The Traditions and Definitions
The Traditions
The Traditions: The Six Traditions form the age old code of laws Kindred passed down from the early days.
The first: THE MASQUERADE
Thou shall not reveal thy nature to those not of the Blood. Doing so shall renounce thy claims of Blood
The Second: THE DOMAIN
Thy domain is thine own concern. All others owe thee respect while in it. None may challenge thy word while in thy domain.
The Third: THE PROGENY
Thou shall sire another only with the permission of thine elder. If thou creates another without thine elders leave, both thee and thy progeny shall be slain.
The Fourth: THE ACCOUNTING
Those thou create are thine own Childer. Until thy progeny are released, thou shall command them in all things. Their sins are thine to endure
The Fifth: HOSPITALITY
Honor one another's domain. When thou comest to a foreign city, thou shall present thyself to the one who ruleth there. Without the word of acceptance, thou are nothing.
The Sixth: DESTRUCTION
Thou art forbidden to destroy another of thy kind. The right of destruction belong only to thine elder. Only the eldest among thee shall call the blood hunt.
Definitions
Anarch: A rebel among the Kindred, one with no respect for the elders. Most fledglings are automaticlly assumed to be anarchs by the elder, and are despised as products of the 20th century.
Barrens, The: The areas of a city that are devoid of life-graveyards, abandoned buildings and parks.
Becoming, The: The moment one becomes a vampire; the metamorphosis from mortal to Kindred. Also called "The Change".
Book of Nod: The "sacred" book of the Kindred, tracing the race's orgins and early history. It has never been published in its entirety, although fragments are known to exist in various languages.
Beast, The: The drives and urges which prompt a vampire to become entirely a monster, forsaking all Humanity. Vide man infra
Blood: The vampire's heritage. That which makes a vampire a vampire, or simply the actual blood of the vampire.
Blood Bond: A mysterious link that forms between a vampire and one who repeatedly drinks of his/her blood. A Blood Bond can give the donor control of the recipient.
Blood Hunt: A declaration that a Kindred may be hunted by any in the city and destroyed without retribution. Only a Prince can call the Blood Hunt.
Blood Kindred: The relationship between vampires of the same lineage and clan.
Blood Oath: The most potent bond which can exist between vampires; the receiving of blood in an acknowlegdgement of mastery. This grants a mystical power over the one who is bound.
Book of Nod, The: The sacred book of the Kindred, which alledly traced the race's origins and early history.
Brood: A group of vampires gathered around a leader (usually their sire). A brood may in time become a clan(qv).
Caine: The Original Vampire. The son of Adam and Eve. He killed his brother, Abel, in honor of God, who in turn, banished him to the city of Nod.
Caitiff: A vampire with no clan.
Camarilla, The: A global sect of vampires in which all Kindred may hold membership. Its rule is far from absolute, and it serves as a debating chamber more than a goverment.
Childe: A degoratory term for youg, inexpernenced, or foolish vampires.
Clan: A group of vampires who share certain mystic and physical characteristics.
Conclave, The: A meeting of all the Primogen, including the Prince
Diablerie: The cannibalistic behavor of common among Kindred, involving the coonsumption of the blood of another vampire. The elders do so out of need, whereas the anarchs do so out of desire for power.
Disciplines:abilities that Kindred posses, often called a gift or skill. There are natural gifts each Clan possesses, however some gifts come naturally. It just depends on the Kindred.
Domain: The fiefdom clamied by a vampire, mare often a prince. Invariably a city.
Elder: A vampire who is 300 years of age or older.
Elysium: The name given for the places where the elders meet and gather, commonly operas, theaters or other public places of culture.
Embrace, The: The act of transforming a mortal into a vampire by draining the mortal's blood and replacing it with a small amount of the vampires own.
Final Death: That act of killing another Kindred. Ending their life. Usually occurs when the Prince calls a Blood Hunt
Fledgling: A young, newly created vampire. Vide, Neonate, Whelp.
Generation: The number of steps between a vampire and the mythical Cane.
Gehenna: The end of the Third Cycle; the impending Amrageddon when Antediluvians shall awaken and devour all vampires.
Ghoul: A servant created by allowing a mortal to drink Kindred blood without the draining that would give rise to a progeny.
Haven: The home of a vampire or the place where it sleeps during the day.
Hunger, The: As with mortals and other animals, the drive to feed.
Inconnu: A sect of vampires, mosty Methuselahs, who have removed themselves from both mortal and Kindred affairs. They state that they have nothing to do with the Jyhad.
Justicar: A judge or one who passes judgement. The most noted Justicar is that at The Conclave, who rules over everyone, including the Prince. Althught The Conclave controls the deision, it is the Justicar who passes sentence. However, their rulings must fall under the matters involving the Traditions (see above) as the United States Supreme Court must decide rulings under The Consitution.
Jyhad, The: The secret war being waged between the few surviving vampires of the third generation.
Kine: a non-vampire mortal.
Kindred: A vampire. Many elders consider even this term to be vulgar, and prefer to use a more poetic word such as Cainite.
Kiss: To take the blood of a mortal, or the act of taking blood in general.
Lupine: A werewolf, the mortal enemy of the vampires.
Lush: A vampire who habitually feeds upon prey who are under the influence of drink or drugs in order to experince the sensations thereof.
Life, The: A euphemistic term for mortal blood taken as sustenance. Many Kindred regard this term as "prissy".
Man, The: The element of humanity which remains in a vampire, and which strives against the base urgings of the Beast.
Masquerade, The: The effort begun after the end of the great wars to hide Kindred society from the mortal world.
Primogen: The chosen leader of each of the six Clansto represent their own clan at the Conclave. His authority is second only to the Prince.
Prince: A vampire who has established a claim to rulership over a city, and is able to support that claim. The feminie form is still prince.
Progeny: A collective term for all the vampires created by one sire.
Riddle, The: The essential dilemma of a vampire's existence- to prevent the occurrence of greater atrocities, one must commit evil deeds of lesser nature.
Rouge: A vampire who feeds upon other vampires, either out of need or perversion.
Sabbat, The: A sect of vampires controlling much of the eastern North America. They are violent and bestial, reveling in needless cruelty.
Sect: General name for one of the three primary groups among the Kindred- the camarilla, Sabbat or Inconnu.
Sire: The parent-creator of a vampire, used both as the female and male form.
Vessel: A potential or past source of blood, typically a human.
