D U S K B O R N
“Though we’re not responsible for where we come from, we are responsible for where we go. We are more than just our conditioning. We are capable of growth and change.” ― Tyler HenryClassification: Vampire/Human Hybrid
AKA: Thin Bloods, Licks, Run-Off, Chameleons
Origin: While some ancients want people to believe that the Duskborn are a new phenomenon, they have been around for thousands of years. Vampire history is full of Kindred who claimed to be a day walker, or that they could eat food. Some have even claimed to father children. Regardless of their amount of time on this earth most vampires look down on their thin blooded comrades. They are most often seen as a curse on the sire who made them, evidence of weak blood, or a botched siring. Many vampires can't understand why a sire would ever want a Duskborn, and some don't even see the potential in letting them live. Still, more and more Duskborn are made each year, and some see them as a sign that the end times are nigh, and that the sleeping Antediluvians will rise to consume the Duskborn during Gehenna.
Appearance: Duskborn have appearances as wide and varied as humans do. That being said, Duskborn tend to be young, under 250 years of age. There are only a few known Duskborn older than 500. Duskborn normally dress in the radical fashions of the day and range from
fashion forward to punk, goth, and hipster. Piercings and tattoos are common.
Creation: A Duskborn is made exactly like a full blooded vampire, through the embrace, or siring as some call it. Any vampire, no matter how powerful, can end up with a Duskborn. The older and more powerful the vampire the less likely they will end up with a Duskborn, unless the siring is incomplete or botched. Duskborn can sometimes not sire at all, but those who can ALWAYS make another Duskborn. A Duskborn's blood is not potent enough to sire a full vampire. That being said, Duskborn can become full vampires through Diablerie.
Lifespan: Immortal; the same as full blooded vampires. This is the one trait shared by all Duskborn. They are forever the age they were as a human. Unlike vampires, Duskborn grow hair and nails, and so hair can be cut and grow back. This may not be true of every Duskborn.
Characteristics: Duskborn display a variety of characteristics and are highly varied as a species. However, they tend to range from almost still human, a perfect split between human and Kindred, to almost full vampire, with very few human traits remaining. How vampire or human your character is will effect their powers and abilities.
Powers and Abilities: Powers and abilities are broken down into the benefits of humanity and the limited vampire powers Duskborn might possess. Duskborn are unique in what they can do, but have only limited potential as vampires. It is recommended that for each weakness/limitation your character has, to have an equal number of powers and abilities.
Human Abilities:Day Walking - While Duskborn are more resistant to the sun's effects than normal vampires, some have the ability to walk in the sun outright. They still burn, although it often comes out in harsh sunburns and can be prevented with sunblock, hats, and protective clothing. This allows the Duskborn to continue living a human life as they have access to the day. The hotter and brighter the sun, the more they will burn. A heavily overcast day is perfect, as are storming days.
Eat Food - While all Duskborn must consume blood to slake their hunger, some Duskborn retain the ability to eat food and drink liquids and process it the old fashioned way. Food and drink do not nourish them.
Fertility - Male Duskborn can sometimes still father children with human female partners. The child always comes out as a human. Duskborn who can father children cannot successfully create other vampires so human children are their only way to reproduce.
Lifelike - These Duskborn are indistinguishable from humans on a medical exam. Their heart can beat, though slowly, and their temperature, while on the cooler side, is not alarming.
Vampire Abilities: Telepathy - Some Duskborn retain the potential for mental abilities, the most basic of which is telepathy and the ability to send and receive emotions.
Clan Affinity - If sired by one of the thirteen vampire clans, a Duskborn can posses one of their disciplines as a normal vampire power. They can train and learn it at the same rate as other vampires of that clan. If the sire was a Caitiff, they will have an affinity for whatever they are naturally inclined toward.
Celerity - Most Duskborn show some capacity for Celerity, especially as they age. However, they show only the most basic forms of Celerity.
Thick Blooded - Some Duskborn have strong enough vampire blood to create blood bonds and sire another, as a Duskborn. These Duskborn are jokingly called Thick-Bloods. If they are able to sire others, they certainly cannot procreate the natural way.
Liabilities and Weaknesses: For each Duskborn power they have, they also present with an equal number of limitations. They are stuck between two worlds. Below is a list of some liabilities and weaknesses, but feel free to invent your own, keeping things as balanced as possible.
Human Weaknesses:Baby Fangs - Some Duskborn don't manifest fangs sharp enough to pierce human skin. These Duskborn are often nicknamed cutters, because they have to open a wound with a blade. The effect of the bite takes over once the Duskborn begins drinking, and humans react as they normally would from being fed on.
Blood of the Sire - Some Duskborn need to drink from their sire once a week to slake their hunger and keep them balanced. The cost for not being able to do this is normally a loss of all vampire powers until their sire lets them drink. A humiliating flaw.
Mental Deafness - Some Duskborn never develop any mental abilities, even the most basic skills. They cannot receive or communicate telepathic messages, and cannot Dominate, Telekinesis, Auspex, or Obfuscate as their Clan Affinity power. This weakness can also be a strength, for they tend to be 'shielded' from mental communication as well as attacks and mental manipulation.
Mortal Frailty: - The benefits of being more human come with the drawbacks of being human. These Duskborn never develop supernatural resilience and therefore heal as slowly as a human.
Vampire Weaknesses:Bestial Temper - Vampires are known for their inner beast, and while Duskborn are generally less affected by their hunger, this weakness means the Duskborn hungers like a full-blooded vampire. This includes a temper when hungry.
Cursed Bloodline - Some bloodlines are just more pure than others, and Duskborn are rarely anything but pure. Sometimes flaws in the blood show up as weird traits, like aversion to silver, holy symbols, or the need for an invitation to enter a domicile. Often dismissed as folklore, these strange curses seem to leave the Duskborn's pure-blooded cousins alone. This can also be a clan bane if sired by a vampire clan.
Deadbeat: - Duskborn look more like a vampire than a human, and even after feeding find it difficult to flush their cheeks red. These Duskborn feel colder than normal, and look pale. They cannot pass as lifelike.
UV Sensitive - Duskborn's greatest gift is the sun, but some who are closer to full vampires burn at a much faster rate than normal. They will perish after ten minutes in direct sunlight. Like full vampires, they are often bound to the darkness.
Lifestyle: Duskborn can come from all socioeconomic backgrounds and have a variety of lifestyles. All Duskborn know what it is like to be treated differently; it's just a matter of whether they learn this before or after the embrace.
Vampire Interaction: Duskborn can be drunk from by other vampires and be killed through Diablerie. They can also kill a full-blooded vampire through Diablerie and absorb a portion of the fallen vampire's power, making them a full-blooded vampire. They taste watered down compared to full-blooded vampires.
