Vampire/Tremere

From Masq

Clan Tremere needs a bit of extra information

This page is a quick reference for Clan Tremere information that's relevant to the MUSH 'Masquerade', set in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

I've boiled down some of the more complex sections of the clanbook and the book 'Blood Magic - Secrets of Thaumaturgy', providing a precis of apprentice ranks and ghoul information. I've also listed the exact pages that contain the rituals and paths, to make it easier & faster to look them up.

NOTE: If you are not playing a Tremere, you don't know the rank structure of Clan Tremere unless staff specifically tell you otherwise! The clan is very secretive about that.

Tremere Ranks:
Rank is taken very seriously within a Chantry. For a full discussion of rank and privilege within a single Clan Tremere Chantry, see pages 26 to 29 of the Tremere Clanbook. Rank in general is discussed in the first part of chapter 2 (p 25), and also in Blood Magic - Secrets of Thaumaturgy, pages 52-62.

It isn't everything: only the Regent can directly command another member of her Chantry to act. However, woe unto low-ranked Apprentice who disobeys so much as a hint from the Chantry's Primogen. And if the Regent has assigned you as assistant to another's task, obey that person!

Rank governs a lot of the public things within the Clan. Tremere will enter an official Elysium meeting in Rank order, and leave in Rank order. If two Tremere meet publically, the lower ranked gives deference to the higher.

It also governs private matters. And effective rank inside the confines of the Chantry walls may differ from nominal rank - a lower-level Apprentice who repeatedly achieves for the Tremere may earn more respect than an idle higher level Magus.

Rank can be affected by politics and by one's activities on behalf of the clan as much as by Thaumaturgic ability. However, please see the Clanbook and Blood Magic for more detail on that - this is primarily a quick-reference cheat sheet of what ranks mean.

Within a Chantry:

Apprentice of the First Circle

Usually a new Tremere. Demotion to the First Circle would be a hideously embarassing event for an older Tremere.

An Apprentice of the First Circle is usually under strict oversight; reporting to the Regent on a weekly basis, frequently living in the Chantry, and often being given assigned tasks. Most apprentices of the First Circle are studying their first rituals, learning the basics of Thaumaturgy (almost always the Path of Blood), and learning how to be Kindred.

Once an Apprentice of the First Circle has mastered the basics of being Kindred and Tremere, understands the Oath and the Traditions and can be counted on not to egregiously breach the Masquerade or embarass the Clan, they are promoted.

Apprentice of the Second/Third Circle

Apprentices of the Second and Third Circles are still studying the basics. They are learning the deeper meanings of the Traditions and the Oath, learning the basic Occult Principles, and proving their ability to work without direct instruction and supervision.

Think of the First Circle as being more like school, and the Second and Third as like college/university. In the First Circle, you're fed information and given a timetable for learning it. In the Second and Third Circles, you're told what you need to learn, given the resources (including teachers) to learn it, and left more to your own devices.

Depending on how busy the Regent is, Apprentices of the Second and Third Circles may need to make weekly reports, or monthly, or somewhere in between. They must still report regularly. Some Regents prefer that they live in the Chantry, others permit them to have Havens elsewhere.

Apprentice of the Fourth/Fifth Circle

At the Fourth and Fifth Circles, advancement comes more slowly. The basics have been learned, and the Apprentice has proven themselves to be able to function on their own. Now the more senior Apprentices and the Regent give him or her tasks and leave them to it. They're rarely told how to do things, instead they have to figure it out.

They also have time for personal projects, and are encouraged to pursue them. Study materials for Thaumaturgy and other Occult matters are readily available, and the Apprentice is expected to use them, but noone is going to quiz them on it.

They may reside in the Chantry if they wish, but they don't need to. They must attend the weekly Chantry meeting and the yearly all-Tremere meeting near Halloween; but their reports to the Regent may be as infrequent as once a year.

(Side note: Apprentices of the Fifth Circle and above may choose to use the title 'High Apprentice'.)


Apprentice of the Sixth/Seventh Circle

The Primogen and other senior members of the Chantry, other than the Regent, are Apprentices of this level. At this point, Apprentices are simply waiting for a new Regency to become available or are personality types who prefer not to be a Regent, Lord or Pontifex.

Newer Apprentices of this level are learning the duties of the highest-ranked Tremere, and proving their usefulness as bureaucrats - or proving that the Clan is better served keeping them as researchers, diplomats, or in other roles.

Older Apprentices of this level are usually those who serve the clan best in those other roles.

Apprentices at this level have more freedom than any other in the Clan. A Regent, Lord, or higher has the responsibility of caring for those below them: these Apprentices are required only to serve the Clan in some way, attend the compulsory meetings, and make irregular reports to their Regent.


Regent

The Regent runs the Chantry and is the administrative head of the Chantry. He or she is not necessarily the oldest or the most powerful Tremere in the Chantry, but is an older and experienced Tremere who is suited to the demands of the position.


Beyond the Chantry:

Attaches

Apprentices of the Fourth Rank or higher may become a personal assistant - or attache - of a Lord, Pontifex, or even the Council of Seven. Such Apprentices don't technically belong to a Chantry, but work directly for their senior.


Lord

A Lord manages multiple Chantries over a geographic area. He or she is responsible for all occurances within the area, and for ensuring that the Clan flourishes regardless of what events occur there.

Pontifices

A Pontifex (plural: Pontifices) is responsible for a broad geographic region; such as a continent, or 'the South Pacific Islands'.

Council of Seven

The Council of Seven rules all of the Clan. End of story.

Tremere

Tremere may or may not still exist. May or may not have ever existed. If He did - and does - He rules the Council.

Tremere Ghouls:
The role of ghouls in clan Tremere is only touched on briefly in the Clanbook, on page 40, along with mention of Revenants and (on p 41) Homunculi and Gargoyles.

Ghouls are frequently chosen as Embrace candidates, or for special skills that would enable them to be particularly useful assistants. Ghouls are also created when a Chantry is short of low-level Apprentices to do the more menial tasks of (un)life.

Very occasionally, a ghoul is given the chance to learn some basic Thaumaturgy. This is rare, and usually occurs when a ghoul is especially favoured and there is a need for an extra skilled hand for some purpose.

Tremere Paths:
Tremere paths that are used in this MUSH are found in:
  • Vampire: The Masquerade, 2nd Edition, pp 168-171
  • Tremere Clanbook, pp 50-56
  • Blood Magic - Secrets of Thaumaturgy, pp 68-85
  • Guide to the Camarilla, pp 99-109

Staff reserve the right to refuse a path for any reason.

All Tremere will have the Path of Blood as their primary path, but may learn any number of secondary paths as long as they spend the XP and time learning them.

Secondary paths may be taken to one rank below primary path, until primary path is at 5. All secondary paths must be approved by the head Vampire staffer, some paths may be restricted to apprentices of a higher circle.

Player-created paths are possible, but must be vetted by staff.

Tremere Rituals:
Tremere rituals that are used in this MUSH are found in:
  • Vampire: The Masquerade, 2nd Edition, pp 169-170
  • Vampire The Masquerade 2nd Edition Players Guide, pp 51-56
  • Tremere Clanbook, pp 56-66
  • Blood Magic - Secrets of Thaumaturgy, pp 86-99
  • Guide to the Camarilla, pp 109-114

Staff reserve the right to refuse a ritual for any reason (or no reason).

Learning Thaumaturgy Rituals

Base times:

Level 1: 1 week (min 4 days)
Level 2: 1 month (min 2 weeks)
Level 3: 3 months (min 1.5 month)
Level 4: 6 months (min 3 months)
Level 5: 1 year (Min 6 months)


With an intelligence+occult roll at a standard difficulty, time is lowered by 1 week per success, with a minimum time as noted.

We also have MUSH-specific ritual/s. You cannot start with these unless specifically permitted to by the Wizstaff.

Restore the True Form

Level 3 Ritual

This ritual involves a thaumaturge using a quartz crystal that has been purified in the full moon. After performing the Cleansing ritual, the crystal must be lain on the forehead of the mortal or immortal to be restored and chanted over for ten minutes. This restores the true form of the subject. For vampires, this will return them to how they were at their embrace. It will painlessly reverse the effects of vicissitude or other body-altering disciplines but cannot heal wounds. For a Nosteratu, it will restore them to how they looked before the Curse took affect but they will quickly revert to their hideous form.

(Created by the Albuquerque Chantry, with the assistance of a Malkavian's Insight.)

Ritual Recommendations:
These are the rituals recommended and strongly suggested to Tremere Apprentices of the Albuquerque Chantry, at each stage of their advancement through the Discipline of Thaumaturgy.

At the lower levels of their Apprenticeship, a 'recommendation' can be taken as a command. As one becomes a higher level Apprentice, however, the Magus is free to make their own decisions. Despite this, the 'recommended' rituals can be studied in any order.

That said, should the Chantry suffer because there is noone around who can do a Ward vs Spirits, the Apprentice who has refused to study that ritual would need an excellent reason!

(VM) - Vampire the Masquerade (BM) - Blood Magic: Secrets of Thaumaturgy (CT) - Clanbook Tremere (GC) - Guide to the Camarilla

Level 1

Recommended

  • Communicate with Kindred Sire (VM)
  • Dedicate the Chantry (CT)

Suggested

  • Defence of the Sacred Haven (VM)
  • Deflection of Wooden Doom (VM)
  • Purify Blood (CT)
  • Purity of Flesh (GC)
  • Scent of the Lupine's Passing (CT)
  • Sense the Mystical (BM)
  • Wake with Morning's Freshness (VM)

Level 2

Recommended

  • Blood Walk (GC)
  • Deny the Intruder (CT)
  • Ward vs Ghouls

Suggested

  • Inscription (CT)
  • Ritual's Recognition (CT)


Level 3

Recommended

  • Power of the Pyramid (CT)
  • Ward vs Fae (BM)
  • Ward vs Lupines (GC)

Suggested

  • Cleansing of the Flesh (BM)
  • Inherited Affinity (CT)
  • Transubstantiation of the Seven (CT)


Level 4

Recommended

  • Blood Certamen (CT)
  • Ward vs Kindred (GC)

Suggested

  • Unweave Fetters (CT)


Level 5

Recommended

  • Enchant Talisman (GC)
  • Ward vs Spirits (GC)

Suggested

  • Escape to a True Friend (GC)
  • Ghost in the System (BM)