Clans

If the myth of the Antediluvian is to be believed, Caine sired a number of progeny, who then sired childer themselves. These childer, accordingly of the Third Generation, were the progenitors of the modern clans, and all vampires descended from them shared common traits and characteristics. Certainly this is true to some degree, as each clan has a set of vampiric powers its members learn more readily than others, and each clan also has a distinguishing weakness or character flaw by which its members may be identified.

Lineage is important to the Kindred. Though they are loners and typically shun each other's company by nature, the Damned place great value on their heritage. The honor a vampire is due stems from clan as much as generation, and even the most dull-witted Kindred is afforded some modicum of respect if his legacy demands it.

There are 13 known clans, each supposedly spawned by one of the Antediluvians, but whispers circulate through the Kindred world about "lesser" clans or bloodlines that branched off from their parent genealogies somewhere in the nights of history. Few vampires have ever met Kindred claiming to hail from these mysterious bloodlines, and few of these have turned out to be anything other than Caitiff with delusions of self-importance. It is widely accepted, however, that of the 13 "great" clans, seven claim membership in the Camarilla, two belong to the Sabbat, and the remaining four abstain from sects entirely.

Along with the main seven clans of the Camarilla, Caitiff or 'clanless' are playable as well. Their Disciplines will need to be rolled for at creation, and they are generally looked down upon as worthless trash.

Clans of the Camarilla
The Camarilla claims that all vampires are under its purview, whether they wish to be so included or not. The Camarilla realistically comprises seven clans, though any Kindred may be recognized as a member if she so declares. The clans in the Camarilla are the only clans playable in this chronicle.

Brujah
As the Brujah tell the tale, they were once philosopher-kings of Mesopotamia, Persia and Babylon. They controlled an empire that spanned from the cradle of civilization to northern Africa, and collected lore and knowledge from around the world. Now they are perceived as little more than spoiled childer who have no sense of pride or history. One of the mainstays of the Great Anarch Revolt, the Brujah were barely brought to heel by the founders of the Camarilla, and the clan as a whole still resents the elders. Though nominally in the Camarilla, the Brujah are the sect's firebrands and agitators, testing the Traditions and rebelling in the name of whatever causes they hold dear. Many Brujah are outright anarchs, defying authority and serving no prince.

Gangrel
The night-prowling Gangrel are feral vampires and possess disturbing animalistic tendencies and features. Rarely staying in one place, Gangrel are nomadic wanderers, satisfied only when running alone under the night sky. Distant, aloof and savage, Gangrel are often tragic individuals; although many hate the cities' crowds and constrictions, the presence of hostile werewolves prevents most Gangrel from living outside their confines. Gangrel vampires seem to support the Camarilla solely because it intrudes upon their unlives less than the Sabbat.

Malkavian
Clan Malkavian has suffered throughout history, and continues to do so to this very night. Every member of this clan is afflicted with madness, and all are slaves to their debilitating lunacy. Throughout Cainite history, Malkavians have been alternately feared for their bizarre behavior and sought out for their even more bizarre insight. Kindred who have regular dealings with the Malkavians report that the clan is now more morbidly unstable than ever, spreading madness in its wake like a contagious disease.

Nosferatu
The members of Clan Nosferatu suffer the most visible curse of all. The Embrace hideously deforms them, twisting them into literal monsters. In the modern nights, Clan Nosferatu is known for levelheadedness and calm in the face of adversity. Nosferatu have reputations as information brokers and harvesters of secrets, as their horrid appearances have forced them to perfect their mystical ability to hide, sometimes in plain sight.

Toreador
Prodigals of the Kindred, Clan Toreador indulges in excess and degeneracy, all while claiming to maintain patronage of the arts. To a great degree, this patronage is true, as the clan claims many talented artists, musicians, writers, poets and other gifted creators. On the other hand, the clan possesses just as many "poseurs," those who fancy themselves great aesthetes but lack the ability to create at all. According to legend, the Toreador's support of the arts dates back to the clan founder's Embrace of a pair of twins. The twins pursued unlives of beauty and indolence while their sire, Arikel (if the tale is to be believed), doted on them, protecting them from the ravages of plague, famine and parricide that swallowed the First City.

Tremere
No clan is so shrouded in deliberate mystery as the Tremere. The inventors and practitioners of terrible blood magics, the secretive Tremere have a tightly knit political structure based on the acquisition of power, as well as a fanatical clan loyalty practically unknown to any other Kindred. Because of the veil of secrecy that surrounds the clan, disturbing stories have surfaced as to the nature of their vampirism. Some Kindred claim that the Tremere are not truly vampires at all, but rather mortal wizards who cursed themselves for eternity while studying the secret of immortality.

Ventrue
The nominal leaders of the Camarilla, the Ventrue claim to have created and supported the organization of the sect since its inception. The clan suspects that its founder was slain by a member of the Brujah clan, which is a great blow to its members' pride. In any event, the clan almost certifiably has no founder any longer, and has thereby achieved untold independence from the Antediluvians. Much curiosity exists among the Kindred as to the inner workings of this well-organized clan, as rumors of dark mysteries and slumbering Ancients sometimes slip out from under the Ventrue's austere façade.

Clans of the Sabbat
Like the Camarilla, the Sabbat welcomes any Kindred who wishes to become a member -- provided the vampire in question subscribes to the sect's inhuman philosophy. Indeed, almost every Camarilla clan has an antitribu, or "anti-clan" analog, in the Sabbat; these rebels reject the tenets of the mainstream clan in favor of the monsters' way of thinking. Both of these clans are not available for play, and are listed for completion's sake.

Lasombra
The Lasombra are masters of darkness and shadow, and possess a knack for leadership as keen as that of Clan Ventrue. Indeed, many Kindred see the Ventrue and Lasombra as twisted reflections of each other. Once, the Lasombra were nobles, but the chaos of Kindred history and the formation of the Sabbat have caused most of them to turn their backs upon their origins. Now, the Lasombra give themselves wholly over to the damnation of being vampires. The Sabbat has affected this clan as profoundly as the Lasombra have affected the Sabbat, and without the rulership of these fallen aristocrats, the Sabbat would likely disintegrate.

Tzimisce
Formerly the tyrants of Eastern Europe, the Tzimisce (zhi-mee-see) have been uprooted from their Old Country manses and relocated into the clutches of the Sabbat. Possessed of a peculiar nobility, coupled with an evil that transcends mortal perception, Clan Tzimisce leads the Sabbat in its rejection of all things human. Certain Kindred apocrypha claims that the Tzimisce was once the most powerful clan in the world, but that history and other Kindred conspired to bring its members down to their current state. More than any other vampires, the Tzimisce revel in their monstrousness. They practice a "fleshcrafting" Discipline that they use to disfigure their foes and sculpt themselves into beings of terrible beauty.

Independent Clans
The independent clans claim membership in no sect, instead following the legendary tenets of their mythical founders. Independent clans tend to be the most cohesive and sociable Kindred of all, as their clan duties ensure that they interact with other vampires almost nightly. The independent clans are not playable, and they are listed here for completion's sake.

Assamite
The Assamites are feared assassins from lands far to the east. No other clan has earned such a deserved reputation for diablerie, though they also sell their murderous services to other Kindred, acting as contract killers. Kindred who regularly deal with the clan have noticed an increased bloodthirstiness on the part of the Assamites, as well as a disregard for their former codes of honor. Some Kindred believe that the Assamites now act at the behest of older powers.

Followers of Set
Originally hailing from Egypt, the serpentine Setites are said to worship the undead vampire-deity Set, serving him in all their efforts. The Setites seem intent on "corrupting" others, enslaving victims in snares of their own weaknesses, but for what inscrutable purpose, none can guess. Other Kindred despise the Followers of Set, and the clan claims no allies. Nonetheless, many vampires seek out the Setites, as the clan is whispered to possess arcane gifts and secrets from elder nights. Inevitably, sin and debasement follow in the Setites' wake, and many princes refuse to allow them in their cities.

Giovanni
Reviled almost as much as the Setites, the Giovanni is a clan of financiers and necromancers. Trafficking in the commodity of souls has give this clan a disproportionate amount of power, while trafficking in world finance has made the clan sickeningly rich. Other Kindred are loath to trust the mercenary Giovanni, who seem to be using their influence toward some unknown end. Part of Clan Giovanni's unhealthy reputation stems from the fact that it is a very insular clan, drawing almost all its members from its incestuous mortal family.

Ravnos
Like many misunderstood nomadic peoples of history, such as the Rroma, the Ravnos are spurned due to their reputations as thieves and vagrants. Many princes and Sabbat leaders persecute the Ravnos because of the chaos that follows these Kindred. The Ravnos return the scorn of their peers manyfold, holding Camarilla and Sabbat in equal contempt. The Ravnos are also know for their ability to create amazing illusions, the better with which to trick their marks.

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.