WoD Vampires Dictionary

Vampire Dictionary: Being unaging beings, many vampires are steeped into old world traditions, and have a difficult time adapting to the rapidly changing mortal world. They have created their own lingo with various words detailing status or actions among vampire society. The following list is the translation for the vampire dictionary.





Kindred: the word used by vampires to refer to their own kind.



Kine: The word use by vampires to refer to mortals, particularly humans.



Fledgling: A vampire who's requiem is less than 50 years. Sometimes referred to as Neonate by older vampires.



Ancilla: A vampire who's requiem is between 50 to 150 years, most vampires are released from their sire's apprenticeship around this age.



Elder: A vampire who's requiem is over 150 years, usually they are the top ranking vampires in the territory.



Ancient: A vampire who's requiem exceeds 1,000 years. Very rare, and extremely powerful, given the back stabbing nature of vampire society.



Prince: The highest ranking title a vampire may possess although depending on the faction, the name of Prince may change to something else. The title of Prince is unisex, being given to both male and female.



Baron / Baroness: The title given to a vampire who rules a particular territory, but does not hold enough power to be considered Prince. This title has also been referred to as Count / Countess, and Lord / Lady, depending on the territory or their preference. Barons can either gain their status as a reward for exemplary service to the Prince, or they can be strong enough to take it by force.



Sheriff: The Prince's head of law enforcement, in charge of making sure their laws are carried out and obeyed.



Vitae: The supernatural blood that is the source behind the vampire's supernatural capabilities. When they consume blood, it transforms into Vitae within their bodies.



The Requiem: The term used to refer to life as a vampire, and the amount of time one has been a vampire.



Danse Macabre: The term used to refer to the endless power struggle among vampire society.



Blood Hunt: A death sentence issued by a Prince, or a very powerful vampire of lesser rank. During a blood hunt, every vampire in the territory is required by law to hunt down and slay the target. Those who refuse or are caught aiding the fugitive earn similar death penalties. Blood Hunts are usually reserved for those who royally screw up.



Bloodline: A sub-clan that evolved from one of the 5 parent Clans. Sharing some characteristics of their parent clan, they develop new characteristics and even Disciplines based on their founder.



Vinculum: Another word of Blood Bond, the act of enslaving someone by feeding them the blood of the same vampire on 3 separate nights.



Lupine: A term used to refer to werewolves.



Whip: A vampire who keeps the rest of their clanmates following the law to ensure that they might be taken seriously within the area.



Domain: A terriroty governed by a single vampire who is powerful enough to establish and enforce law within the area. Usually owned by a Prince or Baron.



Primogen: The council of advisors who help to influence the Prince's decisions when it comes to matters of government.



Priscus: The informal leader of a specific clan within the territory who is in charge of keeping the clan organized and following the laws. The plural term is Prisci. Priscus is one of the few titles that its members are elected into, rather than claiming it by force.



Thrall: A slave to the Vinculum, completely obeying any orders given by their regent.



Masquerade: The efforts taken to hide the fact that supernaturals exist from mortals.



Elysium: A place of neutral ground where fighting between vampires is strictly forbidden and punished severely.



Diablerie: The taboo of consuming another vampire's soul and claiming some of their power for your own. A form of vampire cannibalism, if you want to call it such.



Ghoul: A mortal who feeds on the Vitae of vampires and gains supernatural power from the act.



The Kiss: The act of feeding on blood from another being. The kiss instills its victims with a sense of extreme euphoria, often rendering them dazed and confused while the act is carried out.



Harpy: A vampire who's status or power is great enough that they can boss lesser vampires around and create minor laws in vampire society.



The Rack: A place in which mortals frequently visit, and where finding blood is an easy task for vampires.



Haven: A vampire's personal lair. Under normal circumstances, it is forbidden for another vampire to tresspass without permission, but those currently being investigated for crimes may not share this protection.



Herald: A spokesperson for the Prince who is tasked with spreading the word of their latest decrees, as well as negotiations or business deals.



Embrace: The act of turning a mortal into a vampire.



Childe: The name for a vampire you have created, or that someone else has created. The plural is Childer.



Sire: The name for referring to the vampire who embraced you, or embraced someone else.



Grand Sire: The name for the vampire who embrace your sire, or embraced someone else's sire.



Grand Childe: The name for a vampire whom your childe has sired. The plural term is Grand Childer.



Witch-Hunter: The name for a hunter who seeks to destroy vampires and possibly other supernatural creatures as well. They are often very well trained and some may even possess supernatural abilities of their own.



Herd: The name for a private stock of mortals owned by a particular vampire from which they may feed upon.



Blood Doll: A mortal who has become addicted to The Kiss, and freely offers their blood to vampires in order to feel it again.



Poacher: A vampire who feeds in a territory without permission, usually because they are hiding there illegally.



Torpor: The name used for the hibernation sleep that vampires undergo when they are completely starved of blood, or beaten to the point of unconsciousness. While in Torpor their entire memory of everything they have done since becoming a vampire plays out over and over again in their dreams until they awaken. A vampire can be awoken from Torpor as long as they have at least 1 drop of Vitae in their system, although it requires an act of willpower if Torpor was induced through violence.



Blood Potency: The power guage used to represent how powerful a vampire is, and how great their hunger. Level 1 being the weakest of vampires, and level 10 being the greatest. For every 50 years spent in Torpor, Blood Potency drops by 1 rank.



Humanity: The level of control a vampire has over their inner Beast. Level 10 being absolute control, and 0 being completely under its influence.



The Beast: The term used to refer to the dark spirit that is constantly urging vampires to invoke their primal instintcs for survival and hunger. The more they give into its power, the stronger it becomes, and the more difficult to resist.



The Man: The term used to refer to what little remains of the vampire's original soul, struggling against the Beast for the vampire to remain selfless and noble. The Man can become stronger by performing acts of good will.





Golconda: The mythological "cure" for vampirism that many have spent centuries questing after, but only a rare handful have been known to obtain it.



Covenant: An organized faction of vampires working together for a common goal.



Coterie: A smaller group of vampires who have allied themselves either for convenience, or out of some level of friendship. It is much more common for Coteries to be formed out of younger vampires who are not powerful or experienced enough to survive on their own. Older vampires are often powerful or influencial enough that they rarely need to interact with matters personally.



Frenzy: The state in which the Beast assumes control over a vampire's body. Most often triggered by starvation, rage, or terror. The stronger their humanity, the easier it is to resist falling into a Frenzy.



Predator's Taint: The latent ability of all vampires to identify another of their kind on sight. The first time a vampire meets another member of their kind, the Predator's Taint carries a risk of sending the weaker vampire into a fear frenzy, while the stronger goes into a rage. After the initial meeting, they may continue to meet with each other in the future without such a risk. Willpower is needed to resist this effect. Because of the risk this power imposes, it is often ignored in many game sessions.



Fear Frenzy: A frenzy invoked by great terror. The vampire will use any means at their disposal to flee the object of their fear at the fastest possible speed available.



Rage Frenzy: A frenzy invoked by great anger. The vampire flies into a berserker rage and seeks to destroy the object of their wrath, as well as any who try to stop them.



Hunger Frenzy: A frenzy invoked by great hunger or starvation. The vampire will attack the closest thing that contains fresh blood and gorge themselves until their hunger is satiated.



Discipline: The supernatural powers of a vampire that draw their fuel on Vitae.



Devotions: Advanced Disciplines which are created by merging two or more Disciplines and their effects into a new ability. Most Devotions require a very specific level of mastery in the individual Disciplines before they can be combined properly.



The First Estate: The nickname given to the Invictus covenant.



The Sanctified: The nickname given to the Lancea Sanctum covenant members.



Dragons: The nickname given to the Ordo Dracul covenant members.



Pagans: The nickname given to the Circle of the Crone covenant members.



Haunts: Nickname given to the Nosferatu clan members



Savages: Nickname given to the Gangrel clan members.



Lords: Nickname given to the Ventrue clan members.



Succubi: Nickname given to the Daeva clan members. Males are somtimes called Incubi.



Shadows: Nickname given to the Mekhet clan members.



Plague Carrier: A vampire who contracts a disease by carelessly feeding on the sickly and has a risk of passing the disease onto healthier victims. A potential danger to the Masquerade.



Hell Hound: A canine who has been endowed with dark, supernatural powers. In this particular case, it is referring to a dog who has become a Ghoul. Their already famous canine loyalty to their master is further enhanced by the Vinculum, and they are capable of using Celerity, Vigor, or Resilience like human Ghouls. They are extremely violent compared to normal dogs and often used as companions in battle, or guard dogs to territory and property. Their intelligence is still feral, however, and as a result, they are not capable of using the more mystical Disciplines, like a human Ghoul could.



Rogue Ghoul: A ghoul who has broken free of their enthrallment, either by their own choice, or by accidental death of their master. Desperate to cling to their temporary immortality, they beg, bribe, or even attack vampires to obtain a fresh supply of their vitae, and maintain their supernatural powers for another month.



Revenant: A vampire who has completely succumb to their Beast, losing their former human identity. Gangrel sometimes refer to them as Druagr. Extreme risks to the masquerade, they sadly must be disposed of, permanently.



Nosferatu: The clan of disturbing and horrifying vampires who have mastered the power of fear.



Gangrel: The clan of wilderness survival experts and drifters who have mastered the power of changing their form, and commune with the inner Beast.



Daeva: The clan of hedonists who are ruled by their vices, and have mastered the power of charismatic charm and emotional influence.



Mekhet: The clan of shadowy agents who present themselves only when they must, and have mastered the power of psychic perception.



Ventrue: The clan of society's elite, priding themselves on heritage and financial or political achievements, and have mastered the power to dominate the wills of others.