Vaulderie (Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha)

The Vaulderie is the heart and soul of the Sabbat. More than just an important
rite, the Vaulderie is, more than anything else, what defines Sabbat to themselves. It
binds the pack and the sect together, creating the potent loyalty which gives the
Sabbat its united appearance. The following are a number of suggestions for adding
depth and variety to the Vaulderie.
The Vaulderie Grail
According to the Guide to the Sabbat, the Vaulderie requires a special cutting
implement, used only for the ritual. An alternative however, is that instead of the
knife, the importance is in the vessel in which the blood is gathered. These vessels are
called chalices, or grails, and each is dedicated to the use of a single pack.
When a Sabbat pack is created, its members share in their first Vaulderie. This
rite is the single most important moment in the life of the pack, for it is at this moment
that they choose the course that they will steer together. At this point, the Grail – or
bloodletting blade; this article will assume a vessel, but all references to the grail
could apply equally to a blade – is chosen, and the choice of vessel goes a long way to
determining the pack’s nature and cause. A militant pack might drink from a fallen
comrade’s helmet – as indeed might a biker pack – or a fallen foe’s skull. A more
spiritual pack might choose a literal chalice or grail, something akin to the cups of a
tarot deck. A pack devoted to academic and scientific investigation – such as, for
example, a pack composed largely of Necronomists – might consecrate a large beaker
or other laboratory vessel.
Any vessel may be chosen as the grail. It need not have any monetary value or
specific occult significance. The grail belongs to the pack, and as such, it need not
mean anything to anyone else. A half-broken bottle, an upended drum, anything can
be a Vaulderie grail, so long as it has some significance to the pack. Conversely, no
vessel, however valuable, however laden with symbolism, can be the grail if it has no
particular meaning to the pack members. A final consideration, especially for nomad
packs, is durability: metal and stone vessels are typically favoured over glass and
ceramics, although a fragile grail may be selected if a pack forms only to perform a
certain task.
Whatever the choice, at the first Vaulderie, that grail is consecrated to the pack.
The blood of the members is mixed in the vessel, and thus the grail is baptised in the
blood of the pack. From thereon in, the pack will share the Vaulderie only from their
grail. Only when the grail is used will the pack’s vinicula be increased; anything else
is a Casual Vaulderie (see below). Additionally, the grail is required to induct any
new packmate, and will be used in any Creation Rite the pack may have to perform.
Should the grail be destroyed, the pack would be broken, and forced to dissolve.
While viniculum ratings would be unaffected, the special bonds between packmates
(see Blood of the Pack, below) would be shattered. While some might have the
strength to reunite in a new pack, with a new grail, for many the loss of the grail is too
traumatic, and the members of the shattered pack find themselves almost unable to
face each other around a Vaulderie circle.
In the case of a short-term pack formed for a specific mission, the grail may be
shattered at the conclusion of their business.
To destroy or attempt to destroy another pack’s grail is a grave insult, and is
usually considered a declaration of war, as well as a vicious attack on the pack’s unity
and morale. In the event that two packs find themselves in open conflict, the victor
may destroy the grail of their defeated foes, as a final insult. In particular, a pack
attacked by another without cause is considered to have the right to shatter the
aggressor’s grail as punishment. Stealing a pack’s grail is likewise a gross insult. It
may sometimes provide a key to manipulating a pack for a time, but ultimately such
an act must be punished by death. On occasion, the grails of two packs may be made
the prizes in a form of pack monomacy; a game of Capture the Grail. This should only
ever be done by the full consent of both packs however, and is not recommended for
those with glass or ceramic grails.
If the grail survives the break-up of a pack, it can be re-consecrated to a new
pack, especially one that contains several members of the old, and which is dedicated
to a similar goal. If a pack is all but wiped out, or splits in acrimonious circumstances,
it is more common to see the grail broken, buried, or simply retired by the survivors.
Very occasionally, a particularly renowned pack may arrange for their grail to be
taken up by another in the event of their fall in battle, passing on their pack name and
mantle.
Finally, in the event of some great tragedy striking a pack, the survivors may
feel that they wish to mark the event by changing the name and/or purpose of their
pack. In this event, an appropriate grail may be re-consecrated to the new pack, or the
old grail may be retired and a new one consecrated.
In summary, the consecration, re-consecration, retirement, loss or destruction of
a Vaulderie grail should always have a dramatic impact on a pack. In essence, the
grail represents the unity of the pack in the Vaulderie, and its fate is seen to be
directly tied to that of the pack.
Degrees of Vaulderie
In all instances, if a pack uses a consecrated knife – known as a hallowed blade
– instead of a grail, then the strictures normally placed on the choice of knife apply to
the vessel.
Casual Vaulderie
A Casual Vaulderie takes place between Sabbat who are not packmates, at times
of special celebration, or prior to an important battle. The officiating Sabbat must
have at least 1 dot in Rituals to perform this grade of Vaulderie, which generates a
short-lived, almost euphoric sense of camaraderie and purpose in the recipients. When
this feeling fades, many Sabbat are left with a craving for the closeness of a true
Vaulderie. Participants with existing vinicula should roll for maintenance, but no new
blood ties will be formed by this rite.
A Casual Vaulderie may be performed with any vessel and any blade except a
pack grail or hallowed blade, and requires a Sabbat with at least one dot in Rituals to
perform.
Common Vaulderie
Typically performed by a senior Sabbat cleric, for the benefit of the members of
two or more packs under his authority, it is used – like a casual Vaulderie – to affirm
the Sect’s unity in preparation for battle, or to celebrate a victory. In packs or other
groups, the Bishop or Cardinal performs the Vaulderie rite, using a vessel which has
some significance to the battle or victory at hand. The Bishop actively participates in
each individual rite. This grade of Vaulderie both maintains and creates vinicula
between the participants.
The Common Vaulderie requires a vessel associated in some fashion with the
cause for the rite, and a dedicated bloodletting blade that is not a hallowed blade. The
officiating cleric must have at least three dots in Rituals, and must have been created a
Bishop, or at least have equivalent status with the Sabbat for whom the rite is
performed.
Blessing the Blade
The Common Vaulderie requires the use of a dedicated blood-knife, distinct
from a pack’s hallowed blade. There is a specific ignoblis ritae used to consecrate
such a blade, and most Sabbat trained in the performance of the Common Vaulderie
will either crate their own blood-knife, or be given one by their teacher. A blood-knife
may be used for Casual Vaulderies, but many consider this to sully the blade.
Grail Vaulderie
Grail Vaulderies are the most common form practised within a Sabbat pack.
They are intensely personalised (see Pack Rites, below), and one pack’s Vaulderie
may differ in almost every particular from that of another, even if the two packs are
very similar. Grail Vaulderies may be performed at any time, and with any portion of
the pack, but it is considered bad luck for the entire pack not to share the rite on the
anniversary of the grail’s consecration. It is a rare honour for an outsider – even a
Bishop or higher grade – to be invited to share in a Grail Vaulderie, and a mortal
insult to refuse.
A Grail Vaulderie must be officiated by the pack Priest, or the Ductus if the
priest is not present. Other pack members may share in casual Vaulderies, but without
one of the two leaders, a Grail Vaulderie may not be performed. Naturally, the pack’s
grail is required for the rite, but any knife may be used to spill the blood. Some packs
even make a point of having each member spill their blood with their own blade.
Obviously, if a pack has a hallowed blade, then the pack will use a single grail.
The officiating Sabbat must have at least two dots in Rituals to successfully
perform a Grail Vaulderie. This will maintain the pack’s vinicula, but not create new
ones. If an outsider is invited to join the pack for the rite, and the officiator has at least
three dots in rituals, then a slight variation allows the rite to create new vinicula.
NB: The enhanced variation of the Grail rite is never used to invest new pack
members. That is the role of a Creation Vaulderie.
Creation Vaulderie
The Creation Vaulderie is conducted, following the giving of the Creation Rites,
or on the adoption of a packless veteran, to invest a new member of the pack. This is
one of the most powerful of all Vaulderies, as it consecrates a new member to the
grail, allowing them to share in the Grail rites and become part of the Blood of the
Pack. Without a Creation Vaulderie, a Sabbat is not a member of a pack. A Sabbat
may not be a member of two packs, and participating in a new Creation Vaulderie
breaks the bonds – but not the vinicula – to your old pack. Unless it is destroyed, or
disbanded, or its grail broken, it is considered good form to perform Separation and
Contrition Rites with your old pack before undergoing a new Creation Vaulderie.
The Creation Vaulderie can both create and maintain vinicula, and furthermore
can begin the process of dissolving a pre-existing Blood Bond (see Breaking the
Chains).
The Creation Vaulderie requires the use of the pack’s grail, and a knife donated
by the new member. The officiator must be the pack Priest (not even the Ductus may
perform a Creation Vaulderie), and must have at least three dots in Rituals, and the
entire pack must be present. Aside from the Sabbat being accepted into the pack, no
outsiders may participate in a Creation Vaulderie.
Consecration Vaulderie
The most potent Vaulderie is that performed as the sanctifying of a new pack
and its grail. Unlike other degrees, the Consecration Vaulderie must be performed at a
specific time, which has some special significance to the group who wish to become a
pack. Frequently, either the full moon or the new moon is chosen, but other packs
may use an equinox or solstice, or the anniversary of some momentous event. If a
pack reforms after the loss of a grail, it is traditional to consecrate the new union on
the anniversary of the old pack’s destruction.
On the chosen date, the entire pack must gather. Any Sabbat who is chosen to
participate, but fails to show up without a very convincing reason – werewolf attack,
captivity, or being followed by the Camarilla or other enemies are considered just
about sufficient – will never be permitted to join the pack. Anyone who interferes in
the attendance of a chosen member, or who interrupts the Consecration itself, can
expect no mercy. In such an instance, the rite is usually repeated at the next
appropriate date, using the skull of the offender as the grail.
The Consecration must be performed by the priest-to-be, who must have at least
four dots in Rituals. If the priest has too little experience to perform the rite, the pack
and grail maybe consecrated by a Bishop or higher status Sabbat who will neither give
nor take blood from the grail. Naturally, the chosen grail must be used as the vessel,
and traditionalists will use a virgin knife for the Consecration, and then bury the blade
at the site of the pack’s birth. If the Priest fails his roll on this rite, it is considered
extraordinarily bad luck, and the would-be pack will usually disband.
The Consecration Vaulderie creates a viniculum between all of the pack
members, adds one point (no roll) to any existing ratings between pack members,
subtracts one (no roll) from any viniculum rating held towards outsiders, and begins
the process of eroding the Blood Bond. Additionally, it breaks the special ties which
might have existed towards any other pack, in the same way as the Creation
Vaulderie, and begins the process of creating such ties within the new pack (see
Blood of the Pack).
Vinicula
There are a number of means of determining viniculum ratings, according to
preference.
The Guide to the Sabbat states that whenever you share the Vaulderie with
someone new, you gain a random rating rolled on a single die. This provides for
dramatic intra-pack dynamics, but has the drawback that it can effectively Blood
Bond a character with a bad roll.
An alternative – especially if determining viniculum ratings for characters
created as a pack – is to roll two dice and average the result. This cuts down on
extreme ratings and starts the pack at a more balanced level.
If performing the Vaulderie in game, one option is to assume that all vinicula
begin at one. This prevents sudden shifts in balance, but makes the Vaulderie too tame
for some tastes. Another alternative, between the extremes, is to halve the dice roll,
giving starting ratings between 1 and 5. Introducing other shapes of die, you could
also use a D4, D6 or D8, or whatever takes your fancy. This gives variety without
risking the sudden subjugation of any one character.
While the viniculum is essentially a form of Blood Bond, it is also a mystical
rite. As such, you may wish to rule that the merit Unbondable does not offer
protection against vinicula, or that it merely reduces all rolls relating to vinicula by 2.
Likewise, Infertile Vitae would reduce the roll for vinicula towards the character by 2,
Weak Vitae or Thin Blood by 1, and Strong Vitae would raise the rolls by 2. In any
such case, the lowest staring rating would still be 1. The maximum rating would still
be 10 of course, and you might prefer to cap starting ratings more strictly as well.
An alternative is to cap maximum vinicula towards the Weak and Thin Blooded,
say at 5 or 6. You could also say that as the Vaulderie’s magic works mutually to
create bonds of similarity, the Unbondable and Infertile Vitae’d alike can neither
create nor experience vinicula.
If one of the participants possesses Addictive Blood, then it makes sense to say
that it will transfer its property to the mingled blood. Since the source is uncertain,
unless one of the participants later feeds directly from the addictive vampire, their
craving will be for further Vaulderies with the same participants as before.
Once a viniculum exists, further Vaulderies may or may not strengthen it. In the
standard system, for each co-participant in the Vaulderie, you roll a die. If higher than
the existing rating, it rises by one; if you roll a one, the rating drops a point. If the
modifiers for blood-related Merits and Flaws are being used, then only a natural one
would reduce the rating.
By the Guide to the Sabbat, rolling a one during maintenance is the only thing
that ever reduces vinicula. An alternative is to state that unmaintained vinicula drop
over time, perhaps at a rate of one point every month, or – for longer lasting bonds –
one point every 12-Willpower months (so if a vampire has Willpower 6, each of his
vinicula drops one point each time it goes unmaintained for 6 months). A viniculum
will not drop so long as the bond is maintained, even if the player consistently rolls
below the current rating, so that the viniculum never rises.
Blood of the Pack
Once mixed and consecrated in the grail, the blood of a pack’s members
becomes something else; the Blood of the Pack. This blood may be used in pack-
specific rites, such as the anointing of a new priest or ductus or the blessing of the
pack prior to battle. Even in a common Vaulderie, the blood in the vessel becomes
transformed, and can be used by the officiating cleric for battle and celebratory rites,
but the Blood of the Pack is a more potent transubstantiation.
The Blood of the Pack runs deeper than the base of the grail. As each member
of the pack drinks, he takes the Blood into himself. In addition to the creation of the
vinicula, this is what makes the Sabbat part of the pack, and the pack a part of him.
The more often a vampire drinks the Blood of the Pack, the more it becomes part of
him. Members of a long-established pack taste alike; to a connoisseur of vitae, or a
Tremere employing the Taste of Vitae, it is easy to discern the intense connection
between packmates. Nomad packs in particular, who live and rest so close together,
also begin to take on each other’s scents.
On the deepest level, the members of a pack share a connection unlike that
enjoyed by any other vampire. This begins with a heightened awareness of the
packmates’ physical proximity, a comforting presence at the back of the Sabbat’s
field of perception. As the pack grows closer, the members develop a deep, empathic
bond. They become sensitive, and responsive, to each others’ emotions at an entirely
subconscious level. When one is enraged, all become restive; if two of the pack are
lovers, the rest will find their passions riding higher in response. In battle they often
display almost preternatural co-ordination, gaining a bonus of one or two dice to rolls
relating to pack tactics.
On the flipside, once these bonds are established, the death of a packmate
creates a deep and painful sense of loss. Even being apart from the pack for more than
a few nights can become traumatic for the sensitive. For nomads in particular, it can
become difficult to rest well by day without the scent and feeling of the pack around
you. The loss of a packmate to another pack can be almost as traumatic, as the
necessary Separation Rites sever that closeness which the pack have come to take for
granted. An awareness of the packmates’ wellbeing also develops, and it becomes
hard to conceal a hurt – be it physical or psychological – from the pack.
The Blood of the Pack also serves to protect the pack members from each other
in combat. In all but the most severe of frenzies, a Sabbat will not attack his
packmates; it is the Blood of the Pack which provides this important protection. The
Common Vaulderie provides a similar but more limited form of protection, and a
Sabbat in a low-level frenzy will recognise as friends those they have taken a
Common Vaulderie with in the last day or so. The Blood of the Pack makes stronger
ties however, as the ‘Pack scent’ means that not only does the frenzied vampire see an
ally, he almost sees himself through the haze of frenzy. For a long-established pack,
only the deepest frenzy – a botch on the frenzy roll – will cause one pack member to
attack another.
At an advanced stage – arriving after probably no less than a century together –
the pack has become frightening in its unity. All members will instinctively become
passionate about each others’ causes without knowing why. An insult or threat to one
pack member affects all. Also, mannerisms, turns of phrase and affectations may
begin to be shared among the pack. While the members remain distinct, it is hard now
to miss that they share a bond. Once a pack becomes so close, they will be able to
sense the death of a comrade over almost any distance, as though a sound of which
they were not truly aware has been suddenly silenced.
All of these effects are increased dramatically for any member of the pack with
Auspex. While for most Sabbat these effects – in particular emotional sensitivity – are
a major issue only in the presence of their packmates, for a skilled ‘Spexer the Blood
of the Pack is a constant companion. The Sabbat is constantly aware of his packmates
as a tugging at his mind, their emotions and wellbeing open to be read. The death of a
long-term packmate will be a palpable, almost physical pain to such an individual,
even many miles distant.
It should be noted that, like the viniculum, and the Blood Bond, the ties formed
by the Blood of the Pack do not make the members of a pack like each other any more
than they do anyway. What it means is that – in some sense or other – the pack
transcends the individual. While you may spar with your packmates – may even hate
them – they are ultimately the people in the world who are closest to you, and you
know without telling that when something happens to one of them, you are supposed
to do something about it.
An additional drawback to the Blood of the Pack is that a Thaumaturgist who
managed to get hold of a sample of the pure Blood could use it to trace or spellbind
any member of the pack. Blood from one or more the pack members adds one die to
any magical effect cast against any member of the pack, using that blood as a focus. If
the magician manages to get hold of the pure Pack Blood from the Vaulderie grail, he
may add three dice. For this reason, pack priests usually clean out the grail after use,
and burn the cloth they use to do it. Many magicians will pay a high price for Pack
Blood.
Once established, these bonds do not fade easily, even once vinicula have
dwindled to nothing. There are four basic ways to break the ties between packmates.
The first is to undergo another Creation or Consecration Vaulderie, becoming a
member of a different pack. This breaks your ties to the old pack, replacing them with
ties to the new. These new ties will not initially be so strong however, and
consequently the Sabbat will feel deep regrets for a time about leaving his old
comrades. Furthermore, it is usually considered bad luck to be accepted into a new
pack without first undergoing a formal separation from your old pack.
The remaining means of parting the bonds are the ignoblis ritae of the
Separation Rite and the Rite of Dissolution, and the shattering of the Vaulderie grail.
Separation Rite
The Separation Rite – sometimes called the Severing – is an ignoblis ritus
performed when a Sabbat wishes to leave a pack. The Rite takes the form of a Grail
Vaulderie, but each member wishing to leave the pack must spill his blood on the
earth, not in the grail, and may not partake of the Blood of the Pack. As with all grail
rites, the specifics may vary from pack to pack. The Separation is immediate and
fairly traumatic, dissolving the ties that existed to the former packmate in a matter of
hours. Performing the Rite leaves all concerned with an empty feeling deep in their
hearts, as the sense of a packmate is cut off.
Some Sabbat have been known to be so overcome by the loneliness that follows
the loss of all of their connections, that they end their own existence after performing
a Separation Rite to leave their old pack. Traditionally therefore, immediately after
the Separation, the departing packmates perform a Contrition towards their old pack,
whom they have wounded, and then partake of a Creation or Consecration Vaulderie
with a new pack. Some packs however refuse to Create a new member until a month
or more after leaving an old pack.
For the other pack members, the Rite also acts as a pack Vaulderie. The Rite
does not affect the departing member’s viniculum ratings, nor any ratings towards
them.
The Separation Rite must be performed by the pack priest, who must have at
least three dots of Rituals.
Rite of Dissolution
The Rite of Dissolution is used when an entire pack decides to either go its
separate ways, or to be absorbed into another pack. The pack gather, as if for a Grail
Vaulderie, but the grail is inverted, and as it comes to each member’s turn to spill
their blood, they turn their back on the grail. As with all grail rites, the details for any
given pack may vary according to taste. The Rite deconsecrates the grail, and the pack
will usually bury the retired vessel after the completion of the Dissolution. Being a
mutual disbanding, the bonds between packmates are broken more gently by a
Dissolution than by a Separation. They fade over a period of days, and while a sense
of loss is inevitable, it lacks the traumatic force of the Severing.
The Rite of Dissolution often follows a disastrous defeat, and must be
performed by the most senior surviving pack member if the priest and ductus are
slain. It requires at least two dots in Rituals. Lacking a sufficiently skilled ritualist, the
pack may simply go their separate ways, but the ties of the Blood of the Pack will tug
at them until they join a new pack, and it is considered bad luck not to formally leave
your pack before entering a new one, even if by mutual consent.
Shattering the Grail
The most traumatic way to cut the bonds of the Blood of the Pack is to shatter
the Vaulderie grail. Shattering the grail requires that it be rendered useless as a vessel,
usually by breaking or puncturing it, depending on its composition. Metal may be cut
or punched through, stone cracked and glass smashed. Wood is usually sawed or
drilled. Any which way, once the grail is no longer usable as a vessel for blood, the
pack is broken, and the bonds between packmates shatter.
There is no way to shatter a grail without the pack knowing. Even newly-
formed packs will experience a dull ache of loss; for experienced packs, the pain of
sudden separation may be momentarily crippling, and can be enough to drive
members to suicide. Furthermore, the rupturing of that special bond sours all other
relations. All vinicula between the pack drop by one, friendships become strained,
loves turn to distrust and hatred as the lovers keenly feel the loss of closeness. In most
cases, with the best will in the world, the pack members will never come together to
reconsecrate under a new name and with a new grail.
They usually continue to work together only until the ones who broke their grail
have been exterminated, then go their separate ways. Only after many years may the
scars have faded enough for the pack members to meet without discomfort.
Obviously, the destruction of a grail is a heinous crime among the Sabbat, and nothing
short of a declaration of blood feud. Unsurprisingly, Sabbat packs guard their grails
jealously, and few people will trust a pack who are known to have shattered a grail
without lethal provocation.
The only instance in which the shattering of a grail is considered truly
acceptable is at the conclusion of a blood feud, when the opposing pack have already
been wiped from the face of the Earth.
Pack Rites
A number of communal ignoblis ritae make use of the Blood of the Pack for the
efficacy. For some, the blood of a Common Vaulderie may be used by a senior cleric
in performing the rite for those not of his own pack. Examples include blessing rites,
rites of memento mori, or the execution rites used when a member of the pack must
be put to death. Many packs maintain their own canon of such rites, specific or
adapted to the pack’s purposes.
Breaking the Chains
One of the most powerful aspects of the Vaulderie is its ability to dissolve
Blood Bonds, but this should be a gradual process, and not all degrees of Vaulderie
should have this effect at all.
To begin the process of dissolving the Bond, the Thrall must be a willing
participant in a Creation or Consecration Vaulderie. They must also be almost empty
of blood at the time, having only a single blood point in their system. There is no
minimum amount of the Blood of the Pack which they must drink (Guide to the
Sabbat states that they must take at least six points, but unless the vampire’s
packmates are all very low generation, this would require the pack’s grail to be a
dustbin), and they need not know that the rite will weaken the chains that bind them,
but – as with all participants in any Vaulderie – they must take part of their own will.
You can not begin to free a Thrall by bleeding them into the grail then forcing them to
drink.
Once the process is begun, the player should make a Willpower roll for each
Grail Vaulderie in which the Thrall participates; success represents a weakening of
the Bond. The precise degree to which the Bond weakens depends on a number of
factors, including but not limited to the Thrall’s Nature and Willpower, a desire to
break the Bond, an understanding that the Vaulderie is helping them to do so, the
strength of the Regnant’s blood, the age of the bond, the Regnant’s treatment of the
Thrall, whether the Thrall has any chances to have contact with the Regnant, and the
pack’s treatment of the Thrall.
 A possible system starts from the basis that a Bond weakens gradually over time
if the Thrall is away from his Sire. If you accept the main rule book’s 12-Willpower
months to drop a level of Bond, then assume that the each successful roll takes a
month off the time. Another version – allowing for longer Bonds – might make the
time 12-Willpower+number of drinks after the first three, with a further modification
for the Generation of the Regnant, in which case you might reduce the number of
months by one for each success on the roll, to a maximum of the number of
packmates in the Vaulderie.
A lot depends on your specific interpretation of the Blood Bond, but it should
always be that the Vaulderie helps to break the Bonds, it can not complete the task
alone. If the Thrall, at some deep and basic level, really, truly, wants to remain Bound
to his Sire (for reasons beyond the scope of the Bond itself), then nothing will break
the Bond, ever. Bear in mind however, that a submissive personality surrounded by
the passions of Sabbat pack is as likely to transfer its devotion to the pack as to
remain obsessed by a distant master. To maintain the Bond against all else, the loyalty
and devotion must be total, even without the blood, such that the Bond is a mere
formality. This level of devotion is as rare among vampires as it is among humans.
Blessing the Unworthy
The Blood of the Pack may – on occasion – be given to one who does not
contribute to the grail. The two most common instances are a fledgling yet to prove
himself and undergo the Creation Rites, and a ghoul. In either case, the unworthy one
is required to sit in the circle with the pack. As the grail is passed, they contribute
nothing to it, but when it comes back to them, they drink like the rest. This creates
vinicula towards the full members of the pack, but none in return. It also supplies the
ghoul with some of the blood they need to retain their ‘blessed’ state. If this continues
for long enough – unlikely in the case of the fledge, more so for the ghoul – then the
individual will begin to feel the effects of the Blood of the Pack in their system.
Once a childe is fledged, they join the pack properly, and at their Creation
Vaulderie their blood joins the pack’s for the first time. They retain their Vaulderie
ratings towards the pack, but now they are reciprocated. The advantage of the system
is that the fledge’s loyalty to the pack is maintained until they prove themselves,
without the pack having to go soft on them, or – God forbid – having to Blood Bond
them.
With the ghoul, the advantages are the same. The ghoul is loyal to the pack,
without being the particular servant of one of the members. For nomads especially,
who frequently share a haven, the idea of having a daytime servant or guardian who
might turn on you if they think you humiliated their beloved master is obviously not
pleasant. Beyond this however, the ghoul is never subjected to the wrenching slavery
of the Blood Bond; a particular advantage should he ever prove himself sufficiently
that the pack decide to take him as a vampire and make him a full member of the
pack.
Childer of the Pack
A final instance in which the Blood of the Pack – or the mixed blood of a
Common Vaulderie – can be given to one who did not contribute is in the creation of
a half-caste childe. When the mixed blood is given to a mortal drained in the
Vaulderie circle, if he rises as a vampire he will be a Pander, mingling traits from the
blood of those who gave of themselves to create him.