Vampire is the first in a story telling system from White Wolf. Set in the present day players take on the roles of Vampires, trying to scratch an exsistance in a dark and Gothic World.
This world is a dark and evil place with all manner of supernatural entities. Behind every facet of city life a vampire sits in control and directs his subjects to unknowingly or unwittingly do his bidding. The Vampires are inhabitants of this dark and secret world and exist at a rtio of one per 100,000. This may seem like a one sided ratio but the vampire often kill their pray and need to feed 2 to 3 times a week.
The chronical is based on and around Chicago where around 80 vampires live and breed, resulting in around 150 vampire related disapperances or murders a week. Vampires, or Kindred, disguise their kills by licking the bite wounds sealing them up and thus making them undetectable. Killing a kindred is much more difficult than Motion Pictures would have you believe. There are only three ways to kill a Vampire,
The common notion that a stake through the heart will kill it is pure fantasy. A stake will simply immobilize it. Remove the stake and the vampire reawakens. Staking a vampire won't always immobilize it, if the kindred suffers from a vampiric condition known as 'Misplaced Heart' the vampire will be able to simply pull out the stake and come at you angrier the ever! Crucifixes, Holy Water and other religous trappings may be ignored unless brandished by a true beleiver of its poewer.
Vampires often create Ghouls, a living being who has drunk a vampires blood, to look after them during daylight hours. Ghouls do not have to be human it may be any creature (including bunnies). Ghouls may survive in daylight and can be killed like any human.
The first vampire was Caine, son of Adam and Eve, who was cast out when he killed his brother Able. He was made immortal so that he would have to live in sorrow forever, commiting his crime over and over to survive. Caine became lonely and created three children (2nd Generation), these then begat 13 others (3rd Generation). These 13 created the main clans of Vampires;
Other blood lines have sprung up over the time but these are often scorned by the main clans. There are three main seccts within the Vampiric World.