You ask me what people are more likely to be diabolists and murderers. I assure you; anyone can be a diabolist and a murderer.
— Harold the Zettler, Malkavian engraver, and scholar of Banes
Die Heriroschaft des Wyrm is a recent Path, first practiced by a line of Malkavian thaumaturgists in the region of Hesse, within the Fiefdoms of the Black Cross. Said to be mentored by babbling demons in service to a three-headed dragon, the neophyte blood magicians soon embraced infernalism with aims of overtaking the embryonic Tremere, and assisting Salubri allies in their retribution against the Usurpers. Tragically, the price of dealing with the unholy soon swept the Malkavians away from their intended course.
A Malkavian engraver, or “zettler,” as called by the native people of Hesse, betrayed his entire bloodline in sacrifice to the dragon. In exchange he gained full knowledge of the Tyranny of the Wyrm, and gifts allowing him powers beyond his neonate years. The zettler’s recent disappearance, and other Cainites’ subsequent discovery of his perfectly preserved scrolls detailing the Path, has led to a boutade of intrepid infernalists arising in the area.
Price: Like the Clan responsible for its creation, Die
Heriroschaft des Wyrm is unstable. Should a victim realize he’s being affected through forewarning or evidence of the infernalist’s intent, he may make a Wits + Occult roll (difficulty equal to the infernalist’s permanent Willpower, requiring as many successes as the infernalist has points in Dark Thaumaturgy). His success causes the power’s effects to rebound onto the infernalist. A botch on any Die Heriroschaft des Wyrm roll also causes the effects to afflict the infernalist.
A blessing from someone with True Faith will remove any ill effects caused by this Discipline. The infernalist’s death does not remove these effects, as in her stead, demons will perpetuate the various curses and pains.
• M
aLfeani
nfectionThrough use of Malfean Infection, the infernalist desecrates a holy individual, eroding his True Faith without the victim even knowing the power is taking effect.
System: The infernalist must know the name of her target,
and paint an eye on her palm in vitae. For each success on
the Discipline use, the victim loses any powers associated with his True Faith for a number of nights:
1 success One night 2 successes Three nights 3 successes One week 4 successes One month 5 successes One year
6 successes+ Permanent (or until removed via a blessing)
If reflected back on the infernalist due to a botched roll or the victim successfully combating the effect with a Wits + Occult roll, the Malfean Infection prevents Dark Thau- maturgy’s use for a number of nights corresponding to the number of successes, as stated above. This limitation can be removed through a new subservient deal with a demon.
•• b
aneto tHeS
ouLThe Malkavians who forged Die Heriroschaft des Wyrm communed with spiritual demons called “Banes,” which they successfully discovered could be summoned and attached to the souls of their enemies. By grafting a Bane onto a foe, they discovered the victim would be inclined to act on all her worst impulses.
System: The infernalist must hold an item or article once
touched by her target, and drip vitae upon it. A demonic Bane will attach to the target’s soul on a success, increasing the difficulty of Virtue tests by +2 (to a maximum of 9). Each success determines how long the Bane remains:
1 success One night 2 successes Three nights 3 successes One week 4 successes One month 5 successes One year
6 sucessess + Permanet (or until removed via a blessing)
••• D
iSSonantM
iSerereThrough chanting, incantation, and inspired clack, the infernalist penetrates her victim’s mind with the endless toiling noise of her ravings. The cacophony of a Dissonant Miserere persists night after night, planting a seed in the victim’s mind that sanctuary may only be found by calling upon a demon of madness, who might remove the babble. The power acts as a doorway for such a demon, waiting to
110
FAITHstrike when the victim is at his weakest. The victim must beg for the demon to step through in order for this to happen.
System: The infernalist must possess a piece of the victim’s
skin, hair, or a nail, and soak it in vitae. The Wyrm’s screaming mouths enter the victim’s mind, increasing the difficulty of all Willpower tests and any test requiring concentration by one point per success rolled (to a maximum of difficulty 9), and removes a temporary Willpower point from the victim each night it remains.
The effect is permanent, until the victim receives a blessing or calls upon a madness demon to relieve him of this pain. If the latter occurs, the demon — a shrieking creature without tangible form — will offer the victim a reprieve in exchange for a service. The nature of this service depends on how weak-willed the demon believes the victim is at this point (and is determined by the Storyteller), but typical requests include the murder of an innocent, the divestment of all worldly goods, or a sacrifice of vitae to the infernalist.
•••• f
eeD tHew
yrMBy drinking the blood of his victim, the infernalist creates a sympathetic link between his demonic masters and the targeted vampire. This link causes agony, and sometimes even death, as the infernalist’s magic twists and mutates the victim’s body. A reprieve is only available if the sufferer agrees to serve the Wyrm with foul future deeds.
System: The infernalist must possess a portion (one blood
point) of the victim’s blood, mix his vitae with it, and drink the concoction. This may form a blood bond, if the blood is that of another vampire. Once the blood is swallowed, a successful roll inflicts one level of aggravated damage per success. This damage may be soaked with Fortitude. The victim’s body contorts with pain and manifests inhuman growths, reducing her Appearance rating by two dots. The Appearance loss is cumulative if this power is used more than once.
The victim may only recover her Appearance rating by agreeing to serve the Wyrm. If she does so, an urge demon of vanity appears in a reflective surface and demands a sacrifice, the severity of which is determined by how great a loss of beauty has occurred. Sacrifices may entail ripping the smile from a newborn’s face, slaying a dozen virgins, or the victim allowing a Maeljin to permanently inhabit her soul.
••••• H
ouSe tHeM
aeLJinAccording to the Malkavian thaumaturgists who founded this Path, the Maeljin are among the most powerful and wise of demons. These incarnations of vice, filth, and immorality are masters of Banes and extra-dimensional demigods. House the Maeljin allows the infernalist to play host to one
of the Maeljin, at the expense of a dire sacrifice. The power benefits for hosting a Maeljin are numerous. The moral toll it takes is immense.
System: The infernalist must murder a mortal or vampire with
whom they hold a close relationship. If the victim is a vampire, the infernalist must perform diablerie on his prey. A successful roll manifests one of the Maeljin in the body of the infernalist. Each success determines how long the Maeljin remains:
1 success One scene 2 successes One night 3 successes Two nights 4 successes Four nights 5 successes One week
6 successes+ Permanent (or until removed via a blessing)
If the Maeljin remains permanently, the vampire runs the risk of losing all control to the demon inside them. It then becomes a race to achieve purification before the Maeljin can exert absolute dominance.
The natures of the various Maeljin differ. As beings of elemental unholiness, they represent abstract sins, such as shame, loss, anger, and a multitude of further intangible concepts. Maeljin all empower their host with six points to spread among Attributes (no Attribute may gain more than two), six points to spread among Abilities, and six points to spread among Disciplines (no Discipline may gain more than two). The Storyteller decides where these points are allocated on the character sheet.
As examples of how a possessing Maeljin may empower its host, a Maeljin of Lust might allocate six points across Social Attributes, place three points in Performance and another three in Expression, with two points going to Presence, two more to Dominate, and the final two on Daimonion. A Maeljin of Lies may allocate two points to Manipulation, two to Intelligence, and two to Dexterity, with six points spread among coercive Abilities. The final six might be allocated to Obfuscate, Presence, and Chimerstry.
An inhabiting Maeljin allows its host to practice the powers it has bestowed freely. It wants the host empowered and terrible. However, occasionally it will attempt to sway or outright control its host into acting in ways favorable to its alien agenda. In such cases, the vampire must make an Instinct/Self-Control roll (difficulty 8) to not act in the way the Maeljin wishes. The Storyteller determines the Maeljin’s wishes. It may attempt to exert control once a night.
As the Maeljin approaches the conclusion of its inhabitation, it seeks to consume the host by driving him
THE UNHOLIEST OF THINGS
into an act of self-destruction. The Maeljin can only attempt this once, but to resist throwing himself onto a pyre, greeting the sun, or walking into a sanctified building, the vampire must succeed on a Courage roll (difficulty 9). If his coterie attempts to restrain him, he immediately falls to frenzy. The Maeljin will depart peacefully if unsuccessful in its attempt to claim the entire soul of its host.