Caine

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Name:	Cain/Caine
Gender:	Male
Born:	Prehistory (roughly 8000 BC)
Mother:	Eve
Father:	Adam
Children:	(Possibly Enoch)
Sire:	Directly cursed by God
Childer:	Enoch, Irad, Zillah

Cain: The first son of Adam and Eve; became the first murderer when he murdered his brother Abel.

In Vampire: The Masquerade, Caine is the father of all vampires. He is the Biblical Cain, although the final 'E' is always added when referring to the Vampire. Until the formation of the Camarilla, most vampires refered to themselves as "cainites" in recognition of their origin.

Contents 1 Caine's History 1.1 Nod 1.2 Enoch 1.3 Post-Enoch 1.4 Gehenna 1.5 Alternative Interpretations 2 Geneology 3 Game Material 3.1 Appearance And Abilities 3.2 Canon Appearances 3.3 Interpretations 4 Appears In

[edit] Caine's History

The bulk of Caine's history is covered in the Book of Nod and an alternate telling, the Erciyes Fragments, as well as the Lilithian Revelations of the Dark Mother and the Luciferian Days of Fire. These books conflict on Caine's motives, but all agree he killed his brother Abel. Days of Fire describes how Caine gave himself a "gift," and the gift was delusion. Using this gift, he thought he killed Abel in an act of love when it was really an act of hate. He used this gift to make pride out of shame, and was expelled from Eden.

According to Demon: The Fallen, the concept of murder didn't even exist up until that point. It wasn't that no one had thought of it, it was simply impossible because murder, as a concept, wasn't part of reality. When Caine murdered Abel, it sent a ripple throughout reality and suddenly the war between Angels and Demons became a much bloodier affair, and ended in the actual deaths of many on both sides.

[edit] Nod

After killing his brother Abel, Caine was punished by God to wander in the lands of Nod, east of Eden. While wandering there, Caine encountered Lilith, his father Adam's first wife. From Lilith he learned the basics of the Disciplines. Caine was then visited by four Angels, agents of God who offered him the chance to repent for Abel's murder. Caine rejected each angel in turn, only to be cursed for each rejection: weakness to fire, vulnerability to sunlight, thirst for blood and constant betrayal.

[edit] Enoch

Caine abandoned Lilith and continued to wander for some unspecified period of time until he came to the city of Enoch, founded by descendants of his brother Seth (all kine are descended from Seth). Caine seduced the city's king, also named Enoch, converting him into his first childe. Some sources say that the city here called Enoch (City) was actually called Ubar and the second generation vampire Enoch (Second Generation) simply taught his descendants that the city was called Enoch.

Vampire: The Masquerade: Clanbook Toreador (VTM) (Revised Edition) pg. 14

For centuries Caine ruled Enoch as its king and god, demanding worship and sacrifice from its population. He embraced Irad and Zillah at this time, creating the Second Generation of vampires. His childer in turn embraced others, the Antediluvians. Eventually Enoch grew in power and wickedness until God struck the city down, sending the Great Flood to wipe out all living creatures on earth.

Enoch, Irad and Zillah were not the only three vampires that Caine embraced. before Caine embraced Enoch he had embraced two others who's names are unknown. a couple who were very much in love, in the hope that enabling their love to live for all eternity would pardon his sins. But when the lovers discovered that they could not have children together after having been embraced they both, in an act of despair, walked into the sunlight and to their final death. Caine was so heartbroken over the event that he forbade anyone to speak their names and vowed never to embrace another, even though within one human generation of time he had already embraced enoch.

[edit] Post-Enoch

Caine disappears from the narrative after Enoch. Apocryphally, he appeared in the Second City and cursed his descendants with the characteristic weaknesses of each clan, however he has never appeared in a verifiable form.

[edit] Gehenna

Noddist mythology claims that Caine will return at the end of time to judge his descendants, the Antediluvians and all vampires descended from them. This will be the end of Gehenna and the vampiric race in all likelihood. The Sabbat's epithet, The Sword Of Caine, refers to their belief that they will aid Caine in striking down the Antediluvians when Gehenna comes.

[edit] Alternative Interpretations

The Camarilla denies the existence of Caine, and modern Kindred are generally skeptical of Noddist mythology. The Gangrel scholar Beckett is particularly known for interpreting Caine mythology as a conflict between farmer and hunter tribes.

[edit] Geneology

Caine	Enoch Irad Zillah

[edit] Game Material

[edit] Appearance And Abilities

Caine's capacities are usually described as being outside the ability of the Storyteller system to model. Given that he is two generations beyond the power of the Antediluvians, it is reasonable to assume that he has completely mastered all Disciplines potentially to a greater degree than 3rd generation and may possess the ability to create new Disciplines on the fly. Basically, whatever Caine wants to do, Caine can do. He also most likely has a massive blood point and burn ratio and high levels in nearly all attributes

Almost anything else about Caine's attributes follows the Biblical description: if Caine is harmed, the damage is returned sevenfold. In addition, Caine is marked with a sign of God's displeasure.

One V:tM rulebook has an entry on "Rules for Fighting Caine", which consists entirely of "You lose."

[edit] Canon Appearances

Caine figures in one scenario in Gehenna, where he is explicitly targeted and drawn out by Lilith for vengeance. In that scenario the Biblical curse does apply, and Lilith prepares a victim to strike the killing blow on Caine and then get squashed by the ineffable thumb of God. Caine is mentioned in passing in two other scenarios and presumed dead in the remaining one.

Caine also appears in the Gehenna novel, in a general positive interpretation under an assumed name. This Caine travels with Beckett while witnessing the end of vampiric civilization.

[edit] Interpretations

Common interpretations of Caine are:

• Dark Father: Emphasizing the eschatological aspects of Noddism. This Caine is a dark god who wreaks havoc and judgment on his descendants.
• Fisher King: The standard "regretful Caine". The Fisher King interpretation feels remorse for his actions and now seeks a way out.

[edit] Appears In

• Gehenna. The "Fair is Foul" scenario covers Lilith and Caine.
• Vampire: Gehenna - The Final Night. Caine is a cameo character in this novel.
• The Book of Nod. Ostensibly penned by Caine.
• The Erciyes Fragments. An alternative telling of the Book of Nod.
• Revelations of the Dark Mother, a "Book of Nod"-style creation myth, focusing on Lilith.
• Days of Fire, a book covering the history of the world and its coming end, ostensibly written by Lucifer.