FORAY The Souleaters Revisited

The Souleaters Revisited An Alternate Vision of Terror If you are convinced that the souleaters are a strange extradimensional alien being bent upon destroying this universe, and that is just fine with you, then perhaps these words are not meant for you. But if you are ready to hear the truth, to examine the possibilities of an agenda more close to home, more dangerous to the longterm stability of the Sabbat, the Tzimisce and even the Camarilla, perhaps you will stay and listen to my tales awhile.

My name is Szlachta and yeah I know you say that's just what the Tzimisce call their ghouls, but I've never known any other name. That's just me, the Szlachta. I have now served three different masters, and this is perhaps why I can give this information. Please reward me well, I come cheap you know, just a bit of your fine blood, if you please. Please. Thththllllllllllppppttt. Oh, thank you.

As I was saying, sir-madam, I have served three masters. My first master was the late lady Tatiana Mzelovic. A beautiful, more kind master I have never known. She was an artist at the flesh, and I am living proof of that. See here, look this claw is her handiwork. Yes, I know my other masters have reworked a lot of her design, but they have not improved me. She made me perfect.

As she worked hard, late into the morning to craft others of my kind, in some sort of search for her masterpiece, she seemed to grow rather detached from the world. I feared for her mind, as she often did not seem like my master at all. It was then that I heard rumors from the others that they had heard of masters who had their souls consumed, who had become truly some sort of monster. I could not let that befall my master, so I went to seek aid from her sire. And let me tell you, the lord Pietrov never seemed so interested in my missives. He came at once.

Alas, he came to destroy my master. His vozhds laid waste to us, and I was torn quite nearly to bits. I witnessed him bend to extinguish lady Tatiana, and heard him utter, "It is such a loss, that the souleaters have taken you. I am sorry my childe." And he began to feed. It was then that I saw it. A great mass of blood slithered out of the lady and enveloped the lord Pietrov. It was gone before I was even sure that my dangling eyes were seeing the truth. But then Pietrov mysteriously decided to stay. The lady's haven became his haven, and we became his szlachta. And I could see the eyes of the changed lady who was not my master within the changed lord who was no longer Pietrov. I was frightened, but there was nothing I could do.

I served the lord for a number of years before an old Tzimisce whom I must not name came to call. In a ferocious battle, one that slew the mighty vozhd of Pietrov and yet again left me in tatters, the old one slew Pietrov and burned him. He gathered us up as the Tzimisce are often wont to do when they have vanquished their foes. We szlachta go where we are told. I still mourned the loss of my lady, and bore Pietrov no real love anyway, and thus it is perhaps that the old one related to me the news that my master and her killer had both fallen prey to the invasion of a souleater.

"Of course," he said, "there is much rumor and misinformation about the souleaters, undoubtedly spread by themselves to confuse the truth. Though I am sure that they would far rather that we not know of their existence at all. There are those who were close the founder, who were bereaved by his death at the hands of the anarchs. They went mad with grief and have sworn vengeance. And believe me, ones as old as they are not to be taken lightly. Their kind has learned to insinuate their bodies using the transformation arts [Vicissitude] into the bodies of others. This has allowed them to possess the very bodies and souls of their victims. Beware, for anyone could be under their thrall, and they are mad for the blood of the founders killers. They would sacrifice anything. Even the world."

The souleaters are not some alien creature, as previously suspected. In actuality, they are merely Tzimisce elders who were bound closely to their Antediluvian and despaired upon his apparent death. They are unaware of the fact that he has reformed again even from ashes, though some of them suspect the possibility. In a mockery of the very blood rituals being practiced by the newfound Sabbat, the Soul Eaters swore oaths of blood to avenge Tzimisce by any means necessary, and their leaders revealed secrets of great power.

Soul Eater, Dominate 5/Vicissitude 7
Vampires with sufficient levels of these two Disciplines can learn this ability if they can find a suitable teacher amongst the Soul Eaters. Of course this is difficult, given that the potential student must convince the Soul Eaters of his undying desire to avenge the destruction of theTzimisce antediluvian. Use of this power requires that the attacker touch the victim. It allows the Soul Eater to fuse his body with the victim and achieve control exactly as he would a mortal Possessed using the the Dominate discipline. The attack requires a Manipulation plus Body Alteration roll with a difficulty equal to the target's Stamina plus Fortitude. Three successes or more mean that the Soul Eater has successfully entered the the victim's body and can begin to possess him exactly as if her were a mortal. A botch at any point in the effort to take over means that the Soul Eater has been rejected and is forced out of the victim. Once a Soul Eater has successfully entered a body, there is little the victim can do but fight the Possession.
If a Possessed victim is ever killed, the Soul Eater is also forcibly ejected from the body. Of course the Soul Eater may always surrender control and leave on their own accord. While in control of a body, a Soul Eater has the physical attributes of the victim, including Health, Strength, Stamina, Dexterity and Appearance. All other abilities and powers must come from the Soul Eater's self, as he has no access to his victim's memories during the period of possession.