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She Who Laughs (Vampire the Masquerade/DxD)
- Thread starter Critian Caceorte
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Critian Caceorte
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Vampire the Masquerade (VtM):
Vampire: An undead monster that was once human that now subsists on human blood. Alternate names include "Kindred" and "Cainite". Originating in a curse by God dealt to Caine, the famous "First Murderer," it became passed down to people for generations through an act called the "Embrace." For reasons unknown, the curse also provides several benefits to those infected by it, which include:
-Immortality of the "Does Not Age" variety
-Reduced Vulnerability to Trauma (A pistol is an annoyance, and not something to be feared)
-Increased physical prowess for short durations
-Special powers fueled by blood called "Disciplines"
-The ability to utilize blood to heal oneself
-The ability to enslave people through feeding them vampire blood in what is called a "Blood Bond"
-The capability to drink a human's (or animal's, depending on age) blood through the canine teeth, and then heal the wound instantly through saliva
Being a curse, there are, of course, some quite drastic downsides to being infected by it:
-Extreme Vulnerability to Sunlight and Fire (which can only be mitigated through avoidance and specific Disciplines) and extremely potent Faith (which cannot be mitigated)
-A Dietary Requirement of blood. Small portions are consumed each night just to survive, but reserves can quickly run dry given sufficient usage of Disciplines and other powers.
-A Pale countenance and low body temperature that gets worse with age and eroding humanity. This can be temporarily resolved through an application of blood, but such only lasts for about 15 minutes and can quickly put a strain on reserves.
-The inability to eat or drink normal foods, such are immediately vomited out as soon as possible.
-An inability to heal naturally, like a living thing would
-Withdrawal symptoms in the form of an awakened reptilian brain-like urge called "the Beast", which can either force the body to act in sheer rage (especially in cases of being hungry, or in matters of physical provocation) or sheer terror (mostly in situations involving fire or sunlight)
-An increasing drop-off in learning development and retention
-The eventual loss of creative abilities
-An increasingly rarifying taste in blood that eventually prevents any nourishment being drawn from animals and even humans, thus necessitating cannibalism.
-A decrease in potential power with each "generation" of vampire "embraced."
-The ability to be enslaved through drinking vampire blood.
-Full Body Paralysis when staked through the heart
-A deep sleep known as the Torpor, which can be inflicted involuntarily either by the above method or through lack of blood whilst one sleeps
-A specific curse, related to one's "clan," that was passed down from the Clan's Progenitors and inflicted by Caine himself.
-The ability to have one's soul consumed by another vampire in an act known as "the Amaranth" or "Diablerie"
There are believed to be 1 vampire per 100,000 humans (or 70,000 Vampires total in the Modern Nights), though some areas vary in these numbers due to Vampires preferring large urban areas and thus congregating there.
Embrace: The act of creating another vampire. To do this, a human must be drained of blood to the point of death by the vampire, and then fed a few drops of the vampire's blood. The curse of vampirism inherent in the blood takes over the human's body, killing them and converting them to an undead state. Each embrace of a vampire down a family line leads to a new "Generation" of vampires, which is expressly not a good thing. On the other hand, more fledgling vampires running around means more pawns to use against one's enemies.
Generation: The level of distance one is from Caine himself, and thus the inherent limits to one's potential power and blood capacity. Originally, generations did not provide any difference in potential beyond capacity, but after certain actions taken by Caine's grandchildren, the man in question laid down a curse of weakening onto Vampirism itself as well as specific curses for each grandchild. Thus, each time a vampire is embraced, their generation is considered to be 1 step "higher" than their sire, and their potential is worsened. The only way to overcome this generational gap is through the monstrous action known as "the Amaranth" or "Diablerie". In the Revised/Third edition of Vampire the Masquerade (which is the timeline that will be used for this story) there have been observances of up to 15 generations of vampires thus far, though later editions (20th Anniversary, which I will be using for rules, and 5th edition) have expanded this number to 16. Note that there are certain colloquialisms associated with both the generations and a vampire's actual age, if a vampire of the 7th generation is newly embraced they technically can be called by the name of "Elder", but as always actual power and competency is favored over potential, thus such terms are usually reserved those vampires that are truly of such ages. The list of generations is as follows:
Generation 1: Caine, the First Murderer and Vampire. As the progenitor of the entire Vampire species, Caine holds both the greatest amount of power as well as authority over the rest of Kindred kind. Estimated time of Embrace: circa 200,000 BCE.
Generation 2: The few people that Caine embraced out of a desire for companionship. Of these, only three are "known" and have already been killed by their children out of fear and jealousy. Their deaths are what lead to Caine's curses upon his grandchildren and descendants in the first place. Their names are Enoch (the Wise King), Zillah (the Seer Wife) and Ired (the Strong General). Estimated time of Embrace: circa 10,000 BCE.
Generation 3, the Antediluvians: The 13 Grandchildren of Caine who killed their parents during the event known to the world as "the Great Flood," and were cursed by Caine for doing so. Each was the founder of their own clan of vampires, and thus passed down their Discipline specialties as well as their curses to their children, and grandchildren, etc. Their potential is nearly limitless, compared to their descendants, and their great age has granted them vast power and knowledge, as well as an insatiable thirst for other vampires' blood. Effectively, they are (un)living gods, and feared as such by their children. Estimated time of Embrace: circa 8000 BCE. Maximum Discipline Level: 10
Generation 4 and 5, the Methuselahs: The direct children and grandchildren of the Antediluvians, and thus possessing most of the power that their parents and grandparents wield. They derive their names from the famously long lived biblical figure Methuselah, who lived to nearly a thousand years of age. Thus, for any non-Gen 4 or 5 vampire to earn the title, they must surpass the same amount of time living on the Earth, and any who do not are treated with little, if any, respect usually. Due to their long age they are usually unable to derive nourishment from the blood of humans anymore, and thus must depend on Vampire blood, or the blood of other Supernaturals such as the Werewolves. This is also why they rarely get up out of torpor anymore, preferring to influence their children in less direct ways. Famous members include Gilgamesh, Odin, Menelaus of Sparta, Odysseus and Enkidu. Average time of Embrace: 5000 BCE to 0 CE. Maximum Discipline Level: 9/8
Generations 6, 7 and 8, the Elders: The great grandchildren of the Antediluvians and so on, they are the most active political force in the Modern Nights. Typically whenever there is a local Vampire leader of a city or area, that leader is a member of this generational block. They possess a decent amount of power thanks to their age, but due to their relatively high generations they are rarely any match for a Methuselah without plenty of prior planning. Average time of Embrace: 1000 BCE to 1500 CE. Maximum Discipline Level: 7/6/5
Generations 9 and 10, the Ancillae: The experienced, if not particularly powerful generational block of vampires. At this age and generation, they have a good grasp of how things are run and can often hold minor positions of authority within Kindred society. At this point the power capability has mostly stabilized even though minor decreases are still present in each generation. Average time of Embrace: 1000 CE to 1900 CE. Maximum Discipline Level: 5
Generations 11,12 and 13, the Neonates: The most common generational block, and usually the youngest present, these vampires are quite weak compared to their elders but still possess some small measure of power they can use to overtake humans. There exists essentially almost no difference in power between these three generations. Average time of Embrace: 1800 CE to 2004 CE. Maximum Discipline Level: 5
Generations 14 and 15, the Thin-Bloods: No title is regarded with more disgust, and yet fear, than that of the Thin-Bloods. Prophesized as an omen of Gehenna, their existence is considered a blight upon Kindred society. A fairly sizable number of lower generation vampires simply kill these aberrations off. This is the exact opposite of what should be done regarding them, but the elders won't know this until Gehenna has finished. Among the oddities of their condition are an extremely high tendency to be Caitiff (a term meaning that one was born without clan, without flaw but also without ease of learning), blood pools that can only be used for certain tasks, reduced damage from the sun and the occasional ability to sire or birth a true child… which always has odd effects for the child in question. Average time of Embrace: 1990 CE to 2004 CE. Maximum Discipline Level: 4/3
Clan: 13 "family" lines of Vampires which descend from 13 different progenitors known as "the Antediluvians", a word which means "Before the Flood." Each Clan has a clan weakness that is unique to their members, but in turn are also able to learn certain Disciplines easier than usual. While there are always 13 clans at any one moment in time, the specific ones have changed throughout time, and the remnants of past clans usually become known as Bloodlines.
Bloodline: A line of vampires which have diverged from the norm of a clan (Current or Former). Most of them have some substantial difference between themselves and their Clan of origin, such as different and strange "Clan" Disciplines, a special weakness, or even stranger things. There are a few Bloodlines, in fact, that claim to be the remnants of extinct clans, though such claims must be verified before they can be confirmed by the society at large.
Caitiff: A type of Vampire that does not express any traits related to a clan, such as Disciplines or a weakness. They tend to become outcasts, unable to fit in with the Clan-based society at large. On the bright side, Caitiffs can generally learn any "common" Discipline without having to drink another vampires blood, even if it takes slightly more effort than usual. Caitiffs don't have to be Thin-Bloods (there are some of the 8th generation even) but nearly all Thin-Bloods are Caitiffs.
Sects: Most vampires in the Modern Nights no longer judge their political opinions solely on what their clan believes, but also on what sects they sympathize with most. There are three main political sects, though there are of course dozens of smaller ones:
-The Camarilla, the largest organization of Kindred in the world, which focuses on organizing the various vampires around the world and ensuring that the veil of secrecy that separates the world in the day from the world at night, the Masquerade, is maintained. The sect was founded by members of Clan Brujah, Gangrel, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere and Ventrue and nominally is the governing body over Kindred from those clans. By the time of the Final Nights, however, the Gangrel were on the verge of pulling out, and it was only the fact that Gehenna had arrived which prevented them from doing so.
-If the Camarilla are all about order, then the Sabbat are devoted to chaos. Firm believers in the fact that they are the top dog of the world, not humans, the Sabbat seek to reject human civilities and beliefs and go their own way into the night. Some see them as barbarians, and perhaps, from an outsider's perspective, they are, but it's not like the Sabbat really care what everyone else thinks about them. They overthrew their Elders in the past, so who else could possibly stand up to them? While they have members from possibly every clan in the world, they are largely held up by the efforts of the Lasombras and the Tzimisce.
-The middle ground between the two, and yet the force most looking for "change" of some sort, are the Anarchs. Though technically a group operating within the Camarilla, the Anarchs are out to alter the current state of affairs… though in what specific way, no one can really say. All they know is that they wish for a more egalitarian form of society, rather than the top down hierarchy of both the Camarilla and the Sabbat. A fair portion of the Anarchs are Brujahs, though there's even a Ventrue or two that make up part of the ranks.
There are also some clans that remain independent of these three sects, such as the Banu Haqim, the Followers of Set, the Giovanni and the Ravnos, along with a fair number of Tzimisce.
Blood Bond: Vampire blood is an extremely addictive substance, supernaturally so, and multiple doses of it is enough to bind someone to a vampire for nearly eternity, whether they themselves are a vampire or no. The dosages must take place on separate nights to have the greatest effect. One dose is enough to make the vampire likeable and attractive in the drinker's eyes, two doses engenders feelings of love and affection, and three doses creates a total slave for the vampire to control.
Ghoul: It may be addictive, but partaking of vampire blood while still a living mortal does have its benefits. The partaking of such vitae turns the drinker into what is known as a "ghoul." These still living humans gain as part of their benefits:
-Resilience of form, which translates to a better ability to withstand injury from such things as gunshots and stab wounds.
-The ability to heal wounds both like a human (over time) and a vampire (through the expenditure of blood)
-The ability to learn and utilize Disciplines at a much slower rate
-Age-based immortality as long as they continue to intake a regular dosage of vampire blood.
Of course, becoming a Ghoul risks developing a Blood Bond, thus street-savvy ghouls make it a point to only get singular doses from different vampires, in order to stymie this issue. There is also a special type of Ghoul called a "Revenant" who don't require drinking blood from vampires. Ghouls start off with a very shallow pool for blood that they absorb, though not only can they overdose (with all the implications of that word), their pool increases as the centuries go by.
Revenant: A rare type of ghoul only produced through esoteric methods, such as two Thin-Blood vampires having a child together (of those who can, of course), breeding programs involving generations of normal ghouls, a pair of Revenants having a child together (which has lead to entire families of Revenants roaming about), rare and esoteric blood magic rituals, and, it is rumored, the legendary feat of resurrection that can only be pulled off by the most powerful of the Salubri, a now largely extinct Bloodline. The two biggest differences between Revenants and the standard Ghoul are that Revenants are usually born this way, rather made, and that Revenants can produce their own vitae slowly over time to use for their powers. This means that while they can still absorb vitae from vampire blood, they are not dependent on doing so. On the other hand, Revenants, unlike Ghouls, do not possess the immortality of their more common cousins, merely great longevity, so it is rare to see a revenant live past more than one century.
Disciplines: A type of power fueled by blood that is natural to the vampiric condition. While there are a multitude of different Disciplines out there, Clans (and bloodlines) of vampires always have three in specific that they find easier to learn, which are natural to them. Attempting to learn a Discipline outside of these three is not only more difficult, it requires drinking the blood of a vampire that knows that Discipline, a scary proposition for most Kindred. Thankfully, it only takes the one dose to learn the beginnings of the Discipline, everything else is up to the vampire to practice and develop. There are 8 "common" Disciplines of which all clans have at least two of in their "Clan" Disciplines, and Kindred mythology points to those 8 being the first Disciplines that Caine himself learned when he studied the mystic arts under Lilith (though strangely "Protean", a Discipline restricted to the Gangrel clan and those who drink their blood, is also sometimes counted among these 8.) Along with the 8 common disciplines are numerous clan-specific Disciplines that have strange effects, even to Kindred sensibilities. Of the 13 current Clans, here are the Disciplines that some of them possess:
-Animalism (Common), the art of commanding the Beast Without (Animals and the like) and the Beast Within (The baser instincts of Vampires, mortals and other supernaturals). Powers range from communicating with animals, removing the Beast from Vampires and others, to even causing the Beast to physically attacking the vessels it dwells in. Possessed by: the Gangrel, the Nosferatu, the Ravnos, and the Tzimisce
-Auspex (Common), the art of superior senses and clairvoyance. Powers range from sharpening one's senses, seeing auras and astrally projecting one's consciousness to distant locales. Possessed by: the Malkavians, the Toreadors, the Tremere, the Tzimisce and certain Bloodlines of the Banu Haqim.
-Celerity (Common), the art of speed. Powers range from generally increasing velocity, accelerating projectiles and vibrating one's atoms at such speeds as to travel through terrain. Possessed by: the Banu Haqim, the Brujah and the Toreador.
-Chimerstry (Clan-Specific), the art of illusions. While other Disciplines may play on occasion with such, it is the Ravnos who have truly mastered this skill. Powers range from simple static illusions, swords crafted from dreamstuff which deal crippling damage and the ability to transform illusions into physical reality. Possessed only by the Ravnos.
-Dominate (Common), the art of hypnotism and commanding others. Such powers usually require eye contact with the target in order to function (though certain powers can alleviate that requirement). Powers range from implanting commands, possessing targets, hypnotizing large crowds and eventually entire generations. Possessed by: the Giovanni, the Lasombra, some of the Malkavians (it's complicated), the Tremere and the Ventrue.
-Dementation (Clan-Specific), the art of insanity. The Malkavian's specialty, it revolves around deducing, exposing and creating mental illnesses in others through "spreading" some of the Malkavian's own. Oddly enough, only some Malkavian's possess the Discipline, while others possess varying levels of Dominate. It's often chalked up to a prank from their Antediluvian, and no outsider bothers to question things further. Possessed by: Well, I already said who they were, didn't I?
-Fortitude (Common), the art of durability. While the other common Disciplines might help in acquiring and feeding from one's prey, it is this art which Kindred rely on when things take a turn for the worse. Powers include an increased ability to withstand damage (even from the sun or fire), breaking weapons on one's own skin and negating the pain felt from wounds. Possessed by: the Gangrel, the Ravnos and the Ventrue.
-Necromancy (Clan-Specific), the art of raising the dead. Necromancy has been a tradition among mortals for millennia, but it was only with the Giovanni that it's full potential could be unleashed. Unlike most Disciplines, Necromancy is subdivided into various "Paths" which include spells the Giovanni can cast. Paths include the Sepulcher Path, devoted to summoning and controlling ghosts, the Bone Path which raises the physical dead, and the Path of the Grave's Decay, which focuses on deteriorating one's foes, among many others. Possessed only by the Giovanni, though they can be willing to share in their expertise… for a price.
-Obfuscate (Common), the art of stealth. Powers range from conditional invisiblity, to hiding one's aura, to even inventing new identities for one to wear. Possessed by: the Banu Haqim, the Followers of Set, the Malkavians, and the Nosferatu.
-Obtenebration (Clan-Specific), the art of shadows. There is a reason that few Kindred outside of the main clan Lasombra possess this art, and that's because they take a very dim view on anyone else using it. Powers range from shadowy tentacles, teleportation through shadows and imprisoning foes within the darkness. Possessed only by the Lasombra, and don't you forget it.
-Potence (Common), the art of strength. While largely the simplest of the arts, there are still a few tricks that a master of Potence can pull. Powers range from increased strength, long-distance jumps and smashing blows which cripples foes. Possessed by: the Brujah, the Giovanni, the Lasombra and the Nosferatu.
-Presence (Common), the art of charisma. Whereas Dominate is direct and to the point, this art is far better able to convince larger groups of mortals and kindred in subtler fashions. Powers include auras of religious awe, inducing love in individuals and causing entire cities to erupt into chaos. Possessed by: the Brujah, the Followers of Set, the Toreadors and the Ventrue.
-Protean (Clan-Specific), the art of shapeshifting. Caine may have possibly possessed this art himself, but only the Gangrel were deemed worthy enough of inheriting it (so some say). Powers include growing dangerously cutting claws, changing into animals and fusing with the earth itself. Possessed only by the Gangrel.
-Quietus (Clan-Specific), the art of assassination and vitae manipulation. This Discipline is one of the more diverse ones among the somewhat "normal" arts, and that wide range of utility is exploited for every drop by the Banu Haqim. Powers include fields of silence, terrible poisons that scourge the body and soul, and tampering with the taste of a mortal's blood. Possessed only by the Banu Haqim, and in multiple varieties.
-Serpentis (Clan-Specific), the art of Set. No, that is no hyperbole; this is the Discipline that Set's Followers use to strive closer to become like him. This can take many forms, such as growing razor-sharp tongues, changing into a snake or taking on Set's own image for a power boost. Possessed only by the Followers of Set, though once you've converted to the faith, they'll gladly teach you the basics.
-Thaumaturgy (Clan-Specific), the art of MAGIC. While the Tremere, upon becoming vampires, lost access to the greatest of their sorcerous powers, they were still able to retain a fraction of it as blood magic, which they dubbed "Thaumaturgy." Like Necromancy, this art is divided into numerous paths of varying abilities. Some paths include the Path of Blood, which manipulates its namesake, the Lure of Flames which conjures up one of vampirism's greatest weaknesses, the Path of Elemental Mastery which communicates and commands objects, the Path of Mars which enhances one's battle prowess… There are far too many paths capable of far too many different feats to count. Possessed only by the Tremere, and they like to keep it that way.
-Vicissitude (Clan-Specific), the art of fleshcrafting. One of the biggest reasons for the Tzimisce's onerous public opinion is due to their command of this art. With it, they can perform surgery with a fingernail, change form into a hideous werebat state called "the Zulo form" and alter their own blood to become highly acidic and/or flammable. Possessed only by the Tzimisce, and perhaps its better that way.
More Disciplines than just these exist, of course, but they can only be found in rare Bloodlines. Thus, possessing the abilities of one of these tends to draw people's attention towards the user.
Diablerie: An act that even most Kindred consider abominable. Simply put, the Kindred drinks another vampire dry of their blood, before sucking out their soul and consuming it once the blood is all dried up. This terrible action leaves literal marks on its performer, which can be detected by looking at the vampire's aura. This of course isn't even mentioning the psychological effects that such an abomination can lead to (Split Personality Disorder, an addiction to killing, etc.) So why would any vampire even think of doing this? For a number of reasons. Sucking out a rival's soul is any easy way to make sure that rival stays dead, it lets the vampire absorb a bit of the knowledge and ability regarding Disciplines that the rival possesses… and if the rival is of a lower generation than the Kindred, the Kindred's Generation is reduced. In a world where once you are assigned a generation (which determines potential power and blood expenditure) by the sire who embraced you, that is normally final; such a temptation is just that: Tempting.
Jyhad: Not the religious wars that this word typically brings to mind, but rather a war of subterfuge, politics and bloodshed. Jyhad is the game that all Kindred play, willingly or not, and its effects have been the "natural death" of most vampires. For a race that no longer needs to truly worry about anything besides sustenance and a place to sleep, the only way they can die is through the power struggles they become entangled with. It's highly suspected that the Antediluvians and Methuselah's of the various clans are subconsciously directing their spawn to achieve some unknowable goals, which is partially why these conflicts have been continuing for millennia.
Gehenna: The End Times. The Apocalypse, as the werewolves would call it. It is the span of time in which vampirekind is expected to go extinct, and possibly the rest of humanity as well. In the third edition of Vampire the Masquerade (which this story uses for its timeline), Gehenna officially occurred in 2004/2005, to close out that era of the World of Darkness. Later editions which returned to the setting bumped the time up to some unforeseeable date (20th anniversary edition) or redefined it as a cyclical event (5th edition). Regardless, here it has happened, and the consequences it has had on the World of Darkness are dire.
Golconda: Long ago, after Caine had been fully afflicted with vampirism as it appears today, an angel of the One came down to offer Caine a chance at repentance: Should he ever repent of his sins fully, he would have the curses placed down upon him removed. Such a glorious state was called "Golconda", and it remained a minor detail in the mythology of the vampires until an ancient vampire by the name of "Saulot" achieved it. From then on, he taught of his ways to his children, who then spread it around to those they supposed worthy of the trial, for it was no gift. No, it was a test of one's moral fiber, and if one was left wanting during it, there could be no repeats. Those few who succeeded in this mental test of morality gained a number of benefits, such as no longer having to suffer the ravages of the Beast, a greatly reduced need for blood, and the ability to learn and utilize Disciplines at levels not normally allowed for one's Generation. There are rumors, in the Modern Nights, of a group of vampires called the "Iconnu", who have dedicated themselves to remain free of Kindred politics and to spread information about this legendary state around.
The First and Second Cities: After wandering the wastelands for many millennia, Caine decided to finally settle down in a human city for some companionship. He chose a city lead by a King named Enoch, who quickly abdicated his throne to this godlike being, and in return was Embraced to become like he was. For this, Caine renamed the city "the City of Enoch", or, the First City. This City is where Caine, the Second Generation and eventually the Third Generation resided, and for the vampires, it was a paradise… for the humans, however, it was much less so. Eventually, God sent down a Flood across the Earth, which wiped away the First City and left it to waste away in the Underworld. The Third Generation, rising from the flotsam, decided to recreate the First City, which they called the Second City (some believe this city to have been the City of Babel. Others snidely suggest it was more along the lines of Sodom and Gomorrah). This city fell apart socially rather than physically, and the 13 Antediluvians went their separate ways.
Finally, here are some other terms that will very occasionally (but not commonly) be used throughout the story from the World of Darkness:
Werewolf: Also known to the Kindred as "the Lupines", they are shapeshifting, walking WMD's fully ready to rip vampires' faces off. They really, really hate vampires, and they possess powers related to the Spirit World. Beyond the Prologue, they do not make an appearance in this story.
The Spirit World: Also known as the Umbra, it is the place where spirits live, and there are different sections of it that are divided from each other. The High Umbra is a place dedicated to the spirits that represent universal ideals, the Middle Umbra represents the spirits of nature, and the Low Umbra (also known as the Underworld) represents the spirits of the dead aka ghosts. There is far more to it than just that, but such is beyond the focus of this story.
The Triat: The embodiements of the metaphysical concepts of Creation, Preservation and Destruction, known as the Wyld, the Weaver and the Wyrm respectively. Due to circumstances, they have been corrupted from their original goals, becoming the embodiments of Chaos (Wyld), Stasis (Weaver) and Corruption (Wyrm) instead. In this scenario of the End Times, the Weaver tries to take control over all of reality, and it is only through the Lupines and other werebeasts enacting an enormous ritual to purify the Wyrm and save reality that it is thwarted. As a side effect, all creatures tied to both Stasis and Corruption, such as Vampires and Ghosts, are erased in the aftermath. Luckily for the main cast, Caine had the foresight to see this coming, and had their souls transported to another world to avoid them suffering this fate. Not so luckily for Caine, he could not escape the Earth due to his curse, and is thus presumed to have been killed.
The Consensus: In the World of Darkness, reality, beyond the absolute basics, is run by what humanity believes it should be run. Due to the efforts of a certain organization, and increasing levels of urbanization, humanity has moved on from a "Magic and Faith" based paradigm to a "Science and Reason" based one. As such, any attempts to alter reality through the former method are met with resistance in the form of a negative force called "Paradox."
Mage: Humans who are able to push their own personal ability to alter reality to such a degree as to utilize it in the form of magic. They come in 4 varieties, 3 of which are tied to the Triat and one of which is the balance between the three:
-The Marauders: Representing Chaos/Wyld/Dynamism, they are utterly insane and living life within their own Reality Marbles as they push their paradigm on reality that it breaks instead. Most of humanity that they even interact with are dead or altered, because madness.
-The Technocracy: Representing Stasis/Weaver, they are the reason that humanity has moved on to Science instead of Magic. Most of Humanity likes them because they got toilet paper out of the deal.
-The Nephandi: Representing Corruption/Wyrm/Primordial, these are Mages who despise Reality, and they seek to either erase it completely or to bring humanity down to their level. Most of humanity, if they ever found out what they are actually like, would hate and kill them on sight.
-The Traditions: Representing Balance/Question, these are the typical mages one thinks of in regards to Magick. Some of humanity likes them because they are cool, others are jealous because they want powers to, and the rest don't believe that magick exists and so can't believe it when a mage performs a spell in front of them.
Mages are an important part of both Caine's backstory as well as the history of Clan Tremere. Besides that, however, they aren't too important for the story as a whole.
The One: aka God, Jehovah, what have you. He is the one who in the World of Darkness supplied the power for the creation of the universe (he didn't actually create it, his angels did.) He is also the one who cursed Caine with vampirism for the murder of his brother Abel. After the Flood that God laid upon the Earth, he vanished to places even the Angels know not where. It is currently unknown if the God of the World of Darkness and the God in DxD are the same person, or different people.
Vampire: An undead monster that was once human that now subsists on human blood. Alternate names include "Kindred" and "Cainite". Originating in a curse by God dealt to Caine, the famous "First Murderer," it became passed down to people for generations through an act called the "Embrace." For reasons unknown, the curse also provides several benefits to those infected by it, which include:
-Immortality of the "Does Not Age" variety
-Reduced Vulnerability to Trauma (A pistol is an annoyance, and not something to be feared)
-Increased physical prowess for short durations
-Special powers fueled by blood called "Disciplines"
-The ability to utilize blood to heal oneself
-The ability to enslave people through feeding them vampire blood in what is called a "Blood Bond"
-The capability to drink a human's (or animal's, depending on age) blood through the canine teeth, and then heal the wound instantly through saliva
Being a curse, there are, of course, some quite drastic downsides to being infected by it:
-Extreme Vulnerability to Sunlight and Fire (which can only be mitigated through avoidance and specific Disciplines) and extremely potent Faith (which cannot be mitigated)
-A Dietary Requirement of blood. Small portions are consumed each night just to survive, but reserves can quickly run dry given sufficient usage of Disciplines and other powers.
-A Pale countenance and low body temperature that gets worse with age and eroding humanity. This can be temporarily resolved through an application of blood, but such only lasts for about 15 minutes and can quickly put a strain on reserves.
-The inability to eat or drink normal foods, such are immediately vomited out as soon as possible.
-An inability to heal naturally, like a living thing would
-Withdrawal symptoms in the form of an awakened reptilian brain-like urge called "the Beast", which can either force the body to act in sheer rage (especially in cases of being hungry, or in matters of physical provocation) or sheer terror (mostly in situations involving fire or sunlight)
-An increasing drop-off in learning development and retention
-The eventual loss of creative abilities
-An increasingly rarifying taste in blood that eventually prevents any nourishment being drawn from animals and even humans, thus necessitating cannibalism.
-A decrease in potential power with each "generation" of vampire "embraced."
-The ability to be enslaved through drinking vampire blood.
-Full Body Paralysis when staked through the heart
-A deep sleep known as the Torpor, which can be inflicted involuntarily either by the above method or through lack of blood whilst one sleeps
-A specific curse, related to one's "clan," that was passed down from the Clan's Progenitors and inflicted by Caine himself.
-The ability to have one's soul consumed by another vampire in an act known as "the Amaranth" or "Diablerie"
There are believed to be 1 vampire per 100,000 humans (or 70,000 Vampires total in the Modern Nights), though some areas vary in these numbers due to Vampires preferring large urban areas and thus congregating there.
Embrace: The act of creating another vampire. To do this, a human must be drained of blood to the point of death by the vampire, and then fed a few drops of the vampire's blood. The curse of vampirism inherent in the blood takes over the human's body, killing them and converting them to an undead state. Each embrace of a vampire down a family line leads to a new "Generation" of vampires, which is expressly not a good thing. On the other hand, more fledgling vampires running around means more pawns to use against one's enemies.
Generation: The level of distance one is from Caine himself, and thus the inherent limits to one's potential power and blood capacity. Originally, generations did not provide any difference in potential beyond capacity, but after certain actions taken by Caine's grandchildren, the man in question laid down a curse of weakening onto Vampirism itself as well as specific curses for each grandchild. Thus, each time a vampire is embraced, their generation is considered to be 1 step "higher" than their sire, and their potential is worsened. The only way to overcome this generational gap is through the monstrous action known as "the Amaranth" or "Diablerie". In the Revised/Third edition of Vampire the Masquerade (which is the timeline that will be used for this story) there have been observances of up to 15 generations of vampires thus far, though later editions (20th Anniversary, which I will be using for rules, and 5th edition) have expanded this number to 16. Note that there are certain colloquialisms associated with both the generations and a vampire's actual age, if a vampire of the 7th generation is newly embraced they technically can be called by the name of "Elder", but as always actual power and competency is favored over potential, thus such terms are usually reserved those vampires that are truly of such ages. The list of generations is as follows:
Generation 1: Caine, the First Murderer and Vampire. As the progenitor of the entire Vampire species, Caine holds both the greatest amount of power as well as authority over the rest of Kindred kind. Estimated time of Embrace: circa 200,000 BCE.
Generation 2: The few people that Caine embraced out of a desire for companionship. Of these, only three are "known" and have already been killed by their children out of fear and jealousy. Their deaths are what lead to Caine's curses upon his grandchildren and descendants in the first place. Their names are Enoch (the Wise King), Zillah (the Seer Wife) and Ired (the Strong General). Estimated time of Embrace: circa 10,000 BCE.
Generation 3, the Antediluvians: The 13 Grandchildren of Caine who killed their parents during the event known to the world as "the Great Flood," and were cursed by Caine for doing so. Each was the founder of their own clan of vampires, and thus passed down their Discipline specialties as well as their curses to their children, and grandchildren, etc. Their potential is nearly limitless, compared to their descendants, and their great age has granted them vast power and knowledge, as well as an insatiable thirst for other vampires' blood. Effectively, they are (un)living gods, and feared as such by their children. Estimated time of Embrace: circa 8000 BCE. Maximum Discipline Level: 10
Generation 4 and 5, the Methuselahs: The direct children and grandchildren of the Antediluvians, and thus possessing most of the power that their parents and grandparents wield. They derive their names from the famously long lived biblical figure Methuselah, who lived to nearly a thousand years of age. Thus, for any non-Gen 4 or 5 vampire to earn the title, they must surpass the same amount of time living on the Earth, and any who do not are treated with little, if any, respect usually. Due to their long age they are usually unable to derive nourishment from the blood of humans anymore, and thus must depend on Vampire blood, or the blood of other Supernaturals such as the Werewolves. This is also why they rarely get up out of torpor anymore, preferring to influence their children in less direct ways. Famous members include Gilgamesh, Odin, Menelaus of Sparta, Odysseus and Enkidu. Average time of Embrace: 5000 BCE to 0 CE. Maximum Discipline Level: 9/8
Generations 6, 7 and 8, the Elders: The great grandchildren of the Antediluvians and so on, they are the most active political force in the Modern Nights. Typically whenever there is a local Vampire leader of a city or area, that leader is a member of this generational block. They possess a decent amount of power thanks to their age, but due to their relatively high generations they are rarely any match for a Methuselah without plenty of prior planning. Average time of Embrace: 1000 BCE to 1500 CE. Maximum Discipline Level: 7/6/5
Generations 9 and 10, the Ancillae: The experienced, if not particularly powerful generational block of vampires. At this age and generation, they have a good grasp of how things are run and can often hold minor positions of authority within Kindred society. At this point the power capability has mostly stabilized even though minor decreases are still present in each generation. Average time of Embrace: 1000 CE to 1900 CE. Maximum Discipline Level: 5
Generations 11,12 and 13, the Neonates: The most common generational block, and usually the youngest present, these vampires are quite weak compared to their elders but still possess some small measure of power they can use to overtake humans. There exists essentially almost no difference in power between these three generations. Average time of Embrace: 1800 CE to 2004 CE. Maximum Discipline Level: 5
Generations 14 and 15, the Thin-Bloods: No title is regarded with more disgust, and yet fear, than that of the Thin-Bloods. Prophesized as an omen of Gehenna, their existence is considered a blight upon Kindred society. A fairly sizable number of lower generation vampires simply kill these aberrations off. This is the exact opposite of what should be done regarding them, but the elders won't know this until Gehenna has finished. Among the oddities of their condition are an extremely high tendency to be Caitiff (a term meaning that one was born without clan, without flaw but also without ease of learning), blood pools that can only be used for certain tasks, reduced damage from the sun and the occasional ability to sire or birth a true child… which always has odd effects for the child in question. Average time of Embrace: 1990 CE to 2004 CE. Maximum Discipline Level: 4/3
Clan: 13 "family" lines of Vampires which descend from 13 different progenitors known as "the Antediluvians", a word which means "Before the Flood." Each Clan has a clan weakness that is unique to their members, but in turn are also able to learn certain Disciplines easier than usual. While there are always 13 clans at any one moment in time, the specific ones have changed throughout time, and the remnants of past clans usually become known as Bloodlines.
Bloodline: A line of vampires which have diverged from the norm of a clan (Current or Former). Most of them have some substantial difference between themselves and their Clan of origin, such as different and strange "Clan" Disciplines, a special weakness, or even stranger things. There are a few Bloodlines, in fact, that claim to be the remnants of extinct clans, though such claims must be verified before they can be confirmed by the society at large.
Caitiff: A type of Vampire that does not express any traits related to a clan, such as Disciplines or a weakness. They tend to become outcasts, unable to fit in with the Clan-based society at large. On the bright side, Caitiffs can generally learn any "common" Discipline without having to drink another vampires blood, even if it takes slightly more effort than usual. Caitiffs don't have to be Thin-Bloods (there are some of the 8th generation even) but nearly all Thin-Bloods are Caitiffs.
Sects: Most vampires in the Modern Nights no longer judge their political opinions solely on what their clan believes, but also on what sects they sympathize with most. There are three main political sects, though there are of course dozens of smaller ones:
-The Camarilla, the largest organization of Kindred in the world, which focuses on organizing the various vampires around the world and ensuring that the veil of secrecy that separates the world in the day from the world at night, the Masquerade, is maintained. The sect was founded by members of Clan Brujah, Gangrel, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere and Ventrue and nominally is the governing body over Kindred from those clans. By the time of the Final Nights, however, the Gangrel were on the verge of pulling out, and it was only the fact that Gehenna had arrived which prevented them from doing so.
-If the Camarilla are all about order, then the Sabbat are devoted to chaos. Firm believers in the fact that they are the top dog of the world, not humans, the Sabbat seek to reject human civilities and beliefs and go their own way into the night. Some see them as barbarians, and perhaps, from an outsider's perspective, they are, but it's not like the Sabbat really care what everyone else thinks about them. They overthrew their Elders in the past, so who else could possibly stand up to them? While they have members from possibly every clan in the world, they are largely held up by the efforts of the Lasombras and the Tzimisce.
-The middle ground between the two, and yet the force most looking for "change" of some sort, are the Anarchs. Though technically a group operating within the Camarilla, the Anarchs are out to alter the current state of affairs… though in what specific way, no one can really say. All they know is that they wish for a more egalitarian form of society, rather than the top down hierarchy of both the Camarilla and the Sabbat. A fair portion of the Anarchs are Brujahs, though there's even a Ventrue or two that make up part of the ranks.
There are also some clans that remain independent of these three sects, such as the Banu Haqim, the Followers of Set, the Giovanni and the Ravnos, along with a fair number of Tzimisce.
Blood Bond: Vampire blood is an extremely addictive substance, supernaturally so, and multiple doses of it is enough to bind someone to a vampire for nearly eternity, whether they themselves are a vampire or no. The dosages must take place on separate nights to have the greatest effect. One dose is enough to make the vampire likeable and attractive in the drinker's eyes, two doses engenders feelings of love and affection, and three doses creates a total slave for the vampire to control.
Ghoul: It may be addictive, but partaking of vampire blood while still a living mortal does have its benefits. The partaking of such vitae turns the drinker into what is known as a "ghoul." These still living humans gain as part of their benefits:
-Resilience of form, which translates to a better ability to withstand injury from such things as gunshots and stab wounds.
-The ability to heal wounds both like a human (over time) and a vampire (through the expenditure of blood)
-The ability to learn and utilize Disciplines at a much slower rate
-Age-based immortality as long as they continue to intake a regular dosage of vampire blood.
Of course, becoming a Ghoul risks developing a Blood Bond, thus street-savvy ghouls make it a point to only get singular doses from different vampires, in order to stymie this issue. There is also a special type of Ghoul called a "Revenant" who don't require drinking blood from vampires. Ghouls start off with a very shallow pool for blood that they absorb, though not only can they overdose (with all the implications of that word), their pool increases as the centuries go by.
Revenant: A rare type of ghoul only produced through esoteric methods, such as two Thin-Blood vampires having a child together (of those who can, of course), breeding programs involving generations of normal ghouls, a pair of Revenants having a child together (which has lead to entire families of Revenants roaming about), rare and esoteric blood magic rituals, and, it is rumored, the legendary feat of resurrection that can only be pulled off by the most powerful of the Salubri, a now largely extinct Bloodline. The two biggest differences between Revenants and the standard Ghoul are that Revenants are usually born this way, rather made, and that Revenants can produce their own vitae slowly over time to use for their powers. This means that while they can still absorb vitae from vampire blood, they are not dependent on doing so. On the other hand, Revenants, unlike Ghouls, do not possess the immortality of their more common cousins, merely great longevity, so it is rare to see a revenant live past more than one century.
Disciplines: A type of power fueled by blood that is natural to the vampiric condition. While there are a multitude of different Disciplines out there, Clans (and bloodlines) of vampires always have three in specific that they find easier to learn, which are natural to them. Attempting to learn a Discipline outside of these three is not only more difficult, it requires drinking the blood of a vampire that knows that Discipline, a scary proposition for most Kindred. Thankfully, it only takes the one dose to learn the beginnings of the Discipline, everything else is up to the vampire to practice and develop. There are 8 "common" Disciplines of which all clans have at least two of in their "Clan" Disciplines, and Kindred mythology points to those 8 being the first Disciplines that Caine himself learned when he studied the mystic arts under Lilith (though strangely "Protean", a Discipline restricted to the Gangrel clan and those who drink their blood, is also sometimes counted among these 8.) Along with the 8 common disciplines are numerous clan-specific Disciplines that have strange effects, even to Kindred sensibilities. Of the 13 current Clans, here are the Disciplines that some of them possess:
-Animalism (Common), the art of commanding the Beast Without (Animals and the like) and the Beast Within (The baser instincts of Vampires, mortals and other supernaturals). Powers range from communicating with animals, removing the Beast from Vampires and others, to even causing the Beast to physically attacking the vessels it dwells in. Possessed by: the Gangrel, the Nosferatu, the Ravnos, and the Tzimisce
-Auspex (Common), the art of superior senses and clairvoyance. Powers range from sharpening one's senses, seeing auras and astrally projecting one's consciousness to distant locales. Possessed by: the Malkavians, the Toreadors, the Tremere, the Tzimisce and certain Bloodlines of the Banu Haqim.
-Celerity (Common), the art of speed. Powers range from generally increasing velocity, accelerating projectiles and vibrating one's atoms at such speeds as to travel through terrain. Possessed by: the Banu Haqim, the Brujah and the Toreador.
-Chimerstry (Clan-Specific), the art of illusions. While other Disciplines may play on occasion with such, it is the Ravnos who have truly mastered this skill. Powers range from simple static illusions, swords crafted from dreamstuff which deal crippling damage and the ability to transform illusions into physical reality. Possessed only by the Ravnos.
-Dominate (Common), the art of hypnotism and commanding others. Such powers usually require eye contact with the target in order to function (though certain powers can alleviate that requirement). Powers range from implanting commands, possessing targets, hypnotizing large crowds and eventually entire generations. Possessed by: the Giovanni, the Lasombra, some of the Malkavians (it's complicated), the Tremere and the Ventrue.
-Dementation (Clan-Specific), the art of insanity. The Malkavian's specialty, it revolves around deducing, exposing and creating mental illnesses in others through "spreading" some of the Malkavian's own. Oddly enough, only some Malkavian's possess the Discipline, while others possess varying levels of Dominate. It's often chalked up to a prank from their Antediluvian, and no outsider bothers to question things further. Possessed by: Well, I already said who they were, didn't I?
-Fortitude (Common), the art of durability. While the other common Disciplines might help in acquiring and feeding from one's prey, it is this art which Kindred rely on when things take a turn for the worse. Powers include an increased ability to withstand damage (even from the sun or fire), breaking weapons on one's own skin and negating the pain felt from wounds. Possessed by: the Gangrel, the Ravnos and the Ventrue.
-Necromancy (Clan-Specific), the art of raising the dead. Necromancy has been a tradition among mortals for millennia, but it was only with the Giovanni that it's full potential could be unleashed. Unlike most Disciplines, Necromancy is subdivided into various "Paths" which include spells the Giovanni can cast. Paths include the Sepulcher Path, devoted to summoning and controlling ghosts, the Bone Path which raises the physical dead, and the Path of the Grave's Decay, which focuses on deteriorating one's foes, among many others. Possessed only by the Giovanni, though they can be willing to share in their expertise… for a price.
-Obfuscate (Common), the art of stealth. Powers range from conditional invisiblity, to hiding one's aura, to even inventing new identities for one to wear. Possessed by: the Banu Haqim, the Followers of Set, the Malkavians, and the Nosferatu.
-Obtenebration (Clan-Specific), the art of shadows. There is a reason that few Kindred outside of the main clan Lasombra possess this art, and that's because they take a very dim view on anyone else using it. Powers range from shadowy tentacles, teleportation through shadows and imprisoning foes within the darkness. Possessed only by the Lasombra, and don't you forget it.
-Potence (Common), the art of strength. While largely the simplest of the arts, there are still a few tricks that a master of Potence can pull. Powers range from increased strength, long-distance jumps and smashing blows which cripples foes. Possessed by: the Brujah, the Giovanni, the Lasombra and the Nosferatu.
-Presence (Common), the art of charisma. Whereas Dominate is direct and to the point, this art is far better able to convince larger groups of mortals and kindred in subtler fashions. Powers include auras of religious awe, inducing love in individuals and causing entire cities to erupt into chaos. Possessed by: the Brujah, the Followers of Set, the Toreadors and the Ventrue.
-Protean (Clan-Specific), the art of shapeshifting. Caine may have possibly possessed this art himself, but only the Gangrel were deemed worthy enough of inheriting it (so some say). Powers include growing dangerously cutting claws, changing into animals and fusing with the earth itself. Possessed only by the Gangrel.
-Quietus (Clan-Specific), the art of assassination and vitae manipulation. This Discipline is one of the more diverse ones among the somewhat "normal" arts, and that wide range of utility is exploited for every drop by the Banu Haqim. Powers include fields of silence, terrible poisons that scourge the body and soul, and tampering with the taste of a mortal's blood. Possessed only by the Banu Haqim, and in multiple varieties.
-Serpentis (Clan-Specific), the art of Set. No, that is no hyperbole; this is the Discipline that Set's Followers use to strive closer to become like him. This can take many forms, such as growing razor-sharp tongues, changing into a snake or taking on Set's own image for a power boost. Possessed only by the Followers of Set, though once you've converted to the faith, they'll gladly teach you the basics.
-Thaumaturgy (Clan-Specific), the art of MAGIC. While the Tremere, upon becoming vampires, lost access to the greatest of their sorcerous powers, they were still able to retain a fraction of it as blood magic, which they dubbed "Thaumaturgy." Like Necromancy, this art is divided into numerous paths of varying abilities. Some paths include the Path of Blood, which manipulates its namesake, the Lure of Flames which conjures up one of vampirism's greatest weaknesses, the Path of Elemental Mastery which communicates and commands objects, the Path of Mars which enhances one's battle prowess… There are far too many paths capable of far too many different feats to count. Possessed only by the Tremere, and they like to keep it that way.
-Vicissitude (Clan-Specific), the art of fleshcrafting. One of the biggest reasons for the Tzimisce's onerous public opinion is due to their command of this art. With it, they can perform surgery with a fingernail, change form into a hideous werebat state called "the Zulo form" and alter their own blood to become highly acidic and/or flammable. Possessed only by the Tzimisce, and perhaps its better that way.
More Disciplines than just these exist, of course, but they can only be found in rare Bloodlines. Thus, possessing the abilities of one of these tends to draw people's attention towards the user.
Diablerie: An act that even most Kindred consider abominable. Simply put, the Kindred drinks another vampire dry of their blood, before sucking out their soul and consuming it once the blood is all dried up. This terrible action leaves literal marks on its performer, which can be detected by looking at the vampire's aura. This of course isn't even mentioning the psychological effects that such an abomination can lead to (Split Personality Disorder, an addiction to killing, etc.) So why would any vampire even think of doing this? For a number of reasons. Sucking out a rival's soul is any easy way to make sure that rival stays dead, it lets the vampire absorb a bit of the knowledge and ability regarding Disciplines that the rival possesses… and if the rival is of a lower generation than the Kindred, the Kindred's Generation is reduced. In a world where once you are assigned a generation (which determines potential power and blood expenditure) by the sire who embraced you, that is normally final; such a temptation is just that: Tempting.
Jyhad: Not the religious wars that this word typically brings to mind, but rather a war of subterfuge, politics and bloodshed. Jyhad is the game that all Kindred play, willingly or not, and its effects have been the "natural death" of most vampires. For a race that no longer needs to truly worry about anything besides sustenance and a place to sleep, the only way they can die is through the power struggles they become entangled with. It's highly suspected that the Antediluvians and Methuselah's of the various clans are subconsciously directing their spawn to achieve some unknowable goals, which is partially why these conflicts have been continuing for millennia.
Gehenna: The End Times. The Apocalypse, as the werewolves would call it. It is the span of time in which vampirekind is expected to go extinct, and possibly the rest of humanity as well. In the third edition of Vampire the Masquerade (which this story uses for its timeline), Gehenna officially occurred in 2004/2005, to close out that era of the World of Darkness. Later editions which returned to the setting bumped the time up to some unforeseeable date (20th anniversary edition) or redefined it as a cyclical event (5th edition). Regardless, here it has happened, and the consequences it has had on the World of Darkness are dire.
Golconda: Long ago, after Caine had been fully afflicted with vampirism as it appears today, an angel of the One came down to offer Caine a chance at repentance: Should he ever repent of his sins fully, he would have the curses placed down upon him removed. Such a glorious state was called "Golconda", and it remained a minor detail in the mythology of the vampires until an ancient vampire by the name of "Saulot" achieved it. From then on, he taught of his ways to his children, who then spread it around to those they supposed worthy of the trial, for it was no gift. No, it was a test of one's moral fiber, and if one was left wanting during it, there could be no repeats. Those few who succeeded in this mental test of morality gained a number of benefits, such as no longer having to suffer the ravages of the Beast, a greatly reduced need for blood, and the ability to learn and utilize Disciplines at levels not normally allowed for one's Generation. There are rumors, in the Modern Nights, of a group of vampires called the "Iconnu", who have dedicated themselves to remain free of Kindred politics and to spread information about this legendary state around.
The First and Second Cities: After wandering the wastelands for many millennia, Caine decided to finally settle down in a human city for some companionship. He chose a city lead by a King named Enoch, who quickly abdicated his throne to this godlike being, and in return was Embraced to become like he was. For this, Caine renamed the city "the City of Enoch", or, the First City. This City is where Caine, the Second Generation and eventually the Third Generation resided, and for the vampires, it was a paradise… for the humans, however, it was much less so. Eventually, God sent down a Flood across the Earth, which wiped away the First City and left it to waste away in the Underworld. The Third Generation, rising from the flotsam, decided to recreate the First City, which they called the Second City (some believe this city to have been the City of Babel. Others snidely suggest it was more along the lines of Sodom and Gomorrah). This city fell apart socially rather than physically, and the 13 Antediluvians went their separate ways.
Finally, here are some other terms that will very occasionally (but not commonly) be used throughout the story from the World of Darkness:
Werewolf: Also known to the Kindred as "the Lupines", they are shapeshifting, walking WMD's fully ready to rip vampires' faces off. They really, really hate vampires, and they possess powers related to the Spirit World. Beyond the Prologue, they do not make an appearance in this story.
The Spirit World: Also known as the Umbra, it is the place where spirits live, and there are different sections of it that are divided from each other. The High Umbra is a place dedicated to the spirits that represent universal ideals, the Middle Umbra represents the spirits of nature, and the Low Umbra (also known as the Underworld) represents the spirits of the dead aka ghosts. There is far more to it than just that, but such is beyond the focus of this story.
The Triat: The embodiements of the metaphysical concepts of Creation, Preservation and Destruction, known as the Wyld, the Weaver and the Wyrm respectively. Due to circumstances, they have been corrupted from their original goals, becoming the embodiments of Chaos (Wyld), Stasis (Weaver) and Corruption (Wyrm) instead. In this scenario of the End Times, the Weaver tries to take control over all of reality, and it is only through the Lupines and other werebeasts enacting an enormous ritual to purify the Wyrm and save reality that it is thwarted. As a side effect, all creatures tied to both Stasis and Corruption, such as Vampires and Ghosts, are erased in the aftermath. Luckily for the main cast, Caine had the foresight to see this coming, and had their souls transported to another world to avoid them suffering this fate. Not so luckily for Caine, he could not escape the Earth due to his curse, and is thus presumed to have been killed.
The Consensus: In the World of Darkness, reality, beyond the absolute basics, is run by what humanity believes it should be run. Due to the efforts of a certain organization, and increasing levels of urbanization, humanity has moved on from a "Magic and Faith" based paradigm to a "Science and Reason" based one. As such, any attempts to alter reality through the former method are met with resistance in the form of a negative force called "Paradox."
Mage: Humans who are able to push their own personal ability to alter reality to such a degree as to utilize it in the form of magic. They come in 4 varieties, 3 of which are tied to the Triat and one of which is the balance between the three:
-The Marauders: Representing Chaos/Wyld/Dynamism, they are utterly insane and living life within their own Reality Marbles as they push their paradigm on reality that it breaks instead. Most of humanity that they even interact with are dead or altered, because madness.
-The Technocracy: Representing Stasis/Weaver, they are the reason that humanity has moved on to Science instead of Magic. Most of Humanity likes them because they got toilet paper out of the deal.
-The Nephandi: Representing Corruption/Wyrm/Primordial, these are Mages who despise Reality, and they seek to either erase it completely or to bring humanity down to their level. Most of humanity, if they ever found out what they are actually like, would hate and kill them on sight.
-The Traditions: Representing Balance/Question, these are the typical mages one thinks of in regards to Magick. Some of humanity likes them because they are cool, others are jealous because they want powers to, and the rest don't believe that magick exists and so can't believe it when a mage performs a spell in front of them.
Mages are an important part of both Caine's backstory as well as the history of Clan Tremere. Besides that, however, they aren't too important for the story as a whole.
The One: aka God, Jehovah, what have you. He is the one who in the World of Darkness supplied the power for the creation of the universe (he didn't actually create it, his angels did.) He is also the one who cursed Caine with vampirism for the murder of his brother Abel. After the Flood that God laid upon the Earth, he vanished to places even the Angels know not where. It is currently unknown if the God of the World of Darkness and the God in DxD are the same person, or different people.
High School DxD (DxD):
God of the Bible: The name used to refer to the version of God that existed in DxD. He promoted the Abrahamic religions, created and lead the Angels, invented special devices of the soul called "Sacred Gears", and made an enemy of most of the other pantheons as well as the Devils. In an early volume in the series, God was revealed to have been dead for quite some time, though the specifics of it aren't brought up until far, far later into the series lifetime.
Sacred Gear: Special magical devices that implanted into young humans' souls at birth, determined randomly by a system that God created. These devices grant their user special magical abilities, and can evolve with time. In addition, due to the mounting failures of God's system, Sacred Gear users have discovered special abilities called "Balance Breakers", which are achieved by essentially jailbreaking the system, thus allowing the Sacred Gear the ability to do things it should not be able to do. Of these devices, the most powerful are known as the God-Killers, the "Longinus", and there believed to be around 13 of them. For this story, none of the Sacred Gears will be given to any of the reborn Antediluvians, it would not be fair otherwise.
The Three Races: Within the sphere of the Abrahamic Religions, there are three main supernatural races in conflict with each other:
-The Angels, Paragons of Virtue, who seek to cover up God's death in order to not lose worshippers while at the same time promoting true virtuousness, a conflict that has some of them on edge. The Angels rarely ever fight themselves to their diminished (and unreplenishing) numbers. Instead, they take the best and most faithful of their followers and train them as "Exorcists", the Sword of the Church. They can be distinguished from the other two races by their pure white (or gold) wings.
-The Fallen Angels, the Tarnished Angels of Sin, who find themselves outnumbered on both sides. Unable to produce the true Holy power of the Angels, and not capable of really resisting the fell powers of the Devils, they have been forced to organize as much as possible and turn to recruitment and study of other supernaturals to make up for their small numbers. They possess black, crow like wings.
-The Devils, Descendants of the original 72 Demons of the Ars Goetia, they are Nobles and Monsters in like measure. Because of the fact that their whole lives have been filled with sin, they seek to promote such in mortals, especially due to the fact that they possess a new method of creating new Devils: the Evil Pieces. These devices, created by the Devil Leader Ajuka Beelzebub, allow a Devil noble to transform another living being into a devil that will serve as his servant. They normally possess only one pair of bat like wings, compared to the multiplicity of their counterparts, though some Devils possess more than one pair.
God of the Bible: The name used to refer to the version of God that existed in DxD. He promoted the Abrahamic religions, created and lead the Angels, invented special devices of the soul called "Sacred Gears", and made an enemy of most of the other pantheons as well as the Devils. In an early volume in the series, God was revealed to have been dead for quite some time, though the specifics of it aren't brought up until far, far later into the series lifetime.
Sacred Gear: Special magical devices that implanted into young humans' souls at birth, determined randomly by a system that God created. These devices grant their user special magical abilities, and can evolve with time. In addition, due to the mounting failures of God's system, Sacred Gear users have discovered special abilities called "Balance Breakers", which are achieved by essentially jailbreaking the system, thus allowing the Sacred Gear the ability to do things it should not be able to do. Of these devices, the most powerful are known as the God-Killers, the "Longinus", and there believed to be around 13 of them. For this story, none of the Sacred Gears will be given to any of the reborn Antediluvians, it would not be fair otherwise.
The Three Races: Within the sphere of the Abrahamic Religions, there are three main supernatural races in conflict with each other:
-The Angels, Paragons of Virtue, who seek to cover up God's death in order to not lose worshippers while at the same time promoting true virtuousness, a conflict that has some of them on edge. The Angels rarely ever fight themselves to their diminished (and unreplenishing) numbers. Instead, they take the best and most faithful of their followers and train them as "Exorcists", the Sword of the Church. They can be distinguished from the other two races by their pure white (or gold) wings.
-The Fallen Angels, the Tarnished Angels of Sin, who find themselves outnumbered on both sides. Unable to produce the true Holy power of the Angels, and not capable of really resisting the fell powers of the Devils, they have been forced to organize as much as possible and turn to recruitment and study of other supernaturals to make up for their small numbers. They possess black, crow like wings.
-The Devils, Descendants of the original 72 Demons of the Ars Goetia, they are Nobles and Monsters in like measure. Because of the fact that their whole lives have been filled with sin, they seek to promote such in mortals, especially due to the fact that they possess a new method of creating new Devils: the Evil Pieces. These devices, created by the Devil Leader Ajuka Beelzebub, allow a Devil noble to transform another living being into a devil that will serve as his servant. They normally possess only one pair of bat like wings, compared to the multiplicity of their counterparts, though some Devils possess more than one pair.