“Swallow darkness, boys, give up your year.”

Shadowplay

First came the drums, pounding, primal, like a heartbeat. Then the guitars began to scream. Sarah let them both wash over the crowd before she sung out a note to follow them. She filled it with pain and anger so tangible they could almost feel it, and then the song began.

She let her voice flow across the crowd, pushed by the beat of the music. Gradually they stopped shouting to their friends or the bartender, and turned towards the stage. They even stopped checking their mobile phones. Good. Now she had their attention. Usually she wasn’t very concerned about what her food thought of her music, but tonight she had a different plan.

It was a good crowd, plenty of Goths as usual, but a few punks and even some ravers wondering what the fuss was about. It wasn’t just the teenagers, either, which was excellent because the older ones had been angrier for longer. They’d need that anger when they were crawling out of the earth later tonight.

Sarah had been concerned about the size of the venue, but the crowd filled it nicely. She usually booked smaller places. If people got turned away, it made them keener to see what they had missed. The band made less money this way, but the money wasn’t important. Being part of an exclusive gig packed so tight the crowd became a single screaming gestalt made them a community, if only for a night, and that made everything so much easier.

After another rock song, it was time to pull down the tempo, and draw them in. The level of the band dropped too, no longer deafening the crowd, making them draw closer to listen. The lyrics of the song were a metaphor. They spoke of oppression, and those who made money from the work of others. As she sang, Sarah reached out into the shadows and let them play across the walls of the room. Amidst the flickers, figures bent in suffering and toil. Cities and factories chewed the souls of the people while “they” laughed and grew fat on profit.

Sarah let her will seep into the music, her power washing over the minds of those listening. By the time the song was finishing, the crowd was chanting the chorus with her. She stopped singing then, pointing the microphone into the crowd.

“Let them hear you!” she yelled at them, and the crowd screamed back. “Let them know we are not going to take this anymore!”

The crowd surged in response. Each one of them was angry for a hundred different reasons, their passion lifted by the music. The alcohol helped too, something Sarah always made sure was cheap and easily available at every gig. The crowd was in a fury. A few more songs and she’d have the crowd in a frenzy, ready to let loose and tear the city apart.

They would be Sarah’s new army. A few would even become recruits; the Sabbat waiting outside the city would need a vanguard. With the city in flames, the assault would really begin, and everyone would know that it was Sarah who had made it possible. Should the Bishop fall in the conflict, Sarah had little doubt who might be chosen to replace him.

A HISTORY IN SHADOW

It’s all about power. You can dress it up any way you like, but that’s always what it comes down to. We should begin with history, not for the sake of tradition but because history teaches us how not to repeat the mistakes of others. Learn from this, because if you can’t do better than your forebears can, what is the point of you?

Before we go any further, I should underline we are not a Clan. We have to use the term on occasion, but it does not suit us. A Clan is a social group, a collection of likeminded or like blooded people with no better reason to hang out together than they seem to share a common interest. Clans are pathetic. We are not “Clan Lasombra.” We are “The Lasombra,” those who have earned the name by proving we have a right to it. You are not chosen to join us; you are given an opportunity to prove you are worthy.

We take from anyone who crosses our path, but not because we feel we have a right to or because it is just. We take because we can; we need no justification. We are not thugs who take on impulse, however; we choose our targets carefully and with patience. What makes us dangerous is that we plan our strikes. Every move is made with cunning, arranging the pieces silently to suit our purpose. When the strike comes, it comes without mercy, its result a foregone conclusion. That is why you should fear us.

THE SHADOW OF CAINE

However, I digress a little. You came here wanting to know of our history, so let us start at the beginning. The first of the Lasombra was Caine. Yes, that Caine. You think it arrogant we trace our lineage to the first of us? How can you doubt it? Caine was charged to give a gift to God, and when it was spurned, he removed the competition. For a punishment, he received vast power and immortality. What legends have Abel or Seth created? Are they anything more than dust for all their virtue?

While the first to bear the name Lasombra was of the Third Generation, we have never forgotten our grandfather, the source of all power. It is not coincidence some venerate him as a sea god. He taught us the way of the ocean. Perhaps that is why we feel drawn there. It is Caine calling to us, and one day we will meet him again when we have proven our ascendance.

You may be thinking I have forgotten the Second Generation, but not so. They proved themselves weak and allowed their children to consume them. Frankly, that is all we need to know of them, a footnote in the history of the Kindred. However, the power of their blood is worth mentioning. You may wonder who among the Third Generation stole it for themselves. We are sure the one now called Lasombra was certainly one of them. As to the other two, the original Brujah may have been one, which is what made her so succulent to her childer Troile. Ventrue probably claimed the remainder, which might explain why his followers like to think they are oh so special.

Cities rose and fell, as cities are wont to do. The first and the second, then Carthage, Rome, Byzantium, lather, rinse, repeat. Is it any wonder we Lasombra have chosen not to sit on these fragile thrones? Here lies another object lesson. Temporal power is temporary. The rulership of kings never lasts. There is always someone in the shadows coveting your power. I think you can guess who that might be.

BLOOD ON THE WAVES

As the feuds between Clans began to settle and the Kindred marked their territory, we claimed some territory around the Mediterranean on the Iberian, Greek, and Italian peninsulas. However, as always we were drawn to the sea. Trade was brisk and lucrative at this time, and merchant ships sailed constantly across the black waters. We raided these timid cargo ships as they plied the waters. Cloaking our own ships in shadow, we came at them during the night. Few even knew what had hit them before it was all over. I get quite nostalgic for those old sea battles, where we feasted and slaughtered those who stood against us.

We could have grown indolent on the riches we stole, but the wealth was only a bonus. You see, for a Lasombra it is not just about winning or beating (in many definitions of the word) our opponents. We seek to show them and their allies how completely we have conquered them. However, an easy victory is no true victory. We are engaged in a constant challenge to prove worthy of being Lasombra. We must always prove ourselves to those with the only opinion that matters: that of the other Lasombra, and they are not impressed easily. To do that requires radical thinking. Lasombra know how to come at a problem sideways, never as our enemies suspect. As such, we also prize subtlety; you need not be a king to rule. Those who exercise control without the trappings of command are truly in power. Anyone with a crown can shout orders and expect obedience; obedience without such ephemera is the mark of a true master.

Alexander the Great’s conquest of the Mediterranean destroyed many of our old allies and allegiances… or as we prefer to say, proved they were no longer of any use to us. However, times change and those who cannot change with them are not Lasombra. We do not like to lose, but we recognize that it sometimes happens. This is the nature of challenge and this is why we must continue to test ourselves. One day, each of us will be bested. It is our job to make the task so difficult that only a truly worthy adversary will manage it. Later, we return and best them in turn, having learned from our previous encounter.

As the Persian Empire fell, we spread out across the land looking for new places to test ourselves and take power. As we expected, the Ventrue were entrenched in Rome and the courts of Europe. Therefore, we did as we have always done: we waited and advised from the shadows, and looked for the next opportunity.

ROME AND THE NEW RELIGION

While empires rose and fell, Rome seemed eternal at the time. No matter how much it overextended or how many bad emperors it produced, the empire somehow endured. The empire brought stability and organization to most of Europe and even the Middle East, so it was the obvious choice for our next strategy. The deluded Ventrue considered themselves the lords of Rome (as much as vampires truly run anything in mortal society), and some wondered why we appeared to take less power. The truth is that we had no interest in building an empire; we only wanted to control one. We allowed the Venture to do the hard work of pushing pieces around the board in the perception of power, while we took from their gains what we wanted. Sadly, we have had to listen to the Venture and Brujah whine about Carthage for centuries. The truth is that if Carthage was really important, we would have taken it from both of them. Unfortunately, the Venture proved more adept than we had given them credit for, and when the time came to take the reins from them it proved difficult. Not insurmountable, of course — we are talking about the Ventrue — but we had to take a different tack, wasting years of planning in the process at no small annoyance to ourselves.

Our new direction made use of a religious sect we had been watching and waiting to develop into something useful. Christianity was a religion of martyrs, which made it an excellent place to find dedicated agents. It proved it could survive after several hundred years of quite enthusiastic persecution, some of which we were responsible for to test it. With a little work on our part, we helped Rome come to understand the benefits of adopting Christianity as its state religion. Our goal was to create a lasting legacy that moved power away from the Ventrue. We chose to create a new form of power structure, and Christianity was to be our instrument.

When Constantine became the first Christian Roman Emperor, he used religion to unite the peoples of the empire. He organized the councils in Nicaea to regulate the beliefs and traditions of the religion to keep it from fracturing, at least for a time. Even when Eastern and Western churches finally separated, the center held. In time, even Rome fell, but Christianity endured, and with it our power. While the Ventrue wept for their lost glories, Christianity held Europe together in the power vacuum. We sunk our claws deep into the faith, helping to build its power, and it has proved worth the investment time and again.

THE MISTAKE OF THE INQUISITION

Given how much of a friend Christianity proved to be to the Lasombra, it should come as no surprise we also embraced Islam when that appeared. The difficulty of this is that when Christian and Muslim forces clashed, Lasombra were on both sides. This was especially evident in the eleventh century C.E., when El Cid led Spanish forces against the Muslims in Iberia. The fervor El Cid commanded stretched even to those Christian Lasombra who chose to take things too far and dedicate themselves to clearing the Muslim Moors from Iberia. They called themselves the “Shadow Reconquista” and became a small but dedicated order of Cainites. Even though their agenda was accomplished to history’s satisfaction in 1492, some Kindred have not forgotten or forgiven. As Christian/ Muslim relations worsen in the modern era, we have heard several rumors that such an organization might appear again.

This proves that no matter how hard you work to keep things organized, someone comes along to knock everything down sooner or later. The Inquisition was another failure on our part. We grew arrogant about our power within the church and decided to see if we might use it as a weapon to control humanity more directly. All that religious fervor might be channeled and directed at our enemies, and all we had to do was sow a few myths about the indestructible demonic power inherent in certain creatures of the night and direct the kine to strategically “exorcise” those who had become “corrupted” by them.

Sadly, the plan worked a little too well. Instead of being cowed by the power of the creatures we sent them to torment, they were inspired by it. They decided to organize and search out more such creatures to remove the scourge.

Those of us who stepped in to stop them were uncovered and slaughtered, our shadow powers only bolstering their claims of our demonic heritage. So we decided to retreat; after all, there was no point in risking our own lives when this Inquisition might destroy a few more of our enemies.

The whole situation was, quite frankly, a clusterfuck of epic proportions. As you might imagine it caused concerns about the quality of our leadership. I should point out what I mean by leadership in reference to the Lasombra. We were led by the strongest, but also by the one who proved he could take us to greater riches. As a group, we do not play well together, and betrayal is simply a brutal but effective way to ensure promotion goes to the right people. This was about to become violently evident.

CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP

With wholesale burning and slaughter of Kindred continuing across the world, a few of us decided a change in leadership was required. Gratiano de Veronese was one of our most respected elders, having proved his worth with skill rather than lineage. His position and eloquence gained a lot of support, even though Lasombra’s other childe, Montano, diametrically opposed it. At the center of the Clan, plots and counter-plots developed as Europe burned. Eventually, Gratiano made the ultimate play and, with a small force of supporters, broke into the stronghold of our Antediluvian and diablerized Lasombra.

After that night, the argument became moot: the worthy had taken their due and the weak beaten. There was nothing left to discuss. Montano sensibly made a run for it. Interestingly, Gratiano chose not to lead the Lasombra. Instead, he took an Archbishop position and uses his power to keep the role vacant. Perhaps he had learned the first lesson: that to be a leader simply makes one a target, no matter how powerful you are.

Luckily, Kindred society was having too many problems with the Inquisition to take advantage of our power struggle. Not only were the faithful hunting down vampires on a massive scale, but younger Cainites were taking advantage of the chaos and settling a few scores. Elders used their childer as cannon fodder, but other young ones were freed of their bonds by the death of their sires. Roving packs of vampires gathered for mutual protection in the anarchy and began to hunt down the elders who had proved so contemptuous of their lives.

While we considered the affair to be an excellent way to purge the indolent from Kindred society, other vampires desperately wanted to preserve the status quo. Seven Clans managed to get their act together to form an alliance. Using their combined power they hid away from mortals and, shivering in fear, hoped that the storm would pass. This is the origin of the great and powerful Camarilla: an entire Sect of cowards. Much to our surprise, the Camarilla’s craven plan to hide under a rock actually worked. Vampires became myths, and the Inquisition lost its fervor. An alliance of seven Clans was something of an achievement, far more impressive in its power than the inadequate sum of its parts. When they eventually came out of hiding, these self-declared lords of vampire society offered an amnesty for all those who joined the new order. Old crimes would be forgiven and a new era would be forged.

Like hell.

THE SABBAT

It was clear to us that the destruction of our elder, what we saw as a badge of honor, was to the Camarilla the most terrible of crimes. There was also no way we would bend our knees to an organization of weaklings when we had destroyed a being more powerful than any of them could imagine. We declined the offer, telling the Ventrue where they could stick their so-called Traditions (in truth, old laws that we had chosen to ignore centuries ago).

While we would ordinarily simply have carried on with business as usual, the Camarilla refused to leave us alone. They declared anyone who had not joined their ridiculous social club to be their enemy. Quaking with laugher rather than fear, we organized our defenses. However, as luck would have it, we were not the only Clan to refuse their invitation. The Tzimisce proved to be a ready ally, even though their claims of having destroyed their Antediluvian were clearly an attempt to steal our glory and appear to be our equal. The other four Clans chose to remain on the fence, proving they were no use to us. The Assamites had already let the Tremere pull their teeth, the Setites and Giovanni were not to be trusted, and the Ravnos were a liability anyway. However, there were plenty of renegades from each of the other eleven Clans who did want to join our new cause. The sense to avoid the Camarilla and refuse to trust their lies became the basic entry requirement to our own counter organization. We named it the Sabbat, and it has since then stood for freedom and power.

A NEW WORLD

While we had successfully defended ourselves from the attempt by the Camarilla to control Kindred society, Europe was becoming dangerous. The remains of the Inquisition still operated and might flare up at any moment. Those Camarilla elders who had survived the rebellion of the Anarchs were powerful and dangerous. They were also entrenched in the cities, making resources difficult for us in the Sabbat to get a foothold.

It was a glorious time for us. Tested to our breaking point, it culled the weak from both our numbers and those of the Sabbat. In turn, the worthy feasted on the blood on any they chose. We were free of any rule but our own hearts, and it was in equal measure both dangerous and glorious.

But if we were to endure, we needed somewhere outside the bastions of the Camarilla. Luckily, a whole new world opened up to the west. Where the Camarilla elders saw primitives and desert, we saw opportunity. With many of our Sabbat brothers and sisters, we left Europe and its dusty halls to the equally dusty elders of the Camarilla. While it was hard to start from scratch in towns and cities that were barely worthy of the name, we persevered. We had a blank canvas to urbanize as our own personal feeding grounds.

From there we settled into the shadows of this new America. It has embraced our cause, to welcome all who can prove themselves. The Camarilla came eventually, but we were waiting for them. As we had with Rome, we let the Venture pretend to build great skyscrapers and a financial empire that stretched across the world. Then we took from them anything we desired.

This is where we stand today: a glittering urban jungle where the old social traditions no longer hold sway. Here you can claim what you can take, and power is given to those who have earned it by right and not bloodline. Here, the night and the shadows belong to us.

LASOMBRA IN MODERN NIGHTS

AN AFFILIATION OF RENEGADES

As you might imagine, organizing a group of selfish, egotistical, aggressively ambitious murders, thieves, and powerbrokers is not an easy task. Life among the Lasombra is a nightly game of cat and mouse, politics and assassination. Most might consider this a weakness, but we see it as weeding out the weak. The game is eternal, and to lose is to die. If you can’t cope with that, you are not fit to be Lasombra. Every Lasombra, from the lowest neonate to the highest Bishop, is calculating how to put a knife in their enemy’s back and looking to make sure no one does the same to them.

There are a few rules to the game, although breaking the rules and getting away with it is considered a badge of honor.

No one will ever tell you the rules, but they boil down to “don’t be an idiot.” Most Lasombra recognize that what is good for the Lasombra as a whole is at least favorable to its members. Acting against a powerful superior just for kicks when they have a good plan going is just crass. It is also amateurish to use the simplest method to dispatch your own kind — unless you can get away with it, of course. While Lasombra are often more pragmatic, their plans would put that satirist Machiavelli to shame. Every Lasombra wants their enemy’s last words to be “Ah, I see. Nicely played.”

THE FRIENDS OF THE NIGHT

While all Lasombra are considered equal, some are more equal than others. Even among those Lasombra who have proven themselves, there are those who are a cut above the rest. The Friends of the Night are a self-appointed group that sits at the heart of the Lasombra. They have had many names, depending of the fashionable language of the day, such as the “Brether Nokw,” “Amies Noires,” and the “Amici Noctis,” but their agenda has remained the same. They decide who sits in judgment on the courts of blood, and they share resources among themselves to remain at the top of the heap.

However, the Friends of the Night is not a small social club, and most Lasombra who survive a century or more are quietly invited to join. It all comes down to the simple fact that the Lasombra are better than the other Clans are, and need to set a higher standard. Proving yourself worthy to be Lasombra would be proof you are the elite of any other Clan. So to prove yourself among the elite of the Lasombra takes more time and effort. While longevity in this pit of vipers is usually taken as worthiness, not all “Friends” are elders. Many young Cainites who show exceptional talent are inducted after an especially successful Crusade or the creation of a new form of Discipline.

The Friends of the Night is essentially the status quo of Clan Lasombra. They work together to make sure things stay exactly as they are. With their combined age, experience, wisdom, and ruthlessness, little can stand against such a concerted effort. This is not to say the Clan stultifies under tradition; The Friends of the Night are dedicated to seeing the Lasombra advance and adapt. However, they have a particular way they want to see change happen, and the power to make sure it does. They are the “man behind the curtain” running the Lasombra from the shadows.

THE COURTS OF BLOOD

However, do not mistake the existence of the Friends of the Night for complacency. The Lasombra know that the only way to truly test oneself is against a peer — another Lasombra. This naturally leads to a certain amount of friction amongst our kind. To make sure the Clan doesn’t dissolve under the weight of all this infighting, a court system has been developed to manage most disputes. These “Courts of Blood” do not convene to issue punishment so much as to grant permission. They don’t care who broke the rules, who started what, or who has been unfair to whom. What concerns them is those Lasombra who have proved unworthy of the name, or brought disrespect to the Clan as a whole.

If you want to destroy another Lasombra, you have to prove to the court they are worth destroying, and that you are up to the job of being their executioner. If you can’t take them down yourself, you were obviously unworthy to bring the petition before the court. If your evidence wasn’t as convincing as they’d like, the court can impose conditions on your attempt. You may have to warn the target, not use any Disciplines, or destroy their servants first. Again, failure simply proves you unworthy.

Courts of Blood convene in preternatural darkness, so the petitioner never knows who their judges are. That is unless they are capable of seeing through the powers of their elders, in which case they are obviously worthy of knowing who they face. In pretty much all cases of rule breaking among the Lasombra, proof you can break the rule is proof you have the right to do so. One thing the Clan never accepts is failure. If the court refuses your request there is no appeal, although you might bring the case again whereupon different judges will be called to serve from the ranks of the Lasombra. However, no one likes a whiner, and often a second plea is dismissed out of hand, or even seen as cause to dispose of the petitioner.

FACTIONS

There are many different factions among the Lasombra, and some members might serve as part of more than one or none at all. There is not much politicking between the factions, as each has their own agenda, which rarely crosses with anyone else’s. They are each a group of specialists more than ambitious political cliques. However, there are times they don’t see eye to eye, and that is when things get interesting.

THE CRUSADERS

This faction represents some of the more dedicated and evangelical members of the Lasombra (for which you might read “young”), and it even accepts other members of the Sabbat. The Crusaders, as their name suggests, are constantly planning how to wrest cities from Camarilla control. No sooner has one war finished then they begin to plan another. The elders of the Sabbat encourage this for obvious reasons, and the Lasombra keep an eye on them to make sure one of their own leads the vanguard of every mission.

Members of the Crusaders are bursting with Sabbat propaganda and bloodlust. Anything that is not expanding Sabbat control and crushing the Camarilla is a distraction to them. Those who survive for long are truly dangerous, having faced more combat than most Cainites see in even their long lifetimes. Luckily, most Lasombra crusaders grow up after a century or two and go on to do something more useful.

THE ABYSS’ CHILDREN

Our power over shadows, Obtenebration, is a talent the Lasombra guard jealously. The use of being able to do something no one else can do cannot be underestimated, and we jealously guard our knowledge both of the control of shadows and the Abyss from which they spawn. This has led to the development of Abyss Mysticism, a strange mixture of magic, Obtenebration, and forbidden lore. While to most Lasombra any new ability is little more than another avenue to power, for the Abyss’ Children, the darkness is more than just a useful ability.

The Abyss’ Children believe there is something out there in the shadow, something dark and deep, and they dedicate themselves to the study of its mysteries. Some say that the Children go too far into the darkness, and not all of them come back. Others suggest they bring something else back with them. Their dedication to shadow unnerves even other Lasombra, who are also jealous and fearful of their command of abilities few understand. Whatever the truth, most Lasombra keep them at a distance where possible, even as they try to hide their curiosity for the secrets they know.

THE FAITHFUL

The Lasombra have a long history of involvement with religion, especially (but certainly not limited to) Christianity. The Faithful take this a step further and actually believe in one of these religions. They have come to understand that God has a plan, even for them. They attend church regularly and follow their faith as well as they are able. As many Lasombra were also priests, some hold late night services for a supernatural congregation. It is a little beneath most Lasombra, who see it as believing your own propaganda.

The Faithful are often remarkably resistant to the power of True Faith, and some might even possess the ability themselves. However, many simply enjoy the ritual of religion, or they find it helps them maintain their spirituality to remain a regular churchgoer.

THE BLACK ANGELS

Almost the opposite of the Faithful are the Black Angels or “Angelis Ater.” They believe just as vehemently in God’s plan for them. However, they believe it is their job to be the necessary evil. The Black Angels behave like devils but insist they are doing what God needs them to do. They are the unfortunate necessity that allows the angels not to get their hands dirty. God may be perfect but the world isn’t, and it would be naïve to think a perfect world will not come to pass without sacrifice. Whether they are right or not, it is best to avoid them.

Black Angels are deeply fanatical, but not very evangelistic. They don’t need to convert anyone; they have too much to do. Believing they are doing God’s will, there is no line they will not cross. Many elders keep a close eye on this small but growing cult, fearing the Baali may be heavily involved. This bloodline is the most secret order within the factions, as even the Sabbat will spare no cost to exterminate such corruption.

THE KINGS AND QUEENS OF SHADOW

While they claim a lordly title, few among the Sabbat have much respect for the Kings and Queens of Shadow. In fact, membership in their order is sometimes a punishment. It is the job of this faction to maintain power over mortal institutions, places were a degree of empathy and humanity is vital. This means the Kings and Queens usually maintain their Humanity rather than a Path of Enlightenment, a difficult (and some would say pointless) undertaking among the Sabbat.

While they may not have the same freedom to play fun and games like their packmates, the Kings and Queens quietly hold a powerful portfolio of influence and temporal power. They also tend to share and trust each other more, being all somewhat outcast together. They are usually the ones that come closest to the Camarilla. A few have even allied with the antitribu and either defected or played one Sect against the other when it suited them. They also sometimes find allies with non-Lasombra vampires in the Order of St. Blaise, as many of that faction’s goals overlap with their own.

THE CORSAIRS

The Lasombra’s love of the sea remains strong even today, albeit mostly around the coast in Somalia. The Corsairs are a violent reminder that we sometimes like to give our enemies a beating in several senses of the word. While plenty of them captain vessels that take prizes and booty from those who cross their path, others manage shipping companies and cruise liners. While there is a little tension between these two sides of the faction, they both recognize the need to take cargoes and the value of having somewhere to sell them on land.

The Corsairs pride and joy is a deadly fast attack submarine called the “Black Fang.” It was acquired during the breakup of the Soviet Union, and has haunted Camarilla controlled shipping ever since. Three packs run the sub under the command of Archbishop Ferrari, and their ability to eschew some of the life support systems makes them hard to detect. The sub gets its orders from the Friends of the Night, who keep its operations a highly classified secret, even among the Lasombra.

THE TRANSHUMANISTS

For some vampires, being at the top of the food chain isn’t enough. Spurred on by Darwin’s theory of natural selection, the Transhumanists seek to improve themselves to transcend the limits of their vampiric condition. The Transhumanists understand that they have not completed their evolution as masters of nature until they no longer fear fire and the sun, or rely on blood for sustenance.

Transhumanists come from several different backgrounds. Some are biologists seeking ways to eradicate vampiric hunger, while others are technologists trying to integrate and interface vampires with machines. Some are even occultists looking to cloak the sun in darkness that they may forever walk the Earth. Most of these weirdoes are cranks, but the elders support them in the hopes one of their crazy ideas might just work. The Transhumanists are also useful for the links and partnerships they have made among the Tzimisce.

THE FATALISTS

Part of becoming a vampire is the realization of just how few decisions anyone gets to make. With the powers of mental domination and emotional manipulation, people and vampires can be made to do almost anything, and not even realize they are acting against their nature. The Fatalists firmly believe that all vampires are the playthings of the elders and Antediluvians. The course of your life has been set, will is futile, freedom is an illusion.

To a Lasombra, this concept is frightening, and something only a weakling would believe. But the Fatalists have taken the reasoning a little further. It the theory is true, every action we take can be only one of two things: the design of the elders or an act of rebellion against their control. You are either doing their will or fighting against them. While you can never know which, this means you are either fighting authority or simply not responsible for your own actions. As such, the Fatalists tend to act on instinct, and seek any lore they can find about the ancient ones that they might find answers or be free of them.

THE DOOMED

Not every immortal is good at thinking in the long term. The Doomed are a small but noisy faction considered amateur at best and a liability at worst by the rest of us. They live for the moment and take what they want as often as they like. They think it is surely the right of the masters and mistresses of the night that they can do as they please. The Doomed act purely on instinct, reveling in their vampiric nature to an extent even the Sabbat considers ill-advised, making groups like the Fatalists look like they have foresight. Mortal authorities often catch up with these — usually inexperienced — vampires, often on a tip from their elders. In the meantime, no form of excess or debauchery is too much for the Doomed. They drink today for tomorrow they may die, likely at the hands of a very irritated sire.

LASOMBRA AND THEIR ANTITRIBU

The Lasombra hold a loathing for their antitribu that borders on obsession. For a start, it is a betrayal of the highest order. We killed our own Antediluvian; we earned a place free of the Camarilla. To side with the pawns of the ancients is pure treachery. It is also a sign of weakness to cast aside the freedom of the Sabbat to take on the chains of the Camarilla. If there is one thing the Lasombra cannot abide it is weakness, especially among our own. Finally, it diminishes the Lasombra as a whole. We like to show ourselves as the united paragons of the Sabbat: individual, but all dedicated to the cause. The antitribu spoil that useful and potent reputation.

The Lasombra use our considerable resources and those of the Sabbat to hunt down and slaughter any antitribu they hear about. Every night such a creature lives in a slap in the face. However, there is sometimes a grudging respect for some cases, although we would never admit it. Giangaleazzo, the Prince of Milan, is a prime example. He changed sides and took his city with him, making him the Lasombra’s primary target. While our failure to destroy him sticks in their craw, we deeply respect this vampire who basically announced to all of the Lasombra that he would take us all on, and did. Nevertheless, when we finally do take him down, we will spare no quarter.

However, even the antitribu have proved themselves Lasombra and that carries weight, no matter what side of the fence you are on. In fact, surviving as an antitribu is often proof of a Lasombra’s skill, and while they may still be an enemy, you have to respect that. The Camarilla has sought to use this on occasion, insisting the Lasombra antitribu negotiate with the Sabbat. Unfortunately, when this happens it is not uncommon for the Lasombra from both sides to screw both the Sabbat and Camarilla together, if the antitribu isn’t killed out of hand the moment he shows his face.

Character and Traits

Concepts

Acquisitions Expert

Power no longer rests in the hands of the nobility. The new kings and queens of the world are the corporations. You didn’t want to start one yourself though, so you found a way to take one. The right word in the right ear, a few rumors to kill the stock prices, and a company was yours for a very cheap price.

However, one company wasn’t enough. You built an empire out of other people’s legacies, and you never play fair. You have blackmailed board members and threatened their families, falsified reports, and spread lies as unsubstantiated rumor. Where once it was about the money, now it is about the power. Even more than that, you have become the first wave of assault in any new crusade. You target vampire-run companies and steal from the Ventrue, which makes the fight all the more dangerous and the victory so much the sweeter.

Assassin

You kill for money, or perhaps simply for sport. The Assamites are not the only masters of the blade, and with the power of shadow at your fingertips, the darkness belongs to you. You began your career by joining the military, but found yourself quickly shifted into a different department, one that suited you particular skillset very well.

When a vampire found you and recognized your skills, you got a promotion. You already know how to kill, but as a vampire, you have become a deadly shadow master. The ninja of old would be jealous of your abilities as you slip out of the darkness to cut down your target.

Critic

You may not produce anything yourself, but you can destroy those who do. You may have begun with noble intentions, hoping to separate the wheat from the chaff. But you also enjoyed seeing others hang on your opinions. When you became ruthless in your reviews, you gained a following who loved to hear your rip apart a new play, film, or painting. The more desperate artists might do for you to secure that all-important favorable review.

Now your name is better known than many of those you critique. Your word can make or break a new artist and even destroy more established careers. What you like is hot, and what you don’t is not. This has put several Toreador under your control, but you love the power you hold over the kine as well. You do so enjoy playing with your food, after all.

Gang Leader

You work with what you’ve got. Life on the street is hard, but only for the weak. You want to be somebody; you need to join a crew. You want your crew to be the best, and you’d better prove it. You were not going to be anyone’s foot soldier. Sure, plenty of gang bangers just want to be part of a crew so they can feel tough. But you wanted to run the crew, and you weren’t going to run a crew that was second best.

When you took down the boss, he begged for mercy, but that time was over. You made the rest of the gang fight each other so only the best got to be a part of your new regime. When you get applicants you make them fight, and only the winner gets a place. Each of your crew is worth ten of the others. It wasn’t long before you owned the streets. The other gangs can’t touch you and the cops are frightened of you. Now the real work begins.

Ghost in the Deepweb

If knowledge is power, what might the darkest knowledge grant you? You are a master of computer technology, but more than just a mere hacker. You have no desire to prove yourself “leet” or break into Microsoft. You understand the internet has deep dark places where secrets can be found, and have dedicated yourself to rooting them out.

You spent your time digging into the deepweb, the systems you need more than Google to find. Hidden here are dark and terrible secrets, and groups that shelter here in the shadow. With these secrets, you can leverage all manner of favors. Just the threat of shining a light in this abyss of the net is usually enough.

Media Star

It began with a song or a TV appearance, but the celebrity status is where the power lies. You used to love the attention, and as your fame grew, you came to enjoy the power, too. People suddenly wanted to know your opinion on so many things, even though you’d never claimed to be an expert. Your fans not only wanted to hear you sing but also wanted to dress like you, think like you, be like you.

Your fans have become an army. They buy anything with your name on it: music, T-shirts, perfume, calendars, and even statuettes. More importantly, they have become your self-appointed guardian angels. Any slur about you in the media provokes a vicious response, often including death threats from them. While it is only internet bravado now, who knows what you might get them to do with a little effort?

Modern Pirate

It’s not just about the killing or even the money. You also love the freedom of the sea. You used to think the life of a pirate was glamorous. Now you know better, but you still wouldn’t change it for anything. You didn’t like school, and had no plans to join some dead-end job or become a corporate drone, so you ran away to the sea. At first, you took a job with a merchant ship, but when Somali pirates attacked, you changed sides pretty quickly.

It has taken a while, but you’ve worked your way up to become their leader. They are hungry for money and blood, and it’s an attitude you encourage. You have a small flotilla of boats, fast enough to catch the lumbering cargo ships. You simply board and take the whole ship to a secret port where you sell everything. Your reputation ensures only the foolish put up a fight.

Priest

The church always enticed you, but not really from a particular love of God. You liked to know secrets, and people were often happy to confess to a priest, no matter what the denomination. They also look to you for guidance, and that can be very useful. A wife who is thinking of leaving her wealthy husband, a teenager unsure how to react to the bullies in his school, a soldier worried about the offer of some “freelance work.” People come to you when they are at a tipping point, and you can choose which way to push them.

It is a shame the church doesn’t have the power it once had, but that can change. Whatever the directives from the pontiff, you can make sure you get the best of what is left. Your diocese in the city has a prestigious church with a varied, if smaller than you’d like, congregation. Among them are powerful people looking for advice, and looking to you to provide it.

Professional Boxer

You loved the first fight you had, even though it was only in the playground. When one of the other children wanted your lunch money, you beat him into the ground. You didn’t win because you were stronger, but because you had the will to hurt him. When you got older, you realized there was money in that sort of dedication. You became a fighter as soon as you were old enough to get in the ring. Sure, you take a few hits, but nothing beats seeing your opponent smashed to the floor under your blows.

Your manager tried to cheat you once, but he won’t try that again. The weasels and weaklings think money, reputation, or position is power, but you know different. Muscle is power, no matter who you are or what you are. Power belongs to the strongest, and the ones willing to use that strength.

Spin Doctor

Politics is a dirty game, but you wouldn’t have it any other way. You never wanted to run for office, with all those speeches, charity lunches and shaking hands. You don’t think you could smile that long every day, either. So you decided to back the right talent instead. Your advice is what got them where they are today, and they should be grateful. Just in case they aren’t, you can remind them you know all their secrets.

The politician you support might be a good friend who trusts and values your advice, or a puppet you manipulate as you please. It makes no odds. While you can’t always get them to do what you want, most of the time you run their office from behind the scenes. If they get voted out, there’s always another eager young face who needs your experience and guidance.

Abyss Mysticism

As the Lasombra delved deeper into the secrets of Obtenebration, they discovered it drew power from a dark realm of shadows called the Abyss. Mystics within the Clan began to study this secret realm to unlock its secrets, and through this developed the art of Abyss Mysticism. The Lasombra keep this power secret from the rest of the Sabbat, as the creatures they summon and control with it are as dark as they are mysterious.

Abyss Mysticism is difficult and time consuming to learn, and comes at a cost. Its rituals often have side effects that create Flaws the character cannot remove that provide no bonus points. To learn the power, a vampire must have at least one dot in both Obtenebration and Occult. She may not learn any Abyss rituals higher than the lowest of her Obtenebration or Occult ratings, and each ritual costs a number of experience points equal to three times the ritual’s level.

Abyss rituals are cast using a Wits + Occult roll. The difficulty is 3 + the level of the ritual being cast. Only one success is required to cast the ritual, but the Storyteller is encouraged to make the penalties for failure especially horrifying.

(More detail on Abyss Mysticism can be found in Rites of Blood, pp. 37-39.)