Mind's Eye Theatre - Vampire The Requiem.pdf - RoseRed

trial Revolution) arrived not long thereafter, which turned belief itself into the very tool with
which the Kindred might reinforce the Masquerade. By cultivating belief in logic, science and
reason, the Kindred subtly support humankind’s weaning itself from belief in the supernatural.
In the modern era, the mortal world views the existence of the undead as an unthinkable
notion. Vampires are things of fancy — big-screen entertainment or novel fare, at best, and the
ramblings of frightened children or pathetic lunatics, at worst. And why? Belief in reason has
stolen from them the capacity to fathom even the possibility of the existence of the undead.
Despite these brilliant campaigns, however, despite all the considerable resources devoted
to maintaining the Masquerade worldwide, mistakes happen. Even vampires get sloppy on
occasion, and when they do, the results are nasty. Sometimes it’s a careless feeding error. A
slip of the mind, where a vampire forgets to lick a wound he’s made, thereby beginning the
chain reaction of curiosity leading to investigation leading to action. These occasions, while
certainly not desirable, are often at least manageable given the resources of many Kindred
domains. But sometimes a careless error leaves witnesses — mortal witnesses — and in almost
every case, it leaves such witnesses with two of the most damning banes of the undead: hatred
and a little knowledge.
Arising from “mistakes” such as these is the phenomenon known as witch-hunters. Whether
by accident, Kindred error or simple mortal moxie, these ordinary men and women take up
the struggle to beat back the darkness to which their minds have been exposed. For whatever
reason, they’re onto the Kindred and they mean business.
These individuals, often known simply as “hunters,” are often more dangerous to the undead
than anything else. As mortals in a mortal world, they’re under no compunction to remain
hidden themselves (except from the eyes of certain authorities who might not understand
their calling). Unlike werewolves or other supernatural creatures, hunters need be concerned
only with the hunt, and that gives them a distinct advantage in a shadow confl ict such as this.
In addition, hunters can move by day, and they aren’t nearly so restricted in their activity
cycles as are the creatures they hunt.
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chapter one: society of the damned