The World of Darkness
White Wolf Games
is the publisher of a fantasy Role-playing game named Vampire:
the Masquerade, in which the players are vampires, struggling
to retain their swiftly eroding Humanity in the face of the horrors of the
night. Vampires are divied into several Clans,
or Bloodlines, each of which has specific "family traits" or similarities.
Together, they cover just about every aspect of the many vampire legends
throughout history. Players are encouraged to explore the World of Darkness
and the limits of their own Humanity, while battling forces more monstrous
than themselves. Justin Crowe, Dr. Tumblety, the Buzzard
and Delilah Dark
are all fictional vampires, created using White Wolf's parameters.
Justin and the Buzzard are members of Clan
Toreador, while Delilah
is a prime example of Clan Malkavian. Neither
one truly exists, and I am not a madman, just a gamer. So, before you freak
out and think I am a rabidly feminazi lesbian anarchist, or a sadistic Voodoo
Priest, or Jack the Ripper, or even a blood merchant gourmet chef, please
understand that they are figments of my feverish imagination, and that most
of these pages were written "in character".
The Masquerade
In 1435, there was founded an organization, a cause, an obsession, a war. Call it what You will: history knows it as the Inquisition. Besides burning harmless old women and excommunicating French field mice for eating farmer's wheat, this Inquisition did at times achieve its aim and cleansed the world of no few true witches, warlocks, and Monsters. Many such monsters were Kindred, and the diligent inquisitors traced whole Bloodlines and put them all to the flame.
For the first time, our kind stood in real danger of extinction. Superstitious belief coupled with scientific thoroughness placed in mortal hands the ability to rid the world of Monsters forever. It was a terrifying time -- as fearful for us as the great Holocaust was for the Jews. The Kindred who survived bear the mental scars of the Inquisition to this day, and many live a life of paranoid seclusion.
The Camarilla was formed at this time to protect all Kindred and the First law of all vampires was passed., also known as THE MASQUERADE. The horrors of the Inquisition had taught Kindred the need for secrecy and showed them that they were indeed vulnerable. It was vital, therefore, that the mortal world be convinced it had killed the last of the vampires, or better yet, that they had never existed at all.
In 1976, There was a book published that game many mortals more information about us that we really wanted them to have. I won't name the book but you probably know what it was. Luckily for us, many of the mortals still believe this to be a work of fiction but some kine are starting to realize that we may really be among them.
