Sirs, as I understand it, this is a comprehensive listing of Kindred vocabulary and terms. Apparently knowledge of these terms would condemn us to death if the Kindred were to discover we knew. A sobering thought huh? However as we do not interfere with Supernatural matters, merely record, I would feel safe in my assumption that we were for the most party safe.
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15/06/2002 - Samuel Pearsden Chapter House Wellington |
Common Parlance
These are the terms most commonly used among the Kindred
Anarch:
A rebel among the Kindred, one with no respect for the elders. Most fledglings
are automatically assumed to be anarchs by their elders, 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 origins and early
history. It has never been published in its entirety, although fragments are
know to exist in various languages.
Beast, The:
The drives and urges which prompt a vampire to become entirely a monster,
forsaking all Humanity. Vida 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 or clan. The idea is much
the same among mortals. Only the means of transmission are different.
Blood Oath:
The most potent bond which can exist between vampires. The receiving of blood in
an acknowledgement of mastery. This grants a mystical power over the one who is
bound. Vide Blood Bond infra.
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. Frequently used in a derogatory fashion. To be clanless
is not a virtue among the Kindred.
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 government.
Childe:
A derogatory term for a young, inexperienced, or foolish vampire. The plural
form is Childer.
Diablerie:
The cannibalistic behavior common among Kindred, involving the consumption 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 claimed by a vampire, most often a prince. Invariably a city.
Elder:
A vampire who is 300 years of age or older. Elders consider themselves the most
powerful Kindred, and usually engage in their own Jyhad.
Elysium:
The name given for places where elders meet and gather, commonly operas,
theaters or other public places of high 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 vampire's own blood.
Fledgling:
A young, newly created vampire. Vide Neonate, Whelp.
Generation:
The number of steps between a vampire and the mythical Caine. Caine's Get were
the second generation, their brood the third, and so on.
Gehenna:
The end of the Third Cycle; the impending Armageddon when the 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 place where it sleeps during the day.
Hunger, The:
As with mortals and other animals, the drive to feed. For vampires, though, it
is much more intense, and takes the place of every other drive, urge, or
pleasure.
Inconnu:
A sect of vampires, mostly 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, using the younger vampires as pawns. Also used to describe any sort
of conflict or warfare between vampires.
Kindred:
A vampire. Many elders consider even this term 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 natural enemy of the vampires.
Lush:
A vampire who habitually feeds upon prey under the influence of drink or drugs
to share the experiences and sensations thereof. Vide Head.
Life, The:
A euphemistic term for mortal blood taken as sustenance. Many Kindred regard the
term as affected and prissy.
Man, The:
The element of humanity which remains in a vampire, and which strives against
the base urgings of the Beast (qv).
Masquerade, The:
The effort begun after the end of the great wars to hide Kindred society from
the mortal world. A policy reaffirmed after the time of the Inquisition.
Prince:
A vampire who has established a claim to ruler ship over a city, and is able to
support that claim nil disputandum. A prince often has a brood (qv) to aid him.
The feminine form is still prince.
Riddle, The:
The essential dilemma of a vampires existence- to prevent the occurrence of
greater atrocities, one must commit evil deeds of a lesser nature. The proverb
is: Monsters we are lest monsters we become.
Rogue:
A vampire who feeds upon other vampires, either out of need or perversion. Vide
Diablerie.
Sabbat, The:
A sect of vampires controlling much of 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.