| "Blessed is the generation in which the old listen to the young; and doubly blessed is the generation in which the young listen to the old." ~Anonymous Generation A measurement of how far a vampire is from Caine, the first vampire. The curse of vampiric blood has been transmitted from Sire to Childe via the Embrace for millennia, and as it is passed on, its power weakens. Generation is a measurement of this, and it is therefore also a rough approximation of the vampire's power. For instance, if a vampire of the ninth generation Embraces a mortal, the result is a vampire of the tenth generation. If this new vampire in turn creates a Childe, she will be of the eleventh generation. With every Generation the blood grows weaker. The closer to Caine a Kindred is the stronger their blood. There have been rumour of vampires possessing a generation as high as the fifteenth, but their blood is so weak that they are unable to create Childer themselves. The following is a list of names and terms used to identify those of particular generations, although for the most part these are not strict definitions. Caine The mythical father of all vampires, and the only one of the First Generation. Caine, also known as the third mortal, was transformed into a vampire as punishment for spilling the life's blood of his brother Abel. The entire story is said to be related in the Book of Nod. The Second Generation In his loneliness, Caine embraced three mortals, and so the Second Generation was created. Legend does not do their power justice, but they were said to be only slightly less powerful then Caine himself. . Zillah, Irad, and Enoch were their names. According to the Book of Nod, they were slain just before or after the Noachian Flood related in the Book of Genesis. The Antediluvians Before the death of the Second Generation, Zillah, Irad, and Enoch embraced Childer of their own. These are the 'Antediluvians', a name which literally means 'before the flood'. Those of this Third Generation quickly began to war amongst themselves, and after the flood, created broods of their own, founding the Thirteen Clans. It is said that the Antediluvians are still in existence, and still war with each other, but now use subtrafuge and deceit, and act through intermediaries. The mere mention that one may be present in a city has been known to cause panic amongst its vampiric residents. It is said that they can only die if they choose to, or are slain by another of their generation. Old joke: "How does one kill an Ante?" Answer: "With two other antes of course!" The Methuselahs Named after a biblical patriarch who allegedly lived almost a thousand years, these vampires have been in existence at least as long. Typically of the fourth or fifth generation, they are seldom found in North America. Only the strongest survive to this age, and they tend to retreat from society, with boredom and melancholy setting in as a result. It is said that the Inner Circle of the Camarilla is composed of Methuselahs, and that the sect known as the Inconnu is composed exclusively of these creatures. The Elders Typically members of the sixth, seventh, and eighth generation, these vampires are from two hundred to one thousand years old. Someone who has lived this long usually has a vast amount of experience to draw upon, and as a result they expect a certain amount of deference from those who are younger than them. Created before the advent of the modern age, they are generally the oldest vampires encountered in North America. The Ancillae Usually members of the ninth and tenth generation, these vampires have proven themselves to their Elders, and are typically given a large degree of freedom in their actions. They are at most two centuries old. The Neonates These are the youngest vampires, the most recently embraced. Members of the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth generations, they are at most one hundred years old. |
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