The Initiate
The lifestyle we live are creatures of the night and creatures of the fantasy realms, we have been known by many names throughout the ages, though few have understood the truth of their existence. We as humans living the lifestyle are reborn into the scene, changed yet unchanging. We move from lifetime to lifetime, changing our style of dress to match the times. We are watchers & we are wanderers. We seek knowledge and understanding above all. Through an awakening of the creature within, we embraced our creature within us for the lifestyle is our scene life. We often associate with the initiate or with those who hover upon the threshold of awakening to be an initiate; we must be able to seek these people out. When in social gathering with our Mundane Bonds we often prefer the company of those who can interact at least to some degree with the level of reality that is our scene experience. By our very natures we awaken those around us, those that see how we live our scene lives & feel that is what they want on the inside will seek out to be awakened. Even those not of our kind can be affected by the effects of our presence. We draw out latent powers and provide a burden of proof for individuals who have otherwise rejected their own natures due to self-doubt. We can use this intentionally if we choose, though it will always occur to some degree, whether intentional or not.

The Catalysts of Change
We are harbingers of change. We are catalysts. We are bound to change those. around us, to shake them from their mortal lives, to challenge them, to wake them up, to make them think, to question themselves, their world, and their limits. We challenge their narrow perceptions of the universe—how it works, and their place in it. And some of them we touch deeply, changing them on a profound level of being. We lift them up beyond the blind masses and give them a seat among the awakened. Those that are worthy of our knowledge, become our chylders or students. They assume the mantle of power that is our legacy. With our instruction, they can come to wield that knowledge and legacy with ease and understanding, and then go forth to bring change of their own.

The-Beacon
Our kind has ways of recognizing its own. Often this recognition occurs on an 
unspoken level and is very subtle, so you must learn to trust your impulses and allow your greater Self to guide you. Especially in the un-awakened, this recognition manifests itself as a Beacon, which calls us to them so that they may realize their potential. The Beacon calls to us on a very basic level, and often speaks purely to our unconscious minds. Thus we find ourselves inexplicably attracted to a potential initiate, stricken with a sudden fascination for him/her and a need to draw them closer to us. If we listen to our perceptions and trust our instinctual reactions, we can refine this awareness of others until we can consciously pick out the Beacon in those around us. Sometimes, even after such a refinement has been achieved, the Beacon still slips past our conscious actions and we find simply responding to its unspoken pull. The pull of the Beacon drives us to the Potential initiate, thus awakening them to the most basic aspect of their hidden nature. We must learn to recognize the Beacon in others, to judge its varying degrees of strength so that we may go about the awakening in a deliberate manner. We must learn to recognize when it is appropriate to awaken a Potential and when that awakening will bring only grief to all involved. We must let our judgment rule us in this matter and we must sometimes resist the merely instinctual pull of the Beacon for awakenings that are not appropriate. Not all of those with potential are fit for the awakening, and if we act 
rashly we may unwittingly loose the beast of our destruction through a careless move.

Awakening
Sometimes we forget ourselves, and wander our lives like the rest of the Mundanes, 
only half-aware of our true natures. Yet sleeping or awakened, we are born with the potential for transformation. Awakening is the process of finding someone and bringing their creature to the lifestyle of the scene. When they come into their own; finally accepting what has been latent within them since birth that need or want to be a part of the scene. For some, the process can be traumatic, as the existence we awaken to opens us up to a host of strange thoughts, sensations, and experiences, which lie outside the limits of what is considered the accepted in our day lives. Awakening is finding a part of our selves that has become clouded over time. It is becoming more than the little self of this lifetime, grasping the totality of who we were and who we are to be—our Essential Self. Some of us have greater potential than others. Some are born with an instinctive understanding of their potential, and they may gradually come to realize that potential on their own. Initiation into our world is an exchange of feeding (which can be through a Meta-physical bond, a Blood bond, or through and already existing Family/Friend bond) which occurs between the Teacher/Sire and the initiate. Like all rebirths, these ritual strips away old identities and assumptions, from their mundane night life, and the initiate is irrevocably changed. There are many beyond ourselves who have the potential for power. They also undergo a process like our Becoming, which consists primarily of an expanded awareness and an awakening to their greater Self. These are commonly referred to as the Awakened. Angels, witches, the Fey, Shifters, these are but a few of the archetypes that may be followed. Like us, it may be that such individuals are responsible for inspiring much of the folklore that gave rise to the archetype in the first place and now, in a less spiritually open time, they have only the buried grains of truth lingering in the folklore to fall back upon to define them. They are spiritual travelers who take up bodies as garments. We should always treat them with respect, for we serve common goals. Trust that your inner self is guiding you, for it knows and understands what may not always be accessible to your conscious mind. Although they call themselves by many names and they follow many diverse paths, most of the Awakened draw their power from the positive, generative forces of reality. Thus, they sometimes fear us when they first encounter us. This fear arises from ignorance. We each in our way bring awareness to the world, catalyzing those with potential toward Awakening. When we come upon one who is verging upon Awakening, it is our duty to guide and instruct them. Do not mistake every Awakened being for a Potential of our kind. One should not attempt to push those not of our kind into accepting our ways and our arts. Serve your function as a catalyst, helping them toward their path but not seeking to define that path for them. 

 False Awakening
A False Awakening is when an initiate that goes through the process of the 
Awakening, does do not fully understand what he/she has done and decides to dive headfirst into the community mixing their day and night and using the information used in the ritual of the awakening to live a lifestyle that is truly that of the creature he or she has taken the choice to embody. They are too unstable to survive the initiation. They are best left to sleep so they will come to maturity in their own time. If forced to awaken, they are merely shadows of us, unstable in mind. Hence this causes attention seekers “I’m a real Vampire”, “I truly have magic powers”, “I am being attacked by someone’s mind”. This causes attention to the Mentor/Teacher and the community he or she is part of and sheds a bad light on the Mentor/Teacher. Given time, however, and separated physically and / or emotionally from the dominating personality, such a person will gradually recover and return to a normal. All too often you find situations of young ones of our community being misled and miss educated so they can agree to be aliened beside someone without fully understanding all that goes into being Sired. This is a commitment that isn’t just verbalized but on the metaphysical aspects you are making connections that are long standing and even at times everlasting and are not easily broken so if the potential is forced into an awakening or is not fit to be a part of our life, this is considered a false awakening.

 Characteristics
The Beacon is present to a limited degree in those who have already become. It is strong enough for us to recognize one of our numbers when we come into contact with him, even if this recognition is the barest hint of perception. We tend to be thin with a powerful and often intimidating presence, which wraps about us like a shroud. We carry ourselves with a proud determination and can seem arrogant, detached, and cold. It is often hard for us to relate to the un-awakened in their blind and ordinary lives. We often possess a predatory nature, and only with difficulty do we avoid using those around us. To most we seem unapproachable. There is an air about us, which seems somehow to set us apart. Even those ignorant to our true natures react to this, treating us with respect, attraction or Fear. The un-awakened stare then looks away from us and are unable to meet our gaze. They are disturbed by our presence, but rarely will they understand what disturbed them or why. Instinctually, they fear us. The awakened will know us for what we are, though they may hesitate to put a name to it. Still, on an unspoken level they will understand and attempt to define us through the filters of their individual beliefs and symbol systems. Children will know us, though rarely do they fear. In their innocence, they have not yet learned to doubt, and thus are open to a clear perception of the world around them.

Feeding
When we feed, we must take the life energy of others. It cannot be given. It can be offered freely, but still, we must do the taking. This is fundamental to the way in which we must process the energy for use ourselves. When we draw in energy from another, it is transformed through the feeding process into energy we can assimilate and use. If another, however well meaning, seeks to force energy into us, it will do us little good. The energy must be assimilated to match our own if we are to benefit from it. It is very difficult for us to assimilate any energy beyond that of life. Others may draw their strength from the earth, the elements, even the stars, but we are bound to life by our lack of it. Some of us are more disconnected from life than others, and this is reflected in what and how much we can feed from in order to sustain ourselves. Few of us can feed from alternate sources, but when we can, it is a blessing, which should not be ignored. We may gain what we need through feeding, drawing in life as we would breathe. When we are the center of attention of a whole group, we may feed upon the emotions of those around us as they are directed toward us. This is an activity much Potential engages in, though they do not consciously understand what it is they do. This is one of the main reasons many Potentials are drawn toward the stage. Many become actors, musicians or other performers so that they may achieve the kind of focused attention they crave. For those who have become, this is a pleasing activity, but rarely satisfies more than the most superficial of needs. Even when a group is not focused upon us, we may feed generally upon them. No physical contact is necessary: we simply expand our awareness to encompass the group around us as if throwing out a net. Thus, our energy extends beyond ourselves and, like embracing good friends, we pull bits of everyone about us into ourselves, breathing them deeply. This is less satisfying than a focused group draw but can sustain us in a time of desperate need when no other option is available. The two above techniques may be focused variably upon a single person for a slightly more intense effect. In general, the more feedback you receive from your targets, the more satisfying the drain, especially if they have some awareness of what is happening to them.

Succubus (sexual feeding)
This section in to explain that life force or sexual energy can be used in a bonding experience with mates of the scene. A draw can be enacted in conjunction with Tantric magick. Right- or Left-Hand Path Tantra is both facilitated by our inherent abilities of energy manipulation. Your primary contact is made at the mouth or the throat, and a tendril is inserted into the subtle body of your partner. A secondary connection is made at the root. Through intense visualization, this tendril is guided down through your partner's subtle body to the root chakra. Here the Kundalini energy that is so crucial to Tantra lies coiled. You can grasp onto the Kundalini energy and manually pull it up through each successive chakra. Draw in only a little during this process until the drawing up of the energy is complete. You and your partner will sense something like an explosion of light and energy within yourselves, followed immediately by a bursting sensation as if you had just been pushed through some barrier. This will consummate in a powerful sense of climax on the subtle level. Feeding in this manner is very productive, as it serves to energize both yourself and your partner. Your partner will almost invariably experience a prolonged and impressive orgasm, and one may feed upon the torrent of energy that result from the climax to increase mutual stimulation. It is almost impossible to exhaust a partner when feeding from the root: whereas prolonged or deep feeding from any of the other major energy centers can cause trembling, weakness, dizziness, and an overall depression of the system, feeding from the root seems to only increase that which you feed upon. The partner, after recovering from the intensity of the drain is almost always energized and while they still feel the effects of physical exhaustion, they are driven by a fevered desire that can sustain them for hours. The process is very difficult to master, however, and if the coil of Kundalini energy slips from your grasp, you will simply end up initiating a deep feed from all the Charkas in succession, which can be satisfying in its own right but not nearly as productive for your partner.

Fledglings
You are responsible for teaching and guiding those of our kind whom you have awakened to their true natures. You must guide them through their transformation, helping to ease the transition from one level of awareness to the next. Those who you guide in this way will be as your children and will share a deep bond with you like no other. You will know their very heart and soul. The mysteries of their Essential Self will be unveiled to you. No distance will separate your awareness of them. Their actions will fall under your control if you so choose—but do not seek to abuse this power you wield over them for as dearly as they may love you and revere you while under your control, they will just as thoroughly hate and revile you once that control has slipped away.

Siring
The bonds that are created when one chooses to sire is not something to be taken lightly. On the fictional side of vampirism, we see one emptying and draining the mortal life out of there prospective progeny and re-filling them with immortal life via their blood; in all fiction you find truth. We can take the fictional analogy to represent the beginning bonds of a Sire and chylde. When sired, the chylder is empty and in search of awakening into their newly found nature. The job of the Sire is to fill them with the knowledge of our nature and the ways of our community; to build them in the image of said Sire while they learn to mold themselves as their own. It is imperative to understand above all, the bonds between Sire and chylde/r is cemented out of respect and forged out of loyalty and love of said relationship that is built over time; simply put the job of a sire is to mentor, guide and teach. From these exchanges, further in-depth relationships of friendship, kinship, and family are solidified and a loyalty that is ironclad is established. The bonds that are grown out of the rights of siring tend to supersede the confines of just being “Sire and chylde” which is the ultimate goal; true friendships and a family bond is created. The Sire may find themselves quite protective over their progeny and the progeny become extremely loyal to their maker; this is a sign that the bonds are not only ironclad the proper steps have been taken to reach this level of kinship. Traditionally, once the rights of siring have been established you are locked to said person; this is why the awakening stages are so imperative. In the eyes of the community this bond isn’t something that can be “divorced” from easily. You do find cases that said progeny decides to leave their household of origin which is the right of said person; however, they may NOT disavow the commitment that was made. Similarly, the “Maker” may NOT “Release” said chylder without an ironclad reason and it must be taken to Elders and High Elders for final approval to be deemed official. This is the only way traditionally to “disavow” or be “divorced” from the commitment that was made; however, let it be known just because the words are said and actions are taken the bonds are much harder to be dissolved.

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Vampyre Terms

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Auto-vampirism: The act of drinking one's own blood.

 

Awakening: The process whereby a latent vampire realizes what their true condition is, and accepts it.

 

Beacon: A signal in the form of "a particular feeling or energy signature." generated by both vampires and "latent or
potential" vampires. Its main function is to lead vampires to latent vampires in order to assist in their awakening.

 

The Becoming: The process of conversion from a non-vampire to a vampire.

 

Black Swan: An individual who is not a vampire but who is close to one or more vampires and is often a supporter of the community.

 

The Black Veil: A non-binding but widely accepted ethical guide for vampyres. (The first version of the Black Veil was
called The Thirteen Rules of Community.)

 

Blood bond: A feeling of attraction between a vampire and a donor that is often felt only by the donor. The term also
means an initiation ritual in which a vampire joins a coven. It also refers to a marriage between two vampires.

 

Blood Fetishist: An individual who is sexually aroused by the sight of blood. This is generally unrelated to vampirism.

 

Blood Junkie: A pejorative synonym for a sanguinarian vampire.

 

Bloodletting: Cutting or piercing skin to release blood. This can be a dangerous procedure unless conducted by a trained
individual. In ancient times, a medical procedure falsely believed to cure diseases and disorders.

 

Blood lust: An overwhelming desire to feed on a donor's blood.

 

Blood play: Ritual activities, often of a sexual nature, involving blood.

 

Calmae: A Vampire Knight with the ability to make chilfren.

 

Chi: Close synonym for prana, or life force. A Chinese term.

 

Childe: A pejorative term for an inexperienced vampire.

 

Clinical vampirism: Synonym for Renfield's Syndrome.

 

Coming out of the Coffin: The process of revealing one's vampirism condition to non-vampires. This is analogous to gays and lesbians coming out of the closet, and Wiccans and other Neopagans coming out of their broom closet.

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Coven: A group of vampyres.

 

Darkside (a.k.a. Dark side): Synonym for nightside.

 

Dayside: Mundane activities in the "real world."

 

Donor: A person, usually a non-vampire -- who freely volunteers their blood or life energy to be consumed by one or
more vampires.

 

Dhampyri: An individual who exhibited symptoms of vampirism prior to puberty.

 

The Dragon: Synonym for nightside.

 

Elder: A person who has been active in the vampire community. for a lengthy interval, and who shares their knowledge
with others.

 

Embrace: A mythical process of converting a non-vampire into a vampire by having them ingest the blood of a vampire.
This concept frequently appears in vampire literature, but is foreign to the beliefs of vampires. In recent times it what is
defined when a Mentor takes a child in to the Darkside.

 

Energy signature: An individual's specific energy pattern which is uniquely theirs. This allegedly enables vampires to
recognize fellow vampires.

 

Energy vampire: A vampire who obtains nourishment primarily or entirely by tapping into another person's prana or life
force directly, without ingesting their blood.

 

Excommunication: The act of excluding a vampire from a coven or from the entire vampire community. (i.e. Exile)

 

Feeding: An activity of vampires in which they consume a donor's blood or prana from a donor by other means, or
elemental energy from nature or energy from a donor.

 

Fledgling: a recently awakened vampire with little experience.

 

Gaja: synonym for poser.

 

Golden Circle: Individuals who form a vampire coven. This typically includes black swans, vampires, and kitra.

 

Haematodipsia: Intense feeling of haematophilia.

 

Haematomania: A strong psychological craving for blood.

 

Hematophageous: Having blood as one's only form of nourishment.

 

Haematophilia: A sexual attraction to the presence of blood.

 

Haven: A place where vampires and other creatures of the night meet and network or party.

 

Hemeralopia: An inability to see in bright light

 

House: A group of vampires who share common beliefs, rituals traditions, etc.

 

Human: A non-vampire. (i.e. Mundane)

 

The Hunger: An intense psychological and physical need to feed.

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Hunter: An individual who attempts to harm either vampyres or persons perceived to be vampyres.

 

Incubus: A male vampire who feeds on pranic energy while involved in sexual activity.  A mythical male demon who seduced females in their sleep. See succubus.

 

Kindred: Fellow vampires.

 

Kitra: An individual who is both a vampire and a donor.

 

Latent vampire: A vampire who has not yet realized her or his condition.

 

Leech: A pejorative term for a vampire.

 

Life force: Synonym for prana.

 

Mentor: An experienced vampire who guides a fledgling. See Calmae.

 

Mortal: A non-vampire. See Human

 

Mundane: A non-vampyre. Normal, everyday activities

 

Nightside: "The life of a vampire; being part of the vampiric community."
Of the Blood: Identifying an individual as a vampire.

 

Porphyria: A group of medical disorders of which most will cause the individual will have a strong reaction to sunlight.
Areas of the skin which are exposed to the sun may burn, blister or scar. Some vampire myths may well have originated
as a result of the fear of sunlight by persons with porphyria.

 

Poser: A non-vampire who pretends to be a vampire by claiming to:
- Have come from a line of vampires
- Be immortal
- Be unable to step over flowing water
- Be unable to cast an image in a mirror, etc.

 

Prana: Life force. Sanguinarian vampyres obtain pranic energy through blood; Psi vampyres extract it from other
person's emotional energy without consuming blood.

 

Psi vampire: A vampire who feeds off of the emotional energy of another person or persons.

 

Psychic energy: Forms of energy which may be pranic (from living things) or elemental (from natural forces)

 

Psychic attack: An action by a psychic vampire which drains prana from another individual without their prior consent.

 

Psychic vampire:
- An individual who feeds off of the prana of others by tapping into their emotional energy.
- A vampire with psychic powers.
 

Real vampire (a.k.a. Real Vamp): A sanguine, psychic, psi, or energy vampire who needs to feed off of other individuals
or of nature in order to maintain their health and energy levels.
 

Renfield's Syndrome: A psychological disorder named after a fictional character in Dracula. Richard Noll proposed the
syndrome. He suggests that children go through blood-related phases until full vampirism is expressed after puberty.
The theory is not widely accepted among mental health professionals. It does not appear in the American Psychiatric
Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).

 

Role player: A synonym for poser.

 

RPG'er: An individual who considers themselves to be a vampire because they play that role in a Role Playing Game

 

Sang: a synonym for Sanguinarian vampire.

 

Sanguinarian vampire: An individual who has a need to consume blood -- usually from human source(s) in order to
maintain adequate physical and/or emotional energy. He or she may also tap into the emotional energy of others in
addition to consuming blood.

 

Sanguine: a synonym for Sanguinarian vampire.

 

Seeker: An individual who wants to be around vampires. Often, they want to become a vampire through the mythical
process of embracing.

 

Sexual vampyre: A vampyre who feeds from the sexual energy released during sexual activity. They are rare among the vampire community.

 

Shadow: Synonym for nightside.

 

Sire, Siring: The mythical act of creating a new vampire by embracing. See Calmae.

 

Slayer: An individual who attempts to kill vampires. Sarah Michelle Gellar, "The Chosen One," played the role of Buffy
the Vampire Slayer, on a TV program by the same name.

 

Source: A donor; an individual who willingly donates blood to a vampire.

 

Succubus:
- A female vampire who feeds on pranic energy while involved in sexual activity.
- A mythical female demon who seduced males in their sleep.
- See Incubus.

 

Thirst: Synonym for hunger.

 

Turning: The process of converting a non-vampire into a vampire, generally through blood ingestion or pranic energy
exchange. Most vampires believe that this is impossible. It is a common theme in vampire literature.

 

Twilight: Establishing an optimum balance between one's Day(side) and Night(side) activities.

 

Vamp: Synonym for either vampire or vampyre. Alternately, a sexually predatory non-vampire woman.

 

Vampire:
- A male or female, mythical, animated corpse found only in novels, films, comic books and religious myths who
rises from its grave to feed off of the blood of animals or humans.
- A real female or male person who has a condition requiring them to feed off of the pranic energy of other
humans or derive energy from natural forces. Non-vampires regard vampirism as a hobby, lifestyle, occultic
activity, religion or condition.

 

Vampire bait: A poser or wannabe who attempts to lure a vampire into their presence.

 

Vamping out: An extreme attack of the hunger. It generally produces many physiological changes in the vampire’s body.

 

Vampiress: A female vampire.

 

Vampiric community: All individuals who either refer to themselves as vampires, or have been identified as vampires.

 

Vampire lifestyler: A non-vampire who adopts "fictional vampire imagery and trappings into his/her personal life," often
patterns themselves after a fictional character.

 

White Swan: An individual who opposes the vampire community.

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