Toreador (High Clan)

[Tami]

Toreador



From the beginning the Toreador have always been devotees of beauty in all its forms. Beauty means so much to them, for they devote the entirety of their vampiric senses to it, immersing themselves in the aesthetic. They consider themselves the preservers and guardians of the exquisite, the bearers of the flame of inspiration. Of all the clans, the Toreador are the ones who most appreciate the compliments of the human race.

Throughout history, the Toreador have always associated with the mortal artist and creators. Many elders recall the splendor of the Golden Age – but they also remember the Roman Empire, when the Toreador fell into decadence and excess. Many of the artisans fell in the sack of Rome, and now the toreador seek temperance, the better to preserve what they love most.

Currently, the Toreador of Western Europe are strongly associated with the Church and the art work it inspires. They oversee the building of cathedrals with great joy, and many undergo rapture when presented with exceptional craftsmanship or beauty. They particularly enjoy artwork that inspires those who look on it.

Unfortunately, they still retain their love for pleasure and luxury; it’s an easy thing for a Toreador to succumb to sophisticated temptation. Their attraction to various forms of vice (Those that can stir the undead breast) is legendary. Their desire to find truth and meaning in the beautiful has led many a careless Toreador into ruin of some form or another, in addition, their disdain for Cainite politicking or causes has not endeared them to the other clans, who usually consider the Toreador apathetic and useless. The Artisans know this, but care little for others’ opinions. They have all the proof they need that their vision is worth following.

Sobriquet: Artisans

Appearance: The Toreador often embrace the very beautiful in order to preserve them for eternity. They are common in Spain, Italy and France. And frequently chose neonates from these regions. Toreador are rarely slovenly or unkempt, even those associated with the somber monastic lifestyles.

Haven: They typically live in either the best portions of large cities or near monasteries and the like: wherever art and fine crafts are produced. Few Toreadors live the life of a hermit.

Background: Toreador select only those with much to offer for initiation into their clan. Many were artist, musicians or teachers of great ability. They are the clan most likely to Embrace mortal on impulse.

Character Creation: Many Toreadors have religious or entertainer concepts. Their Natures are often passionate and inspired, while their Demeanors can be of any sort. Social Attributes are usually primary, as are skills. Their Backgrounds often include resources, herd and retainers. Toreadors prefer the road of Humanity to all others.

Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Presence

Weaknesses: The Toreador sensitivity to the beautiful is also their greatest flaw. They may be overcome with a thing or person’s beauty, standing in fascination for hours. Only a successful Willpower roll will break the reverie quickly; otherwise the Toreador is helpless for minutes or even hours. Even sunrise can captivate them, and the Toreador are the Cainites most likely to fall in love with mortal.

Organization: Toreador maintain informal communication with one another, occasionally gathering to exchange news. They rarely unite as a clan to pursue a common goal, preferring their individual pursuits.

Quote: We have eternity stretched out before us, while the mortal have but an eyeblink. How can we be selfish as to spend our time fighting and despoiling? The eventual salvation of us all lies in the secrets of creative genius – you have but to look for it.

[Tami]

(Revised Book)

The moment the blood of Caine flows through a fledgling, his days as a human are over. Each new night edges him further away from his living roots. Of all the clans, the Toreador are the mostly likely to fight that distancing from mortal society, keeping themselves close to their prey. Understanding and maintaining relationships with the kine helps them keep a rein on their Beast, or so they reason.

That, at least, was the belief of one of the three vampires of the Second Generatino. He saw others of his generation and their progeny grow ever further from the breathing folk who spawned them. Caine himself came to his childe, and expressed his frustration with the incomprehensible kine and their now-alien viewpoints. His childe promised to bring him an anwer to his misery.

The childe chose of one of the greatest of artists among the humans, one Arikel, to be the instrument of his solution. She labored for him every night, crafting an expression of the mortal plight in Enoch. With Caine in attendance, she unveiled a mural of stunning beauty, which the legends say brought into stark relief the relationship between God's curse upon Caine and his race's eternal problem in controlling the Beast. In their anger, Caine and his childer never saw the final section, which showed how Arikel thought the vampires could retain something of the human soul. Caine destroyed the mural and ordered his childe to drain the artist dry.

Looking at the dying husk of the artist, the Third Mortal spoke, ''As you have distracted me from important matters, so shall your attention ever been consumed by that which you deem beautiful.'' He then ordered his childe to Embrace her. Such was the power of his blood that every member of Arikel's line felt Caine's curse.

To her childer, however, Arikel also passed the secret of controlling their Beast. Through an appreciation of beauty, they can continue to understand what it means to be human. Every time a member of Clan Toredor sees a truly outstanding work of art or another supremely beautiful thing, she feels a rush of passion that reawakens the emotions that the Embrace atrophied. This sweet reminder of the pleasures of life, sometimes compared to suddenly remembering to breathe, is supremely intoxicating. The quest to gain this rush destroys the weak of will, but others can use it to regain some of ownership of their damned souls.

Therefore, the clan continues to move amidst mortal society, courting the finest artisans, the wisest scholars and the most talented artists. From them and their work the Toreador are able to gain an understanding of humanity and its troubles through every century. This keeps a small spark of what they were alive in their dead forms. While other Cainites are left behind by changes fashion, language and culture, the Toreador can continue to socialize with, and subtly influence, their prey.

Toredor remain vampires first and foremost, however, and the same curse that afflicted Caine afflicts them. Few can resist the chance to manipulate the people around them, setting one group of artisans or against another or competing with others of their clan in the area to see who can best cultivate their chosen part of society. Many of them argue that these manipulations give them a greater insight into the human soul, which makes these acts not only justifiable, but necessary. As they age, this tendency only worsens, and the games they play with their mortal toys become more and more extreme. Many see beauty in the patterns of destruction on the battlefields and in the suffering of those whose loved ones are killed in these petty skirmishes. After all, experiences too are part of the human existence they must not forget.

Sobriquiet:

Artisans

Appearance:

The clan's appreciation of all things aesthetic and its close relationship with the mortal herd means that most Toredor dress in the finest clothes, made by the best local tradesmen. Nighttime fittings might be inconvenient, but clothiers are to turn away one of the charismatic and influential Artisans. The members of the clan are, on the whole, as beautiful as their clothes, although that beauty sometimes reflect the aesthetic values of a bygone age or foreign land once dear to that Cainite's sire.

Haven and Prey:

Toreador make their havens among the upper echelons of society; those who can affort to pay for art and a sizeable collection of books. Many maintain town or city homes to which they add secure and comfortable cellars in which to spend the day. Artisans are faddish about their eating habits, spending a month drinking from the local whores, before devoting a couple of weeks to drinking from the family of a local lord, for example.

The Embrace:

The Clan chooses the most beautiful and socially adept people for its fledglings. An appreciation of the fruits of humanity is a prerequisite for maintaining that humanity in death, after all. Great scholars, scribes and artists almost make for good childer. Artisans rarely Embrace the peasantry, although they often choose artisans and craftsmen. They sometimes even take members of the Church into the clan, particularly those who were more concerned with secular affairs.

Character Creation:

The Toreador value Social Attributes and Abilities beyond all else, although some regard is given to Talents. Some choose Knowledges as their primary Ability group, though. Backgrounds such as Domain, Retainers, Herd and Resources are very common. The Roads of Humanity and of Kings are the Toreador preferred journey through the night.

Clan Disciplines:

Auspex, Celerity, Presence

Weaknesses:

Caine's curse upon Arikel is still strong, and all members of the clan are prone to distraction when confronted with a thing of beauty. When an Artisan encounters music, a piece of art, a person or even an idea that meets that criterion, she becomes fascinated with it and enters a reverie that may last hours. While under this rapture, the Toreador may not even defend herself, although an attack allows the player to make another Self-Control or Instinct roll.

Organization:

Artisans typically keep in regular contact with clanmates in their vicinity. These meetings are hardly friendly, though--they are more akin to social and intellectual battlegrounds. The most influential of these gatherings occurs in France, where the Courts of Love--once a venue for Toreador socialization--have become the ruling structure for vampiric domains.

Quote: I think you'll find this evening's entertainment quite fascinating. Some of the minstrel's songs remind me of the days when... Well, you'll hear, and then we'll decide who has had the most profitable year.