Vitalis
Blood is Life. Blood is Knowledge. Blood is Power. These are the words that have come to define those who wield the powers of Vitalis. While its origins stem from an earnest desire to bring good into the world, the path that this magic took across its existence has been a decidedly dark one. Vitalis has been used to bring incredible wonders to life and has also been the bane of entire civilizations, with the most powerful of its wielders almost bringing about the end of all life in Ransera.
Origins
To some it is called The Mother’s Lament. To others it is the Scholar’s Blessing. The beginnings of Vitalis rest with Raella, the Dragon Goddess of Life herself. Gifted to the ancient elves of Sol’Valen it was her way of teaching the early sages of the elves the blessed art of healing. For a time, it was used as she intended it to be. The ancient elves used it to achieve feats of healing, of achieving incredible longevity and helping to perpetuate life in the world around them.
But it was not to last.
As the ancient elves expanded their empire, pushing the boundaries of their Boundless Empire, the greatest of the Vitalis mages were approached by the Mistlord Lyren. He made them an offer and those that accepted found that the limits of their power with Vitalis was greatly expanded. This expansion however, came at a cost. The ancient mages unlocked secrets with Vitalis, using the power of life itself to fuel the arcane research that formed the foundations of the Boundless Empire. Horrified at the terrible atrocities being committed with the gift she had given, Raella turned to strip the magic from the souls of all who bore it. She was thwarted however, through the intervention of Lyren. The Mistlord of Knowledge transformed those who had accepted his secrets, pulling them from the realm of Life and bringing them somewhere between the limbo of Life and Death, thus creating the first undead.
Following this event, the blood mages of ancient Sol’Valen spiraled further into a cycle of unrestrained experimentation and hedonism until finally, a terrible conflict sparked within the Boundless Empire that prompted the Court of Princes to outlaw the practice of blood magic. The ensuing war is what some believe to have ultimately led to the terrible series of events that saw the collapse of the empire and the ruination of the ancient Hytori civilization. However, this conflict saw the ancient Hytori systematically hunt and wipe out every practitioner of the craft that they could find, causing the practice of blood magic to go extinct.
It would not be until after the Sundering of the World that the Rune of Vitalis would be seen again. Wielded by the Cult of Mending, it was a tool that many believe to have been instrumental in unleashing the Graveplague. While many places in the world had been on the path toward recovery in the aftermath of the Sundering, the Graveplague wiped out many burgeoning societies that otherwise might have survived. The tide of suffering and evil was turned, however, through the intervention of the Order of the Dawnmartyr. With the support of both their own ranks and the bravery of many unsung heroes, they managed to dismantle enough of the Cult of Mending’s machinations to allow for the end of the Graveplague. This ushered in the current era, known as the Age of Steel for both its industrial atmosphere and the grit many faced in pushing civilization away from the brink of collapse once more.
Initiation and Threshold Sickness
Accepting the rune of Vitalis is accepting that once received, the life that one lived before is over. Vitalis was originally created by Raella to be a magic of life and vitality. That power was abused but to spare its practitioners from facing divine retribution, the Mistlord Lyren forever changed it, thus thwarting Raella’s attempt to purge it from existence. Upon receiving the rune of Vitalis, the recipient undergoes a transformation from which there is no returning.
What ensues is perhaps the most violent, bloody, painful and excruciating process that perhaps any of the runes of magic exact upon initiates. Once fully inscribed, the rune of Vitalis begins to kill its recipient, expanding outward from where it was inscribed. Skin begins to rot. Bones begin to crack and crumble. Blood vessels rupture. Muscle decays. As soon as the process reaches the spine, the initiate begins to convulse as their central nervous system shuts down. The internal organs shut down. All the while, the initiate must cling to the will to live and fight through the agony of the power they wish to wield, slowly and intentionally killing them. The brain is always the last to shut down, no matter where the rune is inscribed. As the clutch of death begins to tug at their soul, the initiate must fight on. Then comes a moment. It is different for every initiate but it is described as a single moment wherein they can feel the welling power of the rune of Vitalis, swollen and fat after feeding upon their lifeforce, briefly on the edge of their grasp.
The initiate must take hold of that power. They must wrench it away from the force that is swallowing it and they must make it their own. If they do not, death will take them.
If successful, the initiate will embark upon an uphill battle with a window of typically 24 to 72 hours to complete. Harnessing the power that is now in their grasp, the initiate must rebuild their body from its destroyed state. They must infuse the power into the bones, their sinew and muscles. As the power reaches their organs however, the initiate begins to violently excrete the rotted remains of their old organs as they grow new ones. It is an unpleasant process but one that must be seen to completion and is the one part of the process where they might be able to receive assistance. Failure to successfully excrete, whether through emesis, defecation or other means, will result in an improper rebirth and thus a failed initiation and death. However, another blood mage can use their powers to assist in ushering another through this process if they are so inclined. They can reach into the prospective initiate and help to force the deceased parts of their internal anatomy out, piece by piece.
Finally, if the initiate is successful in pushing out their old internal organs, they take their first breath. They are remade. They are revitalized.
They are reborn as a Vitalitasi or more commonly known as Vampyre.
Overstepping
Vitalitasi, the wielders of Vitalis, are always on a steady decline toward overstepping. The rune of Vitalis is constantly feeding upon their life force in order to sustain both their powers and their state of existing as a Vampyre. As a result, the vampyre must carefully gauge the use of their powers for every use propels them closer to the point of losing themselves to a state simply referred to as Feryl. Going Feryl is to lose oneself to the hunger that steadily increases within a vampyre. In order to survive and reverse the steady decline that they are always spiraling toward, the vampyre must feed upon the lifeforce of another living person. Through the consumption of their blood, the vampyre ingests both vitality and aether they need to appease the rune of Vitalis and halt this decline for a time. It will always return but the more they consume, the more this sense of hunger will diminish. The stronger the vampyre, the more they need to consume in order to sate this hunger and reverse the decline.
The first stage of this decline simply sees fatigue, nausea, dizziness, and mild hunger that can be reversed through a simple, light feeding. The second stage of this decline results in drastic changes in mood, physical aches, pains, and the slowing of reflexes and a diminishment of command over their powers. This typically takes a much more extensive feeding to reverse and a period of rest to recover from.
The third stage is when an individual goes Feryl. During this state, the individual is reduced to their baser instincts. They are driven to quell the hunger at any cost. They are little more than a creature of carnal hunger and reaction. Interestingly enough, Feryl vampyre experience a dramatic increase in their physical strength, speed and agility as the rune of Vitalis pushes them to preserve it. Failure to reverse this state and the vampyre will perish as they are eaten away by the very power they once wielded, becoming dust.
How It Works
The power of a Vitalitasi is fueled through the use of living vitality, which is most commonly and readily expressed through blood that has been heavily saturated and infused with aether. Vampyre refer to this as Vitale and it is the cornerstone of everything that they are, do and can achieve. Without it, they are nothing. In order to access the powers at their disposal, the vampyre must saturate their body with aether and then channel these abilities through their blood resulting in grizzly displays of unsettling, disturbing or perhaps miraculous power. Vitale is made from blood or another bodily fluid (i.e. sweat, oils, saliva). It is the medium through which a vampyre channels their power. The creation of vitale is simple. It requires that the vampyre saturate this bodily substance with their aether. They then use it to manipulate their powers to whatever ends they wish to achieve.
Feeding
Vampyres must feed. It is unavoidable and it is required for them to continue to live and not deteriorate into a state of mindless insanity. This is most easily achieved through the consumption of another’s blood in order to replace the vitality they themselves lose through the steady draw born from a result of their rune. Vampyres can still consume ordinary food and drink. Their bodies will still process and digest it as normal but the return on sustenance is so inconsequential as compared to feeding from a living person that it is, at this point in the vampyre’s life, something done simply to fit in born out of habit. The blood that they consume must be relatively fresh or have been adequately preserved in order to be truly filling. Consuming from a living source will always be healthiest versus consuming something that has been preserved. Consuming blood from something that is dead can lead to blood poisoning which is an affliction that can be debilitating for a vampyre.
All people and things have aether within them, however sentient creatures have the highest concentration of aether and thus are naturally the primary sources of vampyric sustenance. Mages or those who are continually working with and channeling aether, have the highest concentration of aether in their blood. They are thus considered prime targets for feedings whenever a vampyre can manage it.
The rule of thumb is that a vampyre must consume at least a liter of blood every day in order to adequately sustain themselves. More aggressive use of their powers can result in a need to feed more than that. There is reason to believe that ancient blood mages created the sanguinyte dragonshards as a means of creating a method of storing vitality for later consumption. As a result, blood gems are incredibly valuable to vampyres because the normal risk of becoming dependent upon them has no effect on them. They can thus use blood gems without reservation or fear of the risks normally experienced from using them. Additionally, stronger blood gems more perfectly preserve the living vitality of the blood it stores, far greater than what even the powers of necromancy can offer.
Living as a Vitalitasi
Vitalitasi, vampyres, are no longer completely among the living nor are they completely among the dead either. The Mistlord Lyren has touched the power of Vitalis and has ushered it into the realm of Undeath. Upon being reborn, as their bodies are being reforged in the fires of the power now in their grasp, the vampyre experiences heightened senses, increased strength and stamina, and higher reflexes that are above that of the average member of their race. They become naturally resilient to disease as the Rune of Vitalis constantly works to expunge their bodies of impurities in an effort to feed on the purest expression of vitality as possible. As a consequence of this, vampyres that are healthy and well-fed appear invigorated with vitality. Their bodies are made hale and hearty. They often appear youthful. A Vitalitasi is functionally gifted with eternal life. So long as they continue to feed, their bodies will continue to be sustained.
Because of this, cutting off a vampyre from the rune of Vitalis can be utterly devastating for their physiology. The rune is no longer sustaining them thus they can once again experience the weaknesses of mortality which can be a shocking experience. A vampyre severed from the power of their rune will experience a decline in their health, vitality, and even their sanity as the power that had been sustaining them is gone. Vitalitasi are thus extremely wary of powers that work to sever the functionality of magic for without it, they are effectively faced with the prospect of death and madness.
Powers and Abilities
Vitalis, like all magic, is achieved through the manipulation of aether in order to allow a shift in the fundamental laws of reality enabling magic to take place. It is the imposition of will upon the natural world. Vitalis uses Vitale as the medium through which this shift occurs. As mentioned above, this is most commonly expressed through blood but it can be any bodily fluid that has been infused with the vampyre’s aether. As a note, while the default medium of using a vampyre’s powers is blood, these powers can be adapted to be used with other bodily fluids.
Hemocraft - Acquired at Novice. The cornerstone of every ability in the blood mage’s arsenal, hemocraft is the excitation of the mage’s vitale. It is the infusion of aether into the blood to make it susceptible to the mage’s power and influence. Every power that a blood mage wields requires that they first saturate their blood with their aether in order to access the abilities at their disposal. This then transforms the bodily fluid into vitale.
Psychometry - Acquired at Novice. Consuming another’s blood or bodily fluid can impart a brief glimpse into the life and experiences of the individual in question. Typically this is just a vague awareness of some of the individual’s emotions. However, through the use of psychometry, the vampyre is capable of pulling a memory from that which they consume. The more memories they wish to extract, the longer they must feed from the source. Psychometry is best used on a living source. The longer the blood is away from the originating body, the more the memories accessible through its consumption fade until they are not accessible at all. The more powerful the vampyre, the longer period of time they have before the memories become inaccessible.
Corrosion - Acquired at Novice. Invoking their vitale, the blood mage changes the ph balance of their blood to become either grossly acidic or alkalotic. This can change their blood into a potent acid that is capable of melting through metal or a substance that can poison those it comes into contact with.
Veracity - Acquired at Novice. Upon invoking their vitale, the vampyre is capable of concentrating on the amplification of one of their biological senses. Through this they can heighten their sense of smell, taste, hearing, touch and even vision. This effect typically lasts for as long as they continue to channel the use of this ability.
Vicissitude - Acquired at Apprentice. One of the most powerful abilities in a blood mage’s arsenal is the power of vicissitude, otherwise known as fleshcrafting. As a rule, vicissitude can only be used on living tissue. Through it, the vampyre is capable of reshaping their own body to suit their needs. They can give themselves claws. They can reshape their teeth. They can perform any number of fleshly transformations provided they remain within the realm of living, organic tissue. Vicissitude cannot change flesh to stone or vice versa. It can however be used to give an individual a thick carapace to protect their body from injury. It should be noted that a change performed by vicissitude becomes permanent once it is put into place. Thus reverting something back to its natural state requires that the vampyre invoke vicissitude again. Using this power requires that the blood mage make physical contact with that which they are attempting to fleshcraft. Minor things, such as sharpening teeth or giving oneself claws requires very little in the way of exertion. More drastic changes require that the vampyre physically sculpt something into that which they desire. As a result of this requirement, advanced practitioners of Vicissitude are often very artistic individuals.
Thaumaturgy - Acquired at Apprentice. Concentrating on the flow of blood, the vampyre cuts themselves and allows their vitale to pour out of their body. Following this, they are then able to form shapes, manipulate and control the fluid with merely an exertion of their willpower. They can create a cloud or wave of blood that they then change the ph balance of to make acidic or alkalotic. Thaumaturgy is a versatile ability that is often used in conjunction with other blood mage powers. Additionally, through the power of thaumaturgy, the vampyre can infuse their own vitale into that of another thus saturating another source of blood with their own essence. In this way, the vampyre can exert influence over other sources of blood.
Adrenosis - Acquired at Apprentice. Channeling their vitale, the vampyre floods their system with adrenaline heightening reflexes, perception, and agility.
Inflame - Acquired at Apprentice. The blood mage causes inflammation in the body of the individual who is the target of their power. This results in scaled pain depending on the degree of inflammation the mage causes.
Pheromancy - Acquired at Journeyman. The vampyre gains control over the hormones of the body and are able to manipulate them to a variety of effects both in themselves and others. Exerting this power in another requires that the vampyre first make physical contact with the individual. Whether manually or through the introduction of their vitale, some part of them must be physically introduced to the subject in question. Through pheromancy, the vampyre can alter the hormonal state of the body. They can induce arousal. They can affect pregnancy. They can cause a shift in mood. Maintaining this state requires continued channeling on the part of the blood mage. Once this concentration is dismissed, the effect will gradually wear off.
Combust - Acquired at Journeyman. The vampyre gains the ability to propel the body’s natural temperature to heightened levels. This can be done simply to warm a body that is suffering from cold or at its worst it can cause the blood within one’s veins to quite literally catch fire.
Crystallize - Acquired at Journeyman. The blood mage is capable of coagulating their blood into hard crystalline structures. These structures can be broken down and reabsorbed as a means of providing quick sustenance so long as too much time has not passed. These crystals can be shaped and fashioned according to the vampyre’s will and can even be used in a projectile manner.
Rhabdomancy - Acquired at Journeyman. The mechanical manipulation of the musculoskeletal system. This can be a devastating ability and is the first ability wherein the blood mage truly begins to exhibit control over the vitale of others. By focusing on the subject, the vampyre is able to take control of the motor functions of an individual whom they manage to ensnare. This requires continued concentration on the part of the vampyre as well as maintaining line of sight of the individual whom they wish to control. Losing line of sight means losing the ability to manipulate the individual. The terrifying part of rhabdomancy is that there is no loss of mental awareness on the part of the individual being controlled, they simply lose motor control of their body. Rhabdomancy does not allow for a vampyre to tap into any magic an individual may possess. It only confers control on the musculoskeletal functions of an individual’s body.
Brand - Acquired at Expert. A blood mage’s Brand can either be a boon or a curse. Using their vitale, the vampyre draws a pictograph of their choosing upon an individual or a surface. Into the brand they imbue an effect after which the mark can remain in place for a duration of time, typically no more than a few hours. The vampyre can then, at will, activate the power that is dormant within the Brand. The following are common Brands that have been seen across the ages.
Brand of Agony - Inflicts searing pain upon an individual.
Brand of Control - Inflicts a programmed form of rhabdomancy upon an individual, compelling them to complete a specific action before fading. The Brand of Control eliminates the need for a vampyre to be directly channeling their powers and eliminates the need for maintaining eyesight on an individual.
Brand of the Senses - Enhances one of the five senses (i.e. vision, hearing, taste, touch, smell).
Brand of Paralysis - Invokes rhabdomancy to paralyze the afflicted for a duration.
Brand of the Hunter - This brand imprints a piece of the vampyre’s vitale upon an individual and so long as the individual remains marked by the brand, they can be located by the vampyre up to a distance of at a minimum, 50 kilometers.
Brand of Fear - Through the use of pheromancy, the vampyre can cause the individual’s fight or flight response to kick in. This induces a sense of alarm, fear and even terror in the affected individual.
Brand of Decay - Instilling a brand with the power of corrosion, the affected individual either suffers terrible burns as acid eats away at their flesh or the poisoning of their body which causes tissue necrosis.
Brand of Transformation - Using the power of Vicissitude, the vampyre allows another to be transformed.. A person who is marked by a brand does not need to be physically touched by the blood mage, the brand serves as a proxy. The drawback is that it can only impart a predetermined transformation. Once the brand is in place, it will not alter the affected individual beyond what it has been programmed to do.
There are as many types of Brands as the vampyre can fashion based on their understanding of how to manipulate their powers. These are just examples of what are some of the most common uses.
Innervate - Acquired at Expert. Using the power of their vitale, the vampyre is capable of regenerating their body or the living tissue of that which they come into contact with. They can reattach a severed limb or even regrow one. They can restore functionality to areas of the body as they infuse it with vitality.
Rupture - Acquired at Expert. The ability does precisely what it implies. The vampyre takes control of the blood in another living person and causes a chain reaction that results in the lysis of the cells. The blood mage can control the rate at which this destruction occurs and can thus cause anything from minor bleeding to the full bursting of internal organs and more.
Harvest - Acquired at Master. Reaching out, the vampyre is able to take hold of the blood within another individual and leech it from their body. More than just blood however, the power of the Harvest is that of siphoning away the very life force of the individual who has been ensnared by this power. With it, the master vampyre can extract vitale from other living sources around them.
Bloodseed - Acquired at Master. A vampyre may only ever have a single Bloodseed at a given time. The creation of a Bloodseed is the reassurance that no matter the fate of one’s physical body, the vampyre will be reborn. It is a process that requires some forethought and preparation but once ready, it is a powerful tool in the vampyre’s formidable arsenal. The blood mage removes the heart of a still living person and in the process, destroys that person’s body reducing it to primordial sludge that is now a vat of raw organic material. The vampyre then takes the still in-tact heart and places it in a coffin, chamber or some manner of receptacle that is capable of housing a body safely, leaving it in there by itself. They must then fill the entire receptacle with their own vitale, a process that may take several days depending on how much blood the vampyre is willing and able to shed at a given time.
Following this, the vampyre must then consume the sludge that serves as the remains of their victim. It must remain in their body for at least one hour during which they must meditate and channel their blood magic powers throughout the whole of their being. They must then regurgitate the sludge into the receptacle holding the heart. This must be repeated until all of the sludge has been consumed and regurgitated.
The vampyre must then seal the container. Over the course of the next few weeks, the heart that has been infused with the vampyre’s essence, will grow a body using the raw material it is suspended in. This body will be identical to the vampyre’s body. It will be in a state of suspended animation, soulless, mindless and without function. Until the vampyre experiences the destruction of their body. Provided they are on the same plane of existence as their Bloodseed and that nothing inhibits their soul from doing so, the vampyre’s soul will immediately be drawn to the waiting body where they will awaken, whole and among the living once more. Additionally, even if their soul is somehow trapped whether through the tools of a powerful necromancer or other means, should the vampyre ever be freed of such imprisonment, they can go to their Bloodseed. So long as the container remains sealed, the body inside will remain in a state of suspended animation.
Tier Progression
Novice (1-24)
The fledgling Vitalitasi or vampyre is just beginning to understand not only their newfound powers but their newfound life. They are no longer fully among the living. They are not completely dead. They are something in-between. The use of their powers is particularly draining upon their vitality, thus a novice must be exceptionally careful in using them. The use of Psychometry requires that they consume blood directly from the living source or blood that has been outside the body for no longer than 15 minutes. Through the use of this power, they are able to ascertain no more than one recent memory that has transpired within the last eight hours. They are capable of making their blood acidic enough to cause stinging, inflammation, irritation, and pain or induce toxicity that can result in nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The effects of their Veracity typically last up to 15 minutes at a time. Novice vampyres are only able to use their powers a handful of times before needed rest and feeding. They must consume at least one liter of blood per day in order to sustain themselves.
Apprentice (25-49)
Expanding into the wider spectrum of blood magic abilities, the powers of the Apprentice vampyre give them a taste of what they are truly capable of. Unlocking Vicissitude, the vampyre becomes the master of their physical form. At this stage they are capable of achieving relatively minor, focused transformations. The scope of these transformations are mostly skin deep. They change their skin tone and complexion. They can change their eye color. They can give themselves claws and perhaps sharpen their teeth. Dramatic changes involving drastic alterations to the musculoskeletal, vascular, nervous etc. systems are beyond them. Through the use of Thaumaturgy, blood becomes a work of art for them. An apprentice can adequately control up to half of their total blood volume. Channeling Adrenosis, they can heighten their reflexes and agility for up to 15 minutes before requiring rest. Through Inflame, the vampyre can causes painful blistering, skin rash, and at the worst ulcerations. At this stage, the use of Psychometry enables the vampyre to obtain up to two memories that have transpired within the last 24 hours. An apprentice vampyre must consume at least two liters of blood in a given day in order to sustain themselves, more if they have been using their powers extensively.
Journeyman (50-74)
Growing comfortable in the use of blood magic, the Journeyman Vitalitasi is a force to be reckoned with. Through Pheromancy, they gain the ability to alter the hormonal state of not just their own bodies but the bodies of those they physically come into contact with. They are capable of inducing a shift in mood, causing vertigo, arousal, and even how an individual perceives pain. They must concentrate in order to maintain the effect, with it lasting no longer than 30 minutes to an hour at most. Through Combust, they can induce a debilitating fever or they can warm the body if it is suffering from cold. They are not yet capable of fully igniting a body through this ability but can cause organ failure through heat. The Journeyman is capable of effectively controlling only one to two people at a time through Rhabdomancy and must maintain line of sight on the affected individuals for the duration. Through Crystallize, the vampyre can produce rudimentary blood crystals that they can save for sustenance, made from their own vitale. These crystals will remain viable for up to 24 hours. Conversely, the can create razor sharp projectiles that can be hurled at enemies or even a wall of blood crystal to protect themselves. Using Psychometry enables the Journeyman to obtain up to 5 memories that have transpired within the previous 7 days. The power of Vicissitude grows to such a degree to allow for more pronounced transformations, such as creating bone spikes etc. A Journeyman Vitalitasi must consume no less than half of their full blood volume in a given day in order to sustain themselves.
Expert (75-99)
The Expert Vampyre can either be miraculous or horrifying in the manifestation of their powers. The introduction of the Brand enables a level of versatility to their powers that serves as a means of pushing their boundaries even further. Through Innervate, truly mystifying feats of regeneration can be achieved either for them or for an individual who is a beneficiary of their abilities. The power to Rupture can be used to devastating effect and is limited to roughly 6 people at a given time. Through Psychometry, the vampyre can glean the full memories of a single subject from the previous 7 days. Their Rhabdomancy expands to being able to control up to 8 people at a given time, provided it is not through the use of a Brand and that line of sight is maintained. Provided the vampyre has the knowledge and skill to do so, the power of Vicissitude makes drastic alterations to the body possible, though they are limited in that they must work with the total body mass at their availability. At this stage, the power to use Vicissitude on another person becomes viable. All other powers grow to match the potency and scope of what can be expected of an Expert level mage. The Expert level vampyre must consume ¾ of their total blood volume in a given day in order to sustain themselves.
Master (100)
The Master Vampyre is either a figure of abject horror and terror or inhumanly beautiful and alluring to behold. They can, on a whim, be either or both. The power to Harvest vitale from other living sources eliminates the need for the Master to draw purely from their own reserves to enact their powers. A grim sacrifice but one that makes them particularly terrifying to confront if one is not adequately prepared. The scope of their power over Vicissitude makes the body mere clay in their hands both their own and those whom they deign to touch. Provided the vampyre has the skill and creativity, they can sculpt themselves or another person to look like whomever or whatever they desire. If the Master has invoked the Bloodseed through careful preparation, they can now act without fear of true death for the loss of one body is now the birth of another. Their grasp on Psychometry is such that they can extract any memory of their choosing across an individual’s lifespan with merely the consumption of but a drop of blood. The Master must consume no less than their total blood volume in a given day in order to sustain themselves.
Path to Initiation
With the release of Vitalis, interested players should coordinate with their local moderation teams as to how they wish to see their character initiated into blood magic. However, the following should be kept in mind:
The Cult of Mending are the primary custodians of the Rune of Vitalis in the current age. Plots involving initiation should, in some way, involve them. Deviation from this would require the utilization of a figure who is either vastly ancient or has somehow eluded the notice of the Cult, the Dawnmartyr Order, and various Vampyre Hunters that exist throughout the world. Clarification should be sought if there is a desire to not involve the Cult of Mending in some way.
Can I begin play with Vitalis?
You may. However, it requires the authorization of the Support Forum. The character in question must have received their initiation from the Cult of Mending. This does not require that the character be an active cultist, they may have chosen to abandon the cult. Understand however, that this means one will be living as a fugitive that has been marked for death by the Cult at large. Beginning characters interested in starting with Vitalis must submit a short-story explaining their introduction to the Cult, their life as a fledgling cultist, and the process leading up to their initiation and survival of said initiation. They must also establish in the short-story whether they are still a cultist or have escaped it. This submission must be no less than 2,500 words and will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
Submission of the short-story does not guarantee approval.
For questions, please feel free to contact your local moderation team.
