Twhat Has Gone Twhat Has Gone Before Giovanni Chronicles One: The Last Supper dealt with the death of the Antediluvian progenitor of the Cappadocian clan and the ascendancy of the Giovanni necromancers. Characters created during that story began as the food, and then the pawns, of the Conspiracy of Isaac, a group of vampires committed to helping the Giovanni attain supremacy in the Cappadocian clan. The characters were created as cannon fodder against the Conspiracy’s enemies, the Founders of the Camarilla. The characters came into conflict with both the Founders and their erstwhile masters. In so doing they learned two secrets: The Antediluvian Cappadocius sought apotheosis, and Augustus Giovanni sought Cappadocius’ blood. Ultimately, Augustus Giovanni slew Cappadocius and drank his blood, leading to the demise of the Cappadocian clan and the rise of the Giovanni in its place. Creatinga Character for Bl0odandF“rre The world of Blood and Fire is not the world of today’s Cainites; it is far more Gothic than Punk. To create a character for this world requires a basic understanding of its vagaries, as well as recognizing the differences and similarities between the 17th century and today. There is far more to a Renaissance character concept than hose, a floppy hat and an outrageous accent. Picking a Concept The first step in creating a Renaissance character is deciding on a character concept. Certain ones that add spice to a modem Vampire campaign (hacker, gangsta, mafioso) have no place in the 17th century. On the other hand, that world offers some unique opportunities for roleplaying. While the roles on the bottom (street criminal, escaped slave) and the top (noble, lord of the church) are easily defined, there are new possibilities in the middle. Merchant princes and guild artisans are examples of middle-class character concepts; explorers are another. There also exists an entire domestic servant class from which to draw, as well as the subculture of carriage drivers, grooms and whatnot necessitated by aculture that travels by horse. It’s a brave old world, and your character concept should reflect and grow from that, instead of being a modem character awkwardly forced into an older setting. Blood and Fire Spending Points Several abilities have agreat deal more importance for Renaissance characters than modem ones. Esoteric abilities from the Players’ Guide, such as Falconry, are of increased importance. Knowledge of Heraldry is the difference between seeing a carriage go by and knowing, by the coat of arms emblazoned on the outside, precisely who is in the carriage. You should select your character’s Abilities and emphasize them accordingly. A male noble character without a solid understanding of Etiquette is unthinkable, unless he is specifically designed to be a boor. Similarly, most (if not all) nobles have a good knowledge of Riding, but Driving is left to carriage drivers and servants. Pistols are becoming common, especially for dueling, but every noble worth his salt still knows how to use a rapier. French is the lingua franca of the continent, and not being conversant in la Francais is equivalent to having dung on one’s shoes. There exists a curious dichotomy for female characters; noblewomen of the period are in many cases expected to spend their days in needlepoint and harpsichord practice. Such characters would likely know several languages (French, English and Latin especially), as well as having extensive networks of Contacts and Allies in the salons of Europe. This is not to say that noblewomen would never know anything pertaining to a more active life, but rather that these characters would be rare, and have to deal with social consequences of their “unladylike” behavior. On the other hand, possessing such knowledges would provide quite an ace up the sleeve for a supposedly demure and retiring Viscountess who was faced with sassy ruffians .... Lower-class female characters, however, are fully expected to have a full knowledge of more physical and earthy skills. Such characters might well have a few points in Brawl (and almost definitely ones in Dodge); it would not be surprising for such characters to possess knowledges relating to commerce and other such traditionally “male” arenas. (See Moll Flanders by William Defoe for a perfect example.)
