Clans of the Masquerade: Prt 1
#1 of Vampire: Masquerade
A brief introduction to three of the 16 clans in the Vampire: Masquerade setting!
I am a fan of the World of Darkness story telling game by White Wolf and Onyx Path. For those of you who do not know, World of Darkness is a game in which you play as the monsters, rather than the victims. The game takes place in the modern age with a gothic setting in which the world is a little more cruel and depressing than in real life. There are many different games centered around the World of Darkness that allow you to play all sorts of creatures including werewolves, demons, wraiths, artificial humans, mummies, fairies, mages, est. But the one I am most familiar with is Vampire, which I've decided to write about here.
Vampire: the Masquerade, is the Classic World of Darkness version of the vampire game. The New World of Darkness is called Vampire: the Requiem. Anyways, the vampires in Masquerade are divided up into 13 clans. Some of these clans represent one aspect of the vampire myth, while other clans are unique in their features.
With the announcement that Masquerade 4th edition is in the works, I decided to give people a rundown of each of the clans in Masquerade. However, I would like to make very clear that these are incredibly abridged versions of the clans proper. Writing up an in depth explanation of each of the 16 clans would fill out an entire story document, probably why each of the 13 clans got their own separate book that explains them more in depth.
But if you don't like heavy reading, then sit back and enjoy my explanations. I will be including 3 clans in each upload, so I should have them all up by the 5th one if I add an extra to it.
In this upload, we have clans Brujah, Tzimisce, and Gangrel.
Brujah: In ancient times, the Brujah were a powerful and respected clan among the vampire comunity. They were once known as the philosopher kings, the Promethean flame burning within their souls and inspiring them to change and progress. Together, they built the mythical city of Enoch, a place in which vampires and humans lived together peacefully. But the Brujah's power and status dwarfed the greedy clan Ventrue who plotted against them and turned the people of Enoch against the clan. This struck a significant blow against the Brujah and they never managed to recover the power they once had.
In the modern age, the Brujah are now a mere shadow of their former selves. Rabble rousers, punks, bullies, and other miscreants, the Brujah demand social change and reforms, but they no longer have any idea what those changes should be, or at least not any unified opinion on the matter. The Promethean flame that once made the Brujah so powerful and respected has now become one of their greatest weaknesses. Brujah are prone to emotional outbursts even when faced with seemingly minor transgressions. They can become violent and rowdy at a moment's notice, which causes many of the other clans to form very low opinions of them.
Among all the clans in the World of Darkness, members of clan Brujah are the most in touch with their humanity. As the years progress, most vampires start to become more dead on the inside than they are outside. They learn to associate emotions as nothing more than tools for accomplishing their goals and so they become jaded to the world around them. But the Brujah never do, their Promethean souls continue to feel passion just as strongly as when they were human, or perhaps even more so.
The Brujah are responsible for more social reforms than any other clan in history. It was the Brujah who founded both the Camarilla and the Sabbat, although the respective leaders of these factions are not likely to admit this in public. They also founded the Anarch movement and a sizeable chunk of the clan belongs to it. In modern nights, the Brujah are classified as an independent clan, with most of its members remaining neutral in the conflict between the factions. Those who do choose to pick a side, however, can be found in nearly any organization depending on their personal ideals.
The Brujah clan disciplines are as follows.
Presence - The power of supernatural charisma, inspiring awe in your allies and terror in your enemies.
Potence - The power of supernatural strength.
Celerity - The power of supernatural speed.
Tzmisce: Out of all vampires in the Masquerade setting, clan Tzmisce are the most inhuman. Possessing the monstrous power of Vicissitude, the Tzimisce can manipulate flesh and bone as if it were clay, and they abuse this power on a nearly constant basis. Advanced students of Vicissitude build entire havens out of people and animals, using skin and hide like wallpaper and bones or muscle as furniture just to name one possible example. They also apply this ability to their servants, transforming them into hideously powerful soldiers to guard their domains.
But their use of Vicissitude is not restricted to just their victims, for the Tzimisce use this power on their own bodies as well. Some transform themselves into horrendous creatures straight out of a Lovecraftian nightmare while others transform themselves into creatures of such beauty that they seem more alien than human. Many Tzimisce believe in the Path of Metamorphosis, a philosophy that says they can transcend the world through a constant cycle of evolution.
They proudly claim that Dracula himself was a member of their clan, although nobody has heard from Dracula in over 100 years, so it is difficult to prove if these claims are true. The clan is heavily steeped in old world traditions and societies. Dating back to a time when the nobility ruled their subjects unchallenged. As such, many of their customs are completely out of touch with the rest of the world who no longer practices them.
Despite their obvious monstrosity, the Tzimisce adamantly claim they are one of if not the most noble of all the clans. They have shockingly polite manners and will defend their guests to the death if need be. At least for the three days they are obligated to let you stay in their homes. If the third day passes and the Tzimisce no longer welcomes your company, they will quite abruptly kick you out into the streets regardless of the dangers that await you.
A proper Tzimisce will never enter a home uninvited and expects the same level of courtesy from others. If you plan to break into a Tzimisce's haven, you better make damn sure you have an escape route ready and that the vampire does not realize you were there. If they find you and they catch you, your body could be added to the architecture of the house you so rudely invaded.
Tzimisce also have a powerful connection to their homeland that seems to be mystical in nature. Every day, a Tzimisce must sleep in a place surrounded with soil from the land of their birth. Refusing to do so causes the Tzimisce to grow progressively weaker until they either sink into torpor or fulfill the requirement.
The majority of Clan Tzimisce are aligned with the Sabbat and they are one of the two dominant clans who rule the faction, alongside the Lasombra. While there are Tzimisce who have formed alliances outside of the Sabbat, it is believed that none of them have ever joined the Camarilla. The Tzimisce believe humanity to be a weakness, fit for no higher station than to be pawns and food. So the Camarilla who tries to maintain their humanity and adapt to their society is considered abominable in the clan's eyes.
The Tzimisce clan disciplines are as follows.
Vicissitude - The ability to manipulate flesh and bone as easily as if it were clay.
Animalism - The ability to communicate with and control beasts
Auspex - The power of extra sensory abilities including telepathy, astral projection, aura reading and fortune telling. It can also enhance the body's regular senses to super human levels.
Gangrel: If they know what's good for them, the other clans in the World of Darkness give the Gangrel a wide berth and try not to confront them if they can help it. A clan of loners and nomads, the Gangrel are more in touch with their inner Beast than any other clan. They commune with the primal force that governs their actions, and they learn to wield it like a terrifying weapon upon their foes.
The Gangrel do not like the conveniences of modern civilization and prefer to spend their time in the wilds. They are wanderers by nature and never remain in any one area for too long unless important events compel them to stay. Because of this, the Gangrel pride themselves on self reliance and value those who have strong survival instincts. Most Gangrel will put their progeny through excruciating tests either prior to or after embracing them into the clan, to see whether or not they have what it takes to be a true Gangrel. They also are not particularly known for long term mentorship and cut their progeny loose once they've learned the basics. Although rarely do they let them roam around completely unchecked.
Being so in touch with their Beast gives the Gangrel a level of terrifying ferocity that not even the fiery Brujah or the fiendish Tzimisce can match. But it also comes with a curse. The Beast manifests itself in the form of physical and mental changes to the Gangrel's person. Every time they lose control and the Beast takes over, they develop one or more of these characteristics. The elder Gangrel who have been around for centuries may not even look human anymore, their bodies having turned into those of monstrous animals.
By means completely unknown to the rest of the clans, the Gangrel have learned a way to navigate through Werewolf territories unmolested. Considering Werewolves are known to attack vampires on sight, there is rarely a chance to open a dialogue with them and find out the method the Gangrel used. Although some believe that it is because the Gangrel are so beastly themselves that Werewolves might feel some form of kinship to them.
As with the Brujah, the Gangrel once counted themselves among the Camarilla, but have since abandoned it to become an independent clan. Their tendency to wander the land also makes it quite difficult for them to amass political status and so most of the clan remains neutral. Those who choose to pick a side, generally align themselves with whatever faction suits their interest in the territory they are visiting at the time.
The Gangrel clan disciplines are as follows.
Protean - The iconic ability to shapeshift and includes such powers as manifesting claws, turning into animals, or even a cloud of smoke just to name a few!
Fortitude - The power of supernatural durability.
Animalism - The power to communicate with and control animals.