Draugr is a word used by Kindred to describe a vampire whose Humanity has been defeated by the Beast.[1]
Overview[]
Draugr are generally considered to be non-sentient; incapable of reason or thinking. That they cannot even speak. A draugr has a simple rhythm to its suffering. Hunt. Kill. Feed. Sleep. Repeat. Vampires who have reached this stage have forever and irretrievably succumbed to their Beasts.[2]
The Man within a draugr is gone for good. A draugr leaves a trail of corpses and public attacks that attract mortal attention. Even bitter enemies put aside their struggles and cooperate to stop a draugr before it breaks the Masquerade beyond repair. Due to this level of threat, Princes frequently have no choice but to call down Blood Hunts upon a draugr's head.[3]
A surprising number of draugr defy this stereotype, however, being capable of interacting with Kindred; others simply hide away from all other vampires, raising broods of Larvae.[4] This is not to say that those who remain are well-adjusted members of Kindred society. They "blend in" much as a serial killer blends in, and even then they tend to strike their fellows as being fundamentally wrong in some way.[4]
The difference between these more even-keeled draugr and those in constant frenzy is the nature of their Beasts and the differences between them.[5] The Beast is generally defined by the vampire's Vice.[5] For example, a man whose Vice is Wrath will likely become a more violent draugr, as his Beast's actions will be informed by that Wrath. Meanwhile, one whose Vice is expressed through a lens of social intimidation (say, Pride) will, upon becoming a draugr, be more inclined to lash out only when provoked.
Clan Differences[]
While no clan is necessarily more prone to producing draugr, those that they do create tend to vary from one another.[6]
- Daeva: More than most, this clan produces the more careful sort of draugr. Daeva draugr tend toward more basic passions. Their havens, for example, are often close by to food sources and accessible while carrying a body.[6] More than other clans' revenants, the Daeva can drain a mortal's body dry incredibly quickly. However, they are also never fully sated.[6]
- Gangrel: Draugr born of this clan are consistently more dangerous as predators than those of other clans. Even the mindless sort, of which the Gangrel produce many more, tend to bear a form of low cunning and unexpected speed.[6] They are also the most likely draugr to Embrace, creating Larvae. Gangrel draugr tend to see fellow vampires as food or rival predators.[6]
- Mekhet: True to the nature of the clan, Mekhet draugr quickly vanish into the darkness, never to be seen. They hunt quietly and unnoticed. They tend to avoid danger and hunt the weak.[6] Unlike other clans' draugr, they see perfectly in the dark. Their proclivities for darkness, however, render them even weaker than normal to light; strong artificial light, for example, is sufficient to drive them away.[6]
- Nosferatu: Nosferatu have no predilection for one form of draugr over another.[6] To a one, however, they all derive great joy in their monstrosity, the unnatural aura they bear brought out in full force. Its capacity to induce nightmare, including by Discipline, is strengthened.[6] As a natural consequence, such draugr can no longer hide themselves as readily among humans.[7]
- Ventrue: Similarly to Daeva, Ventrue draugr tend toward the careful side.[7] Like Gangrel, however, they Embrace frequently, creating fanatically loyal packs of Larvae, often throughout several small nests.[7] These draugr are unusually skilled at blending in among non-draugr Kindred, though they find it difficult to attack those higher than they in the hierarchy (which, in a revenant's mind, means one of higher Blood Potency).[7]
Trivia[]
- The word "draugr" comes from the Old Norse term for a ghost or spirit, particularly one within a cairn.[8] They are typically defined by their bloodthirsty behavior.[9]
- The word revenant is frequently used by modern vampires to describe the draugr, but the Gangrel still widely use the old form.[10]
References[]
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