Vampires: The Masquerade Information

[Renji]

[[Note this may take several posts to relay just read for now]]

Prologue:
A Gathering of Beasts

From a female Vampire:

Bela Lugosi's dead, and so am I. But what's left of Bela is rotting in a pine coffin somewhere, while I have the opportunity to sit here on the balcony, enjoy my drink and look at you. Correct me if I'm being presumptuous, but I suspect that I have the better end of the deal.

I can tell by looking at you that you're not comprehending. Of course you're not these are cynical, rational times, and you're not going to believe that I'm a dead man just because I say so. A century ago it would have been different well, it was quite different the last time I had this little talk with someone but this is the age of facts. And the facts are that corpses don't move, don't walk, don't talk. I'm terribly sorry, my dear, but I have a surprise for you: This corpse does.

So sit down. Please, I insist that you make yourself comfortable. Pour yourself something to drink, preferably from the bottle on the left the stuff on the right is an acquired taste. It's going to be a long evening, and you're going to need a stiff drink or two, I suspect. After all, in the next few hours I'm going to explain to you in excruciating detail why everything you think you know about life and death is wrong. In other words, you don't know a blessed thing about the way the world really works, and I'm going to open your eyes.

But I'm afraid, my dear, that you're not going to like what you see.

What I Am

Before we go any further, allow me to tell you that you're getting an unprecedented opportunity here. My kind doesn't talk about itself to your kind - not now, and for the most part, not ever. We've spent five centuries wearing a stage curtain that we call the Masquerade to hide the real show for you, but the end it comes down to one simple fact: We vampires don't want you mortals knowing we're out there. It's for the same reason the wolf doesn't want the sheep knowing he's around. It makes our work so much easier. And so, for example, though we go indeed posses the sharpened with which dime novels and the cinema have branded us, you mortals will not see them unless we choose to reveal them. Like so.

You're looking pale, my dear. That will never do if we're going to be seen late - allow me to take care of looking pale for both of us. Still, I must admit I'm disappointed that you seem so disturbed by the notion of my being a vampire. Take a moment and compose yourself, if you can. Truth be told, I'm afraid that's the least of the shocks waiting for you tonight. Please, don't waste time trying to come up with a rational, scientific explanation, because there isn't one. It's just what I am. What many, many of us are - to many, by some accounts.

Damnation, are you truly that much of a fool? Sit back down. I said sit. Now watch. Hush, stop screaming. No one will come to rescue you, and no one will call the police - not in this building. Discreet neighbors are a blessing to one in my condition. It's positively. Victorian the way they ignore anything not directly in front of them.

So, at last you have your proof. Now do you believe me? Yes, it is blood in the other decanter; served cold like that, of course, the stuff loses much of its taste. You can try it if you like, but I don't recommend it, no. You're not set up to enjoy such things, at least not as presently configured.

Don't get ahead of yourself guessing my intention, my dear. If I were going to act according to your beloved cliches, your would be dead right now. I am a predator, after all, and you and your entire species are my prey.

Beginnings

I suppose we should begin with the basic of the whole thing. I am in fact a vampire, brought into this state of existence in the Year of Our Lord 1796 by woman who was introduced to me as a quote unquote "lady of evening". The gentleman who introduced us - one of her servant, I later discovered - had an add sense of humor.

But I digress. Yes. I do drink human blood. Without the nourishment it provides, I will wither away; with it, I will live forever. Yes, forever. Unless destroyed - and destroying one of the Damned is no mean feat, I can assure you - we vampires are every bit as immortal as the legends say. Only the sun, and the emotions it engenders, remain forever foreign to us: we Kindred can drink in the night of countless ages, can remain unchanging while all that we crumbles to dust around us and replaced by another stage-set that in turn crumbles to dust, and so on...

Ah, once again, I lose the way. Blood, yes blood. I can get by on the blood of animals - most of us can, except the true elders of our kind - but such a diet is unpleasant. Unpalatable. No, we all want to feed on the best vintages, otherwise one goes around all the time with a dull ache in one's gut that just never goes away. It gets worse the hungrier one gets, I might add; a vampire who goes too ling without feeding is liable to demonstrate a regrettable lack of self-control.

There are other tell-tale physiological sings of my condition. My heart does not beat; the strength of my will alone suffices to force blood through my body. My internal organs, by all accounts, have long since atrophied into vestigial husk, but that won't matter to a coroner, as once I am truly killed I will rapidly decompose into dust. In the meantime, however, I'm not troubled by such trifles as breathing, extremes of temperature and the like. My skin is cold, unless I take effort to warm it. Doing so takes effort, though, and the expenditure of precious blood. Regular food is an abomination unto me, and it doesn't sit for more that a few second in that remain of my stomach. Even with eternity stretching before me, my dear, I have better things to do with my time than to crouch over toilets, heaving ashes and gobbets into the bowl.

In layman's terms, then, I am no longer human. For all intents and purposes, I am simply a blood-drinking, ambulatory cadaver, indistinguishable from any body in a morgue unless I am moving about. I save the niceties like warming my flesh and remembering to blink for company, such as yourself.

So thank you, dear. Keeping myself fresh and rosy-looking for you is costing me more than you know.

Ah, we return to the drinking of blood, the defining act, as it were, of my state. Yes, am afraid it is necessity, though one can leave one's prey alive. All that requires is a little self-control and a touch of effort to close the wound - and no, we don't all drink from neck. You can cross another cliche off your list. The problem with leaving one's prey alive, however, is that unless one has certain... protection, she remembers. Such breaches of the Masquerade are not looked on kindly by the vampiric powers that be. Oftentimes, it makes more sense simply to kill.

My Drinking Problem

The crux of the matter, really, is that drinking blood not only allows me to perpetuate my existence, but also provides a sensation unlike anything else this world has to offer. What is it like? My dear, words cannot describe it. Imagine drinking the finest champagne and the sensation of the most sensual lovemaking you've ever experienced. Overlay that that with the rush the opium fiend feels as he takes that first breath on the pipe, and you begin to have some sense, some tiny, infinitesimal sense of what it feels like to drink the blood of a kine - excuse me, a living human being. Your modern-day addict will lie, steal, cheat and kill for their little tickets to Heaven. Mine is better, and it makes me immortal besides. Can you imagine the deeds I might commit to feed that hunger? Don't bother speaking possibilities; the truth than you can imagine. And I am considered to be a gentleman of my kind. Now imagine, if you will, some of my relatives, the ones who aren't so nice as I.

They can - and do - commit acts that even I don't wish to consider.

And here you are, poor little mortal, learning how fragile your whole existence is.

Are you starting to be afraid yet? You should be.

The First Fatal Sip

In most cases, one receives one's first drink of blood on the night one becomes a vampire - one of the "Kindred", as we like to call ourselves. The process is called "The Embrace", and has two distinct and rather difficult phases. The first is simple: The vampire who wishes to create progeny drinks every last drop of blood he can from his intended "childe". This is no different from normal feeding, save that one doesn't need to worry about erasing the memory or disposing of the corpse afterward, and that one gets a very full meal indeed. The difference comes afterward.

Once the last bit of blood has pulsed its way out, the parent vampire - the technical term is "sire", not that you care yet - then returns some of his ill-gotten gains. He bites his lip, or wrist, or whatever, and allow some of his blood to pass his victim's lips. Assuming that the mortal does not actively and successfully resist the process - few do, believe me - and assuming that the sire has not delayed too long in granting this gift, then the blood trickles down the victim's throat and revives her, albeit as a vampire.

It sounds simple, does it not? The truth is, as truth is always wont to be, more complicated. My own Embrace would seem to be the epitome of the lushly romantic gloss your age has put on my king, and even so I shudder in retrospect at the memory. All of the ingredients of romance were there - the candlelit boudoir, the half-drink goblets of wine, milady's pale heaving bosom - one would think we'd retreated from the party into the pages of a novel. And so we tumbled onto the bed, and, at the height of passion, she plunged her fangs into my neck. Between the pleasure of the moment and the pleasure of her feeding - yes, it is quite pleasurable for mortals, to the point of addiction for some - I was quite content to drift away. I remember distinctly thinking that my mother had been right about me after all, and that loose women would be the death of me, and I even recall laughing as my sire drank my life.

And then, as I lay there watching that shimmering door open before me, as my soul took its first faltering steps toward I leaven, she calmly slit her wrist and poured the vitriol of eternal life down my throat. You can mock me for not rejecting what she offered, but even in the face of Grace, life is sweet. Her blood seared as it trickled past my lips and down my throat, and I found myself wanting to live. The pain the blood brought was proof that I was alive. And, when it became clear that I would not be ascending, the shining door vanished with a feeling of ineffable sadness, leaving me with my sire and a murderous hunger. Fortunately, my sire was kind enough to see me through the change; she'd seduced my best friend prior to stalking me, and cached him in an adjoining room like a shrike stocking its larder. While I felt my body dying cell by cell, he lay senseless, waiting far my hunger.

Ah, yes, the hanger of creation. That little bit of blood that one's sire uses to bestow the Embrace isn't much - a few drops with more mystical than nutritional significance. They certainly don't provide enough sustenance to satisfy the hunger of a newborn vampire. So the newborn childe had better pray her sire has laid in a few bottles or, better yet, a few bodies for the moment, so that there's something to feed on right after change. I've witnessed the horror of newly Embraced Kindred giving in to that uncontrollable hunger and ripping to shreds whoever was nearest in their madness. When that first thirst is upon you, you will do whatever you must to feed. You will kill your lover, your child, your parent or your priest to sate that thirst, and you will be glad to do so - for as long as the frenzy lasts.

There, my dear, is the rub. Because no matter how long you're in that state of frenzy, no matter what triggered it - fear or hunger or pain or rage - no matter how long you give in to the animal inside you, you can't control what you do and you always come down. And that's when you must deal with the consequences of what you did when that animal wearing your skin was in control. And the first frenzy is never last. One would think it gets easier to deal with that loss of control as one grows more experienced. One who thought that would be quite wrong.

The Beast

A vampire's animalistic side is called the Beast, in what is, I suspect, an attempt to demonize it by dissociation. Alas, merely giving the monstrous urge a different name is not enough to tame it. In the end the Beast always wins, I'm told. If one survives long enough as a vampire, one is forced by one's own nature to do some obscene things. And eventually, one gets acclimated to committing those atrocities and moves on to new ones, and whatever was human in that vampire dies. When the last bit of humanity in vampire dies - and once you watch enough friends, lover ones and descendants pass into the dust of ages, it does die, rest assured - then the Beast takes over once and for all. The vampire becomes an animal. If you ever reach that stage, the odds are you won't even notice when you get put down like a mad dog.

If you will is strong, and you've got a decent sense of self, you can hold out for decades. Centuries, even - I have spoken to a Kindred who is over two millennia old. But you are never, never free of the fear that the Beast will one night triumph, and that fear is what the Beast will use to bring you to bay.

Of course, the best way to fight the Beast is to keep oneself in fighting trim, and that means eating regularly. Then again, eating regularly usually means that sooner or later, you start killing kine - mortals, pardon me again - and the more Kine you kill, the easier the killing gets. So the Beast wins that way, as well. Even if you don't mean to, even if the process begins with an accident, sooner or later you get inured to the sight of a brand-new corpse that you're responsible for, lying dead at your feet. After the tenth, hundredth, thousandth or whatever corpse, it stops being a person and becomes an object, a vessel. A footnote in your history of the ages. And you, at that moment, cease to be remotely human.

A Return to Blood

But there's more to blood than just food, a lot more. There's power to it, so much so that some vampires call it vitae - "of life". Blood above and beyond what is needed to survive can be put to a variety of uses. The legendary vampiric strength or speed? A product of the proper application of blood. Invulnerability to mortal woes? Another draught from the same well. I've had pistol emptied into my belly and not slowed down a whit. Blood powers many of the "magical" talents ascribed to us as well; you've witnessed one. And of course, I can flush blood to my skin so as to appear, well, almost human.

There is price to be paid, of course. The more blood I spend on such parlor tricks, the more quickly I exhaust what is in my belly. The more quickly I empty my gut, the sooner I need to feed - and hunt - once again.

You would prefer me to cease the charade of warmth, then? I am in your debt. It is so refreshing to meet a young person who is willing to look past appearances, don't you think? Hmm? My dear, were you six times your current age you'd be a child to me. "Young" is relative term.

Tsk. I'm feeling a bit hungry. Would you care to escort me out on the town? The other option is that I leave you here as prisoner, and I'd prefer not to do that. No doubt you'd try to get inventive and escape, and I'd lose some antiques as you smashed things in the process. You, my dear, a replaceable. My possessions are not. It's that simple.

[Renji]

The Lies

I am quite glad you decided to come along after all. Lucky, wasn't it, that I had something appropriate for you in the guest bedroom's closet. No, not from a previous victim, if that's what you're worried about; it's just that when the same situations pop up over and over across a dozen decades, you learn to prepare for them. Surely you don't think you're the first woman I've strolled with since my Embrace? You are lovely, but don't allow it to go to your head, my dear.

It is cold tonight, isn't it? I see you're staring at my breath - yes, it is steaming like yours. That's another use of blood, one that's quite useful for disguising myself in the presence of vampire-hunters and other unpleasant souls. You'd be amazed at how many of my kind have met their ends over the years because they forgot a tiny detail. The devil is in fact in the details, and he's just as happy to turn on his putative servants as he is on those who think themselves divinely inspired.

In the meantime, this wolf likes to blend in with the flock, yes.

Hmm. Hunters. They're nasty, nasty people, full of fire and drive for their self-appointed mission. Most of them never come within a half-mile of destroying one of my kind; of the rest, the vast majority do their causes more harm than good. They cull the weak and the stupid from this state of unlife, leaving better, smarter, stronger vampires. Many hunters are self-employed, a ragtag rabble toting shotguns and stakes as they stomp blindly through the gardens of the night. Other work for branches of your government, convinced we're part of some enemy's conspiratorial attempts to bring down The American Way. Imbeciles.

The most dangerous hunters are tied up with the Catholic Church and something called the Society of Leopold. Don't be fooled: It's the Inquisition in modern guise. They, and others like them, have learned just enough of the truth about the Kindred to draw all the wrong conclusion. According to your basic vampire-hunter, we are all evil pawns of Satan, sent to Earth to wreak havoc and serve our Infernal Master.

That, contrary to what one might think, is unequivocally merde. I hold as master no man, vampire or devil; I serve no will save my own. Vampires simply have... appetites and goals that diverge from what your average Inquisition adherent thinks is normal. Then again, I'm told they run to hair shirts and self-flagellation, which is hardly well-socialized behavior either.

There are a great many other half-trusts and misconceptions out there, most of which serve our purposes. Do you see the church across the way? You will notice that I am standing in media crucis - right where the shadow of the cross falls on the street - and it's not doing a blessed thing to me. Nor will any other crucifix, Star of David or other religious apparatus, unless the person holding it has some faith of her own. That sort of faith is really quite rare these days, I assure you. Nine times out of ten you can walk up to a priest (if so inclined), rip the cross out of his hands, and then kill him while he's still asking God what precisely went wrong.

Not that I've done such a thing, of course.

Most of other folderol they sell you in movies is exactly that. Garlic? Worthless. A stake? Only if it your right in the heart, end even then it only immobilized you. Running water? I do bathe, thank you very much. Sunlight? Well, that does hurt, but it takes than single sunbeam to turn you to ash. The same for open flame - it burns you, but takes than a second to do so.

Am I in fact using "you" in all of these examples? I'm terribly sorry about that. I have no idea what came over me.

As for where we're going right now, well, we're going to a nightclub. More precisely, we're going to a watering hole where the kine, have gathered, not realizing there are predators about. You're also going to meet a few other of my kind, of different families. Don't worry, you're perfectly safe from them as long as you remain in my company. I have no intention of letting anyone hurt you tonight.

[Renji]

Flavors of the Blood

Here we are: Xero, the latest blip on what passes for a nightlife in this dungheap metropolis. The hot spots come and go - dance halls fade into speakeasies turn into swing clubs and burger joints, which meld into coffeehouses, discos and eventually... this. The details don't matter; there are always places where the young can come to show how rebellious they are, at least until that night's money funs out. They want the taste of danger, you see while we're just looking for the taste of blood. The intersection of our interest is natural, but the irony of the situation is lost to them.

No, we are going to have to wait in line. The bouncer at the door is one of ours, you see. Hi is what we call a ghoul. Every so often he drinks some vampire blood and in exchange gets a few of the perks of being a vampire. Just a few, mind you - ghouls are most assuredly still mortal. The benefits to the arrangement are limited; ghouls don't get the full range of our powers, but in exchange they still capable of fathering children, feeling the sun on their shoulders, and accidentally drowning.

Yes, ghouling is yet another property of the Blood. There are a great many things about the Blood I haven't told you; I'm not being paid to tutor you, after all. Still curious? Well, how's this: Drink a vampire blood three times, and you're hopelessly enthralled with him. The resultant feeling of affection is called the blood bond, and if the vampire responsible for it reinforces it, the bond can last forever. After all, it's not like one can even die to escape it.

Can you imagine that, by the way? Being forced to love someone, forever? Knowing that the love you have for them - which is so strong you'll kill of die for this person - is a lie, a damnably induced lie? Hating them and loving them al the same time, and not being able to do a damned thing about it?

Yes, it does sound like I'm speaking from personal experience, doesn't it? Funny how that works. Mind your step here; management keeps forgetting that not all of the patrons can see in the dark.

[Renji]

A Breed Apart

Now, here's a little primer on family relations before I introduce you around. According to vampire legend, we are all descended from Caine, son of Adam and Eve. Supposedly God punished Caine for killing Abel by turning him into vampire; the "mark" God placed upon Caine was in fact the curse of vampirism. Caine discovered he could pass his curse on through the Embrace, and created childer to ease his loneliness. Unfortunately, the process did not stop there. Each of Caine childer made childer, and they made childer, and so on. Caine realized his mistake, forbade the further creation of vampires, and vanished.

Of course, with the cat away the mice did play. The younger vampires listened about as well as one might expect, which is why I'm here. Of course, each step away from Caine - each generation of vampires - is a little weaker, a closer to mortal. Caine himself is the First Generation, his childer are second, and so on down the line. The 13th generation is about the last one worth the oil it will take to roast them in Hell; I'm led to believe that 14th-generation vampires are all mules anyway.

Newer ask someone her generation. Doing so is considered fatally rude.

That's not all there is to it - can you hear me over this din? Why do mortals insist on dancing to this, this noise at such high volume, anyway? In any case, we're not all like Caine. Heaven help the world if we were! Instead, each of Caine grandchilder - Antediluvians, we call these mythical beings, for they are presumed to predate Noah's little Flood - supposedly bore unique mystical gifts and curses, and all vampires descended from that particular Kindred kept those characteristics. We became specialized, bred like hounds or racehorses, and those specialized lineages became known as clans. Thirteen great clans are known to us, each in powers and purview. Those powers, by the way, we call "Disciplines". For all intents and purposes, they're magical. You've seen me use one of mine. Pray you don't see some of the others.

Oh, and then there is the Jyhad, of course. Yes, Jyhad. The Eternal Struggle, The Great Game, or whatever poetic sobriquet one wishes to attach to it. Most Kindred would say the Jyhad, like Antediluvians, is but myth, and yet many believe in it, deep in their cold, dead hearts. As the stories go, during the first nights, the eldest childer of Caine began fighting amongst themselves, using their own childer and the kine as pawns to be sent to and fro against the minions of their rivals. Naturally, since we vampire are immortal, the ancient feuds never quite died out, and so the game of feint and thrust, parry and counter continues - so they say - to this very night, with most participants entirely unaware of their part in the struggle. Kindred versus Kindred, clan versus clan, mortal nation versus mortal nation, all at the strings of hidden puppetmasters. A silly notion, really. And yet, I have seen many strange things in the night, and I occasionally wonder whether my action are indeed my own... Ah, well. Existentialist piffle.

Anyway, please allow me to introduce you around. Do you see that woman over there in the black lace skirt and top hat? No, not her, the other one. Her name is Jullian. She's one of us, but from different clan that I. Specifically, she is of Clan Toreador, the "Clan of the Pose", as they call it. Art, beautiful boys, imagining themselves to be characters out of Keats or Shelley - all these things are meat and drink to the Toreador. Or that is what conventional wisdom would have one believe. I put little stock in stereotypes, particularly the noble ones.

The gentleman in the charcoal suit and collarless shirt who's trying to be inconspicuous in watching Jullian and her flock? He's Paolo, a Tremere. The Tremere are sorcerers, quite nasty and secretive. Anger one and you'll have the whole pack of them expressing their disapproval all over you. And over in the corner, the ruffian in the biker jacket looking all harsh and brooding? Devin. He's a Brujah, a rabble-rouser, and he's actually hunting. Sooner or later, his Byronic demeanor is going to draw some female attention, he'll allow himself to be sheered up and taken home, and then... well, you know what comes then.

Don't even think about trying to interfere, or I'll kill you myself. Think of yourself as watching a nature documentary. That's what's going in here, really. Survival of the fittest. The herd of humanity loses one or two animals, but most get to move on, unharmed. It's balance between predator and pray.

That's what the Camarilla is all about, by the way, maintaining the balance. Making sure that we don't run amuck through the herd, and that you don't learn that there are hunters among you.

What's the Camarilla? Not much, according to some vampires. In theory, it is the umbrella organization of all vampires dedicated to providing order and maintaining the Masquerade. In reality, it has only seven of the great clans, plus assorted hangers-on. A couple of other clan style themselves independent, and the rest are in a beastly cult called the Sabbat. The Sabbat makes Devin over there look like a nursery-school teacher; they're a lot closer to what the Inquisition thinks it's looking for than we Camarilla types are.

Don't make the mistake that we in the Camarilla are nice, though. We're not. We just realize that at this point, it is a great deal safer to coexist and try to work through you than it is to ty to fight you. Never, ever be fooled into thinking we're the "good guys".

We just have more use for you alive than dead.

No good prospects tonight, I think - Devin is hogging the spotlight. Let's get out of here. You look like you could use some air, and this place is beginning to bore me.

No, I'm not going to kill you and drink your blood in the alley. The act of granting the Embrace should be done in comfort, in luxury. Besides, by now my ghouls should have garnered sufficient nourishment for your first Hunger; I'm generous sort of sire.

Please don't act shocked. Ingenuousness doesn't suit your complexion. I've been dropping hints all night, and you've been dutifully picking them up. Besides, you couldn't have thought I was going to tell you all of this and then let you just walk away? Oh, most of the world would think you were crazy if you repeated the story I've given you, but just enough people wouldn't. They believe, and they'd tell other people. And the whole thing would come tumbling down like a house of cards.

So, my dear, there's no way I can let you walk out of this alive.

You can walk out of it dead, though. You know what I'm offering you. You know that deep down, you want it, too. If you didn't. you would have tried to escape hours ago. But here you are.

So, lovely lady, am I going to make you live forever? Yes? I'm glad.

Take my arm, my dear. Are you afraid yet?

You should be.

[Renji]

The World of Darkness

The greatest difference between our world and that of Vampire: The Masquerade is the presence of immortal monsters pulling the strings of humanity. Violence and despair are more common here, because they need to be in order for the Kindred to continue their existences. The world is bleak, but escape is an ever-present commodity - perhaps too present. The setting of Vampire is a composite of its populace and their despair.

Gothic-Punk, and Portents of the Future

"Gothic-Punk" is perhaps the best way to describe the physical nature of the World of Darkness. The environment is a clashing mixture of styles and influences, and the tension caused by the juxtaposition of ethnicities, social classes and subcultures makes the world a vibrant, albeit dangerous, place.

The Gothic aspect describes the ambience of the World of Darkness. Buttressed buildings loom overhead, bedecked with classical columns and grimacing gargoyles. Residents are dwarfed by the sheer scale of architecture, lost amid the spires that seem to grope toward Heaven in an effort to escape the physical world. The ranks of the Church swell, as mortals flock to any banner that offers them a hope of something better in the hereafter. Likewise, cults flourish in the underground, promising power and redemption. The institutions that control society are even more staid and conservative than they are in our world, for many in power prefer the evil of the world they know to the chaos engendered by change. It is a divisive world of have and have-not, rich and poor, excess and squalor.

The Punk aspect is the lifestyle that many denizens of the World of Darkness have adopted. In order to give their lives meaning, they rebel, crashing themselves against the crags of power. Gangs prowl the streets and organized crime breeds in the underworld, reactions to the pointlessness of living "by the book." Music is louder, faster, more violent or hypnotically monotonous, and supported by masses who find salvation in its escape. Speech is coarser, fashion is bolder, art is more shocking, and technology brings it all to everyone at the click of a button. The world is more corrupt, the people are spiritually bankrupt, and escapism often replaces hope.

As if this weren't fearful enough, the last few years have seen a quiet but pervasive dread grip the Kindred community. Many Kindred whisper of the Jyhad, the eternal war or game said to consume the most ancient vampires. This struggle has been waged since the dawn of time, but many vampires fear that, as one millennium passes to the next and the curse of undeath grows weaker, an apocalyptic endgame is at hand. Signs and portents, many recorded in the prophetic Book of Nod, trouble vampires of all clans and lineages, even those who profess not to believe. Whispers in Sabbat covens and Camarilla salons alike speak of turmoil in the East, of armies of Clanless rabble, of vampires whose blood is so thin that they cannot Embrace, of meetings with mysterious elders whose vast power betrays no discernible lineage, of black crescent moons and full moons red as blood. All, say the believers, are omens that the Final Nights are approaching, and that the end of all things is nigh.

Some Kindred believe that a Reckoning is at hand, that the powers of Heaven are preparing at last to judge the vampires and what they have made of the world. Others speak of the Winnowing, or Gehenna, the night when the most ancient vampires will rise to consume their progeny, taking their lessers' cursed blood to sate their own hunger. Few admit to such superstitions, but most feel a palpable tension in these nights. Elder vampires play their hands in one fell swoop, negating centuries-long schemes in a single mad flurry of action. The warpacks of the dread Sabbat hurl themselves at the fortresses of their enemies, for they fear they might not get another opportunity. Cells of Assamite cannibals, formerly held in check by a great curse, hunt other vampires and ravenously drink their blood. Vampires of uncertain lineage are hunted down and destroyed by paranoid elders, who fear them as harbingers of Gehenna. Though patience is a special virtue among the immortals, it is practiced less and less, and the whole Kindred world teeters on the verge of a great collective frenzy.

Gothic-Punk is a mood and setting conveyed during the course of the game. The greatest share of creating this ambience falls upon the Storyteller, but players should consider their characters' stake in it as well. The ambience is also a matter of taste. Some troupes may prefer more Gothic than Punk, while others may want equal amounts of both elements, or little of either. In the end, it's your game, and you are free to make of it what you will. Simply bear in mind that experiencing the world is a shared endeavor, and everything the players and Storyteller do helps make that world more believable. Actions, settings, characters and descriptions all convey the Gothic-Punk aesthetic.

[Renji]

Cities

Vampires are inherently creatures of the city, though some claim this is a matter of decision rather than nature. Urban landscapes offer everything a Kindred could want: near-infinite supplies of blood, enough contact to satisfy the most social of vampires (and enough seclusion to satisfy the most isolationist), and refuge from the werewolves who linger in the mral lands beyond the city lights.

Unfortunately for the Kindred, cities are breeding grounds for the events of the Jyhad, the great cannibalistic war that has raged among the undead for longer than the eldest vampires remember. The night is as capricious as the Kindred themselves are, and long periods of relative peace can erupt into bloodshed with little or no warning. As vampires cling to the cities for protection and sustenance, juxtaposition with other Kindred is inevitable.

In the nights of old, when humans were fewer and cities not so congested, Kindred often stalked their hunting grounds alone, never seeing another of their kind. In the modern era, contact with other predators is nearly unavoidable, and so some balance of power usually exists within a city. Elder vampires control their own territories, the princes of the undead govern with iron talons, lawless anarchs clash on the streets of the slums, and wild vampiric fetes take place far from the eyes of mortals. Even the gravest Kindred conflicts occur behind the veil of the Masquerade, the code of silence that prevents the Kindred from revealing themselves to the humans around them.

Ironically, the cities are both prisons and paradises to the Kindred. By leaving, they risk losing their unlives to starvation or the claws of werewolves. By staying, they may indulge their passions, but inevitably clash with others of their kind. It is a tense, tenuous existence, and one devoted to staving off the myriad curses of immortality: depression, futility and maddening boredom.

A rough ratio of vampires to mortals has evolved in the last century. Many vampire princes enforce a limit of one vampire per 100,000 mortals, in the interests of keeping the existence of the Kindred a secret. Nonetheless - and particularly in the last few years - some cities exceed this ratio, and the ever-growing population of Kindred is becoming a very dire concern. In cities that do not slavishly heed the Masquerade, such as those under Sabbat control, the ratio may soar to two or three times the acceptable level. Overpopulation is not an easy problem to address; arbitrarily deciding which vampires may stay and which must suffer the Final Death is a matter of policy no prince wishes to decide, except in the most critical of circumstances.

Some vampires, though, feel that the situation will be addressed forcibly. Young vampires of weak blood appear with increasing frequency in the elders' cities, and many Kindred whisper that the time of the "grazing," when the hidden masters of the Jyhad will arise and devour the rest, is nigh.

[Renji]

The Kindred

Vampires have long been feared as rapacious monsters of the night - terrible black forms sweeping out of the darkness to steal infants from their cribs and ravish the blood of innocents. Vampires are also creatures of deadly beauty, immense passion and predatory sensuality.

Each vampire is unique, and each has her own fascinating story to tell. The most important characteristic all vampires share, though, is their damnation. More important than any lineage, clan, sect or cause is the fact that all vampires are undead predators. Fealties and duties fall second to the inescapable urge of hunger. Without exception, vampires are parasites, cursed by fate to prey upon those from whom they originated.

Vampire emphasizes this theme over all others. Vampires are monsters. How does it feel to leave a dead, bloodless child in a dumpster? To manipulate mortals like pawns on a chessboard? To suspect that the elders wield you as an unwitting weapon against their ancient foes? To eke out an unlife of secrecy and bloodshed? To succumb to the wiles of the Beast and tear innocent victims to shreds?

In response to their environment, the Kindred have evolved a complex society that exists just out of sight of the mortals who surround them. Age, clan, sect, sire, power, influence and many other aspects of unlife make the Kindred who they are. Part of any Kindred's being is membership in a number of social castes that grace vampire society. By creating and enforcing divisions and roles for themselves, no matter how artificial, the Kindred seek to escape the Beast that roils within them. Vampire: The Masquerade is, in fact, a double entendre. Not only do vampires hide from mortals, they hide from themselves as well, pretending they are not the horrors they have truly become.

One way the Damned distinguish themselves is through a combination of age and generation, or how far removed a Kindred is from the progenitor vampire, Caine. Young vampires must prove themselves to their elders to be afforded any bit of status, and Kindred society is often as stagnant and stultifying as the immortal Damned themselves. There is a small degree of mobility, however, as elder Kindred are always looking for assets and allies who may aid them against their rivals in the Jyhad.

The greatest status is accorded to the Antediluvians, vampires of the Third Generation. Most vampires consider these Kindred to be legendary - certainly, none has been verifiably seen in the modern nights. The lowest rung of status is held by rank neonates and the clanless Caitiff, those claimed by no clan or with blood too weak to trace a proper lineage.

- Antediluvians: These ancient vampires, if they exist at all, are likely the most powerful creatures in the world. Members of the Third Generation, the Antediluvians are only two steps removed from the First Vampire, Caine. Antediluvians, when they choose to rise from their long sleep, affect all with whom they come in contact; according to the few fractured accounts of their doings, they possess virtually godlike power. According to Kindred legend, there were 13 original Antediluvians, though some have allegedly been destroyed. Their eternal struggle, the Jyhad, touches all Kindred, and innumerable layers of manipulation and deception make the plots of these Ancients almost imperceptible.

- Methuselahs: If the Antediluvians are the Kindred's gods, the terrible Methuselahs are demigods and avatars. At a point between a vampire's thousandth and two thousandth year, a grave change overtakes the Kindred. Sometimes the change is physical, while at other times it is mental or emotional. Whatever the nature of the change, the end result is that the vampire no longer bears any semblance of humanity. Having truly moved from the earthly into the realm of the supernatural, the Methuselahs often retire into the earth, where they may slumber away from the thirsty fangs of younger vampires. Their powers are so great, however, that they continue to direct their inscru- tableplans mentally, communicating magically or telepathically (and almost always invisibly) with their minions.

Kindred greatly fear the Methuselahs, who are accorded any number of horrifying characteristics. Rumors speak of Methuselahs whose skin has become stone, of everything from hideous disfigurements to unearthly beauty that cannot be looked upon. Some are believed to drink only vampire blood, while others control the fates of entire nations from their cold tombs.

- Elders: Elders are Kindred who have existed for hundreds of years, and typically range from sixth to eighth generation. With centuries of accumulated cunning and a terrible thirst for power, elder Kindred are the most physically active participants in the Jyhad - they do not suffer the long fits of torpor that hamper the Methuselahs and Antediluvians, but they are not so powerless or easily manipulated as the younger Kindred are. The term "elder" itself is a bit subjective; a Kindred who qualifies as an elder in the New World might be just another ancilla in Europe or older corners of the Earth. Elders keep a stranglehold on the Kindred power structure, preventing younger vampires from attaining positions of influence by exercising control they have maintained for decades, if not centuries.

- Ancillae: Ancillae are relatively young vampires (between one and two hundred years of unlife) who have proved themselves as valuable members of Kindred society. Ancillae are the lackeys to greater Kindred, and - if they're clever or lucky - tomorrow's elders. Ancilla is the rank between neonate and elder, signifying that the Kindred has cut her teeth (so to speak), but lacks the age and experience to become a true master of the Jyhad. Because the world's population has grown so in the last two centuries, the vast majority of vampires are ancillae or neonates (see below).

- Neonates: Neonates vary from newly released fledglings to indolent Kindred of a hundred years or more. Marked by the stigma of not yet having proved themselves to the elders, neonates are inexperienced vampires who might one night make something of themselves - but, more likely, will fall as pawns in the schemes of the other undead.

- Fledglings: Also known more loosely as "childer" (although every vampire except Caine is someone's childe), fledglings are newly reborn vampires still under the tutelage and protection of their sires, the vampires who created them. Fledglings are not considered full members of Kindred society and are often treated disrespectfully or as the sire's property. When her sire decides her childe is ready, the fledgling may become a neonate, subject to the prince's approval.

[Renji]

Other Distinctions

- Anarchs: Anarchs are vampires who reject the Traditions of Caine and the dictates of the elders who enforce them. Ironically, elders grudgingly afford anarchs some degree of status, due to the anarchs' ability to obtain power in spite of the elders' opposition. Anarchs are also respected for their passion and drive, which few elder Kindred, mired as they are in their age and dissatisfaction, can muster. Ultimately, however, most Kindred see anarchs as jackals, scavenging their unlives from what slips through the elders' fingers.

- Caitiff: The Caitiff are the clanless vampires, outcast by other Kindred and despised by those who bother to notice them at all. Vampires may become clanless either by having no idea of their sires' identities (and thus having no sense of lineage) or by being of such a weak generation that no identifying clan characteristics are discernible. Caitiff are almost universally regarded as bastard children and orphans, though some rise to a degree of prominence among the anarchs. Once there were few Caitiff, but the post-WWII period has seen a sharp increase in their numbers. Some elders whisper direfully of the "Time of Thin Blood" that signifies the imminence of Gehenna.

The Embrace

Not every victim of the vampire's Kiss rises to become Kindred herself - making a new vampire requires a conscious effort, and often permission. The Embrace is the term for the act of turning a mortal into a vampire. When a vampire wishes to sire progeny, her hunts take on a new characteristic. No longer does the Kindred simply search for sustenance; instead, she becomes more aware and cunning, looking for the perfect combination of personal behaviors that warrant immortality.

The reasons for Embracing new Kindred vary from vampire to vampire. Some sires feel great remorse over their undying curse of vampirism, and select mortals who might "give something back" to the depraved race of Kindred. A few vampires look for great artists, thinkers, creators or just compassionate souls whose talents should be preserved forever. These Kindred often suffer greatly when they see what their selfishness wreaks upon those brought into the fold, for the Embrace often destroys the spark of creativity. Kindred lack the ability to truly innovate - they ride human trends rather than set them, and even their most inspired works are nothing more than pale imitations of mortal work that has gone before. It is an irony that those Kindred who would preserve a childe's gift forever actually do more damage to their progeny's talent than simply allowing it to age naturally ever would.

Other Kindred are vindictive and spiteful with the Embrace, choosing mortals whom they wish to see suffer. Some particularly cruel Malkavians delight in bringing the truly and pitiably insane into their ranks, hoping to glean some new insight from a fledgling's madness as she sinks into despair. The hideous Nosferatu also delight in Embracing the vain or beautiful into their clan, enjoying the anguished shrieks of the childe as she becomes a malformed horror. Even the Toreador, in their degeneracy, sometimes select childer for the purpose of asserting their superiority over those who had been spoiled in life.

Most Kindred, however, Embrace out of loneliness or desire. These vampires are invariably the worst off as, after the culmination of their lust or anguish, they are left not with soulmates, but with monsters every bit as callous and predatory as they are.

Kindred rarely Embrace capriciously - the right to create a childe is seldom granted, and those who observe the Traditions are loath to squander an opportunity that they may not receive again for a thousand years. Some vampires, though, are flighty, negligent or simply heedless of a prince's right to destroy them and their progeny. The ranks of the Caitiff swell with Kindred who do not know their lineage, accidentally rose after being left for dead by careless vampires, or otherwise left sires who cared little for them.

The physical act of creating a Kindred is not complex, though many sires refuse to instruct their childer in the process. The vampire first drains his victim's blood to the point of death - which is not difficult, for once the Kiss is administered, the victim is usually too lost in the agonizing rapture to resist her attacker. After removing all of her prospective childe's mortal blood, the sire places a quantity of her own blood in the childe's mouth. This amount varies, as some vampires literally suckle their childer at their own wrists while other Kindred place the tiniest drop on their childer's lips and watch as the Beast takes over thereafter. Vampires of the Sabbat reputedly Embrace their childer and then bury them, forcing the progeny literally to dig themselves out of their own graves.

Whatever course is taken, the childe then dies a mortal and spiritual death, only to rise unnaturally afterward. Most of the time, dying is a period of great pain and anguish; the childe suffers spasms and shock as her body sloughs off the mortal coil.

The instant of rebirth, by comparison, is perhaps the greatest pleasure a Kindred may ever feel, and is likely the last true ecstasy the vampire will ever know. As the mystical process transforms the now-dead corpse of the childe, it evens out imperfections and often makes the body beautiful, albeit in a surreal manner. Such beauty is frightening to behold, a predatory grace like that of a shark or venomous snake. The childe's senses also hone to an uncanny level, revealing sounds she has never before heard or heeded, tactile stimuli never appreciated with touch, panoplies of color imperceptible to the human eye, and myriad individually distinguishable smells.

The vampire's sense of taste heightens as well, though toward a single, terrible flavor. Only one substance satisfies the vampire: human blood. From the moment she rises, the vampire is a slave to the passion of her Hunger, and every night from her Embrace to eternity she will experience a starvation that can be sated only by preying upon members of her former species.

After the Embrace, the childe is known as a fledgling, under the protection and guidance of her sire until that sire deems her ready to face the night alone. It is the sire's responsibility to educate the childe in the ways of the Kindred, though such education is rarely formal, often spotty, and always tainted by the sire's jealousies and prejudices. Many sires, desiring conspirators, sycophants or outright dupes, poison the minds of their childer against their enemies or intentionally leave out important bits of information, the better to rein in the childe later.

[Renji]

First Nights

As the childe slowly enters the world of the Damned, she learns about the society of the undead through her sire's tutelage and accumulated experience. Should the sire introduce her to other Kindred, the fledgling may gain a firsthand knowledge of the pomp and ritual associated with the vampires' society. Most sires, however, sequester their childer from other Kindred, fearing that exposure to other vampires may sway their younglings' knowledge away from what the sires wish them to learn.

Many of these first nights are spent learning what it means to be undead. The childe inevitably meets her Beast, and either falls to frenzy or learns early on how to subjugate its wild call. The sire may offer aid and guidance in thwarting the Beast, or he may watch as it overtakes his childe, then admonish her for weakness afterward. It is now that the childe learns that undeath is indeed a curse - despite the power brought by the Embrace, she is no longer entirely herself, and must forever be wary of the Hunger that burns inside her.

Also at this time, the childe lean-is - too late! - to appreciate the emotional capacity possessed by mortals. As a vampire, the childe's heart has died, leaving her a cold corpse incapable of truly feeling anything. Most vampires compensate by making themselves feel, conjuring up memories of emotions long dead. Desperation is all that remains in the hearts of many vampires, as they realize what they have lost as their mortal selves died.

The first nights are a time of bleak revelations. Many fledglings cannot cope with the terrible new world of night into which they have been reborn, and choose to meet the obliterating rays of the sun rather than continue their existences.

Hunting

The most important lesson a newly Embraced Kindred learns is how to hunt for human prey. The sire inevitably takes an important role in this process, either instructing the childe in the art of feeding or leaving her to her own devices and offering criticism afterward.

The malice in a Kindred's personality tends to come to the fore when instructing a childe how to hunt. Many vampires offer no "weaning period" to their childer, whereby the vampire may subsist on the blood of animals. In fact, many sires fail to inform their childer that animal blood may sustain a vampire. They turn the childer upon humankind immediately, forcing them to prey upon what they once were.

A childe soon learns that the hunt is the cmx of a vampire's existence. Of all the practices to which the sire introduces his childe, feeding is the only one absolutely mandatory to the existence of a vampire. Thus, many sires guide their childer into savoring the hunt, stoking their passions on their prey's ten-or or basking in the anticipation of a draught of blood even before it courses over their lips. The vampire's feeding, known as the Kiss, engenders great ecstasy in the vessel, the person upon whom the vampire feeds. Needless to say, the Kindred feels physical bliss as well, as nourishing vitae rushes in to fill the void in the vampire's soul.

Kindred feed in numerous manners, as best befits their personalities. Some Kindred prefer the brutality of feeding from whomever they choose, roughly handling their vessels and leaving them broken afterward. Others go to great lengths to increase the sensuality of the Kiss, concocting elaborate seductions and gathering veritable harems of mortal lovers from whom they can feed. Still other Kindred steal their vessels' vitae without their knowledge, feeding from the sleeping or the oblivious. Kindred also experience the aftereffects of drinking from vessels who have peculiarities of blood - the vitae of an ill individual tastes poorly and may have an adverse effect on the vampire, while a Kindred who feeds from a drunken or drugged vessel will feel as if she herself is drunk or high. A few Kindred enjoy this vicarious debauchery, and select their vessels specifically for such intoxication.

In the end, each vampire cultivates her own particular style and preferences when feeding. Learning to feed gives the vampire an opportunity to find these preferences, and the sire often enjoys watching his childe take the first few fumbling steps toward becoming a true predator. Kindred must remember, though, to observe the Masquerade when feeding. To this end, they typically lick the puncture wounds made by their fangs, magically sealing them shut and leaving no traces of their presence.

Havens

As a fledgling grows more and more knowledgeable in the ways of the Kindred, she must establish her own haven. Although her early nights are likely spent in the company of her sire and the safety of his haven, the time inevitably comes to leave the nest.

Selecting a haven is a very personal process, much as selecting a mortal dwelling is. A vampire must consider certain requirements when deciding upon her haven, however, that most mortals need not pay heed to.

Obviously, the haven must be secure from the rays of the sun. Even the slightest lick of sunlight can cause a Kindred to burst into flame. A haven must also offer reasonable isolation - curious neighbors who observe the nocturnal comings and goings of the person in the apartment next door may prove bothersome. Finally, the haven should offer physical security; during the daylight hours, vampires slumber unstirringly, and even should they manage to rouse themselves, they act sluggishly and with great lethargy. Foes who find a vampire's lair have a great advantage on that Kindred, for she is at their mercy.

For these reasons, many Kindred prefer inaccessible or highly guarded havens. The Nosferatu prefer the secrecy offered by the sewers, while no self-respecting Ventrue would think of keeping anything less than lavishly appointed apartments. Some

Kindred keep their mortal homes as havens, while others choose locations where no one would even consider to look, to discourage unwelcome visitors.

Domain

Although only the most powerful vampires claim regions of domain, most vampires tacitly claim small areas of personal influence. Of course, many princes allow vampires to claim only their havens and immediate surroundings as domains.

A vampire's domain is the area in which she is the authority - king of the castle, as it were. This does not necessarily mean that she has any "control" or vested interest in the domain, merely that it is nominally her "turf." Other Kindred who wish to visit must ask permission of the Kindred who claims it as domain.

Few young vampires claim domain other than their havens; elders have already taken the city's prime areas under their own aegis. This is a great bone of contention among many cities' Kindred, as the increasing numbers of undead must make do with the dwindling resources offered by the finite area in which they find themselves. Sometimes, open revolt or subtle usurpation is the only way to acquire new domain.

[Renji]

Kindred Society

Vampires are first and foremost solitary predators. A Kindred might go years or even decades without seeing another vampire, preferring to hunt in solitude or walk among a select group of mortals. Nonetheless, most Kindred choose or are forced to interact with their fellows at some point in their unlives; the movements of the Jyhad rarely leave even the most detached Kindred entirely untouched.

The society of the Damned is as structured as any mortal institution, if not more so. Numerous offices, titles and responsibilities circulate among the upper echelons of a city's Kindred, and these positions confer great power - albeit with an accompanying peril, as those who would shake the foundations of a Kindred power structure often come looking for obvious title-holders.

The following societal tableaux apply primarily to Kindred of the sect known as the Camarilla. As the upholder of the Masquerade and preserver of the ancient traditions of power, the Camarilla sets the standard of vampiric interaction. Vampires may adhere to the Camarilla's model or defiantly deviate from it, but they cannot simply ignore it. Kindred entirely outside the Camarilla's aegis often follow very different customs and mores, but we will speak of these things later.

The Prince

For time out of mind, vampires followed Darwin's law: Only the strong survive. Those who had the mettle to seize power and the strength to hold it would rule, and so it was. Vampires styled themselves as warlords and nobles, controlling whatever territory they could hold, living in uneasy truce with their mortal and Cainite neighbors, and ever seeking to expand their holdings and herds. In the cities of the ancient world, this often proved disastrous, as vampires battled for trade and feeding grounds.

In the elder nights, the strongest vampire in each city or region claimed domain over it and used whatever means necessary to keep his control over it. As time went on, traditions sprang up around this claiming and controlling, and certain responsibilities were either tacitly assumed or forcibly taken by the one in power. The Camarilla set down and enforced these ideals over the centuries following the Renaissance. In 1743, a London anarch published a pamphlet decrying the elder society of Kindred, breaking the Masquerade in a most flamboyant manner. The Camarilla responded quickly, first by covering up the incident ("A most remarkable work of fantastical fiction!") and destroying the anarch, and then by formally acknowledging the position of prince. The office is still held by many vampires in these nights.

The prince is, to put it simply, the vampire who has enough power to hold domain over a city, codify the laws for that city and keep the peace. Such a position is typically held by an elder, for who but an elder has the necessary personal charisma and power to take and hold domain in a metropolis? In some small towns, younger vampires may be able to claim domain in the same way, but their claims are rarely respected by the coteries of the cities. On occasion, strange circumstances have placed younger vampires in a position to rule cities, but few such upstarts manage to hold their titles when the elders appear.

The title "prince" is simply that - a title given to formalize a role, whether that role is held by a man or a woman. There are no dynasties of vampires holding their cities for centuries on end, no hereditary ascensions. Sometimes a prince may be called by a title native to the land he rules, such as "baron," "sultan," "count" or a less formal title such as "boss." Kindred scholars tracing the origins of the term believe that it had its roots in the Dark Ages, in reference to the lord of the manor, becoming a solid term of address after the publishing of Machiavelli's The Prince.

A prince does not "reign" over a city. His role is more like that of an overseer or magistrate than that of a monarch. He is the judge who settles disputes between Kindred, the ultimate authority on the Traditions as they relate to his city, and the keeper of the peace. Above all, his concern is the Masquerade and its preservation. Whether this means he regularly scours his city for Sabbat or keeps a stranglehold on the wilder elements is up to him. Not every prince realizes or cares that his power is meant to be so informal; indeed, some demand that they be treated like the kings of old, holding "court" and requiring that their "subjects" within the domain attend them as they pass royal pronouncements. Such arrogance can rankle the populace, both disenfranchised youth and irritated elders.

The vampire denizens of a city owe their prince no oaths of loyalty or vassalage. Their obedience depends on their cowardice, and most princes make certain to have some means of reinforcing that cowardice. If a prince's rule is questioned or thwarted, he may call in force to maintain control. However, if there is not enough force for the problem, or he finds himself without allies, his reign ends.

Having followed the protocol demanded by the Traditions, most vampires ignore their prince, or give him half an ear at best to make sure they don't miss anything that might pertain to them. On the whole, Kindred have plenty of diversions to occupy themselves with besides listening to their "leader." Some elders, Inconnu and those in a position not to care (such as justicars) find princely announcements alternately amusing and arrogant, the blustering of a youngster still impressed with the gaudy trappings of power.

When all is said and done, however, the prince is nothing to brush off. A prince wields vast amounts of temporal power to achieve and maintain her position. Not only does she manage the Kindred affairs of a city, she usually has quite a bit of sway over mortal business. The police, the fire department, construction companies, hospitals, the mayor's office - all are extremely useful for putting down one's enemies or securing one's hold on a particular sphere of influence. If the prince wishes to squash a gang of particularly troublesome anarchs, she can have a construction company bulldoze their haven in the middle of the day. A Church-sponsored hunter operating out of a local cathedral may find the mayor's office calling to inquire about his church's tax-exempt status. Such influences usually capture the attention of those who might otherwise be inclined to thumb their noses at a prince. It is unwise to anger the one who could have your haven condemned by the zoning board or your phone line "accidentally" cut while a gas main is being dug.

Becoming Prince

As was mentioned earlier, there are no dynasties or royal families from which princes are selected (though some clans would argue that point). Traditionally, the eldest vampire of a city rules, although this is no longer true in every city. It is one thing to say that the eldest traditionally rules the city, but any vampire may challenge for domain and princedom. A prince reigns freely only when her claim is unchallenged. If she finds herself squaring off with one or more other claimants, then things get messy. There is a mad scramble for the crown, and whoever is left standing will rule. "Coronation," if it can be truly called that, can be anything from a bloodless, elder-backed coup to a violent usurpation led by a bloodthirsty coterie. Normally, the current regime is overthrown brutally and mercilessly, serving the dual purpose of dealing with the old prince and providing a graphic demonstration of the new prince's power. Whoever the new prince and however she takes the throne, though, she needs the support of the elders if she wishes to hold the crown for more than a night. Most importantly, the council of elders known as the primogen must sanction the reign of a prince; without this acknowledgment, the reign will be a remarkably short one.

Combat for the princedom is not simply a matter of pistols at midnight on a deserted street, or for that matter any kind of direct combat. Like everything about the Children of Caine, subtlety in all things counts, and the war for the crown takes place entirely in the shadows. The city's vampires - elders, coteries, individuals - choose their sides as the rivals cultivate allies and determine enemies. Many things can drive a Kindred to choose a particular claimant - promise of reward, loyalties to the vampire or her clan, concessions guaranteed upon ascension, personal beliefs, or threats - but once she has chosen, changing loyalties can be extremely dangerous, particularly if she has backed the wrong claimant when the fighting is done. Mortal institutions under vampiric influence - banks, industry, high society, education, police, the underworld - are brought to bear on the rival. Anything that can be done to give an added edge can, will, and has been tried. When the smoke clears, there is usually one claimant left standing, and the prize is in her grasp. Rarely is a new prince generous enough to leave her rival alive; even if she were, the primogen would never allow it to happen. Revenge, particularly that of fallen rivals, is a dish best not served at all.

Cleaning House

Sometimes a group of anarchs or ancillae decides to bring down a prince once and for all. Coups are dangerous to attempt unless one is very secure in one's allies. Princes rarely get their seats on charm alone, and most have broods of childer for protection. Taking on the prince can also mean taking on the primogen, who can readily crush any potential insurrection in the name of the city's stability.

A coup usually results in a political vacuum, and in the Kindred world, vacuums can have far-reaching consequences. A city in turmoil means instability; coteries battle for a place in the new order, elders war to ensure their survival, and sometimes the turmoil attracts the unwelcome presence of Sabbat, werewolves or witch-hunters. The resulting threat to the Masquerade can occasionally mean setting up any likely vampire to temporarily stabilize the city, but such solutions are rarely effective and often result in further chaos.

Most elders, and indeed the majority of vampires in a city, will support a prince in the name of a stable city. War is never pleasant and, for elders concerned with their survival, war means the potential for Final Death. Unless a prince has become completely unmanageable - through insanity, supernatural corruption or excessive tyranny - the Cainites of her city can count on being stuck with her for a good while.

Abdication can, and occasionally does, happen. Indeed, in recent nights, a number of strange, sudden abdications and uncanny disappearances of ruling figures have rocked the ancient power structures. If one or more primogen choose to make unlife miserable for their prince for whatever reason, she may be driven from office. A vote of no confidence is also possible, but rare in the extreme, owing to the potential chaos that can arise when a prince is forced out of office or leaves under bitter circumstances.

Advantages of Princedom

Some vampires believe that only the insane or vain seek out the position of prince. After all, as the symbol of Cainite power in a city, the prince is the likeliest target for anarchs, Sabbat and other perils. Add to this the political squabbling and jockeying for position within a prince's "court," and perhaps the critics are right. However, princedom must come with advantages to entice even the lowest to dream, and it does in spades.

- Right to progeny - Only the prince may freely create progeny. Other vampires who wish to sire must first obtain his permission or risk the destruction of themselves and their new childer. The prince may deny a Kindred who has offended him permission to sire a childe; conversely, he may sire as he chooses, in order to have more loyal followers. Most princes are reluctant to allow their subjects to sire. This stems partly from paranoia, partly from simple space considerations; after all, an overcrowded city risks the Masquerade.

- Protection of the elders - The primogen generally support their prince so long as he maintains order, preserves the Masquerade, and protects the city during times of trouble, such as werewolf incursions or Sabbat attacks.

- Political power - Among the Camarilla, a prince can expect to be heard by most elders and enjoys greater status than the ruck and run of Kindred. In almost any gathering, he is typically accorded great respect.

- Control over domain and those who enter - Under the Fifth Tradition, the prince may extend his reign to those who enter his domain, which is the entire city or region. New vampire arrivals, whether travelers or hopeful residents, are expected by the same Tradition to present themselves to him. The prince may punish Kindred who fail to introduce themselves.

- Feeding - The prince may restrict or limit the feeding grounds of other vampires for any number of reasons, chief among them the preservation of the Masquerade. This most often affects where Kindred may feed (e.g., "Not in the red-light district" or "Avoid the Clermont Hotel") and from whom (e.g., "Clergy and children are forbidden"). Disobeying orders regarding feeding can be very dangerous, as the prince may punish violators on grounds of breaking the Masquerade.

- Domain over enemies - By the Sixth Tradition, the prince may call a blood hunt against those who cross her too many times. She may not destroy at will (the elders' protection can run out inconveniently if she oversteps her bounds), but if she determines her enemies to have broken one or more Traditions, she is perfectly within her rights to punish them. Naturally, what constitutes a violation of the Traditions can be stretched quite far in the name of power.

The Nightly Game

The powerplays and intrigues that swarm around any prince are rarely dull. When several elders jostle for greater position and access to the prince, unlife can get downright exciting. Each Cainite has her own way to attempt to sway her ruler to her side, whether through cajolery, flattery, trickery or even threats if the stakes are high enough. Through it all, the players practice studied disinterest in the whole messy business, but only a fool would believe it. Pushing matters to the point of a coup d'etat or abdication is ill advised - power vacuums can mean blood in the streets - but the elders play more than one game in the corridors of power.

Most princes are "advised" by a group of elders called the primogen. Collectively, the primogen can be considered among the most powerful vampires in a city, and can rival the prince for influence of the city's Kindred. Individually, however, they are either not as powerful as the prince himself or do not care to devote themselves to the duties of maintaining a city (beware these last, for if they become discontented, they can influence a coup by merely stretching). The primogen usually serve as check and balance against the power of the prince, while seeking to advance their own or their clan's agendas. The bickering of the primogen can bog down the simplest of decisions and cause as much or more trouble than a prince's high-handed pronouncements.

The struggle between and among prince and primogen is by no means the sole component of the Kindred's political game. The prince versus the elders, clan versus clan, elder versus neonate, traditionalist versus anarch - add in personal vendettas, revenge, greed, alliances and powermongering, and one has a very unsettled mix that can change from night to night.

[Renji]

Other Kindred of Importance

Over the centuries, certain positions have sprung up in the cities. Some assist the prince in keeping order; others began more as "vanity" positions, but became more solidified and codified as time went on.

- The Primogen - The primogen are the assembled elders of each clan in a city. Most often, each clan has a representative primogen, but in some cities a prince refuses to allow a given clan to place a member on this council of elders. In theory, primogen represent their clans among the political body of elders, but in practice the primogen are more often an "old vampires' club" and an incestuous nest of treachery and favor-currying. Primogen - the term refers to individual members as well as the collected body - convene at the prince's discretion. In cities with powerful or despotic princes, the primogen may he nothing more than a figurehead, while in other cities princes govern solely at the whim of the elder council.

It is worth noting that the prince is often not the primogen for his clan. Although some Kindred claim that having duplicate clans involved in the political structure weighs matters in favor of that clan, no one is really in a position to change it.

- The Sheriff- Most sheriffs are appointed by the prince and approved by the primogen. While the job description may vary from city to city, the sheriffs prime job is to be the prince's "enforcer," the vampire who hauls offenders into court, keeps order on the streets, and generally stands ready to assist with the "muscle" aspects of ruling. Sheriffs may select deputies, who occasionally require the prince's approval.

- The Harpies - These Kindred pride themselves on being the social managers of Elysium. They traffic in gossip and social maneuvering, and status is their coin. With the right or wrong word to a prince, they can make or break a vampire's place in the city. This position is rarely appointed outright; over time, those with the skills to be harpies tend to rise to the top. Most are unimpressed with displays of bluster and demonstrate remarkable insight into vampire nature. Bucking a harpy will assure one a place at the bottommost rung of the ladder of power for years to come.

- The Whip - Primogen occasionally keep whips as assistants. Not much different from the whips in mortal government, the whip's job is to goad and encourage discussion and decision-making during clan meetings, and to keep the clan updated on their primogen members' doings. Whips are selected by the primogen.

- The Seneschal - This is one position that many princes would like to do without, but which occasionally is necessary. One prince described the filling of this position to be akin to choosing which knife to put at her throat. A seneschal is meant to be a chamberlain, a second-in-command and an advisor to the prince. At any time, he may be asked to step into the prince's place if she leaves town on business, abdicates or is slain. Naturally, a prince wishes to have final authority on such an important position, and many have fought endlessly with their primogen over the subject. This is a dangerous position in more ways than one - familiarity with the subject can give one ideas...

- The Keeper of Elysium - The keeper is in charge of what goes on in Elysium. A Toreador wishing to display her latest work, a Tremere wanting to give a lecture, or a Brujah scheduling an open debate on princely policies - all must clear things with the keeper, who can cancel or approve an event on the grounds of preserving the Masquerade. The keeper is responsible for ensuring that mortals do not enter the area during Elysium and that events run smoothly. Most keepers are appointed by the prince, often with the stipulation that their appointment is conditional until their qualifications are assured.

- The Scourge -As the nights grow more and more violent and the cities fill with unknown Kindred, some princes have resurrected this ancient position. Essentially, the scourge patrols the borders of a princedom, seeking out and often destroying newcomers who have failed to present themselves. Caitiff, as well as the fledglings of the 13th, 14th and 15th generations, have much to fear from the scourge. In some cases, even vampires who have followed protocol fall victim to the scourge, as princes reflexively react to fears of overpopulation and espionage. A few scourges are Assamite assassins under contract to a prince.

The Traditions

A vampire living in a prince-ruled city must accept certain responsibilities for the privileges of security and stability. This stability is maintained only when the Kindred within behave in a proper manner, one dictated by a near-universal set of rules. These rules are known by the gentle-sounding name of the Six Traditions, although they are hardly polite suggestions. For Camarilla Kindred, and the princes who enforce them, they are the law. A vampire may be assured that wherever she travels, the Traditions will be in force. They may be interpreted differently, but they remain. It is through the enforcement of these laws, and through the laws themselves, that princes receive much of their power. Obviously, then, princes are among the most zealous of the Traditions' enforcers.

The Six Traditions that form the laws of vampire society are believed to have been passed down since the wars that slew the Second Generation. They are rarely written down, but they have never been forgotten, and they are known by all Kindred in some form. Even vampires who scorn the Traditions know them; though their specific wordings may vary, the intent behind them never falters.

It is a popular Camarilla conceit that a sire recite the Traditions to his childe before that childe is recognized as a neonate. Some princes stage grand spectacles to honor new childer's transition from fledgling to neonate, while others need not even witness the release, trusting the sire with the proper execution. Almost all childer learn the Traditions well before this recitation, but the act is accorded great symbolism and gravity in Camarilla affairs. Staunch supporters of the Camarilla and the Traditions maintain that a newly Embraced Kindred has not truly become a vampire until her sire speaks the Traditions to her. Obviously, the Traditions are quite a serious matter, and the sire is held accountable for the childe until, by speaking them to her, he makes her responsible for upholding the code herself.

Some vampires believe that Caine himself created the Traditions when he sired his childer, and that what modem vampires follow are their progenitor's original wishes for his descendants. Others, however, think that the Antediluvians created them to maintain control over their childer, or that they were simply a set of common-sense ideas that were upheld over the millennia because they worked. The Tradition of the Masquerade, for example, is thought to have existed in some form since the nights of the First City, but it changed in response to the Inquisition.

A number of young vampires, children of the modem world, see the Traditions as being merely a tool of the elders to maintain their stranglehold on Kindred society, and an antique tool at that. The times that produced the need for the Masquerade are over and done, ancient history. Caine, Gehenna, the Antediluvians - all myths with about as much substance as the Flood or the Tower of Babel, and all for the sake of controlling the younger generations. It's time to drop the Traditions and live in the modem age. The vampires of the Sabbat rabidly adhere to this reasoning, and their scorn for the Traditions is one of the primary motivations behind their constant attacks on the ancient power structures.

Most elders see the young as temperamental adolescents who think they know everything but who lack the wisdom and experience of age. As many of the rebels are anarchs and neonates, mostly powerless and without voice in Kindred society, it should come as no great surprise that they are so wild. However, not every elder takes such an indulgent viewpoint. Many feel that the reckless whelps who demand the Traditions be dropped may get their wish when they bring mortal society down on their heads. Natural selection takes care of a few of these, but such selection has occasionally been "assisted" by a prince exasperated beyond patience with a particularly recalcitrant young vampire.

What follows is the most common wording of the Traditions. Bear in mind that this is the phrasing used by elders and on formal occasions. The wording may change according to the clan, the age of the vampire speaking, or simple circumstance. During a childe's presentation to the prince, she may be required to recite the Traditions as proof that her sire has taught them to her.

[Renji]

The First Tradition:
The Masquerade

Thou shalt not reveal thy thy nature to those not of the Blood. Doing so shall renounce thy claims of Blood.

The Second Tradition:
The Domain

Thy domain is thy concern. All others owe thee respect while in it. None may challenge thy word in thy domain.

The Third Tradition:
The Progeny

Thou shalt sire another only with permission of thine elder. If thou createst another without thine elder's leave, both thou and thy progeny shalt be slain.

The Fourth Tradition:
The Accounting

Those thou create are thine own childer. Until thy progeny shall be released, thou shalt command them in all things. Their sins are thine to endure.

The Fifth Tradition:
Hospitality

Honor one another's domain, When thou comest to a foreign city, thou shalt present thyself to the one who ruleth there. Without the word of acceptance, thou art nothing.

The Sixth Tradition:
Destruction

Thou art forbidden to destroy another of thy kind. The right of destruction belongeth only to thine elder. Only the eldest among thee shall call the blood hunt.

[Renji]

The Tradition of the Masquerade

This has become the foundation of modem. Kindred society and the basis for the Masquerade that hides vampires from mortal eyes. To reveal vampires to the mortal world would be disastrous to both. While most people do not believe in vampires, there are enough who do that revealing vampiric existence would place all Kindred at risk. In older nights, during the Dark Ages and more superstitious ages, this Tradition was less strictly enforced, and vampires rode through the night with few cares for the mortal eyes who saw them. The Inquisition and Burning Times changed this drastically, however, as those vampires who could be seen were slain and tortured into revealing their secrets. While the youth may prattle about the Inquisition as ancient history, it is still very fresh in the minds of the elders who survived it. This is one of the greatest points of contention between the Camarilla and the Sabbat - the Sabbat sees no need to hide itself from the feeble kine, while the Camarilla knows the opposite to be true.

A breach of the Masquerade is the most serious crime a vampire can commit, and one of the easiest for a prince to fabricate if she wishes to punish an enemy. Depending on how strictly the prince upholds the Masquerade, anything from using vampiric powers in public to having mortal friends may constitute a breach.

To stave off their immortal boredom, many vampires skirt the Masquerade as closely as they can, taking thrill from the forbidden rush that places their unlives in jeopardy. The world has acknowledged many artists, poets, writers, musicians, models, club habitues, actors and fashion designers who, unbeknownst to the populace, were vampires. Of course, many of these vampires saw their unlives come to abrupt ends, as other Kindred decided that their continued existences were threats to the Children of Caine as a whole.

The Masquerade is a dangerous balance; ironically enough, the elders who support it most strongly are sometimes the ones who threaten it (albeit indirectly and without their recognition). An apocryphal story tells of a pair of vampire-hunters - a new recruit and her patron - on vigil in a nightclub. The patron said to his charge, "There is a vampire in this establishment. Find him," whereupon the charge immediately selected the thin, pale gentleman in 18th-century velvet and brocade. Sure enough, that was the vampire - a Ventrue envoy from a neighboring city.

The Tradition of Domain

Once, vampires staked claims to specific areas to use as hunting grounds, bases of power, or because they wished to take care of them. This Tradition was then used to enforce the idea of "domain," and a vampire could be justified in killing another because her domain was violated. Over the years, as societies changed, this became unacceptable. For the past 200 or so years, a city or region ruled by a prince became the domain of the prince upon his taking the throne, or at least in theory. The truth is, a number of vampires maintain domain, many times from the sheer weight of custom ("The sewers have always been the domain of the Nosferatu," or "A Ventrue has ruled this bank since its founding"). Of course, in modem nights, with some cities hosting vampire populations of 30,50, even 100 or more, concessions must be made. As such, many vampires hunt where they will, in the communal hunting grounds of the city's bars, theaters and nightclubs, which are known collectively as "The Rack" in Kindred slang.

Younger vampires, and a number of older ones, often still attempt to hold bits of territory, protecting and using them as private feeding grounds. Some anarchs claim that these mini- fiefdoms are granted by the prince as reward, proof that only the lapdogs get the treats. This is incorrect - the Kindred who hold their bits of turf are violating the Second Tradition, and the prince need not stand for it. He often lets violations go, however, in the name of expediency; there are more important concerns than chasing after every petty would-be anarch who stakes out turf. He may entrust certain trusted allies with guardianship of particular areas, and grant them a few privileges for the burden of the job, but in the end, he holds domain over the city. This allows him to keep order, for he may, by the Second Tradition, punish interlopers with impunity.

For solitary vampires or small groups staking out their territory, domain holds immense value to them, even if the territory is an urban wasteland. Few princes actually grant territory, but they occasionally allow "squatters," provided the vampires there support them and uphold the law there. The downside to this is the turf battles that can arise between gangs of anarchs or coteries. These can spill over into the mortal world and threaten the Masquerade. Some princes have gone so far as to encourage such conflict, regardless of the danger, in order to set the troublemakers at each other's throats and distract them from the business of the city.

If nothing else, each Kindred may claim her haven as domain, making her responsible for the activity in and around the area. Some vampires take an active interest in their environment to ensure a secure haven, while others merely want a room where they can get away from the sun and to hell with the rest.

The question of what exactly constitutes domain is debated nightly. Does domain mean the physical territory and its concerns (such as hunting and haven), or does a domain also grant a vampire access to and influence over the mortal spheres within ? Most princes argue that domain is strictly an issue of physical "turf," but wisely realize that influence over mortal affairs comes with the territory, no matter how they might attempt to curb it otherwise. A vampire who keeps up domain at the docks cannot help but become involved in the nightly mortal business of shipping and unions, if for no other reason than to keep her haven secure (after all, a labor strike could be very inconvenient, particularly if her bolthole is on the other side of the picket line). Very few vampires stake a domain encompassing mortals they cannot affect in some way, which can be a help or a headache to their princes. A prince does, however, become inclined to step in when a particular vampire's power within and stemming from her domain threatens to eclipse his own.

As the nights progress and omens of Gehenna permeate Kindred society, more and more vampires fortify individual domains, holing themselves away in spite of princely prohibition. Only in this manner, these paranoid creatures reason, do they have a chance of surviving the Jyhad.

The Tradition of Progeny

Most princes insist that they are the "elder" of this Tradition's wording and, as such, require that any vampire wishing to create a childe obtain their permission before the creation. Most vampires obey more out of fear than respect; after all, the unlife of a childe is at risk. If a childe has already been created without permission, the prince may claim the childe to be of his brood, declare sire and childe outcast and throw them out of the city, or have both slain outright. At the prince's discretion, childer who are created and abandoned without being taught of their existence may be "adopted" by other vampires, who accept full responsibility no differently than if they had created the childer themselves. The Camarilla recognizes the prince's right to restrict creation, out of concern for overpopulation. Indeed, such is the Camarilla's concern for the increasingly strained vampiric population that, at a recent conclave, its leaders resurrected the institution of the scourge. Scourges patrol princely domains, finding Kindred created without permission and either expelling or destroying them.

In the Old World, this Tradition has several corollaries. The would-be sire's sire must be consulted, as must the prince who holds domain over the sire's haven (if there is one). European Kindred are noted for their complete lack of tolerance for those who transgress against this Tradition. Failure to gain the permission of any of these undead can result in the outright slaying of the childe, and possibly the sire as well. Disregard and lack of respect may be appropriate for American rabble, but they certainly do not belong in the Old World.

The Tradition of Accounting

If a vampire creates a childe, she is responsible for that childe, no differently than a mortal parent is for her child. If the childe cannot handle the burdens of vampirism, the sire must take care of the matter one way or another. If the childe threatens the Masquerade, either through ignorance or malice, the sire must prevent it. The sire must ensure that the childe is taught the Traditions and the ensuing responsibilities, and see to it that the childe will not constitute a threat to herself or the Masquerade upon her release. The sire is also responsible for protecting the childe. A prince is under no obligation to recognize a childe, and other vampires may kill or feed from a childe with impunity.

Before siring, a wise vampire considers the maturity of the childe-to-be. Will she be able to endure the changes to her body and soul? Will she understand what is being asked of her when the Traditions are recited? No sire wishes to be responsible for a childe forever (although a long childehood is not unknown), but releasing a childe before she is ready courts destruction.

Releasing a childe typically involves the sire introducing the childe to the prince who holds domain where the sire and childe live. The childe may be asked to recite the Traditions or provide other proof that she has been taught and understands them. If the prince, for whatever reasons, does not accept a childe, then the childe must find a new city. On occasion, a sire must also introduce the childe to his own sire, but this is not always required.

After release, the childe (now a neonate) is permitted to live in the city with full rights as accorded by the prince's law and the Traditions. The release is considered a major rite of passage, much like a coming of age for mortals, for the neonate is responsible for his own actions. He will be watched carefully in the coming months; his actions determine whether he will be considered an "adult" and treated as one.

The Tradition of Hospitality

Some call this the Tradition of "politeness": Knock before entering. This was done even before princes ruled cities, and continues to be done even if there is only one other Kindred in a domain. Simply put, a vampire traveling to a new city should present herself to the prince or other elder in charge in that city. This process can be frightfully formal, with a prince demanding some form of surety regarding the newcomer's status, politics and lineage, or as casual as meeting at Elysium and introducing oneself politely. Some princes require guests to announce their arrivals immediately, while others accept presentations weekly or within the lunar month. Certain very liberal princes even permit visitors to come and go unannounced as they please, requiring that a guest present herself only if she wishes to take up permanent residence in a city.

Those who choose not to present themselves take dangerous chances. If a city is currently facing Jyhad, a newcomer risks being mistaken for an enemy. A prince may invoke the Second Tradition to punish an unintroduced vampire with impunity. By the Fifth Tradition, a prince's right to question all who enter her domain is unchallenged, even if her power to expel may be thwarted occasionally. A prince also has the right to refuse entry to any who enter, particularly in the case of newcomers whose poor reputations precede them or who bring cumbersome baggage in the form of blood hunts, enemies or other potential threats to the city and Masquerade.

Such individual denials have become quite common in the modern nights, as princes grow paranoid and xenophobic in light of looming Gehenna. Some princes, when presented with a group of Kindred visitors, permit entry to certain members of the coterie while denying it to others, reasoning that, if the group is on some sort of sinister errand, its potential to harm will be lessened by dividing its numbers. Certain notorious Kindred may also find themselves unwelcome in some cities, while their companions are welcomed without reservation.

Not every vampire chooses to present herself. Vampires such as Inconnu, Methuselahs and even some elders refuse on the grounds that they do not acknowledge the prince's right and power over them, even if they are in her domain. Vampires of independent clans (such as the Ravnos or Giovanni) may prefer not to have a prince's eye scrutinizing them. Autarkis and anarchs simply sneer at the prince; they aren't part of the party, so why should they bother knocking? And vampires who were made, then abandoned - an increasingly common phenomenon - may be unaware of the necessity.

The Tradition of Destruction

The Tradition of Destruction is perhaps the most easily abused and the most hotly contested aspect of Caine's code. Few other laws have caused so much controversy in the halls of power, and this Tradition is forever under reinterpretation.

Most believe that the original meaning gave a sire right of destruction over his progeny (which is upheld by Kindred law). However, if "elder" is interpreted to mean "prince," the Tradition covers its modem meaning, and one many princes claim gladly: Only the prince may call for the destruction of another Kindred in the city. The Camarilla has upheld this claim for the extra security it provides a prince's reign. It is a right which many princes cling to, and they enforce it with brutal strength if need be.

Murder of another Kindred by one who is not granted the Right of Destruction is not tolerated. If the vampire is caught in the act, it usually means the destruction of the murderer herself. Investigation of such murder is usually swift and thorough, although the status of the victim does have some impact on this. Generally, the higher the rank of the victim, the swifter and more thorough the investigation. While the murder of two neonates may cause consternation in a community, it might take the death of an elder before the wheels turn in a more timely fashion. Some ancillae have taken this to mean that anarchs may be slaughtered with impunity. This is dangerous to assume; if nothing else, the prince may order the murderer slain for attempting to usurp her Tradition-given right.

Turmoil in the streets is considered by many to be one of the best covers for kinslaying, but the punishment for getting caught is still severe. The only time when a vampire ranked lower than an elder might receive sanctioning to kill another is during a blood hunt.

[Renji]

The Lextalionis

The ancient law of "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" is as true for Kindred as it is for kine. The precept is simple: Those who break the laws are slain. A vampire who violates the Traditions and brings the wrath of the elders on his head is hunted down and destroyed. All who hear the call are expected to participate and assist. The most common name for this action is the blood hunt.

Only the eldest in a city may call the blood hunt. "Eldest" is considered most times to be the prince. Other elders or even ancillae may call a hunt, but they would have few takers; overstepping one's bounds into princely territory is unwise. Only a foolish prince would openly call a hunt for personal reasons; even the lowest Kindred know what the hunt is meant for, and a prince who uses it without proper justification of the charges loses respect in the eyes of his subjects.

Aiding and abetting the quarry can be a sure ticket to suffer a blood hunt oneself. At least nominal participation is recommended on the grounds of survival, even if the Kindred does not agree with the hunt or its charges. A powerful prince may charge that all vampires in a city are required to participate in a hunt, on pain of being declared accomplices. This decree is reserved for the most serious of crimes.

A blood hunt is not a hunt in the sense of an English fox-hunt, which is what comes to the minds of many young vampires. The hunters spread out across the city like a net to track their quarry, calling in flanks when the prey is in sight. Like all things vampiric, the Masquerade is observed, and mortals rarely realize that anything is happening around them, except perhaps some strange incidents that they will either forget or read about in next morning's paper. Many times, influences in the mortal world are brought to bear on the hunted; he may find that every airline is suddenly booked full, the police have an APB on him, Church-sponsored witch-hunters have been called in, his bank accounts are tapped out before he can touch them, etc. Disturbingly, more and more princes are resorting to calling in Assamite trackers from outside the domain, using them as vampiric bloodhounds against the hunted.

The blood hunt is not called lightly, though it has been called more often in the last decade than in entire centuries of yore. The Camarilla reserves the right to examine the prince's judgment in conclave, hearing evidence for and against the accused. The threat of a conclave has been deterrent enough to keep a hunt from being declared. A prince who is determined to have called the hunt without cause rarely suffers formal punishment (unless he has made a habit of this), but he often suffers a great loss of status. Unfortunately, even if the accused is found to be innocent, it is often after the fact, and tradition dictates that once a blood hunt is called, it cannot be stopped.

A hunted may attempt to flee the city and seek a new haven, an option occasionally offered by princes who are being forced to exile someone in the name of stability or when the offense does not warrant death. However, by tradition, the hunt remains in effect in that city, no matter who rules in the future. The hunted should never attempt to return unless she wishes to court Final Death.

Blood hunts are typically the business of the cities in which they originate. In the case of truly horrendous crimes, word is spread to other cities, requesting that the hunt be called against the offender there as well. Kindred who have committed some crime that affects the Camarilla as a whole (such as a spectacular breach of the Masquerade on national television) are an example of such.

Elysium

Though most younger vampires consider the tradition of Elysium a stuffy, outdated custom, it is one of the more honored of the Kindred's traditions. A prince may declare portions of domain to be Elysium, places free from violence. It is here that many vampires come to pass the nights, debating, politicking and conducting intrigues among themselves for long hours. This is also where the Kindred business of the city takes place, and just about every vampire will have at least one occasion to visit Elysium, if only to speak with the prince or an elder. However, it is certainly an elders' playground, and the young who venture here are expected to remember that.

Elysium is said to be under the "Pax Vampirica," meaning that no violence of any sort is permitted to take place and that Elysium is neutral ground. While tempers may flare and heated words may be exchanged, rivals are expected to keep a leash on their tempers. When apologies don't work, offenders are usually shown the door and told to correct their behavior. If things do get out of control on the premises, the prince may punish the offenders through the invocation of the First Tradition.

Most areas of Elysium tend to be spots conducive to artistic or intellectual pursuits, such as opera houses, theaters, museums, galleries, university halls and the like. Occasionally, nightclubs or even certain Kindred havens are declared Elysium. Wherever one goes, one is expected to have some semblance of proper dress and manners, if for no reason other than the Masquerade.

Elysium rules are simple:

1) No violence is permitted on the premises. (Many princes take this a step further and demand that no weapons be brought into Elysium, to prevent hot tempers from having ready means.)

2) No art is to be destroyed on pain of Final Death. ("Art" has been expanded to include the artist on occasion, making the vampires of Clan Toreador some of the greatest proponents of Elysium.)

3) Elysium is neutral ground. (With relation to Rule One; what happens off Elysium grounds is another thing, however, and the upstart neonate who insults an elder during Elysium had best have reliable transportation back to her haven when she leaves.)

4) Remember the Masquerade at all times. (This includes such matters as entering and leaving, taking a heated argument outside to cool, or hunting.)

It is also considered bad manners to show up to Elysium hungry. While refreshments are sometimes provided, often they are not, and hunting around Elysium grounds can draw suspicion. If a Kindred brings a guest to Elysium, she is responsible for that guest's behavior.

[Renji]

Sects

Sects are groups of vampires and clans that supposedly share a common ideology. They are a modern contrivance, but an important one. Sects as they are known in these nights first surfaced after the Great Anarch Revolt, a continent-wide upheaval which took place in Europe during the 15th century. Many elders accept sect membership grudgingly, deriding sects as "foolishness - the Blood is all that matters." In nights before the Great Anarch Revolt and the Inquisition, these elders claim, there were no sects at all. Other vampires argue that this is still true - a vampire in a sizable city may go a decade or more without ever seeing another Kindred, so of what use is a sect?

Regardless, most vampires belong to one sect or another; others claim independence, no preference, or that they are affiliated with their clan, not a sect. The sect known as the Camarilla is arguably the largest and most prevalent, though its rival the Sabbat has recently made considerable inroads against it and still opposes the Camarilla at every turn. The secretive Inconnu, when it may be reached for comment, maintains that it is not a sect, although it seems to be organized and manages to steer clear of the other sects. On the opposite side of the coin, the anarchs make much show of pretending to be a sect, though they are the first to enlist Camarilla aid when the Sabbat appears at a city's borders. Thus, the Camarilla considers the anarchs to be under its purview.

The Camarilla

The largest sect of vampires in existence, the Camarilla concerns itself with the Masquerade, thereby hoping to maintain a place for Kindred in the modern nights. The Camarilla is an open society; it claims all vampires as members (whether they want to belong or not), and any vampire may claim membership, regardless of lineage.

According to the often-contradictory history of the Kindred, the Camarilla came to be at the end of the Anarch Revolt, sometime in the 15th century. The Kindred of Clan Ventrue loudly claim to have been instrumental in the sect's formation, to which many Kindred owe their unlives. With the enforcement of the Masquerade, Kindred had a means of foiling the Inquisition, a Church office sworn to the destruction of supernatural creatures.

Though the Camarilla is the largest sect, just over half of the 13 known vampire clans actively participate in its affairs. The sect holds meetings attended by active clans' representatives; these gatherings are known as convocations. It also calls periodic conclaves, which are open to any and all members of the sect, to discuss matters of imminent sect importance. Only Justicars, officers elected by the Inner Circle to attend to matters of the Traditions, may call conclaves. Justicars are always of great age, and rightly feared; as such, their interpretations of the Traditions are heeded out of self-preservation. Coteries of vampires known as archons attend the Justicars; meeting an archon is usually a portentous event.

Officially, the Camarilla does not recognize the existence of the Antediluvians or Caine. It reasons that these vampires, if they ever existed at all, have long since suffered the Final Death, and those who allude to them are publicly derided.

Gehenna Cults

As the fear of Gehenna grips the Kindred community, more and more Gehenna cults form. These groups, which resemble secret societies or cliques, are most common among the Camarilla, though some Gehenna cults pervade the Sabbat and even the independent clans. Due to the stigma of belonging to a Gehenna cult, cult business is always conducted in secret, and the cults are officially derided as foolish rumor. In recent nights, though, they have proliferated, and certain vampires of great power and influence secretly belong to Gehenna cults.

Gehenna cults exist to prepare for, or prevent, the end of the world. Fearing the culmination of the Jyhad and the return of the Antediluvians, the cults prepare either to serve the Ancients (thus hopefully averting their own destruction when the end comes) or to discover the Antediluvians' hidden havens (thus striking preemptively against them and averting Gehenna outright).

The Sabbat

Rumored to have its origins in a medieval death cult, the Sabbat is greatly feared by Kindred who do not belong to it. The sect is monstrous and violent, and no longer clings to any trappings of human philosophy or morality. Members instead revel in their vampiric unlives. Sometimes referred to as the Black Hand, the Sabbat actively seeks the overthrow of the Traditions, the destruction of the Camarilla, and the subjugation of humankind.The Sabbat recruits wherever it takes hold, spreading like a poisonous weed and tearing down the established institutions around it. Unlike the Camarilla, the Sabbat recognizes the existence of the Antediluvians, though it rabidly opposes them. According to Sabbat propaganda, the Antediluvians pull the strings of the entire world, and it is this malignant control they oppose. They see the Camarilla as pawns of the Ancients, and oppose its members politically as well as physically. Most Sabbat express bilious contempt for the vampires of the Camarilla, whom they see as cowardly wretches unable to accept their predatory natures.

Outsiders know little about the Sabbat's inner workings. Some Camarilla Kindred even doubt its existence, believing it to be a rumor created by elders to keep troublesome childer in line - an undead boogeyman. Lurid tales about the sect spread like wildfire, including claims that its members indulge in ceaseless diablerie, worship demons, hunt and kill other vampires, and possess the ability to break blood bonds. The only consistent rumor attributed to the Sabbat is its members' apparent love of fire - the sect has a fearsome reputation for leaving burning wakes behind it.

The Inconnu

The Inconnu are not a sect so much as they are a disparate group of like-minded vampires. No longer wishing to be the puppets of those older than they, and tired of the incessant maneuvering of those younger than they, the Inconnu seem to have dropped out of the Jyhad altogether. This is what distinguishes an Inconnu vampire from those of other sects - the Inconnu distance themselves from other vampires and their contemptible machinations.

The Inconnu are rumored (as no one ever really goes looking for them) to be of great age and potency. Many reportedly spend much time in torpor or otherwise sleeping, the better to avoid the Jyhad. Some Kindred liken the Inconnu to the Antediluvians, claiming that they have grown away from the world and into a timeless, inhuman mindset. Other Kindred believe that the Inconnu all pursue or have attained Golconda, a fabled state of vampiric transcendence.

Kindred who deal with the Inconnu typically leave the encounter with a sense of profound mystery and awe. Although the Inconnu seem to be informal and loosely organized, they communicate very well among themselves. Inconnu know when to avoid Kindred, when to hide from them and when to unleash their significant power to turn vampires away. Their agenda, if they even have one, is unknown.

[Renji]

The Clans

If the myth of the Antediluvians is to be believed, Caine sired a number of progeny, who then sired childer themselves. These childer, accordingly of the Third Generation, were the progenitors of the modern clans, and all vampires descended from them shared common traits and characteristics. Certainly this is true to some degree, as each clan has a set of vampiric powers its members learn more readily than others, and each clan also has a distinguishing weakness or character flaw by which its members may be identified.

Lineage is important to the Kindred. Though they are loners and typically shun each other's company by nature, the Damned place great value on their heritage. The honor a vampire is due stems from clan as much as generation, and even the most dull-witted Kindred is afforded some modicum of respect if his legacy demands it.

There are 13 known clans, each supposedly spawned by one of the Antediluvians, but whispers circulate through the Kindred world about "lesser" clans or bloodlines that branched off from their parent genealogies somewhere in the nights of history. Few vampires have ever met Kindred claiming to hail from these mysterious bloodlines, and few of these have turned out to be anything other than Caitiff with delusions of self-importance. It is widely accepted, however, that of the 13 "great" clans, seven claim membership in the Camarilla, two belong to the Sabbat, and the remaining four abstain from sects entirely.

The Clans of the Camarilla

The Camarilla claims that all vampires are under its purview, whether they wish to be so included or not. The Camarilla realistically comprises seven clans, though any Kindred may be recognized as a member if she so declares.

Brujah

As the Brujah tell the tale, they were once philosopher-kings of Mesopotamia, Persia and Babylon. They controlled an empire that spanned from the cradle of civilization to northern Africa, and collected lore and knowledge from around the world. In their pursuit of freedom and enlightenment, however, they killed their founder. For this, Caine cast them out from the First City. Since then, the Brujah have suffered inescapable decline. Now they are perceived as little more than spoiled childer who have no sense of pride or history. One of the mainstays of the Great Anarch Revolt, the Bmjah were barely brought to heel by the founders of the Camarilla, and the clan as a whole still resents the elders. Though nominally in the Camarilla, the Brujah are the sect's firebrands and agitators, testing the Traditions and rebelling in the name of whatever causes they hold dear. Many Brujah are outright anarchs, defying authority and serving no prince.

Gangrel

The night-prowling Gangrel are feral vampires and possess disturbing animalistic tendencies and features. Rarely staying in one place, Gangrel are nomadic wanderers, satisfied only when running alone under the night sky. Their founder is whispered to have been a barbarian, unlike the other clan progenitors, and for this reason, Gangrel often Embrace outsiders. Distant, aloof and savage, Gangrel are often tragic individuals; although many hate the cities' crowds and constrictions, the presence of hostile werewolves prevents most Gangrel from living outside their confines. Gangrel vampires seem to support the Camarilla solely because it intrudes upon their unlives less than the Sabbat. Some members of Clan Gangrel think that independence would be better than their nominal Camarilla involvement, however, and the clan's continued membership in the sect is uncertain.

Malkavian

Clan Malkavian has suffered throughout history, and continues to do so to this very night. Every member of this clan is afflicted with madness, and all are slaves to their debilitating lunacy. The Malkavian clan founder is rumored to have been one of the most important vampires of old, but in committing some grievous crime, Caine cursed him and his descendants with insanity. Throughout Cainite history, Malkavians have been alternately reared for their bizarre behavior and sought out for their even more bizarre insight. Kindred who have regular dealings with the Malkavians report that the clan is now more morbidly unstable than ever, spreading madness in its wake like a contagious disease. Though the Malkavians have historically been fragmented and disorganized, recent migratory waves and inexplicable gatherings have many elders questioning - and fearing - the possible future of the lunatic clan.

Nosferatu

The members of Clan Nosferatu suffer the most visible curse of all. The Embrace hideously deforms them, twisting them into literal monsters. Legends say that the Nosferatu were blighted as punishment for their founder's degeneracy and his childer's wicked behavior, but in the modern nights, Clan Nosferatu is known for levelheadedness and calm in the face of adversity. Nosferatu have reputations as information brokers and harvesters of secrets, as their horrid appearances have forced them to perfect their mystical ability to hide, sometimes in plain sight. At present, the clan claims that it has distanced itself from its founder and no longer serves him. Some Kindred whisper that the clan is on terrible terms with its progenitor, and that he actively seeks their destruction.

Toreador

Prodigals of the Kindred, Clan Toreador indulges in excess and degeneracy, all while claiming to maintain patronage of the arts. To a great degree, this patronage is true, as the clan claims many talented artists, musicians, writers, poets and other gifted creators. On the other hand, the clan possesses just as many "poseurs," those who fancy themselves great aesthetes but lack the ability to create at all. According to legend, the Toreador's support of the arts dates back to the clan founder's Embrace of a pair of twins. The twins pursued unlives of beauty and indolence while their sire, Arikel (if the tale is to be believed), doted on them, protecting them from the ravages of plague, famine and parricide that swallowed the First City. Further, darker rumors circulate that one of the twins eventually grew depraved in her immortality and slew her brother and sire. Clan Toreador vehemently denies this, and those who bring up the subject suffer the clan's wrath.

Tremere

No clan is so shrouded in deliberate mystery as the Tremere. The inventors and practitioners of terrible blood magics, the secretive Tremere have a tightly knit political structure based on the acquisition of power, as well as a fanatical clan loyalty practically unknown to any other Kindred. Because of the veil of secrecy that surrounds the clan, disturbing stories have surfaced as to the nature of their vampirism. Some Kindred claim that the Tremere are not truly vampires at all, but rather mortal wizards who cursed themselves for eternity while studying the secret of immortality. One of the most rampant rumors, spread by a Gypsy visitor to their chantry-house in Vienna, is that the clan founder, Tremere himself, is undergoing a horrid metamorphosis into something else. Clan Tremere is silent on the matter, and looks askance upon those who would presume to know its secrets.

Ventrue

The nominal leaders of the Camarilla, the Ventrue claim to have created and supported the organization of the sect since its inception. The clan suspects that its founder was slain by a member of the Brujah clan, which is a great blow to its members' pride. In any event, the clan almost certifiably has no founder any longer, and has thereby achieved untold independence from the Antediluvians. Nonetheless, Ventrue actively involve themselves in the Jyhad, in which they exercise their formidable influence over the doings of the kine. Much curiosity exists among the Kindred as to the innerworkings of this well-organized clan, as rumors of dark mysteries and slumbering Ancients sometimes slip out from under the Venrrue's austere facade.

The Clans of the Sabbat

Like the Camarilla, the Sabbat welcomes any Kindred who wishes to become a member - provided the vampire in question subscribes to the sect's inhuman philosophy. Indeed, almost every Camarilla clan has an antitribu, or "anti-clan" analog, in the Sabbat; these rebels reject the tenets of the mainstream clan in favor of the monsters' way of thinking. The Sabbat's two leading clans both claim to have destroyed their Antediluvian founders, and are said to pursue the annihilation of the other Antediluvians as well.

Lasombra

The Lasombra are masters of darkness and shadow, and possess a knack for leadership as keen as that of Clan Ventrue. Indeed, many Kindred see the Ventrue and Lasombra as twisted reflections of each other. Once, the Lasombra were nobles, but the chaos of Kindred history and the formation of the Sabbat have caused most of them to turn their backs upon their origins. Now, the Lasombra give themselves wholly over to the damnation of being vampires. The Sabbat has affected this clan as profoundly as the Lasombra have affected the Sabbat, and without the rulership of these fallen aristocrats, the Sabbat would likely disintegrate.

Tzimisce

Formerly the tyrants of Eastern Europe, the Tzimisce (zhi-mee-see) have been uprooted from their Old Country manses and relocated into the clutches of the Sabbat. Possessed of a peculiar nobility, coupled with an evil that transcends mortal perception, Clan Tzimisce leads the Sabbat in its rejection of all things human. Certain Kindred apocrypha claims that the Tzimisce was once the most powerful clan in the world, but that history and other Kindred conspired to bring its members down to their current state. More so than any other vampires, the Tzimisce revel in their monstrousness. They practice a "fleshcrafting" Discipline that they use to disfigure their foes and sculpt themselves into beings of terrible beauty.

[Renji]

The Independents

The independent clans claim membership in no sect, instead following the legendary tenets of their mythical founders. Independent clans tend to be the most cohesive and sociable Kindred of all, as their clan duties ensure that they interact with other vampires almost nightly.

In elder nights, the independent clans held domains far from the havens of the rest of the Kindred and did not participate overmuch in the upheavals of the Inquisition and Anarch Revolt. As a result, they were rarely seen, their members considered more legend than fact. The past few years have changed that. As the world shrinks and the kine speak of "geopolitics" and "global economy," the clans of the Camarilla and Sabbat find their herds and spheres of influence conflicting more and more with those of the independents. Independent Kindred cross Camarilla and Sabbat domains with increasing frequency, and the sect-affiliated clans are beginning to realize that the four "neutral" clans have networks, concerns and goals far greater than they had previously imagined.

Assamite

The Assamites are feared assassins from lands far to the east. No other clan has earned such a deserved reputation for diablerie, though they also sell their murderous services to other Kindred, acting as contract killers. According to the Assamites' own teachings, they drink the blood of other Kindred on the command of their founder, in an attempt to purify their own taint. So dreaded were the Assamites that, during the nights of the Great Anarch Revolt, the Tremere cursed them, making them unable to drink the blood of other Kindred. However, the Assamites have recently thrown off this curse, and so they hunt other Kindred for their blood once more. Kindred who regularly deal with the clan have noticed an increased bloodthirstiness on the part of the Assamites, as well as a disregard for their former codes of honor. Some Kindred believe that the Assamites now act at the behest of older powers, perhaps preparing to play their preordained part in the Jyhad's final moves.

Followers of Set

Originally hailing from Egypt, the serpentine Setites are said to worship the undead vampire-deity Set, serving him in all their efforts. The Setites seem intent on "corrupting" others, enslaving victims in snares of their own weakness, but for what inscrutable purpose, none can guess. Other Kindred despise the Followers of Set, and the clan claims no allies. Nonetheless, many vampires seek out the Setites, as the clan is whispered to possess arcane gifts and secrets from elder nights. Inevitably, sin and debasement follow in the Setites' wake, and many princes refuse to allow them in their cities. Some sinister purpose unites the Followers of Set, and they are one of the few clans rumored to have consistent contact with their founder. Many Kindred rightly fear these fork-tongued vampires, for their very presence is often enough to set a Kindred down the road to ruin.

Giovanni

Reviled almost as much as the Setites, the Gioiwmi is a clan of financiers and necromancers. Trafficking in the commodity of souls has given this clan a disproportionate amount of power, while trafficking in world finance has made the clan sickeningly rich. Other Kindred are loath to trust the mercenary Giovanni, who seem to be using their influence toward some unknown end. Part of Clan Giovanni's unhealthy reputation stems from the fact that it is a very insular clan, drawing almost all its members from its incestuous mortal family. Further damaging the Giovanni's reputation is the pervasive rumor that its members usurped their Kindred status from the vampire who originally Embraced them. Soon after becoming a vampire, the Giovanni clan leader destroyed his sire and the bloodline, reinventing the clan in his own image.

Ravnos

Descendents of the Gypsy Rom and their forebears in India, the Ravnos vampires lead nomadic unlives. Like the Gypsies of history, the Ravnos are spurned due to their reputations as thieves and vagrants. Many princes and Sabbat leaders persecute the Ravnos because of the chaos that follows these Kindred. The Ravnos return the scorn of their peers manyfold, holding Camarilla and Sabbat in equal contempt. The Ravnos are also known for their ability to create amazing illusions, the better with which to trick their marks. Recently the movements of the Ravnos have become even more erratic than usual; whispers have begun to circulate among the cities of Europe and Asia, speaking of Ravnos Methuselahs who have risen from torpor to direct their younglings' games.

[Renji]

Coteries

At heart, the vampire is a solitary creature. No longer able to see the light of day or interact with others save with the intent of sucking their blood, vampires often cloister themselves, stealing forth at night only to claim sustenance.

Nonetheless, loneliness takes its toll on the isolationist Kindred. This is particularly true of younger Kindred - neonates and fledglings - who also band together for protection from their own elders. As such, gatherings of Kindred, known as coteries, have been a staple of Kindred society for at least the past hundred years.

Elders deride the coteries, as they themselves exist in antiquated havens far from the deadly hands of mortals. Likening the groups to bands of lesser animals on the hunt or, more derogatorily, the brutal packs of Sabbat vampires, elder vampires fail to realize that younger, weaker vampires often have no option other than Final Death. A solitary neonate may eke out a wretched existence for a while, but sooner or later, without someone to watch his back, he will likely fall to one of the innumerable other predators of the city. In truth, many elders fear the neonates' coteries, though they would never admit it. Established vampires undermine the growing power of the coteries at every turn, frightened as they are by the versatility and modern savvy the groups possess.

Coteries are here to stay. Though unnatural, inconvenient, often inefficient and almost always tense, coteries provide the only recourse for vampires who wish more than subsistence from their unlives.

Purpose

The main reason vampires form coteries, other than the underlying need for security, is a common interest: blood ties, similar ideologies, gang affiliation, practical inclination or even simple convenience. Coteries are as wide and varied as the Kindred who compose them.

Clan Coteries

One of the most common types of coteries, the clan coterie is composed exclusively of members of one clan. Brujah broods are one of the best examples of this coterie, as vampires with the same sire often cling to each other long after their sire has grown bored and left them on their own. Young Ventrue sometimes form consortiums, pooling their resources to better usurp their elders' power bases. Cabals of Tremere are also known to pool resources; these cabals often maintain close connections with the clan as a whole, due to the structured nature of the Warlocks. Horrific nests of Nosferatu dwell under the streets of the cities, away from the judgmental eyes of Kindred and kine. Clutches of Malkavians, united under the charismatic leadership of one of their number, often resemble cults or Manson Family-esque assemblies of unhealthy minds. Even the independent and territorially catty Toreador sometimes band together to form salons or "art movements" composed of a few inspired Kindred. Family groupings of Giovanni vampires are sometimes classified as coteries, though these are usually led by clan elders or ancillae, as are Assamite assassin cells and Setite cults. Essentially, any group of Kindred with a common lineage may have reason to stick together, though this is less true among the rugged individualists of Clans Gangrel and Tzimisce.

Gang Coteries

Common among the streetwise and less well-to-do Kindred, gang coteries are true urban terrors. Composed of a group of vampires, their ghouls, and any hangers-on who somehow convince the vampires not to eat them, gang coteries are the scourge of the inner city. Their ranks include brutal vampires, commonly of the Brujah, Gangrel, Malkavian and Ravnos clans, with Caitiff sometimes thrown in for good measure. Gang coteries are violent and ruthless, though some defend the rights of drifters and the homeless (who usually end up as members of the gang or its herd). Gang coteries may be nomadic, like bike gangs or Gypsies, or static, like chapters of nationwide gangs or locals-only outfits. Gang coteries are often involved in local drug scenes and almost invariably spend as much time fighting other gangs and gang coteries over "distribution rights" as they do police.

Anarch Coteries

While the violent tactics, styles of dress and clan makeups of anarch coteries sometimes cause them to be mistaken for gang coteries, the fundamental ideologies differ. Anarch coteries oppose elders' scheming and stranglehold on power, arguing that every vampire should have a fair, equitable claim to domains and hunting rights. Anarch coteries typically comprise members of the Brujah, Gangrel, Malkavian and Nosferatu clans, but a few resentful Ventrue and disillusioned Tremere have joined the cause. If a Toreador is seen among anarch company, she's likely slumming or trying to annoy her sire. Anarchs tend to be younger Kindred, and these coteries are often short-lived, as the group accomplishes enough to gain a prince's notice and is then destroyed or disbanded by a city's elders and their minions. The anarchs have proved remarkably successful on the U.S. West Coast, though their power erodes nightly under an influx of Cathayans from the East.

Wartime Coteries

The Camarilla is efficient in its opposition of the Sabbat, and one of its best tactics is the establishment of wartime coteries. When a city becomes contested territory between the two sects, the Sabbat often sends waves of newly Embraced vampires against its opponents. The Camarilla, with its better organization and greater resources, has found that an effective manner of repelling these attacks is to create teams of neonates and ancillae, who gain the opportunity to impress their elders by turning the tide. These coteries are often composed of diverse members - Brujah and Gangrel warriors, Malkavians and Nosferatu scouts, Tremere magicians and Ventrue and Toreador diplomats. Although normally of finite duration, these coteries sometimes see bonds of camaraderie form among their members, who maintain relations following the repulsion of the Sabbat threat.

Diplomatic Coteries

Sometimes a prince needs a matter of policy enforced or a matter of urgency attended to, but lacks the resources to address it herself. In this case, she entreats the elders of her city to recommend Kindred to handle the task. After much boon-exchanging and promise-swearing (or the cancellation thereof), the prince has a pool of vampires upon which to draw. These are often cosmopolitan coteries, assembled in much the same manner as wartime coteries, but often with less threat of physical violence. Diplomatic coteries often enjoy the endorsement of elders, the prince and the primogen, but this may work against them if offenders are predisposed against the current regime.

Criminal Coteries

Criminal coteries resemble Mafia families, Yakuza gumi, Seoulpa rings, drug cartels or Chinese tongs. Essentially collections of vampires who want to make money "outside the system," criminal coteries run rackets, extortion, numbers, prostitution, drug distribution (often with the aid of lesser criminal coteries or gang coteries), "distressed goods" liquidation, car-parts scams, large-scale theft, union strikes, gambling, bookmaking and protection operations. If it's illegal, they do it; vampires' power and influence allow criminal coteries to create a highly profitable mixture of blue-collar and white-collar crime. Criminal coteries frequently degenerate into hotbeds of distrust as various prospects atrophy or change in profitability. Clans involved with criminal coteries tend to be more refined Brujah, Toreador, Ventrue, Giovanni and the odd Caitiff, though one of the Gambino street gangs in New York is rumored to have a Nosferatu at the head.

Entrepreneurial Coteries

Like criminal coteries, but legal.

Intelligence Coteries

A prince cannot typically gather her own intelligence, but rather sends agents to do it for her. The prince or one of her ministers hand-picks a group of Kindred, then dispatches them to a different city, or sometimes to a faction within the same city, and awaits their report. Elder Kindred thrive on this sort of espionage, carefully moving their pawns and agents to inconvenience their rivals. Spies are dealt with harshly, and Kindred in such coteries are advised to tread lightly and make as many contacts as possible.

Entertainment Coteries

Some Kindred associate with each other in the interests of performing for others. Entire bands composed of vampires move through vampire society, touring across the country like mortal musicians and playing for prestigious princes and appreciative Toreador patrons. Likewise, dramatic troupes of vampire actors also band together to enact popular plays or even the works of Kindred playwrights. "Movements" of performance artists and other artisans come and go, challenging social issues or working for commissions. Obviously, Toreador vampires lend themselves well to this sort of coterie, but Brujah thrash bands, Malkavian actors and Nosferatu shock acts are not unheard of. Even certain Gangrel like the opportunity afforded by touring.

Questing Coteries

The Jyhad stretches back through thousands of years, and many secrets have been hidden over the ages. Questing coteries are mystical archaeologists, determined to uncover not only Kindred artifacts but the secrets of Kindred history as well. Questing coteries often form of their own volition, pursuing their concealed knowledge out of desire rather than edict. Some report directly to princes or patrons, while others operate independently. Questing coteries often have Tremere, Toreador and Ventrue members, though many Brujah are quick to join the cause, and more than one Follower of Set has been reluctantly admitted to a questing coterie. Questing coteries are typically nomadic, traveling wherever their search leads them.

Social Coteries

Birds of a feather flock together, and this is particularly true with social coteries. United by ties of social prominence or simple common enthusiasms, social coteries are common in Camarilla cities and Sabbat cities alike. Some social coteries unite under gothic, club or other countercultures, sharing similar tastes in music and fashion. High-society coteries share common interests in influence, art, fashion and/or whatever else takes their whim, while Sabbat social coteries often pursue grotesque pastimes indeed. Mortal societies like the Fabians and the Algonquin Round Table are examples of kine social coteries, while the harpies are an excellent example of a Kindred social coterie. Members of any clan may join social coteries, as they are very rarely dependent upon skill or productivity, inclined as they are toward discourse and fraternity.

Blood Cults

A recent resurgence triggered by the coming of Gehenna, blood cults are almost universally despised by princes and formally condemned as violations of the Masquerade. Blood cults are groups of Kindred who entice mortals to partake in "religious" rituals, then feed blood to or enslave the "worshippers." Combining the most heinous aspects of ghouldom and cult membership, blood cults prey upon desperate mortals who are searching for something to give their lives value. Obviously, these cults are breaches of the Masquerade, as the vampire openly reveals her supernatural (if not vampiric) nature to her coven, and risks exposing all of Kindred society to the wrath of outraged mortals.

Diablerist Coteries

Diablerist coteries are another reaction against Gehenna's imminence. Many young Kindred, frustrated by the elders' unshakable grip on power, take the short, direct route to that power, and actually hunt the elders, killing them and drinking their essences. In addition to the thrill of patricide and the rush of mystical power, diablerie provides these coteries with a weapon against their foes - destruction. Although not every coterie exists for this purpose, packs of diablerists represent one of the reasons elders truly fear younger Kindred and the coteries they form. Most terrifying of all are the Assamite falaqi, or war cells, who stalk and bring down elders in the manner of wolves dragging down game.

Sabbat Packs

Exclusive to the Sabbat, the pack is the basic social unit of the Black Hand. Composed of several Sabbat vampires, packs ensure their members' loyalty through a requirement that each vampire regularly drink a mixture of all the other members' blood. Thus mystically bound, Sabbat packs are among the tightest and most vicious groups of vampires in existence. Each pack is unique, with its own name, membership requirements, customs, style of dress and rites. Some packs have existed for centuries; these packs have "illustrious" (or depraved) histories, legends of departed members, and bitter rivalries with other packs.

This list of coteries is by no means exhaustive - vampires have any number of reasons to band together, though their cause should be enough to keep them unified despite their natures. Coteries are like the cliques of the undead, and very rarely fit a stereotype completely. After all, each vampire's reasons for joining a particular coterie are as unique as he is. As such, coteries are seldom unified fronts, more often being vehicles for individual vampires to advance their own agendas.

[Renji]

Character Coteries

Players should pay particular attention to their coterie's focus, and select a unifying cause that satisfies all of their characters' concepts. As undying creatures, Kindred don't just band together for the hell of it. Characters stuck in coteries toward which they have either apathy or antagonism don't work very well in the long term. During character creation, players should take the opportunity to make sure their characters have some reason to fraternize. Vampire is a game of horror, secrets and manipulation, and the mood is easily ruined by an overabundance of petty bickering.

Be responsible. Play a character who won't ruin the game for everyone else.

Witch-Hunters and Other Mortals

Kindred prey on the kine; this is the way of things. As the elders are painfully aware, though, they may be preyed on as well. Vampires must step lightly and be ever mindful of the Masquerade; were the human race as a whole ever to turn its attention to the Kindred, the Children of Caine would be quickly wiped out. Superstition is the vampires' best weapon. By enforcing mortals' disbelief, by cultivating a smug belief in reason, by dismissing vampires' presence as the fancies of children and lunatics, the Kindred allow the mass ofkine to do the work of shielding them from the few mortals who do know that vampires walk the night.

And there are, indeed, a few. Ignored or scoffed at by the bulk of their fellows, these mortals choose to delve into the Kindred's hidden world. Some do it out of curiosity, or for a forbidden thrill; others fear the Kindred and seek to exterminate them outright. The Children of Caine take no chances; their elders remember the Inquisition of old, when the race of vam- pires was nearly extinguished in a tide of fire and blood. Thus, all mortals "in the know" are commonly referred to as witch-hunters, the term Kindred gave to their pious tormentors.

The Inquisition itself still exists today, though no official Church records speak of it. The Inquisition of the modern world is known as the Society of Leopold. Many of its members are researchers and occultists, but some are fanatic vampire-hunters who, in true Torquemada-esque fashion, mercilessly root out and destroy the "spawn of Satan."

Most Inquisitors are fanatic but spottily educated and trained, seldom posing any real threat. What they know of the Kindred tends to come from old records and poorly translated manuscripts. This, of course, leads to mistakes in hunting, and it is unwise to make mistakes when dealing with vampires. Likewise, most Inquisitors are mere mortals, with none of the supernatural powers attributed to saints. Though such a hunter might hold up a crucifix and frantically wave it in a vampire's face, the holy symbol would be a mere object to be contemptuously swatted aside. A few Inquisitors, though, actually manifest sufficient Faith to repel or even wound the Damned with their holy auras.

On a secular level, the Kindred often move in the higher echelons of mortal power. Though they act furtively and cunningly, enough traces of their presence exist to arouse the suspicions of certain members of the world's intelligence agencies. In these nights of DNA testing and computer databases, the Masquerade is stretched thin indeed.

Other mortal groups find themselves on the periphery of the Damned's world. A mystic secret society known as the Arcanum seeks to uncover traces of the paranormal. Kindred tend to dismiss the Arcanum as a comic organization of garden-variety "ghosthusters" and dilettantes, but it occasionally - and increasingly - stumbles across events of interest. Additionally, various criminal organizations find themselves pawns in - or disrupters of - Kindred plots.

For more information on witch-hunters, see Chapter Nine.

The Others

The Kindred are not the only monsters to stalk the streets of the World of Darkness. Behind many a looming shadow lurks a pair of eyes belonging to something.. .else. The Kindred share the night with many other inhuman presences. When Kindred come into contact with these "others," the results are rarely pleasant, as the world's supernatural denizens have vied for supremacy for millennia. Many Kindred suspect that, not unlike themselves, these others have societies of their own. Unfortunately, few vampires have been able to get close enough to the others to tell, and even fewer have escaped to warn others.

The fabled Book of Nod speaks of the others, warning the Kindred that as the Final Nights approach, these creatures will rise up in preparation for the end of the world. Certainly, recent nights have seen Kindred come into more frequent - and often hostile - contact with these mysterious beings.

Lupines

Outside the protective streets of the city, the land belongs to the Lupines, monsters who have been the dire enemies of the Kindred since time immemorial. Also known as werewolves, the Lupines seem to travel in packs, much as normal wolves do. Werewolves are universally feared by vampires as ruthless, efficient killers, and more than one vampire claims to have witnessed a single angered Lupine bring down an entire coterie of Kindred. Insular and xenophobic, the werewolves despise the Kindred; the precise reason behind this loathing is unknown, but a vampire caught by a werewolf is assuredly in dire peril. Wise Kindred know to keep to the cities, and that to leave their protection is to invite disaster in the form of a cloud of fur and fangs. On nights when the full moon is high and white, Kindred can hear the howls of the Lupines and smell their ferocity on the wind.

Recent years have seen a greater aggressiveness on the part of the Lupines. Formerly reluctant to leave their wilderness domains, werewolf packs have in the last few years begun pursuing Kindred into the cities, or even raiding the vampires' formerly impregnable domains outright. The vampires of Clan Gangrel, who know more of the Lupines' ways than any other Kindred, fear that a great war may be at hand, and that the first stroke of the Jyhad endgame will be made not by a vampire, but by a werewolf.

Mages

Practicioners of arcane arts, the mages resemble humanity even more than Kindred do. In fact, the Tremere maintain that mages are humans themselves, though ones who know the secrets of ancient magic. Though not overtly hostile to vampires, mages seem to prefer solitude and will not hesitate to eliminate a bothersome Kindred. Few vampires know much about this group's powers, but strange events tend to happen in the presence of mages. It is rumored that mages may evoke truly fantastic effects, but they evidently maintain a practice similar to the Masquerade, one which likewise protects them from a fearful populace.

Ghosts

It would seem that some spirits linger on after death, either to haunt the living or to resolve things they could not accomplish in life. As ghosts apparently exist on the "other side," very few vampires have any dealings with them, though Giovanni vampires are known to be able to converse with them. Some ghosts claim to be the souls of victims killed by vampires, and return to plague those vampires' nights with wailing and torment.

Faeries

Few vampires know anything about the faeries, and it would seem that the "Good Folk" either fear vampires or otherwise avoid them as anathema. Whatever the reason, faeries are by turns attributed with fanciful, wondrous powers or the ability to inflict terrible curses. Those who have opinions on the matter maintain that the "wild ones" are not to be trifled with.

Ghouls

Kindred in need of powerful servitors often cultivate ghouls. Created by giving a mortal or animal a sip of vampiric vitae without first draining their blood, ghouls most commonly serve as minions of their vampiric masters, known as domitors. Although not so powerful as Kindred, ghouls may use the ingested vitae to become preternaturally strong and resilient.

Most ghouls are fanatically loyal to their masters, for ghouls are just as susceptible to the blood bond (p. 218) as Kindred are. As the ghoul requires the blood other domitor to maintain her status, she often has cause to drink repeatedly from the same vampire.

Frightening rumors abound, however, of ghouls gone rogue, rebelling against their Kindred masters, killing them, and seeking out the precious vitae from other vampires. These marauding ghouls do not serve new masters; rather, they strike at unwary or weak Kindred and take the blood by force, often destroying the hapless vampire in the process. Many Kindred scoff at these rumors, but others know all too well the power of ghouls and keep their eyes on their own entourages.

The Cathayanas

The Children of Caine have spread throughout the world, but they find themselves thwarted in the Far East by the mysterious Cathayans, non-Kindred vampires native to the Orient. The Cathayans, or "Kindred" of the East, seem to have very little in common with their Western brethren. Rumors of demonic powers surround these Asian visitors, and their enigmatic behavior and foreign mindset leave many Western Kindred ill at ease. Making matters worse are the increasingly frequent reports of the "Hooded Mandarin," a formidable Cathayan vampire, and his presence at disastrous Kindred events.

Enigmas

As if these disturbing reports weren't enough, some Kindred claim to have dealt with even stranger creatures of the night. Meetings with demons, immortal mummies, zombielike walking dead, mystical spirits, shapeshifting animals, sentient gargoyles, angels and less definable entities have been claimed and sometimes documented. The only certainty to emerge from these statements, however, is that the World of Darkness is as terrifying as it is cosmopolitan.

[Renji]

Generations and Cainite Mythology

According to the most widely accepted history of the Kindred, the race of vampires issued from the progenitor vampire, Caine. Banished into the land of Nod after killing his brother Abel, Caine was cursed by God and thereby became the first vampire. Thereafter, Caine sired three childer, who in turn sired their own childer, and on and on.

An oft-referenced collection of Kindred lore known as The Book of Nod contains numerous illustrations of the Kindred's creation myth. Unfortunately for those who wish to know it all, the book engenders more questions than it answers, and even forms the basis for one of the other theories of Kindred origin, the Lilith Cycle (which is decried and suppressed as heresy by the Camarilla).

In the end, there are no immediately forthcoming answers. Indeed, there may be no answer to the mystery at all.

Caine

Reputedly the "father of all vampires," Caine is more myth than reality in the modern nights. Some of the Fourth Generation, as well as certain members of the Sabbat, claim to have met a being who referred to himself as Caine, but the story has filtered through so many individuals and layers of the Jyhad that no one can precisely tell where truth ends and fabrication begins.

Ancient Lore

The verbal history of the Kindred - though some insist that it is more legendry than history - occupies a position of great reverence in vampire society. The most popular and widely accepted myth is that of Caine - the First Vampire and slayer of his brother. An elusive ,, text known as The Book of Nod chronicles Caine's exile 'and his subseqent joumeys' eastward. Much of what is"known" about Caine originates in various passages of The Book of Nod, though little exists to corroborate the book of its validity.

In the beginning there was only Caine.
Came who sacrificed his brother out of love.
Caine who was cast out.
Caine who was cursed forever with immortality.
Caine who was cursed with the lust for blood.
It is Caine from whom we all come,
Our sire's sire.
For the passing of an age he lived in the land of Nod,
In loneliness and suffering.
For an eon he remained alone.
But the passing of memory drowned his sorrow.
And so he returned to the world of mortals,
To the world of mortals,
To the world his brother and his brother's children had created.

As Caine returned to the Children of Seth (the name that vampires came to call the kine), many believe, that he went about the construction of a great city, in which vampires coexisted with mortals. Some Kindred historians speak of this period as idyllic time of harmony, though more cynical Cainites say that the vampires inflicted themselves upon the Children of Seth like a plague. It is believed that the 13 clans came into existence at this time, as Caine's childer sired childer of their own. Breaks in the narrative suggest that there may have been more than 13 members of the Third Generation, or more than three members of the Second Generation. Cainite cults dedicated to the progenitor's myth claim that there may have been as many as 100 members of the Third Generation, but no evidence is forthcoming.

Though he became ruler of a mighty nation, he was still alone,
For none was as he. His sorrow grew once again.
Then he committed another great sin, for he begat progeny,
[ Of whom there were only three.]*
But from them came more progeny, Caine's grandchiler,
And then Caine said, "An end to this crime. There shall be no more."
And as Caine's word was the law, his brood obeyed him.
The city stood for many ages,
And became the center of a mighty empire.

The city's nights were numbered, the tales continue, and God sent the Great Flood to erase the wickedness Caine's childer brought to the world. Mortal Biblical accounts place this event as the one in which Noah built his ark to escape the fate humanity had brought upon itself. The vampires who survived became known as the Antediluvians, for they had received the Embrace before the Flood.

But then came the Deluge, a Great Flood that washed over the world.
The city was destroyed,
And its people along with it.
Again Caine fell into a great sorrow and went into solitude,
Becoming as a dog amidst the wastes,
And leaving his progeny to their own ends.
They came to him and begged him to return,
To help them rebuild the city.
But he would not come with them,
Saying the Flood had been sent as punishment
For his having returned to the world of life
And subverting the true law.

Without their father Caine, the vampires fell to petty bickering and warring among themselves. Murder and avarice became the rule for Kindred, and though they tried to re-create the glory of their First City, the resulting Second City was a den of intrigue, treachery, bloodlust and diablerie.

So they returned alone to what mortals were left
And announced that they were the new rulers.
Each created a brood,
In order to claim the glory of Caine,
Yet they did not have his wisdom or restraint.
A great war was waged, the elders against their children,
And the children slew their parents.

It was these kinslayer vampires who gave rise to what are commonly referred to as clans, siring the Fourth and lesser generations.

Their lack of wisdom, however, prevented them from seeing that their childer would rise against them as they had against their sires.

As this became obvious, the Ancients adopted the great game, their war of supremacy, the Jyhad, and went into hiding to direct their movements from secret havens.

Inevitably, this terrible war resulted in the collapse of the Second City, and the Kindred and the Children of Seth scattered to the ends of the Earth, where they could exist relatively free from the monstrous influence of the Antediluvians. This belief was folly, however, as the power and influence of the Third Generation know no bounds. Thus, the stones say that to this very night the Jyhad continues to rage, with all Kindred but pawns in the cannibalistic war of the elders.

The rebels then built a new city
And brought to it [13] tribes.**
It was a beautiful city and its people worshipped them as gods.
They created new progeny of their own,
The Fourth Generation of Cainites.
But they feared the Jyhad,
And it was forbidden for those childer
To create others of their kind.
This power the elders kept for themselves.
When a childe was created, it was hunted down and killed,
And its sire with it.
Although this city was as great as Caine's, eventually it grew old.
As do all living things, it slowly began to die.
The gods at first did not see the truth,
And when they last looked about them it was too late.
Their city was destroyed and their power extinguished,
And they were forced to flee, their progeny along with them.
But many were killed in the flight, for they had grown weak.
With their authority gone, all were free to create their own broods,
And soon there were many new Cainites,
Who ruled across the face of the Earth.
But this could not last.
Over time, there came to be too many of the Cainites,
And then there was war once again.
The elders were already deep in hiding,
For they had learned caution.
But their childer had founded their own cities and broods,
And it is they who were killed in the great wave of war.
There was war so total, that there are none of that generation
To speak of themselves any longer.
Waves of mortal flesh were sent across continents
In order to crush and bum the cities of the Cainites.
Mortals thought they were fighting their own wars,
But it is for us they spilt their blood.
Once this war was over,
All of the Cainites hid from one another
And from the humans who surrounded them.
In hiding we remain tonight,
For the Jyhad continues still.

* Several Kindred historians believe this line to have been mistranslated through the millennia between the First City and the modern nights. The notes of early vampire historians indicate this line has been interpreted as "Of whom there were as few as three" in some transcriptions of The Book of Nod.

** Most Kindred accept this number as 13, seeing as how there are 13 clans known in existence, but at least one of the fragments of The Book of Nod alludes to "three by 10" instead of "three and 10" with reference to the Third Generation. This indicates, to some Kindred, that there once may have been as many as 30 distinct "clans," if indeed they have passed into extinction at all.

Skeptical Kindred have noted a lapse in the myth of Caine: If Caine's first childer are of the Second Generation, and thereby two steps removed from Caine, what, if anything, was the First Generation? Certainly, Caine himself is not "First Generation," as he can hardly be one step from himself. The question will likely go forever unresolved.

Second Generation

According to Kindred texts of unknown authenticity, Caine sired three childer. Created to ease Caine's sorrow, Caine's childer (some accounts agree on the names Zillah, Irad and Enosch, though the last is frequently referred to as Enki) carried out their unlives in the First City of Enoch.

Little is known of the Second Generation - presumably they sired the Third Generation, but nothing is known of them after their childer rose up against them in the nights of the First City. Likely, the Second Generation perished in the Great Flood, or at the hands of their childer.

Third Generation

The Third Generation, vampires known as Antediluvians (for they predate the Great Flood), supposedly gave rise to what are called clans in the modem idiom. Recently, tales of active Antediluvians have become rampant, and new accounts of their movements, while dubious, arise nightly. Although the Camarilla scoffs at the notion of surviving Antediluvians, four Antediluvians have been observed with varying degrees of credibility. Lucian and Mekhet, obviously pseudonyms for clan founders wishing to remain anonymous, are the only widely known names of active Third Generation vampires. Clan Giovanni and its founder reportedly confer regularly, while an inhuman creature some say is the founder of the Tremere has been seen recently in Mexico City. Certain Antediluvians are said to have been destroyed, but none can corroborate these statements.

The Antediluvians are the true players of the Jyhad, an ancient and terrible game predicated upon the thwarting of the other members of the Third Generation. The turns of the Jyhad are inscrutable, but the Antediluvians have pawns in every corner of the Earth, carrying out the directives of their sleeping masters. The rules are as unknowable as the players themselves are, and everything from outright war to centuries-long games of espionage seems to be de rigueur.

Whether or not the game has always been one of movement and counterattack is likewise unknown - are these the rules, or has the Jyhad degenerated into petty hamstringing? Some vampires, noting the origin of the word Jyhad, also wonder if there are other factors at play. It is possible that some of the Kindred involved in the Jyhad have attained the fabled peace of Golconda, and may be trying to aid - or hinder - others in attaining that state of transcendence. Certainly, they are counteracted as well by foes who do not wish this to come to pass.

Antediluvians are almost divine in their scope of ability, and possess powers unimaginable by those not of their caliber. Jyhad scholars have hypothesized that the Third Generation are the last vampires to have true mastery over life and death, and may be destroyed only if they so choose or if one of equal power bests them. These same Kindred wonder if perhaps the Jyhad is a contest, with the last Antediluvian left without suffering the Final Death named as winner.

Fourth and Fifth Generations

These powerful vampires are known as Methuselahs. They are millennia old, exceedingly rare, and almost as powerful as the Third Generation. Few of these generations remain active participants in the Jyhad, as their potent blood is craved by Kindred younger than they. Many Methuselahs take refuge in hidden torpor, where they may avoid attempts at diablerie by lesser Kindred and control their own forces in the Jyhad. In recent years, a number of powerful Methuselahs are whispered to have risen in far corners of the Earth, and the most influential members of the Camarilla's Inner Circle and the Sabbat's regent and prisci are rumored to be Methuselahs.

Sixth, Seven and Eights Generations

Most of the powerful, visible masters of the Jyhad are members of generations six through eight. Kindred of these ages have concentrated areas of influence and wield signifcant quantities of power (enough to make them prime pawns in the Jyhad, though these vampires find it inconceivable that they themselves may be manipulated). Princes, powerful primogen and justicars tend to hail from these generations, though it should be noted that European holders of these titles tend be of lower generation and;gxaeater power than their American counterparts.

Members of these generations are commonly referred to as elders'; The Eighth Generation is certainly thr lowest generation at which one may be considered an elder, though this seems largely arbitrary. Most members of the Eigth Generation and below were sired long before the modern nights, and are thus accustomed to power and high station.

Ninth and Tenth Generations

Kindred of the ninth and tenth generations play a dangerous game. Often too old and experienced to te associated with the lesser neonates and ancillae, but too raw and weak to hold their own among the elders, the Ninth and Tenth Generations find themselves left to their own devices. They do not require the governance that the wilder, younger Kindred do, and so they meet the night on their own terms. Much like mortal adolescents, the Ninth and Tenth Generations are getting a taste for the power and influence they may soon come to possess.

11th, 12th and 13th Generations

Neoonates and young ancillae, members of these generations are relatively new to the curse of vampirism. Although they are powerful creatures in and of themselves, at least compared to the mortals upon whom they prey, their newfound powers are nothing compared to Kindred hundreds of years their elders.

Most Vampire players' characters will be of these generations.

14th and 15th Generations

A woeful modern development, these, tnin-blooded Kindred have appeared in recent years. The blood of Caine is so weak in them that some are rumored to be able ra beat the light of the sun and partake of mortal food. Many Kindred scholars look upon the influx of these vampires, with fear, remembering passages in The Book of Nod that make reference the "Time of Thin Blood." This time is said to presage the coming of Gehenna.

[Renji]

The Modern Nights

Much has come to pass recently in the World of Darkness, and many Kindred are convinced that the Final Nights have arrived. Numerous events portend the movement of the Antediluvians; the world has undergone significant changes, as have the Kindred themselves.

Varying accounts of Antediluvians, most unreliably accredited, have become common, and it would seem that as the world spirals toward its presumed destruction, some subtlety has been lost in the Jyhad. Whether these sighting are actual or not, they reveal an unsettling paranoia and a sense of urgency previously unknown. Stories of encounters with a being who claims to be Caine are also circulating like never before. Whereas it was once fashionable to mock such preposterous conversation, many Kindred wonder if there may be some legitimacy to the matter.

The Sabbat has recently increased its activity, actively vying for power in Chicago, Atlanta, Washington, DC, and other elder-controlled cities. Animalistic and monstrous, the sect has swarmed like locusts over the East Coast and southern borders of the United States. Its influence in Canada has also increased, and it appears as if the Sabbat is realizing a grand enfilade, surrounding the United States and cutting off all access except that which it grants. Many Kindred en route to Europe from the United States or vice versa have been destroyed or disappeared altogether as the Sabbat exerts its influence where it can: at the borders.

It would seem that the West Coast is relatively free of Sabbat presence, but this is true only because an influx of Cathayans from Asia has taken root. The anarch holdings of California have become battlegrounds, and the proud anarchs have even begged the Camarilla's Inner Circle for aid in turning back the Asian peril. The Kindred of the East have made significant advances into the United States from the West Coast, and their presence may soon shift the balance of power among the Children of Caine.

The Camarilla as a whole seems less and less dominant, its influence eroding by the night. Years ago, it seemed as if the sect virtually owned North America. As millennial hysteria rises, more and more slips through the ever-tightening grip of the sect, leaving its members consistently losing ground. Indeed, one of its greatest members, the mighty justicar known as Petrodon, was struck down and destroyed in Chicago by parties unknown.

The Sabbat has suffered its own losses, however, and may hardly be said to have the upper hand. Recently, all the Tremere of the Sabbat were destroyed in a great conflagration in Mexico City. Add to this the fact that the Sabbat Malkavians have communicated their terrible madness to their Camarilla and anarch brethren, and the Sabbat no longer has the edge it once did. Both sides suffer from incursions of independent Kindred, particularly the Assamites, who pursue their murderous ways anew. Even the formerly carefree Ravnos have begun to act with greater purpose and malevolence, and some elders wonder if, in dismissing the Deceivers, they have ignored fangs long poised at their throats.

Thus, the World of Darkness decays and crumbles more each night. With less and less to be sure of, and many more ominous portents becoming plainly visible, many Kindred wonder what the immediate future holds, and it seems that immortality may not mean much if the end of the world is nigh.

Gehenna

Central to Kindred myth is the idea of Gehenna. The Kindred believe that this approaching apocalypse bears down ever more each night upon the world. When Gehenna arrives, the Antediluvians shall arise and make a wasteland of the world, consuming Kindred and mortal alike in the culmination of their horrendous Jyhad.

Although few Camarilla Kindred would admit it, many vampires see the world on a downward plummet and believe that Gehenna will occur soon - perhaps even within the next few years. Frantically piecing together the signs from whatever Cainite histories and mythological fragments they can compile, the Kindred seek to learn the true nature of Gehenna, and possibly avert it. Elder vampires know, however, of the implacable wills of the Antediluvians. Should they so will it, Gehenna shall come and overwhelm the world, destroying every mortal and vampire in a tide of blood and fire.

Prophecies of Doom

"The Chronicle of Secrets," a revelatory section of The Book of Nod, speaks of the imminent Gehenna. The revelations are cryptic and couched in mysticism, but many Kindred believe that the world of tonight reflects the signs portended in the Chronicle. Indeed, a few Kindred believe that Gehenna has already begun.

And the world will turn cold
and unclean things will boil up from the ground
and great storms will roll, lightning will light
fires, animals will fester and their bodies,
twisted, will fall.
So, too, our Grandsires will rise
from the ground
They will break their fast on the
first part of us
They will consume us whole...
And you will know these last times by the
Time of Thin Blood, which will mark vampires
that cannot Beget,
you will know them by the Clanless,
who will come to rule
you will know them by the Wild Ones,
who will hunt us even in the strongest city
you will know them by the awakening
of some of the eldest...
and those who eat heart's blood will flourish
and the Kindred will crowd each to his own,
and vitae will be as rare as diamonds...
Shine black the sun!
Shine blood the moon!
Gehenna is coming soon.

Lexicon

The Kindred have their own dialect of specialized words and phrases. Vampires have a tremendous capacity for double-talk; what they say often means something other than its literal interpretation, or something in addition to its simple meaning. Certain words have evolved new connotations among the Damned, while others are unique to vampires and their society. The Kindred, set in their ways as they are, are loath to adopt new manners of speech or slang, and one can often determine a rough estimation of a vampire's age by listening to the individual words she chooses.

[Renji]

Common Parlance

These words are in common use among all echelons of Kindred society.

Anarch: A Kindred rebel who opposes the tyranny of elders. Anarchs wish to redistribute the wealth and resources of a city equitably among the vampires therein. Naturally, the elders oppose this, having cultivated their influence for centuries.

Barrens, The: The areas of a city unfit for life, including graveyards, abandoned buildings, industrial wastelands and areas of irreversible urban blight.

Becoming, The: The moment one passes from being a fledgling into "full" vampire status. One may not Become until her sire deems her ready and gains the prince's approval.

Book of Nod, The: A loose collection of Kindred legendry and history. The Book of Nod chronicles the origin of the Kindred, though it has never been published in its entirety. Fragments of the document and its many partial transcriptions circulate among certain strata of Kindred society.

Beast, The: The inchoate drives and urges that threaten to turn a vampire into a mindless, ravening monster.

Blood: A vampire's heritage; that which makes a vampire a vampire. Usage: I doubt her claims to such esteemed Blood.

Blood Bond: A mystical power over another individual engendered by partaking of a particular vampire's blood thrice; accepting blood from a vampire is an acknowledgment of her mastery.

Caitiff: A vampire of unknown clan, or of no clan at all. Caitiff are typically of high generation, where Caine's blood dilutes too greatly to pass any consistent characteristics.

Camarilla, The: A sect of vampires devoted primarily to maintaining the Traditions, particularly that of the Masquerade.

Childe: A vampire created through the Embrace - the childe is the progeny of her sire. This term is often used derogatorily, indicating inexperience. Plural childer.

Clan: A group of vampires who share common characteristics passed on by the Blood. There are 13 known clans, all of which were reputedly founded by members of the Third Generation.

Coterie: A small group or "pack" of Kindred, united by the need for support and sometimes common interests.

Diablerie: The consumption of another Kindred's blood, to the point of the victim's Final Death. Vampires of high generation may lower their generation through this practice; particularly old Kindred have such rarefied tastes that mortal blood no longer sustains them, and they must consume vampire blood.

Domain: An area of a particular vampire's influence. Princes claim entire cities as their domains, sometimes allowing lesser vampires to claim domain within.

Elder: A vampire who has experienced three or more centuries of unlife. Elders are the most active participants in the Jyhad.

Elysium: A place where vampires may gather and discourse without fear of harm. Elysium is commonly established in opera houses, theaters, museums and other locations of culture.

Embrace, The:> The act of transforming a mortal into a vampire. The Embrace requires the vampire to drain her victim and then replace that victim's blood with a bit of her own.

Fledgling: A newly created vampire, still under her sire's protection.

Generation: The number of "steps" between a vampire and the mythical Caine; how far descended from the First Vampire a given vampire is.

Gehenna: The imminent Armageddon when the Antediluvians will rise from their torpor and devour the race of Kindred and the world.

Ghoul: A minion created by giving a bit of vampiric vitae to a mortal without draining her of blood first (which would create a vampire instead).

Haven: A vampire's "home"; where she finds sanctuary from the sun.

Hunger, The: The urge to feed, as with any living creature. For vampires, however, the Hunger replaces all other drives with its own powerful call.

Inconnu: A sect of vampires who have removed themselves from Kindred concerns and, largely, the Jyhad. Many Methuselahs are rumored to exist among the Inconnu.

Jyhad, The: The secret, self-destructive war waged between the generations. Elder vampires manipulate their lessers, using them as pawns in a terrible game whose rules defy comprehension.

Kindred: The race of vampires as a whole, or a single vampire. According to rumor, this term came about in the 15th or 16th century, after the Great Anarch Revolt. Sabbat vampires scorn the term.

Kiss, The: To drink blood, especially from a mortal. The Kiss causes feelings of ecstasy in those who receive it.

Lupine: A werewolf, the natural and mortal enemy of the vampire race.

Lush: A vampire who typically feeds from drugged or drunk mortals in order to experience their inebriation.

Life, The: A euphemism for mortal blood. Many Kindred regard this term as affected and effete.

Man, The: The mote of humanity that a vampire maintains; the spark of mortality that distinguishes him from the Beast.

Masquerade, The: The habit (or Tradition) of hiding the existence of vampires from humanity. Designed to protect the Kindred from destruction at the hands of mankind, the Masquerade was adopted after the Inquisition claimed many Kindred unlives.

Prince: A vampire who has claimed a given expanse of domain as her own, particularly a city, and supports that claim against all others. The term can refer to a Kindred of either sex.

Rogue: A vampire who feeds upon the vitae of other Kindred, out of necessity or depravity.

Sabbat, The: A sect of vampires that rejects humanity, embracing their monstrous natures. The Sabbat is bestial and violent, preferring to lord over mortals rather than hide from them.

Sect: A group of Kindred arguably united under a common philosophy. The three most widely known sects currently populating the night are the Camarilla, the Inconnu and the Sabbat.

Sire: A vampire's "parent"; the Kindred who created her.

Vessel: A source of vitae for sustenance or pleasure, primarily mortal.

Old Form

The elders typically use these turns of phrase, which have existed since long before the modern nights. One is advised to use these words carefully - in some company, their use may be seen as humorously anachronistic, while in the company of anarchs, for example, they may be misconstrued as the elders' propaganda.

Amaranth: The act of consuming another Kindred's blood (q.v. Diablerie).

Ancilla: A "proven" vampire, between the elders and the neonates.

Antediluvian: A member of the dreaded Third Generation, one of the eldest Kindred in existence.

Archon: A vampire in the retinue of a justicar. Archons are generally nomadic in nature, frequently pursuing Kindred who have fled to avoid persecution at the hands of the Camarilla.

Autarkis: A Kindred who remains outside the larger vampire society of a given city and often refuses to acknowledge the claim of a prince.

Blood Oath: The blood bond (vide).

Cainite: A vampire; a member of the race of Caine.

Canaille: The bovine masses of humanity, especially the uncultured and unsavory. The Canaille are viewed primarily as a source of sustenance.

Cauchemar: A vampire who feeds exclusively on sleeping victims.

Consanguineous: Literally, "of the same blood," especially with reference to lineage. Usage: That vampire is consanguineous of Hardestadt the Elder, his childe.

Cunctator: A vampire who avoids killing when delivering the Kiss; one who takes so little blood as to avoid bringing about her prey's death.

Domitor: A ghoul's master; one who feeds her blood and issues her commands.

Footpad: One who feeds from derelicts and other chaff of society. Footpads are frequently debased and may not maintain permanent havens.

Gentry: A Kindred who preys at nightclubs, bars and other establishments of the "red-light district," where mortals engage in reverie.

Golconda: A fabled state of vampiric transcendence; the true mastery of the Beast and balance of opposing urges and principles. Rumored to be similar to mortal Nirvana, Golconda is greatly touted but rarely achieved.

Humanitas: The extent to which a Kindred still maintains her humanity.

Kine: A term for mortals, largely contemptuous. The phrase Kindred and kine refers to the world at large; everything.

Leech: A human who drinks vampire blood, yet acknowledges no master.

Lextalionis: The code of the Kindred and the system for punishing transgression. It suggests Hammurabian or Biblical justice - an eye for an eye, and punishment in keeping with the grievance.

Lineage: A vampire's bloodline; the Kindred's sire, sire's sire, etc.

Methuselah: A vampire who has existed for a millennium or more; an elder who no longer exists among the greater whole of Kindred society. Methuselahs are rumored to hail from the Fourth and Fifth Generations.

Neonate: A young Kindred, recently Embraced.

Osiris: A vampire who builds a mortal cult around himself, in the interests of gaining sustenance. As the millennium approaches and passes, Osiris cults become increasingly common.

Papillon: The red-light district; the area of town punctuated by drinking establishments, brothels, gambling houses and other locales of ill repute. The prime hunting grounds of a city, where the disappearance of mortals goes hand in hand with the area's general seediness.

Progeny: All of a given vampire's childer, collectively. Less formal, and less flattering, is Get.

Praxis: The right of princes to govern; the prince's claim to domain. This term also refers to the prince's matters of policy and individual edicts and motions.

Primogen: The leaders in a given city; its ruling body of elders, typically composed of one member from each clan present in a city.

Regnant: A Kindred who holds a blood bond over another.

Retainer: A human who serves a vampiric master. This term is almost archaic, referring to a time when vampires kept vast entourages of mortal servants as part of their estates.

Siren: A vampire who seduces mortals in order to drink from them, and then only takes a small quantity of blood, so as to avoid killing them.

Suspire: The rumored epiphany experienced just prior to the attainment of Golconda.

Third Mortal: Caine, who was cast out and became the First Vampire.

Thrall: A vampire under the effects of a blood bond, having drunk another Kindred's blood thrice.

Vitae: Blood.

Whelp: A derogatory term for a young Kindred, originally used with exclusive reference to one's own progeny.

Wight: Human; man; a mortal.

Witch-hunter: A mortal who searches out and destroys vampires.

Whig: A contemptuous term for a vampire who possesses an interest in mortal trends and fashions.

Vulgar Argot

These terms are slang, the modern equivalents of older turns of phrase which have fallen out of favor due to their association with the elder ranks. These words carry great connotation, as they are associated with the younger Kindred, who seek to establish their own vampiric cultures.

Alleycat: A vampire who keeps no permanent haven, but sleeps in a different location each night. This term also refers to a Kindred who feeds exclusively from the homeless, vagrants and other elements of low society.

Banking: The practice of "withdrawing" blood from blood banks and hospital reserves. This blood has little taste, though it will sustain a vampire, and elder Kindred eschew this base indulgence. A Kindred who engages in this practice is known as a Banker.

Black Hand: Another name for the sect known as the Sabbat.

Blister: A vampire "Typhoid Mary" who contracts a mortal disease and spreads it to each vessel upon whom he feeds.

Bloodline: A vampire's heritage (q.v. Lineage).

Blood Doll: A mortal who freely gives her blood to a vampire. Most blood dolls gain a perverse satisfaction from the Kiss, and actively seek out vampires who will take their vitae.

Butterfly: One who mingles among the mortal high-society element and feeds exclusively from the famous and wealthy.

Casanova: A vampire who seduces mortals to take their blood, hut does not kill them. Casanovas typically erase the memory of their presence from their vessels' minds (q.v. Cauchemar).

Change, The: The moment an individual ceases to be a mortal and becomes one of the Kindred.

Damned, The: The race of Kindred; all vampires.

Donor: A sarcastic term for a vessel, typically human.

Farmer: A term of mockery for vampires who refuse to feed on human blood, instead taking sustenance from animals.

Fief: A sarcastic term for a vampire's domain or claim thereof, most commonly used in reference to a prince.

Head: A Kindred who feeds upon those who have imbibed alcohol or drugs, so as to vicariously experience the same sensations. Those Kindred who prefer individual drugs have their "poison" prefixed to the term head (e.g., crackhead, dopehead, smackhead).

Headhunter: A vampire who hunts and feeds from other Kindred (q.v. Rogue).

Juicebag: A contemptuous term for mortals, indicating that their sole use is for sustenance. Even more irreverent is the term Bag.

Lick: A vampire; one of the race of Kindred.

Rack, The: The hunting ground of choice, including bars, nightclubs, drug dens, whorehouses and other bacchanalian locales, where mortals go missing all the time (q.v. Papillon}.

Rake: A habitual visitor to the Rack, especially in the interests of feeding (q.v. Gentry).

Sandman: A vampire who feeds upon sleeping victims only.

Slumming: The practice of feeding from derelicts, the homeless and other dregs of society; one who does this regularly is known as a Slwnmer.

Stalker: A mortal who hunts down and destroys Kindred (q.v. Witch-hunter).

Tease: A term for a female Casanova (vide):

Turf: A modern affectation used in reference to a domain; it may also refer to the area under a given gang's influence.

Vegetary: A term of contempt for one who drinks exclusively from animals (q.v. Farmer).

[Renji]

Clans and Sects

Lucita:

Well, the trail is hot again. Anatole went out of body again - in some ways it was a relief, because he swears he has to fast for a week before trying it, and that means fewer bodies to dispose of - and this time he claims he's got a lead.

Supposedly - and I'm just transcribing what Anatole said when he came out of it and finished eating, so don't kill the messanger, sweetheart - he's found where the Setites have set up shop. There's a warehouse down along Manayunk that's serving as a temple. He claims to have seen at least three Snakes, including one with a quote-unquote "angelic aura", and about eight ghouls. Most of the ghouls seem to have been created in accordance with the usual Setite philosophy of giving vitae to dumb muscle for protection. They're loaded for bear but hooked on the blood, not the Serpents' philosophy.

Oh, and Anatole also claims that the temple's centerpiece is a severed head on a stick that speaks in tongues and gives prophecies.

Stop laughing, woman, it's better than anything you or I have come up with in the past year. Besides, this description might match one of the Noddite artifacts I've been chasing after a few hundred years - an item called a vathi.

In any case, I think this is worth checking out. I'm going to give Anatole a couple of nights to rest up and eat properly, then we're going to case the warehouse. You can meet us in Camden on Thursday at the usual place - every routes are safer across the river.

Until then, watch out for Daddy.
Becket

In the first nights, so sires tell their childer, the 13 grandchilder of Caine who survived the strife of the First City begot progeny in their own images, passing on their mystic arts and magical curses. Thus were founded the 13 great clans of Kindred that haunt the world to this very night.

Century followed century, and each clan developed its own history, traditions and lore. As the Jyhad raged and the Antediluvians retreated into the wastelands, the childer of the clans assumed lordship of the night for themselves.

Certainly, all has not been peaceful through the ages. The clans of the Sabbat are whispered to have slain their founders in vile acts of patricide. Over the course of history, some clans, such as the Giovanni, have undergone considerable internecine turmoil, and one clan - the reclusive Salubri - was destroyed outright, its mystic gifts usurped by upstart mortals.

This chapter presents the 13 clans, each claiming descent from a mythical Antediluvian, that comprise the majority the Children of Caine. Because the clans align themselves by sect, we group the clans under the descriptions of the sects to which they adhere. First is covered the Camarilla, keeper of tradition, along with those clans (Brujah, Gangrel, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere, Ventrue) who pay it real or fatuous homage. Next is presented the Camarilla's archenemy, the monstrous Sabbat, along with its Lasombra and Tzimisce founders. Finally the four independent clans - Assamite, Followers of Set, Giovanni and Ravnos - stand revealed.

Players may select their characters' clans from one of these 13 templates, or may choose to be Clanless (Caitiff). Each clan has certain distinguishing powers and weaknesses, which a member of that clan automatically adopts.

Clans and Characters

Storytellers are certainly free to limit players' selections of clan. In a Camarilla city, for example, the vast majority of Kindred hail from one of the seven founding clans. While an Assamite or Tzimisce can be worked into such a chronicle, this requires some extra effort on the Storyteller's part, and we encourage Storytellers to be as open or restrictive with clan selection as they feel they need to be.

It is also important to dispel a popular misconception, or prevent it from taking hold in the first place. With a couple of exceptions, clans are simply groupings of Kindred linked by common blood - no less, and certainly no more. One may speak of a certain mannerism or ideal as "so very Brujah" or "typically Ventrue," but clan members are vampires first and foremost. To assume that "he's Toreador, so he must love art" or "she's Assamite, so she must be a cold-hearted killer" is as dangerous as making assumptions about people in the real world based on their ethnicity or religion. Nor do most clans have unwavering "party lines" or all-encompassing agendas to which all members must dutifully adhere - one does not experience the agony of the Embrace and the ravages of the Beast only to spend eternity as a faceless agent/bureaucrat for "the organization." For every "typical" clan member, there are many others who defy conventional wisdom about the clan. Most vampires follow the clan's teachings exactly as far as it suits them, and no farther. Play a vampire, a unique character, not a "clan clone."

Bloodlines

Lineage is very important to the Damned. Vampires descended from particularly illustrious sires often display peculiar characteristics, and a few vampires have deviated from their clan in noteworthy fashion. Most such things can be simulated through simple roleplaying, or through Merits and Flaws (p. 295); for example, while the childer of the mighty Hardestadt might all display the same feeding restriction or obsessively focus on control, they do not differ significantly from Ventrue as a whole. In a few cases, bloodlines actually manifest different Disciplines or weaknesses; these are noted in the "Bloodlines" entry under each clan.
The Camarilla

The Camarilla came about in an attempt to hold vampire society together against the power of the Inquisition in the 15th century. Under its iron guidance, the Tradition of the Masquerade grew from a cautious suggestion to the guiding principle of Kindred unlife. Even today, the Camarilla concerns iteself with the enforcement of the Masquerade, maintaining harmony between Kindred and kine, and battling the Sabbat, which it views as its direct opponent.

The Camarilla touts itself as the society of the Kindred, and it is partially correct. It is the largest sect of undead on the planet. Almost any vampire, regardless of lineage, may claim membership in the Camarilla. In truth, the Camarilla asserts that all vampires are already under its aegis, regardless of the wishes of the vampires in question.

Over the years, the sect has attempted to extend its influence over other areas of vampire life, and each time has had its hands roundly slapped for its insolence. Princes brook no interference in the affairs of their cities, while the ancient Methuselahs scoff at the temerity of the younglings who think they can play at Jyhad. In the end, the Camarilla's influence begins and with protecting the Masquerade and ensuring Kindred-kine coexistence.

The Camarilla claims to allow membership to any interested vampires, regardless of bloodline, but the vast majority represent the seven founding clans. It was their members who founded the sect, and only these clans regularly make up the Camarilla's governing Inner Circle. Other vampires of different bloodlines may attend conclaves and meetings, but their voices frequently go unheard.

After the Anarch Revolt, the Camarilla placed itself squarely against the Sabbat, seeing itself as the only means to hold the war packs at bay. The Camarilla alone upheld the Masquerade and protected its own, while the Sabbat would as soon throw away the Traditions and everything sacred to sustain its paranoid dreams of Gehenna. Dissent is a luxury that cannot be afforded during times of war, and the Camarilla believes quite firmly that those who are not with the sect must be against it. However, for the frightened elders who make up the higher echelons, the Camarilla has quite a few enemies.

In these modern nights, the Camarilla is hardly the monolith that its proponents advertise it to be. Elders cling to their positions, refusing to relinquish them to those who have reached the age of consideration. Younger vampires feel left out of an organization they are expected to uphold, but which offers little to no reward for their efforts save the threat of punishment if they fail. Ancillae are trapped in the middle, unable to turn to either the younger or older vampires; taking up with the neonates means relegation to the lower strata of power, while attempting to fall in with the elders risks the appearance of overstepping boundaries and being crushed for insolence.

Many elders in the Camarilla's upper echelons find themselves in the position of relics. A good many are unwilling or unable pick up the new technology that the young ones have mastered - cellular phones, laptop computers, Kevlar, phosphorus grenaded, sun lamps, Dragonsbreath rounds - and in the modern world, barely able to use a telephone or radio leaves these elders at a distinct disadvantage. Should they relinquish their positions and find themselves outside the halls of power, they become targets as their personal might lessens without the Camarilla behind it. A few gangs of ancillae with diablerie on their minds and the latest technology in their hands, and an elder might well find himself becoming obsolete in more ways than one. Therefore, in preemptive strikes of paranoia run rampant, the elders kill the best and brightest who could some night pose a threat. The result is an organization that is cannibalizing itself, and one night it might regret the mistake.

[Renji]

The View from Without

The Sabbat

Camarilla? The relic of frightened elders who prey upon their childer and cling to dreams of glory that are long gone.

- Polonia, Archbishop of New York

The Independents

Their overwhelming ideal of "for the good of Kindred" leads them to sweep you along with their plans, and if you don't want to go, then you must be the enemy. There's a reason why we prefer to stay on our own side of the street.

- Ambrogino Giovanni

The Justicars

These seven mighty vampires are the judges appointed by the Inner Circle to be the Camarilla's eyes, hands and, if necessary, fists. Justicars have the only true authority across the Camarilla and all Kindred, with the exception of the Inner Circle. They alone have the ultimate power to adjudicate matters regarding the Traditions. No one is considered to be above them in this. It is Justicars who decide the punishment for those who have violated the Traditions on a widespread level; the one being judged may not expect mercy. Justicars are supposed to call for a conclave when they wish to pass judgment, but over the years this lapsed as they grew in power. Justicars have the authority to call a conclave at any time, either to confirm a ruling or to make certain decisions that one justicar alone does not wish to burden himself with.

A justicar serves for 13 years, and her actions may be challenged only by another justicar. If things grow heated, a conclave may be called by the combatants or by another justicar to resolve the dispute. When rival justicars decide to start battling it out, few Kindred are safe from being used and abused in the ensuing struggle.

Many vampires, elders and younglings alike, resent the power the justicars wield, and certainly none care for the abuses that can come with it. However, very few would dream of openly taking them on, due to their immense age and resources. A shocking exception occurred in 1997, as the mighty Nosferatu justicar Petrodon was murdered by parties unknown. What movement of the Jyhad lay behind this assassination, or whether it is a precursor of further strikes against the justicars, is unknown.

The Archons

Each justicar selects a number of minions, known as archons, to act in his name as suits his purposes. If the justicars are the hands of the Inner Circle, then the archons are the fingers on those hands. No justicar can be everywhere he might need, or wish, to be, and archons can often make certain his presence is felt if not seen. Archons, although they are part of the Camarilla hierarchy of power, are not so far removed from typical Kindred unlife that they cannot observe it or gain the trust of other Kindred outside the hierarchy; this makes them ideal watchers. Some Kindred attempt to gain favorable attention from an archon, in the hope that she will mention them to her master. Such attempts often backfire, as continued efforts to curry favor are more likely to encourage suspicion.

Archons are typically chosen from the upper ranks of ancillae and occasionally elders of lesser station. Such a prestigious appointment can make or break a Kindred's career in the halls of power. Justicars occasionally choose archons to carry out specific missions, and sometimes prefer political savvy, insight and skill over recognizability.

An archon's position typically lasts for as long as a justicar wishes to retain her, or the length of the justicar's tenure. It is not unheard of for a new justicar to retain an archon who served with his predecessor, provided the archon understands to whom she now owes allegiance. Most times, though, a justicar prefers to select an entirely new staff, particularly if the last one left under strange or bitter circumstances.

Conclaves

Conclaves are the greatest events in Camarilla politics - at least the greatest events to which every vampire can be privy. One American Kindred described conclave to his childe as "a House Committee session, the Supreme Court and a tent revival all rolled up into one." A conclave serves as the highest court of Camarilla Kindred, a legislative session for considering and deciding future Camarilla policy, and a reaffirmation of the Camarilla as the guiding principle behind the Masquerade and Kindred-kine relations.

Any and all Kindred who hear the call to conclave are welcome to attend. These events can last anywhere from a few hours to several weeks. A city hosting a conclave may never be aware of what is occurring, except that many hotels are suddenly booked up. Naturally, conclaves are perilous undertakings; so many vampires (many of them potent-blooded elders) in a single location presents a tempting target for Sabbat or diablerists. Many attendees might not know where the conclave will be held until a few nights before the event itself.

Only justicars may call conclaves, and only when needed, due to logistical concerns. The conclave is usually held in the geographic region most concerned with the issue at hand, or more centrally if the problem is widespread. The vampires who attend the conclave are referred to as the assembly, and any may speak, provided they are supported by at least two other members. Each member of the assembly receives a single vote regarding the issue.

Conclaves are typically called with regard to powerful individuals, such as princes, or serious breaches of the Traditions. Any Kindred may bring a grievance to the conclave and expect to have it addressed. A prince may request more leeway regarding the Traditions to deal with Sabbat or anarchs, or to have a destructive quarrel between two powerful elders mediated. The conclave may call blood hunts against individuals, including princes, or have particularly powerful princes removed from office. The right to depose princes is one the Camarilla keeps a tight leash on, and while a justicar may not remove a prince, she may call a conclave for the sole purpose of forcing a prince's abdication.

Any actions that would result in a serious breach of the Traditions must be discussed and agreed upon by the conclave to avoid punishment in the future. The conclave interprets the Six Traditions and may add amendments or enact precedents. Many princes have come to demand that certain powers, which could be breaches of Tradition, be given them in dealing with unruly Kindred.

A Kindred on trial at a conclave may challenge the ruling by requesting an ordeal. These ordeals can be quite literally almost any exacting task or quest, with a time limit for completion. If the ordeal is not completed to satisfaction, the justicar may impose any penalty. Should the crime be considered too heinous to allow the accused an ordeal, she may be challenged to ritual combat by one of her accusers. As with the ordeal, almost anything can happen: ritual weapons, both opponents blindfolded, forbiddance of Disciplines, etc.

After a conclave, princes often reward those who voted in their favor and punish those who did not. Some vampires, in anticipation of a prince's anger, settle their affairs and seek out new living arrangements at the conclave. Others take the opportunity to curry as much favor as possible, hoping that their "loyalty" will be rewarded.

Not every conclave called is an emergency meeting. Some justicars arrange for annual conclaves allowing all Kindred who choose to attend an opportunity to meet and talk over the year's business. For the past decade, the Toreador justicar has called a conclave on the weekend closest to Halloween, while another takes place in New Orleans every three years. These are opportunities for Camarilla vampires to discuss business that relates to the sect as a whole, to fraternize with others of their station and clan, and simply to socialize with new faces and old acquaintances. However, with the increasing boldness of the sect's many enemies, many Kindred fear that one of these conclaves will provide a perfect target for a retaliatory strike.

The Inner Circle

The true hub of the Camarilla, this group meets in Venice once every 13 years to plan out the business and direction of vampire society - as much as any group can presume to dictate the doings of a race of immortal predators. Every clan is permitted one representative, usually the eldest member of the clan, as only the eldest may cast the clan's vote. Others may be brought to the meeting and allowed to speak, but in the end only the elders may vote.

One of the Circle's main purposes is the appointment of justicars, one for each of the seven Camarilla clans. Appointment is a long, drawn-out process, as each clan seeks to get its best in the plum spots. Often, when the shouting is over, the losers end up with young or relatively weak justicars who are ignored for their 13-year stints. Those who are eventually appointed are most often compromise candidates, or even obscure Kindred who the Circle believes can be manipulated. These latter types sometimes display a surprising amount of initiative, and may even bite the hand that feeds them.

[Renji]

Brujah

Clan Brujah is largely composed of rebels, both with and withous causes. Individualistic, outspoken and turbulent, Brujah hold social change near to their undead hearts, and the clan's ranks contain some of the most violent of the Camarilla kindred. Most other vampires perceive the Brujah as nothing more than punks and miscreants, but the truth of the matter is that genuine passion lies behind their polemics.

Brujah Kindred adopt pet passions and causes, which they support with volume and vitriol. Some Brujah follow charismatic members of their clan, while others prefer stances of blatant, defiant individualism. The clan claims a history rich with warrior-poets, and it has adapted this concept into the modern night; many Brujah are glad to have an opportunity to speak their minds, then indulge in a bit of destruction afterward to illustrate their points.

The Rabble's espousal of change unites them, albeit tenuously, in their nightly crusades. Given a common enemy, Brujah with vastly differing ideals will join side by side to oppose their foe. After that foe is defeated, however, all bets are off and it's back to business as usual. A common Brujah theme involves the foundation of a Kindred "Utopia," or the re-creation of a mythical one from nights past, though each Brujah vampire has a different idea of what said Utopia is.

Brujah rely on chaotic behavior and upheaval to get their ideas across, and the Rabble are allowed a certain leeway that other clans do not have. In fact, Bmjah are almost expected, to be incoherent and bellicose; this stereotype works to the advantage of many eloquent, well-spoken members of the clan, who have no need to resort to violence when making their arguments.

Respected for their martialry and readiness to rally under a banner, the Brujah are the physical strength of the Camarilla. Of late, however, many Rabble neonates see their role in the Camarilla as an institution unto itself, and more than a little unrest circulates among the clan. Other Kindred believe that the Brujah would be the first to leave the Camarilla. The Brujah believe it, too...

Nickname: Rabble

Sect: Rhetoric aside, most Brujah are in the Camarilla. Brujah Kindred also support the anarchs, arguably more so than the Camarilla. Indeed, the anarchs have more Brujah than members of all other clans combined.

Appearance: Brujah vary widely in appearance, though many adopt radical styles and bold looks. If dismissive stereotypes are to be believed, the typical Brujah wears a biker jacket, tattered jeans, combat boots and a fearsome array of high-maintenance hair. In truth, few Brujah fit this image. Youthful, fashion-forward dress and noteworthy hairstyles are indeed found among many Brujah, but others favor tasteful ward- robes that encourage others to take them seriously. In the end, a Bmjah's appearance often suggests his attitudes: A skinhead bravo is likely an open rebel or anarchist, while a bespectacled pedant in a tweed suit is probably a reformationist or liberal. It should be noted, however, that given the Brujah penchant for nonconformity, any assumption of ideals based on appearance could be potentially dangerous. Brujah look how they want.

Haven: Wherever they damn well please. Are you going to tell them to leave?

More so than any other clan, the Brujah keep the company of other vampires, and one haven might house an entire brood. Brujah Kindred also keep multiple gatehouses and boltholes, as their conflict-driven existences often make single locations: inhospitable. Some Brujah neonates even carry on: the urban practice of the home invasion, Dominating ar killing a home's occupants and taking over. Like other: pursuits, however, home invasions rarely sustain the Rabble's interest, and the vampires often move on once they grow bored with the locale.

Background: Brujah prefer those who espouse change in one form or another, and often recruit from college campuses, political groups or oppressed minorities. Young Brujah may hail from any background and often have a pet Cause or issue of burning personal importance. All types of dissidents find their way into the ranks of the Brujah, from bomb-throwing biker anarchists to vociferous fascists to nihilistic radicals. This is, of course, part of the reason the clan is so disorganized - hatted between Brujah: is often more bitter than hatred for those whom they mutually: oppose.

Character Creation: Brujah often have violent, criminal concepts, but they are as likely to be intellectual or socially adept. Natures and Demeanors tend to be aggressive and similar, as Brujah wear their emotions on their sleeves (when they have sleeves...). Physically predisposed characters are predominant among the clan, but some favor Mental Attributes. Likewise, Skills are favored, with Knowledges running a close second. Any Backgrounds may be appropriate to a Brujah character, though many in the clan cultivate Contacts, Allies and Herd. Very few Brujah claim Mentors.

Clan Disciplines: Celerity, Potence, Presence

Weaknesses: Fiery passion is at once the Brujah's blessing and curse. Though they are quick to adopt a cause, they are equally as quick to fall to frenzy. Of course, the Brujah rabidly deny this penchant for excitement, and become quite hostile when the issue is raised. The difficulties of rolls to resist frenzy (p. 228) are two higher than normal for members of Clan Brujah.

Organization: Clan Brujah is far too fractious and torn by internecine conflict to have true organization, and the clan never meets formally. Two conventions the clan does support universally are the Rant and the Rave. Rants are just that: informal meetings of Brujah (and other insurgents, Kindred and kine) at which anyone who can scream loudly enough can have her opinions heard. Raves, named after the all-night techno dance parties started in England, are social gatherings in the guise of huge-scale musical or entertainment events. One usually leads to another, and clues to the locations of the events are often hidden in the media of the gathering in progress. These meetings almost invariably degenerate into riots, further eroding the organizational base of the clan.

Bloodlines: Brujah antitribu of the Sabbat are, ironically. almost bastions of stability. In a sect devoted to chaos and destruction, the Brujah are the most dependable of the monsters who populate the Sabbat. They are viewed less as impassioned rebels and more as brutal shock troops. Sabbat Brujah tend to be less intelligent and discerning than their Camarilla brothers anc sisters. Their causes fall by the wayside at the promise of new havoc to wreak.

Quote: Think for yourself, or you're better off dead. Either way, I'm satisfied.

Stereotypes

Assamite: They fell too far from the tree to have a place in our world.

Followers of Set: Oily bastards. I have to wonder what they're hiding if what they don't mind showing you is so heinous.

Gangrel: They fight well, and they're willing to go to the wall for what they believe in. Maybe we'll join them if they leave the Camarilla. Or maybe we'll leave first....

Giovanni: I'm not sure what their angle is, but if it involves dealing with the dead, it can't be good.

Lasombra: Swing first and ask questions later when dealing with these Kindred, or they'll talk you into slitting your own throat.

Malkavian: They're completely batshit, but at least they don't immediately hate you based on who you are.

Nosferatu: Geh! Still, they hit as hard as we do, and they know everything, so it's probably best just to be civil with them. After all, the poor bastards need all the friends they can get.

Ravnos: Touch my shit and I'll rip out your fucking heart, Eurotrash.

Toreador: Have any of these Kindred ever actually done anything? Or do they just snipe at each other every night?

Tremere: It's like someone Embraced a bunch of D&D geeks and told them their spells were real.

Tzimisce: Take 'em or leave 'em. The one I met seemed more trustworthy than most of my Camarilla "Kindred," but I can't help but think it's because she wanted something.

Ventrue: These fascist assholes are complete hypocrites, just like anyone else with a bit of power to throw around. My sire says they fucked us over a while back. Paybacks are hell, motherfuckers.

Caitiff: I have a couple of friends among the Clanless. We are the only clan that treats these unfortunates as equals.

Camarilla: The lesser of two evils - at least they're better organized than the Sabbat.

Sabbat: Then again, there's something to be said for decisive action.

[Renji]

Gangrel

Of all vampires, the Gangrel are perhaps closest to their inner nature These nomadic loners spurn the constraints of society, comfort of the wilderness. How they avoid the wrath of the werewofves is unknown; perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the Gangrel are themselves shapeshifters. When a mortal speaks of a vampire changing into a wolf or a bat, she is probably speaking of a Gangrel.

Like the Brujah, Gangrel are fierce warriors; unlike the Brujah, Gangrel ferocity does not stem from anarchic rage, but from animalistic instinct. They are among the most predatory Kindred, and love to lose themselves in the thrill of the hunt. Gangrel have a keen understanding of the Beast in their souls, and prefer to spend their nights in communion with the animals whom they so emulate. Indeed, Gangrel are so attuned to their Beasts that, after losing themselves to frenzy, animalistic features often appear on their bodies.

The clan itself has little contact with, or regard for, the rest of the Kindred.

This might be due to a desire to avoid the snares of the Jyhad, but is more likely the product of simple disinterest. Certainly, Gangrel are popularly viewed as quiet, taciturn and reclusive. Although there is no more truth to this than there is to any other stereotype, the clan as a whole displays little of the ostentation found among lines such as the Toreador or Ventrue.

Gangrel are closely tied to the Rom, or Gypsies, adopting much of that culture's speech patterns and manner isms. Rumors speculate that the Rom are in fact descended from the Antediluvian who founded the Gangrel line. As such, say the rumors, any Kindred who harms or Embraces a Gypsy will suffer the wrath of the Ancient. Obviously, the vampires of Clan Ravnos ignore this fabled prohibition, and Gangrel and Ravnos harbor an ages-old hatred for each other.

Nickname: Outlanders

Sect: Clan Gangrel is nominally in the Camarilla, though a fair number of Sabbat Gangrel exist as well. Most Gangrel care little for sect, and rumblings of outright secession from the Camarilla have made the rounds at recent Gangrel Gathers.

Appearance: Gangrel's harsh unlifestyle and lack of interest in fashion often make them seem rugged and wild. Couple this with the animal features common among the clan, and Gangrel sometimes appear downright frightening. Some mortals and Kindred find a certain predatory beauty in the Gangrel, though this can lead to a dangerous misjudgment of the Gangrel's intentions.

Haven: Gangrel often make no permanent havens, steeping wherever they can find shelter from the sun. Gangrel with sufficient mastery of the Protean Discipline sleep in the very earth, lairing in parks and other spots of natural terrain. Although many Gangrel prefer to lair in the wild to travel from place to place, they are as vulnerable to attack by werewolves as other Kindred are, and so they are often forced to remain in the city's confines.

Background: Gangrel Embrace for a variey of reasons, as do most Kindred, but do not pass on the Curse lightly or commonly. If a generalization must be made, it could by said that Gangrel prefer to Embrace loners, those who have the physical and emotional resiliency to survive the shock of' the Change. The sire's training, what little there is, tends to br gruff and harsh; most Gangrel must discover the vagaries of unlife largely on their own.

Character Creation: Gangrel often have similar Natures and Demeanors, as they rarely rely on subterfuge to get their way. Physical Attributes and Talents or Skills are common among Gangrel. They often have Allies (Gypsies) or Mentor as Background, but rarely have high levels of Influence or Resources.

Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Fortitude, Protean

Weaknesses: Gangrel are very close to the Beast Within; as they succumb to it, it leaves its mark on their bodies. Every time a Gangrel frenzies, she gains an animalistic feature. This feature is determined by the player and Storyteller; it might be tufted ears, a pelt, a tail, catlike eyes, a snarling voice, tusks, even scales or feathers. Every five such features acquired permanently reduce one of the Gangrel's Social Attributes by one.

Organization: Gangrel have no true organization to speak of. Vampires of great age and great deeds are typically shown respect, though the young are by no means subservient. Outlanders occasionally meet ill groups known as "Gathers"; at these festivals, vampires dance, feast and tell stories of their travels Disputes between Gangrel are often settled through ritual combat to first blood or submission; while savage, these fights rarely result in the loser's Final Death. Gangrel commonly hunt alone though occasionally two or more Gangrel unite in a coterie of sorts (a "pride" or "pack").

Bloodlines: Two bloodlines exist among the Sabbat: the Country Gangrel (similar in most ways to the main branch of the clan) and City Gangrel (whose Disciplines are Celerity, Obfuscate and Protean). Both types are found only among the Sabbat.

Quote: You provided worthy sport, mortal. Now, though, the chase is ended.

Stereotypes

Assamite: Jackals playing at being lions.

Brujah: So much fury for so little gain.

Followers of Set: They stink of disease worse than most of us do. Then again, we're all corpses.

Giovanni: Who cares? What do they have to do with us?

Lasombra: Honest bastards. Competent bastards. Bastards nonetheless.

Malkavian: Either they know the greatest secrets, or they've played us all for fools. Whichever, I keep my distance.

Nosferatu: Wise observers and useful allies. Still, I wouldn't chose to lair in a pest-hole.

Ravnos: That these honorless bitches dare to claim kinship with us is an insult.

Toreador: Pointless waste.

Tremere: They are not vampires, try though they might. The reckoning has merely been postponed.

Tzimisce: Pointless waste.

Ventrue: Their foolish power-games keep the others preoccupied, and so we tolerate them for now.

Caitiff: We bear the blame for many of these wretches. Ultimately, though, they must make of unlife what they can.

Camarilla: A blood-wind harbinges the coming hurricane; perhaps it's time to leave the shack before it crashes down arouad us.

Sabbat: We stay and go, spare and kill as we choose, O Black Hand.

[Renji]

Malkavian

Even other Damned fear the Malkavians. The cursed blood of their clan has polluted their minds, with the result that every last Malkavian across the world is incurably insane. What's worse, a Malkavian's madness can take nearly any form, from overpowering homicidal tendencies to near-catatonia. In many cases, there's no way to tell a Malkavian apart from the "sane" members of other clans. Those few whose psychoses are immediately obvious are among the most terrifying vampires to stalk the streets.

For as long as even the eldest Cainites can remember, the Malkavians have always stirred Kindred society with their passage. Although the clan has instigated no great wars nor toppled mortal governments (at least, to the best of their fellow vampires' knowledge), the very presence of a Malkavian works a subtle change on a city. Chaos nips at the Lunatics' heels, and those who associate with even the most well-meaning Malkavian often find their lives or unlives altered by the Cainite's madness.

Recently, the Malkavians executed their grandest "prank" of all. None can say whether it was worked in a great Malkavian Parliament held somewhere in an isolated European village, or on a bleak and forgotten moor somewhere far from the cities. A few stories speak of a epidemic of contagious dementia exploding among those of Malkav's blood. Whatever the cause, Malkavians across the world have begun displaying a new, dangerous edge to their madness, accompanied by bizarre events in Kindred cities around the world. A longstanding Malkavian conceit holds the Jyhad to be a joke instigated by the founder of the clan; some Kindred wonder if, in fact, Malkavians have played the joke on them all along.

None can say what exactly makes the Lunatics so dangerous. Certainly, their madness often frees them from fear of pain or Final Death. More than a few demonstrate horrifying murderous urges or a complete lack of emotion, including compassion. But most convincingly, the Malkavians are free from the confines of rationality and may do whatever they like - and this freedom is coupled with an uncanny insight, a strange wisdom that cannot be perceived by the sane. The Malkavians possess a dark intellect that is often - and increasingly - set to frightening purposes.

Nickname: Lunatics

Sect: The Malkavians as a clan have an... understanding... with the Camarilla. They also populate the Sabbat in lesser numbers, where they frighten even their packmates with their psychotic displays. But when it all comes down to it, their true loyalties likely transcend sects. When Gehenna arrives, nobody can say for sure where the Malkavians will stand.

Appearance: Malkavians run the gamut from terrifyingly psychotic to convincingly ordinary in every way - sometimes both at once. Just like serial killers, they could be anyone - the scruffy bum talking to himself, the pleasant but quiet neighbor, the borderline-suicidal musician. These vampires are capable of great subtlety, and rarely show anyone a face other than the one they want people to see.

Haven: The Lunatics by and large take whatever shelter they like, although more than a few find aging hospitals and poorly funded asylums to their tastes. Many seem to enjoy the company of desperate mortals, and prefer slums and institutions to more secluded havens.

Background: Malkavians take their childer from all walks of life and for all number of reasons. Anyone can be chosen to further a sire's twisted purposes, although most Lunatics prefer Embracing those already close to (or subject to) madness. Most other vampires believe that the Malkavians Embrace their childer on a whim; however, virtually all Lunatics discover themselves subtly championing some barely perceptible "purpose," the full extent of which none - not even their sires - can properly fathom.

Character Creation: Malkavians come in all shapes and flavors, but many have primary Mental Attributes, befitting the clan's reputation for wisdom and insight. Apart from that, it's anyone's guess just what Traits a Malkavian may manifest - with the diversity of their concepts and backgrounds, these mad vampires could be anyone. Anywhere.

Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Dementation, Obfuscate.

Weaknesses: Every last vampire of Malkav's blood is irredeemably insane in some form or another. Some attribute this to a curse of the blood, while other Lunatics actually call it a special blessing, a gift of insight. When a Malkavian character created, the player must choose at least one deragement (see p. 222) for that character at the time of the Embrace; this derangement can be temporarily fought with Willpower, but can never be permanently overcome.

Organization: The hierarchy of the Malkavians, if it exists at all, defies description. Most are usually conent to let one another do as they like from night to night. But now and again, in times of great need, Malkavians demonstrate an uncanny ability to act in unison, wen without any apparent leadership - and sometimes even without any apparent communication. As one, they arise from their desolate haunts; as one, they fall on the problem at hand. And when it is a problem no longer, they drift back to their usual routines. If the Malkavians indulge in any form of machinations as a clan, they are incomprehensible to outsiders - which may be a blessing.

Bloodlines: Before the Dementation Discipline spread contagiously, throughout the clan (in 1997 or so), a great number of Malkavians expressed their mind-warping talents through the use of the Dominate Discipline. A few Malkavians weren't caught in the redoubled tide of insanity that swept the clan, and still possess that power in lieu of Dementation. The rest of the clan pays these offshoots no particular notice; indeed, with only a few exceptions Malkavians don't differentiate between this bloodline and the clan proper at all.

Quote: Laugh if you like. Doesn't matter. Assume that you're so much smarter than the poor, broken lunatic. Doesn't matter. But think about this: You're a dead thing, same as me. You died and were reborn...as this. What makes you and me different? Simple - I remember what I saw when I was full anc truly dead. You'd be mad, too.

Stereotypes

Assamite: So. That's done, then.

Brujah: I want to like your average Brujah, but his skull's just so damned thick that he can't crack it open and get at the good stuff he doesn't even know he's got in there. So forget him.

Followers of Set: I can't understand them. Aren't they mad yet? Don't they understand what they've seen? Goddamn. Goddamn....

Gangrel: They aren't animals, no matter people say. Look under the skin of the corpse, then loon under the layer of beast-thought, and what do you find? A secret worse then man, corpse or animal? Yes? Yes!

Giovanni: What price did these idiots pay for their inside gossip? It's yesterday's news, anybody can find if it they listen, and the Giovanni have sold their souls for it so they can call it their "biig secret." Feh.

Lasombra: (An explosion of helpless, hysterical giggling, swelling up into full-throated laughter.)

Nosferatu: They just about mortified enough of their own flesh to blast through the wall of delusion from the other side of perception. They're onto something but who knows if there'll be anything left of them when they get there?

Ravnos: Call us deluded? Go look at Ravnos for a while.

Toreador: Puppets who pull their own strings, or offer them to anybody who wants to make them dance.

Tremere: They. Are on. To us.

Tzimisce: Penguins. They decided they like the water so much, they traded in their wings for flippers. And they were so close...

Ventrue: They will never accept it, no matter who tries to hand it to 'em. Well, don't say we didn't warn you.

Caitiff: From their number will the Herald emerge.

Camarilla: It's like The Haunting of Hill House, but you can't wait for the ending, where they wake up and realize what they are!

Sabbat: It's more fun when you don't try so hard.

[Renji]

Nosferatu

Caine's childer are called "The Damned," and no vampires embofy this more fully than the wretches of Clan Nosferatu. While other vampires still look human and may travel in mortal society, Nosferatu are twisted and deformed by the curse of vampirism. Other Kindred speak shudderingly of Caine placing a mark upon the entire clan for the monstrous deeds of its Antediluvian founder. As such, Nosferatu find themselves loathed and ostracized by the other Children ofCaine, who consider them disgusting and interact with them only when they must.

Following the Embrace, Nosferatu childer suffer an agonizing transformation as, over the subsequent weeks, they warp from humans into hideous monsters. The horror . of the physical devolution often produces an accompanying psychological trauma. Unable to walk among the kine, Nosferatu must dwell in subterranean sewers and catacombs forever after.

Nosferatu often choose physically or emotionally twisted mortals for the Embrace, seeing in the curse of vampirism a possible means of redemption for the mortals. Amazingly, there seems to be some merit to this belief. Many Nosferatu are surprisingly levelheaded and practical, avoiding the obsessions, fits and rages of their fairer brethren. Not that this makes the Sewer Rats particularly pleasant to be around; indeed, some Nosferatu come to delight in the shock and horror their grotesque appearances inspire in others.

Nosferatu are survivors par excellence. Few creatures, mortal or vampire, know a city's back alleys and dark corners like the Nosferatu do. Additionally, Nosferatu have mastered the crafts of sneaking and eavesdropping; they make a point of keeping up with current gossip and affairs, not merely for pleasure, but for survival. Information brokers without peer, they can command high prices for their knowledge. Using their Obfuscate Discipline, Nosferatu make a point of listening to others' conversations from hiding, or sitting in on "secret" meetings. If a Kindred wishes to learn about the doings and denizens of the city, she would do well to consult the Nosferatu.

Finally, millennia of shared deformity and abuse have fostered strong bonds among the monsters. Nosferatu forego the squabbling and feuds ubiquitous to the other clans, preferring to work in unison. They treat each other with meticulous politeness and freely share information among themselves. To mess with one Nosferatu is to mess with them all - and that can get messy indeed....

Nickname: Sewer Rats

Sect: Surprisingly, the clan as a whole belongs to the Camarilla, despite obvious difficulties with upholding the Masquerade. Perhaps they value the safety of membership; perhaps they simply want the other clans within observing distance. Still, a fair number of Nosferatu are in the Sabbat or simply consider themselves autarkis (of no sect).

Appearance: No two Nosferatu look precisely alike, but all are hideous. Gaping fang-filled maws, discolorations, tumors, holes in place of noses, batlike ears, sloping bald heads, twisted spines, claws, wrinkled hides, pustulent sores and webbed fingers are just a few possible deformities possessed by Nosferatu. An existence in sewers and crypts tends to ensure that most Nosferatu smell about as good as they look.

Haven: Their disfigurement forces most Nosferatu to take havens far from the eyes of mortals, in graveyards, abandoned warehouses and cellars. In large cities, entire broods of Nosferatu lair in sewers and subway systems. These "kingdoms," particularly the older ones, are often much more extensive than mortals or Kindred are aware - subterranean labyrinths stretching deep into the darkness and guarded by monstrous ghouls. Even princes treat warily with the Nosferatu kingdoms.

Background: Nosferatu choose their progeny from society castoffs: derelicts, the mentally ill and the hopelessly antisocial. Occasionally, a vindictive Nosferatu chooses beautiful, vain mortal, then watch gleefully as the Curse takes hold.

Character Creation: Nosferatu can have often come from loner, outsider or drifter Mental Attributes are often primary (Social other than tertiary!). Stealth is highly prized amond the clan. while Survival allows a Sewer Rat to find shelter in the blighted zones Nosferatu favor. Nosferatu occasionally take retainers in the form of ghoul animals, or even a human ally or two, but Backgrounds are rarely predominant among the clan.

Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Obfuscate, Potence

Weaknesses: As mentioned, Nosferatu are absolutely loath-some to look at. All Nosferatu have Appearance ratings as zero - cross the automatic dot right off the character sheet. Nor many they improve Appearance with experience points. Most Social actions based on first impressions, except intimidation and the like, fail automatically.

Organization: While Nosferatu do not have the rigid protocols that mark clans such as Tremere and Ventrue, their shared deformity creates an exceptional clan unity. Shunned and reviled by other creatures, Nosferatu stick together out of the equal parts necessity and loneliness.

Bloodlines: Like many other calns, Nosferatu has an antitribu analog in the Sabbat, though this branch does not differ greatly from the ruck and run of the clan save in ideology. Descendants of certain sires sometimes bear "signature" deformities, but few differ in any signincant fashion.

Quote: Come here, little boy, howsabout a kiss? [phlegmy, wheezing hack] Whazza matter? Big bad gangbanger's scared now? Don't so much like being a victim, heh? Well, get used to it, cuz you ain't seen the half of it!

Stereotypes

Assamite: This is bad. This is straight-up, fucked-up bad. Roll around in sewage; maybe they won't wanna bite you.

Brujah: They talk a lot about equality and egalitarianism and other bullshit, but they flinch like the rest.

Followers of Set: What have they got that we need? Money? Hah. Fancy clothes? Hah. A comfortable apartment? Hah. Lovers?!? Hah!!! Can't corrupt what's already filthy, gardenslugs.

Gangrel: They understand - more than the others do, at any rate. We don't talk much, and the silence speaks volumes.

Giovanni: You know that odor that comes off my skin after a good rain? That Giovanni I met had that coming from the inside. I smelled it coming out of her mouth when she sucked up to me about "partnership."

Lasombra: Mean, mean bastards. Can't even trust the shadows when you are around 'em. They won't go down first or easy, I'll tell ya that now.

Malkavian: There's a nasty smell on the wind, and it's not us. Watch 'em, observe what they do. When you can't see 'em anymore, run or hide.

Ravnos: Easily dismissed. Way, way too easilty dismissed. I'm beginning to think we may have made a bad, bad mistake here...

Toreador: These pusbags sure make themselves easy to have, don't they?

Tremere: You really thought abracadabras and eye of newt would let you dive in the deep end of your Jyhad? Idiots. Have fun in Hell.

Tzimisce: In theory, I can appreciate their conceit of being monsters through and through. Unpretentious, in a way. In practice, they're fucked-up bitches, and I hate 'em.

Ventrue: Little Lord Fauntleroy sat on a throne, Little Lord Fauntleroy died there alone.

Caitiff: Kick or be kicked, Lickboy. I know which one I'm going to do.

Camarilla: Come on down here and give me that order again, Mr. Prince. Yeah, didn't think so.

Sabbat: Do they really think that what they do is liberating?

[Renji]

Toreador

The Toreador are called many things - "degenerates," "artistes," "poseurs" and "hedonists" being but a few. But any such lumpen categorization does the clan a disservice. Depending on the individual and her mood, Toreador are alternately elegant and flamboyant, brilliant and ludicrous, visionary and dissipated. Perhaps the only truism that can be applied to the clan is its members' aesthetic zeal. Whatever a Toreador does, she does with passion. Whatever a Toreador is, she is with passion.

To the Toreador, eternal life is to be savored. Many Toreador were artists, musicians or poets in life; many more have spent frustrating centuries producing laughable attempts at art, music or poetry. Toreador tout themselves as cultivators of all that is best about humanity. Occasionally, a particularly gifted or inspired creator is Embraced into the clan, to preserve her talent for eternity. In this manner, Clan Toreador has inducted some of humanity's greatest artists, poets and musicians into its ranks; of course, if one thing can be said about the Toreador, it is that no two of them agree on precisely what "gifted" or "inspired" means.

Of all clans, Toreador are the vampires most connected to the mortal world. While other vampires view the kine as pawns or simple sustenance, Toreador glide gracefully and effortlessly through the society of the Canaille, sampling the delights of each age as a gourmand savors rare delicacies. Toreador are the Kindred most likely to fall in love with mortals, and they surround themselves with the best, most elegant and most luxurious things - and people - that the world has to offer. It is, thus, acutely tragic when a Toreador succumbs to ennui and discards aesthetic pursuits in favor of pointless hedonism. Such Kindred become decadent sybarites, concerned only with indulging personal whims and vices.

Toreador are committed to the Camarilla and share the Ventrue's love of high society, though not for them the tedium of actually running things - that's what functionaries are for, after all. Toreador know that their place is to captivate and inspire - through their witty speech, graceful deeds and simple, scintillating existence.

Nickname: Degenerates

Sect: Most Toreador are in the Camarilla, as only that august organization promotes "culture" and allows the Toreador to live among the mortals they so favor. Those in the Sabbat pursue bizarre "artistic" pastimes, such as torture and blood-painting, or are the rulers of the most decadent underground movements.

Appearance: Toreador Embrace out of passion as much as any other reason; accordingly, many Toreador are creatures of surpassing beauty. Of all Kindred, Toreador are the vampires most attuned to human fashion trends; centuries-old Degenerates are often more stylish than some 30-year-old mortals. If it's in, chances are that at least one Toreador will adopt it.

Haven: Toreador take care to ensure that their havens are comfortable, convenient for socializing and - above all - conform to their aesthetic tastes. Vampires of a more artistic bent might maintain spacious lofts to display their works, while their "poseur" counterparts love opulent suites perfect for hosting parties.

Background: Toreador range across a spectrum of concepts, from lonely, tortured artists to debauched jetsetters. Some Toreador are Embraced for no reason other than their beauty or personal style, as a passionate sire decides that they simply must be "preserved" for eternity.

Character Creation: Social Attributes and Abilities are prized among the clan, though Toreador are typically concerned less with outright control than with making a good impression. Perception is also favored, both for creation and for critiquing. Artistes favor Abilities such as Expression and Performance, often enjoying very high levels in these aesthetic Traits; their poseur brethren must make do with Abilities like Subterfuge and Etiquette. Toreador are very social creatures, and love adoration from both Kindred and kine; as such, Backgrounds like Allies, Contacts, Fame, Herd, Resources and Status are common.

Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Presence.

Weaknesses: Toreador are preternaturally attuned to the aesthetic and beautiful, but this sensitivity can prove dangerous, When a Toreador views, hears or even smells something that is truly beautiful - a person, a painting, a song, a particularly lovely sunrise - he must make a Self-Control roll (difficulty 6) or become entranced by the sensation. The Toreador will stand in rapt fascination for a scene or until the beautiful thing withdraws. Enraptured Toreador may not even defend themselves if attacked, though being wounded allows them to make another Self-Control roll to "break the spell."

Organization: Toreador have little practical organization, though their cliquishness and social networks are legendary. The clan meets frequently, but more as an excuse to host lavish parties and showings than to accomplish anything. Status among the Toreador is a tempestuous whirlwind in which one subtle smile or catty critique can lead to fortune or disaster; a prodigy may be adored one night, commit a barely perceptible faux pas, and be ostracized the next.

Bloodlines: Toreador put a fair degree of stock in lineage; a vampire fortunate enough to descend from a favored sire is lavished with adoration (to her face, anyway), while childer of a sire "on the outs" suffer social humiliation. Few of these lines deviate from the main clan in any significant way. The Toreador antitribu of the Sabbat are a notable exception, for they take equal aesthetic delight in great beauty or great ugliness.

Quote: Oh, yes, isn't she exquisite? Yes, she's my newest find - I'm her muse, the sweet little creature. Imagine'. And what of - oh, Thomas? Why, I could hardly say - after all, he had his "15 minutes," as they say, but it just wasn't going to last, and it all became so very tedious, sol had to say adieu. Suicide? Really? Silly boy - he should thank me, then, that I didn't give him the Embrace. It would have made things so difficult, after all...

Stereotypes

Assamite: There is beauty in what they do, make no mistake, but it is a beauty best observed from a distance.

Brujah: On the first night, their passion terrifies. On the second night, their passion fascinates. On the third night, their passion inflames. After that... frankly, their passion begins to bore.

Followers of Set: It is inevitable, of course, that persons of epicurean refinement will in the course of eternity engage in dealings with those of... unsavory character. Record well any transactions made, and repay all favors promptly.

Gangrel: As charmingly untamed as a tiger; as worthy of consideration as a housecat.

Giovanni: They dress splendidly and are charmingly manneder. Why, then, do they frighten me so?

Lasombra: Their Miltonian conceit is dreadfully provocative, or provacatively dreadful but they take it all so seriously.

Malkavian: The frectured kaleidoscope of their thoughts is enchanting at fist glimpse. Gaze at it too long, though, and one grows prone to terrible headaches.

Nosferatu: Odious beats! And to think that they are allowed in the halls of culture! Oh, how gauche...

Ravnos: The subjects of many delightful stories - well, dreadful so long as one does not also feature in the tale.

Tremere: One deals with the butcher and the bureaucrat because they provide useful conveniences. One graciously acknowledges services efficiently performed. One does not, though, invite the hired help to the soiree, nor take kindly to party-crashers.

Tzimisce: To experience this clan's alien fruits would be almost worth the price. Remember well that "almost," dear.

Ventrue: Every masterwork must have its frame; every bust must have its pillar. This the Ventrue understand, and they perform their functions admirably.

Caitiff: Really. Who let them in?

Camarilla: Through its auspices may Kindred and kine harmoniously coexist, each benefiting from the other's presence.

Sabbat: Why would I wish to spend eternity wallowing in gore?

[Renji]

Tremere

Whether dreaded, nistrusted, feared or reviled, the insular vampires of Clan Tremere are anything but ignored. Those who have heard of the clan's doings are typically suspicious of the Tremere, and with good reason - for the Warlocks are aptly named. Through their own artifice, they have mastered a form of vampiric sorcery, complete with rituals and spells, that is as potent - if not more so - than any other power of the Blood. Paired with the clan's rigid hierarchy and the smoldering ambition so common among Warlocks, this power is an unsettling thing indeed to those who know what the Tremere are capable of doing.

According to some Kindred records, the Tremere came into being as a clan very recently, at least by an immortal's standards. Legend has it that, during Europe's Dark Ages, a cabal of human wizards enacted a great ritual over the slumbering body of an Antediluvian and thereby wrested for themselves the gift of vampirism. War followed soon thereafter - the fledgling clan found itself besieged by enraged Kindred on every side. But the Tremere are nothing if not survivors. Their human magicks lost, they nonetheless managed to alter their rituals and wardings to utilize the power of their vitae. These magical skills, now practiced as the Discipline of Thaumaturgy, have ensured the Tremere's place among the Kindred ever since.

The Warlocks gladly play the games of diplomacy and intrigue with their newfound brethren. However, their dealings are always tinged with a touch of paranoia, for the Tremere know that the elders of no fewer than three clans bear them a terrible grudge that has yet to be repaid. Therefore, the Tremere work to cultivate what allies they can, even as they strive to heighten their magical mastery. No less is required for their survival. As a result, the childer of Clan Tremere are among the most driven and learned of all Cainites; few cross these undead sorcerers and escape unscarred.

The Tremere are vampires of the Old World, but have traveled across the continents to establish footholds elsewhere. The clan's seat of power lies in Vienna, where the Tremere elders convene in council and discuss the clan's future direction. But many larger cities across the globe house Tremere "chantries" - well-defended houses that are equal parts university, monastery and stronghold. There the Warlocks gather to exchange information and study their vampiric witchcraft, safe from the attentions of their rivals.

Nickname: Warlocks

Sect: The Tremere were more than glad to join the fledgling Camarilla when the sect was forming, and they quickly made themselves invaluable there. In fact, the Tremere are one of the linchpins of the sect. They have a marked interest in keeping the Camarilla strong, of course - I with their hated Tzimisce enemies directing their Sabbat minions against any Tremere they find, the Warlocks require allies. And with the valuable magical power they offer, the Tremere find the Camarilla glad to provide the support they require. With the Camarilla's protection, the Tremere are free to pursue the arcane mastery they so avidly desire.

Appearance: The sorcerous Tremere are typically imposing or sinister in mien. Some favor classic suits; others prefer a slightly more antiquated look, dressing in 1940s-cut suits, Edwardian finery or the simple black turtlenecks of the Beat era. Many wear charms or amulets inscribed with cabalistic or other arcane symbols, as a sign of their learning. Although individual Warlocks may run the gamut from immaculately precise to disheveled and eccentric, the vampiric sorcerers' eyes always gleam with hidden insight and frightening acuity.

Haven: While Warlocks may maintain their own individual havens (often complete with extensive libraries), the clan maintains a chantry in every city that harbors a strong Tremere presence. A chantry is open to any of Tremere's bloodline and absolutely forbidden to all others. The Warlocks are infamous for their well-guarded havens; almost all boast mystical wards that even other Tremere would find difficult to circumvent.

Background: Many Tremere dabbled in occult or other scholarly pursuits in life. However, a fascination with the unknown is hardly enough to draw a Warlock's attention; clan members seek "apprentices" with aggressive natures and clear thinking, and care little for muddle-headed New Agers or befuddled conspiracy theorists. Clan Tremere has an unspoken tradition of sexism, and most of its elders are male. Tremere ancillae have become rather more open-minded of late, though, and draw ample numbers of suitably ambitious and persistent acolytes from both sexes.

Character Creation: Tremere typically have strong Mental Attributes and a high Willpower to match; dilettantes and churls cannot meet the grueling demands of sorcery. Many have Knowledges as their primary Abilities, although Skills are also highly in demand. Although a few Tremere specialize in one particular area of excellence, many more prefer; a more well-rounded approach to personal aptitudes; after all, a Warlock can typically rely on no one other than himself.

Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate, Thaumaturgy.

Weaknesses: By clan law, all neonate Tremere must drink the blood of the clan's seven elders when they are created. All Tremere are at least one step toward being blood bound! to their elders, and therefore usually act with great clan loyalty - in order to avoid having such loyalty forced on them. What's more, this arrangement means that Tremere are hard-pressed to resist the will of their elders; the difficulty of any Dominate attempt from a clan superior is one less.

Organization: No tighter internal structure exists among the clans. No clan binds its neonates so strictly. And no clan acts with such unity of purpose as the Tremere. Although younger clan members generally are free to do more or less as they wish, occasionally they receive instructions from their elders that they may not ignore. Paranoia keeps the clan well-oiled; and unified. Of course, the Tremere do encourage individual achievement among the group, seeing it as a Darwinian method of ensuring the clan's strength. With such ambitious, powerful young vampires cooperating with such commendable clan unity, it's no wonder the Warlocks have plenty of envious and spiteful enemies among the Kindred. The Tremere's pyramidal hierarchy contains several ranks, each divided into seven mystical "circles" that an aspirant must master if he desires to advance in rank (and nearly every Tremere desires that very thing). The lowest rank, that of apprentice, belongs to neonates. Above the apprentices are the regents, each one the master of a chantry; then the lords, whose domains include several chantries each. Forty-nine Tremere hold the title of pontifex, each bearing great responsibilities. And at the top of the pyramid sits the Inner Council of Seven, some the masters of entire continents, and all whispered to be in constant mental communication with the others.

Bloodlines: The strict organization of the Tremere, as well as their insistence on obeying one's elders, offers few freedoms. No variants of the Tremere bloodline have been allowed to survive to the present night. A small group of Tremere rebels once made its home in the Sabbat, but recent events have seen to that group's destruction.

Quote: We are more than vampires. We are the next step in Cainite evolution. We will direct the others if they allow us to do so, or we will stand alone if we must. But we will survive.

Stereotypes

Assamite: What is there to say? If they have thwarted our sorceries, then we have no choice but to erase them from the face of the planet as quickly as we can - or convince others to do it for us.

Brujah: Time has been cruel. When first we met, the Brujah were the scholars of our kind. Now they have crumbled to a sorry state, and we have taken up the flame of knowledge in their stead. It is only fitting, but it somehow seems wasteful. No matter.

Followers of Set: Damn them! Always prying with their slitted eyes and forked tongues, and always slipping back into the darkest corners, smiling the whole timr! What do they know?

Gangrel: These beasts feign loyalty, but are all too willing to hand us over to the Tzimisce if an excuse presents itself. We must be certain always to remain stronger than these hyenas who blame us for their old, poorly healed wounds.

Giovanni: They have made some rather impressive inroads into the arts, in a narrow-minded, limited sort of way. Still, it would seem that necrophilia as unhealthy for the undead mind as it is for the living.

Lasombra: For all their pretense of sophistication, their willingness to lie down with the Tzimisce clearly reveals their true savagery.

Malkavian: Their prattle of "insights" unknown to us grows tiresome very quickly. But however poor dinner guests they may be, they are seers of exceptional clarity. There's a trick to such perceptual shortcuts, and we can yet descover it.

Nosferatu: Some tasks are too noisome even for us, and the Nosferatu make appropriate lackeys to these ends.

Ravnos: They may be themselves magicians after a fashion, but give me 10 minutes with one of these charlatans and we shall see whose art has the true power.

Toreador: They are Aesop's grasshopper; we are the ant. They thinl to justify their immortality with their art and their parties, cold times are coming sooner than they think.

Tzimisce: One of the first lessons we all learn is that these Old World monsters still want nothing more than to rend our flesh from our bones. If that is the tune they prefer, we shall see how they dance when their rotting mansions are burning down around them.

Ventrue: These creatures obsess over control but have no sensibility for the finer points of power.

Caitiff: The other clans scorn our lineage, yet look how many of these bastard childe? they create.

Camarilla: There is strength in a tower, no matter how decrepit some of the bricks be.

Sabbat: They fancy themselves free? Fools.

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