ila Mat: Phin 1 MASTERS OF iad AA a a SOEIRCEBOOK aos peavey ae DARK persBY CRAIG BOLIN, RICHARD E. DANSKY AND ROBERT HATCHCrebiTs Authors: Craig Bolin, Richard E. Dansky and Robert Hatch Developer: Justin Achilli Editor: Allison Sturms Art Director: Lawrence Snelly Layout & Typesetting: Richard Thomas Interior Art: Jason Felix, Michael Gaydos and Eric Hotz Front Cover Art: John Bolton Front & Back Cover Design: Richard Thomas and Robby Pore Feel 735 PARK NORTH BLVD. PAE src 3 CUuRKSTON, GA 30021 USA PUBLISHING © 1997 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved Reproduction without the written permission ofthe publisher expres forbidden, except forthe purposes of reviews, and blank character sheets, which may be reproduced fr personal use oly ‘White Wolf, Vampire the Masquerade, Vampire the Dark Ages and Mage the Ascension are registered trademarks of White Wolf Pb lishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Ban, Werewolf the Apocalypse, ‘Wrath he Oblivion, Changelingthe Dreaming, Werewolf the Wi ‘West, Dark Ages Companion, Ghouls Fatal Addition, Storytellers Handbook tothe Sabbut, Book of Stortller Secrets and Libells Sanguinis Masters of the State are trademarks of White Wolf Publishing Inc. llrightsreserved. Allcharacters names places and textherein are copyrighted by White Wolf Publishing, nc. Themention oforreferencetoany company rproductinthese ages is noc challenge to the rademak o copy This book uses the supernatural fr settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements ate fiction and ‘intended for enteainment purposes only. Reader discretion is advised Check out White Wolf online at hecp:/fvww.white-wolf.com; altgames.whitewolf and rec games ep storyteller PRINTED IN USA. LIBELLUS SANGUINIS 1 Speciat THANKS To: Larry “The Therapist” Snelly, for working through my issues on Giovanni Andrew “What Closet?” Bates, for remaining firmly therein. Phil “Back to Your Tower" Brucato, forthe Mage histori cal game name brouhaha. In E-mail. At length, Katie“Out, Out, Damned Book!" McCaskill, for working con the Wild West layout until smoke seeped from her eye. (Oh, wait, that was the cigarettes. Charles “Enforcer” Bailey, for keeping those receivables coming in by whatever means necessary Brian “Dick Clark" Petkash, for cutts GAMA dance floors. Mike “Bargain Basement" Tinney, for the less expensive ‘option on my Henry Rollins book proposal Rob “Merc for Hie” Hatch, for knowing the bottom line inall affairs Fred “Rescue Me” Yelk, forcatching the Madonna bugat Old Wave loose on theIntroduchiorse Dov to Use this Book What youhold in yourhandsis the first book of he Libellus Sanguinis series, Ineach of these “Blood Diaries,” we plan to examine three clans united by a common theme. The theme of Masters of the State is, obviously, the ruling class of Cainites as embodied by those three clans that most often involve themselves in the affairs of nations The Lasombra, Magisters and lurkers in darkness, differ from their modem counterpacts in their (albeit underhanded) nobility. As there is not yet a Sabbat in existence, the Lasombra instead devore their efforts to controlling lands on both sides of the Crusades, Likewise, the Tsimisce area fractious and territorial lo. Less related to freakishness and countercul ture at this time, the Fiends are more ancestral tertors, tied tothe sickness and magical fertility of theit vaunted hereditary lands. Finally, the Ventrue are perhaps the most different and simultaneously the most similar to their modern namesake. How did this clan of noble lineage become intertwined with the more “comm business of trade and commerce? And how do the Ventrue still manage to maintain their virtual stranglehold on political power? All these issues and more are discussed within. Take care, though, gentle reader; do not become ‘embroiled in these Cainites' plots and machinations. Vampires are eternal creatures, re are but a mote in the wind to their whims, SORMIG The arrangement of the topics in this book closely resembles that of the Clanbooks. Imagine this tome asa collection of three small Clanbooks and you will know precisely where tofind the information you seek Part One — Each clan beats its own introduction, designed to give you a sense of what the clan's beliefs and outlooks are. Part Two—The clansare very active in the Dark Medieval world. This section discusses what aff they conduct and where their interests lie Part Three — Alllof the “gamespeak” is presented in this section, along with details on the clan in question’s nightly unl Part Four —Character templates, for the use of Storytellers, players, or both, are collected here. Use these as you will, but don't expect them to be flat, stereotypical members oftheir respective clans. Part Five — Despite all pretenses to the contrary, no Cainiteclan iss infallible as they would have you believe. What grave mistakes have the clans made in the past? What dark secrets do they hide? Look OG YOoxD on Vievo Cras This book includes many new Traits for use in your storiesand chronicles. Remember, however, that ‘Vampire: The Dark Ages isa game of horror and mystery. If you, asa player, know about the secrets that aaclan possesses or the powers it wields, a good bit of the inherent, unknown sense of horror disappears For this reason, talk to your Storyteller before assigning your characters any Traits contained within this book. She may prefer that you be unable to use a certain ability or command a certain Discipline By the same token, Storytellers, fel free to adjust, modify, treat as dictum or altogether throw out iny of the ideas herein. It's your chronicle, and who knowsbetter than you what would create goosebumps on your troupe's flesh?ook One: Magisters ‘J understand Jbrahimnsaid with deliberate 7 Boukephos has business in thelandof the ae Wioots oe oeifte’ ferme oats Hie Tete the hovee as he leaned over Ao ailing ANd gazed south over the 9 coshaalenab hie business, good ahi the Wioots pall vada is Hilde and Seated and ig thereo! oblet of whol viet covet cies IS Qazcower joel ei wontpes Ne Ot ee os {Ibrahim’s handsome features twisted into a frown. "Not Patience, Yusu. There will eather poet-kings for yout forhissake, no, but tosce an end tothis bickering. Montano, grace with your presence.” the others-—even ourfather—the old ones can't bothered “Buc none like S with resolving this They just hugh and compare the whole garden for an evening!s sojourn on earth, ‘Those eye, that Thatter ro something they saw among the Romans, and then mouth they goback to their dances and schemes for a hundred years ‘And he ended that night driving the donkeys of his hence. Boukephos is the only one with his feet in this cen~ conquerors. Ab, well, pethaps not.” Ibrahim frowned. “But tury” youstill haven't answered my question.” ‘The other vampire idly stirred his drink with along, thin ‘Yusuf regarded his friend for a long moment. “You tru finger. “And are you so anxious to accept the Greek’s ruling, wish to know? Very well, then. I believe this inaction on the justfor the sake ofhavingmattersoveranddone with? There's part of our elders to be deliberate, They are esting us Ibrahim, more to you than that, my friend.” He took hisfingerfromthe —_Jookingtosee whoamongus will eize the moment. They want Tank ard sucked on it blissfully fora moment, then returned to.¢e who is worthy of survival. Those who fail willbe culled, to his idle stirring like stallions incapable of speed when the wolf draws near.” “The Moor shrugged eloquently. “What else is there? “Or perhaps,” Ibrahim said soil, “they wish to see which Discover what the graybeards would have of us do, then of usmight svenuually prove athtest” dance their steps to the best of our abilities. To act otherwise isto invite the longest sleep, iit not just wish an end to this bickering berween we “chil- dren.” By the dozens we claw each others eyesout,andfornothing! All ‘our plans will be for naught as soon as Boukephos — or one of the other ‘withered blossoms masquerading as our elders — deigns to tell us what to do.” “And what,” said the seated man, lean- ing forward with a terrible light in his eyes, “if you could change that Tbcahim snoreed in disbelief. “You've been alone with your poems too long, Yusuf. What could I do?" *Make the decision for them Unify the younger ones under your banner. Present Boukephos, when he finishes his sojourn, 5) withadeedalready done, Andifthe oldoncs Yusuf stammered and took a step back care so litle for aur al-Andalus 8 9 ignore ‘brahim, sutely you cannot suspect me ofthis! Two its disposition, then you have nothing 0 far hundred years we have spent as friends — all of al-Andalus fom them. . would not tempe me co betray that!” But co act would be ro usurp thei privilege! “Probably forthe best then, poet,” the tall Moor said as be “Or perhaps they have deliberately left this opportunity ymed hack tathesea, “for don’tthink that any ofuswillhave available, to see who will be so bold as to seize it,” Yususid. 4 Apalus to offer you.” A chill breeze whistled in off the “te could be.” The Moor turned back to the sea, looking water, and far below spray danced atthe top of the waves.“ An atthedistantsithouetteofashipmakingfor the Africanshote. interesting effort, Yusuf, but you had more subtlety a hundred “reould well he, But,” andhe tured onceagain, "why doyou years ago. You'e getting old.” tellme this, old friend? We're ofan age in the blood. Why pass eon Abilis A tumdked year go soar bard the cup on to me instead of taking it for yourself” Lilled nc on the mere suspicion.” Yusuf picked up hs goblet ‘Yusuf shrugged. “Would you believe that it is because and contemplated the workmanship. “Perhaps it & for the jyou'te better suited for ie? I miss al-Mutamid’s gardens and bey.” ausie, the poets he'd invite to read to us— that as my a6 Ibahien drummed hisfingers on the railing “Pethapsitis. Ibahin Penetaseror aking,|'macourtierfromacourt go, Yycuf, when do you think Boukephos wil return?” ong gone, les was, a bird escaped from Allah's There was silence fora long moment Yusuf put his goblet on the polished wood of the tabletop and stood. *Perhaps;" he said. “I had not thought of that.” “You hadn't?” Ibrahim quitked an eyebrow. "Prophet'sbeard, Yusuf, you're aa better liar than that.” Yusuf blushed —a very human action — to which Ibrahim only laughed. “Oh, don't be so serious, little courtier. can see now what you intended — that I should work to unify our squabbling siblings, and that in gratitude for your suggestion I would keep you close tome. Then, when Delgado and Tariq, and the rest of the old ones plucked my flower for fear of finding it bitter ‘weed, you would be chere, my humble vier, the safe choice to assume my position. Is you had intended?” LIBELLUS SANGUINIS 1Harkness Fe ane ‘One does not necessarily control a kingdom by control- ingaking. After all, if the king has an advisor whose word he ‘and whose advice he follows, control of the advisor fants influence over his liege. And if that advisor has a well.thencontollingthat mistress grantspower over ‘advisor, and surely a doxy is easier to subvert than a minister or a king. So, the Lasombra reason, why gle to command a king when the same results can be ined with much les effort and fuss? For the Lasombra don't wish to control kings per se, or kingdoms. They wish to control for its own sake, and to dosoeficienly. Toa Magister, the flawless exercise of power [ehoote to play upon the stage of state — itis, after all, where stakes ofthe game are highest — others prefer to duel on gsecclesastical, o to tame beasts and horses. The details inthe abstract, unimportant. What matters in the end is [heiimpostion of Lasombra will and contro, and the demon- “ation that both are ineluctably superior to anything othe might contrive for themselves. HAT’S IN A Name? The epithet by which others know the Lasombra is Magisters, the Latin term for either teacher or master. The ‘Lasombra themselves refuse to comment on which interpreta- fionthey prefer, though thereis no doubs inthe minds fother Caines DEMOGRAPHICS The Romans called the ing of lands around the Mediter- Tanean the Orbis Terrarum, Here is where the empire's secret Taters may be found, even to the present night. With the “exception of Egypt, the entire region is encircled by lands the Lasombra call home. While they are more common in Italy and the Iberian peninsula, there is no shortage of Lasombra Jamong the Crusader kingdoms or in France. North Africa is more of a haven to the Lasombra than to many clans, but the religious asceticism of the Almoravids ofthe desert is always the most welcoming Norther Europe is relatively free of Lasombra, save in great cities and strongholds of the Church, Normandy holds few Lasombra, but Paris and Cluny have both known their share, Scandinavia is free of the clan’s shadowy rouch, though some Lasombra have been known to spend a year or three “vacationing” in new-born Kebnhavn to revel in the long nights that northern winter brings. England has perhaps more than its share of Lasombra, particularly near the Channel. With the hostilities between Plantagenet and Capet, there has been more than enough movement back and forth between the sceptered island and the continent, and enough warfare and diplomacy to sate the sreediest Magister'spalate. With thatin mind, manyLasombra flock to London, Calais, the Cinque Ports and other locales where the powers that be congregate. Others find Canterbury a significant lure, and there have been mentions made of some sort of link between the clan and the untimely demise of “Thomas Becket. Certainly a man who played the games of church and stare with such consummate skill would have been of interest tothe Lasombra... Tue RANKS The Lasombra are almost overwhelmingly male in the elder generations. It is said that Lasombra himself will not Embrace a woman, for reasons he has never elucidated, and so it falls to his childer, and their childer in turn, to produce “Magistrae as well as Magistri The Lasombra look for three things in their chiller. The first, and most important, is excellence. They search for the very best, whether in the council chambet ot the cloister. However, as very few peasants have thechance to demonstrate even their most sterling qualities in a place where a Lasombra is likely to notice, the second criterion for the Magisters is nobility. Obviously, there is some disagreement over what \SOMBRA,constitutes nobility; is it breeding, bearing, mien, wealth? When inddoubt, however, the Lasombra tend totest the oldest Cainite axiom: Blood will cell The third qualification for consideration is the telling ‘one, however: ambition. Talents without the will to put them to use are worthless. Noble breeding and the all thousands are useless without the desire to rule more. Diplo- matic brilliance without the desire to use it to seire advantage is a waste. This, at least, is the Lasombra position on the And so, the ranks of the Lasombra are filled with priests who would be Popes and counselors who steer the fates of nations. Noble bastards and unmarriageable daughters, driven. by resentment of legitimate brothers who have stolen their inheritances, make perfect foxlder for the Lasombra. S second and third sons, raised to noble expectations with aupers' purses, and able men of undistinguished lineage, who find theirambitions to be greater than any reasonable expec Iraua The estimable Boukephosclaimsthat the Lasombracame andoning the supposedly idyllic Carthage. Such a romantic origin would certainly help ex toltaly with Aneas’ crew, one career an ent eae entes te te y dangerous“sports” ofthe nobility (not toment Se lett this strategy predicates ae) and doesn’t always work Oe Ina eee ee hen een ereenee up to lead rebellions. Nor is di ponies Seeks heir lines’ survival are Tener Paice nd it doesa you cere coat a Teantsan tomar ae acon ve eta |tarteetare m can at least mak rs eer ante critical juncture. An unacknowledse The solution that many despairing father ete oR Se eer Tans they are cared for, allowed to fill a useful ery fewof those thus inured in cloister wal rectuit heavily. Afterall, these bastards and, eterna net eee SETURL ariet LIBELLUS SANGUINIS 1 he Iberian peninsula, is th ith high child mortality rat irae aie wut as planned. Having too many heir reat arene ood to inheritad Prucers at bastard can reese ea) CAEN may hatred and an undying anger at being ¢ plain Lasombra-heavy Rome's antipathy toward Carthage However, fac lence other than the elder’s word, Whatis indisputable, been in Italy since time immemorial. Their presence in Repub lican and Imperial Rome has been carefully documented, and en in the Mother of Cities’ darkest hour they did not abandon her completely. While the year A.D. 69 saw the beginning of the exodus of the Magistri from Rome to her however, is thatthe Lasombra have colonies, a core group of Lasombra elders and their loyal childer remained in the city through thick and thin. Even the of; they stayed to rebuild with the Emperor Flavius Zeno and the sack of Rome in 476 was not enough to drive then Church, For the Church was the Magisterstothe city after centuries oflong,slowdecline. With clergy Embraced and the faithful ghouled, not to mention the stealthy growth of the Cainite heresy, there were more and more places for Lasombra in Rome. Mest historians mark the Benedictine expansion thar hegan in the late fifth century as, at magnet that attracted new the moment when the Lasombra intertwined their destiny thispoine that of the clergy inextricably with that of the Churehs it w ‘more and more land began to fall into the as the secular power of the empire moved east Tear econ isoning, assassination or duel), nobl sR tenrerU ar re Re eet t least on making suitable an lead Sete Cute enero rere] Dee Seance enter DUET eau tat teeter tts to inherit (or than their share of noble (and royal) by. Peo en ag eer co Sra Saeegen een mes ttl es as remit SIU en cea tye) Ute rest Church. There upon is the Church. Exe¢ Bieter tan . ut of the political arena the Lasombra nobleasany, andmany have Seren te ene erent luded from their birthrights aie een oee etera oe ae and the Church, itis surprise to eae enn erste ira etn nd some of their less feel ene eres oa ere ener SO eer ret rece at Ts Fe ete eee a ee Cea Vene mtr re cccecet uurrounding papal states, not to Here Mert ar north, that are Lasombra stumble, opportu: 1s of the Lombar Northern Ia the best opportunities for those fare Lasombra with mercantile ambition, The most powerful loly Land up oEngland. Forsome Magisters, ral as manipu- plus smbra to . nfthesea inherentin theLasombra character. This seafaring streak finds ex} inthe mercantile wars of the lel ates. C : Byrntine-backed Venice and others all took to the wave: defending (and seiting) trade rights by f ra dabble in these confl hapsn sonsone woulde: political interest in It and thoroughly enjo In just this one the spirit of the ‘moment s more important than the political repercussions of later days, and even many of the most reserved Lasombra give n the sea calls and the promise of spilled SaMany Lasomba have taken to piracy, often preying on the ships backed by the Genoese, Ventre and other groups Such affairsare swept under the table by the Amici, whoseethe matter as an expression of healthy competition. Siciry Nowhete is the shadow deeper in Europe than on the island of Sicily. Held by Moors and Genoese, invaded by Pisa and conquered by the Angevins, Sicily is where all the disparate strains of Lasombra are on equal footing. Any ter can find is own kind here, and indeed, the island s theclosestthingcoahome theLasombrahave. Many asombra pirates base their operationshere,a uaffc of black-sailed ships under the moon, THE FATHER AND THE SON ‘Thereisacityon the island of Sicily that Cicero defended from its rapacious governor centuries ago. Outside ofthat city built by a long-dead Moorish engineer for an ‘The casteis, by all accounts, impregnal a reward for his pains, the architect was killed and h soul imprisoned so that he could never re Syracuse esa constant is a castl leeing althe secrets of his This is the castle of Lasom though the local peasantry calls it Castel ’}Ombro — the le of Shadow. There are many servants in the castle, but theyneverspeak. Te afromisfitful slumbers and that would me mse. It has no name, somight wake Lasom For Lasombra spends most of his ni ing the Earth in dreams, He still for years while they s of the castle remain open to avait his the gates are open doesnot mean that they are unguarded, though, and no uninvited guest has walled gh the portal and survived. Indeed, no Cainite has even dared to attempt enerance in centuties Lasombra is not the only C Generations of his childer, gra under the Antediluviar de nite in residence, though. nd-childer and so on clusteris 8 = Q 3 aen Lasombra is in residence and awake, he is the undisputed master of his castle. Even in hi he often sand servants. Shadowy 1 halls; beasts made makeshispresence known tohis figures with Lasombra’s Feature entirely of black eT However, when Lasombra wanders or sips into deeper slumber, it is Montano who reigns in hisstead. Montano is th f tay, and other such ineonsequentialiti to his sibling: relations. For this of course, he is hated by m respected and feared byall. Inthe cent nmade to vorite childe, existence, not one attempt hi the sleeping Lasombea or his Montano rarely stirs fom the cast ‘over the oceat f Thereare many membe Montana ved off of the island of Sicily, He h punishany transgre threat th weight to keep violations of Drvipep Loyatrics The Reconquista is probably the most impor before the clan today, even more so than the perpetually ‘unstable disposition of Italy. In Italy, the enemy is pla the Germansand their Ventruebackers. Intemecine qual nean nothing when the chance to demonstrate supe over the self Amici jecreed that any affairsof the Courtsof Blo. also sw personally carries enou ec Patriciansarises. When the Hi oe response 1e. And so fe debate: sh Lasombra call hhurch dema (Removing th nuch to hope for.)Tasombra himself has evinced not a whit of interest on 2 De Bivar's bones lie, untroubled, in. the Cathed fase. When pressed byhischilder,he likensthesituation Burgos, across the peninsula from his beloved Valencia. The ithe wars of Pompey, or pethaps Alexander's “Battle o fats? and assures the petitioner that the worthier side will fably reveal ise. Montano is not much better, admit fapefetence forthe waif but softened enoughby centuries the Romans to see meri in the Spaniards as well. ‘Among the newer generations, though, the battle for fs much more personal thing. As many of these f cathedral itself sits at one of the more important stops on the Il Pilgrim's Road to Santi journeyed there and more than one Lasombra has Tt has become something of a ritual of passage amor young Christian Lasombra of Spanish heritage tospendani in silent vigil before the tomb of El Cid. As there isa strong undercurrent of faith that permeates the very floors of the Eesombrshavebeen taken fromtheranksofthenoble families Burgos Cathedeal, this task is more difficult than one might fadingthe war, the Reconquista mattersina way that abstract imagine. To win the adulation of hispeers and the (imagined) pulation never could. Iris their family estates and combs, blessingof the departed de Bivar, the Magister must endure the Prtheriage and wealth, chat are being contested by armies unceasing pressure of faith instilled by all ofthe pilrims and asaich they often come to blows on the isue. A great holy men who have passed some time in the cathedral, all rideforth withthe armies whose religion they share; the fealous have taken to ghouling troops regardless of pnal or lan consequence without uttering a single sound. Furthermore, he must remain at the bones of the hero until sunrise and do so in perfect solitude. This puts the onus of honesty upon the vampiric hesinationhasgotten sobadthatthe AmiciNoctishave squire, though lying about one’s vigil comes with disastrous lied a unilateral ban on petitions based on one’s political || consequences. The members of Amici Noctis always seem to the matter of Iberia. While most of those know, somehow, when a postulant has not spent the entire Ginites involved inthe war are too young —or too feckless night in the cathedral, failed in his pledge of silence, or worst oblong tothe Friends of the Night, the debate among of al, profaned the hero's bones with the drinking of blood SPienthe Amiciisheated, Debate, however, is what it eemains Bing the friends. Even those of the Amici who have friends, They take appropriate action co punish such transgressions (On the other hand, chose who adie failure, while duly noted, Sino lands in the contested kingdoms know that in the as weak-willed, are not usually punished, Gi this 10, will be another footnote in history. What The true hazard ofthe vigil, apart from the failure of wil al-Andalus is governed is by what comes from Moorish Lasombra who see the practice as insult d, by whom and how ing. Should a Magister of Islamic blood hear of a vigil in fic rumor painte 1 as. a Cainite, or atleast as progress, he may attempt to distupt it by any means necessary By tradition, a Lasombea keeping vigil by El Cid’s grave is permitted to defend himself, and many epic duels between Cainites have been fought with only the bones of El Cid to there was no evidence that the captain was ever h a superb example of the Cer me Reem STU Meccan eka ee neat PAu cuca ees Dene wor enveen is neil {Castile tohold the recently taken city of Calatrava. of Alcantra and that of Calatrava are Cisterian order emer mon URN om Recta ecu nee nua Hens econ eet USN TE ae Iberian peninsula. ted interest in supporting these very effec Tigers en Neer} ite ROR eet acre ecient gen) Rete eee reece en eerie at ens rent Li ‘e military forces against the Almohads. While these Sone een hry iva cmt there is no hesitation about supporting them with money oF grants of land. BOOK ONE: LASOMBRALbark Sou a THe MastEr’s House ‘There are very few dwellings that Lasombra consider tobe suitable for long-term occupation. While traveling, of course, Lasombra are very selective about their circumstances. holy orders. These vampires dwell within fort teries and abbeys, often in monastic asceti ascetic does not mean foolish — these monasteries and nun- adequate protection. As the concentration of faith in such. defenses provides a potentially fatal threat to the guarded. Lasombra as we these Magisters must burrow themselves into the heart of their labyrinthine homes. A delicate balance ‘must be maintained between piety and avoidance of the truly Some holy ground contains such a concentration of faith thatit causes agony for aCainite to stand upon it. Such places are well known among Caine’ children and are avoided for that reason. Not surprisingly, certain Lasombra have made a practice of desecrating such sites and then usurping them, trusting residual faith and long-standing reputations to keep intruders out ‘Monasteries such as this also squat atop massive under round complexes of monks’ cells, confessionals, storerooms, and ther, less identifiable chambers. the resident Lasombra areatall involved withthe Cainite heresy, itis in these tunnels that the devotees ofthis deviant faith meet, fr from light and life. Here is also where les savory members of the clergy come for their illicit cysts, and where recalcitrant initiates are “disciplined.” What other uses these chambers see can only be LIBELLUS SHNGUINIS 1 imagined, though innumerable stories have been whispered of torture and murder, even those of prisoners locked away and forgotten until their very bones crumbled to dust. There isusually some form of subterranean path out ofthe monastery that can be reached through the underground complex. Many monasteries resemble fortresses in other ways as well, having large supplies of food secreted away, indepen- dent water sources and smithies that can easily be turned to armory work: ‘Ona less martial note, monasteries also house vas stores of knowledge in the form of books and scrolls. These manu: scripts, bth ancient and modem, area powerful resource, and ‘may well be one ofthe reasons the Lasombra originally moved into the Church. Afterall, a scroll rescued from the wreck of cone ofthe Greek colonies in Asia Minor just might contain information about a Cainite who dwel there —or atthe very least, insight into her background and deeds. Any of these might be key in understanding (or eradicating) the Cainite in ‘question; isa truism among the Magisters that one can never hhave too much information on an opponent. ‘Access to Lasombra-held libraries is tightly restricted as the Magisters have no wish to share their treasures with competitors. It isa signal honor for a non-Lasombra to be granted access to one of the Magister’ libraries. Furthermore, any vampire towhom thisgiftis granted incursa weighty debe to the Lasombea that will undoubredly someday be called upon. Asan added matter, anyandall vsitorsare chaperoned, usually by both Cainite and mortal guardians to make sure no materials go out on unauthorized, extended loans. Part and parcel with libraries, however, ae librarians — monks who are literate. With literacy ata premium outside of monastery walls, the advantage inherent in potential control ofthe largest demographic of those who can read is incaleu- lable. (Consider this: The laws of the land are, of course written. The only ones who know what they actually say are those who can read. Literacy by no means has honesty as @ prerequisite. The est is lft as an exercise forthe student)Tne Lost VISAGE Triswell known that Lasombra Cainites cannot see their Reflections in a mirror. Some stories say that the clan was, tocall upon darkness greater than his own. (The latter Gation, while popular, is technically heresy and will ally upset any Lasombra with religious leanings who hears Phe theories are numberless, but there is no explanation at fits the fact. Regd ofcause, no Lasombra ownsa reflection. Once pool aureult, certain other Cainites have taken to placing strategically in haven of reflections, Lasombra tend to nces. Many will have mans pay Teimisce vampires outrageous su mires oftheir body ghouls to mirror their own. The boy le Lasombra, ho Feng their own image, and most sit for year This snone and three centuries of age, who often fill entire its of their own image. More than one ensation of walking Ofcourse, woe betide any mortal painter who isso foolish forender a portrait of a young chat is less than flattering. While many of the clan's more practical elder Shembers appreciate an accurate recording of their ap ie, younger ones just coming Iyper— with unfortunate cor Ilamic Lasombra scrupulously avoid this sor of porta Tate and, indeed, most forms of representative art i a oo Se eS Boo8 2 res we me we Be eo KB Ee me iGMy Dearest Lucita: Beloved childe, you were right about the level Poet eaten ee Rae he attended the revel last evening and was permit ted, in accordance with his station, one attendant. Sid manservant was a gh per ee an eee) provide us with refreshment, as our goodly hast had prepared a feast indeed. I wish you had been with us ee eS Rear that causes dismay in me to this very hour and which ven replace the image of your loveliness before my Vanity, childe ~ he has fallen to that deadly ree on in the confessional even to own his tra For, as you undoubtedly know by now; the ghoul wore Omar's own face. he boasted ~ the fool boasted Tzimisce to do ers pete eee eee the work for him. The ghoul wa same raiment, down to jewelry and Omar positively cackled about the entire seemly display and showed off of slicing compliments on its appeat erent ae deat i Peeper Oa a ese ener Re Re ee ee forward your petition, so superbly phrased. And s0, my darling. Luc y £0 bring era se have the pleasure of informing you that your peticion eee Sie e™ See a Ae ONO runr acy ee ea a tS A Ts PT SR te cee ie Pm Rose ee Cae talon or blade on Cedefio, you must first destroy the ghoul with his face, and in such a manner that Omar pier aainta seria ratio do.with the corpse as you wish afterwards, but first reflections have been taken from usfor areason and to attempt to recapture them is to thwart God's a Pag ae seadanenia tinal ee NO Ce ecm cnt Pele aoa ae ede gee teees keri ceeta ent eee Your Loving Ether ens earrieidts Mirrors Lasombra, of course, cannot be scen in mirrors. On the other hand, this enables the Magisters tomake certain unique defensive arrangements to theirhavens. Any Lasombra dwell: thas approximately a coinfip’s chance of being positively brespangled in silvered glass, with the front vestibule looking like a veritable hall of mirrors. The advantage of this arrangement is purely strategic. While the Lasombra lord ofthe manor has no reflection, the same can't be said of his visitors Indeed, any Lasombra worth his sat will have arranged bis micros so that he has reflective lines of sight all through his haven. An intruder to a Lasombra haven, thus, has al of his actions observed from the instant he steps through the door until such time as the master of the house decides how to dispose of him, friendly or otherwise Ofcourse, thistactical consideration hasbeen completely misunderstood by members of the other clans. Instead of pondering just why the Lasombra, sans reflection bedecking their homes with mirrors, the members of the other clans just mutter about Lasombra vanity and an unseemly idolatry. This misunderstanding serves the clan’s purposes even as itslanders its reput Magisters will accept without taking bloody o Houses, MANors AND CASTLES Much of Europ castle-building technique was taken from firsthand experience with Islamic fortifications in the Holy Land. The Lasombra, with tacticians and observers on box sides ofthe line (tha line was never draw as clay ‘Naturally, they did so. And 2, castles in reglona where Lassa hold seal cftenhaveallofthe advances llamicsciencecan of: curved that flank exposed walls and all of the other latest innovations for defense and murder. While ics unlikely that a Lasombea owns such a castle, it is probable that any Magister dabbling in. politics will make certain that one is constructed near his haven. Truth be told, however, very few mortal lords need much maniplatng tose vo thei own defense e's use that the Lasombra pre VIAE has many members who walk the Road of Heaven. Indeed, Via Caeli is by far the most popular Road among the Magisters, on, a tradeoff which the pridefil hose defenses to be convenient.y Chivalr Eran ce) than out of ly those of devout Catholic faith (in life or death). fsometimes becomes harder and harder to follow, at least foriginal form. As a result, there have ings” rom the Road of Heaven. Some of these side seem to have great potential; others appear to be dead en. Those of Moorish or Berber origin generally oad of Chivalry, though a somewhat modified ver {toring the Road in line with Islamic principles of Srandfaith. Other Lasombra, having allen off the Road een take up the Road of Humanity, at least temp Such “wayward” Cainites often drift from Via to Via, fonphilosophies and discarding them with equal rapid- AITH AND THE ASOMBRA The Lasombra are remarkable among the clans for the Erumber oftheir ranks who honestly, dev ie teachings ofthe Church. The Magisters have a higher Pportion of Cainites with True Faith than any other clan, fmany of those Lasombra who serve in the Church have let theicunliving state alter their belief This would seem a paradox, and for many, the conun fim remains insoluble. A good many Magisters fall away faith, embracing the secular exclusively. Afterall, even lly believe test devout somerimes have trouble reconciling the acts favampire with thedemandsof their Savior. These Cainites By say on one Via and of Via Clivo Vi BSich Cainites are sometimes prone to fits of lh e their perceived flue: Idd carly by ther fellow clan my Ina hare of religious depression, has attempted to goto mately, there isusually enough a fmancuvertobe subverted, withthe receiving confessor Bigamemberof the Cainiteheresy,or otherwisedisinclined report what he has heen told find themselves bouncing Humanitatis, and then, perhaps, further ching nbers. More than and at such times, they are ince warning for this ia still see used by Islamic L mortals (who, after all, are on the mistreatment of mortals asa Hospitality should be pr Nera emircre net On the other hand, there are many Catholic Lasombra who cling to their faith after death, and the rituals of the Church are tll vital tod ‘Outsiders see the adoptio ery, but in truth, cof a church-like structure by the Magisters as mock i is @ gesture of reverence for many Furthermore, many Lasombra bishops, archbishops and other clergy held those positions in life. Unfortunately, others see their new state as a chance to reject the trappings of the Church in their entirety. Such Laso the poor reputation Magister rel bra are responsible for jous practices have among others; they are the ones who hold the rites and rituals up for ion by imitating or twisting them. Confession, in particular, is one of the ritual holdovers from life that is held in high esteem, This isnot, as one n expect, done for the sake of information gathering or black mail. Rat isa genuine respect for the notions of sin, anceand absolution with which few dare meddle. Further ustasin mortal society, thereare"fashionable” confessors and “unfeshionable” ones, and being invited to confesion at the haven of a notable Magister is both +, thes an honor and a privilege Then there are those Lasombra who come from the ranks of the clergy —a fair number, ifrumor istobe believed. While some of these drop from the ranks of the faithful and a gr ‘many more were ofa secular mind to begin with, there remain those who took heir mission seriously in life and continue to Jo so in death. These Magister clerics tend to fall into two categories Most associate themselves with the so-called Cainite heresy, which subverts the notion of transubstantiation with a Lollaed-lke communion, This i a relatively easy path to follow, heretical though itmay be. While not a true version of the faith, it offers enough familiar rites and rituals to be comforting, and the danger of being discovered or surprised by a holy man is al Some, however, take the harder toad offering the body and blood of Cainites for They continue in practice and observance, even to the point of maintain\ their positions in the actual Church as long as they can, These ty faithful and that makes all the difference to them. Mind you, vampires do not hi Lasombra are not only religious, they are act easy conscie have ASOMBRAMS Ny callings that they cannot deny. In the words of Archbishop Moncada of Madrid, “I believe, with a perfect faith, in the Church and in all ofits teachings. By those teachings, I am damned ths, t00,Ibelieve. Yet if my damnation be the price ofothers'salvation [shall accept iteven as Our Lord accepted his suffering asthe price forthe salvation of mankind.” As one might expect, Mongada has never had the oppor- tunity to take this notion up in ecclesiastic debate. Many Lasombra re fond of arguing theology, though, and will spend nights debating similar issues. Novice Magisters are warned with the apocryphal tale of the Lasombra who were so thor- oughly absorbed by their debate on the nature of Cainite damnation that they were taken by surprise by the rising sun and found the opportunity to test their theories immediately, Tue ANGeLus ATER ‘Archbishop Mongada’s attitude is one that is shared by other Lasombra, bu there are some who take his point a trifle too literally. Seeking redemption by plumbing the depths of damnation, or possibly seeing further sin as a form of slf- flagellation, they delve deep into depravity, Not content with simply mocking Church rites, these walkers on the road of damnation have begun to cteate their own rituals involving sacrifice, bathsofblood, the sharing ofblood fromchalicesand other ats of fulness. LIBELLUS SANGUINIS 1 Decried as heretics by those who fear the wrath of che (Church, these Satanic Lasombra practice adeviant path ofthe Via Diabolis (which actually shares a great deal withthe Via Caeli, interpreting the Cainite as the minion of the Devil instead of God). Whereas most Dark Medieval conceptions of inferalism are solitary pursuits, the angelis ater, ot black angels, work with unprecedented cooperation in the interests ‘of serving their unholy lord. Many angelli ater organize them selves in covens of five to 13 members. These covens actively encourage inferalism and blasphemy, and itis not unknown for particularly efficient angelis to tum entire villages to Satan's bidding through subtle coercion and blatant, sacrile- sious displays of vampiric power. Anglls ater are arguably the ‘most vocal proselytizers of the Lasombra, entreatying more potential converts than the Church itself. Obtenebration is the ultimate manifestation of Satan's will on Earth through the vessel of the Cainite, according to the doctrine of the anglls. The shadows conjured through its practice are not woe-begotten “inner darkness," as so many Lasombra believe (to the ridicule of many angelis), but rather, black shades brought forth from Hell itself. Other Cainite Disciplines are extensions of Lucifer’s blesing by the same token. Thus, the vampire exists solely to spread the Devil's work in the physical world a EG C2 ahwir Peretti iit raneonates (as well as those easy “conver See eee MUTT ¥ this type of Satanic coven dear to their purpose. of the Church by possessing an uncanny degree of ai fore roars ess ae Sec ee ae ae enn ts ern eens tennant cts from other clans) uphold the tenets ofthe BI: cree nas an cee es Sr Laat CA Withis they do with abandon. The angells ater are a fon the countenances of other Lasombra, actively cor: the dogma of the Catholic Church into a twisted, pry of grandiose scale IER Farris ; if any, Islamic or Jewish clergy have hit to join the Lasombra. If nothing else, Stritures (see below) make the idea of becoming a problematic. has not prevented followers of these faiths from fing Lasombra, though the number of Jews Embraced theclanhasbeen tiny thus far, even in comparison tothe The exclusion of Jews from most social Blfial dicourse in the Dark Medieval world makes natractive candidates for Lasombra Embrace. Those fis who are brought under the shadow are often those fed financially ro local power structures, though cer nbra elders have a soft spot forthe occasional false thstho rise from the ranks of Europe's Jewry. Bikes oftheclan want perspectives from both sidesof the a, as they have not yet decided which side to Bit North African and Moorish Lasombra tend to Em. fiom among their own, as Christian Lasombra do the hisreprettable parochialism has led to more than abit “true” direction of the Jin stobe; however, the example of Montano isusually Gent to quit even the most rabid advocate of a purely fan — or European — clan HE EMBRACE mba do not bring newcomers into the clan ran- hastily or clumsily. They study theie potential childer lj, often for years at a time. Many Lasombea deliber fmamcuver hardships into the paths of those they would fit gauge their reactions and test their mettle. Others themselves into would-be childer’s lives so as to an estimation of their capabilities and will adolescence; but nevertheless, the nun ree eee Cer Roget However, thereisone constant inall Lasombra Embraces Inall cases, thesire-to-be must ask the one she would grant the Kiss if he truly desires it. To Embrace without permission, freely granted, is the worst offense a Lasombra can commit. In those cases when the Embrace is given involuntarily, unless the circumstances are extenuating to an unbelievable degree, the misguided sreis routinely punished. Torporis the leastone ccan expect in this situation; most offenders of this ilk are ssuramarily destroyed. The wrongly created Cainite is some- times destroyed: other times he is given the choice he wa denied before. Such Lasombra rately rise to join the ranks of Amici Noctis. Their origins are seen as tainted, and as such, they themselves are seen asnot quite beingup tostandard, Not surprisingly, involuntary Lasombra resent this treatment and. tend tokeep to themselves. Indeed, many have an adversarial attitude toward the more mainstream members of the clan, adopting an “us-against-thern” pose that masks some very real, hostility The reasoning for this seemingly odd policy hasits origins in the Lasombra’s estimation of themselves. After all, the Magisters view themselves as che creme de la creme of the vampiric population, takingonly thenoblestand most capable ‘mortals to swell their ranks. A young Lasombra should not hav. -oerced. Lasombra heritage should not be forced on anyone — it must be offered asa precious gift. The potential Lasombrashould be made aware of whatheisbeing offered and what an honor itis and then allowed to choose freely If the candidate chooses to accept, the Embrace occurs without further delay. Ifthe candidate refuses, he is given one night to reconsider his decision and warned not to discuss the matter. Ir goes without saying thar during thar time, he will be under surveillance, and should he prove himself indiscreet, he is considered co have rejected the offer. What follows is brief and bloody but not unpredictable Ifat the end of the 24 hours, the candidate has proved his discretion andstill refuses, he isusually sorrow fully killed. Very fewhaverefused the Embrace and been permitted tolive, ifthe thwarted sire has teemendous respect for his vietim’s nobility BOOK ONE: LAASOMBRAthe rumors about El Cid notwithstand- ing, no one is ever offered a second chance at immortality — least not by the Lasombra AMARANTH It has been said thar murder, like love, should have no witnesses. Among the Lasombra, however, this is most em- phatically not the case. In cases of the younger generation or talents. Howeve devouring the elder, the more witnesses to the deed, the better within certain parameters, of course To prevent excessive Amaranth and, more importantly, tokeep clan members from wasting too much energy worrying about which of their progeny had patricidal intentions, in recent centuries the Lasombra have formalized a practice ‘more or less in effect since Roman times, if not before. The idea behind this codification of Amaranth is as old as the concept of parentsand children: By controlling the process by which achilde commits Amaranth, you control the frequency of Amaranth as well. There’s more to the matter than that, of course, but that simple principle liesat the heart of the Courts of Blood and saves the Lasombra from the internecine strife that afflicts so many other clans, Tue Proc Any Lasombra may petition for permission to commit Amaranth. [tis simply a matter of giving a member of Amici Noctis a written request forthe Friends ofthe Night's sanction for the deed. Ideally, the petition should also contain the reasons that Amaranth is necessary, when there are equally permanentbut lessradical options available, Evidence of gross misconduct, incompetence, derangement and so on are all considered suitable additions toa petition for Amaranth. On iccasion, an accuser iscalled before the court toad substance to the weight of her petition, bur if sufficient evidence is not presented properly, tril never reaches this stage. The Courts of Blood themselves meet irregularly, usually when a crowd of Amici have gathered and one or more has been presented with a petition recently. There is no statute of limitations on this process. Some verdicts have been handed down in hours, others in decades. More than once a young Lasombra who has pestered Amici for swift resolution has found that resolution not atall ois liking, In this, the courts we teaching tools, imbuing those new to the blood with patience. (And if Lasombra cannot control himself to wait forthe answer to the question he has asked, that demonstrates quite well that the petitioner most clearly does not. 9 have his request granted.) There is method to the agenda of the Courts of Blood, and any who fail to see it will most likely find their dealings with the courts to be less than pleasant. On average, one petition in ten is granted, However, ere are always terms and conditions set upon court-sanc tioned hunts. These range from a demand that the hunter inform the prey of his intention, to barring the use of Disci- plines in the hunt, to a mandate for the slaughter all of GTC rents EO eae nas Lag Re eam re ae est a eC oe a Serre ean etme te tt Cee mee? PR ees Cong Oem ore aT UR ry eR eae rg Ce oes enews eae eae PON emr at eer Crew os ean! Se aettes Care ome React eae aay PO cca ae CoaUC fearon Sect tater tee ee Coan some rte nd ‘any and all Anyi you know but without Sa at erat Tene ae Ea CS eee eta CT POC amen ay Rae en en ae SCC mee ee affairs pale in significance to this one. Se Senet at all times. and pay very careful CCSD CS MeL aa eee COE Ss attri Pacem ete Cee ie seers ea a ae ee een) Soe e ecm ra ret aes DeSean eee ORS Ue ostean o cocmtT ts CCU eee erate ie? Cem rr one emt tet? Don't petition for permission too CeO eam marron Ty ea OS et ce ten ea CSTE Ress ae See ry Coe amet tybefore moving in for the kill. There sony one Bon that remains the same from hunt to hunt, though. that, the end ofthe chase must be witnessed. The Bath cannot be performed in solitude. At least one whosat on the sanctioning court must be present to theact of diaberi, to verify that all conditions have ftand thac the act of Amaranth is completed. Should conditions not be met, the courts’ representative will Amaranth from taking place, One does not ask lonand then flout the will that grants i most Amaranth hunts are unsuccessful. While sength of purpose can take aCainite far, the powers ie not s0e2sy to defeat. Thus, wiser petitioners wait even decades before beginning their hunt. Lasombra fon direct an approach almost always fail the Lasombra cul theirown ranks, neatly and with (Overly greedy childer are sported early and ad fatthesame time, those young vampires with potential spotted easily in the petition process. And, ifan elder Ban ambitious and properly respectful youngster, so tbe beter for the clan. Obviously, the elder did not Hhispostion;icisfarbetter hathisstrength flow toone facespread far and wide. This is the stick to the courts he combination works most effectively lOBLESSE OBLIG: Bomba have no equals among the Cainites. Ask any fev and he'll gladly cell you so, This is not to say that fea don'thave respect for Cainites of other clans; they Bfien see those others as equals. Naturally, other vam- ize (and do not appreciate) this condescension, but sy, the Lasombrahold a position of strength. With Blythestrongest Church ties of any clan, a deep-rooted peri the corridors of power and a loyal contingent of santhe Saracen sideof the Crusades, he Lasombra are ed 0 thoroughly that taking offense at Magister ipnot always a healthy thing to do. bea dull world indeed for chem. The Magisters do have = many of them even friendly — with the other ealings to be, Be Lasombra share a unique bond with the assassins; fisethe only two clans in which Muslims make up even Bl percentage ofthe ranks. While the Assamites are intheLevant, as compared tothe Lasombraconcentra ihe landsof the Almohad Empire, the helpful presence areas of Ceinite influence (particularly the infidelSetitesin Egypt) providesfora comfortable buffer between the ‘ovo groups, This allows them to respect one anothers faith without encouraging the messy details of Almohad decad in Iberia or Alamut’ssplit with mainstream Islam to cause any sort of schism. Islamic Lasombra have reasonably friendly relations with the Assamices and have even cooperated with themon several venturesaimedatreducingth hold on Egypt and the surrounding lands. Christian Lasombra, on the other hand, are perceived as being the shadowy hand behind the Crusades and, as such, have the Saracens’ undying enmity. There is, of cours, enough truth to this rumor to make it difficult for Christian Lasombra to deny it, and so when Assamites strike at Cainites in the Holy Land, Lasombra are often their first targets Unconfirmed, but eminently believable, is the whispered Assamites have agreed to help sway the Lasombra efense of Islam in the matter of the Reconquista, primarily by assassinating proponents of Chistian annex- ation within the clan, BRuAH ‘The Brujah control the beginningofthe Road to Santiago while the Lasonba hold the rest of is length; this is pethaps the only thing these two clans can actively share. While the Ventrue claim the successes of the Punic Wars as thes and theirs alone, both the Brujah and the Lasombra know better. The Rome of Publius Africanus Scipio was controlled from the shadows, not the couneil room. For that truth, the Brujah hate the Lasombra almost as much as they hate the Ventrue, which actually concems the Magisters a bit. For now, the Brujah are in al-Andalus. The fledgling kingdom of Portugal is there, andit isin that kingdom that the Brujah have decided to make their new Carthage. While the Lasombea do has much of a threat (rummbers and resources both work against them), a policy of eontain ment has been instituted. The Brajah can have Portugal if they want it; through the royal confessor, the Lasombra have port of entry any time they wish it. In the meantime, the Magisters have their own concerns. Let the Brujah try 10 rebuild acity that’s been lost too many times; that way they're not disturbing anyone ele titestrangle- news eh to the t see the Bri (On the other hand, the Magisters m ‘eradicate the few Brujah who ensconce d independent commune-states of central Italy. Zealots who can be isolated and controlled are a nuisance. Zealots in the heart of Laxombra power, dangerously near zones of conflict must be destroyed And thus, whenever possible, they ar. CApPADOCIANS The Lasombra have no use forthe Graverobbers. While the Cappadocian devotion tostudlyand faith is admirable, the fact remains that with the Cappadocians,ehereis never any end result. There is no way to measure success or failure of LIBELLUS SANGUINIS 1 given endeavor; there's just one field of study after nod The Lasombra find this maddening. Regardless of whethe Magister is trying to tame a horse, maneuver the destiny ol kingdom or reduce a single soul to ruin, there is alway moment a Lasombra can point to at which there is succes failure. Not having that moment of closure drives absolutely mad Ergo, Magisters cannot comprehend the Cappaded character in the slightest. Seeing as the Gra litle interest in politics and little use for the Church, ex as part of an empirical experiment on religion, the Lasom do their best ro ignore the Cappadocians. For the most pa this makes both clans quite happy. FoLtowers oF SET As one might expect, there is no love lost between Serpentsand the Magisters, though the antipathy is moja the Lasombra side. As the Setites predicate their actions subverting the wills of others, its not hard to understand the Lasombra loathe them. There are Lasombra finger all over the Crusader incursions into Egypt, while the Seti seemingly have set thei sights on converting the Magisters ‘masse, to their viewpoint. ‘The Setites have had justenough success inthis endea to make the Magisters extremely wary. Not surprising Lasombra work hard to neutralize and destroy any they come across, particularly in sensitive locales such Sicily Furthermore, the brazenly pagan stance of the Serpe offends the devout among the Lasombra to no end. While other clans have mostly made some adaptation tothe Ch (or to the diametrically opposed Islam), the Serits’ de worship san insult toall faithful Lasombra. Even f there no other reason for the Lasombra to hate the Serpents Cainites such as Archbishop Ambrosio Luis Mongada and ilk, the Setites faith in their “dark god” would be suf GANGREL Formal Lasombra contact with the Animals isso quent that it may be considered nones haunt the wild places of the north and east; the Lasoml prefer the civilized south and west. While Gangrl going viking are always a concer, the Lasombra prefer to leaveth Animals to their own devices. Simply pur, the Gangtel nothing the Lasombyra want, and neither they nor their ma pains are enough of a threat ro anything the Lasombra hl dear to provoke a response from the clan asa whole. Young Lasombra who run afoul of Gangrel —even it s0—are looked upon with derision by their peers and ek Iisa truism among the Magisters that Gangrel ae gene so simpleminded and unsophisticated that any Lasombray thy ofthe name should be able to tie one in knots.away — or carefully controlled. It is not a nce thar seers and madmen are often linked, or they fj, Rome. To this night, many Lasombra hold the gsand Vertue equally esponsibe forthe ruinofthe ‘ever mind the empire. asombra who have seen at ‘enturies have no love for the Madmen, and in es demanda reckoning forthe blood of centuries ately forthe Malkavians, such Lasombra are fewer ighsandoften occupied with matters on Sicilyorinal- Magisers of newer vintage sometimes, cautiously, Halavian counsel, anonymously if possible. Dereare some favors of fervor that make even the most HLacombra uneasy. The energy with which the Lepers enselves into acts of selflagellation and penance is igeven those Lasombra who are overtly Christian can .Tothese Lasombra, Nosferatuare anathema, no valuable their information might be. Less serupu- haveused their pesition inthe Church, however, pon Nosferatu religious devotion, extracting far more Lepers than a secular bargain might have yielded. good or ill, the sharper-eyed among the Lasombra noticed the resonance between the appearance of quand outbreaks of plague and other diseases that the blood. Drawing the right conclusions for all the ons, these Lasombra have decided to protect their paring Nosferau from theirdemesnes. The Nosferatu way in regardless, of course, but such Lepers tend to fmore circumspect about trips to plague pits and the h cut down on the incidence of the illnesses they embre don't like Ravnos. Ravnos are bringers of @ arguably more so chan the Malkavians, and can lice destructive chaos into a Magister's most carefully ns, However, biter centuries of experience with the has demonstrated the folly in attempting to deal «the Ventrue announce their bans and the consequences. Instead, Lasombra do encourage Ravnos to move through their lands to pmainsof others. In Italy, for example, many Lasombra best to help passing Ravnos migrate — due north. There ae several things the Artisans and the Magisters interestin the Church (though for different reasons), ted estimate of their own worth and a concern for beautiful things. As such, while the Lasombra still regard the Toreador as feckless and the Toreador see the Lasombra as soulless, members of the two clans still come to frequent accommodations. Rome, in particular, is an area of confluence for the two clans. Many Toreador scek patrons within the Church, while Lasombra princes of the church are more than happy to sponsor those artists who will proclaim God's glory and their own. The art ofthe taifasisanother magnetto Artisans of more artistic taste, and traveling to Grenada, for example, requires obtaining permission from those Lasombra whose domains the traveler would cross. Of course, the Lasombra are only t00 happy to grant this permission, in part to demonstrate to the rest ofthe world the quality oftheir possessions, and also, in part to remind the curious Toreador of the favor for ever after. TREMERE ‘Among the Lasombra, there isa grudging respect fr the way in which the Tremere seized immortality for themselves On the other hand, admiration for the performance of a diffcul feat does not mandate an admiration fr the ones who performed it, and few Lasombra see anything worthwhile in the Tremere. In fact, the Tremere ae viewed almost as amore dangerous version of the Cappadocians es eared but with a will co put their knowledge to practical use “The war raging between the Tremere and Teimisce suits the wishes of the lord of Castel dOmbro and his childer. With Tuck, the Usurpers and Finds will eliminate each other without ever stirring from their Godforsaken corner of the world to trouble the night in better places. ‘TziMisce The alliances one makes ae sometimes curious. To the Lasombra,rulership i all, while co the Tsimisce i is merely a means toan end. Dealing with a Tzimisce i often an exercise in futile fora Magister, forthe Fiends rarely ave useforwhat the Lasombra offer. Still, thereisan undeniable nobility tothe Teimisce,alien though it ight be. Like the Lasombra, the Fiend understand theirplace in the world tobe above the ruckand run of mortals and other Cainites — and from that shared elevation, something of an understanding has grown up. The Lasombra and Tsimisce may not like each other, but they understand each other on a certain level and that makes for a degree of acceptance, if not est. VENTRUE If the Lasombra see themselves as those who control events and master policy, then they perceive the Ventrue as petty nobles fresh in from the hinterlands, too stupid to use anything but the sword to get their way and holding to no civilized standard of honor. The conflict raging in northem_ Italy — particularly with the imposition of Frederick II as emperor and later the Hohenstaufens, has only exacerbated this disdain. “Who are these Ventrue,” the Lasombra ask, “to BOOK ONE: LASOMBRAuse brute force to steal what we have labored to creat Concordat of Worms, which reinforced papal ind. the victory of the Church-backed Lombard League af cities over Emperor Frederick Barbarossa 1 at Legnano tf age of Sicily to the Angevins and thence to the hou Aragon —all have the hallmarks of Lasombra disdain foe Ver ‘Matters are not quite so bad in the Holy Land, at point of picking off Ve whenever they can. However, the Lasombrs ea victory or even credit give we Ventrue are just a pale ima Lasombra, mistaking rulership for dominion, mandi vior for honor, and the occasional triumph of for sill To a true Lasombra, any Cainite who exchanges freedom of will or power, even ifthat power is enough toca Heaven itself, is fool. To make a master of a devil i the ‘ofa coward who fears his own mind; should Satan stp forth Earth, many Lasombra will reer him with respect but with subservience. Foraccording to the Lasombra mindset, the Baal have ver they know is borrowed, and they mal poor trade to get it. And, while che effects of Daimonion inly deserving of fear, the wielders of that poweral hells, not even worthy of pity. To a Magister's way Baali should be treated exactly for what he inisspliton ¢ rily because of Saulot himself. The rumors the father ofthis bloodline when he returned from his oj east — talk of deals struck wid blood, but also life itself, stories ofshambling corpses ing souls escaped from Hell, and monstrosities that dag green worms, all bent to Saulor’s will — were disquieting the other hand, the hatred the Tremere hold for th makes it worthwhile to support the F n than to watch the Usurpers' impotent rage Tue Kiasyp lesson certain Lasombra delving haph roots of Obtencbration learned during the re Apostate.accounts of the occasion, lovingly kept by ant in the drama, indicate that the re icfLasombraled them tocreateaotion ofthe dlefae whom the vampires had captured, aswell essences and other, less identifiable, things. dient, however, came when the three trafficked Rlorshaman from one of the countless Teutonic something the sorcerer labeled the "blood of hgodof the underworld.” ‘actually in the potion the wizard sold was deal more interesting — what, exactly, no but not quite what the hapless Lasombra td his sponsors were aiming for. As all of their Gilealations” were based on the supposition that in sold the real goods by the mysterious wizard se, was never heard from again), it was not a atthe experiment went horribly wrong vas rapidly changed by the substance he fring taller, thinner and even paler. His eyes sof inky black, his skin acquired a sheen that low and his features took on a pronounced fae to sy, other Lasombra noticed, more, the clan elders were displeased, not with impressionable Marconius (who had not been shadow and, in all probability had been tricked fg the tinted blood) and certainly not with his athisnew stare. Interestingly, the two Cainites who slthechanges in Marconiusdid their best rodisown fyfortheirhandiwork, but tonoavail. Innocentto tyofhismistake, Marconius identified them with elder in the vicinity were livid with the whole thorized blood experimentation? Trafficking (and then not even discovering the wizard’ risk of offending the fae? All of these were asthat the noble experimenters had neglected to For theircarelessnes, they were destroyed. himself was exiled from Lasombra company and peeste childer. However, most Magistersheld the the strange looking vampire would not be long even if he did (as they expected) attempt to {One elder even mentioned privately that he'd Jee Marconius go because he'd received word from Blonds that they were interested in punishing the rest subject. perhaps, a mistake; the Unseelie fae apparently Gldup their end of the bargain. Instead, as rumor has foe actualy aided Marconius with his studies of fatin, and even bestowed some of their magical Gpon him. Those who deal with the Kissyd have these enigmatic vampirescall their fae (or perhaps fey!) powers “Mytherceria,” though they are kno practice the Lasombra Disciplines of Potence and Obtencbration as well. Marconius and his line were not heard from by the other Lasombra until late in the 12ch century, when they resurfaced in Strasbourg. Many members of Amici Noctis recognized Marconius from the panicked Ventrue reports of the “strange creatures” who had driven them forth, There followed a brief and hurried consultation ofthe Friends of the Night, at which point it was decided to do, nothing. After all, Marconius was bothering the Ventrue, and Strasbourg was hundreds of miles from areas of| Lasombra strength. These days the only pointof contact that the Kiasyd and: Lasombra have is at the library. As research seems to be the primary focus of Kiasyd existence, and as they have shown remarkable persistence in goingafter materials they desi the point of walking through walls to get them), Amici Noctis have decided to humor those few Kiasyd and allow them reasonable access to Lasombra-held libraries. The Kiasyd seem tohold no residual grudges over the ill treatment oftheir progenitor, and Marconius himself has stared that he is ‘past the need for vengeance.” While this is something of a small relief to those Lasom banishment, the fact remains that the Kiasyd are so few that even if they did hold a grudge, they possess neither the strength nor the numbers to do anything about it. New Trairs Merits AND FLAWS ReuGious PROHIBITION: (2-4 pT FLAW) Taken from Hebrew orlslamic stock, yougrewupstrongly religious. Parcof that religion, however, isadietary restriction forbidding you to taste blood. Even animal blood is forbidden to you by law, and you find yourself racked by pangs of conscience every time you feed. actually involved in Marconius’ This is a variable-point Flaw. At 2 points, you simply restrict yourself to feeding on animals or blood that has been drained by a ritual butcher. At 4 points you abstain from feeding unless it is absolutely necessary (3 Blood Points or less), and even then you may well fall into pits of self- flagellating despair. CLoaken IN SHADOW: (4 pr Flaw) ‘The shadows come to you even when you do not call them, wrapping themselves around you like a cloak in co stant motion. This makes youstand out in any crowd, and you canno longer passfor “normal” even when youso wish. Other Cainites may well avoid your company, being discomfited by your strange affliction. Lasombra in particular find you un BOOK ONE: LASOMBRApleasant company (+2 difficulty on all Social rolls) because your inability to master your shadows demonstrates a failure of will on your par: Markeb For Dearu: (2-5 pr Fiaw) The Courts of Blood have found against you and at least one fledgling is now hot after your blood. While you probably ccan defeat this threat on your own, the wait is maddening, Furthermore, there is the implied insult bound up in the court’s decision — your peers obviously feel that you are incompetent and need to be replaced. After all, even if you defeat one would-be diablerist, there is no guarantee you won't be hunted by a second, or a thie. The point cost of this Flaw varies, depending upon the strength of the Cainie who has been granted permission to hunt you, the conditions laid upon the hunt and whether or not the court has seen ft to inform you of your current status. Consult with your Storyteller to see what the details of your situation are — and how many she'll share with you, Prestigious Conressor: Cf pt Merit) You have been granted the favor ofonfession with one ofthe ranking priests amongthe Lasombra. Ths providesyou with aecessto one ofthe “posters that be" in the clan, aswell as providi you with a certain prestige among your equals. Afterall, it was you who was called tothe cathedral, nt they. LIBELLUS SANGUINIS 1 OF course, given time and the appropriate backgs youmay become aconfessor ofthis sort ra all sortsof interesting information —subject tothe sancti the confessional booth, of course DISCIPLINES Dark Hunter OBTENEBRATION LEVEL EIGHT) ‘A Dark Hunterisa shadowy duplicate ofthe summon ‘vampire himself. simulacrum made entirely of shadow, Dark Hunter appears as a shadowy silhouette of the vamp right down to the weapons, clothes and so foreh. (Uni items willbe duplicated inform, though they donor net Indeed, a a distance, the Dark Hunter may well be mis for its master. A summoned Dark Hunter will do nothing until give «quarry. Once the target has been assigned, however, the Dl Hunter is relentless in stalking him, never resting (xe during hours of daylight) until the chase is finished. How thatdoesn't mean thatthe Huncerisstupid or self-destruct single-minded does not necessarily mean simpleminded pon instruction, a Dark Hunter can subdue or say its arg ne victim back to its master by wha in the former caefilable. Contrary to rumor, the Hunter cannot van- Mow end transport itself “home”; it must ‘of ground between it and its master. On ion is accomplished, however, it vanishes in- ming o whatever dark realm from which it came m To summon a Dark Hunter, the player rolls [Leadership (difficulty 8), “feeds” the newly sum- gow 5BloodPointsand nvestsapoint of Willpower fteture some permanence. However, the creature etuntl givens targetand instructions. Tofix atarget signature” of the one being hunted. Once thats Huner ses off at once. Hunter possesses the same Attributes as the Svho crested it, down to Willpower. However, the Fuse ofDisciplinesislimited to Unseen Presence only. Pes cases tha is more than enough. fe Nit Shades (from the Dark Ages Companion), take damage normally, as well as from fire and RA Dark Hunter supposedly can speak (in the voice of fiecreator), but there are none alive today who can TCHERNABOG: (OBTENEBRATION Levet Nine) Far more showy than: froma Slavie word meaning “black god.” Ie isa fiting title, as thisart grantsits wielder the ability to literally lack out the un ssary, this power'sname derives By invoking this power, aLLasombra blots out the sky with darkness. The moon, the sta byan inky blackshroud chatstretches from hori ‘There are precisely three Lasombra who have demon- strated mastery ofthis power: Lasombra himself, Montano and a Magister of Greek heritage formerly known as Boukephos. ‘These three steadfastly refu and those who press too hard for this knowledge run the risk of incurring the displeasure of these three elders. ‘System: The player spends two Willpower points for the Cainite, The effects of this power last precisely one hour, at which point the darkness fades away. The powers of this veil of blackness are such that while itis in effect, a vampire can walk about at midday and not fel any ill effects from the sun. Thedarknessof Tehernabogis complete, and under tsshadow even lanterns and torches seem dim and weak. Otherwise the darkness conforms to that summoned forth by the (Obtenebration power Nocturne ‘even the sun —all are covered mn cohorizon, to teach this art to any others, Alii 2i i} IN Ly INNSRING DARKNE erence Se eye ton Soe ane Ser ee pen 3 ee eet ackness which cover the eyes of the rendering him effectively blind and giving hima ee eee nore than a littke trouble with their hy ar unnatural ste Rene can erecst LT eee ase es econ as Cereatat Successes Duration ee while still maintaining Geena ect Obtenebration 3, Potence 3 Se use of Dark Ste Peete ey f furniture, from within the st Sire is Pease oreach point thus ewe ea ee Seer eee and takes d eae rn! Reeerone nttiLORD OF THE CHauRCcH Quotes I find your lack of devotion disunbing. However, L had expected as much, which is why T took the precaution of obiaining these...papers from Rome Tl let you look them over, then reconsider your position on the disposition of those lands. Prelude: In an age when foot soldiers are considered “esidue” by their lordsand che middle class isnonexistent the Church is the one avenue of social advancement for an enterprising young man with intelligence and enough coin to buy his way into the appropriate monastery. Such were your beginnings, and while your devotion to the forms and figures of doc trine was impeccable, your faith always vasa cold thing. You were always more interested in your abbey’ lands, hold- § ings, tithes and treasutes. And, as, you showed a knack for such things, you found yourself as suming more and more responsibility forthe abbey's finances. As your control grew, sodid the influences under yourcontrol. Ashrewddip- lomat, you used the fear of damnationtogetlandown- ers and nobles to wil their property to the Church so thar more and more of the sur- roundingareabecame your province. Eventually, your coperationsartracted the notice and admiration of a local bishop who passed word along to his masters ‘They came ovisit youone Roodimassnightandealked with you in your cell wncil nearly dawn. Before leav- ing, though, they gave you a day to consider their f- ‘Needless to say, you accepted and joined the rankseft Maistre following night ‘Concept: You serve s a traveling nuncio for the! and the Lasombra, working to further the ends ofboth. i the Levant to al-Andalus, you've worked your silver‘ ‘magic on the recalcitrant, the fearful and the heretical always both of your masters have benefited. When sng persuasion has failed, you've been known to employ oti methods, bucalways for he benefit ofthe Church andthed Aer all, the greater good is what matters Roleplaying Hints: Given time, everyone makes takes. That's why you'te always willing to grant othes ti You are cold and caleulating, yet scrupulously formal can find faule with your manners, but there's somethil indescribably disconcerting about you. You do your be cultivate this discomfort in others as it gives you the uy hand in your business dealings If it distances you from insocial situations, well, that’s a sacrifice you're quit wil to make. Equipment: Habit, horse, serollssealed with the signa various Church officials, crucific and rosary, shorthand QEZE Sac fee AERP‘And Sule wishes our help against the Christian Te-would sem chat they are wnaware of our sBorninto the nobility ofa small city stare in the a, you spent your formative years learning En olering and ciplomacy. Al three were neces- the Chisans steadily marching closer and the Bios fanatics in North Africa making noises about Jand ofall unbelievers. Neither side promised to Sympathetic to the city of poets and philosophers fbi, so you watched your father play Bbe other. He directed the Chri made al ofthe pi imams needed tohear and kept the dream olive But he died, as kings are wont to do, and the responsibili- ties of the throne descended upon you You had not learned the dance well enough before hedied, how- ever, and slowly but surely, your drew closer. All seemed lost the night the tal stranger en tered your bedchamber. He commanded you to listen to him, and you found yourselfunableto nove. Herecited your litany of woes and offered solutionstoeach Fascinated, you listened, and before dawn, You implemented the stranger's suggestions and lo! your troubles lesiened. A year to the night later, he returned and ‘noted how well you had feared your lessons. He then offered you a place in the greatest academy of caliphs and kings, the clan of Montano. Eagerly, you accepted, and you have ruled fromthe shadowsever since. Soon, yousuppose, youshall have "and give the throne over to another, but the power will always be yours, now and forever. Concept: With one eye on the Berbers across the sea and the other on the encroaching Christians, you area player in the great political game of the Reconquista. Keeping your own tuifa safe from the fanatics on either side is your goal, and to smplish it you'll gladly sacrifice whatever is necessary, I's I polities, nothing personal Roleplaying Hints: The safety of your tifa comes fist and foremost. You will deal with Abriman himself —in fact, you suspect you already have — in order to keep the walls Lnbreached. While you ate still uncomfortable with some of the details of your new existence, as the Qu'ran forbids the drinking of blood, you find that what you have learned! more than makes up for your discomfort. And if tonight you can do this for one city, what will tomorrow night hold? Or the night ater. Equipment: Robes of tate, scimitar attendants, jewelry, access to the scrolls of the Qu'ran \ (es ausMaster BELow THE STAIRS Quotes I am quite aware of what the master thinks he requires. Heis, ofcourse, wrong. Follow these instructions instead, and remember whose displeasure you're more likely 0 incur by disobeying Prelude: You were born to service, but never did anyone dream that you would rise as high as you did. Anyone but you, that is — you knew early on that you would rather die than continue to be common. Let your dullard brothers and sists toil as serfs and eke out survival from the soil. You saw the splendor and the gold that the wealthy possessed, and you wanted it, So you took service in a noble house atan early age, ge at which a young boy i likely to catch the eye of great lord with tastes the Church might frown upon, And while your duties as catamire ended after awhile, by then you had made yourself indispensable to the household staf, who were as nobility to the res ofthe servants. Even with your bedchamberservicearan end, you founda position for yourself among the hierarchy of servants and worked your way to the top of it. Before long, al of the household affairs were in your hhands—the wine cellars, the kitchen, the privy purse — and while your master may have claimed that the house was his, you knew better It was yours. The local Magister agreed, He visited one night and had a long discussion with you, primarily about whether or not it was appropriate for a servant to usurp his master's place. Your argument was that i¢ was entitely correct to do so, presuming the servant knew his business better than the master di. laughed and offered you the opportunity to put your theory to the test. You accepted, sensing an opportunity for even further advancement. The rest has heen, ifnothing else, a learning experience, Concept: You are absolute master of your world, regard less of what the lord you serve thinks. The sare yours to.command, the estate's moneys yours to plunder. The house andall decisions made regardingitare under your control, and s0 is your master. While to che outside world you appear as, mply the estate's reeve, the more sinister truth is known to few. However, those who plotted against your master have found youa far more challenging opponent than he could ever be, Roleplaying Hints: Follow form and procedure exactly You know who istosit where at the table, which wine is to be served to each guest, and how much the stableboy thinks he's getting away with stealing. Of course, you are beyon with such perty concerns yourself, and so you have one ofthe servants handle everything that needs doing. Without sions or excessive show, leave no doubt that you are in command at all times. abacus ipment: Fine servant's livery, thin-bladed digIGHTER OF THE Poo ever iy 10 cloister me again, Pll cut out your Guo you gave me. Have | made myself clear he only child of your father’s firse wif, it Gsasifyou would behisheiras wel. Assuch, he bit more liberal with you than he should have gouriding fencing, falconry and other*men's though it was your future husband who stood to g (and the artemprs to marry you off grew Bre fiequent as you grew older), Papa had enough you thar he gave you some leeway in your il and “untadylike” is what the others called fal fr their opinions? ih you went from only child to extra one, and Prospects of inheritance, vied up. Left iageable daughter and you were the terror of your cloister until you came to the attention of a Magistra. She had no patience for your impieties orselfish fits but liked what she saw of your independent streak and unexpected skills. Having said you'd rather die thar become a nun, you made good on your word and resurfaced in the outside world as a member of the Lasombra. Concept: Accustomed to certain freedoms, you reacted poorly to having them taken away from you. Currently you dwell asa scandal and a thorn in your stepmother’s side —she takes your reappearance and shocking behavior as dagger thrusts at the “family honor" she seeks to co-opt forthe sake of her brat. While none are certain of how you maintain your extravagant “lifestyle,” umorsflow fast and furious. Youselect the most outrageous and fan them — ithelpsyoupass the time. Roleplaying Hints: You are not now, nor have you ever been, ‘just awomnan.” Youcan nun, ride, fight anddo just about anythingelseas well asa man (ifnotbetter),and youaren'tshy about proving it. Asan only child (as far as you're concerned, ‘yourhalf-brother isa bastard), youare used toreceivinga great deal of attention, and should others not grant you your due, you ate easily angered. Equipment: Man's riding outfit, short sword, faleoner's love, rosaryevents work out exc ‘ fomemn nren etic A Lasombra should not need to set off I Pn oe Te Te er Tete i asi Recenter Secs For, while the clan has made excellent us folie nye nae Poise taneyMagistri have had their suspi st bodies — church and state Nie Pan uae een ree cions as to how precisely those two au aes) Sieeceeten meer ere Ser Tea Cae een deni nos to create the im the sign c a in the sky outside of Rom 27th of October, 312. The audience for this illus Emperor Constantine, soon totake the fieldagainst een me ena eens torians of the clan say, that drove the nominally sympathetic Constantine into a whole-hearted embrace of Christian: ity. Ergo, Montano, and hence the Lasombra bear the responsibility for making the empire a Christian one Critics of this theory — and there are many, not including those enmity Seren etna ear te ine Pecomconnty vias gonna ies ee Mena uene nln Dene Ree Bite sheer illogic of Constantine's vision — why did no one else in Rome see this sign from above? — rings contraty to all that is known about the way the Ravnos’ power of illusiot Seen everaman of direct action and uncompromising honor Rc m accent en nl wae ern! Tint Finally, there is the Pema rec stent rer ierece tentean mel int Relat influ stion of why exactly Montano w enn Sates nin nce on the empire and that Rome had once Lasombraplayground, there remainsthe ineluctable fact that Monta himself had not the slightest Christian leanings. If Lasombra’s child wished to strengthen Constantine's martial spirit, a manifestation the competing Mithraic faith might well have served better. Turning the other cheek is an admirable doctrine, but it doesn’t lend itself well to small-unit tactics. This argument sets the conspiracy theorists « again, wild with speculation that pethaps Montano chose the rela tively pacitistic Christian belief deliberately in hopes of calm mutinous Empire So the rumors swirl, each more nonsensical than the last. An. ree RS Cu Rc in ee ent Sete ae Ree ete er erecta On een et tere art eee hea oe ren te ata nn erent would be alone and outside of the city, and perk every logical refutation of the argument that level-h Pato en ean cen nn ene eee Ty And, as the idea's supporters continuously point ont, Montano Tarocen eS area ee ee him ierfo Castle with a Ho ply, Trae, piaries be wee eostioe so callers!Welcome, traveler! thousand welcomes! lam Boleslav Volhyny,voivode of..ll you survey. Allow me to introduce ry scions ani delights. This is Borvo}, tall and sinewed like alin, pride of hissire. Next is Oleg, master of the hunt, the ‘one who escorted you beneath my eaves. (Nay, Oleg, pue that down; you alarm our guest! Allin due time...) Gentle Luimilla isso shy she seands away in shadow it isshe who toys withthe traps—ah! You must forgive Drahomira;she can be regrettably forward. For so long as you sojourn beneath my roof, we stand ready o offer youll the hospitality ofthe East. Speakest thou Slavonic?No? Well, then, Ishall discourse with youin your angot. You will forgive my poor dition — the legions never penetrated this far into our lands, and so my Latin comes from the hooks dearest Myea sends me as cu- ios... My pardon; of course you know nothing of such mates. What is your name, honored guest? Eh? Beg pardon, gentle sir, I did not understand. Ah, Stephen. A Christian name. He was a.saint, was he not? You so many saints...but then, 1 suppose, Christians have a regrettable predilec tion for dying in one form of agony ot another. Pity You will beso kind a to forgive the somewhat. rmodations. Here across the Elbe we are not s0 civilized as your fine what we lack innice- ties, assure you, we make upfor in meticulousattentiveness. Butthen, that is why your Teuton wolflings hurl theraselves on us like overea- gerlovers..the Drang nach Osten, believe a few of your chantry-wags prophetically dub it. Nay —don't bother to deny, good Stephen. I is true what they whisper. The Blood calls tous, yes indeed. Lamold, but Lyet know the scent ofa Tremete consor, oneal battened ‘on Usurper vitae. We Teimisce can smell it. Not suprising, really — it smells similar to our own. Remarkably similar. Almost identical, if truth be known. But enough of that. We are curious, Stephen. If nothing ese, vein the Eastare known forour cordial hospitality. Why, then, ona night like this, when the fogexeeps ow through the wales and the hills shiver withthe howls of wolves, did you think to lurk outside our fortress walls? Procrustean accom: ‘What is that? You meant no offense? My dear boy, none taken! Your wizardly masters may cloister themselves in their towers, glowering balefully on strangers, but we Tzimisce are an open and trusting folk. Indeed, our reputation for recep- tiveness is matched only by our reputation for mercy. Would you notagree, Stephen? What isit your masterscall us, as they fearfully scan the night from their battlements? LIBELLUS SHNGUINIS { Why, Stephen, you are pale and shaking! Did I not say that the night air might prove bad for your health? T had thought to let you pass the night and leave come the morn, butyouseem gripped with illnesst That setlesit, hen — you shall stay with us indefinitely, and we shall work our ats of physick upon you, that you might be made...sell. What — ch, do not think to thank us! Irs the smallest task, and one to which we shall set with alacrity! Afterall, save for the stimulating diversion your Tremere masters have recently seen fittooffer, there is litle tooccupy usin the Olsl County. No, we stand ready to provide our fullest attention to you tonight: and the night after...and the night after...and for Ahh — devils take that noise! Ole some selachta to quiet that infe send al shrieking! Yes, 20, go! Now, then — why, dearest Stephen, once more you are rattling in your ions! ‘What discommodes you so? Truly you seem beset with the live! is well chat you rest here and enjoy the benefices of our ministations. But my question remains unanswered Stephen. Why, rather than simply requesting admittance, did you endanget your health by snuffling about our forti- fications in the chill night Oh, my dear Stephen, no need for such histrionies! understand. You were ignorancof ourcustomns. Eminently ea sonable. Your soreerous employers umed and wise, but they have grown distant feom the Folk, and are oceasionally remiss in matters ofproto- col. Ie is well, perhaps, that we Teimisce are such a forgiving people; in some quater, such ignorance could go so far as to provoke unpleassntries intendedas. such intol let ussay, “retributive.” But - is for werewolves, ot bloody-handed usurp- ers. Since you obviously came to my fifdom with only the best of intentions, seeking erudition with only the g good will, we would be honored to speak with youconcerning the ways of ot kind. Even more, we insist that you recipro cate by telling us of yourself and your masters, and the errind con which you came...and should your memory fal, of illness still your tongue, rest assured that we have countless meansof igniting the mind and spici. And so now we shall speak of many things —of the Old ‘Country, and our line, and our ways, and most especially of you, dearest Stephen. Such leisurely discourse is, after all, an (old Carpathian custom, We are a tradition-bound folk, you see, and abide by many such conventions. We wish you the best of health, that you may stay long with us and partake of them all,ING A DiscOURSE ONCERNING THE IENDS OF THE AST By Celery, Childe of Etrius, Childe of Tremere The Damned Children of Caine are many; peasants Riper rightfully of monstrous corpses tearing themselves Rchurchyards and crossroads to stalk darkened village andyetthereare more among thevampyr’skindthan the prt are aware. Mayhap itis best that mankind remain frat. Through the halls of the lords che monsters creep; the villas ofthe merchants they steal; yea, even amid piesofthe Church they stalk, that they might partake in jom unholy communion; and now, through the inge- of Goratrix ancl our Master, we walk among them. We of House Tremere are little loved, even among the or wrongful bearers; and though all the manifold ofthe undead bear malice and rancor toward us ourdeed ed particular injury upon two of their ancestral stains. oneis oflittle consequence, its children scattered and sire alas, we were not so thorough with the other, and hat oversight we and the world shall be forever plagued. Theleamed reader must forgive the dire and doleful one thsork. I would wonder little ifhe should judge me ridden spersitionsof the ignorant, with their talk ofelvesand sand demons; nd yet Ihave walked among the shadows ‘ales beyond the Elbe, in Sclavia, and I have met the jst incarnate devils They call themselves the Tzimisce Like bloated spiders, he Tsimisce have laired in the East since the nights following the Flood. The earth groansbeneath their tread, and their subjects cower in terror from their evil stare. They are wicked and wise; their memory is long, and I think they will hace us forever. Theyarefearedeven amongthe Damned, and itis with these monsters, the embodiments of at we must contend with if we wish to assert our place in the hierarchy of Hell. Verily, mighty Goratrix has set before us a task indeed; I am honored that he deems us so worthy of its execution, THE Otp Country Irissensible, methinks, robegin any dialogue concerning e Teimisce with an overview of their land — their “O Country” —which we have invadedand violatedand ravage and in deference to which they will not cease theira tuntil all bearing the sobriquet “Tremere” lie bloodless and broken beneath the ancestral soil. They are nothing if not med “Fiends"; no slight angers them so ion of Domain if the Tsimisce are indeed territorial, these much as the vio -vampiresatall, rather dark geniiofthesoil, for they seem the veriest icons of this malignant land into which we have cast ourselves The learned reader may scoff at that last supposition: No material boundary separates one side of the Elbe from the other; no wall kept the Magyars from their devil's errands; Teutons cress freely on this mission and that, and Rome of old marched into the dark forests bordering the Danube. But | remember when I walked, forthe firs time, into Transylvania and, though I was yet mortal, I felt overwhelmed with a palpable malaise. [felt as though, with my every breath, a miasma akin to the black fetor of the marshes entered my lungs. And now, though I breathe no more Iyer feel that the land reaches out invisibly to constrict me, like the wyrms that lair in the Scottish locks. BOOK TWO: TZIMISCEThe soil is old here, and spiteful, and saturated with the Mood of eons. It was here, amid the crags and vales wh rakes coil and rusaka beckon invitingly with dead hands, that House Tremere came, in defiance of the shortsighted among the Order. Itwas House Tremere who alone realized thar the matic of the West was ebbing, quenched in the Blood of Christ; that only in the lands of the East would Hermetic masters ave a chance to unearth that greatest of secrets, the philosopher's stone of life eternal. The Tzimisce unearthed that secret long ago, it seems. Their dead flesh isa veritable repository of vs; their blood, an elixirof blasphemous life. Indeed, such is the Fiends' connec tion to their ancestral holdings that they grow profoundly dliscomfited should they be forced to rest without immersing themselves in issoil. A Teimisce can know peace only when lying deep in a grave, surrounded by the earth of the ancient homeland, Ihave watched captive Fiends writhe and moan in the night, their very bodies contorting as their unholy need consumed them, MAsTERs OF THE LAND Lam oft consulted for my knowledge regarding our foes, for [have had the privilege and horror of serving the House as an infiltrator and spy. Blessed as Iam with certain aptitudes related to the channeling of blood-sorcery within my own body, I have developed rituals enabling me to exacerbate the expansionist migration; indeed, the notion ofa pola ined German-Slav struggle was the fiction of propagandists as the Pan-Slavic movement (andy Jater the Nazis). Remember, too, that Ventrue a thellke often use peaceable migrations as pretext nocturnal invasions oftheir own, actively campaigning in Prussia uncil the 13th. tury. However, the idea of savage religious sti between brutal Christian crusaders and brutal pag ‘voivodesisto0 cinematic to leave out ofthis book O the Teutonic Knights by a few years, allowing the § Prusian Conquest to begin around 1195 or so nisce vitae. In this ahi can occlude my lineage and thereby walk among the Fen peculiar pungency unique to one of them. Sucha subterfuge would quickly prove tang cent in mote peaceable times, but recent upheavals disrupted the age-old “families” and territories, ands ‘mannerofrootlessnomads walk the nights ofthe Oli Cai Questions remain unasked, suspicions stay unvoiced an by such fortune that I have been able to observe thei froma peripheral (albeit too close for my own liking!) van point. My firsthand experiences have been much augment the testimonies ofthose Fiends whom we have had theft of taking captive and putting to the question. In pat Cori’ dungeonsimprison two, Yaroslav and Devanayap “mates,” or those who participate in the obscene Bl commingling rituals ubiquitous amongthe Fiends. They 4s, of course, and their “courtship” seems to have rene them proof againstthe Blood Oath, but we have gleaned rusts of useful lore among the vitriol thae they his an 1 shamefully confess that I have stolen into tele ettes at night, bearing small vials of blood, and fed itt starving wretches, that they might be disposed 10 i secrets tome. They will never tust me, ofcourse, andl me even less, but they seem to recogn stance and desice for peace between our two lnes...0 a they are disposed to humor the bearer of food. Through kindness I have established a rapport of sorts with thea tures, and have learned much...though methinks [ ¥ sleep better of days had they told me less! CONCERNING THE FiENDS ‘They make no pretense of humanity, these night in their veins, they say, human blood is eransmuted mystic “dead water” of regional folktales. This “dead wi makes them one with the gods and forever divorced moral cares. This attitude manifests itself inthe Tsimisce dg toward those who provide chem with food and foe display little humility, che Ts diurnal moans of guilt and horror over what Ihave be The passage into undeath is no curse, no damnation, initiation into an ancient and terrible nobility. OF monsters haunting Sclavia’s nights, the Tris a masters; those who displease them, or te ‘or eross their paths at inopportune times, seldom repeal certo. Its the noble’ right to exert authority overhisk such is Gods plan. Yer inthe running oftheir estatesanl dire punishments they devise for the mortal wretches ever so slightly, I can see only the hand of Satan ice landholderscall themselves many things th the term “voivode” seems to be most common. T svoivedes make their lait in great fortresses overlaying sce; not for them mpd asson the Deof superstition. smentioned, soivodes are profoundly territorial -honored greeting estate with the eoivode's the ery nights, when there was yer fibridge leading to the vivode's dom: Bfshudderome things seemingly conjured fom the iofHell: the nightmare horde wasled by Szercka, Wis childe. This worthy greeted me most politely, flcome, honored gues! A thousand welcomes! Gece and goin tranquillity neither imp nord Hike wile the House of Raissko watches! On the ood onthe lead water, chs swear!” [responded Bgipproximating kind, which seemed to please thi insfarasone can discern aught fromth Fens call faces fortruction oftheir castes, the Teimisce a fisanyone in the West; I care not what the empire's ifbarkarous Sclavia. I have seen the great turrets fepansive enough to swallow entire cities of men. fkalewas no exception. Upon arrival atthe mans, Aoverthebridge and into the presence ofthe great self A ful even fet he stood, al garbed in finery fndebon, surrounded by his childer, who were many e among the cla, fasta prey is plentiful and easily obtained). 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JOOS 4p Jo uidunjday, puaypsdwoasturag furary yp wos yp Suypt995 ‘aren suoRpesu3e a1/9K9 pue suo|ssed 23e9]82up OF Hq IM “4ajorup 20 souessuoa 204 spoau wewny Ayes 1 Afps9Ut 200 uupyeuapun are sue pu suods sp 2eyp st spuaty atp anoge pueisiopun maj aey\ “soonoead atop osegop pue areas] fjsnoaueyjmunysoast sn aw wey. pio Aue Aq possounts [ey J]e2 62 ang *AssyMegop pure “694 ‘oumHO: sem BBOKLL “OPIN Jo soup] puesnoyp & aay] | yBHoup Ypos Au UIEIS 194205 Ties 3 3e3p | spassounn [ey Jo apa UA UeD [9194 PUY “saaoswoy2 osmue spuaiy ox YoryK yuu sounsed soup Sofus or ax04p ‘Ie JMO] ¥ Or pallial 944 UOUYySpy WAR Howse Tremere, migh forus thatnightshall never come. Clan Teimisce usasit i fightful; our trespass is bu che lates in ievines and vendettas which the rulers of the rf every Teimisce pportunity to wound while the former's attention lies with us. yet another of their ancient and ends, Trials by W: Ba by ne soivode against another — are events of and circumstance. Hcl war, the ageressor must surreptitiously stalk Fone among the rival's herd or servitors, on the riva’s ferivalswithin her rights todestroy the trespasser at shoul he be caught.) The aggressor must bear the gntiedom, whereupon he mustflay the kin rom nthishide he must formally inscribe his decla- giving the rival rime to prepare forthe invasion. p the Tsimisce are not much more prone to gomncustomsthan are most Children of Caine (or that matter!) Ihave personally borne witness to ‘of one voivode against another, with little fprotocol. Such tacties may prove effective, but Btho routinely flout the time-honored customs com: Bir the wrath of the clan as a whole. (Gorynich ftheclder whom Goratrix slew to brew the potion fat his neighbors did not immediately throw their inst our House.) ge of the losers demesne, along with all herds and Bred wiuodes generally receive the Amaranth, {shints bear out my observation that many such, ictorhiswillingly,notwishingtobeartheshame es (Additionally, che defeated often levies a Beashe gives up his vitae, enjoining all manner of paleictions in hopes tha erwillever suffer blood will grow x being under the yoke ofthe tbeyare perish during the Trial by W: piven tothe vitor’schilder, but iis not entirely forsurvvor to escape into the wilds, thereto lead pushardscrabble existencesJ another custom, one self while simulta- Ie seems that when, reby acquires the fon the land likewise eing the case, the victo- vanguished’s land, mortals re become the vietor's property. This riouswoivade, and his chi juired herds, There they enact a celebratory flaunting their nature before the idarmies, often descend on the spread to all within the demesne. THE Packs (Certain Tsimisce have escaped our House's retribution to take up fugitive untives in the wilds. Obeying instincts even as they rue their exile, such o together in packs” of various numbers and or and mastele pledgingservice and shelter. Whe must make do in the werewolf-haunted wilds gether, or survive, for long; those that do are dangerous ‘companies indeed worthies will frantically bar their doors, hang manner of religious paraphernalia a Christian and pagan in hopes that they will be spared Alas, such measures generally prove as futile as they sincere. This I know well; [ have “run with” various pad rnin the Old Country, and [have feast help my soul during mysoj them as well, G Packs commonly indulge in the drinking blood. This gesture is largely sity and whatnot. But, as my own expetien es ws lonely in the wilds at night KoLpuN The Fiends are wise in the ways of magic. There sorcerers among them whose mastery of the magic stsknow litle enough of their doings; we are not yet so ly withthe other Children of Caine that we may ask of among them! Notsurprisingly, the sorcery ofthe kon makes use ofall ofrituals for conjuring and binding demons, practices forbidden in our own Order. Over the centuries, they become intimately familiar with all the thousands of gdldevilshaunting thislandand invoke them against their gon moonles nights, myself did batele with a mighty Kol in the frst nights tbe war. Her magic was strong, but undisciplined: My Spercr skill proved her undoing, and she was borne away fricking by the very entities she had sun noned to aid her. The Fiends are nothing if not profane; most, and espe those of elder blood, scoff a the idea of divine salvation enlused to describe them isa vulgar Eastern polyglot,andso sate it as “Metamorphosis.” These "Metamorphosists," based on my observations and descriptions of my unwilling uest are an itinerant order dicants. They keep no fiefs, but wander from demesne io demesne as they please. Other Tzimisce creat famorphosists with the utmost hospitality, for the Rtamorphosst are the masters ofthe clan's dark erudition forbidden lore Their philosophy is their own and oblique tothe point of ikcipherability, yet it bears parallels to the more abstruse ical and Gnostic works. Metamorphosists evidently con- Je the vampiric state itself a sort of ephemeral purgatory n the “hase state” of human existence (which in norphosists' eyes is the gravest Hell) and an unimagin- higher” state. They spend their existences performing ous revolting and highly painful rituals (of which I re- Gved sample at Raiscko's abode) or questing the word, ekingto understand their nature and, thereby, transcend it, then, it isnot enough fora Metamorphosisttohavea Beast; nus disport wich it, nourish it and fan it greater still. Devana often speaks of Metamorphosists paying homage demons" oF “entities”; this, however, would seem 0 ralict the conceit that Metamorphosis seck to shape ves into their own inner divinity, not merely to hipaleady established powers. In truth, Iknow not; even jorphosists' subterranean vaults Certain tales depict a sore of ancestor-worship, in which in legendary ancientsamongthe line (whoseeratobe the ersalong the path to “enlightenment.” Obviously, those ites who fear the wrath of their elders would do well to The Metamorphosiss, so 1 am told, flock to certain unholy sitesdeepin the wilds on moonless nights. On many of the most ancient sites, the Fiends have built curious temples, ofa style predating even the earliest tribal structures. Local villages call these spots “Black Churches,” and they sup lously avoid them. AAs [ have implied, secular Fiends know little of the Metamorphosiss' ways, treating them asa sort of adjunct to the koldun. Sul, they are ubiquitous in the Old Country, acting asa sort of cultura glue among the fractious clan Tue Great War Forevery of course, there are three whose aims areall too clear: the utt annihilation of House Tremere. They come by tered from all sides like great swarms of bats, and the villagers in these parts know well to bar their doors Theyhaveenlisted (ormore likely cowed) Transylvania’s other vampyrs to assist them, so thar oft one may hear the eerie hunting call of the Gange ‘ensconced amid one's defenses, imisce bent on some mysteriousend or other, it, mus (or discover loathsome Nosferata The majority of their soles, though, are abominations constructed from human wretches. Tsimisce at war have been known to depopulate entire villages, taking the inhabitants into their dungeons and nwisting them into hideous monster shapeless lumps of fang, talon and gristle. And once the ‘humans’ bodies are no more, the Fiends likewise destroy their creations’ souls, inflaming their blood against us and sending them to besiege our chantries in noxious waves. Occasionally, in the darkest hours, one hears a distant crackastreessplinter like kindling. Oneseesdread descendon even the ghoul-soldiers' nigh-unrecogg ‘And then that thing which Devana fearfully refers to as “vorha!” roars gargantuan and ravenous from the deep forests, often towering above the trees themselves, flailing this way and that with fists the size of millstones, greedily shoving enemy and aly alike into any of a dozen befanged maws Tne REVENANTS ‘The Fiends grip the noble houses with a clutch akin to that of a great octopus, and in this endeavor they make gre use of certain servitor creatures, which they dub "revenant These revenants are curious creatures. Originally human, they have been transformed through blasphemous rituals and blood-mingling into creatures akin to our own ghouls. Al- though wholly evil and given to many of the practices ofthe vampire, revenants may yet go abroad hy day and they may ‘even breed with humans and their own kind; this last noxious act has left vast numbers of them bearing peculiar disfigue ments, a sure sign of God!’ wrath ‘Over the centuries, che creatures have burrowed them: selves deep into the lines of the nobles, sheouding themse in the annals of war and marriage and flesh and generations. Families as far afield as Constantinople and Kiew bear theaint, and [would be litte surprised ifthey had not already worked their wayintothe heart of the empire.Goratrix clicited the information that one strain has even infiltrated the Byzantine Church, though ofthese, Devana and Yaroslav claim little knowledge, asthe family in question serves the Draconian Tsimisce. In any event, once ensconced within a line, revenants make ll manner of mischief, subverting the rest of the family inco abhorrent practices pleasing to themselves and their masters. They snare the ruling families in chains of vice and fear, and in so doing enslave them vicariously to the Fiend, ‘who re the revenants’ own masters. Because they do not fear the sun, they act asthe Fiencls’ eyes and fists in the daylight world, enforcing Trimisce edicts through their own super- natural arts — which, though lesser than those of their masters, more than suffice to inspire fear in the kine. Then, to0, because many Trimisce are themselves taken from the revenant families, they often bear a familial resemblance to their slaves, and this (s0 says Devana) makes it easier for a Fiend to substitute himself through the use of flesh-shaping Goratrix and the Master seem much intrigued by these creatures of late; have seen them in the laboratories during the gray hours before the dawn, examining revenant captives with fire and blade. Goratrix has even slyly hinted that pethaps our House could breed revenant strains of our own, fighting blood with blood, so to speak, and thereby gain for ‘ouelves a race of diurnal proxies HEMIA AND THE REMYSLS Prague, the Magic City: Well remember my apprentice- ship there, in daysless dreadful, when I could yet feel the sun’s kiss, To walk amid its towers and mazy lanes is to feel the whispered passage of potent forces unseen yer tangible. ‘And yet even here, in one of the Order's great strong- holds, the Fiends lurk, For the Trimisce, Prague serves as their against the encroaching West; here the “Metamorphosis walk, that they might remain vigilantagainst the arrival of marauding Cainites from the empire. fronti Devana even hints, slyly and mockingly, that certain ‘members among thar great Bohemian dynasty named Premysl have fallen under the night’s influence. I had oft heard lurid tales of strange rituals and orgies among the Premyst line, but {had largely dismissed them as imperialist propaganda meant to counter the influence of a growing power. Could there indeed be truth to the tales? Rumorsabound that Bohemia may gain autonomy within the year; truly, the empire's eastern flank has established no small amount of influence for itself. Should a faction among LIBELLUS SANGUINIS 1 the Fiends take Prague, the invaders might well find thems selves the victims ere long, and the Old County's blood nights might extend co the lands of the French. LITHUANIA To the east, pagan Lithuania defies the Teutons’ Here many Fiends yet follow the ancient ways ofthe din These hoary vampires 50 Yareslav implies, scorn thei em brethren, for the mistshrouded pines and marshes i which they dvell never knew the yoke of Rome. The Balts are most fearful of them; they worship th Fiends as gods, o more likely, demons, plying them with manner of tribute and sacrifice. Great temples they bul a them in the forests, or on lone isles in the midst of bos rivers. Sacrficesare driven into the temple gates, and then Balts leave in haste, for the sounds said to emanate from th darkened edifices are enough toblanch the face of the fre These Fiends wish no great cities, no advancement learning they are content to exist as they have for millennia Each Fiend establishes a wilderness domain, dominating the local settlements and tribes, who speak grimly of the “Blood Gods of the Fores” or other such superstition. They bide he time in accordance with the rhythms of the night and th eternal seasons; the rise and fall of tribes, domains and king ddoms are of niggling impor to them. ‘The Fiends of Lithuania are renowned for thee widoa other Trimisce often send ther childer into the norchlandsia search of some bit of forgotten lore. These childer are ot asked toprove theie worth as Teimisce by undertaking aetie of grueling tests and “games.” Yarosla speaks litle of what happens to neonates who fail to please the ancients though can guess. Thus has it been since the dawn of time, But even these ancients may soon learn the ways change. The Knights Teuton have undertaken crusades int these lands, which wll doubtless learn the ways offre and fan Already I hear tel of struggles berween advance scout an “readful corpse-demons”; methinks the pagan lands wil fill and their guardians with them. BYZANTIUM Yea, even in mighty Constantinople the Fiends wally though they are ofa different breed than their cousins tothe north, They are most civilized, these Tsimisce; they name themselves Draconians, after ther alleged founder. They ae a taciturn sort, Bt T have heard tll ofthe occasional Drace nian wandering into the West, on some nameless errand a other. Bat, the New Rome and its armies have ever been the (Carpathian Fiends’ nemesis, and ever have they longed rose the city in flames. This has in tur led to great strife between thetwolines:theone whose existence depends on thecitythe other who seeks only to destroy it.‘any event, the Fiend Byelobog clutches the Balt-lands till. He is old now,and rarelyst ‘oivodes have come to the swamps over the millennia. Even now, though, they doo at hissuffe Bg ebboe leet und he Pe hen Mic ep iter ae chef, ard ave all, ta hovling coove thar ro to and aptly named the “White God,” for his flesh is clammy and corpselike, resembling a Cappadocian pallor, yet more terrible stl. For Byelobog resembles nothingso much asa cadaver inthe gripof pag tnd tis said that he can shed flakes of his scaly skin I dormant reptile and send the stil-ai pieces lapping on the northem winds to undertake errands of evil. Indeed, other Fiends whisper during the harsh northern winters, Byelobog conceals flakes of his skin inthe whiteness of th sending the stuff adrift over villages. The skin coats everything in his domain — sinking into he fr fangs of animals and rooting into the bark of trees. In this manner does the White God “ma territory and, in so doing, establishes a mystical connection to everything in it. will survive theirassaut, they will leave him sufficiently weakened forthe anarch Lasgo Blood-bre to slay him and steal his power. -—_ Whethertheschism has existed since time's beginningor Happened after the Draconians’ migration, 1 do not know. Whatever the answer, the Fiends of the Carpathians hate their souther Tsuspect that the violence which has gripped several Ortho- ox monasteries in Macedonia may well have deeper, darker foas. | care little, so long.as it diverts our enemies eyes from Finis kin with a virulence normally reserved for us. ‘And that though is perhaps the proper one on which to Seadthismissve. Verily, wearelostchildren inastange realm, ‘Dur foes loom on all sides, in a thousand frightful shapes; perilous the road ahead, yer through the will of our Master we are committed, and there is no road back, save only darkest pendition, Weare in the monster’ lair, and though we have bearded hhim, the battle has only begun. The Tzimisce is a thousand: headed hydra: Although the beast itself writhes and coils in bind, idiot spasms, itishuge,and monstrous, and full ofbaleful venom. The path to power will bea hard and treacherous one. Remember you always that the mightiest torrent will break and flow around a rock. Stand firm: Heed your elders and your regents,and aboveall, the will ofthe Master, that one night we supplant the Tsimisce as lords of the Damned. Yours in the Blood of the Murderer, Celestyn, House Tremere BOOK TWO: TZIMISCESospitality ‘Trimisce have few friends. The newly spawned Tremere thirst to destroy them; Shadow Lords battle them viciously for territory. They even feud incessantly with each other. This ‘tumultuous existence, coupled with the clan’s long-standing ‘occupation of its ancestral soil, has fostered many unique customs. Although currently ata disadvantage, the Fiendsare still the masters of the East. Tue EMBRACE Fiends frequently plan theit Embraces meticulously Trimisce prefer to Embrace from their stock of revenant families — cach family having been selected for “desirable” «qualities and carefully ended over the intervening centuries. Creating childer from revenants offers a number of advan- tages: The ghoulsarealreadyinuredto long ife andsupematural power, and those who survived childhood have grown most accustomed to obedience, cruelty and loyalty. The clan’s intemecine and external struggles demand immediate retaliation, however. Although most Fiends would prefer simply to deploy legions of ghouls, sometimes a situa- tion calls for the more diverse talents available only to vampyrs, In such cases, the sire, not wanting to endure the childe’s pathetic human sentiments, “gifs” the childe with a aly rite of passage. The childe is Embraced, then buried alive” in the earth of a graveyard or barrow (to which the childe often mystically bonds). To emerge as vumpyr, the childe must dig her way up and out, through a stew of earth, worms and corpses. Some weaker childer donot manage todig their way back out; these weaklings are contemptuously left to rot in eternal torpor. Those childer who do worm their way from the earth generally undergo profound emotional trauma ~ having “tied” and returned from the “afterworld.” the childer are prepared to assume the mindset of undead preda- tors. This can prove profoundly distressing to childer who belonged to the Church in life, but as far as the Fiends are concerned, such a shattering of faith is all the better. LIBELLUS SHNGUINIS 1 VOrVODES The Old Country is regretably prone to invasions upheavalsof varioussorts. Romans, Huns, Avars, Magyars other barbarians have appeared to trouble the inhabit Shadow Lords prowl the mountains and vales, and d uncracked forests are home to things stranger still. And since time immemorial, the test of a Fiend’s mettle has her ability to seize and hold land. Landholding Tsimisce commonly take the itl"voval though other regional titles (zhupan, margrave) ae wel appropriate areas. In many ways, a voivode acts as any of vampiric ruler does: He dictates hunting grounds, arita disputes, and otherwise oversees the affairs of the dark, practice, though, voivades are much more exclusive al their domains, and suffer few Cainites other than theiea childer to dwvell within, ‘Also, while the establishment of a power base ie standing Tzimisce custom, the base itslfis merely a mean the ends of personal security and supernatural might. Re tably, the eoivode gives litle thought to his subjects we save that they are sufficiently nourished and populoustobel from at will, (On the other hand, even the cruclest woivode mus gate his pleasure with an iota of pragmatism. Stores wafted from the East — tales of fire-eyed wivodes defending their subjects from werewolves or Teuton Vet This is done not out of concer for the subjects’ welfe asamatterofpride: The subjectsare the voivode'sto abuse he shall sufer no others to do likewise. Thetirst step in becominga voivode isthe construct an impregnable forttess. Other Cainites whisper feat the vast Trimisce manses,spiring above the darksome and crags like stone dragons. Some voivodes take pilere } citadels. Others construct hidden iting just such obvio Bctouse magic or simple to F labyrinths and the like paserofthe domain only asar Thefist century of dominion is commonly spent in the lation of terror. Children are taken from theit paren pacified and bullied, the hee the mortals have Bsepis co mold the domain into whatever will best ting the mortal populace inst the voivode's iv ns into the mortal po Revenant families Prhemost advanced products of thistactc, uutmany mortal PIR familieshave alsofallen underthe intoxicatingspellof Teimisce smilies — influenced by the become mote andl mote vitae. Over the centuries, ‘nocturnal visitations of the wampyrs Into decade, individual incidents are woven, ecomes impossible to distin of his servitors. the vampire. Tales of is have survived in the Old This, of cours, serves to direct priestly a ‘mortal pawns, leaving the vampire unscathed. In certain sheltered areas (Lithuani 7 strong indeed, fearful ofneither iffciently dreaded th He may use flesherafied mortal rulers, misteadin, aware to whom they an deliberately offer up s preferring to lose a few loved ones per season than vampire’ greater wrath, ss during appropriate holid suferthe BOOK TWO: TZIMISCE‘TRESPASSERS As much as they migh¢ wish otherwise, the Tsimisge fare not the only vampyrs native to cheirancestal soil, (Od Country support sizable populations of Gangre ‘Nosferatu, anda few lines of Malkavianshave wandered es ': past centuries Surprisingly, Tg etme tolerace such esses in their domains bt thet fo pledge direct service, For example aisede mi “employ” a Gangrelas his Maser ofthe HuntandaN as his Master of Spies, but he would never sufer teampyt to exist independently in his iefdom. Most Trimisce vampyrs are required to swear a Blood Oath tO ‘vad, and those who do not had best prove themselval exceedingly loyal and even more competent A few Trimisce, seekingadvantage overthein Y} clarimates, have even allied themselves with ém Ventrue, Toreador, Cappadocians and Brujah. Such a ances tend to take the form of agreements between € rather than lord/vassal rel } soivodes in question prefer to manipulate cheir Cab }} partners into performing useful and lethal services agai common foes, that they may rd themselves ofthe hunt "arrangement" and of their problems in one fll CHILDER ‘Teimisce are familial creatures. Many spent their brea ing years as scions of the revenant familie, and Tsimied tradition holds the creation and maintenance of a fami high regard. Indeed, the greatest work of Tsimisce art, te flesherat sculpturefplay Octavo of the mad voivode Czerish depicts its characters as collectives, using a highly diseubig point of view to do so imisce create childer for the same reasons that ot nitesdo:on whims, asuseful extensions of thesire, tos ‘eruptions of atavistc lust. Childer are organized into family with the sire asthe patriarch/matriarch on whom everything centers. Toenforce this ilial devotion, most childer ar fore to take the Blood Oath. Using the ritual The Inmost Tug ie p. 62), certain powerful voivodes can even manipulate Bla shaping them into desired emotions according i Competition among childer is understandably Trimisce neonates, all bound to the sie through the Bll Oath, struggle ceaselessly among themselves for the vivid favor. The Blood Oath has also led to one troublesnd sociological phenomenon among the Fiends, one that ei rently cripples them in theie wa against the Tremere. Becale Teimiscechilder are sworn to their sires, any slight o in inflicted on the sie, no matter how deserved, pains the chila greatly as if they were mortal. The childer swear @geance on the transgressor and his entire brood, and these commonly continue even after one instigator or the meets Final Death. And thus, the Old Country is eked with ancient vendettas, as Fiends vie against each fased on an injustice one campyr's site's site's sie is sltohave inflicted on an enemy vampyr’s Rive OF RELEASE imisce are hierarchical creatures, they ate creatures as well. A Fiend who serves her voivode for hres in a military, scholarly or otherwise functional any may develop an uncomfortable measure of self: em. The wise vivode, recognising this trait, uses it to her cee Sich worthy childer may, atthe ruling voivode's whim, be jected to the Rite of Release. This ritual fres the childe the ivode’s rule allowingher to establish a iefdom and filer of her own. Such an act serves three functions: I Besa wivode to establish a proxy fifdom in a nearby reduces competition for food and affection within her fifdom, and eliminates a potential impediment before gniment can gnaw away atthe emotionsengendered by the The child is called before the woivode, her accomplish- gsand character are praised, and she is asked if she would her freedom. If, despite the pull of the Blood Oath, she esaffirmatively (succeeds in a Willpower roll, difficulty the voivnde pronounces a mystic blessing over her: “Then ay Moist Mother Earth mark the new dragon’s laturally, a celebratory feast follows the climax of At ths point, the childe may leave the company of the nde and make her own way in the world. The Blood Oath macbroken, but the acquiescence ofthe toivade enables the Hero leave his side and establish hee own domain. Gener sent to establish a fiefdom in an area the mde would like ro se subjugated or pacified. In such away the wise Fiend establish a dynasty of loyal vassals guard- hy positions, like a barbed spiderweh ehroughout the Old RULE BY FEAR Me Ventre and Lasombra, t would seem are eboen to och clans have potent Disciplines enabling inence Beach saightforwardmethodsof manipulation Although Bois gain skill n Dominate and Presence over the ities, the clan as a whole lacks such aptitudes. One might Brurmise thatthe vides arecomespondingylescapable preing their feos ox ensuring veir puppet suber Such a supposition would be a grievous and potentially lethal error. anything, Fiends are among the most territorial and possessive of all Cainites, and nothing matters more to them than security of the home. Over the centuries, Fiends have developed many techniques for their rule. Tzimisce do not need artificial means of wring suring the stability of theirsubjectsinto quivering wrecks, and when theycommand, they do not depend on mystical reinforcement to ensure obedience. Some might call the Fiend’ methods of negative tein- forcement monstrous; Trimisce would counter that they live in an untamed and violent frontier, and harsh means are necessary to quad their domains against marauding Lupines, mortals and theit own kind. Many Tsimisce tertor tactics ate ubiquitous among mor tals having been employed since the nights of biblical tyrants, Certainly, such beualties as collective punishment and pub- lic torture areas effective in the hands ofthe livis in the talons of the undead. But Tsimisce have developed cunning methods of using theie vampiric ats to guard against insurrection — or at least to punish it. asthey are Taimisce are masters of Auspex, and this Discipline they use to terrifying effect. Voivodes routinely stand atop the battlements oftheir fortresses listening to the words the night, wind bringsas it wafs up from the villages below. The faintest mutters of rebellion can reach the ears of a Fiend using Heightened Senses, who thereupon devises a poetic and hideous end for the would-be rebel. Obviously, the highe powers such as Soulsight, Steal Secrets and Anima Walk also prove useful in exposing recalcitrant subjects, until finally, those governed grow too terror-dulled to even think of tea- Generally speaking, however, @ woivode would not lower herself co walk among moral villagers, save asa predator. But eoivodes routinely create childer whose duties include pre cisely such Auspex-enhanced surveillance. These canny spies slip from the dom by night, ereep into the mortals’ lairs and employ Auspex powers to evaluate the prey’s moods. mortals’ deepest resentments are “ma punished before they can even be actedon, the populace grows too fearful even to think of revolt. Other Trimisce Disciplines likewise serve useful fune- tions in maintaining rulership. Besides its obvious value as a punitive measure, Vicisitude allows the oivode or herchilder to walk among the mortals in any number of guises. Even. practitioner isnot sufficiently skilled to duplicate another, may still change himself into someone other than the dr tzmpyron the hill. Mortals ae wise to distrust strangers in the E Provided Tzimisce hasa high Viascore and an afford to missaday or two of rest, Animalism allows auxiliary espionage capabilities. Through the eyes of a eat, hound or cock, the Fiend ean spy on a village without leaving his lair — though certain wisewomen have grown uncomfortably adept at BOOK TWO: TZIMISCEdisceming ifa beast possesses “the evil eye.” On a bast level, Cowing the Beast proves exceedingly useful at numbing unruly mortals, stripping them of courage and filling them with apprehension. Then, too, Tzimisce tend to be more openly predatory than many other vampies. In practical terms, this means they replenish their Blood Pools mote often, which in turn gives them fewer qualms about spending Blood Points to enhance Physical Attributes. Although Fiends may not specialize in Physical Disciplines per se, a Tzimisce who has spent 10 or ‘more Blood Points to raise Attributes is capable of doing all, ‘manner of gruesome things toa vietim—and then replenish- ing herself from the victim's family. The greatest weapon, though, ithe Tzimisce power over the Blood Oath. Voivodes who have studied alchemy or Koldunic Sorcery often find ways of extending the chains of mystic servitude through entire family lines. Generation after generation of peasants, lords, and even clergy dutifully serve the woivode on the hill. The greatest and most useful of these families are the revenane lines — but there are many, many others, sprouting through the Old Country like poisonous weeds. Provided the proper pawns are in place, a Fiend may instigate a violent purge of her fiefdom without ever stirring from her crypt. Skeptics, noting the Old Country’s predilection for inva sion, might scoffat the Fiends' vaunted might. Such doubters should remember that Tsimisee ae primarily concerned with the supernal, and that the human spark burns much dimmer inchemthan in mostother vampires. Whatdiference, Tzimisce reckon, whether the ants scurrying through a lion's den are red or black? Secure in her dwelling, a Fiend views “conquerors” with a jaded eye, scrutinising who among the invaders may prove useful in futur struggles with rival oivades or werewolves. As the conquerors levy tribute and solidify their power, the Teimisce stealthily deploys her minions among their ranks, snatching a few key victims and substituting flesherafted ddoppelyangers. And should any among the newcomers actu- ally ignore thei victims'*superstitions” and tum an avaricious gaze toward the old castle on the hill — wel, a few well chosen, well-placed examples quickly hammer the lesson hhometoeven the most impolite intruder. And so, the miasma ‘of fear envelops the invaders; within afew short generations the conquerors and the conquered wear the same invisible yoke and so are indistinguishable. METHMORPHOSISTS ‘Outside the system of voivodes and vassals, the arcane “Metamosphosist sect walks the wilds in search ofits abstract goals. Although those unfamiliar with Trimisce culture often think of Metamorphosists asthe clan’s priests, the sect has little use for either the God of Christendom or the antiquated deities worshipped by many Tzimisce elders. Metamorphosst, instead, seek to make themselves into godlike beings, or to attune themselves to universal forces. LIBELLUS SANGUINIS 1 Metamorphosis’ theories bear similarities to Gna thought: Through knowledge — of oneself, of one's ties, and aboveall of one's Blood — one sloughs off the fles chains of lifeand the spiritual shackles of death, transcend both states. Cainite, as undead, have already taken thei step of balancing themselves between these polar extremes existence. It now remains for Metamorphosiss to refine tk ‘vampiric state tits utmost potential, and in sodoing! divine. Many Metamorphosists even scoff atthe entire not of a vampiric “father” and “mother” (Caine and Lilt considering it superstitious pablum. Metamorphosists prefer to congregate on sites of tis; here they let the arcane energies permeate thei bodies they send themselves into various trance states, s well sii ‘extremes of starvation and satiation, Some Metamorphas find revelation inthe act of wandering; these vagabonds cs find themselves drawn into the West and the company d other Children of Caine. Such coteries are typicall lived — the abstract goals of Metamorphosis hold li interes for their rapacious brethren. Tue Packs Not all ‘There is only so much land to go around; then, too, inc ‘numbers of Fiends have lost ancestral holdings to the depra together, feeding together and even (in opposition to non custom) resting together, a pack of Fiends isa cohesive dangerous unit. Packs commonly follow the strongest la with little quarel, hough there isa custom whereby iva duel for leadership. These packs live as bandits and predators inthe wi doing what they must to survive. Although the strug food consumes much of these wretches’ existence, the mig cst of these packs hire themselves out as mercenaries artisans. Certain packs have left the Old Country, selling services in the West; Cainite powers, having long head of the flesh-shapers' erudition and arcane skill, eagerly theirservices, though in many cases the Tsimisce find vai take advantage of the “bargain.” Kowpun Inthe old nights, the term “koldun” referred exclu to those Fiends who practiced the Discipline of Kol Sorcery. These nights, however, the term has taken ona meaning. Certain Fiends, displaced from their ancestrallan have traveled into the West, selling their skills as advisorsa magicians to those Cainites likewise distrustful ofthe Trem Such *kolduns” do not necessarily practice Kold Sorcery; the Vicssitude Discipline is exotic enough pires ofthe West, and Tsimisce have long held «reputation (albeit vicious) wisdom. More than one Wester princectcal mindsto their liking, and certain elders among Magisters have thought about approaching the Trimisce fashole, with the aim of cultivating a longer-term relation THE Bren the mightiest vampyr must retreat to her haven. fe cockcrow, but Trimisce care litle for such trifling {abods. The wise voivode maintains her domain with legions enitor, many of whom are shaped through Vicissitude fo the embodiments of their master’s desires — or her jects nightmares. ‘VENANTS Other clans use ghouls as daylight servitors and minions. Trimisce, however, have refined this practice to its ithe form, creating “families” of ghouls whose powers are etary. These ghouls, known as “revenants,” are used as ators, warriors, and breeding stock for new vampyrs 39 Tsimisce spent their childhoods among these freakish, families, whose practices include blasphemy, perversion and cannibalism, Such experiences prepare achilde well for exist- ence among the undead, Revenants differ from normal ghouls in two respects, First, each revenant’s body manufactures a weaker vintage of ‘vampire vitae effectively giving the revenant 10 Blood Points. Second, each revenant clan possesses hereditary Disciplines, which are learned and used as though the revenants were vampires of an appropriate clan Thete are several major strains of revenants (presented below), aswell asahostofminor lines such asthe Rustovitches and Ruthvenski. For more information on revenants, see the Storytellers Handbook to the Sabbat and Ghouls: Fatal Addiction. Bratovircu The bestial Bratovitch are the Tzimisce’s shock troops. ‘Theybreedand keep the Fiends’hellhounds, and theres litle difference between them and their charges. Bratovitches tend tollive in isolated compounds, emerging only to make war or capure mates. Bratoviteh-nun iedoms tend tobe miserable, even by the standards ofthe Tzimisce. Constantly at war with theirneigh- bors, Bratovitch lords quickly grow infamous for their sadistic rages and even more sadistic lst. BOOK TWO: TZIMISCEFamily Disciplines: Animalism, Potence, Vicisitude Weakness: Bratovitches are infamous for savagery. They frenzy as if they possessed the Brujah clan weakness. Destiny: The Bratoviteh family urvivesinto the modern cra. For more information on the Bratovitch, see the Story- tellers Handbook to the Sabbat and Ghouls: Fatal Addiction. GRIMALDI ‘The family Grimaldi is the least populated and most recently created revenant family —but thisisacceptable tots members, who are used to this position in the scheme of things. Neverable to compete directly wth such luminariesas the di Mediei or the Grimaldi has culti- vated instead a remarkable adaptability, shifting allegiances wherever itis most advantageous. Serving frst one major ‘merchant house, then another, the Grimaldis were wealthy ‘ough to be comfortable, yet never so successful that others viewed them as a threat, iovanni familie ‘This adaptability proved to be crucial to the family's survival. Sent to Bohemia to open relationsin the growingcity of Prague, certain Grimaldi merchants instead found them- selves in a devil's bargain with Bohemian voivodes. Secking pawns todeploy within the Holy Roman Empite, these voivodes transformed a few Grimaldi patriarchs into revenants, who quickly and bloodily took over the family, spreading their seed through the surviving members. Now the Grimaldis serve as the Fiends’ distant hands — and, when necessary, fists. Family Disciplines: Celerity, Dominate, Fortitude Weakness: The Grimaldi is a recently created family and Grimaldi vitae is tepid in comparison to that of other revenants. Grimaldis have only eight Blood Points rather than the usual 10. Destiny: During the Ren ate themselvesintothe growing bourgeois class. Becomingthe abbar’s “deep cover” agents, the Grimaldis survive to this unobtrusively. For more informa ance, the Grimaldisinsinu- nightastheyalwayshave- tion on the Grimaldi, see the Storytellers Handbook to the Sabbat and Ghouls: Fatal Addiction, Tue Operrus (THe Hippen) This mysterious sect of revenants serves the Draconian Teimisce of Byzantium, serving as cleries and researchers for that religion-obsessed line. Obertus commonly work in mor asteriesand libra blasphemous secrets Family Disciplines: Auspex, Obfuscate, Vicissitude Weakness: Members of the Obertus become obsessed with secrets easily. This Obsession is treated as a Derange ment, with a focus on one particular sort of knowledge. Destim researcher tion on the Obertus, see the Storytellers Handbook to the Sabbat and Ghouls: Fatal Addiction, unearthing and catalogingall manner of The Obertus join the Sabbat as scholars and they survive to the medem era. Formore informa- LIBELLUS SANGUINIS 1 SZANTOVICH IF the Bratovitches are the Teimisce’s dogs of war, the Scantoviches are the clan’sfeline infiltrators This depraved family breeds its membersforallure and charm, then sets them loose into unsuspecting noble society. The to rival courts ghouls’ unearthly attractiveness (courtesy of Presence and Vicissitude) quickly wins them mates, who are just as quickly disposed of and their estates appropriated Such practiceshave already made the Srantoviches exceedingly wealthy and inf ential; Szantovich revenants have married into the Premysl dynasty in Bohemia and the Piast dynasty in Poland. Indeed, certain Fiends have begun to wonder whether the Szantovich has exceeded its desired scope. Family Disciph Weakness: The Seantovich are easily aieted to ple sure. Aferundergoinga pleasurable experience a particularly satisfying sexual encounter, a wellcooked and tender young babe, etc), the revenant must make a Willpower roll at become addicted to the vice Destiny: Duringtherumultoftheseet war theSeantovich are forced underground. They resurface in the 1700s, having Anglicized their surname to Zantosa. For more informationon the Zantosa, see the Storytellers Handbook to the Sabbat nd Ghouls: Fatal Addiction. VLASZY Bred from a hardy mixture of Slavs andl Magyar, the \Vioszy are the Tsimisce’scavalies and kingmakers. The fal is centered in Hungary but has spread through the Old Coun- try, dwelling in border fortresses along the most turbulent frontiers. Vlasty are skilled horsemen, mighty in war and adept instatesmanship; many Fiends prefer them to the Bratovitchs though Vlaszy often display an uncomfortable measure of independence 1 Auspex, Presence, Vicissitude As the story goes, the Vlaszy willingly entered into the Fiends’ service in order to repay a great favor which the clan performed for the family. The nature ofthe debt is unknown, except to the eldest revenants, but itis reputedly this oblige tion, rather than fear or submissiveness, that keeps the Vlasgy This is borne out by the Vlaszy's behavior; they ae an honorable line, having litle love for their condition or the acts they must perform to sustain it iplines: Animalism, Potence, Pres Jo not like the Teimisce buthave taken an ancestral oath to serve. All Vlasey willingly under take Blood Oath toa Fiend upon their passage to adolescence Destiny: After the collapse of the Tsimisce clan during the Anarch Revolt, the Vlasey have the misfortune to end up con the side ofthe elders. With their characteristic honor, the Vlaszy battle Velya, Lugo}, Vykos and the rest of the clans rebellious childer, dying to a man in the process.ngot, the Krevcheski family has wormed its way noble houses of Eastern Europe. They are a Pll line, litle interested in politics except to advance anily'saccessto the learning ofthe ancients. Krevcheski ain small, but heavily fortified, manses; these estates expansive libraries containing Classical works and the fschesk’s own innovations The Krevcheski have a fascination with clockworks and nisms of various sorts. Krevcheski artifice has provided Fiends with elaborate siege engines to resist theirenemies nce, 48 well as even more elaborate mechanisms to in those enemies following their capture. It is these fer devices that are the Krevcheski’s particular joy, and heski commonly impose harsh sentences on subjects Bey to have fodder for some new invention Fanily Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate Weakness: Krevcheski are distrusted by the Tzimisce, thus have only learned two family Disciplines instead of oxmal the Destiny: Laterin the war, he Krevcheski will beak their Hvi. This revenant line was bred by Byelobog and serves only. The Khavi squat amid the marshesofthe northlands, ing stock, The Khavi are a secretive line, existing only to advance Khavi area strange family, even by revenant standards allo Bosand their skin constantly peels away in flakes. The most Basie Khavi, those who advise the White God directly, fGen appear as though they are rotting or suffering from ine. Family Disciplines: Animalisin, Obfuscate, Vicissitude Weakness: The Khavi’s skin constantly flakes and peels, Sticularly in direct sunlight. Kavi exposed to direct sun- light develop painful rashes and suffer -1 to Dice Pools until fhe rsh heals (healing normally takes (6 - Stamina) days, [bring which the Khavi must avoid direct sunlight) Destiny: The Khavi are exterminated by the Teutonic oights the lst one is slain in the 14th centuryGuarDIANS ‘These loathsome creatures are known by a variety of names (the term ‘stlachta,” an ironic usage of the Polish Slavonic dialect’ nent). Inanyevent, ian ghouls’ minds; most are mad and murderous creatures fit only to kill wth 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4 sma 1, Manipulation 3, Appearance 0 ception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 2 onecrafted weapon for Str +2 dice; bite for 4 dice Disciplines: Potence Notes: Armor plating gives +1 die to soak rolls HELLHOUNDS This template refers to any of several sorts of Vicissitude- altered canines. Tzimisce most commonly make use of ‘wolthounds, though mastiffs and Great Danes are also “caw material.” Strength 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4 Not likely ception 3, Inellige Disciplines: Potence 1 Willpower: 4 Notes: Armor plating gives +1 die to soak rolls Vozup These mammoth composites are used as living enginesby voivodes at war. A vozhd consists of multiple g fused together through magic and Vicissitude into one com: posite behemoth, tics for vozhd are found in The Book of Storyteller rules todistinguish individual vozhdare provided below Attacks: A vozhd has multiple limbs, enabling it to male multiple attacks. Ie gains additional dice, which may only be it Dice Pools. The number of extra dice it receives 1e number of ghouls used in constructior fd has a number of Health Levels equal to the ouls used in its construction. The firs third ofthe Health Levels use the “OK” wound penalty, the next third use the 1” penalty, and the last third (before Incapacitated) we 3 the “3” wound penalty.New Traits tthe foot of one of these sbbets, covered with lowers ete column of a terrace, an executioner was seated... his foun wa all covered with splattered blood and his hands seemed gloved in red... "I rebuilt man from head to foot, afr removing his entive skin. He was so badly built! Hal hat!" — Octave Mirbeau, The Torture Garden Trimisce have developed many unique and secret ats in theirdistant solitudes. Many of these artsare practiced only in | theOki Country; few Cainitesexperience themandlive otell | thee clarimates. SKILLS Crarrs (Bopy) Thisisnotanew Skill, but refinementof the Crafts Skill resented in Vampire: The Dark Ages on page 172. With this Skil, a Fiend can control her use of Vicissitude. Each level of| the Body Crafts Skill enables its practitioner to refine het technique and undertake more difficult “sculpeure”; the lev- dh below should give an idea of what a Fiend is capable of underieal conditions ample time, victim properly restrained, 3) * Novice: Yank and tuck + Practiced: All your salachta have “signa- ture” deformities. ‘Competent: You can make a poetic example of a transgressor. Expert: You can make tended, ++ Master: You can create an exact duplicate of ' Legend: You can make an insightful and exact duplicate of someone who exists only in ideal. things God never in Teimisce, Revenants s: Improving Appearance, Combat Use, Noses, ‘Shalls, Beaks TorTuRE ‘Anyone can hurt a helpless victims this Skill covers the ably todo so in a planned fashion, for a specific end. A dhiled torturer can use torture devices to damage a victim's Willpower (by rolling Manipulation + Torture, difficulty «qual tothe victm’sStaminaor Courage {whicheverishigher} +4, the torturer can strip away one point of temporary Willpower per success). When Willpower is reduced to zero, the victim confesses to whatever the torturer desires (even fey admitting guile if necessary) + Novice: Older brother Practiced: Town guard Competent: Magistrate's man Expert: King’s torturer Master: Voiuode Legend: Torquemada Possessed by: Fiends, Inqusitors, Constabulary Specialties: Psychological, Digits, Hot Irons, Confesions Merirs AND FLaws ‘Vinpictive: 3 pt, Merit) Your personal honor is your life, and you will go to the ends of the earth to settle a score or avenge a slight. When directly opposing someone whohas insulted, shamedorharmed you, you gain an additional die to all combat Dice Pools, This bonus does not apply toward casual foes, only blood enemies. For example, a Teimisce would not get this bonus against the bandit who ambushes her on the road but would receive the bonus against the Shadow Lord who slew her sire and drove her from her ancestral fief ‘The down side ofthis Merit isthat you must do everything in your power to avenge such deeds or insults. Should you refrain from action, the Storyteller is within his rights to deduct temporary Willpower from your character until such time as you pursue your vengeance once more. Nataratty Supp: (3 pt. Merit) You are attuned to Vicissitude like a fish in water (or blood, or pus...). Your difficulties are reduced by two when using Vicisstude on yourself (copying someone exactly, bonecrafting someone into an elaborate shape, etc). Secutar: (4 pr, Merir) ‘You have begun to explore the first glimmers of what awaits mankind after the Renaissance. You have a dim under- standing ofthe scientific method, and while such concepts as evolution and entropy are still beyond you, you have begun to suspect that the world is much more complex than the Chris tian and pagan fools imagine. The difficulty to affect you with any Faith-based power (including Infernal magic!) isrased by ‘one. Once per story, you may automaticaly regain a single Willpower point (you do not live with the same dread of damnation that many other Cainitesdo). Moreover, by spend: inga Willpower point and making an appropriate Intelligence + Science toll, you may formulate concepts and invent ma- chines unknown in your time (higher mathematics, elaborate torture devices, etc.). The Storyteller must use prudence in adjudicating this; ada Vinei-esque flying machine is remotely conceivable, while an A-bomb (fun as the thought might be) is impossible Youmaynotfollow the Road of Heaven orthe Roadof the Devil. Moreover, the dificulties of all Conscience/Convic- tion rolls are increased by one (you ate too existential to be overly concemed with your actions). BOOK TWO: TZIMISCECwique DisciPuiNe: KoLDUNIC SORCERY nisce have long been renowned (or feared) as master preeminence has been eclipsed by the rise of the Tremere. Most Fiends have forgorten the eller magic of long-ago nights, and few who remember teach it to their childer, Nonetheless, there are afew ancients who still practice the magical Discipline of Koldunie Sorcery. System: Koldunie Sorcery resembles Thaumaturgy (and is cast in the same manner), though it has no connection to the Hermetic practicesof the Tremere. Ichasitsown pathsand rituals, which are incompatible with the magicofthe Tremere, though recent cooperation with House Tytalus has allowed certain Fiends to develop Koldunic equivalents ofthe Paths of Bloed, Spirit and Flames. This power is not considered a clan Discipline, though ‘Teimisce with an appropriate mentor may learn the power using the experience point costs for an outside-of-clan Disci- pline. No Fiend would ever instruct a non-Tzimisce in the Discipline Koldunism survives into the modern age, but is exceed- ingly rare. The Fiends of the Oradea League are known to practice the Discipline, a are certain Sabbat elders and their childer Kowpunic Parus Kolduen learn a path equivalene co Spirit Thaumacurgy (sce The Vampire Players Guide), known as Spirit Ways, as their first Path. Other Paths practiced by koldun include Koldunic equivalents of Creo Ignem (Fire Ways), Rego Elementum (Natural Ways), andReyo Aquam (Water Ways) See Vampire: The Dark Ages for details on these Paths. Kotpunic RIruaLs Like Thaumaturgy, Koldunie Sorcery grants its wielder accessto rituals of various sorts. These rituals, though magical, are not Hermeti, having no connection to the Egyptian! Latin tradition. Many rituals (nor surprisingly) requite blood tobe spilled (a Blood Point's worth pe level ofthe ritual, rom either the caster or a sentient sacrifice); some also require clumps of sacred earth (from a cactn, node, arrow, graveyard or similar site). Koldunie rituals are rarely written downs practitioners ely on mnemonic cues System: Unless described differently below, these rituals are invoked ina manner similar to Thaumaturgical rituals. In corder to cast a ritual succesfully, the caster must make a succesful Intelligence + Hearth Wisdom roll (difficulty 4 + the level ofthe ritual). Typically, only one success is needed for the ritual to be succesful LIBELLUS SANGUINIS 1 Hosprraury CLevet ONg Rrraat) This isa simple Koldunie ritual, but an important one ‘This tual, enacted nightly, allows the Trimisce to “awaken” the spirits in hishaven. These spirits ‘manifet” themselves in objects, which assume sentience and individualism, often displaying unique personalities inthe process. Thus, Fiendls gate might speak to the vampire in a dull, grating voice, Complaining about the weight ofthe caste on its keystones mirror might slyly praise che vampite, while a knout might cackle with glee and beg to be laid across a vietim’s back The Tzimisce may command any such housespirit to silence, and the spirits generally display serility and obsequ- ousness. However, if ill treated (or if treated politely by an intrude), the spirits may fil to warn the Fiend of intrudersin his domain (which isthe primary function ofthe spell), Conrure Lesser DEMON (Lever Turee Rrraat) Simply put, this ritual ellows the sorcerer to evoke one of the esserdemonsthathaunt the Slavic lands. These demons have noconnection to infernal beings; they are mostsimilarto the spirits revered by werewolves. Nor do the demons attempt to make a pact; the relation between sorcere resembles that between a master and vassal (albeit a highly malicious, intractable vas which must be leamed by the sorcerer, and all must be “sworn” tothe sorcererby accepting’ point of er blood. A kod may “retain” a numberof demons equal to er Charisma or intimi- dation score (whichever is higher). Demons are not “bound” tothe sorcerer; she must coax or (more likely) cow them into performing services. ). All Slavic demons have names A lesser Slavic demon can appear in virtually any shape many take the shape of normal animals, though some appeat freakish indeed. Use the stats for a demonhound or incubys fromChapterNineofthe Vampire: The Dark Ages rulebook Storytellers owning Werewolf: The Apocalypse may aso, a their discretion, assign Slavic demons any ofthe various pitt powers from that book. Tue INMost Tae (Leven Five Riraal) Unlike most Koldunie rituals, this requites no blood sacrifice or ather dross it can be activated with a single woe and a gesture. This ritual allows a eoivede, by making a Manipulation + Empathy rol (difficulty of the viesit's Will: power), to manipulate the emotions of a being bound in the Blood Oath. For example, the love instilled by a Blood Oath could be debased to lus, or refined to fraternal devotion. Thi ritual can even be used to warp a Blood Oach into feat, hate ‘or other negative emotionsConjure GREATER DEMON (Leven Five RIraat This ritual is similar to Conjure Lesser Demon, except a Iighty entity ofthe Old Country appears. Such a being is not generally subject to intimidation; it must be coaxed to serve, should the nearly use this and has no qualms about destroying th Affe not bet its Hiking. For ths reso they desir, Creare Vozup CL RiTuaL) This ritual, combined with Vicisitude, enables its prac war ghoul (sce Book of Storyteller Seorets forthe creature's statistics). The least 15, though asizable number of ghoul: fommonly employed. Th Indall must he force-fed.a concoction of each other's blood (a Blood Poinc of the mixture will suffice). Once thisisdone, the rial begins The ritual consists of a continuous chant, which the must utter while using Vicissiude to mold the ghouls intoacomposite ‘ofthe vozhd, though most preferat least to shaping. The ritual takes (the number ro cast, and the cas the chant without interruption for the du If this requires the caster to remain awake after daylight, he must make Via rolls to stay awake Dracut (Lever Nive Rrruat) Besides the obvious prerequisite (Koldunic the caster must have a Vicissitude ritual; only two Tzimisce, including the D This ritual imbues the Fiend with the Old Country, transforming the vampire into a hideous dragon. re of 6+ toe are known to have the primordial ene ‘System: The Fiend!’ Strength rating triples, his Staming rating doubles, and he Armor. The d say drink ime the flesh of sl Health Levels) may be chewed up and eaten per nd normally, and may also choose to foes; an entire human compse turn, provided che dragon does nothing but eat. For each Health Level of fle fiery acid inflict per “point” inve ced,” the Fiend may regurgitate ‘one Health Level of din it (maximum 0 vomited pershot). The Fiend gainsan adklitionalfive“Bruised vated damage fealth Levels Health Levels, butal ficulties to hithim are reduced (he's enormous).New DiscipiiNe Powrrs Vrygoras Gniausm Leven Si Drawing on his unholy connection to the beasts of the wilds, the Fiend d wolf, bear, boat, draining, a metamorphosis power in combination with Assume the ropteran Maraucer, especially when mak outs fr precise ndontheanimal killed). Generally speak- ing, the Fiend gains +1 to soak dice, claws inflicting Ste +2 avated damage, and a bite inflicting Str +1 to Str +3 avated damage (again, dependingon the creature killed). All Social Traits drop to ter This power costs two Blood Points ro activate. The Teimisce must have a Vicisstude score of 3 or greater to wse this power. THe FLAaYING CAUsPEX LEVEL Six) This power has helped many a Fiend k Normally, it is very difficult wo effec prec rude. With this grisly aft the skin of a flayed the Fiend to pose asthe ski ay Teimisce infilteate the ha mighty System: The Tsimisce firs uses Vieissitude (and perhaps ashagpknifeortwo) toflay the victim, then evokes this power ‘whilenakedand wrapped inthe vitim’s bloody skin The skin “grafts’ onto the Fiend! own, thus granting an automatic ude duplication (no roll requted). The Fiend may maintain the stolen shape as long as he likes Once a shape is discarded, the victim's skin peels away and the power ends. However, the Tsimisce can maintain a mental “catalog” of “i ” shapes (a number equal t Merit of Eidetic Memory). Atr “imprinted” shape may be assumed with five minutes’ effort and a simple Dexterity + Crafts (Body) roll (difficulty 6) Maser OF THE DoM CAaspex L ) Fien nisce metamorphoses into something less like a vampire mote like a guardian spirit; she ki of what transpires in the realmand gainsa measure of control over the land itself LIBELLUS SANGUINIS 1System: Once acquired, this power is always on. The Trimisce picks a “fiefdom” on which the power centers (this Ahould always include the dom, and che area should be rela- Tively small — no more than a 10-mile radius). Within this {atea, the Tzimisce is lord and master. All difficulties of Domi- fate, Fresence, Animalism and Koldunie Sorcery powers used Iy the Tsimisce aguinse natives of the fiefdom are reduced by One; the Fiend may control weather and climatic effects in the Tealm (Intelligence + Hearth Wisdom, difficulty 6 to 10 tkpendingon what the vampire wantsto do);the vampire may Mubtly shift landmarks, causing a traveler to become lost, Stunbleincoapit, overlook ahaven, ete (again difculty 610 A0,dependingon what the vampire wantstoaccomplish);and Bhe may pinpoint intruders’ locations within the fiefdom (generally, difficulty 7), This power has a drawback: The T: Phound” to the fiefdom; she will never leave it willingly, and ifforced out, she will suffer as though she were cut off from her Especial soil. Ifshe drops to below one die in all Dice Pools, she Withers and dies. R TRAM. SARABAND. Vicissirupe LeveL Six) The vampire with this power may animate his bowels, inbuis | The writhing entrails may be used as crude whips, extra limbs lotares, though they lack the strength to constrict foes. sce is effectively them with manipulative nnd even combat potential. System: The vampire must spend a Blood Point. The fction is automatic, though the vampire takes one Health, Level of normal damage as his bowels burst out through his fklomen. For each dor of Stamina the vampire posseses, he fins one additional die to perform actions such as grappling, irik, etc. However, these dice can only be used to perform fatra actions, not to add to existing Dice Pools IVING TESTUDO VicissiTUDE Leven Six) The Fiends well remember the effectiveness of the large Shields used by the Roman invaders of their lands, Accond- ingly, Tsimisce at war occasionally make use of a similar, Ibouch ghastlir, substitute. Grasping a victim, che vampire ites fesh- and honecrating arts to lay open the vitim’s back Insch a manner thather vertebrae ate exposed. The vampire then grasps the glistening spinal cord in the manner of a Adoushty warsior hefting a shield, and hoists che victim bodily dbythis makeshift “handle.” Not only does the victim provide protection against attacks but —forsolongasthe victim ives the Fiend can manipulate the flesh and bone of the “shield” to provide an arsenal of offensive weaponey. System: The Fiend musthave a Strength of 5 — through any combination ofnature, vitae andor Potence —to use this power. The testudo-to-be must be immobilized and her back bared. The Tsimisce then makes a Dexterity + Crafts (Body) rol (dificulry 8) to lay open the vietim’s back. If successful, the vietim loses only one Health Level ifthe roll fails, the Victim dies hideously anda new shield must be sought. The Fiend then lfs the sereaming, twitching victim into the ir, usingherto block attacks as he woulda normal shield. Attacks blocked inthis manner inflict damage on the victim, who remains intact until she has suffered five Health Levels beyond the point of her death (a this point, the victim is too mangled and tattered to provide further pr amore, while the vetmlives the Teimisce + Craft (Body) rol (difficulty 7) to form the “shield” into an spikes from th wictim’s ribcage, making a whip oF noose from the vietim’s skin, ete. Each weapon formed inflicts one Health Level of damage on the victim and creates an appropeiate weapon (i. rib cage spikes might inflict Ste+ I normal damage, while a skinwhip would inflict Str - L normal damage and possibly c an opponent, etc). sction), Further- snmakea Dexterity offensive weapon — for example, formin Some powerful Tzimisce use this power to mark the edges of their demesne. To activate this power, the Fiend must sgraspa vietim, holding them forafull urn. The victim's spinal cord springs through the crown of his skull and his anus, generally causing the victim's death. Furthermore, the rigid spine-shaft uncoils toa length of 10 feet and (if the victim stands on soil, earth or other soft material) affixes the victim tothe ground, thereby forminga “stake” or “signpost” ofsorts. System: The vampire grasps her vietim and lls Strength + Medicine (difficulty 8); this roll is esist Stamina (difficulty 8). If che vampire succeeds, the victim takes (10 -Stamina) Health Levels of damage; Fortitude does not help to resist this damage. Furth considered horribly encumbered (minus three to Dexterity) by the victim's rmore, the victim is It can be asumed that mortals who suffer this self impalement die shortly even ifthe initial damage does not kill them, BOOK TWO: TZIMISCEA Covaleade of THE HELLHOUND ‘Quote: Do not trouble me with niles — care naught for this “feonne” nonsense. | shall ask again —are you sute this all he tribute youcan spare the Sovereign One this harvest? Perhaps, then, the Sovereign One should plant anew sor of crop. Yess. ..Gather every man, woman and cin the square at dawn. Separate them by ewos, and eect one sharpened stake for every pair; haw it done by sundown on the morow, or the Sovereign One will grow truly dlsplease Prelude: You grew up in the kennels ofthe Bratovitches, From your aliest nights, yourallegiance lay with the Masters hounds —afterall, you were whelped at the same bitch’s teat, housed in the same pen, fed with the same sraps, and beaten with thesame stap. You sported and hunted withthe litters — strangling any rivals who thought to challenge you of course —and by adolescence had swelled into a hulking mastiff of a One night you were unchained sent to make war on other dogs You led your pack howling under the fall moon to the village your Master had designated todie, Despite yoursavagery, however, you were unpre pared when the villagers began howling back Youengagedthe leader, 2 10-foot tower of black fur and red fangs. His laws laid open your flanks, but you would not sufer another ri: ‘al for leadership of yourpack, even one who remi of family. Droppi the splayed talons, you grasped the champing muzde and squeezed with all your might. The rest of the werewolves looked on, eyes widening in unchar acteristic horror, as you yanked the n-wolf’s head from its torso. You hurled the trophy in challenge at your foes, and your own pack followed. The rest of the wolves fought well, but their leader's death had unnerved, them, and so, one by one, they fll under the gleam LIBELLUS SHNGUINIS 1 Siends You dragged you Jk to the Master's ower bef dawn, where you eagerly (if monosyllabically) granted youl report. The voivode’s eyes flickered when you reported the he had expected you merely to whit afew of the wolves down, and he certainly had not anticipate ‘yoursurvival. Hmmm...there would be othervillages to pacify he reasoned, and if you tasted as foul as you smelled, you mi village's destruction. Concept: You are the voivade’s first man — ond al hal best emember it. You are just canny enough to know that th svivode despises you, so you make yourself indispensable. Yo Physical Attributes and Abilities reflect the violence youha dispensed and endured all of your life Roleplaying Hints: At the voivode's behest, you cultivated the thinnest vene you ask for tribute first instead of simply beating the villa without explanation. Although you have litre learning less desire for any, you display abundane amounts of la cunning. Your first interactions with other beings attempts at intimidation; should this fail, toady to ang power while you devise more subtly violent schemes. Equipment: Hellhounds, mace, scale hauberk, writ authorityHE DISPLACED MAsTER Quote: J would na speak of suc things on a night like eis of your evil eye. In jou —as you grew older oufelea presence beyond your hovel’s walls, like the breath fan invisible spirit Old Darvulia, the witch, came for your parents and into the forests, ters and many things besides. we dead bled fro When you were Hou. She took you fe snow the revels high atop the hi ands stretching from rivers, the things that sh the forests at night There was, of course, limit ro what Old Foul tech you. One night, when the balefie feags and demons bellowed amid ihe thunderclouds, the Deathless HOnescame romtheirlais. Old Darvulia waved rose- ary and croaked hams, and the pale itatures laughed and Bipred her tight. As our tur shriveled Hike a dried fruit be teath the Deathless Ores fangs, youcould orhelp but join inthe eorpes laughter. Darvulia ed green on the ‘They took you away to the House on the Hill and presented you to the one ho sar on the throne herein. He looked into Your eyes, and past them, land you felt a chill wither Your soul, like the breath of {an invisible sprit. You learned much un- de the voivode’s teachin, axl became first amon, puils. Alas, neither nor your master’s knowl: felge sufficed ro save you the night the leathery shapes leaptbellowingfrom the battlements. The last thing you saw as you fled redone what you must to survive. You afver another; you have walked with grel and Toreador (and, some whisper, Tremere). You have traveled to the lands of the Moors to discourse with Assamite scholars, and you have learned secrets in midnight libr ways, your dead heart pulls you toward the House on the Fil, whose mysteries will once again be yours esamid the French Alps. But You are equal parts noble and scholar, your applied primarily toward self-advancement. Un- ities, your in BE ey etre cree Roleplaying His nehers with distracted polite ness until you have a File co them abstractly ofcourse, are best re useful deployed as pawns against your enemi Equipment: Fin and books, coin of the realm raveling clothes, short sword, scrollsQuot ‘my liege, and the selachta do the fiefdom proud, bue we have the Tetons on our right and the Shadow Lords a our heels and we are dyingoutthere, Your Excellency, and.... Yes. Yes, milord. Punish the vilage forts faite, Every soul sent screaming to Hell. hear and obey Prelude: You were aseventh son ofaseventh son, heir to nothing save a brigindine hauberk and a German sword. You ng in the Byzantine army and later deeds of arswereoverand ‘The conscripts are doing the best hat humans can put both to good use, se in the Third Crusade. You participated in some fe valorand many, many atrocities; when the Jerusalem lay under the erescent, you left a land and a faith, that meant nothing to you. A wivede mistook your resigna- Although nominally Christian, you knew enough about the tobear yourfatestoicaly. Ifthe Fiend wasno better han your old leaders, at least she was more honest about it ‘You were placed in charge of the ‘oivode’s armies, leading her sclachua and Bratovicch dog-soldiersagainst tion for callousness ncient traditions and Lupines You broke the advance of Gorat elite Gar goyle flocks dur ing your Tremere, Vente first cam paign, and shold of the Unurpers to this nig seesickensyou. Ie isw't the ubiquitous to the LIBELLUS S! aggressive in defending one’s land. No, it i your liege lady's indifference toward those who fight and diein herservice. The things you command may not look like the ainted icons inthe Church, but they are yet men, and your sympathies lie more with them than with your lady high in the tower. ‘you saw similar horrors at Acre, and one must be pamid the Balkans dvel beaks, and perhaps this Concept [tis rumored thar de roosters with plu is tee, for you are a specimen rarer than hen's teeth —a compassionate Fiend, You area skilled leader, ably balancing pragmatism and sympathy; this has earned you more loyal than any Blood Oath could. Your Physical Atributes and combat Abilities ae high, courtesy of a lifetime of war. of fire and fa Roleplaying Hints: You were weary before you took up sivode has granted you little respite. In battle, you are an efficient engine of wari «ternal arms and your service to the service, you are meticulous enough to win the Fiends’ respect Alla, they gaze toward the horizon’s pyre flames ng to lose yours, and some nights you snd yearn for the liberating re begini Equipment: Chainmail hauberk, broadsword, destreh banner with voivode’s standard —0HE JADED iso more than 14 wintes...and a virgin! Marvelous! Prelude: You were groomed for nobility amid the cata- oviches. Asa ghoul, you were trained in all antovich daughters er given in marriage to.a count along the Bohe nian marches, (He died dishonorably in hisconjugal bed, hair Iumed white and face swollen with terror, no doubt from the untimely illness that laid him low.) OF course, the passeconcerningthe inheritance, but after you had discoursed privately and at length with your stepchil dren and the local magistrate, everyone was all t00 happy t0 was a stall im cede the estate to you. Your demesnethusestabished, you set about civilising your bar baricfiefwithall tharClassical and B offer. Your court attracted no tine culture had to few visitors along with isin famy—thoughafewhoneyed words and bloody examples sufficed ro quiet your subjects? Still, when strange shadows were een fitting to your battlements against the moon, the villagers whis- pered. When children began disappearing fromthe nearby hanalers the villagers hissed And when pale riders swept cout of the East to sojourn at yourestate,the villager ss picions were confirmed in suesome fashion. By then, of course, The masters had deemed you worthy, and you were swampy. Your retainers inform you that the peasants mutter ofthe Deathless Hell-Countess, but what isthatto you? The kine are yourstodowithas youwill and you owe them noexplanation. Recently, you have begun cultivati and low, and your estate has begun entertaining visitors from a mighty court indeed, pawns in high places Concept: You were Szantovich in life and in some ways emborly what the Toreador will later become. No, that is not adept in all eaving overt violence to your retainers and so — you are a hundeed times worse. You ar courtly arts, demonic emissaries Roleplaying ‘a quagmite of honey. You ne nts: You are as sweet andl inescapable as + appeat imp: irchmen and magistrates with courtly hospitality. You slyly cultivate a compassionate, aristocratic fagade, par ticularly toward young girls, whom you adore. Eresebet Bathory and the White Witch of Narnia have nothing on you, my prety. jous at frst Equipment: Castle, levies, slachta, implements of tor- ture worthy ofaRenaissance dungeon, several beautiful pages, several hideous ex-pages, several cysts that were ex-pages, hellhounds, library of blasphemous and prurient tomes, PIRE. fpamecnest —————— Uton re ambac Tepes. rest sihouette. ee sojourn: il \Wifarlem a nt the ‘a ‘cohen a id an or rar celebrateted from bloo, Old: Eur - Lam a coward faking, lama fea a the Sabbat. Above alll, Klara, jood: 1. Q Zantosa fete oj js Night arose ars bones a bi hing More en| ertaini 5 Mad as one of Malk, 4, | hee rating through subterrany Q good fad. and then, still grinning, he toy on the brownstone floor. en calls the « re on any given, yi > Q_ more concentrated ‘reaistryy of eS among the Damned. any given night, so much blood. So much blood. A Scarlet web of blood: Enough to sate... the others snare themselves more tightly in thar Blood rites and savage games. Let them take Pride in what it is to be Tzimisce: ; iy ready know what | am, for better than any of them, think. “tam a good tad.Bere d sit voithin ray ccurnbling walls vociting these voorbs vohile the cries of dying mer sur round me int the Darkness and great fees — the lunecal pees of a bygone age — bucr in the distance I do not know that you voill fir this last testament for the destruction that cones tte man be too coniplete but there ace things that 3 cannot leawe unsaid Vethaps you, to who) voas closest among all ny childer carn achieve some measuce of understanding kor these last voords and voill not be left to verntuce th into the darkness ersticely uriguided YOhers 3 wo0as but a childe, 3 did Hot see in mysell the seeds of the trycant 3 woouls becore: they leuy doemant deep voithin 11 breast wait ing only bor the stirrnti of Wood and war to grove into full Moor 3 desiced not to vile. but merely to chronicle the events of thekingdorris which I dwelt and pechaps to play a srrvall vole int the clarés eflocts to quide it toa bet ter hutuce @ dark late avoaited that frie kingdorn, however and with ifs unvocome arrival carne the fest sticcings of change irs ry lifeless heartSavage barbariansswept in ftom the north, bringing death and despair with them. Our people were helpless, unable ro predict thetimingof thei raids and incapable of resisting their might without preparation. As the raids worsened, foodand other resources stew shore, Civil war arose within the kingsdom itself. Our once-proud land split into warring factions, each tearing atthe others with vulpine single-mindedness, while around the periphery, the wolves gathered. Tewasalong, dark time forourfolk, and many elders whom I had thoughtinvincible perished inthe innumerable sieges, bates and rads that punctuated those grim decades. Most of us withdrew from the coast and its vulnerability, trying to preserve a tiny domain for ourselves. It was the brutal, interminable, exhausting defense of that frst fief, I think, that infected me with the incurable hunger thar drives me to this very night. Again and again my opponents, both mortal and immortal, tried to take what ‘vas mine, but to no avail. [earned ths lesson first and best: Defend what is yous, let no other take it from yous for that dishonor is worse than Final Death itself. I is wth such thoughts in mind that [gid myself for what eomes ‘Toensurethe safety of thacfist fief, had to expand my power base —noone who stands alone istruly secure. In this [leamed a second lesson: The acquisition of power only whets the appetite for more. It was during those first nights while I painstakingly constructed the core of my empire that | was truly happiest. Most believed that I had little chance to succeed, but I triumphed anyway, uniting my vassals, Cainite and kine, in the alliance that drove the invaders from our lands ‘My vietory was complete, and with it came the spoils I wanted so dearly. The kingdom was mine. As prince, | established tight control over my subjects, and for thissome labeled me a tyrant, but the memory of the fragmented fief that had been an easy vietim for its enemies was always in my mind. I became obsessed with ensuring that such events would never happen again. | hunted down and destroyed my foes throughout the land and sired childer, such as yourself, to rule in their stead. Even my most vehement detractors cannot deny that I brought order where there had been chaos, plenty where there had been want, and strength where there had been weakness. “My reign passed quickly to my eyes, although itconsumed the better part of centuries, atime in which I ruled unchallenged Success, however, sometimes harbors costs that are dire indeed, and this is perhaps the most ironic of ll lessons. Overwhelming victory is sweet, but it makes enemies out of those who fea strength and unites opponents who would have otherwise remained divided. It breeds jealously in those lesser beings who would claimall credit for themselves and for whom norewardis great enough. All around me, dark forces more inexorable than face itself toiled ceaselessly. I saw my closest friends become the bitterest of my ‘enemies, despite decades of unquestioning loyalty. Without warning, ancient foes whom I believed long dead rose again, theit powers increased tenfold, and their minds focused solely upon vengeance, and rivals whom I had unwisely counted upon to continue fighting amongst themselves made peace, joining forces against me. Success had brought me ruin, but my downfall was shaped by more than the blind workings of destiny This, then, is the last of my lessons to you, childe, and be certain you learn it wel. There are powers abroad inthis world that manipulate the affairs of the most powerful Cainites as if we were but children. We refer to these beings as the Daeva, and its they whoare our greatest and most mysterious foes. Among their ranks ae the Antediluvians, those most ancient and monstrous representatives of our kn, but they comprise only an incomprehensible element of the awful whole. Unimaginably powerful spirits, nigh-omniscient magi and terrfyingly beautiful lords of the fae also occupy the ranks ofthese secret masters. Each Daeva fears and distrusts the others, resulting in an endless hidden war that can lead only to ruin. The Dark Father, Caine himself, saw that the Daeva bring only pain and sorrow to his children and he bid our founder to oppose the Secret Masters’ works wherever he could. That, too, is our task; we are soldiers ofthe night who follow in the foorsteps of our fallen lord. We must oppose the Daeva wherever we encounter their work, and, perhaps most importantly, we must combine the strengths ofthe Children ofSeth and of Caine into @ union that is strong enough to resist their manipulation By bringing strength, unity and prosperity to these lands I have entered unwittingly into the war of the Daeva. Theit unspeakable hand is evident in the forces that even now move against me. Who knows? — pethaps my rise was pat of their plan as well — but my downfall assuredly is, The sounds of battle grow louder as my enemies pour through the breach and flood the killing ground beneath the keep. I go now to join the final battle. May your will never falter, Friederich von Taunenberg, S The Year of Our Lord 1197FIN INTRODUCTION TO CLAN ‘VENTRUE I greet you childe, in the name of Clan Venerue. With these few pages I hope to introduce you to the history of the clan to which you now belong, Additionally, [wish to impart to you some of the wisdom that has been passed down to as from Ventrue, who wasour father. Read closely and take these lesons to heart, for you cannot hope to rule without understanding the origins ofthe shadowy world that surrounds you. ler alone We of Clan Ventrue are the purebred aristocracy of the night, the direct descendants of Caine, through the blood of his most beloved child, Ventrue himself. The vitae that flows inthe world. Donotdishonor it for with this heritage comes an awesome responsibility. through your veins is the nobles ts our duty, asthe true inheritorsof the mantle of Caine, torule in his stead, preserving the most ancient of our kind’s traditions. We are the kings ofthis world and its generals, the soldiersof Caine earrying his banner againsta time when it will, LL Irisnoroutofarrogance that we assume this role; rather, iis because we know the awful truth against bedesperately nee which we must vanguard. Ventrue studied at the knee of the Dark Father during the eatly nights ofthe Fist City, learning from him terrible secrets that ourclan still guards. The most crucial fragmentof knowl- edge that we have preserved concerns the existence of unimaginably powerful entities known as the daeva. Ventrue leamed of chese beings from Caine, who revealed to him that the world is secrerly manipulated by powers far beyond the petceptionsof common beings. These creatures, or daeva, seek toshape the very nature of existence to their own unknowable ends, manipulating even the most powerful Cainites with alarming ease. ine recognized the threat these beings posed and fore Jon in the far furure when the world lay oved children, would survive but omy as nts of our once-proud clan. Those humans, saw aday of Armag inruins. We, his b hunted re lupines and mages who remained alive would place the blame Z of inta Idren of Caine and hound us for the catastrophe upon across the blasted landscape. The chief pawnsin this hattle for children of Seth, for it is mortal society tharmose truly defines the shape ofthe world. Ventrue, inhis wislom, recognized that our clan isin the best position the future of ourkind are the to influence society and steer it away from the coming apoca- lypse Thus, in keeping with the sternduty that Caine originally placed upon our founder, Clan Ventrue has sworn to prevent this dark future from comingtopass. We have quierly assumed of responsibility. Someone must take ces and kine together into a force that the terrible bard charge, uniting C: ccan combat the sinister efforts of the daeva. Granted, this role ‘ome the beacons of ‘opposition to the secret powers that vie to guide the world but we do what we must regardless of the consequences. places us in terrible danger — we hav On THE Marrer or Darva The daeva include the Antediluvians, but they are only the most familiar horrors amongst a far sreater whole. Immensely powerful mages, lpines, demons and spirits are also active in the world, twisting reality to fit their own inscrutable desires, ‘These incomprehersibly powerful beings fear and hhate one another, dragging the world into their ancient and endless secret war. Someyoung Ventruedisbelievetheentirecon- ceptofthedaeva,believingthemtobeacontrivance of elders in the interests of maintaining discipline Likewise, those few outside the clan who know of the theary consider it gibberish — the product of centuries of paranoid Ventrue minds given free reign. BOOK THREE: VENTRUEThis view of the world has had a strong effect clan, creating the qualities of arrogance, isolation, social bigotry and paranoia tharare, to most, the defining character isticsofthe stereotypical Ventrue. Whattheydonorunderstand is that itis our destiny to lead the other clans, rebuild the Second City and oppose the acu Itisobvious that we are the only ones fit for the jab, thus, its understandable if we grow irritated when some fool questions this fact. Our confidence rads others to mislabel us as place for conceit and martyrdom and selflessness in this role arrogant, mistaking pride-o for vanity Additionally, this confidence occasionally blinds us to new and changing conditions, and—asmuchas we wouldlike to deny it — even Ventrue elders recognize that our clan’s traditional ways can sometimes lea to stagnation. Certain of their own wisdom, some Ventrue elders withalraw from the world and lose touch with those they govern. Our clan's pragmatic respect for success, however, saves it from stasis Despite the ingrained Ventrue tendency to respect tradition and age, we value accomplishment most highly, regardless of means fact that has allowed many young Ventrue to gain status quickly after essful coups nce matters of precedence are so important, however, Jan members jealously guard what honots they possess and obsessoverattaining and protecting theirstatus. The constant conflict over position, which results whenever large groupsot Vensrue gather, severely handicaps our attempts to aecom- plish anything andleaves the lan divided againsitslfSome of the fiercest battles ofthe Dark Medieval world are wars of Ventruc against Venere. Although the members of our lan share the same traditions, those traditions teach that power goes to the strongest and most ruthless. Thus, wars among Ventre are usualy fought over fitness to rule, leaving indi vidal clan members strong, but isolated. Fearofthedaevaand the ambitionoffellow clan members The typical Patrician views even the most common event with suspicion, fearing unseen manipulation. Dramatic occurrences such as ‘war, plague or famine are even more likely to be seen asthe deliberate result of external manipulation. Responsibility for many events can be laid at the feet ofthe other clans, but truly hasalso bred paranoia among our clan asa whole. mysterious or traumatic happenstances are generally believed to be the work of the daeva. For many of our clan, the stereotypical Ventrue thirst for power has a deeper meaning. ‘The only decisions that we can be sure are not the resul of manipulation by thedaevaare the decisions we make ourselves and even then we cannot be truly certain. Convinced of its own rightness, consumed with status and propriety and see Ventrue has carved out a position of leadership within the rigid social structure of Europe, but clan elders see dangerous times ahead. Clan Ventrue is now strong 1g enemies around every comer, Clan LIBELLUS SANGUINIS 1 been since the death of Charlemagne, but itis also divided Once proud and united, we have fragmented into warting factions, separated by geography, kinship and patronage Each faction regards itsefas independent and safeguards its own interests atthe expense ofthe clan as a whole. Long- standing feuds that extend for generations have developed between factions. Many of these groupshave drastically difer- ‘ent ideas on how the clan should direct its activities. Some factions concentrate their influence among the clergy or local nobility, while others work to strengthen the monarchy against ins rivals. A growing minority has even begun to pursue mercantile interests, a decision seemingly at odds with the very concept of Ventrue nobility A few wise clan members now see how dangerous this divisive situation truly is, Frctiousand warringamongstitself, Clan Ventrue is easy prey for its many enemies and the perfect tool of the daeva, We fear that without intemal order, the clan cannot hope to combat its many enemies. Other clans circle like vultures over Ventrue holdings in France and the Holy Roman Expire, while strange tremors shake our tenuous grip con the Church hierarchy. Across Europe, the elders of Clan Ventrue gather thei forces for the coming strugale, THE RISE OF THE WEST? CLAN VENTRUE AND THE Dark MEpiEvVAL WorLD Iris impossible to fully understand our elan’s roe in the world without an appreciation of how it has evolved since the tragic fall ofRome. In most respects, thisstory isone of internal division and of lose chances, but chroughout the dark times, cour clan has maintained its grip upon the fabric of western. society, ever working co repair the damage caused by the cempire’s collapse. Tue Fatt, or ROME AND THE EARLY Frapat Periop ‘The Roman Empire was a bastion of Ventrue power. In the early nights, our clan was united and claimed sole contral ver the empire; however, the alliances necessary to defeat Carthage required us to share power with other clans, primar rily the Toreador and Malkavians. With these other clans came the weaknesses inherent to each, diluting Ventrut strength when it was needed most. They challenged us for control of the senate and the emperor and were joined in this struggle by other, non-Cainite forees including mages, powet- ful demons and the Children of Seth. Soon the emperors were swayed by so many different influences that no one could predict, let alone control, their actions. With most of out cenergies tured toward survival, the empire was bereft of leadership and began its tragic decline. Even before the death ofits lastruler in A.D.476, the empire wasamoldering comps, and it was time for the chief parasites to seek other hosts.‘The Nobles scattered away from Rome and the Mediter- ranean Coast, infiltrating the barbarian aristocracy as the invaders squabbled among themselves and quickly fell into almost constant warfare. The perpetual threat of siege andl battle made survival dificult forthe clan. Many Ventrue met their Final Death during this period, including some of the ‘most powerful figures of the Roman Era. Others slipped into corporhopingto wake ina more settled time. Those of us who survived became masters of the artsof warfare and politics, but wwe also became isolated by internal schisms. As our fate grew more and more entwined with the families we controlled, \Ventrue often found themselves at odds with other Ventrue. Intra-clan warfare, both open and covert, was the result. Out ofthis fierce competition, skilled leaders emerged and forged small estates by establishing control over a few strategic families. “Those clan members who remained in the Mediterranean, area and assumed positions of leadership within the Church became known as the Ecclesiastcals. At first, they concen- ed solely upon the Church’s administrative apparatus, but late, after the Rule of Saint Benedict ensured the success of the monastic way of lif, they became involved with wealthy monasteries. Clan members in the Church initially sought refuge from wavesof barbarian assault but quickly realized that the route to eventual control was through conversion. During the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries, Christianity played a key role inthe survival of western thought, Roman tradition and Clan Ventrue. By converting powerful barbarian monarchs, the Church absorbed the invaders into the mainstream of western culture, curing them from outside threatsintoChristendom’s staunchest defenders. The clan Disciplines of Presence and Dominate proved extremely useful in this process, allowing valiant Patricians to exert necessary influence over the often strong-willed barbarian leaders Some Ecclesiasticals concentrated upon the preservation of ancient wisdom — both Roman and older Cainite lore passed dovn since the time of the Second City. These clan membersfoundalliesamong the growing monastic movernent of the 6th century. Monks withdrew from the world, forming self-sufficient communities (often in isolated locales), which wereperfect hiding placesfor Ventrue with toomany enemies. ‘They were good places to conceal both valuable clan records and artifacts from the chaos ofthe outside world. Additionally, influence within monasteries provided our clan with access tothe only centersof knowledge and learning still viable in the chaos of Europe. Monks were practically the only mortals capable of reading, writing or performing even simplemathematiesand, therefore, were the primary source of few administrative clerks employed by early feudal mon- archs. Controlling the monksmeant establishinga ootholdin what litle bureaucracy still existed, and it also provided an ‘opportunity to rebuild LIBELLUS SHNGUINIS 1 CHARLEMAGNE AND THE SECOND Dark AGE By the time that the Frankish Kingdom rose co power during the latter half of the 8th century, we were ready t0 reassert ourselves as the true rulers ofthe West. With Ventrue backing, asuecessionof killed monarchs guided the rise of the Frankish state, culminating in the reign of Charlemagne. By the time he was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo oon Christmas Day A.D. 800, Charlemagne ruled the greatest empire since the fall of Rome, including most of Europe from the Pyrenees to Saxony, Throughout the continent, powerful Ventrue assumed key roles in the feudal infrastructure thet formed the backbone of the Frankish Kingdom. ‘Support from the papacy was key to the Frankish success Encouraged by members of our clan, the Pope confirmed the election of Charlemagne’s father as King of the Franks and personally crowned Charlemagne as emperor. Additionally, CChureb-trained monks became the clerks who managed the mundane administrative affairs of the state- Our presence within the ranks of those monks provided us with a prime opportunity to infiltrate the new state's bureaucratic machin- ey. ‘The cooperation between Church and state, which made the Frankish Kingdom so successful, was encouraged by an alliance between the Nobles and Ecclesiasticals. Members of both factions set aside their petty differences and joined together to promote the interests ofthe new kingdom. For the first time since the fll of Rome, we ba found unity Additionally, che leaders of this Frankish resurgence formed a tentative alliance with Clan Toreador, laying the groundwork for the celebrated Grand Court. The court be- came the focal point of Cainite politics in the West and its smooth governance appeared to ensure the continued success of Chaclemagne’s new state, the Holy Roman Empire. Inthe end, however, Ventrue success was too bitter a pill for our jealous enemies to swallow. The clan's accomplishments at- tracted the attention of our many adversaries, uniting them against us and engendering savage attacks against Ventrue holdings throughout the Frankish Kingdom and the Church. ur alliance with the Toreador suffered initial stresses soonafier Charlemagneestablished the empire. Many Ventrue believe that the disasters that overtook us occurred at the express command of the daeva. Certainly, other clans felt threatened by Charlemagne’s conquest of Western Europe and desired to strike a the immortal heart of Frankish power. ‘Worse still Prince Alexander lost control ofthe Frankish royal family after the death of Charlemagne, and the Grand Court disintegrated into open conflict. Once again —as in Rome 400 years eatlier — savagely competitive factions struggled over the reins of power. It took less time for Charlemagne’s empire to collapse than it did for Rome, however. Fratricidal warfare broke out almost as soon asFRANCE local noble families, but thee influence has been frustrated alliance between the Ventrue and Toreador, hich supported Charlemagne, was observed only cursorly during the Sth and 10th centuries. In the chaotic dynastic wars that raged across. France after the empire's collapse, Ventrue and Toreador socials and plot The Grand Court was created by the Ventrue elder Alesanderin cooperation with several Toreedorelders In the early nights, before the death of Charlemagne, Alexander ruled the cour like a true Cainte prince, dispensing feer and justice in equal portions, But the events ofthe time efthima shattered brooding wreck, unable to govern effectively. The “Toreador made a vain attempt to assume leadership but were handicapped by ther political inepeness and by the paranoid suspicion that ran rampant throughout the Grand Court dhting the chaos ofthe Carolingian Emit’ disintegration The court remained ineffective and divided until the arrival of Saviarre in the early 11th century. She somehow won Alexander's trust and, following her advice, he reinvigo- rated the Grand Cour. Many ourdersrecognze that Saviare is the true power behind the throne but do not care, since the. tertory — more a collection of independent principalities than a unified kingdom. The royal domain, a small cluster of territories centered on Paris called the Ile-de-France, is the onl land directly under the French king'scontel. The Grand the court ansantly and week to kexp the county dived Most of these Patrician reent the heavy Toreador ifluenee The Duchy of Normandy hasbeen the mos succesulof the independent French territories anda bastion of Patrician resistance tothe court. The duchy was settled bythe descen- dants of Viking raiders, but under the leadership of a series of wise dukes, it quickly became one of the strongest territories in Western Europe, conquering England in 1066 and extend- Our clan was quick to realize the duchy's potential and began is inflation ofthe Norman noble families soon after Duke Rollo’ tte was confirmed bythe Frankish king The experienced ladersofClan Ventre taught the Norman lords howtorule theirfiefs properly, helping to transform Normandy into one ofthe wealthiest duchies ofthe West With Ventrue aid, the Dukes of Normandy held their vassals under firm LIBELLUS SANGUINIS 1 Simultaneously, the Normans made certain the tetritory’s Cainite population was equally unified under their command. Small groupsof Patricians within Norman territory were either absorbed or destroyed. The feudal infighting that continues to plague most French Ventrue has been almost entirely eliminated in Normandy. As Norman Ventrue grow increasingly mote power, the delicate balance between Ventrue and Toreador interests in France becomes distupted. Other clans fear a resurgent Norman/Frankish empire under Ventrue control, and they work subtly against our interests, sowing discord among the Grand Court. Developments in England have enhanced these fears greatly and may lead directly to the final days of the Grand Court ENGLAND Before the Norman Conquest, the Cainites of England were a varied lot. A few Roman Ventrue survived the collapse of the empire, but most were destroyed o fell into torpor ‘Those who remained shared the island with remnants ofthe other clans, mostly Toreador, Lasombra and Malkavians as well asa large population of Scottish Gangrel. These Caintes had plenty of competition, as well, from England's other supernatural inhabitants, lupines, mages and the fae. Ths situation changed drastically, however, withthe arival ofthe Normans, ‘The Ventrue who accompanied William the Conqueror spread across England like an aristocratic plague after 1066, They quickly assumed positions of authority over the islands surviving Cainite population, eliminating or forcing under ground all who would nor accepe their rule. Members of out proudclanalsoreestablished dhemselvesin the English Church (much co Clan Toreador’s chagrin), concentrating theit ef forts on London. Like the Norman barons who asumed control over the Saxon peasantry, Clan Ventrue secured is domination of England's nobility and administrative machine cry for the foreseeable furure. IN THE Grasp oF 1 Dark Gop By the death of Henry Il in 1189, the Methselah’s control over southem England and London, in particular, was firm, bur the outlying. fiefs remained only nominally loyé they retain a great deal of independence to this night Outside of London, Mithras’ rise to power has caused turbulence throughout Cainite political | structures. Most of those who survived have either” made peace with Mithras or fled havens in Scot.” land, Wales and Franée. Few openly oppose him — | and choose t0 remain in Britain.‘Unbeknownstto the majority of Ventrue, howe was one survivor of the Roman era who was powerful enough to oppose, and eventually subvert, our rule. The Methuselah Mithas had voluntarily dropped into a torpor along the Scortish border during the final days of Roman Britain. Although dimly aware of what occurred around him, Mithras, did not fully reawaken until after the Norman invasion. Rumorsabounded,claimingtharone or more Norman Ventrue were unwitting pawns of the sleeping, but not entirely dor: rant, Methuselah, and that these Ventrue took part in the conquest with the express aim of waking him from torpo: ‘Cerainly the vast majority of ourclan remained unaware cof Mithras’ awakening until he surfaced in London, attempt: to reactivate an ancient temple dedicated to the Greco-Persian god whose namehehad assumed. Local Church officials reacted quickly, burning the structure to the ground andkillingany worshippers they found. Those Ventrue within the Church were unpleasantly surprised, however, to find an active Methuselah behind this pagan resurgence and were unprepared for the savagery of his counterattack. While Norman forces reacted with fear and confusion, Mithras descended upon London, destroying several powerfulNorman Over the next century, Mithrasdivided and destroyed his enemies in a masterfully orchestrated series of battles, sieges and betrayals. Rather than seize the reins of power prema- turely, the Methuselah concentrated on the elimination ofall posiblerivals. He owed seeds of treachery, inflamed old feu and encouraged a vicious struggle among the Ventrue and Toreador lords of England. The two clans geew increasingly suspicious ofone another, each convinced that the other was Mithras’ pawn, THE GRAND Court The Grand Court of Pats is the truest expression of the Ventrae/Toreador alliance and has been the center of Cainite culture in the West since the fall of Rome. The courts grand in more than name; it remains the home of all the pomp and pageantry that isthe heart of monarchy. Ventrue and Torea dor elders attend the court attired in their finest robes, surrounded by their loyal retinues. The court itself is held in different locations in and around Parisat the whim of tsruler, the ancient Ventrue Alexander. Alexander was the architect of the alliance, and the Jmpetusbehind the establishment of he court. Hisrole before thisperiod remains shrouded in mystery, although itiscerain thar he emerged from the East and that he knows far more about ritual magic than is commonplace fora Ventrue lord. In cooperation with the Toreador, he guided the Frankish King- dom topreeminence among the territoriesof Westem Europe, culminating with the establishment of the Holy Roman Em- pire under Charlemagne. This relationship between Ventre and Toreador was cemented by a fateful gesture of trust between our two clans.Alexander was a brooding, obsessive ruler, his interests focused entirely on the burdens of leadership, at least until he encountered Lorraine. Lorraine was a Toreador neonate in. troduced into the decadent social circle ofthe Grand Court shortly after its inception. Her beauty and innocence en: tranced many, burnonemorethan Alexander, whodetermined that he must possess her. As the negotiations over the courts alstructure neared theirend, onlyainal gesture of tust and maraderie was needed to provide closure. The Toreador clders were quick tonote Alexanders overpowering desire for Lorraine and took advantage of this opportunity. In return for several important concessions from the overeager Patrician, the Toreador presented Alexander with Lorraine He devoted every moment to her, strugeling desperately to win her affections. She, however, remained friendly, but distant. No matter how close they grew together she never axlmitted to having any feelings for him. Alexander was tor, by his passions, alternately overjoyed that she was with him and infuriated that he would never win her love. night he retuned to his haven to find her gone. Another ‘Toreador, one ofherbroosimates, had become asobsessed with hheras Alexander himself, He had waited until the prince was gone and then spirited her away nally, one ‘Alexander's rage was boundless. The prince used his formidable skills to track the fleeing couple tothe outskirts of Paris. He destroyed the absluctor utterly, while the faithless girl was brought back to his haven. She died over the period of a week in exquisite agony as he drained her soul and vitae conto the petals of a pristine white rose. The rose then con- tained the essence of her soul, which he could possess forever. Onthe seventh night, she reached the end of herstrength. As the ritual reached itsterible finalé, Alexander leaned close ro catch Lorraine's final words. She managed only three: I love you.” She whispered thisas the last drops of blood left her body forever and stained the rose a deep scarlet. Alexander went mad with grief, and to this night, remains absolutely inconsol- able. The rose itself disappeared during Alexanders period of madness. Itswhereabouts remain a mystery, butrumorsabound concerning the powers it grants its owner. The Grand Court viewed Alexander's tragic affair with fascination. The Toreador, in particular, became almost as obsessed with the story as Alexander did with Lorraine, recounting it across Europe and expending vast resources in fruitlessartemptstolocateandacquire the rosefor themselves. ‘The delicate balance between the Toreador and Ventrue of the court was upset permanently. Alexander, who had been the strong hand thar guided the court, could no longer be relied upon tokeep the balance. Infighting beca place, Ventrue and Toreador struggled for mastery ofthe court while Alexander writhed in the grip of his madness. Without the court’s effective functioning, the gains made by Charlemagne were lost quickly and France slid back into a period of darkness Alchough Alexandercontinued torulethecourtin name, his leadership was sporadicarhest until the 1 eh century upon thearival ofthe beautiful Countess Saviarre. This mysterious Ventnue rse to position of power with shocking speed. She vas Alexander's personal confidante within a year, and the rulerof the court inall but name shortly thereafter. Alexander had been unwilling to pur faith in any of his advisors (partic larly Toreador) since Lorraine met her afl fate. Saviarey however, possessed some quality that caused Alexander to trust her implicitly, almost right from the stat. Although many Cainites were jealous of her quick rise to power, most recognized the need fr strength in the cour, regardless of its origin. Those who desited unity fell in line behind Saviare rapidly and reestablished the Grand Court asthe fulerum of Cainite activities in the West Saviarre governed the court wisely in Alexander's name since the early Ith century. At fist, the nes repaired alliance worked wel, and both clans maul considerable head way, accompanying the expanding French nobility across the breadth of Europe. The awakening of Mithras an his ise to power in England, however, have once again diseupeed the fragile balance hetween our clan and the Toreador. Suspicion mnsrampant throughout the court as each side tries to sal the other with blame for Mithras’ rise. Additionally, divisive rumors have begun to poison the courtiers against Saviarte’s tule, Both the Toreador and Ventrue have spread the mor that Saviare's influence over Alexander is somehow unnat ome whispertharshe hac managed tobind the Methuselah to here through the Blood Oath, while others suggest an even more sinister means of control. A few members ofthe Grand Court suspect that Saviaere has acquired Lorraine's rose and is using it to manipulate the prince. Regardles of the cause, many within the court now se! domination of itas factions form and infighting among mem bers increases. Many Cainites feel that the final days of the Grand Cour are upon them, Tue Hoty RoMAN Empire (Our clan’s fate has always been closely tied with that of the empire. Its rise under Charlemagne played a key ole in spreading Ventrue influence across Central Europe. Patrcians long ago established themselves as princes, and the power behind princes, throughout the lands ofthe empire. The sheet number of tiny states contained within it provided many ‘opportunities for members of our clan to assume direct control of their own principalities. They fought amongst themselves and against the Lasombra, who also saw great opportunites in the divided empire to end Saviaere’s (Ourclan madeaseriousattempt to reestablish centralized ‘controlover the empire duringthe reign of Frederick Barbarossa, Frederick made alliances with many powerful independent princes who, under Ventrue pressure, acknowledged that they held their lands as fiefs given to them by the emperor. He forbade private warsand began toassimilate Church landsinto