Independant Clan

This is simply a list of Independent clans. Not a list of what is allowed, restricted or banned for play.

Arhimanes (Bloodline)

The Ahrimanes originated with the Sabbat Gangrel. Upon arriving on this continent, Gangrel of both the Camarilla and Sabbat went into the southern wilderness, encountering a number of native tribes. Many of these Gangrel set up their havens near villages of these people. They preyed upon the villagers and defended them from white man's intrusion.

The founder of this bloodline was a Gangrel antitribu named Muricia. She studied the powers of the local shamans and used their magick to break her Vinculum with her sire, not wanting to get caught up in the constant warfare between two rival leaders of the Sabbat Gangrel. Most Sabbat Gangrel were busy killing each other off in feuds between the city and country factions.
When Muricia utilized the thaumaturgic powers of the native shamans, she effectively separated herself from her clan and her blood forever altered. The magic rituals she used on her body affected and mutated her own vampiric appearance. She soon combined the spiritual magick of the shaman with her own Gangrel powers, giving her an unusual edge over most of her type.

Muricia tried to create others like herself, but soon discovered she could not, for her vitæ was infertile. She learned she could choose existing Gangrels and, using the same ritual the shamans used on her, make them like her. Because of this, all Ahrimanes are Gangrels before they become Ahrimanes. In addition, Muricia allowed only females to join her brood, believing men to be inferior and the reason for most conflict. This tradition remains in effect to this day.

The Ahrimanes are more of an artificial bloodline. All Ahrimanes must renounce their former clan before they are accepted into the bloodline.

The Ahrimanes number only a handful, existing primarily in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana and some surrounding areas. They are extremely secretive and violent, enjoying material wealth and controlling many human pawns. They form packs of their own despite the opposition of the Lasombra. The Sabbat accepts their ways, because the sect values freedom. Besides, the Ahrimanes aid the Sabbat tremendously by watching the Lupine threat.

Nickname: (Something) Cat - Alleycat, Fatcat, Hellcat, etc.

Appearance: There are no male Ahrimanes. Most dress in practical styles, wearing leather and other durable materials. Many have long hair, and most are of Spanish or Mexican ancestry, though this is changing. They have slightly darker skin than most Kindred, allowing them to better pass as human. They are invariably armed, carrying both melee weapons and firearms.

Haven: Ahrimanes dwell in large mansions on the outer fringes of populated areas. They all maintain underground lairs, impenetrable to all but the most powerful enemies. There are no nomadic Ahrimanes. All stay involved in mortal affairs, and travel a good bit, but only within their territory.

Background: The criteria are that they be female, are capable fighters and true survivors. Despite these traits, there are only two or three Ahrimanes in the Black Hand. Each Ahrimane receives a mentor who becomes responsible for training her in the ways of the newly adopted bloodline.

Character Creation: All Ahrimanes, without exception, are female. Most have Professional or Working Jane Concepts. Their Nature is usually Survivor or oriented towards survival or power. Their Demeanors may be anything, but most are Survivors or Loners. Common Background Traits include Contacts, Resources and Retainers. All Ahrimanes have at least three Background points in Mentor.

Weaknesses: Because of the nature of their existence, Ahrimanes cannot create offspring and cannot use their blood to bond others. They can still be bound to others. If Merits and Flaws are used in the Chronicle, they can still take the flaw "Thin Blooded" but it is only a one-point Flaw.

Disciplines: Animalism, Presence, Spiritus

Quote: "Little man, you have crossed into my territory. For you, I am the very meaning of death."
(SHS)

Assamite

From the desert wastes of the East come the Assamites, and they bring with them a miasma of terror. The Assamites are known throughout vampire society as a clan of murderous assassins, working for whoever can pay their price. The price they charge for their work is the vitae of other Kindred; for the Assamites, diablerie is the greatest sacrament.

Assamites tend to avoid the affairs of the Camarilla and the Sabbat, working for either or both sides in pursuit of their goals. They do circulate among sect-held cities; other Kindred find them useful for slaying rivals, enforcing blood hunts, scourging undesirable childer, and infiltrating rivals’ power bases. However, Assamites rarely form true alliances with other Kindred, for they consider other Children of Caine to be of inferior stock. Unlike the other clans, the Assamites do not claim to have a founder of the Third Generation. Rather, they believe their founder to be a member of the Second Generation, making all other Cainites flawed copies of themselves.

In nights prior to the formation of the Camarilla and the Sabbat, the Assamites practiced diablerie widely, always looking to bring themselves closer to "the One," as they referred to their mythical founder. As the Anarch Revolt ensued, and the Sabbat and Camarilla rose from the ashes, many powerful elders grew uneasy at the cannibal assassins stalking their ranks. Calling upon the Tremere to curse the Assamites’ blood, the Camarilla placed a yoke on the clan that rendered its members unable to consume the vitae of other Kindred. Unable to face the unified front the Camarilla represented, the Assamites submitted to this indignity. Those few who did not accept the curse went into hiding and joined the Sabbat.

Those who deal regularly with Assamites have sensed great upheaval among the clan. The greatest sign of this is the clan’s recent circumvention of the Tremere blood curse. Freed from the mystic shackles preventing it from engaging in diablerie, the clan has begun a campaign of murder and cannibalism once again. Assamites now kill other Kindred without provocation-- indeed, without sanctioned contracts.

The clan as a whole has assumed a more aggressive disposition. Whereas once the Assamites would take no further contracts on a victim who bested their assassins, the clan may now pursue that victim, and often does with unparalleled fervor. Similarly, Assamites no longer honor the age-old custom of tithing to their sires. In these nights of impending Gehenna there is no place for lazy Assamites who rest on their laurels.

Precisely what the Assamites want, though, is unknown. Certainly, Assamites have flexed their muscle in both the physical and the political arenas, and hidden agents of the clan have come out of cover in cities where the ruling vampires have become lazy and fatuous. Their hold in the cities of India and the Middle East is much stronger than other Kindred had previously guessed. Whereas other Kindred once viewed the Assamites as honorable (i.e., relatively impotent), useful functionaries, they now hold the clan in dread.

Nickname: Assassins

Sect: The Assamites hold Sabbat and Camarilla in equal contempt. Some Assamites remain among the Sabbat, and a scattered few exist as loners in the Camarilla.

Appearance: Assamites tend to dress stylishly but practically. Aquiline noses, dark hair and slim graceful builds dominate the clan’s membership, though African members obviously bear more Nubian characteristics. Recently, a number of Westerners have been introduced into the clan, though they remain in the minority. These individuals may have almost any appearance, as they are chosen for their skill, not their looks. Also, Assamites’ skin grows darker as they age (as opposed to other vampires, whose skin gets paler with age); particularly ancient Assamites are almost ebony in complexion.

Haven: Most clan elders make their homes at Alamut, the clan stronghold, which is located high atop a mountain thought to be somewhere in moderm Turkey. Neonates and operatives abroad typically select remote, inaccessible locations to ensure that they receive no unexpected guests.

Background: Many Assamite fida’i (newly Embraced apprentices) hail from Asia Minor or northern Africa. Most members of the clan have been involved with assassination, wet work or terrorist activities for some portion of their mortal lives, though this is less true among the Assamite vizier bloodline. Recently, the clan has Embraced many neonates from the Western stock among which it moves, particularly soldiers, criminals and street gangsters.

Character Creation: Assamites favor Physical Attributes, with Mental Attributes a close second. The Assassins favor Skills and Talents equally. Assamites typically have similar Natures and Demeanors, as subterfuge isn’t their style, but rarely are they the exact same. Popular Backgrounds include Mentor, Contacts and, of course, Generation.

Clan Disciplines: Celerity, Obfuscate, Quietus

Weaknesses: In light of their recent circumvention of the Tremere blood-curse, the Assamites have reacquired their appreciable taste for vitae, particularly that of other Kindred. Having been forced to rely on alchemical blood potions for much of its modern history, the clan is easily addicted to the blood of other vampires. When (not if) the character's addiction manifests, the consuming need for blood should be roleplayed. (Sanguinary frenzy is possible once addicted to another's blood.) Clan Assamite no longer sees the need to hide its vampiric nature.

Organization: Elders of the clan still orchestrate the Assassins’ movements from the Eagle’s Nest at Alamut, but more and more Assamites have been dispatched throughout the world killing Kindred with or without sanction or contracts. Many of the clan’s former "rules of engagement" such as the prohibition against hunting an opponent who’d already bested another Assamite — have been discarded. To those outside the clan, it appears as if the Assamites are running rampant.

Assamites organize themselves into units similar to Sabbat packs; these bands are known as falaqi. A falaqi typically consists of two or three Kindred who infiltrate a city and gain a foothold there. Assamites in a city engage in activities common to many Kindred (establishing power bases, cultivating herds), but also weaken rival Kindred through selective assassinations, for they do not see the Sixth Tradition as applying to them.

Bloodlines: The Assamite vizier bloodline specializes in the study of Thaumaturgy and Middle Eastern magic. Viziers almost never leave the confines of Alamut, and certainly never engage in assassination activities. They instead refine their — and accordingly, the clan’s — knowledge of blood magic. Assamite viziers forsake Celerity, instead learning Thaumaturgy as a clan Discipline, but must spend an extra blood point on all Thaumaturgical invocations. Assamite antitribu of the Sabbat differ very little from their independent counterparts, their only variance being their nominal allegiance to the sect. Assamites and their antitribu relate very well, particularly since the parent clan’s breaking of the Tremere curse.

Quote: Save your breath, weak one no one will hear your screams. Now aid me on my journey back to Haqim’s grace....

(VtM 3rd Ed)

Baali (Bloodline)

There are those whom even Caine’s monsters do not name lightly. In the earliest times, or so it is believed, one of the First Brood stood against the Thirteen. This fiendish traitor — eldest childe of an Antediluvian’s errant dalliance, lowborn singing slave boy to a proto-Mesopotamian people, forged an unholy pact with those who dwelt in shadow outside the periphery of this world. In so doing, the devil-child took on something of the place Beyond, becoming something more — and less — than human. Gathering apostles from the ranks of his brethren, the first shaitan of Baal-called-Destroyer marshaled his armies and laid siege to the Second City; Blood met Blood as Caine’s childer fought one another amidst razed ruins and flame-swept plains.

At length, it is whispered, the progenitor himself turned his attention to the fray— a terrible cataclysmic time in which the skies rained fire and wept blood. The battle ended as abruptly as it had begun; the 12 al’shaitani were put to death, and their demonic hordes were routed. Of the boy-thing, however, there was no sign, and the horrors that had once paid fealty to his every command were lost to the whispering winds of legend. But this legend is fast returning to reality. The capture and destruction of a cabal of North American infernalists (and subsequent recovery of their blasphemous grimoires) has brought to Kindred attention a looming shadowy truth: The Children of Baal were not wholly extinguished by the Inquisition, as was previously believed.

The sons of the shaitan are believed to have stemmed from the sands of the Near East, where men and monsters have intermingled through the folk and fables of the region for millennia. Their sires knelt at the same shrines and venerated the same dark deities as the warrior-philosopher children of Brujah and Haqim; indeed, Cainite lore places the three conjoined bloodlines at the roots of pre-Sumerian culture. These same tales recount black citadels, fallen stars, comet-crater cities, insect-monsters, foul sorcerer-kings and all manner of similar depravities dating back to the accursed city of Chorazin purportedly laid waste in the Old Testament.

The Baali are explorers, first and foremost — students of the unknown, the unknowable, the unspeakable. Their eyes and ears glean forgotten secrets. Theirs is the secret song that has echoed through eternity since their nameless progenitor first struck the discordant chord that fractured the wall between worlds. And theirs are the steady, patient fingers that have picked at the wound ever since.

Modern nights find the few remaining Baali in something of a no man’s land astride the countless factions peopling the World of Darkness. They are dying hated, feared, hunted by Camarilla, Sabbat and a host of other fronts, prey to a hundred detractors and divisions from within ( and without. They are falling, spiraling into nadir, plagued by some inescapable degeneration of spirit that claims more of their number with every passing night, doomed to a slow, steady passage from magician to monster to memory. Yet still they toil for the erosion and eventual destruction of this world, to make way for Those Who Wait Beyond.

Nickname: Demons

Sect: The Baali claim no sect, and no sect would have them. Although the Baali claim to have widely vitiated many vampires to their cause, the truth of the matter seems the opposite unless their converts are very skilled at hiding themselves.

Appearance: When not draped with the trappings of ritual, most Baal-worshipers seem remarkably normal, even sedate, favoring non-descript clothes and subtle manners. (A few self-styled devil-rakes, caught up in the baser components of their repertoires and reputations, favor the pierced-painted-and-promiscuous image indulged by the media, but elders regard these Johnny-come-lately hellions with no small disdain.) Most are possessed of cautious, cerebral and studious demeanors, although a few have been known to wax loquacious, even eloquent, before attentive audiences — particularly when faced with possible conversion. Years of devotion to otherworldly subjects and amoral pursuits cultivate something of a cold, alien quality in these Cainites over time. Many acquire an unhealthy fascination involving insects, rodents or other vermin--an unconscious homage to the "Lord of the Flies."

Haven: The Children of Baal seem drawn to places of antiquity — libraries, temples, standing stones and long-abandoned places of power. Such locales, over the course of decades and centuries, seem to take on something of their patrons’ touch. Ancient, indecipherable sigils are found emblazoned upon surrounding grassy plains and rocky outcroppings, nearby children and livestock are stillborn or hideously deformed, and similar omens of ill portent follow in the cultists’ passage like malign footprints. Recently, a few Camarilla war coteries tasked with flushing out and destroying these covens have returned with disturbing tales of Baali breeding and cohabiting in insular "families." The Demons congregate with ghouls and converts of other clans in orgies of flesh, so the tales say, rekindling the ancient heresies of blood-sharing and other, less savory practices....

Background: The Baali Embrace conscripts from the ranks of artists, mystics, scholars and a double handful of more utilitarian castes (prostitutes, mercenaries, socialites, etc.). Some dwindling few fledglings most numerous in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern demesnes are born as well as reborn into the line. Whether culled and educated from promising childhood careers or bred from blood-fed ghoul stock, these inhuman disciples are groomed for power from infancy and invariably rise to occupy the bloodline’s topmost tiers.

Character Creation: The Baali favor Mental and Social Attributes and prize knowledge of academic, existential and occult mysteries above all other things. Some, however, follow the path of the "champions of the Old Gods" who make martialry their specialty. Most acquire an impressive array of Knowledges and Skills over the course of years spent in study and... experimentation. Natures tend to be submissive to their unknown patrons Architect, Conformist, Judge and Martyr — though a few Baali are genuine Deviants and Monsters. Demeanors may be anything, though usually suited to proselytizing. Popular Backgrounds include Herd, Mentor, Resources and Retainers. Several of the eldest Baali adhere to variants of the Sabbat’s Paths of Cathari and Death and the Soul. Most young Baali nominally observe Humanity, though their scores tend to be low; those who survive for appreciable lengths of time usually adopt a Path to enable them to deal with their surroundings. An increasing majority of Baali younglings have flocked to the Path of Evil Revelations or the Path of Power and the Inner Voice. Those in the know claim that the Baali actually have their own inscrutable code of ethics, the Path of the Hive, but little about this is known to Cainites outside the bloodline.

Clan Disciplines: Daimoinon, Obfuscate, Presence

Weaknesses: Perhaps owing to their otherworldly natures and occupations, the Baali fear and are repulsed by religion and the trappings therein, even more so than the rest of the Kindred. True Faith works at twice its normal efficacy against these creatures. Many Baali cannot bear to gaze upon or handle even the most mundane articles of religious paraphernalia, faith-born or otherwise. But do those who predate Christianity still fear the crucifix and wafer? Do age and cultural origin determine the nature of such aversions? Only the eldest Baal-worshipper would know for sure.

Organization: Only twice in recorded Cainite history have the servants of Those Who Wait Beyond risen to bear their dread lord's banner and both have ended in crushing defeat; they have since been hunted to near-extinction. The remainder have fallen into splintered, fractious subsects. Indeed, there are nearly as many apparitions and appellations ascribed to the patron of the Baali pantheon (if there can even be said to be a single such being) as there are worshippers of those apparitions and appellations. Driven by tradition and the necessities of survival, many of the Baali scattered covens of three to 13 (rarely more), led by a handful of shaitan (reclusive and mysterious arcanists) and al’shaitan (appointed loremasters and covenmistresses). To those outside the covens, the Baali appear like nothing so much as devil-worshipers. Only those inside the cult — or who have stolen its secrets without their knowledge — know the true depths of the Baali philosophy.

Quote: The world—your world —hangs suspended by the slimmest of threads between the travesty of all that has gone before and the mystery of all that is to come. Better to spool that thread? Or to sever it entirely?

(VSH pg 30-31)

Children of Osiris (Bloodline)

While many Kindred have heard of this strange Vampire group, few believe it ever existed, and those who do believe, are under the assumption that all its members have been destroyed. In fact it still exists, in hiding and deep secrecy and its members are the age-old enemies of the Followers of Set.

History: Long ago, along the Nile River, a war was waged between two Kindred, Sutekh (later called Set) and Osiris. They sent their broods against one another, violently opposed to each other's moral views. Whereas the Followers of Set represented the darkest things in the world, the Children of Osiris longed for a return to the values of humanity, to preservation of the precious Humanitas. Set was eventually defeated, but not before his Followers managed to destroy most of the Children.

Osiris was once a philosopher in a grand Egyptian court. Embraced by a powerful aristocrat who longed for him to join in the ecstatic joy of Night (and to use his skills in the growing Jyhad), Osiris' new abilities repulsed him, and the moaning of the Beast deep within him shook his spirit. He fumed to ancient methods of meditation to escape the horrible desires his new body thrust upon his consciousness. Through great will, magical lore and deep mystical enlightenment, he achieved an incredible state of control over his degenerating Virtues. But the price was an unlife of strong abstinence and discipline.

His way differed from Golconda in that it had not the joyful feeling accompanying that mystical state of being. It was not permanent, but dependant on rigid discipline and dogmatic rules of behavior. But, if practiced diligently, a Vampire could prevent his Humanity from decreasing, and gain new powers theorem.

He went and preached his new found way to other Kindred, and some joined him, seeking the control over the Beast that he had made evident in himself. His way was marked by an intense feeling of rebirth upon attainment of the consciousness he preached. In this way, the Children of Osiris grew. So to did the hatred of Set and his Followers.

In the most famous incident of the war, Set personally hacked Osiris limb from limb and scattered his body to the far-corners of the land. Osiris' first follower, Isis, searched everywhere for the parts, desperately hoping to bring him back, but fearing that it was impossible for even a Kindred to survive such destruction. She eventually, after long travail, reconstituted his body. All his Children gave of their blood to try to revive him. As their blood poured into his damaged veins, the flesh began to mend, and come together whole. Osiris' eyes opened and he arose. A great cheer arose from his Children. Through force of will, he had maintained his consciousness through even the Final Death, and had returned.

But there was one consequence of his maiming. His blood was not the same after his rebirth, for it no longer had the power to create Progeny. It could still heal his injuries, but it had no power to create more Kindred, or even turn mortals into Ghouls. Since that time, none of the Children of Osiris have ever made their own Progeny. Their ranks come from the disillusioned of other clans.

The Followers of Set believe all the Children to be gone from the Earth, but this is due to the Children's highly secret methods, using only their allies and retainers to act for them. Their extremely ascetic ways require that they not risk the impurities of the world of Kindred society. They will leave their hidden Havens to recruit new members, but candidates are very rare, with invitations extended only to those already inclined towards the search for mystic truths.

Motives: Their main concern is the keeping of their Humanity and Virtues. To do this, they must practice time-consuming rituals of meditation, and maintain rigid rules of behavior. Greatly aided by the sanctity of a Temple; some find that if they are unable to meditate in its pure environs they will quickly degenerate in virtues.

The Children abhor the Followers of Set, and their only contact with the Kindred, besides recruitment, is to move against the Followers and their kind. The current drug war in America has provided excellent cover in attacking the Followers of Set's criminal retainers. On rare occasions, a Child will work against the plans of the Sabbat, for they revile the Sabbat as petty imitators of the Follower's true evil.

Appearance: Their physical traits vary, as they recruit from various other clans, including Nosferatu. They are usually adorned in pure white robes, sometimes trimmed with mystical symbols and mandalas. They never wear items that would distract them from their all-important discipline, like the secular distractions of T-shirts or expensive clothing. They are all shaved bald, including females.

Haven: They prefer very secluded locations, such as mountain tops, or ancient ruins that have a history of mysticism associated with them. They live communally in Havens called Temples, which are necessary to attain their Discipline of Bardo. These Temples are adorned with magical symbols, mainly Egyptian, but also many of eastern origin, for the Children have become mystically eclectic over the years, as exhibited by the Discipline of Bardo. The Grand Temple is located on a snowy mountain in Nepal, nearly inaccessible to the world. The First Temple lies abandoned under the sands of Egypt, destroyed by the Followers of Set long ago.

Background: All their members come from other clan, or are Caitiffs. Thus there are few neonates in their ranks, but likewise few Elders join, as their Humanity is usually too low to maintain the Children's lifestyle. Humanity must be no lower than 8 to be invited.

Sect Disciplines: Whatever the Kindred possessed before joining; also, all must learn the Discipline of Bardo.

Organization: The Children are gathered together in their rare and isolated Temples. Each Temple has a grand master, called the Undying King, and his consort, the Queen, sometimes called the Daughter of Isis. He leads the others in his example of asceticism. Other than that, hierarchy comes in levels of respect, gained through degree of adherence to discipline.

Status: Status is gained by the number of Children who have attained a balance under the example and tutelage of the Kindred in question. This is rarely forced tutelage. Is it is more like learning simply by example. Thus the Kindred whose existence is the purest gains the most status.

Common Archetypes: Visionary, Penitent and Perfectionist. After a few years among the Children, one's nature and demeanor will be the same. They put forth no illusions about themselves.

Quote: "We are those who hove refused the call of the Beast. He no longer wails in us for we have shut him out. We have been reborn in the Light of the Way, the only light our kind can now withstand. The True Light of Humanity. We are accursed, but through Will and Contemplation, we can be redeemed."
(HH)

Daughters of Cacophony(Bloodline)

The Daughters are distinctly modern phenomena despite their Classical name. No Kindred claims to have heard of them before the 1700s, and if they had existed, vampires feel sure they would have known. The Daughters are such masters of song that most Kindred believe they are an offshoot of the Toreador, though those who have been on the receiving end of their powers think the Malkavians had more influence.

The Daughters of Cacophony are singers without peer, but their melodious harmonies are not their main claims to fame. It is the damage their songs can do to the mind that causes their Kindred concern. The Toreador are of two minds in their dealings with this bloodline. While they cannot deny that the Daughters have in credible skill in their chosen art, more than one Toreador has been forever twisted by one disjointed note. The Daughters’ songs can be as horrid as they can be beautiful, and there is no way to know their intentions until they act.

The Daughters are a small bloodline, centered mainly in the New World, and members Embrace only those who show real singing talent. Most create no more than one or two childer. The childer learn from their sires for years before being released into the world. The Daughters go to great lengths to avoid Embracing anyone of wide renown, but most of the line’s members were beginning promising careers in music at the time of the Embrace. They retain their love of performance, but perform mainly for each other and for their small Herds. They keep their Fame minimal, but often find the lure of small clubs too much to ignore. Hearing such a performance can be an unmatched experience for anyone.

Appearance: There is no standard look to this bloodline. Its members have included beefy opera singers, pencil-thin divas and everything in between. While some of its most prominent members have been female, the bloodline includes a fair number of males, though most are rather young.

Haven: Trendy apartments, lofts and nightclubs seem to be their residences of choice.

Background: Any one Embraced into this bloodline will have a beautiful voice, but does not have to be a professional musician. Still, most were.

Character Creation: Daughters of Cacophony almost always have entertainer concepts. They split their most popular Natures between Visionary and Praise-Seeker, though they may take any Demeanor. Social Attributes and Talent Abilities are almost always primary. They always have at least some Fame, but can have any other Backgrounds they desire. Most will also have Herds for whom they perform. Many have developed the Baby Face Merit. While they seem to abide by the Masquerade, Daughters can be found in both the Camarilla and the Sabbat.
Some Kindred insist the Daughters have undying loyalty to whatever sect rules the city in which they reside. For instance, one famous Daughter, Sayshila, is known to have stopped a Sabbat attack on a Miami concert house. On the other hand, she is believed to have driven a Gangrel archon mad after the pair spent a night together howling at the moon.

Nickname: Sirens Disciplines: Fortitude, Melpominee, Presence

Weaknesses: The Daughters of Cacophony are so caught up in their music that they hear it constantly. As a result of this distraction, the difficulties of all a Daughter’s Perception rolls are increased by one. Additionally, a Daughter’s Alertness can never exceed three.

Organization: The bloodline has no formal organization, but younger members generally follow the lead of the older, more talented members. Occasionally a number of Daughters gather to give a concert of great beauty.

Gaining Bloodline Status: The easiest way to gain Prestige among the Daughters is through musical ability. Some rumors speculate that Daughters also gain Prestige based on the number of Kindred and kine their music has driven crazy.

Quote:"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh (crash, as the glass breaks)
(VPG)

Updated section from Guide to Camarilla

It is only in the modern nights that the Daughters of Cacophony have truly eamed 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 honor 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.

The Followers of Set-Setites

The Followers of Set, or Setites as they often call themselves, make up one of the most widely loathed clans in the world. The Camarilla decision to ask the Setites to join came only after weeks of divisive debate, and the fact that few Setites responded to the call was met with a wave of relief from the young sect.

The explanation for this reaction lies with the very nature of the Setites. They are the masters of moral and spiritual corruption. They seem to have an uncanny ability to find the weakness in any organization or individual, and the uncommon urge to exploit it. Drugs, love, money and power are their weapons of corruption, and they take great delight in using them against Kindred and kine alike. The Setites believe that the power of decay and corruption is absolute; no one is immune.

Although few Setites have become members of the Camarilla, this has not stopped factions within the sect from making use of their special talents. In the world of Kindred politics, the Followers of Set have the distinction of being regarded as a necessary evil The Followers claim to be able to trace their clan's lineage back to the Egyptian Dark God himself. The truth of this statement, however, remains unrevealed. In any event, they are darkly powerful beings with unclear interests beyond the assumption of mortal and supernatural power.

According to legend, the clan originated in ancient Egypt. About 5000 B.C., a group of powerful Kindred gathered around the Nile River delta. There they are said to have established a thriving civilization and enthroned themselves as the ruling gods. Among these Kindred was one named Sutekh. Sutekh, renowned as a warrior and hunter, stalked the darkness like a great beast; by 3300 B.C. he was being worshipped by some mortals as the God of Night and Darkness. He was more than likely a member of the third generation, an Antediluvian.

For the next two millennia, Sutekh, now calling himself Set, enjoyed the worship of mortals and the respect of his fellow Kindred. However, a power struggle began when a vampire known as Osiris, along with several of his progeny, began to claim absolute kingship over the rest of the Kindred. Set opposed Osiris, and for several hundred years the two waged a savage war. By 900 B.C., the tide had fumed against Set and his followers. A being known as Heru-Behutet, and his warriors, defeated Set and his allies in a great battle. Set was exiled and his followers slaughtered. In his anguish, Set vowed that if he were to be exiled into the darkness, then that darkness would become all-powerful.

In the centuries that followed, Set recruited new followers. Most came from Egypt but there were others as well. Greeks, Romans, Persians and Semites all fell under the influence of Set, god of darkness. His message spread to the far corners of the known world. From the mountains of Spain to the shores of the Black Sea, the seeds of darkness were planted. Finally, in A.D. 33, Set himself vanished from the world ( likely to escape being a casualty of the Jyhad). Before he disappeared, Set promised his followers that he would eventually return in all his dark glory.
Even after his disappearance, this clan grew in power. Always small in number, it exerted an influence that belied its size. Some say that its members were partially responsible for the birth of the Inquisition, though there is no proof to substantiate this allegation. Empires have come and gone and still the Followers of Set carry on their master's dark traditions.

In modem times, the Setites found a new home in the Western Hemisphere. Both Jamaica and Haiti became fertile recruiting grounds for the clan. Using the sophisticated science of modern times, the Setites became druglords extraordinaire. Several Haitian secret societies and Jamaican posses are rumored to be under their control, along with at least one Middle Eastern terrorist group.

The first Follower into an area establishes a temple and prepares the way for others. Once a newcomer arrives, she stays at the temple until she has enough power to found her own. Each temple is at the center of a web of corruption, and is always led by a single vampire.

Nickname: Sand-Snakes

Appearance: The vast majority of the Followers of Set have very distinct Middle Eastern features; however, increasing numbers are taken from all races. Red hair is especially prized because it is considered a mark of Set. When the Followers are seen, they are usually garbed in deepest ebony robes of an ancient quasi-Egyptian style. Ritual disfigurement is also common, though the nature seems to vary from member to member.

Haven: The Setites prefer to reside in caverns or bunkers deep underground. Often, the walls of these havens are decorated with Egyptian hieroglyphics telling the story of Set. These havens are known as temples, and they are always under or near the headquarters of the Setites' criminal activities.

Background: Typically, the Followers of Set choose neonates from their own human Retainers. Originally, only those of Egyptian descent were chosen as Retainers. Within the last century, however, a number of Europeans and Americans have been recruited.

Character Creation: Most Setites have outsider concepts, although there are a small number of dilettantes, criminals and politicians among them. They are often Curmudgeons or Deviants by Nature and will adopt whatever Demeanor is appropriate at the time. Social Attributes are primary, as are Talents. Most have the Background of Retainers and many have Contacts and Allies throughout various criminal organizations.

Clan Disciplines: Obfuscate, Presence, Serpentis

Weaknesses: Setites are extremely susceptible to sunlight. Double the dice for damage from any exposure to it. They are also susceptible to bright lights and subtract one from all Dice Pools while in bright light (i.e., spotlights, nightclub strobe lights, searchlights, magnesium flares, etc.).

Organization: Each city with a Setite presence has its own local Temple of Set, overseen by a Kindred priest or priestess. There may be one or more subpriests depending on the size of the domain. There are usually three to five human Retainers per priest. The Grand Temple of Set is rumored to be some where in southern Sudan near the Ugandan border. Monthly gatherings are held in each temple at the dark of the moon. It is rumored that once every century there is a great gathering held at the Grand Temple.
It is also said that there once was a group known as the Children of Osiris, whose members opposed the Followers of Set. Nothing is known of them, and the Setites claim to have literally consumed them.

Gaining Clan Prestige: Clan Prestige within the Followers of Set is gained by enslaving others through their own weaknesses. The more followers a Setite has, the more respect she garners among her peers. Setites can also gain Prestige by corrupting people and Kindred in high positions.

Quote: "We are the small voice that whispers to you in the lonely hours of the night. We call to the darkness within all of you. We came from the dark and to the dark we shall all return."
VtM 3rd Ed

Updated section from Guide to Camarilla

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 wipeout 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 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 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 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 the 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 clanmates at ease--they voluntarily tone down the serpent imagery and decor, just to 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.

Giovanni

No other clan is more intent on maintaining a front of respectability than the Giovanni, and none is more repulsive at heart. Giovanni vampires are rich merchants, speculators and investors who spend most of their nights manipulating their vast assets from skyscraper offices. They spend the rest of their nights in crypts and mausoleums carrying out their dark and morbid rites.

Legend has it the clan founder hoped to bolster his own power by Embracing a coven of Venetian necromancers. This coven was actually a tightly knit family of Giovanni who had strong trade interests in the Mediterranean region. The Giovanni repaid their sire for his gift by slaying him and all his other descendants. Vampires from around the world reacted with fear and horror, and many joined together to hunt these Devil Kindred. After almost a century of intermittent warfare the clan made peace with its foes by promising to maintain a low profile and keep out of Kindred politics. The Giovanni clan has apparently maintained its pledge to this day.

Still, suspicion of this clan has continued to the present day. By staying neutral in Cainite battles, the Giovanni has had free rein to build its merchant empire. Now the clan's wealth is undeniable, but no one knows the exact purpose for which it employs this wealth. Few outsiders have ever taken part in the clan's necromantic rituals, so the purpose of these is likewise a mystery. Instead, suspicions and innuendoes have taken the places of facts and truths.

Every member of this clan is also a member of the Giovanni family. By longstanding tradition Giovanni only Embrace those of their own family, and most of their Retainers and ghouls are also of the family. Three members of each generation are chosen as children to be Embraced when they are ready, and are carefully raised to prepare them for it. Others in the family may be Embraced later in their lives, as a reward for extraordinary service.

Because all Giovanni are related by blood (in both senses), they are extremely loyal to one another, and betrayal by one of them is unthinkable. Certainly the Giovanni possesses the most reliable Retainers of any clan.

Clan Giovanni is one of the more rigidly controlled clans, and contact is constantly maintained between members of the clan. It is still ruled with an iron hand by its patriarch, Augustus Giovanni, the original leader of the coven when it was first Embraced. Augustus sees his control over the line as similar to that of a prince's control over a city, and requires those below him to adhere to the Rule Of Creation: his permission must be obtained before the Giovanni Embrace can be gifted to anyone. However, some younger members of the clan are given significant leeway and freedom to pursue new control over corporations. Because the clan's influence in America is still limited, many of its members have been sent to the New World in recent years.

If asked, most Giovanni would say they do what they do in order to gain a complete understanding and appreciation of the form they will have for all eternity. These Giovanni believe this form to be of one use - gaining power. Other Giovanni refer to the god-like feeling they get from having power over death.

Nickname: Necromancers

Appearance: Despite (or perhaps because of) their horrid underground practices, Giovanni always try to maintain a front of respectability. They dress well, in conservative styles; the women frequently look matronly, while male Giovanni are often white-haired, bearded and look like favorite uncles.

Haven: Giovanni generally dwell in mansions and condominiums in the finer parts of town; most also maintain at least one hideaway in a sewer or graveyard.

Background: Giovanni Embrace only those from their own mortal family. Thus, all those in this clan are of Italian descent.

Character Creation: Giovanni almost always have professional concepts. Their most common Natures are Deviant and Architect, though they may assume any Demeanor. Mental Attributes and Knowledge Abilities are almost always primary. They always have at least some Resources, but can have any other Backgrounds they desire. Most will also have Retainers, who are always siblings or cousins in the Giovanni family.

Clan Disciplines: Dominate, Necromancy, Potence

Weaknesses: Living creatures upon whom the Giovanni feed take twice as much damage as they otherwise should. Thus, if a Giovanni drank one Blood Point, her victim would take two Health Levels of damage. For this reason, Giovanni are among the most prominent blood bankers and take vitae from people who have died moments before whenever possible.

Organization: The Giovanni clan is based out of Venice, where the clan headquarters is located. Its members work together to advance the study of death, and can always call on their brethren should they be in trouble. This is a small clan, however, and physical assistance is usually hundreds of miles away.

Gaining Clan Prestige: The easiest way to gain Prestige among the Giovanni is by accumulating vast amounts of wealth. A more difficult way is by discovering new understandings of death, either through art or magic.

Quote: "No other beings have as great an understanding of Death as we do. There is no great mystery, no facet of existence that affects every moment more than the fact that existence always ends. To understand this fully would render one omniscient."
VtM 3rd Ed

Nagaraja (Bloodline)

From a nightmare of horror and legend step the Nagaraja. A bizarre bloodline of flesh-eating witches, these vampires have been hunted to near extinction in the modern nights by political enemies and the ghosts upon whom they once preyed. A few of these monsters still prowl the darkness, but their numbers are thankfully few.

The Nagaraja have never been particularly forthcoming with their origins, but a few learned Kindred suspect that they grew out of a Middle Eastern death-cult. Whispers of an arcane connection with other sorcerers also surface when the Nagaraja are the topic of discussion. The rumors and facts concerning these Kindred are almost inseparable--the Nagaraja are too few to ask directly, and none have been forthcoming anyway. Some wonder if they are Cainites at all or, rather, a failed experiment intended to recreate the results of the Tremere.

Once members of a sect calling itself the Black Hand (but apparently distinct from the Sabbat), the Nagaraja have little impact on the modern nights. They are great compilers of evil secrets, however, and command death-magic with equal or greater ability than the Giovanni. Like all necromancers, the Nagaraja are usually attributed some vague tie with the Venetians, but nothing exists to substantiate this aside from their knowledge of the dead.

It would be misleading to say that the Nagaraja have fallen from grace, because they never enjoyed a period of "grace," but nonetheless, the bloodline has lost much. Its remaining members eke out unpleasant, solitary unlives, and many are haunted by the ghosts they once commanded. The "dietary" habits of the Nagaraja also conspire to keep them away from other Kindred, who are put off by any sort of eating, much less the consumption of dead human flesh. Still, a few dozen Nagaraja persist, gathering the unholy secrets of death sorcery and creeping among the periphery of vampire society.

Nickname: Flesh Eaters

Appearance: Most Nagaraja dress subtly, as their unpleasant weakness already draws enough attention to them: They wear whatever most people around them wear. Physically, many Nagaraja appear to be of Northern African, Asian or Middle Eastern descent. Hailing from such dark-complected stock, as vampires, these individuals often have unhealthy, ashen skin. Unlike other vampires, the Nagaraja do not have conventional, retractable fangs; rather, they have mouths full of vaguely pointed teeth. Most Nagaraja also carry sacrificial daggers, scalpels or other cutting instruments, which they use to excise the flesh that gives them their sustenance. Some rumors attribute them with a "third eye" similar to that of the Salubri, but none of these claims have ever been substantiated.

Haven: When they have the luxury of establishing a permanent haven, the Nagaraja typically prefer to create comfortable dwellings, which may house laboratories and various "storage facilities" for their vessels. These havens usually have an inclination toward the macabre and may be found in such places as mausoleums, abandoned buildings, disused hospital wings and even high-rise condominiums. Anywhere the Nagaraja can cultivate a modicum of privacy may become her haven.

Background: The numbers of the Nagaraja are so small as to make any generalization about their backgrounds speculative at best. Some were priests or cultists in their mortal lives, and few were less than 40 years of age at the time of their Embrace. Most seem well-to-do, the better to hide their eccentricities.

Character Creation: Nagaraja usually have solitary or selfish concepts and Natures, though their Demeanors may be practically anything. Mental Attributes are usually primary, as are Knowledges. The most common Backgrounds for Nagaraja are Contacts, Resources and Retainers, though a few twisted Mentors sometimes Embrace childer. Few Nagaraja bother to maintain their Humanity, opting instead for a variation of the Path of Death and the Soul or the Path of the Bones to keep the Beast at bay.

Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate, Necromancy

Weaknesses: The Nagaraja require raw flesh in addition to blood to survive. Although these Kindred may subsist on blood alone, their bodies atrophy if they do not partake of human meat — for every night a Nagaraja goes without an intake of flesh, he loses one cumulative die from all his Physical dice pools. Eating one point worth of flesh restores one die to these poois until the vampire has "caught up." A human body is assumed to have 10 "flesh points," which work just like blood points: A Nagaraja consuming one flesh point increases his blood pool by one. Unlike blood points, however, taking a "flesh point" from a vessel does one health level of unsoakable lethal damage to that vessel. The flesh the Nagaraja consume must be relatively fresh, though not necessarily "alive." Indeed, some Nagaraja keep stores of ritually preserved corpses hidden within their havens, and rumors of "Kindred-eaters" follow them as well. This weakness does not allow the Nagaraja to eat other foods or consume other liquids.

Organization: Until a catastrophic war with the denizens of the Underworld destroyed the sect to which they belonged, the Nagaraja congregated in the lands of the dead. Since being driven forcibly from that realm, however, the few remaining Nagaraja have made their own fates, leaving their minimal organization behind. A cabal of Nagaraja is reputed to have sought protection among the Cathayans of Korea, but this small group is suspected to be an anomaly. Ultimately, the Nagaraja are too few to have an extensive bloodline structure and exist instead as isolated, freakish loners when they can be found at all. They rarely even meet with others of their kind, as they hoard their precious secrets from everyone, including others of their clan.

Quote: I have seen hell--and have made my haven in its pits. Take your leave before I send you there.

(VSH pg 32-33)

Old Clan Tzimisce

They are so ancient that even the oldest legends speak only of their childer. They are the Old Clan, the True Tzimisce, and all the Tzimisce of the Sabbat (and even the few within the Inconnu and the Camarilla) are their betrayers. Their childer abandoned the lineage of the Tzimisce and embraced the power of Vicissitude; their ways of anarchy brought ruin and death to both the innocent and the guilty of their clan.

There are very few Old Clan Tzimisce, and each has sired only a few progeny. They all cling to the old ways of the clan and long for the day their clan sire will return. They continue to hope that one night they will be around to exact revenge upon the traitors of their blood and upon all possessed by Vicissitude.

Many of the younger clan members are leaders in the war against Vicissitude. In the vain hope of regaining clan honor by eliminating the disease their clan brought to Earth, they were the first to call for the Shadow Crusade and have remained its strongest supporters. Despite their dislike of the "Tzimisce," the Old Clan Tzimisce are much like their childer. They are among the most macabre and evil beings in the world. They place little value on the lives (and unlives) of others. Yet despite this, they are vigilant in their vows to save the world from the threats of Vicissitude and other Kindred. They also have a great love of knowledge, surpassed in the Black Hand only by the True Brujah. They have a good understanding of both Thaumaturgy and science. They are also known for the high value they place upon privacy.

Nickname: Fiends

Appearance: They dress much like other Tzimisce, though often in even older clothing. Even the younger members of the clan dress in clothing popular 100 years ago. Solid black, accented with white, is most popular, giving them the look of the traditional vampires of legend.

Haven: The older members of the clan live on the same lands they knew and loved in life, mostly gigantic domains in Eastern Europe. They usually make their homes in dark and dreary ancestral castles haunted by the spirits of their former captives and family members. The younger members of the clan often make their havens in luxurious mansions, as do most of the "Tzimisce." All Old Clan Tzimisce are very particular about their havens. To be invited in is a great honor bestowed upon only the closest of comrades. If anyone enters a Tzimisce’s haven uninvited, he will incur the full wrath of the vampire. If the Tzimisce invites an individual into her haven, she assumes the responsibilities of providing for and protecting the individual. Those who would cross the Tzimisce’s domain without announcing their presence (by courier, letter, phone or whatever) are treated as hostile enemies, even if they are fellow sect members. Those who announce their presence and receive permission to enter are never harmed by the Tzimisce.

Background: They almost always choose progeny between the ages of 30 and 40 who are both intelligent and well-educated. They spend a lot of time studying their potential childer in order to determine whether or not they will make worthy companions over the following centuries.

Character Creation: All the eldest clan members are of nobility. Their progeny are commonly dilettantes, professionals or soldiers. Their Natures and Demeanors are usually similar, but never identical. Regardless of their Natures and Demeanors, they are almost always self-serving, honorable, evil and trustworthy. Mental Attributes are often primary, while Physical Attributes are secondary. Skills or Knowledges are primary. Their preferred Backgrounds include Influence, Resources and Retainers.

Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Auspex, Dominate

Weaknesses: Like all other Tzimisce, something deep inside of them craves stability and permanence. They share a special connection to the land they claimed as their own in life. They must surround themselves with at least two handfuls of dirt from a land important to them in life. If they fail to do this, they cannot rest in peace and lose half their dice pools from all actions every 24 hours until down to one die; this weakened state continues until they rest amid their special soil once again. While many believe this weakness is tied to Vicissitude, Kindred who are infected with Vicissitude and belong to other clans do not suffer from this weakness. Indeed, this weakness is as ancient as the elan.

Preferred Paths: Most prefer the Path of Death and the Soul or the Path of Caine. Some are known to follow the Path of the Scorched Heart or the Path of Lilith.

Organization: The Old Clan Tzimisce never meet except in dire emergencies. Most members of the Old Clan are independent, calling for aid only if they have no other choice, relying upon themselves and their servants whenever possible.

Gaining Clan Prestige: The Tzimisce respect one another’s power and independence. They gain prestige through their own successes and accumulation of power, by crushing their enemies, by aiding the clan or the Black Hand and by never allowing anything more than their evil presence to be felt by those who are their victims. Any Tzimisce who invades another’s privacy loses respect in the eyes of his fellow clan members.

Quote: Thousands of human lives have been taken by my hands. I am a protector of humanity, but my vigilance comes with a price.

(DSBH)

Ravnos

The Ravnos clan shares many characteristics with the Gangrel, but there is no other clan with which it more differs. The Gangrel are loners; the Ravnos love companionship. The Gangrel are combative; the Ravnos try to avoid direct physical confrontations. The Gangrel are honest and forthright; the Ravnos are masters of lies and deceit. The most obvious similarity between Ravnos and Gangrel is the nomadic lifestyle common to both. Few Ravnos would ever consider staying in one city for an extended amount of time. Those who have adapted to an urban lifestyle change their havens on a regular basis, never staying in one for more than a month.

The other prominent similarity between Ravnos and Gangrel is both clans' connection with Gypsies. However, while the Gangrel are widely accepted among Gypsies, the Ravnos are accepted only within their own family group (if they are of Gypsy blood). Though Ravnos live much like Gypsies, they are not accepted by them. While most blame this on the Ravnos' unquenchable compulsions to lie and steal from those around, others say the very auras of the Ravnos repulse the sensitive Gypsy mystics.
Theft and con games are the most common aspects of the Ravnos lifestyle. Constant traveling makes it harder for Ravnos to be caught engaging in their favorite pastimes, and gives them an infinite number of marks and shills to take advantage of. Ravnos find no greater pleasure than

Not to be a pain in the ass, but the Assamite entry is woefully out-dated.

It's from the Vampire: The Masquerade Corebook. Revised edition.