

This Delaney guy seems

to have a hard-on for the
Invictus. See if you can find
out what he has on them, or
what they have on him.
ancient mysteries
12
 social creatures whether
Using inductive logic, it is difficult to believe that vampires,
s to get together. It’s not
they want to believe so or not, would have to be looking for excuse
jets for travel to and fro.
like they had cell phones to communicate with or intercontinental
d did it with their Impe-
There had to be more basic methods. Get-togethers. The Roman Kindre
rial Senate. How did their precursors do it?
e each other, attempt to
Vampires need each other to survive, no? Even though we despis
co-exi stence is essential for the
murder one another and squabble endlessly over minutiae,
survival of our, would you say, race? Species?
I am having difficulty focusing. I… one moment.
pain) Better. Now, let’s
(footsteps, then a door creaking, muted scuffle, and then a gasp of
Kindre d from different
assume that, yes, there were other covenants, groups of like minded
nly be religious in nature.
backgrounds and clans of the time. These groups would almost certai
conclude that there was
Religion dictated the lives of these people, after all. Thus, we must
A covenant of like minds
some form of peaceful coexistence amongst the Kindred of the time.
ng knowl edge on how to break
and beliefs. Perhaps a Covenant of Ra, made up of Kindred desiri
for ways to expand their
their curse, searching for control and power in the region, searching
world in general and hop-
influence further, seeking information on their brethren and the
h day and night. There is
ing for the freedom to travel vast distances across the desert throug
need, isn’t it reasonable, even
no evidence to say as much, but, knowing what we are, what we
deductively logical?
h temples and pyramids
Where did they meet then? This map implies deeply buried tombs beneat
I mean, this one here shows
all across Egypt, perhaps all interconnected by a tunnel system.
the Sphinx, for God’s sake!
Where is the fucking map? If
Pardon the randomness of my thoughts. This is beyond anything this exists, we need to find it
I’ve ever seen before. The implications are enormous. Nothing of before anyone else does.
what we know today is as we were told. The Great Covenants are not
the end-all-be-all of Kindred society. They were not the beginning
as some would lead us to believe! They are, in fact, mere stepping
stones to what we are now. But, stepping stones from what? And to
what? What are we becoming?

This was supposedly discovered

in Thebes… and not by the
Sanctified. How can we
authenticate it? Could it
actually be text of a previously rise of the covenants: ancient egypt (circa 1279 bce)
unknown Theban ritual? 13
 perhaps even the equiva-
(crack of the spine of a book) This book suggests the existence of a cult,
Amun- Ra. The inscribed ritu-
lent of a modern covenant, dedicated to the Egyptian god of the Sun,
ate of mine has already
als are suspiciously akin to those of the Sanctified, as a former associ
s, but I surmised that she was
verified. Granted, she wouldn’t say they were Lancea Sanctum ritual
I would not be able to let her
holding something back that terrified her. I knew, at that moment,
ed me, but I just couldn’t let
leave with the knowledge of what I had found. Destroying her sadden
would destroy them. They
these beautiful texts fall into her hands and the hands of those who
me! Make that one more thing
are mine now and no one, not even a former lover, will take them from
(pages turning sharply)
that those sanctimonious bastards owe me. I’m sorry, Melissa. Truly.
Where was I? Oh, yes. Carbon dating has put this tome at
well over 1000 years prior to the birth of Christ, which Ironically, the Sanctified claim
makes the Lancea Sanctu m look foolis h, don’t you think? If the angel Amoniel led them to
they had found this book before me, I’m sure it, and I, would the tombs of Thebes. Further,
have been put to the flames by now. It’s nice to have some- Amoniel is a derivation of
thing in my hands that could conceivably ruin them. the Egyptian god Amun-Ra.
Could these rituals be that powerf ul? Could they actu- Coincidence?
ally allow a vampir e to walk in the light of day? Could they
allow me? (papers being gathered) All I know is that I must
try. I must find a way! (tape ends)
Can you see the implications? If the Dragons or the Sanctified hear about this, we could have
ourselves a civil war. Not even taking into account a Masquerade breach, this could lead to
Kindred extinction! We must destroy this material at all costs. You were right to bring this to me!
Did Delaney make copies?

Turning Point
— Egypt’s 19th Dynasty
The most important aspects of life in the Middle East to remain hidden and continuing their practices out of the
prior to Christ’s birth were the distant settlements and new Pharaoh’s line of sight. The plan worked, until the
the difficulty in traveling between them. Slaves, taxes, Cult of Set branded them all as traitors to Akhenaten’s
military troops and foodstuffs were regularly transported beliefs and began turning them in to Aten’s forces.
up and down the Nile from Upper Egypt and the Great A brief civil war between the Kindred of the various
Delta to Lower Egypt, Nubia and points still further south. cults erupted, followed by numerous alliances and be-
This was the quickest and safest form of travel in Egypt, trayals. In the end, the Cult of Set was said to have been
although caravans crossed the harsh desert terrain both utterly destroyed, the Cult of Horus vanished into the
west and east of the Nile as well. Most territories in the eastern desert and the Cult of Anubis was weakened to
region were made up of city-states united under a common the point where it presumably absorbed into the other
ruler who would report directly to the Pharaoh. Travel factions (probably that of Osiris). The cults disappeared
and taxes were regulated by these city-states. from public view and from that of the spies of Aten, but
The one common theme throughout northern Africa their squabbling continued until just after the coronation
was religion, specifically, the gods of ancient Egypt. In the of Ramses the Great as Pharaoh of Egypt.
late 18th dynasty, a Pharaoh by the name of Akhenaten Ramses, the progenitor of Egypt’s 19th Dynasty, re-
attempted to monotheize the people. There was only one turned religious control to each city-state and its preferred
god, whose name was Aten, he proclaimed, and Egypt deity. Akhenaten’s previous monotheistic approach frac-
would be united under him. Akhenaten faced fierce tured and the people rejoiced at the return to power of
battles within the religious “community,” primarily from the gods and their priests. The Kindred priests realized
the Cults of Set and Horus, although the Cults of Ra, An- that there was greater strength in diversity and unified
ubis and Osiris also grumbled. Cults of the female gods, the various cults. These “covenants” worked together to
particularly Isis and Bast, were curiously silent, preferring keep Egypt safe from outsiders, to keep power within the

ancient mysteries
14
religious sects and, most importantly, to gather greater proclaimed an end to Aten’s stranglehold over the other gods
wealth and control for themselves. in favor of city-state worship, with a central god to bind the
They succeeded admirably. others and bring them together under a united covenant.
Ra was chosen to lead. Ramses gave the “lesser” gods do-
The One: 1352 BCE — 1280 BCE main over their own cities in exchange for their support of
The Pharaoh Akhenaton took power away from the various his programs. As a result, temples of worship began sprouting
gods and consolidated it into a single deity called Aten, “The up all across the country. The Cult of Ra ruled over Karnak
One.” He enforced his edicts with the support of various and cities that would later be named after the Greeks who
smaller sects, notably those of Set and Horus, who agreed to would conquer Egypt, such as Luxor, Thebes and Abydos.
worship under Aten’s name. With the military at his side, Anubis’s main shrine was in the city of Khemennu. Cult
Akhenaten’s dream of a united religion flourished. The leaders of Osiris ruled from Naqad, Bast’s actually built their
followers of Egypt’s “lesser” gods, however, continued to own city, Bubastis, while the Cult of Isis claimed the city of
worship secretly, waiting for the moment they could emerge Tanis. The High Priest of the Cult of Ra had final say over
from Aten’s shadow. The Kindred urged their herds to fight disputes and territory rights throughout the kingdom.
and rebel against any who would silence them. Religion Wealth poured in from all corners of Egypt and the
had become subsumed by the politics of Akhenaten and surrounding lands. Caravans brought back riches from
one could not be discussed without the other. the East and trade was never more prosperous. Ra and
Akhenaten received very little public support from the Osiris gained prominence amongst the Kindred faithful,
people, but had the military to back his edicts. Unfortunately, as did Isis and Bast. Mekhet joined with Gangrel, who
the commoners of Egypt were suffering and began to revolt. gathered with Nosferatu and Daeva to solidify the lines
Poor treatment, a shortage of food and forced monotheism of communication and caravan safety for travel to the
created a bitter rift between the nobility and the common- four winds. Only the Ventrue, in general, seemed left
ers. When Akhenaten died, the dynasties that followed tried out, preferring to organize to the northwest rather than
to continue his legacy, but nothing lasted. The reign of the split power amongst the others. Pharaoh Ramses was in
monotheistic Pharaohs was coming to a brutal end. The Cults complete control of Egypt and his subjects were happy.
of Ra, Osiris, Anubis, Bast and Isis came together in an un- This was the exact moment that the priest of Ra had been
precedented covenant of religious unity, led by Kindred from waiting for. A month into Ramses’ reign, the priest struck,
each of the clans. Their herds rose with them and demanded feeding droplets of his own Vitae to the Pharaoh. For four
change from the mortal leadership, including protection from consecutive nights, the priest returned to the king’s bed-
persecution by the old followers of Aten and, to a lesser extent, chambers and fed more of his blood to the already powerful
the worshippers of Set and Horus, as these two cults had at- mortal. Ramses became both a ghoul to the Servants of Ra
tempted numerous uprisings against Ra in the past. and one of the most powerful rulers in history.
Seeing the turmoil in play, a Kindred priest of Ra, the Turning Ramses into a ghoul was genius. His very pres-
most powerful figure in the pantheon of Egyptian gods, ence helped stabilize the region. He ruled for over six
devised a plan. He watched the signs of unrest and felt that decades and lived an unheard-of 90 years, more than three
an uprising was imminent. This priest not only wanted to times the average age of the typical male Egyptian. He was
take advantage of the ensuing chaos, he wanted to control able to retain a great deal of influence over the affairs of
its aftereffects. He believed that a Pharaoh was needed both the Damned and his human subjects. Fortunately, it
that could unite the country and return peace to a land was a time of great prosperity for Kindred and kine alike.
riddled with strife, beset by enemies and devastated by Aside from being a uniting influence on his people and
natural disasters (sandstorms and the yearly flooding of the surrounding region, he was also known as the great
the Nile Delta had particularly devastating effects during builder. During his inordinately long reign, Ramses ordered
this time). He would control the Pharaoh and perhaps the construction of the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx and
even allow him to drink from the blood of Ra. the Sanctuary of Abu Simbel to honor and placate the gods,
The time was finally right for the priest’s plans to bear as well as to create an eternal legacy for himself.
fruit, plans that would change the way Kindred survived, Ramses was also a warrior and led his armies to battle
worshipped and thought. often and ruthlessly against the Hittites to the north. From
The Many: 1279 BCE — 1212 BCE a military standpoint, however, he is recognized more for
crafting the first known peace treaty in human history
That fruit came in the form of Egypt’s 19th Dynasty, led by than for the battles he waged. This treaty might have
Pharaoh Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great. Ramses been suggested, in part, by the Kindred, who had come

rise of the covenants: ancient egypt (circa 1279 bce)

15
to believe that their very survival was dependant upon For 2700 years, from 750 BCE until CE 1953, Egypt
mutual cooperation. They also feared the growing power was a conquered land. To this night, the bitter struggles
of Greece to the northwest and Persia to the northeast. of the Egyptian Kindred and various other supernatural
With the Hittites as their allies and not their enemies, influences from outside the region attempt to gain control
Egypt was able to bring peaceful stability to the region. over the country, her ancient secrets and those who have
But the peace could not last. called Egypt home since the dawn of history.

The Conquered: 1212 BCE — CE 1953 The Legacy of Ancient Egypt

Although mortals believe Ramses finally succumbed to old The prominence of a unified pantheon of gods brought
age, no Kindred records exist detailing how the great Pharaoh Kindred from all five known clans and from every spiri-
really died. What is certain is that Egypt began to slowly dis- tual belief in Egypt together, but it was the combination
integrate. The Nile flooded more frequently and with more of isolation, threats from invaders, natural disasters and
spectacularly disastrous results. A great drought hit the region religious persecution that finally forced the disparate fac-
as well, lasting for 30 years, and the people once again began tions to work together for the common good.
to suffer from famine, disease and extreme poverty. Mekhet, Gangrel, Nosferatu, Daeva and to a lesser extent
Four hundred years of internal bickering and strife Ventrue Kindred joined forces to bring the beliefs of their
led to Egypt being invaded for the first of many times. various gods to their respective herds. The power of those
Nubians from the south, Assyrians and Persians from gods was intoxicating, as creatures of shadow could, through
the north, and then, in 332 BCE, Alexander the Great study and devotion, attempt to actually walk beneath Ra’s
attacked with a massive invasion force from Greece. withering gaze. Monsters of terrible rage and mystery, through
The Greek invasion and subsequent takeover was so rituals of blood and sacrifice, could explore the underworld
complete, in fact, that entire cities soon changed their and return with horrifying stories of their travails.
names to compliment the new regime. The conquering The influx of Invictus Kindred into the region, however,
leaders, retaining the title of Pharaoh, took Greek names meant that such cooperation was sadly doomed to fail.
and became some of the most well known figures in his- Polytheism became a relic of the past. Monotheism, in
tory. They also allowed many of the old Egyptian ways to the form of Judaism, Christianity and finally Islam, began
continue and flourish. Greece held on for almost 300 its relentless expansion across the globe. Kindred began
years, until Rome decided to expand her Empire. adopting these religions as a matter of survival. Those who
In 47 BCE, Cesar invaded and installed Cleopatra as dared preach the old ways were hunted and destroyed, or
queen. Religion, language and society in Egypt changed once hid from their persecutors for centuries on end.
again. The Romans persecuted anyone claiming reverence to Some Kindred proclaimed their heresies in such a way as
the old pantheon of gods. Kindred and human cults alike dis- to not threaten the new religions, preaching mythology rather
appeared altogether or adapted and conformed. Gone were than dogma. Others took their secrets with them into torpor
the covenants of the Sun and the Dead. Gone were the cults or buried them in tombs designed never to be discovered.
of Isis and Bast. In their place, Camarilla vampires basked
in the glory of a new world. The upstart Christian vampires Two Prominent Bloodlines Emerge
of the Lancea et Sanctum overran Thebes and discovered — The Bak-Ra and The Usiri
secrets not meant for the eyes of any but the devoted of Ra The Anubi are the only previously known bloodline to
and Osiris. Only followers from the cult of Anubis survived, come from the cults of ancient Egypt. Comprised mostly
refusing to succumb to invasion and disappear like their of Gangrel, the Sworn of Anubis have long pestered
brethren. The Anubi would continue to do what they always the followers of Longinus, but have too few numbers,
did, prepare the dead for their journey to the afterlife. resources and organizational skills to make any kind of
Once the Romans conquered and altered Egyptian impact against the Sanctified. However, word has recently
culture, the history of the cults vanished with their Kin- surfaced of two previously unheard of bloodlines claiming
dred followers. It is believed that, in order to survive, to be descendants of the Egyptian gods:
several bloodlines were created, their numbers agreeing The Bak-Ra, which translates to “Servant of Ra,” was
to voluntary torpor so that they may one night rise again. the first and most prominent bloodline to form from the
Whatever happened, enough evidence exists for Kindred fracturing of the covenant of gods. They were determined
scholars to conclude that the great covenant of Egypt to keep the history and secrets of the sun god hidden from
became fractured and dissolved due to the many outside their conquerors. Many Bak-Ra agreed to voluntary tor-
influences of multiple conquerors. por, hidden beneath the buried tombs of their ancestors,

ancient mysteries
16
unaware that most of their knowledge would be lost to The Roman Empire brought about great change, but it
the very sleep they hoped would keep them safe. was the culture of Egypt during the reign of Ramses the
The Usiri, Warriors of the Dead, also chose voluntary Great that heralded the concept of peaceful coexistence
torpor to hide the secrets of Osiris from the invaders. among immortal enemies for a greater good — survival.
The secrets of the Usiri, however, were supposedly hidden The covenants of the modern age owe a huge debt to the first
somewhere in the Underworld, where only the followers covenant of Egyptian gods. Only the Circle of the Crone can
of the god of the dead could retrieve them. say with any amount of validity that it existed in some form or
In modern nights, those Bak-Ra and Usiri who have another at that pivotal temporal flashpoint. It’s a pity that the
been discovered and awakened from torpor bring with Circle has little interest in its own history, as the cumulative
them more questions and fears than answers. What secrets knowledge it could have attained from keeping records from
rose with them from their graves? What memories, if any, that time might have increased its power in modern nights
can be culled from their rotting shells? Most importantly, across the region. For what it’s worth, the Circle’s small part in
how does the Lancea Sanctum reconcile their own history the formation of the first covenant of vampires is known by a
with that of these bloodlines? few ancient Kindred who did keep journals of their Requiem.

The New Age Modern Nights, Modern Covenants

The Bak-Ra and the Usiri are the two newest bloodlines to — Flashpoint in Time
emerge from ancient Egypt, joining the Gangrel-dominated Most Kindred historians agree that the formation of the
Anubi. What of the traitorous Cults of Set and Horus? Did covenant of gods during Egypt’s 19th Dynasty was the be-
they create bloodlines before their destruction? What of ginning of a new era. It provided a basis of trust amongst
Bast and Isis, whose followers are believed to have simply predators and their prey. Those same historians also agree
melded into the Circle of the Crone? Is it possible that they, that such trust simply cannot last among the suspicious,
too, sired specific bloodlines to protect the secrets of their power-hungry Kindred.
gods? How many thousands of unexplored and still-hidden But, history, as they say, is written by the victors. If that is
tombs are buried beneath the sands of Egypt? It might sim- so, then perhaps those who still sleep beneath the sands of the
ply be a matter of time before something arrives to create Nile will once again awaken to inflict their power and invoke
havoc and chaos for the Kindred of the modern age. their secrets upon an unsuspecting and unprepared world.

Flashpoint in Modern nights

What was once unheard of during the reign of Ramses the Great is commonplace now. Kindred bicker with one
another over who should control what and why. Canals and levees keep the Nile at bay and travel is not only
unrestricted, but relatively safe. Monotheism has reared its single head once more and followers of Ramses who
might awaken will have their hands full just trying to understand what has happened to their world. Has Akhenaten
returned to exact his vengeance or has madness consumed them?
Here are a few story hooks that will bring the unknown horrors of the past to your Vampire: The Requiem
chronicle, whether it takes place now, or during some other time in distant memory:
• Tonight, the Invictus reigns supreme in most parts of Egypt, while the Circle of the Crone hides out and converts
as many followers into its covens as it can. The Sanctified have fortified Thebes and allow few outsiders to
venture into or out of the city. The Carthian Movement travels from city to city, attempting to excite the masses
with anti-establishment propaganda. The Ordo Dracul, however, seems preoccupied with the city of Giza, an
ancient home to the Cult of Ra. In fact, the Dragons outnumber any other covenant there by a three-to-one
margin. Have they unearthed an ancient Kindred buried beneath one of the pyramids or have they discovered
something even more terrifying?
• The Lancea Sanctum has learned that a new bloodline has crawled from the sand pits of Egypt to test their faith.
Creatures called the Bak-Ra are claiming, publicly, that the rituals and secrets of Thebes rightfully belong to them
and that they were stolen by the thieves of the false prophet Longinus. Can the Bak-Ra prove their claims and
can the Sanctified even allow them to try?
• The Book of the Dead is considered by most scholars to be a simple funeral text, a collection of hymns, spells,
rituals and instructions designed to give the dead a tool to overcome the number of obstacles they’ll encounter
on their journey through the afterlife. It is, however, so much more. In the hands of those who have been to
the Underworld and fought with the spirits, communed with the gods and answered the riddles of fate so that
they may return to our realm, it is a key to greater power and understanding. In Naqad, one such scholar who
died and was reborn, has awakened from centuries of slumber with his sanity and his memories intact. He must
be found and either destroyed, if possible, or recruited.

rise of the covenants: ancient egypt (circa 1279 bce)

17
 I Am The Very Model of The Future Is Exciting
Experimental Publishing And Really Not Ethereal
By Eddy Webb, Alternative Publishing Developer So with all that being said, we have a lot of new and exciting
products coming down the line in 2009.
About this time last year (almost to the day, in fact) I
wrote an article for the eQuarterly called “Just What The Hell • Collection of Horrors: A new twist on the SAS line, this is
Are Alternative Products?” I had worked as AP Developer for an anthology of scenes, characters and props rather than a pre-
nearly four months when I wrote it, so we were all learning constructed story. Each file has one scene, one character and
what alternative products (now collectively called “alternative one prop inspired by one of the stories in the Hunter Horror
publishing” or just “AP”) were really all about. The editor gave Recognition Guide. Even cooler, some of the props are audio
me a page to talk a little bit about AP, so I decided to take the files that you can play right at the gaming table – a recording
opportunity to look back before looking ahead. from a reporter, a voicemail message, an autopsy report and even
an interrogation scene make up some of the audio possibilities in
this collection.
I’ve Information PDF,
PoD and Other Things • Ready-Made Player Character Groups: The SAS adventures
make it easy for a busy Storyteller to download a story and go,
The workhorse of AP has certainly been the Storytelling but very few of them offer pre-existing characters to use in those
Adventure System line of downloadable adventures and adventure adventures. To fill this need, we’re going to offer pre-constructed
support materials. As of February 17th, we have nineteen SAS player character groups for each of our World of Darkness games,
products that cover all of our current World of Darkness lines as along with advice for Storytellers on how to build stories around
well as Exalted and Scion. Our website team also whipped up a that group. Once they’re available, you’ll be able to download
brand-new SAS site for us, which allows you to easily browse the absolutely everything you need for a game right to your desktop.
variety of products we have. Well, everything except pencils and dice, and there are even
some companies that have cardboard dice you can download….
We’ve also put out more PDF-exclusive products, like
Block by Bloody Block for Hunter: The Vigil and New Wave • More AP Supplements: We’re not stopping with just Hunter
Requiem for Vampire: The Requiem. These were products and Vampire with our small, focused products. We have a PDF
that I felt added a lot of value to their respective lines, but they in the works for Changeling: The Lost covering goblin markets,
wouldn’t work as traditional releases. When we don’t have to hit as well as one for Exalted about the Incarna. We also have a
a certain page count, we can put out products with a much tighter product coming up covering the Testament of Longinus for
focus and really get into the nuances of a smaller topic (such as Vampire. And there’s even more ideas we’re kicking around for
building a city for hunters to play in, or examining the nature of the future.
vampires in the 1980s of the United States). We’re just starting
to explore the potential of these kinds of products, but already
some fans have gotten really excited about the possibilities. So Have Some New Scion
We also had a growing print-on-demand program, but due
Companion Bonus Material
to some complications with that partnership, we temporarily To celebrate a year of experiments and exciting new prospects
suspended our PoD products earlier this year. We will be taking to come, I pulled together some of the material that ended up
time to make sure that when print-on-demand books are offered getting cut for various reasons early in the development process
again, that they will be of the quality that you as customers and of the Scion Companion (one of our biggest and most successful
we are publishers demand from our products, and a number of our AP ideas last year) and compiled it here for you. Enjoy!
PDF-exclusive products will have PoD alternatives as soon as we
can offer them. But like the title of this piece says, a lot of this
experimental, and like all experiments, some just don’t work out
the first time through. What’s up with the titles in this article?
Look up the lyrics of “Major-General’s Song”
by Gilbert and Sullivan, used in their musi-
cal “The Pirates of Penzance,” then read them
again. You’ll get it.

18
omukade
Deep in the mountains of Japan are said to
dwell the mukade, enormous centipedes with a
taste for human flesh. These are the children of
the Omukade, the Great Centipede, an avatar of
Crom Cruach. The Omukade so hates the Amat-
sukami that it spends the whole of its existence
burrowing upwards, eternally seeking sight of the
heavens so that it might climb into the vault of
the sky and eat the sun, the moon and all the
stars. For the most part, though, it thrashes about T
within the rocky skin that is Crom Cruach, going h
forever in disoriented circles. e
Occasionally, however, its thrashings crack
open a passage between Crom Cruach and the
World. These passages are never large enough to T
allow the Omukade — a creature of massive size u
and power — to enter the World. It throws itself, a
again and again, against the stone, until it tires t
itself. Then, as the sun rises in the sky above, the h
Omukade burns, and convulsively vomits forth
into the World a strange, mudlike foam that is
a
filled with eggs and then flees back into the Un-
derworld. D
The Omukade itself is literally miles long, é
covered with a fine black carapace that shines
like obsidian in the moonlight. Its hundred legs D
are each tipped with a black spine capable of
skewering several men at once, and its horrible
a
mandibles drip with a viscous pus-like white n
poison (analogous to Jörmungandr’s Venom; n
see Scion: Hero, p. 182). The places between a
its segments crawl with a thousand-thousand n
squirming poisonous centipedes, making
even striking at Omukade’s weak points in-
credibly hazardous.

mukade
Small amounts of the foam often pass through
the cracks and tumble out of the openings in the
World, coming to rest on the sides of mountains
where they quickly gather fallen leaves and other
camouflage that hides them from the sight of
mortals. These eggs grow over time, coming to
full size within a year. Most of the time, they
are found by local kami, who destroy them out
of principle, or by the mountain-dwelling tengu,
who consider them a great delicacy.
Occasionally, however, even these efforts
may miss one or two of them, and the mukade
hatches a year after it was laid, scuttling down
into the cracks of the mountain where it quickly
grows to maturity, achieving an awe-inspiring
size of some fifty to eighty feet in length. At that
point, the flesh of creatures beneath the earth
can no longer sustain it, and it surfaces, seeking
fresh meat from large animals…and men.
19
 Traits: Mukade have the stats of lindwurms, though strange egg-foam of Omukade. To most men and wom-
their bite is quite poisonous, having the effects of Titans- en, this is poisonous. To a rare few (generally, to those
pawn venom (see Scion: Hero, p. 182). with the potential to gain Titanic Virtues), it transforms
Trophy: The black chitin of a mukade can be stripped them.
by a careful craftsman and turned into a very light but Traits: Mukade-bushi are effectively mortal men
strong glistening black breastplate and limb-guards. This and women with the mathean template (see the Scion
requires first a (Dexterity + Survival) roll, difficulty 5. Companion section on the Tuatha Dé Dannan for more
Then, it takes one week and an (Intelligence + Craft [Ar- information). Additionally, they harbor squirming masses
mor]) roll, difficulty 5. For each success less than 5 rolled of centipedes in their bellies; inflicting more than three
on each of these rolls, the armor’s final bashing and lethal points of lethal damage on a mukade-bushi means these
soak is reduced by one; gaining 10 or more successes on centipedes have been released explosively. Though the
T the Craft roll reduces its Mobility penalty to 0. Its normal mukade-bushi takes an additional health level of aggra-
h traits are: +4B/+4L, Mobility –1, Fatigue 0. vated damage when this happens, it sprays everyone in
e a ten-foot radius with biting, vicious centipedes. Those
THE CENTIPEDE CULT in the area are immediately bitten by centipedes, which
T inflict poison:
The only other servitors of Omukade are an ancient
• Mukade-Bushi Venom: Tolerance —, Damage 5L/ac-
u Centipede Cult, a society of assassins and bureaucrat-
tion, Toxicity 2, Penalty –2.
a saboteurs who have taken the downfall of the Son of
In order to escape being bitten, a character must be
Heaven — the Imperial Personage of Japan —as their
t personal goal. Throughout the centuries, their methods
in one of two states: ready for it to happen or invulner-
h have changed and evolved with the times, beginning as
able. If a character is taking a Guard action and is aware
a simple clans of mountain-dwelling warrior-assassins. Over
of the effect (either because of fighting mukade-bushi be-
fore, or because of effects that warn against unexpected
time, they have played many roles: the conspirator with
attacks), he may quickly move outside of the area, gener-
D Westerners, the instigator of civil unrest and even plac-
ally ending his Guard action to take a Dash or Jump ac-
é ing themselves in high bureaucratic positions intended to
tion. Alternately, if the character is completely protected
give them the power to determine the fate of war prison-
from head to foot by impenetrable armor, the centipedes
ers, always making decisions that will bring Japan under
D the most severe international scrutiny.
cannot touch him.
a Foremost of the Centipede Cult are its masters, the
Trophy: Mukade-bushi leave no trophies, simply
n corpses with a body cavity full of centipedes that rapidly
mukade-bushi — the centipede warriors. Seemingly nor-
try to escape with their host’s death.
n mal men and women, the mudake-bushi have eaten the
a
n

20
The Virtues of the The greatest wisdom, and the greatest power, lies simply in
comprehending the Way of the Universe and going along
Celestial bureaucracy with it. The Virtue of Harmony may trump everyday no-
The Virtues espoused by the Celestial Bureaucracy
tions of Duty, especially when rulers become unrighteous.
come from (or inspired) Taoism and Confucianism. The
When those in power lose the Mandate of Heaven, their
mystic doctrine of Taoism proclaims that all existence
failure reveals itself in crime waves, poor harvests, popular
partakes of one undefinable essence — the Tao, or “Way,”
uprisings and dire omens from the Gods.
which manifests as the contrasting but interdependent
principles of Yin (darkness, stillness, feminine) and Yang Intellect
(light, activity, masculine), the Five Elements (Wood, Mere obedience does not suffice to guide mortals or
Fire, Earth, Metal and Water) and the Ten Thousand Gods to their Confucian Duty or Taoist Harmony. Com- T
Things of actual existence. Nothing has existence entire- prehension of Virtue requires study and contemplation. h
ly by itself: Everything changes, fast or slow, into some- Gods and Mortals can both benefit from studying the clas-
thing else. The doctrine of Confucius lays out the rules of
e
sic works of great sages, though some Gods—such as the
proper social conduct, from family relationships to affairs Handsome Monkey King, Great Sage Equal to Heaven—
of state. Obedience to these rules enables people to live in act from instinctive wisdom. That their instinctive wis- c
harmony with each other and with the essentially benign dom often looks like blundering idiocy merely shows the e
order of the Universe. subtlety of their attunement to cosmic Harmony. l
Duty The Gods show their Intellect most visibly through e
teaching and invention. Most of the old Gods revealed s
According to Confucius, all people have their place
important arts and sciences to humanity, from writing to
in society. While they may change their station, they
rice farming. The Celestial Bureaucracy honors Gods and
t
should do so only according to proper procedures, such as
Scions who continue this tradition by fostering new in- i
by marriage, becoming parents, passing examinations or a
ventions and discoveries.
appointment by a higher authority. Some duties are fixed:
l
younger brothers should respect and obey older brothers, Valor
children should honor parents, wives should obey hus- Mere contemplation of Duty and Harmony are not
bands, the living should revere their dead ancestors, ev- enough. The superior person, whether mortal or divine, b
eryone should obey the Emperor and his lawful deputies, must put his Virtues into action. Any mortal can show u
and the Emperor should obey Heaven. These superiors, Valor in small ways, as when a bureaucrat blows the whis- r
however, owe reciprocal duties—especially to set a good tle on a corrupt superior, and they deserve Heaven’s pro- e
example. This Virtue also encompasses the rituals of soci- tection. Heroes go on quests, battle barbarians and war-
ety, such as births, marriages, funerals and sacrifices. Duty
a
lords, and even overthrow regimes that lose the Mandate
demands that all things be done in the correct, traditional of Heaven.
u
and decorous manner. A Scion who performs many deeds of Valor may come c
to be called a wu-xia or “questing knight.” Scions who be- r
Harmony come known for their encyclopedic and penetrating In- a
Everything in the World naturally follows cycles of
change and transformation—the Way, Tao. It is the Way
tellect earn the honorific of shih or “scholar,” and those c
who go beyond mere scholarship to demonstrate a deep y
of seeds to sprout and grow into plants that produce seeds
comprehension of cosmic Harmony gain the high title of
of their own. It is the Way for aging empires to fall into
tzu or “sage.” A devoted Confucian, however, would settle
corruption and crumble, and the Way for ages of chaos
merely for a reputation as a gentleman through his devo-
to produce new empires. All strife and evil comes from
tion to propriety and Duty.
ignorance or refusal to follow the natural Way of things.

21
 BACK INTO THE HEDGE,
A CHANGELING POST-MORTEM
By Ethan Skemp

Planting the Thorns Well, that wasn’t the year for it. We decided, and
So, first off, a little history. rightly so, that it would be best overall if we were to
I started out at White Wolf as an in-house editor bring out a wholly new property, something that said
— not the sort of “line editor” that implies more power “The World of Darkness might not go in all the old di-
over content control, mind, because that’s what we rections.” So Promethean: The Created was launched,
call a “developer.” I was embroiled in the business of and it was gorgeous. And in the aftermath of that, we
proofreading, grammar edits, clarity, simple things of started talking about what to do for “the fifth game.”
that nature. But I did think it was awfully impressive to So everybody pitched a new Changeling.
be able to be in charge of a line, and I certainly thought
Watering the Hedge
I’d like to give that a go one day.
I don’t know if it was a zeitgeist or what (no Geist
And at the time, if it were up to me, I figured my
jokes, please), but at that point we figured it would
first choice would have been Changeling: The Dream-
have to be. After some review, my pitch was selected
ing.
as the winning case, with one alteration: my pitch in-
In retrospect, I was probably hypnotized in part
volved changelings that were born what they were, but
by the art — not just the gorgeous finished pieces like
Bill Bridges had thrown out the idea that they were ab-
Diterlizzi’s fullpages, but also the vibrant character de-
ductees who found their way back. (Bill, I should men-
sign sketches done by Josh Timbrook. There was also
tion, is a frickin’ genius.) They asked me to revise my
the simple fact that, well, we were talking about fan-
pitch with that idea at the core, but with the ideas I’d
tasy here. My mother started me on Tolkien, Lewis and
thrown out there like the Seasonal Courts and the cus-
Alexander at an early age, and also gave me my red-
tomizable seemings and the otherworld of the Hedge
box D&D gateway drug to boot. Working on a game
still at the heart of the interface. I did so. And about
where redcaps and trolls were the player characters
that point I started to think, “You know, we may have
of choice was pretty damn attractive. Of course, that
a really good game here.”
wasn’t quite my destiny, and instead I was drawn into
As it turns out, we did. There were still a number
the world of werewolves — a world that was rewarding
of fine-tuning details to be made, of course. We had to
enough that soon I wondered why that hadn’t been my
figure out Contract magic. We had to make sure that
first choice all along.
if we were going 4x6 instead of 5x5 for character type
Flash forward. The World of Darkness had explod-
selection that character creation could be made even
ed in a rain of apocalyptic destruction around the turn
more remarkable for the switch — enter the kith sub-
of the millennium, and not to belabor the old phoe-
system. Joe Carriker came up with the beautiful pledge
nix metaphor, but a new World of Darkness had arisen
system virtually unaided, bless him. But as we worked
from the ashes. I was still working on Werewolf, and
on it more and more, we said, “We might be on to
loving the job, but we’d gotten to the point where with
something here.” Things were falling into place. The
the Big Three released, we could go in any direction
term “Lost” emerged, and immediately the thought of
with the lines yet to come. We could try something
Lost Boys and Girls made perfect sense. Alec Bourbon
brand new. A developer didn’t have to be faithful to
knocked our socks off when the prologue came in. Ai-
one line only; we could work on two.
leen Miles’ thorn-motif logo and cover immediately
So I pitched a new Changeling.
grabbed the eye of everyone who saw it. It was look-

22
ing good. We had a plan for four books and a seasonal and then some — three more books would eventually
theme, and it was a limited line we could be proud of. be added to meet demand, two following the seasonal
All we had to do was wait and see what the customers theme and one as a Night Horrors tie-in. The game
thought of it. kept selling out. People kept telling us how much they
To say we were pleasantly surprised would be an loved it.
understatement. It’s rewarding when that happens, but it’s all the
more rewarding when it’s a project you really care
Bearing (Goblin) Fruit about. That’s what hit me the hardest, right in the ela-
To be perfectly honest, we knew that some people tion bone. Everyone who worked on Changeling in-
were not going to like Changeling: The Lost. For one, vested a portion of what they really cared about into
fairies are traditionally a fairly specialized sell. Some it. I can speak only for myself, but much of the game
gamers are just Too Damn Macho to give half a look is emotionally keyed to one of my greatest fears: being
at playing some kind of pointy-eared pixie, unless he’s separated from my wife, my family, my home. Those
got black skin and white hair and lugs around a couple bonds mean the world to me, and I wanted to do a
of scimitars. Fairy tales are generally considered kid game about the tragedy of losing them, and about the
stuff, a pre-adolescent fantasy. But that was fine; we potential hope of regaining what you’ve lost. Of course,
weren’t going to begrudge anyone personal preference I didn’t want that to be the only emotional trigger the
as to genre. game had to offer: you also needed room for the person
But we also knew that some people who loved who gets a second chance out of the process, or the
Changeling: The Dreaming were not going to like changeling who exults in what she’s become even if
the new take on “fae in the World of Darkness.” Let’s she harbors a few quiet regrets. But the tragedy of being
face it, the two games are almost diametric opposites Lost is something that meant a lot to me. To see people
in some ways. You were no longer born different and say “Yes, that matters to us, too, and we love to explore
special — now you were an abductee, gaining power that with your game” — that’s been an absolute joy.
from a form of slavery. Entering changeling culture was I’ve loved watching Changeling’s success so much.
a struggle through the Thorns, not an adoption. And I feel simultaneously proud to have been a part of it and
the biggest talking point of all was that we weren’t us- humbled by how much creativity its writers and artists
ing “faerie” as a metaphor for creativity, imagination and Storytellers and players have poured into it.
and wonder any more. Rather, it was played straight To everyone out there who gave this game a
out of the old stories: an inhuman force that people chance: thank you so much. I apologize to those of you
were really afraid of, and for good reason. that didn’t care for it, but I think we made the game
As predicted, some people really didn’t like that we were meant to make. And for those of you who sup-
change. ported it and ran with it and tore the doors off — thank
But many more did. you twice as much. I’ve never loved this job more than
Changeling: The Lost was a fantastic hit for us. when I’m watching you all be brilliant and creative
We knew all along it would be a limited run: originally and have so much damn fun with something I helped
I’d planned for four supplements, but Rich Thomas (in to build.
his wisdom) said to gamble with five. He was right, It’s been an honor.

23
 Artist Spotlight: Efrem Palacios
By Priscilla Kim

In Efrem Palacios’ own words, “When I’m not being an What would you say is your favorite piece that you’ve done
international playboy super spy, I spend the rest of my time for White Wolf? Why?
being a troglodyte artist living in (stay classy) San Diego, I’d like to consider all my art as if they were my children, so I
California.” With an AA in graphic design, he worked for think they are all special to me. (Aww) But I guess if I had to
several years in the field before eventually turning toward pick a favorite in the White Wolf pack, it would probably be the
illustration and picking up traditional training at the Watts first color pieces I did in the Ventrue: Lords of the Damned
Atelier in Encinitas, CA. Since then, he has done work for book, purely for sentimental reasons, if anything. Just don’t tell
Wizards of the Coast, Blizzard, and for White Wolf, as seen any of my other art I said that or they might get jealous.
in this as seen in this issue of Epitaph and many of the  
Vampire: The Requiem clan books. What’s your favorite subject to portray? Favorite genre?
Favorite subject? Hmmm... Is painting attractive ladies a
How did you get started in art? subject? Preferably scantily clad or nekked ones? As for genre
I’ve always loved art. As a kid, all an adult needed to do to I guess it goes with what mood I’m in. I like ‘em all really.
keep me distracted was to give me a pencil and paper. As a Fantasy, I guess, if you were threatening me with death. Right
professional I just kind of stumbled into it actually. now I kind of feel like that Knight in Monty Python. “What is
  your favorite color?” “Blue! ...No! Oraahhh!”
What brought you to illustration?  
I always hoped that art would somehow find a place in my career. What artists inspire you?
I’ve always loved illustration and all the things it’s related to, Who doesn’t inspire me? Rockwell, NC Wyeth, Sargent,
like movies, animation, books and comic books, but I started off Leyendecker, Frazetta, Phil Hale, Goya, Velazquez, Glen
as Graphic Designer thinking it was the more practical “adult” Barr, Bill Watterson, Chuck Jones, Eric Powell, Brad Neely—
art-related career choice. Only it never stuck; my designs were the list never really stops, nor is it restricted to just visual artists,
always more on the illustrative side than design side. Eventually and it only gets longer with time. Even my five year old nephew
I started meeting people who were seriously willing to pay me to is on the list.
draw stuff for them, so I said, “OK, I guess I’ll be an illustrator.”
I still learned a lot from graphic design, though. How do you deal with dry spells and artist’s block?
   Speed and crack cocaine tend to help me focus. No, but
What medium do you prefer to work in? seriously—I look to the masters like Rockwell and even my
I guess Digital is my “go to” medium for my work but I also peers and try to “inspire” myself to get back on track. If that
enjoy oil painting on my own time. doesn’t work, I find hitting the booze and crying in a corner
sometimes helps. And the cocaine, you can’t forget about the
About how long does it take you to finish a typical piece? sweet, sweet cocaine.
When I’m not procrastinating—which is more often than
not—I can finish something within 1 day to a week, depending What other hobbies do you have?
on the complexity of the piece. Although I don’t consider myself I don’t know if I have any hobbies. I don’t collect anything to
a perfectionist, I am still incredibly insecure about my art and excess. I guess I am a very boring person.
never really ever feel I’ve finished anything, so I’ll sometimes  
return to them and try to “fix” them. So I guess I never really Have any advice for aspiring artists?
finish anything really. It’s kind of a bad habit. Be willing to learn from anyone and never stop studying. Try
  to develop good art habits early on in your development, like
How long have you been doing work for White Wolf? making deadlines, and really try to listen when you’re getting
I think I’ve been doing stuff for White Wolf for over a year, constructive criticism. Oh, and stay in school, don’t do drugs
maybe. and knowing is half the battle. G-I-JOE!
 

25
27
28
29
30
 WHO’s-WHO AT CCP?
Something wicked this way comes. An interview with Natasha Bryant-Raible.
By Shane DeFreest

When did you start playing Name: Natasha Bryant-Raible Besides, it can be a little rough to
video games? Title: Game Designer work in an environment with, say,
I was about five years old. I started Alias: “The Puncher” a 20:1 male-female ratio.
with classic NES—Tetris and Super Character Type: Vampire
Mario Bros. The first videogame I Status: At Large (approach with What’s your favorite thing about
ever purchased with my own money extreme caution) CCP and your job?
was Kirby’s Dreamworld for NES. Fantasizing about shipping our
Cartridges were still $20. game. The deeper into development
we get, the more overwhelmed I am
What type of work did you by how awesome it could potentially
do before you got into the be. We are so freaking cool.
industry?
All kinds of ridiculous stuff. I always If you had to pick one game as
liked keeping three or four part time your favorite game ever.  What
jobs instead of one big one, to keep is it and why?
life interesting. Before this I worked Easy, I always know the answer
in a law office, in the Hollywood to this one. It’s Final Fantasy VII.
nightclub industry, hosted a live I think it’s still my favorite game
trivia game show, and did some because it was the first game I ever
talent/modeling. Simultaneously. really fell in love with. The world
and story were so beautiful and
Without giving away too much explorable to me. I was eleven when
of what you are working on, I first played it, and I spent years
what does your job entail on an drawing fan-art and roleplaying
average day? Tifa Lockheart in IRC chatrooms.
It’s a lot of writing by myself at It was very silly.
my desk, punctuated by exciting
meetings where we all yell at one As we all know CCP loves to
another. consume alcoholic beverages. 
What’s your drink of choice?
Do you feel you are advantaged Vodka and water. When you
or disadvantaged as a female in put away as many as we do, you
an industry and job so typically
dominated by men?
It’s a double-edged sword. It’s
WANTED need a go-to that won’t give you a
hangover.

advantageous in that there’s a pretty significant movement Would you define yourself as a hardcore gamer?
to include more women in the development of games, which It comes and goes. I’ve been sticking to more casual, social
gives them an edge in an increasingly competitive industry. games recently—such as on iminlikewithyou.com. I’ve tried
However, it’s a hard fight once you’re there. There’s still a lot of picking up some of the recent big MMO releases, but I wasn’t
objectification of women in games, and not as much impetus to very engaged by any of them.
change that. It can be a little frustrating. Additionally, I feel like
the industry as a whole is choosing to continue making designs What advice would you have for people that want to get
that appeal to the “classic” demographic and to the predominantly into the industry?
male developers themselves, instead of mindfully expanding the Show up! Network! There’s many events meant facilitate the
market with more androgynous designs. joining of would-be developers and the companies seeking them.

31
GDCs are the big ones. Go to them. Introduce yourself. Follow What movies, music and books do you draw inspiration
up with emails, always! Everyone’s meeting a lot of people at from that help you do your job?
those things, so understand that you’ll have to go the extra mile I listen almost exclusively to minimal electronica or similar genres
to assert your potential. while at work—very few words to convolute your thinking with,
and always epic and emotional. I use it to manipulate my mood
What genre’s do you find most appealing and enjoyable? depending on what I’m writing. Aphex Twin, Telefon Tel
I was raised on serial Japanese RPGs, so they’re dear to my Aviv, and Burial are on my playlist.
heart. I also really enjoy party games—games that are easy
to pick up and compete against your friends. I kick ass at For movies and books, I’ve been consuming stories that
WarioWare. I consider timeless. I’m very compelled by life before the
internet. I try to glean what it is that’s classic about the plots
What’s the weirdest/funniest you can share that’s or emotions presented in these stories and apply them to my
happened to  you have since joining CCP? own ideas. One of my favorite books is Ayn Rand’s We the
My first Friday at CCP was pretty memorable. Several of Living, which was written in the 1930’s but still feels so
the Icelandic designers were visiting from the homeland, and remarkably relevant. That’s the mark of what I find inspiring.
after a week of 12-hour meetings they decided to unwind at I’ve read it ten times.
the shooting range. It was my first time firing a gun, and the
force of the shot took out a little chunk of my hand. It was I also check in on genre-relevant stuff, like the Twilight series.
bloody . I still have a little scar. Subsequently, the crew was That was just short of infuriating. Reading Twilight is like
forcibly removed from Taco Mac (of all places) by the Georgia buying a much-publicized car that’s a lemon. Except for every
authorities. Charges include peeing in the bathroom sink and single instance of that model is a lemon, morally requiring the
baiting the locals into aggressive conversations about religion manufacturer to do a massive recall. So really Twilight is like
and politics. Interestingly, a series of events like this would no anything that sucks really bad. See, it even makes me write
longer surprise me in the least. terrible analogies.

If you could tell the world any one thing about you that’s
not widely known what would it be?
I’m a complete optimist.

32
 Vampire: the Eternal Struggle Storyline Event: Rise of the Imperator
They came from all over the world: lawyers and street takes to uphold the Masquerade. That time is over. Kindred
thugs, gladiators and musicians.  They entered through library that fail  to uphold the Traditions  are now an existential
basements, churches and subway tunnels and over the course of threat to the species. They can no longer be allowed to exist.
a few hours managed to congregate in an underground chamber The fate of the Kindred depends on someone who can lead
in Dublin, Ireland. the Camarilla, restore order and stability, and bring all the
“Oi!  I am Prince O’Connor o’ this fair town,” a voice shouted Kindred under Camarilla rule.
over the sea of vampires. To confront these challenges, the Inner Circle has agreed
Eager shouts rang off the stones.  to appoint a military commander, a single individual who
“Now,” the Prince continued, in his lilting Irish accent, “for will be called upon to lead the soldiers of the Camarilla, to
the younger folk who may not have heard, there’s a reason fer enforce the Traditions, and to restore order: the Imperator.
the party. This may seem obvious to any of ye who’ve been on Who will rise and be chosen for this exalted position? Who
the front lines, but the Camarilla hasn’t been very unified lately. has the will and the cunning to seize the reins of power? Who
Aye,” the Prince went on “an’ I dunno about you, but I think it’s has strength to keep it? Each of the clans of the Camarilla
high time we got rid of the old fashioned Ventrue leadership and lays plans to elevate one of their own to this position of
put someone in charge who actually knows how to win a fight.” power. No clan thinks one of the others can be trusted with
In a time of crisis, the Camarilla searches for a leader. this authority. Even within the clans, ancient rivals eye
Times are changing quickly. The Camarilla needs each other warily, and struggle for dominance. Among the
to respond to these changes with unity and strength. corridors of power, the maneuvering begins. Who will have
Advances in mortal society and technology can no longer the honor, the responsibility, the power to lead the armies of
be ignored. They have cameras in their phones, and video the Camarilla? Who will be the Imperator?
footage goes around the world in seconds. Mobs don’t carry Candles flickered in sconces throughout the circular stone
torches and pitchforks anymore. The kine have assault rifles, room in the basement of the Vienna chantry.   Seated around
cruise missiles, tanks, and nuclear weapons. The Masquerade the table six members of the warlock clan.  Wards flickered in
isn’t a quaint tradition, something you can believe in or not. the floor, walls and ceiling.   Several screens were set up with
It is essential to the survival on the Kindred. thaumaturgical projections of Chantry leaders and princes. One
The Camarilla needs to strengthen it’s grip, but it’s losing chair was empty.  On the table in front of it, a disembodied hand
control. More  and more Kindred  are joining the anarchs. with an eye embedded in its palm was staring at Thrace.
The Sabbat grows in strength.  Secretive cults proliferate. Oliver Thrace frowned at the other Tremere.  “The Council
Vampires are preaching about Gehenna, and the end of of Seven has already selected the Kindred who will lead us as
the world. They are thinking short term. Because they Imperator.   Let us now proceed with ensuring they succeed in
don’t believe in their own immortality, they undermine attaining the position.”
the Traditions that have allowed the Kindred to exist for In this constructed VTES Storyline Event, players will
centuries. Lately, when the Camarilla has tried to show it’s join the power struggle, and choose the Camarilla’s military
strength, it has failed. The infernalists were able to secret commander. Players will design and play decks featuring one
the Kaymakli Fragment from Montreal. The anarch outlaws the core Camarilla clans as they try to outwit, outmaneuver,
moved from city to city, unchallenged. and overcome their rivals to elevate one of their own. Boons
“The current command structure is not working.  We need will play a special role as ancient debts come due, and favors
a united army - a cohesive military force with a clear and direct granted become obligations and tools for political leverage.
chain of command.  Inter-clan politics must take a back seat.  We In addition to the players’ decks, and the standard tools
can no longer afford to have individual groups working at cross at a Methuselah’s disposal, this event will feature a special
purposes.  Too much is at stake here.  We need an Imperator to Imperator deck that will be shared by all players. The
command all of the Camarilla.  One voice calling the shots, and Imperator deck represents the additional resources the
one mind making the decisions.” the Methuselah bring to their struggle for political power
“Chairman, I object to the consideration of the question.”  -- their political maneuvers, their cunning schemes, the
“Objection denied,” said the voice from the head of the table.  weaknesses for their enemies to exploit.
“Continue.” The Rise of the Imperator Storyline Kit contains the all
Lucinde’s lips did not smile, although Jan could tell she wanted new Imperator promo card and  the Kaymakli Fragment
to.  “Out of all the clans, ours is best suited to this leadership promo card that was first introduced for the Black Miracles
role.” and Lies Storyline. It also contains 12 booster packs as prizes,
There was a time when the Camarilla could tolerate the spoils to be showered upon the victor. 
existence of Kindred who were not willing to do what it
WW2881 $29.99 VTES: Imperator Storyline Kit

33
 Coming soon, after the Imperator is chosen -- the  As the secret of the Edenic Groundskeepers is revealed,
next chapter in the VTES Storyline... the world’s Methuselahs realize their sudden peril, and
For centuries the Royal Order of Edenic Groundskeepers the opportunities before them. The clandestine struggle
conducted their clandestine research. Slowly, carefully, for control of the information unearthed by the order
they built their maps, documenting in detail, the secret begins. Some of the Methuselahs are motivated by desire
resting places of the world’s Antediluvian and the for the secrets to remain hidden. Others are motivated
Methuselahs. The members of the order have gathered by  knowledge and the chance to learn secrets of the
the secrets of their forbearers and the world’s greatest Edenic Groundskeepers. Some of the Methuselahs see
trove of Kindred lore. Recently, several scholars of the the order’s trove as the key to victory in the great Jyhad.
order mysteriously disappeared while researching a site Others see it as instrumental to Gehenna itself.
near Mombasa. Teams of strange Kindred have appeared Only when the fate of the order has been determined,
in cities around the world  to abduct  the remaining and the reasons behind their betrayal and abduction
members or the order and claim their research. It has are revealed, will the Methuselahs come to understand
become clear that the secret society had been penetrated Eden’s Legacy.
or betrayed. 

Top 10 Constructed Top 10 Limited

Orrian Gissler France Matthew Morgan USA
Olivier Perez France Hugh Angseesing UK
Matthew Morgan USA Jared Strait USA
Hugh Angseesing UK Robert Faengler Germany
Ruben Feldman USA Joshua Duffin USA
Noel Gimenez Infante Spain Joo Maselli Gouvea Brazil
Ginés Quiñonero Spain Dave Clooney USA
Erik Torstensson Sweden Jeff Thompson USA
Hernn Rodrguez Chile Itamar G. Jr. Brazil
Ben Peal USA Chris Berg USA

34
 Vtes Tournement Corner
Date Title Region Event
5/9/09 Conklaavi 2009 Finland Constructed
3/29/09 Caen by night United States Constructed
3/29/09 Power of All: Atlanta United States Constructed
3/27/09 Faction Wars #3 Canada Constructed
3/24/09 N-story, Event_2 The conflict escalation. Russian Federation Constructed
3/22/09 Alacrity #3 United States Constructed
3/21/09 Bergen/Oslo Part XII Norway Constructed
3/21/09 Alacrity #1 United States Constructed
3/20/09 Faction Wars #2 Canada Constructed
3/20/09 N-story, Event_1 Russian Federation Constructed
3/15/09 1º Display Prize Tournament 2009 Brazil Constructed
3/14/09 March to Oblivion Canada Constructed
3/14/09 White Nights Massacre III United States Constructed
3/13/09 Faction Wars #1 Canada Constructed
3/8/09 Praxis Seizure:Turku XLVII Finland Constructed
3/7/09 Orun South Africa Constructed
3/6/09 Turf Wars: Amherst #3 Canada Constructed
3/6/09 First Obninsk Tournament Russian Federation Constructed
3/1/09 Fresh Blood Vienna 2009 Austria Constructed
3/1/09 Fleecing the Gaje Australia Constructed
5/30/09 Norwegian ECQ/Championship Norway Continental Qualifier
5/29/09 Texas Qualifier United States Continental Qualifier
5/16/09 English EC 2009 United Kingdom Continental Qualifier
5/3/09 Sydney Qualifier Australia Continental Qualifier
4/25/09 Draqonia II Sweden Continental Qualifier
4/19/09 Great Lakes Regional Qualifier United States Continental Qualifier
3/21/09 Alacrity #2 (Qualifier) United States Continental Qualifier
3/7/09 Saturday at Seth’s United States Demo
3/28/09 Steely Tenacity: Atlanta United States Limited
3/21/09 DraCon I (Draft Construction) Russian Federation Limited
3/9/09 KoT draft Russian Federation Limited
3/7/09 Camarilla’s Rebirth Portugal Limited
3/1/09 Örebro Limited February Sweden Limited
4/18/09 Haven Uncovered: Westerville United States Mini Qualifier
4/17/09 Game Con 2009 United States Mini Qualifier
3/1/09 Second Chance Qualifier United States Mini Qualifier

35
Chapter III: The Idigam

The Idigam
“I t t urns out what we did in A pollo
was probably the worst way we could
have handled it operat ionally.”

— Kriss Kennedy, project leader for architecture,

habitability and integration at NASA’s Johnson Space
Center, as quoted in New Scientist Space

This story is true.

They might have had a name in Pangaea, before their
exile, before their time in cold nowhere made them even
stranger and more powerful. But if they had a name, no
one remembers it, not even the spirits. We know that
Father Wolf saw them and saw the chaos they could wreak
upon the world. And so he hunted them down, as was his
sacred task.
He chased them down, and when they grew wings
to escape, he leapt high in the air and caught them. They
turned to water around his teeth, and he took them into
his stomach to prevent their escape. They turned to
worms to burrow their way out, but he ate the
grasses and the herbs, and vom-
ited them back up. And then
they changed to birds again
and tried to fly away, and
Father Wolf realized that
nowhere in Pangaea could
these things be contained.
And so when he caught
them, he flung them upwards,
and he called to Mother Luna
to catch them. And she did, and
she placed them in a dark prison, a
soundless and barren wasteland that never saw
nor felt sunlight. And there they sat, unable to
change themselves, for nothing around them
changed. And so it was for some time.

36
 Human beings looked to the moon over the years, and light and heat, in addition to conceptual spirits of
they saw Mother Luna looking down. And they looked to joy, accomplishment, fear, faith (Buzz Aldrin, in fact,
wolves howling at the moon, and they wondered at their quietly took Communion on the moon’s surface)
songs. They never knew that they were merely doing what and courage. The idigam fought among themselves
Father Wolf had taught their ancestors. Their howls remind for the privilege of riding the vehicle back to Earth.
Mother Luna of what lay in the darkest recesses of her At least four of them did, letting go of the Columbia
domain, and that she must keep the gates securely locked. before or as it splashed down in the North Pacific.
They knew Mother Luna might forget, if she couldn’t see.
The creatures were locked in an oubliette, forgotten by
Helios, Luna, but never by the Uratha.
Human beings, of course, were the ones who freed
them. Lies Written by the Victors
This story is true.
The M oon-Banished They’ve been here all along. We
On July 20, 1969, two men set foot on the called them by their right name — idigam
moon. This achievement had far-reaching effects — but humanity called them Ladon,
for the inhabitants of Earth, not least of which was Chimera, Leviathan, Geryon, Samebito.
a newfound appreciation for how small and fragile They’ve taken forms as they’ve seen fit,
the planet truly was. But Armstrong and Aldrin (and and when heroes have risen up to kill
their compatriot, Collins, orbiting above) brought them, they’ve dutifully died.
something else back with them: the idigam. The moon landing, though, was
According to the lore of the People (Pure and For- when everything changed. That much
saken), these spirits originated on Earth. Father Wolf is true. That was when the humans left
caught them and flung them into space, where Mother their boundaries, and so boundaries
Luna caught and imprisoned them. She was able to do ceased to mean anything. The idigam
so because of the nature of these creatures. stopped respecting the bargains they
The idigam are spirits without clear analogs in made with Urfarah. They abandoned
the physical world. While a cat-spirit is emblem- their forms, and they abandoned their
atic of a cat, and a hate-spirit cannot be other than agreement to die when human heroes
hateful, these spirits did not have natures. This rose to kill them.
should mean death for a spirit, and yet the idigam We can still kill them, yes, but it’s
have been able to thrive. Moreover, they were able not the same. It was right and proper for
to take other spirits (or living creatures) and assume humans to kill them, to make humanity
their traits, which made them impossible to contain think it could kill monsters. The truth
or kill. The only way to rid Pangaea of them was to is, the idigam were nothing more than
imprison them on the moon, in a place devoid of raw distractions for humanity, so that we, the
material. The idigam therefore entered stasis, unable true predators, could hunt unnoticed.
to mimic anything around them. But the humans fouled that up, and
And they waited. the Forsaken have bought into human-
Their time in exile wasn’t entirely uneventful. ity’s lies, just as they always do. And the
Objects from other worlds struck the moon’s surface, idigam, now, are as great a threat to us
and the idigam used these objects to change them- as to the Forsaken.
selves. But they still could not cross the blackness of As always, it falls to us to remain
space, empty spiritually as well as physically, to get Pure. Let humanity handle their
back to their homeland. Not until men arrived and monsters. Let the Forsaken fight and die
brought them a chariot. alongside them, if they wish. Only when
The manned moon landings of the late 1960s the idigam threaten us directly should
and early 1970s presented the idigam with a com- we take action.
parative smorgasbord of spiritual raw materials. The
astronauts brought spirits of technology, food, fuel,

The Moon-Banished
37
Chapter III: The Idigam

One of them is believed to have been Gurdilag, the state of the world and its Shadow. They reached into
idigam that would go on to inhabit Denver, Colo- the depths of the spirit wilds and found servants. They
rado, and led to Max Roman’s organization of the called out to the stars, to the voices they had heard
werewolves of that area (see p. 290 of Werewolf: during their long imprisonment, and sometimes the
The Forsaken for more information). Over the next stars responded. A meteor shower might contain a
three years, more manned missions to the lunar sur- thousand spirits from alien worlds, and only a hand-
face brought back more of the Moon-Banished. ful would survive the fall to Earth. Of those, only
Some idigam attacked the Forsaken out of one might live long enough for an idigam to find and
anger for the spiritual children of their jailor. Many nourish it. But that one could grow powerful enough
werewolves had no recollection of the ancient story to challenge a pack of Uratha.
of Father Wolf’s battles with the idigam. They as- It is these patient, careful idigam that the
sumed these spirits were merely Hithim, and though Uratha fear. The Moon-Banished have always been
they were more powerful versatile, able to alter themselves
than most, they to adapt to whatever
could challenge they face.
still be But upon returning
bound from their lunar prison,
and the more intelligent and
even de- powerful of the
stroyed. idigam learned
These weak- to alter the
er idigam world around
were still deadly foes, but nothing like them. Essence was like sculptor’s clay, and
the sheer spiritual power of Gurdilag they warped spirits into whatever form they
and its ilk. wished. Drawing on an eternity of darkness
Not all of the Moon-Banished were and nightmares, they reshaped spirits into
so impatient. They spread themselves weapons and servants. Even then, though,
over the world, and began to remake the their servants were simply powerful spirits
spirit wilds according to their own whims. — deadly, certainly, but werewolves were
The subsumed powerful loci, many of long accustomed to horrors from the spirit
which were deep beneath the earth’s world.
surface, in the depths of the ocean, And then Gurdilag made a
or otherwise unreachable to packs terrible discovery, and the idigam
of Uratha. There, they became gained their most horrifying
comfortable with the present weapon.

38
 ™

YouI lied.
promised.
It sounds almost gleeful.
I peel back the caul on my face and sit up. My shirt is riddled with bullet holes and caked with
dried blood. Mine. I pull it, and it rips the hair from my chest as it comes free. I don’t know how
long I’ve been here. My body is whole, but not unblemished. A hole in my shoulder, one in my
legs, and violent bruises on my torso…but I can move. No bullets. Where did they go? Did they
vanish, pulled into the Underworld to await some violent shade that dragged his gun down with
him? Did my body absorb them? Did my other half take them away?
I did not, it replies.
I stumble to my feet. I’m in a crypt. Makes sense; I was in a cemetery when she shot me. I don’t
remember much — I remember she was dark-skinned, maybe Latino or Arabic. She wore some-
thing around her neck that gleamed, not just in the moonlight, but with emotion. Love, I think.
Regret. She was a Sin-Eater, I’m sure of that much, but she didn’t seem familiar…
Yes, she did.
All right, then. Who was she?
I don’t know her. I know the one that rides her. I know the Unrequited Lover.
I wonder how he knows her, but I don’t wonder too long. If I ruminate on the question, I’ll
know the answer, and just at the moment, I don’t care. I’m more interested in the poor bastard
dying at the other end of the cemetery. My caul — my ticket back to this world — is melting
away in my hand like gelatin under a faucet. I saw the last thing he saw: headlights. And then
pain. And then nothing. No so very different from me, from what I saw years ago, except I
lived. He did not. His name was Allen Michael Brexton, and he had a wife and three children.
He thought of them as he died.
You said you wouldn’t bring me back.
I lied, it says again. I needed you back. I need you to find her again.
Her?
Her, it insists. The Unrequited Lover. Find her, and help her reach her end. And then you can die,
if you wish.
Her end? I’m not sure what it means. The geist inside me remains a mystery in many ways. I
only know its name, one single word… “Regret.”
Oh. You…knew her.
I did, it says. And now you must. If she is to have any peace.
Why should I care if she does? But I already know the answer.
Because until she does, you won’t, it says.
I peel off my shirt and go looking for Mr. Brexton’s body. If it’s still there, I’ll be taking his wal-
let. There might be money, yes, but more important, there might be Love.
And I’ll need that.

39
 The Path to Power By Tyler Huffman

Caleb Baxter’s limousine cruised through the As he stepped through the great, open door, the
surprisingly mild traffic on Broadway, the golden street Herald announced in a clear tone that carried across
lamps dancing off the windows as it passed like the liv- the navel, “The Good Mister Caleb Baxter, Viscount of
eried guests attending tonight’s Elysium. Steering them Broadway and Councilor.”
toward St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the ghoul in the driver’s Tonight a viscount, tomorrow the Prince, he cor-
seat kept perfectly silent, listening intently as his master rected silently as he gazed across the gathered Kindred,
gave him his last minute instructions. the most respectable members of the First and Second
“Go to Arai’s guild house and have the Meister Estates residing in New York. They were dressed in the
select a white male between the ages of thirteen and six- most regal finery of their living days, a waltzing anachro-
teen,” Caleb explained. “He must have hair the color of nism too stuck in their ways to even change their atire;
ripened corn and pale blue eyes, cherubic features, and frock coats and bustled gowns dominated the scene. As
an alto singing voice. Are you getting all this?” one they turned and acknowledged his entrance; some
“Yes m’lord,” the ghoul nodded, never taking his bowed respectfully, while most simply applauded the
eyes off the traffic ahead of him. newly arrived ancilla. They needed him and his radi-
“Have him dressed as an altar boy and sent to the cal ideas, he knew, and once this changing of the guard
Cardinal’s rectory as his last meal before torpor.” Caleb ended they would be made to see that.
knew his sire’s tastes perfectly. The old Sanctified lech- As the youngest member of the Inner Circle,
er would go to sleep absolutely content, never suspect- Caleb knew full well that he owed his lofty position in
ing he was about to have the rug pulled completely out no small part to his being the Cardinal’s childe. By the
from under him. This will be a night long remembered, he elders’ standards he was dangerously progressive despite
thought with a smug grin as he stared out at the streets a fiercely capitalist drive that they recognized as purely
of Manhattan. Invictus and had--in point of fact--been the reason the
Brakes squealed as the car pulled to a halt Cardinal had chosen to sire him, the heir to a line of
alongside the old church and Caleb stepped out onto wealthy English bankers living in the New World.
the curb. Taking a moment to compose himself, he So when he came to them several decades ago
straightened his tie and cufflinks as he glanced up at the with his brazen plan to found a cyclical dynasty with his
ivory disk of the full moon above. How do I look, O All sire, the head of the city’s Sanctified, they had thought
Seeing Eye? he thought. Appearances are everything these him mad. “You’re deranged!” the old men claimed, sput-
nights. Unlike many of his Invictus comrades, he had tering impotently at his proposal. “To suggest someone
no qualms about adapting to the fashions of the modern from another covenant take part in one of our oldest and
‘20’s and wore a conservative pinstriped suit with a dou- greatest traditions is outrageous!”
ble-breasted jacket, long dark overcoat, and fedora hat, “Age and power has made old Benedict more
both of which he respectfully removed upon entering like us than those bible thumpers he preaches to in the
St. Patrick’s, exposing his immaculately combed brown Lancea Sanctum,” Caleb had pointed out calmly, drum-
hair which he parted to one side in the modern style. ming manicured fingernails on the great oak meeting
His booming businesses and political connections de- table. “He’s nearing torpor and it’s no secret I am his
manded he keep up with the times, stodgy, inflexible favored childe; once he slips into the eclipse, I’ll be in a
elders or no. position to usurp all of his holdings and claim them for

40
the Invictus... With the blessing of this most honorable dinal was his sire too and his loyalty was the only thing
council, of course.” Caleb couldn’t control. Would the up-and-coming priest
“Until the Tribunal catches wind of your inten- side with his Invictus brother, or would he rebel, rally-
tions!” the Alder Geoffrey shouted, stabbing a gnarled ing the Sanctified beneath his own banner of conquest
finger in Caleb’s direction from the table’s opposite end. against Caleb?
“They’ll know your betrayal and--covenant loyalty aside- Archibald had been kept in the dark for his own
-they’ll have no choice but to send you to Final Death. sake, as had the rest of the Inner Circle. Caleb would
It’s the law!” keep his brother close in the decades to come, provid-
“The Tribune’s can be dealt with,” the younger ing him financial backing and helping him take over
vampire insisted. “Once the compact is signed we can the Lancea Sanctum. He’d give him and the Sanctified
orchestrate their disgrace... or, if need be, their disposal.” access to the Guilds of the Invictus, indoctrinate them,
A collective intake of breath circled the room, his fellow and ensure their ultimate loyalty to their new Prince.
councilors shocked at Caleb’s blatant suggestion. “And If Archibald ever learned what happened to their sire
when it happens, gentlemen, we will have the one thing and tried to stand against his brother, he would find his
that we have always wanted in New York City--an Invic- own covenant turned against him. Caleb smiled. Plot-
tus Prince.” ting against my own brother now... I truly do deserve to be
They’d been stubborn at first but eventually called Damned, a modern-day Caine and Abel.
Caleb had secured their consent to his plan. Jonathon “Would the flock now rise and step forward to
merely wished a bribe, and the promise of dominion receive communion,” Benedict declared, completing the
over all of Brooklyn had won Reginald’s blessing. Wes- Mass. Caleb abandoned his thoughts and stood as one
ley gave in to the Beast more often than he wanted the with his fellow Kindred as they began to shuffle forward.
Harpy to know. Old Geoffrey had been the last to give He spotted his brother Archibald now standing beside
in; it seemed the old Gangrel was quite fond of his mor- the Cardinal, handing the elder a chalice brimming with
tal relatives and would do anything to ensure their con- Eucharistic Vitae. Each vampire in line stepped onto
tinued safety. the dais and knelt before the Cardinal to drink from the
Benedict had been intrigued by Caleb’s proposi- vessel, receiving a solemn word, then stepped down and
tion. To enter torpor secure in the knowledge that his joined the others at the back of the church, awaiting the
hard won estate would be well cared for by his favorite grand party of Elysium to follow.
childe and protégé while he slept, waiting to be returned Caleb knelt before his sire, sipping from the
to him upon awakening, leaving his endless dreams un- cup and accepting the damnation of the Dark Prophet
troubled by worry was an attractive prospect indeed. Longinus. Then, rather than filing to the back, he took
The old Cardinal had taken little convincing at all, in a place at the Cardinal’s side until the remainder of the
fact, playing right into Caleb’s hands. flock had taken their communion in turn. At last it was
I almost feel bad for the old man. A Kindred of time. Stillness permeated the audience and all eyes fo-
Quality would never walk into the jaws of such a trap so cused intently on him for the anointing ceremony.
willingly, he’d thought with a wry chuckle. Now, at to- Once more he knelt before his sire, offering his
night’s Elysium, Cardinal Benedict would hand down his hands for the ritual stigmata to be carved into his palms.
reigns of power and Caleb would take on the position of As warm blood seeped from the open wounds, Benedict
Prince, effectively ending a century of Sanctified rule in caught the cursed liquid in a bowl of scented olive oil,
New York and ushering in a new era of the Invictus. A mixing the two together before tracing them across his
Reconquista without a shot fired. childe’s forehead with his thumb, forming the sign of the
As the congregation took their seats in St. Pat- cross.
rick’s rows of pews, Caleb threw a knowing look to- Taking in hand a thick, worn copy of the San-
ward his fellow councilors and headed for the front of guineous Catechism, Archibald opened to the Monachal
the chamber. Looking to the altar as his sire took his Creed and began to read aloud, “I believe in God, the Fa-
place to shepherd the ceremony, he bowed his head as ther almighty, creator of Heaven and Earth.
the opening Midnight Mass began, inhaling the cloying “I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, who was
aroma of burning incense. conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the
While Benedict, draped in his rich vestments, Virgin Mary to redeem Man from Sin through his death and
read the liturgy from The Testament of Longinus, Caleb’s resurrection.
thoughts wandered to his brother Archibald. The Car-

41
 “I believe that Longinus, by piercing the Savior’s side quished king. Setting the vestments aside, he went to
as he hung from the Cross, did reveal the divinity of Christ the walk-in closet in which he kept a gleaming rosewood
through the fulfillment of the prophecies and that, while casket; even in the closet’s darkened recesses, its pol-
Longinus was rightly Damned for his blasphemy, his damna- ished surface caught the flickering candlelight. Pausing,
tion was itself part of God’s Holy Plan. Benedict leaned heavily upon the doorframe, his shoul-
“I believe that those so Damned are the agents of dering sagging slightly.
God’s will, chosen to receive the Embrace that we may test “Your Eminence?” Caleb asked, injecting as
the faithful and reveal the divinity within each of them. much concern as he could into his voice.
“I believe that for my sins I am damned to Hell and “It’s not easy,” the Cardinal answered. “The
yet through damnation I may find my purpose in God’s Holy thought of entering torpor is a terrifying one.”
Plan.” Don’t you dare get cold feet now, old man. “Is your
Completing the Creed, Archibald closed the mind not at ease, knowing your assets will be cared for?”
Catechism and stepped back while a deacon passed an- “It is,” Benedict conceded. “Thank you for all
other large volume, The Testament of Longinus, to the you’ve done for me, Caleb.”
Cardinal, who in turn held it before Caleb. The ancilla “I serve at the pleasure of the Prince,” the young-
leaned forward and reverently kissed the tome before er vampire answered.
regaining his feet. Turning to the assembled Kindred, Turning to his childe, Benedict placed a hand
Benedict indicated his newly-anointed childe and an- on Caleb’s shoulder and smiled into his face. “You’ve
nounced, “I give you your next Prince.” Applause rocked made me very proud, my son. Guide the flock well in my
the church as they bowed and stepped down from the absence.” At last, the Cardinal dropped his hand and
dais to join the ensuing revelry of Elysium and the blood turned to his casket, raising the lid and settling himself
feast to come. down on the cushioned purple velvet lining the inside.
Around three in the morning, they retired to “I’ll be right here waiting for you in a hundred
the Cardinal’s rectory where Benedict found Caleb’s gift years,” Caleb assured his sire as the elder vampire’s eyes
waiting for him. The elder took his time drinking from drooped, then closed, and he drifted off into the deathly
the youth, savoring the rich taste of his vitae until he embrace of eclipse. For several minutes Caleb stood over
fell unconscious. Summoning his ghoul retainer, Caleb his sire, watching him sleep. He looked peaceful, with-
whispered, “See that the boy is returned home safely.” out a care in the world, serene even. Perfect.
“Yes m’lord,” the ghoul nodded, throwing the Caleb crept across the room, wincing guiltily at
lad’s arm across his shoulders and carrying him out. every creak in the floorboards, to his coat hanging on a
Turning to his sire, Caleb took a deep breath and peg nailed to the wall. This will be a night long remem-
slowly released it. “I suppose it’s time you got ready, isn’t bered, he repeated. But by no one but I. Reaching into a
it?” Take your time you old wretch. I have. hidden pouch sewn within the coat’s lining, he withdrew
Caleb watched as Benedict solemnly removed a carpenter’s hammer and a wooden stake. With tools
his papal robes. The aged Cardinal appeared a hundred in hand, he turned back to the torpid Cardinal and won-
years older, already bearing the countenance of a van- dered, Will you remember?

42
43
 The Ritual of the Shovel Head
By Dane Smith

Silence, dead silence, was all that Magnus heard to pick up. This concerned him because he did not want
around him, other than the ringing in his head from the flowers to get damaged. He made a heavy sigh and
where the shovel hit him. Everything was dark, and it felt walked into the crowd. After a few minutes he could hear
like the world was crushing him with its immense weight. music echo behind him from a distance. Within a few
His body felt like it could not move as something was seconds the music blurred down the street in the form
pinning him to the earth, or more precisely in the earth. of a SUV. A few more seconds passed and another car
What he did not know was he had been buried alive. The goes by blaring music. He pays little attention to it as he
dirt and worms have created a natural coffin for him to is trying to make sure his flowers do not get wrecked by
spend the rest of eternity. As he opens his eyes, his mind oncoming walkers on the crowed street. Minutes later he
still intoxicated from the events of an hour ago, he feels comes to a turnoff where the foot traffic is lessened. A
pain as the dirt cascades into the unshielded eyelids. In- couple more minutes pass when he hears music behind
stinctively he tries to claw at his face but it is a difficult him again. The same SUV drives by, and this peaks his
task. As he moves any part of his body the earth fills the interest. The van parks a couple hundred meters down
void. He breathes in hard and randomly, hyperventilating the street, still blaring the music into the dead of night.
from the fear of his situation. Thoughts of a pending suf- Focused on the van in front of him as he continues walk-
focation blaze through his mind at the speed of lighting. ing, he does not hear the slamming of car doors close
But then something strange occurs to him. If he is buried by. Suddenly his head is jerked back and something bites
under the ground, then why is he not dead already? Surely into the flesh of his neck. He tries to scream for help
he must have been unconscious for some time, so why is but the music is blocking out the frantic pleas. Fear can
he not dead yet? He tries to control his breathing, and as be heard in his voice. Escape is not a possibility as he
he is settling down the rational part of his mind is tell- cannot seem to move. A woman is draining the blood
ing him he does not need to breathe. The other part of out of him, and enjoying every minute of it. A well-built
his mind is telling him he is already dead and arrived in man with a shovel stands next to her. After a minute of
some sort of personal hell, to forever be left in isolation eternal hell his vision starts to cloud over. The darkness
as some sort of eternal punishment for past sins. As he of death is taking its toll, and the chimes of the reaper
started to become calm he took notice that the ground begin to ring. In an instant the flicker of life in him fades
was not entirely hard. He was able to move about, albeit and disappears. The woman drops the newly created car-
with difficulty. If he was underground, then maybe he can cass on the ground and it hits with a plop. She rolls up
dig himself up? What did he have to lose? Frantically he one of the sleeves of her jacket, exposing her skin to the
started to claw away at the ground above him. Soft dirt cool night air. Her teeth bite into the skin as smoothly
started to give way. His movements started to speed up as the ripples in a pond. Blood starts pouring out of the
as he saw the digging was having an effect. He kept claw- wound, dripping onto the dirty cement ground. She aims
ing and clawing for what seemed like an eternity until he the drops for Magnus’s open mouth. Fear made his face
could see the moonlit sky. contorted, and kept his mouth open. A couple minutes
One hour before Magnus was stuck in his under- later the dark clouds covering his vision started to lift as
ground prison he was having a carefree night. Dinner and the power of the blood took over his bodily functions. He
a movie with the new girl at the office gave him a radiance looked up at the sky and saw the man and woman stand
of euphoria. He felt like a champion since she was shoot- over him. But before he could say a word, the man struck
ing down offers left and right from other potential suitors. him in the face with the shovel, putting him under the
But to put icing on the cake he thought he would pick up sweet embrace of unconsciousness again.
a bouquet of roses. Sure it was a standard maneuver that The stars in the sky signaled the success of his
every man used, but he knew girls liked that romantic struggle. But he was not alone. He could hear laughing,
stuff. It was not going to hurt his chances. Coming out of music, and screaming, all around him. “Hey, it looks like
the flower shop the foot traffic on the street had started the loser is finally coming around” a voice yelled out.

44
“Yeah, you owe me $20 bucks Taylor” said another voice. at the woman, and as he said he would do, he broke her
The voice kept talking as he finally clawed his way out neck. The audible crack could be heard as her neck hit the
of the ground. What waited around him was not what he ground at an unnatural angle. The punks became quiet for
was expecting. Around ten men and women were drink- the first time. This was not a part of the ritual that they
ing on a convoy of cars and motorcycles. All of them were had expected. Some of them were apart of Sabbat packs
dressed like street punks, with leather jackets, bandanas, that performed dozens of shovel head rituals, but never
and ripped t-shirts. The men wore jeans, while the wom- have any of the neonates ever proved to be a challenge
en wore skirts that barely kept their panties hidden. One once emerging from their makeshift grave. Magnus ran at
of the men threw a bottle at him, and if he were lucid he another of the punks, punching a hole right through his
might have caught it, or at least dodged it. But instead it gut. Blood exploded out of the punk as he cried into the
shattered across his face. The glass ripped open his cheeks, night sky. The rest of the remaining punks started to grab
and the alcohol caused it to burn. Magnus screamed out the shovels scattered next to them; the same shovels that
in pain, clutching his face, while the gang started another they buried him with the first time. The next punk Mag-
round of laughing. “Looks like you embraced a smart one nus attacked was better prepared. He struck him across
there, eh Brigit?” “Like you did any better? The last five the face with the shovel, but it did not even faze him. The
pieces of gutter trash you embraced never even made it punk was grabbed at his waist; he could see the rage cloud
out of the grave” a female voice retorted. Magnus looked over the eyes of Magnus as if he were a frenzied beast.
through the cracks of his hands as his lucidity came back The next thing the punk saw was his reflection in the
to him, and the pain from the cuts started to reside, al- windshield as he was thrown through one of the parked
though leaving a dull stinging sensation. cars. Before Magnus was able to lock sites on another tar-
“Who are you people?” Magnus asked the party- get to attack, the remaining punks launched a barrage of
ing group. As if on cue more laughter and catcalls echoed blows at him with their shovels. Blow after blow sapped
into the night sky. “We’re the devil” one of them yelled the strength out of him. After a dozen blows his body fell
out in hysterics. A woman walked towards Magnus, to the earth, exhausted and beaten. The little blood that
with a mischievous smile on her face. She put her arms remained in his veins trickled into the parched ground.
around him, and leaned in to kiss him. As they locked “What the hell made him so strong? Brigit is not an elder”
lips Magnus could feel something trickle down his throat. one punk stated. “Who cares? What do we do with him
He pushed the woman away, and she still kept the mis- now? How are we going to explain to the Archbishop that
chievous smile on her face. Blood was streaking down the his childe was broken by a recently turned neonate?” The
corner of her lips. He instinctively put his hand to his punks started to bicker amongst themselves as Magnus lay
mouth and felt the warm substance at his touch. Looking motionless on the ground.
at his fingers blood could be seen smearing its tips. “What From a distance a couple shadowy figures looked
kind of freak are you? Why did you spit blood down my upon the graveyard with morbid fascination, through a
throat?” he heard himself yell out. He was disgusted at pair of binoculars. A feminine voice spoke. “So, does he
what was happening. “I thought you would be thirsty after meet your expectations sire?” A sly smile came across the
all that hard work digging yourself out of your grave” the face of the other figure. “Yes, he will do perfectly. Your in-
woman said to him. “I mean, you are a vampire now. It is formation network on possible targets to embrace for our
not like a beer does the trick anymore.” Magnus looked experiments, as always, is the best in the city if not the
at her stunned. “What do you mean Vampire? What kind country.” The man turned to walk away. After a couple of
of crack have you been smoking? Vampires do not exist. steps his head turned back to the woman. “Make sure he
You’ve fried yourself on one too many horror films. What is not killed by the rabble down there. The Archbishop
right did you have sticking me in some hellish under- is already annoyed at me for having to wipe out one of
ground prison? I should brake your neck, slut!” For some his packs for botching my last experimentation target. I
reason he could not help himself. The words kept pouring do not want to have to wipe out another pack.” With
out. He was never angry like this in his life. But his vision those words he walked away into the darkness, leaving
was starting to blur over with some kind of red mist. It was the woman to perform his orders. She looked through the
like the dam had broken, and all this rage was starting to binoculars and smiled. “This will make the fight against
gush out. As the mist took complete control, he would the Camarilla interesting” she thought.
not remember what happened next. In his rage he lunged

45
 Love and Monsters
Parents in ‘World of Darkness: Innocents’
By Andrew Peregrine

“Mother is the name for God on

the lips and hearts of all children”
Eric Draven – The Crow

Billie had a knife, so everything was going to be Parents also have a phenomenal degree of power
ok. Well, he had said he had a knife, and Zed hadn’t over their children. They set curfews, administer pun-
believed him. So there they stood, in Billie’s back yard, ishments, feed and cloth their children. As time goes
getting the proof. When Billie pulled out the knife, on, most children come to realize their parents are not
there was no doubt in any of the kid’s minds that it was all powerful and that they can break the rules, some
what they needed. Sure, they were small, but it was a realize this earlier than others. However, children are
big knife. If they got bothered by the skull dogs or the usually bound by the rules of their parents simply by
Raggedy man again, there was going to be trouble. Bil- virtue of having nowhere else to live. So while the
lie held the knife out in front of them for a while, let- children might be keeping the neighborhood safe from
ting their awestruck eyes run up and down the smooth monsters, they still need to convince their parents to
steel lines and jagged hunter’s curves. But then a large let them stay out late, or be prepared to suffer the con-
hand grabbed Billie by the wrist from behind, almost sequences of sneaking out regardless. So it matters a
lifting him off his feet. The other children’s eyes turned great deal for any Innocents campaign how much at-
from awe to horror at what might be in store for Bil- tention each character’s parents pay to their offspring.
lie. Will they keep you indoors if you are falling behind at
“What have I told you William James Thomp- school? Do they let you come and go as you please, or
son?” asked Billie’s dad with quiet rage. He used Bil- fear for your safety the minute you are out of their sight?
lie’s full name so the other kids knew he was really in While it might make things difficult, role-playing the
trouble. “The knives in my collection are not toys.” relationship each character has with their parents will
Mr. Thompson effortlessly removed the knife from Bil- ground the campaign and add a layer of realism to the
lie’s hand, Billie knew better than to offer any resis- children’s exploits.
tance. The other kids began to shuffle away as Billie If you are going to detail the character’s parents,
was led into the house. It was certain he’d not be com- it is also important to make sure they are not all the
ing out for quite some time. Until then, what would same. Remember when you were a kid; there was al-
they do if the Raggedy man came by again? ways one kid who had a later bedtime, a nicer bike or
always got to go on school trips. The opposite was true
Why Parents Matter too, there were plenty who never got to go on trips,
There are few adults in a child’s world, yet their couldn’t come out because they had to go to a special
parents are an integral part of it. For most children, church or who never even considered cheeking their
their parents are the one thing they can rely on, for parents. One thing that often gets missed by children
good or ill, and the foundation of their home life. Few is that parents don’t always agree. What one set of par-
children would prefer to be alone or orphaned, even ents will not stand for means nothing to another set.
if they cannot stand their parents. So when creating So never assume that each character will be treated the
characters for World of Darkness: Innocents, it is vi- same for their indiscretions. This can have a power-
tal that you spend some time thinking about who your ful effect on the game, after all, the kids with stricter
character’s parents are. There is as much variety to you parents are going to be far less keen to stay out late or
character’s parents as there is for your characters. Par- break into old houses looking for clues. Their desire
ents and how they relate to their children also forms a to follow the other kids balanced against their fear of
vital part of the child’s identity, especially when they punishment can be a rich source of role-playing op-
are younger. Until they go to school or mix regularly portunities for the entire group as they try to convince
with other children, the opinions and way of life of one of the gang to ignore their parents and join the
their parents is all a child knows. ghost hunting.

46
Parent Traits take no care of the child, leaving them to
As far as their physical statistics go, the main rule- find their own food and clothing from what
book already covers parents. This system of ‘Parent is in the house.
traits’ therefore governs how they relate to their chil- •• Ignored – The parents pay the child little
dren and what they are like as characters. Each charac- attention, often not knowing if they are in
ter’s parents are defined with 5 traits: Care, Discipline or out. Anything the child needs like new
Foundation, Values, and Wealth. Like any trait in clothes have to be pointed out to these par-
World of Darkness they are rated from 1 to 5. There are ents. They’d just rather watch TV.
no hard rules to this system as it is designed to help you ••• Non-demonstrative – These parents love and
think about who your parents might be, rather than care for the child but just aren’t big on hugs.
‘roll them up’. So, taking your Innocents character as Maybe they have trouble showing emotion
a basis for any decisions, each player should pick the or have a strict code of behavior themselves.
ratings that most suit their character to build traits for
their parents. Use them to explain why your character •••• Loving – The child has been brought up in
is the way she is. Is she jumpy because her father is a a loving and caring environment. However,
drunk, is she too trusting because she only ever gets their parents take an interest in all they do
love and support at home? and want to know where they are most (if
While you should be able to assign the traits as you not all) of the time.
see fit, some groups may want a more defined rules sys- ••••• Overly Protective – These parents care a lit-
tem. In which case just assign points from a standard tle too much. They have a paranoid fear that
pool to the traits. For parents with a few extreme traits, something will happen to their child and
assign one of each of the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 across won’t let them go anywhere or do anything
the 5 traits. For more versatile trait creation you could they deem even slightly unsafe.
assign points from a pool of 15, with every trait having
at least 1. If you want to use something simpler, you
Discipline
When the child gets into trouble, you need to
will also find many of these traits will make the basis of
know how bad that trouble is going to be. This trait
several merits and flaws.
defines how authoritarian the parents are, how many
The traits themselves are described below. Howev-
rules they may impose and how they respond to bad
er they are only a starting point for you to flesh out the
behavior. This can have a huge effect on the child’s be-
parents. Sure they might be strict, but why, and what
havior with authority figures. Do they play up because
are they most strict about? Were they treated badly
they know they can get away with it, or do it to get at-
by their parents or do they work too hard and are too
tention from parents who become violent if crossed?
tired to hear the whole story and punish just to make
sure? Maybe they are scared about the things going on • Non-existent – The parents enforce no dis-
in the neighborhood and want their child to stay in- cipline whatsoever on the child. They might
doors just to be safe. Use the traits to understand more be too lazy to do so or believe that no form
about your character. How have these parents made of punishment is appropriate. These parents
the child what she is? It is also important not to assume have no rules and fail to enforce all of them.
too much from one trait. Wealthy parents can still be •• Very liberal – While the child can expect a
abusive, often trying to buy off their guilt with expen- stiff talking to or possibly grounding, there is
sive toys. Poor families can love their children as much no danger of them getting a smack. The par-
as rich ones, even if they can’t give them what they’d ents have one or two rules, but do little to
like to. Finally, remember to give your character’s par- enforce them.
ents a name each. These people shouldn’t be faceless
••• Occasional Smack – There are consequences
adversaries but characters in their own right.
for misbehavior, but not beyond reason. The
Care parents have rules, but nothing too unreason-
The Care trait shows how much attention and love able. Physical punishment is a last resort, but
the parents show to their child. It is a vital indicator of the threat is always there if need be.
how the parents and child relate to each other. •••• Regular smacks – This child has a lot to
• Abused – This child has abusive and uncar- worry about if they break the rules. Their
ing parents. Their home life is a nightmare of parents have a few rules, but will brook no
neglect and occasional violence. The parents disobedience. Any form of misdeed will get

47
 the child a smack or possibly a whipping with dren to avoid animal products with a zeal that would
a belt. These parents are not big on talking frighten a fanatical religious zealot.
or reasoning with the child, they are only • New Age – The family atmosphere here is
concerned with ensuring the child does as it’s relaxed with everybody’s opinion considered
told. worthy of respect, no matter how strange or
••••• Abusive/Violent – The child of these parents offensive to some people. Live and let live is
lives in fear. The slightest misdeed will earn the motto here.
them not just a sore backside, but a back- •• Few Values – These parents insist on a few
handed swipe that will usually floor them. things they consider basic humanity (such as
The parents insist it is just discipline, but they being decent to your fellow man) but there
have gone far beyond that. It is not unusual are plenty of things they don’t have an opin-
for the child to have to be taken to hospital ion on at all. They probably don’t even bother
when the parents really lose control. to vote.
Foundation ••• Liberal – While they don’t hold that many
This trait details the basic situation that the char- opinions, these parents believe in some things
acter’s parents are in. like maybe going to church on occasion or do-
• Orphan – The child has no parents and lives ing their best to recycle.
in some form of home. All other traits in this •••• Righteous – The child has been subjected to
case apply to the institution that takes care of certain odd or righteous beliefs as if they are
the child. unassailable, but they don’t apply to every
•• Guardian – The child (possibly an orphan) area of life.
lives with a guardian. This might be a fam- ••••• Fanatical – The parents have bigoted or fa-
ily member such as an Aunt, or Grandparent. natically religious beliefs that they enforce on
The guardian might also be an institution the child.
such as a boarding school that the child has
been sent to as the parents are away for most Wealth
of the year working or traveling. How much money the parents have makes a big
••• Single Parent – Only one of the child’s par- difference to the child. Even children are under pres-
ents is around. The other may have died or sure to have the right brand of trainers or the coolest
just left and has no contact. toys. The wealth of the family determines what sort of
a house the child lives in and offers a few clues about
•••• Split parents – These parents are separated, what the parents actually do for a living.
but still on speaking terms to some degree. The
child lives with one but keeps getting moved • Trailer Chic – The parents have little or
around to spend weekends with the other par- nothing, the child wears second hand clothes,
ent. The parents may have come to a mutually and they possibly live in a trailer or cramped
beneficial arrangement, or they might argue bed-sit room.
non-stop every time they see each other over •• Poor – The child lives in a small or run down
their rights to their child. apartment but the family has enough to live
••••• Both Parents – This child is living with both on. They don’t get many toys, and never what
their parents in a standard family unit, which the other kids have, but Christmas is still
may put them in a minority. worth looking forward to.
••• Average – Like most families the child can
Values have all of what they need and some of what
The parent’s opinions and how much they enforce they want.
them on their children can be an important factor in
•••• Well off – This family are doing very well in-
their formative years. The Values trait might cover po-
deed. While the child won’t have much more
litical opinion, lifestyle or religious views, maybe even
than anyone else, what they do have is just
all three. While new age hippies are placed at the lib-
that little bit better than everyone else’s.
eral end of the scale, it is not always the case. Fanati-
cal vegetarians might not allow anything non-vegan to ••••• Rich – Money is no object, so much so that
even enter the house and constantly remind their chil- this child might not really understand why

48
 other children don’t get to go on school trips -1 Dropped a grade – The child’s work has become
and wear nice clothes. substandard. Notes will be sent home and the child will
have to suffer several lectures about ‘their attitude’.
New Merits and Flaws 0 As expected – The child is getting the grades every-
Finally, here are a couple of additional merits and
one expects them to get.
flaws that apply to parents.
+1 Working hard – This child is showing a commend-
School Grades (-2 to +2) able effort and has been noticed by the teachers
Most children are categorized by adults by how well
they are doing at school. Every child begins the game +2 Excelling – A right teacher’s pet, this child is held
with this merit at +0, as they are doing as well as they up as an example of performance to other pupils. While
are expected to do. Gaining points in this merit doesn’t it might net them favor and reputation with their par-
make a stupid kid suddenly get A grades though. How- ents and teachers, the rest of the students might not
ever, they will be seen to be working hard and doing feel the same.
their best, even if that isn’t very much. This trait is If you want a general guide for how well your char-
rated from -2 to +2 and this is used as a bonus or pen- acter does in school, add their Intelligence Attribute to
alty when dealing with parents and teachers, as those their Study skill for the mark they usually get in tests:
who are working hard at school are often trusted more 1-2=E, 3-4=D, 5-6=C, 7-8=B, 9-10+=A
than those who aren’t. As the campaign progresses and Addicted Parents (3-5 pt flaw)
the characters miss lessons or slip behind through be- Your parents have a bad addiction. For 3 points only
ing too busy fighting monsters of the emotional trauma one of them has the addiction so the child can possibly
of doing the same, the Storyteller is free to drop their get support from the other one. However for 5 points
level in this trait. the addiction is bad and has consumed both parents.
-2 Badly falling behind – The child is doing very The parents will take any money the child gets to feed
poorly, producing work that is often 2 full grades below the addiction and will prioritize their needs above those
their ability. They will probably be called to see the of the child, possibly using the child to help feed and
school councilor or be subject to extra homework and get supplies for the addiction. The addiction could be
the special attention of their teachers. drugs, but could just as easily be alcohol or cigarettes.

49
 ACHILLIES HEEL
By Justin Achilli

I don’t know if you guys know this or not, but I’m the Vampire Applicant #IL26595-RK
guy in charge of who gets to be vampires around here. Sure, Nathan Richardsson, Executive Producer
my work on Masquerade and Requiem was in years past, If booze were blood, Nathan would probably be unim-
but that’s just my cloak of obfuscation at work. I’m the peachable Prince of Hella Damnation for All Time. Also, if
master vampire. You don’t see me. I work from the shad- falling down and being unintelligible for about six hours were
ows and I keep my fangs retracted. blood, he would still be a pretty accomplished vampire.
A lot of these new guys, they think they can just come Benefits: Good shoes. Usually pretty clean. Mouth
through the front door, pick up a vinyl cape, and dance the already filled with deadly fangs.
night eternal. What a bunch of rubes. It’s my job to shed Drawbacks: Falls down so much. Exceeds my range
the scales from their eyes (often by kicking them in the of influence. Knows a language I don’t, so he can
head) and choose which among them receive the offer of communicate in ways I cannot know, which might
infinite unlife and who’s doomed to share the downstairs undermine my status as Master Vampire.
bathroom with the content developers (who are pretty Petition for vampirism DENIED.
much werewolves).
Vampire Applicant #PA11743-UL
Vampire Applicant #OA56697-PL Richard Thomas, Creative Director
Chad Brown, Operations Associate Rich has been here even longer than I have, and knows
Chad has knives and knows where to hide the dead the secret treacheries that hide deep within the festering guts
bodies. He will eat snakes if necessary, and can stomach of the organization. He’s also older than me, and I might be
month-old sushi, so he has a significant constitution. He able to convince other people that he’s the Master Vampire
also has a company credit card, so if resources ever became (he’s not), and they’ll come after him instead of me.
an issue, he would perform admirably as a minion. And by Benefits: Evil. Is my boss. Likes Deadwood.
that I mean buy stuff. Drawbacks: Might be smarter than me and ma-
Benefits: Already does my bidding. Easily cajoled. nipulating me in reverse. Hey, what if he’s already
Drawbacks: Short. Weird. Familiar with my modus the Master Vampire (he’s not) and has me tricked
operandi. into thinking that I’m the Master Vampire? No, that
Petition for vampirism ACCEPTED. couldn’t happen.
Petition for vampirism ACCEPTED.
Vampire Applicant #CS77252-PD
Yas Bennett, Lead Accountant Vampire Applicant #MH65831-AD
A lead accountant sounds awesome, which would put Aileen Miles, Art Director
the full might of corporations at my disposal. Do vampires She’s like a thunderhead of bile and wrath. That sounds
write checks? No, seriously, think about it. Have you ever like a pretty cool asset to have at one’s command, doesn’t it?
seen a vampire write a check? Oh, who cares. It’s about the Benefits: Mean as a snake. Works from the remote of-
power, not the details. fice (would extend the range of my nefarious plans).
Benefits: Controls who gets paid and when. Doesn’t Already has minions of her own (Developer Ethan).
put up with people’s crap. Once slammed Greg Foun- Drawbacks: Mad all the time. Can’t drive a car.
tain’s sacroiliac in a car door. Doesn’t drink.
Drawbacks: Knows where I live. Knows my wife. Doesn’t drink? Petition for vampirism DENIED.
Knows my salary. Knows too much.
A tough call, but we’ll roll the dice. Petition for vam- As you can see, it’s pretty difficult to weigh the souls of
pirism ACCEPTED. Men and see who makes the cut and who doesn’t. That’s fine
with me, though, because building a hoary host of undead
with which to threaten the night and execute World Domi-
nation isn’t something that can be done lightly or by a part-
time staff. Part-time, staff? Huh. Maybe I need an assistant.

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