The devil is an optimist

if he thinks he can make people

worse than they are.

— Karl Kraus
 Credits
Authors: Kelly J Clark (The Carnival, Kallisti, Lynx, Macellarius,
Nepheshim), Christopher Falco (Dragolescu, Icarians, Morotrophians),
Chris Handforth (Azerkatil, Appendix Three), Sam Young (Agonistes
& Libitinarius, Asnâm, Baddacelli, Bohagande, Deucalion, Gorgons,
Mortifiers of the Flesh, Sotoha, Spina, Therion, Tismanu, Vedma,
Appendix One, Appendix Two)
Developer and Editor: Sam Young
Artist: Jesse Charles Cowell
Logos: White Wolf and Scott Paisley
Layout and Cover Design: Sam Young
Photos: iStock.com

Special Thanks
Megan “I Break Its Neck” Robinson, for being a changeling with
endless patience for the vampire in her life.
Kelly “Maxwell” Clark, for the Embrace, and for getting me to
rethink the scope of this project.
Chris “No, you don’t need four dispel-magic powers!” Falco, for
his minimalist design philosophy.
Chris “Dark Eras 3: None More Dark” Handforth, for making
Canada canon.
Jesse “I’ve Ruined Myself” Cowell, for a fast hand (sorry about
the wrist).
Roman “He’s Funnier Than Me” Lanzarotta, for his Bohagande
and Deucalion concepts, his incisive criticism, his friendship, and
countless hours of Vampire nerdery.
The Mountainside RPG kids, for somehow making me love these
games even more.
The Unofficial White Wolf Wiki, for documenting the deep cuts.
And whoever thought to include the bloodline index in
Bloodlines: The Chosen? To you, a thousand blessings.

© 2021 Paradox Interactive AB. All rights reserved. Vampire: The Requiem, Werewolf:
The Forsaken, Mage: The Awakening, Promethean: The Created, Changeling: The
Lost, Hunter: The Vigil, Geist: The Sin-Eaters, Mummy: The Curse, Demon: The
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Check out NMD at: facebook.com/nonedarker. Visit www.storytellersvault.com for more on the Chronicles of Darkness.

2 Bloodlines: The Devoted

 Table of Contents
Introduction 4 New Devotion 28 New Invictus Oath 52
Themes & Explanations 4 Gorgons 29 Spina 53
What’s in his Book 4 Twists of the Blood: Three Sisters 29 In the Covenants 53
Recommended Reading 5 In the Covenants 29 New Merits 53
New Merit 30 New Devotions 54
Part One: Devotion 6 New Devotions 31 Therion 56
Agonistes & Libitinarius 7 Icarians 32 Twists of the Blood:
Twists of the Blood: In the Covenants 32 Broods of Belial 56
Casualties of the Edition War 7 Constance 32 In the Covenants 56
Agonistes 7 New Devotion 33 New Merit 56
Libitinarius 8 Kallisti 34 New Devotions 57
Story Seeds 9 Twists of the Blood: Lords of Lies 34 Investments 57
Mystery of the Vigilant 9 In the Covenants 34 Tismanu 59
Coil of the Vigilant (The Agon) 9 Perfidy 35 In the Covenants 59
Sample Scales of the Vigilant New Merit 36 New Devotions 59
(Rites of the Agon) 10 New Devotions 36 Graced 60
Asnâm 11 Abandoned (Persistent) 37 Vedma 61
In the Covenants 11 Lynx 38 Twists of the Blood:
New Devotions 11 In the Covenants 38 Bewitched Shadows 61
Azerkatil 14 New Merit 38 In the Covenants 61
Twists of the Blood: Acidic Veins 14 New Devotions 39 New Merit 61
In the Covenants 14 Macellarius 41 New Devotion 62
Suikast 15 Twists of the Blood: Part Two: Desire 6
New Formulae 15 Subtle Gourmands 41
Story Seeds 15 In the Covenants 41 Dunia 64
Baddacelli 16 Carnem 42 Bloodline Origins 65
Twists of the Blood: New Merit 42 In the Covenants 65
Mimetismo as Devotions 16 New Devotions 43 Rumors 66
In the Covenants 16 Naomi Briese 66
Morotrophians 44
Mimetismo 16 New Merit 67
Twists of the Blood: Analysts 44
New Devotions 18 One Last Twist 68
In the Covenants 44
Bohagande 20 New Merits 44 Quick Conversions 69
In the Covenants 20 VII 69
Mortifiers of the Flesh 47
New Devotions 20 Carthians 70
Twists of the Blood: In the Garden 47
Cursed 21 Circle of the Crone 70
In the Covenants 47
The Carnival 22 Invictus 70
Scourge 48
In the Covenants 22 Lancea Sanctum 70
New Devotions 48
New Merit 22 Ordo Dracul 71
Nepheshim 49 Clan Books 71
New Devotions 23 Twists of the Blood: Ghouls 71
Deucalion 25 Open Altar Call 49 Night Horrors: Immortal Sinners 71
In the Covenants 25 In the Covenants 49 Requiem for Rome 72
New Merit 25 New Merits 49 Shadows of Mexico 72
New Devotions 26 Sotoha 51 Bloodlines: The Hidden 72
Story Seeds 26 In the Covenants 51 Kimiya & Ritual Sorcery 73
Dragolescu 27 Kamen 52 Motifs 73
In the Covenants 27 Sample Technique of Kamen 52 Formulae and Themes 73
New Merit 27

Table of Contents 3
 Introduction
A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it.
Oscar Wilde, “The Portrait of Mr. W. H.”
Themes & Explanations
Politics and family stalk the same alleys of the All Night
Society. A bloodline is as much lineage as mafia: Crime pays,
but you’re in it forever. With heavier burdens come sharper
tools to shape a vampire’s agenda, or to help pave the way for
her covenant’s rise in the Danse Macabre.
Bloodlines: The Devoted updates 22 classic bloodlines to
Vampire: The Requiem Second Edition, placing special focus
on the covenant books. We include conversions from other
sources as well, but the covenant bloodlines were some of the
earliest written for Vampire. Many of their systems suffer from
early edition growing pains, and while their ideas are solid, their
mechanics can be difficult to port into the new edition without
What’s in This Book
Part One: Devotion takes up the bulk of this book, with
complete updates of 22 First Edition bloodlines.
• Agonistes (Mekhet), from Bloodlines: The Chosen
• Asnâm (Daeva), from Circle of the Crone
• Azerkatil (Nosferatu), from Ordo Dracul
• Baddacelli (Nosferatu), from Bloodlines: The Chosen
• Bohagande (Gangrel), from Bloodlines: The Hidden
• The Carnival (Daeva), from Bloodlines: The Legendary
• Deucalion (Ventrue), from Carthians
• Dragolescu (Ventrue), from Ordo Dracul
• Gorgons (Ventrue), from Circle of the Crone
• Icarians (Ventrue), from Lancea Sanctum
• Kallisti (Daeva), from Invictus
• Libitinarius (Mekhet), from Ordo Dracul
• Lynx (Mekhet), from Invictus
4 Bloodlines: The Devoted
a lot of work. They also came at a time when the Requiem
setting was still finding its feet, and part of our goal with this
book is to iron out some oddities, taking into account 16 years
and two editions of content.
Like its companion, Bloodlines: The Resurrected, this sup-
plement is mostly about mechanics, but we’ve included setting
and character ideas where we can, and discuss how each of these
bloodlines interacts with the covenants. We also offer a few
ideas on how to reincorporate outdated setting material. The
systems here won’t always line up one-to-one with the original
versions of these bloodlines, but we try to honor the spirit of
that material as much as possible.
• Macellarius (Ventrue), from Bloodlines: The Legendary
• Morotrophians (Nosferatu), from Bloodlines: The Hidden
• Mortifiers of the Flesh (Any), from Lancea Sanctum
• Nepheshim (Gangrel), from Lancea Sanctum
• Sotoha (Ventrue), from Invictus
• Spina (Daeva), from Invictus
• Therion (Any), from Belial’s Brood
• Tismanu (Mekhet), from Ordo Dracul
• Vedma (Gangrel), from Ordo Dracul
Part Two: Desire is made up of three appendices: a brand
new bloodline, a set of quick conversions, and alternate Blood
Sorcery systems.
• Appendix One is a complete guide to the Dunia, scouts and
spies of the mysterious Clan Akhud.
• Appendix Two provides short updates to a selection of blood-
lines that don’t require as much overhaul as those in Part One.
 Your Chronicles, Your Bloodlines
This book is meant to help you include these bloodlines in your Second Edition chronicles, whether you use its systems
to the letter, want to riff off its ideas, or are just looking for plot hooks. You might like Amphivena better as Protean
Devotions, or prefer to keep Institutionalize as a Discipline. Maybe you want to give the Carnival a Devotion chain
like the Khaibit: We say go for it! Our updates aren’t definitive, and some are more spiritual successors than literal
translations. The Quick Conversions appendix can also be helpful if you’re looking for more straightforward updates.

• Appendix Three is a guide to converting Kimiya from
Dark Eras 2 (still practiced by the Azerkatil) into the
improvised magic system of Blood Sorcery: Sacraments
& Blasphemies.
Throughout this book, you’ll find Twists of the Blood,
optional systems and extra bloodlines to further enrich your
stories. You’ll also come across a few Story Seeds, ready-made
plot hooks for players and Storytellers alike.
As in Bloodlines: The Resurrected, we include alternate
Favored Attributes for each bloodline as an optional rule. These
only apply at character creation and do not increase Attributes
further if a character joins a bloodline in play.

Recommended Reading
Night Horrors: Spilled Blood details ten new Second Edition
bloodlines, as well as lost clans and other, stranger vampires.
(Onyx Path Publishing)
The Dark Eras Companion updates the Morbus to Second
Edition, one of the first bloodlines ever published for Vampire.
Similarly, Dark Eras 2 updates the Bron from Bloodlines: The
Legendary. (Onyx Path Publishing)
Onyx Path’s blog also includes an update of the Khaibit, and
two original Second Edition bloodlines.
Belial’s Brood, Carthians, Circle of the Crone, Invictus,
Lancea Sanctum, and Ordo Dracul all go over the detailed
histories of their bloodlines, and provide plenty of story seeds
for political chronicles. (White Wolf)
Finally, Bloodlines: The Resurrected includes ten more First
Edition updates, an appendix of short conversions, and a complete
Kindred Necromancy system to substitute for various death-fla-
vored Disciplines. You can find even more bloodline updates in
the Second Edition clan book series. (None More Dark)

Introduction 5
part one:
DEVOTION
 Agonistes &
Libitinarius
For the original version of the Agonistes, see Bloodlines:
The Chosen, p. 16. For a complete history of the Libitinarius,
see Ordo Dracul, p. 155.
Twists of the Blood:
Casualties of the Edition War
Of all the bloodlines, the Agonistes suffered the most in
the transition to the new edition. Without the Fog of Ages,
they just don’t have much reason to exist. The idea of the Fog
hasn’t been completely excised from the setting, but it’s less a
mystical curse and more the tendency of memory to grow hazy
with time. Recall isn’t perfect — it’s difficult to remember the
events of a year ago, let alone a thousand. That’s a concern for
vampires, but the memory warping horror of torpor isn’t all
that pervasive in Vampire: The Requiem Second Edition.
Conversely, the Libitinarii — another group of torpor-ob-
sessed Mekhet — are just as relevant tonight as they were in 2005.
Their Mortualia Discipline needs an update, but a bloodline
that mitigates torpor is a good fit in any version of Vampire.
However, unlike the Polemicists (who cameo in Shadows in the
Dark: Mekhet, Ancient Mysteries, and Ancient Bloodlines),
the Morticians were never heard from again after Ordo Dracul.
Rather than leaving the Agonistes behind in First Edition,
the common thread of these bloodlines is too tempting a plot
hook to pass up. Both are Mekhet cults with an affinity for
Dominate and torpor, and both have origins in the Classical
world, if in different ways. To bring these Shadows together, we
provide a new take of an old concept: the Coil of Slumber. In dif-
fering forms, this Coil appeared in both Ancient Mysteries and
Night Horrors: Immortal Sinners, but neither the Agonistes
nor Libitinarii come up in reference to either version.
In Second Edition, the Agonistes are still guardians of history,
but not because torpor affects memory. Rather, they believe
torpor in and of itself is the greatest threat to Kindred culture:
the vulnerability, the long absence, and even the thinning blood.
These vampires act as historical repositories, traveling through
the Danse Macabre and recording as much data as they can
find. They ease their own torpors and those of others so they
can work uninterrupted, and to lower the chance of accidents
and lucky diablerists. This inquisitive nature doesn’t make
them particularly trustworthy; the All Night Society doesn’t
look kindly on Dominate users who dig up other Kindred’s dirt.
Conversely, the Morticians remain about the same as their
First Edition description. They still dress up their procedures
with funerary rites and pseudo-mythological ceremonies, but
their techniques work like any Dragon’s.
See Story Seeds for more on how to integrate the histories
of these bloodlines in your stories. However, if you prefer one
over the other, nothing in the following requires both to exist.
Agonistes
The ones who write your epitaph.
“Slip the stake in. Easy. Remember what we taught you.”
Parent Clan: Mekhet
Nicknames: Polemicists, Witnesses
Bloodline Bane (The Languorous Curse): The Agonistes are
dependent on the sleep of ages and its sublime oblivion, and
they risk growing addicted to it if they aren’t properly prepared.
Consider an Agoniste’s Humanity a dot lower and her Blood
Potency a dot higher if she enters torpor involuntarily; this
stacks with the Mekhet bane. In addition, if a Shadow becomes
an Agoniste before acquiring her clan curse, her bane must be
Holy Day (Vampire: The Requiem, p. 108). This is the same
day of the week she entered the ritual torpor used to induct
her into the bloodline.
Favored Attributes: As with parent clan
Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Dominate, Obfuscate
The Agonistes have learned to stave off the worst effects of
torpor. Known as the Agon (“struggle”), this ability is similar
to the Coils of the Dragon, though the Agonistes long pre-
date Dracula. Polemicists treat the Agon as if it were their
primary Mystery, but they cannot learn it without a teacher.
If an Agoniste joins the Ordo Dracul, she can keep this cost
break or pursue a new Mystery. She cannot have two primary
Mysteries. The Agon also has rituals similar to Scales, which
Polemicists call Rites.
In addition, Agonistes gain the Eidetic Memory Merit on
induction into the bloodline. If a character already has this
Merit, she is refunded the Experiences spent. Agonistes can
also purchase Eidetic Memory (Advanced) from Beast: The
Primordial, p. 114.
Agonistes & Libitinarius 7

In the Covenants
The Carthian Movement: A revolution needs someone to tell
its story. Firebrand Witnesses build libraries of Carthian dis-
course, recording the evolution of Kindred tracts, memes, and
philosophies influenced by the Movement. Not all Carthians
are content with the past as it really happened, though. With vic-
tory they too often rewrite their struggle to make it seem more
virtuous than it really was, or less bloody, and the Agonistes
aid that self-deception either by tweaking histories, or being
selective with who they use the Agon on.
The Circle of the Crone: Acolyte Polemicists often research
the various cults the Mother’s Army grew out of, piecing
together histories repressed by the Lancea et Sanctum and
Invictus. These Agonistes are more active and adventurous
than other members of the bloodline, exploring lost tombs in
search of slumbering ancients, or relics that might reveal Crúac
rituals lost to time and pogroms.
The Invictus: The Agonistes view the Invictus as overzealous
spooks at best and jackbooted thugs at worst. The Masquerade is
important, but the First Estate has a tendency to stake first and
ask questions later, which is a good way to spoil an Agoniste’s
research. Polemicists in the Invictus try to soften their cove-
nant’s outlook, emphasizing the idea that accurate records aid
the Masquerade just as well as burn notices.
The Lancea et Sanctum: Many Agonistes are at home in
the church, although not necessarily for religious reasons. The
Sanctified have preserved Kindred history since the fall of the
Camarilla, and the Polemicists work to check their notes. Still,
the Spear has mixed feelings about their exacting chronicles.
The Judges purge as many texts as they hoard, and Agoniste
clergy are always the first to argue against these redactions. Faith
is stronger than heresy, the Witnesses argue, and if an earthly
book is a danger to God’s inspired words, then the church
cannot hope to be the moral heart of the All Night Society.
The Ordo Dracul: Due to the Agon’s similarity to the
Coils of the Dragon, the Order is… aggressively welcoming of
Agonistes. The Defiant would never accuse the Agonistes of
anything, but they politely suggest it’s better to work together
than at cross purposes. Despite this occasional friction, the
Ordo is always accommodating of the Agonistes’ efforts, and
the Coil of the Ascendant is a valuable tool for a bloodline that
tends to travel. Rumor has that a few Agoniste Dragons are
looking for lost fragments of the Rites of the Dragon, or even
the torpid corpse of Dracula himself.
Libitinarius
The ones who raise you.
“As Aset remade sundered Azar, thus do I bestow rebirth upon your
childe. But first, the matter of the bill.”
Parent Clan: Mekhet
Nicknames: Morticians, Sleepers, Libitinarii (plural)
8 Bloodlines: The Devoted
Bloodline Bane (The Petrified Curse): Daytime weighs
heavy on Libitinarius corpses. Treat a Mortician’s Humanity
as two dots lower for the purposes of waking during the day.
This applies to the roll to awaken as well as turns of lucidity.
In addition, all mundane actions made during the day lose the
10-again quality, including detachment rolls.
Favored Attributes: Intelligence or Resolve
Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate, Obfuscate, Resilience
Morticians of the Ordo Dracul study the Mystery of the
Vigilant. They sometimes teach this Coil to Defiant of other
clans, but most prefer to sell their services and keep their meth-
ods secret. Not all Defiant Libitinarii focus on this Mystery,
but most have a passing knowledge.
In the Covenants
The Libitinarii have a complicated relationship with the
Ordo Dracul. Tonight most Morticians are Dragons, but the
Coil of the Vigilant was developed outside the covenant’s
auspices, and members of the bloodline who aren’t Defiant
bristle at the idea they owe anything to Dracula. All Libitinarii
have the potential to learn the Coil of the Vigilant, but they
must be careful how they present their powers in cities with
a large Dragon presence.
The Carthian Movement: Carthian elder isn’t quite a
contradiction in terms, but it’s a rare combination, and the
bloodline’s usual offerings aren’t always useful to the young
covenant. Morticians in the Revolution are most effective
in times of conflict, when they can ease or end the torpors
of Firebrands wounded in combat. In more peaceful times,
Carthian Libitinarii offer other covenants a chance to bring
their elders out of torpor in exchange for more favorable terms
in political negotiations.
The Circle of the Crone: Acolyte Libitinarii are almost as
common as Dragon ones, and they have the most cordial rela-
tionship with their Defiant siblings. These Kindred call their
powers Mortualia, eschewing any notion that they practice
Coils of the Dragon; some of these Acolytes are even said to
be developing blood sorcery with a similar purpose, so they can
more cleanly break with the Order. Their cults venerate deities
like Dis Pater and Pluto, incorporating them into their torpor
rituals as they recite Latin dirges and threnodies.
The Invictus: In contrast to the Carthians, the Invictus’ old
money puts Libitinarii in high demand. Some dynasties employ
their own private Morticians, even ones from outside the First
Estate. A Libitinarius commands a high price for even the bare
minimum of work; the less time the controlling interests of the
Invictus stay in torpor, the better they can maintain their power.
The Lancea et Sanctum: The Spear discourages its mem-
bers from meddling in God’s curses, so few Morticians are
Sanctified. Some bishops quietly hire Libitinarii to assure “expe-
dient” torpors, but beyond that the church views the bloodline
as far too pagan in outlook and origin. A few Morticians attend
Midnight Mass, but usually as lay members of the covenant.

Story Seeds
• Ordo Dracul suggests the Morticians are secretly ancient, or
that they stole their knowledge from an older group when
Henry Weeks became a vampire. Enter the Agonistes. In
this scenario, the Libitinarii are a schism of the Polemicists:
Weeks’ sire was a rogue elder who chose to profit off the
Agon rather than waste his talents on passive study, remak-
ing the bloodline with careful manipulation of his Blood
Potency in torpor. He implanted his childe with the idea
of joining the Ordo Dracul, knowing the Dragons would
protect his line as long as they shared the Agon, rebranding
it as a Coil of the Dragon. In cities with members of both
bloodlines, rivalries get personal when Agonistes favor cov-
enants other than the Order, and Libitinarii start whisper
campaigns about stolen Coils…
• In a bit of historical synchronicity, these bloodlines discov-
ered the same effect independently (this is true whether the
Libitinarii are ancient or just Classicist posers). Perhaps it’s
an occult quality of Mekhet Vitae that led them down the
Mystery of the Vigilant
A more subtle foe than the sun or the Beast, torpor saps a
vampire’s potency and leaves her vulnerable to other predators
— yet without it, the All Night Society would fall to cannibalism.
Dragons who study the Vigilant wrest control of their corpses
from death itself, whether to attain true immortality or to
outlast their rivals.
Scales of the Vigilant maintain a vampire’s legacy as she
sleeps, or dull the danger of torpor even more. All require a
torpid subject, so experimentation is rarer than most Scales.
The Agonistes see the Agon and its Rites in much the same
way the Morticians see their Coil, but the Polemicists’ goals
are less concerned with transcendence and more with practical
applications. The Witnesses are also more likely to share their
abilities with other vampires (though not by much).
For space, the description of this power is presented only as a
Coil of the Dragon, but the Agon works the same mechanically.
Coil of the Vigilant (The Agon)
Crossing the First Threshold •
On the first step of vigilance, the Dragon recognizes she
cannot hold fast without allies. The vampire can wake torpid
Kindred of equal Blood Potency, and they can wake her.
Atonement with the Abyss ••
Cheating the sleep of ages isn’t the same as defeating it,
so the vampire’s next task must be to loosen the grip time
holds over her body. When she enters voluntary torpor, add
the Dragon’s Coil dots to her effective Humanity, up to a
same path, but their stated goals are very different. However,
while they don’t like each other all that much, conflict is
often more trouble than it’s worth. Or rather, it was before
other Kindred started making the same innovation. Jacob
Skinner of Clan Daeva claims he’s developed his own
Vigilant Coil, and he may be a threat to both bloodlines…
or a kingmaker.
• Once upon a midnight darkly, Morpheus, Phantasos, and
Icelus were the most beloved sons of Sleep. For uncounted
ages, they gifted dreams upon the world, but over time,
Icelus grew jealous of his brothers. The people called him
Phobetor, the Frightener, as he could only take the form of
beasts in their nightmares. Paid in fear rather than honor,
Icelus began to feast on mortal dreams in vengeance, and
he was eventually banished from his father’s house. Without
three Oneiroi in harmony, the remaining brothers could
only tend to the dreams of the dead, Phantasos easing
bleak journeys through Hades, and Morpheus recording
the dreams of ghosts so they might never be forgotten —
restlessly ever after.
limit of 10. She can choose to benefit from as many or as few
additional dots as she wishes. In addition, when she feeds
blood to a torpid vampire, she can choose to increase his
effective Humanity by a dot for the rest of his torpor instead
of waking him.
Rescue from Without •••
The Dragon realizes brief human lives have little bearing on
her great work — only immortals can conceive of her struggles.
The vampire does not take the Languid Condition if her last
Touchstone is destroyed, and she can spend a Vitae to add half
her Coil dots (rounding up) to her effective Blood Potency for
the purposes of waking other Kindred. This stacks with the
effect of Crossing the First Threshold. The Vitae spent is in
addition to the cost of waking the subject.
The Ultimate Boon ••••
A vampire’s hunger stands in the way of truth, but thinning
the blood means she must spend decades in slumber. Worse,
she risks awakening in a feeble state. At this stage of vigilance,
as the Dragon enters voluntary torpor she can reflexively spend
Vitae to alter her interval of Blood Potency attrition. Each point
spent is worth five years up or down, to a maximum of fifty
and a minimum of five. In addition, her Vitae now increases a
torpid vampire’s effective Humanity by two dots.
Freedom to Live •••••
At the height of vigilance the Dragon denies the sleep of ages
altogether. If attacks fill her Health track with lethal damage,
at the end of the turn she can sacrifice a Willpower dot to
Agonistes & Libitinarius 9
 remain awake for the rest of the night, no matter how much
more damage she sustains (unless she meets Final Death). By
sunrise she must either heal or accept her slumber. If she does
succumb, treat her torpor as voluntary.
Sample Scales of the Vigilant
(Rites of the Agon)
Internuncio (Palinode)
Prerequisite: Crossing the First Threshold
Procedure: The Dragon submerges a torpid subject in enough
human blood to fill a bathtub. Once the corpse is completely
saturated, the vampire mixes in an amount of her own Vitae
and pulls his head above the surface.
Outcome: The subject partially wakes from torpor for min-
utes equal to Vitae spent, induced into a form of sleep paralysis.
He can communicate, but he also can’t move or feel pain. He
is under no obligation to be truthful or answer questions, but
his mind is lucid enough that Dominate or Lay Open the Mind
will work on him. The subject returns to sleep at the end of
the duration, and gains the Amnesia Condition with regard
to this episode.
10 Bloodlines: The Devoted
Reminisor (Exegesis)
Prerequisite: The Ultimate Boon
Procedure: The Dragon cuts out a piece of a vampire’s brain,
inflicting a point of lethal damage. She then sews the piece into
a pocket of flesh over her own heart, or another vampire’s. The
subject then enters voluntary torpor.
Outcome: While the subject remains in torpor, the vampire
gains access to one of her Skills and any associated Specialties.
By spending a Vitae, she can replace her own Skill with this one
for a scene. Once the subject wakes, the effect ends, but if he
spent at least a year in torpor the Dragon’s active practice grants
him a free dot in the Skill, or two Experiences to spend on one
of the same category, if he is at his Blood Potency maximum.
A Dragon can only hold one torpid vampire’s Skill at a time.
Exsuscito (Syncope)
Prerequisite: Atonement with the Abyss
Procedure: The Dragon bores a small hole into the base of a
vampire’s spine, inflicting a point of lethal damage and mixing
the runoff with her own Vitae. She then fills the hole with this
paste, and the subject enters voluntary torpor.
Outcome: The subject subtracts Vitae spent from her effec-
tive Blood Potency for the purposes of determining time spent
in torpor, to a minimum of 1.
 Asnâm
The ones you worship
For a complete history of the Asnâm, see
Circle of the Crone, p. 165.
Parent Clan: Daeva
Nicknames: Idols, Eternals, Sanam
(singular)
Bloodline Bane (The Vainglorious
Curse): An Idol sees her cultists as an exten-
sion of herself, mistaking their holy dread for
intimacy. If a Sanam exceptionally succeeds a
Social action to seduce or intimidate a mortal,
including with the Predatory Aura, for the rest
of the scene the Daeva bane applies even if she
hasn’t fed from him before.
Favored Attributes: Manipulation or Presence
Disciplines: Animalism, Majesty, Protean, Vigor
In the Covenants
Most Asnâm are Acolytes. Their devotion to the Crone
isn’t very strong, but the Mother’s Army comes closest to
their spiritual beliefs, so their affiliation is more for ease
than loyalty. Idols don’t go out of their way to punish
apostates, if they bother at all.
The Carthian Movement: Firebrand Idols evangelize
their way into leadership positions, bringing a pagan
bent to Carthian ideology as they rise in the ranks,
though some dispense with Revolutionary ideals if
and when they hit a ceiling on their power. Sincere
Asnâm cultivate mortal feeding stock, either
through their traditional methods or with Soviet-
style political cults.
The Invictus: The Invictus boast the
most Asnâm outside the Mother’s Army.
The practical differences between Crone and
Establishment Idols are few, but the Acolytes at
least pretend to believe in something. First Estate
Idols are jaded power-mongers, building cults and
conspiracies as it suits their interests. They often
invest in mortal technology, using 21st century
tools to build massive followings over the Internet.
The Lancea et Sanctum: The Idols have little interest in
the Sanctified (the feeling is mutual), but a few American
and European Asnâm practice their own twisted form
of Christianity. Taking bits and pieces of Longinian
doctrine and a heavy dose of mortal Catholicism, these
Asnâm portray themselves as the Second Coming in
vampire form, and use their strange, intimate Devotions
to minister to their flocks.
The Ordo Dracul: The Dragons are a good
fit for the Asnâm; Dracula always did approve
of cheating death. Power-hungry Idols grav-
itate toward the Mystery of the Voivode,
while those convinced of their own divinity
study the Ascendant. Regardless of focus,
a Defiant Sanam always has plenty of
bodies to test his theories.
New Devotions
Haven of Flesh
(Majesty ••, Protean •)
A Sanam can hide in the bodies of
her most favored cultists as easily as
soil, merging with their flesh as an act of
communion.
This Devotion costs 1 Experience to
learn.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Requirement: The subject must be the
vampire’s ghoul.
Dice Pool: None
Action: Instant
Duration: Indefinite
The vampire dissolves into her ghoul’s
flesh, often while feeding or during ritual
intimacy. This functions as if the vampire
were using Unmarked Grave (Vampire: The
Requiem, p. 139). The ghoul takes on no addi-
Asnâm 11
 tional weight and appears normal to all mundane inspection. The
vampire is totally hidden and won’t even trigger Predatory Auras.
While concealed, the vampire suffers any damage the ghoul
takes, but mundane wounds are still downgraded, and she is
only ejected from the body if she takes lethal damage. She can
see and hear through her ghoul if she chooses to stay conscious,
but suffers a –3 on Perception rolls. She must still spend a Vitae
at the beginning of each night to wake, though she can feed
from the subject at will, whether from his Vitae pool or directly
from his bloodstream (lethal damage from feeding does not
eject the vampire).
As long as this Devotion lasts, the ghoul gains access to one
of his regnant’s Disciplines or replaces his own rating with hers
if it’s higher. He can’t draw on her Vitae pool, but she can top
him up when she chooses, and he doesn’t begin to age if he runs
out of his own Vitae. The bliss of merging with the vampire
also has a slight narcotic effect, inflicting a –1 on all mundane
Mental and Physical Skills for the duration, but adding a 2-die
bonus to Socialize.
The Infinite Chalice
(Animalism •••, Vigor •)
A Sanam is one with her followers. They offer their blood in
sacrifice whenever she asks, even many miles away.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Requirement: The victim must be the vampire’s ghoul or
someone she has inflicted with the Swooning Condition.
Dice Pool: Strength + Occult + Animalism – Stamina
Action: Instant
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: Not only does the vampire fail to feed
off her subject, she exhausts herself in the effort, taking the
Drained Condition for the rest of the scene.
Failure: The cultist’s offering is insufficient.
Success: For up to a number of turns equal to successes, the
vampire drains a point of Vitae her ghoul has stored. She can
choose to keep feeding if she drains this pool, inflicting lethal
damage for each Vitae stolen from his flesh. If the victim is
not a ghoul, she feeds directly automatically. In return, the
victim gains the Inspired Condition as he feels the touch of
his goddess, but he can only gain this Condition from feeding
once per night.
Exceptional Success: The vampire drains two Vitae a turn.
“My flesh is your flesh: Eat of me and be whole.”
12 Bloodlines: The Devoted
Suggested Modifiers
+1 The victim is within sight
— The victim is within 100 miles
–1 The victim is over 100 miles away
–3 The victim is over 500 miles away
–5 The victim is over 1000 miles away
Pact of Allure
(Animalism ••••, Majesty •)
The vampire anoints a mortal worshipper with blood,
bestowing him with her glory and hiding her Beast in his heart.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Requirement: The subject must be mortal, and he must
agree to the pact without supernatural coercion (mundane
lying is fine, though).
Dice Pool: None
Action: Instant
Duration: Night
The subject adds the vampire’s Animalism dots to his
Presence, even if this would take him over five dots. If the
Sanam has Striking Looks, he gains a dot of that as well. While
this effect lasts, the vampire does not give off a passive Predatory
Aura, pinning it to her follower instead; other Kindred won’t
see her as one of their own unless she lashes out. They will,
however, take a false positive off the mortal, believing him to be
a vampire unless they study him with Auspex or taste his blood.
Ralab
(Animalism ••, Majesty •••••, Protean •••••)
From the Arabic verb “to vanquish,” with Ralab, a Sanam can
mark an infant as her avatar, a vessel whose body she usurps
if she meets Final Death. Some Idols use this power as an
insurance policy, cursing a child and then seeing to its welfare
from the shadows. Others make their victims integral members
of their cults, training them and turning them into ghouls to
preserve their physical peaks. A few use this ability as a stick
and the Embrace as a carrot, promising freedom and power if
the avatar dedicates himself to protecting his master’s existence.
This Devotion costs 5 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 1 Humanity dot
Requirement: The victim must be no more than a year old.
 Dice Pool: None
Action: Instant
Duration: Indefinite
The vampire lets the child suckle a bit of her Vitae and
then activates this Devotion. The effect lasts as long as the
child lives, and cannot be undone unless he dies (the Embrace
counts as death). Once the Devotion is active, the avatar takes
the qualities listed below.
• He is immune to the Vinculum.
• His blood is useless to vampires, including the Sanam.
His Vitae becomes ash in their mouths, though the act
of feeding still harms him.
• He gains mutual Blood Sympathy with the vampire
as if they were sire and childe, and an effective dot of
Blood Potency. This only applies on sympathy rolls and
supernatural resistance unless he becomes a ghoul.
• If he does become a ghoul, he can use Discipline effects
ghouls normally can’t; i.e., any that involve physically
spilling blood, but this requires him to suffer a point
of lethal damage per Vitae. His Blood Potency also
functions as if he were a vampire, allowing him to store
up to 10 Vitae and providing him with Kindred Senses.
However, sunlight will hurt him similar to a vampire,
causing a bashing damage for every 10 minutes of direct
exposure. This damage does not heal unless he finds
shelter or uses Vitae to repair it.
The following occurs if the vampire meets Final Death:
• Her essence escapes and kicks the avatar’s soul out of his body,
replacing his mind as well as his Mental and Social Traits.
Story Seed: Strigid Teachings
Some Asnâm believe bloodline founder Atiqua
Azad’s goddess wasn’t what he claimed. They
whisper she was one of the Owls, and taught him
how Strix ride their victims. What he might’ve paid
for this knowledge is the source of much speculation,
but many Kindred have noted the way Idols steal
human bodies and watch for yellow eyes.
Physical Traits remain that of the avatar. The Sanam awakens
with Vitae equal to the avatar’s unmodified Health dots.
• The vampire’s player applies Sanctity of Merits to each of her
character’s physical Merits on a case by case basis, keeping
those that make sense for the new body and liquidating those
that don’t.
• Over a week, the new body transforms to conform with the
vampire’s age when she was Embraced, unless the avatar was a
ghoul at the time of her Final Death, in which case it retains
its age.
• The vampire loses a dot of Blood Potency in this process.
Disciplines and Devotions carry over, replacing any the victim
might have had.
• The vampire takes the Tainted Condition, with the victim’s
Integrity determining duration and penalties.
• If the Sanam has more than one avatar, she takes whichever
body she anointed first.
Asnâm 13
 Azerkatil
The ones who stalk you
For a complete history of the Azerkatil, see Ordo Dracul,
p. 145.
Parent Clan: Nosferatu
Nicknames: Dragonslayers, Yanicheris, Traitors (disrespectful)
Bloodline Bane (The Kin-Slayer’s Curse): Dragonslayers are
as distant from other Kindred as they are from humans. Like
all Nosferatu, they suffer increased difficulty when relating to
humans, but they also suffer this curse when trying to relate
to non-Azerkatil vampires.
Favored Attributes: As with parent clan
Disciplines: Nightmare, Obfuscate, Suikast, Vigor
Twists of the Blood: Acidic Veins
The Red Sultan created the Azerkatil to hunt other
blood-drinkers, so he ensured their Vitae would be difficult
to steal. As an optional rule, Kindred and Strix can feed from
Azerkatil, but each Vitae taken inflicts one point of bashing
damage on the imbiber; the vampire can choose not to inflict
this effect (or not, at Storyteller discretion). Dragonslayer Vitae
might also deal damage to other supernatural creatures who use
blood to sustain themselves, such as Blood Bathers.
In the Covenants
The Azerkatil exist in a liminal space between the European
and Islamic worlds, creating a unique relationship with cove-
nants in both spheres of influence. For more on the Islamic
covenants, see Dark Eras 2, pp. 139–141.
Ironically, the majority of Yanicheris belong to the covenant
they meant to destroy. However, Azerkatil are less concerned
than typical Dragons with overcoming the Kindred condition,
instead preferring to perfect their physical mastery and explore
the frontiers of occult science. Many belong to multiple covenants
and act as deadly emissaries between the Defiant and their rivals.
Ahl al-Mumit: While the Wrathful were never populous in
the Ottoman Empire, an Azerkatil contingent joined this cove-
“Even great warriors fall in battle.”
14 Bloodlines: The Devoted
nant following their disillusionment with the Red Sultan. The
Sultan created the Dragonslayers to destroy monsters, a talent
the Ahl al-Mumit were able to focus and direct. Their numbers
remain low tonight, but these Dragonslayers are among the
most dangerous in the old Ottoman territories.
The Carthian Movement: A small but vocal group of
Dragonslayers are Carthians. They insist their bloodline has
always followed a variation of the Revolution’s message, one
focused on applying humanity’s military science to the All
Night Society, rather than mortal political theories. Often these
Carthians also join the Ordo Dracul, and they form the core
of a traditionalist movement within the bloodline.
The Circle of the Crone: Azerkatil lore keepers claim that
before his obsession with Dracula, the Red Sultan eradicated a
Byzantine covenant of Crúac witches from Kostantiniyye, the
Tagma ton Xenon. Even older legends speak of a disease that
spread blood magic like a plague and summoned forth enraged
Strix. The Dragonslayers will not hesitate to destroy Acolytes
if doing so prevents the Owls’ resurgence.
The Invictus: Ottoman Kindred inherited the Invictus
from the Byzantines. It was from the First Estate the Azerkatil
first arose, but once the Red Sultan’s folly was apparent, most
abandoned the covenant. Tonight a few remain, waiting for the
chance to strike a blow against the traitors who gave themselves
over to their enemies. In the meantime, they work to form a
modern-day Ottoman Camarilla, recruiting Kindred through-
out Eastern Europe, North Africa, and the central Asian steppe.
The Jaliniyya: The Jaliniyya are dead and gone, the Azerkatil
and their Discipline being their last remnant. At least, that’s
the story the Dragonslayers tell themselves. New rumors crop
up of Alchemists rising from torpor each year, and whispers
suggest the Red Sultan made the Jaliniyya disappear to pro-
tect the bloodline’s secrets. If the Jaliniyya are returning, the
Dragonslayers must determine if they are peers or rivals.
The Lancea et Sanctum: The Lance has deep roots in
Anatolia, and Ottoman Kindred leaned on the covenant
for support. Tonight, they are curiosities of a bygone age in
Turkey. The Azerkatil maintain their ancient compacts with the
Sanctified, but the relationship becomes increasingly fraught
each year New Rome’s legacy fades further into memory.
Suikast
The Azerkatil’s mystique arises from their mastery of
Suikast, a Discipline that turns their blood into a poisonous
weapon. Suikast is a derivation of Kimiya, the Blood Sorcery
of the Jaliniyya covenant (Dark Eras 2, p. 143). The Azerkatil
understand Kimiya formulae and treat Suikast dots as Kimiya
dots, ignoring Status prerequisites. Azerkatil can learn new
formulae from a teacher or through research, but they cannot
teach Kimiya to those lacking its fundamentals. If you don’t
have access to Dark Eras 2, use Crúac to approximate Suikast.
New Formulae
The Red Sultan’s acolytes developed the following Suikast
rituals, but anyone possessing dots in Kimiya can learn them.
Dragon’s Own Fire (•)
Target number of successes: 5
The Dragonslayer makes the blood running through her dead
veins acidic and leaks out of her pores, causing her unarmed
attacks to deal lethal damage. This effect lasts the night.
Taste of the Dragon (••)
Target number of successes: 5
The ritualist mixes her blood with toxic reagents in a crucible,
creating a potent alchemical poison. If ingested by another super-
natural being before sunrise, the mixture inflicts a toxin that
deals lethal damage equal to the ritual’s Potency once per night
for (Suikast) nights. While the poison remains in the victim’s
system, it creates a mystical bond between him and the ritualist.
This bond heightens the ritualist’s senses, and she achieves an
exceptional success on three successes when tracking the victim.
Pasha’s Vision (••)
Target number of successes: 6
The Dragonslayer anoints her brow with her blood, allowing it
to run into her eyes. Until dawn, the ritualist sees an aura around
the eyes of everyone she meets, showing her the intents of those
around her. Usually, the aura is clear, but it darkens to reveal the
evil eyes of anyone intending to harm the ritualist or her allies.
Kale-Kob (•••)
Target number of successes: 6
Named for the legendary Ottoman “castle-smasher” can-
nons, Kale-Kob allows Azerkatil to rend fortifications. The
Dragonslayer anoints a weapon with the sacrifice, granting it an
armor-piercing quality equal to Potency. If the weapon already
possesses that quality, use the higher value. If the vampire
covers herself with this blood instead of a weapon, her bite is
armor-piercing, as are any other weapons her body can magically
produce that deal lethal damage. This effect lasts the night.
Intikam (••••)
Target number of successes: 8
The ritualist’s blood becomes molten metal. Until the next
dawn, while the blush of life is active, successful close combat
attacks that deal lethal damage against the Dragonslayer cause
attackers to suffer one point of aggravated damage as her toxic
blood spatters over them. Anyone feeding from the Dragonslayer
suffers a point of aggravated damage per Vitae taken.
Burn the Dragon’s Blood (•••••)
Target number of successes: 9
The ritualist prepares an alchemical poison she can douse
Kindred and ghouls in with a Dexterity + Athletics – Defense
roll. A victim who comes into contact with this potion loses Vitae
equal to the formula’s Potency, their blood evaporating into a
black smoke that emits from their pores. A victim must take two
Vitae to restore each one she lost, as her dead veins and organs
are clogged with burnt residue. This potion lasts a week until
used and provides enough doses for (Blood Potency + 1) victims.
Story Seeds
• Reverent words echo through the Wyrm’s Nests — a
Bride of Dracula has returned. It drives the Ordo into
a frenzy of activity, unseen in modern history, but for
the Azerkatil, these reports breed anxiety and uncer-
tainty. Will the Dragon’s mistress forgive their early
transgressions? And are they right to accept their sworn
enemy’s personal disciple as a mentor? The Dragons
aren’t monsters, but what if this Bride has become one
after all these nights? No one is sure of the truth, so the
bloodline’s elders send forth their childer to undertake
their most ancient mission: Find Dracula’s Bride.
• The Yanicheris share the Red Sultan’s obsession with mil-
itary science; as warfare evolved, so did their magic. They
trained with machine guns at Gallipoli, hunted Nazis in
Istanbul, and accompanied the Turkish Brigade to Korea.
Tonight, a radical faction seeks to fuse Suikast with a
new weapon: nuclear arms. They believe blending their
blood with atomic fire is the final step in overcoming the
sun’s bane, but their mainstream counterparts fear this
will infect the entire bloodline with a radioactive plague.
Rumors these Azerkatil are involved with a Ukrainian
mobster named Oleg, who knows all too much about
supernatural radiation, haven’t helped matters.
Azerkatil 15
 Baddacelli
The ones who whisper in your ear
For a complete history of the Baddacelli, see Bloodlines:
The Chosen, p. 26.
Parent Clan: Nosferatu
Nicknames: Morlocks, Mimics, Crooks
Bloodline Bane (The Chiropteran Curse): The Baddacelli are
blind. Some lack eyes, while others develop cataracts that blot
out light. All Morlocks suffer the persistent Blind Condition;
in combat, this becomes Blinded (two eyes). See Chronicles of
Darkness, pp. 281 and 288. Baddacelli characters receive any
Beats they earn for Blind at the end of the chapter, but only if they
haven’t dramatically failed a Social action due to the Nosferatu
curse. Use the resolution criterion to determine Beats, or use the
variant rule in the God-Machine Rules Update.
Favored Attributes: As with parent clan
Disciplines: Mimetismo, Nightmare, Obfuscate, Vigor
Twists of the Blood:
Mimetismo as Devotions
If you prefer Mimetismo to be more modular and the
Baddacelli to have a broader Discipline set, use the following
system:
Replace Mimetismo with Auspex. Baddacelli must purchase
Certain Sounds before they can access other Mimetismo
Devotions. Individual powers are Devotions of the following
Disciplines, with Experience costs noted:
• Certain Sounds: Auspex •, 1 Experience
• Impersonation: Obfuscate ••••, 2 Experiences
• Cacophony: 1 Experience add-on to Impersonation
• Echolocation: Auspex •••, 2 Experiences
• Discord: Vigor ••••, 3 Experiences
Whether the Devotions below still apply is up to the
Storyteller, but they shouldn’t be hard to convert.
“Just follow my voice...”
16 Bloodlines: The Devoted
In the Covenants
The Carthian Movement: Baddacelli in the Movement fulfill
an unusual niche in the All Night Society: burglars. Mimetismo
can make superb distractions, and map out seemingly impreg-
nable targets with a few clicks of the tongue. In cities where the
Movement is low on capital, Morlocks can make the difference
between survival and dissolution, all while striking a blow
against the rich and powerful.
The Circle of the Crone: Acolyte Morlocks make the Chorus
into a choir, worshipping the Crone with hymns to her divine
vicissitudes. They’re well known for tormenting mortals with
their songs, gaslighting victims with false hauntings and mad-
dening, untraceable sounds.
The Invictus: With their talent for mimicry, Baddacelli in the
First Estate rise up the ranks as harpies, warping the role into
a more traditional court jester. Some even perform as vicious
stand-up comedians at Elysium, turning their impressions into
subtle screeds against disfavored members of the court.
The Lancea et Sanctum: The Church hoards vampire his-
tory, but it doesn’t often bring it to life. Sanctified Baddacelli
are performers, digging up obscure Kindred dramatic or musical
works and using their talents to make them available to lay
congregants. Some even compose their own pieces, modern
Everyman tales for the dead.
The Ordo Dracul: Many Baddacelli call the Ordo Dracul
home, but the roles they fill aren’t much different from other
Nosferatu. Defiant Morlocks often study the Mystery of the
Ascendant, operating in daylight hours in caverns and sewers
that aren’t touched by the day–night cycle.
Mimetismo
The Beast is a predator of darkness. Deep underground, it
can see without sight, and it knows how to warp sound into a
tool of the hunt.

Certain Sounds •
Without eyes to see, a Morlock uses her ears.
Cost: None
Dice Pool: None
Action: Instant
Duration: Scene
While Certain Sounds is active, the
vampire automatically succeeds most auditory
Perception rolls. If the rare instances she must
roll (for example, to listen in on a very dis-
tant conversation), or in cases where
she must substitute her hearing for
her sight, she does not suffer any
circumstantial penalties, including
from the Blind Condition.
The vampire also has a rough
sense of the size and features of a
room, as well as the movements
of any occupants. This awareness
applies to the “visible” area she
occupies, but cannot extend
past thick walls or other heavy
barriers. She can use sound to
determine the Durability and
Structure of objects (tapping
her fist, bouncing her voice,
etc.), adding her Mimetismo
dots to any relevant Crafts roll.
Impersonation ••
Now that she understands the
nuances of sound, the vampire
learns to manipulate it.
Cost: None (1 Vitae per voice, optional)
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Expression +
Mimetismo
Action: Instant
Duration: Scene
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The vampire’s impres-
sion is fatally flawed and she doesn’t know it.
Failure: The vampire can’t find her
voice.
Success: The vampire can imitate
the voice of someone she has heard in
person or make up a whole new voice
for herself. She adds her Mimetismo
dots to any Expression or Subterfuge
rolls that would apply to using this voice. For all intents and
purposes, this impression is perfect, but Auspex might provoke
a Clash of Wills to spot deception. The effect is so total it can
even fool voice recognition software. Switching back and forth
between the vampire’s normal voice is a reflexive action, but
altering the impersonation costs a Vitae.
If Certain Sounds is active, the Baddacelli can throw her
voice with an instant action. This must be about the length
of a short sentence, and is as loud as her normal speaking
voice. Throwing one’s voice with Mimetismo does not count
as breaking Obfuscate. Perception rolls to find the true
source of the voice automatically fail, as this ability has
little to do with the actual movement of sound waves.
Exceptional Success: The vampire does not need
to spend Vitae to change her voice.
Cacophony •••
The vampire’s talent for mimicry reaches
an inhuman degree.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: None
Action: None
The vampire spends a Vitae when activating
Impersonation and can replicate sounds no human
voice could produce. This only applies to sounds
she has heard firsthand; a facsimile won’t do no
matter how good the recording. She can shift
between sounds reflexively by spending Vitae, as with
Impersonation. Reverting to a human voice takes an
instant action, but it need not be her own.
In addition, throwing her voice is now a reflexive
action, and she can increase or decrease the volume to
inhuman levels, directing it as precisely as she wishes.
She can whisper to an ally from across a crowded room,
gaslight an enemy, or reproduce the sound of a chain-
saw directly into a victim’s eardrum, rolling Strength
+ Expression vs. Resolve + Stamina. On a success, the
resulting sensory overload is enough that, for turns equal
to Blood Potency, the vampire and her allies add her
Discipline dots on any Physical rolls against the victim
that would benefit from the distraction. Once affected, the
victim is immune to this distracting effect for the scene.
Echolocation ••••
The vampire develops a second sight, and perceives the
world as no other Kindred can.
Cost: 2 Vitae
Dice Pool: None
Action: None
Baddacelli 17
 The vampire extends the range and accuracy of Certain
Sounds with supernatural echolocation; some Baddacelli emit
a series of rapid clicks, while others hum creepy little melodies,
or tap their feet a certain way. She can now perceive as far
away as ten meters per Blood Potency dot, multiplied by her
Mimetismo rating, even through thick concrete and steel. This
extended perception ends if the vampire stops using her sonic
focus, although she does not need to reactivate Echolocation
if she starts up again before the end of the scene.
In addition, by spending a full minute concentrating, the
vampire can map out a detailed mental image of the area,
revealing secret doors, safe contents, and physical descriptions
of anyone present. She can even determine the Durability and
Structure of objects from rooms away with Certain Sounds.
Once she creates this mental image, for the rest of the scene
she can throw her voice anywhere she can picture as long as
she remains in the same area.
Discord •••••
At the pinnacle of Mimetismo, the vampire weaponizes sound
against her prey.
Cost: 2 Vitae
Dice Pool: Strength + Expression + Mimetismo – Stamina
(highest in group)
Action: Instant
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The vampire ruins her own hearing, suf-
fering Deafened (two ears) for the rest of the scene. She cannot
use Certain Sounds to overcome this Tilt.
Failure: The vampire produces a whimper instead of a bang.
Success: The vampire emits an ear-splitting shriek at a
victim. He suffers the Insensate Tilt and takes lethal damage
equal to successes, even if he’s Kindred. When Insensate
resolves, it becomes Deafened (two ears) until the damage
heals. Using this effect again has no further effect on victims
who failed to resist it.
Exceptional Success: The vampire’s victim suffers Deafened
for the rest of the night, even if he heals the damage.
If Certain Sounds is active, the vampire can extend the
blast to as many or as few individuals as she likes, but she
must also spend a Vitae for each additional victim after the
first. Echolocation can extend the range of this effect, and the
vampire can use Cacophony to conceal the sound, piping her
aural assault directly into the victim’s eardrums.
The vampire can also target an object or barrier with Discord,
subtracting Durability instead of Stamina and inflicting dam-
age directly to Structure.
18 Bloodlines: The Devoted
New Merit
Corpse Ear (•)
Prerequisites: Kindred, Wits •••, Acute Senses
Effect: The Embrace silences the involuntary noises of the
human body, leaving your character with an uncanny ear. She
has absolute pitch, can discern minute variations of tone, and
doubles her Blood Potency bonus from Acute Senses on all
Investigation rolls involving sound.
Drawback: This Merit has no effect while your character
benefits from the blush of life.
Available only at character creation unless the character is Baddacelli.
New Devotions
Radio Quiet
(Mimetismo ••, Obfuscate •)
The vampire banishes noise from her presence. Baddacelli
often use this Devotion in conjunction with other Obfuscate
powers, confusing every one of their victims’ senses.
This Devotion costs 1 Experience to learn.
Cost: 1 Vitae, plus one per meter of silence
Dice Pool: Wits + Expression + Mimetismo
Action: Instant
Duration: Minutes equal to successes
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The vampire deprives herself of her own
sense of hearing for the scene, suffering the negative effects of
this Devotion (she does not take a Condition).
Failure: The vampire fails to quiet her surroundings.
Success: The vampire produces no sounds except those she
chooses to make with Mimetismo, adding her dots in that
Discipline to any Stealth rolls. By default, this Devotion only
affects the vampire, but she can extend the cone of silence up to a
number of meters equal to additional Vitae spent. Getting caught
in this zone is both discomfiting and disorienting: In combat with
the vampire, victims suffer the vampire’s Mimetismo dots as a
penalty on Defense while they remain inside it, and must succeed
on a Resolve + Composure roll or gain the Shaken Condition.
Exceptional Success: The effect lasts a scene.
The vampire can end this Devotion early with a reflexive action.
Song of Serenity
(Majesty ••, Mimetismo ••)
The Morlocks have a reputation for subterranean horror,
but some know more delicate applications of Mimetismo.
With this Devotion, a vampire can sing her victim to sleep,
occluding her true nature from his dreams. Song of Serenity
does not work on vampires, or other creatures that do not have
natural sleep cycles.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Presence + Expression + Mimetismo – Composure
Action: Instant
Duration: Minutes equal to successes
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The victim sees through the vampire’s siren
song and beholds the nightmare. He gains +3 to his Composure
against the Baddacelli’s Disciplines for the rest of the night.
Failure: The song fails to soothe.
Success: The vampire sings a soothing melody, lulling her
victim into deep sleep and pleasant dreams. He won’t wake up
for the duration unless he suffers injury, though this does not
apply to feeding as long as the vampire doesn’t take more Vitae
than Stamina. At the end of the effect, the victim awakens
refreshed, regaining a point of Willpower, even in excess of
his permanent dots.
Exceptional Success: The victim’s dreams are sublime, and
he will not wake for a full hour/scene.
The vampire can use Mimetismo to project this song from
a distance.
Squawk Box
(Auspex •••, Mimetismo ••••)
Baddacelli often spend their Requiems underground, and
with this rare Devotion they can create communication relays
without the need for radio or Wi-Fi. They can also plant bugs
on their enemies, or torment unsuspecting victims without
being anywhere near the scene of the crime.
This Devotion costs 3 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 1 Willpower, 1 Vitae per message
Dice Pool: None
Action: Instant
Duration: Night
The vampire can send and receive messages through an
object no greater and no smaller than Size 1. She hears any
nearby sounds telepathically, and can spend a Vitae to send her
own messages (about a turn’s length). This includes effects of
Mimetismo. This Devotion surpasses radio jamming equipment
and the like, and is not affected by heavy walls or insulation.
However, the vampire must remain within (Blood Potency)
miles of the object, or the signal won’t reach her.
Ventriloquy
(Mimetismo •••, Obfuscate ••••)
The Baddacelli can extend her mimicry to others. She must
touch the subject to use this Devotion, whether with her con-
sent or through a touch attack (Vampire: The Requiem, p. 177).
This Devotion costs 3 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 2 Vitae
Dice Pool: Wits + Expression + Obfuscate vs. Stamina +
Blood Potency (if unwilling)
Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive
Duration: Scene
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The vampire distorts his own voice into
a barely coherent static. He suffers a –3 on all Social rolls that
involve speaking for the rest of the scene.
Failure: The subject can’t quite get the hang of the impression.
Success: The vampire grants the subject a different voice for
the rest of the scene. Unlike applications of Mimetismo, this
voice is set until the end of the scene or the vampire uses this
Devotion again. Alternatively, the vampire can curse his victim
with an inhuman voice: Whatever she tries to say comes out as
a bird’s screech or the pounding of a jackhammer, or any other
awful noise. Some Morlocks deprive their victims of any voice at
all, rendering them totally mute (this counts as the Condition).
Exceptional Success: The voice lasts the rest of the night.

Story Seed: The Heist

Wanted: Baddacelli. The job? Clean out the Prince.
Vampire’s bread and butter is the crime drama genre, and there’s no purer form than the heist. The Baddacelli are
uniquely suited to this kind of story, whether as distractions, mapmakers, or safecrackers. Above we suggest thievery
is more of a Carthian pastime, but this hook doesn’t have to be Firebrand-only. Maybe the Invictus need to wipe out
the Ordo Dracul’s finances before their experiments breach the Masquerade, or perhaps the Circle of the Crone has
found out a Sanctified Bishop is hiding a relic stolen from their cult. Other bloodlines might also want to get in on
the caper: A Lynx (p. 38) would make an excellent inside man or infiltrator, and Bohagande (p. 20) are nothing if not
saboteurs. Bring on an Icarian (p. 32) to be the brains of the operation, and you’ve got yourself one hell of a team.

Baddacelli 19
 Bohagande
The ones who hex you
For a complete history of the Bohagande, see Bloodlines:
The Hidden, p. 38.
Parent Clan: Gangrel
Nicknames: Jonahs, Tricksters
Bloodline Bane (The Raven’s Curse): The Bohagande spend
their Requiems manipulating luck, but sometimes fate takes
offense. After rolling an exceptional success on a mundane
Physical or Social Skill action, the Bohagande’s player must
roll a die. On a 1, the vampire suffers a penalty equal to (10 –
Humanity) on any rolled successes. This bane can downgrade
the action to a success or a failure, or a dramatic failure if it
reduces the total below zero. Narratively, the vampire’s run of
luck turns sour in a strange or unlikely way.
Favored Attributes: Composure or Wits
Disciplines: Animalism, Obfuscate, Protean, Resilience
In the Covenants
The Carthian Movement: Firebrand Bohagande tend to fall
into organized crime and other seedy business, rigging gambling
dens and lotteries for the Movement’s seamier interests. Others
make good money as hands off but brutal enforcers — fate is
a good leg breaker.
The Circle of the Crone: Many Jonahs find their way to the
Acolytes at some point in their Requiems. Their anarchistic
outlook meshes well in the Mother’s Army, and their natural
talent for quick, nasty curses keeps their services in demand
even among potent Crúac witches.
The Invictus: Like their rivals in the Carthian Movement,
Invictus Bohagande focus on cash. Some blight businesses
who stand in the way of their superiors, while others engage
in karmically one-sided, predatory lending to make a name
and a buck. Still others act as saboteurs against vampires who
play loose with the Masquerade, especially in cities where the
Invictus has less overt power.
“The spirits already told me how this thing plays out,
but sure, I’ll take your money.”
20 Bloodlines: The Devoted
The Lancea et Sanctum: The Lancea et Sanctum considers
its Bohagande members a bit of a get for God. Not because
the church believes the Jonahs are especially sinful (they do),
but because the bloodline has many tools to test their flocks.
Sanctified Bohagande act as Satan to Job, visiting misfortune
and horrible disasters on mortals to prove their faiths.
The Ordo Dracul: Bohagande Dragons don’t just want
to surpass God — they want to con Him out of His throne.
These Defiant conduct experiments in probability and fate,
believing if they build up enough luck they can avoid the
banes of vampirism by playing the numbers. Jonahs also find
the Dragons attractive because they’re the covenant closest to
understanding the true spiritual nature of the world, even if
they lack the Acolytes’ empathy for it. Defiant Tricksters are
especially fond of Wyrm’s Nests that touch what werewolves
call the Shadow.
New Merit
Luck of the Draw (••)
Prerequisites: Bohagande or Animalism •, Wits •••
Effect: It’s not that Bohagande are lucky, it’s that spirits like
them better than other vampires. If your character goes first in
a game of chance (cards, dice, coin tosses, etc.), her outcome on
the first round will always be better than her opponents’, even
if her result isn’t very good. If it’s not possible to win, she ties
with the best result. This only applies once per scene.
New Devotions
The Bohagande rewrite fates with a set of related Devotions
they call Sunnikuse. Jinx is the foundation of Sunnikuse, and
Bohagande characters must purchase that power before they
can access other effects.Other vampires cannot learn these
Devotions.

Jinx
(Obfuscate ••)
The most basic curse of Sunnikuse, this Devotion blights
the vampire’s victim with a mark of ill fortune, concealing him
from spirits of good luck. The vampire must touch her victim
to apply this curse (Vampire: The Requiem, p. 177).
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Wits + Subterfuge + Obfuscate vs. Composure
+ Blood Potency
Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The spirits take offense to the vampire’s
meddling in fate, inflicting her with the Cursed Condition.
Failure: The vampire fails to mark her victim.
Success: The victim takes the Cursed Condition.
Exceptional Success: The victim’s curse is a particularly nasty
one, and the Condition lasts the night.
Evil Eye
(Protean ••)
The vampire transforms one of her eyes into a black void,
like a raven or a crow’s, hexing any who dare meet her gaze.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 2 Vitae
Dice Pool: None
Action: Instant
Duration: Scene
Any victim suffering from the Cursed Condition who meets
the vampire’s gaze must spend a Willpower. If he cannot or will
not, he suffers a penalty equal to the vampire’s Protean dots on
all Physical and Social actions until he resolves the Condition.
Covering the Evil Eye with dark glasses or an eyepatch con-
ceals its power. The vampire can only affect a victim with this
Devotion once per scene.
Twist of Fate
(Obfuscate ••)
The Jonah conceals her victim from positive spirits and opens
herself to them instead. The vampire must touch her victim to
apply this curse (Vampire: The Requiem, p. 177).
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 2 Vitae
Requirement: The vampire must have inflicted the Cursed
Condition on her victim.
Dice Pool: None
Action: Reflexive
For as long as the victim suffers the Cursed Condition, he
loses the 10-again quality in all contested actions with the
vampire, including supernatural powers.
Gift of the Crow
(Animalism ••)
The vampire uses her Vitae to awaken the spirit of an object,
convincing it to work with her against anyone who tries to
wield it. This object must have a practical use rather than a
decorative one.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 1 Vitae, plus one per object Size
Dice Pool: None
Action: Instant
Duration: Night
If a victim with the Cursed Condition touches the tainted
object, he cannot spend Willpower for any reason until he tries
to use the item for its intended purpose. When he does so, he
can choose to dramatically fail instead of rolling, ending the
curse on both himself and the object. This also resolves Cursed
if the action was directed at the vampire.
Simply discarding the object doesn’t end this effect. Instead,
even if he resolves Cursed, the victim suffers this hex for the
rest of the night unless he recovers and uses the object.
CURSED
A Bohagande has cursed you. Until you shed this Condition,
luck wants nothing to do with you: You cannot exceptionally
succeed any action. Furthermore, Physical and Social Skills that
would normally benefit from a dice trick (8-again, 9-again, rote,
etc.) do not have that quality. This Condition ends without
resolving at the end of the scene.
Resolution: Choose to fail rather than roll a relevant action
against the vampire who cursed you, or choose to dramatically
fail an action in general.
Bohagande 21
 The Carnival
The ones who thrill you
For a complete history of the Carnival, see Bloodlines: The
Legendary, p. 23.
Parent Clan: Daeva
Nicknames: Freaks, Carnies, the Show
Bloodline Bane (The Transient Curse): Familiarity breeds
contempt. A Freak can only remain within the boundaries of
a community for nights equal to Humanity. After that, the
vampire suffers a cumulative –1 to mundane Social rolls with
mortals for each night she steps foot in the area. A commu-
nity includes all homogeneous or incorporated areas, but not
sparsely populated places like forests, farmlands, or badlands.
This penalty caps at –5, but at that point normal failures on
affected rolls become dramatic. Once the vampire leaves, the
penalty eases by a degree every (Blood Potency) nights.
Favored Attributes: Dexterity or Presence
Disciplines: Celerity, Majesty, Nightmare, Vigor
In the Covenants
The Carthian Movement: In its own way, the Carnival has
egalitarian roots, so the Firebrands hold the dubious honor of
having the most Carny members. Carthian Freaks spread the
Revolution with culture jamming and satire, whether as recruit-
ing tactics or class warfare against the courts they invade. A few
Carthian Shows operate as communes, treating their circuses
as roving domains, and some even recruit members of other
clans into these traveling Revolutions.
The Circle of the Crone: The Mother’s Army is well-suited
to the Carnival’s outlook. Unlife on the road is one without
many consequences, but when problems do crop up, solving
them is as easy as burning down a few havens in the name of
the Crone. Acolyte Carnivals are notoriously violent, even
compared to the rest of the bloodline, using their front as
mundane entertainment to lure victims into their sabbaths.
“Don’t look away, ladies and gentlemen,
it’s all part of the show!”
22 Bloodlines: The Devoted
The Invictus: The Masquerade is less of a concern for
Invictus Carnies; their insular lifestyle creates an atmosphere
of constant peer pressure on any potential troublemakers.
From a business perspective, Invictus-run Carnivals tend to
be well-marketed, top-down operations with high profit mar-
gins. Successful Invictus Freaks sometimes declare themselves
Princes of the Road, conquering small domains and annexing
them into multi-town conclaves.
The Lancea et Sanctum: Sanctified Carnivals take on the
character of big tent revivals, spreading the bad news to other
Kindred and/or punishing wicked mortals they meet along
the way. A few act as missionaries, taking the Dark Father’s
word to vampires who’ve never even heard of the Testament.
Mainstream Judges fear these vampires are placing the church’s
Masquerade on a knife-edge, but a few quietly funnel money
to their evangelical efforts.
The Ordo Dracul: The Dragons’ rugged individualist
outlook means Carnival members are uncommon, but the
extremes Freaks take with their bodies can make them a good
fit for factions like the Impaled. However, their bane can be
an obstacle to staying near Wyrm’s Nests, so Freaks in the
Order have a reputation for researching and reclaiming mobile
Nests. Rumors say that one coterie of Defiant Carnies travel
the backroads of America with a complete (and functional)
haunted circus.
New Merit
Undead Contortion (••)
Prerequisites: Kindred, Double Jointed
Effect: The Embrace has grotesquely limbered your charac-
ter’s dead body. She can warp herself into shapes even a skilled
contortionist would recoil at, and can compress her skeleton to
an almost inhuman degree. She can wriggle through any open-
ing the size of her head with a successful Dexterity + Athletics scene, whichever comes first. The resolution of the Condition
roll, and she exceptionally succeeds with three successes on becomes “Suffer physical harm.”
Expression and Intimidation rolls to wow or disgust an Exceptional Success: While the Condition lasts, all Physical
audience with her body. Drawback: Such grotesque rolls made against the victim by people other than
athletics are useful for many things, but self-pres- the vampire gain her Majesty dots as a bonus.
ervation isn’t among them. While contorting,
your character loses her Defense. Available only
at character creation unless the character is a member
Geek Trick
of the Carnival bloodline. (Majesty •, Nightmare ••)
With this Devotion, a Freak
can perform minor tricks of gro-
New Devotions tesque spectacle without fear
of harm or frenzy. Hammer a
Gawk nail through your cheek? Easy.
Bisect your tongue with a rusty
(Majesty •, Nightmare •)
razor? Simple. Hang from the roof
First you get their atten- by the hooks laced through your skin? Relaxing.
tion; then, you get their
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn,
wallet. With
or 1 Experience if the character has the Undead
this Devotion
Contortion Merit (above).
the Carnival
creates a kind Cost: 1 Vitae
of hyper focus in Dice Pool: None
its victims, to such Action: Instant
an extent that their Duration: Scene
marks can’t perceive For the rest of the scene, the vampire can
anything short of voluntarily suffer any amount of cosmetic injury
physical pain. or indignity without suffering actual, lingering
This Devotion costs damage. The source of this damage can be
1 Experience to learn. self-inflicted or from a secondary party, whether
Cost: 2 Vitae the stooge knows he’s in on the act or not. This
Dice Pool: Presence + damage must be cosmetic in nature and cannot
Expression + Majesty vs. limit functionality: A vampire with a slashed tongue
Composure + Blood Potency can still speak (albeit messily), but one with missing
Action: Contested; resistance is fingers can’t play the piano.
reflexive While active, the vampire gains 8-again on any roll
Duration: Scene to disgust, intimidate, or frighten others. This has dimin-
ishing returns, however, and only applies to the first roll
Roll Results made against a subject. At any time before the end of the
Dramatic Failure: The victim is bored scene, the Freak can make any amount of this damage simply
by the vampire’s antics and becomes vanish with an instant action. This does not end the effect.
acutely aware of his surroundings, gaining
9-again on all rolls to detect trickery or One of Us
sneak attacks.
Failure: Golf clap. (Majesty •••, Nightmare •••)
Success: The vampire wows her The Carnival is made up of runaways and outcasts, and with
victim with a terrifying, mystifying this Devotion a vampire can pull her victim into that lonely
performance! In fear and awe, he suffers world. Mortals and Kindred alike find themselves warped
the Distracted Condition while he remains physically and socially, unwelcome around anyone except
in the vampire’s presence or until the end of the their fellow untouchables.
This Devotion costs 3 Experiences to learn.

The Carnival 23
 Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Presence + Expression + Nightmare vs. Composure
+ Blood Potency
Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive
Duration: One night per dot of Blood Potency
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The vampire realizes what she really is on
the inside. She gains the Broken Condition and cannot use this
Devotion on the victim again.
Failure: Nothing happens, but the victim may want to get
away from the creepy person impotently chanting, “One of
us…! One of us…!”
Success: This vampire twists both physical and social per-
ceptions of her victim, turning him into a pariah. He suffers
the vampire’s Nightmare dots as a penalty on all Presence and
Manipulation rolls with humans for the duration, and any
failures are treated as dramatic failures.
However, alienation reinforces the bonds between the victim
and his fellow outcasts. For the duration of his curse, he gains
the Carnival as an additional Anchor. If he defends, aids, or
otherwise puts himself at risk in their service, he refreshes a
spent Willpower. If he accepts his new role and does irreparable
damage to his previous life, he regains all spent Willpower.
Exceptional Success: The curse takes root more deeply, and
the base duration extends to a week per Blood Potency.
The vampire can extend this Devotion by spending a
Willpower at the end of the duration, but the victim can resist
with a successful Composure + Blood Potency roll, penalized
by the vampire’s Nightmare dots. Alternatively, the victim can
spend the Willpower himself, extending his time with the
Carnival. He is, after all, one of them now.
24 Bloodlines: The Devoted
The Greatest Show
(Majesty •••••, Nightmare •••)
This Devotion might be the only reason the Carnival has
survived. By inflicting a hypnotic trance on her audience, a
Freak can convince victims that everything that follows is part
of an act, no matter how grotesque or macabre.
This Devotion costs 4 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Presence + Subterfuge + Majesty vs. highest
Composure + Blood Potency in crowd
Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive
Duration: Hours equal to Blood Potency
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The vampire’s artifice crumbles. The
entire crowd is not only unaffected, but are immune to this
Devotion for the rest of the night.
Failure: Nothing happens, which the vampire will likely
discover when the screaming starts.
Success: The vampire overwhelms her audience with oth-
erworldly showmanship, justifying any awful thing in the
Carnival’s performance as an elaborate act. All victims of
this Devotion gain the Delusional Condition for the duration
of the effect. Even after this Condition expires, they’ll ratio-
nalize events without hard evidence to the contrary. Victims
who watch their family and friends pulled apart by frenzying
Kindred assume their loved ones are in on the act, and won’t
give it a second thought until hours later, when the Carnival
is long gone.
Exceptional Success: Victims gain the False Memories
Condition after Delusional expires.
 Deucalion
The ones you can’t compare
For a complete history of the Deucaliones, see Carthians,
p. 160.
Parent Clan: Ventrue
Nicknames: Mentors, Skinheads (disrespectful), Unflawed
(among elders)
Bloodline Bane (The Myopic Curse): The Deucaliones are
ever assured of their path, but their failures nag at them. Unless
she spends a Willpower to add dice to her roll, a Deucalion’s
Social Skills suffer a –2 modifier on mundane contested actions
if she has no attached Touchstones.
Favored Attributes: Presence or Strength
Disciplines: Animalism, Dominate, Resilience, Vigor
Deucaliones take the Distinguished Palate Merit on induc-
tion into the bloodline. If a character already has this Merit,
she is refunded the Experience spent.
In the Covenants
A s more Millennial and Gen X neonates join the
Revolution, modern demographics have drowned out Victor
Spanos’ influence within his bloodline and the Movement at
large. Most Deucaliones are still Firebrands, but in the 21st
century they’ve largely eschewed Victor’s philosophy and the
Skinhead label. They still study bloodlines and help other
clans manage their curses, but for more egalitarian reasons
in the modern nights.
The Circle of the Crone: Acolyte Mentors in particular find
Victor’s theories laughable, and like to emphasize their bloodline’s
actual strengths, focusing on the army part of the Mother’s Army.
They use their talent with banes to test coven-mates, separating
the weak from the steadfast on behalf of the Crone.
The Invictus: As far as the Deucaliones are concerned,
Ventrue perfection is easy to see in the auspices of the First
Estate. Invictus Mentors still hold to a few of Victor’s theories,
but prefer to use Establishment methods to guide the other
clans, rather than applying the Movement’s vampiric socialism.
They still work to teach their Kindred to handle their banes,
but more as a means to leverage neonates into Oaths.
“You are nothing — but I can change that.”
The Lancea et Sanctum: Second Estate Deucaliones eschew
everything Spanos stands for. They believe, perhaps more than
any Sanctified, that vampires are equally damned, and use their
abilities to prove the Almighty’s curses can touch any Kindred.
The Ordo Dracul: Mentors in the Ordo Dracul might come
closest to achieving their bloodline’s goal of helping the other
clans, but the methods are bloodier than those of their Carthian
cousins: The Dragons have reams of data on bloodlines, and
with the right combination of Scales the Deucaliones think
they can strip banes from the flesh. Most Deucaliones study
the Mystery of the Voivode for its utility with blood ties and
Vincula, but a few practice the heretical Mystery of Ziva — that
it has no effect on the Ventrue curse only serves to prove their
clan doesn’t have one.
New Merit
Victor’s theories never took root, but some of his advice
was right for the wrong reasons, and it’s since been adapted
into a more politically sensitive form of Kindred self-help.
The technique below is common to Deucaliones, but Night
Doctors of all clans with an interest in Kindred psychology
pick it up as well.
The Spanos Method (••)
Prerequisites: Deucalion or Carthian Status •, Kindred
Banes Specialty in Occult or Medicine
Effect: Your character helps Kindred self-actualize by teaching
them to avoid their banes. Roll Presence + Expression to give
a vampire character a short pep talk. If subjects of this speech
avoid the negative outcomes of their clan or bloodline banes for
the night (falling for a victim for a Daeva, an uncontrolled frenzy
for a Gangrel, etc.), they gain a Willpower. If your character
exceptionally succeeded the roll, they gain a Beat as well.
Drawbacks: Succeed or fail, your character cannot attempt
this speech more than once per night on the same vampire.
This Merit has no effect on Ventrue unless they are part of a
bloodline.
Deucalion 25
 Fun Horror vs. Unfun Horror
Unlike the version in Carthians, our take on the Deucaliones focuses on their desire to self-improve and help Kindred
attain perfection. They’re still paternal narcissists, but not because they think their clan is inherently superior… for the
most part. Take care bringing Deucalion characters to the table if you’re going to lean on their original background.
Vampire racism is still racism, and that might be a sensitive topic for other troupe members. Explorations of prejudice
and bigotry have their place in gothic horror, but leave them at the door if your friends aren’t up for them.

The vampire spends a Vitae to use Impurity on a mortal.

New Devotions
The Mentors manipulate the banes of the five clans with a
Devotion they call Impurity.
Impurity
(Dominate •••)
Impurity allows Deucaliones to psychologically inflict the
various clan banes on Kindred victims. A Deucalion learns
to inflict whichever bane her master taught her (by bloodline
tradition, usually the Mekhet curse). Vampires are immune to
their own clan and bloodlines banes. Learning to inflict the
bane of an additional clan costs an Experience, and requires
the Deucalion to drink the appropriate blood type and analyze
it with Taste of Blood.
Deucaliones inherently know how to inflict the Ventrue
bane with this Devotion, whether they acknowledge it or not.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Requirement: The vampire must have inf licted the
Mesmerized Condition on the victim.
Dice Pool: None
Action: Instant
Duration: Night
The vampire uses Dominate to implant an additional clan
bane in her victim. This scales to the subject’s current Humanity
rating, even if she has not gained her own clan or bloodline
curse. If the Deucalion knows more banes, she can inflict them
on a one-to-one basis by spending additional Willpower. If the
vampire is inflicting the Mekhet curse, the Deucalion’s player
chooses a common bane to go with it. If a character gains the
Dependent Condition from the Wanton Curse, it lasts the night.
Defect
(Dominate •••; Special)
This Devotion lets Deucaliones use a variant of Impurity
on mortal victims.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn, and the vampire
must also know Impurity.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Action: Reflexive
Because humans don’t work like vampires, banes translate to
humans as subconscious triggers rather than occult afflictions.
Unless otherwise noted, Conditions last until they’re resolved
or end the usual way, but the trigger effect only lasts a night.
• Daeva: The victim gains the Wanton Condition if she avoids
a chance to fulfill her Vice.
• Gangrel: The victim gains the Bestial Condition if she loses
a contested action.
• Mekhet: The victim gains the Delusional Condition if she
encounters a folkloric bane of vampires (garlic, counting, sun-
light, etc.) The Deucalion chooses which. This Condition is
not persistent, instead ending without resolving in a number
of nights equal to Blood Potency.
• Nosferatu: The victim gains the Notoriety Condition if
he fails a Social action. He’s not actually notorious, but he
believes his social faux pas was so great that it taints all other
interactions. This Condition lasts a number of nights equal
to the vampire’s Blood Potency, or until the victim convinces
himself no one cares.
• Ventrue: The victim gains the Competitive Condition if she
wins a contested action.
Story Seeds
• Victor is a fool, but his childer aren’t. Most Mentors are at
least two generations removed from Spanos, and they work
hard to escape the “Skinhead” stereotype. A few have set up
clinics in Carthian domains, researching bloodlines and guid-
ing Kindred who have only just come into their true curses.
These Deucaliones are still Ventrue, though, so they exact a
high price: Vitae, and lots of it. Research relies on donors.
• Maybe Victor sees the current mortal political climate as his
chance to build a movement. Spanos is sincere but misguided;
he’s a bigot who doesn’t think he’s one, and he’s too willing to
compromise his vision if that grants him influence. If Spanos
is having a moment, he makes a useful idiot for any Lord who
needs an easy, ugly attack on her rivals. Are the Deucaliones
willing to denounce their founder? And will Movement
Ventrue defend their Kindred in other clans, even across
political lines?

26 Bloodlines: The Devoted

 Dragolescu
The ones who eat your death
For a complete history of the Dragolescu, see Ordo Dracul, p. 150.
Nicknames: Possessed, Sin-Eaters (among the ignorant)
Bloodline Bane (The Beacon Curse): The Possessed are
marked by the vitality they steal from ghosts, making it easier
for the dead to observe and manipulate them. Dragolescu
vampires limit all dice pools and Attributes to resist or
contest the powers of death-touched ephemeral beings by
Humanity. This bane benefits Sin-Eater Haunts as well.
Favored Attributes: Manipulation or Resolve
Disciplines: Animalism, Auspex, Dominate, Resilience
In the Covenants
With the growing threat of the Strix, the Dragolescu find
themselves in an awkward position. Many vampires see them
as fools, opening themselves to possession in spite of all the
risks — but just as many view them as the only Kindred who
can prevent it. The bloodline’s skill with ghosts doesn’t make
them any more lethal or vulnerable to the Owls, but as whispers
spread, the situation grows more dangerous.
Consequently, most Possessed remain in the Ordo Dracul,
where their position is largely unchallenged. Dragolescu act as
advisors on the immaterial world, and have a talent for track-
ing down Wyrm’s Nests. Rumor has it that a few have learned
to combine the Coils with Essentiaphagia, to consume other
immaterial beings.
The Carthian Movement: For the most part, the Firebrands
don’t much care about the Dragolescu and their powers.
They’re as welcome as any Kindred, but few Carthians
know enough about the ghosts to realize the dangerous line
the Dragolescu tread. Not many Possessed end up in the
Revolution, but they’re not shunned or spurned. Carthian
Dragolescu have odd ideas about undead societies that include
ghosts as well as Kindred, but they’re careful not to share these
concepts unless prompted.
“Your father watches over you.
Yes, I can feel his presence even now.”
The Circle of the Crone: The Circle is probably the most
accepting of the Dragolescu outside the Order. The Acolytes
invite spirits into themselves in more visceral, bloody rituals,
but the deliberate spiritualist style of the Dragolescu has cur-
rency in many cults.
The Invictus: The Invictus is especially accepting of
Dragolescu who can trace their lineage to “Darlington,” as
opposed to vampires adopted into the bloodline. Elders who
knew Dragolescu personally claim this acceptance has some-
thing to do with his original letters, but they prefer not to
discuss specifics. The First Estate consults the Possessed about
ghosts in the rare events such matters come under the cove-
nant’s radar (usually when hauntings threaten the Masquerade),
but otherwise treat them like most other Lords.
The Lancea et Sanctum: The Sanctified, as a rule, don’t
approve of the Possessed in any way, shape, or form. The
Dragolescu pervert the natural order of things, opening them-
selves to fallen spirits and defying God’s curse to feed on the
living. For that matter, their founder made no small number
of enemies in the church, and some Sanctified elders still
remember his name. Nonetheless, a handful of Dragolescu
call the Lancea et Sanctum home, passing off their abilities as
traditional sin-eating.
New Merit
Ioan Dragolescu’s methods were predicated on the theory of
essentia, the idea that Kindred are fueled not by living energy
in mortal blood, but the essence of the soul itself. Members of
the Dragolescu bloodline learn to draw forth essentia with a
technique they call Essentiaphagia, transmuting this substance
into a fluid known to Sin-Eaters and other deathly beings
as Plasm. All Dragolescu are capable of sensing ghosts and
other deathly ephemeral entities, gaining the first dot of the
following Merit on induction into the bloodline.
Dragolescu 27
 Essentiaphagia (• to •••••)
Prerequisite: Dragolescu
Effect: Your character can perceive, consume, and manipu-
late Plasm, the ephemeral energy that makes up the soul itself.
Each dot of Essentiaphagia is a discrete effect.
Vitalized Senses (•): Your character can spend a Vitae to
perceive ghosts and other Plasmic entities (geists, Chthonians,
Psychopomps, etc.) She can also sense Anchors and other
Manifestation Conditions, which appear as a sickly yellow
glow that varies based on strength. In the case of Sin-Eaters
and other Bound, she perceives their geists as “overlaid” on
their host bodies, bearing that same ugly radiance. This effect
lasts a scene.
Phagia (••): Your character gains the equivalent of the
Unnatural Affinity Merit for ghosts and other beings made of
the same ephemera (as above). She can feed on any ephemeral
being she can perceive by “breathing” it in, rolling Resolve
+ Occult + Blood Potency minus the entity’s Resistance
Attribute. For turns equal to successes, she drains one Vitae,
inflicting lethal damage as usual. The Dragolescu must remain
within (Blood Potency) meters of the victim for the duration
of the feeding.
Ephemeral Fangs (•••): Your character can steal Essence
with Phagia, converting it to Plasm (choose between Vitae
and Essence before feeding). She can store Plasm up to twice
her Essentiaphagia dots and spend it at the same rate as
Vitae. By default, she can only use Plasm to fuel Vitalized
Senses, but if she learns Kindred Necromancy (Bloodlines:
The Resurrected, p. 21) she can spend Plasm to fuel it as if
it were blood.
Necromantic Physiology (••••): Tapping into the essential
nature of Plasm, your character can convert it into other forms
with an instant action: Two points become a Vitae, and three
become a Willpower.
Pl a smic Gra sp (•••••): Dragolescu who ma ster
Essentiaphagia find that Plasm contains residual knowledge.
By spending 4 Experiences, your character can purchase
Numina that don’t rely on Manifestations, so long as any ghost
she’s fed from had that power; the Storyteller has final say on
appropriate choices. Roll Intelligence + Occult + Blood Potency
to activate Numina, and spend Plasm in place of Essence. You
character can have Numina equal to her Merit dots, and can
spend Experiences to replace one she no longer needs.
28 Bloodlines: The Devoted
New Devotion
Ephemeral Integration
(Dominate •••••, Resilience •••; Special)
With this Devotion a vampire can “devour” a ghost. Rather
than destroying the shade, however, the Dragolescu absorbs
it, gaining access to its memories, abilities, and even a degree
of its raw power. The vampire must be touching the victim to
perform this Devotion, but this counts if the Dracolescu stands
in the same space as an entity in Twilight.
This Devotion costs 4 Experiences to learn, and the vampire
must have at least two dots of Essentiaphagia.
Cost: 5 Vitae/Plasm and 1 Willpower
Requirement: The vampire has fed on the creature with
Essentiaphagia before.
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Occult + Dominate vs. Resistance
+ Rank
Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive
Duration: Indefinite
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The vampire is claimed, but retains no
control over the process; the ghost works entirely as if it had
possessed a corpse, although it is expelled when one of the vam-
pire’s physical Attributes returns to normal, rather than zero.
Failure: The process fails.
Success: The vampire gains the Claimed Condition but retains
his mind, barely influenced by the ghost; at most, the wraith’s
memories inflict a small penalty to any action that would make
the ghost hesitant. For example, attacking the spirit’s former lover
might cause the vampire to rethink his actions.
For the duration, the vampire gains the ghost’s Influences
and increased Attributes, and he can continue using any
Numina he’s learned on his own. He does not benefit from any
supernatural Merits or Dread Powers. The vampire also takes
a Ban and Bane, but doesn’t replace his Mask/Dirge with the
ghost’s Anchors. His Plasm pool (if any) merges with that of
the entity’s Essence, raising the maximum.
Both vampire and ghost can search through each other’s
memories as if they were their own. Any knowledge gained
this way remains if and when the two separate.
Exceptional Success: Any rolls to resist separation gain a
bonus equal to the vampire’s Blood Potency, and the ghost can
only attempt escape once every other night.
The ghost can attempt to separate from the vampire once
a night as its captor spends Vitae to wake, with the vampire
adding his Dominate to the resistance roll. This isn’t as scarring
as the normal separation of a Claimed entity, but the system
otherwise works the same. Alternatively, the vampire can free
the ghost at any time with an instant action.
 Gorgons
The ones you crawl for
For a complete history of the Gorgons, see Circle of the
Crone, p. 176.
Euryale
Parent Clan: Ventrue
Parent Clan: Ventrue
Nicknames: Vipers, the Quick
Nicknames: Medusas, Snakes, the Proud (among the Euryale
Bloodline Bane: As above.
and Stheno)
Disciplines: Animalism, Celerity, Dominate, Protean
Bloodline Bane (The Curse of Minerva): A Gorgon’s reptil-
ian nature always slithers beneath the surface. For each tier of Favored Attributes: Dexterity or Presence
Humanity a Medusa falls beneath his Humanity 7 Touchstone,
he gains a snake feature, such as yellow eyes or a forked
tongue. Features become more obvious the lower the vampire’s
Stheno
Humanity. If a Gorgon defends his Mask enough to regain all Parent Clan: Ventrue
spent Willpower, each mutation subtracts a regained point, to Nicknames: Basilisks, the Strong
a minimum return of one. If the vampire has no Touchstone at
Bloodline Bane: As above.
Humanity 7, he cannot regain Willpower from his Mask at all.
Disciplines: Animalism, Dominate, Protean, Vigor
Favored Attributes: As with parent clan
Favored Attributes: Resolve or Strength
Disciplines: Animalism, Dominate, Protean, Resilience

Twists of the Blood: Three Sisters In the Covenants

The Gorgons share history with two other Ventrue blood-
lines: The Euryale and Stheno are detailed in Circle of the
Crone, p. 177, but aside from a short sidebar, these vampires
are treated as Ventrue dynasties rather than true bloodlines
in the mystic sense. For completeness, we offer the following
conversion/optional system.
Euryale and Stheno suffer the same bane as the Medusas,
and can purchase the Amphivena Merit if they have a Gorgon
teacher. Unlike their sister bloodline, Euryale and Stheno favor
the Invictus over the Acolytes, and assess Medusa candidates
for Oaths with tests of speed and strength.
Circle of the Crone suggests adding only the relevant physical
Disciplines to the standard Ventrue powers, but we swap in
Protean as well. Use whichever combination you prefer.
The Gorgons are a pillar of the Mother’s Army. Despite
the covenant’s loose structure, Medusas have a widespread
reputation for wisdom and faith. Some of this is successful
mythologizing (as Lords are wont to do), but their devotion to
the Crone is never lukewarm. Gorgons outside the Mother’s
Army often take advantage of this celebrity, whether they have
sympathy for the Acolytes or not.
The Carthian Movement: Strident atheists make up the
ranks of the few Gorgon Carthians. Abused or overwhelmed
with the expectations of their heritage, or seeking a way to
cope with their bane besides Greek mythology, these vampires
reject the Crone and work toward an All Night Society where
gods have no say in the affairs of Kindred. Like other Ventrue,
Medusa Firebrands gravitate to leadership roles, but many
prefer to defend the Revolution on the frontlines, using their

“Don’t squirm, dear.

It squeezes harder if you squirm.”
Gorgons 29
 Disciplines and command over snakes to fight (and terrify) In addition to individual effects, your character gains the
their enemies. 9-again quality on Animal Ken rolls with snakes, including
on Animalism.
The Invictus: Many Gorgons join their Euryale and Stheno
cousins in the Invictus, though they usually maintain their faith Drawback: While she stores familiars (see below), the cosmetic
in the Crone. A few are dual members, acting as go-betweens features of your character’s bane become more severe: slitted
for Lords in both factions. First Estate Medusas, like the eyes glow yellow, jaws unhinge while feeding, etc. She treats her
Basilisks and Vipers, build vast networks of servants and pro- Humanity as one dot lower than usual for her
curers, as their bane makes it bloodline bane.
difficult to maintain their • Snake Den (Protean 1): A Medusa
Masquerades. That said, is never without her attendants. Your
some enjoy basking in character can bring snakes into her
their body horror, rul- Unmarked Grave, paying an additional
ing through grotesque Vitae for each animal. These snakes
displays of power. reform when she re-emerges, or she can
The Lancea et Sanctum: take an instant action to release them
Gorgons in the church downplay to protect the area while she stays
their bloodline’s origin story. underground (as many or as few as
Some like to imply a connection she likes). If these are ghouls or
to the serpent of Genesis, but risen familiars, they will burrow
most avoid mythology altogether. into the grave at the end of the
Sanctified Medusas usually fall into scene, at no extra cost.
one of two camps: Those who embrace •• Serpentine Union (Protean
the snake handler stereotype, and those who 2): The Gorgon becomes one
won’t touch it with a ten foot pole. with her serpents. By spend-
ing a Willpower, your char-
The Ordo Dracul: Defiant Gorgons acter can absorb any and all
often focus their research on their snakes in her grave, gain-
connection to snakes. Some believe the ing Vitae equal to their
Beast has a primal link to all animals, Sizes regardless of Blood
and that their bloodline has awoken a Potency. She can store
fragment of it. One Medusa Dragon is a number of snakes
rumored to be experimenting on whether equal to Amphivena
this means animals can be fully Embraced. dots. While Predatory
Aspect is active, she
can spend additional Vitae equal
New Merit to an animal’s Size to birth one or
The Gorgons are more than vampires: They more stored snakes — usually from
are the childer of Medusa, and their goddess the mouth, but some Gorgons bleed
grants them a fragment of her power. Amphivena out their pets, or expel them in even
expands a vampire’s Protean and Animalism more unpleasant displays. Each birth
powers over snakes. takes an instant action. She can also
eject a stored snake from her grave.
Drawback: If your character’s Vitae
Amphivena (• to •••••) ever falls to zero, her snakes are
Prerequisites: Gorgon, Snake Specialty in Animal destroyed.
Ken, Animalism and Protean (see below)
Effect: Your character has a supernatural affinity
for snakes, expanding the utility of her Disciplines.
Each dot of Amphivena is a discrete effect, but
your character must have the prerequisite level of
Animalism or Protean.

30 Bloodlines: The Devoted

••• Serpentine Rapport (Animalism 2): The Gorgons favor
their snakes above other servants, even beyond death.
When your character absorbs a snake, she can spend a
Vitae to turn it into a ghoul or use Raise the Familiar
on it; being transformed into vampire blood is death
for the purposes of the latter effect. A familiar created
this way multiplies the duration of its existence by your
character’s Amphivena dots, and a ghoul snake can go
an additional month without Vitae.
•••• Hydra’s Tongues (Animalism 3): Even without her
pets at her side, a Gorgon can call on other serpents.
The vampire does not need to roll to use Summon the
Hunt if she wishes to attract snakes. This works as if the
action were a normal success (use Amphivena dots to
determine distance), but she can spend a Willpower to
take the effect of an exceptional success. In addition, if
she used Raise the Familiar on a snake via Amphivena,
she can use their sympathetic link to make the animal
a vector for Summon the Hunt anywhere it crawls.
••••• Body of the Gorgon (Protean 4): By making a sacrifice
to her goddess, a Gorgon can more perfectly take her
form. When activating Unnatural Aspect, your charac-
ter can spend a Willpower to destroy one of her stored
snakes to activate a second feature. She can choose any
form she hasn’t memorized, but only once per use of
Unnatural Aspect.
New Devotions
Arms of Amphisbaena
(Animalism ••, Protean ••; Special)
The vampire transforms her fists into monstrous serpents.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn, and the vampire
must know two dots of Amphivena.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Requirement: The vampire must have a stored snake in
her system.
Dice Pool: None
Action: Instant
Duration: Scene
The vampire’s hands become large snake heads. These
count as +1L weapons, and stack with the effects of any forms
she assumes with Protean. On a successful Brawl attack, the
vampire can reflexively spend a Vitae to inject her victim with
Story Seed: The Touch of Lamia
Kindred who know about more esoteric vampires
believe there may be a connection between the
Gorgons and the snake-like Lamia (Thousand Years
of Night, p. 113). The Gorgons’ myth about being
children of Medusa could be a veneer over a less
savory origin, or a self-serving legend with a grain of
truth. It might also be that the Lamia came second,
and are progeny of very low-Humanity Gorgons. Or
perhaps all Gorgons become Lamia if they survive
long enough, but it’s unclear if the Medusas would
see that as a curse or a blessing.
venom, inflicting the Poisoned Tilt (moderate). This affects
both mortals and Kindred. The vampire has enough venom
for (Blood Potency) attacks in a night. Outside of combat,
this poison has a Toxicity equal to the vampire’s Protean dots,
dealing damage each minute.
The vampire can spend an Experience when she learns
Unnatural Aspect to upgrade her venom to inflict Poisoned
(severe), even to vampires.
Medusa’s Mien
(Dominate •)
The vampire can refine her Dominate into a blunt animal
magnetism, gaining the legendary hypnotic gaze of snakes.
This Devotion costs 1 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: None
Action: Reflexive
The vampire activates this Devotion after catching her
victim’s gaze. Vampires can resist with a Resolve + Blood
Potency – Dominate roll, but humans can do nothing but stare
at the Gorgon until she looks away. A vampire who failed to
resist can try again on the next turn, or regain a Willpower
for submitting to his new goddess, ceasing all possibility
of defiance until the Gorgon looks away. The vampire can
inflict him with other Disciplines that require eye contact if
she wishes, but the victim can break free if she harms him.
In combat, the victim suffers the Insensate Tilt as long as the
vampire holds his gaze, or until he is wounded (Chronicles
of Darkness, p. 286).
Gorgons 31
 Icarians
The ones you can’t defeat
For a complete history of the Icarians, see Lancea Sanctum,
p. 167.
Nicknames: Dynasts, the Heresy (disrespectful)
Bloodline Bane (The All or Nothing Curse): The Dynasts
take less satisfaction from the affirmations other Kindred rely
on, especially when they succumb to the Beast’s depravity. If
an Icarian has suffered a breaking point in the chapter, for the
rest of the session he only takes half his maximum Willpower
(round up) for fully defending his Anchors or an amount equal
to Humanity, whichever is less.
Favored Attributes: Composure or Resolve
Disciplines: Animalism, Constance, Dominate, Resilience
In the Covenants
In the rare event the Lancea et Sanctum takes praxis, it’s
often an Icarian who holds the reins. The number of Dynast-
ruled cities is small, but more and more Icarians have sought
high end positions in the last decade, especially in the United
States. Some say it’s a cycle of their supernatural resolve, while
others believe it’s the mortal political climate making theocracy
more palatable to Kindred. Still others argue it’s the memory
of the Icarian Heresy fading, opening a door for the bloodline’s
hidden will to power to rise again.
However, some Icarians feel stifled by the Spear and seek out
other covenants, especially those willing to assist them in their
more worldly ambitions.
The Carthian Movement: It’s rare for Icarians to put their
lot in with Carthians; the Dynasts seek to rise based on merit,
not democracy. A few do appreciate the idea of gathering the
hearts and minds of the masses to their cause, though, and work
their way into managerial positions in the covenant, sometimes
even as spiritual advisors.
The Circle of the Crone: Even the most liberal Dynast steers
clear of the Circle — Icarians are never brought into the blood-
line if they haven’t first accepted the Dark Father. Those rare
“We are far from finished. We have not even begun.”
32 Bloodlines: The Devoted
few who would betray Longinus sometimes join the Acolytes,
especially Circles that practice syncretism with Christianity.
They bring a rare, iron resolve to the Crone’s children, orga-
nizing them into a true army of the Dark Mother.
The Invictus: For political Icarians, the Invictus is bread and
butter, and the church’s ties with the Establishment make this
association less of a stretch than the other covenants. Their
supernatural drive leads them to climb the ranks quicker than
their peers, with neonates rubbing elbows with ancillae, and
ancillae taking positions typically held by elders. The First
Estate is happy to have them in turn, assigning Dynasts to
complex projects that few Kindred have the follow-through
to complete.
The Ordo Dracul: Like the Circle, to the Icarian mindset the
Ordo is made up of heretics (though the Dragons would argue
they’re more accurately described as blasphemers). Still, some
secular Icarians find purpose in the Order, spending decades
perfecting singular Coils or Scales other Kindred might have
given up on years ago. Icarians are fond of studying the Mystery
of the Wyrm, expanding their already prodigious self-control.
Constance
Constance is an extension of the Icarians’ notorious ambi-
tion. Their Beasts become less blatantly aggressive, taking on
a reserved, cunning nature even in the throes of frenzy, and in
spite of mundane and supernatural manipulations.
Cost: None or 1 Vitae per active effect
Dice Pool: None
Action: None (for persistent effects) or Reflexive (for active
effects)
Duration: Permanent (for persistent effects) or one turn (for
active effects)
Like physical Disciplines, Constance has persistent and active
effects. Persistent effects are always on, and have no cost. Active
effects are reflexive, and cost one Vitae per effect.
 Persistent: Split the vampire’s dots in this Discipline between
Composure and Resolve, raising Attributes above the limits
imposed by Blood Potency. Increased Composure adds to
Initiative. He can redistribute these dots when purchasing more
levels of Constance, but they are set once he reaches five dots.
Constance also raises the vampire’s permanent Willpower,
which can increase it above 10 dots. In addition, as long as
he has more Willpower points than his unmodified Resolve
+ Composure, the vampire gains a persistent +1 on all rolls to
resist, withstand, contest or otherwise work against another
character’s action.
Active: By spending Vitae the Icarian can flood her mind
with dedication and fortitude. For each point of Vitae spent
choose one effect from the following list. A vampire may
spend additional Vitae to invoke multiple effects simulta-
neously, but no effect of Constance may be used more than
once per turn.
• When working against a Social roll or a mind-affecting super-
natural power that is resisted, withstood, or contested by
Resolve or Composure, take a number of automatic successes
equal to Constance dots if the action is contested, subtract
half the vampire’s dots (rounding up) from the offending
character’s successes if it’s resisted.
• Spend two Willpower on one action. This act of resolve is
tiring, and the vampire can only use it a number of times
per scene equal to Constance dots.
• Make an additional roll in an extended action over the usual
dice pool limit. The vampire can only use this effect on the
same task a number of times equal to Constance. This effect
can benefit blood sorcery rolls.
New Devotion
The Lord Provides
(Constance ••, Dominate •• or Majesty ••)
The Icarian leads by example, sharing his supernatural
tenacity with his flock.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Presence + Expression + Constance – number of
subjects to be affected
Action: Instant
Duration: Night
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The vampire has a pang of doubt, and
loses all benefits of Constance for the rest of the scene.
Failure: The vampire fails to inspire.
Success: The vampire augments his allies’ Composure
or Resolve Attributes, distributing additional dots equal
to his Constance rating (e.g., if he has three dots, he can
boost three subjects’ Attributes by one each). The Dominate
version of this Devotion augments Resolve; Majesty adds
to Composure. He can choose between Attributes for each
subject if he knows both Disciplines, but he can only boost
one Attribute at a time.
Exceptional Success: The vampire inspires himself, regaining
the Willpower he spent on this Devotion.
Icarians 33
 Kallisti
The ones who divide you
For a complete history of the Kallisti, see Invictus, p. 162.
Parent Clan: Daeva
Nicknames: Ravagers, Slaves (disrespectful)
Bloodline Bane (The Loveless Curse): Kallisti Vitae does
not carry the enslaving love of other vampires. A Ravager can
never inflict a third step Vinculum on a character, no matter
how much blood she feeds him. Even then, what little affec-
tion she can get is conditional at best. If a person subject to a
Kallisti’s blood bond suffers a breaking point for harming his
regnant, he gains a (10 – Humanity) bonus on the subsequent
detachment roll before penalties apply. An exceptional success
breaks the Vinculum.
Favored Attributes: Manipulation or Resolve
Disciplines: Celerity, Majesty, Perfidy, Vigor
Twists of the Blood: Lords of Lies
Despite their distinctly Serpent lineage, Kallisti often
resemble the Ventrue in their outlook and goals. If you want
to expand the Ravagers’ influence, open it up to Ventrue
characters as well.
Parent Clan: Daeva or Ventrue
Bloodline Bane: As above
Favored Attributes: As with parent clan
Disciplines (Daeva): As above
Disciplines (Ventrue): Animalism, Dominate, Perfidy,
Resilience
In the Covenants
Although both slaves and supper, Kallisti have a long enough
leash to attack the First Estate’s enemies with relative impunity.
Still, the Conspiracy wonders how loyal they really are. Rumor
has it a coterie of Ravagers in New York are considering a coup,
“You won’t believe what he said about you.”
34 Bloodlines: The Devoted
but a counter-rumor states this story comes from a jealous vam-
pire spreading lies about his former thrall. In the end, these
rumors serve the same purpose as the Kallisti themselves: A
distraction for bored elders. And one by one the Kallisti are
starting to realize it.
The Carthian Movement: There are no Kallisti in the
Carthian Movement. There are no Kallisti twisting knives
in Berlin’s back alleys, or trading barbs with the zaibatsu of
Tokyo, or rallying unions in Mexico City. There are no Kallisti
impersonating Princes across the globe in a world tour of lies.
There are no Kallisti double agents working inside the Invictus
to shuttle away the childer of powerful elders. There are no
Kallisti planning something very, very big for the second coming
of the Roaring 20s. Perish the thought.
The Circle of the Crone: When a Kallisti joins the Mother’s
Army, it’s usually because he’s run away from an abusive
relationship with a sire or regent. In these cases, the Crone
welcomes the Ravager with open arms, providing him all the
training and self-actualization he needs to become a force of
nature for the Dark Mother. Indeed, the cruel nature of Perfidy
mixes well with the heady draught of Crúac.
The Lancea et Sanctum: The Second Estate’s close ties to
the Invictus have led to a few public conversions over the years,
usually neonate Kallisti who swear themselves to the church
before a Vinculum can be established. Of course, these open
displays of piety are often lies. The Invictus rarely allow Kallisti
to escape their clutches without a full blood bond, and often
keep spies among their “allies” in the Lancea et Sanctum.
The Ordo Dracul: While few Kallisti have joined the Ordo
Dracul, those who do are a different breed. Their unique pow-
ers of division and control give them unprecedented access to
rare collections and restricted libraries. The inner circles of the
Order whisper that a pair of Kallisti have unearthed a strange,
pulsing relic made of molten gold, buried beneath a ruin on
the Ionian peninsula.

Perfidy
Perfidy is the power of deceit honed to a scalpel’s blade.
This Discipline twists love and friendship into lies, turning
even the most steadfast relationships into lethal liabilities.
Perfidy has been known to destabilize entire cities; it’s one
of many reasons the Kallisti are (nominally) welcome in the
First Estate.
Whisper Campaign •
The Kallisti know the first step in a hunt is to separate the
prey from the herd. This power propagates an unconscious
slander into the victim’s very being, eroding his charisma and
turning others away from him. The world may not know what
he did, but they know it was bad.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Requirement: The vampire must spread a false rumor about
the victim, within earshot.
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Socialize + Perfidy vs. Composure
+ Blood Potency
Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive
Duration: Night
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The Kallisti’s power backfires and she
inflicts the Condition on herself.
Failure: The rumor refuses to take hold.
Success: The Kallisti inflicts a Persistent form of the Notoriety
Condition (Chronicles of Darkness, p. 290). The victim gains a
Beat any time he revels in his reputation rather than denying it.
This ends without resolving after the duration expires.
Exceptional Success: The Condition lasts a week.
People think the victim is covering up a crime or has com-
mitted a truly heinous social faux pas. Unlike the mundane
form of Notoriety, those who encounter the victim have an
inherent sense of his indiscretion, believing they’ve heard the
rumor even when they haven’t.
Friend to Foe ••
The most dangerous enemy is an ally turned traitor. This
technique lets the Kallisti pervert the feelings of friendship their
victim feels for another, sowing seeds of anger that blossom into
hatred. All she needs to do is whisper in his ear.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Persuasion + Perfidy vs.
Composure + Blood Potency
Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive
Duration: Night
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The victim is immune to the Kallisti’s
Perfidy for the rest of the night.
Failure: The victim is not moved by the vampire’s slander.
Success: The vampire implants her victim with feelings
of hatred for a close friend or ally. He gains the Obsession
Condition with the goal of causing harm to that individual.
This Condition lasts the night or until he resolves it.
Exceptional Success: The victim is fanatical in his hate,
and forgets it was never his idea in the first place. He gains a
Willpower in addition to a Beat for resolving Obsession.
This enmity can take any form, including physical aggression,
rumor mongering, or even arson. If the other person is subject
to Notoriety, Obsession instead lasts a week.
Social Isolation •••
Humans and Kindred are social creatures. Strip their soci-
etal comforts and watch how quickly their power erodes. The
vampire must touch her victim to apply this curse (Vampire:
The Requiem, p. 177).
Cost: 1 Vitae per Merit
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Subterfuge + Perfidy vs.
Composure + Blood Potency
Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The vampire loses access to one of her
own Social Merits for the night.
Failure: Nothing happens.
Success: The victim gains the Abandoned Condition, losing
full access to one or more of his Social Merits. Note that this
effect only applies to Social Merits that involve relationships
(Allies, Contacts, Mentor, Retainer, Staff, etc.), not Style Merits.
Exceptional Success: The victim is truly at loose ends. As
long as he suffers Abandoned, he takes the vampire’s Perfidy
dots as a penalty on rolls to make a first impression in Social
maneuvering or other similar actions.
Victims of Friend to Foe believe their enemy is behind this
turn of fortune, while victims of Whisper Campaign fear the
witch-hunt is catching up. Those with Notoriety or Obsession
suffer this Condition for nights instead of hours.
Wild Abandon ••••
The Kallisti’s insinuations poison her victim’s heart. Those
caught in her sway care nothing for their friends, and are
interested only in the rush of hedonism.
Cost: 2 Vitae
Requirement: The vampire must have inflicted Notoriety
or Obsession on the victim.
Kallisti 35
 Dice Pool: None
Action: Reflexive
The vampire spends additional Vitae to enhance the effect of
Whisper Campaign and Friend to Foe, twisting the victim’s per-
ceptions of his friends, loved ones, and all his responsibilities.
For as long as he has Notoriety or Obsession, the victim
cannot regain Willpower from any of his Anchors. Instead, if
he harms a relationship or ignores an important obligation,
he can refresh a single Willpower, and if he irrevocably burns
his bridges, he regains all spent Willpower. Each night he has
not taken an opportunity to act on these instincts, he suffers a
breaking point at his current Humanity level/Integrity minus
the vampire’s Perfidy dots.
Victims of Whisper Campaign give in to the lie, becoming
what everyone says they are, whereas subjects of Friend to Foe
put all their efforts into destroying their object of hatred.
If the victim also has the Abandoned Condition, treat his
Touchstones (if any) as if they were unattached.
The Borrowed Bond •••••
The Kallisti’s skill at twisting relationships is so sublime
she can steal them for herself or gift them to another. The
vampire must touch her victim to apply this curse (Vampire:
The Requiem, p. 177).
Cost: 1 Willpower (and 1 Vitae, optional)
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Subterfuge + Perfidy vs.
Composure + Blood Potency
Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive
Duration: One night per dot of Blood Potency
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The vampire finds herself tangled in her
intended victim’s connections. For the rest of the night, the
Kallisti acts toward her victim as if she were subject to a third
step Vinculum.
Failure: Nothing happens.
Success: The Kallisti borrows or gifts a single relationship
from her victim. For example, should the vampire’s chosen con-
nection be a mortal’s brother, for all intents and purposes she
becomes that brother — the fact that she’s a woman and not the
same ethnic background is beside the point. This effect twists
the connection so that memories fog and logical discrepancies
are met with casual dismissal or convoluted explanations. If
this relationship is represented by a Merit, the vampire gains
that Merit for the duration. To gift a relationship on another
subject, the vampire must feed her a point of Vitae within an
hour of using this effect on a victim.
Perhaps most dangerous, however, is if the vampire chooses
to use this power to borrow a Vinculum. By usurping the
regent’s side of the bond, the thrall becomes equally bound to
36 Bloodlines: The Devoted
the Kallisti instead. For the duration of the power, the thrall
must act according to the Ravager’s whims.
Exceptional Success: The vampire gains the Connected
Condition (Chronicles of Darkness, p. 288) in regard to the
subject after the duration expires.
Once the duration of this effect runs out, memories of the
situation fade, and all involved justify the events as if the
vampire were never involved. Should a victim of this power
be under the effect of Notoriety or Obsession at the time it
was inflicted, the base duration of this effect changes to weeks
instead of nights.
A vampire can only steal one relationship at a time, and can
relinquish it back to her prey by spending another Willpower.
New Merit
Mean Girl (•• or •••)
Prerequisites: Kallisti or Majesty ••, Striking Looks ••
Effect: The Kallisti are so immaculate that their looks
can intimidate those beneath them, granting a degree of
protection from social intrigues. Your character can ignore
the first successful attempt to open her Doors in a Social
maneuvering action, even if the other character rolled an
exceptional success.
With the three dot version of this Merit, the other character
suffers the Leveraged Condition toward yours if he fails this
first Social action, embarrassing himself badly.
New Devotions
The Broken Bond
(Majesty ••••, Perfidy •••••)
While the Ravagers are incapable of creating true blood
bonds, this Devotion lets them share their misery by tearing
apart those of other Kindred.
Kallisti cannot use this Devotion on themselves, but they
can ask other Ravagers to use it for them.
This Devotion costs 4 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 1 Willpower dot and 1 Vitae
Requirement: The Kallisti must feed the thrall a point of
Vitae (included in the cost; this does not create a Vinculum),
and has at least equal Blood Potency to the regnant.
The Kallisti shatters the Vinculum by investing the subject
with a bit of her own will. The subject is freed from the bond
as if it had never existed, though he may be bound again in
the future.

Friendly Fire
(Perfidy ••••)
The Kallisti can turn a victim into a ticking time bomb
against an unsuspecting foe.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 2 Vitae
Requirement: The vampire inf licted the Obsession
Condition on the victim.
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Subterfuge + Perfidy vs.
Composure + Blood Potency
Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive
Duration: One night per dot of Blood Potency or until
triggered, whichever comes first
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The Kallisti enters frenzy.
Failure: The victim refuses to let hate consume him.
Success: Whenever the victim next encounters the target, he
immediately falls to frenzy. The Kallisti may choose whether
this is a fight or flight reflex, or leave it up to chance. If the
victim is mortal or a creature that does not frenzy, he instead
gains either the Bestial or Frightened Conditions.
Exceptional Success: The emotional stimuli is so strong that
the Beast can seize the reins with greater ease. The victim also
gains the 9-sgain quality on all rolls to harm or escape the target.
Fuck Me? Fuck You!
(Perfidy ••••; Dominate •, Majesty •, or Night-
mare •)
Kallisti must be light on their feet, yet coiled like vipers.
With this Devotion, the vampire can use the twisting nature
of Perfidy to play a game of rubber and glue with his Kindred’s
supernatural talents.
This Devotion must be purchased separately for each
Discipline it provides resistance to.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: None
Action: Reflexive
When another vampire attempts to subject the Kallisti to
Dominate, Majesty, or Nightmare, the Ravager can use this
Devotion to turn the tables. If the assailant does not roll one
more success than the Kallisti’s Perfidy rating, or her Discipline
dots are lower than it (if the effect isn’t rolled), the power back-
fires as if the Kallisti had used it on the victim.
Spoiler
(Majesty ••, Perfidy ••)
The Kallisti specialize in turning friends into enemies.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Presence + Empathy + Perfidy vs. Composure +
Blood Potency
Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive
Duration: The remainder of a Social maneuver
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The Kallisti makes an ass of herself, suffer-
ing –5 to all Social rolls with the target of the Social maneuver
for the rest of the scene.
Failure: The Kallisti fails to make an impression.
Success: With a few choice words, the vampire intervenes in
an active Social maneuver between two friends or allies, sub-
tracting up to half her Perfidy dots from the victim’s impression
level (round up) for the rest of the action. If this reduces the
impression to hostile, the action fails.
Exceptional Success: The vampire can choose to end the
Social maneuver, regardless of the new impression level.
In quick social interactions, Spoiler applies the vampire’s
Perfidy dots as a penalty to rolls to ask favors, make requests,
or establish first impressions.
ABANDONED
(PERSISTENT)
You are a pariah. For each Vitae the vampire spent, one of
your Social Merits is reduced by her Perfidy dots. The Kallisti
chooses which. Contacts give useless advice, Allies screen
calls, and even loyal Retainers take a night to themselves. This
lasts for hours/scenes equal to the vampire’s Blood Potency.
Resolution: Lash out at someone associated with one of these
traits, sacrificing a dot (subject to Sanctity of Merits). Resolve
Notoriety or Obsession.
Beat: Solve a major problem by yourself rather than relying
on others.
Kallisti 37
 The ones who ensnare you
Lynx
For a complete history of the Lynx, see Invictus, p. 165.
Parent Clan: Mekhet
Nicknames: Operators, Spiders, the Chained (among
themselves)
Bloodline Bane (The Disconnected Curse): An Operator’s
attachment to connections is a double-edged sword. While he
has an advantage when it comes to groups and networks, he
lacks the personal ties other Kindred rely on. In addition to the
Mekhet bane, a Lynx must always have at least two attached
Touchstones. If not, he gains no bonus to detachment rolls.
Favored Attributes: As with parent clan
Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Majesty, Obfuscate
In the Covenants
The Lynx were born into the Invictus, and that’s where they
should remain — but no one bothered to tell Martin Thomas,
the bloodline’s progenitor. He’s spread his progeny across every
facet of the All Night Society in the hope of expanding his
growing network. For now, the Lynx provide enough intelli-
gence to mollify the Invictus, but at the rate the bloodline is
growing it’s only a matter of time before the elders reconsider.
The Carthian Movement: The Lynx predilection for con-
necting people, places, and events makes them a perfect fit for
the Carthian Movement. A large number of Operators have
joined the Revolution over the last decade, and have used their
abilities to arrange devastating protests, rallies, and attacks
on Kindred and kine alike. With growing dissent around the
world, the spread of the Chained is both a welcome advantage
and a potential liability to stability in the All Night Society.
The Circle of the Crone: By official estimates there are no
Lynx in the Circle of the Crone, but not for lack of trying. The
Mother’s Army is a conglomeration of many dissonant groups,
united under a roughly hewn banner, and the Lynx find such
that structure to be akin to a perpetual migraine. The Acolytes
would happily welcome the Lynx into their embrace, and any
“Oh, you know her too? Small world.”
38 Bloodlines: The Devoted
Operator resolute, tenacious, or ambitious enough to seek initi-
ation might be exactly the kind of organizer the covenant needs.
The Lancea et Sanctum: There are only a handful of Lynx
within the Lancea et Sanctum as of yet, and those who have
joined fare similarly to those in the Ordo Dracul: relegated
to study and investigation. However, an enterprising Lynx in
Budapest has begun to study his connection to the promise that
binds the entire bloodline (see Story Seed: Network Daemons)
and has come to believe that this chain may be divine in nature.
Should the secret spread, the entire bloodline may suffer the
consequences of heresy.
The Ordo Dracul: The Lynx are uncannily suited to the
study of Coils, and the few members who have joined the Order
of the Dragon find themselves gaining status at a rate unheard
of. Their ability to find information, items, and people makes
them subject librarians and investigators par excellence, and
the Ordo never tires of finding work for them. The Defiant
are particularly interested in the bloodline’s ability to augment
knowledge through networked connection, and is eager to see
if the technique can be applied to something more intricate,
like the Coils of the Dragon. If so, perhaps an ascension is
close at hand.
New Merit
Ghost in the Machine (•••)
Prerequisites: Lynx or Auspex •••, Computer ••
Effect: No one understands networks like a Lynx. Ghost
in the Machine allows your character to access any networked
device, from computers to cell phones to satellite uplinks, using
the power of her mind. In an instant action, she can spend a
Willpower in view of a Wi-Fi or hard-wired device (by direct
sight, not through a camera). She can then access the device’s
contents and control it mentally as if she were touching it. This
link lasts a scene. Ghost in the Machine cannot bypass pass-
words and security measures, but your character can add her
Blood Potency as a bonus on all rolls to make use of the device.
New Devotions
The power of the Lynx lies in their understanding of a vast
chain of networks that links the entire world. The uninformed
believe this Web of Devotions is its own Discipline, and the
Lynx are happy to encourage such speculation.
The Chain is the first step to understanding connections.
Characters must purchase this Devotion before they can access
other Web powers. Other Kindred cannot learn these Devotions.
The Chain
(Auspex ••)
The Lynx makes metaphysical connections tangible. By
targeting an individual or object (what Operators call a node),
she can find hundreds or thousands of connections, and, with
a little detective work, trace them.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 2 Vitae
Requirement: The Lynx must observe the target node unin-
terrupted for at least one minute.
Dice Pool: Wits + Investigation + Auspex
Action: Instant
Duration: Night
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The Lynx invents a spiraling pattern of
false connections in her own mind. She gains the Confused
Condition.
Failure: The power fails.
Success: The Lynx sees her node’s connections laid bare as
glowing lines that connect to individuals and other objects,
with width and brightness relative to the strength of the con-
nection. The vampire can follow from a line with a successful
Wits + Investigation roll. By following these lines, a Lynx can
uncover a person’s loved ones, hidden havens, or secret social
connections, though without the Scan Devotion (below) she
won’t know what she’s looking for until she finds it. Lines
cannot be obstructed, though they may shift with either side
of the connection.
Exceptional Success: The effect lasts the night or until
the vampire dismisses it. She adds her Auspex dots to any
Investigation rolls to follow a line.
If the Lynx uses this power to track a connection to a
Obfuscated object or vampire, this provokes a Clash of Wills.
She can only use this Devotion on one node at a time.
Administrative Control
(Majesty ••)
The Lynx can modify probability networks and influence
the infrastructure of an area.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 1 Vitae to activate, plus 1 Willpower per element
Requirement: The vampire is viewing a node.
Dice Pool: Wits + Streetwise + Majesty
Action: Instant
Duration: Scene
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The vampire is caught in a chaotic mess
of connections, suffering the Distracted Condition for the rest
of the scene.
Failure: Reality remains inflexible.
Success: The vampire spends a Willpower to introduce a
random element into the network. This must be something
that could happen by chance and be believable to an average
onlooker. For example, while studying a crime scene the vam-
pire could cause a bird to suddenly distract the police, stealing
a piece of evidence, or she could cause a bankteller she’s scruti-
nizing to drop his pen at the moment she needs to peek at his
computer. However, she couldn’t cause the bankteller to blurt
out a vault combination for no reason. The Storyteller is the
final arbitrator of whether an element is acceptable.
If hard mechanics are needed, the vampire gains the 8-again
quality on a relevant roll, or penalizes another character by her
Majesty dots. If this Devotion is targeting a sapient being in the
network, they reflexively contest the vampire’s successes with
Composure + Blood Potency.
Exceptional Success: The effect lasts an additional scene.
Scan
(Auspex ••)
Through careful study, a Lynx can pinpoint her victim’s place
in a network, and the true nature of his intimate connections.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Cost: None
Requirement: The vampire is viewing a node.
Dice Pool: Wits + Empathy + Auspex
Action: Instant
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The node or one of its connections learns
a revealing fact about the Lynx. The Storyteller should pick
something relevant to the intended victim.
Lynx 39
 Failure: The Lynx cannot connect to the victim’s networks.
Success: Each success on the activation roll provides a simple
question of fact about the subject’s connections. Questions like,
“Is he married?” or “Who owns this building?” are acceptable,
but ones like “What are his ten favorite Bible verses?” aren’t.
The Storyteller is the final arbitrator of acceptable questions.
Exceptional Success: The vampire gains the Connected
Condition in relation to the victim or one of the lines in the
node (Chronicles of Darkness, p. 288).
The vampire can use Scan to study connections she views with
the The Chain, asking identifying questions about specific lines.
Decrease Connection: If the vampire decreases her con-
nection to a group she’s part of, she becomes anonymous and
unmemorable to all her links, both positive and negative, and
applies her Obfuscate dots as a penalty to all rolls to detect,
observe, or investigate her or her actions. She can interact
with old friends and enemies and they’ll barely recognize her.
This penalty also applies to mind clouding Disciplines like
Dominate. Spoof Network only applies to pre-existing connec-
tions — a stranger would have no problem finding the vampire
or using Disciplines on her.
Use of this power may provoke a Clash of Wills with Auspex.

Spoof Network You Wouldn’t Download Kung Fu

(Obfuscate ••)
With this Devotion, the Lynx can spoof her relationship to
a foreign network, or diminish her profile in a familiar one.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Requirement: The vampire is viewing a node.
Cost: 1 Vitae per scene
Dice Pool: None
Action: Instant
Duration: Scene
The Lynx adjusts her place in the node’s network. While
the Devotion is active, the Lynx alters her connection in one
of the following ways:
Increase Connection: If the vampire increases her connec-
tion, she gains a bonus to relevant Social actions equal to her
Obfuscate dots. For example, if the network is a high society
gala, she could add this bonus to Expression, Persuasion, and
Socialize, but not Animal Ken or Streetwise. Her impression
level also goes up a step. It’s not that the vampire is suddenly
popular, more that people perceive her as a generic hanger-on.
They might not even really remember the encounter if she didn’t
make a big stir. The vampire cannot increase her connection
in a group she’s already part of. For example, she couldn’t give
herself a bonus in the general All Night Society, but she could
fake her way into drinks with the Ordo Dracul.
(Auspex ••)
A Lynx doesn’t have to know anything if someone else does.
This Devotion allows the vampire to borrow data from the
network, augmenting her own knowledge.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Requirement: The vampire is viewing a node with The
Chain (this must be a human or Kindred network).
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Subterfuge + Auspex
Action: Instant
Duration: Scene
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The Lynx dramatically fails her next action.
Failure: The Lynx fails to pull knowledge from her network.
Success: The vampire names a Skill then activates this
Devotion. Each success “copies” a temporary dot of the declared
Skill from the network, up to the limit imposed by Blood
Potency (cumulative with any dots she already has). Excess
successes add a temporary Specialty in this Skill; the Storyteller
decides what it is based on the network.
Exceptional Success: The Skill benefits from the 9-again
quality, or 8-again if the vampire already has that effect.
The vampire can only have one instance of this Devotion
active at a time.

Story Seed: Network Daemons

During Thomas’s study of networks, he discovered a set of connections that were more than a linear series of nodes,
but rather a kaleidoscoping mosaic of lives. The creature at the center called itself Mr. Hail, and offered to show him
the true nature of the world in an ever-expanding, heavenly mechanism… in return for a future favor. Thomas has
never shared this story, but many of his childer have seen glimpses of this mechanism in their own personal networks
and begun to surmise the truth: Thomas’s promise touches the entire bloodline, and it’s yet to be called in.

40 Bloodlines: The Devoted

 Macellarius
The ones you can’t satisfy
For a complete history of the Macellarius, see Bloodlines:
The Legendary, p. 90.
Parent Clan: Ventrue
Nicknames: Gluttons, Gourmands, Cannibals (disrespect-
ful), Macellarii (plural, but only among elders)
Bloodline Bane (The Epicurean Curse): A Macellarius is
constantly tempted to consume. Unless she has fed on at least
(10 – Humanity) points of Vitae over the course of a night, she
suffers a persistent –2 on all frenzy rolls as if she were “hungry”
(Vampire: The Requiem, p. 104). In addition, failure to control
a frenzy directly brought on by hunger is always considered a
dramatic failure.
Favored Attributes: Resolve or Stamina
Disciplines: Carnem, Dominate, Resilience, Vigor
If a Macellarius has the Giant Merit or a dot of Carnem, she
can purchase Giant (Advanced) from Beast: The Primordial
(p. 116). Use Blood Potency instead of Satiety.
Twists of the Blood: Subtle Gourmands
The Macellarius are monstrous combatants, leveraging their
First Edition weakness into a terrifying advantage (see below),
but this strength comes at a cost. A vampire at the height of
Carnem doesn’t remotely resemble a human being anymore,
and his personal Masquerade suffers in a world not built to
his stature. If you want to lighten the burden on Macellarius
Masks, replace Vigor with Obfuscate, or Animalism if you prefer
their original spread. You could also adjust their unique power
slightly, instead adding only half a character’s Discipline dots
(rounding up) to Size.
Bloodlines: The Legendary suggests Gustus (what we
call Carnem) is an illusion Macellarius use to frighten other
Kindred. If you prefer these vampires to rely on their mystique
rather than be actual cannibals, give them Nightmare instead,
and assume they have a tradition of Embracing people of size
dating back to their origin in the Camarilla.
“Are you going to eat that?”
In the Covenants
The Carthian Movement: A handful of Macellarius
Firebrands operate in the All Night Society, usually Invictus trai-
tors who hit a glass ceiling, or ones who broke the Masquerade
too many times with their appetites. Carthian Gluttons are
brokers and fixers, with blood or flesh as their preferred cur-
rency. They follow the Movement for a price, but they’re reliable
enough in a fight that Prefects tolerate their libertine outlooks.
The Circle of the Crone: It’s likely that Macellarius Acolytes
were the ones who earned the bloodline’s “Cannibal” nick-
name, and they might be the only ones who wear it with pride.
These vampires honor the pagan nights of Rome, taking on
symbolic roles as enormous magnae matres or avatars of Saturn,
the child-eating god of wealth and plenty.
The Invictus: By and large, the Gluttons are Invictus. Their
ties to the Camarilla make them gold star members, even if
their feeding habits press up against the Conspiracy of Silence’s
stated goals. Most stereotypes of Macellarius vampires as obese,
idle rich come from the First Estate — a common source of
embarrassment for Gluttons in other covenants.
The Lancea et Sanctum: Like their Kindred in the Invictus,
Sanctified Gluttons claim a link to the Camarilla, calling them-
selves some of the first converts to the Church. Macellarius
Judges are often scholars, especially when it comes to the Lancea
et Sanctum’s history in Rome. They also have a reputation as
zealous censors, redacting heresies and suppressing scriptural
anomalies, especially those that concern their bloodline.
The Ordo Dracul: Combined with their talent for consum-
ing flesh, Macellarius use the Coils to study vampiric feeding
limitations, to see if they can refine the Kindred palate even
further. The Sworn of the Axe has many Glutton members who
style themselves warrior-scholars, defending the Dragon and fur-
thering his research. Atypical for the line, Defiant Macellarius
don’t give a damn about the Camarilla, preferring to look to
the future rather than the Dead Julii’s failures.
Macellarius 41
 rolls to establish a grapple with the vampire, or to otherwise
Carnem move him. Furthermore, a Macellarius can hide additional Vitae
Macellarius are often rotund, but those who practice their equal to Carnem inside his bulk as a supplementary blood pool.
unique Discipline become something altogether… more. He must reach his Blood Potency limit before he can add to the
Carnem (from Latin ad carnem, “to the flesh”) bloats Carnem track, and cannot spend from it without first taking
the vampire, expanding the coiled hunger of his an instant action to transfer it into his normal pool (this is an
Beast and making him into a terrible, immovable all or nothing transfer). Other vampires cannot feed from
object. Foolish Kindred believe this corpulence is a this secret pool, and his body will not draw on it to heal
curse, but they forget an obvious truth: A well-fed during the day, but it will use it to wake from daysleep
predator is the most dangerous. if he has no Vitae otherwise.
This Discipline doesn’t Active: By spending Vitae, the
necessarily make a vam- vampire can expand his necrotic
pire “fat,” despite stereo- fat cells and accomplish hor-
types. What seems like rific feats. For each point
softness is a mixture of Vitae spent, choose
of muscle, cartilage, one effect from the fol-
adipose tissue, and lowing list. A vampire
bone unique to each may spend additional
Macellarius. Some Vitae to invoke mul-
Gluttons are inhu- tiple effects simulta-
manely obese, but neously, but no effect
many are what people of Carnem may be used
think of as giants. Each more than once per turn.
Carnem dot changes the • Use the Feed move immedi-
body in a different way, ately after initiating a bite in a
whether musculature, girth, grapple (i.e., without having to
or even height. wait a turn), adding Carnem dots
plus one to Blood Potency. See
Sometimes this expan-
Vampire: The Requiem, p.
sion of flesh is called Gustus 94, for more on feeding in a
(“taste”), at least among more grapple. The vampire can keep
conservative and euphemis- spending Vitae over consecutive
tic Gluttons, especially those turns to maintain the higher cap on
who claim a direct link to the the amount of blood he can take.
Camarilla and the Julii. • Cancel an action to move or propel
Cost: None or 1 Vitae per active him, including rolls to establish a grap-
effect ple. This does not apply if the grapple is
Dice Pool: None already in contested rounds. If a super-
natural power was part of this action, such
Action: None (for persistent effects)
as Vigor (even passively), a Clash of Wills
or Reflexive (for active effects)
takes place.
Duration: Permanent (for persistent
effects) or one turn (for active effects)
Like other physical Disciplines, Carnem New Merit
has two kinds of effects: persistent and
active. Persistent effects are always on and Eat Up (••)
have no cost. Active effects are reflexive and Prerequisites: Kindred, Size 6+
cost one Vitae per effect.
Effect: If it bleeds, a Macellarius can eat it. Your
Persistent: Add the vampire’s Discipline character can stomach and relish the meat of any
dots to his Size. This stacks with any additional creature, living or dead, without expending Vitae.
Health from Resilience or the Giant Merit. Unlike the blush of life, she never needs to vomit up
Additional points of Size act as a penalty on the remains, and for every five points of Size, she takes a single

42 Bloodlines: The Devoted

Vitae from any human flesh she consumes, regardless of Blood
Potency limits. It’s unclear whether Gluttons actually digest
these meals or if the refuse congeals into their girths. To date,
no one has dared ask. Available only at character creation unless the
character is a Macellarius.
New Devotions
Cauldron of Bile
(Carnem ••, Vigor •••)
This wretched Devotion settles any doubt about where a
Macellarius’s meals go. The vampire’s gut contains a toxic brew
that can melt flesh and bone, and a Glutton with this power
can weaponize this stomach lining.
This Devotion costs 3 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 1–5 Vitae
Requirement: The vampire has fed on flesh in the course of
the evening, whether using the blush of life or Eat Up.
Dice Pool: None
Action: Instant
The Macellarius spews a blast of horrid, acidic vomit. This
substance inflicts lethal damage equal to Vitae spent (including
to vampires), but the vampire must spend the cost over multiple
turns if she does not have enough Blood Potency to expend it all
in a single action.
The range of this effect is up to twice the vampire’s Strength
in meters. Hitting a mobile target requires a successful Dexterity
+ Athletics – Defense roll. Only one success is required; addi-
tional successes do not inflict additional damage. However, an
exceptional success allows for particularly gruesome aim, and
might inflict Tilts or affect multiple victims in a cluster, at the
Storyteller’s discretion. If the vampire vomits on her victim within
arm’s reach, he does not benefit from any mundane Defense.
This vomit can also inflict damage directly to an object’s
Structure, ignoring Durability. If reduced to zero, it’s destroyed.
If a victim of the spew is wearing armor that absorbs any of the
impact, the acid reduces its general rating on a one-to-one basis.
A Macellarius is resistant to her own vomit, save for on a
dramatic failure to attack.
Devour
(Carnem ••••, Vigor •••)
With this Devotion, the vampire’s jaws distend and stretch
enough to swallow a dead or living creature, allowing her to
take Vitae directly from the victim’s flesh.
This Devotion costs 4 Experiences to learn, or 3 if she has
the Eat Up Merit.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: None
Action: Reflexive
Used against a living victim, the vampire must initiate a
grapple to use this Devotion. Swallowing takes one turn per
point of Size, and can be contested each turn as usual. The
victim delays being swallowed and controls the grapple for
a turn if he wins the contested roll, but only an exceptional
success can free him. If the Macellarius prevails, she swallows
her meal whole. Humans and animals die instantly, and the
vampire gains Vitae equal to Size, in addition to any blood
she would normally gain from feeding or the Eat Up Merit.
Corpses only yield Vitae equal to Size.
Used against vampires, this Devotion is less effective. The
Beast resists becoming food, and the victim adds his Blood
Potency to all rolls to escape the Glutton’s maw. If successfully
consumed, he does not suffer Final Death. Rather, he takes
one point of aggravated damage a turn, but he can continue
his attempt to escape each turn: By succeeding on an extended
Strength + Brawl or Weaponry roll, with a target equal to
the Macellarius’s Stamina + Blood Potency, the vampire can
burst forth from the Glutton’s stomach, inflicting his Size in
aggravated damage.
The vampire can store Vitae earned with this Devotion
directly into her Carnem pool if she chooses.
Normally, the vampire must vomit up the remains of this
meal, but not if she has the Eat Up Merit.
This Devotion cannot facilitate diablerie. Macellarius of
Blood Potency 6 or higher can still take Vitae equal to Size
from humans with this Devotion, but only via living victims.
Slurp
(Carnem ••, Vigor •)
Sometimes, you have to eat in a hurry. With this disgusting
Devotion, a Glutton can consume Vitae at an alarming rate.
Feeding in this manner is obviously unnatural, and incredibly
messy — a wise Macellarius invests in a tarp and a bib.
This Devotion costs 1 Experience to learn.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: None
Action: Reflexive
Duration: Turn
The Macellarius drains additional Vitae while feeding, up
to an amount equal to her Carnem dots. This Devotion only
applies to the Kiss, rather than feeding aggressively: The victim
still gains the Swooning Condition — if he survives.
The vampire can store Vitae earned with this Devotion
directly into her Carnem pool if she chooses.
Macellarius 43
 Morotrophians
The ones who work you
For a complete history of the Morotrophians, see Bloodlines:
The Hidden, p. 68.
Parent Clan: Nosferatu
Nicknames: Monks, Admins, the Management
Bloodline Bane (The Cloistered Curse): A Morotrophian’s
mind works best steeped in procedures, guidelines, and rules.
Outside such structures, she has trouble operating at all. If a
Monk experiences a dramatic failure due to her clan bane, she
gains the Confused Condition if she is currently outside the
bounds of an institution (defined below).
Favored Attributes: Composure or Manipulation
Disciplines: Dominate, Nightmare, Obfuscate, Vigor
Twists of the Blood: Analysts
Some Morotrophians eschew their power hungry brethren.
These “Analysts” have the same bane as other Monks, but they
take Auspex instead of Dominate, and their Favored Attributes
are Composure or Intelligence. Analysts must take Examination
as their favored Aspect (see below).
In the Covenants
The Carthian Movement: The ideals of the Carthians don’t
mesh well with those of the Monks. Politically mobile as the
Firebrands may be, Morotrophians don’t often have the right
mindset for (relative) progressivism in the All Night Society.
Still, the rare Carthian Admin operates with the zeal of the
converted, organizing workers and resources for the cause.
The Circle of the Crone: Monks care little for static territory,
and their conservative mindset doesn’t mix with the mercurial
Mother’s Army. When they do join, Morotrophian Acolytes
manage the practical aspects of their cults, acting as adminis-
trators or accountants in cities where the Crone has her claws
in mortal establishments.
The Invictus: The Invictus is the natural home of most
Morotrophians. Connected as they are with technology, labor,
“You know the rules: No visitors after midnight.
Remove the bandages.”
44 Bloodlines: The Devoted
and networking, Monks are often tasked with controlling
important pieces of local territory. The bloodline’s constant
drive to prove itself also means the Invictus’ slow advancement
is less likely to frustrate them as it is to inspire them.
L ancea et Sanct um: Bloodline founder Ludolus
Bischoffshausen’s religious ties haven’t completely faded, so the
Sanctified have the second largest number of Morotrophian
members. Monks lead bureaucratic temples that sniff out dis-
agreeable viewpoints, discerning between those who believe in
the Dark Father and those who only pay him lip service. Others
take hold of mortal churches, acting as micro-managers for God.
The Ordo Dracul: Defiant Morotrophians watch over potent
Wyrm’s Nests, securing mystic resources that would be difficult
to control due to human presence. Still, the bloodline’s penchant
for exploiting human weakness can draw some side eye from their
fellow Dragons, so they’re less likely to advance to the heights of
the Ordo so much as remain in a stable middle management.
New Merits
Despite being stuck within his monastery, Ludolus eventually
formed a supernatural connection with the building and its
inhabitants. With Institutionalize, his descendants spread their
grandsire’s power over systems and organizations.
For Institutionalize to apply, an organization must satisfy the
following conditions:
• It must be in a location with discernible or commonly
known boundaries, and it must have mandatory atten-
dance of some kind: members of a cult, a prison popu-
lation, a hospital that requires overnight care, etc.
• It must include a social group or organization with
behavioral rules. This might include an orphanage with
a curfew, the laws of Elysium, or the separation between
employees and guests at a hotel.
• A group within the institution must concede some
form of control over their lives or legal rights. This
 might include mental patients with strict treatments, or
designers for a tech company who must renounce any
copyright claims.
Most buildings represented by a Merit (Safe Place, Haven,
etc.) or that are part of a supernatural society fall under the
purview of Institutionalize.
When working within such a location, Monks gain access
to three Merits called Aspects: Authority, Examination, and
Operation. A Morotrophian gains one dot in the Merit of
her player’s choice on induction into the bloodline, which
she treats as her favored Aspect (this is often Authority,
by bloodline custom). A Monk can never have more dots
in an Aspect than her favored one.
Each dot in an Aspect increases the possible
range of its effects, in addition to individual
powers. Treat this dot rating as the group/
location’s effective Size for determining any
dice penalties.
• A single individual or very
small room (a closet, for
instance).
•• Up to five related individu-
als of the same type (guards,
inmates, patients, etc.), or a
single average-sized room.
••• Up to 20 related individuals of the same
type, or up to five unrelated individuals
in the same area (a guard and the two
inmates), one large room (e.g., a waiting
room, a cafeteria), or up to five related
rooms (prison cells, for instance).
•••• Up to 50 related individuals, up to
20 unrelated individuals, a very large
room (e.g., an auditorium) or similar
sized location, or a large number of
related rooms (all bunks on the first
floor).
••••• The entirety of a building and the
grounds surrounding it, or all of the
people within the area.
Unless otherwise stated, all effects that
are not instantaneous last a scene.
All Aspect effects cost Vitae equal to
the dot level used, but the first activa-
tion of an individual Aspect in a scene
benefits from a one point discount, to a
minimum of zero. Activating an effect is
an instant action.
Authority (• to •••••)
Prerequisite: Morotrophian
Effect: Authority gives the Morotrophians their
reputation for running well-oiled machines. That
reputation might not always be true, but this Aspect rein-
forces the viewpoint. Authority assures the vampire’s victims
follow the institution’s rules to the letter. To use an effect, roll
Manipulation + Authority + Blood Potency – group/location
Size (per dot rating, above). Individuals can contest effects of
this Aspect with Resolve + Blood Potency. In the case
of a Clash of Wills, roll Authority + Blood Potency.
Ground Rules (•): Your character can prevent
people from breaking an established rule of the
institution. For instance, he can stop an orphan
from running away from foster care, though he can’t
compel her to go to bed unless she wants to. He also
can’t cause inaction that would lead to harm. In the
case of a location, this Aspect assures it runs
properly for the rest of the scene: Machines
won’t break down, locked doors won’t fail,
and electricity remains constant. Any mun-
dane attempt at sabotage suffers a penalty
equal to successes rolled, or provokes a Clash
of Wills if it’s supernatural.
Social Censure (••): As with the previous
effect, but your character can now force
victims to follow the rules and correct their
behavior: A nurse avoiding a ward must
do her rounds and treat the patients as she
would any of her favorites. With a location, this
effect prevents others from deviating from its
regulations. For the rest of the scene, anyone
who wants to break the rules must roll Resolve +
Blood Potency versus your character’s successes,
as if they were subject to Ground Rules.
Guidelines (•••): Your character learns
to work within the spirit of the rules as he
understands them. Subjects of the first two
effects of Authority are bound only by your
character’s interpretation of the rules, rather
than the exact letter of the law or their own
definitions. The Storyteller has final say over
what does or doesn’t fall under the spirit of an
institution’s guidelines.
Off Limits (••••): Morotrophians not only
interpret the rules, they make them. Your char-
acter can enforce the first and second effects of
Authority using a rule he makes up, even if he
doesn’t have the authority to do so. For this to
apply, he must place this rule somewhere people
can see it, whether patrons or employees who
can enforce it. For example, he might put up
a “Do Not Enter” sign on a gate or send out an
email with a list of banned behavior. If this rule
is removed (the sign discarded, the email deleted, etc.)
he must replace it. Drawback: People won’t follow rules
contrary to the basic function of an institution. A
hospital must treat patients, and judges must hear
cases. Instead, your character might make sure a
Morotrophians 45
 certain class of person can’t get care, or arrange it so the judges
must leave at a certain time of day.
Paper Trail (•••••): The ultimate extension of a Monk’s
Authority comes when he not only makes rules, but retroac-
tively enforces them. When your character makes a new rule,
as above, circumstances conspire such that it ends up on the
books, whether a database, official signage, or paper records.
Employees and regulars act as if this is normal, but supernatural
powers that discern memory alteration or mind control can
detect this effect, and potentially undo it with a Clash of Wills.
Examination (• to •••••)
Prerequisite: Morotrophian
Effect: Examination reveals secrets about locations and their
residents. To use an effect, roll Wits + Examination + Blood
Potency – group/location Size (per dot rating, above), with
an additional penalty equal to the highest Composure in any
affected group. In the case of a Clash of Wills, roll Examination
+ Blood Potency.
Correlation (•): Your character can discern the social
dynamics of a group she observes, gaining one question about
the subjects per success. Alternatively, he can ask questions
about the location itself. These questions can only reveal
mundane information and plain facts, not the reasons behind
them. For example, your character might study a group of
prisoners sitting together and learn which of them is consid-
ered the most dangerous, but not why. With a location, he
might ask which piece of machinery breaks down most often.
Causation (••): Your character can use the previous effect
to ask “why” questions, albeit in general terms. In the above
example, he can learn the most dangerous prisoner is seen
that way because he killed a guard. Alternatively, he can use
Correlation to ask questions about supernatural occurrences:
Whether someone is acting a certain way because of super-
natural influence, for instance, or if a certain door is letting
ghosts into the world. He cannot ask the reasons why, however.
Phenomenology (•••): Your character is better able to make
sense of supernatural information, learning the implications
behind phenomena and even a bit about any associated super-
natural societies, if they’re related to the institution. For example,
he could now use Causation to learn the cute nurse in PEDS is
anointing newborns for a ritual because she’s a werewolf, and that
the hospital is overrun with spirits because it’s a locus.
Performance Review (••••): Your character moves beyond
questions and observes his victims remotely. He can project his
senses through individuals within a targeted group, or through
walls and ceilings as if standing behind a glass wall. This ability
can’t provoke a Clash of Wills to reveal supernatural deceit:
The perception is “mundane” unless the vampire also knows
a power that reveals magical concealment, such as Auspex.
Panopticon (•••••): As with the previous technique,
46 Bloodlines: The Devoted
your character can spy through the senses of a group or view
through a location, but his perception has wider reach. He can
simultaneously perceive and understand the sensory input of
a number of individuals or rooms within the area equal to his
Blood Potency.
Operation (• to •••••)
Prerequisite: Morotrophian
Effect: Operation controls the day-to-day processes of an
institution, and can steal control of its inanimate components.
To use an effect, roll Stamina + Operation + Blood Potency
– location Size (per dot rating, above), or versus Composure
+ Blood Potency, if appropriate. In the case of a Clash of
Wills, roll Operation + Blood Potency. If your character
needs a dice pool to perform an action with the institution,
roll Intelligence + Crafts.
Levers (•): Your character can take control of a location or
object to perform one simple, appropriate physical task. For
instance, he could warm up an oven, or flip a switch, or trip
an alarm. If he targets an individual, he can implant an idea
about a task that needs doing (“That IV needs changing”), but
nothing enforces this suggestion.
Gears (••): Your character can use the previous effect to accom-
plish a single complex task. For instance, he might set a camera
to static out when certain people enter a room, or activate an
industrial assembly line to build an object. Individuals subject to
this effect feel an urge to perform a task relating to the operation
of the institution, and will do so as soon as they reasonably can.
Control lasts five minutes per success. Drawback: Operating the
institution requires concentration. Roll Resolve + Composure
if your character wants to perform a non-reflexive task, or if she
gets distracted. On a failure, this effect ends.
Overtime (•••): As with the previous effect, but your char-
acter’s control lasts until the operation is complete, or thirty
minutes per success if an exact time is needed.
Multitask (••••): Your character can reflexively control
his institution. He can use an effect of the first three levels of
Operation without the need for continual concentration, and
he can perform other mundane tasks without needing to roll.
Lord of the Manor (•••••): Your character makes the insti-
tution an extension of himself. His body goes into a torpor-like
state for the duration, and he gains control of every physical
part of the institution, opening doors as easily as he moves a
hand, or proclaiming through a loudspeaker as if it were his
mouth. His senses are limited to suitable apparatuses, such as
cameras or microphones, unless he also uses Examination. He
can return to his body at will, ending the Aspect with a reflexive
action, but otherwise he has no sense of his corpse unless he
suffers lethal damage. Used on individuals, this effect works the
same as Multitask, but your character can continually change
his victim’s task whenever she completes it.
 Mortifiers of the Flesh
The ones you suffer for
For a complete history of the Mortifiers of the Flesh, see
Lancea Sanctum, p. 170.
Parent Covenant: Lancea et Sanctum
Nicknames: Flagellants, Masochists
Bloodline Bane (The Penitent Curse): Flagellants hate what
they must do to follow God’s will. If a Mortifier drinks more
than (Humanity) Vitae over the course of a night, he gains the
Guilty Condition and cannot take further sustenance from
mortal vessels. This Condition lasts the rest of the night or until
he flagellates himself with a successful Resolve + Weaponry roll.
He must accept any damage for the rest of the scene without
the aid of Resilience or healing. Once he has completed this
ritual, he resolves Guilty and can feed again. Guilty can be
ended without flagellation, but this does not grant a Beat. This
bane does not apply to blood taken from Kindred or ghouls.
Favored Attributes: Dexterity or Stamina
Disciplines: Parent clan plus Scourge
Twists of the Blood: In the Garden
The Gethsemani (Bloodlines: The Hidden, p. 48) are almost
inverse Mortifiers. They must resist harming themselves, and
Stigmatica (below) requires them to feed on suffering victims
to gain power. Whereas the Mortifiers of the Flesh began as
Daeva, perhaps the Ecstatics were once Nosferatu Flagellants.
Or maybe the Gethsemani aren’t a different bloodline at all,
and just what Masochist Haunts call themselves.
Nicknames: Ecstatics, Communionists, Stigmatics
Parent Clan: Nosferatu
Bloodline Bane (The Stigmatist Curse): Gethsemani must
spend a Willpower when they rise for the night. If they cannot or
will not, stigmatic wounds erupt from their flesh. These injuries
are grotesque and hard to hide, reducing Humanity by a dot
for the purposes of the Nosferatu clan bane. Stigmatic wounds
are not damaging, and heal with a single Vitae in daysleep.
Favored Attributes: Stamina or Strength
Disciplines: Nightmare, Obfuscate, Scourge, Vigor
“Love thine anguish and know thy God.”
In the Covenants
Most Flagellants who aren’t part of the church began their
Requiems Sanctified and become disillusioned, but a few have
sired childer into different traditions. Mortifiers of the Spear
have no mercy for atheists, so waywards in other covenants must
always watch their backs or hide their lineage, even if they’ve
never been part of the Lancea et Sanctum.
The Carthian Movement: The Movement provides
Flagellants a way to exact justice without dedicating them-
selves to a vampiric dogma. Firebrand Mortifiers channel
their righteous anger against the corrupt rather than the
sinful, holding to a socialist brand of Christianity that rejects
the Lancea et Sanctum and its twisted gospel. Many work to
disrupt the church in cities where it holds a monopoly on
power among Kindred.
The Circle of the Crone: Only a few Flagellants have joined
the Mother’s Army, but — unbound from Sanctified theology —
these vampires are some of Crone’s purest monsters. Torturers
and tormentors, Acolyte Mortifiers reject the Flagellant stereo-
type, self-harming for the Crone’s glory when they take more
blood than she deems necessary for the hunt.
The Invictus: Vampires who take this bloodline don’t have
much of a will to power, so those who join the Invictus become
martinets of the Masquerade, exacting terrible punishments
for even minor indiscretions. At least, that’s the image they
cultivate. These Flagellants serve the First Estate more as objects
of fear rather than true enforcers, saving their wrath only for
Kindred who endanger the entire All Night Society.
The Ordo Dracul: Most lapsed Flagellants become Dragons,
especially those who harbor resentment for the Sanctified. The
Ordo offers a chance to defy the God who cursed them, and a
way to ease the constant ache of their existence. The Ascendant
is a popular Mystery for Mortifiers, not only as a shield against
the Almighty’s curse, but also for the brutal, visceral nature
of its Scales.
Mortifiers of the Flesh 47
 Scourge
The Beast yearns for pain, for itself and for its prey, but only
suffering wrought by God’s own hand will satisfy it. With
Scourge, the Flagellants channel their holy agony into judgment
on sinful victims. Some Mortifiers keep themselves in constant
agony to always benefit from this Discipline, while others use it
as a last resort in combat with opponents who underestimate
their devotion.
Cost: None or 1 Vitae per active effect
Dice Pool: None
Action: None (for persistent effects) or Reflexive (for active
effects)
Duration: Permanent (for persistent effects) or one turn (for
active effects)
Like other physical Disciplines, Scourge has persistent and
active effects. Persistent effects are always on, and have no
cost. Active effects are reflexive, and cost one Vitae per effect.
Persistent: If the vampire has damage in one or more of
her last three Health boxes, she gains a bonus on all mundane
instant and reflexive actions equal to Scourge. She also does
not take wound penalties for bashing damage, though penalties
from lethal and aggravated damage still apply. In addition, once
a scene, if the vampire suffers aggravated damage in any of her
last three Health boxes, she regains Willpower points equal to
her Discipline dots. The latter effect applies before Resilience
downgrading.
Active: By spending blood the vampire draws strength
from her pain and takes it out on reprobates. For each point
of Vitae spent choose one effect from the following list. A
vampire may spend additional Vitae to invoke multiple effects
simultaneously, but no effect of Scourge may be used more
than once per turn.
• Ignore any wound penalties, Personal Tilts, or other negative
modifiers due to pain for the turn and exceptionally succeed
affected mundane rolls with three successes instead of five.
Note that this does not make the vampire immune to injuries;
any she takes this turn will apply the next unless she spends
Vitae to heal. This effect does not apply to Tilts like Insane
or Knocked Down.
• Refresh a Willpower if she has lethal or aggravated damage
in any of her last three Health boxes. This act of will is tiring,
and the vampire can only use it a number of times per scene
equal to half her Scourge dots, rounding up.
• After a successful Brawl attack, wrack an opponent’s body
with agony if the vampire has lethal or aggravated damage
in any of her last three Health boxes. On his next action,
the victim suffers the vampire’s Discipline dots as wound
penalties, in addition to any he might already have naturally.
Outside of combat, a full turn of touch is enough to apply
this effect.
48 Bloodlines: The Devoted
New Devotions
Divine Sacrifice
(Majesty •, Scourge •••)
Martyrdom comes easy to the Flagellants, but God’s plan
works best with an audience.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Cost: None
Requirement: The vampire suffered lethal or aggravated
wounds in at least one of her last three Health boxes this turn.
Dice Pool: Stamina + Intimidation + Scourge – number of
subjects
Action: Reflexive
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The vampire loses a Willpower point.
Failure: The vampire’s sacrifice is for naught.
Success: The vampire rallies her forces. If her wounds are
lethal, subjects each regain a Willpower. If aggravated, they
regain Willpower points equal to Scourge. The vampire must
activate this Devotion the same turn she takes damage, and
can only use it once a scene per damage type.
Exceptional Success: Subjects also gain the Steadfast
Condition.
Stigmatica
(Nightmare •••, Obfuscate ••, Scourge ••)
This Devotion deceives the vain into believing they are
Christlike, and provides the righteous a reserve of physical
might.
This Devotion costs 3 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Requirement: The vampire has inflicted the Delusional
Condition on the victim, making him believe he’s Jesus or a
Christian saint.
Dice Pool: None
Action: Reflexive
Duration: As with The Grand Delusion
The vampire enhances The Grand Delusion, spending a
Willpower to inflict her victim with stigmata. These wounds are
illusory, but they’re real enough to the stigmatic, who believes
his body has been sanctified by God Himself. Vampires and
ghouls who drink from the victim’s wounds gain a bonus to
a single Physical Attribute of their choice per Vitae imbibed,
up to a limit of the vampire’s Scourge dots. Feeding inflicts
lethal damage as usual. This bonus lasts the night, and can’t
be doubled up with multiple victims of Stigmatica.
 Nepheshim
The ones you pray for
For a complete history of the Nepheshim, see Lancea
Sanctum, p. 154.
Parent Clan: Gangrel
Nicknames: Mendicants, Travelers, the Hungry
Bloodline Bane (The Itinerant Curse): The Nepheshim
must always be on the move, and the Beast will remind them
of that fact. In addition to the Gangrel bane, after spending
a week in the same territory (city, town, village, etc.), if the
vampire experiences involuntary frenzy, he must thereafter
spend a Willpower to wake for the night in addition to Vitae.
This cost lasts as long as he stays. If he leaves this territory, he
must stay away for a year and a day or else be afflicted again
upon his return. Furthermore, while not a mystical weakness,
Nepheshim take a vow of poverty, never possessing more than
a dot of Resources.
Favored Attributes: Resolve or Stamina
Disciplines: Animalism, Auspex, Protean, Resilience
Twists of the Blood: Open Altar Call
The Nepheshim are as much a faction as a lineage. Lancea
Sanctum describes the bloodline as a new branch of a larger
movement, so feel free to use the Merits below as a membership
benefit rather than an inherent bloodline perk. Alternatively,
you could take a page from the Mortifiers of the Flesh, and
allow members of any clan to join this bloodline. Use the
following system:
Parent Covenant: Lancea et Sanctum
Bloodline Bane: As above, but the trigger is a breaking
point rather than a frenzy. Nepheshim retain their clan banes.
Favored Attributes: As above
Disciplines: Auspex, Protean, and two common Disciplines
from parent clan (e.g., Celerity and Vigor for a Daeva)
“The Lord is our guide... he showed me a shortcut.
But first, there’s something I need of you.”
In the Covenants
There are no Nepheshim in the other covenants. Mendicant
blood is tied to God’s Damned Church, so much so that the
Sanctified believe the bloodline may have been created with a
powerful Theban Sorcery miracle. Should a Nepheshim aban-
don the Dark Father’s mission, her Vitae shuns her, washing
away her bloodline — or so the rumors go. Some suggest the
punishment is far less kind.
Stories sometimes surface of wandering bloodlines tied to
all the covenants, but the Nepheshim don’t discuss these tales.
New Merits
A Nepheshim’s faith is his greatest tool. Mendicants surrender
their fates to a higher power, allowing the will of the divine to
guide and protect them. The Nepheshim refer to their road as
the Nahdad (roughly, “constraint” in Arabic). Each step on this
path grants the vampire greater understanding through holy
intuition and internal strength, rather than explicit supernatural
power. Nahdad exists as three separate Merits, one of which
Mendicants take a free dot of on induction into the bloodline:
Mine Opened Eyes (• to •••••)
Prerequisite: Nepheshim
Effect: A Nepheshim’s senses awaken to the world around
her. As long as she is in unfamiliar territory, she can smell Vitae
in the wilderness and intuit her path by the motion of the stars.
Each dot of this Merit functions as a persistent bonus to your
character’s Survival Skill, as well as her Blood Potency when
calculating Kindred Senses. Drawback: Nepheshim senses dull
in the safety of a city. This Merit only applies for a week within
an urban area. After that, it temporarily degrades by a dot per
night until your character moves on.
Nepheshim 49
 Story Seed: Roadside Revivals
Nepheshim are hard to use as player characters. We’ve tried to design the bane above so not every Mendicant has
to be a traveler, but it’s tricky for them to stay put, and ultimately that’s the point. Being a indigent monk is both the
reward and the risk of building a Nepheshim.
That said, other nomadic bloodlines wander the All Night Society, so the Nepheshim need not walk alone. The Carnival
(p. 22) are a prime example, and they’re known for inducting others into their family, or at least being open to new
acts. An old-time religion preacher could be a heck of a draw. What if a coterie of Freaks and Mendicants traveled the
Chronicles of Darkness together, spreading the bad news with a showman’s flair? Their big tent revivals would be a
frenzy of a good time, and the more the sinners reject them, the more it proves they’re God’s elect. Maybe they bring
along cliquish bloodlines like the Barjot (p. 70) or the Mabry (p. 71). Between the conversions and the “conversions,”
this group might even start to think of themselves as a new covenant with the Lord.

Drawbacks: If your character spends more than a week in the

My Father’s House (• to •••••)
Prerequisite: Nepheshim
Effect: Through faith, a Nepheshim can always find protec-
tion from the sun or the knives of her enemies. Your character
has a second sense for finding shelter. Each dot of this Merit
grants her a floating dot of Haven, a bolt-hole she can hun-
ker down in while traveling through unfamiliar territories.
Roll Wits + Survival minus the dot rating of the Haven your
character wants to find: On a success, she instinctively knows
where the Lord wants her to go, and the fastest way to get there
before dawn.
This temporary Haven’s amenities are sparse, but it’s large
enough to accommodate your character and a number of other
vampires equal to its dot rating. The Haven is usually only
attached to a one dot Safe Place (two dots on an exceptional
success) so it also isn’t well defended, but it suits a vampire’s
needs as if built by God Himself: All rolls affected by the Haven
Merit gain the 8-again quality.
same community, this Merit temporarily degrades by a dot per
night until she moves on. In addition, if she uses the same Haven
more than once, her enemies gain a cumulative +1 on actions
to locate her for each night she remains, to a maximum of +5.
This Diet of Worms (• to •••••)
Prerequisite: Nepheshim
Effect: A Nepheshim’s faith fills him with more purpose than
a full belly ever could. Subtract each dot in this Merit from your
character’s Blood Potency to determine feeding restrictions
(Vampire: The Requiem, p. 90). For example, a character with
five dots can feed on animals up to Blood Potency 8, and humans
indefinitely. Furthermore, animals always yield their Size in Vitae
rather than the usual capacity limitations.
Drawback: Weak blood doesn’t sate the Beast. If your character
drinks lesser Vitae for more than (10 – Blood Potency) nights, he
gains the Deprived Condition until he “properly” feeds.

50 Bloodlines: The Devoted

 Sotoha
The ones you can’t read
For a complete history of the Sotoha, see Invictus, p. 170.
Parent Clan: Ventrue
Nicknames: Outsiders, Masks
Bloodline Bane (The Callous Curse): The Sotoha keep
their true feelings under lock and key, but this restraint dulls
their empathy. All Sotoha attach their topmost Touchstone
at Humanity 8 instead of 7. A Ventrue joining this bloodline
moves all her Touchstones up a step, and a character Embraced
into it begins play with his bane. In addition, unattached
Touchstones cannot talk Sotoha down from frenzy.
Favored Attributes: Composure or Resolve
Disciplines: Dominate, Majesty, Obfuscate, Resilience
Sotoha gain a dot of the Closed Book Merit (Chronicles of
Darkness, p. 50) on induction into the bloodline, but only
if they meet the prerequisites. If not, they must increase the
relevant Attributes. A vampire with the maximum five dots in
this Merit is refunded an Experience instead.
In the Covenants
Sotoha are uncompromising with defectors. Those who
betray the Invictus for other covenants can expect Requiems
spent on the run, or at the very least behind bulletproof coffins.
The Masks have a long memory, and the patience to match it.
Only Sotoha Embraced outside the bloodline’s rigid structure
are permitted to join other covenants, and even they must pay
homage to their Invictus cousins from time to time.
In recent years, the bloodline has cast off many of the stereo-
types associated with its Japanese origin. Rumors of samurai
armor and formal (if not actual) suicide are exaggerated at best
and racist at worst. While many elder Sotoha are Japanese, their
culture is feudalism, whatever form that tradition takes. What
the living do is irrelevant. All that matters is who is a master
and who is a servant.
“I am no common liar:
I am an exceptional liar.”
The Carthian Movement: Carthian Sotoha rarely take
power for themselves, preferring to act as party or factional
whips. They assure unanimous votes and a single voice to bring
to bear against the Movement’s rivals, even if their methods
aren’t exactly democratic. Others act as Myrmidons, banking
on their bloodline’s reputation for detachment. Sotoha prefer
more “state socialist” or centrist Firebrands, whether due to
their mortal politics or because their Invictus siblings might
take offense at true radicalism.
The Circle of the Crone: The Crone’s hedonism doesn’t
appeal to many Sotoha. The Mother’s Army is everything they
aren’t, and only disillusioned Outsiders find much use for its
philosophy. The few Acolyte Sotoha have little connection to
the rest of their bloodline, if they know its traditions at all.
Most come from small broods who separated from the main
family centuries ago. Sotoha cults are often animist, or take on
a medieval pagan bent depending on what brand of feudalism
their grandsires rejected.
The Lancea et Sanctum: Like many Invictus-aligned blood-
lines, the Sotoha have a fair number of dual members in the
church. Religious Sotoha attend Midnight Mass on the regu-
lar, and the Spear’s philosophy of top down order and divine
purpose suits the bloodline’s preference for feudal hierarchies;
they often demand vassals pay tithes to the church.
The Ordo Dracul: The Dragons have always suspected
Kunimasa stole from them, but they don’t have any concrete
proof — he was never a student of the Mysteries, or even a casual
member of the Order. Kamen is different enough from the Coil
of the Wyrm that Dragons who remember the controversy have
let the matter drop… but they still watch. They watch and they
learn, and perhaps one day they’ll figure out just how the little
liar ripped them off. Defiant Sotoha are eager to help in these
efforts if it means spiting their Invictus relatives. Freedom is
the main reason Outsiders join the Dragon, and they work
hard to wash away the stench of feudalism.
Sotoha 51

Kamen
The Outsiders project a coldness even other Kindred find
eerie. To underpin this calm, Sotoha study a variant Coil of
the Wyrm they call Kamen (“Mask”), a practice that emphasizes
repressing the Beast rather than outright dominance.
Sotoha treat Kamen as if it were their primary Mystery, but
they cannot learn it without a teacher. If an Outsider joins
the Ordo Dracul, she can keep this cost break or pursue a
new Mystery. She cannot have two primary Mysteries. Defiant
Sotoha can shift their focus to the Coil of the Wyrm, but only
if they have not learned Kamen past the first dot. They cannot
learn both. At Storyteller discretion, other Dragons can learn
Kamen as an alternative to the Coil of the Wyrm, but only
with a Sotoha teacher.
Sotoha can also learn Techniques of Kamen, procedures
similar to Scales of the Dragon. The aesthetics of these methods
are different from those of the Ordo Dracul, focusing more on
spiritual communion and self-control, but Sotoha can still buy
Wyrm Scales as Techniques, even if the effect of the prerequisite
Coil is different from the equivalent Kamen level.
Make the following alterations to the Coil of the Wyrm:
Face of the Moment •
As with Stir the Beast.
The Fitting Time ••
A Sotoha always knows when to play her hand, even as the
Beast howls for blood. The vampire can delay resisting frenzy up
to a number of turns equal to her Kamen dots, removing herself
from any provocation and calming down if she’s quick enough.
If not, on the subsequent turn, she must spend Willpower, roll,
or succumb. If she used Face of the Moment to provoke frenzy,
the delay lasts until the end of the scene or she chooses to let
go, whichever comes first.
The Wave Is the Man •••
As with Leash the Beast.
Masking the Beast ••••
Even in the throes of frenzy, a Sotoha can conceal her
nature. If the vampire successfully rides the wave, she can
still communicate and use Mental and Social Skills, and adds
her Blood Potency as a bonus to all Presence and Wits rolls.
However, her goals must still have bestial ends. If she goes
more consecutive turns than her Kamen dots without attack-
52 Bloodlines: The Devoted
ing, feeding, or fleeing (as appropriate to the situation), she
ends the effect of Masking the Beast, although she continues
to ride the wave.
The Tsunami •••••
As with Eternal Frenzy.
Sample Technique of Kamen
Tatemae
Prerequisite: Masking the Beast
Procedure: The Sotoha ritually burns incense and a pint of
her subject’s blood over a fire, then presses a hot coal taken from
the flame to his chest. This inflicts a point of lethal damage to
both vampires and mortals. Vampires resist frenzy, and must
begin the procedure anew if they fail. This damage cannot be
healed or it ends the Technique.
Outcome: For the rest of the night the subject projects a false
positive at any mundane attempt to read her emotion, and the
vampire’s Kamen dots act as a standing penalty to Auspex or
similar powers of supernatural empathy. She also gains a turn
of lucidity if she falls to frenzy, as if she had ridden the wave.
New Invictus Oath
The Sotoha may be the bloodline with the most Oaths circu-
lating around the First Estate, and their Notaries are considered
above reproach. The following is a contract Outsiders often
swear when visiting foreign courts, although other Invictus
can learn it as well.
Oath of the Quiet Heart (••)
Prerequisite: Invictus Status •
Effect: For the duration of the vassal’s stay, or however long
the agreed upon period, she pledges not to fall to uncontrolled
frenzy. Perceived as less of a threat (that is, less like an inter-
loping predator), her impression level is one higher than usual
with Status-bearing members of the Invictus, and she gains a
+3 to Socialize and Persuasion at general Elysiums. The liege
is immune to these effects, and gains the 9-again quality on
all Empathy and Intimidation rolls with the vassal for as long
as the Oath lasts, including on Disciplines.
Drawback: Breaking this Oath is a serious violation of trust
and honor. If the vassal falls to involuntary frenzy, both she
and the liege lose a dot of Invictus Status, and the Oath ends.
 Spina
The ones you respect
For a complete history of the Spina, see Invictus, p. 173.
Parent Clan: Daeva
Nicknames: Knights, Barbs of the First Estate
Bloodline Bane (The Politesse Curse): The Spina do not
suffer discourtesy, and their Beasts take a perverse pleasure
in correcting it. A Knight must punish unapologetic rudeness
before the end of the scene, whether it was directed at her
or her allies. The Storyteller is the final arbiter on sufficient
reprimands, but feeding always meets this requirement. If the
vampire lets the insult go, for the rest of the night treat her
Humanity as one dot lower for determining Social penalties
when relating to mortals. This bane is cumulative for each
instance of uncontested rudeness, but it only applies once in a
scene if the vampire has already punished a victim.
Favored Attributes: As with parent clan
Disciplines: Celerity, Dominate, Majesty, Vigor
In the Covenants
The Spina are usually Invictus, but that doesn’t mean they
don’t dabble. However, the Thorned Wreath (see below)
is overwhelmingly loyal to the Conspiracy of Silence, and
consider its special fighting arts proprietary. It would be very
rude to share them.
The Carthian Movement: Some Spina prefer to pledge their
loyalty to freedom rather than the Establishment, punishing
immortal tyrants and oppressors in the name of a more just All
Night Society — or at least one that will better serve Carthian
interests. Rumor has it that a splinter group of Knights broke
away from the Thorned Wreath around the time of the Russian
Revolution, and that their childer now organize in a collective
called the Red Rose Union.
The Circle of the Crone: While the Mother’s Army usually
spits on polite society among the Damned, the Knights and
their compulsion to teach lessons fit well with the Crone’s
teachings on tribulation and enlightenment. Acolyte Spina
“You shall apologize!”
actively seek out the impolite, looking for any excuse to test
their victims. They’re especially fond of challenging outclassed
victims to duels, with the Dark Mother’s honor on the line.
The Lancea et Sanctum: Knights who prefer to focus on
fighting sin rather than discourtesy find themselves in the
church, often adding the term “Holy” to their Order. Most
Spina outside the First Estate turn to the Judges, but dual
membership rather than outright separation is most common.
Sanctified Spina spend years on religious crusades, whether
political or martial. Some even become knights-errant, pursu-
ing sin and vice wherever they might hide and indoctrinating
impudent Kindred into the Dark Father’s church.
The Ordo Dracul: The Defiant value rules only as far as they
serve their interests. The Spina are nothing but, so it’s a rare fit.
Those few Dragon Knights prefer to join the Sworn of the Axe,
enforcing the only standards the Ordo holds sacred. They also
study the Coil of the Wyrm, proving their resolve with carefully
chosen mortal assholes. Rumors sometimes surface of a Spina
Dragon who selects test subjects with elaborate social games,
ranking them for experimentation based on their inability to
behave in polite company.
New Merits
Daeva admitted into the Spina bloodline are also candidates
for its pseudo-chivalrous tradition, The Order of the Thorned
Wreath. On induction, Knights gain a dot of Status in this
organization if they are either members of the Invictus or owe
an Oath to the covenant. Invictus Spina can use this Status as
a prerequisite for Invictus Merits instead of Covenant Status.
In addition, the Spina are masters of the Invictus martial art
known as Courtoisie, and know several variations of its practice.
Members of the Thorned Wreath can access the maneuvers
outlined below.
This organization is not limited to Spina, but Kindred of
other lineages experience more intense scrutiny and training.
Spina 53

Thorned Wreath Courtoisie (• to •••••)
Prerequisites: Composure •••, Socialize ••, Weaponry ••,
Thorned Wreath Status •
Effect: Courtoisie’s first three dots are covered
in Secrets of the Covenants and are open to all
members of the Invictus. The following are addi-
tional maneuvers available only to the Order
of the Thorned Wreath, extending the style
to the fourth and fifth dots. Other techniques
are alternatives to those found in Secrets of the
Covenants, but the first maneuver in that
book is mandatory.
Fair War ning,
Fairly Given (••): It’s
the height of poor taste
not to give one’s rival a fighting
chance, even if it’s illusory. By
declaring her next action aloud,
your character can spook her
opponent, reducing the penalty on
a specified target by her Expression,
Intimidation, or Socialize dots, which-
ever is highest. Reducing a penalty below
zero does not provide any bonus dice to
the action. Drawback: This declaration
must come before any other actions are
taken in the turn order. If your character
does anything other than her declared
intent, she loses the 10-again quality on
the action.
A Fitting Wager (•••): A gentlelady
is ever assured of her combat prowess,
and she should be willing to put her life
on the line to prove it. Your character
adds her Presence or Manipulation
dots (whichever is higher) as additional
weapon damage to a successful attack
if she sacrifices Defense against her opponent
for the turn. She can still apply Defense to
attackers who are not part of the duel.
The Penalty of Ineptitude (••••): An unfit
opponent is nearly as bad as an ill-mannered
guest, and at times, it’s worthwhile to correct a
rival’s incompetence. If your character’s opponent
fails an action directed at her, she can dress him
down with a well-timed bon mot. Make a reflexive
Presence + Expression – Composure roll. On a
success, the opponent character loses a point of
Willpower and yours gains one back. She cannot
use this maneuver again if it is successful.
54 Bloodlines: The Devoted
The Power of Conversation (•••••): While the Spina take
pride in their swordplay, their gift for invective is no less potent
in combat. Your character can go into a cutting diatribe about
the opposing duelist, making an extended and reflexive
Manipulation + Intimidation – Composure roll at the
end of each round she successfully wounds him. If you
achieve successes equal to the subject’s permanent
Willpower dots, he suffers the Stunned Tilt (Chronicles
of Darkness, p. 286) as your character serves up a ver-
bal coup de grâce. Succeed or fail, she can only use this
technique once per fight. Drawback: Spina consider
this technique a last resort, and more than a tad
gauche. Any Knight who uses this maneuver
gains the Notoriety Condition at the end of the
duel (Chronicles of Darkness, p. 290). If no one
witnesses it or lives to tell about it, she takes
Embarrassing Secret instead (p. 289).
New Devotions
Barbed Rebuke
(Dominate ••, Vigor ••)
The vampire demands an apology
in response to an insult. If the victim
refuses, she can make a literally cutting
remark at his expense. This Devotion is
the most notorious in the bloodline’s
arsenal, and it’s one of many reasons
the Knights have retained their posi-
tion in the Invictus.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 2 Vitae
Requirement: The victim was unapologeti-
cally rude to the vampire at some point in the
scene.
Dice Pool: Presence + Intimidation + Dominate vs.
Composure + Blood Potency
Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The Spina suffers an epic self-own,
damaging herself instead of her victim.
Failure: The victim refuses to feel chastened.
Success: The victim suffers lethal damage equal to the
vampire’s Vigor, or less if the Spina feels merciful. This can
take the form of vomiting, nose bleeds, or even seizures.
Kindred do not downgrade this damage.
Exceptional Success: The victim also takes the Guilty
Condition.
Queensbury Rules
(Dominate •• or Majesty ••, Vigor •; Special)
If a Spina is disarmed or otherwise deprived the use of her
weapon in a duel, by Thorned Wreath tradition her opponent
must allow her to rearm. With this Devotion, she can enforce
that rule whether her opponent wants to play along or not.
This Devotion costs 1 Experience to learn, and the vampire
must have a dot of Courtoisie.
Cost: 2 Vitae
Requirement: The vampire must be in a duel with her victim
under the rules of Courtoisie.
Dice Pool: None
Action: Reflexive
If the opponent does not allow the vampire to rearm, the
Spina verbally declares him to be in violation of the rules of
the duel, activating this Devotion. Until her victim allows her
to retrieve her weapon or she regains it herself, he suffers her
Dominate or Majesty dots as a penalty to all combat actions. If
the victim wins the duel without allowing the vampire to access
her weapon, he suffers a point of unavoidable lethal damage,
even if he is Kindred.
If given the chance, the Spina must rearm or she suffers this
penalty herself.
Scalpel Tongue
(Majesty ••)
The Spina show no mercy at mistakes. A Knight knows
words must strike fast, hit hard, and cut to kill, and can use
her superior wit to humiliate incompetent rivals.
This Devotion costs 1 Experience to learn.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Requirement: The victim has just failed a Social action.
Dice Pool: Wits + Expression + Majesty vs. Composure +
Blood Potency
Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive
Duration: Scene
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The vampire’s biting insult is toothless,
and she can feel the room turn on her. She takes the Shaken
Condition and cannot use this Devotion for the rest of the scene.
Failure: No one cares.
Success: The vampire makes an insult at her victim’s expense.
For the rest of the scene, he suffers a penalty to all Composure
rolls equal to the vampire’s Majesty dots, including resistance
to supernatural powers.
Exceptional Success: The victim is truly shook, and cannot
spend Willpower on Social actions with the vampire.
Spina 55
 Therion
The ones you burn for
For the original version of the Therion, see Belial’s Brood,
p. 118.
Parent Covenant: Belial’s Brood
Nicknames: Advocates, Luciferians
Bloodline Bane (The Gnostic Curse): The Advocates see
past the lie of the world and spread this truth to their childer.
When a Therion Embraces, it costs two dots of Humanity.
Favored Attributes: Composure or Manipulation
Disciplines: Animalism, Obfuscate, Vigor, and clan Discipline
(i.e., Auspex, Dominate, Majesty, Nightmare, or Protean)
Twists of the Blood: Broods of Belial
Belial’s Brood in Second Edition is considerably different
from the version published in 2007. Whereas the original
Brood was a multifaction conspiracy of gnostic Satanists,
tonight they’re evolved draugr, Humanity 0 vampires who claw
their intellect back from the Beast. Unlike the Forsworn, these
Worthless aren’t intended as a player character option.
The Therion were the Forsworn’s priest caste, and don’t
really fit with the new Brood. However, if you prefer the
material in Belial’s Brood, or just want to use the Therion
as an unaligned, devil-worshipping bloodline, use the systems
below. It’s also possible both versions exist in your chronicle,
and the Therion call themselves Belial’s Brood in opposition
to the Claimed, believing themselves to be true inheritors of
the Worthless One.
In the Covenants
Therion are Brood unto Final Death. When they do join
other covenants, it’s as spies and double agents, or for personal
reasons that expire once they meet their goals. The very few
Advocates who abandon the Pursuit do so at their own risk;
Belial’s Brood jealously guards the Vaulderie, and any vampire
with Therion blood is certain to know its basics.
“Stop screaming.”
56 Bloodlines: The Devoted
Most Therion outside the Brood, apart from the unbound,
are Acolytes. The Mother’s Army is more humane in compar-
ison to the Forsworn, but the Crone has a similar, free-to-be-
a-monster philosophy. A few Advocates try to transcend their
state in the Ordo Dracul, but the Dragons’ defiance of God is
often too close to that of the Brood’s.
New Merit
The Advocates drown the Man, but they know the risk of
letting the Beast too close to the surface. Sometimes called the
Gift of Choronzon (a demon of dispersion, according to Aleister
Crowley), the Vaulderie lets Therion and their flocks exalt in
damnation without consequence. For a while.
Vaulderie (•• to •••••)
Prerequisites: Therion or Belial’s Brood Status ••, Presence
•••, Occult ••, Humanity 4 or less
Effect: The Vaulderie is a blood-sharing ritual the priests of
Belial’s Brood use to ensure loyalty and avoid the worst effects
of degraded Humanity. To enact this rite, each member of the
covey spends a point of Vitae into a chalice. At least two vam-
pires must participate. The priest then spends a Willpower dot
and each member drinks, gaining no sustenance. For a lunar
month, the covey forms a bond called the Crux: All participants
gain a mutual second step Vinculum and are twice removed for
the purposes of Blood Sympathy. In addition, they are immune to
other blood bonds and repress any existing ones for the duration.
Performing the Vaulderie again extends this effect for another
month. The Therion does not need to spend another Willpower
dot, but she regains it if the Crux ends. She cannot repurchase
this dot with Experiences while the Vaulderie lasts.
In addition, at the beginning of each night the Crux exists,
the priest can feed packmates a Vitae each to mitigate their low
Humanities. He can distribute up to twice his Merit dots among
his covey (including himself) toward the following benefits:
 • Gain a packmate as an additional dot of the Touchstone
Merit, to a limit of 5 dots (including any the vampire
already has);
• Increase a packmate’s effective Humanity for
the purposes of waking during the day, to a
maximum of 10;
• Increase a packmate’s effective Humanity
for the purposes of sunlight damage, to a
maximum of 10.
These effects last until the next sunset, and
no one member can benefit from more than five
points at a time. If a covey has two priests,
they cannot double up the effects of
this Merit; whoever led the first
Vaulderie provides any and all
benefits.
Drawbacks: Participants
in a Vaulderie are automat-
ically addicted to Vitae and
cannot sate their addiction on
each other. In addition, while the Crux is in
place, buying a Humanity dot costs an additional
Experience.
intruder without needing to be in their presence. If a subject is
in Obfuscate, a Clash of Wills takes place; success does not let
the vampire see the Obfuscated character, but she will be aware
that another predator is in the vicinity.
Mesmeric Aura
(Animalism ••••, Majesty ••)
The Beast is as alluring as it is aggressive, and Belial’s
children can channel both impulses. With this Devotion,
the vampire can seduce lesser Beasts as she cows them.
This Devotion costs 3 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: None
Action: Reflexive
The vampire spends a Vitae while lashing
out at a vampire or mortal. If she succeeds,
the victim suffers the Charmed Condition,
which cannot be resolved unless Bestial,
Competitive, or Wanton is resolved
first.

New Devotions Song of the Bonded

The Adversary teaches many truths, and His Blood
children are His prophets. All Kindred can
learn these Devotions, but few know them (Animalism •••)
outside the Therion bloodline. Distance is but a lie of the world, and it
cannot stand in the way when it comes to ties
Child of the Night of blood.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
(Animalism •••, Auspex •)
Cost: 2 Vitae
The Beast always knows when a
Dice Pool: None
predator enters her territory, and it
can show the vampire exactly where Action: Instant
her enemies hide. Duration: Scene
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences The Therion adds her Animalism dots to all
to learn. rolls to initiate or detect Blood Sympathy, and
Cost: 1 Vitae does not need to spend a Willpower to initiate
Sympathy with relatives once- or twice-removed.
Dice Pool: None
Action: Instant
Duration: Turn Investments
The vampire can sense the Belial’s Brood details a complex set of powers
presence of Kindred and other called Investments, Discipline-like effects that
creatures with similar auras the Forsworn use to torment their victims.
within a radius equal to five Rather than overhaul those mechanics
meters per Blood Potency dot from the ground up, we offer a simpler
(further multiplied by Auspex). alternative using systems already in place
She can also lash out at an for Vampire: The Requiem Second Edition. If you’re not using

Therion 57

Story Seed: Priests of the Worthless
If you do want to integrate the Therion with
Second Edition Belial’s Brood, consider the following:
Therion are among the few attempts at organization
among the Claimed. They practice Forsworn-style
Gnosticism and build cults to Belial, believing
themselves to be literal Devil’s Advocates. More
subtle than other Worthless, they tempt humane
Kindred into the Adversary’s welcoming arms. This
group isn’t a bloodline, but they sometimes pretend
to be in order to keep other vampires in the dark
about the true source of their powers.
the original Belial’s Brood, these powers might be another tool
of the Therion bloodline, or a gift for all vampires who serve
the Adversary.
Some Forsworn claim Investments are blessings from Belial,
while others say they’re the purest expression of the Beast.
Whatever the truth, they are identical to the Dread Powers of
the Strix. Members of Belial’s Brood who are part of a Crux
can purchase Investments for the costs listed below. Ignore
Shadow Potency minimums.
A vampire can learn a number of Investments equal to
(10 – Humanity). Gaining a Humanity dot while she is at this
maximum removes an Investment from her soul, dealing a
point of unavoidable aggravated damage. The player can spend
Experiences to regain the Investment if Humanity deteriorates
again, or she can purchase a new power.
If a vampire lets the Crux expire, or leaves her covey, she loses
access to her Investments until she renews her commitment to
the Adversary.
58 Bloodlines: The Devoted
Use Manipulation + Occult + Blood Potency for all rolled
Investments. If a power description uses Shadow Potency or
a simplified Attribute to determine a range, penalty, etc., use
Blood Potency instead.
• Forsworn cannot buy Host Powers except Hollow Bones and
Talons of Fury. Treat these as Soma Investments.
• The Kindred Disciplines Vitae Power allows a character to
buy unique clan Disciplines without a teacher.
• The Indomitable Vitae automatically triggers a Clash of Wills
if a vampire or ghoul tries to use a Discipline or Devotion on
the Forsworn; she rolls (10 – Humanity) + Blood Potency. She
can still bounce the power back as written, but only if she wins
the Clash.
Investment Type Experiences
Doom Powers / Pneuma 3
Shadow Powers / Soma 4
Vitae Powers / Sarx 5
Other Wages of Sin
The factions of Belial’s Brood favor certain Investments over
others. A vampire gains one of the following advantages if he
knows an Investment attuned to his group and has at least a
dot of Status in it. See Chapter Three of Belial’s Brood for
more on these factions and their affinities.
• Pneuma: Riding the wave only requires three successes.
• Sarx: The vampire’s Blood Potency is one dot higher for the
purposes of determining her maximum Vitae pool, to a limit
of Blood Potency 10.
• Soma: The vampire never needs to spend Willpower to make
a response to lashing out.
 Tismanu
The ones who Could save you
For a complete history of the Tismanu, see Ordo Dracul, p. 164.
Parent Clan: Mekhet
Nicknames: Shepherds, Dracula’s Abbots, Dragon Monks
Bloodline Bane (The Martyr Curse): The Tismanu put
their flocks above themselves, sometimes to the point of
absurdity. If a Shepherd denies a sincere request for help from
a mortal, for the rest of the night her Humanity is considered
one dot lower for the purpose of calculating her banes. This
stacks with the Mekhet curse and is cumulative with each
denial. This request cannot be a trivial, but it doesn’t need
to be life or death. In addition, Mekhet who join this blood-
line before they take their clan bane suffer the mechanical
equivalent of the Grave Dirt bane when they fall to Humanity
6. Rather than soil, they must sleep in their Havens or with
items taken from them.
Favored Attributes: Intelligence or Presence
Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Majesty, Resilience
In the Covenants
Tismanu have always had a small presence in the other
covenants, but in the modern nights this number has swelled.
Many neonates question why their bloodline doesn’t share its
spiritual powers with other covenants, who have just as much
difficulty holding on to Humanity as Defiant vampires. The
majority who remain loyal to the Dragon are ambivalent about
this trend. On the one hand, their bloodline has much to teach
other Kindred; on the other, they have a powerbase in the Ordo,
and schisms might threaten it.
The Carthian Movement: The Movement has a signif-
icant share of Tismanu members, perhaps second only to
the Dragons. Firebrand Shepherds are counselors to the
Revolution, absolving their comrades of sins committed for
the cause. With their affinity for Resilience, many take to the
frontlines in open war, acting as spiritual medics in conflicts
with other vampires. Some extend this aid even to prisoners,
in an effort to put weight to the Movement’s egalitarian claims.
“Even He is not infallible. I do not mean God.”
The Circle of the Crone: If the Circle of the Crone has a
single Tismanu member it would be a surprise. The Mother’s
Army is opposed to just about everything the Shepherds stand
for, so it’s only the most iconoclastic of Dracula’s Abbots who
serve the Dark Mother. Still, the Tismanu are open to helping
individual Acolytes put tighter reins on their Beasts, and never
question those with a sincere need for their services.
The Invictus: Tismanu are useful to the Invictus as Kindred
psychologists. Domains where the First Estate holds praxis have
a vested interest in keeping their subjects out of the Beast’s
grasp, and the Shepherds are adept at tuning up Masquerades
with their Devotions. Their methods are less religious than
those of Defiant Tismanu, taking a more modern self-help
veneer rather than confession and penance.
The Lancea et Sanctum: With their Orthodox background,
the Tismanu view the Judges as bizarro-Catholics at best and
heretics at worst. They do sometimes act as go-betweens for
the Ordo and the church, but philosophical differences make
Longinian Tismanu rare. Those who do become Sanctified
emphasize the need to keep the Beast in check in the Dark
Father’s service. Shepherds are more likely to participate in the
covenant’s archival efforts, rather than its militant side, though
some have a talent for evangelism.
New Devotions
To cleanse the Ordo Dracul’s stained soul, the Shepherds
bolster its faith with a group of Devotions they call Eupraxia.
Other vampires cannot learn these Devotions.
Gift of Eupraxia
(Resilience ••)
The vampire prays for God’s intercession, bolstering her
allies’ deeds with faith.
This Devotion is free if the vampire has the prerequisite
Resilience dots.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Tismanu 59
 Dice Pool: None
Action: Instant
The Tismanu augments an ally’s dice pool, effectively spend-
ing a point of Willpower for him. This adds +3 to his next
action, even on rolls that can’t be modified with Willpower
(e.g., detachment). She can also add +2 to a Resistance
Attribute for a turn. The subject can spend his own Willpower
to augment the action further, but only if he could do so
normally. If the action is an exceptional success, the Tismanu
gains the Condition the subject would normally gain.
Eupraxia’s Absolution
(Majesty ••)
The Order of the Dragon does terrible things in the name
of transcendence, but the Shepherds assure their siblings can’t
destroy themselves with debauchery. The vampire must be
touching her subject to activate this Devotion.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 2 Vitae
Requirement: The subject cannot have less than 5 dots of
Humanity, or 6 if he is a Ventrue.
Dice Pool: None
Action: Instant
Duration: Night
The subject gains the Tismanu as a Touchstone as if she had
an extra dot of the Touchstone Merit, and exceptionally succeeds
breaking points with three successes instead of five. However,
the Tismanu gains any Willpower the subject would usually gain
for defending attachment to this connection.
Eupraxia’s Resolve
(Resilience ••)
Where the Dragon teaches his followers to channel the Beast
and leash it to their own ends, the Shepherds show their flock
how to overwhelm it. With this Devotion, the vampire and her
pupil engage in conversation or confession, girding the subject’s
soul against his own feral nature.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Cost: Willpower (variable)
Dice Pool: Presence + Empathy + Resilience
Action: Extended; required successes equal Willpower spent
times three. Each roll takes 10 minutes.
Duration: Night
For the rest of the night, if the subject risks frenzy, she gains
a number of “phantom” Willpower points equal to those the
Tismanu spent into this Devotion; she can only spend them
toward resisting frenzy or riding the wave. This effect stacks
60 Bloodlines: The Devoted
with any Willpower the subject spends from her own pool.
The subject can choose to parcel out phantom Willpower over
different frenzy provocations, but the effect ends at sunrise. If
resisting frenzy is an exceptional success, the Tismanu takes
back all Willpower the subject would normally regain.
If the subject knows Stir the Beast, she can spend one of these
phantom Willpower to redirect an involuntary frenzy, but she
cannot use one to push herself into frenzy.
The vampire cannot use this Devotion on herself.
Grace of Eupraxia
(Majesty ••)
The vampire can ease the effects of wicked powers on her
flock through the power of prayer.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 2 Vitae
Dice Pool: Resolve + Occult + Majesty
Action: Extended; required successes equal the subject’s
Composure + Blood Potency. Each roll takes one minute.
Once complete, the subject gains the Graced Condition. If the
passive effect of Graced protected the subject at any point in the
night before it resolves, the Tismanu gains the Beat for resolution.
Vision of Eupraxia
(Auspex ••)
The vampire perceives the weakness in her Kindred’s hearts.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: None
Action: Instant
Duration: Scene
The vampire is aware of any breaking points that happen in
her presence for the rest of the scene; this applies to any creature
with a variable Integrity trait. If she helps the subject succeed on
the breaking point with words of wisdom or otherwise, she steals
his Beat. (“Breaking point” isn’t an in-character term, but nar-
ratively the vampire has a sense her ally is experiencing a crisis.)
GRACED
Not today, Satan! A Tismanu has blessed you: Gain the
8-again quality on any breaking points incurred due to super-
natural compulsion or horror. Graced ends without resolving
in hours equal to the vampire’s Blood Potency.
Resolution: Spend this Condition to automatically win a
contested action against a supernatural power or cause a resisted
one to fail. This does not apply to lashing out.
 Vedma
The ones who deceive you
For a complete history of the Vedma, see Ordo Dracul,
p. 169.
Parent Clan: Gangrel
Nicknames: Warlocks, Dracula’s Witches, Enchanters
Bloodline Bane (The Bewitched Curse): The Vedma are
careless with their magical falsehoods, and eventually, they
become what they pretend to be. Warlocks suffer the Mekhet
clan bane in addition to the Gangrel curse. Furthermore, as
Vedma age, their limbs wither. A Warlock gains Arm Wrack
(one arm) or Leg Wrack (one leg) in action scenes each time
Blood Potency increases. The vampire can spend a Willpower
to power through for a scene, or she can rejuvenate her body
with torpor to alleviate her Tilts permanently, but only one
that reduces Blood Potency by a dot. The player chooses the
Tilt, which can double up as time goes on.
Favored Attributes: Composure or Manipulation
Disciplines: Animalism, Auspex, Obfuscate, Protean
Twists of the Blood: Bewitched Shadows
The Vedma are very similar to the Mekhet, and it might
be that they learned their tricks from the Shadows. As an
optional rule, Mekhet characters can join this bloodline,
but only if they have a Gangrel Avus. Mekhet Vedma use the
same systems as above, but choose Manipulation or Wits for
Favored Attributes.
In the Covenants
Most Vedma are nomadic, eschewing the All Night Society to
play at being swamp hags and wisemen. Those who lair in cities
are usually Dragons, and Defiant Warlocks study a wide variety
of Coils, making up for their lack of true magic with Dracula’s
miracles. Outside the Order, a few iconoclasts manipulate their
way through the Danse Macabre in other covenants.
“Feed him this and he’ll be dead as the cock crows.
Bring me his tongue.”
The Carthian Movement: Vedma Firebrands often exploit
the too-common intersection between progressive politics and
New Age woo among mortals, cultivating herds with cheap
tricks and false predictions of a brighter future. That being
said, the Movement doesn’t have many Warlock members: Most
Vedma who would fit into their political agenda are unaligned,
or live too far off the grid to care about revolutions.
The Circle of the Crone: While the Mother’s Army seems
like a natural fit, they don’t take the Vedma very seriously —
they know how the magic’s done. Acolyte Warlocks distance
themselves from their bloodline’s typical methods out of respect
for the Dark Mother, preferring to use their tricks as agents
provocateurs against the Circle’s rivals.
The Invictus: First Estate Warlocks are seneschals and
court viziers, or take up spymaster roles Shadows usually
fill. Zagovny also makes a surprisingly effective tool of the
Masquerade, diluting mortal ideas of magic with cold read-
ing and illusions. Some Invictus Warlocks build reputations
as traveling psychics, creating cults of dupes to spread their
deceptions.
The Lancea et Sanctum: Sanctified Warlocks (who avoid
that nickname) use the occult to lure mortals into sin, addicting
them to their services then punishing them for defying God.
Some even pretend to be skeptics and debunkers, leading faith-
ful Christians into doubt to prove their depravity.
New Merit
The Vedma are liars, leveraging their talent with Auspex and
Obfuscate to dupe others into believing they’re witches out of
fairytales. The Warlocks call their tricks Zagovny, claiming they
command the primordial source of all Kindred Disciplines. In
reality, this term is as much a bloodline in-joke as an accurate
description: Zagovnij means “conspiracy” or “pernicious,”
depending on the language.
Vedma 61

Zagovny (• to •••••)
Prerequisites: Vedma, Magic Specialty in Subterfuge, Auspex
and Obfuscate (see below)
Effect: Your character knows the secrets of Zagovny, a set of
tricks the Vedma use to back up their mystique and boost their
Disciplines. Each dot is a discrete effect, but your character must
have the prerequisite Auspex and Obfuscate dots.
Cost: To empower her lies, your character needs to accept ritual
offerings provided by clients or desperate supplicants. An offering
must have an Availability rating equal to Zagovny dots she wants
to access for the night. The offering can also be from a recently
dead creature of commensurate Size. For example, an Availability
2 wristwatch paired with a Size 1 dead rat lets the vampire access
the first three dots of Zagovny. If the offering is human flesh or
blood, subtract one from the necessary Availability. Your char-
acter must burn this offering with a point of Vitae and ritually
use up the ashes, as befits her magical tradition. An excessive
offering (i.e., greater than the dots she wants to access) refreshes
a Willpower point. Offerings must be used within a week.
• Eye of Blood (Auspex 2): The first rule of cold reading
is to always swing for the fences. If your character suc-
cessfully uses Beast’s Hackles or Uncanny Perception,
she can spend a Vitae to experience an additional vision.
This image has nothing to do with anything — but the
Beast is a vivid storyteller. If your character describes
this vision to the subject of her Auspex, she exception-
ally succeeds with three successes instead of five on any
Social rolls to cold read him for the rest of the scene,
whether to extract details about his personal life or to
convince him she already knows something.
•• Witch’s Familiar (Obfuscate 2): Vedma mystify their vic-
tims with phantasms. Using Touch of Shadow, your char-
acter can spend an additional Vitae to create an illusory
familiar instead of hiding something. This creature takes
the form of a monstrous bat, cat, wolf, or another witchy
animal, no larger than Size 3. The familiar is intangible,
but it gains your character’s Obfuscate dots as a defense
against Perception, and it can be a vector for her to inflict
Obfuscate effects at range. The illusion follows commands
telepathically or verbally, and exists for the scene or until
it Obfuscates an object. It must remain in the same room
or within a few meters of your character.
••• Witch’s Gaze (Auspex 4): What’s a witch without her
curses? As your character studies a person with Lay Open
the Mind, she can spend a Vitae to spit out a “curse” related
to one of his deep memories (“Your deceitful heart shall
be your ruin!”) The victim believes he’s hexed, taking the
Shaken Condition related to a particular Skill. Unlike the
standard use of Lay Open the Mind, this Condition lasts
a number of nights equal to Zagovny dots. The victim can
resolve it temporarily the usual way, but the Condition
returns at the next sundown. The vampire can “dispel”
this curse at any time with a few magic words, but Vedma
never do so without exacting a price.
62 Bloodlines: The Devoted
•••• Witch-Cloak (Obfuscate 4): Vedma have a reputation
for possessing a variety of magic. While that can be true,
they also know how to fake it till they make it. While
benefiting from the Familiar Stranger, your character
can spend a Vitae to Obfuscate Discipline effects with
simple illusions. This action is reflexive and affects a turn
of action. For example, rather than speeding off with
Celerity, people see her merge into a tree as she enters the
woods; instead of Dominating a mortal to do her bidding,
people perceive the victim as drinking her blood in a rite.
The Storyteller is the final arbiter on appropriate uses of
Witch-Cloak and if the circumstances make sense.
••••• Flight of the Warlock (Auspex 5): The height of
Zagovny is the closest the Vedma get to real magic.
When she uses Witch’s Familiar, your character can
spend a Willpower to preserve the illusion for the rest
of the night. It can go wherever she orders it, but it
can only Obfuscate a target once per scene.
In addition, she can “possess” her familiar with
Twilight Projection, stepping into it and either
retaining its shape or morphing into a copy of herself
whenever she likes. She can’t physically affect the world
around her, but she can use Auspex and Obfuscate.
The usual rules of Twilight Projection apply to this
illusion, meaning she can fly in this form if she wishes.
The illusion disappears at the end of the night or when
your character dismisses it.
New Devotion
Masked Blood
(Obfuscate ••••)
Warlocks often hide their true lineage, and can even mas-
querade as members of other lines. Rumor has it they learned
this Devotion from their fellow Dragons, the Moroi, but the
Warlocks claim to have perfected the technique.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn. If the vampire
has four dots of Zagovny, it only costs 1.
Cost: None or 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: None
Action: Instant
Duration: Scene
Kindred who taste the vampire’s blood, whether directly or
left spattered on a surface, suffer his Obfuscate dots as a penalty
on Taste of Blood rolls to analyze it. This effect is permanent
on any blood he leaves behind in a location.
If the vampire spends a Vitae at activation, instead of a pen-
alty he can spoof a single quality in his blood: clan, bloodline,
a disease, etc. For examples, see the “A Taste of Blood” sidebar
in Vampire: The Requiem, p. 91. The vampire needs to have
tasted blood with the quality she is spoofing. Auspex can pro-
voke a Clash of Wills against this Devotion, but the Auspex
user must first suspect deception.
part two:
DESIRE
 Dunia
The oneS who watch you
He’s going to kill you. Not just you, but all the elements of you:
a singularity-black veil of anonymity. There are few fates the lizard
brain fears more than oblivion, and the promise dripping from his knife
is meant for every person, place, and thing that makes up your life.
So fuck it, you’ll give up the bloodsucker. You’ll give up anything.
Something dead approaches. It could end you with a flick
of its too-precise claws, but you’re just the map, and it’s all
about the territory. The walls have eyes, it warns, but so does
everything else. Don’t crouch in the closet, it sees with the
shadows. No, not the street! It listens through the lamplights.
Flee for the outlands if you like, but beware the soft patches of
the earth. Surely that wasn’t a face? Surely.
The Akhud spend their nights plotting revenge on the vam-
pire race, but the Dunia believe their siblings miss the forest
for the trees. The Surveyors follow a unique mythology, saying
their grandsires struck a deal with the devil, a nameless creature
who told them the secret of their clan’s salvation. Destroying
the Kindred is one part of a greater truth: Freedom from the
curse demands knowledge, both of the enemy and the world
as a whole. Somewhere, the answer lies — and not just figura-
tively. The Dunia search for Irem of the Pillars, the lost city of
Islamic folklore. Some believe the city contains a relic to usher
in Apocalypse on the Kindred, while others hope it’s the resting
place of the five kings, the keystone sacrifice of their clan. And
a few claim the demon lairs beneath the ruin’s broken walls,
awaiting a final sacrifice.
In the meantime, the Dunia are the scouts, spies, and secret
agents of their clan, the ones who do the grunt work before
assassinations begin in full, or who stay in deep cover for years,
watching and learning and passing on addresses. Their mastery
of a technique called al-Bahth is a jagged but sharp edge to slip
through Kindred hearts, lending them a mastery of territories
even Gangrel can’t match.
See the loan shark. Schools of people are on his list, and he
can smell out deadbeats even after trails go long cold. Still, he
has a reputation for clemency, and alternate payment plans.
Maybe he just has a soft spot for sad SOBs who’ve hit rock
bottom. Lucky you. Ever seen the mayor’s uncle? The one who’s
“well preserved”? He’s also fond of sad SOBs like you. Just his
“Don’t hide.”
64 Bloodlines: The Devoted
taste. Drop by his office and invite him out for a drink. The
shark needs a chance to collect.
See the survivalist. He was a sharpshooter in Desert Storm,
but no one living has ever seen him armed with more than a
bowie knife. He holds up in a cabin at the far end of town,
with strange skulls nailed up on the rafters. His family never
visits, despite all the faded photos. It’s best not to ask. He hikes
into the wild for weeks on end, to caves, woods, and mountain
peaks people haven’t set foot on in hundreds of years. He never
comes back with any kills, but he always smells of forest fires.
See the swim coach. She teaches classes all over the state,
training her students for a sport no one can quite define. They
don’t care for the way she inspects their bodies like a lamprey
sniffs for blood, but you can’t argue with perfection. She knows
when they cheat. She knows when they talk. The water’s all she
understands anymore as she lies at the bottom of the pool for
hours on end, washing away her doubts. Tonight, she’s handing
out a new supplement for her students. All natural. They’ll need
it for the main event.
Let the other Akhud snap at heels. The Dunia will dig in.
Why you want to be us
Travel the world. Visit the four corners of the earth. Live
beneath the stars. See their lies. Always know the greatest
victory is the one where you hang them with their own ropes.
Why you should fear us
You make the ground your grave, but we make it our skin.
You’re a splinter to pluck. A tick to burn. We know where all
ticks hide, and we’ve been heating lances in the fire just for you.
Why we should fear ourselves
To know everything is to know too much. Not secrets or
lies, just the routine bullshit of it all. Petty things, import-
ant things… grease smears on the bloated gray corpse of a
city. But the whispers say we’re so close. Well, we’ve been
“close” for centuries.

Bloodline Origins
• The survivors of the five cities wandered the desert,
700 leagues in 70 nights. One group came upon a ruin,
a broken outpost of a lost empire, and beneath the
sand they uncovered Shaddad, the Unnamed
One. It told them destroying the Kindred would
not be enough to atone, that the Ahranites
lacked a bigger piece of the puzzle, hidden
somewhere in the dead heart of the dead empire.
Swearing their blood to it, the creature blessed
these Akhud with its sacred geometries and
dubbed them dunya, the earth, for the soil would
be their salvation.
• The Akhud walked among the Propinqui
in the early nights of the Camarilla. Many
even gave in to the majesty of Rome,
becoming debauched, urban creatures.
They mixed their blood with Wanderers
of the Peregrine Collegia, serving the
state as hounds and spies. When the
Founders declared their clan damnatio
memoriae, spurred by the lies of their
winged masters, these few heard the
betrayal coming on the whispers of
cobblestones, and slipped into the
night. Back in their homeland in
the East, they sought legends of a
holy place where their clan might
live in peace.
• Once upon a midnight darkly, a
peasant took refuge in a castle keep.
However, the master of the house knew
the bones of his lands, and feeling this
violation, he demanded recompense.
In fear, the peasant gave up his youngest
daughter, the sweetest and the fairest. A
cruel beast, the master accepted. If she
would be his bride, his lands would be hers
to wander… but for the gardens, where he
warned her to never tread. After a season,
the girl said she would leave, for she could
not be his wife if she did not know his secrets.
The lord showed her the magic bloom in the
garden, the source of his power and the heart
of his monstrous curse, wilting over centuries
in wait of true love. The girl kissed him gently,
then plucked the bloom from the thorns. She
crushed its last petal beneath her heel, and as
the beast turned to dust she fed the thorns
to the birds of the garden, so they might
expand her new holdings. Never again
would she be held hostage — greedily
ever after.
Parent Clan: Akhud (Thousand Years of Night, p. 28)
Nicknames: Surveyors, Pillars, Eyes of Shaddad
Bloodline Bane (The Curse of Ubar): The Dunia have
old obligations, and they must never get too comfortable in
their Requiems. All Surveyors have a permanent, mandatory
Aspiration: Search for Irem. They can define this goal however
they like, but they can never ignore it. If a Dunia goes more
than (10 – Blood Potency) weeks without fulfilling this
Aspiration, the Akhud clan bane applies to all mortals.
Resolving this Aspiration does not grant a Beat if the
character went too long ignoring it, but it does reset
this bane. Dunia characters can still only have three
Aspirations total, including this one.
Favored Attributes: As with parent clan
Disciplines: Celerit y, Obfuscate,
Praestantia, Protean
In the Covenants
Some Akhud betray their
clan, dirtying themselves in
Kindred politics, but the
Dunia are purists. They infil-
trate covenants; they hide in
them for decades and learn all
they can for the final blow, but
they never join. Not even as
they gain power and blood or
learn faith and transcendence.
Not even as they find sympathy
for the dead.
The Carthian Movement: The Dunia
hide in the Movement by posing as refu-
gees or revolutionaries on the run. The
Carthians make excellent stooges, eager
as they often are to boost their numbers
(sometimes after the Dunia thinned
them). Carthians are also prone to righ-
teous anger, and Surveyors will spy on the
Revolution’s enemies if the intelligence
could lead to violence.
The Circle of the Crone: Dunia
among the Acolytes pretend to be
Gangrel nomads, stroking the Circle’s
ego with bullshit stories about com-
muning with spirits of the land — their
stated methods are a façade, but the
insights always happen to be true.
They string the Circle along for years
with accurate predictions “from the
gods,” awaiting the right moment to
slip in a fatal lie.
Appendix One: Dunia 65
 The Invictus: The Invictus do what the Dunia wish they
could on a massive scale. The covenant’s spy networks have
lasted since the fall of Rome, so the Surveyors are careful not
to play games the First Estate invented. Instead, Dunia play
high risk, high reward games with the Establishment: They
admit what they are to ambitious nobles, offering damning
evidence on their rivals for the price of information, or a
promise to look the other way when certain Kindred disap-
pear from the city.
The Lancea et Sanctum: The Sanctified are a priority tar-
get for the Dunia. The church collects thousands of ancient
documents in its archives, and the Surveyors suspect at least
one of these collections includes a key to their search. Apart
from that, Dunia serve the Lancea et Sanctum as informants
on heretics and blasphemers, pushing the church’s hardliners
to strike out against sins both real and imagined.
The Ordo Dracul: Of all the covenants, the Dunia have
the hardest time infiltrating the Order. The Defiant are less
concerned with the gossip of other Kindred, so the Surveyors
have fewer footholds to sow discontent. That said, Wyrm’s
Nests are often secrets even to other Dragons, and Dunia will
leak their locations between rivals, fomenting academic and
physical conflict.
Rumors
“The demon talks to them. I have a Dunia contact who claims it
comes to her while she’s hiding in her various boltholes, tells her to
carry out any horrible thing that piques its fancy. She says it’s a real
bastard about it, too — orders her to drop everything, even projects that
took years to plan. Sounds exhausting.”
True enough. From time to time all Dunia get the feeling
of being pushed toward something, even if they can’t put a
name to it. It can be more concrete, too, like a compulsion
to steal Middle Eastern relics from a museum or a sudden
fascination with ley lines and sacred architecture. On that
front, Akhud with any knowledge of mummies might think
this demon is both more and less than it seems. The lost city
of Irem figures in both Arisen and Dunia legends, and the
bloodline’s obsession could be some Mesen-Nebu’s long con,
though what it has to do with the Akhud and destroying
Kindred is anyone’s guess. It may just be incidental, but one
mummy with memories of the Dunia thinks the connection
goes higher up. He claims he’s seen a creature hidden in Duat
unlike the Judges, and that the Sekhem it feeds on is tainted
with Death.
“I trust them as much as I trust any vampire: Not at all. It’s a safe
bet they think the same of us. They’re the worst kind of extremists,
and Lord help you if you have to hear about their magic city. I won’t
be surprised the night they start hunting their own ‘Kindred.’”
More moderate Akhud dislike the Dunia, writing them off
as a fundamentalist cult (which is saying something). They
believe the Surveyors would turn on the clan if it helped
their obsession, and the truly paranoid worry their search
66 Bloodlines: The Devoted
for the city is a way to unbind themselves from the Curse
of Five… or that they already have. One domain, of only a
handful controlled by Ahranites, is experiencing an uptick
in disappearances. Even the best hidden havens have been
violated, often marked with a symbol resembling a cracked
pillar. Is someone framing the Surveyors, or have the Dunia
turned on their siblings? If they have, would the Akhud turn
to the Kindred for help?
“First of all, the Akhud don’t exist. Second, if they did, they
wouldn’t have bloodlines. Isn’t it more likely there’s a pack of
Gangrel out there who hate the shit out of the rest of us? Hell, I’m
a Gangrel, and I could tell you right now how much we detest the
rest of you bitches.”
The Dunia have a kinship with the Savages. The Eyes of
Shaddad hunt Gangrel as much as any Kindred, but sometimes
they seem to have a blind spot, letting these Kindred slip
from their clutches more often than other targets. Perhaps
any vampire with Protean can counter the effect of al-Bahth,
or the Gangrel are just better at keeping their heads down,
but the truth may be stranger. Some Akhud speak of an
elder Surveyor who was once a Savage, “converting” to the
Ahranite cause and blood when he became a Dunia. If true,
the bloodline might be open to the Gangrel as well — and
their Vitae knows it.
Naomi Briese
“This goes deep. I’ve looked into you, so I know you’re above board,
but that’s not the same as trust. I need assurances: Drink, or I walk.”
Naomi was a top student at the CIA’s Farm, and if she’d
lived she would’ve gone on to a distinguished career in
American intelligence, or some other echelon of the military
industrial complex. That’s why her sire chose her. She was
unceremoniously Embraced the night she completed her
training, black bagged off to the West Coast for a far more
intense education.
Naomi has never met her sire face to face (not that she can
remember), but his proxies were effective and cruel, indoctri-
nating her on her clan, Irem, and the hated Kindred. Once she
was deemed ready, they embedded her in the city’s Invictus,
ordering her to masquerade as an abandoned Gangrel neonate.
She’s been working her way up the First Estate as an enforcer
ever since. Her sire believes the local Mekhet Voivode is hiding
lore of the lost city, and wants her to help the Invictus under-
mine the Dragon’s regime.
While she’s skilled in al-Bahth, Naomi prefers to call on her
spy school education, along with a few tricks she picked up
from the Kindred. Her favorite move is to play the honeypot,
convincing greedy vampires she has valuable information and
asking for a first step blood bond as payment, or training in
one of their Disciplines. Usually her intelligence is real, but she
never lets her clients have too much all at once.
Despite her work ethic, Naomi hasn’t really bought into the
Dunia’s ideology. She wants to be a good soldier, she wants to
hate the Kindred… but the Invictus offers such pleasures. She
doesn’t share the emotional connection other Akhud have with
their ancient foe, and she definitely doesn’t give a damn about
Biblical apocrypha. When (not if) she jumps ship, it’ll be quiet.
The Company taught her how to disappear from dangerous
situations, and she’s collected enough thralls to put in her
sire’s way or a long time. If she’s damned to spend her Requiem
chasing ghosts, she’ll do it on her own terms.
NAOMI
Naomi is an attractive twenty-something with unruly red hair.
She’s six-foot-even and did competitive weightlifting in college, so
her “I’m in charge here” presence can easily fill rooms. She has
a taste for tailored suits with lots of room to move and conceal
weapons, as befits her cover as an Invictus leg-breaker.
Clan: Akhud, posing as Gangrel
Bloodline: Dunia
Covenant: Invictus
Mask: Questioner
Dirge: Spy
Touchstone: Her current mortal boyfriend
Mental Attributes: Intelligence 3, Wits 3, Resolve 2
Physical Attributes: Strength 5, Dexterity 2, Stamina 4
Social Attributes: Presence 3, Manipulation 2,
Composure 2
Mental Skills: Academics 2, Investigation 3, Occult 1,
Politics 1
Physical Skills: Athletics (Weightlifting) 4, Brawl 2,
Firearms (Glocks) 3, Larceny 2, Stealth 1, Weaponry 2
Social Skills: Empathy 1, Intimidation (Don’t Try Me) 3,
Persuasion 2, Socialize 1, Subterfuge (Cover Stories) 3
Merits: Al-Bahth 3, Alternate Identity 2, Contacts
(Military, Police) 2, Grappling 3, Honey Trap, Invictus
Status 2, Professional Training (Spy) 2, Resources 2,
Striking Looks 2, Where the Bodies Are Buried
Disciplines: Auspex 1, Majesty 1, Obfuscate 3,
Praestantia 1, Protean 2
Blood Potency: 2
Health: 9
Willpower: 4
Humanity: 6
Size: 5
Speed: 12
Initiative: 5
Defense: 6
Notes: Naomi’s Asset Skills are Investigation and
Firearms.
New Merit
From the Arabic for “searching” or “seeking,” al-Bahth pro-
vides the Surveyors eyes and ears throughout the cities they
stalk, as well as the few places they call home. Originally a
way to comb the Empty Quarter for rumors of Irem, tonight
the Dunia are metropolitan monsters, and use this ability to
spy on Kindred or act as information brokers to other Akhud.
Al-Bahth (• to •••••)
Prerequisites: Dunia, Investigation ••, Protean •
Effect: Using her affinity for Protean, a Dunia can extend her
senses through the land, stealing Kindred and mortal secrets
to bring her closer to the Unnamed One’s purpose.
Know the Map (•): The first step in any investigation is
getting a lay of the land. If your character spends a Willpower
while resting in her Unmarked Grave, she gains insight into
the area (no larger than the surrounding neighborhood, give
or take), taking the Informed Condition. Drawback: Your
character can’t use Know the Map more than once a week, or
in the same area within a month.
Know the Landscape (••): A Surveyor can use the local
geography to aid in her pursuit. While she benefits from Know
the Map, once a chapter your character can add her Merit dots
to an action that would aid one of her Aspirations. If this is
an attack, the bonus counts as weapon damage. However,
this action must use the environment in some way, such as an
obstacle or a shortcut. Drawback: Disrespect the land and it
will punish you. A failure on this action is a dramatic failure.
Know the Lore (•••): A Dunia can hear the idle chatter of
mortals as they walk over her grave. As long as your character
benefits from Know the Map, once a chapter you can ask the
Storyteller for an urban legend or piece of gossip about the
area; it doesn’t have to be literally true, but it should lead to
more concrete intelligence. Using this information for tangible
results is the equivalent of fulfilling an Aspiration.
Know the People (••••): The Surveyor populates her map.
Instead of a general rumor, your character can use Know the
Lore to target a specific person or structure. For example, she
could ask which bar is most frequented by Kindred, or who the
most violent criminal in the area is. Acting on this information
can reveal the rating of Social Merits like Status, Resources,
or Allies. The vampire can also ignore one Door in any Social
maneuvering she undertakes regarding this subject.
Know the Beasts (•••••): With enough effort, a Surveyor
can expose the Kindred and their sins. Rather than upgrading
a roll, your character can spend Informed to track a vampire
who hunts the area she marked with Know the Map. Instead
of a Beat, she learns his Mask, Dirge, and one of the following:
• The location of his highest-rated Haven/Safe Place.
• The full name of one of his Touchstones.
• All of his banes.
• The names of any mortals with a blood bond to him.
Appendix One: Dunia 67
 And the Rest...
REXROTH
Parent Clan: Akhud
Nickname: Diviners
Bloodline Bane (The Fleeting Curse): The Rexroth
have too much compassion for the dead. Their clan bane
extends to ghosts and Sin-Eaters.
Favored Attributes: Intelligence or Wits
Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Obfuscate, Praestantia
Many Rexroth know Kindred Necromancy; see
Bloodlines: The Resurrected.
One Final Twist
No Akhud? No problem. If the Ahranites aren’t part of your
chronicle or its setting, the Dunia work just as well as a Gangrel
bloodline. Keep their Iremite mythology, but perhaps soften
their hate-on for other Kindred. They might also work as a small
antagonist covenant, with al-Bahth as a perk of membership.
This could be yet another identity of VII, or even Belial’s Brood
if their patron demon’s influence is a bit more direct.
68 Bloodlines: The Devoted
STAWA
Parent Clan: Akhud
Nickname: Ronin
Bloodline Bane (The Friendless Curse): The Stawa are
more compromised by their blood ties than other Akhud.
If a Ronin joins a coterie including any other Ahranites,
treat her Humanity as one dot lower for the purposes
of her clan bane.
Favored Attributes: As with parent clan
Disciplines: Obfuscate, Praestantia, Resilience, Vigor
As a Gangrel bloodline, use the following system:
Parent Clan: Gangrel
Bloodline Bane: As above, but ignoring the whispers of
Shaddad reduces the Dunia’s effective Humanity by two for
determining all banes. The Curse of Ubar can reduce frenzy
pools to a chance die for the purposes of the Gangrel clan curse.
Favored Attributes: Composure or Wits
Disciplines: Auspex, Obfuscate, Protean, Resilience (or keep
Praestantia instead of adding Auspex)
 Quick Conversions
Must go faster.
Ian Malcolm, Jurassic Park
The following is a list of brief updates for a selection of First
Edition bloodlines. This appendix covers all bloodlines not
converted above or in Bloodlines: The Resurrected, with the
exception of material from Ancient Bloodlines (stay tuned).
The bloodlines listed here are those where published
material can easily substitute the effect of First Edition-style
powers, or where only the bane needs an update. To save space,
if a bloodline’s unique powers included Merits, Devotions,
or other effects, it’s left to the reader to determine whether
to replace them with published Second Edition material or
to develop a full update.
Some of these conversions are suggestions rather than fully
realized mechanics, but all effort has been made to provide a
good starting point.
The Betrayed families are more like clans with covenant
benefits than true bloodlines, but we include them here for
completion. We also provide a short rundown of their unique
traits, if you want to use them as your chronicle’s version of VII.
Histories, Disciplines, and Favored Attributes can be found
throughout Chapter Two of VII. Betrayed are considered the
same clan for the effects of blood sympathy.
Alexander (p. 92): The Harridans cannot regain Willpower
from their Masks in a chapter unless they have first defended
their Dirges. Otherwise, an Alexander must roll Humanity
after defending her Mask, gaining no Willpower on a failure.
House Advantage: Members of House Alexander gain the
Danger Sense Merit and one dot of Iron Stamina, ignoring
prerequisites. In addition, they gain a number of dots in Herd
and Retainer equal to their House Status.
Grigorovich (p. 95): If a Vagabond spends (Humanity) con-
secutive nights in the same area, she must spend a Willpower in
addition to a Vitae to wake from daysleep, suffering an unavoid-
able point of aggravated damage if she has no Willpower left
to spend. House Advantage: Members of House Grigorovich
gain Encyclopedic Knowledge and a Specialty in Kindred for
Occult or Politics. In addition, they gain a number of dots in
Allies and Contacts equal to their House Status.
Irinavici (p. 98): Machiavellis suffer the Second Edition
Ventrue bane. House Advantage: Members of House Irinavici
gain three dots in Cacophony Savvy, ignoring the Status pre-
requisite. In addition, they gain a number of dots in Contacts
and Resources equal to their House Status.
Marisovich (p. 101): Note an Antiquarian’s highest Mental
Skill. Whenever a Marisovich fails an action with this trait,
all mundane actions are limited by her Humanity. This lasts
the rest of the scene or until she completes the original task,
whichever comes first. House Advantage: Members of House
Marisovich gain the Dream Visions Merit, a dot in Library, and
a Language. In addition, they gain a number of dots in Mentor
and Retainer equal to their House Status.
Petrovnavich (p. 86): When relating to mortals who are not
under her direct power, an Anastasia’s Humanity is considered
one dot lower for determining Social penalties. This bane
does not apply to other ghouls or her Touchstones. House
Advantage: Members of House Petrovnovich begin play with
the Inspiring Merit, ignoring prerequisites. In addition, they
gain a number of dots in Herd and Retainer equal to their
House Status.
Semeonovic (p. 89): Upon reaching Humanit y 6, a
Semeonovic gains the Plague of Purity bane (Vampire: The
Requiem, p. 108). This counts against the three banes a vampire
is allowed, so she is less able to mitigate detachment. House
Advantage: Members of House Semeonovic gain the Anointed
Merit and a dot of Touchstone. In addition, they gain a number
of dots in Allies and Retainer equal to their House Status.
Appendix Two: Quick Conversions 69

Betrayed Systems
Betrayed use the same mechanics as Kindred, with some
exceptions. Replace the systems on pp. 104–110 of VII with
the following:
• The Burning: By spending a Willpower, for the rest of
the scene attempts to use Auspex on a Sevenite auto-
matically fail, delivering false positives and nightmarish
visions; this even applies to the Spirit’s Touch for objects
she interacts with. In addition, she can ignore supernat-
ural commands when ordered to harm or work against
her fellow Betrayed.
• The Eyes of Wrath: Barring Obfuscate use, Betrayed can
always distinguish between Kindred and each other on
sight. Conversely, Kindred do not automatically recog-
nize Sevenites as vampires, even with Auspex. Betrayed
do not give off the Predatory Aura unless they choose
to, in which case they register as normal vampires.
However, they must always spend a Willpower to lash
out at Kindred, though not each other.
• The Pain of Duty: Betrayed characters can start play at
Blood Potency 2 if they also start at Humanity 5.
• Seven Sons of Vengeance: The Betrayed are haunted by
the ghosts of their wronged ancestors, and these specters
impose the Madness Condition on those they torment.
The benefits of these ghosts mostly work as written, but
require adjustments here and there (see VII, p. 107).
Carthians
Barjot (p. 156): A Barjot who spends more than (Humanity)
hours/scenes away from her coterie or members of her covenant
takes the Deprived Condition until she returns. She does not
gain a Beat for resolving this Condition unless she makes suf-
ficient restitution to her comrades. All Jelinenes gain the Pack
Alpha Merit for free or are refunded the spent Experience.
Favored Attributes: As with parent clan.
Zelani (p. 166): A Zelani must roll Humanity to enter a mor-
tal’s home uninvited. Failure means she cannot enter under
her own power for the scene. If she is physically forced to cross
the threshold, she automatically falls to frenzy, fleeing at all
costs. Zelani cannot compel invitations with mental Disciplines.
Replace Serendipity with Auspex or Praestantia (Thousand
Years of Night, p. 29). Zelani gain the Dream Visions Merit
(called “Intuition”) on induction into the bloodline. A complete
update of Serendipity can be found on p. 19 of Bloodlines:
The Resurrected. Favored Attributes: As with parent clan.
Circle of the Crone
Carnon (p. 168): Carnon mutate into satyr-like beings as they
age. Subtract half the vampire’s Blood Potency dots (rounding
70 Bloodlines: The Devoted
down) from her effective Humanity for the purposes of determin-
ing Social penalties with mortals, to a minimum of Humanity 1.
Torpor can relieve physical manifestations of this bane. Carnon
gain 9-again on attempts to ride the wave, but only from hunger
provocations. Favored Attributes: Composure or Strength.
Childer of the Morrigan (p. 172): If a Morrigan loses or
retreats from a physical conflict, she gains the Broken Condition.
This lasts (10 – Humanity) nights unless she proves her martial
skill or resolves the Condition as usual. For every other dot of
Blood Potency (evens), a Morrigan learns a Crúac ritual equal to
or lower than half her Strength (round up), even if she doesn’t
have any Crúac. The vampire can switch out a ritual earned
this way if she loses and regains Blood Potency later. Do not
add any Discipline dots to the dice pool unless the character
has a rating equal to the rite’s level. Otherwise, casting works
as usual. Favored Attributes: Stamina or Strength.
Mara (p. 180): Mara must be submerged in natural bodies
of water while feeding. Otherwise, the Vitae a Lamprey can
take on dry land per night is limited by Humanity. Any more
than that is wasted. This bane does not apply to feeding from
Kindred. Favored Attributes: As with parent clan.
Invictus
Annunaku (p. 159): Upon joining the bloodline, an
Annunaku replaces his Humanity 6 Touchstone with some
aspect of his household (the land, the servants, etc.) If the
vampire experiences a breaking point outside the presence of
this Touchstone, treat all his Touchstones as attaching two dots
higher than usual. Replace Tenure with Auspex. Annunaku
gain a dot of Safe Place and a dot of Haven upon entry into
the bloodline. A complete update of Tenure can be found on
p. 9 of Bloodlines: The Resurrected. Favored Attributes:
Resolve or Stamina.
Malocusians (p. 168): The Malocusian bane works as
written, but make the penalty for not spending Willpower
cumulative. Correct “Presence” to Majesty and replace Domus
with Obfuscate. Consider giving Malocusians an ability that
projects Disciplines through Safe Places; alternatively, perhaps
the Spiders are the rumored Ventrue branch of the Annunaku
bloodline, and have access to their own Tenure Devotions.
Favored Attributes: As with parent clan.
Lancea Sanctum
Osites (p. 173): The Osite bane works mostly as written, but
ignore text about healing limitations. In addition, Bone Monks
cannot use the blush of life without a successful Humanity roll.
Failure means the Vitae is wasted. Replace Memento Mori with
Resilience. Osites also have access to Kindred Necromancy
(Bloodlines: The Resurrected, p. 21). They learn the following
rituals at each associated dot, in addition to the usual free rites
gained for buying Blood Sorcery: Appraise the Dead, Corrosive
Touch, Corpse Repair, Quicken Corpse, Infuse Undead.
Favored Attributes: Intelligence or Stamina.
Ordo Dracul
Moroi (p. 159): Use the Second Edition versions of the
Gangrel and Nosferatu banes. Otherwise, the Moroi work as
written. Favored Attributes: Stamina or Strength.
Clan Books
Adrestoi (Ventrue, p. 104): An Adrestoi character must
spend a Vitae or succeed a Humanity roll to augment mundane
actions with Willpower. If the vampire has no Vitae or fails,
the Willpower is wasted, and he cannot spend another on the
action. Favored Attributes: As with parent clan.
Cocksomb Society (Nosferatu, p. 106): In addition to the
Nosferatu bane, members of the Society must roll Humanity
when they defend their Masks or Touchstones. On a failure, they
gain half the usual Willpower. Favored Attributes: Composure
or Presence.
Erzsébet (Daeva, p. 114): When one of the Withered falls
to Humanity 6, she begins to age at about a quarter the rate
of a human. Furthermore, once a chapter, if an Erzsébet
experiences a breaking point, roll her Humanity at the end
of the scene. On a failure, she ages one year during her next
daysleep. Withered can revert their aging by spending an
equal amount of time in torpor, but they can only return
to their ages at the moment of Embrace. Favored Attributes:
Composure or Manipulation.
Hounds of Acteon (Gangrel, p. 110): When it comes to
frenzies provoked by hunger, Hounds treat their Humanity as
two dots lower than usual for the purposes of the Gangrel clan
bane. At Humanity 2 and 1, this reduces the pool to a chance
die. Favored Attributes: Stamina or Wits.
Lygos (Nosferatu, p. 107): All actions are limited by
Humanity when a Lygos is exposed to anything more luminous
than moderately bright light. This even applies to rolls that don’t
depend on sight. In combat, this instead inflicts the Blinded
(one eye) Tilt. Favored Attributes: As with parent clan.
Mabry (Gangrel, p. 111): If another member of the Mabry
bloodline is not within a radius of (Humanity) kilometers/miles,
a Trapdoor Spider loses the 10-again quality on all mundane
actions. If she has the Pack Alpha Merit, her chosen coterie
applies as well. Favored Attributes: As with parent clan.
Mnemosyne (Mekhet, p. 82): Rolls to resist Vitae addiction
are limited by a Mnemosyne’s Humanity dots before penalties
apply. At Blood Potency 6, they instead take a second step
blood bond the first time they drink from another vampire.
Replace Meminisse with Dominate. The Keepers have access
to a variant Coil of the Voivode, which they call Meminisse.
They treat this as their primary Mystery. Favored Attributes:
Intelligence or Presence.
Naditu (Daeva, online only): Change the penalty for failing
to find a patron to (10 – Humanity) divided by two, rounding
up. Favored Attributes: Manipulation or Wits.
Norvegi (Mekhet, p. 84): The Norvegi have no fangs. They
cannot inflict the Swooning Condition on feeding victims or
lick wounds shut. In addition, treat the vampire’s Touchstones
as attaching one dot higher than usual on any breaking points
incurred for feeding. Replace Bloodworking with Protean. The
effects of Bloodworking could be forms for Predatory Aspect
and Unnatural Aspect, or Devotions. Favored Attributes:
Strength or Wits.
Ghouls
Angustri (p. 96, sidebar): Angustri cannot Embrace outside
their ghoul family. Roll the vampire’s new Humanity rating
(minus one for the Mekhet bane) after she sires an unrelated
mortal. On a failure, her childe dies unless she spends a per-
manent dot of Willpower. On a dramatic failure, it becomes
a draugr. Favored Attributes: Intelligence or Manipulation.
Night Horrors: Immortal Sinners
Család (p. 118): Any night a Család doesn’t rest in her haven,
she must spend additional Vitae equal to Blood Potency or
succeed on a Humanity roll. On a failure, or lacking enough
blood, she gains the Lethargic Condition. Család with Status
in their bloodline can learn rituals of Lithopedia. Conform
casting times with Crúac and Theban Sorcery. Rituals can be
converted to the new system with Blood Sorcery: Sacraments
& Blasphemies. Favored Attributes: Intelligence or Resolve.
Empusae (p. 127): The Social penalties for low Humanity
apply to all mundane uses of an Empusa’s Animal Ken Skill.
Unless the vampire uses Animalism, her presence repels
beasts, and they will attack her if they feel threatened. Favored
Attributes: Composure or Resolve.
Eupraxus (p. 54): As an extension of her clan bane, a
Eupraxus cannot lick wounds shut on victims she has only fed
on once. These vampires also retain the bite marks from their
Embraces, even if they haven’t joined the bloodline yet. Favored
Attributes: Manipulation or Presence.
Sons of Cade (p. 49): As an extension of his clan bane, if
a Son of Cade has no attached Touchstones, all frenzy rolls
provoked by anger suffer a –2 modifier unless he spends a
Willpower. This Willpower only negates the penalty; it does
Appendix Two: Quick Conversions 71
 not apply a +3 or give the vampire a turn of control. Favored
Attributes: As with parent clan.
Telamones (p. 94): The Social penalties for low Humanity
apply to a Telmones’ mundane Stealth Skill, and therefore so
does the Nosferatu bane, when applicable. This only apples to
hiding from mortals, not Kindred or ghouls. Replace Obfuscate
with Resilience if you want to reinforce this difficulty. Favored
Attributes: Intelligence or Strength.
Requiem for Rome
Larvae (p. 228): As written, using the Second Edition
Gangrel bane. Favored Attributes: Stamina or Strength.
Licinii (p. 231): Use the Second Edition versions of the Julii
and Nosferatu banes. The Founders can be found in Thousand
Years of Night, p. 30. Replace Animalism with Resilience.
Favored Attributes: As with Julii.
Shadows of Mexico
Calacas (p. 99): Calacas always count as having the Open
Condition (Chronicles of Darkness, p. 134), and ghosts gain
a (10 – Humanity) bonus on Power + Finesse rolls to use
Manifestations against them. Calacas have access to Kindred
Necromancy (Bloodlines: The Resurrected, p. 21), and learn
the following rituals at each associated dot, in addition to the
usual free rites for buying Blood Sorcery: Spiritual Sight, Soul Jar,
Open Avernian Gateway, Return to the Dust, Create Avernian
Gateway. Favored Attributes: Composure or Intelligence.
72 Bloodlines: The Devoted
Dead Wolves (p. 102): If a Dead Wolf touches silver treat
it as if she were exposed to sunlight. Replace Sublunario with
Auspex. Dead Wolves gain a Wolf-Blooded Tell on induction
into the bloodline, or retain one if they were uragarum in life.
The Storyteller has final say on appropriate Tells. Alternatively
or in addition, a Dead Wolf gains her Blood Potency as a bonus
on rolls to ride the wave on the night of her Auspice (i.e., the
moon’s phase on the night of her Embrace). Favored Attributes:
As with parent clan.
Malintzin (p. 101): Malintzin gain the Ventrue curse in
addition to the Daeva bane. Favored Attributes: Manipulation
or Resolve.
Bloodlines: The Hidden
The following update was overlooked in Appendix Two of
Bloodlines: The Resurrected.
Architects of the Monolith (p. 30): Masons with no
attached Touchstones lose the 10-again quality on Mental and
Social Skill actions that do not help fulfill their Aspirations.
Architects of the Monolith with Kindred Status in their
bloodline can learn rituals of Gilded Cage. Change casting
time to conform with Crúac and Theban Sorcery in Vampire:
The Requiem Second Edition; rituals can otherwise be con-
verted using Blood Sorcery: Sacraments & Blasphemies.
A complete update of the Masons can also be found in The
Secret Frequency Files (p. 10), by Darker Days Publishing,
and an alternate version of this bloodline as a covenant can
be found in False Gods: Ventrue (p. 133). Favored Attributes:
As with parent clan.
 Kimiya &
Ritual Sorcery
She taught me the theory of magic and its practice; I took notes in writing and perfected my craft,
having committed to memory one hundred and seventy chapters of formulae…
One Thousand and One Nights

Kimiya is the Ritual Discipline of the Jaliniyya (Dark Eras
2, p. 140). Long a broken covenant, the Azerkatil bloodline
still practice this form of alchemy in a variant called Suikast.
When using Kimiya or Suikast with the ritual sorcery rules
presented in Blood Sorcery: Sacraments & Blasphemies,
their linked themes are Creation and Transmutation. Use the
following dice pools:
producing effects that stretch possibility’s limits, inspiring and
terrifying in equal measure.
Kimiya is scientific—it aims to unveil the underpinnings
of the universe. Its practitioners always have explanations on
hand for the alchemical principles fueling their rites. Kimiya
formulae unlock magic by testing, uncovering, and understand-
ing hidden knowledge.

Improvised
or Theme Dice Pool
Formulae and Themes
Improvised Intelligence + Science + Theme For the formulae presented on p. 15 of this book and pp.
143–144 of Dark Eras 2, use the following Themes:
Creation Intelligence + Science + Creation
Destruction Wits + Occult + Destruction Formula Theme
Divination Wits + Investigation + Divination Dragon’s Own Fire Destruction •
Protection Resolve + Medicine + Protection Spider’s Hijra Creation •
Transmutation Intelligence + Academics + Pasha’s Vision Divination ••
Transmutation Sayih’s Kohl Transmutation ••

Motifs Taste of the Dragon Destruction ••,

Divination ••
Kimiya is sacrificial—bloodletting and sympathy power al-Ajsad Creation •••
its formulae. Blood, especially Kindred blood, hides occult
Kale-Kob Destruction •••
potential, and Kimiya’s rites unlock its might. After treating
Ebony Horse Transmutation ••••
the sacrificial blood, the ritualist paints it on or injects it into
the formula’s subject. Intikam Destruction ••••,
Transmutation •••
Kimiya is wondrous—it glories in the majesty of God’s cre-
ation. Its magic is awe-inspiring, bringing to mind fabulous Burn the Dragon’s Blood Destruction •••••
poetic legends and prophetic tales. Kimiya is not a subtle art, Curse of the Monkey Prince Transmutation •••••

Appendix Three: Kimiya & Ritual Sorcery 73

More from NMD

available at
www.storytellersvault.com
 We plot our intrigues in the dark,
pretending the All Night Society
works as the day.

But politics are just a game

to keep the Beast in check.

Blood is devotion.

Blood holds more weight than a Prince,

or a Dragon,
or a God.

Open your veins and see.

— Chloe the Coyote, Bohagande Mystic

This book is a companion to Bloodlines: The Resurrected.

Resurrected. It includes:
• Complete Second Edition updates of 22 classic bloodlines, from
the covenant books and beyond, including the Agonistes, Azerkatil,
Dragolescu, Macellarius, Spina, and Therion
• New Disciplines, Devotions, Rituals, Merits, and a Mystery of the
Dragon: The Coil of the Vigilant
• The Dunia of Clan Akhud, first hinted at in VII
• More quick conversions of over 40 bloodlines!