WEDNESDAY, JULY 28 Bonds of Love (and Power) – The Vinculum, also called the blood bond, is supposedly the closest the Kindred can feel to love. Created by drinking three times from a single Kindred's Vitae, the Vinculum is sheer devotion imposed by the Blood, a false love that fills the victim's every thought. At this point, the vampire has become regnant (or master) over the drinker, commonly called the thrall. The power of the Vinculum is so strong that it can protect to some extent against mental Disciplines used to turn thrall against regnant. While Kindred poets cite the two vampiric lovers who bond each other, the Vinculum is often used for a more sinister purpose. A vampire can use the Vinculum to turn a thrall into a hopelessly devoted slave, be it mortal or vampire. It's hard for a thrall to even think of an action which might harm her regnant. Resistance to the bond is usually futile, but not always. Only on the third drink can the players of weak-blooded Kindred make a roll to resist the full effects – and it requires an exceptional success to do so. Kindred of higher Blood Potency have a better chance, however. It is possible for Kindred of higher Blood Potency than the consumed Vitae to resist the power of the blood bond at any stage. By spending a point of Willpower, the more potent Kindred's player can make a roll to resist, but success only prevents the next level of setting in. Any false feelings from the previous drink don't go away. Failure means the Willpower is lost and the next step toward the Vinculum sets in. |