This is the first book of the
Editorial White Wolf, and develops in the environment of the call "
World
of Darkness". It was created by
Mark Rein·Hagen.
It is a
Role-playing Game where the players do personages Vampires, for this they should elect one of thirteen Clans, each clan affiliated to a Sect, the main one of them "
The Camarilla", their enemies "The Sabbat" and the other
Clans are
Independent.
The Clans are:
CAMARILLA
* Brujah
* Malkavian
* Nosferatu
* Toreador
* Tremere
* Ventrue
SABBAT
* Lasombra
* Tzimisce
INDEPENDENTS
* Assamita
* Gangrel (Originally members of the Camarilla)
* Giovanni
* Ravnos
* Setitas
Each Vampire counts on
Disciplines, that is to say own special powers of each
Clan, that they permit to the Vampires to do things as to be become animals, to dominate the people, to create illusions or to control the shadows, among others things.
The Vampires called Vástagos, but also they are called
Cainitas, this himself due to that descend of
Caín, the son of Adam, that by killing its brother was condemned to wander all his life being fed of the blood of human beings.
Later it would discover that could convert to other in Vampires through drinking its blood to almost kill them and then to cause to drink of his, to this process him is called
Embrace, is not painful because the to absorb him the blood to the people produces a sensation of pleasure and submission to it kills that impedes to put resistance, to this action him is called
The Kiss.
After
Caín, thirteen members of its Vampiric descent would cause the
thirteen Clans, these are the calls Antediluvianos or Third
Generation (nobody knows who was the second), these upon converting to but Vastagos created the Quarter Generation, these at the same time the Fifth one and so on.
This is important because the powers of each clan are
inherited automatically by the recently Embraced (converted) along with these powers acquires mental and physical superiority among others, nevertheless each time that is converted someone but, the powers that are transmitted they go weakening.
Inside the play the personages are mostly of the
13ª generation, therefore the Vampíric blood is so diluted that are almost humans as for force and abilities, and barely they are differentiated for having
Disciplines in state insipiente.
Nevertheless, the Vampires are done but hardly with the age, thus they can enlarge their force, their intelligence, their abilities and their
Disciplines to being returned as powerful as an elderly vampire.
Also, upon murdering to a
Cainita but powerful and to drink its blood, these they can absorb part of its powers and of its generation, to this him is called to commit
Diablere, that is to say, if one of
12ª Generation Diableriza to one of 11ª acquires one of the disciplines of it kills and returns generation 11.
The protagonists of the first Book are the
Camarilla, for such motive the play carries for name "
The Masquerade" referring to the code of conduct that continue the
Vástagos of this
Sect, being it but important to generate in the company the idea that the Vampires do not exist and that all the histories that there is on them are mere fantasy.
To the assembly of norms to continue for the members of the Lobby him is called
Traditions, these are six and resumidamente go thus.
* 1ª. The Masquerade: Nobody should know that the vampires exist.
* 2ª. The Dominio: In your territory your you send and all the ones that enter the owe you respect.
* 3ª. The Progenie: You cannot convert to more Vampires, mild that have permission, otherwise they will be eliminated both.
* 4ª. The Responsibility or Recount: Any error that comment your kids is your responsibility until free them.
* 5ª. The Hospitality: When arrive at territory of another Vampire should present you and to ask permission to be there.
* 6ª. The Elimination: You will not kill another Vampire, mild that thus the superiors they decide it.
The members of the Camarilla are hidden among the humans and they hide its nature Vampírica because they know that in the Middle Ages many Cainitas were murdered by being Vampires; do neither believe in the existence of Caín and they say that are alone stories to frighten to the offspring, just like what is said of the
third generation. The
Sabbat has a more radical thought, they consider the humans as cattle to be fed and they believe that the
Antediluvianos will return some day and they will eliminate to their descent and the same thing with
Caín.
The Vampires carry years in an internal war that call
Jihad, that I am started between the
Antediluvianos and its descent continued it, this alone one can finish with the extinction of all the Vampires, this event is known with the name of
Gehena, and many believe that that day to is about to arrive.