By Mitchell J. Gross
Copyright (c) 1995 Mitchell J. Gross
NOTE: This is supplementary material to the Mnemosyne bloodline. It refers to and builds upon that material and it is recommended that you read the Mnemosyne first.
Dane stepped into the shadows of the dirty alley. Dropping his power of Obfuscate, he quickly walked to the door of the alley. Once inside, he made his way to a private booth in the back of the bar.
As he entered, Henry looked up from the cup of tea he was idly stirring and nodded in greeting, "How goes the quest?"
Dane smiled, "It goes quite well. I believe the Aztec scroll you showed me contained the final piece of the puzzle. I leave for the Tanzania tommorow evening." He paused and grimaced. "I wish you would reconsider, your help so far has been invaluable."
"Yes, well. I do have my own research to follow up on."
"Of course," said Dane. "I will keep you posted on my progress."
"Excellent, I look forward to it," said Henry. "But you seem... troubled my young friend."
Dane nodded grimly. "You are right. There have been some problems."
"Such as?"
"Well..." Dane leaned forwarded and whispered, "I believe it is the Jocastatians."
He leaned back in his seat. "Several events have taken place recently which have not deterred my research, but has made my expedition more difficult."
"I see. What sort of setbacks?"
Dane grimaced, "My ghoul Andre, a loyal believer in the quest, has fallen victim to their foul machinations. Or so I can only believe. I found him hanging upside-down in my study drained of blood with several of his vital organs missing."
Henry stopped stirring the tea, put the spoon down and listened intently.
"After dealing with that, I noticed some of my notes and maps had been stolen as well. Luckily I had the foresight to make copies and store them elsewhere."
"Excellent. Well, it sounds as if they will have a difficult time stopping you my friend. It sounds like their adversity has made you even more determined than before."
"I thank you for your confidence." Dane stood and shook the other man's hand.
"I must be on my way, I have much to prepare for tommorow. Thank you again for your help."
"Think nothing of it. May our Father watch over you in your journey."
Dane sketched a bow, "And over you." He quickly turned away and was gone.
Henry waited a few moments, then stood and made his way out of the bar. He had much to do before the next evening. The Seer would wish to be informed of his activities, and then he would have to make travel arrangements to Tanzania for himself and several other Jocastatians.
In hushed tones and secluded places, members of the Mnemosyne bloodline often whisper to each other rumors of their nemeses: the Jocastatians. These rivals attempt to thwart the quest of the Mnemosyne at every turn, or so they believe. The truth is far more complex.
The Jocastatians find it so easy to thwart the Mnemosyne when they choose as they are all Mnemosyne themselves. They are the dark children the parents do not even know they have sired. The Jocastatians are similar in many ways to the Mnemosyne, with one key difference. Whereas the Mnemosyne are driven to seek out the truth of our origins in order to know themselves better, the Jocastatians seek this knowledge in order to expose the machinations of the ancient vampires who control mortals and Kindred alike.
The Jocastatians are to the Mnemosyne as the Anarchs are to the Elders. They see the Mnemosyne as tools of the Ancients who will never be allowed to learn the truths they seek. The Jocastatians reject the order of Kindred society as they see the Camarilla, Sabbat, Iconnu, Mnemosyne and others as pawns in a never-ending chess game played by the Antedeluvians. They seek to break this order by finding the truth and bringing it to others, mortal and immortal alike.
The first Jocastatian was Dumas, a Mnemosyne of the eighth generation, whose task it was to study the words of Saulot, elder of the Salubri. In his travels, in the days before Tremere diablerised Saulot, it is said Dumas encountered the Salubri elder himself. Supposedly, Dumas spent several weeks in the presence of Saulot in which he was given a sacred mission: to seek the truth of our kind and to illuminate the rest of the world. To this end, Dumas was taught several arcane rituals to aid him and those that would follow in his footsteps.
Dumas never returned to the fold and the Mnemosyne gave him up for dead. He traveled the world seeking the truth for centuries until he felt the need to create children to continue his quest. Siring several vampires, he taught them Saulot's rituals. The most important of these rituals was one that allowed his children to simultaneously diablerise him, while gaining all of his memories and abilities. The three children of Dumas continued the quest for many years until they too felt the need to spread their blood. They sired 13 children who consumed their sires and their children later did the same. There are only a small number of Jocastatians in the world, but they are all of the eighth generation and all have many centuries of knowledge and power within them.
The Jocastatians masquerade as members of the Mnemosyne, and most children of Jocastatians are allowed to undergo the Mnemosyne indoctrination and exist amongst them for years before consuming their sires. They do not attempt to stop the quest of the Mnemosyne so much as keep a close eye on it, as they wish to use the information for their own ends. Jocastatians tend to use ancient terms when amongst themselves, as passed down to them through the memories of Dumas. For example, they refer to kine as the Children of Seth (third son of Adam) and to Kindred as the Progeny (of Caine).
The laws and lessons of Caine as passed down over the centuries have an almost religious power over the Jocastatians. They respect all the 13 original clans and do nothing to harm them. A Jocastatian would rather perish than harm a member of the Brujah (the Learned), Gangrel (Beasts), Malkavian (the Moon), Nosferatu (the Hidden), Toreador (the Rose), Salubri (Healers), Ventrue (Kings), Assamites (Hunters), Followers of Set (Snakes), Giovanni (Death), Ravnos (Wanderers), Lasombra (the Night) or Tzimisce (Shapers). They see these clans as the true children of Caine who have forgotten the words of their father. Vampires who are not members of the 13 original clans are despised by the Jocastatians as abominations and illegitimate children. Whenever they encounter Daughters of Cacophany, Samedi, Kiasyd, Ahrimanes, Baali, Gargoyles or others they seek to destroy them outright. They are unsure whether Gaki and Bushi are unique creatures or related to Caine's children as of yet, so they merely observe them for now. Caitiff are especially despised as The Chronicle of Secrets paints them as heralds of Gehenna. Jocastatians despise Tremere almost as much as Caitiff as they see them as the murderers of Saulot, whom they revere. Jocastatians invariably Frenzy in the presence of Tremere or Caitiff and attack them with all the powers they possess. On those rare occasions that they encounter a Salubri, they often will plead to be allowed to accompany the Salubri in her travels. Should this request be granted, the Jocastatian will gladly lay down his very life to defend that of the Salubri.
In some ways, the Jocastatians are more open-minded than most Kindred. They do not distinguish between members of the Camarilla or Sabbat or other divisions. All Kindred are equal in their eyes, although most of them are misguided and need to have their eyes opened to the truth. They also respect mortals as they are protected by the laws of Caine. Jocastatians only take enough blood to sustain their immortal lives from the kine. They do not kill mortals unless absolutely neccessary. As to other beings, they follow Caine's scriptures: they respect and protect their ghouls (referred to as Servants), avoid the Garou (the Moon-Beasts or ones-who-change), watch and study the Faeries (the Wild Ones), distrust and hide from Mages (the Enlightened) and seek to help free Wraiths (Shadows) from their fetters.
Because they are not part of Caine's original children, the Jocastians are filled with incredible self-loathing. They see themselves and the Mnemosyne as neccessary only to their quest to bring the truth to others. They believe that someday they will succeed and an all-out war will begin between themselves and the Mnemosyne, as they will seek to completely wipe members of both bloodlines from existence. Because of this self-loathing, many Jocastatians often welcome the time their children consume them.
[Illustration: A gaunt man with a crazed look in his eyes holding a tattered fragment of the Book of Nod and crying blood-tears.]
Iillustration - bloodline symbol: A simple figure with a shadow that looms over it.]
Nicknames: The Rivals
Appearance: Any, but they often seek people who have an inconspicous appearance. Jocasatatians tend to blend into the crowds and rarely have any noteworthy marks or features.
Havens: Jocastatians usually dwell outside of the cities as to avoid becoming too closely involved with or scrutinized by the local Kindred. They keep close tabs on the Mnemosyne in the area and will often follow them from a distance in their travels.
Background: Anyone who is a seeker of truth is chosen for the Embrace. Potential children are usually studied from afar for some time before they are taken. Neonate Jocastatians are often allowed to exist as Mnemosyne for some time before they perform diablerie on their sires. Often the sire will not even reveal their true allegiance until that time.
Character Creation: Journalist, Academic, Philosopher, Conspiracy Theorist or Secret Agent concepts are very appropriate. Nature is almost always Fanatic or Visionary, while Demeanor tends to be much more subdued such as Traditionalist or Conformist. Mental and Knowledge are Primary. Many of them also have the merit Jack-of-All-Trades and the flaw Nightmares. Derangements are also commonplace, especially Multiple Personalities. All members of this bloodline are of the eighth generation and must spend five points in the generation background. It is suggested that the guidelines for creating Ancillae in Vampire: The Masquerade, 2nd Edition be used in place of the normal character generation guidelines if the Jocastatian has already diablerised their sire.
Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate, Obfuscate
Weakness: Due to their self-loathing, Jocastatians lose two dice in any contest with members of the 13 original clans. However, against other bloodlines they gain two dice from their hatred. They neither lose nor gain dice in contests with members of the Mnemosyne.
Furthermore, when encountering a member of the Tremere or Caitiff, a Jocastatian must make a Self-Control roll (difficulty 8). Should this roll fail, the Jocastatian will immediately frenzy and attack the Tremere or Caitiff with the intent of killing them.
Finally, any Jocastatian who harms or fails a Salubri in some manner will immediately commit ritual suicide out of shame. Such Jocastatians may not pass on their blood before killing themselves.
Organization: There is little in the way of formal organization in this bloodline, although members will meet secretly at times to exchange news of their activities and findings as well as those of the Mnemosyne, Noddists and other Kindred. The only other time they gather in a large group is when a member decides to pass his blood onto his children.
Some members of the bloodline follow the example of Saulot and concentrate all of their energies to learning the different powers and uses of Auspex. These Seers, as they are known, are said to have great powers of perception and rip their eyes out of their sockets when they experience especially powerful visions.
Gaining Prestige: Jocastatians gain status in the eyes of others in several ways: opening the eyes of others to the hidden truths, thwarting the aims of the Antediluvians, destroying the Caitiff and Tremere, being true to the teachings of Caine and aiding the Salubri in anyway possible. Jocastatians who go against the goals of the bloodline are hunted down and killed in as painful a manner as possible.
Path of Enlightenment: Jocastatians are obsessed with revealing the truths of existence to others. It is the center of their immortal lives. Instead of Humanity, they follow a Path unique to their bloodline: The Path of Secrets.
Most Kindred have no knowledge of the Jocastatians. When dealing with others of our kind, Jocastatians usually present themselves as Mnemosyne. Those very few Kindred who know of their existence are seekers of truth who the Jocastatians have entrusted with their secrets.
Brujah: Seekers of truth, if only we could sway them to our cause. But it is too dangerous. They are too quick to grasp at the truth as set before them and they actively support the Mnemosyne. Our brothers in spirit, perhaps one day we can set them free!
"Oh this is just ridiculous. Conspiracy within conspiracy within conspiracy. When does it end? I am just sick of the whole thing and am starting not to care! If that makes me a pawn of the Tremere or Sabbat or Inconnu or Jocastatians or Elders or Methuselahs or Antedeluvians or Caine himself, then screw it. The whole thing gives me a big headache!" -- Rani, neonate
Gangrel: The Wanderers seem so simple to many, but they can go places and survive where many Kindred could not. They are a valuable resource and, unlike their popular image, complex and introspective souls. We have, perhaps, revealed ourselves to more of them than any other clan. Many of them now undertake quests on our behalf and acquit themselves with great honor.
"I have occasionally undertaken quests on their behalf to places where few of our Kindred could survive. Often, I barely escaped myself. They have always been fair to me and I believe in their cause." -- Anastasia Zenega, gypsy
Malkavian: Supposedly we and the Mnemosyne are an offshoot of this clan. If so, it would bring us some measure of relief. Insane or not, they have great powers of perception that go largely unappreciated. We heed their words no matter how strange they may seem. They often speak of us, but no one seems to listen, so our existence is safe.
"I met someone who I first assumed to be of the Memory-Seekers in a club one evening. He asked to see me after my performance and I acquiesed. Once alone, he seemed to go mad, the frenzy upon him. He accused me of being a Daughter of Cacophany and a perversion before Caine! I barely managed to escape him and he has not returned since. Me, a Daughter of Cacophany, I mean, did you ever hear of anything so ridiculous?" -- Juliana, Primogen of New York City
Nosferatu: They are extremely useful to us, although they do not realize it. Through them, we are able to keep up to date on the activities of Kindred around the world. Lately, they have been bringing the most disturbing reports from Russia...
"None of our clan can find proof of their existence. Thus, they do not exist." -- A New York City Sewer Rat
Toreador: They have great vision, but it is so difficult to tear them away from their galleries and parties to see the greater issues. They are such staunch supporters of the Camarilla and the Masquerade, and most that we have spoken to of the truth have fought us at every step. The few who have come to understand us, have been great supporters. Through their art we may communicate the essence of the truth to the mortals who are unaware of it.
"A mysterious benefactor commisioned me to paint a most curious painting. It was a scene of shadowy puppeteers controling frail human figures with their strings. Not a particularly original subject, but I accepted the commision. Curiously, since it's completion, I have seen the painting in a number of prestigious galleries around the world. When I look closely at it, I do not notice any change in my strokes or such, yet something about it has been changed in some subtle manner. I know not what." -- A.R. Wilde, Artiste
Tremere: These thieves are abominations before our Father, and we will lay down our very lives to destroy each of them whenever we can.
"We captured a strange vampire the other night. She seemed very similar to one of the accursed Salubri, but Thaumaturgy proved her blood to be of some clan or bloodline unknown to us. We sought to rip the knowledge of her origins from her mind, but she was especially resistant to our probes. We adjourned to discuss the matter for a time, but when we returned, we found she had escaped in some manner, despite the wards on her cell. All Tremere should be on their guard... Oh, and the Camarilla as well, of course." -- Caliban, Prince of New Mexico
Ventrue: They are a great threat to our existence. With their powers of Dominate and Presence so skillfully combined, they are the most likely to discern the truth that we hide so deeply in our minds. We avoid them as much as we possibly can.
"I had the strangest encounter the other day. One of our Kindred called on me to pay his respects. He was extremely polite and cordial. It seems, however, that once he learned of my clan he became most distressed. He hurriedly made his excuses and departed. Very curious, indeed." -- Giuliana, socialite
Caitiff: Someday, it is written, one of the Thin-Bloods shall rule a city. On that night shall the Gehenna arrive. We will do what we must to avoid this. If we must destroy every one of these bastard children to do so, then so be it.
'I know it is unusual for a Caitiff such as myself to be elected to the Primogen, but I have proved myself many times over to the Kindred of this city. Who knows, perhaps someday I may even become prince! I should be happy, few Caitiff reach the heights which are within my grasp. Why then do I have such an uneasy feeling? As if I were being watched..." -- Sharon "Serendipity" DuPont, Primogen of Seattle
The Camarilla: For the most part, they are fools who cannot see that which is right in front of them. Here and there, however, there are a few exceptions who are worthy of our respect. Some of them, we have even revealed our existence to, and they have been invaluable allies.
"It is unlikely that they exist, they are a fable of the Memory-Seekers and nothing more. Should they ever prove to be real, however, they should be hunted down and granted the Final Death as quickly as possible as befits such a threat to the Masquerade." -- Lacroix
Sabbat: In some ways, they are greater pawns of the Ancients than even the Camarilla. Most of them are too consumed by the Beast to be of any use to us, and others believe the lies of the Mnemosyne all too easily. It is a shame, for few of the Kindred believe as ferverently in the words of our Father as they do.
"According to the Mnemosyne, they are savage beasts seeking to snatch up all the knowledge and power of Caine for themselves. Well... where do I sign up?" -- James Thorton, Lasombra Bishop of Washington, D.C.
Inconnu: They preach the path of peace that was espoused by Salout, and for that we respect them. But they sit and watch and do nothing while the Ancients do what they will. Vampires as old as the ones within their ranks must know the truth... why do they do nothing?
"Yes, we know of them. They are an interesting curiousity to us and not much more. Their 'mission' to reveal the plans of the Ancients is a doomed one. The amusing part is that they truly believe they are not pawns themselves!" -- Alisha Heartbow, Monitor of North America
Arcanum: Mortals who seek the truth, much as we. Unfortunately, often the truth is too much for them to bear. We leave clues here and there for them, slowly revealing bit by bit the awesome secrets of existence. Someday they will piece it all together and join us in our quest.
"I walked into my study one morning and to my surprise it was in complete disarray! My notes, which had been sequestered in a secret safe, were scattered about. Strangely enough, once I gathered them up, I found nothing had been taken. In fact, amongst the pages, I found a tattered old parchment in an ancient tongue whose meaning I am just beginning to decipher." -- Adam San Clyr, lecturer
Mnemosyne: They foolishly believe the lies fed to them by the Ancients. The only true knowledge is the words of our Father. But his children have distorted and twisted them to their own ends. The Mnemosyne are merely tools in an eons-old war. Not a war of blood, as many seem to think, but a war of information. We too shall use the Mnemosyne as the tools they are, once their purpose is fulfilled, we shall cast them aside.
"Once I was a ghoul, but after I was killed by the Rivals, my master rewarded me for my long years of service by granting me the Embrace. Or so he thought. That night I drank the blood of Kindred more than once. I serve the Mnemosyne for now, but some night shall come the time of the ritual and I shall serve my true masters faithfully." -- Andre, neonate
The Jocastatians concentrate on Auspex, much as the Mnemosyne do, but they know the importance of Dominate and Obfuscate in their quest as well. It is rare for a Jocastatian to study any but his bloodline disciplines until he has reached at least the first three levels in each of them.
The Jocastatians have been taught several unique blood rituals by their founder that enable them to share the knowledge each one possesses with others of the bloodline.
Blood of Saulot: Unique Ritual
This ritual is enacted when Jocastatians perform the act of diablerie upon their Sires. In addition to gaining the generation of their Sire, the participants in this ritual gain all of his memories and disciplines. This ritual may only be used on a vampire's sire.
System: The ritual takes an entire evening to enact and participants must each make a Willpower roll (difficulty 8) or gain a Derangement from the shock of gaining hundreds of years of accumulated memories and knowledge.
Harry was an investigative reporter for the Washington Post who had broken several big stories in his prime, but was on the downswing. While searching for the one big story that could make him a household name, Harry discovered evidence that led him to believe in the existence of vampires. For the next several years, he criss-crossed the globe gathering clues and following the trail. Finally, he came to a small library in Venice. Beyond a concealed door, a musty corridor led to a hidden haven. As he thrust open the coffin, the elegantly-dressed vampire within smiled widely and said, "Congratulations," as he granted Harry the Embrace.
Harry was now one of the Jocastatians and free to continue his investigations for all eternity. He spent several years amongst the Mnemosyne learning their ways and then was gifted with the blood of his sire. The onslaught of centuries of memories and power was too much for him too handle and he was deranged for a time. He has better learned to deal with the many voices within him now and continues his quest.
Concept: Journalist
Sire: Henry Smith
Nature: Fanatic
Demeanor: Loner
Generation: 8th
Embrace: 1974 (born 1932)
Apparent Age: Late-30s (young face)
Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3
Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 4, Appearance 2
Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 4, Wits 4
Talents: Acting 2, Alertness 3, Brawl 2, Dodge 2, Empathy 1, Streetwise 4, Subterfuge 3
Skills: Drive 2, Etiquette 2, Melee 3, Security 2, Stealth 3, Survival 2
Knowledges: Bureaucracy 3, Computer 2, Finance 1, Investigation 3, Law 1, Linguistics 3, Medicine 1, Occult 4, Science 2
Disciplines: Auspex 3, Dominate 3, Obfuscate 3
Background: Generation 5, Contacts 3, Allies 2
Virtues: Conscience 4, Self-Control 4, Courage 2
Path of Truth: 8
Willpower: 6
Merits/Flaws: Jack-of-All-Trades
Derangements: Paranoia
Notes: Harry is still on the trail. Now that he knows vampires exist, and has become one, he cannot rest until he learns all of their secrets. The more he learns, the more frightened he becomes for his own safety. But he cannot stop, he must learn it all.
Image: A rumpled man in a trenchcoat, jeans and turtleneck that have not had the pleasure of a trip to the drycleaners in some time. His dirty-blonde hair hangs straw-like over his somewhat wild eyes. His manner is calm and his voice soft. He often will be standing right behind you and will not say a word to let you know he is there.
Roleplaying Hints: For some time now you have been privvy to much of what you sought as a mortal. Yet, there are many more secrets to be learned and you will do whatever you must to learn them. You know the truth is out there, and you trust no one. You are very direct, though polite, in addressing people and always seek to get to the heart of a matter. You are not one for small-talk.
Haven: A locked broom closet in a sub-basement under the printing presses of the Washington Post. Thanks to his efforts, no one remembers it is there.
Influence: He has little in the way of influence, but has many contacts in Washington and around the world. He is knowledgable in many different areas and is rapidly becoming a major information-broker in Kindred society. He always uses the information he has on hand to gain more clues to the secrets he seeks.
Quote: Right. Right. I see. (writes some notes) And what happened next?
The Jocastatians are not recommended as player characters for most chronicles. They would be more appropriate for an all-Jocastatian or an all-Mnemosyne chronicle, but are best suited as NPCs. This work is based on my readings of White Wolf's The Book of Nod and other sources.