The Exegesis is the Agoniste’s ritual of exploration,
through which the members of the line enter the mystic,
transformative sleep. Those Kindred who wish to join the
line must endure the Exegesis to change their Vitae and
finalize their entry. Agonistes seeking to learn this and
other ritual Devotions of the bloodline must undergo
the Exegesis each time.
Through the lucid torpor induced by this Devotion, the
vampire gains a better sense of the Kindred condition.
Agonistes planning to undergo lengthy torpors to thin
the blood universally seek another vampire of the line to
perform the ritual on them, and an Agoniste so treated
suffers no torpid nightmares and is only weakly affected
by the Fog of Eternity. An Agoniste only gains this advantage
in a torpor entered into through this power. This
power has no effect on vampires outside of the bloodline,
but the ritualism that surrounds the Exegesis may help
peacefully lower a willing vampire into torpor.
There are Agonistes who make a point of declaring
the number of times they have experienced the Exegesis
to one another. Some wear a coded mark or series of
marks on their body (or flesh) to make the declaration
clear to all observers, while others are more subtle in
their approach. The declaration becomes something
of a badge of honor, indicating one’s superior will to
plumb the depths of torpor and retrieve the lost secrets
of the Kindred. Lying about the number of attempts or
otherwise exaggerating when discussing the Exegesis is
considered extremely distasteful to all self-respecting
members of the line.
