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

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THE FIRST TRADITION: MASQUERADE
Do not reveal your true nature to those not of the Blood. Doing so forfeits you
your claim to the Blood.
THE SECOND TRADITION: PROGENY
Sire another at the peril of both yourself and your progeny. If you create a childe,
the weight is your own to bear.
THE THIRD TRADITION: AMARANTH
You are forbidden from devouring the heartsblood of another of your kind. If you
violate this commandment, the Beast calls to your own Blood.
THE FIRST TRADITION
Arguably the single most important aspect of Kindred society worldwide is the fi rst Tradition:
that of the Masquerade. Without it, the existence of vampires among the Canaille would
quickly come to light, putting the unlife of the entire race in jeopardy. Given Kindred feeding
habits, the world of mortals would never understand or permit their continued presence.
It would be a pogrom the likes of which has not been since the fi ery nights of the Spanish
Inquisition, when mortal witch-hunters fi rst proved how unity and faith were a match for
even the undead.
Before the dawn of the modern era, this Tradition was signifi cantly less enforced, and in
some cases, even scoffed at by the more haughty (and foolish) among the undead. Vampires
of old could freely roam their demesnes, fl aunting their damnation before the terrifi ed
mortals who huddled in the dark at their feet. No phones existed with which the kine could
call for help, with nobody to call even if there were. Once upon a time, the Damned truly
were lords of the night.
But it is a different time now, a different world. Mortals could not run in fear of the
predators among them forever. As the living world grew and advanced, the world of the
undead shrank. Tonight, it is a small world indeed, for the Damned — but only from the
outside. Although the planet itself is largely unchanged, the mortals upon it are smarter,
more advanced and more numerous than ever before. And now, the advent of the Internet
and wireless communication has brought each mortal that much closer to the rest, putting
the entire Masquerade at risk with but the touch of a button. The Damned, as powerful as
they are, have never been so exposed or vulnerable.
Given this precarious state of affairs, breaching the Masquerade is usually viewed as one of
the most grievous transgressions one of the Kindred can commit. Depending on the Prince,
more damaging breaches can be viewed as grounds for the Final Death of the transgressor,
and a number of Princes have amassed no small amount of notoriety for their unwavering
enforcement of this rule. This, then, has become a source of heated debate in Kindred circles,
due to the subjective nature of such determinations. Some Princes are not above using the
Masquerade as justifi cation for the removal of political opponents, and those who displease
a Prince must be careful about how they act in public and what company they keep.
THE LOST VISAGE
Despite the terrible fate that would befall the Kindred were their existence to
be uncovered, the Masquerade continues to hold fast. Part of the reason lies in the
fact that the Curse itself has given the Damned a means by which they can better
uphold the Masquerade (and, thus, hide themselves from mortal scrutiny). Upon
chapter one: society of the damned