By Jay Knioum (madafro@trip.net)
In fact, the only way most beings, be they Kine, Kindred or otherwise, know of the Manticore is by myths, which tell of a monster with the body of lion, the head of a man (or woman), and a scorpion's tail tipped with many sharp quills. According to the legends, the mythical manticore spent its days devouring people.
The word "Manticore" itself is Persian, meaning "man-eater." A more descriptive name could not have been found for these beasts, as few other bloodlines in existence embrace the Beast more than these. To feed on the flesh of humans (and occasionally, other Kindred) is the driving force of the Manticores. Some are wily tricksters, challenging their prey to games of wits and cunning, with loss meaning death in the Manticore's jaws. Others are slavering monsters that ruthlessly prey upon those who won't be missed. Still others are calculating businessfolk, forging empires in the trade of human flesh. Almost all Manticores are heartless killers of one kind or another; at least that is what those few who know of this bloodline believe.
The Manticores have existed on the periphery of Kindred and Kine society throughout the ages. In the ancient times, these vampires were cocky and reveled in the human blood they spilled and flesh they ate. These feasts often drew reactions ranging from superstitious rituals designed to keep the beasts at bay to heroic quests for Manticore heads.
In modern times, the Manticore are more cautious, and frequently turn to more subtle ways to sate their hunger. They still rarely deal with other Kindred, but when they do embroil themselves in Clan politics or Sabbat activities, they have proven to be cunning, capable allies and implacable foes. Modern Manticores are masters of riddles and almost insane Machiavellian schemes. One must remember, however, that a Manticore's first duty is to her Hunger, and no ally of is so valuable as to be inedible.
Mythology from India, Malaysia and many other countries attests to the sudden and complete disappearance of a person as evidence of a Manticore's presence. The ravenous bloodline does not merely drink the blood of their victims: they devour them whole before the flesh turns cold. A Manticore is capable of digesting almost anything, but only living flesh actually provides nourishment (in the form of Blood Points). Thus, a Manticore typically wolfs down a victim entirely -- clothes, hairpieces, jewelry, everything.
Many Cainites who have dealt with a Manticore have learned that these creatures do not think like other vampires. No matter how polished they may seem, Manticores are driven by their hunger and by the sheer pleasure they take at eating the flesh of men and Kindred both. They are not above Blood Bonding vampires or creating and keeping ghouls for the sole purpose of devouring them later. Whereas many vampires spend their unlives trying to beat back the spectre of their Beast, the Manticores almost befriend their darker urges.
The Manticores may gain non-clan Disciplines only by use of a level 6 Satyralis power, Food of the Gods, which temporarily grants the Manticore some of the Disciplines of any Kindred she has devoured completely. The generation required to use Food of the Gods, coupled with the Manticore's love of "fine dining" on rare cuisine, make this line a natural candidate for the practice of Diablerie. Lower-generation Cainites are considered the greatest of delicacies, even greater than mortal royalty. This tendency to devour Western vampires, but leave Cathayans untouched further endears them to the Kuei-jin, and the latter frequently employ Manticores to hunt down the hated Kin-jin within their cities.
The Cainite clans that have held the most extensive dealings with the Manticores have been the Assamites, the Followers of Set, the Tzimisce and the Baali. Particularly during the time of the Crusades, the Assamites were happy to form uneasy alliances with the Maneaters, using them as shock troops against the hated European Kindred. Even so, they gave these monsters a wide berth, and their alliances never lasted long.
In the east, particularly Malaysia, India and Indonesia where these vampires are most numerous, the Manticores occasionally come into contact with Kuei-jin, or Cathayan vampires. Strangely enough, Manticores and Kuei-jin are much more civil to each other than are maneaters and other Cainites. It is not unheard of for Manticores to live within Eastern cities under the thrall of local Mandarins. The maneaters simply agree to leave alone the mortals under the control/protection of specific Kuei-jin Courts, and in return, the Courts give them permission to hunt.
Such arrangements are mostly struck in large cities such as Hong Kong, Bangkok and Shanghai. Manticores in these places are frequently involved in the illegal slave trade, both as dealers and customers. Bangkok in particular has one of the highest concentrations of Manticores anywhere in the world, almost twenty or so plying the flesh-trade under the watchful eyes of the local Mandarins. Arrangements like this are rare in the extreme, for Manticores are fiercely territorial and will usually fall upon each other like dogs when one maneater intrudes on another's territory. Indeed, it may well be the controlling influence of the Cathayans that holds the Manticores together in this way.
Contributing to the "civilized" relationship between Kuei-jin and Manticores is the fact that Kuei-jin are distasteful to the maneaters as food. A Cathayan is the absolute last thing in the world that a Manticore will try to devour, and then only if starving and frenzied. The reasons why are unknown even to the Manticores themselves, but those who study such things theorize that the P'o soul of a Kuei-jin is like poison to a Manticore.
(In game terms, if a Manticore devours a Kuei-jin, he will gain Blood Points equal to the victim's total Chi rating, but will lose one level from temporary Willpower equal to the victim's P'o rating. This Willpower is considered "tainted" by the P'o, and will return at the rate of one level per night)
As for the Kuei-jin themselves, many see the Manticores as useful pawns among the Cainites. The maneaters highly prize Kin-jin (Kindred) flesh, making them effective at hunting down Western vampires in the Kuei-jin domains. Yang-imbalanced Cathayans, certain Thrashing Dragons in particular, find much common ground with these sensualistic vampires. Even so, the relationship between Manticores and Kuei-jin can hardly be described as friendship. The Maneaters learned long ago that the tolerant attitudes shown by some Cathayans are not universal to them.
Many modern Manticores consider themselves "gourmets" of flesh, and often they will adopt a Selective Digestion mindset. Some Manticores will only feed on the upper class. By and large, the more educated, skilled or inaccessible a mortal (or even a Cainite) is, the more appetizing it is to a Manticore. It is rumored among those who know of the Manticore line that at least one presidential assassination was committed in the interests of a maneater's palate.
Even though Manticores enjoy the flesh of vampires, they do not dine foolishly. Many Manticores have learned to secure permission before making a meal of a Cainite, as they wait expectantly for some poor vampire to anger his elders. The quickest way to "invite" a Manticore or two to a city is to call a Blood Hunt.
The Caitiff, perhaps, have the most to fear from this bloodline's cannibalism. Alone in the world, without support of a Prince or clan, these vampires are walking entrees to a maneater. Whereas human flesh is the standard sustenance, a Manticore sees vampires as a delicacy.
Most importantly, save for their bottomless appetite for flesh, no two Manticores are alike with regards to preference, prey, or personality.
However, one "typical" Manticore idiosyncrasy is the love of shocking others. These vampires typically behave enigmatically, dress outlandishly, or otherwise engage in behavior designed to "freak the mundanes."
However, with this weakness comes a benefit. The Manticore actually "digests" the entire body of its victim, and gains more Blood Points than normal feeding would yield. When feeding, a Manticore gains 2 additional Blood Points per victim fed upon.
This weakness makes it nearly impossible for a Manticore to keep Herds, unless they are actually livestock. The weakness also makes it harder to escape notice in urban areas.
Otherwise, Manticore appearance and lifestyle will be determined by the vampire's preferred diet. Manticores who dine on the upper class will tend to be refined, well-read, and extravagant; whereas those who feed on the fringes of society will be nothing short of outlandish in appearance.
There are no such thing as absolutes, however. Rarely, two or more Manticores will work together in a setup designed to lure in prey. A group of female Manticores posing as prostitutes is not an unlikely possibility along these lines. There are also rumors of prisons in numerous third-world countries being run exclusively by Manticores and their ghouls.
Such groups are rare in the extreme, and almost always consist of a Manticore and her childer, the only other Manticores that she will be inclined to trust. Even so, such alliances never last more than a few years, if that, and almost always end in frenzied fighting between the Manticores involved.
Regardless of their attitude towards each other, Manticores typically adopt a mercenary mindset with regards to other vampires. Even though they rarely see other Cainites as more than exquisite delicacies, they do find it worthwhile to ally themselves with select Cainites from time to time. Such relationships are wholly dependent on what they do for the Manticore's appetite. If an elder can provide a Manticore with ready victims, the maneater cares little if the benefactor is Camarilla, Anarch, or Sabbat.
The various factions of Cainites, however, have very different views on this bloodline. The Camarilla as a whole despise the Manticores, both for their cannibalism and the Masquerade violations that follow these vampires like storm-crows. However, individual Brujah and Toreador have been known to form strange 'friendships' with these vampires, the former admiring the freedom and attitudes of the line, and the latter fascinated by the sensual natures of these ravenous vampires.
The Manticores find more sympathetic and willing alliances within the Sabbat. In particular, the Tzimisce are probably the closest thing to true allies the maneaters have within this sect, as they have very similar attitudes and an appreciation for pleasures of the flesh. More introspective Fiends are curious as to the similarity between the Manticore discipline of Satyralis and their own Vicissitude.
Even so, they also tend toward those who ignore outside influences such as governments or laws. Of course, Manticore seek out cannibals as potential childer. They also look for serial killers, violent criminals, the insane, sadists, and other such paragons of virtue. Due to these criteria, Manticores usually fit their stereotype nicely.
Even though they must eat their victims completely to gain nourishment, a Manticore is capable of Embracing normally.
Even though Manticores are not involved in clan politics as a bloodline, they do deal with the Clans heavily if their appetites so direct. Given that Kindred flesh is one of the most prized delicacies among Manticores, the cannibalistic clan has become something of a bastion of vampire critics. This extends into their relationships with the other Clans. The Manticores watch their intrigues with amusement, take part where they wish, and feed at leisure. The Manticore line is nothing if not arrogant, and believe that the other clans are quite silly, and dealing with them is usually just a prelude to feasting on them. Manticores refer to relationships with mortals or other Kindred as "playing with one's food."
As for Kuei-jin, the Manticores are more inclined to civility when dealing with the Asian vampires than the Western. The Kuei-jin callousness and disinclination toward humanistic thought goes hand-over-fist with the Manticore mindset. In short, the Cathayan vampires garner more respect in a Manticore's opinion than the Cainites.
Even so, how much a Manticore knows about Kindred/Kuei-jin politics or the existence of other supernatural creatures is completely dependent on that vampire's lifestyle. There is no formal history of this bloodline, and two Manticores are as likely to kill each other as converse, so little shared information results.
The most common Manticore Natures are Loner, Bravo, Thrill-Seeker, Bon Vivant, and Deviant. In addition to these, common Demeanors are Avante-Garde, Gallant, Jester, Conniver, Manipulator, Masochist, Architect, and oddly enough, Child.
Common Merits: Berserker, Self-Confident, Acute Senses (all), Ambidextrous, Eat Food, Natural Linguist, Daredevil, Unbondable, Magic Resistance, Mansion, Nightclub, Corporate and Underworld Ties, Baby Face, Efficient Digestion and Huge Size
Common Flaws: Prey Exclusion, Overconfident, Short Fuse, Phobia, Color Blindness, Illiterate and/or Uneducated (common among Eastern Manticores), Cursed, Taint of Corruption, Can't cross Running Water (very common among this Bloodline), Twisted Upbringing, Diabolic Sire, Notoriety, Enemy, Anachronism, Hunted, Disfigured, Deformity and Monstrous
Barred/Special: Manticores cannot take more than one dot in the Status background. This one dot means only that the Manticore is tolerated within the city, as long as she watches herself.
The Herd Background costs twice the normal amount of points to purchase, due to the requirements on feeding for this bloodline.
The Mentor background costs twice the normal amount of points to purchase, because Manticores are frequently abandoned by their sires after the "childhood" is over. Manticores are loners, through and through.
Ghoulish Stomach
(3 point Merit)
The Manticore may digest a corpse that has been dead for up to a week, bypassing the "still warm" rule. Even so, the maneater only gains half the normal amount of Blood Points from such a feeding. Manticores who exhibit this Merit are derisively called "vultures" by other Maneaters, due to their habit of snatching corpses from morgues or funeral parlors prior to embalming.
Connoisseur
(2 pt. Merit)
The vampire is able to deduce precise ethnic background, exact age, gender (if not obvious), and the general emotional state of targets just by smelling or observing them for a few minutes. The Manticore is allowed a Perception + Alertness roll with a difficulty of 8 minus the number of senses the Manticore is able to "experience" subjects with. (Touching the skin, smelling hair, hearing the voice, watching body movement, etc.) This Merit is useful even when only a part of a subject is on hand (lock of hair, recently-worn clothing, etc.) Every success reveals one detail about the subject.
Prey Revulsion
(1-3 point Flaw)
Similar to Prey Exclusion but wider in scope, the Manticore is physically unable to digest a certain class of prey. Such distinction is always species- or race-based, not societal or based on the vampire's attitude. For example, a Manticore with this Flaw may be totally unable to devour Garou (1 point), humans (2 points) or mammals entirely (3 point flaw). If a Manticore tries to ingest barred prey, only violent sickness results, as if another vampire had tried to eat a cheeseburger. However, Prey Revulsion: the Lower Class is not possible, as such factors are unrelated to biology.
Ghosts of the Devoured
(5 point Flaw)
Some Manticores retain the spirits of those they prey upon, acting as an unwilling anchor for their victim's ghosts. Every time the vampire devours another creature, she is considered to be haunted by that creature's ghost (as the Haunted flaw) for a number of nights equal to the amount of Blood Points the Manticore gained from that feeding. Such spirit-plagued Manticores are typically insane, or well on their way, plagued incessantly by many ghosts at once.
Pangs
(5 point Flaw)
Some Manticores periodically, inexplicably awaken during day-sleep into a ravenous frenzy, whereupon they explode from their chamber and devour the first living thing they come across. Once sated, they immediately fall asleep again. This occurs even when the vampire has a full Blood Pool, but never more than once in a day. Such "midday snacks" cause no end of trouble for these vampires, to say nothing of their poor servants. Wise retainers learn to keep a victim chained to the wall inside such a master's sleeping chamber, just in case. To see if such a Manticore suffers a Pang on a given day, roll one die. If the number is equal to or higher than the Manticore's Humanity rating, she awakens in a frenzy of bloodlust.