Notes to the Chronicle of Shadows

   1. This, of course, is the foundation of theThird Tradition of the Camarilla. It is said that the, elder who helped pen the original Traditions (the first time the large body of laws, rules, customs, and guidelines that supposedly governed Kindred was actually codified into a recognizable set of rules) discovered a version of the Chronicle of Shadows that appeared originally as blank pages of parchment but were revealed by smearing vitae over the leaves. The founders of the Camarilla used this "Blood Chronicle" as the foundation of their Traditions.

   2. Our Sabbat brethren, those who revere Caine, say that this is perhaps the only part of the Chronicle of Shadows which actually retains its original meaning. They use it as justification for their diablerie.

   3. The Six Tradition.Again we see the influence of the Book of Nod on the Traditions.

   4. A curious counterpoint, this particular stanza is totally contrary to the Becoming practices of the Malkavian and Nosferatu clans. Of course, these two clans were cursed by Caine originally, and thus it is not contradictory that he include them in his proscriptions.

   5. This stanza has been used a few times throughout the ages as a justification for a Purge of kindred when the population ratio gets to be a bit much. Of course. 1:3 is a generous ratio, but it is frequently left out of a Prince's polemic.

   6. The vampiric werewolf is truly a foul thing indeed. I had a conversation with one (at a distance - he was sedated at the time) and, in addition to his pathetic condition he seemed to be afflicted with a very highly advanced paranoia. He was certain that one of his kind - I can only assume another Abomination - was hunting him, and that the longer my Gangrel friend and I detained him, the shorter his lifespan became.

Whatewer the state of an Abomination, it is true that Lupine blood is both addictive and highly potent, containing obvious dangers to both unlife and limb. I personally take Caine's proscription in this matter quite seriously.

  7.Caine speaks of Mages here. They are inscrutable, but it is known that through their secret rituals they can draw power forth from our very blood. It is also known that they are, all their power aside, merely kine.

   8. It is said that some faeries have special connections to the Kindred. In a tiny Irish village named Withy-by-the-Wash. I spent a lovely evening with a gentleman Malkavian who had found a very quiet niche among the villagers there. He offered me a taste from a jug of "Sidhe blood" as he called it. Whatever the concoction that I imbibed that evening (I was told later that it was cow's blood mixed with special mushrooms found in the nearby forest... but I still wonder) it filled me with the strangest visions and was nearly the death of me! I woke up the next evening, having melded with the earth (by instinct, I imagine) on a hill outside the village. I was naked, with strange blue clay smeared all over my body. A most unusual occurrence.

   9. This is a powerful statement, however short. We see time and time again the tragedy that occurs because Kindred ignore this simple commandment.

   10. Caine's pronouncement in this area gives far reaching powers to any Kindred who claim it. It is the source of a large part of the revealed authority that Kindred claim over the Canaille.

   11. An early counterpart to firefighters. those modern-day knights who guard our havens from Michael's hungry flames?

   12. This is a strong proscription, and one that is almost not necessary in these modern times. Still. I hear tales of Kindred throughout the world, from time to time, becoming as a Cod to mortals and ruling them as one. It is curious how these petty Gods do not usually last. and that none still remain in our memory.

   13. I have had a quiet conversation with one of the children of Saulot, the blood-line known as the Salubri. They believe that it is their duty. as per this commandment, to provide healing for mortals and even help them to cleanse their blood of disease.

   14. Another foundation of a Tradition. This stanza speaks very clearly of the Tradition of Hospitality, the Fifth Tradition.

   15. This stanza has far-reaching consequences for many Kindred, and yet it is quite a newly discovered fragment. I found this particular piece of the Chronicle of Shadows only after much travail, danger and the destruction of three of my companions. We ascended to the highest heights of the Himalayas, where we found this fragment written on a stone tablet in cuneiform under the protection of a Sufi mystic who knew us immediately. Strange creatures in those mountains abducted my companions, and I only survived by sinking into the frozen earth and awaiting Spring.

I believe that. If this fragment were widely published, it would change many of the customs involving Kindred interaction and the use of ghouls against each other, but I leave interpretation in the hands of the Archons and Justicars.

   16. This has ever been the practice of the Kindred, not particularly because of the Chronicle of Secrets, but because it is common sense.

   17. Indeed. As we have seen in the Chronicle of Caine. it was he who broke the first Blood Bond.

   18. This stanza is mystifying to me. Does it speak of angelic spirits, men of Faith, or some other being which has yet to be revealed?

   19. Whether or not the previous stanza deals with Angels, this stanza most certainly deals with the Infernal agents called demons. I have seen this inscription on amulets and seals that were set to protect against the Infernal.

   20. These stanzas govern ghouls. As a side note. it is said that a ghoul of Caine, the first Ghoul, is still alive and dwells underneath a secret temple somewhere in Egypt. Legends say he guards a significant quantity of Caine's blood, which helps to retain his ghoul status. If this is true. then he alone among the kine would be the only one knowledgeable of the Antediluvians.

   21. All good advice from our Father. This bespeaks his cunning knowledge of the Changers, who were active even in his day. Stories that Caine went among them as a wolf. told to me by my Gangrel companions, might well he true based on this stanza alone.

   22. Faerie Lore dictates that the Arcadians arc "too good for Hell, not good enough for Heaven." This may be Caine's way of expressing this middle state. Kindred who discover the Fey may do well to listen to their Fathers words in this matter. Of all the fragments of the Chronicle of Secrets, it was this fragment that I found to be the most elusive, perhaps because it carries a good measure of the truth about the Sidhe.

   23. Caine and his childer were present at the dawning of human civilization, so they saw these mages come among the people, bringing words, agriculture, architecture and more. Is it any wonder that marvels such as the pyramids and the hanging gardens of Babylon were possible then? Mages were originally given free reign to follow their magick. I do not know why they have since been limited: one wonders what magick they could work in the modern age. Perhaps they, like us, must hide from the eyes of humanity.

   24. I purchased this as a scroll, complete and fresh, having been perfectly preserved for millennia. The scroll was in the possession of Giovanni businessman who had heard of my lust for the fragments of the Book of Nod. He took in payment amount of diamonds from South Africa and

my spare copy of the Codex of Caine. Normally, I do not  have dealings with Giovanni family, but this was literally an offer that I did not feel able to refuse.

   25. These Commandments are a puzzle to me. Whether they are direct from an original part of the Chronicle of Shadows or they are merely a summarization penned by a later author. I do not know. I find them useful, and they are an interesting counterpart to the other, more famous "Commandments." Note the foundations of the Traditions of the Camarilla that are throughout these Commandments.

   26. I have long wrestled with the question "Are these truly the words of the founders of the Clans?" I have come to the decision that, whatever they actually are. they are pertinent and important to each of the Clans. Whether or not I understand them is irrelevant: I have shown each of these fragments to elders in each of these Clans and they feel that they are appropriate. Thus, I include them here.

   27. Ironic, is it not, that Brush's children all share his frenzying nature, this flaw from his mold? In this translation, it is quite simple to see Brujah's latent violence in his word choice ("throw off shackles," "shatter," "heal wounds"). I reproduce it here as the provenance for the translation is unmistakable: I received this fragment as the fulfillment of a major boon from a certain famous Brujah traditionalist. Critias, whose Codex of Caine was the inspiration for this work.

   28. Some have called Cangrel the "Lupine blood suckers." They are most certainly not. Although they are perhaps related in some strange way to the Lupines, they are quite clearly their own clan. Silent and far-roaming, they became my greatest allies in the search that took me all around the globe. I think that perhaps the fact that I had many stories to tell, especially stories of the ancient Cainites, made them interested in helping me. Many Cangrel made me promise to mention their names in my stories, and so I do so here: Windam, Cornell, Piotr, Chauson. Illyana, Far Runner (who fell from a great height in the Andes and was lost). Herve, Marshall, Colina and Miss Colina.

   29. I have no way of knowing whether this is authentic, or even translated correctly. My only provenance is this: in all my travels, when I asked a Malkavian Elder to quote a section of the Book of Nod, they all quoted this stanza almost verbatim. This is too much of a coincidence for me to overlook, and if it is a prank, then so be it.

   30. When I showed this to Carlos, a Nosferatu Elder in Spain, he told me that it alluded to a "great Doom. a great fate" to which all Nosferatu are chained. He would speak no further of this Doom. and begged me to take the fragment from his eyes.

   31. I procured this fragment from an exquisite childe of Rafael himself, the architect of the Masquerade. I am ashamed to reveal what I gave to her in exchange. Suffice it to say it was from the Orient, and was quite erotic in nature. It is interesting that Toreador uses animal imagery to describe his children. Still, this is to be expected from a nearly primitive culture. The words "succubi" and "incubi" are direct translations, and back up my theory that all such legends of demons visiting maidens and young men in their beds at night must have been Kindred taking their blood. The erotic illumination around this fragment certainly depicted this practice in great detail.

   32. I was provided this fragment by a Ventrue elder, one of the princes of the city of Berlin. When he heard of my quest for knowledge, he wanted to make sure that the golden words of a their Founder would never be lost. So, for a modest fee (one that I paid gratefully). I was allowed to translate and copy the fragment to my heart's content. While I was scribing. I noted several other scrolls penned presumably by Ventrue and several of his more powerful children. I was able to read these scrolls surreptitiously, but I was not allowed to copy them. They were dictates to leaders that read like an ancient version of Machiavelli's "The Prince." I yearn to place those words in this book. but I fear the wrath of Clan Ventrue would be a bit much for me to handle.

   33. Saulot was well-loved among the Antediluvians, but his habit of mystically augmenting his senses and spouting forth prophecy was quite disturbing. I was able to transcribe this fragment from the words of a Salubri ceremony that I attended.

   34. I could not tell for sure. but I believe this to be plural. Still, my childe Beckett would have me believe that it is a singular form. "Wyrm". and may point towards the Lupine superstition that all Kindred are directed by a malefic force.   

   35. This poem may be just a legend, a fine story told around a Gangrel's fire, or for the amusement of a Toreador's enclave. Or it may have something more. Where is Shal-ka-mense?  I have no idea. I believe it to be a Middle Eastern place perhaps near the Mediterranean near the city of Jerusalem. Several Kindred legends talk of  Caine's hiding place, and a few have even   mentioned "Shalkamain," which could be a  corruption of Shal-ka-mense. This poem/song is a favorite among the Elders, particularly Ventrue and. lately, Tremere. who find its message calming. Certainly many Ancilla have chanted it at their questing Diabolists.

   36. There is ample speculation that this fragment wasn't written by Caine. Instead, it is thought that Irad. known as the Strength of Caine and the first General of his armies, wrote it. He was also a Judge in the court of the First City, although Caine was ever the First Judge and highest

authority.

   37. The Prince of London is fond of quoting this stanza before declaring a Blood Hunt. Many Justicars teach it to their Archons when teaching them their duties.

   38. These proverbs were collected from all over the world. I have no other place to put them, so I will place them here. They contain bits of Antediluvian wisdom. I believe, and that alone was the deciding factor on whether or not they should be included.

   39. This refers to the fickle nature of the Toreador, something which is legendary.

   40. This is quite apropos. For my part. the Gangrel are the most observant of all the Kindred, perhaps even more so than the Nosferatu. I followed this dictum quite rigorously, and its inherent common sense never failed me. Cangrel are often willing to help you escape if it seems that you are listening to their common sense.

   41. My sire used to say. "The Nosferatu know where the ashes lie." They know who is who, and what is what. and they are the first to die because they can provide adequate (and well listened to) warning to any Prince.

   42. To this day. I will not feed on these people. Water-bearer, to my mind. means "fire-fighter." Of course many Kindred ignore this restriction and feed on whomever they please. Note, however, how many elders still follow these

practices in theory, if not in reality.

   43. This translates to the modern day quite easily. While "Priest" is self-explanatory, the "Poet" is perhaps not quite the same today as it was id nights of yore. I would say that the newspapermen of our age are the most feared, with the broadcasters being the second most dangerous. Finally, the common man will often go to great lengths to uncover a secret that he barely grasps. The common man is often immune to the Masquerade because of his lack of high-mindedness and dour demeanor.

   44. ”Let Ventrue save face." These words guided my feet through the world. Wherever I went, whenever I went to any Domain, I presented myself first to the prince and then the Untrue elder of that city. I wanted the Ventrue to understand that I did not wish to disturb their careful structure, and that I was no threat to them. This usually made for very easy operations, although there are a few notable exceptions here and there.

   45. The personal motto of many Kindred, and a good argument for non-aggression against the Lupines.

   46. A direct contradiction to the Russian proverb. Still, I always preferred warm blood to cold.

   47. It is a good idea to pay your taxes wherever you are. Tax evasion has become the single greatest threat to the Masquerade in the United States, and this may be spreading.   

   48. When everyone's quoting proverbs, this is the one that older Brujah seem to like to chant.

   49. Certainly the children of Tremere know much of the truth in this Proverb.

   50. A commonly quoted proverb in Eastern Europe.

   51. Another rousing support of the Masquerade.

   52. Inquisitors were often fond of sharpening their wooden crosses to use as stakes. It was.

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