Ars Vampirica - A time of darkness in 16th century Europe

The Anatomy of the Dead

Vampires are the living dead. They resemble the living when flushed with blood or a wretched
corpse once starved. They have no need to eat or breathe. Though if cut they bleed, they do not
bleed out. While they can be exposed to diseases, such things only linger on them. A vampire may
be killed by blade or by club, though such an endeavor is difficult and warrants great skill, strength,
and bravery from the would be hunter. However there are weaknesses which prevent a vampire
from being truly immortal.
Daylight robs the vampire of his power, granting weakness and mortality. They become more
susceptible to attacks from humans and those starved will burn at its touch while disrupting
whatever dark sorcery they cast. Garlic weakens and disrupts a vampire's concentration, agitating
their senses and mind, and wood from the oak paralyzed them. Lastly, a vampire cannot quote
holy scripture.

Potentia Sanguinis
To the vampire, blood is power. It offers reprieve from the thirst and flushes the visage of life in
them. It also holds power. Blood is the essence of the flesh, and that stolen essence which flows
through a vampire can be harnessed to enact dark miracles. This comes in two forms, the
supernatural powers they enact through natural instincts and the dark sorceries they command
through it. For the former, a vampire may enact these powers as one would breathe or form a fist
with their hand and are often grown with age and experience. The latter is learned as any skill but
allows invocation of their damned souls to effect dark changes in Creation.

Nocte Miraculum
Not all vampires are masters of dark sorcery, but it is without a doubt a common skill among them.
Their damned nature links them with Hell and their power flows forth from the Devil himself. Using
the power within their blood, a vampire can create abominable magic. The forms such magic takes
is as limitless as their mind's depraved imagination, but there are a few limits to their sorceries.
1. As the Devil grants these powers, so too are they subordinate to the command of God. Any
miracle will pierce through the magic of the vampire.
2. The magic of a vampire can endure sunlight, except those tied to the vampire's person. As soon
as the vampire is touched by the Sun's rays, any sorcerous effect is dispelled.
3. A vampire cannot enchant anyone or anything standing upon sacred ground. (But sacred ground
can be defiled)
4. The vampire's magic flows from Hell, thus it cannot create life or restore to good order the world.
This means a vampire cannot heal the living or cure a disease with his magic. He cannot conjure a
butterfly, but he can summon demons or call beasts to his side, change one being's nature and
form, and create diseases and maladies to spread.

Bloodlines/Traditions
Strigoi - Cursed from birth, the strigoi are terrifying creatures of the night and are infamous for their
resilience. Strigoi are most like the corpses they are and must sleep in a coffin. However they
cannot be staked, except in their coffin. They begin with the power to shapeshift
Nazchenter- Creatures of darkness, the nazchenters often skulk around graveyards. They can feed
off of corpses, devouring their flesh, and turn invisible. However, if a coin is placed in their mouth,
they become paralyzed. Their shapeshifting is limited, and when developed may only take the form
of a pig.
Mullo- Mullos return to a life of vengeance. Their hair grows unnaturally fast, nearly a foot a day
until it reaches the floor. They are physically the strongest of the various traditions and gain more
strength. They are repulsed by hawthorn
Empusa- Also called Lamias. These vampires must be female and the dark rite used to create
them renders their visage impossibly beautiful. They may paralyze at a touch. However they
cannot shapeshift and have a compulsion to feed off of children.
Alukah - Gifted with the ability to fly, the Alukah is much closer to the Devil and is particularly skilled
at dark sorcery. However it must feed every night or wither away and die.
Green Sun Style
This martial art emulates the Green Sun himself, styling a radiant style of fighting. Attacks are
elegant and graceful. When fighting in this style, often the weapon glows with the wielder's
essence when engaged with their all and often incorporates clean strikes and flowing parries. This
style can only be used when the swordsman is unarmored and wielding any kind of sword or
daiklave (any daiklave is compatible with this style)

Titan Stance (10m, +1wp)

Simple
Essence 6
The swordsman adopts a stance in which he centers himself as all that's important and strikes out
with his will, letting all follow it. His own soul burns bright, causing the swordsman to glow. For the
Exalted, they glow as if he had spent 8-10 motes of essence even if he hasn't. When adopting the
Titan Stance, the swordsman gains a free reflexive parry at his full dice pool each turn which may
be used against attacks which cannot normally be blocked. By spending willpower, the swordsman
may use his weapon to focus his will and attack and change aspects of Creation. They may strike
at a river to change its course, turn tornadoes away, and even dispel a hurricane at an appropriate
difficulty (Changing a river is a Difficulty 3 test, stopping a hurricane is upwards to Difficulty 8).
When used in a more conventional attack, it automatically converts the wielder's (essence) attack
dice into successes.