Beast's Communion

Discipline Techniques

Animalsim 3, Auspex 4

Favored by the Illuminated, this ability enables the vampire to force another Caintie's Beast to the fore, there to share the consciousness with the higher self, and compel it to speak through the rational human mind in a manner comprehensible to reasoning beings. When occupying the consciousness with a Cainite's reasoning mind, the Beast is given a voice by which its otherwise alien lusts can be known. the Beasts of different clans are, as a rule, very different in their miens. A Ravnos' Beast is a sly, cunning thing, while a Nosferatu's is base and wretched, and a Brujah's brutal and proud, for example. Whatever the Cainite's clan, however, his Beast is compelled to speak like a person of whatever intelligence the Cainte subjected to this technique himself possesses.

System: Spend a point of Willpower and roll Manipulation + Intimidation (difficulty of the subject's Willpower). If successful, spend a blood point (which lures out the subject's Beast). At this time, both parties engage in an opposed Self-Control/Instinct roll (both against a difficulty of the other's Willpower). If the subject wins, then her Beast retreats, knowing that something is amiss, and cannot be ensnared for at least another full lunar month. If the Prodigal wins, the subject's Beast is locked into his rational mind for a number of turns equal to the number of successes scored in the initial manipulation + Intimidation roll, incapable of freeing itself and retreating back into the depths of the consciousness. During this time, the Beast must truthfully answer any questions put to it in a reasoning manner (though it may bluster and seek to mislead, it cannot freely engage in brutality or outright deception). The Beast remembers actions undertaken during past frenzies with absolute clarity. Likewise, it knows when outside influences previously forced it to the fore, whether or not the Cainite himself is aware of such. Note that, while a Cainite may be willing to submit to the use of this power, the Beast always attempts to resist imprisonment within the sane mind, meaning that no vampire can freely relent to the use of Beast's Communion (in other words, all the above rolls are necessary every time.

While a Beast is compelled to speak with reason and intelligence, its reasons for doing what it does are often simplistic and monstrous. Asking a Toreador's Beast, for example, why it slew that Cainite's loveliest and most favored ghoul during frenzy, might result in the answer of, "I hated her and her pretty face." Particularly intense sessions of communion with the Beast (a conversation which the rational mind of the Cainite is perfectly aware of) can actually help to bring on a moment of truth, as well as to unravel mysteries left buried in the throes of frenzy and to discern the motivations behind its actions. A Cainite may not use this power upon herself.

Experience Cost: 28