True Ahrimanes

The story of the Ahrimanes begins with Ádísa, a Valkyrje and daughter of Freyja. Traveling far
and wide, Ádísa drew the attention of a Persian king named Ahriman. The king commanded
Ádísa to fight for him in his army, but she refused to be tied so. Furious,
Ahriman sent his forces to subdue Ádísa and, while she was
exceedingly powerful, even the Valkyrje couldn’t stand against such overwhelming
forces. Unwilling to submit under any circumstances, Ádísa remained standing
until a warrior slew her on the third day. When Freyja came to take her daughter to Fólkvangr,
Ádísa refused. She did not begrudge the warrior, since he had fairly bested her,
but she loathed the king for his presumption and waging war against
a single woman. Seeing her daughter’s distress, Freyja consented to hide Ádísa
from the other gods for three nights, though not days, so she might seek her revenge.
The first night, Ahriman and his court fled from Ádísa in great carriages and ships. However, Ádísa’s mother
had taught her daughter to speak with the animals of the earth when she was young,
and they told Ádísa where the king had gone. The second night, even more fearful
of Ádísa, Ahriman slew all animals around him so they could not betray him. But Ádísa
wasn’t her mother’s little girl anymore; she was dead now and could speak to the spirits
of animals. The third night, Ádísa arrived at Ahriman’s castle where the king had bricked
up all doors and windows. Enraged by his cowardice, Ádísa tore the castle apart
with her bare hands until she found the king. As she killed him, she took his name from him as
punishment so he would wander forever lost in the afterlife.
When Freyja returned to take Ádísa with her, the Vakyrje still refused. Ádísa’s own
vengeance was done, but other women had been wronged too, and she would support them. She
gathered them under the name Ahrimanes, which was hers by right of conquest,
as a reminder of her purpose. Ádísa has walked the night as their leader ever since.
Ádísa’s lineage has spread predominantly along the coasts of Scandinavia, Scotland, Ireland
and, to a lesser extent, England and Normandy.
An Ahrimane usually shares Ádísa’s willful independence, and while she acknowledges Freyja
as her divine mother, she bows to neither god nor king. This attitude does not endear her with
Europe’s Princes, but she rarely feels the need to be part of anyone’s territory anyway.
She is passionate about everything she does, whether it’s simply enjoying the small pleasures of
the open road or the merciless pursuit of vengeance.


Sobriquet: Valkyrjer, Sisters (amongst each other)

Appearance: Most Ahrimane sires Embrace warriors and the typical Valkyrje is tall and well-muscled. She is usually
Caucasian, with a normal mix of blonde, dark, and even red hair. Placing great value on practicality, an Ahrimane might cut
her hair short or keep it braided and out of the way. She places little value on material wealth, but ensures that her clothes,
weapons, and armor are well suited to both combat and travel.

Haven and Prey: An Ahrimane’s existence is usually nomadic and she quickly learns to make daytime shelters
inside fallen trees or small caverns. An Ahrimane doesn’t generally thrive in cities. If she finds herself there, she
seeks out abandoned locales to make her haven. An Ahrimane usually doesn’t discriminate
when it comes to prey, feeding on men, women, and children alike. Only breastfeeding mothers, infants, and
pregnant women seem to be excluded as Ahrimane prey, perhaps as deference to Freyja, who is also the goddess of fertility.

The Embrace: Ádísa’s bloodline consists of women only. There are some stories, far and few between,
of an Ahrimane embracing a man, and these usually end with the renegade couple hunted down and killed.
If a person’s physical gender conflicts with her spiritual gender, Ádisa favors the spirit. After the embrace, these Ahrimanes
are treated the same as any Sister. An Ahrimane sire seeks out strong, independent women for the Embrace. Knowing
how to hunt and fight is a bonus, but a sire knows that skills are more easily taught than attitude. Social standing does not matter to
her, as a nomadic lifestyle usually renders lofty positions moot. Her deeply ingrained independence seems to have a mystical
aspect as well, and it is not uncommon for an Ahrimane to be unbondable.

Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Potence, Spiritus

Weaknesses: An Ahrimane’s blood resists the ties of bondage. She can create neither blood bonds nor ghouls.

Organization: The Valkyrjer are surprisingly well-organized for a nomadic group spread out over Europe’s coastlines.
An Ahrimane usually learns a runic script from her sire not intended for outsiders, so she can leave messages for
other Ahrimanes. These symbols convey only basic meanings such as ‘hostile cainites’ or ‘good
hunting,’ but it’s enough to give a small edge to an Ahrimane entering a new territory. She
does not always share a common goal or leader with them, but an Ahrimane will usually stand with her sisters.

Stereotypes
High Clans: Clans who lord over others by grace of… what, exactly? Pray do tell me, what makes you better than others?
Low Clans: I have no words for any who would allow others to trod on them so easily. Cowardly wretches.
Cappadocian: Books and death. There’s poetic symmetry in that. I’ll take freedom and life.
Gangrel: They understand the value of life and the open sky. Trade for their stories, for there is power in
them.
Lasombra: Shadow puppeteers who think they can control others. Beware their strings and if those cannot be
cut, then cut the puppeteer’s throat.
Ravnos: Wanderers make good company, but be careful for they cannot be trusted. Still, if you want interesting,
this is where to start.
Salubri: Proud warriors with a noble code. I so rarely see them anymore and they are missed.
Ventrue: I met a Princeling once and told him about Ádísa and the cowardly king. He was not amused.

Bonsam

Long ago, in what would one day be the Akan city states and, even later, Africa’s Ivory Coast, a young
hunter strayed far from home. He hailed from the Akan ancestors and lived in a small village plagued by
famine, as all animals in the area had died. Venturing out far to seek prey, he instead found an ancient darkness.
Born before the universe was formed, the darkness hid under the earth in an effort to escape the hateful light.
Now the hunter came across the cave where the darkness lay and, lured by its song, explored inside. Eager to find a
host made of flesh and bone and hoping that this would yield protection from the sun, the darkness poured into him. But it
was too eager, too fast, too much, and the hunter died.
The next night, animated by a darkness that acknowledged neither life nor death, the hunter rose again. Confused, he
returned to his village, but as the darkness saw the hated sun-dwellers, its rage rose like bile. When the hunter returned to his
senses, his people lay slaughtered at his feet. The hunter, horrified by what he had done, fled far inland never to return.
The first Bonsam claims never to have shared his curse. It’s possible that he extended the Embrace
in the throes of darkness and does not remember, or maybe he is lying. But if he is telling the truth, that opens some interesting,
and concerning, possibilities about the Bonsam’s origins.
A Bonsam is typically a loner, and highly territorial at that. He is not inherently violent (though very capable
of it if provoked) but does demand that any Laibon or Cainite trespassers move on immediately. Those who do
not comply will find themselves dead before they even know they were targeted; the Bonsam is a supremely
stealthy hunter. A Bonsam is more tolerant toward others of his kind, since he knows that none of them would
willingly linger in a territory marked by another, and thus the trespasser’s stay is temporary.
The Bonsam lineage has spread inland over the African continent, avoiding the Kingdoms of Ghana
and Kanem and instead claiming the equatorial forest as territory. A few years ago though, the
Bonsam began to emerge from the forest to push into the coastal territories and even venture North, which
put them in conflict with the Laibon and Cainites already controlling those regions. Nevertheless, the Bonsam refuse
to turn back and, on the very few occasions that they have spoken about their exodus, tell of a great horror
from beyond the continent’s near-impassable forest barrier.

Sobriquet: Unseen, Stalkers

Appearance: A hunter or warrior during his life, a Bonsam is usually lean and well-muscled. Sires recognize
that experience is invaluable, and the Embrace cures most mortal ails; a prospective childe might be middle-aged
or older. He cares little for material possessions and owns only what he can carry. His lineage has
mastered an art of shapeshifting and a Bonsam, living in the abandoned regions where no one
ever sees him, may exhibit some animal features.

Haven and Prey: A Bonsam prefers to carve out his habitat far from other vampires, though this
territory usually includes a handful of mortal villages. He might have learned to meld into
the natural terrain so he can sleep anywhere from the forest floor to the canopy. A spot high enough
to keep an overview, yet low enough to grab prey is liked best. A Bonsam who has not yet
mastered this power must make do by digging underground tunnels or crafting
cocoon-like nests that block the sunlight. Very rarely does a Bonsam fledgling stay
in his sire’s shelter, as Bonsam are not the hand-holding type.
A Bonsam feeds on animals as easily as he does on humans. Some Bonsam hunt for
human prey on the trade routes spreading out from the inland Kingdoms, or their more remote villages.
In such cases, he rarely has moral qualms about grabbing man, woman, or child.

The Embrace: A Bonsam sire prefers to Embrace skilled hunters and sometimes warriors. Gender does not
matter to him, but a talent for stalking and killing does. A sire usually chooses a hunter who is skilled, experienced,
and careful without being cowardly. He might have little patience for foolhardy bravery; he considers this a sign of
inexperience and bad judgment, though he can understand bravery born of desperation.
A Bonsam is usually Embraced and abandoned, as sires believe the early nights to be a test of mettle; if the
young Bonsam does not survive, then he wasn’t worth the trouble. Not until he has mastered the basics on his
own does his sire, or sometimes another elder, approach to teach him more.

Clan Disciplines: Abombwe, Obfuscate, Potence

Weaknesses: Possessed by a darkness before time, a Bonsam inspires primordial terror in mortals. Mortals
who fail at a Courage roll (difficulty 7) when seeing a Bonsam in his true form either flee in terror or gather up
weapons to kill the monster, depending on the size of the mortal group and the Nature of its leader.
This fear can be overcome however, and a mortal who has succeeded at this check need not roll
again upon meeting the same Bonsam (or at Storyteller’s discretion, any Bonsam).

Organization: Spread out and territorial, the Bonsam is not beholden to a greater organization. However,
he speaks a communal language of bat-like shrieks and whistles that allows him to communicate
with other Bonsam in a radius of roughly one mile, depending on terrain and wind conditions. He might
also form a temporary pack with others of his kind to track down and kill a threat to their combined
territories. These packs are utterly terrifying in their efficiency and, fortunately, usually disband after the deed is done.

Stereotypes
Cainites: Intruders claiming territory that is not theirs and that they cannot hold.
Brujah: I remember you. Where is your city now? Perhaps you will learn to stand on your own, rather than rely on walls.
Followers of Set: Impressive, turning into a snake like that. Can you do other creatures?
Gangrel: These lone hunters are more like me than my Laibon brethren.
Impundulu: There is power here and they are not afraid to use it. Tread with caution.
Nosferatu: Did the Hunter in the Dark touch you, too?
Ramanga: Leave the Ramanga to their shadow games; they don’t know what real darkness is.

Danava

Since time out of mind, the Danava have made India their primary home, and with that
weight of age comes power. Where Western Cainites hold that the masters of Sadhana are
the distant descendants of the Ventrue, the Children of Danu know another story. Their
exact origins are as murky as the Ganges, and yet some of their eldest purport to
be descended from the blood of those that resided in the most ancient and
forgotten of the cities that have fallen to ruin upon India’s landscape. Some
still claim an unbroken ancestry to the primordial goddess Danu, carried
through the blood from sire to childe and on through the ages. Others spin
tales of being demons made flesh, asuras bound into human form. A second side purports to be devas,
the divine will of their ancestress and the gods they revere made clear through prayer and the
brutalities of Sadhana. These two sides maintain an adversarial role within the bloodline, but both still
pay their tithes to the deities that rule India. Each Child of Danu seeks to rip away his mortal form and transcend
to something more through Sadhana, using it as a cleansing fire to achieve some manner
of enlightenment.
The Danava believe that the drinking of blood imbues them with prana, which in
turn fuels the Thaumaturgy they wield that has existed for far longer than the sorceries of
the Tremere. In death, the Danava remain the same artists, priests, warriors, and teachers they
were in life. They maintain some dregs of that mortal status, and provide spiritual services to
their respective Cainite communities. As the custodians of Sadhana, the sacred and
profane rites that allow a Child of Danu to twist his animating humors into something stranger still,
they rule India’s nights as priest-kings.
Sadhana demands grueling austerities performed with each new rank gained. Even those that claim
demonic origins adhere to the multiplicity of Hindu gods, making oblations and sacrifices as required
throughout the yearly cycle of holy days and festivals. Many Children of Danu believe
that with the blood of their vaunted ancestry— both kine and Cainite—these devotions allow them to harness the
maya inherent to the universe, and in so doing become masters of it in more than just name.
Whether they are the children of an ancient goddess or the distant descendants of demons, the gods of their land,
nevertheless, are real. Even if a handful of atheists speckle their ranks, it is impossible to deny
the presence of something wholly other within them when they are in the throes of Sadhana. They twist and bend into
yogic and tantric configurations, utilizing mudras with the hands or the entire body as common methods of
accessing the various aspects of their Thaumaturgy. With each new undertaking, the Danava consult grains,
throw purified butter onto coals, and examine solar and lunar charts in order to divine just when the time will be
right. Observing their ritual calendars and the oaths they make to their gods with the utmost seriousness, breaking
a vrata is beyond the pale, even for a demon.

Sobriquet: Children of Danu

Appearance: A Danava is unmistakably regal. Each and all are permeated with the sweet smell of holy attars,
perfumes that hang in the air and infuse their clothing long after it is removed. Steeped in the blood of India, their style
of dress varies like any who can claim ancestry from within its borders. Many affect the saffron robes of swamijis during
times of fasting and trial, while others adorn themselves in the wealth and clothing befitting those belonging to one of the
highest echelons of their society. Many still attire themselves in simplified finery, and all act as their birthrights demand.

Haven: It would be easy to mistake a Danava’s haven for a temple. Gods adorned in fresh flowers cover their
altars, and the air is often thick with the scent of incense, offerings, and attar oils alike. Even when a Danava seeks
the life of an ascetic, she tends to commune with the gods and spirits with ease. Such entities are not strangers to
a Danava, but closely regarded allies. Many take up residency in holy places or areas near to them, as well
as wealthy, populous districts. What use is there in being a priest, if there is no one to guide?

Character Creation: All Danava have a lordly bearing about them, and as such they are chosen to lead as much as
advise. They rely on social acumen and extensive knowledge gleaned from the Vedas, and claim good educations from
the oral traditions of the Brahmin. Sacred chants and holy scripture fall as easily from the tongue as any command.
The Allies, Retainers, and Resources Backgrounds would serve a Danava well. The Road of Kings or the Road of Heaven bear
equal weight.

Clan Disciplines: Dominate, Fortitude, Thaumaturgy

Weakness: Like their cousins to the west, the Danava have particularly refined palates when it comes to those they choose as prey, but
animals such as cows or pigs are taboo in the extreme. Danava receive no sustenance from animal blood. Members of the bloodline first
ritually offer their victims to their gods as a matter of course, but such observances need not be strict or long lasting. Without a ritual of at
least thirty seconds, blood offers half sustenance.

Organization: The Danava adhere to the caste system of their parent country with extreme prejudice. Such structures are holy and correct,
to the Children of Danu, and to buck the divine order is unthinkable.

Stereotypes
Brujah: You cannot deny the beauty of the fire that fuels their passions. Nevertheless, some fires must be carefully watched.
Cappadocians: Keep them far, far away.
Gangrel: Some animals deserve to be leashed. Others, to run wild. Decide which it is to be and you will have little trouble.
Giovani: Irreparably stained by the perfume of the dead. How do they manage to live with such filth?
Lasombra: The darkness hides such wonder. So it is with them as well.
Malkavian: Treat them with kindness, for one never knows what wisdom a seer might spout forth.
Ravnos: Every guest is a god. But remember: some gods are better received at the gate, and not the door.
Nosferatu: Their hides are a warning, no matter the honeyed words that might spring forth.
Salubri: Some causes consume entirely, and yet in them perhaps we have found something like siblings.
Setite: There is a holiness in the undulations of snakes.
Toreador: Art is a sacred act, and yet they are as shallow to the last.
Tremere: Their arts are profane where ours are holy.
Ventrue: What can the parent say to the infant, that they might remember? They do not walk with the blood of a
goddess in their veins, though they act it.

Impundulu

Impundulu was a powerful necromancer in life, married to an equally powerful life-witch named Bomkazi. One day,
Impundulu summoned a spirit that was too strong to contain and the creature killed him. Bomkazi mourned her husband
and buried him, but Impundulu rose again the next night, for the spirit had left some of its power in him. Exhilarated by his
new power, Impundulu begged Bomkazi to join him in not-death, but she refused, saying that they must be
like sun and moon now. Even so, she did agree to stay with him; though she recognized that he had become a monster,
Bomkazi still loved Impundulu, and the heart wants what it wants.
As the years passed, Bomkazi began to long for a child, which Impundulu could no longer give her. She considered leaving
Impundulu for a mortal man, but her heart was with him. So she sought another way instead. Calling upon her powerful life
magic, Bomkazi enacted a great ritual that allowed her and Impundulu to conceive. The result was a beautiful baby girl, but the
ritual came with a price. Immediately after Bomkazi’s conception, both Impundulu and she sensed that something was different
about their child. As the product of life and death, the girl, whom they named Esona, was a revenant.
Furthermore, the essence of Impundulu and Bomkazi had mingled to such an extent that Bomkazi and her descendants would forever be
immune to the blood bond, while Impundulu’s lineage could no longer feed from anyone but them.
When Esona was old enough, she willingly offered to sustain her father’s Laibon childe, whom she viewed as her own sibling.
From this initial pairing, strong ties grew between Esona’s mortal line, which she named Bomkazi in respect of her mother, and Impundulu’s
lineage.
The Impundulu as a lineage claim the South-East African Cape as their domain, or more accurately, the Bomkazi do.
This area is poor and sparsely populated compared to other regions of the continent and most people living here were
forced to migrate out of Central Africa due to overpopulation. The Bomkazi, however, prefer the relative isolation as it allows
them to refine their craft without interference. The Impundulu traveled with them.
The Impundulu and Bomkazi frequently leave their domain to travel along coastal lines and pastoral routes, seeking out other people
with knowledge of magic or necromancy. A recent problem in particular has forced them to travel far in search of knowledge. The
Bomkazi line is approaching the point where the witches are either so inbred that they suffer for it, or their blood has become
so diluted from the original Bomkazi that it no longer serves the Impundulu as sustenance.
The Impundulu and Bomkazi have searched within their own ranks for the answer and came up blank, and are
looking to trade information with Cainite sorcerers.

Sobriquet: Witchkin, Familiars (derogatory)

Appearance: An elder Impundulu, hailing from the South-East cape, is often tall and dark-skinned.
Younger Impundulu, having been embraced during the clan’s recent travels, come from a wider heritage.
Every Impundulu can be recognizable by the tools of his trade, which he carries in a highly personalized
collection of artifacts and attributes

Haven and Prey: Each Impundulu lives with one or more Bomkazi witches in their residence of choice.
The Bomkazi can use their life magic to heal, requiring only a small herd (sometimes just one) for every Impundulu. As an
Impundulu can only feed from the Bomkazi and the witches are both unbondable and powerful in their own magic, this is
a purely voluntary relationship. In fact, a fledgling Impundulu making the mistake of treating a Bomkazi like a servant or
retainer will find himself going hungry until he makes amends and is forgiven. An Impundulu and Bomkazi typically stay
together for life, though sometimes a clash of personalities makes it best for both to move on. In such cases, unless the
Impundulu was truly offensive, the Bomkazi will help him find another companion. The relationships between Impundulu
and Bomkazi are wide and varied, and they might be like lovers, parents, siblings, or simply friends.

The Embrace: An Impundulu sire might Embrace from two main sources: those who are too sick to live yet not ready
to die, and those mortals who work necromantic magic. Hailing from either group, the childe contributes to the lineage’s
necromantic prowess, as he has been close to death or is skilled in manipulating it. No Bomkazi, even dying, has ever asked to
be Embraced.

Clan Disciplines: Necromancy (primarily Cenotaph and Haunting Path), Fortitude, Presence

Weaknesses: An Impundulu only gains sustenance from the Bomkazi. As the witches are independently
powerful and their relationship with the Impundulu is voluntary, the Impundulu does well to treat any Bomkazi
as an equal ally as opposed to a retainer, with all the complications this might entail.

Organization: Between the Impundulu and his Bomkazi companion, there is little that he is not prepared
for. As such, he has no pressing need for a larger organization. Still, both Impundulu and Bomkazi
like to get together with their peers to discuss magical workings. Impundulu also gather when a Bomkazi
dies to make sure the witch’s soul makes it safely to the afterlife. Impundulu no longer guides his clan, for even
life witches eventually die and the Laibon refused to feed from Esona or her offspring after Bomkazi passed away.

Stereotypes
Cainites: The concept of High Clans and Low Clans is strange to me. Impundulu become elders
based on merit, not birth, and the Bomkazi are our equals by right. Why are these High Clans
high and the Low Clans low?
Bonsam: Beware the Bonsam, for they cling to a territory like the dead to memories. If they ask you to leave, take it seriously.
Cappadocians: Like us, they hold death in their grasp. We could learn from them and them from us, if they’re open to a trade.
Followers of Set: Sorcerers more concerned with their Serpent God than anything else. Their honeyed words are poison. I wonder what their goal is.
Ramanga: Noble, yet humble. Strong, yet helpful. They communicate as easily with the living as we do with the dead. Only if you’re fooled by
them, though.
Tremere: Their brethren spurn them as upstarts and traitors. Still, they seem to have powerful magic. We should speak to them, but
carefully, lest their reputation holds true.
Tzimisce: These sorcerers have a sinister reputation and I would normally avoid them, but beggars can’t be choosers; I will trade knowledge with them.

Niktuku

To the last of them, the Nosferatu are guilty of something. There is a crime that their progenitor committed
so terrible, so heinous, that that every last one of his line should be destroyed for it.
That crime has been largely forgotten by the bloodline that seeks to extract retribution for it, regardless.
The crime was and still is horrific, and the Hungry will do whatever is necessary to make things right.
To most vampires outside of the Nosferatu, they are a paranoid delusion of the hideous clan.
To those who have heard the Nosferatu whisper, it is possible that the Niktuku are not a child
clan of the Nosferatu, but an offshoot that should never have been. They are the witches
of Baba Yaga, and they hang on weakly alongside the Nosferatu, the clan they could have been instead.
They hunt, they kill, they eat other vampires, but they are at their most dedicated and cruel when on the hunt for a Prior.
Because of their feeding habits, most members of the bloodline are diablerists, a state they seem to embrace
rather than suffer from. They are all, by design or because of the Amaranth, of relatively lower Generation, even
the youngest.

Sobriquet: The Hungry

Appearance: For reasons best known to the bloodline alone, they tend to select the most beautiful youths they
can find, grabbing up particularly fetching youths and maids from any village close to the havens. They prefer
these youths just at the cusp of adulthood, the blurry line between child and adult. The Hungry possess a great
eeriness, though few see them long enough to put a finger on why. They are wide-eyed, their skin too perfect,
their teeth too white, their fingers too long and graceful. Both their hunger and their beauty are inhuman.

Haven and Prey: The Hungry will not haven where they cannot see the moon when they rise and leave each night.
They tend toward isolated locations in wild places near enough to the kine to feed and capture would-be-fledglings, but
in places naturally dangerous enough to avoid most contact. Sheer cliff faces work well for the Hungry. They
loathe the underground and will not haven there. Ever. This may be related to, or the cause of, the Nosferatu desire to dig.
Their prey is vampires, pure and simple. The Hungry get so little sustenance from the blood of kine that they must
feed on vampires. Of course, they tend to be stationary and rarely venture from their territories in isolation. So where does
the blood come from? Nosferatu whisper of kidnappings and Cainites held in perpetual captivity, fed by cults
who worship the Hungry. Similarly, they believe that the youngest assassins hunt in cities, bringing blood back in
their bodies for their sires.

The Embrace: Beyond their tendencies for whom to Embrace, little is known about what happens at the
Embrace, though surely they must be starving for vampire blood at the moment they have turned. That hunger
could lead to violence, and so it is likely that all Hungry undergo the blood oath before the Embrace or as part
of the process. This ties into the Nosferatu theory that they build small cults in their isolated territories. Being
bound at Embrace would also explain the bloodline’s single-minded obsession.

Character Creation: While healthy and capable specimens are ideal, sires favor beauty above all else, with
a focus on youth and high Appearance scores. Just before and after Embrace, rigorous training starts to prepare the
young assassins to hunt, meaning that Talents and Skills quickly eclipse any Knowledges they may have had before
the Embrace.

Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Potence

Weakness: The Hungry suffer from an inability to gain sustenance from kine blood. For every
three blood points they drain, they gain only one to their system. Cainite vitae nourishes them normally.
Additionally, age is difficult and transforming on the bloodline. For every hundred years since their
Embrace, the Hungry lose a point from their Appearance Attribute. That dot does not vanish; instead, it moves to
any one Physical Attribute that can bear the increase. They grow slowly but decidedly bent, twisted, and deadly,
slowly aging grotesques that blame the Nosferatu for their condition.

Organization: It is difficult to say if and how the bloodline organizes. There are blessedly few of them and
their only interaction with Cainites is to feed or kill. It is possible that they form small cults of humans and young
vampires around a central elder, but this is merely supposition.

Ramanga

On an island off Africa’s south-east coast lived Ramanga and her brother Rafazi. In this time, the ancestors of
the Vazimba people, to which Ramanga belonged, were patriarchal. While Ramanga was the oldest child
of the king and exceedingly smart as well as ambitious, the younger Rafazi was marked as heir. Unwilling and unable
to accept a secondary role, Ramanga made sacrifices to the spirits of her people to bribe them into raising her
above Rafazi. When that didn’t work, she began sacrificing to increasingly darker spirits until one of them finally answered her call.
The spirit offered to lift Ramanga up if she would only sacrifice the sun inside her as payment. Heart already burdened by the unfairness
of her situation and envy toward her brother, Ramanga willingly agreed.
During the course of seven nights, the dark spirit initiated Ramanga in its heritage of shadows and illusion, showing her that real
power lay not in giving orders, but in making them. Outward power might lie with the king, but real power lay with his advisors, the
spirit said. Taking these lessons to heart, Ramanga returned to her people to ostensibly support her brother, even while she adroitly
manipulated him to do only her bidding. Cementing her control over Rafazi and his children with the power inherent to her sunless
blood, Ramanga directed the future of the kingdom from that night onward. Her influence was even so great, that the Vazimba
came to favor queens over kings, though it isn’t known if Ramanga deliberately manipulated this development, or if her mere presence
instilled a sense of female rulership in the land.
One island wasn’t enough to quell Ramanga’s ambition. Soon she began teaching others to be like her so they might
further spread her influence. Carefully keeping the island off the major naval routes so it would remain hers exclusively, Ramanga
nevertheless used her power to draw in occasional traders from as far as the Arabian lands. Through these people and their trade,
Ramanga’s lineage has spread to the Kingdoms of Ghana and Kanem, as well as Constantinople and the Middle East.
A Ramanga typically maintains the facade of a humble servant, gently guiding people for their own good, while she controls kings and
queens like a puppet master.
She likes to remain close to her mortal followers, living amongst them as if she belongs. A Ramanga is often the first Laibon in a
region to meet with European Cainites and, in typical diplomatic fashion, she might avoid direct clashes and make suggestions
on how to best approach things instead.
As a result, a Cainite Prince may come to view her as a valuable ally or guide. Of course, a Cainite declining to take a Ramanga’s advice
might find himself catching a carefully orchestrated sunrise even as she remains clearly blameless.

Sobriquet: Puppeteers, Leeches (derogatory)

Appearance: The oldest Ramanga hail from the Vazimba people and traders from Muslim and Arabian
cultures. Younger Laibon come from all over the African continent and the Middle East. A typical Ramanga is
well-dressed and well-groomed, though careful never to outshine her nominal leaders. The Ramanga adopts a
docile demeanor amongst outsiders, but she stands proud when dealing with her own kind.

Haven and Prey: A Ramanga lives amongst her chosen group and might even be known (and accepted)
by the rulers for what she is. These rulers see her as a supernatural lightning rod who will draw bad omens to
herself and thus protect the people. While being perceived as a servant does not appear to be a lofty position, the
Ramanga knows better; she is the one who whispers in their ears, controlling their every action and
thought. Many Ramanga maintain two havens: one where the rulers know to seek her out during
the night, and one in a secluded spot where she spends her day in safety. As part of her services,
a Ramanga drinks the blood of the elite to draw out any curses cast on them, so there is rarely need for her to hunt.
Even moving into a new territory, she has the skill to quickly set up a new group of people to serve, as it were, and feed from.

The Embrace: A Ramanga is typically very careful about selecting her childe, choosing someone who is an ambitious
and skilled manipulator, yet smart enough to stay out of the spotlight. She is willing to invest in the creation of the perfect
childe, sometimes manipulating mortal children from birth until one of them shows the qualities she seeks. After the
Embrace, a new Ramanga traditionally stays with her sire for several centuries until she has learned all she needs. Bonds
between childe and sire remain close, though not always amiable, even after such tutelage is done.

Clan Disciplines: Obtenebration (Aizina), Obfuscate, Presence

Weaknesses: A Ramanga’s use of Presence and Aizina, when impacting others, is at +1 difficulty normally.
However, if she has a physical piece of the victim, this penalty is negated.

Organization: A Ramanga meets with her kin regularly, in large gatherings meant to discuss new regional developments,
trade territories, and so on. Elaborate ceremony ensures that these meetings progress peacefully, postponing rivalries until
the procedure is done. This internal collaboration makes any Ramanga a force to be reckoned with, since her goals are usually
backed by the bloodline as a single, unified entity. Acting in concert, she and her kin are all but indomitable on Africa’s southern and
eastern shores and wield tangible power in the Middle East and parts of North Africa.
Ramanga herself is still actively involved with her lineage. At first glance, she seems to have no end goal other than spreading and
cementing her control over the continent, but there might have been more to her bargain than merely sacrificing the sun.

Stereotypes
High Clans: Prestige does not equal power. Watch and learn, little Cainite.
Low Clans: Poor downtrodden pets. Is there anything I can do to help?
Bonsam: Such power, if we can point it in the right direction.
Brujah: We meet again. I do so hope things are better for you this time.
Followers of Set: Careful. These manipulators are very nearly our match.
Impundulu: Are they playing at being a witch’s servant, or is their servitude real? Intriguing.
Lasombra: Ah. Now things become interesting. Come and play, Cainite. My puppets against yours.
Ventrue: So obvious. So gaudy. Yet undeniably powerful. How have they not been struck down yet?

Salubri: Watcher Cast

Scholars. Thieves. Breathstealers. Since Enoch, the Watchers have safeguarded the race of Caine, sabotaging
all supernatural rivals who might threaten their dominance. Legend holds that Zao-lat, a trickster from the West,
came to the Middle Kingdom to steal enlightenment from the greatest philosopher amongst Ten Thousand Demons.
Once the Ten Thousand Immortals in ages past, the demons fell into sin during what they believed to be a mere turn
along an eternal wheel of the cosmos. For his arrogance, he was expelled. He left a hated legacy behind: Zao-zei, a
temple thief, and Zao-xue, a monkish scholar.
Their descendants — collectively known as the Wu Zao, along with the few Healers and Warriors east of the Yangtze River
— say that Zao-lat foresaw the dark times ahead and sought to learn every aspect of the night’s dangers, only
to be treated with distrust and hatred.
He left the Wu Zao to remain hidden, continue his search for knowledge, and safeguard the clans from those who would
challenge their right to exist and seek redemption. Since then, the Watchers — the caste moniker they adopted when they
first established contact with the main clan during the era of the Roman Silk Road — have remained a splinter of an
already small clan, all but unknown to their cousin castes, standing sentinel against the monsters who encroach upon
Caine’s midnight hegemony. They commune with Lupines and spirits of blood and murder, hold court with the hungry
dead, and steal treasures from the chantries of wizards so that the night may be Zao-lat’s to own.
They pursue their vigil in these troubled nights, stalking the streets of cities such as Kashi while remaining hidden
under the noses of Wan Kuei and Tremere alike. The Watchers masquerade as members of other clans, stride as
outsiders in the strange places of the world, and whisper warnings to princes of threats that none others could
consider or conceive. As the Golden Horde crawls across the world, the Watchers and Wu Zao unite once more.
But Zao-lat’s commandments remain unchanged, and so Watchers raid tombs in search of heretical lore, storm the
citadels of knightly orders who possess knowledge of Cainite existence, and clasp jade amulets close to
their dead hearts. They watch, and they act.
Even long exposure to the Salubri mandate hasn’t caused the Watchers to adopt the Caine mythos as fact. If questioned
directly, they remain mirthfully secular and pragmatic, just as Zao-lat taught them. Even in death — they too felt him perish
— Zao-lat is their progenitor not by blood right, but by wisdom. Zao-lat’s teachings are immortal; they will not
lose themselves as the other castes have. They know that darkness comes, and that change lies in the fires. If they
cannot stop the turning of the wheel, they will ensure Caine’s brood survives it.

Sobriquet: If enough is known about them for a nickname to be passed around, the Watchers have failed
as a caste.

Appearance: Watchers blend with the other castes, and thus tend to strike a balance between the two styles,
scholarly yet martial. While the Wu Zao themselves are often Embraced from Han or Uyghur stock, Western
Watchers may come from virtually any culture in the known world.

Havens: When they’re not emulating the habits of other castes or clans, Watchers prefer tombs and monasteries
to all else. Even their greatest thieves are scholarly at heart, and even the most scholarly among them knows
it’s not stealing if you need it.

Character Creation: Watchers emulate the twins, thieves and scholars cooperating to uncover the necessary
knowledge to survive the Fifth Age. Social Attributes are often primary, with Physical or Mental being
secondary, depending on which twin they hold dear. Academics, Legerdemain, Stealth, and Subterfuge
are all useful to the caste.
Like their cousins, Watchers are often of Tenth Generation or lower, and thus possess commensurate Backgrounds.
Contacts are also common. As a whole, the bloodline clings to the Road of Humanity, but no few walk the Road
of Paradox, which suits their duties well.

Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Obfuscate, Valeren.
Watchers keep to the shadows, scrutinizing every detail from hidden safety.
Their Valeren allows them to instantly defuse tense situations and travel far
without fearing discomfort, but they often learn the other two Paths in their duties.

Weakness: If a Salubri learns but one dot of Valeren, they manifest the Discipline’s
signature third eye. Ironically, Watchers can be remarkably short-sighted, having a tendency to fixate
on their preferred small details and ignore the larger conceptual picture. Watchers must choose a
field of study narrow enough for a Knowledge specialty, such as the Ten Thousand Demons, a specific mortal culture,
or the esoterics of Necromancy. Watchers must succeed on a Willpower roll (difficulty 6) to pass up an opportunity
(as defined by the Storyteller) to acquire or study knowledge of their field, or lose two dice from all pools for the
remainder of the night.

Organization: Watchers work in pairs. Often, this is with another of their caste, Embraced from the same sire.
The majority of the caste lies east of the Yangtze River, where they’re known as the Wu Zao, cursed by the Wan
Kuei as thieves of treasure and mockeries of enlightenment. The Western Watchers keep to the sire-childe
mentor relationship as the rest of the clan, even if they’re pretending to be something they’re not.

Stereotypes
High Clans: They know better than most the price of power and the necessity of doing what needs to be
done, but never forget how they forsook us.
Low Clans: Neglected and abused, yet they often jockey for power and yearn to be on High. Hope makes
them strong, yet renders them exploitable.
Anda: They style themselves as a Golden Horde. We name them Dark Harbingers. Still, they stir up so many
fascinating things in their wake.
Assamite: We’re two sides of the same three coins. Together, we are the wages of sin.
Giovani: Can the Cappadocians truly be so blind? Did they not pay heed to what happened to us?
Ravnos: There’s honor among thieves, and glory amongst rakshasha. Strive to win both.
Tremere: We must never tell the others we foresaw this. If they learn that, they might
discover the other secrets Zao-lat wished us to hide.
Wan Kuei: Our greatest rivals and our greatest challenge. Destiny lies in crushing them beneath the wheel.

Salubri: Warrior Caste (Nicht die verrückten Antitribu)

Wanderers. Kin-slayers. Souleaters. Since Enoch, the Warriors have fought the enemies of Caine, slaying
those they found wanting. Three eyes gaze from their furious countenances to match the three bloodlines of the
clan. Warriors deal with those who cannot be saved: demon-worshippers, degenerate vampires, and those who
seek to disturb the delicate symbiosis engendered by the childer of Saulot.
Until the sundering of the bloodline, Healers and Warriors walked the night together, eradicating
corruption so that health could flourish once more.
Their fury lies with their bloodline’s founder. Salubri myths are in agreement: a childe of Saulot and mortal twin to
Rayzeel, the vampire who would become Samiel was intemperate and stubborn, drawn always to conflict.
He preferred the company of Brujah and Gangrel to his Healer brethren, traveling Nod’s wastes to test himself
against demons and primordial beasts. Only when the Baali emerged in the vale of Gehenna did Samiel embody
his purpose, renaming himself after a warrior angel and working a change in his bloodline. He founded a Code
and the Ritual of Blooding, so that Warriors could awaken the steel in the blood of a placid clan. Warriors carry the
banner of fury to those they deem anathema, even if they feel the clan has abandoned their bloodline and methods.
The wanderlust of Samiel — called his Precept, even when it manifests in the other castes — touches nearly
every Warrior. Cyclopes study the myriad ways of war in dozens of different lands and cultures, either in dusty
military libraries or in the gore-muddied fields. They move alongside mortal armies, ensconce themselves in Western
Christian military orders, and brood quietly in castles like Limassol. They root out Baali and Setites, contesting their
waning strength against the waxing power of Clan Tremere.
They wander, and they war. Like the main clan, the caste’s refusal to tolerate weakness or moral imperfection has
won them few friends, and the usefulness of their sword arms and Valeren is nothing against the versatility of Thaumaturgy.
The Warriors are bloodied but unbowed. The secret to reunifying their clan and defeating the blood
sorcerers exists somewhere, and they’ll battle the world entire until they find it.

Sobriquets: Cyclopes, Kin-slayers, Souleaters

Appearance: No Warrior is granted the Embrace without having first seen battle. Without exception, Warriors are ready for war.
They carry weapons and keep well-maintained armor close at hand as well as bandanas and scarves at the ready to hide
the third eye of their clan. So bound are they with the Knights Templar that many young Cyclopes wear the red cross,
even if they do not share the Christian faith.

Havens: The battlefield with sword in hand, the saddle, the training yard — these places are home to the Warrior.
Their tendency towards wanderlust leads Souleaters to prefer mobile havens and traveling caravans.

Character Creation: Physical Attributes are invariably primary, especially Strength and Stamina. Swordsmanship is
prized amongst the Salubri, and no deliberately-Embraced Warrior has less than two dots in a Combat Ability.
Multiple Languages are strikingly common. Retainers act as squires and fighting men. Enough belong to the Knights
Templar that high Resources isn’t uncommon, allowing the Salubri to provide interest-free loans to cash-poor Cainites
of righteous disposition. Warriors walk the Path of Chivalry or the Road of Vengeance, following their Code. In these
decadent nights, however, some Warriors have turned to the Path of the Devil, raging against the system that has doomed them.

Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Fortitude, Valeren.
Warriors are capable of enduring terrific amounts of punishment, and those who spent time as ghouled squires
often have a knowledge of Potence as well.

Weakness: If a Salubri learns but one dot of Valeren, she manifests the Discipline’s signature third eye.
Salubri Warriors must test their strength and establish martial dominance; they must succeed on a Willpower roll
(difficulty 6) if they attempt to feed on someone whom they have not vanquished in a fight, or suffer a two-die penalty
on all rolls for the rest of the night. This may be defined as a duel to the death, or a simple brawl to Incapacitated. A
few Warrior Herds comprise of companions who’ve been beaten down in the training yard. Organization: Every Salubri
sire mentors and trains the fledgling Warrior — tradition holds for a period of seven years, but in these
nights they’re lucky to see seven months. When not traveling with their sires or a reconciled Healer,many Warriors
eke out an unlife stalking from domain to domain, battlefield to battlefield, functioning as ad hoc scourges.
Other Cainite knightly orders readily accept Salubri Warriors as members, and it’s whispered that the enigmatic
Order of the Bitter Ashes was founded by the last childe of Samiel and her Knights Templar childe.

Stereotypes
Assamite: Our kin in blood and battle, and strong sword arms against the Baali. Their mandate is as ours, yet I see the
same hunger as the Usurpers in their eyes.
Brujah: You’d think our shared love of strength would earn us more respect.
Gangrel: We’re both fighters. We hunt the wolves. They run with them. Remember the difference.
Lamiae: Warriors who stem from scholars. Am I wrong to see us as companions born and boon? If
only they would accept our mandate…
Setite: The black snakes of our family. Trample them underfoot and never eat their fruit.
Tremere: Our path back to clanhood is clear. The bloodstained mantle must be ripped from an ashen corpse. Deus vult!
True Brujah: Their passions are not tempered, but deadened. There are lessons to be learned in this, but not from them.
Ventrue: Stoic soldiers, honorable yet inflexible. Righteousness lies in intent and action both, not one or the other.
Healers: Our elder siblings are brave enough when saving lives, but not enough in staving off death. We cannot be Salubri
and let a wound fester.
Watchers: I’ve never met one of our cousins, myself. Now, where did I put those maps?