Cultivar
Horticultural science defines a cultivar as a plant selected intentionally and carefully shaped and maintained through cultivation. Such are those called who are singled out and shaped by Nerissa Blackwater to be agents of the Ancestor, working to uproot the Cannibals — descendants of Caine — and establish a New Garden upon the broken shells of the first. Some vampires and some mortals dangle the tantalizing prospect of stability, of an ancient power, a pathway to enlightenment for Kindred who have lost faith in all factions.
| • | Dark Seedling: The legends of the Dark Mother always appealed to you, but perhaps you were too intimidated to openly approach one of the Bahari. Now, though, your new associates have put you onto something that makes sense, feels real. They are tapped into something powerful and that’s worth getting to know. Once per story you may use two dots in Allies: Cultivars representing mortal cultists who come to your aid. |
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| • • | Fresh Cutting: Under the sponsorship of a current Cultivar, you are tested, pushed to your limits, and forced beyond them. At this stage, it is expected that you regularly engage in some sort of mortification of the flesh — scarification, scourging, even passing a candle flame over your skin. You gain a free Skill Specialty in Occult, with that Specialty being Bahari, Lilith, or the Ancestor, and a ritual scar to mark your membership in the cult, conveying one dot in Status: Cultivar. |
| • • • | Suppressing the Beast: Hunting mortals brings you near-constant misery, but you are forbidden from feeding upon animals. Thankfully, your sponsor gives you access to feeding grounds where mortals in pursuit of the Mother’s wisdom spill their blood in service to her and, as a kindness, allow you, a curse-carrier, to consume it. This grants you a three-dot Herd. You also gain a one-dot Haven you can access once per story, in the form of a cultist’s home. You may never again feed from animals, however. |
| • • • • | Newly Made Initiate: One month spent on a private yacht, 150 miles out into the waters of Lake Michigan, enduring night after night of searing torment and delirium-induced visions earns you the title of Initiate. You enjoy elevated status and are now a guide for others on the path. As an Initiate, you enjoy Status: Cultivar (•••). Once per story, you may use an additional two dice on a Willpower roll when calling to mind the harsh fasting endured during your month on water. |
| • • • • • | Jewel in the Garden: Three drops of a methuselah’s blood now sing fiercely within your veins, granting you visions, leaving you in no doubt: The Mother will return. Whether this vitae came from the Ancestor, Nerissa, or some other source is a matter to interpret from your vision-addled daydreams. You are expected to maintain your own Garden — be that a physical space with growing things or a more figurative interpretation — and come when summoned by the Ancestor or the Blackwaters. As a Jewel, you receive an additional four dice on rolls to resist frenzy due to the harmony of your inner Eden.. |