The survival of vampires depends on keeping their existence unknown to humans, and hence hiding your identity is a significant part of the game. The "Masquerade" stat indicates how well hidden your identity is from the human world. Humans aren't too fond of vampires, and if you commit vampy acts in public (sucking blood, using overt special powers) you will draw the ire of both vampires and vampire hunters. Chillingly, after a certain point of violating the Masquerade, human vampire hunters will spawn somewhere and hunt you down--further hampering your freedom.​