V:TM

What are we? The Damned childer of Caine? The grotesque lords of humanity?
The pitiful wretches of eternal hell?
We are vampires, and that is enough.
I am vampire, and that is far more than enough.
I am that which must be feared, worshipped and adored. The world is mine -- now and forever.
No one holds command over me.
What is a claim of age for ones who are immortal?
What is a claim of power for ones who defy death?

In addition to influencing authors and movie makers, Vampires have also greatly impacted the game world; however, even the play-books and clan novels that are used to play the game are a worthwhile reading. The history of V:tM is so well put together, that one would not think of it as fiction. As all things have a beginning so does Vampire: the Masquerade.

According to legend Caine, the first murderer was the first of the Kindred. He and his brother Abel were both sons of Adam and Eve. For reasons unknown he slew his brother and was exiled by God for the Crime. Three angels sought him out in his exile and explained that he needed only beg forgiveness and his exile would be at an end. Three times he refused, and where thereby cursed to become the First Vampire. After years, maybe decades, he wandered alone on the yet young earth. Finally he reached a place where men had established a town or city, the First City. Impressed by his powers, they made him their ruler. For a long period he ruled over them and was content, but that could not last. He became a victim of the same thing that countless of other Cainites has became a victim for countless of times since then, loneliness. Three childer did he chose, and their names are surrounded by myths, still those most commonly accepted are: Enoch, Zillah and Irad. They in turn created progeny of their own, and soon vampires threatened to outnumber the mortals. Mortals and immortals lived side by side for years to come, but the vampires regarded mortals as servants, not as equals. This was not something, which Caine approved of. Then came what is know as the Great Flood, the city was destroyed together with many of its inhabitants, both mortal and otherwise.

Caine left in disgust, believing the flood to be punishment from God because he had shared his damnation with others. With him away the others did no longer need to follow his rules. And the Third Generation, later known as the Antediluvians rose up and destroyed their sires, the Second Generation.

A new city was constructed; the Second City, and the Children of Caine ruled it as had Caine ruled the First. This city, however, did not last as the Antediluvian soon began to contest among themselves, embracing mortals and using them as pawns against each other. Everything was destroyed before long, and thus began the Jyhad.

Each Antediluvian went out into the world and founded their own clan, embracing mortals to serve as their pawns and servant in the all-consuming war known only as the Jyhad. As they grew older their power increased and so did their periods of Torpor, the magical sleep of the vampires. Before long their Torpor lasted decades, even centuries, and their clans where left on their own devices. Many of the Antediluvians developed powers, which allowed them to control and instruct their followers from Torpor, indeed in time all would have this power--which leads us to the creation of the Camarilla.

The Camarilla was originally formed in an attempt to hold vampire society together against the power and horror of the Inquisition of the 15th century, but its roots start in an event that occurred in 138--a revolt by mortal peasants in England against the local nobility. This revolt was helped by freedom loving Cainites of many different Clans and sowed the seed of revolution throughout the young Kindred of Europe. Childer began attacking their Elders to free themselves from the "Shackles of oppression".

In 1435 a convocation of Elders gathered to deal with the problem of the Anarchs. It was decided that a league of vampires should be formed to take care of the problems that crossed territorial or clan lines. Over the next decade this group pushed the idea of the Camarilla, which means small room in Spanish. By 1450 the founders of the Camarilla had enough support from the Elders that they began to assert their authority. By 1493 the leaders of the Anarch Movement were defeated by the power of the Camarilla. The Camarilla demanded a convention to discuss the terms of surrender. This was called the Convention of Thorns, which brought most of the Anarchs back into the folds of the Camarilla. The Anarchs that rejected the terms of the convention fled and later formed the Sabbat.

Though the Sabbat waged war on the Camarilla in Europe through the 16th century, the New World became the true chessboard for the War. The Elders of Europe sent troublesome childer to the Americas and others went to try to carve out fiefdoms without having to kill or wait for the death of an Elder. But the Camarilla was not the only sect colonizing the New World. The Sabbat influenced Spain and Portugal in order to bring their members to the colonies of those countries. This resulted in a stalemate between the Camarilla and the Sabbat. During the 30 Years War and the American Revolution there was little movement between the sects. But in the 17th and 18th centuries was a time of entrenchment and reinforcement for the Camarilla. The Industrial Revolution opened new doors of opportunity for the Clans of the Camarilla and they were more interested in this Revolution than in fighting.

The War of 1812 was a concealed all out war between the Sabbat and the Camarilla for the control of the East Coast of America. The Camarilla lost city after city over the next 50 years to the Sabbat. The Camarilla was able to retain key cities after the war, but the fighting has never truly stopped on the East Coast.

The next battle between the sects did not occur until the mid 1800's. The Camarilla came extremely close to losing America itself. But several sudden losses of the Sabbat caused it to loose its grasp on the U.S. By the 20th century both sects became calcified. Only occasional raids by the Sabbat caused the Camarilla problems.

With the creation of Vampire: the Masquerade (as well as many other RPGs which have since evolved), many have been able to have been able to explore the world of Vampires using their own artistic abilities. V:tM allows people interested in Vampires to become one of them and the ability to explore the Darkness within.