Editing Vampire: The Masquerade (section)

==Age==
'''Fledgling:''' After the immediate Embracing of a mortal, the victim will become a Fledgling. The newly turned vampire must be able to stabilize The Beast within before gaining status. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the Sire to ensure that the Childe is even worthy of the Embrace. When the vampire has at least passed through the initial stages of vampiric existence and no longer needs the protection of the Sire, the Fledgling will often be viewed as a Neonate.

That's the idea, anyway. Not every sire & childe has this relationship, though. Some sires, mostly Gangrel and Brujah, just embrace their childer and then abandon them.  For the Gangrel this is sort of a sink or swim initiation for the gift they've given; if a Gangrel childe proves themselves a survivor their sire might take them in.  The same cannot be said of the Brujah, who are simply the deadbeat parent trailer trash of the vampire world.

'''Neonate:''' A Neonate is a recently embraced vampire that has passed through the initial stages of vampiric existence, the fledgling stage. It is the sire's responsibility to ensure that the childe does not embarrass itself or its sire in vampiric society. Derogatorily, a neonate is often called a whelp.

Neonates are generally lightly involved in the true machinations of undead society. They aren't powerful enough to really matter, and are consequently used primarily as pawns by their elders. Conversely, they still have an investment in the mortal world of the 21st century and are less likely to adhere to the feudal character of vampiric society.

'''Ancillae:''' Ranking below the elders but above neonates, the ancillae (sing. ancilla) are vampires who have proven themselves as valuable members of Kindred society. Certain ambitious younglings may achieve the rank prematurely. Ancillae often serve as aides and agents for elders or the court. Ancillae usually play their own power games as well, though these are of lesser consequence than the manipulations of the elders.

Due to the huge increase in world population over the past few centuries, the vast majority of vampires in the world are ancillae or neonates.

'''Elder:''' While there is no strict definition, one normally must be at least two centuries old, with appreciable claims to domain or a variety of other assets and far removed from their mortal past to qualify.

The choices and sacrifices they have made in order to survive so long instills a degree of amorality and slow caution; it is not unusual for elders to design plans that take decades or centuries before coming to fruition. Such beings are often cold, if not monstrous, and focused completely on their own interests and well-being, though a rare few struggle to maintain their human sentiments.

There is a long-standing cycle of jealousy, contempt and resentment between elder and younger vampires, being especially pronounced between sires and their childer. Elders often use their greater power and influence to oppress those younger than them out of fear of being outnumbered and because most vampires of such age believe they know what's best in the same way that mortal elders feel that theirs is the better way. Younger vampires naturally chafe under such treatment and grow jealous and resentful of the elders' positions and power. It was this cauldron of emotions that gave rise to the Anarch Revolt and all things thereafter.

Typically, elders of Europe are much older than those across the Atlantic Ocean. Most of the time Elders are the oldest active vampires in undead society.

'''Methuselah:''' A Methuselah is a fourth or fifth Generation elder who has existed for at least a millennium or more. Many of these elders are generally old enough to have known their clan Antediluvian personally, and usually serve as lieutenants in the Jyhad. The term is also used to refer to elders who have very little to do with the Camarilla or Sabbat: their machinations are far deeper, subtle, and terrifying. Methuselahs tend to fall into the borderline unplayable characters for Vampire: they often break the rules as they exist, (e.g., Mithras surviving his diablerie by Monty Coven).

A methuselah has several traits that betray him to those who know what to look after. Their speech is in general tinted with an accent of their native dialect, which, in general, has not survived the centuries. Their unconscious body movement has completely stopped and many could be confused with statues when they do not move. Many have also reached a point where the kine's blood can no longer nourish them, forcing them to feed on other vampires.

These guys have names such as Odin, Nergal, Huitzilopochtli, Cybele, Moloch, [[Baba Yaga]], Byelebog, Enkidu, Mithras, Lazarus, Anath, Wepwawet, Tawaret, Mictlantecuhtli, Abraxes, Azazel, Illuyankas, Echidna, Tiamat and so on. You do the math.

'''[[Antediluvian]]:''' The founders of the Clans, ancient and immensely powerful. Most of them lie in torpor and the major factions fear the Final Days of Gehenna will come when they wake up. Each of them is a world-ending event by themselves. Currently the only active Kindred with Antediluvian levels of power are Augustus Giovanni (who diablerised Cappadocius) and Tremere (Who diablerised Saulot, but failed to properly end him and risks losing his body to him). Their discipline levels are at 10, the absolute highest.

'''Second Generation:''' Caine's childer and the sires of the Antediluvians. Only six have ever been known to exist, and all but one (maybe two?) of them died, whether by their own hands or killed by the Antediluvians when they rebelled. Zillah, Caine's wife, was turned into a bleeding salt pillar by her husband and apparently still unlives. Also, according to the Azaneali, Azaneal was able to cheat death by possessing a Baaali Methuselah. If any of them were still active, their discipline levels would be off the scale, at least at 11.

'''Caine:''' The first Vampire, the First Generation. Nearly as old as humanity itself, cursed by God to roam the earth, drink blood and watch his children kill each other. He is the strongest Kin of all and is completely invincible (Discipline levels off the scale, full access to ALL Disciplines, the ability to reflect any damage done to him seven times harder, you name it). DO NOT fight him, you WILL lose.