30V: MENTION
As noted in my main post, RPGs often cite their influences for inspirational reading and viewing, and sometimes become influences themselves. With recommendations and quotes as well, the World Of Darkness references quite a lot. And it’s become an influence in turn. Blade basically drops the existing character into a Vampire: The Masquerade chronicle, and John Wick is a Vampire movie despite not being a vampire movie.
One reference stands out though. On the back cover of the first edition rulebook, in the same format as the real quotes:
“No one holds command over me. No man. No god. No Prince. What is a claim of age for ones who are immortal? What is a claim of power for ones who defy death? Call your damnable hunt. We shall see who I drag screaming to Hell with me.”
Günter Dörn, Das Ungeheuer Darin
This reference (translation: The Monster Inside, in apparently wonky German) is fictitious. It returns on the back cover of V5 without the reference.
A second quote appears in the second edition Players Guide:
“What are we? The Damned childer of Caine? The grotesque lords of humanity? The pitiful wretches of eternal Hell? We are the vampires, and that is enough. I am vampire, and that is more than enough. I am that which must be feared, worshipped and adored. The world is mine – now and forever!”
And as far as I know that’s all we ever got. It’s never been established what this is in the setting.
Who is Günter Dörn? What is Das Ungeheuer Darin?
From the two quotes it sounds like the manifesto of an independent vampire, possibly a philosophical Autarkis. And not one who’s separated himself from the Camarilla because he’s too humane for it. My first thought would be that it’s something he published which he knew would, or already had, made him the subject of a Blood Hunt for breaching the Masquerade. The first edition also has the opening letter from V.T. to W.H. which also has the writer knowingly sharing too many secrets, so it’s a recurring theme.
(It would later be established that Dracula was written with notes from Vlad Tepes himself. Vampires fictionalise themselves and both risk and reinforce the Masquerade.)
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| “Hey, this description doesn’t sound like you at all!” |
It could also be a work of fiction in the setting, such as a novel or a play. It could be a dramatisation of the importance of the Masquerade for the benefit of the Camarilla judging by the second quote, but it might equally be a rousing call to freedom.
The Book Of Nod and other in-character texts optionally exist in the published form in-game. I tend to have the Book scattered and incomplete, not something you can get a complete paperback of. The Testament of Longinus in Vampire: The Requiem is well distributed, on the other hand.
Vampires are pretty theatrical, as the name of the official LARP system Mind’s Eye Theatre demonstrates. The Vampyre being dramatised led to trap doors in theatres being known as “vampire traps”. Bram Stoker put on a staged reading of Dracula, supposedly for copyright purposes but it is often suggested as an attempt to persuade his actor-managed employer Sir Henry Irving to put on a play version.
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| At quarter past ten on a Tuesday morning. |
The most organised group in Interview With The Vampire is a theatre troupe hiding in plain sight.
Mind’s Eye Theatre LARP adventure The Elder’s Revenge features a play called The Prince about the rise and fall of a political figure being suppressed for coming too close to Camarilla reality - and comes with the complete play.
And vampires put on shows for themselves as well.
2.19: Publish And Be Damned
Shane’s broodmate brings in a translated copy of Das Ungeheuer Darin. Someone is planning to publish and distribute it.
2.20: Closing Time
A new master of the Rack wins out, and strikes against Nocturne and other rivals to his personal favourite club. The street outside is suddenly in need of new gas pipes.
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