Bloodlines: The Legendary (Gulikan)
The following is an excerpt from pages 64-65 of my work in Bloodlines: the Legendary, White Wolf Publishing, 2006.
To see with the eye is to be blind, for truth is easily hidden from the realm of sight with but simple chicanery and the art of disguise. To truly see a thing, one must draw in its truest essence, that unadulterated and revelatory vitality that declares its singular nature, and set it naked upon the stage so that it may be consumed with eyes closed. The tongue can do this in a fashion, but it is as a cudgel where a gentle touch is best, and subtlety, the key to identity, is lost in a crude flood of sensation. No, only the scent of a thing is capable of disgorging the truth, unblemished, raw, and possessed of all subtleties. To feast upon the scent of a thing — a living thing; it’s lifeblood — then, is to truly know that thing and to take from it its very soul. What passes later through the throat, though satisfying and even necessary, is but the muddy brine that remains behind after the true theft is complete. Even among our sensual kind most will never understand this and because of this they shall never know the depth of their loss.
For a few, rare Daeva, the seemingly wealthy realms of sight, sound, and touch remain empty of promise, unable to satisfy their unique lusts. The most perfectly formed human figure, the most hauntingly melodic ostinato, or the purest Xian silk offers these hedonists nothing in comparison to that which they crave. Even the flavor of the most exquisite blood, while certainly welcome is only an echo of the one thing that can calm the special hunger within. These Succubi would forgo all of these, if they could, if only they could possess and consume the essential scent of all things, most especially things of the living variety. For this legendary bloodline, odor is all that matters. Cursed with a sense of olfactory perception that is so acute that no scent can escape their notice, these Kindred are unable to deny themselves the ecstasy that can be experienced by consuming certain scents. Of course, while many odors are of interest and might fascinate these peculiar vampires for hours on end, none is as arousing as that produced by the living. The hunger that compels most Kindred to fixate on the flavor of still-warm blood spilling down their throat is replaced by a similarly insurmountable need to savor the aroma of that blood instead — in a fashion not unlike how a wine connoisseur relishes a new vintage — to draw from it every last drop of its aromatic soul, before it is finally drunk out of necessity. While their facility for detecting and recognizing scents is astonishing, these are surpassed by a singular talent for producing scents that goes far beyond the realm of the mundane perfumer. Certainly these sensualists are capable of creating aromas that would put mortals in a similar line of work to shame, but it is their sole possession of the means to capture and exploit the essential scent and supernatural power of Kindred Vitae which has made them a legend among the Damned.
In the bustling market streets of old Constantinople the Gulikan — roughly translated as the rose-blooded — first appeared. Five years after the Great Schism between the Byzantine and Latin churches, a Daeva named Eumathius made known to the city’s Kindred his ability to capture the power of Vitae by offering as a gift to a deathless luminary a pomade that exuded an almost undetectable scent, yet one that seemed to cause others nearby to act as if held sway by the potency of the elder’s blood. Eumathius went on to produce other aromatic products for the ancient vampire as well as for various primogen and other prestigious Kindred, for these things became nothing less than symbols of status among undead society, making Eumathius an extremely influential figure in his own right. What his clients did not recognize until too late was that the numerous pomanders, oils, balms, soaps, powders, and perfumes produced did not actually enhance the seductive power of the wearer, but rather extended the range and insidiousness of Eumathius’ own supernatural irresistibility. Unlike other Kindred, the potency of his own Vitae was not only able to be conveyed by consumption, but also to an attenuated degree by mere inhalation. A seducer extraordinaire, his proprietary Daeva charms were transmitted as well, causing Kindred and kine alike to fall prey to the master Perfumer’s personal charisma. Countless mortals, including many that were thought to be the puppets and loyal playthings of other Kindred, as well as a dozen or more important Kindred in their own right, became the unwitting thralls of Eumathius. Using his new-found dominance he succeeded in winning permission to create a brood of his own, one that inherited its founder’s unusually aromatic Vitae as well as his inability to resist tracking down and relishing particularly captivating scents. For more than a century the Perfumer and his rose-blooded offspring relished their place in society, all the while expanding the scope of their regency by luring more individuals into their invisible trap. The Gulikans’ game came to a near-end when Eumathius’ own weakness led him to violate the prince’s law, breaking the Masquerade in a fashion that was certain to earn him a judgment of Lextalionis. His Requiem did not cease, however. Using all his guile and discipline, the master of fragrances managed to replace the prince’s favorite tobacco with one of his own construction. By the time Eumathius was brought before his sovereign to answer for his crime the prince was already so entranced by the specially prepared shisha that he dealt with the accused in a manner that stunned his advisors and left the Perfumer in a position that enabled him to continue exerting his unseen influence on his peers.
Tonight, the Gulikan continue to toil away in the same tangle of streets that was once housed the greatest concentration of renowned perfumers in the world. Modern Istanbul is quite a different place from the magnificent city it once was, but for the Gulikan it remains home. Their aromatic wares are no longer limited to only the local market, however; nowadays they are prized in Elysium across the globe. Those Kindred who purchase the Gulikan products are well aware of the source of their power, but given their distance from the source and the great unlikelihood that they will ever encounter the actual perfumer who produced the goods, they feel safe enough to use them in order to profit from their legendary efficacy. A cologne that makes even the most intransigent mortals want to open their own veins for any taker is still superbly beneficial, even if the suicidal urge is ultimately driven by another vampire’s Vitae. Some few Gulikan have actually turned their backs on their traditional trade and have instead found their niche exploiting the small advantage that accompanies their horrid weakness. Offering their service as bounty hunters to sheriffs and other Kindred needing to track down the living and unliving, these Gulikan command exceptional fees; deservedly so. Those who choose this line of work can be found nearly anywhere, ever on the trail of someone who crossed the wrong vampire. The extraordinary exploits of a few of these bloodhounds has only further cemented the bloodline’s legendary standing, making them as feared and yet as indispensable as any of the Damned.
