

Some clans and most of the minor bloodlines declare themselves independent from any sects. For example, a Brujah may belong to the Camarilla, the Sabbat, or the Anarchs, but very few Tremere would be found among the Sabbat and even more rarely among the Anarchs. Characters within the Vampire setting are members of one of the clans or minor bloodlines offered, and usually belong to factions associated with these or that reflect a general ideological stance the characters happen to share. In general, vampiric societies consist of two levels: sects and clans. But while they must dwell in close contact with their source of sustenance, vampires largely fear the exposure to the mortal world, and since the Inquisition the majority of these creatures have lived under the Masquerade – an enforced campaign to hide their supernatural existences from humanity. Most vampires live in cities, which are run feudally by the Princes life in a city is one of constant political manipulation and paranoia, as the Cainites vie for food, territory, and power. "cattle") is the opposite of Kindred, and refers to human population. On the other hand, Sabbat vampires prefer the term ' Cainite' to refer to themselves - as many of them believe that the vampiric curse originated with the biblical Cain, after he murdered his brother, Abel.

However, the term is mostly used by vampires who strive to maintain their Humanity. In Vampire: The Masquerade, " Kindred" is the most common euphemism for a vampire. The article above offers a closer look at vampires, with their physiology, their politics and their clan division. Vampires are one of the three main supernatural races in the World of Darkness and the fundamental characters of Vampire: The Masquerade and its spinoff games like Vampire: The Dark Ages and Kindred of the East. The Vampires of the World of Darkness Main article: Vampire (WOD) It is a game of personal horror, as the characters are continually forced to walk a moral tightrope between their need to survive and the horrific means by which they ensure it. In Vampire: the Masquerade, the players assume the role of vampires, immortal beings cursed with an unquenchable thirst for blood and vulnerability to sunlight – creatures forever bound to their inner Beast (the animal urges of hunger, fear and rage). It is the parent and the most popular of all the World of Darkness games, and was the genesis of almost all the major ideas people associate with White Wolf. A major departure from the more power and heroics oriented games of the era, VTM is a game of personal horror.


Vampire: The Masquerade is the first World of Darkness game and the first Storyteller System game published by White Wolf.
