"Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Shouldst not grave pleasures be my all,
For if I shall see thy Will be done,
Grant Me the Witchcraft of thy tongue"
Welcome to my home, enter freely, go safely, know that I am Voivode of all you survey here, and beyond. I am Count Vladimir Bratovitch, a name I adopted in the Dark Ages, because no-one spoke the language of the Second City any more. My true name is Xul Kharu, it means 'evil vampire' in the language of Enoch, and well, I am Vampyr, and the word evil only means 'to go beyond necessary means'. Quite descriptive of me, would you not say? Anyway, forgive my ramblings, enough of this idle chatter, you came here to learn of my clan, the dread Tzimisce, and myself. We were once the strongest clan in Eastern Europe and beyond, though in the early years of this second millennium after the birth of the nailed gods' prophet, a group of mortal Magi rose and stole the gift of Immortality from one of my clan. Subjecting him to numerous experiments, and dangling the carrot of freedom in exchange for information, and the Embrace, they learned much of our kind. Of course, like the bastard liars they are, they killed him after he had Embraced them.
These wizards were under the control of one of the Founders of the Order of Hermes, a mage named Tremere who was the weakest of the Seven Founders. His star pupil, a young wizard named Goratrix, discovered a ritual enabling the transference of the vampiric essence unto a mortal vessel. And soon after, learned the location of one of the slumbering Grandchilder of Caine, Saulot, Sire of the Salubri, and rumouredly, the Baali. In later nights, we would war with these bastard vampyr for our own homeland. We had many Ghouls, childer and mortal assistants, but we were fractious, and the Tremere were small, yet unified. So, we lost ground to the Usurpers, and after that, one of our number, a rebellious childe who would go on to help form the Sabbat, attempted to diablerise my Sire, Mekhet, Founder of our great clan. His pathetic attempt failed, for Mekhet had seen this, and prepared a childe to lay in his stead.
Around this time, the 1400s, a clan with which we had tenuous relations, the Lasombra, successfully diablerised their Founder. Though any 3rd or 4th generation vampire worth his Vitae should know that only an Antediluvian may slay another of the 3rd generation, or only if the vampire wills himself to die.
Soon after this, in the twilight years of the dark ages, there came to pass a convention in a small village called Thorns, near Silchester, in Britain. This Convention of Thorns resulted in the formation of the Camarilla, Sabbat, and the curse which up until recently had prevented the Assamites from drinking vampiric vitae. Now, in the Final Nights, the Assamites who submitted to the Camarilla have shaken the Tremere-placed curse, and freely commit the Amaranth upon Camarilla elders with wanton glee. I was present for this convention, as a representative of the unaligned part of the Tzimisce Clan, and first caught a glimpse of my bride-to-be, Ana Ishikawa, known also as Shi, or (Death), in her native tongue. I had little chance to speak with her, given her rather substantive Assamite escort. Recently, and after five hundred years, I saw her again as she made her presence known unto the vampires of my Voivodate. We were wed soon after.
What?
You mean you never knew that Tzimisce had emotions?
We do, we usually keep them reserved for 'special' occasions though. Most of my clan spends its time trying to shed them totally thinking that by denying their emotion, they can scrabble toward Metamorphosis, blindly stumbling toward Ascension, given Mekhet was a Mage in his mortal life, it is a trait of the blood for us to seek Ascension. But my childer and I, and their childer, embrace the pleasures and pains of every emotion. For are we Tzimisce not the masters of pleasure and pain? And only by fully accepting every aspect of the vampiric form can one truly Ascend.
You seem a little surprised that I, the eldest childe of Mekhet, the slayer of Moloch and Troile, would have emotions? True, they are rarely seen, only by my beloved Countess, my son and my eldest and most trusted childer. Though I am quite fond of showing my anger when I feel bored or should someone be thinking of endangering my bride, son, or associates.
Enough now childe, I have business to attend to, there are 'refreshments' and the like upon the table, and should you so desire, one of my Ghouls would be more than happy to attend to your, how shall we say, more 'physical' needs. One word before I leave, do NOT abuse my hospitality, my clan are most unforgiving, and we are very focused in our vengeance should someone raise our ire.
Should you feel urged to speak with me, I can be found at
the Keep, or one of my spirit couriers will deliver any urgent missive you have directly to me. Those who have missives of the most urgent nature can seek me at the ICQ number of 13819089Good evening, safe travel, and pleasant dreams
Ah, before you leave, let me speak of those who I call my own, whom I will defend with my unlife.
The Countess Ana Bratovitch: My beloved wife, she means more to me than my own existence.
Kazuya Bratovitch: My son, my pride, my heir.
Lady Noctem: My dear Childe, she has made me a proud Sire.
Linna of Carthage: My Eldest Childe, with me for three millennia, she is more than capable of taking down an assailant, should I not get them first. She is my Master Inquisitor, delicious screams echo from her chambers constantly, soothing and amniotic, I love her dearly, she is as my own daughter.
Prince Demitri Danislav: My second Childe and my Master of Ghouls, his skill at body alteration is surpassed only by mine. He has been by my side since seventy-two years before the nazarene's birth in the lands of the middle east.
Blade: For some time, he was a Ghoul unto me, I rewarded his service with the Embrace, and he has continued to serve me well as an Enforcer in his unlife.
Kuelmargh: My third youngest childe, in vampiric years, but a powerful being before the Embrace, and even more so now. Kuelmargh is my personal Enforcer.
Bushido: my fathers bride, and also my trusted friend, harm her and die slowly.
The Del'Roh, Nergal: My father, and Clan Sire of the Ventrue.
Uni Ishikawa: My wife, Ana's, twin sister. As lovely as my bride, and exquisitely violent.
Quinn Bloodberry: Brujah, and as a vampire within my Voivodate, under my protection.
Rigor Mortis: One of my youngest, he is, as all my childer are, loyal, and powerful.
Sid Scrimm: My wife's Enforcer, and member of her pack.
Catriona: her warmth is only exceeded by her beauty, she is a loyal member of my Voivodate.
Chastity: My newest childe, having undergone the Embrace in the year of 1999, on the 9th of January.
Kyla: My gift to Lady Noctem, and also my daughter by her, using the Blessing of the Goddess rite.
"More, Whore, More,
Twitching make me wet with thee,
Carcass rub me raw"
New Disciplines
Level 8 Vicissitude: Renew the Vitae's Succulence: This power enables a Tzimisce with Blood of Acid to temporarily transmute his acidic blood to nourishing vitae for purposes of Ghouling, and the creation of new childer and Blood Bonds. System: spend a Willpower point, for one turn, your blood will lose its acidity and with this blood, you can create childer, Ghouls, or Blood Bonds.
Level 4 Vicissitude + level 4 Protean: Shifter: The wielder of this power need no longer spend time forming his body into implements and other shapes, through sheer skill and force of will, the Tzimisce can shapeshift the desired area into the form he desires. System: This power is always active, and grants the user five automatic successes on any Vicissitude-based roll to form himself extra appendages, alter existing ones and the like. Though to increase ones Appearance trait, an Intelligence + Body Crafts roll must still be made. This power costs 30 experience points to purchase, and you must find someone with the ability.
Level 7 Auspex: Clear Sight: Any attempt to use Obfuscate or Chimerstry on the vampire fails automatically. He can see Nosferatu using Unseen Presence as clearly as he sees a mortal on the street. System: the vampire can clearly see the use of Obfuscate and Chimerstry, and opt to either see through it or not. The use of either Discipline manifests as a glowing, shimmering aura around the user, drawing the vampires attention.
Level 8 Animalism: Whip of the Beastmaster: With this fell power, the Tzimisce can strip another of his Beast, awaken the Beast of a mortal or Ghoul, or bring the already existing Beast of a being to the surface uncontrollably. System:
To Strip a supernatural of his Beast: Roll Manipulation + Intimidation, difficulty is equal to half the targets Path/Humanity rating, plus their Self-Control/Instincts. Each success is three days for which the target is stripped of his Beast, for Changing Breeds, this means the inability to change forms or spend Rage, or use Rage-fuelled Gifts. For a Vampire hit with this power, it is more of a blessing than a curse, making them at peace with their darker nature, giving them a temporary respite from the ravages of their predatory Beast. If six successes are gained on the roll, the Shapeshifter loses the Beast forever, it cannot however, permanently strip a Vampire of his Beast, only through Golconda or Metamorphosis can a Cainite permanently merge with his Beast and master it.
To Induce Frenzy or to bring the Beast out in a mortal or Ghoul: Roll Manipulation + Intimidation, difficulty of the targets Self-Control + 4. If five successes are gained, the mortal or Ghoul gains the Beast permanently, with all its gains and disadvantages. If the power is used on a creature with a Beast, then the amount of successes converts into twice that many turns for which they are in a totally uncontrolled Frenzy. No roll to restrain oneself can be made, and friend, family, and foe alike will fall under the savage onslaught of the Beast.
Koldunic Sorcery Rituals:
Ensorcel the Mundane: Level 6: This ritual enables the Koldun to 'anoint' a weapon with his blood, permanently imbuing it with the potential to cause terrible wounds to Cainites, Fae, Lupines and Wraiths. It is also possible to anoint bullets, which will then cause aggravated wounds. System: The vampire must spend 3 hours blessing and attuning himself to the weapon to be ensorcelled. He must expend 6 Blood Points onto the weapon, one every half-hour, as he chants litanies over the item. If someone with Spirit Sight or Auspex sees this ritual being performed, they will see spirits gather about the weapon and enter it as the litanies are sung. Upon the 6th Blood Point's expenditure upon the weapon, the vampire must expend a Willpower Point to 'fix' the magic in place. When one of these weapons is strengthened by Alchemy, then only the most powerful supernaturals could possibly withstand more than one blow from it. With bullets, for each Blood Point, two bullets may be anointed.
Empowerment: Level 7: This enables the Koldun to temporarily gift the recipient with some of his power. Material Components: strand of hair belonging to the recipient. System: Roll Intelligence + Occult, difficulty 7, each success indicates one dot from an Attribute, Ability or Discipline that can be bestowed upon the recipient for one scene. The user does not lose the dots for this time, but will feel weaker until the effect wears off. A botch indicates that one dot from the Attribute, Ability or Discipline that was to be gifted is permanently transferred and lost by the user.
Blessing of the Goddess: Level 7: The Voivode of the Keep, Count Vladimir Bratovitch, created this powerful and closely guarded ritual. It actually makes the vampire (or both vampires if both parents-to-be are of Caine) fertile once more until the rituals consummation. The child gestates in only 5 months, and grows at the rate of one apparent year in the space of three months. Once the Dhampyr has reached the apparent age of eighteen, they will cease to age, and their body will undergo the change. Even before the child undergoes the change, he has the power of a vampire of equal generation to his father/mother, plus one. SO if a 5th generation vampire created a child using this ritual, the Dhampyr would be the equivalent of a 6th generation vampire, with the same trait limits, Blood Pool, etc. System: the material components are blood from both the father and mother, or the seed of the father-to-be. It is altered through Sorcery and then introduced into the mother-to-be either through sexual congress, or artificial means. The actual alteration ritual takes one hour, plus one hour per generation lower than 8th. So a 5th generation vampire would have to spend five hours in total preparing and performing the ritual.
Will of Steel: Level 7: This enables the vampire to use sheer force of will to destroy a derangement within himself, or strengthen his mind as he undergoes the stresses of learning Vicissitude. Material Components: none: System: The vampire is now immune to Derangements and the 'Souleater' of the Black Hands' fearful nightmares. It cannot be used to remove a Malkavians primary Derangement (only Caine Himself can do that). The ritual takes 12 hours of constant meditation during daylight. Humanity/Path rolls must be made to stay awake for the duration. If the caster falls into the arms of slumber, the ritual fails.
Battlements of the Mind: Level 9: This is a variant of Will of Steel, enabling the Koldun to strengthen the will of another, removing a Derangement or removing the 'Souleater' without removing the recipients skill with Vicissitude. Material Components: none: The caster AND recipient must spend a whole day in silent, wakeful meditation. Humanity/Path rolls must be made to stay awake. If either the caster or recipient falls into the arms of slumber, the ritual fails.
Below are the Traditions as interpreted by the Voivode, and the Jyhad Primogen.
The Traditions:
Thy Blood is that of Caine, blessed by Lilith. To seek to return to mortal life is a Sin against Thy Father and Thy Mother, and against Thyself.
The Second Tradition, Destruction.
Thou art forbidden to destroy another of thy kind who is thine Elder. Those closer to Caine know his will, and may destroy any childer who are unfit in his sight. It is forbidden for those of weaker blood to rise up against their Elders.
The Third Tradition, Progeny.
Thou shalt only sire with the permission of thine Elder. If thou createst another without thine Elders leave, both thou and thine progeny shall be slain.
The Fourth Tradition, Accounting.
Those thou createst are thine own childer. Until thine progeny shall be released, thou shalt command them in all things. Their sins are thine to endure.
The Fifth Tradition, Domain.
Thy domain is thine own concern. All others owe thee respect while in it. None may challenge thy word while in thine domain. When thou comest to the fief of another, thou shalt present thyself to the one who ruleth there.
The Sixth Tradition, The Silence 0f Blood.
Thou shalt not reveal thy true nature to those not of the Blood. Doing so shall renounce thy claims of Blood.
This last is waived in Count's Voivodate, given the special circumstances of it being a nexus for supernaturals
The Law of the Voivodate:
Other Laws upheld in the Voivodate, and their punishments:
**Note, these Laws apply to both Cainites and those who interact with them regularly, you have been warned. Laws marked with a apply only to Cainites**
Treason: Punished by torture and dismemberment followed by death by fire or walking the plank off the tallest building in the Voivodate.
Murder of a Cainite within the Hierarchy of the Voivodate: Death by Amaranth.
Stealing from a Cainite within the Hierarchy of the Voivodate: Permanent mutilation.
Deceiving the Voivode and his agents: Severe burning, or a bath in lye.
Running from the enemy: Death by acid or permanent imprisonment in the Cathedral of Flesh, with only enough vitae to keep the offender undead.
Divulging secrets to those outside the Voivodate's Hierarchy: Death by fire for both parties.
Failure to respond when called by an Elder: Branding.
Slave Ghoul disrespectful to a Cainite within the Hierarchy of the Voivodate: Drawing and quartering of the Ghoul, and beating and blinding of the master.
Slave Ghoul divulged secret to one outside the Hierarchy of the Voivodate: Death by fire of both Ghoul and master.
Refusal to participate in the Vaulderie: Humiliation in front of the Voivodate's Cainites, and denial of blood for one month.
Striking an Elder of the Hierarchy: Blinding and multiple bones broken.
Failure to accomplish minor mission: Humiliation, beating, and very high voltage electric shock treatment.
Failure to accomplish important mission: subjected to the same as for failing a minor mission, plus having ones nose cut off and being permanently branded.
Cowardice: Blood Feast for the offender's peers, though usually left undead. **Mortal servants of the Voivodate are punished by permanent branding**
Other information about the Voivodate:
The Voivodate is home to the Order of the Dragon, an ancient Tzimisce order of mages, warriors, and priests. Mortal members of the Order are Ghouled to give them the opportunity to develop Disciplines and also to toughen them and give them longevity. The oldest 'mortal' member of the Order is Arianne, a powerful Verbena Tradition Mage. She is roughly one and a half thousand years old, and is one of the few Ghouled members of the Order to have achieved Metamorphosis.
The Cathedral of Flesh is the main haven of the Voivode and the Brood, only its entrance barrow exists in physical reality, the rest is an Umbral Realm stretching for five miles in every direction, including up and down. The entire place is a 'living' organism, completely under the control of the Voivode. It is home to over three hundred Ghouls, thirty of which are powerful Magi, twelve old and potent Cainites of various Clans, re-Embraced into the Tzimisce, and innumerable spirits and entities best left unseen by mortal eyes.
The Order of the Dragon holds Celebrations of Flesh at the Voivodes leisure, Cainite and mortal alike are invited personally by either the Voivode, or his bride. Refusal is not punished as such, but those who decline a personal invitation will lose significant standing within the Hierarchy.
The Hierarchy of the Voivodate:
** Denotes an equal standing with others so marked**
Voivode: Count Vladimir Bratovitch.
Empress: The Countess Ana Bratovitch.
The Law of Caine: the Del'Roh, Nergal.
Enforcer and Sheriff to the Voivode: Kuelmargh.
Enforcer: Blade.
Mistress of the Inquisition: Linna of Carthage, Eldest childe of the Voivode.
Master of Ghouls: Prince Demitri Danislav, Second Childe of the Voivode.
Deputy Enforcer: Sid Scrimm.
General of the Voivode's Army: Lady Uni Ishikawa.
Mistress of the Arcane: Lady Noctem
Mistress of Shadows: Catriona
Keeper of Secrets: Chastity
All others fall into the category of general population until they are appointed a higher status by the Count or Countess. The family of the Voivode is not listed here because, as his children, they are of equal standing with he and his bride. Kazuya, Kyla, and Vlad and Ana's unborn child fall into this category.
In Dark Places: Our demesnes and other miscellany.
The source of our power, (White Wolf's Official Home Page).
A way of becoming as we (Vampire 2nd edition Character Generator)
My Voivodates own scuttlebutt, as it were, courtesy of Dordanni Bahamut.
**Out of Character**
If you wish to join the Vampire: The Masquerade Chronicle in the Keep, email
me, Ana, or Del'Roh Nergal, or speak to us in the Keep. We will be more than happy to discuss the game, and help if you need character generation advice, and will help with the rules if you haven't played using the White Wolf Storyteller system before. The chronicle is quite a high level game, and so we use the Elysium rules, allowing up to 5th generation vampires with 100 freebie points for character generation, should the correct backgrounds be taken. It is advised against taking Diabolists and Infernalists as characters, though with some work, we could make for some enjoyable and interesting plot twists with them. It is also advised to keep in mind that the Voivode is extremely powerful, and has at least two or three of his childer, his wife, and Nergal around. This means that attempted Diablerie, unsanctioned killing, and random attacks undermining the fragile peace the Voivodate has with the other residents will be dealt with most harshly. Breaches of the Masquerade are not punished, as the Voivodate has a large number of supernatural residents, and as such, is a place where hunters are at an even greater disadvantage.