Glossary of Terms

There exists among the Kindred a distinct patois, drawing on many tongues and giving new shades of meaning to certian mortal words. One can often tell what generation a vampire is by listening to the parlance that she employs. There is a sharp distinction between the words used by the anarchs and those employed by elders. Using the wrong word in the wrong circumstances is often considered a serious breach of etiquette.

Common Parlance

Anarch : A rebel among the Kindred, one with no respect for the elders. Most fledglings are automaticlly assumed to be anarchs by the elder, and are despised as products of the 20th century.

Barrens, The : The areas of a city that are devoid of life-graveyards, abandoned buildings and parks.

Becoming, The : The moment one becomes a vampire; the metamorphosis from mortal to Kindred. Also called "The Change".

Book of Nod : The "sacred" book of the Kindred, tracing the race's orgins and early history. It has never been published in its entirety, although fragments are known to exist in various languages.

Beast,The : The drives and urges which prompt a vampire to become entirely a monster, forsaking all Humanity. Vide man infra

Blood : The vampire's heritage. That which makes a vampire a vampire, or simply the actual blood of the vampire.

Blood Kindred : The relationship between vampires of the same lineage and clan.

Blood Oath : The most potent bond which can exist between vampires; the receiving of blood in an acknowlegdgement of mastery. This grants a mystical power over the one who is bound.

Brood : A group of vampires gathered around a leader (usually their sire). A brood may in time become a clan(qv).

Caitiff : A vampire with no clan.

Camarilla, The : A global sect of vampires in which all Kindred may hold membership. Its rule is far from absolute, and it serves as a debating chamber more than a goverment.

Childe : A degoratory term for youg, inexpernenced, or foolish vampires.

Clan : A group of vampires who share certain mystic and physical characteristics.

Diablerie : The cannibalistic behavor of common among Kindred, involving the coonsumption of the blood of another vampire. The elders do so out of need, whereas the anarchs do so out of desire for power.

Domain : The fiefdom clamied by a vampire, mare often a prince. Invariably a city.

Elder : A vampire who is 300 years of age or older.

Elysium : The name given for the places where the elders meet and gather, commonly operas, theaters or other public places of culture.

Embrace, The : The act of transforming a mortal into a vampire by draining the mortal's blood and replacing it with a small amount of the vampires own.

Fledgling : A young, newly created vampire. Vide, Neonate, Whelp.

Generation : The number of steps between a vampire and the mythical Cane.

Gehenna : The end of the Third Cycle; the impending Amrageddon when Antediluvians shall awaken and devour all vampires.

Ghoul : A servant created by allowing a mortal to drink Kindred blood without the draining that would give rise to a progeny.

Haven : The home of a vampire or the place where it sleeps during the day.

Hunger, The : As with mortals and other animals, the drive to feed.

Inconnu : A sect of vampires, mosty Methuselahs, who have removed themselves from both mortal and Kindred affairs. They state that they have nothing to do with the Jyhad.

Jyhad, The : The secret war being waged between the few surviving vampires of the third generation.

Kindred : A vampire. Many elders consider even this term to be vulgar, and prefer to use a more poetic word such as Cainite.

Kiss : To take the blood of a mortal, or the act of taking blood in general.

Lupine : A werewolf, the mortal enemy of the vampires.

Lush : A vampire who habitually feeds upon prey who are under the influence of drink or drugs in order to experince the sensations thereof.

Life, The : A euphemistic term for mortal blood taken as sustenance. Many Kindred regard this term as "prissy".

Man, The : The elment of humanity which remains in a vampire, and which strives against the base urgings of the Beast.

Masquerade, The : The effort begun after the end of the great wars to hide Kindred society from the mortal world.

Prince : A vampire who has established a claim to rulership over a city, and is able to support that claim. The feminie form is still prince.

Riddle, The : The essential dilemma of a vampire's existence- to prevent the occurrence of greater atrocities, one must commit evil deeds of a lesser nature.

Rouge : A vampire who feeds upon other vampires, either out of need or perversion.

Sabbat, The : A sect of vampires controlling much of the eastern North America. They are violent and bestial, reveling in needless cruelty.

Sect : General name for one of the three primary groups among the Kindred- the camarilla, Sabbat or Inconnu.

Sire : The parent-creator of a vampire, used both as the female and male form.

Vessel : A potential or past source of blood, typically a human.

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