Further revealing the Romanization of the quasi-Egyptian funerary necromancy practiced by Libitinarii, this Discipline of torpor and sleep was given a Latin name. As formalized British academics, the early occult Morticians who would later become the Libitinarii categorized these mystic powers with Latin descriptions and titles. As vampires, they gave their elaborately ritualized death magic a musical name, in reference to the Requiem. Literally, mortualium are funeral dirges. The mystic powers of Mortualia are uniquely beneficial to the Damned; they have little or know affect on mortals, or even on Kindred other than the subject. The practice of Mortualia resembles an amalgam of ancient funerary customs ritualized and supernaturally empowered by the Libitinarius who performs them. For Kindred outside of the bloodline, it’s difficult to discern just how many of the rituals customarily associated with Mortualia are actually essential to its use. When a Libitinarius brushes a scarab amulet with human sweat, is she activating the actual mystic power of the Discipline, or is she merely respecting some ancient tradition? Are the Egyptian words the Libitinarius recites as he lays another Kindred to sleep actually an ancient spell, or is it something the Morticians invented? That no two Libitinarii perform any Mortualia ritual in exactly the same way only further confuses outsiders. The truth is a mix of answers, and a vital secret of the Libinitarius line. Although the blood of the Libitinarii has some innate link to the powers of Mortualia, vampires of this line have discovered that the change in the blood necessary to learn the power is not as extreme as that which was necessary to create it. That is, Kindred outside of the Libitinarius bloodline can learn the powers of Mortualia without willing their blood into line with the Morticians. Were this to be commonly known, the Morticians could lose the unique position they have among the Ordo Dracul. For some Libinitarii, the notion that the Discipline’s mystic power would be separated from its cultural traditions is just as unsettling. Kindred of the Libitinarius line are therefore forbidden by their elders from teaching it to those “without the blood.” Still, it is only a matter of time a Mortician does, and draws down the wrath of his vampiric family.
In game terms, a non-Libitinarius vampire can learn Mortualia as an out-of-Clan Discipline, provided she is able to find and convince a teacher to share the bloodline’s mystic rites.
The powers of Mortualia often refer to the rules for torpor. To review those rules, see Vampire: The Requiem, p. 175.
This fundamental power of Mortualia requires a Kindred to craft a charm, talisman or other focal object to be given to the subject. Scarab amulets, jackal-headed votive sculptures and gold sun charms are common choices. Each object must be made specifically for the subject, using his own Vitae.
A subject who possesses a so-called waking charm made for him by a practitioner of Mortualia finds he is able to rise more easily from torpor. For Kindred who fear the terrible visions of the deathly sleep, or those who intend to wake at a particular point in the future — perhaps to complete the last act of some far-reaching plan — this is a valuable power.
Cost: 1 Vitae from the subject
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Crafts + Mortualia
Action: Extended. To craft this power’s focal object, the Libitinarius must accumulate 15 successes and infuse one Vitae from the subject into the clay, glass or other substance used to create the object. Each roll represents one hour of work. Once the object has been created, it must be delivered to the subject before she next enters torpor, or its power is lost.
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The Libitinarius ruins the focal object before it can be completed and must start over. The Vitae spent on the ruined focal object is wasted, and the Libitinarius loses one Willpower point.
Failure: The subject enters torpor before the necessary successes are accrued, and so this power never affects her sleep. The Vitae spent to create the focal object is wasted. She must attempt Resolve + Composure rolls as usual to awaken after each interval determined by her Humanity and Blood Potency.
Success: The subject falls into voluntary torpor with the focal object of this power in her possession. She automatically succeeds on the next Resolve + Composure or Humanity roll she chooses to make to awaken from torpor. If the focal object of this power is removed from her person while she lays torpid, she awakens immediately and automatically.
Exceptional Success: In addition to all the benefits of a normal success, the subject gains a bonus equal to the Libitinarian’s dots in Mortualia on any dice pools to recognize a disturbance to her torpid body. Normally this dice pool is Wits + Auspex (if the character possesses that Discipline) with a –2 penalty.
Once an Exsuscito charm has been used, its power is lost. A Mortician can never benefit from an Exsuscito charm he made for himself.
This power enables a Kindred to preserve the Vitae of a subject and infuse it with a telepathic connection capable of spanning miles and penetrating the strange nightmares of torpor. Vitae preserved in this way becomes completely inert, except for this telepathic connection — it provides no sustenance, cannot fuel other powers and offers no risk of blood addiction or the Vinculum. Those who drink the Vitae, however, gain an immediate spiritual link with its source. The drinker and the subject can communicate silently, mentally, but with no ability to read the other’s mind — when one “speaks,” the other “hears.”
Libitinarii use this power to communicate with torpid Kindred, who may or may not be able to separate the voice of the drinker from the bizarre nightmares of torpor. This communication can be used to consult with sleeping leaders, warn a torpid Kindred of impending danger or slowly acclimate a vampire to the modern day before she awakes. This power offers no ability to cut through the Fog of Eternity, however, so information shared with a torpid vampire might be muddled or forgotten by the time she awakes, while information sought might already be replaced by fractured nightmares by the time the sleeper is consulted.
At the Storyteller’s discretion, contacting the mind of an especially ancient or mad elder might do little more than frighten or confuse the petitioning drinker. In such a case, the drinker may be required to succeed on a Resolve + Composure roll to avoid involuntarily breaking contact with the subject and losing one Willpower point.
This power affects only Kindred and ghouls. It may be used on the Vitae of an unwilling subject if the character has the means of acquiring it, however. If the character is willing to risk a Vinculum or blood addiction, she may drink the blood of a potential subject, and then vomit it up later to be infused with the power of Internuntio. Regurgitating Vitae in this way doesn’t excuse the drinker from any of the risks of drinking another vampire’s blood; it merely lets her use that Vitae to fuel this power. More often, elder vampires on the verge of entering torpor volunteer their own Vitae to be used in this ritual — often having it drained into ceremonial urns — so that childer and subordinates can reach them through the years.
Cost: 1 Vitae from the subject
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Occult + Mortualia – subject’s Resolve (if unwilling)
Action: Instant. This power is typically activated at the end of an hour-long bloodletting ceremony. Libitinarii often adorn the jars and urns in which Vitae is stored with images representing the subject.
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The psychic strain of infusing a spiritual connection into the blood is more than the character can bear. She must succeed on a Resolve + Composure roll or slip immediately into torpor. The Vitae used to activate this power is wasted.
Failure: The character is unable to affect the blood, but the Vitae used to activate the power is not used. The character can try again on the next turn.
Success: The subject’s Vitae is successfully infused with mystic power. A character who drinks the Vitae is able to communicate with the subject for the rest of the scene. The drinker may end this power prematurely with little more than a thought. The subject of this power may spend a Willpower point to break contact with the drinker.
Exceptional Success: A success, but the Vitae protects the drinker from any risk of Willpower loss from making contact with the mad dreams of a torpid vampire.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
+2 The user has a blood tie with the subject.
+1 The subject is torpid when the Vitae is prepared.
+1 Power is infused into the subject’s Vitae in her own presence.
Building on the mystic connection of Internuntio, the Kindred is now able to preserve all of Vitae’s mystic qualities and offer them even to a distant, torpid subject. Vitae effected by this power has all of its mystic qualities preserved for years. Creatures who drink it gain all the benefits and face all the risks of drinking Vitae directly from the subject.
To the subject’s advantage, this Vitae can be mystically consumed at a distance, no matter how far the subject is from her preserved Vitae, whether she is awake or torpid. Vitae consumed through this supernatural connection appears to rapidly dry out, evaporate or turn to dust.
This effect can be coupled with the power of Internuntio. Each power must be activated separately. Only Kindred Vitae can be preserved using Alitum.
Cost: 1 Willpower plus the subject’s Vitae
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Occult + Mortualia
Action: Instant. Libitinarii construct elaborate rituals surrounding the use of this power. First, the subject is washed and dressed. Then she is bled slowly over several hours while colleagues, childer and retainers look on or, sometimes, deliver symbolic eulogies. As the subject’s blood is sealed in canopic jars, clay urns or glass receptacles, this power is finally activated.
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The attempt to preserve and empower the Vitae somehow goes wrong. All of the available Vitae is destroyed, and the Willpower point spent to activate this power is wasted.
Failure: The character fails to preserve and empower the Vitae. The Willpower spent to activate this power is wasted.
Success: One Vitae per success is preserved for a number of years determined by the penalty the character took on the activation roll. The subject from whom the Vitae was taken can consume this Vitae at a distance, even in torpor.
Exceptional Success: Additional successes are their own reward, as the character preserves a greater number of Vitae.
Each preserved Vitae must be contained in a separate receptacle. Once a receptacle is opened, the Vitae within must be consumed within one minute or it is automatically transferred to the subject from which it was drawn. No character can hold more Vitae within her body than her Blood Potency allows, however. Vitae that therefore cannot be consumed or transferred turns to dust and is wasted. The subject of this power can consume her own Vitae at a distance even if it is still enclosed in its receptacle.
An instant action is required to consume each Vitae preserved through this power.
Suggested Modifiers
The greater the penalty the user accepts on her activation roll, the longer the Vitae to be effected will stay preserved.
Modifier Situation
-1 10 years
-2 25 years
-3 50 years
-4 100 years
-5 Indefinitely
A vampire is never more vulnerable than she is in torpor. This power protects the form of a torpid Kindred with a mystic ward. No object, creature or character can damage the torpid subject without first overcoming this ward. Even after the subject has awakened from torpor, she continues to benefit from this supernatural protection.
To use this power, the character must touch the subject. This power only affects vampires in torpor.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Stamina + Occult + Mortualia versus Resolve + Blood Potency
Action: Contested; resistance requires an instant action. Libitinarii elaborately decorate the subjects of this power. Some are adorned with traditional amulets, while others are wrapped in fine linens and doused with fragrant perfumes. Some Morticians paint “protective spells” directly on the body of the subject.
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The mystic ward is corrupted, but still activated. The character is now unable to make physical contact with the subject until she awakens from torpor. Therefore, the character cannot attempt this power again until that time. The Willpower point spent to activate this power is wasted.
Failure: The character fails to achieve any successes to protect the subject’s body. The Willpower point spent to activate this power is wasted.
Success: The character sets the defending successes for the contested action when this power is activated. Potential contestants must overcome those successes with an instant action before they can attack the subject’s body. Each potential attacker must succeed on his own contested action to be able to affect the subject. This protective ward lasts until the subject comes out of torpor. Furthermore, the successes achieved protect the subject for several turns after she wakes. The subject is protected by an Armor rating of 2 in the turn in which she awakens, and for one turn per success thereafter. This mystic Armor has no Strength requirement, Defense penalty or other qualities.
Exceptional Success: Additional successes are their own reward, as they grant the subject more protection for a longer time.
The pinnacle power of a Mortualia practitioner, Reminiscor transforms a Kindred’s experiences with a particular trade, art form or skill into an intrinsic part of the character’s soul. Some Dragons speculate that this power embeds some essential intuition in the subject’s psyche. The more occult-minded suppose that this power actually affects the subject’s soul. The Egyptian spells that this power mimics suggest the subject’s “true name” is changed.
Whatever the truth, this power’s effects are clear: it enables Kindred to retain a small part of their personal experience through even the longest and most harrowing torpor. Indeed, something about the experience of torpor is necessary for this power to take affect, as though torpor is the crucible in which the soul is altered.
The character must be in physical contact with the subject of this power. Immediately after this power is activated, the subject slips into voluntary torpor.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Occult + Mortualia
Action: Instant. This is the most celebrated power of Mortualia among the Libinitarii. This power is typically enacted in the midst of an all-night ceremony honoring the subject. Demonstrations of the subject’s “soul” Skill are common. In some cases, these celebrations involve ritual combat or occult ceremonies. In others, artistic Kindred are invited to perform.
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The character’s attempt to activate this power ends in disaster. The Willpower point meant for use in the ritual is lost and the subject may never again be the target of a Reminiscor effect.
Failure: The character fails to bind the subject’s soul to his experiences. The Willpower point spent to activate the power is wasted but the Libitinarius can try to use this power on the subject again in the future.
Success: The character successfully binds the subject’s experiences with one Skill to his soul. The subject then enters torpor. That “soul” Skill is, thereafter, never lowered when the character’s Blood Potency is diminished. No matter how low the subject’s Blood Potency drops, his dots in that Skill remain the same. This power does not enable the subject to raise a Skill beyond the limit allowed by his current Blood Potency, however.
Exceptional Success: The same as a success, with no additional effects.
Example: Vicrum, a well-respected Ventrue and member of the city’s Primogen, has had his experiences with Kindred society and city dynamics mystically transformed into an intuitive insight that will pierce even the fog of eternity. When he slipped into torpor at the hands of the Libitinarii he had a Blood Potency of 7 and six dots in Politics. Now, many decades later, his Blood Potency has dropped to 4 and he’s lost a dot of Willpower to the Reminiscor ritual, but he still has six dots in Politics. He may not know who’s Prince or what covenant is in vogue, but he’s sure to catch on very quickly. When his Blood Potency rises to 7 again, Vicrum buys a seventh dot in Politics. Should he go into torpor again, he will keep both his sixth and seventh dots in Politics.
The subject of this power finds his capabilities with his “soul” Skill are not diminished, but his factual knowledge of the Skill is still clouded, faded or fractured by the Fog of Eternity. The Storyteller may, as always, deem information to be outside the subject’s current capacity to know, whether that information was forgotten or first discovered while the character was in torpor.
This power does not protect the subject against other possible supernatural attacks that might lower the dots of his “soul” Skill.
A vampire may be the subject of only one Reminiscor effect — ever.