CAINE

The biblical character Caine (commonly spelled Cain in English language translations) is the original vampire. According to the biblical story, the farmer Caine made an offering of the fruits of his work to God as did his shepherd brother, Abel. God rejected Caine's offering while accepting Abel's. The resentful Caine murdered his brother in response to which God cursed Caine, and cast him into the outer darkness.

In the darkness he met Lilith the reputed first wife of Caine's father, Adam. She shared her blood with Caine, which awakened him to his power. After warndering in the wilderness for many years, he once again lived among mortals and created a city. During the years there he created three vampires who comprised the second gneneration. They in turn created the third generation and as it grew in number (the exact size being unknown) Caine forbade the further creation of additional vampires.

The stable situation of Caine's city was disrupted by a great flood. Renewing his command not to create more vampires, he left his progeny to their own desires, and began wandering again. The vampires ignored his admonitions, and created a fourth generation, who rose up and slew most of the elders of the third generation. Meanwhile, over the millennia, a person claiming to be Caine occassionally appeared. Possible the most famous account is the story of his appearance among a Gypsy band and embracing (turning into a vampire) a young man named Ravnos, after his father had been slain by other vamopires. Ravnos would later encounter Ennoia, Caine's half sister and daughter of Lilith and embrace her. Her subsequent treachery led to Ravnos' death, and Caine cursed her. She went on to become the originator of the clan Gangrel.

Whenever Caine does make an appearance, he usually comes and goes very quickly. None of the older leaders of the present vampire community now organised in the Camarilla claim to have met Caine or to have any sure information as to the truth of the vampires myth of their origin.