Clans of the Masquerade Prt 3
#3 of Vampire: Masquerade
Third installment on my brief rundown of the clans from Vampire: the Masquerade
Salubri: Hunted to the brink of extinction during the middle ages, the Salubri now live in hiding in the modern nights, and it is believed there are only 7 members at any given time. Most vampires have no idea they still exist, and the Salubri wish very much to keep it that way. The genocide that befell their clan was the work of the Tremere's deception, convincing the other clans that the Salubri were demon worshipers who devoured the souls of their victims to obtain power.
In truth, however, the Salubri are healers in both physical and spiritual forms. Members of the clan are recognized by the third eye in their forehead, but this eye remains closed at all times except when performing their healing arts. When it is closed, it resembles nothing but a crease in the skin and can easily be hidden with various forms of headgear, including hats and bandanas.
The Salubri have devoted themselves to spreading enlightenment throughout the world. It was the Salubri who created Golconda, the mythical state in which a vampire achieves harmony between Man and Beast. Although with the Salubri presumably destroyed, few vampires have ever reached this state and details on its effects are rumors at best.
The fact that the Salubri wish to remain hidden makes their particular curse all the more dangerous. The Salubri can not feed from those who are unwilling to give their blood. If they attempt to do so, the Salubri will suffer damage equal to the amount of blood they have consumed.
Because the Salubri have been hunted to near extinction and the world believes they are demon worshipers, the Salubri are an independent clan, forming an alliance with neither the Camarilla nor the Sabbat.
The Salubri clan disciplines are as follows.
Obeah - The supernatural power to heal the body and the spirit, as well as measure a person's state of health.
Fortitude - The power of supernatural durability.
Auspex - The power of supernaturally enhanced senses, both physical and spiritual.
Baali: while the other clans might believe that the Salubri are demon worshipers, the Baali are the real deal. Universally hated and feared, the Baali are to be killed on sight if their identity is ever revealed, and so they disguise themselves as members of a different clan in an effort to throw suspiscion off them. Pledging themselves to demonic masters, the Baali's goal is nothing less than to bring about armageddon and destroy the world.
The Baali's signature discipline is called Daimoinon, which calls forth the powers of Hell itself to plague one's victims. Nobody is able to use Daimoinon without becoming corrupted in the process, and so it is only used by the absolute worst members of vampire kind. Further more, the Baali's dealings with demons have allowed them to learn the secrets to Dark Thaumaturgy, a form of blood magic that invokes demonic powers but requires a price in exchange for learning its secrets.
The most shocking thing about the Baali, however, is their viral ability to embrace other vampires into their ranks. No other clan in the world has the ability to convert a vampire to their ranks. This gives the Baali the ability to spread like a virus, turning other vampires into more of their own.
When a Baali chooses to embrace a mortal, they do not simply exchange blood with them, but instead they put them through a fiendish ritual. The Baali fills a heart with their own vitae and hides it within a pit of corpses. They then drain their future progeny to near death and toss them into the pit. If the mortal is able to find the heart and drink its blood, they will rise as a Baali. If they can not, however, they will die from loss of blood.
The Baali are an indepdentant clan, doing whatever they feel is necessary to bring about the end of the world. Their tendency to disguise themselves as other clans has allowed them to infiltrate the other factions. They are commonly known to pose as Tremere, Brujah, or Malkavians.
The Baali clan disciplines are as follows.
Daimoinon - A dark magic that calls forth the powers of hell itself, none can use this discipline without becoming tainted and corrupt.
Obfuscate - The supernatural ability to deceive the bodily senses.
Presence - The power of supernatural charisma, invoking feelings of awe or terror.
Ravnos: a sadly misunderstood clan who's true nature did not become recognized until quite recently. Hailing from India, the Ravnos are seen by the western world as gypsies, con artists and thieves. Few vampires trust the Ravnos or welcome them to their domains, which means the Ravnos are forced to lie, cheat and steal in order to survive. Back in their homeland, the Ravnos are a far more noble clan, or at least they used to be.
The clan's signature discipline is known as Chimerstry, which gives them the power to create mind bendingly powerful illusions for both offense and defensive purposes. These illusions have made the Ravnos more of a threat than they initially appear, and has not helped their reputation for being tricksters.
The Ravnos of India were demon hunters, tasked with tracking down and exterminating the forces of evil. But during the Week of Nightmares, during which time their clan founder awoke from thousands of years in torpor and began to psychically devour his own clan, they were nearly obliterated. Their founder was successfully destroyed, but the Ravnos had been damaged beyond hope of repair. The majority of the clan are now criminals, doing whatever they can to survive in a world that does not welcome their presence.
The weakness of clan Ravnos is that they are addicted to a specific vice which differs from one individual to the next. Every time a Ravnos has an opportunity to indulge in that vice, they must exercise self control in order to avoid doing so.
The Ravnos are an independent clan simply because nobody wants them around. The clan was never invited to join one of the factions as a full force, and so they largely remain neutral or they join whatever faction is willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
The Ravnos clan disciplines are as follows.
Chimerstry - The ability to generate illusions which are powerful enough to fool electronic sensors.
Fortitude - The power of supernatural durability.
Animalism - the power to communicate with and control animals.