The Embrace
A Mortal’s Embrace
New vampires are created, or “sired,” by a process called the Embrace. Vampires rarely sire impulsively; after all, another predator means more competition for resources. Still, vampires do Embrace from time to time. Some vampires Embrace in an attempt to ensure eternal companionship. Others Embrace to have conspirators in their plans or dupes for schemes; still other vampires Embrace in order to claim a particularly promising, desirable mortal for their clan and lineage. Mortals who show promise may be watched for months, even years, without ever realizing that they are being evaluated for immortality. To Embrace a new vampire, a sire – the vampire doing the Embracing – drains her chosen victim of blood. When the victim is on the verge of death – or actually dead, but still warm with life – the sire places a small amount of her own blood in the victim’s mouth. A drop or two is sufficient, though most sires use more. This blood replenishes the victim’s life-force, drawing her back through death and into unlife. During the Embrace, the body reworks itself, sloughing off the imperfections present in every mortal form and becoming more beautiful, albeit with the grace of a predatory animal. The new childe reawakens, but her heart does not beat, nor does her blood circulate.
After a person has been Embraced, she is now one of the living dead. She wakes suffering a ravenous hunger, a sign of the ferocious passion of the vampiric nature, or Beast, which the Embrace has given her. Over the next few weeks, the young vampire (usually under the tutelage of her sire) undergoes a series of transformations. She will discover powers granted by the blood, such as speed, strength, or the supernatural command of animals.
The fledgling vampire must also face the raging hunger of the Beast and learn how to control its feral impulses. As need begins to gnaw at her, she must also learn to hunt, preying on mortals for the blood she needs to survive. She also learns that the Embrace truly makes vampires into living dead. Subtle, higher emotions are the province of mortals, and she may find that she can no longer bring to mind true pleasure, joy, or love, except as a fading memory. This stark emotionlessness conquers many young vampires during their first weeks. Some find that they cannot endure it and choose to greet the morning sun rather than look ahead to an immortality of coldness and sorrow. But for those vampires who survive their first nights, a much larger world awaits.
New vampires are not created accidentally. When a sire Embraces, she must spend 1 point of Willpower to imbue the blood with the potential to create a new vampire. Willpower spent to Embrace does not return normally, but will return after two games or one month, whichever is longer.
Note: Only a mortal (or ghoul) can be Embraced. Werewolves, mages, and other supernatural creatures cannot be made into vampires.
Mechanics of the Embrace
If a mortal (not a ghoul) is Embraced during play, you should convert your character to a vampire using the following steps:
1. If your sire is a member of an uncommon clan, rare clan, or a member of a bloodline, you must immediately purchase the merits associated with your clan and/or bloodline. If you don’t have enough experience points (XP) to purchase these merits, you will go into XP debt. All experience you earn will go towards these merits until they are fully paid for with XP.
2. You must purchase the Generation background until you are one generation removed from your sire. For example, a character Embraced by a 9th generation vampire should purchase Ancilla Generation and purchase the Lesser Generation flaw, which causes her to be 10th generation. If the newly Embraced character doesn’t have enough XP banked to purchase the appropriate Generation, the player will go into XP debt. All experience you earn will go towards repaying this debt, until your Generation is fully paid for with XP.
3. A newly Embraced vampire starts with 2 dots in one of her new clan’s in-clan disciplines (her choice) and 1 dot in each of that clan’s remaining two in-clan disciplines. New vampires gain these dots if they have no dots in their new clan’s in-clan disciplines.
