Mortis

Mortis
Pronounce	mor'-tis
Clans	Cappadocian
Bloodlines	Harbingers of Skulls, Giovanni (Dark Ages), Lamia

The Discipline Mortis is rooted in the control and manipulation of death. More specifically, Mortis is a form of blood magic dealing with corpses and their conditions after death. The Cappadocian clan are the only Kindred to possess the natural affinities for this Discipline. It is said to have been given to the clan Elders by Cappadocius himself.

Cappadocians believe that when a person dies the soul leaves the body, but an echo of the soul remains. This echo, along with the flesh of the dead, can be manipulated in many ways. Mortis, like the Tremere Discipline Thaumaturgy, is separated into different paths and contains rituals. However, this is only true of the Dark Ages: Vampire version; in the first edition (Vampire: The Dark Ages), Mortis was a more traditionally-styled Discipline.

The Lamia bloodline of Cappadocians have their own proprietary path of Mortis called the Path of Four Humours, while the recently-Embraced Giovanni family has brought their own paths, Nigrimancy and the Path of Haunting.

In the Final Nights Mortis evolves into the Samedi discipline of Thanatosis, while the path of Nigrimancy becomes the Giovanni blood magic paths of Necromancy.

Caitiffs are also given the option of taking this as a Discipline, although most Storytellers look down upon the clan exclusive disciplines as a choice.

Standard Paths and Abilities

Grave's Decay

• Destroy the Husk - Turns a corpse into a pile of ashes.
• Rigor Mortis - Allows the Kindred to cause rigor mortis in mortal or undead bodies.
• Wither - Allows the Kindred to cripple an opponent's limb whether they are undead or mortal. The muscles shrivel up, the bones get brittle, the skin peels, etc.
• Corrupt the Undead Flesh - This ability causes the victim to be stricken with a horrible plague. Mortal victims of this ability are highly contagious and easily spread the disease to other mortals and to vampires if their blood is taken. Kindred have a harder time spreading the disease but are affected by the weakness it causes all the same.
• Dissolve the Flesh - An expansion upon the level one ability, this ability allows the Kindred to turn vampiric flesh to ash.

Corpse in the Monster

• Masque of Death - Allows the Kindred to turn his/her body into a corpse-like state.
• Cold of the Grave - The Kindred enters a state of death where in they can temporarily feel no emotional or physical pain.
• Curse of Life - The user causes a vampire to feel destructive aspects of his/her previous life, such as hunger, thirst, etc.
• Gift of the Corpse - Although it lasts for only a brief period of time, this ability removes the inherent weaknesses of a vampire, such as vulnerability to sunlight, fire, etc.
• Gift of Life - This ability transforms the Kindred into an assemblance of their former self. They lose their vampire weaknesses and gain the ability to eat, drink, etc.

Cadaverous Animation (Dark Ages Vampire (2002) p. 193)

• Trace of Life - The Kindred can cause mild traits of life in a corpse, such as twitching.
• Call the Homuncular Servant - Allows the Kindred to cause a small, mobile piece of a corpse (like a hand) to reanimate and move about.
• Raise the Corpse to Service - Allows the Kindred to reanimate a corpse into his/her bidding, although it cannot attack or do other complex tasks.
• Call the Athanatos - Transforms a corpse into an undead warrior that the vampire may have trouble controlling.
• Muster a Corpse Army - An expansion on Call the Athanatos, this ability summons a number of corpse warriors that might be controlled by the vampire's willpower.

Bloodline and Specialty Paths and Abilities

Giovanni

Nigrimancy

• Witness of Death - A Giovanni can see ghosts as transparent, immaterial souls.
• Summon Soul - A Giovanni may use their blood and speak the name of a ghost to summon them.
• Compel the Shade - Allows a Giovanni command over a spirit's actions.
• Fetter the Dead - A spirit is imprisoned in an object or area by a Giovanni.
• Usurer's Scales - A Giovanni can give their blood to improve a ghost's essence or drain a spirit of their energy to replenish themselves.

Path of Haunting

• Morbid Fascination - A Giovanni causes a target to become obsessed with death.
• Summon Wisp - A Giovanni can create distracting lights reminiscent of will-o-the-wisps.
• Harrowing - A target is wracked with nightmares of their future death.
• Phantasms - A Giovanni can create nightmarish visions using the essence of the dead.
• Torment - A Giovanni can summon ghosts to haunt a target.

Lamia

Path of the Four Humours

This Path is the signature power of the Lamia bloodline, said to be a gift from Lilith herself. It was introduced in Players Guide to High Clans as a replacement for the Deimos discipline.

• Whispers to the Soul - Releases a wisp of bilious humour into the ear of a victim to whisper nightmares to him as he sleeps or fearful imaginings when he is awake
• Kiss of the Dark Mother - Concoct a toxic substitute for saliva that makes a bite even more deadly
• Dark Humours - Secrete a tainted version of one of the four bodily humors that serve different functions depending on the humor invoked Phlegmatic: Induces lethargy in a victim. Melancholy: Induces visions of death. Sanguine: Induces excessive bleeding in a victim. Bilious: Becomes a deadly toxin.
• Clutching the Shroud - Draw closer to death, toughening the unliving body, granting knowledge of coming death in nearby mortals and bestowing the ability to see the dead
• Black Breath - Expel a miasmic black cloud that chokes everyone around with malaise and depression

Official Abilities (Defunct)

Included below are the official powers described in supplements for Vampire: The Masquerade and Dark Ages: Vampire. Sources are described below in the order they were printed.

• Masque of Death:^[1] Causes an individual to resemble a walking corpse, temporarily
• Blight:^[2] Causes all the ill-effects of advanced age and decrepitude in a target
• Awaken:^[3] Awaken from torpor or help another vampire do so
• Death's Whisper:^[4] Become a true corpse, unaffected by the banes of vampirism
• Black Death:^[5] Infects its target with a virulent plague that kills mortals or puts vampires into torpor
• ^[6]
  • Animate Host: Raise a number of corpses for a short time to do the vampire's bidding
  • Reaper's Passing: Creates a "near death experience" in the subject of choice
  • Vigor Mortis: Force a recently dead corpse to become your ghoul
• ^[7]
  • The Leper's Gait: Allows the Kindred to cripple an opponent's limb whether they are undead or mortal
  • Sense Death's Imminence: Detect sudden ebbs of life energy which occurs when things die
• Plague Wind:^[8] Summon a deadly wind that steals the life from everything in the area

References

• DAV: Dark Ages: Vampire Rulebook, p. 190
• DAV: Players Guide to High Clans, p. 193-197
• DAV: Dark Ages Storyteller Companion, p. 41
• VTM/cMET: Laws of Elysium, p. 150-151

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^  Level 1

Masque of Death

Vampire: The Dark Ages

Pg. 152

^  Level 2

Blight

Vampire: The Dark Ages

Pg. 152

^  Level 3

Awaken

Vampire: The Dark Ages

Pg. 152

^  Level 4

Death's Whisper

Vampire: The Dark Ages

Pg. 152

^  Level 5

Black Death

Vampire: The Dark Ages

Pg. 153

^  Level 6

Vigor Mortis	Vampire: The Dark Ages	Pg. 153
Reaper's Passing	Clanbook: Cappadocian	Pg. 41
Animate Host	Dark Ages Companion	Pg. 84

^  Level 7

The Leper's Gait	Clanbook: Cappadocian	Pg. 41
Sense Death's Imminence	Dark Ages Companion	Pg. 84
Sense Death's Imminence	Laws of Elysium	Pg. 150

^  Level 8

Plague Wind	Dark Ages Companion	Pg. 85
Plague Wind	Laws of Elysium	Pg. 151