Avus

At Blood Potency 4, a character may align himself with an existing bloodline to which his sire doesn’t belong. The character must belong to the bloodline’s parent clan, however. For instance, a Ventrue could become a Malkovian, or a Gangrel could join the Bruja, but a Nosferatu could never become a Morbus, nor could a Mekhet join the Burakumin.

Normally, a character needs the permission and patronage of a vampire who is already a member of that bloodline to join it. This patron is known as the Avus ^[1] (from the Latin for “grandfather”). When the Kindred seeks to join the bloodline, she must drink at least one Vitae from the Avus (though drinking at least a point of Vitae from any member of the bloodline will suffice, including acts of diablerie…), so that she knows what mystic form she must force her blood to take. Cruel, domineering or overly careful Avuses occasionally subject their proxy “childer” to Vinculums, just to be sure that no later treachery occurs. At no time does the Avus directly become a blood-relation to the Kindred in question (unless he already is…). The Avus is not subject to blood ties or blood sympathy as described on p. 162-163 (again, unless he already is). Without the support of an Avus it is almost impossible for a Kindred to join a bloodline to which she is not directly connected or that she creates on her own.

Becoming part of the Avus’ bloodline allows a character access to that bloodline’s Discipline (which thereafter counts as a fourth “clan Discipline”) and also bestows upon her that bloodline’s weakness (which complements her existing clan weakness).

Joining the Avus’ bloodline requires the expenditure of a Willpower dot on the character’s part, and the expenditure of a Willpower point and at least one Vitae on the Avus’ part.