Disciples of the Nekromanteion
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Don't mind the twitches of his limbs, it's normal.
Contents |
Overview
Nearly every religion in the world speaks of another realm beyond our own – the realm of the dead. It is the Disciples of the Nekromanteion who have mastered control over this realm. Like their parent clan, the Ventrue, who have control over both animal and mortal minds, the Vrykolakes can also control the will of the dead. Many find that as they develop in their unique discipline they drift further from the concerns of both the living and the undead. Those Vrykolakes that focus solely on the mastery of control of the dead find themselves almost always without doubt unable to empathize with the living.
The origins of the bloodline is sketchy at best, though most members agree that the inceptor of the bloodline was likely a Ventrue...however, his (or her) name is kept out of the hands of the general populace fanatically by those who the bloodline calls as their Sibyls and Bakids.
Parent Clan
None, though the founder of the bloodline is believed to be Ventrue. All clans may join the bloodline, but they must be of a Blood Potency rating of at least 3 and go through the tribulations of the Disciples, one of the hardest of which is finding a willing Avus...
Nickname
Vrykolakes (pron. Vry-koh-locks) or more derisively, Buzzards
Covenant
Some of the Vrykolakes find their affinity for the dead limits their concern about the matters of other Kindred, and thus many find themselves Unaligned; a choice not due to dislike for any of the covenants but merely out of apathy to the plights thereof. However, the more spiritual of the Vrykolakes who seek to look deeper into the condition of the dead and the undead find themselves drawn to the Circle of the Crone and take shelter in their ranks. Finally there are those who find the ambition of being a Kindred to be enough to overshadow their disassociation with the world of the living join the Invictus (many also find it to be easier to "move about" if you are a member of the ruling party).
Appearance
The Vrykolakes tend to favor more stark colors, like black and white. The majority of the membership will clothe in modern wear which reflects a good deal on the age of the bloodline itself. Though the appearances can deviate between suit and tie, preppy wear to gothic outfits, never will you see a member dressed like a hip-hop thugster.
Haven
Most Vrykolakes haven't lived long enough yet to establish massive wealth (unless they are a part of the Invictus); therefore most tend to live in modest homes or nice apartments. The bloodline is completely limited to the American East Coast, having no desire to travel far from their bloodline roots.
Background
The Vrykolakes tend to embrace people with either a scholarly interest in archeology, the past, mythology (particularly the Greeks'...), and the occult or those who already show experience and would prove to be adept in manipulating the dead. However, more than a few of the younger members have just been chosen due to their rapt fascination with death (which occasionally lends to the Buzzards nickname – since the Kindred in question can't stop squawking or whining about death. Though, generally these Kindred don’t live very long afterwards).
Bloodline Disciplines
Their parent clan's main disciplines and Nekros.
Weakness
The Vrykolakes have the same weakness as their parent clan. Also, due to their affinity with death, the Vrykolakes do not see themselves merely as a smudged image in a mirror; they see themselves as walking corpses in a continuous state of decomposition. Naturally, this fact keeps a good deal of the vainer Daeva from joining the bloodline's ranks.
Organization
The organization of the Disciples is a hierarchy based on merit and affinity with death.
The apprentices to the bloodline that are being tested by the membership at large and have not been introduced into the bloodline by an Avus are referred to as either Apprentices, or Initiates. Those who find themselves on the outskirts and unwilling to grasp (or handle) the concepts presented with the study of Nekros find themselves rarely progressing beyond the rank of Kore, which is reserved for those who have gained their admittance into the bloodline through the Consecration of the Nekromanteion. The second tier of membership falls to the Epoptae; those who show interest in becoming a teacher or mentor to the younger members or progressing and learning all aspects of Nekros. The priests and priestesses of the Disciples - those who preside over such elaborate rituals such as the Consecration of the Nekromanteion - are titled by whichever sex they belong to: the priestesses of the Disciples are referred to as Sibyls while the priests are referred to as Bakids. Those who make up the guardian section of the Buzzards (and are efficient) are referred to as Keres, while a coterie of such guardians can be referred to as Alani.
Other than that, the only other notable official gathering time is when members from the nearby area show up for a Consecration of the Nekromanteion. As a side note, Disciples have been known to skip large or important dealings in order to attend a Consecration ceremony. Those outside of the bloodline are usually either offended or mystified by this common trait amongst all of the Buzzards.
Character Creation
Disciples usually have high mental and social capabilities. Primary attributes are a toss up between Mental and Social, depending on the character-type as the Vrykolakes are masters of manipulating most aspects of life and death. Secondary attributes are usually focused in the mental or social areas (whichever the character doesn't have as its primary). Physical attributes and skills aren’t generally that important to the Vrykolakes, and rarely get any sort of prestige within the ranks, but there have been stories of some Buzzards with a frightening amount of combative prowess.
A character may be embraced by a sire who is a Disciple and may join it at Blood Potency of 2. All clans may also join the bloodline, but they must be older and more intone with the vampiric condition to do so – requiring that they are of a Blood Potency rating of at least 3 and go through the tribulations of the Disciples, one of the hardest of which is finding a willing Avus....
To date, no known members of the Disciples of the Nekromanteion are above Blood Potency 5.
Sample Concepts
Archaeologist, Bogeyman, Doctor, Murderer, Scholar of the Occult, Cult Leader, Psychic, The kid that you avoided in the bathroom in highschool, and less frequently, Death-obsessed Woe-So-Goth Teen