Umbral

All vampires must dwell in the dark as part of their curse, but there are those who commune with the shadows, embrace them and are molded by them. They are the Umbrals, and the darkness is theirs.

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One with Darkness

Umbrals are able to distort and shape shadows in ways that defy natural laws and mortal understanding. They can work as veils, doors, thick mist, and even sharp steel. The power of their bloodline allows them to manipulate the darkness, bend it and strike forth with it, at the cost of the Essence that powers them. The Umbrals are inclined towards mysteries and mysticism in a way that most of the other bloodlines are not, and this cause them to be perceived as needlessly cryptic, aloof and supertitious. But it may be that the way they perceive the world is simply more fluid than their peers. Living in the dark and being able to mold it might change one's perception of the materiality of reality.

Characteristics

Physical Traits

Umbrals have a set of primary fangs on their upper jaw and a set of secondary ones in the lower jaw. They are both shorter than the average vampire, which reflects the Umbral tendency to avoid violence if unnecessary. Umbrals as are physically gifted as most vampires, being sturdy and powerful, but they prefer to rely on stealth and their ability to control the shadows to get what they want, rather than sheer physical force. Umbrals have alabaster skin that goes beyond the normal parlor of the other bloodlines, and with age, their eyes tend to shift to dark grey color. Umbrals are often unsettling to contemplate by mortals, though not necessarily ugly, the unusually striking paleness combined with their somewhat ethereal manners grant them an otherworldly presence.

Turning

Umbrals reasons to turn a mortal are as cryptic as their own attitude. While it's clear what the Celts or the Black Rose want on members of their bloodline and what they seek on a mortal to turn them, Umbrals tend to be less easy to read. There's some tendencies that can be observed, however. Umbrals tend to seek humans they perceive to be more 'aware' than their peers. This can manifest as creativity, spirituality, or a questioning mind. People who seem not to mind being different in the search for their truth. An Umbral usually turns to a mortal and take them as an apprentice before moving on, spending a lot more time together between Sire and Children than most vampires would in the early years of life.

Relation to other Bloodlines

View on mortals

Umbrals view mortals not just as prey, but also as a source of inspiration and at the same time, as utterly misguided creatures. They act even more distanced from mankind than other bloodlines, which is probably a consequence of their general ethereal and mystic atitude towards everything. They seem to look at mortals as if they were an enterely unknown species recently discovered, watching them perform activities the Umbral himself might have done while they were still human, as if it was a novelty, reacting with either fascinated interest or frustration at the lack of perception. They have some difficulty passing as normal members of society, but Umbrals are not very concerned with seeming normal in the first place. Some manage to successfully pose as 'strange' humans, spiritual gurus or visionaries who are eccentric in their geniuses.

Bloodline Gifts

• Shadow Step:Umbrals can travel the short distance between two completely dark areas almost instantly by merging with the darkness and spending essence.

• Dark Blade:Umbrals can turn shadow into solid weapons of impossible blackness and razor sharp edges.

• Smoke Form:Umbrals can manifest as a living mist of shadow to pass through areas as if they were a cloud of gas.

Bloodline Weakness

• Aurum Bane: While most Vampyr bloodlines are vulnerable against silver, Umbrals are also vulnerable against gold. The alchemical symbol of the sun, gold is the bane of shadows and will cut through an Umbral's vampiric resistance with ease.

• Photophobia: Umbral abilities become increasingly hard to use in environments of bright lights, as they require shadows and darkness to function. In bright conditions, even artificial light, Umbrals will have a hard time accessing their powers.

History

Origins

Darker than Shadow

Type

Geopolitical, Clan