Lexicon

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(archaic) : terms used at least since the Dark Ages. Very old Kindred may still use these but young Kindred rarely will.

(vulgar) : street slang of the Kindred. Used more by the young.

Alleycat

(vulgar) a vampire who keeps no permanent haven, but sleeps in a different location each night. This term also refers to a vampire who feeds exclusively from the homeless, vagrants, and other elements of low society. See footpad.
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The Amaranth

archaic) the act of consuming another Kindred’s blood. See diablerie.
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The Anarch Movement

a vampire sect that opposes the tyranny of elders and has placed itself outside the secret society of the Camarilla.
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Ancilla

a vampire who has proven themselves, ranking between the elders and the neonates. Plural: ancillae.
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Antediluvian

a member of the dreaded third generation.
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Autarkis

archaic) See unbound.
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Banking

(vulgar) the practice of “withdrawing” blood from blood banks, hospital reserves, or the dead and dying. This blood has little taste, though it will sustain a vampire. Elder Kindred eschew this base indulgence. A Kindred who engages in this practice is known as a banker.
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The Barrens

the areas of a city unfit for life, including graveyards, abandoned buildings, industrial wastelands, and areas of irreversible urban blight.
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The Beast

the inchoate drives and urges that threaten to turn a vampire into a mindless, ravening monster.
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The Becoming

the moment one passes from being a fledgling into “full” vampire status as a neonate. In the Camarilla, one may not Become until their sire deems them ready and gains the Prince’s approval.
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Blister

(vulgar) a vampire “Typhoid Mary” who contracts a mortal disease and spreads it to each vessel upon whom they feed.
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The Blood

the supernatural, semi-sentient Blood of a vampire, as opposed to mortal or animal blood. Synonymous with vitae.
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Blood Bond

a mystical power relationship between two individual vampires, or a vampire and a mortal with the vampire being the master.
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Blood Doll

(vulgar) a mortal who freely gives their blood to a vampire. Most blood dolls gain a perverse satisfaction from the Kiss, and actively seek out vampires who will take their blood. blood hunt: a punishment sentencing a vampire to final death at the fangs of their peers. See lex talionis.
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Blood Leech

(vulgar) A vampire who feeds upon the vitae of other Cainites, out of necessity or depravity.
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Bloodline

a vampire’s heritage. See lineage.
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The Book of Nod

a collection of Kindred legend and history.
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Butterfly

(vulgar) one who mingles among the mortal high society elements and feeds exclusively from the famous and wealthy.
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Caine

The first vampire, or so most vampires believe. A few clans or factions have differing theories.
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Cainite

archaic) a vampire; a member of the race of Caine.
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Caitiff

a vampire of unknown clan, or of no clan at all. Caitiff are typically of high generation, where Caine’s blood is too diluted to pass on any consistent characteristics.
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The Camarilla

a sect of vampires devoted primarily to maintaining the Traditions, particularly that of the Masquerade.
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Canaille

archaic) the bovine masses of humanity, especially the uncultured and unsavory. The canaille are viewed primarily as a source of sustenance. See kine.
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Casanova

(vulgar) a vampire who seduces mortals to take their blood, but does not kill them. See siren.
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Cauchemar

archaic) see Sandman
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The Change

(vulgar) the moment an individual ceases to be mortal and becomes one of the Kindred.
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Chantry

the traditional name for the Tremere headquarters in a city, usually part shelter, part library, and part laboratory.
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Chasse

archaic) the size and quality of a domain or hunting ground.
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Childe

a vampire created through the Embrace— the childe is the progeny of their sire. This term is often used derogatorily, indicating inexperience. Plural: childer.
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Clan

a group of vampires who share common characteristics passed on through the Blood. There are 13 known clans, all of which were reputedly founded by members of the third generation.
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Consanguineous

archaic) literally “of the same blood,” generally denotes lineage. coterie: a small group of Kindred, united by the need for support and sometimes common interests.
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Coterie

a small group of vampires who are gathered together to achieve a common goal or purpose.
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The Damned

(vulgar) the race of Cainites; all vampires, Kindred.
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Diablerie

the consumption of another Kindred’s Blood, to the point of the victim’s final death. Vampires may lower their generation permanently through this abhorrent practice.
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Domain

the area of a particular vampire’s influence. Princes claim entire cities as their domains, sometimes allowing lesser vampires to claim domain within.
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Domitor

a ghoul’s master; one who gives of their Blood and issues commands.
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Donor

(vulgar) a sarcastic term for vessel, typically human or kine.
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Duskborn

see thin-blood.
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Elder

a vampire who has experienced at least two or more centuries of unlife.
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Elysium

a place where vampires may gather without fear of harm. Court functions in Elysium are strictly kept apart from mortals and surrounded by secrecy, but the Elysium building itself could be a public museum, a gallery, or club. Berghain is an anarch Elysium. The Louvre is a Camarilla Elysium.
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The Embrace

the act of transforming a mortal into a vampire.
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Farmer

(vulgar) a mocking term for a vampire who refuses to feed on human blood, instead taking sustenance from animals.
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Final Death

when a vampire ceases to exist, crossing the line from undeath into true death.
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Fledgling

a newly created vampire, still under their sire’s protection.
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Footpad

archaic) one who feeds by assaulting derelicts and others unwanted by society. See alleycat.
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Gehenna

the rumored Armageddon when the Antediluvians will rise from their torpor and devour the race of vampires and the world. The Sabbat believe this time is now and have left their traditional domains, fighting the final Gehenna War in the shadow of Middle Eastern conflicts. (we may or may not use the final bit of this)
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Generation

the number of “steps” between a vampire and the mythical Caine; how far descended from the First a given vampire is.
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Gentry

archaic) a Kindred who preys in such places as nightclubs, bars, and the red-light district.
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Ghoul

a minion created by giving a bit of vampiric vitae to a mortal without killing them.
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Golconda

a fabled state of vampiric transcendence; the true mastery of the Beast and balance of opposing urges and principles. Rumored to be a state similar to nirvana, Golconda is greatly touted but rarely achieved.
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Haven

a vampire’s “home” or base; where they find sanctuary from the sun.
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Head

(vulgar) a Kindred who feeds upon those who have imbibed alcohol or drugs, so as to vicariously experience the same sensations. Those Kindred who prefer individual drugs have their “poison” prefixed to the term head (e.g. meth head, dope head, smack head). See lush.
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Headhunter

(vulgar) a vampire who hunts and feeds from other Kindred. See Blood Leech.
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Humanitas

archaic) the extent to which a Kindred still maintains her humanity.
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The Hunger

the urge to feed. For vampires, the Hunger replaces all other drives with its own powerful call.
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The Inconnu

a sect of vampires who have removed themselves from Kindred concerns and, largely, the Jyhad. Many methuselahs are rumored to exist among the Inconnu.
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Juicebag Or Juice Box

(vulgar) a contemptuous term for mortals or kine, indicating that their sole use is for sustenance.
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The Jyhad

the secret, self-destructive war waged between the generations. Elder vampires manipulate their lesser kin, using them as pawns in a terrible game the rules of which defy comprehension.
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Kindred

the Camarilla term for vampires as a whole, or a single vampire. According to rumor, this term came about in the 15th or 16th century, after the Anarch Revolt.
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Kine

a term for mortals, largely contemptuous. The phrase “Kindred and kine” refers to the world at large; everything.
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The Kiss

to drink blood, especially from a mortal. The Kiss causes feelings of ecstasy in those who receive it with a few exceptions.
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Lex Talionis

archaic) the code of the Kindred and the system for punishing transgression; the law of retaliation which is behind the blood hunt. It suggests Hammurabian or Biblical justice — an eye for an eye and punishment in keeping with the grievance.
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Lick

(vulgar) a vampire. See Kindred and Cainite.
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Lien

archaic) the compliance of the kine in a domain or hunting ground.
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The Life

archaic) a euphemism for mortal blood. Many Kindred regard this term as affected and effete.
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Lineage

archaic) a vampire’s bloodline; the Kindred’s sire, sire’s sire, etc.
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Lupine

Kindred term for a werewolf, a dangerous and mortal enemy who sees vampires as evil, unnatural creatures. A Lupine (or Garou as they call themselves), can easily kill all but the strongest of vampires. Plural: lupines.
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Lush

a vampire who typically feeds from drugged or drunk mortals in order to experience their inebriation.
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Mask

the mortal cover identity a Kindred needs to maintain to remain hidden among their prey.
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The Masquerade

the habit (or Tradition) of hiding the existence of vampires from humanity. Designed to protect vampires from destruction at the hands of mankind, breaches in the Masquerade can be punishable by Final Death.
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Methuselah

a vampire who has existed for a millennium or more; an elder who no longer participates in Kindred society. Methuselahs are rumored to hail from the fourth and fifth generations.
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Neonate

a young Kindred, recently Embraced but more than a fledgling.
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Papillon

archaic) the red-light district; the area of town punctuated by drinking establishments, brothels, gambling houses, and other locales of ill repute. The prime hunting grounds of a city, where the disappearance of mortals goes hand in hand with the area’s general seediness.
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Portillon

archaic) the security and level of protection in a domain or hunting ground.
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Praxis

archaic) the right of Princes to govern; the Prince’s claim to domain. This term also refers to the Prince’s matters of policy and individual edicts and motions.
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Prince

a vampire who has claimed a given expanse of domain as their own, generally a city, and supports that claim against all others. The term is Gender-neutral. In Anarch cities they are sometimes called Barons.
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