Steeped in Death

In a life as long as a Vampire’s, there are countless battles and endless wars. The tide of blood never seems to stem or slow. As the corpses and skulls pile higher, the Vampire’s heart grows blacker. Eventually, he becomes so acquainted with death he cannot do anything but kill.

The victim of this Insanity soon becomes insensible to almost all other sensations except the thrill of brutal combat and the crushing of bodies beneath his furious blows. When not fighting, his heart becomes empty and his mind weak, as if a Mandrake addict denied the healing root. What is more, with each passing battle the joy fades faster, and he craves even greater slaughter in the next instance.

Every week, the sufferer must have the will to avoid seeking fresh slaughter. If none can be found, the Vampire loses intelligence, willpower, and trust until he sheds blood. If the Vampire encounters a combat—any combat—he must have enough willpower to avoid immediately joining the fray. Should he have allies, he will not slaughter them until all enemies are dead, but then he must immediately have enough will or start on them. The Vampire may use willpower to cease attacking, but this becomes harder with each combatant the Vampire has already slain in the current combat.

This anti-social behaviour tends to leave the Vampire isolated and hated, and many seek consolation from this by further surrounding themselves with the symbols of death: resting on a bone throne, sleeping only in a coffin, covering their castle floors with the skulls of men, dressing in clothes of Human flesh, and so on. Some even come to believe they are the incarnation of Death itself, for everywhere they go, they bring certain slaughter and leave desolation behind.

Source

 * Warhammer Fantasy RPG 2nd ED -- Night's Dark Masters
 * pg. 117

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