NOTRUM

by The Deranged Priest - kinnema@WKUVX1.bitnet

This bloodline is a true curiosity to many in the Camarilla, and not even the Nosferatu seem to know positively what the real story is. According to their own legends, they claim that their founder, a fifth-generation Brujah, was trapped under the earth when agents of the Ventrue and Malkavians salted the ground around Carthage after their conquest. Through an extreme expenditure of willpower, the Brujah broke though the salt, but managed also to combine its ancient form with the salt it broke through. Whether this is true cannot be confirmed as no one knows exactly where the line founder is now.

In any event, this line, although still dependant upon blood to survive, also requires salt as an essential component to their survival. Also, although older examples of this line (one known among the Inconnu claims to be over 1500 years old) tend to be similar to the Brujah Idealists in philosphy, the tendancy to frenzy is gone, another clue pointing away from Brujah origins.

Notrum are very philosophical and generally intellectual. Many are known to have joined the Inconnu in Golconda.

Whatever the cause, these Kindred seem to be able to manipulate salt as well as blood.

NICKNAME: Salties

APPEARANCE: This is one of the most varied bloodlines known, although older Notrum appear to share the similarities with the old Brujah Idealists.

HAVEN: All types, depending on the resources of the character.

BACKGROUND: Generally philosophical, much like old Brujah. Very few, if any, go anarch, but they don't generally tend toward Ventrue backgrounds, either.

CHARACTER CREATION: Notrum are usually intellectual, with Mental Attributes and Knowledges being primary.

CLAN DISCIPLINES: Potence, Protean, Salinus.

WEAKNESSES: Any blood-related option, aside from the daily one-point blood loss, requires the expenditure of double the amount of blood to activate. Alternatively (although the mechanics are more complicated) the character can maintain a "Salt Pool" initally set at half the blood pool. The Salt Pool is treated as a normal blood pool, and reduction of either pool to zero can invoke frenzy. For each two blood points spent, one point of salt is automatically spent as well, except with regards to daily blood loss, in which case the loss is at a one-to-one ratio. The only abilities that salt alone may be spent on are Disciplines, and even then every five salt points spent depletes one blood point to uselessness.

ORGANIZATION: These tend to be similar to European Brujah with regards toorganization: they're actually willing to. Even when they do meet, it's never a formal affair, but it's not the Rants and Raves attended by younger Brujah. The fractiousness of American Brujah is quite shocking to most Notrum.

GAINING PRESTIGE: Notrum are of a philosophical bent, and gain prestige through such pursuits, sometimes even among Brujah Idealists.

STEREOTYPES:



        Camarilla: They seem to serve a useful purpose, although the

Ventrue are far to heavy-handed more often than not.  The upstart Tremere

are our true enemies.

        "I have not met with one of these Kindred yet, but I hope to soon.

They would have much to share with us, I am sure."

                -- Critias, fifth-generation Brujah



        Sabbat: They are a curious sect.  They know the truth, but have

taken the wrong path.

        "They know much about the Antediluvians, more than most can claim

to.  But how do we know they aren't the agents of one..."

                -- Priest Mark, Lasombra, Detroit



        Inconnu: Many of these are our old friends.  Their neutrality

saddens us, but is understandable.

        "They claim to be from Carthage, but I have my doubts.  We should

investigate, in any case, but can they really be considered Kindred?  I'm

not sure we should have been as open to them as we have been."

                -- Dondinni, sixth-generation Monitor of Genoa



        Anarchs: These "Anarch Free States" come close to the ideals of

Carthage, but for the most part these Kindred are mere rabble.

        "Just a bunch of fuddy-duddies."  -- Juggler



        Giovanni: These too are our enemies, along with the Tremere,

usurpers of the blood.

        "I met one of these, once.  I am convinced that they mean none of

the Kindred well, and merely wish to start with us."

                -- Augustus Giovanni, third generation.

Salinus

Somehow, the Notrum have gained the ability to manipulate salt. This only seems to extend to the standard hydrogen-chloride variety, but higher levels may alternatively allow such manupulation. Because this seems to have something to do with their altered body chemistry, this Discipline is generally unusable by other Kindred, although those that have tasted Notrum blood may be able to. This has never happened that anyone knows of, so the effect is still unknown.

* Sublimation

This allows the user to absorb salt.

System: This costs a blood point to use, but allows the absorption of one "Salt Point," roughly equivalent to a single salt-shaker. One point may be absorbed per turn.

** Freshening

This level allows the user to extract salt from any liquid containing it, except for blood.

System: One point per turn, costs one blood point.

*** Evaporation

This level allows the user to excrete salt through their skin.

System: Roll Stamina + Salinus against Difficulty 6. The number of successes is how many points may be excreted. A botch means the power can not be used for the rest of the story.

**** Crystalline Vitae

This level allows the user to draw salt out of a Vessel.

System: One blood point activates this for as long as the user intends to use it. One salt point per turn can be extracted, but each causes the vessel the equivalent of one health level of damage. Contact is required, and while the actual extraction cannot be resisted, the contact can.

***** Crystalline Death

This level allows the user to push salt back into the subject of this power.

System: Any levels of salt the victim may have lost from Crystalline Vitae are restored at a one to one basis. Any salt higher than that moved into the victim each cause the equivalent of two health levels per point. One point is spent per turn to activate this, above and beyond the point being injected. Roll Dexterity + Brawl + Salinus against Difficulty 6. Obviously, contact must be made with the victim.

Level 6: Dissolution

This level allows the user to absorb a quantity of water.

System: The user rolls Stamina + Salinus, with each success being one gallon of water that can be absorbed, with a maximum of the current salt pool. Each point so involved is considered spent, so a frenzy couls result from this. On a botch, the user begins to take drowning damage, whether they are in water or not.

Level 7: Neutralization

This level allows the user to neutralize any acid or base.

System: Roll Stamina + Salinus, each success reduces damage from acids or bases by one health level. Each health level so reduced costs one salt point.

Level 8: Pillar of Salt

The Notrum believe that their founder, having become Notrum while breaking out of an Earth Meld, may now take the form of a pillar of salt like those found along the coast of the Eastern Mediterranean.

System: This costs all but one salt point of the users salt pool, and is treated as a combination of Torpor and Earth Meld.

Levels 9 and 10: There are no known Notrum of higher than fifth generation.

SAKURAMBO (The Deranged Priest) AKA Mark Kinney AKA Duncan MacKinnon AKA... Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky KINNEMA@WKUVX1.BITNET

Converted from plain text to HTML format by Makala Fahr Thuren - Sept 22, 1995