The Hermit
The female Acolyte elder who has gotten too potent to feed from humans is a Crone, charged with seeking out and terminating anyone whose further existence threatens the covenant. A male Acolyte of the same potency takes a far different role: he becomes the Hermit, the guardian of wisdom, Aloof and alone save for thosewho seek his instruction.
The expectation is that Hermits feed themselves from voluntary offerings. That is, when an Acolyte wants to learn an esoteric Devotion or some mostly forgotten Crúac ritual, he makes a pilgrimage to a Hermit and begs for instruction. In return, the Hermit demands a blood sacrifice, the student’s own precious Vitae, often over a long time and in great quantities. Most often this is done with Blood Price but some Hermits feed directly, relying on the power of their blood to keep them from The Vinculum. As with Crones, some Hermits may feel that the development of a Vinculum is a sign directing them toward deeper involvement with the covenant. (It must be said that even those who accept a degree of blood slavery as a meaningful trial rarely allow it to progress past its mildest and most temporary form.)
A little math, of course, shows that relying solely on Discipline and ritual instruction is going to leave a Hermit dangerously starved. After all, there are many Crúac rites, many Devotions, and a neonate or ancilla is only going to indebt himself to a Hermit for those he can get no other way.
There are two ways Hermits handle this. Some simply content themselves to long periods of Torpor until a student wakes them with blood and a petition. Less tranquil Hermits extend their knowledge from the esoteric to the practical.
Their means vary by inclination. Some blanket their cities with enthralled animals and tease out the secrets hidden to all but a rat’s-eye view. Some Hermits query knowledgeable mortals (ghouls, private eyes, cops and journalists — or all of the above) and some Hermits speak with those innocent of the Kindred demimonde.Some Hermits question their mortals subtly, and some with brutal directness. Other Hermits ignore living individuals and use their age and experience to liaison with enchanters, spirits and the other strange creatures of the world’s occult diversity.
The most common creatures for the Hermits’ dialogues are, of course, other Hermits. In days past, Disciplines and Devotions were the reliable methods of instantly communicating between cities. Now it’s more likely to be a telephone call. Whatever the method, many Hermits communicate with one another. They keep this fact secret, of course. Their knowledge of distant cities is more impressive when its source is concealed, and they’ve got a mystique of isolation to maintain.
The expectation is that Hermits feed themselves from voluntary offerings. That is, when an Acolyte wants to learn an esoteric Devotion or some mostly forgotten Crúac ritual, he makes a pilgrimage to a Hermit and begs for instruction. In return, the Hermit demands a blood sacrifice, the student’s own precious Vitae, often over a long time and in great quantities. Most often this is done with Blood Price but some Hermits feed directly, relying on the power of their blood to keep them from The Vinculum. As with Crones, some Hermits may feel that the development of a Vinculum is a sign directing them toward deeper involvement with the covenant. (It must be said that even those who accept a degree of blood slavery as a meaningful trial rarely allow it to progress past its mildest and most temporary form.)
A little math, of course, shows that relying solely on Discipline and ritual instruction is going to leave a Hermit dangerously starved. After all, there are many Crúac rites, many Devotions, and a neonate or ancilla is only going to indebt himself to a Hermit for those he can get no other way.
There are two ways Hermits handle this. Some simply content themselves to long periods of Torpor until a student wakes them with blood and a petition. Less tranquil Hermits extend their knowledge from the esoteric to the practical.
Their means vary by inclination. Some blanket their cities with enthralled animals and tease out the secrets hidden to all but a rat’s-eye view. Some Hermits query knowledgeable mortals (ghouls, private eyes, cops and journalists — or all of the above) and some Hermits speak with those innocent of the Kindred demimonde.Some Hermits question their mortals subtly, and some with brutal directness. Other Hermits ignore living individuals and use their age and experience to liaison with enchanters, spirits and the other strange creatures of the world’s occult diversity.
The most common creatures for the Hermits’ dialogues are, of course, other Hermits. In days past, Disciplines and Devotions were the reliable methods of instantly communicating between cities. Now it’s more likely to be a telephone call. Whatever the method, many Hermits communicate with one another. They keep this fact secret, of course. Their knowledge of distant cities is more impressive when its source is concealed, and they’ve got a mystique of isolation to maintain.
Perception
Purpose
Hermits are expected to be there, know things and not give that knowledge away cheap. Unpacking that a bit, there’s an expectation that these elders will be dignified and somewhat static: Hermits aren’t known for roaming around and pursuing their agendas through direct action. (That’s The Hero’s task, and there’s a longstanding tradition of Heroes getting bound or tricked into carrying out a Hermit’s master plan.) Similar to a library, a Hermit is expected to be available to those who travel to his location. Also similar to a library, a Hermit is not expected to be summoned by someone.
Social Status
The knowledge the Hermit possesses determines his Status with the covenant. There are few Status 0 to • Hermits simply because it is very hard to reach the high Blood Potency the role requires without learning something — without, in fact, learning a hell of a lot. Those whose knowledge is rarified, specialized and irrelevant to most Acolytes — say, an apiary expert, or a student of Franco-Asian political history or a master of origami and flower arranging — have Status ••. Status ••• represents mundane or occult knowledge that is highly sought. This is the Status for masters of Fighting Styles, Disciplines and powerful Crúac.
Status •••• and ••••• are reserved for those who not only know the skills of power, but who can also tell you which stocks to buy, or who’s going to win the Super Bowl (or the next Senate race) or exactly why that werewolf pack gets so antsy whenever anybody comes close to the decommissioned Air Force base. Low Status Hermits know what you don’t care about. Medium Status Hermits can teach you what you want. High Status Hermits know information vital to the covenant.
That said, the Hermit is not a charitable archetype. (If it was, it would hold little appeal for many vampires.) The supplicant’s need for information or instruction matters far less to the Hermit than price. If you can’t afford it, you can’t have it because you don’t really deserve it. (Depending on the commodity, of course, the Hermit may not even be open to dealing with followers of other covenants. By the same token, they may not be aware he exists). Fortunately, most Acolytes can get mortal blood far more easily than a Hermit can get Kindred blood. Thus, the wisdom is passed on at a price that ensures that the wisdom remains precious and treasured.
Status •••• and ••••• are reserved for those who not only know the skills of power, but who can also tell you which stocks to buy, or who’s going to win the Super Bowl (or the next Senate race) or exactly why that werewolf pack gets so antsy whenever anybody comes close to the decommissioned Air Force base. Low Status Hermits know what you don’t care about. Medium Status Hermits can teach you what you want. High Status Hermits know information vital to the covenant.
That said, the Hermit is not a charitable archetype. (If it was, it would hold little appeal for many vampires.) The supplicant’s need for information or instruction matters far less to the Hermit than price. If you can’t afford it, you can’t have it because you don’t really deserve it. (Depending on the commodity, of course, the Hermit may not even be open to dealing with followers of other covenants. By the same token, they may not be aware he exists). Fortunately, most Acolytes can get mortal blood far more easily than a Hermit can get Kindred blood. Thus, the wisdom is passed on at a price that ensures that the wisdom remains precious and treasured.
History
Mythological Examples
Odin, god of war and wisdom, impaled himself on the World Tree to gain knowledge of magical runes used for divination. He often wandered the world, apart from the company of the other gods, in order to seek out a ground’s-eye view of the mortal realm. Furthermore, his two crows Hugin and Munin served as his spies from the air, reporting deeds of virtue and wickedness.The Kindred parallels are clear, even if their exact meaning is open to much debate. For instance, vampires who’ve been staked into Torpor can give a sympathetic shudder at the thought of enduring wooden torment voluntarily. But by the same token, many believe nothing of value can come from staking’s attendant nightmares. As for the crows, any Ventrue or Gangrel can easily relate to the use of animal familiars, while possessing the knowledge to view the future or distant places sounds a bit like the arts of the Mekhet. Most importantly, Odin was a blood god, prayed to with sacrifice. That alone endears him to the Acolytes.
The Hittite disappearing god Telepinu is another anchorite from ancient religion. Once a fertility god, he becomes wearied by the world and leaves his duties, choosing instead to sleep in the earth. This causes the first winter. The Acolytes parallel this with an elder who, too potent to feed from mere mortals, divorces himself from the living world and passes into Torpor. Telepinu is awakened by The Mother goddess Hannahanna — doing what Mothers do, she is attempting to alter events for the good of the community. She sends a bee to find Telepinu, and the bee stings the slumbering god awake. Enraged by the pain of being awakened, Telepinu runs amok and slaughters men and livestock alike. His worshippers (who are few) point out that after slumber, elder Kindred can often feed on lesser beings again, and claim that they can do this because of their emulation of Telepinu. His worshippers also point out that this story teaches a valuable lesson about awakening old vampires.
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