Caitiff e PX

Outcast Survival Guide

I hope you're one of us if you're reading this. Or you're some asshole standing over the ashes of a kid you just killed. Jerk. I'll assume you're another unwelcome addition to the family.

So what are you? You got this far, so you probably got the gist already. You're a vampire. Except your blood is too weak. You don't suffer from the exact same curse as your progenitor. They call that being a thin blood or Caitiff, and it's bad. You want to blend in with mainstream vampires lest they kill you.

Here's where you start:
1) Call yourself "Kindred" when you're around other vampires.
2) Don't talk about how you were turned. Mainstreamers turn in seconds. For most of us it takes MUCH longer.
3) That also means your creator (call him your "sire" when dealing with others!) probably thought you were really dead and left. Don't tell them that either. Say your sire got killed or you got separated.

Vampires: The Basics

Yes

Inanimate during the day (find a safe resting place!).
Sunlight is deadly (see ^).
Killed by stakes, decapitation and fire.
Resistant to bullets, but NOT bulletproof.
Drink blood to survive (human or animal).

Sometimes

Immortal. Unless something kills you.
Some of us can turn into bats or fly.
Some of us lack a reflection.
Some crosses hurt. Most don't.

No

Not repulsed by garlic, running water, roses, etc.
Old/stale blood does not kill, but it is less nourishing.

Dealing with Humans

Between mortal hunters and secret government programs, staying with humans is bad for you. Also, that thirst and desire you feel bubbling inside? It doesn't distinguish between friend or foe. That's bad for them. And if you don't accidentally kill them, other Kindred will. Best thing you can do for your loved ones is pack up and leave.

Dealing with other Kindred

At best they'll use you for their own purposes and leave you. At worst, they'll hunt, kill, or eat you. Only trust those that have proven themselves trustworthy — they're out there, but be careful.

Group 1: The Camarilla

You'll find a lot of Camarilla-run cities in North America, so you need to know how to handle them. They're an archaic, but VERY dangerous, old boys' network. It's set up like a pyramid scheme — you report to someone above you, he reports to someone above him, and so on. That means lots of strings and little freedom.
They adhere to six Traditions passed down through the ages. Do not get caught breaking them.

1. Masquerade: Don't let humans know about Kindred. This one is good for everyone. Stick to it even if you're not in a Camarilla city.

2. Domain: Don't encroach on another Kindred's domain. Since you likely don't know who lairs where, you're in trouble.

3. Progeny: Don't make new Kindred. Since your creator did, you're in trouble. And yeah, they visit the sins of the father upon the son.

4. Accounting: Creators are responsible for their children. Yours probably left you though.

5. Hospitality: Present yourself to the ruler of the domain you're in. Again, since you have no idea who that is, you're out of luck.

6. Destruction: Only elders (aka the high-ups in the pyramid) can call for the destruction of another Kindred. In your case they'll be happy to, since you broke traditions 2-5 just by existing.

Does that sound bad enough? When you break one of these rules, the Camarilla sends an assassin after you. His job is to find and kill you. If you broke the Masquerade by letting anyone know you're a Kindred, he'll kill them too.

However, you MIGHT be in the domain of someone who isn't a complete ass and lets you explain yourself. Be extremely polite. If they tell you their title, USE IT. Even if it's something stupid. If they don't, stick with "sir" and "ma'am." Learn the traditions by heart. Promise you'll obey and be useful.

Group 2: The Sabbat

Another big group is the Sabbat. You see a lot of them in middle and southern America, but they're pushing up north. They're a bunch of bloodthirsty maniacs and worse than the Camarilla. They create new Kindred by "shovelheading": they turn you, knock you unconscious with a shovel, and bury you in a grave. If you dig yourself out in time, then congratulations: You join them and become a maniac too. If you don't: Just pray they kill you fast. Don't think you're good because you've already been turned: Shovelheading serves as their initiation rite, too. On top of that, they're religious nuts who believe thin bloods and Caitiffs are a sign of the apocalypse.
So what to do if you encounter them? Run if you can realistically escape (and be ABSOLUTELY sure of this). Otherwise, play along, and then escape.

Group 3: The Anarchs

They're not as stuck up as the Camarilla and not as dangerous as the Sabbat. Most of them don't believe in the apocalypse and they're not Clan-obsessed. I'd not go around proclaiming to be a thin blood, but finding a group of Anarchs is as good as it gets.

Group 4: The Independents

Some Clans prefer to keep to their own. If you were one of them, they would have picked you up already. You're either cat's paw or food to them.
How to tell the difference?
You can't. Not until they're up close and personal, yelling at you for breaking Traditions or hitting you over the head with a shovel. Nothing is more dangerous to a Kindred than another Kindred. However, they're also your only hope of not spending the rest of eternity alone.

What's Next

You were told where to go by the person who gave you this. Fly low until you get here, blend in with mortals (don't mingle), run when you even suspect trouble and ABOVE ALL feed where no one else does. That means skip the easy prey (assume they're earmarked) and go for animals if you have to.
We'll find you when you get here.