| Detailed surviving clan information; As well as what disciplines their new bloodlines and variants have (and how they feel about these new bloodlines) | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sep 3 2013, 04:23 PM (246 Views) | |
| Psyche_Dreamweaver | Sep 3 2013, 04:23 PM Post #1 |
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Each section below on the surviving clans and bloodlines will give a brief overview of their history or traditional mindset, their nickname, disciplines, weaknesses, quote, ect...and will have additional information on their current post-Gehenna status. The entry below their current status, 'original embrace results' indicate what humanity levels at the end of the 'year of grace' (the one year period a fledgling embraced by an original Kindred now experiences during which they have access to only two of their sire's disciplines and haven't yet developed the traditional clan weakness...) will result in each childe becoming (including the third discipline they gain access to at the end of that year when their fate has been decided). Their history/views are put in the past tense, but each of these clans/bloodlines *have* survived, its just that the state of their world (and the factions they formed) have been so shattered, that it could be argued their unlives as they knew them are gone forever. Note: ONLY the childer of `original' Kindred now experience this year of undecided clan/bloodline status immediately following their embrace. Whether these vampires end up as true members of their sire's clans or the new bloodlines descending from them, *their* childer (if they have embraced any in the few years they've existed) will always `breed true' with no `year of grace' following the embrace. In other words, if an original Ventrue embraced a childe following Gehenna, and at the end of their first year of vampiric life ultimately developed the Ventrue feeding restriction and the affinity for the Dominate discipline...any childe that new vampire eventually embraces will automatically be a normal Ventrue as well, with no chance of belonging to the new Ventrue-descended bloodline. Assamites The Assamites (who call themselves the Children of Haqim) were a Clan of murderous vampires. For many years they acted as independent assassins, contracted by the Sects (or anyone who gave them blood) to murder targets. Of all the independents, the Assamites were the most feared, both for their role as assassins and the rumors of their thirst for the blood of elders. Although they had traditionally acted as mercenary assassins, in the nights leading up to Gehenna some of the Children of Haqim questioned whether an allegiance with one of the Sects might not be more beneficial for them. Ultimately, however, most Assamites followed the will and the orders of Alamut, their ancestral stronghold, as well as their own internal laws, known collectively as the Laws of Haqim. The most loyal of the Assamites believed that other vampires were a plague that needed to be exterminated, while others claimed that individual Kindred needed to be judged (and perhaps killed) based on their own sins, not merely because they were vampires. Antediluvian/Founder: Haqim Nickname: Assassins Weakness: Due to the Tremere blood-curse, in the past should an Assamite consume the blood of another Kindred, she suffered automatic damage. Thus diablerie attempts resulted in automatic aggravated damage. In the days leading up to Gehenna however, that curse failed. In addition, Assamites were required to tithe some of the profits from their contracts to their sires or superiors (generally around 10 percent of all such earnings). Assamites also, in sharp contrast to other vampires, who grow paler with age, grow darker. Disciplines: Celerity, Obfuscate, Quietus Quote: "Your blood is anathema to me, but the act of spilling it brings me closer to Haqim." Current status: When the Antediluvians awoke on the eve of Gehenna, Haqim traveled the world and passed judgement upon his descendants- destroying those he deemed unworthy...and that was most of them. The few Assamites he felt had retained his ideals were allowed to continue, and when he himself was destroyed and the Withering came to an end they were a few of the clan left standing. Most of these remained in Alamut, but an isolated few were left scattered in other parts of the world. Original embrace result: Humanity 7 or lower= True Assamite Humanity 8 or higher= Assamite-descended new bloodline disciplines: Celerity, Obfuscate, Patronus Giovanni The Giovanni were a Clan in multiple senses — not only did they share common vampiric blood, but most of their new Embraces came from the mortal descendants of other Clan members as well. The Necromancers were known to pursue two goals — learning the secrets of the dead and acquiring mortal power and wealth —both of which helped their Clan as a whole. Only a few trusted elders knew that their founder, Augustus Giovanni, sought to use the knowledge and power of the Clan to destroy the Shroud that separates the realm of the dead from this world. As such, the Giovanni didn’t have any need for Sects. They survived the past several centuries all on their own; they didn’t need protection from the mortals through any flimsy Masquerade. They had their own family to act as allies, resources, and internal enforcement, so they didn’t need help. What could membership in a Sect give to them that they couldn’t already get through deals, trading, and occasional espionage? They had a Promise that kept them from interfering in the affairs of the Camarilla (and vice versa), but overall the Giovanni were extremely self-sufficient and stood totally outside the authority of the Sects. That, combined with their mastery of Necromancy, made many vampires very, very nervous. Founder: Augustus Giovanni (by virtue of diablerizing the Antediluvian Cappadocius) Nickname: Necromancers Weakness: The Kiss of a Giovanni vampire causes excruciating pain in mortal vessels who receive it. If the Giovanni isn’t careful, her vessel may die of shock and agony before being wholly exsanguinated. When a Giovanni feeds upon a mortal, she does twice as much damage as the Kiss of another vampire would inflict. As a result, they tend to use blood banks and other means of feeding that don’t fight as much. Disciplines: Dominate, Necromancy, Potence Quote: "You misunderstand the situation if you think you’re important to me alive." Current status: As warped as many Giovanni were behind their professional demeanor, there weren't a large number of them left after the fires of Gehenna cleared, and most who 'were' left tended to be the ones who'd estranged themselves from their twisted family anyway. Now, with their council of shadowy elders dead, the younger ranks of the family are trying to pick up the pieces. Some surviving Giovanni feel that with their leadership gone, they are free to embrace whomever they damn well please, while others still loyal to the ideals of their family cling stubbornly to tradition (or else are eager to fill the vacuum left by the dead Giovanni elders). Original embrace results: (like the surviving Tzimisce and Malkavians, at the end of the `year of grace' there are three possible results for a new vampire embraced by an Original Giovanni) Humanity 6 or lower= True Giovanni Humanity 7= Giovanni variant Note: These Kindred don't inherit the painful kiss of normal Giovanni, but the corpse-like pallor that was traditionally associated with their parent clan, the Cappadocians. This has caused some speculation among the family that these vampires are throwbacks to the deposed Cappadocians, which the Giovanni had once bragged that they had destroyed entirely. Disciplines: Dominate, Potence, Thanatosis (not the version practiced by the now extinct Samedi bloodline, see the new Disciplines post for more details). Humanity 8 or higher= Giovanni-descended new bloodline Disciplines: Dominate, Potence, Spiritus Ravnos The Ravnos were masters of illusion, compelled by their blood to indulge in vice. Their primary allegiance was to themselves, though some considered their Clan to be almost as important. Compared to the other independent Clans they were very loosely organized: partially due to their diaspora all over the world, and partially due to a very un-vampire like wanderlust that pervaded the Ravnos. They traveled to Camarilla and Sabbat cities alike, where most Princes and Archbishops had learned that it was better to let them pass through than to deal with the headaches that came from trying to prevent them from entering. As such, the Ravnos were completely indifferent to the politics of the Sects, or indeed to politics of any kind. Many outside observers considered the Ravnos to be too chaotic to have a meaningful impact on the Jyhad as a whole – and the Ravnos nodded their heads and continued doing what they wanted. The Clan believed that one day their Clan founder would awaken and destroy all of the other Antediluvians. Until that day, they wandered without allegiance, and saw no reason to change. Antediluvian/Founder: Zapathasura Nickname: Deceivers Weakness: A turbulent history makes the Ravnos slaves to their vices. Each Ravnos has a penchant for some sort of vice — lying, cruelty, or theft, for example. When presented with the opportunity to engage in that vice, the Ravnos must struggle in an act of sheer willpower to resist from indulging. Disciplines: Animalism, Chimerstry, Fortitude Quote: "What? Those aren’t bones. They’re wind chimes. Everything is going to be fine. Relax." Current status: The week of nightmares was the name given to the event which was marked by the awakening of the Ravnos Antediluvian and the appearance of the red star that many maintain was the official beginning of the final nights that culminated in Gehenna. Despite their belief that their Antediluvian would devour the other members of the third generation, the founder of the Ravnos clan seemed more interested in devouring its own descendants. Like the destruction of the Tzimisce antediluvian years later, it took a herculean effort to finally destroy the ancient vampire, and when it died- it sent a curse back-lashing through the rest of its clan that caused all Ravnos to fall upon their fellows in a cannibalistic frenzy. Only those Ravnos who were kept isolated from their clan-mates survived, which was few indeed. And *then* Gehenna came. Still, vampires are nothing if not hard to kill, and some Deceivers managed to survive, though in very small numbers. Original Kindred embrace results: Humanity 7 or lower= True Ravnos Humanity 8 or higher= Ravnos-descended new bloodline Disciplines: Animalism, Fortitude, Krino Brujah The legacy of the Brujah was one of halcyon greatness marred by their own fiery natures. Theirs was the glory of ancient Carthage, but Ventrue treachery in ancient Rome brought the dream to an end. Since then, the Brujah had borne a grudge. In more modern nights, the Brujah were rebels and provocateurs, bat- swinging hooligans and agents of change in a society long crippled by stasis. As rebels, it was in their nature to challenge the status quo—though sometimes, without adequate opposition, they embodied the status quo themselves. It worked out fine, because there was always a hot-blooded Brujah waiting in the wings to bring down an uppity Clan-mate grown too comfortable in the role of rebel-turned-dictator. More so than any other Clan, the Brujah still felt the flames of the passions that once inspired them as mortals. Clan Brujah loved a cause and was quick to act on a stirring speech, accusation of injustice, or a call to arms. This connection to passion could be a blessing, but inspiration could also yield to the madness and hunger of the Beast. No wise Prince turned his back on the Brujah, and rare was the Brujah who would allow herself to be manipulated or pandered to. A Brujah was her own master, first and foremost, and those who would bring her to heel faced a terrible task. A Brujah who thought she was getting the short end of the stick would tear an enemy to ribbons first and maybe remember to ask questions later, no matter if he was a Primogen or a mortal authority. Nickname: Rabble Weakness: The same passions that inspired Brujah to greatness or depravity, left unchecked, can send them into incandescent rages. Although the Beasts of all Kindred have weakened in the wake of Gehenna, Brujah still are more vulnerable to frenzy than their more sedate brethren. Disciplines: Celerity, Potence, Presence Quote: "I’ll give you a head start. You’re the tortoise and I’m the hare —a pissed-off, fuck-the-world hare with a score to settle and a thirst like the devil’s own." Current status: After the Toreador and Gangrel, Brujah are probably now the most numerous of the surviving vampire clans. Many view the downfall of the Camarilla as a good thing- a chance for the Kindred to start a new, more fair order in which all vampires are treated equally. Original embrace results: Humanity 7 or lower= Brujah (true) Humanity 8 or higher= Brujah-descended new bloodline Disciplines: Celerity, Potence, Tempus Gangrel A glint of red eyes in the darkness, the scent of a predator’s musk, a flash of fangs, the sound of flesh tearing: These marked the presence of the Gangrel. More than any other Clan, the Gangrel resembled the beasts associated with the legends of vampires: bats, wolves, and other creatures of darkness. Indeed, the Outlanders developed the ability to transform themselves into these forms. The Gangrel had other characteristics in common with animals as well. Many shunned the elaborate social constructs of both Kindred and kine. A number of them prefered to move alone or as a member of small packs or coteries. Most were tough and, when pressed, ferocious. And when Gangrel succumbed to the depredations of the Beast, they were left with some feature redolent of the animal kingdom. As a Clan, the Gangrel were wary and aloof. Most would prefer to spend their nights stalking prey or wilding on the rooftops than minding Princely edicts or lobbying for recognition of domain. Theirs was a tense relationship with vampire society, and Outlanders were among the most frequent to turn Anarch or Autarkis. In some localities, the Gangrel had collectively abandoned membership in any Sect — and that was before they officially withdrew from membership in the Camarilla to go their own way in what they thought were the final nights. Nickname: Outlanders Weakness: Every time a Gangrel frenzies, she acquires a temporary animal characteristic (which may replace an existing temporary one). A patch of fur, a brief torpor after feeding, or skittishness around crowds — all of these may mar an Outlander after frenzy. Characteristics acquired in Gangrel frenzies need not only be physical – they can be behavioral as well. Over time, or in an exceptional situation, a particular animal feature may become permanent, with the next frenzy adding a new feature. Disciplines: Animalism, Fortitude, Protean Quote: "This is not a place for you, and it is too late to turn back. Run, little man." Current status: Ironically, their self-chosen exile from the Camarilla put them in a uniquely good position to avoid the chaos that marked the fiery downfall of that faction. That coupled with their generally isolationist natures resulted in a proportionally large (at least compared to the other clans and bloodlines...) number of Gangrel making it to the other side of Gehenna and the Withering. Even the oldest currently confirmed surviving vampire is a Gangrel, the archaeologist and scholar, Beckett. Given the manner in which the traditional Gangrel embraces, its unknown how many of them are even aware that their clan has produced a new bloodline. Original embrace results: Humanity 7 or lower= True Gangrel Humanity 8 or higher= Gangrel-descended new bloodline Disciplines: Fortitude, Bestia, choice of Animalism *or* Protean Note: If playing a member of the new Gangrel bloodline, you have the choice of Animalism or Protean. Bestia has aspects of both disciplines, so when making your character, determine if he/she had a stronger inherent affinity for relating to animals, or for shape-shifting in determining whether they inherited Animalism or Protean from their Sire's blood. Lasombra To the mind of a Lasombra, it was better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven. Fear, frenzy, the power to determine whether another lives or dies: these were at the root of the power that the Lasombra held dear. Whereas other vampires tried vainly to hold the Beast at bay or gave themselves wholly to it, the Lasombra beat the Beast into submission, invoking it when it suited them but leaving it trapped inside when they wished to govern themselves. It is with these predilections that the Lasombra styled themselves a “dark nobility,” an aristocracy of the night that chose the supremacy of the Cainites over veneration of the Masquerade. Their regard for such ideas as redemption and salvation were cynical at best, and much of the pomp that shaped the Clan’s pre-Sabbat outlook remained only with a sense of blackest irony or open mockery. The grandeur and rituals of the Church and aristocracy remained dear to the Lasombra, however, and the Clan was instrumental not only in establishing many of the rituals of the Sabbat, but in the institutions that kept it from descending into chaos each night. Whether they saw themselves as God’s instruments or as outcasts from His creation, the Lasombra believed they had a duty (whether to Sect, Clan, pack, or even just themselves), and obligation to their responsibilities gave them a wicked sense of purpose. Even a Lasombra shovelhead may have considered himself a cut above the rest; a surprising number of Lasombra mass Embraces survived, perhaps owing to the intervention of their sires. While the night belonged to all Kindred, the Lasombra were truly born to darkness, to the degree that their very Clan name revealed their tie to shadow. Theirs was the Discipline of Obtenebration, and it allowed them to wield the stuff of shadow and darkness. Antediluvian/Founder: Lasombra Nickname: Keepers Weakness: Lasombra vampires cast no reflections. Whether in a mirror, in a body of water, on a polished surface, or in the rear-view of a taxicab, the image of the Keeper does not reflect. Disciplines: Dominate, Obtenebration, Potence Quote: "Wielding the shadows is an extension of controlling the darkness into which we are all Embraced." Current status: Gehenna was most brutal to the Sabbat (even more so than the race of Cainites as a whole), and even the younger generations of the Lasombra suffered the most extensive reduction of their numbers. As a result of that the Keepers find themselves eerily in the same boat as the Ventrue- the institutions that their clans invested so many centuries in leading lay in pathetic tatters- and many of the survivors want to help their clan regain their former prestige. With their now unreliable breeding, however, that prospect is a daunting one; especially since their new bloodline has a power that so staunchly opposes their own beloved discipline. Lasombra were well-known to cull `flawed' childer even before Gehenna, so it took longer than the others for them to even recognize the presence of a newly-emerging bloodline from their new recruits. Once it *was* recognized, a demand went out among the most highly ranked left among the clan ordering that any childe that didn't breed true should be destroyed. Whether an individual sire obeys this, however, is still up to them, and other young neonates managed to escape the wrath of their furious sires. True Lasombra resulting from post-Gehenna embraces are now closely guarded- as the fact that their progeny could be the future of their decimated clan becomes more widely known. Original embrace results: Humanity 7 or lower= True Lasombra Humanity 8 or higher= Lasombra-descended new bloodline Disciplines: Dominate, Potence, Aduro Edited by Psyche_Dreamweaver, Nov 16 2013, 11:53 AM.
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| Psyche_Dreamweaver | Sep 3 2013, 06:24 PM Post #2 |
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Tzimisce Note: I always despised the "Vicissitude as infectious disease/parasite" idea, so in my version of WoD, it isn't true. A blood moon cast a crimson light over the land beyond the forest and something fearsome howled its agony into the night. The Tzimisce called these lands their ancestral home. Since time out of mind the Fiends had been masters and lords of the domains of much of Eastern Europe. But theirs was a proud, selfish Clan for which tradition only went so far despite their aristocratic origins. In fact, the Clan claimed to have destroyed its Antediluvian, and in the wake of that momentous event, helped establish the foundations of the Sabbat. Tzimisce practiced a strange Discipline known as Vicissitude that allowed them to twist the skin and bone of their victims. In many cases, they refined their fleshly arts by practicing upon themselves, but they just as frequently used it upon their lackeys and retainers, turning their boyars and szlachta into monstrous thralls. Vicissitude itself was a much misunderstood Discipline, and debates over its origins occasionally plunged the Clan into vicious partisan rivalries. Clan Tzimisce was a Clan of extremes, and long, cold nights spent in remote castles turned the Fiends’ perspectives both greatly inward and outward. Mystics of the Clan studied a philosophy of metamorphosis, seeking to discover what lie beyond the state of vampirism. Young members of the Clan often found themselves detached from the historical role of the Fiends as terrifying landed lords, and threw themselves wholly into a cause of their own choice. Antediluvian/Founder: Tzimisce Nickname: Fiends Weakness: The Tzimisce are inextricably tied to their domains of origin, and must rest in the proximity of at least two handfuls of “native soil” — earth from a place important to her as a mortal, such as the soil from her birthplace or where she underwent her Embrace. Disciplines: Animalism, Auspex, Vicissitude Quote: "Why on earth would you think I wanted you to stop screaming? I find the results so much more melodious when you indulge your fear." Current status: Like the Lasombra, the Tzimisce suffered an extreme culling of their ranks during the Withering. Inexplicably, they are also one of the few original clans to see the possibility of *three* distinct results when their newly-embraced childer finish up their first year of unlife. The most inhuman (some would argue, the most stereotypically Tzimisce, end up as `proper' Fiends themselves, whereas the most humane (and thus most removed from their Sire's clan others would declare) belong to a new bloodline entirely. Childer who opt for a middle road become very much like the elders who once called themselves `old clan' Tzimisce, in that they develop Dominate rather than Vicissitude at the end of their first year. Either way, how a Tzimisce sire reacts to those neonates who don't 'breed true' is as disparate as the clan itself. Original embrace results: Humanity 6 or lower= True Tzimisce Humanity 7= Tzimisce variant Disciplines: Animalism, Auspex, Dominate Humanity 8 or higher= Tzimisce-descended new bloodline Disciplines: Auspex, Animalism, Solum Toreador From the Toreador perspective, when the sun faded, darkness gave rise to an eternal and wondrous world. Everything was fraught with wonder and terror, low politics and sensual glories, the profound and the profane, and an undeniable undercurrent of the sanguinary. These Kindred were the Toreador, and they spent unlives ensconced in pleasure. Of course, for vampires of this disposition, it was easy to become jaded and bitter. More than the other Clans, Toreador often succumbed to ennui, or fought the eventual boredom of unchanging immortality by playing at rivalries. An excess of stimulation turned them into slaves to the sensations they sought. The most debased Toreador could become true monsters, sinking to unimaginable levels of depravity in order to feel anything at all. The Kindred of Clan Toreador often involved themselves greatly in the world of mortals. They had any number of reasons, whether enjoying proximity to the blush of life, cultivating veritable cults of doting followers, or influencing and following the trends that their own kind simultaneously mocked and venerated. To hear the Toreador tell it, they were the Muses of a desperate mortal world, inspiring through their beauty or patronage. Antediluvian/Founder: Arikel Nickname: Degenerates Weakness: When a Toreador experiences something truly remarkable — a person, an objet d’art, a lovely sunrise — the vampire must struggle for self-control or else find herself enthralled by the experience. The dazzled Toreador cannot act for the duration of the scene aside from commenting on or continuing their involvement with whatever has captured their attention. If the experience no longer affects her (whether by moving, being destroyed, or whatever is appropriate to the situation), the captivation ends. Enraptured Toreador may not even defend themselves if attacked, though being wounded allows them to make another Self-Control attempt. Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Presence Quote: "Long after you die, I will still be young, beautiful, and adored by everyone whose life I touch." Current status: Its more than a little ironic that the clan of vampires so often mocked by others as being gleeful hedonists and useless poseurs would in the end be the clan with the most members left standing after Gehenna. Oh, their ranks were still thinned considerably by the Withering, and like every other bloodline their eldest and most powerful were claimed in the final nights, but since as a whole Toreador were known for clinging most tightly to their humanity, it was really only natural that in comparison to some of the more feral clans more of the so-called Degenerates would survive. They are also, among the clans who were affiliated with the Camarilla, most tolerant of the young members of their emerging bloodline. After all, if they came from the Toreador and can influence the dreams that so often produce art, how bad can they be? Original embrace results: Humanity 7 or lower= True Toreador Humanity 8 or higher= Toreador-descended new bloodline Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Morphis Tremere In nights long lost to the passage of time, the Tremere existed, though they were something else. Those early Tremere then made a bargain — or wrought a spell, or any number of other harrowing methods attributed to the Clan — that changed them from what they had been into the vampires they became. Some claimed they stole the Curse of Caine from a torpid Antediluvian, or that they concocted the flawed immortality of the Kindred from the stolen vitae of other vampires. Such mysterious origins, which some described as treacherous or even blasphemous, haunted the Tremere, as the other Clans looked upon them with mistrust and suspicion. The history — and, indeed, the modern legacy — of the Tremere was one marked by Clan war, centuries-old grudges, and the stain of unwholesome mysteries long left unsolved. Clan Tremere was a Clan shaped by its practice of blood sorcery. A flexible Discipline, Thaumaturgy was heavily entrenched within the Tremere, and they maintained cultic havens known as chantries to study its uses and share secrets among each other. To the Tremere, blood was both sustenance and the source of mystical power; they gathered in their witchhouses to further their understanding of the vitae that was such a focal point of their unlives. Antediluvian/Founder: Tremere Nickname: Warlocks Weakness: Tremere dependency on blood is even more pronounced than that of other Kindred. It takes only two draughts of another vampire’s blood for a Tremere to become blood bound instead of the normal three — the first drink counts as if the Tremere had taken two drinks. Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate, Thaumaturgy NOTE: Due to the concept of generation no longer really applying, if playing an original Tremere, you can pick another path of Thaumaturgy instead of path of blood, such as Movement of the Mind, The Green Path, Neptune's Might or Path of the Levinbolt. Quote: "When the world refuses to give, he who makes himself a master of the world may still take." Current status: They say karma is a bitch, and karma hit the Tremere clan like a freight train during Gehenna. Pathetically few Tremere survived both the failed ritual to restore their mortality (which was a last-ditch effort to survive the Withering), and the Withering itself. And with those few remaining Warlocks' numbers being further divided by some of the new desperate embraces not becoming true Tremere...well, the Usurpers now have a very good idea of what they inflicted upon the Salubri long ago. Original embrace results: Humanity 7 or lower= Tremere Humanity 8 or higher= Tremere-descended new bloodline Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate, Evalesco Ventrue Throughout history, while the other Clans skulked about their petty intrigues, the Ventrue curried favor with Caesar, whispered into the ear of Charlemagne, bankrolled the Age of Exploration, and even swayed policy in the Holy See. Theirs was a legacy of rulership, from Ventrue fledglings starting their climb to the top to the mightiest elders whose influence spanned the world. Long did they play kingmaker in the shadows in the mortal world, and long were they the Clan of Kings among the Kindred. Other Clans, of course, found all this insufferably pompous at best, punishably tedious at worst. Someone had to lead, surely, but why did it always have to be some long-winded, self- aggrandizing Ventrue? The Blue Bloods tried to bear the criticism of their lessers with a sense of noblesse oblige — ever heavy hangs the head that wears the crown — but even the most munificent of Kindred leaders occasionally succumbed to tyranny and bloody rage. Antediluvian/Founder: Ventru/Veddartha Nickname: Blue Bloods Weakness: The Ventrue have rarefied tastes, and they find only one specific type of mortal blood palatable and vital for them. When a player creates a Ventrue character, he should decide what specific type of blood suits the character, and this choice is permanent. Blood of other types (even animals) simply offers the vampire no nourishment, no matter how much he consumes — he simply vomits it back up. This refined palate may be very narrow or very broad — say, the blood of younger sisters, or the blood of nude brunettes. Vampiric blood is exempt from this restriction. Disciplines: Dominate, Fortitude, Presence Quote: "There is no shame to bending the knee to one such as myself, so pay your fucking tribute before I lose my temper." Current status: Although the Ventrue didn't lose nearly as many of their numbers as their Sabbat counterparts, the Lasombra did, they still found themselves virtually as morally shattered after Gehenna ended. The Camarilla, the organization their clan had prided themselves on ruling for so long, was ashes with the destruction of its elders. Still, if there is any clan who can try to revive the Ivory tower, it would be the surviving Blue Bloods. Original embrace results: Humanity 7 or lower= True Ventrue Humanity 8 or higher= Ventrue-descended new bloodline Disciplines: Fortitude, Presence, Noblesse Nosferatu: Those who doubted that the Embrace was a curse needed look no further than the Nosferatu. Twisted by the mark of Caine, members of Clan Nosferatu were warped by the Embrace into hideous monsters. As such, they skulked and kept to the shadows, and they often roused the ire and mockery of other Kindred for their nightmarish appearances. Still others were so terrified or revolted by the Nosferatu that these warped Kindred had little social interaction at all. To their credit, the Nosferatu came to possess many of the whispered secrets of their reluctant fellows. The Sewer Rats enjoyed a grudging respect as the information-brokers of the Kindred, given their supernatural acumen at stealth and the fact that many Kindred would rather ignore them than acknowledge them. Savvy Nosferatu exploited this for all it was worth, turning the hypocrisy of other vampires to their own profit. Some of the Sewer Rats were cruel, as blighted on the inside as they were on the outside, while others were tragic, wretched creatures who had been cursed with eternal outsider status through no choice of their own. A few of the Sewer Rats even positioned themselves as prophets or avatars of the Damned, physically embodying the haunting riddle, “A Beast I am, lest a Beast I become.” Antediluvian/Founder: Absimiliard Nickname: Sewer Rats Weakness: All Nosferatu are hideous in some way...though no two Nosferatu are hideous in quite the *same* way. Disciplines: Animalism, Obfuscate, Potence Quote: "Nobody down here but us boogeymen. Hey, whose head is this? Current status: The Nosferatu fared about as well as most of the Camarilla clans did during Gehenna. That is, their elders and the more spiritually twisted members of their younger ranks died in droves, and others survived. The odd post-Gehenna effect on their new embraces, however, has been met with a plethora of responses among surviving Sewer Rats. Some, like the Lasombra (but for different motivations obviously) have made it a practice of furiously trying to cull those childer who don't deform at the end of their first year. Other, more tolerant sires, nonetheless jealous or bitter over their progeny's normal-looking appearance, force them out of their havens- unable to bear the sight of a vampire who, by all rights, should be cursed with the same loathsome appearance as the rest of their clan, but isn't. Original embrace results: Humanity 7 or lower= Nosferatu Humanity 8 or higher= Nosferatu-descended new bloodline Disciplines: Animalism, Potence, Tempestas Edited by Psyche_Dreamweaver, Nov 16 2013, 11:37 AM.
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| Psyche_Dreamweaver | Sep 3 2013, 06:30 PM Post #3 |
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Malkavian Clan Malkavian was twice damned: once by the curse of being Kindred, and again by the turmoil that disturbed their hearts and minds. Upon the Embrace, every Malkavian was afflicted with an insurmountable insanity that fractured her outlook for every night thereafter, making her unlife one of madness. Some considered this a form of oracular insight, while others simply considered them dangerous. Make no mistake: Malkavian insanity is a painful, alienating phenomenon, but it occasionally provides the Lunatics with bursts of insight or heretofore unknown perspective. Madness for the Malkavians may take the form of any clinical form of insanity, or it may be a hyperacuity of senses others don’t know they have; a supernatural puppeteer pulling the Malkavian’s strings, or a sense that the Malkavian is somehow ahead of evolutionary schedule. A Malkavian may believe herself to be an idea given physical form or an avatar of some concept the World of Darkness has yet to encounter. She may be a nonstop ravening psychopath, or may be a mostly lucid individual sometimes rendered catatonic by fear of an impending cataclysm. Their precarious stability made it hard for other Kindred (or, indeed, any vessels with whom they may meet) to interact with Malkavians. The Clan sometimes indulged in elaborate, terrifying, and dangerous “pranks” which do little to endear them to other vampires. These incidents were nominally meant to educate the target, but the lesson could often be lost between the vampire’s scramble for safety and the inability to parse the Malkavian’s inner logic. Antediluvian/Founder: Malkav Nickname: Lunatics Weakness: All members of Clan Malkavian suffer from a permanent, incurable derangement. They may acquire and recover from other derangements, but they can never recover from their original derangement. Disciplines: Auspex, Dementation, Obfuscate Quote: "I was trying to turn water into wine. Where the fuck did all this blood come from? Oh, well — waste not, want not." Current status: The Malkavians, all things considered, survived Gehenna well enough. Not as many lunatics made it as, say, Toreador and Gangrel, but they didn't suffer nearly the level of decimation as the Tremere did. As for their new bloodline, given the average Malkavian, its unknown if they're even *aware* they've been producing members of a new bloodline in the nine years since Gehenna, or if they care if they do know. Note: The Malkavian variant is essentially the same as the Camarilla-affiliated Malkavians that used to be in the game- the only difference between them and `true' Malkavians is they have dominate instead of dementation. Original embrace results: Humanity 6 or lower= Malkavian (true) Humanity 7= Malkavian (variant) Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate, Obfuscate Humanity 8 or higher= Malkavian-descended new bloodline Disciplines: Manteis, Obfuscate, choice of Celerity *OR* Auspex Salubri The Salubri were once a true Clan. Their Clan founder, Saulot, was said to be a superlative warrior as well as a fair-minded judge. It was also said that he grew progressively more disgusted with Kindred affairs over time, and weary of the constant, bloody cycles of violence and betrayal. He left his home for lands far to the east. When he returned, he was changed. He was tranquil and contemplative, but also somewhat fatalistic. Most surprisingly, though, he had developed a third eye in his forehead. Saulot Embraced new childer, and his Clan slowly split into two distinct lines — the “warrior” and “healer” Salubri. For centuries, they acted as advisers, bodyguards, and sages to other Kindred and, to a lesser extent, mortals. And then came the diablerie of Saulot. The mages of the newly created Tremere line found Saulot’s torpid body, and drained his blood and soul. They usurped the power of one of the Clans of Caine, and sent the Salubri into a downward spiral from which they never really recovered. In later nights, rumor had it that only seven members of the once-respected line existed at any given time. The rumors died hard, however. Modern Kindred knew of the Salubri as diablerists who consumed their own sires (and did it openly — patricide was hardly unknown among the other Clans, but they didn’t admit to it) and removed the souls of other Kindred. The Soulsuckers were, supposedly, a Clan of defilers and liars from centuries past, possibly involved with demon worship, and demonstrably part of the Sabbat (Salubri antitribu). They asked, quite reasonably, how the Salubri were able to achieve Golconda with any regularity. They wondered how any line could sustain itself with so few members. And, finally, they posed this question: even if these first two notions are taken as given, why would the Salubri need to submit to diablerie? Why did their childer need to consume their sires’ souls, if not for some defect in the bloodline itself? Antediluvian/Founder: Saulot Nickname: Cyclops, or, less kindly, Soulsuckers Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Fortitude, Obeah Weakness: Salubri have difficulty feeding on unwilling vessels. If a Cyclops attempts it, she loses Willpower. Quote: "I say this and mean it truly — no burden I have ever carried is heavier than what this new eye has seen." Current status: It is rather fitting, given their campaign of propaganda and genocide against the Salubri, that the Tremere clan now are, after the events of Gehenna, on fairly equal terms with their age-old enemies when it comes to terms of surviving population. While certainly more than seven of each bloodline still exist, neither are thriving, but they struggle to endure nonetheless. Ironically, of all the remaining Kindred who have actually realized that they're producing a new bloodline, the Salubri are not just tolerant, but openly welcoming of theirs- seeing in their developing discipline of Katharos (which itself is seemingly a more powerful form of Obeah) perhaps a sign of redemption for their line, and maybe the Cainite race as a whole if it is nurtured and allowed to grow. For this reason, vampires of the Salubri-descended bloodline are the most likely to be protected and mentored by their sires, and thus have a better grip on their new discipline due to its close similarity to Obeah. Original embrace results: Humanity 7 or lower= True Salubri Humanity 8 or higher= Salubri-descended new bloodline Disciplines: Auspex, Fortitude, Katharos Note: Members of the Salubri-descended bloodline do not develop a third eye Kiasyd The Kiasyd were a bloodline of the Lasombra Clan; that much was obvious, given that these odd Kindred made use of the Obtenebration Discipline. But their aversion to iron, their odd power of Mytherceria, and their very appearance spoke to even stranger ancestry. The Kiasyd were independent, focused more on their studies than on the causes of the Sword of Caine. The ones that did claim membership in the Sabbat weren’t passionately involved in the Sect’s activities. Some speculated that the Lasombra held some power over them — did the Keepers create the Kiasyd, the way the Tzimisce created the Blood Brothers? Did the Kiasyd, whatever their origin, owe the Lasombra some debt? Whatever the nature of their relationship, it seemed to benefit the Sabbat. The Kiasyd were, as a rule, calm and studious. They prefered to remain ensconced within their havens, poring over ancient texts, maps, artifacts, and other bits of antiquity. Other Kindred, it seemed, couldn't understand how a lineage of vampires that was so very strange could be nothing more than scholars. To hear the rumor-mill tell it, the Kiasyd could feed only on the blood of infants, or faeries, or unspoiled virgins. Their otherworldly heritage came not from the Good Folk, but from demons and the forces of Hell. Their odd appearance wasn't because of a mutation in their vitae, but a God-given warning: These were not Kindred. They were *other*. Nickname: Weirdlings Clan Disciplines: Dominate, Mytherceria, Obtenebration Weakness: Besides their somewhat freakish appearance, Kiasyd also have an allergy to iron. Touching iron requires an immediate roll to avoid frenzy, and any weapons made from cold iron inflict aggravated damage to Kiasyd. Quote: "I didn’t invite you in. Leave. Touch nothing except the floor and the doorknob, or I swear on the moon and the stars I will have you on the other side of that mirror by morning." Current status: It is a bit amusing that one new bloodline the Lasombra produced they treated with surprising tolerance in nights past, but the new bloodline they've produced they're doing their best to eradicate. Of course, in those past nights, the Lasombra clan wasn't in danger of extinction and their ability to produce new members of their clan wasn't in question, but be that as it may... The Weirdlings survived Gehenna in surprising numbers, and unlike their Lasombra progenitors haven't shown the same vicious intolerance towards their newly emerging bloodline beyond the same scholarly curiosity they tend to regard so many other things with. A Kiasyd is no more likely to have an extended mentorship with a childe who doesn't breed true as they are with one who does, but at least they don't usually try to destroy them either. Original embrace results: Humanity 7 or lower= True Kiasyd Humanity 8 or higher= Kiasyd-descended new bloodline Disciplines: Dominate, Potence, Thaumata Gargoyles The Tremere unveiled the Gargoyle bloodline in AD 1167, and the Slaves had been a steady, if infrequent, part of Kindred society ever since. Gargoyles might, in fact, be one reason that the Tremere weren’t exterminated entirely in their first few centuries of existence. These odd Kindred often looked like their stone namesakes — rocky-skinned, ugly, winged creatures that exist only to serve their masters. Or such was the case for several hundred years. In more recent times, though, many of the Slaves had thrown off their chains and joined the Camarilla. Why the Gargoyles chose to ally themselves with the Sect that also protected their former masters was anyone’s guess. One of the going theories was that it was meant to be a slap in the Warlocks’ collective face, but most Kindred didn't give the Gargoyles credit for being that sophisticated. More likely, the Rockheads simply realized that in the Camarilla, their talents would be recognized and no one would try and order them around (at least not directly). Gargoyles were originally created out of other Kindred, and this ugly fact made their creation a seldom-discussed topic in polite vampiric society. The Tremere started with a Gangrel, Nosferatu, or Tzimisce vampire and performed obscene, bloody rituals using its blood, heart, and skin. Vitae from another vampire (from one of the other two Clans) was used to provoke a violent mutation, with the result that some Gargoyles looked purely hideous (Nosferatu base), some looked feral (Gangrel base), and some look more fleshy and sported bony protrusions (Tzimisce base). No Gargoyle could pass for human. The Tremere tolerated the Gargoyles’ presence in the Camarilla as best they could — it’s not as though they could have easily re-enslaved them, after all. But relations were obviously strained. The Gargoyles’ revolt and induction into the Camarilla had all but doomed the remaining slave Gargoyles though, as their masters monitored them ruthlessly for any sign of betrayal. The Tremere also weren't above planting hypnotic suggestions in their Slaves’ minds, so that if they ever did rebel, they still served a function for the Clan. Nickname: Traditionally Slaves, though free Gargoyles had been known to crack heads over it. Other common nicknames are Rockheads, Runaways, Freemen, and Grotesques. Weakness: Due to the origins of their bloodline, Gargoyles are highly susceptible to mind control from any source (such as the Dominate discipline). In addition, while not all are hideous (And even the ones who *are* ugly are not ugly on the level of a Nosferatu), and although some individuals can be even noble-looking in a feral fashion, no Gargoyle can pass for human, and must keep themselves hidden from most mortal eyes. Disciplines: Fortitude, Potence, Visceratika Quote: "Master. Why did you burn her? She only wanted to fly free for one night…yes, master. I obey." Current status: Gehenna was, oddly enough, a good thing on the whole for the Gargoyle bloodline. Not only were their hated former masters, the Tremere clan, all but decimated, but the strange bat-winged vampires experienced an odd side effect even beyond the ones that impacted all other Kindred. Before Gehenna, even a new Gargoyle created through the embrace of a pre-existing Gargoyle tended to forgot most, if not all, of their former life...but after Gehenna, that mystifying phenomenon stopped. Embraced Gargoyles retained full memories of their mortal lives. More bizarre though, their newly-emerging bloodline is starkly different from them in ways that go far beyond simply lacking the traditional weakness of their brethren and developing a new discipline. In the days immediately following Gehenna, one oddly religious-minded Gargoyle claimed he'd had a divine vision of a way to 'balance the scales', and in response found himself drawn to a young man, who he promptly embraced. In a very rare case among the newly-developing lines, it *is* fairly widely-known among the surviving Kindred that this young man was the first of the new bloodline, mainly because of the stark differences apparent in him even immediately following his embrace. He was quite obviously a new vampire, but his skin remained soft and human-like, and his features- already beautiful as a mortal- were not marred by his transformation, quite the opposite; they took on an even more pronounced beauty that was so lovely it was almost eerie. He developed wings as well, but they were feathered...not the leathery, bat-like wings of the traditional Gargoyle. More than the physical changes he experienced (and the ones he didn't experience, rather), he retained full knowledge and memories of his mortal self. He (and the others like him that followed) was not as strong as a Gargoyle, and he seemed unable to learn the Gargoyle discipline of Visceratika, but oddly enough, an ironic legacy of the Nosferatu blood that was used to create the original Gargoyles *was* passed on, and it allowed the newly emerging bloodline to keep themselves disguised from human sight. Despite the seemingly shocking contrast between the two; the demonic-looking Gargoyles and their new, angelic-looking childer, the two are fiercely loyal to and protective of one another. Original embrace results: Humanity 7 or lower= True Gargoyle Humanity 8 or higher= Gargoyle-descended new bloodline Disciplines: Celerity, Obfuscate, Beatus [/color][/color] |
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