Post by Tami on Aug 5, 2006 16:20:07 GMT -5
Each clan of vampires descends from the 13 Antediluvians. There are more than 13 clans, however. Each bloodline descends from a vampire of lesser power who has created unique progeny. The bloodlines are smaller than even one major clan. They are groups of vampires made distinct through their clan disciplines, weaknesses and tendencies. Yet vampires are not cursed to stereotypes as they are to the thirst for blood, and the World of Darkness is full of exceptions. The clans are more of a starting point for a vampire, especially when they are young and are not sure what they should be. Vampire characters are often more diverse than the clan descriptions allow. When in doubt, remember that vampires are individuals first and clan members second.
Clans By Sect
The Camarilla views itself as the parent of all of the clans by default, even though there are some clans/bloodlines it wouldn't dream of accepting. The Sabbat is not particularly picky about the vampires that it allows into its swelling ranks. While the Lasombra and Tzimisce are almost entirely under the Sabbat banner, all sorts of clans that are usually in the Camarilla can be found in the Sabbat. Such a clan member is often called Antitribu to distinguish them from their Camarilla counterparts (thus there are Ventrue Antitribu). There are some clans that are known for largely being independent of the Camarilla and Sabbat (the two largest sects of vampires), and they are highly distrusted for their "neutrality." Some clans are accepted into some sects but not others. Most clan descriptions below will include information about a clan's regular sect affiliations.
The Clans
Assamites: the Assamites are a clan of top-rate assassins, and therefore have a tendency to be overpowered and poorly used. They once were the terror of vampires everywhere, but a curse has left Kindred blood poisonous to them. They inspire fear for their skills but will inspire far more when the curse is broken. Few Princes are strangers to the might of the Assamite arm, and they may be first for dinner one night...
The clan stereotype is that of the assassin. There are independent Assamites, as well as Assamites within the Sabbat (coincidentally, the True Black Hand only accepts Assamite Antitribu).
Brujah: the Brujah were once a clan of scholars. In modern times, they have earned the nickname of "rabble." Their hair-trigger tempers (which is their clan weakness) have made many of them into all-too-eager fighters. The original Brujah Antediluvian was diablerized by Troile. Those Brujah who were embraced by the original founder have banded together as their own clan, the True Brujah, but they are very rare.
The Brujah are accepted into the Camarilla and the Sabbat.
The Followers of Set/Serpents of the Light: this clan is one of the most distrusted because they cannot deny for long what flows in their veins - the true desire to corrupt. The Setites will give you what you want, but the price is not always apparent. They come down from the Egyptian god of evil, the great antagonist Set. Through their trade in blood, drugs and services, the clan has been able to maintain its independent status and power over Egypt. Often underestimated, the Setites cannot always be watched, for the snake clan can be as devious as their scaly counterparts.
Those who have been accepted into the Sabbat call themselves the Serpents of the Light.
Gangrel: the Gangrel are a clan of feral wanderers. The clan is known for being the closest to nature of all of the clans, and their ability to take on animal forms helps them to traverse the forests that most Kindred dread. Those who spend their time in the forests are most likely as solitary as the Nosferatu are in the sewers, but they don't seem to mind. Indeed, they even have a reason for walking alone. The Gangrel become more bestial as time moves on and wear the scars of the Beast on their flesh. It is easier to avoid frenzy in the solitude of nature than in the overcrowded cities. Many Gangrel lead independent existences; they do not care enough about the world of the Kindred to play at politics. Other Gangrel are accepted into the Camarilla and Sabbat - for are not the Kindred animals, and is not the city like a jungle?
Giovanni: the Giovanni are a clan and a mortal family. They are the mafiosos of the vampire world, and a have a clan more tightly-knit than the ranks of the Tremere, which is saying something. All Giovanni vampires spent time in service to the family as a ghoul, and there are no Giovanni vampires who were not born of the Giovanni mortal family. Together, they eradicated most of their parent clan the Cappadocians and the entire Lamia bloodline that protected them. They are fabulously rich, and while they have kept out of vampire politics, they have been quite busy. They have their sights set on greater things beyond the world that vampires are so often fixated on.
Malkavian: the Malkavians are insane, one and all. They all take a derangement at character creation which they can never overcome. The Malkavians show every terrible facet to insanity and can make some of the most tragic characters. They can be dangerous to themselves as well as all others, and some can infect others with insanity.
Ironically enough, the clan is not ostracized for its insanity - Malkavians are accepted into the Camarilla and Sabbat, as well as the True Black Hand. Then again, it can be a bad thing to tell a Malkavian 'no.'
Nosferatu: the Nosferatu are uniformly hideous, supposedly from a curse that Caine put on the clan's Antediluvian for his outstanding vanity. The Nosferatu reside commonly in the sewers and are the brokers of valuable information within a city. They make friends with the vermin and the unseen pathways beneath the cities of the world. They can be the most useful of allies and the absolute worse enemies. Like the Malkavians, the Nosferatu have great potential for being tragic characters. Their hideous appearance is something that they can never change and is most often not something they would have ever asked for. Holding onto Humanity when everyone shuns you can be a mighty struggle - it is hard to be truly alone in the dark.
The Nosferatu are accepted into the Camarilla (even though they cannot be seen on the street due to the Masquerade) and into the Sabbat. They are even accepted into the True Black Hand. It is better for the guy you can't see to be on your side.
Ravnos: the Ravnos are the tricksters, the grand thieves and illusionists of the World of Darkness. They are descended originally from the Ravnos family of Gypsies and have carried something of their mortal magic in their blood. They have not been able to embrace only their mortal Gypsy family, as the Giovanni have, because their people are slowly dying out. While the Ravnos wander, they can be very social creatures - even if they like to disrupt the social order.
These wild cards are accepted into the Sabbat but are otherwise independent.
Toreador: the Toreador are the beautiful people. They have two sects within the clan, the artistes and the poseurs. The artistes are the true artists, who use their enhanced senses and gifts to create masterpieces beyond mortal ability. All of the arts are fair game. The poseurs are the beautiful socialites that set the standards of etiquette in vampire society. They are called degenerates and perverts, and they certainly can be. Yet this seemingly genteel clan has power and prestige, giving testament to how vicious they can be.
Tremere: Ahh, the Tremere. They were once a magickal order of mortals, called House Tremere. Goratrix, a member of that house, discovered how the house might become immortal and keep the ability to work magic (although not True Magick). Tremere used that information to become a vampire, and then diablerized the helpless Antediluvian Saulot. He embraced his cabal of mages, who for the most part make up the Council of Seven. The new clan then set about hunting the childer of Saulot into near-extinction. The clan has gained great power and has even created a bloodline to serve them, the gargoyles. The Camarilla Tremere are tightly-knit and guard their secrets and power zealously. They have a strict hierarchy and demand a lot of oaths from their members. Generally, if you stuck a lump of coal up a Tremere's ass, in a week you'd have a diamond (which could then be used in the ritual, Invulnerable Weakness).
The Tremere are accepted into the Camarilla and the Sabbat. Many Tremere turn to the Sabbat to escape the rigid rules of the Camarilla.
Ventrue: the Ventrue are the businessmen, the makers and shakers of wealth. This clan has great resources in and out of stock, touching on all manner of luxury. They own businesses, people and more. They are also the traditionalists of the Camarilla. They hold the sect together with all of the forceful strategizing and organization that makes them so successful as a clan.
The Ventrue are also accepted into the Sabbat.
Lasombra: the Lasombra control the very stuff of shadow. They take pride in the fact that they killed the Antediluvian that founded their clan. They have no reflection in any medium and may indeed have no souls for all of their heartlessness. They are a leadership clan in the Sabbat and choose their childer carefully, so that they can rule into the Final Nights.
Tzimisce: the fiends are the molders of flesh and bone, the wielders of Vicissitude. They are known as body artists and as skilled torturers. They can be very archaic in their ways and territorial to the extreme. They are at large alien in thought and monstrous in deed. They are the clan given the credit for coming up with the Vaulderie, which breaks the blood bond and gave birth to the Sabbat. They reportedly destroyed their Antediluvian progenitor like the Lasombra, although there are many rumors saying that the diablerie was not as successful as it had seemed.
The Tzimisce are a leadership clan of the Sabbat. Some Tzimisce remain independent, like the feudal lords of the Dark Ages.
Caitiff/Panders: these are the clanless, those vampires who don't know their lineage and don't show signs of which clan they were embraced into. In the Sabbat, they are known as Panders. They have no set clan disciplines and have Kineticism open to them. They are mostly of higher generations, and are becoming a more common experience. Some whisper that they increasing numbers of clanless are a sign of Gehenna, as foretold in the Book of Nod.
In the Sabbat, Panders are used as cannon fodder and rarely are allowed to lead. In the Camarilla, the clanless are the lowest of the low and are barely allowed to live.
Clans By Sect
The Camarilla views itself as the parent of all of the clans by default, even though there are some clans/bloodlines it wouldn't dream of accepting. The Sabbat is not particularly picky about the vampires that it allows into its swelling ranks. While the Lasombra and Tzimisce are almost entirely under the Sabbat banner, all sorts of clans that are usually in the Camarilla can be found in the Sabbat. Such a clan member is often called Antitribu to distinguish them from their Camarilla counterparts (thus there are Ventrue Antitribu). There are some clans that are known for largely being independent of the Camarilla and Sabbat (the two largest sects of vampires), and they are highly distrusted for their "neutrality." Some clans are accepted into some sects but not others. Most clan descriptions below will include information about a clan's regular sect affiliations.
The Clans
Assamites: the Assamites are a clan of top-rate assassins, and therefore have a tendency to be overpowered and poorly used. They once were the terror of vampires everywhere, but a curse has left Kindred blood poisonous to them. They inspire fear for their skills but will inspire far more when the curse is broken. Few Princes are strangers to the might of the Assamite arm, and they may be first for dinner one night...
The clan stereotype is that of the assassin. There are independent Assamites, as well as Assamites within the Sabbat (coincidentally, the True Black Hand only accepts Assamite Antitribu).
Brujah: the Brujah were once a clan of scholars. In modern times, they have earned the nickname of "rabble." Their hair-trigger tempers (which is their clan weakness) have made many of them into all-too-eager fighters. The original Brujah Antediluvian was diablerized by Troile. Those Brujah who were embraced by the original founder have banded together as their own clan, the True Brujah, but they are very rare.
The Brujah are accepted into the Camarilla and the Sabbat.
The Followers of Set/Serpents of the Light: this clan is one of the most distrusted because they cannot deny for long what flows in their veins - the true desire to corrupt. The Setites will give you what you want, but the price is not always apparent. They come down from the Egyptian god of evil, the great antagonist Set. Through their trade in blood, drugs and services, the clan has been able to maintain its independent status and power over Egypt. Often underestimated, the Setites cannot always be watched, for the snake clan can be as devious as their scaly counterparts.
Those who have been accepted into the Sabbat call themselves the Serpents of the Light.
Gangrel: the Gangrel are a clan of feral wanderers. The clan is known for being the closest to nature of all of the clans, and their ability to take on animal forms helps them to traverse the forests that most Kindred dread. Those who spend their time in the forests are most likely as solitary as the Nosferatu are in the sewers, but they don't seem to mind. Indeed, they even have a reason for walking alone. The Gangrel become more bestial as time moves on and wear the scars of the Beast on their flesh. It is easier to avoid frenzy in the solitude of nature than in the overcrowded cities. Many Gangrel lead independent existences; they do not care enough about the world of the Kindred to play at politics. Other Gangrel are accepted into the Camarilla and Sabbat - for are not the Kindred animals, and is not the city like a jungle?
Giovanni: the Giovanni are a clan and a mortal family. They are the mafiosos of the vampire world, and a have a clan more tightly-knit than the ranks of the Tremere, which is saying something. All Giovanni vampires spent time in service to the family as a ghoul, and there are no Giovanni vampires who were not born of the Giovanni mortal family. Together, they eradicated most of their parent clan the Cappadocians and the entire Lamia bloodline that protected them. They are fabulously rich, and while they have kept out of vampire politics, they have been quite busy. They have their sights set on greater things beyond the world that vampires are so often fixated on.
Malkavian: the Malkavians are insane, one and all. They all take a derangement at character creation which they can never overcome. The Malkavians show every terrible facet to insanity and can make some of the most tragic characters. They can be dangerous to themselves as well as all others, and some can infect others with insanity.
Ironically enough, the clan is not ostracized for its insanity - Malkavians are accepted into the Camarilla and Sabbat, as well as the True Black Hand. Then again, it can be a bad thing to tell a Malkavian 'no.'
Nosferatu: the Nosferatu are uniformly hideous, supposedly from a curse that Caine put on the clan's Antediluvian for his outstanding vanity. The Nosferatu reside commonly in the sewers and are the brokers of valuable information within a city. They make friends with the vermin and the unseen pathways beneath the cities of the world. They can be the most useful of allies and the absolute worse enemies. Like the Malkavians, the Nosferatu have great potential for being tragic characters. Their hideous appearance is something that they can never change and is most often not something they would have ever asked for. Holding onto Humanity when everyone shuns you can be a mighty struggle - it is hard to be truly alone in the dark.
The Nosferatu are accepted into the Camarilla (even though they cannot be seen on the street due to the Masquerade) and into the Sabbat. They are even accepted into the True Black Hand. It is better for the guy you can't see to be on your side.
Ravnos: the Ravnos are the tricksters, the grand thieves and illusionists of the World of Darkness. They are descended originally from the Ravnos family of Gypsies and have carried something of their mortal magic in their blood. They have not been able to embrace only their mortal Gypsy family, as the Giovanni have, because their people are slowly dying out. While the Ravnos wander, they can be very social creatures - even if they like to disrupt the social order.
These wild cards are accepted into the Sabbat but are otherwise independent.
Toreador: the Toreador are the beautiful people. They have two sects within the clan, the artistes and the poseurs. The artistes are the true artists, who use their enhanced senses and gifts to create masterpieces beyond mortal ability. All of the arts are fair game. The poseurs are the beautiful socialites that set the standards of etiquette in vampire society. They are called degenerates and perverts, and they certainly can be. Yet this seemingly genteel clan has power and prestige, giving testament to how vicious they can be.
Tremere: Ahh, the Tremere. They were once a magickal order of mortals, called House Tremere. Goratrix, a member of that house, discovered how the house might become immortal and keep the ability to work magic (although not True Magick). Tremere used that information to become a vampire, and then diablerized the helpless Antediluvian Saulot. He embraced his cabal of mages, who for the most part make up the Council of Seven. The new clan then set about hunting the childer of Saulot into near-extinction. The clan has gained great power and has even created a bloodline to serve them, the gargoyles. The Camarilla Tremere are tightly-knit and guard their secrets and power zealously. They have a strict hierarchy and demand a lot of oaths from their members. Generally, if you stuck a lump of coal up a Tremere's ass, in a week you'd have a diamond (which could then be used in the ritual, Invulnerable Weakness).
The Tremere are accepted into the Camarilla and the Sabbat. Many Tremere turn to the Sabbat to escape the rigid rules of the Camarilla.
Ventrue: the Ventrue are the businessmen, the makers and shakers of wealth. This clan has great resources in and out of stock, touching on all manner of luxury. They own businesses, people and more. They are also the traditionalists of the Camarilla. They hold the sect together with all of the forceful strategizing and organization that makes them so successful as a clan.
The Ventrue are also accepted into the Sabbat.
Lasombra: the Lasombra control the very stuff of shadow. They take pride in the fact that they killed the Antediluvian that founded their clan. They have no reflection in any medium and may indeed have no souls for all of their heartlessness. They are a leadership clan in the Sabbat and choose their childer carefully, so that they can rule into the Final Nights.
Tzimisce: the fiends are the molders of flesh and bone, the wielders of Vicissitude. They are known as body artists and as skilled torturers. They can be very archaic in their ways and territorial to the extreme. They are at large alien in thought and monstrous in deed. They are the clan given the credit for coming up with the Vaulderie, which breaks the blood bond and gave birth to the Sabbat. They reportedly destroyed their Antediluvian progenitor like the Lasombra, although there are many rumors saying that the diablerie was not as successful as it had seemed.
The Tzimisce are a leadership clan of the Sabbat. Some Tzimisce remain independent, like the feudal lords of the Dark Ages.
Caitiff/Panders: these are the clanless, those vampires who don't know their lineage and don't show signs of which clan they were embraced into. In the Sabbat, they are known as Panders. They have no set clan disciplines and have Kineticism open to them. They are mostly of higher generations, and are becoming a more common experience. Some whisper that they increasing numbers of clanless are a sign of Gehenna, as foretold in the Book of Nod.
In the Sabbat, Panders are used as cannon fodder and rarely are allowed to lead. In the Camarilla, the clanless are the lowest of the low and are barely allowed to live.