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

Along the way, they face the temptation of Golconda, and the intrigues of Kindred who feel
threatened by the message of salvation.
Potential themes include faith justifi ed or betrayed, the search for redemption, and trust.
• Angels of Death: Horrifi ed at what they have become and how they were drafted into the
Kindred race, the characters set out to destroy their sires and all other Kindred; or at least all
others who dwell in the city. They fi ght against their fellow Kindred for the sake of mortals,
yet may fi nd themselves feeding on mortals, too — and of course the mortal populace would
destroy the Angels of Death as readily as the monsters they hunt. Other Kindred might even
mistake them for members of Seven, and fi ght fi re with fi re.
Suitable themes include honor and betrayal, the nature of humanity and monstrosity, the
limits of justice, prejudice and becoming what you oppose.
SUPPORTING CAST
Unless you plan a quite unusual chronicle, the players’ characters will interact with many
other people, both Kindred and kine, in the course of your stories. Before you begin the
chronicle, you need to defi ne at least some of these people. Of course, it’s not possible (or
necessary) to write up everyone the characters might meet. If you set your chronicle in a large
city, you probably need not bother detailing every vampire in town, at least not right away.
The Kindred and kine that matter most for your plot, however, should be designed with as
much care and detail as the players’ characters. Boring Storyteller characters can weaken the
cleverest plot, while interesting, three-dimensional characters can make even the oldest, most
familiar story into something that seems fresh and new.
Start with the Storyteller characters who matter most to the coterie, and who appear in the
earliest stories of your chronicle. This probably includes the sires of the players’ characters.
The relationship between sire and childe is one of the deepest, strongest and most enduring
connections among Kindred, whether they like it or not. Even if a character and his sire
loathe each other, Kindred society won’t let them avoid each other forever. Give considerable
thought to the characters’ past and present mortal associates, too. Remember that your
players can help you brainstorm the histories and characteristics of their characters’ loved
ones, acquaintances, relatives or important social contacts. The city’s Prince and a few other
prominent Kindred also probably play important roles in the chronicle. As the chronicle
progresses, you can fi ll in other characters as needed.
When you design important Storyteller characters, keep these guidelines in mind:
• Envision the Role: Each character performs one or more functions in your chronicle.
Establish what role you intend the character to play in a story, and fi gure out what qualities
the character needs to fi ll that role. In the given sample plot, for instance, the old Prince
needs to seem both tyrannical and powerful, so the players’ characters have reason to hate
him while believing they must garner widespread support before they dare to attack him.
The ambitious ancilla revolutionary, on the other hand, needs to show suffi ciently admirable
qualities that the characters believe she would make a better Prince. She must seem compassionate
to the characters’ problems, sincere in her devotion to reform, and smart and strong
enough to pull off a coup and govern the other Kindred afterward. Even a minor role such
as the anonymous clubber or vagrant who falls to a character’s hunger should receive a few
moments’ thought. When the characters feed, you want to remind them that they are committing
an ugly deed against people with lives and feelings, not cardboard cutouts or “blood
batteries” there for their own power-ups.
• Paint a Picture: Try to form an image of what each Storyteller character looks like. A
character’s appearance can evoke the qualities you assign to the role, or surprise by their ap-
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mind’s chapter eye four: theatre: storytelling requiem