Introducing the Clans
about 7 years ago
– Tue, Apr 04, 2017 at 02:14:58 PM
Hi, Rose here. ^_^ As we hurtle towards our second additional Clan stretch goal, I thought it'd be fun to have a look at each of them.
The Assamites are known as the Clan of Hunt. Serving as self-appointed judges and executioners among their vampire peers, rumors of their penchant for cannibalism and assassinations run rampant among other clans. The Assamites are generally independent from vampire sects, in part due to their status as impartial arbiters over life and death, but also due to the way they eye other vampires hungrily. That said, the Camarilla and Sabbat are both always on the lookout for unaffiliated killers to perform certain sensitive tasks.
The Brujah were once known as the Learned Clan, but are now more commonly seen as Rabble. A clan of unbridled passions, firebrand philosophies, and dynamic action - the Brujah trigger and ride the waves of revolution, among mortals and vampires alike. Brujah commonly fall into the Camarilla sect, upholding a spark of human innovation, desire, and zest for life not often shared by vampires of other clans.
The Followers of Set are known as the Clan of Serpents, due in part to their actions commonly imitating the snake in the Garden of Eden, but also due to their unique powers allowing them to take the physical traits of deadly snakes. A loosely religious order, the Setites worship their founder - the Egyptian god Set - as the progenitor of all vampires and the model to which all vampires should aspire. Typically, the Setites encourage the path of faith through debasement and corruption of others. The Setites are an independent clan, but with ancient ties to the Camarilla they may one night choose to cash in.
The Gangrel are more in touch with their blood-driven instincts than perhaps any of their peers, hence their collective moniker as the Clan of the Beast. These nomads, savages, and predators stalk the night, claiming territories and acting as boogeymen to the mortals living within them. Despite their animalistic drives, the Gangrel nominally fall within the Camarilla sect, if for no other reason than they recognize the virtues of hiding from humanity. Striking from the shadows is far easier, after all.
The familia Giovanni have two faces: they are merchant princes and ruthless businessmen descended from wealthy Venetian stock, akin to the Medici and the Borgia, but they are also death-dealing, corpse-raising, spirit-binding necromancers, who will stop at nothing to gain mastery over life and death. Many Giovanni vampires share the same family name, resulting in vampires connected not only through immortality, but also their mortal ties to one another. Due to historic treaties, the Clan of Death are forbidden from joining any sects, though in recent nights these rules have been increasingly tested, and broken.
The Lasombra are Darwinian nightmares. The Clan of Night believe wholeheartedly that they are the strongest clan, and only the apex predators deserve to rule over the living. They back up their bold claims by only turning the brightest and best mortals into vampires, and wielding bizarre and dangerous powers that allow them to enforce their wills on others, and manipulate shadow as if it were a tangible weapon. The Lasombra predominantly fall within the Sabbat sect, harboring little love - what they deem weakness - for humanity.
On first impression, most vampires underestimate the Malkavians. Only a fool underestimates a Malkavian twice. The Clan of the Moon know things. They see what should remain hidden, interpret prophecies, and act as oracles among their kind. Each Malkavian suffers a form of mental illness due to their enlightening, yet debilitating second sight, forcing each to live out an eternal life of internal torment. The Malkavians often hide within the Camarilla, but it is presumptuous to believe a Malkavian's affilitions will remain static for long.
The Nosferatu are known as the Clan of the Hidden, as it is rare another vampire will see a Nosferatu's true face, or indeed recognize the Sewer Rat's true intentions. The Nosferatu are each afflicted with a physical disfigurement, whether in the form of a bristling series of tumors and lesions across the Nosferatu's face, fingernails covering every inch of the vampire's form, or something entirely worse. The Nosferatu hide, acting as information brokers, spies, and hired guns for their peers in the Camarilla. More than any other clan, the Nosferatu recognize the Masquerade's value.
The Ravnos uphold their epithet of Clan of Deceivers. Despite the nickname's negative connotations, the clan revels in its reputation for chaos. Ravnos charlatans travel to cities around the world, performing favors for Princes, and visiting karmic justice on any who wrong them. Ravnos "justice" tends towards the destructive, the poetic, or the humiliating. Known for their unique skill with illusions and the stuff of nightmares, a Ravnos might cause havoc, leaving a proxy in place to take the rap. By the time the injured parties realize the proxy is an illusion, the Ravnos is long gone. This clan are independent of the sects, allying with one only when it suits them.
The Toreador love art, adore drama, and worship beauty. A naive vampire might consider the clan the closest to humanity. Few see the way Toreador treat their proteges, muses, and models after their attention spans run out. The Clan of the Rose is filled with aesthetes who talk a good game, and win the hearts of mortals and vampires alike through their skilled oration and alluring auras, but their vacuous hearts always reveal themselves in the end. The Toreador proudly hold membership in the Camarilla.
The Tremere are alternately known as the Clan of Warlocks, due to their proficiencies in the esoteric field of blood magic, and the Clan of Usurpers, due to the foul deeds they once committed to rise to the full status of clan. Though their crimes are long since forgotten and their victims all dead, the Tremere penchant for macabre experimentation and loyalty to clan above all else puts others ill at ease. The Tremere form one of the strongest pillars of the Camarilla, and their peer in the sect would have it no other way. Blood magic is an edge in any battle, and the Warlocks are its masters.
Picture a vampire in a decrepit stone tower or castle, lightning flashing behind as thunder rolls, and you picture a Tzimisce. The clan divides into those with an unhealthy fixation on mutating the individual, physical form, and those who would dominate their territory, and all those on it, without the need for suspiciously-sourced powers. The Clan of Shapers are terrifying monsters capable of taking any steps to become more deadly. The Tzimisce fall comfortably into the Sabbat, though one or two stories of Tzimisce in the Camarilla have been known to escape the old clan.
The Ventrue are self-styled rulers among vampires, having been known as the Clan of Kings for centuries. Ventrue are blessed with the powers to heavily influence crowds and exert direct dominion over prey. Ventrue are known for making their victims forget about their existence, simply by locking eyes and implanting a false memory. The Ventrue claim to lead the Camarilla, and the majority of their peers agree, at least according to the Ventrue.
The Caitiff are the clanless. If a new vampire doesn't know who turned him, or an old vampire is exiled from his clan, both run the risk of becoming Caitiff. If the vampire sire was particularly weak of blood, or absolutely independent of clan politics, her offspring may be Caitiff. There are many reasons for Caitiff, but as a whole, vampire society rejects each one. To be Caitiff is to be an outsider and permanent outcast. As a result, most clanless vampires hold great chips on their shoulders, combined with a drive to ascend and crush those who spent so long belittling them.
(Thanks to Matthew Dawkins for these writeups!)