Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption
Encyclopedia
Vampire: The Masquerade – Redemption is a PC
role-playing game released on June 7, 2000 by Activision
. The game follows the adventures of a French
crusader, Christof Romuald, through Prague
and Vienna
in the Dark Ages
and modern-day London
and New York City
. The game is based on the pen-and-paper
roleplaying game Vampire: The Masquerade
. The game's graphics were highly advanced for its time, including then-novel effects such as multiple shadows rendered dynamically from in-game light sources. Vampire: The Masquerade – Redemption also includes a multiplayer game mode in which one player takes the role of the storyteller. The game itself is divided into two parts, one medieval and one modern, each of which play differently.
named Anezka who tends his wounds after he falls in battle by being shot by an arrow. Christof, not fully recovered, ventures into the Bonn Silver Mines (near Prague) to kill Ahzra the Unliving, a twisted Tzimisce
vampire
. His glorious return to Prague doesn't go unnoticed by the local vampire leaders and soon he is "embraced" (turned into a vampire) by Ecaterina the Wise, leader of the Brujah
clan, as to boost the ranks of vampires in preparation for a brewing battle between vampire clans. Having been made one of the undead, the passionate crusader has to realize that he deviated from his religious mission long ago; being only a mundane soldier, he was easy prey for the vampires. His rebellious nature, however, urges him to find a way to redeem his soul, perhaps by regaining his mortal state. But before long, in a move designed to torment Christof (in retaliation for dispatching Ahzra), the nun is kidnapped and turned into a ghoul
, a servitor to vampires addicted to vampire blood. This changes Christof's part in the course of events, since he is now being wracked with guilt as he feels his affection towards Anezka led her down a path of sin. Christof swears to face the vampires who took her and restore her life as human.
In his quest, being a powerful vampire, he must learn to conquer his dark side and gain experience with his new powers (vampiric disciplines, similar to spells) to fight against a world of darkness that unfolds before him, as he learns more about this new world he is now a part of, while struggling to maintain his humanity and the faith he once had as a holy knight.
In a climactic battle he is buried under tons of rubble, only to awaken centuries later in the modern world, uncovered by an archeological dig, and faced by a whole new series of challenges – including a fearsome new enemy whose actions may well doom the entire world. Christof eventually finds the vampires responsible for the kidnapping of his love only to find the pure woman of God that he fell in love with is now a twisted, violated creature of the night who shuns him as an emotional weakling, serving to an Infernalist Tzimisce plotting to avert Gehenna by destroying all the Antediluvians. The game sports three different possible outcomes, depending on certain choices in the game which affected Christof's humanity level either negatively or positively.
Twelve of the thirteen great vampire clans (from the original storytelling game) feature in Redemption, in one form or another. The only exception being clan Ravnos
.
Wilhem Streicher: A Brujah of the 10th Generation, possibly a Childe of Ecaterina the Wise and her servant, a rather unusual Brujah, recognised by his calmness despite his action oriented nature. He rejoins Christof in his adventures in New York. During the time of Christof's torpor from the Dark Ages to modern days Ecaterina and the Promethians have eventually joined the Sabbat, a Vampire sect that views mortals as simple cattle. Despite his allegiance determined by the relations of the Promethians with the Ventrue, Wilhem appears to have managed to preserve a good part of his humanity. He also teaches Christof the basics of being a Cainite during his first missions. To be noted about Wilhem that besides his standard Brujah disciplines of Potence, Presence and Celerity he also has knowledge of Protean.
Serena: Serena is the Childe of Garinol of Clan Cappadocian
. Like all of her clan she has a corpse-like appearance, yet it is obvious that even if pale she retains her natural beauty. Serena is a Scholar first and foremost and not really adept at combat, acting as a support character to the others using her supernatural senses, resilience and the powers over the Dead to aid the party. Like all Cappadocians she has their three basic disciplines, Auspex (supernatural senses), Fortitude (resilience) and Mortis (the power that grants her control over the dead). She will be able to raise killed enemies and summon Spirits, rather useful abilities adding an additional group member. Also she acts as an advisor to Christof and probably has the best understanding of the pain that is in his heart. Her current location is unknown.
Erik: A giant Gangrel
who was imprisoned at Ardan's Chantry and being prepared to be turned into a gargoyle. He is rescued by Christof's coterie just before the final stage of transformation. He joins the group as to repay this "life boon". Erik, as most Gangrels, is physically stronger than vampires of other clans and possesses the Disciplines of Protean and Animalism (shapeshifting into a wolf, drawing out and quelling the beast). Rather moody but absolutely honorable and reliable, he fought alongside Christof until he meets his tragic destiny upon his return to Prague from Vienna.
Pink: A vampire who befriends Christof on his first night in London, claiming to be a Brujah. Pink sets Christof in the right direction for his quest of finding Anezka. He is later revieled to actually be an Assamite
masquerading as a Brujah.
Lily: A Toreador
singer who was kidnapped by Setites and blood-bound to become a prostitute. Christof and Pink rescue her (and eventually her Sire), making for an additional team member. She's not that powerful at first, starting off as barely a Neonate, but she has a lot of branches where she can develop. She serves as an emotional foil to Christof.
Samuel: A Camarilla
Nosferatu
(who is still quite a charismatic fellow), Christof's group encounter him in New York cornered by Sabbat Nosferatu. After being rescued, he joins up with Christof's party despite Pink's protests.
was released in 2004.
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
role-playing game released on June 7, 2000 by Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
. The game follows the adventures of a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
crusader, Christof Romuald, through Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in the Dark Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and modern-day London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The game is based on the pen-and-paper
Paper and pencil game
Paper-and-pencil games are games that can be played solely with paper and pencil .In some board games, including some abstract strategy games like Gomoku, a piece once played will not be moved on the board or removed from the board...
roleplaying game 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....
. The game's graphics were highly advanced for its time, including then-novel effects such as multiple shadows rendered dynamically from in-game light sources. Vampire: The Masquerade – Redemption also includes a multiplayer game mode in which one player takes the role of the storyteller. The game itself is divided into two parts, one medieval and one modern, each of which play differently.
Plot
In the game's storyline, the protagonist Christof falls in love with a nunNun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
named Anezka who tends his wounds after he falls in battle by being shot by an arrow. Christof, not fully recovered, ventures into the Bonn Silver Mines (near Prague) to kill Ahzra the Unliving, a twisted Tzimisce
Tzimisce
The Tzimisce are a clan of vampires in White Wolf Game Studio's books and role-playing games Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire: The Dark Ages....
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...
. His glorious return to Prague doesn't go unnoticed by the local vampire leaders and soon he is "embraced" (turned into a vampire) by Ecaterina the Wise, leader of the Brujah
Brujah
The Brujah are a clan of vampires in White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness books and role-playing settings. Their name is derived from Bruja, the Spanish word for witch....
clan, as to boost the ranks of vampires in preparation for a brewing battle between vampire clans. Having been made one of the undead, the passionate crusader has to realize that he deviated from his religious mission long ago; being only a mundane soldier, he was easy prey for the vampires. His rebellious nature, however, urges him to find a way to redeem his soul, perhaps by regaining his mortal state. But before long, in a move designed to torment Christof (in retaliation for dispatching Ahzra), the nun is kidnapped and turned into a ghoul
Ghoul
A ghoul is a folkloric monster associated with graveyards and consuming human flesh, often classified as undead. The oldest surviving literature that mention ghouls is likely One Thousand and One Nights...
, a servitor to vampires addicted to vampire blood. This changes Christof's part in the course of events, since he is now being wracked with guilt as he feels his affection towards Anezka led her down a path of sin. Christof swears to face the vampires who took her and restore her life as human.
In his quest, being a powerful vampire, he must learn to conquer his dark side and gain experience with his new powers (vampiric disciplines, similar to spells) to fight against a world of darkness that unfolds before him, as he learns more about this new world he is now a part of, while struggling to maintain his humanity and the faith he once had as a holy knight.
In a climactic battle he is buried under tons of rubble, only to awaken centuries later in the modern world, uncovered by an archeological dig, and faced by a whole new series of challenges – including a fearsome new enemy whose actions may well doom the entire world. Christof eventually finds the vampires responsible for the kidnapping of his love only to find the pure woman of God that he fell in love with is now a twisted, violated creature of the night who shuns him as an emotional weakling, serving to an Infernalist Tzimisce plotting to avert Gehenna by destroying all the Antediluvians. The game sports three different possible outcomes, depending on certain choices in the game which affected Christof's humanity level either negatively or positively.
Twelve of the thirteen great vampire clans (from the original storytelling game) feature in Redemption, in one form or another. The only exception being clan Ravnos
Ravnos
The Ravnos are a clan of vampires from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire: The Dark Ages role-playing games....
.
Player characters
Besides the famous Christof Romuald who also appears in White Wolf's Brujah clan novel, the following characters also feature:Wilhem Streicher: A Brujah of the 10th Generation, possibly a Childe of Ecaterina the Wise and her servant, a rather unusual Brujah, recognised by his calmness despite his action oriented nature. He rejoins Christof in his adventures in New York. During the time of Christof's torpor from the Dark Ages to modern days Ecaterina and the Promethians have eventually joined the Sabbat, a Vampire sect that views mortals as simple cattle. Despite his allegiance determined by the relations of the Promethians with the Ventrue, Wilhem appears to have managed to preserve a good part of his humanity. He also teaches Christof the basics of being a Cainite during his first missions. To be noted about Wilhem that besides his standard Brujah disciplines of Potence, Presence and Celerity he also has knowledge of Protean.
Serena: Serena is the Childe of Garinol of Clan Cappadocian
Cappadocian (World of Darkness)
The Cappadocians are a clan of vampires from White Wolf Game Studio's role-playing games Vampire: The Dark Ages and Vampire: The Masquerade....
. Like all of her clan she has a corpse-like appearance, yet it is obvious that even if pale she retains her natural beauty. Serena is a Scholar first and foremost and not really adept at combat, acting as a support character to the others using her supernatural senses, resilience and the powers over the Dead to aid the party. Like all Cappadocians she has their three basic disciplines, Auspex (supernatural senses), Fortitude (resilience) and Mortis (the power that grants her control over the dead). She will be able to raise killed enemies and summon Spirits, rather useful abilities adding an additional group member. Also she acts as an advisor to Christof and probably has the best understanding of the pain that is in his heart. Her current location is unknown.
Erik: A giant Gangrel
Gangrel
Gangrel may refer to:*Gangrel , a fictional clan of vampires in the role-playing game Vampire: the Masquerade*David Heath , an American professional wrestler better known as "Gangrel" in World Wrestling Entertainment...
who was imprisoned at Ardan's Chantry and being prepared to be turned into a gargoyle. He is rescued by Christof's coterie just before the final stage of transformation. He joins the group as to repay this "life boon". Erik, as most Gangrels, is physically stronger than vampires of other clans and possesses the Disciplines of Protean and Animalism (shapeshifting into a wolf, drawing out and quelling the beast). Rather moody but absolutely honorable and reliable, he fought alongside Christof until he meets his tragic destiny upon his return to Prague from Vienna.
Pink: A vampire who befriends Christof on his first night in London, claiming to be a Brujah. Pink sets Christof in the right direction for his quest of finding Anezka. He is later revieled to actually be an 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...
masquerading as a Brujah.
Lily: A Toreador
Toreador (World of Darkness)
The Toreador are a clan of vampires in White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire: The Dark Ages books and role-playing games. Their symbol is the thorned rose.The Toreador are some of the most beautiful and glamorous of the Kindred...
singer who was kidnapped by Setites and blood-bound to become a prostitute. Christof and Pink rescue her (and eventually her Sire), making for an additional team member. She's not that powerful at first, starting off as barely a Neonate, but she has a lot of branches where she can develop. She serves as an emotional foil to Christof.
Samuel: A Camarilla
Camarilla
Camarilla may refer to:*Camarilla, an unofficial group of courtiers or favorites surrounding and influencing a king or ruler, specifically the two such groups prominent in German history....
Nosferatu
Nosferatu (World of Darkness)
The Nosferatu are a clan of vampires from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade, Vampire: The Dark Ages books and role-playing games....
(who is still quite a charismatic fellow), Christof's group encounter him in New York cornered by Sabbat Nosferatu. After being rescued, he joins up with Christof's party despite Pink's protests.
Modding
Nihilistic released a modding kit, including a level editor, shortly after the games release that was available for download. Modding communities were small and sporadic, but some large levels have been constructed, and various large modding projects were undertaken, including a Star Trek makeover (not completed), and "Vampires Gaze" (set in the Middle East), for which the modding community still exists (as of early 2010).Reception
Redemption received mixed reviews. Although hailed as an enjoyable game, its reception was affected by bugs and design flaws.Legacy
Another Vampire: The Masquerade videogame entitled Vampire: The Masquerade - BloodlinesVampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, abbreviated as Bloodlines or VTMB, is a computer role-playing game for Windows developed by Troika Games in 2004...
was released in 2004.