Riddle

The Riddle is a common phrase that summarizes the paradox of Kindred existence: "A Beast I am, lest a Beast I become." The Riddle encapsulates the perpetual struggle between the Beast and the Man: one must commit monstrous deeds &mdash; drinking blood being the first among them &mdash; in order to hold rein on the ravening Beast Within.

The Riddle appears prominently in the First, Second, and 20th Anniversary editions of the Vampire: The Masquerade core rulebook. Although it doesn't appear in Vampire: The Masquerade Revised Edition, it is quoted in Clan Novel: Giovanni &mdash; which was, ironically enough, written by Justin Achilli, the lead developer of VtM Revised.