Christos Farlae

Cult of the Vampire Messiah

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History

Before Time

When Satanus’ horde burst upon the World at the time of the Rent most of his progeny seized form from innocents upon which they preyed, bur others found other ways to bind themselves to the World’s fabric. One such deity is known by his title at the Great Pact - Christos Farlae, which translated means ‘Future Messiah’. He, finding no mortal form enduring enough for his purposes, wrought for himself a form neither living nor dead, which he was able to do thanks to his inheriting more of his father’s powers than any other Deity of the Rent. He is always reckoned to be the First of the Chaos Gods after Satanus himself. Christos Farlae fashioned then this undead form for his spirit but in so doing had to sacrifice that portion of his soul which regenerates the spirit and thus he could only survive and gain power by drinking the souls of others. However he made others like himself and thereby became his father’s greatest general leading his massed vampire legions.

He came close to destroying the forces of Light and Law forever until finally discomfited by the separate but twin assaults of Humakt and the Necromancer, one who assaulted his forces from the front and lead the Lightbringers’ armies and the other who subverted his armies from within turning his own lieutenants against him. However he retreated to his mountain fortress, ringed upon every side by buttresses of rock and there rallied his forces to return to the fray. He released his reformed legions in a last assault and lo! The forces of Light were leaderless for Humakt, Rhadamanthus, Mithras and others could not be found. Savagely the vampires overran the World when, just as their victory seemed complete, the sun returned from Hell and blasted the massed legions of undead with his spears of sunfire. The Messiah could not withstand the onslaught and was captured, forced to sign the Great Pact and then cast out into the void.

Since Time

Some say that when Christos Farlae signed the Pact, he sold out his vampires and committed them to a fearful cryptic life hiding in the World’s shadows until finally the Sun slays them, but wise scholars refute this saying that the Vampire God endures somewhere out in the Void and that one day he shall return and his vampire legion will be waiting for him. Certainly by signing the Pact he condemned most of his following to destruction in the sun’s rays but he also ensured that a small enclave still survived deep in his old mountain citadel. This land became known as Transylvania - ‘The Land of the Changed’. To this day Transylvania is dominated by the vampires despite dozens of wars to dislodge them. They also infiltrate other places and frequently subvert weak-willed nobles seeking a form of immortality.

Life after Death

The cult offers the eternal existence of the undead in return for the soul which must be given up to Christos Farlae in the Void. Resurrection is forbidden and divine intervention is unavailable.

Runic Associations

The god arose out of Chaos and endures via the Dark Secret of Undeath. Christos Farlae either invented or discovered this rune and thus all other users of Undead in some way imitate the vampire god.

Nature of the Cult

The cult exists to serve Christos Farlae for by sacrificing power and souls into the void, his existence is maintained. In return, individual worshippers rising to Runelevel acquire fantastic abilities as well as an eternal existence. Thus the cult builds legions of vampires so that an army awaits their god upon his return.

Socio-Political Position and Power

In Transylvania, the cult is the state religion and 95% of the population are at least laymen. There its authority is absolute and cult dogma dictates government policies. Elsewhere it forms small, cryptic enclaves around Runelevels numbering between one and never more than a few dozen. These enclaves tend to be short-lived, flourishing for a while before succumbing to a Lightbringer Crusade. Unlike the other chaos darkness cults of the civilised world (Ma Fear and Thanatar) Christos Farlae does not aim for political subversion but instead usually opts for some form of military confrontation or else aims at mere survival in areas dominated by unfriendly cults. Individuals are usually too concerned with personal power to adequately co-ordinate with their vampiric brethren. However exceptions have been and are known, e.g. Béla Lûgosc and much of the present Council of Twelve.

Particular Likes and Dislikes

The cult is obviously averse to Sun and Fire in all its forms and all vampires fear Sunpriests and Humaktis. However the cult frequently shows great phlegmatism in areas where it has been entrenched a long time. Even cryptic and individual vampire’s tastes cannot be predicted. The cult actively encourages its more reliable laymen to become lay members of other cults to provide them with cover and to gain intelligence about these cults’ activities. Most other non-vampire cults distrust and fear the cult seeing their eventual end as food for vampires. Anyone meeting a vampire should be very aware that his spiritual existence is in dire jeopardy.

Organisation

The cult has generally no set Holy Places or temples, though frequently crypts and cemeteries are used for ceremonies, particularly as they are good places to hide coffins. The worshipping groups are organised around a Runelevel or Runelevels led spiritually by a priest, if possible, overseeing a flock of laymen administered by the initiates. Administration is ad hoc and if the coven is discovered, the Runelevels will attempt to vanish away to start a new coven elsewhere. In Transylvania, organisation is still chaotic but older, powerful Runelevels impose a fairly stable structure upon the country which is entirely feudal. Runelevels are granted lordships and estates to maintain their status and rising higher through the counties to possibly become eventual members of the Council of Twelve ruled by the senior Lord and Priest in the country.

Centre of Power and Holy Places

Transylvania is the only centre of real power. Elsewhere power is cryptic and transitory. Holy places include where Christos Farlae was cast out into the Void and the secret place where he warped himself into the first vampire. The latter is somewhere inside Transylvania.

Holy Days and High Holy Days

Every Freezenight is holy and demands the sacrifice of at least one point of power if a vampire, which is usually taken from the laity. The Seasonal Holy Day is Freezeday of Stasis Week, and that in Dark season is deemed the High Holy Day.

Lay Membership

Lay members are frequently initiates of other cults, ordinary folk forced to join as the prime source of food and power for the Runelevels. They are required to attend at least one Holy Night per season where they must give up as much power as required and also feed one vampire. The vampire must make a POW ×5%, failure causes him to take 2d6 CON points of blood, a fumble causes him to drain the victim completely. They must show complete subservience to the vampires. Laity are given no training or spell-teaching and are not generally used on cult business though they may be used as expendable shock troops in combat situations. Laymen showing great dedication and veracity as well as an ability in cult matters may be permitted to initiate.

Initiate Membership

Christos Farlae perverts all mortal races, the Dragonewts, Dwarves and Faeriekin being excepted. Applicants must prove loyal and willing members of the cult and must pass a test of INT + POW +5% per member or victim the initiate has brought to the cult and +5% per year as a layman. Failure means death and zombifacation. To remain initiated, the cultist must sacrifice power but not usually blood every Freezenight unless away on a cult mission. He must accept at least one and as many as three gifts, plus the concomitant number of geases. Roll 2d6 for each geas.

Christos Farlae Gift Table

2d6 Roll	Gift	Geas Cost
2	Accept a Chaos Feature with none of the usual side-effects.	3
3	+1 on non-raisable characteristic	3/+1
4	+15% Stealth Bonus	2
5	+2 points of Detection Blank	2
6	+10% on 1-handed weapon attack and parry	1
7	+10% on a cult skill	1
8	Free reusable Runespell - Summon Small Shade	2
9	Radiate Fear as shade 1x/day or Vampiric Harmonise1x/day	2
10	+1 on raisable characteristic	1/+1
11	Mastery of 1-handed weapon1	3
12	Mastery of a cult skill2	3

Notes:

1. Vampires prefer the use of 1-handed weapons without shields so as to leave one hand free.
2. Cult skills are hide in shadows, move quietly, oratory, spot hidden, listen, climbing, jumping.

For each indicated geas roll d100 and consult the following table.

Christos Farlae Geas Table

d100	Geas
01	Favoured by the Messiah. No Geas.
02-05	Always taste the blood of every sentient killed by character.
06-08	Drink the blood of a sentient creature one day per week.1
09-12	Eat the flesh of a sentient creature one day per week.1
13-15	Eat the flesh or drink the blood of one sentient creature each day.
16	Drink only the blood of sentients.
17	Eat only the flesh of sentients.
18-21	Distrust all dwarves.
22-26	Distrust all Lightbringers.2
27-29	Distrust all non-chaotics.
30-31	Distrust all non-cultists.
32	Never accept any magical healing save for Vampiric Healing.
33	Sacrifice 1 CON point of blood every Freezenight even if no vampires are present.
34-38	Double Power sacrifice on holy days.3
39-41	Triple Power sacrifice on holy days.3
42	Fear of mirrors.4
43-44	Fear of Death Rune.5
45-46	Photophobia.6
47	Pyrophobia.7
48	Aquaphobia.8
49-52	Very pale skin and jet black hair.
53	Horrific visage.9
54-55	Charnel smell.10
56-60	Never use large shield.
61-64	Never use large or medium shield.
65-67	Never use any off-hand parrying device.
68-69	Never use 2 handed weapons.
70-72	Never use missile weapons.
73-77	Always wear an item of black clothing visibly on body.
78-80	Wear only black clothing.
81-82	Wear the teeth or bones of a victim visibly on body.
83-84	Wear only black clothes with crimson silk linings, including a high-collared cloak.
85	Wear a trophy visibly on body of each victim killed.
86-87	All non-vampiric vegetation withers within hours of character passing. Faeriekin lose a d6 CON.
88-91	All normal domestic animals, e.g. dogs, cats, horses, birds, are terrified at sight of cultist.
92-95	Never ride an animal or vehicle.
96-98	Roll twice.
99-00	Roll thrice.

Notes:

1. Roll d8 1=Freezeday, 2=Waterday, 3=Clayday, 4=Windsday, 5=Fireday, 6=Wildday, 7=Godsday, 8=Roll twice.
2. Lightbringers include all Fire/Sun/Light/Heat cults plus Humakt and Typhon.
3. These affect power maintenance of Rune spells and blood cost of healing. This can be crippling to a vampire, especially an old Runepriest.
4. Cultists will shy from mirrors and get out of their way or turn them over. If he sees his own reflection suddenly, he will instinctively lash out to break the mirror if he fails a POW x5%. If this is fumbled he will flee screaming.
5. Cultist will flinch strongly from strongly presented Rune and must make a POW x5% roll to advance against the wielder. If he fumbles he will flee.
6. Hates daylight and gets splitting headaches in sunlight and suffers impairment of skills in daytime. 0% in Darkseason (−5% on Fireday), −5% in Storm season, −10% in Sea and Earth season and −15% in Fire season. Losses are doubled on Fireday, and reduced by 5% on Freezeday. Encountering sudden bright lights has the same effect as note 4 above.
7. Fear of Fire. Cultist avoid it and if facing fire in combat must make a POW ×5% or only parry and defend in any round. If burnt, then damage done attacks remaining hit points as a Fearshock attack. Note all Vampires take double damage from fire - so this is a bad one!
8. Fear of flowing water. POW x1% to cross running water. If the cultist falls into running water then he must make a POW ×5% every round or suffer Fearshock. If damaged by water then effects as for note 7 above.
9. The cultist's face becomes ghastly, often skinless, with bulging red eyes and long fang-like incisor teeth. Charisma falls by d6 and racial maximum is reduced by 7.
10. The cultist exudes a strong odour of putrescence and decay. His breath in particular will smell so bad that unprepared people will be violently ill if he breathes in their face and they fail a (CON + POW) ×2.5% roll. Note that the vampire must be very close and can never use this as a combat technique, however many cultists so blessed have used it as a means of sadistic torture.

Initiates frequently form close dependencies upon the initiating vampire who offers (regardless of delivery) protection, patronage and speeded elevation to Runelevel in return for unswerving loyalty and service.

The vampire taking the an initiate must guarantee him free training in Hide in Shadows, and Move Quietly and ½ price training in whatever 1 handed weapon the vampire specialises in and the cult skills of oratory, spot hidden, listen, climbing and jumping. In Transylvania, a vampire, particularly a Runepriest, may have a suite of unusual skills which may be substituted for the above. All other skills are full cost.

Spell teaching is available in any battlemagic known to the vampire(s), and is acquired using the Runespell Vampiric Spell Teaching, though other spells may be gained from sources via normal spell teaching. All fire/light spells (even moonlight) are forbidden, as is any form of healing, save corpse healing, and these will be forgotten if already known. Initiates can request battlemagic in the same way as initiates of other cults request Runemagic.

Initiates are well advised to stay in line for the vengeance of their mentor is a thing to be feared as he will not only kill them but will also destroy their spirit. Vampires are immortal and may wait a long time before exacting retribution.

Any vampire may initiate someone by allowing the applicant to drink the vampire’s blood.

Initiates may not sacrifice for Runemagic until they achieve Runelevel.

Runelord Membership

All Christos Farlae Runelords are vampires and are referred to as Vampire Lords both within and outside the cult. The requirements are strict and the test difficult. Applicants must have at least 15+ POW, 90%+ in any 1-handed weapon, hide in shadows, move quietly, at least two of spot hidden, listen, and oratory, and either climbing or jumping or the third of the latter group of three. He must pass a test abstracted as (INT + CON + CHA) ⁄ 2 + 5% per year as an initiate. Bonuses are allowed for exceptional service to the cult, temple, or individual conducting the rebirth ceremony. Failures may reapply after one year, and mastering another skill (D.M.’s discretion). If fumbled the character is taken into the rebirth ceremony, drained and deliberately turned into a zombie instead. A Vampire Lord must take one more random gift and the concomitant geases.

Vampire Lords have all the general abilities, features and restrictions of vampires. They gain a Divint, but this serves only to return them to a coffin of their choice, and as it costs permanent power they are slow to use it. Their racial maximum CON becomes 25, and they can gain CON raises as if their CON were POW, by using their bloodsucking bite in a CON vs. CON attack. Normal vampires do not have a combat bite and victims must normally be quiescent and subdued, frequently unconscious. All Runemagic is non-reusable and must be maintained by 1 point of power per point of Runemagic, every Freezenight. This is in addition to the 1, 3 and 5 points to be spent on weekly, seasonal, and annual holy days, and all points are subject to the double and triple power sacrifice geases. Thus a vampire with much Runemagic can easily need a fair sized village to meet his power requirements.

A Vampire Lord’s responsibilities include ensuring the initiates receive training, but above all they must control and discipline the ‘flock’ for the sake of the temple. Security is their prime function and they must protect both themselves and the temple from threats both within and without. Discipline is imposed by the older, more powerful vampires, upon the younger without this there is nothing to prevent him from doing precisely as he pleases. Internecine warfare is an habitual hazard.

Runepriests

All Christos Farlae Runepriests are vampires and are called Vampire Priests. They have perhaps the strictest requirements for acceptance of any cult. They need 18+ POW, mastery of move quietly, hide in shadows, and three knowledge skills (other than speak own). In Transylvania, one of these must be Read/Write Darkish, and it is common for the local script and Speak Transylvanian to be demanded in many parts of the world. He must also pass a test abstracted as (INT + DEX + CHA) ⁄ 2 + 2% per year as an initiate, and +50% per year spent as a Runelord. As with the Runelord test, bonuses are awarded for exceptional service to the cult, temple or ordaining vampire. Failures and fumbles are treated the same as for Runelords.

Runepriests have the general abilities of vampires. All DEX skills are limited to DEX ×5% save for their stealth skills. Their maximum racial power increases to 25 (if less), and they can gain CON raises as do Runelords. Runemagic which is normally reusable is reusable to the Vampire-Priest but must be maintained by power sacrifice as for Runelords. Runepriests can train characteristics but this is much more difficult than for non-undead, costing 10 000 shillings and taking a full year per point, and CON rolls are required as normal.

The Vampire Priest has similar restrictions to the Vampire Lord, but is not supposed to indulge in direct, physical combat. Once again, only might can usually force a Vampire Priest to bow to the wishes of another, but Christos Farlae will destroy them if they directly harm a Runelord. Another random gift and geas(es) must be taken.

Runespell Compatibility

Vampires have no access to normal Runemagic, but must rely upon what they can rip from their victims. All such spells are usable except for Discorporation (no separate spirit), Divination, Divine Intervention, (Vampire Priests use Runelord Divine Intervention), and certain anti-chaos and anti-undead spells. Once obtained, function as if they are the vampire’s own. Only the following spells are accessible to vampires.

One Point Spells

Create Skeleton: Range 40m; Duration instant; Non-Stackable; Reusable
Raises dry bones to fight @DEX x5%.

Runerip: Range touch; Duration instant; Stackable (No limit); Non-Reusable
Must be cast while the vampire is attacking by a successful Power drain touch. If the victim is ecstatic, there is a 95% chance of success, otherwise a POW vs. POW roll is necessary. If successful, it allows the vampire to take the victim’s Runemagic on a point for point basis. The vampire can take any combination of spells but the spell must be cast before revealing the magic available and extra points are wasted.

Example: if Runerip VI is cast upon a victim with Shield II, Spell Teaching, Counter Chaos, and Dismiss Small Elemental, Counter chaos cannot be used, and Spell Teaching is rejected as useless, but the Vampire takes Shield II and Dismiss Small Elemental and wastes 3 points. If Runerip I had been repeatedly cast upon the victim, Counter Chaos would have been revealed and, with time at his disposal, the vampire could have used his Runerip more economically.

The Runemagics are lost to the victim permanently, and the vampire can reuse them only if (a) they were reusable to the victim, and (b) the vampire is a Rune Priest who maintains them with stolen power. The Runemagic is now the vampire’s own and can be regained by sleeping in his coffin for one week per point.

Summoning: Range 160m; Duration 15 min; Stackable; Reusable
Can be used to call any one previous recipient of that caster’s Ecstasy spell with 95% chance of success. The victim does not have to be visible, merely within range and lacking sufficient magical protection. Victims of any vampire who have not experienced the Ecstasy spell can also be summoned but they must be visible and the vampire must make a successful POW vs. POW attack. The victim will enter a trance like state, even if already unconscious, and attempt to make his or her way to the vampire. They will be evasive and even deceptive if questioned and may even turn violent if physically impeded. The urge to follow the call will last for the spell duration, even if the vampire leaves the spell range, and then vanished abruptly leaving the victim confused and wondering about his own activities. Note: this spell only works during the hours of darkness. Extra points allow multiple summonings or each point doubles the range.

Summon Small Shade: Range 60m; Duration 15 min; Non-Stackable; Reusable
As the standard spell, but appears as a tall, cloaked, human figure.

Sunwalk: Range 160m; Duration 1 hour; Stackable (No limit); Reusable
Allows the recipient vampire to walk abroad in daylight as a normal person. It does not confer immunity to fire/light magics in any way and the sunlight prevents the vampire from using his special abilities, save for his doubled strength and other physical qualities, but including smoke transformation, harmonise, power drain touch, et al. which are all prohibited. Stacking the spell doubles the duration for each extra point.

Vampiric Spell Teaching: Range 40m; Duration 15 min; Stackable; Reusable
Each point cast allows the vampire to teach one battlemagic spell he knows to all recipients who yield a point of permanent POW, on a point for point basis, limited by one point of Battlemagic per point of Spell Teaching. The sacrificed power goes straight to Christos Farlae to help maintain his existence in the Void. (See Komodo for a full description of this spell).

Two Point Spells

Create Ghost: Range touch; Duration instant; Non-Stackable; Reusable
Binds the spirit of a mortal, sacrificed victim into an area as a Ghost. If the victim is not a volunteer then one round of successful spirit combat is necessary to complete the binding. The object of binding is usually the grave of the victim created by burying the dead body as part of the rite.

Create Zombie: Range 40m; Duration instant; Non-Stackable; Reusable
Raises a recently dead body as a zombie, which can fight at DEX x5%.

Ecstasy: Range touch; Duration 15 min; Non-Stackable; Reusable
Can be cast upon a harmonised or summoned victim with a 95% chance of success, otherwise a POW vs. POW roll must be made. If successful, the victim will co-operate fully while the vampire feeds, even unto death! Afterwards the victim will remember nothing of the events and will forcibly deny all knowledge of the encounter, whilst retaining an exciting feeling of illicit passion and pleasure! Such a person is very vulnerable to a repeat attack and is most unlikely to resist the advances of their assailant. Such a victim will often unconsciously cover up bite marks.

Vampiric Healing: Range touch; Duration instant; Non-Stackable; Reusable
This is a healing spell which works by transferring all wounds from the caster to the victim touched. Only hit-point damage is affected, poison or disease remains with the caster. Note: this spell can quite easily kill the victim, and if so it will be quite useless for creating undead.

Three Point Spells

Bind Mortal Slave: Range touch; Duration instant; Non-Stackable; Non-Reusable
Can only be cast upon an Ecstatic victim. It causes the victim to be ‘bound’ to the caster as might a bound familiar save that there is no normal mindlink unless cast by the vampire separately. There is however a permanent mindspeech so that the vampire may give orders to his slave. Similar rules to bound familiars govern how many slaves a vampire may have, range of communication, etc. If taken more than 5 miles from the vampire, the victim will be apparently free of his control, but will immediately fall back under his spell should they meet again. Bound slaves will gladly cast spells, fight, give their blood, power and even their lives for their master. They all too frequently join the cult and may become ‘bound’ vampires, though their master may prefer to keep them in human form without the undead stigma. Only the vampire’s ultimate demise will free a victim from this binding.

Subservient Cults

Spirit of Reprisal

Any vampire that transgresses against Christos-Farlae by directly breaking his geases or by other means will be immediately unbound from his material existence and will simply cease to be. Vampires that fail to maintain their blood and power sacrifices will suffer the penalties noted in the miscellaneous notes.

Initiates who break with the cult will be implacably hunted down and ruthlessly destroyed, the same goes for the laity, generally "once a member, always a member"! Initiates that break their geases must undergo confession and penance for each sin before achieving Runelevel or else their ordination will fail.

Associate Cults

Komodo

One of the races that do not fear the vampires is the Saurochs, of which a small enclave lives in the western Transylvanian mountains. The vampires cultivate them as permanent guardians of the western wall. Any vampire is sure of a welcome amongst the Saurochs. They will teach Ancestor Lore to any visiting Christos-Farlae cultist (probably!).

Primal Chaos

Christos Farlae was the foremost General of the Devil’s assault upon the world. In return he receives Chaos Feature as do all the chaos cults, however in most temples the hierarchy will be disinclined to create vampires with obvious chaos features, and even in Transylvania overtly chaotic beings are frequently discriminated against, often for purely aesthetic reasons.

Miscellaneous Notes

Vampires

A vampire is a hideous undead being, by nature cut off from the flow of power through the world and therefore an obligatory parasite upon mortal folk. Most vampires are created by the Christos Farlae ritual but a few happen by other means. Vampires created by the Ritual of Runelevel Ordination in Christos Farlae are regarded as the most powerful having at their disposal Runemagics and divine support.

During the ordination ritual, a candidate is bled completely dry by the ordinating vampire but his soul is captured as it leaves the lifeless husk of his body. Christos Farlae takes the soul and tears out the part that regenerates for his own use and twists the remainder as he puts it back into the body. The new vampire is given his first blood by the inaugurating vampire. He is now a vampire and has all their abilities listed below. He is effectively a conduit of power to the void and as such is himself a temple to his god. His function is to channel power to his god from the laity and initiates. He must maintain his physical existence with fresh blood. Many sages are of the opinion that technically a vampire is a form of parasitic demon.

Abilities of Vampires

All vampires gain a battery of special abilities merely by virtue of the condition:

1. Physical strength is immediately doubled. Normal limitations are placed upon characteristic training, though time and cost are much greater than for mortals. (See Runepriesthood.)
2. Hit points per location are doubled. A vampire’s body is immensely tough. A limb must be taken to −6 h.p. to be severed (−12 if hit by a non-edged weapon). Vampire’s do not suffer from system shock though it appears that they still feel pain. Any severed limb vanishes leaving a bloody mess where it lay.
3. A vampire may voluntarily assume the form of a blood-red cloud of smoke. This effects only his body, not his possessions or equipment. The smoke has a movement rate of one but may disperse to prevent following. In this state it may be detected as a diffuse cloud using Detect Undead. The smoke must coalesce to pass through apertures, as its integrity may not be broken. Vampires taking physical damage in excess of their total hit points are forced into smoke form and must return to their coffin. It has been noted that such clouds can attack physically and spiritually - sucking blood and power but in this form vampires lack the other abilities which make them so fearsome. Attuned items can turn to smoke.
4. A vampire can exercise an ability to harmonise a sentient being using a non-power consuming spell, as a 2 point battle magic, once per round, holding in thrall any number of victims up to to his charisma for as long as he concentrates. These victims are mentally as well as physically frozen, unlike the usual spell.
5. A vampire is immune to all forms of poison and almost all diseases.
6. The ability is gained to reach through to an opponents spirit, with an off-hand, even in combat, and drain battle magic power in a POW vs. POW attack. This is normally used however in a conventional attack upon a harmonised victim. This ability must be exercised to utilise the Runerip and Bind Mortal Victim Runespells.
7. The ability to suck blood from a victim by biting a major artery in a CON vs. CON attack (thus gaining a CON tick which may be raised as if power). One point of blood is required every Freezenight to maintain his physical existence. Blood is also taken to repair hit point damage, 3 points of blood (CON) per hit point of damage. It takes three times the locational hit points of a severed limb to replace it, multiplied by the fraction of the limb lost, but never less than 12 points of blood. The blood suck is a very passionate experience. Every time a vampire drinks he must roll on (POW − current h.p. damage) ×5%, if he fails then he drinks every round until he rolls a POW ×1%, or until the victim dies. Upon a fumble he slays and tears the victim apart in a feeding frenzy gaining only 1⁄3 of the blood he would gain by drinking normally - very messy.
8. They are now undead and show up on Detect Undead, but not on Detect Life. Without a soul, they cannot be seen in a mirror by a Truth rune cultist, for a mirror reflects the soul.
9. They are vulnerable to the Death rune, for when wielded by a Death rune cultist as a focus for casting Disruption, the spell targets on a 01-95, and does not have to overcome the vampires power. A successful Sever Spirit completely destroys a vampire.

Vampires have the following ties and vulnerabilities to the elements.

• Darkness: as creatures of darkness vampires are immune to a shade’s Fearshock attack.
• Water: vampires may not cross water blessed by a priest of that element. Further one drop of water from the river Styx destroys a vampire completely.
• Earth: Every day a vampire must sleep in a grave containing at least a handful of earth from his original ritual grave, though each grave he has can produce one such handful per century. Also burial tools blessed by a priestess of the earth inflict double damage upon a vampire and this damage is like fire damage.
• Air: air elementals disperse vampires in smoke form for a number of hours equal to the elementals strength. Strong wind spells have a similar effect.
• Fire: unless protected by Sunwalk, direct sunlight inflicts a d6 CON damage per minute. Even with Sunwalk, most of a vampire’s abilities are stripped by sunlight. Sunspear destroys a vampire physically and all fire damage ravages a vampire’s permanent CON.
• Moon: the vampires have no particular relationship to this element.

To kill a vampire properly is a difficult thing, and all the following have been tried.

• Starving: A vampire deprived of blood loses a d3 CON points per week. At 1 or 2 CON points, he will take on a skeletally emaciated look, at CON 0 he collapses to a red dust, much like brick dust. However this is merely a cessation of the physical form, and the vampire is still spiritually active. Further Christos Farlae power demands are waived in this state and so it may remain in this state indefinitely. It may still assume smoke form and can still attack in this form draining power and blood (0 CON vs. the victims CON), or alternatively it can be reconstituted by directly pouring on fresh blood. However the vampire is still vulnerable to spirit spells and it is rumoured that Free Ghost can kill a vampire in this state. Some vampires take on this state voluntarily.
• Burning: Simple burning merely destroys the vampire’s physical form much like starving, only faster. It must be combined with other measures to be effective.
• Staking: Many simple folk believe that putting a stake through the heart of a vampire kills it. This is not so, for it only immobilises a vampire and prevents it escaping or moving, even in smoke form, but the vampire must be staked to something itself immobile and the stake must have been blessed by a priestess of the earth or the vampire will simply remove it himself. If staked properly however, a vampire is helpless, save for his Runespells and such mortal assistants as he may summon to his aid. It is customary to remove the head for this can be burnt in a Fire blessed by a Fire/Light priest, or sever spirited or a put to a variety of other solutions to the problem of destroying the vampire completely.
• Denying Power: Preventing a vampire from reaching a source of power could destroy a vampire provided that it could not deliberately assume the state mentioned under starving. (Staking being the most practical method probably.) certainly a vampire with low power is much more vulnerable than one with high power, and if reduced to zero then of course he ceases to be and his body crumbles to dust (dead, dead, dust).
• Specialist Runespells: Sever Spirit, Blast Vampire, etc. can destroy even a hale and hearty vampire irrevocably. However a vampire is simply too tough to be damaged by a Sever Spirit spell failing to overcome his power.

Psychology of Vampires

Laity
The commonest state of mind among the laity is abject fear. Even in Transylvania where almost everyone is at least a layman, subservience from coercion is the norm. In civilised areas, the laity are usually forced to join and give their blood and power purely out of fear of retribution from the temple hierarchy. This is well founded!

Initiates
Initiates have attitudes often reflecting their masters. Frequently an initiate will form an intimate relationship with his or her ‘mentor’. Like laymen, initiates are frequently in terror of their masters but themselves terrorise the laity, showing ruthless savagery and vindictiveness. There are some exceptions and these more temperate individuals are often favoured by the hierarchy. Frankly, most initiates of this cult are not quite ‘sane’ by civilised standards.

Young Vampires
Upon attaining vampire status, a cultist is suddenly freed from years of subservience and simultaneously gifted with awesome strength and abilities as well as immortality and immunity to most of the ills that flesh is heir to. Unsurprisingly they frequently display an almost psychotic arrogance and impetuosity born out of their sudden feeling of freedom and invincibility. The resulting recklessness is one reason why most of the vampires created have died comparatively young. This period can last decades to centuries.

Older Vampires
As a vampire ages, he usually matures. This coupled with the fact that it is often the more circumspect vampires that survive the initial period (often referred to as ‘adolescence’ by the older vampires) means that vampires a few centuries in age tend to show more restraint than their younger brethren. They are much more aware of their limitations and are more thoughtful and perceptive. As they are also individually more powerful, as military, political or even mere combat opponents, they are far more deadly.

Senescent Vampires
Sometimes an older vampire tires of the world often complaining of ‘boredom’ and ‘guilt’. This ennui can so overcome such a vampire that he deliberately withdraws from the world, starves himself (usually while maintaining his power) and falls to dust. He may of course be later resurrected, either by his own efforts, deliberately by others, or even by chance.

Government, Society and Politics in Transylvania

Transylvania is a feudal state where the state religion is the cult of Christos Farlae, and the nobility are almost entirely vampires. It is ruled by a Council of Twelve, composed of supposedly the most powerful vampires. Theoretically it should be very stable, considering the immortality of its members but beyond the four or five most senior members, its membership fluctuates according to who is in or out of favour and the fluctuating political fortunes of the various Transylvanian magnates.

Upon acquiring vampire status, a new Runelevel in Transylvania will usually be allotted a fief by his local Count who rules an area called a County or March, depending upon its location. Thus the nobility is divided into mere lords and the Counts. It is the Counts who wield the political power within the country. As well as the rulers of counties, there are also the ‘tribal counts’, each of which oversees a barbarian race within Transylvania.

At the head of the Council of Twelve sit two ancient vampires: Béla Lûgosc, Count Starkenberg, who is the temporal and political head of state, and Vlad Drakula, who is the senior Runepriest and the ‘spiritual’ head of state. These two have seen three whole ages of the world go past. Their powers and abilities are immense, and together they are usually referred to within the country as the Counts of Transylvania. ‘King’ or ‘Duke’ would be more appropriate titles elsewhere. The abilities and allies of the Counts are beyond comprehension. Count Béla is believed to maintain an élite anti-assassin guard commanded by a Humakti Runepriest and he personally led some 2000 Transylvanian troops defend Heliopolis from Thanatos during the Fourth Darkness (sometimes known as the ‘Timestop’).

Beneath this nobility is a downtrodden peasantry worshipping all the normal cults, though no fire/heat/light cults and few Selenites. There is absolutely no vestige of the anti-undead/chaos cults of course and a much higher number of various chaos cultists, though the vampires tend to persecute the more extreme chaos cults (Thanatar, Ma-Fear, Uriah, Engariel and Bagog). Primal Chaos is often suppressed for the vampires apparently believe that too much chaos would threaten the integrity of he state.

It is known that Transylvania actively monitors and interferes in the politics of other states. It is rumoured that in the early 580s the central Ma-Fear temple in Moonguard was destroyed by just two vampires from Transylvania. The meddling in Lüneport politics is legendary, the port having at times been virtually a vassal state though thankfully in recent times the town burghers have strongly resisted the Transylvanian strong-arm tactics.

Recovery of Blood Loss From Vampire Feeding

Blood points drained by any means lowers CON. This CON can be recovered quite easily provided the victim gets plenty of good food and drink and rests. Every day roll d100 vs. current CON and consult the following table.

The Vampire Heresies

Elvira de Severin finally uncovered the seventh element and found it to be Blood. She immediately took her findings to Count Béla and he realised that this element was very germane to the vampiric condition. At his behest, Elvira devised a ritual whereby a vampire could eschew the element of darkness for that of blood. It seems Béla hoped to free the vampires from their vulnerability to the sun and fire but this is based upon the Sun’s hostility to vampire kind. However there are definite differences. The Count Béla, Elvira plus a choice few formed the beginnings of a sect held to be heretical. They still worship the Messiah and so gifts and geases etc. are not changed but the following peculiarities apply.

Blood vampires summon blood elementals instead of shades. They have normal vulnerability to fear and shade attacks, no longer being creatures of darkness. It is no longer necessary for them to reside in a grave, which makes them freer geographically. Burial tools still inflict damage like fire due to the earth’s animosity. Blood vampires can heal wounds in themselves or in others by using their blood. They can store blood equal to their permanent CON. It has no other uses.

The heresy proved relatively popular in Transylvania but the backlash by the fundamentalists has created a schism within the state. The open supporters of the heresy of Sanguinity have fled and the covert supporters have remained in cover. Those that fled include Count Béla, Count Lucien Sardonicus, the Marquis de Sade, and Elvira de Severin. At least two other counts are believed to be covert supporters of the Heresy. The fundamentalists are led by the Count of the Spiritual Marches, Vlad Drakula.

Blood may be regarded as the natural element of vampires.

Blood Elementals

These may be summoned from blood spilt openly. They appear as a formless blood-red glistening body of liquid. They attack by enveloping their victims and attacking with their hit points vs. the victim’s CON. On a success they drain a variable amount of blood. (See the table below.) it can simultaneously attack as many people as it envelopes. It cannot affect those without blood such as elves, and undead.

Starting Character Transylvanians

Those characters with parents in normal (non-vampire) cults or who elect for a non-vampiric cult gain experience as normal. Those marked as being in Christos Farlae however are born to initiates of the cult and may gain experience as follows:

Skills:

Hide in shadows, move quietly, listen and spot hidden are at 50% plus bonuses.

Climbing, jumping, oratory, read/write Darkish, and speak other language are at 30% plus bonuses.

Spells:

Darkwall, Detect Undead and 3000 shillings worth of cult compatible battlemagic (more if noble). Extra spells may be bought in exchange for power.

A set of normal raise rolls is applied to each characteristic.

Nobles gain riding at 30%, heraldry at 50%, diplomacy and lying at 30% plus relevant bonuses. Peasants, townsmen and nobles gain light, medium and heavy infantry armour respectively. There is a POW ×3% chance of 1 chaos feature, POW ×2% chance of two chaos features and a POW ×1% chance of three chaos features. Non-Christos Farlae vampires are of course anathema and some other chaos features may prove troublesome.