OCCULT
Description: Aren’t mages occult by their very nature? Yes and no. This Knowledge represents a generalized comprehension of the mystic world as most Sleepers understand it; in short, then, such knowledge is often misleading, incomplete, or flat-out wrong. A decent rating in this Trait (three dots or higher) helps you sort the truth from the bullshit… but by then, you’ve also begun to understand how deep the occult rabbit-hole really goes. “Occult” means hidden for very good reasons, and even the most skillful occultists often don’t know nearly as much as they think they do. Being a mage does not automatically confer accurate understanding of other practices – in fact, it often muddies the waters even more! Still, this Ability grants you a decent overview of mystic practices, philosophies, lore, history, arcane cultures, and so-called secrets. Of course, they’re all secrets by definition… or at least that’s the theory, anyway.
You are knowledgeable in occult areas such as mysticism, curses, magic, folklore, and particularly vampire lore. Unlike most other Knowledges, Occult does not imply a command of hard facts. Much of what you know may well be rumor, myth, speculation, or hearsay. However, the secrets to be learned in this field are worth centuries of sifting legend from fact. High levels of Occult imply a deep understanding of vampire lore, as well as a good grounding in other aspects of the occult. At the very least, you can discern what is patently False.
Allowed Specialties: A