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

an easier time adapting to the changes in mortal society, but their trade-off is that they do not
have their elders’ power. These creatures have typically found their comfortable niche in the
society of the Damned (at least as much as any position among their fellow Kindred might
be considered comfortable). They hold offi ces of responsibility and most likely have done so
for years or decades. They have made connections and set down roots in a given domain, or
(failing that) learned how to travel in relative safety.
These Kindred are still plagued by memories of their former lives. While the world has
likely changed drastically at this point, much of what they knew from life still exists, if in
a slightly worn state. Yet, while they do not often try to recapture their breathing days as
neonates do, it is uncommon for an ancilla not to have at least a few attachments to places,
items or fashions from their mortal years.
By this point, most ancillae have entered torpor on at least one occasion. They understand
the level of extremes that is the nature of their existence. They are unchanging, yet they’re
starting to recognize that all that they have built up can be torn down and restructured while
they sleep. The idea of the inevitability of the long sleep that comes with age (if not before)
is still too far off to seem like a real concern to most ancillae, however.
Most ancillae have at least the beginnings of the consuming paranoia that plagues the elder
vampires. They fear making too many waves in consolidating their power. When the situation
warrants it, though, they are still young enough to take the kind of calculated risks that many
elders are incapable of accepting. They are fearful of losing all they have gained, so they begin
to formulate longer-reaching plans. These plans often involve manipulated neonate vampires
doing the dirty work or taking the fall for the ancilla when the deed is done. They have only
begun to see the patterns of the plans the elders have laid in the years gone by, however.
ELDERS
The elder Kindred are frightening monsters. They are no longer thrilled by the supernatural
abilities they have long possessed, seeing them merely as tools in their considerable arsenal.
They have seen enough of the world to know that their power comes at a heavy price and that
their Disciplines alone cannot protect them against clever and intangible threats. As there are
typically too strong to be confronted directly, their opponents move around them instead,
using mortal ties, Kindred allies and political pull to circumvent a physical attack whenever
possible. As such, most elders become quite paranoid, seeing any shift in their world as a sure
sign of their enemies preparing to act against them. Indeed, it’s quite puzzling to many younger
Kindred that most elders will choose to fl ee direct physical confrontations, whereas younger
vampires with much less raw power will typically rush in with fangs bared. This behavior stems
from the fact that elders have endured long enough to value their undead existence and are
unwilling to take rash chances with it, even against an apparently minor foe. After all, elder
Kindred are canny creatures, and apart from the inherent uncertainty of armed confl ict, they
also realize that things are seldom what they seem in the Danse Macabre. What might seem
like an easy victory is just as likely to be a disastrous trap. After all, it’s the kind of thing they
would do in the same position.
Yet whether it’s a physical fi ght or a political struggle, an elder who’s forced into a confrontation
will end it with all the power and swiftness at his command. Unlike neonates and
many ancillae, who often retain enough Humanity that they still hold some human notions
of “fair play” or “compromise,” elders will not leave an enemy in any shape to confront them
again. This does not mean elders always kill their enemies, especially when it comes to other
undead, though few hesitate to do so if they must. Aside from attracting too much unfavorable
attention, such simplistic solutions waste potential resources, after all. Having achieved the
true perspective of immortality, most elders are content to wait for good openings rather than
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mind’s chapter eye four: theatre: storytelling requiem