Thin Traceries of Blood:
The Clans

– Simσnides of Ceos, "The Comments of Simσnides," Richard Lattimore, trans.

The core of the Camarilla, the heart of its strength, is the collection of vampiric clans who banded together in the 15th century to drape the Masquerade over Kindred existence. It is the interactions of those core clans, the compromises and adjustments they have made in order to deal with one another, that have given the Camarilla much of its shape, definition and flavor. To understand the Camarilla at all, it is first necessary to know the clans – and the bloodlines, stragglers, refugees and hangers-on – that comprise it.

Six...

As things stand, six clans serve as the core of the Camarilla. The Brujah, Malkavians, Toreador, Tremere, Ventrue and Nosferatu are firmly committed to the Camarilla and what it stands for. The antitribu of these clans are a distinct minority; numerically, the vast body of each of these lineages supports the Camarilla. The clans do so, not out of any sense of altruism or innate goodness, but rather because the elders of those clans believe that the sect and its attendant customs offer the best hope of survival. Of course, the question of whose survival always hangs, unspoken, but the distance between elders and neonates is great enough that what filters down from generation to generation loses the patently self-serving edge that one might attribute to the elders' pronouncements. For so many new Kindred, the Camarilla is simply The Way Things Are Done, and theirs is not to question – at least not at first.

Even those who grow restless and start to question, however, usually return to the fold.

Brujah

Lo, how the mighty have fallen. Such is the perspective the elders of other clans have on the Brujah. Younger Kindred, who do not remember the clan's nights of philosophy and glory, see the Brujah as a disorganized, anarchic rabble. Then again, in these degraded times entirely too many members of the clan fit that description, or at least enough that the stereotype has become widely accepted.

With hallowed Carthage just a fading memory, the Brujah have become the angry young men (and women) of the Camarilla. Constrained by the Camarilla's traditions and kept in their place by ruthless elders, the street-level Rabble take out their frustrations by moving in packs, indulging in Rants and generally adopting a bad attitude at odds with the enforced gentility of Elysium and the Ventrue.

These nights, the Brujah shun the halls of power. The clan's younger members have little interest in playing the Ventrue's games or exposing themselves to Toreador ridicule. Instead, they stand as the (mostly) loyal opposition to the sect, essentially for the Camarilla but with little interest in its rules and regulations. Elders may take a more philosophical bent in line with the clan's direction at the time of their Embrace, but the common image of the Brujah now is that of the leather-jacketed rebel.

Strength and Influence

Within the Camarilla, the Brujah have relatively little pull among princes. With the clan's penchant for getting into trouble (the legendary Brujah temper can produce equally legendary breaches of the Masquerade or other Traditions), few princes are willing to give them much beyond the time of night. Brujah princes are rare, though a surprising number of sheriffs and scourges are members of the clan. As many of the quote-unquote "rabble" that these officers must deal with are Brujah as well, the conflict can make for interesting infra-clan politics.

In truth, the Brujah have their strongest influence on the streets and in the ivory towers. Of all the clans, they have the strongest hold on mortal academia, a relic of the clan's nights as would-be philosopher-kings. Elders still work hard to pull from that base of potential Embracees, but these nights, the clan's primary interests lie elsewhere.

Once ruling from fortresses and training halls, now the Brujah rule the streets, primarily through sheer numbers. Many Brujah came from or were familiar with a rough-and-tumble lifestyle, and chose to continue it beyond the grave. Like calls to like, and vampires who came from the street have made a habit of Embracing those from the street as well. The clan has the widest variety of membership of any of the Camarilla clans; in many cases a flash of attitude or a demonstrated unwillingness to take crap is all that it takes to earn someone the Embrace. All the rest, the Brujah reason, can be taught.

Organization

The usual response one gets when asking the Brujah about their clan structure is either laughter or a punch to the gut. The Brujah are the most disorganized of the clans, shunning formal meetings in favor of informal Rants (often held after concerts or particularly energetic parties). There are no "Boards of Directors" or formal awards of status among the Rabble; instead like-minded Brujah get together to swap news and brag, or to argue about damn near anything. Somehow, news manages to get disseminated by this haphazard fashion, but anyone hoping to catch all of the local Brujah at a sit-down meeting is in for a world of disappointment.

The only organization the Brujah have is a rough breakdown along philosophical lines. Younger, more anarchic Brujah are sometimes called Iconoclasts (though their response to the term isn't printable), and it is from these vampires that the stereotypical image of the clan derives. Older members of the clan, called Idealists (though they prefer something in Greek most of the time) are more interested in the ideals of the clan and reclaiming the scholarship and philosophy that was once theirs; many are of an age to recall Carthage. Idealists look down on the Iconoclasts as unruly children, while the Iconoclasts sneer at the Idealists as do-nothing fossils. Caught in the middle are the Individualists, who straddle both camps in age and temperament. Needless to say, they catch flak from both sides.

Concerns

There are almost as many concerns among the Brujah as there are Brujah. As the clan falls short of a unified policy on pretty much anything, it's hard for a single issue or concern to rouse the clan's ire. The anger over Carthage still burns hot for the ancients, but few Brujah created in the last millennium care much for the issue. Iconoclasts raise howls about selective law enforcement and oppression by the Ventrue, but such cries often fall on deaf elder ears.

The only concern that draws members of the clan together across party lines is the encroachment by the Sabbat. The street is where the Sabbat operates, and that means that the Brujah take the brunt of any initial Sabbat assault. As a result, the Brujah feel (rightly or wrongly) that they are being used as a buffer by the other clans against the Sabbat ("Willing to fight to the last Brujah" is a common joke). A few loudmouths have even gone on record as saying that if they don't get any help, next time the Brujah should just let the antitribu through, but such sentiments are not yet common throughout the clan.

Practices and Customs

Brujah customs are a hodgepodge of half-remembered mortal rites, dusty traditions passed down absently from sire to childe and whatever else comes to mind. Most are improvised from city to city, as the Brujah figure it's the meaning of what they're doing that's really important. Besides, it's not as if the Iconoclasts and the Idealists could agree to do anything in unison in any case. Instead, customs among the Brujah are more a matter of aligning along the clan's primary axis of sentiment and acting in accordance with it.

Brujah gatherings, called Rants, are not regularly scheduled. Instead, they just happen when something else interesting does – concerts, exhibitions, festivals, conferences and so on – and often the mortals responsible for triggering the Rant get drafted into it as well. Rants are essentially open to members of any clan, though any Tremere who attends is in for a rough time. The Brujah make no secret of their distaste for the Warlocks, and delight in introducing Tremere spies to new and exciting definitions of pain.

Malkavian

Kooks. Fools. Madmen. Such are the descriptions the other clans have for the childer of Malkav, who frankly don't give a damn what anyone else thinks of them. The Malkavians are insane, but not in the way that others imagine. Each Malkavian sees the world through her own cracked lens of perception, a highly personal distortion that outsiders dismiss as mere insanity. But that distortion is the key to enlightenment, the Malkavians insist – at least those philosophically inclined – and often the Lunatics seem to know more about what's really going on than their so-called sane brethren.

What exactly the Malkavians are doing in the Camarilla is a subject of some debate. While the clan's allegiance to the sect has never wavered, it is nevertheless true that the sect's interests only seem to intersect with the clan's peripherally. As a result, the Malkavians view the Camarilla with a sort of bemused affection, while their counterparts in other clans can't help feeling vague and disquieting suspicion about the Lunatics' real motives.

Recently, the entirety of the clan was somehow infected with the Dementation Discipline by the antitribu of the Sabbat. The deed was done over the Malkavian Madness Network, though even the Malkavians themselves seem at a loss to explain how exactly that happened. The new Discipline doesn't seem to have affected clan members' behavior overmuch, but with the Malkavians, one never knows.

Strength and Influence

Malkavian strength and influence varies from city to city, depending on the individual quirks of the local Malkavian population. In some places the Lunatics are nearly incapacitated by their manias, and thus are a non-factor in city politics. In others, the famed clan dementia is a non-issue or actually feeds an individual's drive to power. A power-hungry Malkavian with an obsessive personality can be a frightening thing for friends and foes alike.

To no one's surprise, the Malkavians find the mental health care system to be a hospitable environment; many set up little fiefdoms in managed care facilities. However, the Lunatics aren't limited to mental hospitals – it's more a question of what an individual Malkavian is driven to experiment with. In some cases that's nothing at all, in others it's art that the Toreador envy or business dealings that give the Ventrue pause. A very few dabble in magic, and the thought of what those Malkavians might be up to gives many powerful Tremere nightmares.

Organization

Defining Malkavian organization is like trying to empty the oceans with a sieve. The task is simply pointless, as the Lunatics' ways of arranging themselves mutate and change with blinding speed. The clan's irregular meetings are open to all comers, primarily because the Malkavians don't care about keeping anyone out, but observers often returned chilled by what they saw. At times the Malkavians have mounted eerily accurate pastiches of Ventrue or Tremere clan gatherings; at others they mimic the Sabbat, or engage in behaviors utterly incomprehensible to anyone not sharing the communal cup of madness.

There is no local, national or global organization of Malkavians. The clan simply is. Trying to force it into the framework of "normal" behavior, as the Ventrue and others have been trying to do for centuries, is utterly fruitless. The Malkavians meet whenever they choose, do whatever they choose and revel in the thread of insanity which binds them all together.

Concerns

Do the Malkavians have unifying concerns? No one knows. There is speculation that the infection perpetrated by the antitribu has sparked at least some discussion among the Malkavians, but if anyone knows the truth, they're not talking. The more socially adept Malkavians routinely steer conversation away from clan matters, while the less functional ones don't seem to be worth asking.

If the clan can be said to have a core issue, it is the matter of enlightenment through new perception (or what the unenlightened mistakenly call insanity). By removing the scales of "normal" behavior from their eyes, the Malkavians claim to be able to see true reality more clearly than ever before. Not a few clan members want to share that renewed vision with the rest of the Camarilla and then the world. Such vampires are almost universally feared, as their conversion efforts amount to driving their victims insane.

Practices and Customs

The Malkavian custom that has the highest profile is the art of pranking, playing "jokes" on other Kindred so as to expand their perceptions. Of course, these jokes can take any form and are usually only funny to the Malkavian playing them; the targets find them to be anything from annoying to fatal. Malkavian pranking doesn't involve whoopee cushions and buckets of water balanced on doors; rather, it is an inspired attempt to kick the crutch of consensual reality out from under other Kindred. Pranks can range from continually rearranging all of the furniture in a vampire's haven to careful use of Dementation to siccing a hunter on an unfortunate target, and a vampire who becomes the subject of a Malkavian's interest rapidly finds his friends abandoning him for fear of being caught in the blast radius.

Malkavian targets for the Embrace tend to be outside the mainstream of society. While not all are clinically insane before the Embrace, none are paragons of stability, and many just need the horror of the Embrace to push them over the edge. Malkavian sires don't seem to be particularly attentive to their childer, but somehow the neonates end up knowing everything they need to know. Outsiders speculate that the Madness Network must somehow be involved, but since outsiders blame the Malkavian Madness Network for everything since the murder of Abel, such theories are often yawned off.

Nosferatu

Nosferatu are not monsters, at least not in the sense that others might think they are. Yes, they dwell in sewers and filth, have visages that send mortals screaming, and breed strange monstrosities as guardians for their underground domains, but the Nosferatu deal in secrets, not carnage. Hiding their faces behind illusions, they (or their servants) seek out any tidbit that appears worth having, then sell their spoils to those less observant (who would seem to be quite a few judging from their clientele). The Nosferatu's willingness to go places other Kindred disdain serves them well on many occasions, and their reputations as monstrosities ensures that the curious don't attempt to turn the tables on them.

Nosferatu often dwell in the city's sewers, but aren't restricted to them. After all, all the action (and the information that comes with it) are above ground. The sewers are merely a convenient and concealed means of accessing the world above, and an excellent place to hide what's been found. Most Nosferatu turn the sewers around their havens into deathtraps, and the older the vampire, the more complicated and intricate the traps. Nosferatu are very fond of their privacy, and intruders had best be prepared to pay the price of trespassing.

What the Nosferatu ultimately deal in is information. Often the coin of exchange is more information, which just makes the clan richer. The Nosferatu aren't afraid to use their knowledge, either, much to the chagrin of other Kindred who have found themselves humiliated, blackmailed or even killed after letting the wrong word fall into Nosferatu hands.

Strength and Influence

It is rare for a Sewer Rat to hold a position in city government. Other Kindred are uncomfortable with having a smelly, repulsive monstrosity in a position of authority, and find ways to keep the Nosferatu out of power. Occasionally a prince tosses a position to the clan, either to demonstrate how open-minded he is or in an attempt to secure the Nosferatu's friendship, but most just play it safe and exclude the clan from power as much as possible. A Nosferatu prince is almost unheard of. In truth, the Nosferatu don't seem to care much. Time spent attending to the duties of an office is time not spent gathering information and putting that information to use.

As information-brokers without peer, however, the Nosferatu can easily make up for any loss of "temporal" power. Vast webs of shared information result in being able to acquire dirt on just about anyone, and the Nosferatu make certain that everyone knows it. As a result, other clans wanting what the Nosferatu have are forced to come and deal, and the Sewer Rats drive a hard bargain. Favors owed and gossip shared results in a remarkable amount of influence for the clan, which is valid currency above and below ground.

Organization

The Nosferatu organization is loose, but not non-existent. Regional collections of Nosferatu, called Broods, meet on a semi-regular basis, usually to swap information. It's common for Broods to send representatives to one another, either as delegates at meetings or to carry certain precious pieces of news too valuable to trust to letters or email. Such exchanges help disseminate information across the clan with lightning speed.

Meetings of Broods are called Hostings (which leads to all sorts of jokes about parasitism), which operate on no set schedule. Instead, a Hosting happens when a Nosferatu decides that a Hosting needs to happen. The self-proclaimed host of the Hosting must arrange a meeting space and accommodations, but beyond that, the meetings are remarkably informal. Nosferatu treat each other with a great deal of respect; the shared horror of their appearance does much to promote clan unity.

In more recent years, the Nosferatu have invested heavily in the SchreckNET, wiring Brood to Brood in cyberspace and allowing for faster exchanges of data. The SchreckNET is now intercontinental, and its keepers expect to have upward of 90 percent of all Nosferatu burrows connected within the next three years.

Concerns

The Nosferatu know too much not to be concerned. They know why the Gangrel left the Camarilla, entirely too much of what goes on between Malkavians, and what's really going on in the corridors of Ventrue power. The Nosferatu are less than sanguine about the Camarilla's future, and have debated leaving the sect themselves at times. If there's a problem with the Camarilla, the Nosferatu know about it and are debating the matter worriedly.

One concern that the Nosferatu have that no others are privy to is the Nicktuku. According to clan lore, the Nicktuku are the clan founder's other children, so monstrously twisted as to make the Nosferatu look normal by comparison. Enormously powerful and utterly hateful, these monstrosities hunt their less deformed brethren across the globe. Reports of the Nicktuku have increased in recent years, and an alarming number of Nosferatu burrows have gone silent as well. Alarmist clan members are taking this intelligence as a sign that the Nicktuku are on the move, and as such they are readying their defenses for what they perceive as the final assault.

Practices and Customs

There are few practices common to the Nosferatu that have become known to others. One of the most spectacular and fearsome (which is perhaps why the Nosferatu let news of it leak) is the custom of creating breeding pools in order to manufacture guardian ghouls. Such pools are bodies of water that Nosferatu regularly infuse with their vitae. The results are literally hordes of twisted, massive and utterly loyal ghouled animals which serve as natural warning systems and defenses. Nosferatu also farm fungi and subterranean plants, creating gardens worthy of the finest apothecaries – or the deadliest poisoners.

In the end, all Nosferatu custom among each other breaks down to respect and politeness. The Nosferatu seem genuinely to respect one another and their elders (the Sewer Rats are the only vampires who don't regularly grumble about what evil deeds their elders are really up to), and that makes their dealings fluid, easy and fast. What matters to the Nosferatu is not the order of precedence, but rather actually getting things done, and their dearth of formalized customs reflects this desire.

There is one hobby which the Nosferatu seem to enjoy, and that's pushing the other Kindred. Every Nosferatu knows that the other clans prefer to deal with them as little as possible, and that they only do so when under great duress. Consequently, the Nosferatu take great pains to play up the worst aspects of their existence when the other clans come calling, testing to see just how far their prospective clients are willing to go. When the Toreador are willing to descend into the sewers, or the Ventrue to meet in a soup kitchen, not only do the Nosferatu get ghoulish pleasure out of seeing their visitors so discomfited, but the entire meeting becomes a gauge of exactly how desperate for help the high and mighty are.

Toreador

To the Toreador, or at least to any worthy of the name, beauty is as important as blood. The ultimate aesthetes, these Kindred are devoted to the exploration, creation and preservation of art in all its forms, whether that art wants to be preserved or not. Easily transfixed by an image of beauty, the Toreador can also be coldly vicious in destroying what displeases them. And as the same creation – or mortal – can please and displease equal numbers of Toreador, dealing with this clan at all can be a dangerous thing.

Contrary to their image as fops and poseurs, the Toreador are among the most effective manipulators the Camarilla possesses. Masters of intrigue for its own sake (just another art form to some Toreador), these Kindred can give words a sharper edge than a Gangrel's claws. The superhuman senses that let a Toreador bask in the presence of a Van Gogh also give her a clue as to her enemies' moods and anticipated actions. As for the study of art, an immortal sculptor's knowledge of anatomy can be applied with equal facility to a slab of marble or an opponent's throat.

Call it expression, call it art or call it beauty, the Toreador are after something that no other clan is. Excellence and artistry in all things call to the Toreador (those deserving of the Embrace, in any case), and it is the quest to achieve and preserve that sort of achievement that drives the clan. With all eternity before them, the Toreador have all the time they need to seek perfection. They just don't always seek it in ways or places that the other Kindred expect.

Strength and Influence

Apart from the Ventrue, no other clan has so thoroughly adapted to the Camarilla as have the Toreador. If the Ventrue are the sect's backbone, the Toreador are its heart. As a result, there are more than a fair share of Toreador princes, sheriffs, seneschals and the like. Even if a city's prince is of another clan, odds are good that there's a Toreador at his elbow advising him. The field of politics is as much a canvas as anything else for the Toreador, and many clan members have gotten very skilled in the medium.

Oddly enough, fewer keepers of Elysium than one might expect hail from Toreador ranks. Popular theory holds that this is because too many Toreador keepers were entranced by the exhibits assorted Elysiums held to do their jobs properly; the Toreador refuse to dignify this rumor with a response and instead flock to join the ranks of the harpies.

It is through the harpies that the Toreador truly exercise their clout. The final arbiters of status in a city, the harpies can make or break a vampire's reputation in a matter of seconds. They can drive him to acts of desperation to reclaim his good name, or exalt him to dizzying heights on the basis of a single deed. Princes can be brought low or created through the harpies' efforts, and as much as other Kindred might want to discount the Toreador's influence, there is too much evidence of their power to allow it.

Organization

Toreador organization is a collection of free-floating cliques and artists' collectives. Like so many of the other clans, the Toreador have no formal international organization. Instead, individual Kindred drift from group to group, which can be as formal or informal as the temperaments of their members demand. Deference is showed to Toreador of demonstrable age, knowledge or talent, but for every neonate eager to pay homage to an elder whose work he admires, there's a former exotic dancer claiming that his physical beauty makes him a walking work of art. Such schisms break the clan down into two rough groups: the Artistes and the Poseurs. In truth neither faction is formalized enough to have a name; these are just the insults that each side flings at the others. Artistes are the truly creative among the Toreador, the ones who produce works of true inspiration and beauty. Their opposite numbers are those who are… less talented. The ranks of the Poseurs include critics, agents, substandard creators who were Embraced through lapses in judgment and those who claim their lifestyles or their anatomies make them works of art incarnate. There's no love lost between the two rough factions, and a great deal of time and energy gets devoted to petty squabbles for supremacy on the local level.

Concerns

Most of the clan's concerns are internal. The schism between talents and no-talents, the debates over what makes art, the endless urge to dabble in the mortal world to nurture art and creativity – all of these enfold the Toreador in endless debate. The concerns of the Camarilla are merely political and transient, you see, while the Toreador concern themselves with eternal verities and questions.

On the other hand, that's not to say that all Toreador deal strictly with the ethereal. Prime breeding grounds for culture on the East and West Coasts are being swamped, denying the Toreador access to those pools of talent. The Tremere seem to be making a play for supremacy in the sect, and should they dethrone the Ventrue, it seems likely they will be far less generous patrons of the arts than the Blue Bloods.

Practices and Customs

Of utmost importance to the Toreador is the appreciation of art and beauty. They do this in a variety of fashions: patronizing mortal and immortal artists, purchasing works of art, instigating new artistic movements, acting as "muses" to mortals and so on. However, Toreador patronage can rapidly turn sour; a promising artist who doesn't live up to expectations may find his patron fatally disappointed. Even less lucky are those throwaways the Toreador let live; they are sentenced to a lifetime of broken dreams and desperate longing for what was shown to them once, then snatched away.

Unlike the other clans, the Toreador love gathering. There's an informal clan meeting practically every week (if not every night), when the Toreador get together to swap gossip, compare trends and generally bask in one another's presences. Gatherings of this sort are called Affairs of the Clan, and attendance is strictly voluntary. However, since these Affairs are vital for gaining prestige within the clan, they're always heavily attended.

The clan (local groupings are called Guilds, much to the amusement of those who actually remember what artisans' guilds were like) also has a formal meeting each month on the night of the full moon. Such meetings are called Balls, and they are open to all Toreador. Outsiders can attend only by prior invitation; such invitations are highly sought-after, as the Toreador throw one hell of a party.

The Grand Ball is a once a year event set for Halloween, a Ball put on collectively by several Guilds. The site for the Grand Ball changes from year to year, and competition for the honor of hosting it is fierce. Most of the business discussed at Grand Balls is Toreador-specific and of utterly no interest to anyone outside of the clan.

Once every 23 years (the significance of the number is still unknown) the Toreador gather for an event called Carnivale, a week-long festival of the Toreador's true nature. Mortal and immortal artists attend, demonstrations of great beauty and savagery are given, everyone (who survives) has legendary stories to tell, and, at the end of the festivities, the mortal whom the Toreador acclaim as the greatest artist of her generation receives the Embrace and much acclaim. The debate over just who receives that gift is subject to much politicking and intrigue, and more often than not a compromise candidate ends up serving as the selection.

Tremere

Born in stolen blood and awash in it ever since, the Tremere are regarded with suspicion by their allies and hatred by their enemies. A siege mentality has prevailed within the clan of thaumaturges ever since the night Tremere and his associates crossed the barrier between life and unlife, and nothing the Tremere have seen since then has convinced them it's time to let their guard down. Instead, as the centuries have passed the clan has grown steadily more insular and self-sufficient. Today, the other clans know less about what the Tremere actually do than they ever have, and the Warlocks like it that way.

Based out of their chantry in Vienna, the Tremere have always held to a process of slow expansion and consolidation. Once the Tremere acquire a chantry, they fortify and reinforce it before attempting to expand again. Each chantry is a miniature replica (in function, if not form) of the home base in Vienna, with laboratories, libraries, residence quarters for Kindred and retainers and other materials necessary for thaumaturgical research. The effort expended in creating each chantry, therefore, ensures that the chantry is not given up easily nor casually invaded by outsiders.

The Tremere are also past masters at the game of prestation. The wide range of possibilities that the Thaumaturgy Discipline makes available to them means that they can render a great many favors to a great many vampires. Handing out a lot of favors means piling up a lot of favors owed, and the Tremere excel at using those debts to advance their aims.

Strength and Influence

Strongest in central Europe, the Tremere rarely rise to the position of prince. That's not because individual Warlocks are incapable of holding the position or have no ambition for it, but rather because a Tremere prince would have divided allegiance to city and clan. Clan always comes first. As a result, many princes have Tremere advisors, or even scourges, but duty to clan supersedes duty to city or even to sect.

The real power the Tremere have comes from the unified front they present. Take on one Tremere, and you take on them all. That's not to say there's no bickering or backstabbing within the clan, but once an external threat manifests, all of the Warlocks lock step. (Mind you, there are Tremere hoping that other clan members get conveniently annihilated, but they won't so much as think that loudly for fear of a reprimand.)

Organization

Without a doubt, the Tremere are the most highly structured of the clans. Arranged in a pyramidal hierarchy (Tremere himself at the top, the Council of Seven beneath him, each with control over a different geographic region, and so on), the Tremere all know their exact place in the order of things. Each Tremere can trace the path of power from where she stands up through her superiors to Tremere himself, and can take comfort in having a well-established place.

Underneath the Council of Seven (which is comprised of all fourth-generation Tremere) sits the Order of Pontifices, seven of whom are assigned to each Councilor. Each Pontifex has a domain to oversee; such domains have only the vaguest relation to actual geography, and frequently overlap.

Each Pontifex has direct authority over a group of seven Lords (the aggregate is called the Order of Lords), each of whom oversees a smaller geographic region (a small country, for example, or a few particularly populous states). Each Lord also has seven Regents reporting to him, and each Regent has control over Tremere affairs at a particular chantry.

Neonates receive, along with the Embrace, initiation as Apprentices of the First Circle. As a young Tremere progresses in her studies, she ascends through the ranks to the title of Apprentice of the Seventh Circle. Such lofty "apprentices" help rule the chantry with the Regent; at any given time a chantry can boast a range of apprentices running from First Circle to Seventh. Interestingly enough, there are seven Circles of Mysteries for Regents, Lords and Pontifices as well; the Tremere never cease their studies, nor do they ever stop advancing in their knowledge of the Mysteries.

The Tremere's strict formality of hierarchy begins with the Embrace and never lets up. Each Apprentice of the First Circle must meet with her Regent once a week, and along with thaumaturgical instruction she receives an indoctrination in Tremere organizational thought. Each vampire is part of the clan as a whole and serves a function in the clan as a whole; a single vampire who shirks her duty weakens the clan as a whole, and so on. It is impressed on neonates early that they are exactly where they are supposed to be for a reason, and that the good of the whole comes first.

The Tremere do have a policy of rapid and multiple transfers of Kindred from chantry to chantry. This is done to keep any single Regent from acquiring too strong a power base. The constant turnover breaks up groups that have grown too tightly knit, as well as making it easier for high-ranking Tremere to sneak spies into a given chantry. On the other hand, the constant scattering of Tremere now means that a Regent who won his apprentices' loyalty can have agents in a dozen chantries across the globe.

Concerns

Extinction and power – those are the two concerns of Clan Tremere. The Warlocks never have quite recovered from the terror of their first nights as Kindred and the horrific war waged against them by the Tzimisce. Kindred too young to remember the nights in the Carpathians are fed endless stories of the battles against Tzimisce war ghouls and the nights when every hand was against them. That fear has never gone away. The Tremere are still convinced – perhaps with good reason – that their enemies still wait, and simply seek an opportunity, a moment of relaxed vigilance before striking once again. The Tzimisce are the featured players in such paranoid fantasies, but the Ventrue, the Toreador and even the escaped Gargoyles also play roles.

And what of the Salubri? Ever since Tremere's diablerization of Saulot, his childer have been haunted by the fear of Salubri vengeance. Such fears are ludicrous, of course – the Salubri are a hated, hunted remnant, driven underground by relentless Tremere persecution and propaganda. Surely there is no way they could ever mount a threat. But the oldest of the Tremere remember the strange events that led the clan to abandon its Wallachian stronghold of Ceoris, and wonder.

Practices and Customs

Thaumaturgy demands great attention to detail, and Tremere social practices mirror this. Position in the pyramid is of utmost importance at all times; proper deference to one's superiors must be maintained.

The Tremere follow a highly regimented meeting schedule. Just as every Apprentice of the First Circle meets with the local Regent once a week, each Regent meets with his peers and Lord once a year. Above them, each Lord meets with her associates and Pontifex once every three years, and the Pontifices meet with their peers and their superior once every seven years. (Note: Only the given Pontifices, Lords, Regents etc. under a single superior meet. Cross-pollination is strictly forbidden.) The Council of Seven meets once a decade in Vienna, and occasionally as a result of crises at other times. However, such irregular meetings are extremely rare; the Tremere have a schedule and they like keeping to it, exactly. Variation invites chaos, chaos disrupts control, and the Tremere like having control very, very much.

Beyond these organizational meetings, the Tremere gather frequently for mystical purposes. An entire chantry comes together for a Convocation every Tuesday, with each Convocation serving as equal parts rite and board meeting. Convocations are conducted telepathically, so as to frustrate any eavesdroppers. A city's Tremere also host open meetings the third night of every third month; such meetings are open to outsiders, and are conducted via speech, not mindspeech.

Finally, at the end of each October, the clan joins for two nights in a mystical communion. A sort of hive-mind is formed by a chant in which each Tremere takes part. Knowledge and wisdom can be exchanged (though deep probes of individual minds are impossible), and each Warlock is reminded of his place in the greater whole.

Ventrue

The Ventrue are the backbone of the Camarilla, the clan most firmly committed to the ideal of the sect. Perhaps this is because one of their own is given credit for first envisioning the Camarilla, perhaps it is because they honestly believe in the sect's ultimate good, but the fact remains that the Ventrue are the clan whose identity is most firmly tied to the Camarilla's. The Ventrue boast more princes than any other clan, and seem to take a special pleasure in organizing conclaves. Indeed, the Ventrue see participation in the Camarilla as a duty, and they are capable of going on at great lengths about it to other vampires whom they feel aren't pulling their weight. Such Kindred usually retort with comments about the clan's martyr complex, but the Ventrue take such slanders in stride. They know it is the lot of the noble to be unappreciated.

Always a clan of the aristocracy, the Ventrue these days are transitioning from Embracing the hereditary elite to enfolding the financial elite instead. The clan has always flocked to power, and in these modern nights the power is in the board room instead of the court. As a result, the Ventrue have become firmly enmeshed in speculative markets, industry and other financial arenas. They are well-aware of the power money has, and through their multitudinous mortal pawns they use that power exceedingly well. None of the other Camarilla clans can match the Ventrue in this field; few even try anymore.

The Ventrue do admire breeding, and are among the most urbane, sophisticated and formal of the Kindred. The clan has a plethora of traditions and customs, most of which are utterly nonsensical to other Kindred, but which the Ventrue follow doggedly. Young Ventrue who question the wisdom of doing such tend to have the lessons beaten into them by their sires, who value directed initiative rather than independence.

Despite the guise of gentility the clan adopts, the Ventrue capacity for cruelty and rapacity is boundless. They may be polite, but they are nonetheless vampires – vampires at the top of the power pyramid of the Kindred, no less. Kindness and other admirable qualities had nothing to do with getting them there; ruthless efficiency, burning ambition and tireless dedication did.

Strength and Influence

The Ventrue remain the most powerful clan in the Camarilla. Part of this derives from the fact that they are so much more intensely interested in the sect than their peers are, but part of it also derives from the drive to power that seems to be the clan's unifying trait. In most Camarilla cities, the local power structure is riddled with Ventrue. Even those who don't hold official titles have their fingers in some important mortal pie or other; stock exchanges, financial institutions, city hall and the like are common areas of Ventrue interest.

One of the products of this Ventrue stranglehold on the local hierarchy is that there is often little room for young Ventrue to ascend. They are kept in what amount to eternal apprenticeships to undying masters, and many grow restive under the yoke. As a result, there is a curious dichotomy in Ventrue behavior patterns; normally the most conservative and urban of vampires, the Ventrue also have a habit of seeing their younger clanmates flock into recently opened territories (physical, such as a city retaken from the Sabbat, or financial, a la a new industry rising to prominence) in hopes of staking new claims.

Organization

The Ventrue have an exceedingly formal clan organization, but that formality has a surprising degree of flexibility of response built into it. The leadership of the clan, sometimes referred to as the "Board of Directors," has approximately 30 members from all over the globe, though the most important are in New York, London and Paris. Meetings of the Board are irregular but attendance is nighmandatory; with the power that the directors have at their command there's little excuse for not being able to jet to a convocation of the Board from anywhere.

Less exalted Ventrue make due with a clan structure that seems equal part corporate entity and club. Each city with a Ventrue population hosts a clan headquarters, called a Board and frequently run out of either a gentlemen's club or expensive office space. The Board also doubles as a corporation, and is the tool which the Ventrue exercise much of their financial control on the local level.

One of the Ventrue's self-described strengths is the fact that everyone knows his place within the clan; all roles and chains of command are clearly and formally demarcated. Progress through the ranks is slow for younger Ventrue except in unusual circumstances; too much ambition or initiative is frowned upon by the clan elders.

Concerns

The Ventrue's primary concern is the Camarilla, namely, how to keep it going in the wake of the defection by the Gangrel. While the Ventrue never had much use for the Gangrel, common opinion held that they were extremely useful in defending against the Sabbat. With them gone, the Camarilla stands weakened, and the Ventrue feel they must shoulder even more of the burden of supporting the sect. There is also worry over the successful Sabbat incursions on the east coast of North America, which the clan is trying to spread to the rest of the sect.

Within the Camarilla, the clan's greatest concern is the growing power of the Tremere, who seem poised within a few short decades to attempt to wrest command of the sect from the Ventrue. There's also the usual fretting about increasing anarch activity, but most Ventrue tune this out as white noise. They've heard it all before, seen it come to naught and have no interest in hearing it now.

Practices and Customs

The formal practices of the Ventrue are too numerous (and in many cases, too nitpicky) to go into here; suffice it to say that they have a great many. There are customs for who gets to drink first, who speaks in which order at the Board, what sorts of clubs (gentlemen's only; if there are none such, then often the alumni clubs of prestigious universities are chosen as substitutes) can be used to house the Board, parties to celebrate Embrace dates and so on. Every move is circumscribed by tradition and precedent; innovation is smiled upon only so long as it doesn't disrupt existing practice.

The most essential custom of the Ventrue, however, is that of assistance. In all things, the clan comes first, and any Ventrue can come to the Board or to a clanmate for assistance. By long tradition, those Ventrue thus petitioned are obligated to come to their clanmate's aid, regardless of personal risk or preference. A Ventrue who fails in this obligation loses face within the clan, and can expect no help from any of his clanmates should he request it.

When it comes to the Embrace, the Ventrue are exceedingly selective. Only the creme de la creme will do for the Blue Bloods, the best of the mortal best in business, politics, the military and so on. Ventrue take care to instruct their childer in the ways of the Camarilla, seeing as someday it will be those neonates' duty to uphold the sect. Ventrue never really step too far away from their childer unless compelled by society or distance; the strong bonds between sire and child are part of what helps unify the clan.

The Ventrue meet on the first Tuesday of every month at the Board; attendance is mandatory, and those playing hooky find themselves fetched by the retainers of the "Chairman" (the local elder and head of the board, usually also a member of the primogen council). The meetings are called Directorate Assemblies, though older Ventrue insist on calling them by older names in French, Latin and Greek. Directorate Assemblies resemble nothing so much as mortal board meetings, with financial and political data providing the bulk of the conversation. The meetings are also used to regulate clan standing, with "promotions" and "demotions" coming in the form of public praise or scorn from the Chairman or membership on select committees.

...And One

Gangrel

The Gangrel, as a clan, have formally seceded from the Camarilla. That is not to say that every single Gangrel has turned in her membership card and turned her back on the organization as a whole, as there are plenty of Gangrel who consider themselves part of the sect. Rather, it is the clan as a whole that has withdrawn its support from the governing body, abandoning its right to have equal say and equal power in the sect's councils. The clan's elders attach no stigma to those individuals who choose to remain with the Camarilla – it's the individual's right to choose, after all. However, one must now make the distinction between saying that there are Gangrel of the Camarilla (true) and that the Gangrel are of the Camarilla (false).

Those Gangrel who have remained with the sect occupy a slightly reduced place in the sect's hierarchy. Without the presence of a clan justicar to defend Gangrel interests, members of other clans (particularly the Ventrue and Brujah) are making subtle encroachments on Gangrel territories and domains. The end result of this process may be to drive the remaining Camarilla Gangrel off as well, but long-term planning isn't every Kindred's strong suit.

Even Camarilla Gangrel are generally taciturn and solitary by nature, albeit perhaps less so than their newly non-affiliated brethren. It is rare for a Gangrel to take much interest in a city's government; most prefer moving from place to place, or develop a concern for a specific part of a city's landscape (a zoo, a central park system, an arboretum etc.) and make a crusade out of protecting that one spot. Anything that affects a Gangrel's chosen territory is fought tooth and nail, while the rest of the city can generally go hang.

Contrary to popular belief, Gangrel don't necessarily enjoy running carefree through the woods or spending time with werewolves, as in most cases Lupines regard Gangrel as being just as bad as the rest of the bloodsucking lot. Rumors of cooperation between the two groups are greatly exaggerated, to say the least. While the vast majority of Gangrel do prefer to get the hell out of the cities when they can, they take to the countryside with an eye to self-preservation rather than bucolic splendor.

Strength and Influence

While stronger than the splinter groups within the Camarilla, such as the Samedi or Lasombra antitribu, sectarian Gangrel now lag well behind the six major clans in strength. In any given city or region, there are likely to be enough Gangrel to keep anyone from pushing the clan around too much, but when it comes to overall policy decisions, the Gangrel just don't have the muscle anymore. Having given up representation on the Inner Council and the right to present a justicar, the Gangrel are now without voice at the highest levels of power, and are feeling the consequences of that change nightly.

In terms of geography, the Gangrel form a sort of perimeter on Camarilla territory. They prefer small cities or very large ones (which usually house extensive parks, zoological gardens and so on); mid-range urban environments don't do much to tickle the Gangrel fancy.

Organization

The Gangrel who remain with the Camarilla are not so much organized as they are stable. An unofficial hierarchy of respect has emerged among the stragglers, who prefer to keep out of sect business as much as possible. If two Gangrel come into conflict in a situation where one does not have clear-cut dominance over the other, the result is a bloody brawl. Such impromptu duels rarely result in fatalities, but there is considerable loss of face involved for the loser. Some Gangrel would seem almost to prefer dying to admitting defeat. Of late, certain princes have encouraged contentious Gangrel in their domains to settle matters in less violent fashion, or to agree to limits to the carnage, but the notion hasn't taken hold.

In the meanwhile, Gangrel exist as floaters and neo-independents, shunning the need for organization above

the local level. Gangrel gatherings are called by whoever sees a need for one; the informal prestige of the individual making the invitation determines how many guests are likely to attend.

A Gangrel prince is an extremely rare thing; odds are that any such vampire has been forced into her position by circumstance rather than ambition. If a Gangrel takes a position within a city government, it's most likely to be one without rigid responsibilities, such as sheriff. A higher than expected number of Gangrel take up the mantle of archon, possibly because the job's nomadic nature and mandate to circumvent politics appeal to Gangrel sensibilities.

Concerns

The primary concern that most Camarilla Gangrel have, unsurprisingly, is the worry that the whole thing is going to come crashing down any night now. While the clan as a whole might not have had any problems with Gangrel remaining behind with the sect, there were any number of hard words and harder blows between individual clan members over the issue. If the whole thing collapses, the survivors are going to have a serious loss of prestige within the clan. Throw in other concerns like, say, survival, and suddenly the durability of the Camarilla becomes of more than academic interest to even the seemingly apathetic Gangrel.

A lesser problem, but still an important one, is the way in which the post-schism Gangrel are being squeezed by their sectmates. With territory growing more and more scarce as broods of childer grow larger and larger, it is often the Gangrel who find themselves being shoved aside to make room for favored neonates descended from primogen members or those whom elders owed favors. The situation has not yet reached a boiling point, but sooner or later someone's going to start comparing notes and then the shit is likely to hit the fan in a hurry.

Practices and Customs

While not formal in the sense that a Ventrue or Toreador would understand, Gangrel customs have a strict ritualization to them that the Tremere would be hard-pressed to emulate. Much of what has survived as modern Gangrel culture had come from the clan's concentration in Scandinavia during the past two millennia. Gatherings of Gangrel are called althings (or things, if they're on a smaller scale), and the recounting of deeds and tales that occurs at such gatherings is reminiscent of the Viking brag. Althings occur on the equinoxes, while May 8th often hosts smaller gatherings.

Precedence at a gathering of Gangrel is determined by a series of individual contests of dominance. Most such challenges are just staredowns, but a few graduate to brawl status. Such combats are vicious but rarely fatal; there aren't enough Gangrel for them to go around killing each other at meetings. Such duels for primacy occur whenever Gangrel meet on their own and for the first time, even if it's just two clanmates coming across each other in the woods. Once precedence is established, the pecking order is fixed and there's no need to repeat the process every time the same Gangrel meet. The only exceptions come when someone on the losing end of a prior encounter decides he's in line for a promotion, and tries again. The winners of such combats gain prestige within the clan, while the losers are reduced in standing (and usually beaten to a pulp as well), which does keep the number of frivolous challenges down.

Once precedence has been established, the leader begins the recitation of names and deeds, plus whatever other information she feels needs to be passed along. If there's no discussion, the floor is then yielded to the second in command, and so on. All in attendance, regardless of whether it's a full allthing or just two clan members, are expected to remember what they are told, and to pass on the important and particularly interesting tales to other Gangrel not in attendance. Thus heroes are made of some Gangrel and laughingstocks of others, but the news that needs to travel somehow gets spread.

Gangrel rarely reveal themselves to their progeny at the time of the Embrace. Instead, they watch prospective childer for an extended period of time before dooming another mortal to vampiric existence, then strike without warning. The new childe is abandoned to his own devices (though the sire and usually a few other Gangrel keep an eye on him) and must learn to survive on his own. If he does so well enough, eventually his sire will come forward and induct him into the ways of the clan. If not, incompetent neonates tend to take care of themselves in fatal fashion. A sire whose neonate fails can suffer a loss of prestige, depending upon how fast and how emphatic the failure was.

The Proud Few

The Camarilla, by its own definition, speaks for and includes all Cainites. Needless to say, this claim is either ignored or mocked by the vampires who comprise the Sabbat and the independent clans. More importantly, the assessment is derided by the organizations that stand outside or in opposition to the Camarilla and who, in some part, define themselves by the fact that they're not part of it. The whole setup is a convenient fiction for all concerned: The Camarilla clings to its supposed catholicity as justification for its existence, while the outsiders twit the presumption involved in making such a claim.

In other words, the arrangement works nicely for all of the groups involved. But what of the individuals who fall between the cracks, vampires whose allegiances would seem to lie elsewhere but who, for one reason or another, have gathered under the Camarilla's banner. From the haughty Lasombra antitribu to the horrifyingly fascinating Samedi, these stragglers and defectors occupy a place in Camarilla society that is, at best, ambiguous. While the very charter of the Camarilla mandates that these individual vampires be granted the same treatment as any other Kindred, their origins inevitably provide cause for (sometimes justifiable) suspicion and ill treatment. As a result, defectors to the Camarilla side are not always greeted warmly, which makes it that much more difficult to convince other members of the "opposition" to cross the fence.

This is not to say that every Camarilla vampire whose blood doesn't trace back to one of the organization's original clans is automatically treated poorly – more than a few have risen in power and status, to the point where they are feared and respected throughout the Camarilla. No one dares tweak the estimable Montano, for example, about his sire. The vast majority of the so-called "clanless," however, find themselves on the fringes and in between the cracks of night-to-night Camarilla society. No one inside the Camarilla quite knows what to do with them and, cast free from their former associations, they aren't exactly sure what to do with the Camarilla.

Or, for that matter, with themselves.

Followers of Set

To say that the Setites of the Camarilla are regarded as odd is to indulge in gross understatement. Nevertheless, the handful of Serpents who did heed the initial call of the Camarilla (there have been precious few to come over since) seem entirely sincere in their attachment to the sect. Even more bizarre is the fact that the unaffiliated Followers of Set don't seem to be taking any particular steps to wipe out these few aberrations. (The Serpents of the Light are another matter, but then again, the Sabbat always is.)

In reality, the motivation behind the trickle of Camarilla Setites is a simple one. Say what you like about it, but the Camarilla is the most efficient thing the Cainite race has ever put together. It has managed, with very few slips, to conceal the presence of vampires from the masses of humanity despite the best efforts of its enemies to destroy it, and to keep some vague semblance of order over a large portion of the map.

Now what, ask the Camarilla Setites of themselves, if that organization and occasional efficiency could be turned to their ends?

It's a disturbing possibility, which is why these Serpents keep a very low profile.

Dealings With Others

Camarilla Setites cluster themselves on the fringes of Elysium; the usual crowd there is more likely to discuss matters and less likely to haul out the old "A Setite is a Setite" rationalization before opening fire. Furthermore, those Kindred with passions for art and diplomacy are likely to have passions for other things, things that the Serpents can provide. Still, the Setites of the Camarilla take great care to avoid behavior that is too stereotypical, for the simple reason that none of them want to be mistaken in a dark alley – or a well-lit board room – for a non-sectarian member of the clan.

Followers of Set who have joined the Camarilla have not abandoned their clan's ultimate goal, nor are they necessarily regarded as traitors by their clanmates. The true glory of Set will be made manifest in the subversion or destruction of all of the other clans, but nowhere is written that all of the other clans need to be humbled at the same time. Using the Camarilla to humble the Sabbat, then the independents to humble the Camarilla makes perfect sense from the Setite perspective. In the meantime, Camarilla Setites do their utmost for the sect as a method of working toward that final aspiration.

Oddly enough, it is the Toreador and the Brujah that Camarilla Setites deal with most frequently, and whom they turn to for protection in the face of adversity from other Camarilla Kindred. Both clans are prey to strong passions and desires of the sorts that the Setites can assuage, while Nosferatu, Tremere and Ventrue tend to be cautious in their dealings with any Setites, regardless of sect. As a rule, Camarilla Setites avoid Malkavians whenever possible, reportedly out of the fear that the Lunatics can see right through their schemes. More rational Kindred say that it's because the Setites just don't have anything that Malkavians actually want, but to date, it's all hearsay and speculation.

Roleplaying

Playing a Setite bound by the laws of the Camarilla takes even more delicacy and subtlety than portraying an unfettered member of the clan. Camarilla Setites take great pains to put their sectmates at ease – they voluntarily tone down the serpent imagery and decor, just to accentuate the putative distance between themselves and the "normal" members of the clan. Some sect-aligned Setites go so far as to eschew "traditional" Setite activities like dabbling in a city's drug trade, though they're more likely to make a logical case as to how their connections make them best suited to run the market to the Camarilla's benefit. How much of a charade the performance actually is depends on the individual Serpent, but all Camarilla Setites recognize the necessity of earning their sectmates' trust by any means possible.

In social situations, Camarilla Setites are unfailingly polite and proper, with every action calculated to make those who would rail against them for their origins look bad, boorish and untrustworthy. That's not to say that Camarilla Setites are ineffectual or limited, but rather that they get their hands dirty in private. A Setite strolling into Elysium may have under-the-table deals going with half the Toreador in attendance, but won't hint at any of them in public. Appearances must be preserved, after all – appearances and a reputation for discretion, so that future deals aren't jeopardized.

Daughters of Cacophony

It is only the modern nights that the Daughters of Cacophony have truly earned their name, culling the men, castrati and boys from their ranks for reasons unknown. The remaining Daughters have no inclination to talk about the topic, and instead seem to be wholly enthralled by the process of creating and performing music. Politics and warfare, it seems, mean nothing to these Kindred. Only music, of all the arts, holds any attraction for them at all.

Camarilla Daughters seem to belong to the sect out of convenience, not conviction. If a city is Camarilla, then the local Daughters abide by Camarilla laws and Traditions without so much as a mellifluous grumble. Daughters of Cacophony have no great love for the sect, but no great dislike of it either, and it has been noted that the bloodline tends to follow the Masquerade whether it is enforced locally or not. There is also speculation that the Daughters prefer dealing with the Camarilla clans to dealing with the Tzimisce and Lasombra of the Sabbat, but speculation is all it is. In the meantime, the Kindred of the Camarilla generally agree that it's better to have the Daughters on the inside than the outside, and best of all to have them so completely distracted by their projects that they pay the rest of the world no heed at all.

Dealing With Others

The Camarilla offers an abundance of clans with whose members the Daughters delight in dealing – so to speak. The Ventrue offer patronage, the Malkavians inspiration and the Toreador collaboration, companionship and competition. Among those three clans, there's more than enough to keep a Daughter busy at Elysium. The other clans of the Camarilla don't seem to interest the Daughters – precious little does, after all – but at least there seems to be no active hostility present, either. A Daughter of Cacophony does not recoil in horror from a Nosferatu; she just has nothing to say to him.

Sirens (for so the bloodline is nicknamed) never take positions in a city's government. A few have been known to deign to sit with the harpies on occasion, but a Daughter serving as primogen, sheriff or deo prohibe prince is a notion beyond the bounds of possibility. Those Daughters who are in the Camarilla have no interest in shaping it or its policies.

Roleplaying

Daughters of Cacophony are devoted, at least in public, to their art. Whatever the bloodline's hidden agenda might be, individual Daughters' behavior in public always follows the same pattern: devotion to singing and music, a complete apathy toward all things political, and utter disdain for any not so talented as they. Despite their disinterest in all things martial, the Daughters do not hesitate to defend themselves (and some say that the threshold of provocation has been reduced as the bloodline's songs have grown in power) with all the force at their disposal.

On the other hand, Sirens are often inclined to look favorably on those who praise their work intelligently – "You sing real purty" isn't likely to win a Daughter's favor. The Daughters are also likely to haunt local Elysiums in search of powerful and educated patrons. What the Daughters do with those patrons is a mystery best left to the darkest recesses of the imagination – at least if you believe the rumors.

Samedi

The Samedi of the Camarilla are a curious lot. Solitary by nature, they are seldom offered the option of being gregarious in any case; no one wants to get too close to them. Highly transient, Samedi bounce from city to city and Elysium to Elysium, following the scent of contract work for high-ranking Camarilla officials. Sufficiently distanced observers look on this migratory existence as a survival tactic – stay too long in one place and the locals eventually stop being afraid of you. Familiarity breeds contempt, and for the Samedi, contempt can be fatal.

Camarilla Samedi aren't after acceptance in any case. Rather, they're with the organization for a variety of reasons: dislike of Sabbat tactics, a desire for the protection the Camarilla aegis offers, and sometimes just better pay on the Camarilla side of the fence. Pretty much all of the Camarilla Stiffs, however, share an unrelenting hatred of the Giovanni, and use what influence they have to encourage the Camarilla to move against the Necromancers. The degree of influence individual Samedi can wield (there is no "organization" of Samedi worthy of the name) is impressive, as many are close to vampires of considerable power.

Dealings With Others

The average Samedi's appearance is so repulsive – and the wry humor with which the Stiffs invariably present themselves so contrary to expectations – that other vampires can't deal with them without some sort of frame of reference. A Samedi who's in town specifically to serve as a bodyguard for an archon or a prince can be accepted, on a certain level. He's here to do a job, after all, and even the most prejudicial Toreador has to admit that the unique talents of the Samedi let them do certain jobs very well. But to admit a Samedi into normal discourse and society, well, that goes beyond the pale. Nosferatu are ugly, but Samedi are corpselike, revealing a bit too much about the true nature of vampirism for other Kindred to be comfortable around them.

For their own part, the Samedi enjoy keeping everyone else off-balance, as it makes their usual job of bodyguard that much easier. And, as no one can actually afford to offend the Samedi for fear of retribution, the Stiffs push that advantage for all it's worth. Samedi aren't actually contemptuous of their fellows in the Camarilla, just amused by them. Even the monsters find some things a little too monstrous, it seems.

Roleplaying

Despite their monstrous appearance, Samedi are, in their own way, urbane and civilized – they don't shamble, ooze or moan, and most can hold up their end of a conversation with the best of them. A great many Samedi worked as coroners, morticians and the like, and as such have a long-standing acquaintance with death and other uncomfortable topics. In addition, there's a streak of semi-sadistic humor endemic to the bloodline, and many Samedi simply can't resist subtly playing up their deformity while being as polite as possible, just to watch the Toreador and Ventrue squirm.

When it comes time for business, however, Samedi are more than happy to get their hands dirty. Members of the bloodline have a very low bullshit tolerance; when you look like the stuff at the bottom of the pile in the dumpster, you can't afford to judge anything other than results. While Samedi do show a small preference for spending time in the presence of Nosferatu (whom they generally won't take as targets on assassination contracts) as opposed to any other vampires, they still prefer professional contacts to social ones. It's easier for all concerned that way.

Minor Incursions

The following clans have few, if any, members who have pledged their allegiance to the Camarilla. Most have professional dealings with the sect, and their presence here is more a matter of completeness than anything else. It is rare, if not impossible, for a member of the Tzimisce, Assamite or Ravnos clans to proclaim himself a member of the Camarilla. Other allegiances come first.

Some bloodlines, such as the Kiasyd, have absolutely no Camarilla involvement, and as such are not mentioned here.

Assamite

Hassan's childer see the Camarilla as a source of work, nothing more. An Assamite's loyalty is to the clan, first and foremost; the Camarilla offers nothing other than targets or employers to an Assassin. With the Camarilla's strictures against diablerie firmly in place, Assamite existence and the Traditions of the Camarilla would seem to offer little grounds for compromise. Assamites are more than happy to work for Camarilla vampires, but solely as independent contractors. Any childe of Hassan who claims loyalty to the sect is either deranged or running a very weak bluff.

Ravnos

There are a very few Ravnos who proport themselves to be members of the Camarilla and actually mean it. Ravnos of the Camarilla are, to a man, no longer welcome among their clanmates, and take succor where they can. For some, putting up with the humorless elders of the Camarilla is preferable to a quick death, and so they attempt to rein in their socially unacceptable tendencies enough to avoid being staked out by their new playmates as well.

A handful of princes have Ravnos "Fagins" working for them to steal items of power and information from their enemies; a little diablerie in the cause of the prince's work gets ignored or even smiled upon, so long as it's someone from the other side who's getting the bite put on them.

To say that sectarian Ravnos are distrusted by their Camarilla brethren is a vast understatement. Thankfully, there are so few Ravnos in the Camarilla that most vampires never have their prejudices tested in the field. As for those who do mouth off or otherwise make their displeasure known, they often find themselves short a valuable item – such as a piece of jewelry, a document or a favorite ghoul's liver – for their trouble. Just because a Ravnos joins the Camarilla doesn't mean that he's either well-behaved or nice.

Tzimisce

If there are a half-dozen Tzimisce in the Camarilla, it would be a major surprise. The vast majority of the clan belongs to the Sabbat; the rest are apolitical in the extreme. The very presence of the Tremere in the sect guarantees that the Tzimisce have no interest in signing on. Those very, very few Tzimisce who have deigned to join forces with the Camarilla have done so for intensely personal reasons (say, to avenge a mortal insult or to use the Camarilla to dispose of a rival in the Sabbat). However, even under these dire circumstances the Camarilla's few Tzimisce do not advertise their presence, do not take leadership roles in the sect and do not tend to stick around once their personal objectives are accomplished.

Caitiff

Seduced and abandoned by their sires, the Caitiff are everywhere on the fringes of Camarilla society. Clanless and unwanted, the Caitiff are the results of one-night stands, infatuations, frenzied Embraces and outright mistakes. Most have hazy recollections, at best, of sire and Embrace; some have none whatsoever. Stumbling along in the haze of a new existence, each eventually discovered the keys to survival – usually in the form of other Caitiff looking out for the newcomer – or died trying.

A Caitiff's only identifying mark is a lack of identifying marks. Some Kindred theorists posit that some sort of "imprinting" between sire and childe takes place over time, allowing the younger vampire to acquire the physical characteristics of her sire as mandated by the blood. Caitiff, however, have no such distinguishing marks – Caitiff descended from Nosferatu, for example, may be ugly, but rarely do they show the full-blown monstrosity of their vampiric ancestors. Thus it goes for other Caitiff; ones Embraced by Malkavians may be a little quirky but not necessarily prey to full-blown derangements, ones Embraced by Ventrue may have feeding preferences but not full-blown prey exclusions, and so on. An informed observer can generally guess with reasonable accuracy what a Caitiff's lineage might be, but in the end, it's rarely worth even the attempt to do so.a

Caitiff fill in the positions in Camarilla society that no one else really wants. While the Camarilla may take the clanless in on occasion out of a vague sense of paternalism, the clans take care of their own first and leave the scraps for the Caitiff. Some Caitiff scorn active participation in city politics as second-class citizens, while others gladly seize any opportunity as a toehold in the establishment. In the meantime, the majority of clanless skirt involvement out of self-preservation, preferring to have the putative benefits of membership in the Camarilla without being drawn into its politics.

Nickname: Trash

Appearance: Caitiff often appear as more poorly dressed versions of their accepted cousins, aping Toreador or Brujah style on a rather limited budget. Few display truly outstanding physical characteristics marking them as descended from one clan or another – disdainful Ventrue have referred to Caitiff as "generic" in appearance, and the Caitiff have seized upon the slight as an ironic badge of honor. A close look at any gang of mortal vampire-wannabes often reveals one or two Caitiff, dressed in their imitative best and enjoying the hell out of the whole scene.

Havens: Caitiff make havens wherever and whenever they can. Basement apartments and abandoned tenements are particular favorites, as no one else wants these places and the Caitiff aren't likely to be booted out of them after having set up shop.

Background: Caitiff are primarily a development of the last century, especially the years since World War II. Alarmist Kindred point to the explosion in the numbers of the clanless as a harbinger of Gehenna, but more level-headed vampires see the problem as symptomatic of a breakdown in the traditional social orders.

Caitiff often flock together, forming coteries out of desperation and for defense. Groups of the clanless tend to have short life expectancies; they shatter, fragment and reform on a regular basis. Caitiff come from all walks of life. Most receive the Embrace as an accident of fate, rather than by design, and as such that means that there's no such thing as a "typical" candidate for Caitiffhood. All that the Caitiff share is a knack for having been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Character Creation: Caitiff have to survive on the streets with little or no help, and a few debilitating conditions that most neonates are in no shape to deal with on their own. While Caitiff are spread across the spectrum of mental, social and physical capabilities, those who survive longest often have Mental or Physical as their Primary. Streetwise, Subterfuge and Survival are common Abilities among Caitiff, but a Caitiff's experience and education can run the gamut.

Disciplines: Any (Default to Fortitude, Potence and Presence)

Weaknesses: Caitiff can purchase any Discipline at character creation, but thereafter have to pay six times current rating for any and all powers purchased with experience points.

On a more basic level, Caitiff suffer a social stigma from not being part of an accepted clan. As a result, more established Kindred feel free to snub or denigrate Caitiff freely. Until a Caitiff establishes herself in a city or social circle, she's at +2 difficulty on all Social rolls with all non-Caitiff vampires.

Organization: Every so often, someone attempts to organize the Caitiff into a clanlike structure. The attempt inevitably fails, in part because of the innate fractiousness of Caitiff society and in part because the established clans have a vested interest in keeping the Caitiff disorganized. On a night-to-night basis, Caitiff organization works, at best, on a local level, and most often not at all.

Quote: I didn't ask to have this done to me. I didn't ask to be a vampire. But since one of you high-and-mighty SOBs did it to me, and I'm one of you now, I'll be damned if I'm gonna be a peon for the rest of eternity.

Gargoyles

Depending upon whom one asks, there are two (slaves to the Tremere and free), three (sentinels, warriors and scouts) or one (just lump the ugly bastards together) classifications for members of the Gargoyle bloodline. In these tumultuous nights, it is often easiest to break down the Gargoyles by affiliation, rather than ancestry – among the ranks of the free Gargoyles, terms like "scout" are shunned as evidence of a less-than-pleasant past. As the years tick by, more and more free Gargoyles have made themselves known, many of them aligning with the Camarilla. Whether the choice of sect comes from Gargoyles' desire to thumb their collective nose at their former masters, a deep-seated residual need for order and the chain of command, observation that the Camarilla's pay scale is significantly better than the Sabbat's, or even fundamental agreement with Camarilla philosophy is irrelevant. There are more and more Gargoyles appearing on the streets, and more and more of these place themselves firmly under the Masquerade.

The Gargoyles who remain slaves of the Tremere are Camarilla as well, but by default. Most have little or no sense of identity, no memories of existence before being transformed into Gargoyles and no free will. A Tremere-bound Gargoyle who begins to demonstrate more than a rudimentary sense of self had best hide it until such time as she can escape, else she's looking at re-indoctrination or destruction. The first revolt of the Gargoyles taught the Tremere all the lessons they needed about securing the loyalty of their servants, and the Warlocks have no desire to risk a repeat performance.

However, it is the free Gargoyles who make the best player characters (Players who wish to run a Gargoyle who begins play enslaved by the Tremere should check with their Storytellers – an escape chronicle can be thrilling, but other options are limited). Descendants of those so-called Slaves who escaped from Tremere domination in centuries past and more recent escapees, the free Gargoyles cluster in isolated communities either in mountain retreats or industrial cities that offer nothing to the Tremere. More adventurous souls flock to Camarilla cities to offer themselves as bodyguards, muscle and other sorts of labor for hire. It is a show of prestige for a prince to have Gargoyle bodyguards at her Elysium, and a show of strength to be able to afford Gargoyle assassins to deal with enemies.

Nickname: Formerly Slaves, now a hodge-podge including Freemen, Runaways and Rockheads, depending on who's using the nickname. Calling a free Gargoyle a Slave is a wonderful way to have a large, stone-encrusted fist punched through your abdomen repeatedly.

Appearance: Like the Nosferatu (with whom they share an Appearance score of 0), Gargoyles are hideously ugly. While the exact features of that ugliness are dependent on the original combination of blood (Nosferatu-Tzimisce, Nosferatu-Gangrel or Gangrel-Tzimisce) that created the Gargoyle's ultimate ancestor, there are certain traits all members of the bloodline share. Warts and other protrusions, batlike wings (that grow as the Gargoyle's mastery of the Visceratika Discipline grows) and a stony countenance are all endemic to Gargoyles, as is a generally "demonic" appearance. Gargoyles move slowly and deliberately except in crisis situations, but there is no truth to the rumor that they leave small piles of dust behind them when they walk.

Haven: Gargoyles employed by the Tremere sleep in closets, basements or wherever else their masters deign to let them rest. Free Gargoyles often request lodging as part of a contract, meaning that the end results can be somewhat haphazard. Those Gargoyles who find their own resting places usually end up in deserted warehouses or factories – the taller the better – or in subterranean cave or sewer systems hewn from solid rock. Bell towers used to be favorites, but the stereotypical nature of the abode made Gargoyles nesting there easy pickings for Tremere ghouls.

Background: The process of creation is particularly intense for Gargoyles, especially for those taken directly by the Tremere. The surge of competing strains of vitae, combined with the magical energy inherent to the transformation even after all of these centuries, serves to wipe away the pre-existing memories and loyalties of a new Gargoyle, leaving a tabula rasa on which the Tremere can work. The process is a trifle gentler for Gargoyles Embraced by other Gargoyles, who sometimes retain at least vague senses of their former lives, but even so most of the past just dissolves under the occult onslaught. (Note: Free Gargoyles actually Embrace mortals; the Tremere prefer to take Kindred of the three "root" clans and transform them into Gargoyles.) As for what drives a Gargoyle to Embrace a mortal, most times it's a case of simple obsession. There's neither reason nor rhyme to the matter, and even the most eloquent members of the bloodline shrug and put it down to "gut feeling."

Character Creation: Physical Attributes and Talents should be primary when one is creating a Gargoyle character; the Tremere did not design the bloodline for philosophizing or intrigue. All Gargoyle characters start with at least one dot in the unique Discipline Flight (In essence, this gives the Gargoyles four Clan Disciplines, but there are sufficient disadvantages to level the playing field). No Gargoyle can take the Mentor Background, or have an Appearance greater than 0. Furthermore, no Gargoyle can have a character history that predates 1167, as that was when the Tremere actually created the bloodline.

Weaknesses: As noted earlier, Gargoyles have a slight problem with Appearance. In addition, the nature of the bloodline's origin manifests itself in the fact that Gargoyles are considered to be down two Willpower points when resisting all Dominate or other mind-controlling effects.

Disciplines: Fortitude, Potence, Visceratika, Flight.

Quote: The master does not recognize me now, but I recognize him, yes. Soon I will make him remember me, yes?

Lasombra antitribu

There are no Lasombra antitribu, at least, not according to the Lasombra themselves. The Sabbat Lasombra deny that "traitors" exist, while the so-called antitribu see themselves as Lasombra – nothing more, nothing less. Not all Lasombra who disagree with the clan's stance within the Sabbat join the Camarilla – a significant percentage of this relatively small number simply go independent and absent themselves from vampiric politics entirely. The remainder, however, seize for themselves positions of respect and authority – if not prominence – in the Camarilla.

Philosophically, Camarilla Lasombra differ little from their Sabbat compatriots on a basic level. The antitribu still fully expect to win the Jyhad; they just see the Camarilla as a more efficient and effective tool for doing so than the Sabbat is. Distaste for the rabble the Sabbat is encased in shows clearly in Camarilla Lasombra's attitudes, as they regard the Sabbat tactic of mass Embraces as wasteful and insulting. Indeed, even the supporters of antitribu inclusion in the Camarilla see these vampires as haughty, arrogant and impatient. Few suffer fools or incompetent underlings to live, and the penalty for failing an assignment set by a Lasombra antitribu is often death.

The position occupied by these few self-exiled Kindred is an ambiguous one. On one hand, these vampires are Lasombra, the core of the dreaded Sabbat, and no Camarilla vampire is ever completely certain than the defection is a real one. On the other hand, essentially all Lasombra antitribu are creatures of undeniable power and presence, and are devoted to the destruction of the Sabbat in a way that few other Kindred are. The Camarilla cannot afford to waste these Cainites' talents, powers and knowledge of the enemy – but cannot afford to trust them entirely, either.

Nickname: None. The Lasombra antitribu don't go for that sort of thing. It's not dignified.

Appearance: Lasombra antitribu always find a way to look formal, regardless of circumstances. Most are of Iberian or Moorish descent, though a handful of the very newest Embracees are of mixed heritage. The elder Lasombra antitribu choose, whenever possible, to wear clothing suitable to the days of their youth; in many cases that means anything from half-armor to the robes of one of the poet-kings of the Andalusian taifas. Young Lasombra antitribu go more for sharp suits with a hint of Latin style, understated jewelry and sleek black cars that hint at their owners' affluence and power. While all Lasombra antitribu understand viscerally the need to keep a low profile (those who don't end up as ashes), they still insist on taking on the world according to their terms. Giving up so small a piece of identity as preferred modes of dress is, in some sense, to submit to another's will – and these Kindred would rather die than submit.

Haven: The majority of Lasombra antitribu are constantly on the move, the better to avoid being pinned down by their erstwhile brethren in the Sabbat. Many have an apartment or two, preferably in ritzy downtown tower complexes that come complete with extensive security systems and off-street, secure parking garages. Older antitribu prefer to dwell outside the cities on large estates, willing to risk the potential depredations of Lupines in exchange for privacy and some separation from nightly struggle.

Background: The Lasombra antitribu have existed as long as the Sabbat has, which is to say that more than one clan member agreed with Montano's choice to turn his back on his clanmates. The Sabbat Lasombra have always done their best to deny even the existence of any antitribu; such vampires by their very existence give the lie to claims about Sabbat and Lasombra hegemony. As a result, Lasombra antitribu are the first target of any Sabbat packs in a given city. The mere rumor of an antitribu's presence is enough to whip the local Sabbat Lasombra into a homicidal frenzy.

There are two distinct types of Lasombra antitribu. The majority (though still small in number) are older than the Camarilla itself; they are the Lasombra who joined with Montano in turning their backs on the nascent Sabbat. Some of them are still bitter about Lasombra's death; others simply disliked Gratiano and his choice of allies. In either case, these aged defectors are powerful, dignified and in most cases bitter. They have little use for the younger generations of vampires, and less for the Sabbat. Given a chance and a receptive audience, a Lasombra antitribu will talk endlessly about the old days, giving his listener a fascinating portrait of times, kings and customs now long gone – but precious little about the Lasombra himself. (Note: Almost all Lasombra of this vintage are male; the custom of Embracing women didn't catch on among the Lasombra antitribu until quite recently)

The other sort of Lasombra antitribu are young, angry and of remarkably low generation for Cainites so new to the Blood. The newer Lasombra antitribu are the childer of the aged and vengeful ones, plucked from mortality in accordance with the ancient customs of Lasombra himself. Most often, these mortals are in line to be snatched up by the local Sabbat – particularly Sabbat Lasombra – or remind the elder Lasombra irresistibly of someone from centuries past.

Character Creation: Lasombra antitribu tend to prefer exceptional specimens for the Embrace, but regard a quick wit and self-possession as the essential elements of a Lasombra. With that in mind, Social and Mental Attributes come first and second for many Lasombra antitribu, and Talents are more important than Skills and Knowledges. Generation is perhaps the most important Background for a Lasombra antitribu; they are either old, or the childer of ancient vampires.

Disciplines: Dominate, Obtenebration, Potence

Weaknesses: Like their cousins in the Sabbat, Lasombra antitribu have a slight problem with mirrors and other reflective surfaces. Lasombra antitribu do not have reflections in the normal sense; they don't show up in mirrors, windowpanes, pools of water or black-and-white photographs. Such a handicap makes Lasombra antitribu easy to identify for those who are looking for such, but the wise vampire has long since learned to avoid situations wherein he'd be compromised thus. In addition, since Lasombra are so heavily attuned to shadow, they take an extra level of damage from exposure to sunlight.

The final handicap facing Lasombra antitribu (beside the vestigial distrust of the rest of the Camarilla) is the intense hatred that Sabbat Lasombra bear for their straying brethren. A Lasombra antitribu is always the first target of a Sabbat pack, and supposedly entire Camarilla cities have been besieged just to get a particularly durable straggler.

Organization: Lasombra antitribu have created for themselves a miniature version of Les Amies Noir, the so-called Friends of the Dark. The antitribu are so rare, however, and their meetings are so infrequent that most of these vampires fall back on a simple sire-childe relationship. Nine times out of 10, there are no other antitribu around.

Quote: I have known Ysidro for six centuries, and I knew his sire before him. Do you really think you know better than I how he's going to plan his attack? I thought not – you're dismissed.