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

kindred in a world of darkness
As might be expected, the Kindred don’t take too kindly to fi nding themselves on the
reverse end of the predator-prey dynamic. Most are taken by surprise, as they have grown accustomed
to being the ones to startle mortal prey with savage revelations before the moment
of consummation. Indeed, some vampires are so taken aback that they never have a chance
to recover from the shock — all it takes is one well-aimed strike, even against a vampire. Those
who survive their initial encounter with a hunter (or group of hunters) often descend into
panic, unless they’ve experienced such a situation before. The fi rst thought to race into a
vampire’s head is, “Do they know the location of my haven?” Until there is a satisfactory
answer, that question continues to occupy his mind, while awake and asleep.
The other danger that hunters pose is that they can organize, often in a disturbingly short
amount of time. A single hunter created after one encounter with the Damned might lead
an entire cell of well-informed, well-equipped vampire-hunters after six months. To the Kindred
mind, which remains static and patient as the years wear on, this nearly ant-like level of
cooperation and effi ciency is startling.
KINDRED IN A WORLD OF DARKNESS
Despite the fervent wish of some to the contrary, the Kindred have more with which to
be concerned than their fellow Damned. The World of Darkness might be the consummate
nesting ground for the Kindred, but it is hardly a private paradise. The world contains much
that would trouble a vampire, including the likes of other supernatural creatures, mortal witchhunters
and even time itself. If the World of Darkness is a home to the Kindred, then it is a
home they must share grudgingly and cautiously with horrors both internal and external.
CELLMATES IN THE GILDED CAGE
The fact of the matter is, most Kindred with more than a few years behind them are aware that
the undead are not alone in the world. An equal fact is that most of them care only as much as
they absolutely have to. Vampires are damned creatures, most of whom have an eternity’s worth of
problems to sort out, on top of the night-to-night struggle of continued existence. As any Prince can
attest, maintaining the Masquerade is a full-time job, and any activity that jeopardizes the success
of that endeavor is either a waste of time, far too great a risk to Kindred society, or both.
As a result, even the most erudite Ordo Dracul scholar knows better than to preoccupy
himself with the affairs of other supernatural beings. Study? Yes, where possible. But prying
into the activities of creatures known for their savagery is considered unwise by all but
the most powerful of Kindred. Given this mindset (on both sides, as best the Kindred can
fi gure), a sort of détente has been reached over time, a tenuous understanding that amounts
to a universal wariness of the other supernatural denizens of the World of Darkness. By and
large, the Kindred know that there are angry, shapeshifting beasts out there. They’ve even
given them a name — Lupines. But they don’t really want to know a whole lot more than
that, because once they open that door, the next step is to go inside.
The same applies to the wonder-makers, the ones the scholars call mages. What little the
Kindred have seen of these enigmatic beings has scared them enough to recognize that discretion
is the better part of valor. No one knows the full extent of these beings’ powers, motivations
or capabilities, and fi nding out the hard way is just reckless. Sure, rumors of mortals
calling down sunshine at midnight are probably just that, but what if they’re not? What if
some Kindred actually saw one of these mages ignite a member of his coterie like a piece of
kindling? In that case, would a vampire actually want to pursue the matter further? If mages
don’t actively come after the Kindred (and most of them probably don’t), then the Kindred
are bound to return the favor. By and large, Kindred know little about such creatures, so until
something gives them reason to worry, they’re content to leave well enough alone.
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