Diablerie
Encyclopedia
In the context of White Wolf Game Studio's vampire
book
s and role-playing game
s from the World of Darkness
, diablerie takes place when a vampire
drinks not only all the blood of another vampire but also their soul, generally in order to increase their own powers. A vampire who engages in diablerie is known as a diablerist.
and related media, the strength of vampirical powers is often correlated with the vampire's generation, i. e. the generational distance between the original vampire Caine and the vampire, where Caine was the first generation, his childer were the second, etc. (in The Masquerade, the default generation for starting characters is the 13th). On each successive generation these powers become more and more diluted as a result of a curse set upon the Third Generation by Caine himself. By committing diablerie (i.e. drinking all of a vampires' blood as well as their soul), a vampire can absorb those purer powers from a vampire of an earlier generation, effectively decreasing their own generation (the victim, of course, experiences the final death in the process).
Diablerie is explicitly forbidden by the vampiric tradition and is considered a crime by the Camarilla, but it is a fairly common practice in the Sabbat. In the past, the Assamite
clan devoted its energies to diablerie in order to gain power, until the Tremere
placed a magic curse on them, by virtue of which Assamites became physically harmed by the act of drinking vampire blood.
Nevertheless, this curse did not stop the Assamites from continuing their practices by indirect means. It was finally broken in 1998 by the Methuselah Ur-Shulgi, childe of the Assamite Antediluvian Haqim, who arose from torpor and took command of the clan.
It must also be noted that diablerie was not unknown to the Tremere (the clan's founder committed diablerie on Saulot, the Antediluvian founder of clan Salubri).
Vampires with the Discipline of Auspex are supposed to be able to recognize diablerists by the characteristic dark veins in their aura
.
In the game Vampire: The Dark Ages
, set in the 13th century, this practice was known as Amaranth. When a blood hunt
was to be declared, it was customary to send the victim a flower of amaranth
a week in advance. The sire traditionally killed his childe through diablerie.
, the concept of generation is no longer used. Instead, the power of an individual vampire corresponds to that vampire's Blood Potency, which increases as they age (and can also decrease if they spend sufficient time in torpor). Engaging in diablerie may increase Blood Potency if the victim has a higher blood potency.
Furthermore, the rulebook states that Amaranth is not just the drinking of another vampire's vitae, but of their very soul. In some cases, memories or personality traits may transfer into the diablerist. Diablerie is specifically forbidden in the Requiem, and the punishment for a known diablerist is Final Death.
Diablerie is the second of three forbidden acts in Vampire: The Requiem, along with siring childer without permission and breaking the Masquerade (like Camarilla in Vampire: The Masquerade
). Committing diablerie results in an automatic decrease in Humanity.
Vampire (World of Darkness)
A vampires is a fictional creature in the role-playing games and books based on the World of Darkness setting by White Wolf Game Studio. The concept of a vampire in WoD takes many elements from the folklore surrounding traditional vampires in Western culture, and adds a number of specific features...
book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
s and role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s from the World of Darkness
World of Darkness
"World of Darkness" is the name given to three related but distinct fictional universes created as settings for supernatural horror themed role-playing games. It is also the name of roleplaying games in the second and third settings...
, diablerie takes place when a vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
drinks not only all the blood of another vampire but also their soul, generally in order to increase their own powers. A vampire who engages in diablerie is known as a diablerist.
Old World of Darkness
In Vampire: The MasqueradeVampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade is a role-playing game. Created by Mark Rein·Hagen, it was the first of White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness role-playing games, based on the Storyteller System and centered around vampires in a modern gothic-punk world....
and related media, the strength of vampirical powers is often correlated with the vampire's generation, i. e. the generational distance between the original vampire Caine and the vampire, where Caine was the first generation, his childer were the second, etc. (in The Masquerade, the default generation for starting characters is the 13th). On each successive generation these powers become more and more diluted as a result of a curse set upon the Third Generation by Caine himself. By committing diablerie (i.e. drinking all of a vampires' blood as well as their soul), a vampire can absorb those purer powers from a vampire of an earlier generation, effectively decreasing their own generation (the victim, of course, experiences the final death in the process).
Diablerie is explicitly forbidden by the vampiric tradition and is considered a crime by the Camarilla, but it is a fairly common practice in the Sabbat. In the past, the Assamite
Assamite
The Assamites are a clan of vampires, from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade books and role-playing games.In the original version of this clan the Assamites are a group of skilled, select assassins who often commit contract killings in exchange for the blood of other vampires...
clan devoted its energies to diablerie in order to gain power, until the Tremere
Tremere
The Tremere are a clan of vampires in the Classic World of Darkness setting.The Tremere backstory is heavily based on Ars Magica, and the original House Tremere appeared as a Hermetic house in that game system. As the World of Darkness progressively diverged from Ars Magica's medieval Europe,...
placed a magic curse on them, by virtue of which Assamites became physically harmed by the act of drinking vampire blood.
Nevertheless, this curse did not stop the Assamites from continuing their practices by indirect means. It was finally broken in 1998 by the Methuselah Ur-Shulgi, childe of the Assamite Antediluvian Haqim, who arose from torpor and took command of the clan.
It must also be noted that diablerie was not unknown to the Tremere (the clan's founder committed diablerie on Saulot, the Antediluvian founder of clan Salubri).
Vampires with the Discipline of Auspex are supposed to be able to recognize diablerists by the characteristic dark veins in their aura
Aura (paranormal)
In parapsychology and many forms of spiritual practice, an aura is a field of subtle, luminous radiation surrounding a person or object . The depiction of such an aura often connotes a person of particular power or holiness. Sometimes, however, it is said that all living things and all objects...
.
In the game Vampire: The Dark Ages
Vampire: The Dark Ages
Vampire: The Dark Ages is a role-playing game originally published by White Wolf Game Studio in 1996. Later, in 2002, the gameline was replaced by Dark Ages: Vampire...
, set in the 13th century, this practice was known as Amaranth. When a blood hunt
Blood Hunt
Blood Hunt is a 1994 crime novel by Ian Rankin, under the pseudonym Jack Harvey. It is the third novel he wrote under this name.-Plot summary:...
was to be declared, it was customary to send the victim a flower of amaranth
Amaranth
Amaranthus, collectively known as amaranth, is a cosmopolitan genus of herbs. Approximately 60 species are recognized, with inflorescences and foliage ranging from purple and red to gold...
a week in advance. The sire traditionally killed his childe through diablerie.
New World of Darkness
In the new vampire game, Vampire: The RequiemVampire: The Requiem
Vampire: The Requiem is a role-playing game published by White Wolf, set in the World of Darkness, and the successor to the Vampire: The Masquerade line. It was first released in August 2004, together with a new core rule book for the World of Darkness...
, the concept of generation is no longer used. Instead, the power of an individual vampire corresponds to that vampire's Blood Potency, which increases as they age (and can also decrease if they spend sufficient time in torpor). Engaging in diablerie may increase Blood Potency if the victim has a higher blood potency.
Furthermore, the rulebook states that Amaranth is not just the drinking of another vampire's vitae, but of their very soul. In some cases, memories or personality traits may transfer into the diablerist. Diablerie is specifically forbidden in the Requiem, and the punishment for a known diablerist is Final Death.
Diablerie is the second of three forbidden acts in Vampire: The Requiem, along with siring childer without permission and breaking the Masquerade (like Camarilla in Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade is a role-playing game. Created by Mark Rein·Hagen, it was the first of White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness role-playing games, based on the Storyteller System and centered around vampires in a modern gothic-punk world....
). Committing diablerie results in an automatic decrease in Humanity.