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bethanythebogwitch · 18 days ago

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Beginner's guide to Vampire: the Masquerade lore

Vampire: the Masquerade is a tabletop roleplaying game that, since its debut in 1991, has gone on to become one of the most influential pieces of vampire media. It also launched the World of Darkness (nowadays called the Classic World of Darkness or Old World of Darkness) franchise, a series of TTRPGs that all share a setting but can be played independently of each other. This post is intended to be an introduction to the lore of the setting for someone who might want to get into the game and wants to know the basics. It's not a deep dive. For one, this post is long enough already and for two, you don't need to know about stuff like the Tal'Mahe'Ra, the Laibon, and what every bloodline is to get started. Also worth noting is that VtM lore is presented as things the characters believe rather than things the players know, so there's lots of ambiguity and contradiction and differing opinions. This is very much by design.

Also important to note is the nature of the Time of Judgement and 5th edition. All the Old WoD game were building up to an apocalypse and, in 2001, books were released for every game to let players roleplay the end of the world. The setting was then discontinued and replaced with the New World of Darkness. However, starting in 2011, the Old WoD was revived in a new 20th anniversary edition. The lore of this new edition just assumed the apocalypse never happened. Since then, a 5th edition has been released that changes a lot of the lore of some of the games. The 5th edition lore changes for Vampire were pretty well done and I do like most of them as they feel like an addition to the setting rather than blatant retcons the way Werewolf's 5th edition changes were. What I'm not fond of is some of the mechanics changes, especially with regards to the Disciplines, but we'll get to that later.

So what is a vampire? Well, WoD vampires like to call themselves Kindred or Cainites, and they are made rather than born. Every vampire must be Embraced by another vampire outside of weird magic stuff. A key component of the game is that being a vampire comes with a lot of benefits, but also a lot of downsides. First of all, vampires are dead. They are walking corpses who have to consume blood to force their bodies to pretend to be alive again. They do not age and they are very resistant to change. Blood is the only thing they can eat. Normal food and drink makes them throw up. Animal blood does work, but it tastes disgusting. On the other hand, the blood of other vampires (which they call Vitae) is even better than human blood, but drinking it is risky. If vampire A drinks the Vitae of vampire B three times, A will become B's slave for a period of time that can be extended by drinking more Vitae. In addition, if one vampire drains another completely dry, to the point of draining their heart's Vitae, they consume the soul, an act called Diablerie. Diablerie confers great power, but it comes with heavy consequences, both social and metaphysical. Vampires do not have to kill those they feed on and it is generally encouraged that they not. The bite of a Kindred, which they call the Kiss, feels highly pleasurable to both parties and the victim usually only have vague memories of what happened. The bite would heal extremely fast too, leaving no real evidence. Kindred can store blood inside their bodies and they expend some of this blood supply during their nightly lives and more to use their powers. The act of making a new Kindred, called the Embrace, requires the sire to drain the chosen target of their blood, then, before the target dies, feed them some Vitae. If done correctly, the corpse will rise again the next night and a new member of the undead. If a Kindred wants a servant but doesn't want to Embrace, they can instead make a Ghoul. Ghouls are humans fed a vampire's Vitae. This gives them some minor powers and stops their aging as long as they keep feeding, but it also warps the mind, making the ghoul enamored with and eager to serve the Kindred that created them. A vampire's power increases with age, but the most important determining factor is generation. A vampire's generation is how far removed they are from Caine, the first vampire. The higher your generation, the weaker you are.

In addition to sharing some abilities, all Kindred share weaknesses. For one, the sun and fire will kill you very fast. A stake to the heart won't kill, but it does paralyze the Kindred until removed. Other common fiction vampire weaknesses, like running water, garlic, and needing an invitation are not actual Kindred weaknesses. Most of them also cast reflections. A major weakness all Kindred share is the Beast. This is the animalistic monster part of a vampire, the id that is constantly within their minds, encouraging them to hunt, kill, feed, reproduce, and escape from danger. It is the part that encourages them to give up on the remnants of their humanity and become a monster. The Beast is constantly trying to take control and during times of danger, hunger, or passion, it can drive the Kindred into a state of mindless fight-or-flight instinct called a Frenzy. There are various ways to keep the Beast in check, but the most common one is by keeping in touch with one's former humanity. This means acting human, surrounding yourself with humans, refraining from violence and bloodshed, and generally resisting the Beast's influence. The more you give into the Beast, the more likely you are to Frenzy. A Kindred who completely gives up on their humanity will enter a state of permanent Frenzy. Kindred in this state are usually hunted down and killed.

Vampires are divided into Clans and Sects. Clans are lineages of vampires that go all the way back to the birth of the species. There are 13 of them and I will discuss them later. Sects are political organizations with shared laws and goals. There are three primary Sects as well as some smaller ones that I won't discuss. They are the Camarilla, the Sabbat, and the Anarchs.

The Camarilla are the most powerful Sect and the one most players will be in. It is a very feudal society based on the principle of rule by the elders. The specifics of international Camarilla politics are beyond the scope of a beginner's guide. What most players will interact with is the structure of the Camarilla within a city. Cities are ruled by a Prince, who delegates to various other official positions and to the Kindred who live in their city. The Camarilla is an organization marked with political intrigue and subterfuge, where everyone has a plan and see you as a puppet at best and an obstacle at worst. Unlife in a Camarilla city is defined by rules. Such rules include "respect each other's territory", "get permission before you Embrace someone", "your Childe (new vampire you Embraced) is your responsibility until the Prince decides they're fit to set out on their own", "don't go around killing each other without permission", and "no Diablerie", but the most important rule is the Masquerade. This is the rule that humans are not allowed to find out that vampires exist. The Masquerade is a matter of life and death. In the past, when Kindred ruled humanity openly, humans armed with torches and stakes were able to force the Kindred into hiding through sheer force of numbers. Now there are more humans than ever and they have nukes. There's a reason the number 1 rule of the Camarilla is "don't provoke the humans."

The Sabbat used to be the second most powerful Sect, but have recently dropped down to number 3. They are an organization dedicated to the Jyhad, the struggle of Kindred against their elders going all the way back to the original vampires. The Sabbat believe that Caine, the mythical first vampire instructed their founders to find and destroy the Antediluvians, founders of the Clans (more on them below) to prevent the end of the world, which they call Gehenna. By contrast, the Camarilla officially denied the existence of the Antediluvians and Gehenna until circumstances forced them to come clean. The Sabbat also dream of openly ruling over humanity and hate the idea of remaining hidden, but they still respect the Masquerade as they acknowledge they aren't yet in a position to seize power. The Sabbat is a very violent organization and members are often stereotyped as violent and stupid thugs, but the leadership is very cunning. The Sabbat equivalent to a Price is a Bishop.

The Anarchs are a loose organization of Kindred who don't want anything to do with the complex power structure and rule by elders that defines the Camarilla and Sabbat. They answer to nobody and just want to do their own things. Power structures in the Anarchs are very loose and driven by respect, not force or seniority. Anarchy will respect the opinions of those who earn it, but will never accept authority from force or any ideas of right to rule. There is a position called a Baron that is similar to a Prince or Bishop, but is much less formal and chosen almost democratically. The Anarchs have been a footnote for most of history, but as of recent events, their power has expanded considerably, allowing them to seize lots of territory and take the Sabbat's place as the 2nd most powerful Sect.

Before discussing the clans, we need to go over the origin of vampires. There are a lot of stories about how they came about, but the most common is that of Caine. According to vampire history, after Cain slew his brother Abel, he was cursed and banished from his family. Wandering the land, he found Lilith, said by many to be the first wife of Adam who was banished from Eden. Lilith was an immensely powerful mage and recognized in Cain the power to kill, something she thought was unique to God. Cain begged Lilith to teach him her powers ans she eventually agreed. She made a potion of her blood, which Cain drank, giving him a vision. In this vision, three angels came to Cain, each offering him a chance to repent of his sin of murder. Cain refused each angel and was cursed by each in turn: first with a fear of fire, a second with a fear of sunlight, and the third with the Beast. Cain then awoke from his vision as the first Kindred, a being of unfathomable power. Now calling himself Caine, he stayed with Lilith for a while and they became lovers. This lasted until Caine simply left her one night as she slept and returned to wandering.

Caine's wanderings eventually led him to the Land of Nod, where he found the First City. The people of the city feared Caine's power and worshiped him as a god, with the king, Enoch, granting Caine his throne. In time, Enoch requested that Caine share his immortality and so Caine Embraced Enoch as the first member of the 2nd generation. Eventually, he was joined by at least two more Kindred, A warrior named Irad and a beautiful woman named Zillah. They in turn Embraced the 3rd generation. Caine feared that the Kindred would overwhelm humanity and decreed that no more Kindred be sired. Eventually, the First City was destroyed by the biblical deluge and Caine returned to wandering the world (the order of these events is debatable). The 2nd and 3rd generation members that survived are known as Antediluvians and they tried to rebuild the First City as the Second City. In time, the 3rd generation raised up and destroyed the 2nd. Caine then returned long enough to curse the members of the 3rd Generation. These Antediluvians are said to be the founders of the 13 Clans and their curses were passed down to their descendants. The Antediluvians eventually turned on each other, leading to the destruction of the Second City. Many Kindred now believe that the Antediluvians now slumber in hidden places around the world and when Gehenna comes, they will rise and devour the world to slake their thirst before Caine returns to pass judgement on the survivors.

Your Clan is your vampire family. You are the same Clan your sire was barring very uncommon circumstances Each clan claims descent from one of the Antediluvians and inherited their founder's curse, known as a Bane. 5th edition also added compulsions that the Clans suffer from, which I think are cool and add more character to them. Vampires also have powers called Disciplines. Each Clan inherits three Disciplines that will grow in strength as the Kindred grows older and more powerful. It is possible to learn Disciplines not from your Clan, but it is harder and generally requires a teacher and that tutelage will not come cheap. Thematically, the Clans are based around common archetypes of vampires in fiction. Historically, the Clans were all aligned to different Sects or remained independent. As of recent events, those strict lines have started to break down more than they were in the past. There are also mini-clans called Bloodlines and Caitiff and Thin-Bloods who don't really have Clans, but you generally don't need to know about them as a beginner. I'll cover the clans in alphabetical order.

Clan Banu Haqim, commonly but incorrectly called Clan Assamite, fills the archetype of the eastern Vampire. They are the self-appointed judges of the Kindred world, secretly observing the activities of other vampires and assassinating those who proved unworthy. For most of history, they were a very tight-knit clan based out of a mountain fortress called Alamut hidden somewhere in the mountains of Arabia. They were divided into three castes. The Judges were the ones who went out to observe and pass judgement on other Kindred. Most outsiders only knew the Judges existed and they became the boogeymen of the Kindred world. The Viziers are scholars and advisers who seek out hidden lore and act as the leadership of the Clan. The Sorcerers are the smallest caste and are assigned to study secrets of ancient blood magic. They are kept on a tight leash by the rest of the Clan. Once Islam arose as a religion, it became adopted by the Clan, to the point the vast majority of members were Muslims. This changed in the 90's when Ur-Shulgi, one of the first members of the clan, arose from nearly 2,000 years of slumber and took over, demanding that the rest of the Clan renounce Islam and convert to worship of their Antediluvian. This led to a schism with about a third of the clan staying with Ur-Shulgi as an independent Clan, another third defecting to the Camarilla, and the rest being split up between the Anarchs, Sabbat, and independence. Those who left have to adapt to a new way of unlife as they are denied access to Alamut and must live amongst Kindred who have historically feared them. The Banu Haqim Antediluvian is Haqim. Legend says he was appointed to be a keeper of justice in a city ruled by two unnamed members of the 2nd Generation. When his rulers turned to evil, Haqim slew them in their sleep. He then cut himself to bleed out and drank their Vitae to embrace himself as a vampire. Haqim was appointed to enforce Caine's laws, but when the corruption of the Second City became too much for him to take, he took his Clan and left, eventually founding Alamut. He would come and go from the fortress and was last seen in the year 121 BCE. He is now believed to be slumbering somewhere, though some Banu Haqim claim he is secretly watching and judging them. The Banu Haquim used to have different Disciplines based on their caste, but the most common spread was Celerity (superhuman speed), Obfuscate (the ability to go undetected), and Quietus (blood control). In 5th edition, Quietus was replaced with Blood Sorcery, which is what is sounds like. Their compulsion is to pass judgment on others. Their Bane is an addiction to Diablerizing those they view as guilty.

Clan Brujah fills the archetype of the violent street punk vampire. Once, they were a clan of warrior-scholars who worked to restrain their naturally violent tempers and the temptations of the Beast. Since some major defeats in the past, these practices have been lost to time. Now, the Clan is one of violence and rebellion. While the clan was historically officially aligned with the Camarilla, there was little internal structure and defections to the Anarchs were so common that many considered them an Anarch clan instead. The Anarchs for the Brujah heavily as their natural rebellious tendencies give them a natural dislike for hierarchy. Brujah are often associated with various countercultural and minority movements. They tend heavily toward anarchy, but any minority political position appeals to them. You can just as easily find Brujah neo-nazis simply becuase that position is opposed to the majority. In 2012, a Brujah elder murdered two major political figures in a meeting of Camirilla elders. In the aftermath, the clan formally left the Camarilla and became the first official Anarch clan. They have since been instrumental in the rise of the Anarchs as a major Sect and have helped establish an Anarch Free State that now cover large portions of the west coast of North America. There are many conflicting stories about the Brujah Antediluvian, but the most common one says he was either named Ilyes or Troile the Elder. He was a very calm and dispassionate man who only Embraced one Childe, the passionate and rebellious Troile the Younger. Throile the Younger eventually Diablerized their (stories differ on their gender) Sire in what may have been the opening moves of the 3rd generation's rebellion. The Brujah Disciplines are Celerity (superhuman speed), Potence (superhuman strength), and Presence (incredible charisma). Their compulsion is to rebel. Their Bane is a closer connection to the Beast, which gives them their violent tempers and makes it harder for them to resist Frenzying.

Clan Cappadocian is one of the two extinct Clans who represented the archetype of the vampire as a creature of death. Their Antediluvian was Cappadocius, a scholar of death who only sired Childer because he realized he couldn't complete his research alone. The clan was small and kept tightly controlled by Cappadocius as they tried to uncover the secrets of death and the underworld. In the 1440s, Cappadocius Embraced a Venetian merchant and necromancer named Augustus Giovanni. This proved to be his undoing as Giovanni diablerized Cappadocius and proceeded to drive his clan to extinction, with only his Childer surviving as a new clan: Clan Giovanni. However, eventually a number of Bloodlines emerged, all claiming to be descended from Cappadocius, indicating Giovanni's genocide was not as complete as he thought. The Cappadocian Disciplines were Auspex (superhuman senses), Fortitude (incredible durability), and Mortis (a form of necromancy that could control ghosts). Their compulsion was to surround themselves with symbols of death. Their curse caused their bodies to continue to decay after their Embrace, leaving them looking mummified.

Clan Giovanni replaced Clan Cappadocian under Augustus Giovanni's leadership. They remained independent of the Sects, who were getting their feet under them at the time. The Giovanni acted as a crime family, growing to control criminal activities worldwide. They also only Embraced form a single family, which has grown enormous over the centuries and incorporates many sub-families. The mortal family members serve the family, often as Ghouls, in the hopes of receiving the Embrace and ascending up the ladder. Their practices were truly depraved, with rampant abuse being the least objectionable thing they did. Even the Camarilla and the Sabbat often found them unseemly. The Giovanni's criminal activities served to gather resources for their ultimate goal, the gathering of enough ghosts to rip apart the barriers between the world of the living and the underworld so Augustus can rule as an emperor of the dead. They almost succeeded before the events of the Week of Nightmares (described below) ruined that plan. Things went downhill for the Giovanni after that, especially with Second Inquisition attacks on their headquarters and Augustus Giovanni's mysterious disappearance. To survive, the Giovanni had a meeting with the various Bloodlines claiming descent from Cappadocius and performed a ritual called the Family Reunion to unite them all as the new Clan Hecata. Clan Hecata is still establishing itself as a power in the night, but is still heavily invested in necromancy and organized crime. According to the lore, the Family Reunion changed all the Bloodlines' traits to match the Giovanni's. I think that's dumb and would run thing with the Bloodlines keeping their Disciplines and Banes. The Giovanni compulsion is to investigate death. Their curse is that the Kiss is very painful to the victim instead of pleasurable. Their Disciplines are Dominate (mind control), Potence (superhuman strength), and Necromancy (what it sounds like). 5th edition changed Necromancy to Oblivion in a very dumb change. They took the signature Disciplines of two Clans and made them the same Discipline for obscure lore reasons, but it still acts like two Disciplines. I really don't get it.

Clan Gangrel fills the archetype of the vampire as an animalistic shapeshifter. They feel more at home with animals than with people and possess bestial instincts. Most vampires are creatures of the city, living where the prey is and where there's plenty of shelter from the sun. Gangrel prefer to live in the wilderness. Those who live in cities still prefer parks and the outskirts: places where nature thrives. The clan is very social Darwinist, believing only the strongest deserve to survive. They typically abandon their Childer after the Embrace and watch from afar. Only those who manage to adapt to their new condition and survive will be inducted to the Clan. There is very little organization amongst the Gangrel, though they do occasionally have meetings called Gathers. Many Kindred underestimate the Gangrel, seeing them as mere beasts. This would be a very foolish mistake. Possibly because they share a mix of human and animal instincts, the Gangrel are the only Kindred on anything resembling good terms with werewolves (by which I mean they might not immediately jump to ripping a Gangrel's head off and might be willing to talk). The Gangrel Antediluvian is Ennoia, who was said to be a wild woman, one of the daughters of Adam and Lilith who was sent beyond Eden to live amongst animals. Gangrel legend says she was raised by a pack of wolves and eventually mated with them, birthing the first werewolves (the werewolves themselves would disagree violently with this origin story). She was eventually defeated in a great battle and forced into slumber. She was then buried and the earth was salted to keep her from rising again. The Gangrel disciplines are Animalism (control of animals), Fortitude (incredible durability), and Potence (shapeshifting). Their compulsion is to abandon the trappings of civilization and settle things like beasts. Their curse causes them to get temporarily (permanently in older editions) stuck with animal features when they Frenzy.

Clan Lasombra represents the archetype of the vampire as a creature of darkness, as well as the archetype of the Catholic vampire. To the Lasombra, ambition is everything. They will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. Having lines you won't cross is viewed as a weakness. This means all Lasombra are petty, power-hungry, would-be tyrants and they are proud of it. Accordingly, if a Lasombra is outsmarted or betrayed, they deserved it for not being smart enough to see it coming. Appearance is very important to the Lasombra. It isn't enough to outwit your enemies, you have to look good doing it. Any lapse in your public persona is a weakness that will be pounced in. Historically, they were pirates who dominated the Mediterranean sea, but they eventually transitioned into ruling indirectly. They are now heavily entrenched in religious institutions. Why take things by force when you can convince the masses that it's God's will for them to give it to you. They are especially entrenched in the Catholic Church, which is engaged in a shadow war between the Lasombra and those who want to force them out. The Lasombra look down on humans and only pick the best to Embrace. A common tactic when looking for a Childe is to systematically ruin their life. Only if the human can pull themselves back up will they be worthy of the Embrace. The Lasombra were historically a Sabbat Clan, but large numbers of them jumped ship to the Camarilla after the Week of Nightmares. They are distrusted, but fully intend to rise to power as usual. The Lasombra Antediluvian is known by many names, so most people just call him Lasombra. He was reportedly a pathetic failure of a man who only achieved greatness after his Embrace. He was a sailor by trade and studied the powers of the Abyss, the darkness that existed before creation. He was eventually Diablerized by his Childe, but many Lasombra believe that his soul merged with the Abyss and he now watches the world through his descendants, waiting to make his move. The Lasombra Disciplines are Dominate (mind control), Potence (superhuman strength) and Obteneration (mystical control of darkness). In 5th edition, Obteneration was changed to Oblivion. Their compulsion is to pursue their goals with utter ruthlessness. Their curse is that they cast no reflections and cannot be recorded by cameras. This means that the Clan who most values independence and self-image has to rely on others to develop that image.

Clan Malkavian represents the archetype of the vampire as a madman. Most clans can hide their curse, but not the Malkavians. From the moment of their Embrace, each Malkavian gains a unique and incurable form of insanity. With their madness comes a strange form of clarity that allows Malkavians to know things they shouldn't. While their often unusual behavior means Malkavians are rarely accepted in polite Kindred society, their ability to act as seers means they are too valuable to to reject entirely. Malkavians claim they are all connected by an invisible psychic web called the Madness Network. Everything one Malkavian knows is know on a subconscious level by every other Malkavian, though it is hidden by delusion and hallucination. Some Malkavians can even directly communicate with each other through the Network. Little is known of Malkavian history as their records tend to be unreliable. They also have little in the way of a unified culture or hierarchy, though they are officially a Camarilla clan. They often act as prophets or advisors, though untangling the truth from the delusion is difficult at the best of times. Their Antediluvian is Malkav, and little is known of him, though he is often said to have been a seer. Its not clear when he became insane. It could be the result of Caine's curse, a secret Lilith showed him, the result of Diablerizing his sire, or he may have always been mad. Non-Malkavian historians speculate that he lies in slumber beneath Jerusalem and his presence is responsible for all the religious mania present in the city. Malkavians tend to claim he became the Madness network and now manipulates all of his descendants like puppets. The Malkavian Disciplines are Auspex (superhuman senses), Obfuscate (the ability to become undetected), and Dementation (the ability to inflict madness on others). 5th edition switched Dementation out for Dominate and made the Dementation effects a combination of Dominate and Auspex. I really hate this change and would not run it that way.

Clan Ministry fills the archetype of the vampire as the creature of evil. They are formally known as the Ministry of Set or Mesu Bedshet and informally known as the Followers of Set or Setites. They reject the story of Caine and have their own creation myth. According to them, Set was the first mortal to discover that morality was a restriction placed on humanity by the gods to keep humans from obtaining godhood themselves. Set achieved apotheosis and taught his method to mortals, creating the vampires. However the other gods created their won vampires to interfere with Set's plan. The Ministry teaches that morals are a crutch that must be discarded and sin and corruption should be embraced. This is part of a long path toward godhood of which vampirism is just the first step. Faithful Setites encourage people to revel in vice and cruelty, often forming cults which they use as a power base and recruiting pool. Notably, they will accept Kindred of other Clans into the Ministry and treat them as siblings, though this does not actually change their Clan. While the cult is primarily based out of Egypt, they have spread across the world and are heavily invested in the international drug trade. The Ministry has historically been independent of the Sects, but they recently petitioned the Camarilla for membership. This was rejected as nobody in the Camarilla trusts them, so they largely joined the Anarchs, looking to corrupt them from within. According to non-Setites, their Antediluvian is Set and his family drama inspired Egyptian mythology. He was the elder son of the king Ra, but Ra chose the younger son Osiris as his heir. Set attempted a coup, but failed and he was exiled. This led him to the First City, where he received the Embrace. Returning to Egypt, he killed Osiris and took the throne. Osiris's sister-wives brought him back to life with a ritual and Osiris gathered an army of various supernatural beings to oppose Set, including the first mummies. This led to a shadow war between the two that went on and off through the millennia. Set is currently believed to slumber somewhere beneath Egypt and the Ministry are trying to find him. Set was also a worshiper of Apophis, a dark god that may be the same spirit of corruption and entropy that shapeshifters call the Wyrm. The Ministry Disciplines are Obfuscate (the ability to go undetected), Presence (incredible charisma), and Serpentis (shapeshifting and other powers associated with snakes). 5th edition changed Serpentis to Protean. Their compulsion is to indulge in vice. Their curse is an increased sensitivity to light, to the point that bright enough moonlight or artificial light can hurt them.

Clan Nosferatu fills the archetype of the vampire as an inhuman monster. No Clan's curse is more visible than that of the Nosferatu. Upon receiving the Embrace, each Childe is transformed ove the course of several agonizing days into a monstrous appearance. This new visage is unique to every Nosferatu but it is always obvious upon looking at them that they are not human. Because of their appearances, the Nosferatu have not historically been welcome in polite Kindred society, forced to live in the slums and sewers. This suits them just fine, because being beneath notice is the Nosferatu's greatest strength. They are the spymasters and information brokers of the Kindred. It is always a good rule of thumb to assume that no matter how hard you try to keep your secrets, there's a Nosferatu out there who already knows them. While the Nosferatu are a Camarilla Clan, the division between Sects is less important than Clan unity to them. Camarilla, Sabbat, and Anarch Nosferatu will work together for their united goals. The majority of Nosferatu in a city will live togeter in an underground tunnel network called the Warrens. Nosferatu prefer to Embrace from the ranks of outcasts and the forgotten, people who nobody will miss. They also Embrace from the ranks of beautiful people. This is usually targeted at the vain to teach them a lesson, but some Nosferatu view any beautiful person as deserving to become a monster. These people, known as Cleopatras, have a rough time adapting to their unlife. The Nosferatu Antediluvian is Absimiliard, who was a very beautiful and very vain man. When his Embrace left him with a tiny scar, Absimiliard became consumed by hate and killed his sire. Caine's curse on him was to make his face match the ugliness of his soul. The reason the Nosferatu are so tight-knit is becasue Absimiliard believes (falsely) that if he kills all of his descendants, Caine will forgive him and lift his curse. Thus he sends monsters called Nictuku after the Nosferatu. As Nictuku activity is on the rise recently, many Nosferatu believe Absimiliard is awake once again somewhere in the arctic circle. The Nosferatu Disciplines are Animalism (control of animals), Obfuscate (the ability to go undetected), and Potence (superhuman strength). Their compulsion is to seek out and horde secrets. Their Bane is their appearances.

Before discussing Clan Ravnos I need to throw up a content warning for racism and use of slurs. This is because Clan Ravnos represents the archetype of the vampire who is a Gypsy. And not an accurate representation of the Roma at all, but full stereotype. Listen, old White Wolf (the original publisher of WoD) was racist (though I think they were less malicious and more just stupid) and relied heavily on stereotypes. While they smartened up and revised some of the more stereotypical clans like the Banu Haqim and Giovanni, the Ravnos were so racist they didn't have an option to rehabilitate them other than to kill them. But I'll get to that. The Ravnos used to be divided between their western and eastern branches, with the two being almost completely different. The western Ravnos were nomads who worshiped chaos and brought disorder and crime wherever they went. They typically traveled with and Embraced from the Roma people. The eastern Ravnos where headquartered in India and engaged in a constant war for control if India with the Kuei-Jin. The Kuei-Jin are the vampires of Asia. They aren't descended from Caine, they're their own type of supernatural being. You don't really need to know about the Kuei-Jin for a beginner's guide so I'm not going to say much more about them. This war eventually led to the Ravnos Antediluvian, Zapathasura, rising from slumber and devouring his offspring and a big chunk of India before being slain. This was the Week of Nightmares, which I will discuss later. In the aftermath, the eastern Ravnos were utterly wiped out and the western Ravnos were driven into a Frenzy of violence. By the time it was all over, less than a hundred Ravnos were left standing, and none of them had any significant power. They are now a Clan on the brink of extinction, trying to find an identity in the face of their inevitable doom. The Ravnos Antediluvian is known by many names, including Zapathasurea, Ravana, and Dracian and there are way too many conflicting stories about him to go over here. The Ravnos Disciplines are Animalism (control of animals), Chimerstry (illusions), and Fortitude (incredible endurance). 5e changed to Chimerstry to Obfuscate and Fortitude to Presence. Their compulsion is to take risks. Their Bane used to be an addiction to crime, but after the Week of Nightmares it changed to an inability to rest in the same place twice in a row. They have to sleep at least a mile or so apart each night.

Clan Salubri is one of the extinct Clans who represented the archetype of the good guy vampire. They were healers dedicated to helping humans and Kindred alike overcome what ails them. There was also a warrior group focused on defending the defenseless. But because this is the World of Darkness, we can't have nice thing and the Salubri were wiped out. The new clan Tremere legitimized their position by slandering the Salubri as demon-worshipers and monsters and enacting a campaign of genocide against them. In modern nights, only a handful of Salubri survive in hiding, their resentment and desire for revenge driving them to become the very monsters they were slandered as. Their Antediluvian is Saulot, a philosopher and healer who sought to overcome the Beast. He would go on expeditions beyond the Second City doing unknown things. We know he spent time with the Kuei-Jin and that it probably ended poorly because Kuei-Jin refer to him as the betrayer. His search for enlightenment eventually led him to develop a third eye, which his clan inherited. He may also have been the only member of the 3rd generation that did not rebel against the 2nd. Eventually, he was attacked in his sleep and Diablerized by the founder of the Tremere. That's not quite the end of his story, though. The Salubri Disciplines are Auspex (superhuman senses), Fortitude (incredible durability), and Obeah (the ability to manipulate life and death). 5th edition changed Obeah to Dominate. Their compulsion was to empathize with others. Their Bane is a matter of debate. Some say they were the only clan to have no Bane, others say their Vitae was unnaturally delicious, and some say they could only feed on a willing person. The third eye ended up acting like a Bane because it made them very easy to identify.

Clan Tremere fills the archetype of the vampire as a wizard. They are usurpers to the title of Kindred, not descended from one of the Antediluvians. In the 1020s, the powerful mage Tremere set about finding a way to achieve immortality and opted to use a ritual to turn himself and his followers into Kindred. The plan was for them to retain their magic, but this failed and so they developed a practice of blood magic instead (though the Banu Haqim claim the Tremere stole their secrets instead). In order to gain the power needed to survive, he sought out the slumbering Saulot and Diablerized the Antediluvian, ascending to the power of a 3rd generation vampire. This made a lot of Kindred furious at him, so Tremere slandered the Salubri as demon worshipers and engaged in a "righteous" campaign to destroy this threat to all vampires. Most of the elders at the time probably realized the Tremere were lying, but they were just too useful not to make use of, so they played along. Clan Tremere joined the Camarilla and became one of their most important members, though nobody really trusts them. The Clan was easily the most well-organized due to the practice of members blood bonding their subordinates. This formed a massive hierarchy called the Pyramid, with Tremere at the top. The Clan is heavily focused on scholarship, delving into the secrets of the world and seeking to improve their blood magic, all focused around home bases called Chantries. This changed when the Second Inquisition bombed the head Chantry in Vienna, destroying most of the senior members of the Clan and shattering all the blood bonds. This led to the Clan fracturing into multiple competing factions, some of which defected to the Sabbat and Anarchs. Tremere was believed to have been killed in the bombing, but the truth is not so simple. Saulot's soul survived within Tremere's body and the two spent centuries fighting for control of the body. Saulot eventually won and disappeared to parts unknown; his current whereabouts and goals are a mystery. Tremere was forced to steal his lieutenant's body to survive. After the attack on the Chantry, Tremere faked his death and is now leading one of the factions of his Clan under a false identity. The Tremere Disciplines are Auspex (superhuman senses), Dominate (mind control), and Thaumaturgy (blood magic). In 5th edition, Thaumaturgy was renamed to Blood Sorcery. Their compulsion is perfectionism. Their Bane used to be an increased vulnerability to the blood bond, needing to drink another Kindred's Vitae only twice to be bonded. After the attack on the Vienna Chantry, the Bane changed to an inability to blood bind others.

Clan Toreador represents the archetype of the vampire as a beautiful and seductive predator. They are artists and innovates obsessed with beauty and art. While many dismiss them as vain fops, the Toreador are masters of the art of social manipulation. More than any other clan, they know that the right word whispered into the right ear at the right time can change the world. There's a reason they're one of the most politically powerful Clans in the Camarilla. While all Toreador seek beauty, that meas different things to different people. One Toreador might find beauty in refuse and garbage while another only appreciates the finest art of the Renaissance. Naturally, they love to spend time arguing over who is a true atriste and who is a mere poseur. Art to them also means more than just creative expression. Martial arts, investigation, and politics are all art forms to them. Because the vampiric condition tends toward stagnation, they often act more as patrons of the arts than as artists themselves. In modern nights, they hare heavily embedded in the entertainment industry. The Toreador are the Kindred most closely connected to humanity and spend much of their time amongst mortals. They often latch onto a human who catches their eye and dote on them, becoming an integral part of their life. However, the Toreador are fickle and once their attention shifts, they will drop their ward and move on like they never existed. The Toreador Antediluvian is usually called Arikel, though some sources call her Ishtar. She was said to be the most beautiful woman who ever live and a performer of a dance that involved leaping over the backs of bulls. She allegedly fled the Second City after stealing something called the Tablet of Destiny and was chased to Greece, where she vanished from history. Another story says she Embraced a pair of lover so their love would last forever. However once the two realized they could not have children, they walked into the sunlight. Arikel swore then to never Embrace again. The Toreador Disciplines are Auspex (superhuman senses), Celerity (superhuman speed), and Presence (incredible charisma). Their compulsion is to become transfixed on beautiful sights. This was their Bane prior to 5th edition. 5e changed their Bane to a penalty to their mental abilities when they are surrounded with less than beautiful scenery.

Clan Tzimisce fulfills the archetype of the vampire as the reclusive lord of a castle. They are easily the most inhuman of the Clans, moreso than the Nosferatu. While the Nosferatu were cursed into their inhuman appearances, the Tzmisce willingly give up on their humanity. If you were to call a Tzmisce inhuman and sadistic, they would likely agree, then demonstrate that you definitions of those words are woefully inadequate. To them, humanity is something to be discarded so they can surpass the weakness of their former mortality. To them, humans are an unfortunate component of making new Kindred at best. Thus, they tend to use forced eugenics programs to produce the best possible candidates. The Tzimisce also have the power to shape flesh and bone like clay and enjoy creating fleshwarped horrors and punishing humans for their humanity by doing things like turning them into furniture while leaving them alive, conscious, and in incredible pain. Most Tzimisce will turn their fleshcrafting on themselves, shaping themselves into monstrous forms to symbolize their rejection of their former mortality. Tradition and history are highly important to the Clan and they practice a form of sacred hospitality. A Tzimisce's domain is their most important asset and it is to be protected at all costs. Many of them are ancient lords ruling from castles in eastern Europe and have no interest in adapting to the times. While they are a Sabbat Clan, many young members are defecting to the Anarchs. Tzimisce are very rare in the Camarilla and those who do join pretend to be members of other clans as even other Kindred fear and hate the Tzimisce. The Tzimisce Antediluvian is only known as the Eldest. Legend says the 2nd generation vampire Irad sought to purge himself of evil by expelling expelling ti as a black mass. He them force fed the evil to a human and planned to kill him afterwards. However, when the man showed no change, Irad became curious and Embraced him. The Eldest quickly abandoned his humanity and soon left the Second City, having no interest in the political games of his siblings. He ended up in what would become Transylvania, where he made a pact with a bound demon named Kupala, binding him and his descendants to the land forevermore. During the founding of the Sabbat, the Eldest learned of a plan to kill him. He altered a follower into his likeness and left him behind to be Diablerized as the Eldest fled the land. The number of people who know he's still alive can likely be counted on one hand. The Tzimisce Disciplines are Animalism (control of animals), Auspex (superhuman senses) and Vicissitude. 5e swapped Vicissitude for Protean and Auspex for Dominate and made the Vicissitude abilities an amalgam of Protean and Dominate. I don't like this change. Their compulsion is to hoard things. Their Bane is that they can't sleep unless surrounded with reminders of their former human lives. Prior to 5e it was that they couldn't sleep unless surrounded with dirt from their grave. I think the 5e version is more thematically fitting, personally.

Clan Ventrue fills the archetype of the vampire as the aristocratic overlord. They are the blue bloods of the Kindred who believe they have the right to rule because they know better than everyone else. This naturally does not make them very popular, but they are extremely powerful and very wealthy. The Ventrue form a hierarchy based on their wealth, political influence, and dignitas, a measure of their responsibility and competence. Ascending the hierarchy is every Ventrue's goal and they will do anything to do so. Each city has its own hierarchy called the board that controls the politics and goals of that city's Ventrue. Each Ventrue in a city is expected to run their businesses without interfering with each other. In practice, this means you only get punished if you get caught. When a Ventrue Embraces a Childe, they are put in charge of a business and expected to make it prosper. They aren't allowed to interfere with other Ventrue's businesses during this time, so most local Ventrue will lend them a hand. This is the closest any Ventrue will ever get to altruism. Failure during this time will lead to a severe loss in dignitas for both Sire and Childe. In the past, they most embraced from noble families and knights. In modern nights, they are heavily involved with big business and politics. They were one of the founding clans of the Camarilla and claim that there are no Ventrue outside of the clan, though most people realize that's not the case. Still, questioning this claim tends to be bad for your long-term health. The Ventrue are very rich, very politically powerful, and they do not take insults lightly. The Ventrue Antediluvian was named Ventru, and he is often said to be the first member of the 3rd generation and Caine's chosen replacement when he left. Many Ventrue claim he took no part in the 3rd generations rebellion, while many others claim he was the instigator. Many sources say that when the 3rd generation began to fight, Ventru left to go find Caine and bring him back. He was then killed by an ambush of his siblings shortly after leaving. The Ventrue Disciplines are Dominate (mind control), Fortitude (incredible durability), and Presence (incredible charisma). Their compulsion is to rule over others. Their Bane is their refined tastes. Ventru can only feed on humans who have a certain trait, which is different to each Ventrue.

The Week of Nightmares was one of the most important events in the history of the World of Darkness and lasted from June 28th to July 4th, 1999. The war over control of India between the eastern Ravnos and the Kuei-Jin was ramping up. The Ravnos began to mass-Embrace fledglings to drown their enemy in sheer numbers. The psychic backlash of so many deaths happening so fast rippled through the clan, awakening slumbering elders and eventually the Antediluvian himself, Zapathasura. The starving blood god psychically called his descendants to him and devoured them before going on a rampage, devouring countless humans, Kuei-Jin, Kindred, and other supernatural creatures. Three immensely powerful Kuei-Jin sorcerers challenged Zapathasura, summing a hurricane over them to fight during the day. Meanwhile, the world-spanning technological mage organization known as the Technocratic Union or Technocracy took notice. They launched a spirit-charged nuke at the hurricane, dispelling it and killing the Kuei-Jin. They then used orbital satellites to direct concentrated sunlight onto Zapathasura, destroying him. The psychic backlash of Zapathasura's death sent the surviving Ravnos into a Frenzy of violence that left them on the verge of extinction. Shockwaves were sent through Kindred society. The Camarilla were forced to admit they were lying about the non-existence of the Antediluvians, leading to major defections to the Anarchs. The Sabbat, who had built their identity on being able to kill the Antediluvians, also lost major face when they were useless to stop Zapathasura, leading to mass defections to the Camarilla and Anarchs. The Sabbat dropped to the third largest Sect while the Anarchs moved up to the second. Kindred across the world saw the Week of Nightmares as proof that Gehenna was imminent.

In the wake of the Week of Nightmares, the Sabbat launched the Gahanna Crusade, a mission to track down the remaining Antediluvians and slay them in their sleep. The Camarilla opposed this, believing that the Sabbat would end up waking the Antediluvians instead. This led to a worldwide shadow conflict called the Gehenna War. At the same time, elders started experiencing visions of a black sarcophagus and feeling a compulsion to travel to the Middle East. Most interpret these visions as a sign that another Antediluvian has either risen or is about to rise. The mass exodus of Elders has destabilized the Camarilla and Sabbat, allowing the Anarchs to gain major ground. As the Gehenna war rages and elders consolidate power around the Middle East, the future is uncertain.

In the 2000s, a new threat appeared. The USA's National Security Agency discovered SCHRECKnet, a secret dark web operated by the Nosferatu. They spread the information to other secuurity agencies both in and out of the USA and collaborated with vampire hunting organizations in the Catholic Church and other religious institutions to fight back against the Kindred. This began with a missile strike on the Tremere Chantry in Vienna and coordinated ground work that managed to clear New York, London, Paris, and Marseilles of Kindred before the vampires were able to rally and put up a resistance. Kindred refer to this new generation of vampire hunters as the Second Inquisition. The Second Inquisition is not a unified organization but a loose collective of different organizations utilizing different tactics which can include military organizations using top-of-the-line hardware, scientists dragging Kindred to black sites for experimentation, gangbangers out to protect their neighborhoods from Kindred, and religious fanatics armed with swords and the power of true faith. Some of the more scientifically-minded organizations have even developed a chemical weapon that is harmless to humans but burns Kindred the way sunlight does. In response to the rise of the Second Inquisition, the Nosferatu disabled SCHRECKnet and the Camarilla banned electronic communication for fear of another hack, instead relying on couriers. This slower method of communication, combined with the exodus of the elders and the Gehenna War has destabilized all the Sects. The Second Inquisition has also noticed the increasing Kindred activity in the Middle East and has effectively become a third side in the Gehenna War. More than anything else, the Second Inquisition has reminded Kindred why the Masquerade is so important.

If you want to get into the setting but don't have a group to play with, the video game Vampire: the Masquerade Bloodlines is excellent, but you need to play it with the unofficial patch to avoid glitches.

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