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

loneliness • elysium
here as rats on the street outside, with debate and negotiation heard as frequently as casual
gossip. Many elders spend entire nights here, and while neonates are usually welcome, they
are expected to remember their place.
Most areas of Elysium are cultural or artistic centers, conducive to intellectual pursuits and
the sense of calm refl ection that most Princes hope to maintain. Such places include everything
from theaters and opera houses to museums and galleries to university halls and libraries. As
more Princes come to accept the ways and conveniences of the modern world, and as young
Kindred ascend to positions of power, the number of nightclubs and restaurants declared
Elysium grows as well. In any case, wherever an Elysium is, attendees are expected to dress
and comport themselves appropriately, for the sake of the secrecy, if not simple courtesy.
While refreshments are often provided at Elysium, especially during court or other formal
gatherings, such is not always the case. It is considered bad manners to show up to Elysium
hungry, as not only does doing so lead to short tempers and potential violations of the laws
of nonviolence, but most Princes forbid hunting within several blocks of Elysium. After all,
these locations are centers of Kindred activity. If hunting were permitted in the region, it
would only be a matter of time before the number of strange occurrences and deaths attracted
attention. Kindred who bring guests to Elysium — be they blood slaves, mortal retainers,
new childer, vampires from outside the city or even local Kindred who were not invited to
a given event — are responsible for their guests’ behavior, and they can be punished severely
for violations committed by companions.
Any sort of physical or mystical confrontation is strictly forbidden within Elysium (though
social confl ict has risen to both an art form and outright war). Violators of this rule are
inevitably banished or executed posthaste. When tempers fl are beyond words, the Prince,
Sheriff or Master of Elysium might ask those involved to leave and cool off elsewhere in
hopes of heading off an explosion that would result in violence and punishment. Elysium
is strictly neutral ground, and Kindred are expected to leave their confl icts — or at least any
physical continuation of them — outside. That said, elders are experts at holding grudges.
While a neonate might get away with mouthing off to an elder while inside, he’d better have
reliable transportation home and learn to sleep with one eye open. Many Kindred confl icts
that have eventually erupted in violence began with a single misspoken word in the corridors
of Elysium.
OPTIONAL RULE: THE FOURTH TRADITION
Sometimes, the tradition of Elysium takes on an almost mystical signifi cance of its
own, such is the power that Kindred invest in this notion. It becomes a kind of “fourth
Tradition,” a place where vampires can seek refuge from the violent predations of
their own kind. To refl ect this, Storytellers may rule that taking any sort of overtly
violent action against another vampire within Elysium requires the would-be assailant
to spend a Willpower point each turn. This does not count toward the normal limit
of one Willpower point per turn. Actually attempting to kill or diablerize another
Kindred requires the expenditure of a Willpower dot to go through with the act.
This even applies to characters in frenzy. They might destroy the surrounding area
or wreak their vengeance on nearby mortals, but without spending Willpower, they
will not focus their fury on another vampire.
Mortals and other supernatural creatures are immune to these effects, and vampires
may likewise attack them freely, and it should be noted that ghouls are still affected
due to the fact of the curse fl owing in their veins. Vampires may always defend
themselves normally, though if they desire to destroy a vampiric enemy they must
still pay the cost normally. After all, this “tradition” merely makes it hard for them
to openly prey on each other in Elysium. It doesn’t pacify them to the point where
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