Presencia del Espectro

(Animalism •••, Celerity ••, Vigor ••)

This Devotion takes the groundwork laid by Summon the Hunt, and increases it exponentially. Vermin Flood calls every small animal in the neighborhood to swarm en masse and pick apart every little thing in the chosen area. Not only do they feed on living things, but they wipe the space clean. While effective as an assault against groups, it sees some use in cleaning up crime scenes. Unlike Summon the Hunt, this Devotion never appears to be a coincidental event. The Vermin Flood is a plague of biblical proportions. While it tends to stretch the Masquerade, it also causes disbelief in onlookers. Those in the swarm do not survive to tell the tale.

This Devotion costs 4 Experiences to learn

Cost: 10 Vitae
Dice Pool: Presence + Animal Ken + Animalism
Action: Instant

To activate this devotion, the vampire must spread her Vitae over an area no larger than a small house or an alleyway. Once activated, every animal of Size 2 or lower immediately swarms with the speed and intensity of the vampire’s Celerity and Vigor (persistent effects only). This includes any vermin, cats, birds, and insects. They wash over the area, tearing, chewing and destroying. Everything in the area but the vampire takes lethal damage equal to the vampire’s Animalism dots each turn. This ignores any non-magical armor. Characters moving in the swarm move at half Speed. The vermin will not leave the affected area for the remainder of the scene. Only a very large fire will slow the swarm, and even then, only in the area aflame.