The Blessing of Vitae
This rite is actually little more than the vampiric equivalent of saying a blessing before a meal. Mortal blood becomes the sanguine body of God’s own judgment in the veins of a vampire’s body, and this is part of the Requiem. Feeding is a sacred act, a matter of pious predation. When a coterie or even an informal assembly of vampires joins together to feed, one member will be called upon to invoke the Blessing. In some cases, particularly devout Sanctified make a point of saying the Blessing before feeding by themselves. A few observant Kindred even go so far as to smear a bit of his own blood across the mortal’s brow (whether the vessel lives or not). Naturally, this complicates feeding attempts that involve seducing the vessel. Primarily elders hold this practice in accord, and many neonates aren’t even aware of its existence, especially in lax or liberal parishes. A common form of the Blessing is: “O God above who so righteously Damned me, bless this holy Vitae which I claim to fulfill my anointed purpose. Amen.”
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