The Wissengeist

A Vampire Bloodline

" You are by just a single urge possessed; Oh, may you never know the other!

Two souls, alas! are dwelling in my breast And either would be severed from its brother;

The one holds fast with joyous earthy lust Onto the world of man with organs clinging;

The other soars impassioned from the dust, To realms of lofty forebears winging.

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, "Faust Part 1 Scene II"

The Wissengeist are a loose clan of vampires that see their tortured existence as a regrettable but resolvable condition and seek to explain it through the schools of science and metaphysics. They are generally an ethical and very compassionate clan, spread throughout the world in secret coteries, aiding mortals in their quest for the understanding of the Cosmos. The Wissengeist are a very unique clan among the vampires in many respects. The most human of all the Kindred, pledged to the quest for ultimate truth, throughout their history they have worked to increase the vast wealth of knowledge of both man and Kindred. It is their hope that one day science will come up with an explanation for their existence; they believe that the so- called "supernatural" operates by laws which may eventually be understood by a combination of philosophy and physics. When these principles are finally worked out and brought to the light of reason, science will then be in a position to end the curse of vampiric existence. While many Wissengeist are scientists and philosophers, they see their role more as facilitators of mortal progress than as actual "movers and shakers." They often stake out a progressive thinker and aid him, sometimes funding his research, offering advice, or even getting involved in the scientific process themselves. They delight in metaphysics and philosophy over established religion, and pursue theory and speculation over technology - they are usually satisfied to allow humans to develop practical uses for any new discoveries. The one exception to this is their untiring quest for a cure for their supernatural "disease."

The Wissengeist are one of the youngest and smallest clans, but regardless of their age, their origins remain clouded in mystery. It would be more proper to call them a bloodline rather than a clan, but no one is really sure how they came about. Some have speculated that they were moralist refugees or exiles from the Tzimisce clan who traded magic for science, but there is a serious lack of evidence to support such a claim. A few have linked them to the Toreador, but again this is just guesswork unsupported by any real facts. It seems that the first recognizable vampires having the qualities now associated with the Wissengeist began appearing in fifteenth century Europe, specifically in the area which is now Germany and Austria; but many Wissengeist feel confident their clan has had several incarnations throughout history, such as the Pythagoreans and Alexandrians, and that their clan vanishes and reappears in cycles with human achievement. According to them, they are born where the Zeitgeist wills it. They deny a specific founder or legendary beginning, and they reject the legend of Cain and the existence of antediluvians. They suggest that there have always been vampires in the world; and like mortals, vampires, too, have their need for myths and legends.

Convinced their wretched state can be explained through logic, they refuse to consider themselves damned in any religious sense of the word - their sense of damnation stems from a private well of anguish at their loss of humanity. Most have a profound belief in the human soul and spirit, and even in God, but they tend to think of these in personal and abstract terms. They drink blood only to survive, and rarely kill their vessel. More Wissengeist exist off the blood of animals than any other bloodline or clan, and they search constantly for a way to synthesize a blood substitute. While maintaining close contact with mortals, they conform to the basic principles of the Masquerade because they realize the danger of exposure - they call it the "Frankenstein effect." It is likely that a large number of vampires burned by the Inquisition came from this clan; they contend that Giordano Bruno was one of their own.

One of the most noted traits of the Wissengeist bloodline is their virtual immunity to sunlight, a result of their Menschlichkeit discipline. While bright sunlight will still destroy a young Wissengeist, as they increase in age and power they may resist the light of day for hours at a time. While never at full strength during the day, this trait makes them the envy of all vampires who are aware of this trait. The discipline of Menschlichkeit has never been able to be learned by another clan of vampire.

Other vampires, if even aware of their existence, tend to leave them alone; indeed many just feel the Wissengeist are foolish idealists. Because their clandestine goals more or less serve the Camarilla and avoid interfering with the Sabbat, they have been left in peace by both sects. Occasionally a few Wissengeist will make themselves known to the Camarilla, and if a mutual relationship can be established, so much the better. Unfortunately for the Camarilla, Wissengeist tend to completely ignore rules of rank and privilege; they feel that petty feudal hierarchies just get in the way of true inspiration. How the Kindred feel about this ranges from amusement to open hostility. Mostly they are just left alone.

Nickname: None, but some Toreador refer to them as the "Misplaced Muses."

Appearance: Wissengeist tend to be well-dressed in the current style, tending towards conservatism and simplicity. Their discipline of Menschlichkeit makes them the hardest vampires to distinguish from humans.

Haven: As they are a solitary bloodline they tend to dwell alone, usually taking up residence in an apartment close to a university.

Background: Wissengeist only Embrace scientists and philosophers nearing the end of their productive life, whether due to old age or disease. Unfortunately, the Embrace is always a dangerous thing for the Wissengeist to bestow - there seems to be a taint in the bloodline that causes insanity in many of those who drink it. Called Der Wahnsinnflucht, or the "Curse," it is a flaw which seriously limits the potential of their clan. Simply put, a human who is Embraced often fails to undergo the Becoming and instead goes partially or fully insane, remaining a mortal. Only a quarter of those who are Embraced survive the Becoming as a Wissengeist, fully half end up deranged and mortal, and the remaining quarter are consumed in fatal madness after their first taste of human blood. These poor wretches are usually killed out of mercy; but rumors exist that some of the more "lucid" set out into the world as Malkavians.

They always present themselves to their intended progeny and ask permission to bestow the Dark Gift, explaining fully its risks and consequences. Mortals who refuse are Dominated to forget. Wissengeist do not Embrace many, and unsurprisingly a large amount of their prospective progeny elect to remain mortal and die a quiet, sane, and natural death.

Character Creation: Wissengeist are almost always scientists or philosophers of some kind, and they tend to be physically older than many other Kindred. Mental attributes and Knowledge Abilities are very important, and Backgrounds may include Resources, Contacts and maybe Fame. Secondary Abilities are important, obviously heavy in science and metaphysics.

Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Domination, Menschlichkeit

Weaknesses: As mentioned above, the Wissengeist bloodline is tainted by the Wahnsinnflucht, and many do not transform into vampires after their Embrace. Their abundance of Humanity and their overly-logical Weltanschauung can also work against them, and they cannot rise above level five in any discipline.

Organization: There is no real organization to the Wissengeist. They are solitary, and when they meet each other it is often to pass along information. Rumors exist of clandestine meetings held in Sweden and of the existence of a secret trade journal, but the Wissengeist aren't telling.

Gaining Clan Prestige: They are completely unconcerned about Prestige.

Quote: "As Goethe so eloquently stated, 'Zwei Seelen wohnen ach! In meiner Brust.' It is our responsibility to bring to light the soul which makes us worthy of grace; our greatest gift is to understand the Cosmos and our place in it. Like Horatio, we still have much room in our philosophy. We will master our condition; and upon mastery will resolve it."

Stereotypes:

Nosferatu - These poor, wretched souls bear the mark of Nature's cruelty. One day they will be in a position to be healed, if they so desire it.

Ventrue -They leave us alone; they understand the Frankenstein effect more than anybody. If they would only give up their tenacious mythology and join us, together we could prevail.

Toreador - They see part of the true potential for humanity. Coupled with a stronger sense of control, more compassion, and a disciplined mind, they could be us.

Gangrel - They have reconciled the Beast and dwell apart from man. We honor this, but it is not our path.

Brujah - They have produced some great thinkers, but so few survive the moral freedom of Becoming - they have their own Blutflucht to deal with. It is difficult to comprehend a clan that burns books in youth and pens them in maturity.

Tremere -They walk the dark path of superstition, and yet they have mastered Nature's Uncertainty. They are engineers, using technology for which we have yet to establish theories.

Malkavian - We feel for them. They have both our curses: they are mad and dead.

Ravnos - Are they really that important?

Assamite, Setite, Tzimisce, Losombra, Giovanni -They are monsters screaming under the inhuman yoke of the Beast, and they destroy all that they touch. They must be killed when necessary, with a grim and quiet dignity.

What the Undead think of the Wissengeist:

Nosferatu - Heard of them. They seem harmless enough - foolish; but harmless.

Ventrue - They serve their purpose in eradicating man's belief in the supernatural. As long as they are watched, they are to be left alone and treated with respect .

Toreador - Charming clan! Too bad about that Curse of theirs, though. Poor Nietzsche!

Gangrel - Another goddamn bloodline? Well, they leave us in peace.

Brujah - Idiots. Science is a tool; nothing more. They wish to tame the Cosmos! Didn't we go through this all during that Enlightenment thing? If you ever find a Wissengeist at work, however, some fun can be had tormenting him and his poor subject.

Tremere - Oh yes, the Wissengeist. Interesting. . . . you wouldn't happen to know where one is working, do you?

Malkavian - Wissengeist? Better than a poltergeist, I guess. At least they don't throw things around as much. Knowsy ghosts, indeed! I think my Brother-in-law was one, at least until I loaned him Finnegan's Wake. Tea, anyone?

Ravnos - Vissin-who?

Assamite, Setite - Fools. Worthless to mention.

Giovanni - Damned Prussian mentality; one grows quickly tired of it. But then again, we've had our plague of them before the Renaissance. Like everything, they have their uses.

Lasombra - They are harmless romantics. Let them have their illusions. The Antediluvians will destroy them whether or not they believe.

Tzimisce - A splinter branch of us? How vulgar. We know what to do with our store of wisdom.

Menschlichkeit

The Wissengeist Discipline

A very odd discipline, Menschlichkeit is unique to the Wissengeist bloodline and cannot be learned by any other clan. It only has five levels, and all are concerned with making the vampire seem more human.

Menschlichkeit is more akin to Celerity, Fortitude and Potence than the other, more supernatural disciplines. When a level of the discipline is achieved, it is available to the vampire at all times and may be automatically maintained - it is now a part of their nature. The more points a Wissengeist has in Menschlichkeit, the more human he seems.

A Wissengeist can never have more points in Menschlichkeit than she has in Humanity. If a vampire's Humanity score drops below their rating in Menschlichkeit, the discipline must be reduced accordingly and the excess points are lost.

* Atmenkraft

This discipline enables the vampire to breathe without any conscious effort, although it can be stopped and restarted at will. While the air is not actually needed, the Wissengeist may do everything a human can do because of functioning lungs.

** Herzkraft

Two points in Menschlichkeit allow a vampire to simulate a heartbeat and pulse with no conscious effort, although it may be stopped and restarted at will.

*** Essenkraft

This allows a vampire to drink liquids and eat foods at will with no ill effects.

**** Der Sonnemantel

The power granted by this discipline is one of the most coveted in the entire vampiric world - it confers the ability to withstand sunshine. For every point of Humanity the Wissengeist has, he may spend a Blood Point to withstand one hour of day. During this time he may use no other powers or disciplines other than those conferred by Menschlichkeit, he may not feed, heal wounds, or expend blood points to boost attributes. If he is caught out beyond his allotted time, the sunlight will affect him as it would any other vampire.

***** Untergehen

The name of this discipline is difficult to translate, but in a Niezschean sense it could mean "to perish like the setting sun and be transformed." In a way it is an anti-Golconda; for to go under is the closest thing to a return to Humanity allowed to a vampire. It allows a vampire to completely pass as a human under limited situations. He breathes, eats, has a pulse, can grow hairs and nails at the regular rate, cries and sweats water, and can survive sunlight at the temporary suspension of all other supernatural powers and disciplines. In addition, the vampire can control the urge to frenzy until one blood point is left, when a check is required as normal. The vampire must still, however, sleep.

The cost of this power is staggering. It is tremendously taxing on the vampire's system, and as a result, once this discipline is acquired, the vampire begins to slowly die the True Death. The vampire will begin to permanently lose Blood Pool capacity, falling from the normal ten down to one and finally die the True Death upon reaching zero Blood Pool capacity.

The way this operates is insidious. It takes a full 100 years for the vampire to lose her first point