Coils of the Dragon

The Coils of the Dragon are part of the Great Work of the Ordo Dracul, whereby the Dragons transform themselves to transcend their vampiric state. Within the Ordo Dracul, one's progress in mastering the Coils is a primary determinate of one's rank and title.

Learning Coils

Coils of the Dragon are literal changes to the being of a Kindred. To make use of a Coil requires three steps: study, preparation, and the ritual.

To begin study a Slave, the lowest rank of Dragon, must find a master willing to teach her. This is likely to be a low ranking ancilla or perhaps a learned neonate, who knows the Coil. Study can take weeks, years, or decades depending on the ability of the student, the willingness of the master, and the inherent difficulty of the Coil itself.

Once the student understands the elements of the Coil, the theory behind the change and the actual results, they must make preparations for altering themselves. The longer preparation period, in general, the better the chances of the student succeeding. Masters (ones who want their student to succeed) advise their students to alter their lifestyle to get ready for the Coil's effects. Generally changing ones' routine is helpful as kindred are creatures of static existence which is the opposite of the Order's ideals. Changing minor things opens the mind and body to the greater change of the Coil.

When the ritual, in whatever form it takes, finally comes, the vampire enters a trance like state of near torpor where their mind is able to make the proper changes to their body. This is a very dangerous time for the student because they may make a mistake. Results of a mistake can range from simple failure to lasting physical damage, or even total lose of the mind, leaving nothing but a frenzying beast.

Common Coils

Coil of Blood

The Hunger is an essential part of the vampiric condition, one which this Coil helps ameliorate.^[1]

First Tier: Blood Seeps Slowly: The Dragon requires less Vitae to arise.

Second Tier: Blood of Beasts: The Dragon is no longer subject to the feeding restrictions of Blood Potency.

Third Tier: Perspicacious Blood: The Dragon gains greater sustenance from each feeding.

Coil of Banes

Fire and Sunlight stir the Beast and bring Final Death. A Dragon who undergone chrysalis through the Coil of Banes reduces these risks. ^[1]

First Tier: Conquer the Red Fear: The Kindred is less vulnerable to Rotschreck from the triggers of fire and sunlight.

Second Tier: Surmounting the Daysleep: Through an effort of will the Kindred may remain awake throughout the daylight hours.

Third Tier: Sun's Forgotten Kiss: In twilight the vampire may visit the sun with far less pain and injury.

Coil of the Beast

The Beast seeks constantly to subsume the Man, and so the Dragon transforms themselves to master the Beast. ^[1]

First Tier: Chastise the Beast: An act of will can now resists any Frenzy.

Second Tier: Lure the Beast: The Dragon has become proficient at goading their beast and riding the wave.

Third Tier: Exhaust the Beast: Even the Beast cannot rage constantly, and the Dragon has learned the limits of their Beast, letting it run free for a time so that it will remain quiet the rest of the night.

Coil of the Flesh

The body of a Kindred has changed in many ways from its mortal days, limiting their ability to interact with the kine. One transformed by this coil has reformed their body to a closer semblance of mortality.^[2]

First Tier: The Man Wakes: Torpor keeps the Dragon from the realm of mortals by stripping years from their experience. At this tier the Kindred's Blood Potency is considered reduced for the purpose of determining the length of her torpid sleep.

Second Tier: A Taste of Life: Through the power of their Vitae, the Kindred may invoke the blush of health and the ability to eat food.

Third Tier: The Face of Man: Such a simple thing as the growth of hair and nails, markers of time the living take for granted. At this tier the Kindred may use their Vitae to simulate this passage of time. Furthermore, they more easily leave traces in recordings and the like.

Coil of the Soul

The degeneration to Draugr has many steps, and many losses along the way. This less common Coil addresses maintaining the spirit in the face of degeneration.^[2]

First Tier: Enliven the Face: Normally Kindred are limited in their interactions with mortals by their Humanity, a part of their innate connection to the subtle cues, connections, and social standards of the world. At this tier the Kindred has refined their connection to mortality for the purposes of social interactions.

Second Tier: Salve the Mind: Along with the degeneration of the spirit often comes the derangement of the mind. Through an act of will the vampire gains an extra chance to stave off the damage to the psyche that follows the loss of Humanity.

Third Tier: Quiet the Soul: Once afflicted by the derangements of degeneration, further pursuit of the Great Work may be hampered. By focusing their will, the Dragon may quiet the derangements they have acquired since their Embrace.

The Coils of Slumbers

An unusual rarity among mechanics in the World of Darkness, there are two distinct coils which share one name. These are the Coils of Slumbers; one is an elder technique, believed to be quite old^[3]; the other is known to be quite new, the work of a Dragon named Jacob Skinner^[4]. It is not impossible for two distinct things to accidentally gain the same name (such as the Xiao), though it is unlikely that any Dragon would choose to take both, as they are both meant to stave off the effects of torpor, and difficult to recognize as two separate coils.

The Ancient Coil of Slumbers

First Tier (Awakening the Beast): Allows the owner of this coil, upon torpor, to more easily awaken prematurely or voluntarily from the extended rest.

Second Tier (Planned Emergence): Lets the user set a certain condition that, once he voluntarily enters torpor, if the condition is fulfilled, he will awaken before the full length of torpor.

Third Tier (Slumber's Conservation): Slows the automatic consumption of Vitae while in torpor, allowing the Dragon to awaken without going into a feeding frenzy.

Skinner's Coil of Slumbers

First Tier (The Sleep of Early Years): Shortens the duration of torpor, allowing it to be calculated as though the Kindred possesses 2 extra dots of Humanity.

Second Tier (Denial of Morpheus): Premature awakening is normally only possible during voluntary torpor, but, with this coil, the user may attempt to awaken prematurely from involuntary torpor.

Third Tier (Stir the Blood): Shortens the duration of torpor even more, as if the Dragon has only half the blood potency he actually possesses.

Apocryphal and Uncommon Coils

Anoushka's Ladder

It can be very difficult for Kindred to retain their Humanity, flawed as they are; this coil specifically relates to staying at the top of the Humanity ladder; it cannot be used below Humanity 8.^[2]

• First Rung (Rise Above Thirst): Allows a vampire of Humanity 8 or higher to spend less Vitae to rise in the evening; it must be spent only once per week, rather than once per day.
• Second Rung (Divorce the Clan): Nullifies both clan and bloodline weaknesses for those of Humanity 9 or higher; however, should the user prove themselves to be a member of their clan or bloodline by using disciplines, the weakness returns for one day and one night.
• Third Rung (Open the Cage): Carries the Beast away from a Dragon of Humanity 10 or higher, allowing them to ignore frenzy in all instances.

Way of the Locust

Some Dragons seek to overcome the vampiric curses no matter what the cost; the Way of the Locust takes this to extremes, masking the nature of the user by covering their soul with the diablerized soul of a human. ^[2]

• First Tier (Soul Mask) The human's soul provides a normal aura for the Locust, and their reflection and appearance in pictures or film restores to normal.
• Second Tier (Marrow of the Spirit): Imbues the Locust with a semblance of the person they diablerized, becoming eerily like how that person was in life; this allows the user to more effectively socialize with those the person knew.
• Third Tier (Echo of the Soul): The Locust knows every piece of information the person knew, be it small details about their life, or important passwords and plans, though aspects as complex as skills and abilities cannot be mimicked.

Treasures of the Mae Ji

The Sakadagami, also known as the Children of the Naga, are a covenant-like group of Kindred established centuries ago in Thailand. They, like the Ordo Dracul, seek to escape their condition, and, as a result, have developed a variant of the Coils known as the Treasures of the Mae Ji. Three of these Treasures are identical to existing Coils, but one is unique to the Sakadagami. Whether other Coils may be taken as Treasures, or Upadana may be taken as a Coil, is up to the Storyteller's discretion. ^[5]

• Tahna or Blood Thirst

Same as the Coil of Blood

• Anicca or Setting Back Impermanence

Same as the Coil of Banes

• Dukkha or Suffering the Beast

Same as the Coil of the Beast

• Upadana or Loose the Bonds of Attachment

First Tier: Mind like an Open Sore

By spending a point of Willpower, the Sakadagami's blood causes no addiction, and she receives a bonus towards avoiding blood addiction from others.

Second Tier: Mind Like a Flash of Lightning

Greatly reduces the duration of Vinculi that the player causes and is subjected to, down to a rate of one month per step.

Third Tier: Mind Like a Diamond

Masks the user's bloodline and clan, making it impossible to discern that information from their blood alone.