Tzimisce

They almost always choose progeny between the ages of 30 and 40 who are both intelligent and well-educated. They spend a lot of time studying their potential childer in order to determine whether or not they will make worthy companions over the following centuries. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 62 Dirty Secrets of the Black Hand Character Creation: All the eldest clan members are VIC of nobility. Their progeny are commonly dilettantes, professionals or soldiers. Their Natures and Demeanors are usually similar, but never identical. Regardless of their Natures and Demeanors, they are almost always self-serving, honorable, evil and trustworthy. Mental Attributes are often primary, while Physical Attributes are secondary. Skills or Knowledges are primary. Their preferred Backgrounds include Influence, Resources and Retainers. Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Auspex, Dominate Weaknesses: Like all other Tzimisce, something deep inside of them craves stability and permanence. They share a special connection to the land they claimed as their own in life. They must surround themselves with at least two handfuls of dirt from a land important to them in life. If they fail to do this, they cannot rest in peace and lose half their dice pools from all actions every 24 hours until down to one die; this weakened state continues until they rest amid their special soil once again. While many believe this weakness is tied to Vicissitude, Kindred who are infected with Vicissitude and belong to other clans do not suffer from this weakness. Indeed, this weakness is as ancient as the clan. Preferred Paths: Most prefer the Path of Death and the Soul or the Path of Caine. Some are known to follow the Path of the Scorched Heart or the Path of Lilith. Organization: The Old Clan Tzimisce never meet except in dire emergencies. Most members of the Old Clan are independent, calling for aid only if they have no other choice, relying upon themselves and their servants whenever possible. Gaining Clan Prestige: The Tzimisce respect one another’s power and independence. They gain prestige through their own successes and accumulation of power, by crushing their enemies, by aiding the clan or the Black Hand and by never allowing anything more than their evil presence to be felt by those who are their victims. Any Tzimisce who invades another’s privacy loses respect in the eyes of his fellow clan members. Quote: Thousands of human lioes have been taken by my hands. I am aprotector of humanity, but my vigilance comes with a price. Chapter Four: Building Better Bastards 63 Of the darkness we are all born. The demons and wraiths are your siblings and the Lupines your cousins. All which is supernatural was born of the Queen of the Night: Lilith, our dark mother. One night she will return, as she has before in legend, to murder her children and reclaim the power she has lent us for our short, macabre unlifetimes. We must prepare for her; we must discover ourselves in her teachings, for all our dilemmas, and the solutions to them, reside in her. -Cremhaw Ghast, Liliniit andCamarillaPrimogenofDallas Nickname: Lilins Basic Beliefs: The followers of this path call themselves Lilins after a class of demons associated in rabbinical lore with the Demon Queen. Many consider them the demons of their namesake, as they are among the least human of Kindred. They believe in living separately from mortals and in acting as monsters. They dislike interfering with mortal affairs and do not espouse the vampiric ruling of kine. They place no faith in honor, trust, truth or fairness. However, they realize there is strength in numbers and serve the Black Hand well. They are scholars, much like the Noddists who follow the Path of Caine, except they study the legends and cultures of mages, werewolves and other creatures as well. Lilins believe all supernatural beings were born of Lilith. The Lilins believe Lilith is the first vampire, not Caine. According to them, Lilith was Adam’s first wife. God cast her out of the Garden because she refused to lay beneath Adam and committed the sin of considering herself his equal. Lilins consider her the mother of demons and the killer of children.. . including her own. Her name is the only word from the ancient Sumerian language to survive in English, and for good reason she still survives herself. She remains a great threat, and many would serve her. In the end, she will return to complete her task: She will kill her children - the Kindred, the Garou, the mages and all others born of her blood. Lilins believe personal strength comes from knowing one’s limitations. They explore their vampiric natures, discovering their own weaknesses so they can overcome them and finding their strengths so they can improve upon them. The Lilins have their own secret libraries, said to contain ancient artifacts from vampiric history which not only link Lilith to the Kindred, but also support their claim of her being the first vampire. Some say they have original writings from the time of the real First City which speak of Caine as Lilith’s lover and king of the Kindred by her decree. Followers of this path often practice Thaumaturgy. True masters of the Discipline are said to know a ritual for creating an amulet which will guard against Lilith, demons, mages, werewolves and all other supernatural threats. Lilins often gather to conduct strange rituals of their own, far away from the prying eyes of the sect. Some believe they join with mortal cults and mages in these rituals. Fear Lilith, for the Demon Queen kills her own children. Gehenna will be the final test and you must be ready to face her challenges. Explore the worlds of other supernatural creatures and study their legends and myths, for Lilith is their creator, and each holds a piece of the puzzle. You are not meant to rule the mortal world, for it is the world of Seth’s children, not Lilith’s. You may hold enough power to protect yourself and rule your own kind, but your role is that of monster, not master. You are a master of the night. Rule it well. You must be the monster of legend, and all mortals should fear you. You must perfect your vampiric nature through the exploration of what unlife really means. Explore its pleasures, pains, joys, strengths, and weaknesses. You must know your own limitations.. . and those of your enemies. Search out and confront your fears, overcome them and find the strength you need to survive. You are disgusted over the vampiric obsession with materialism and wealth. True power is internal and eternal. While wealth, influence and other weapons are useful, you have no chance unless you are truly strong. Build your Disciplines and your Willpower. Always feed from mortals, for they were meant to be your prey. Use mortals as Retainers when necessary, but remain apart from them. Do not befriend them or love them, for they are not of your kind. They can never understand or accept who and what you are. Nothing is fair in the world. Maintain a facade of honor, honesty and fairness, but never truly follow these principles, as they set unnecessary limitations and spawn weakness. Love, trust and obey only those you must. Find strength in independence, but wisdom will teach you that you cannot always stand alone. Know that in the end you will succumb to your weakness or to someone stronger than yourself. No one is truly immortal. No one is truly strong. You can only lengthen your unlifetime by making few enemies and by destroying those you do make. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 64 Dirty Secrets of the Black Hand The Path of Lilith developed more than 1,200 years ago in Africa. It was supposedly started by Hukros, a fourth-generation Gangrel who explored ruins and collected artifacts from vampiric lore. He encountered a cult of mortals who knew the secrets of the Kindred and guarded a collection of ancient writings now known as the Cycle of Lilith. Hukros and his minions attempted to steal the manuscripts but met with defeat at the hands of the cultists’ demons. Hukros managed to escape and told others of his experiences. Soon curious Kindred joined him and sought these writings in other places. Most vampires thought them fools, and they accepted (as they do now) Caine as the First Vampire. Eventually, debate grew heated and the Path of Caine arose. Now followers of the two paths vehemently disagree. They so dislike one another that they do not even trade information in a scholarly fashion, but instead hoard their findings and allow only their own members to view them. Description of Followers Most Lilins were once scholars and other curious Kindred who merely wanted to know the truth. However, over time the beliefs of the path became as popular as its purpose. Now most Lilins merely appreciate the value of the path’s tenets concerning power and dealings with mortals. Most look and dress as any other Kindred of their bloodline, generation and time. However, they all seem to share an interest in the occult, and some sport amulets said to bear the 15 names of Lilith on the inside. Common Abilities: All Lilins know at least some of the following: Archeology, History (especially ancient history), Investigation, Kindred Lore, Linguistics (ancient languages in particular), Lore (any types), Occult, Research and Theology. Preferred Disciplines: Dominate, Fortitude, Potence, Presence, and Thaumaturgy are considered very important, though Lilins believe in developing all Disciplines to their fullest extent. Views on the Other Paths Path of Caine “They are wrong -completely and utterly and it will be their undoing. When Gehenna comes, they will be in for a surprise. Perhaps their leaders know the truth already and are merely afraid to admit it.” Path of Cathari “At first glance they appear much like us, but they are weak and foolish. They are hedonists who ignore their own weaknesses, hiding in their pleasures from the truth which shall destroy them.” Path of Death and the Soul - “The answers Fo- 7 existence are not found in the truths of death. Their quest for knowledge is useless. We will all know the secrets of death soon enough. Our current existence is what is important.” Path of Evil Revelations “They are the weakest of all our kind. Damn them to the hell where they belong. They look to the servants of Lilith for power without thinking of the price they pay. They must be destroyed before they destroy us.” Path of Harmony “Tranquillity is good for the here and now, but it cannot last. By imposing a shadow of Humanity upon their actions, these fools display their weakness for all to see. They do not have the strength to remain human or to face what they have truly become.” Path of Honorable Accord “Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! There can be no honor or accord among our kind. The idealists who play such games will find their way to the grave soon enough.” Path of Power and the Inner Voice “They are the most like us. They are strong and they know their limitations. However, they are weak in their desire to rule humanity, for it shows they do not realize their true purpose.” Path of Lilith Hierarchy of Sins 10 Failing to pursue new experiences which can bring enlightenment. 9 Failure to pursue an exchange of information with other types of supernatural beings. 8 Failure to test your own courage and weaknesses when given the opportunity. 7 Failure to pursue information that would further the claim of Lilith as first vampire if there is only moderate risk. 6 Helping others when it is not to your advantage. 5 Acting honorably when there is no need; failing to pursue evidence of Lilith when there is only minor danger involved. 4 Not killing a mortal when there is need to do so. 3 Feeling remorse about anything you did while frenzying. 2 Restraining yourself without good reason; relying upon human allies and friends; failing to pursue evidence of Lilith when there is no danger. Drinking the blood of an animal when humans are available. 1 You calkd me a cold-hearted monster. Well, that is what I am. That is what I was created to be. Do not get attached to anyone or anythingin this world.. . you will undoubtedly corrupt everything you care for. The Beast taints all emotions, so you must not feel; burn away your emotions, you must only think. Nostoket, Gangrel shakar Nickname: The Unforgiving The Path of the Scorched Heart is known for its ability to turn Kindred into inhuman creatures, completely devoid of emotions. Vampires without emotions do not hate, fear, envy, lust, love or enjoy.. . they only “experience.” They are cold and cunning, and their logic is geared toward survival among the duplicitous and treacherous. The path is followed by a number ofTrue Brujah, since it is an adoption of their beliefs. The whole purpose ofthe path is to teach that the Beast is strong and that it affects all emotions even subconsciously. Thus all emotions are Beastdriven and so will eventually lead to corruption and despair. The only way to overcometheBeastis tocutfieeofallemotionsandthinklogically about everything. While apart ofthe vampiredies inthiiprocess, the Beast becomes far weaker b u s e its greatest tool is gone. Followers of this path recognize the distinction between good and evil and consider anything that positively benefits human society to be good especially peace. While they are willing to commitlesserevilsforthegreatergood,theymustbecarefullestthey commit so many lesser evils, they outweigh the good accomplihed. They do not feed from “good people,” but only take from mortals who have killed or who have performed great evils themselves. 0therwisetheyfeedonlyuponanimals.TheUnforgivingare pacfitsmost ofthe time but will killanyone they perceive asadmat to themselves or the greater good. They murder without remorse and show no mercy to anyone they believe must be destroyed. They consider the majority of Kindred evil and continuously look for weaknesses in othm. They always use thme weakness against their enemies and never let an enemy live one night longer than she must. The Unforgiving are extremely secretive, for they know others will use their weakness against them. While they have a code of honor, they will lie, cheat, steal and do whatever else is necessary for the greater good. However, they will never take the lives of innocents and will prevent others from doing so as well. Love only yourself. Do not feel other emotions. Shut them away, repress them or overcome them. More importantly, never show any emotions (mercy, love, hate, etc.), for they reveal your weaknesses. Conceal your pleasures and interests, or others will turn them against you. Do not feel fear. Face down all your fears, for they are tools the Beast will use against you. Destroy evil where you find it. Do not suffer evil any longer than you must. Do not have friends among the Kindred only associates. Choose allies carefullv. NovamDire can be trusted. Destroy those who are evil or who stand in your way. I I I I I I I I I I I I I Dirty Secrets of the Black Hand I Resist the Beast when it wants to be free. Fight the frenzy and build your inner strength. Always think logically. Do not let emotions cloud your judgment. Plan carefully whenever undertaking any important action. Always use others to your own benefit. Do not commit violence without just cause. Then, and only then, act without mercy, restraint or emotion. Never leave an enemy alive or undead. Among the Kindred you must be devious. Lie, cheat, steal, murder and do whatever else is necessary for your own good and the overall good. Do not waste all your time with debauchery and pleasures. Take what you need, but no more, and never harm innocents in so doing. Do good wherever you can. Be generous, not greedy. Feed only from animals and evil mortals. The Path of the Scorched Heart is the product of the True Brujah. During the 1300s, Rathmonicus, a True Brujah later destroyed during the AnarchRevolt, codified the beliefs and practices of the True Brujah into a collection of letters known as the Book of the Empty Heart. The letters were passed among the True Brujah and a few Giovanni, Lasombra (who are now Lasombraantitrih), andToreador within the Church. The Path OfRathmonicus eventually became known as the PathoftheScorchedHeartbecauseofthe terriblecold-heartednes of its followers. Some who followed the path became ruthless killers and completely shut themselves away from love and passion. The Pathofthe ScorchedHeartwas never passed tothesabbat because it did not suit their ways their passion was their Strength.. . and their weakness. Today the path is followed by the TrueBrujahohththeBlackHandandtheInconnu, andarare few Toreador, Nagaraja, Giovanni and h m b r a aruihibu. Description of Followers The Unforgiving remind some Kindred of the Vulcans on Star TrekTM; however, the Unforgiving are far more cunning and self-serving. They are pacifistic murderers and humble power-seekers. Most Kindred would do well to fear those on this Path because they can never trust them. The Unforgiving do not form bonds of attachment and are willing to destroy even long-time associates, should it prove necessary. The Unforgiving are always privately testing themselves. They are extremely secretive and never hold formal meetings. Most are scholars, but many are adept at violence. A couple hold copies of the Book of the Empty Heart, but otherwise they have no traditions or rituals. Common Abilities: Most have higher than average ratings in Abilities such as Intimidation, Subterfuge, Etiquette, Linguistics, Politics, Intrigue, City Secrets, Clan (True Brujah) Lore and Psychology. Preferred Disciplines: Many prefer Dominate and Obfuscate since these provide them with effective survival tools. Views on the Other Paths Path of Caine “They are fools and weaklings looking for a god to call their own. They grasp at shadows and pretend they are the image of some Biblical villain. They know nothing.” Path of Cathari “They are the weakest of our kind, less than humans or monsters. Their capriciousness costs them credibility and strength.” Path of Death and the Soul “They have stolen much from our ways, but their obsession with death is unhealthy, unnatural and utterly pointless.” Path of Evil Revelations “They must be rooted from their dark dens and put to the stake. Whether or not they actually serve real demons does not matter; they will lead us to ruin if we do not destroy them first.’’ Path of Harmony “Why must they pretend we are part of nature when our very existence is unnatural? They should accept that fact. Then they could find some real harmony.” Path of Honorable Accord “Anyone foolish enough to follow orders without question deserves to be a pawn like these fools.’’ Path of Lilith “They are worthy scholars, but their devotion to their useless cause clouds their perceptions and makes them almost as bad as the Noddists.” Path of Power and the Inner Voice “Their power games are destructive and the path they have chosen will eventually corrupt them. While they have lofty goals, they seldom hold true to them. They do not find self-attainment or thus real power because they lose themselves in the trappings of power.” Path of Self-Focus “They are dangerous, but if you understand their weaknesses, they make suitable pawns. Use them against themselves whenever possible.” Path of the Scorched Heart Hierarchy of Sins 10 Revealing any secrets. 9 sary. 8 against her. 7 dealing with Kindred. 6 5 any reason. 4 3 2 1 Expressing strong emotions. Failure to kill those closest to you when necesFailure to use another Kindred’s weaknesses Being completely honest about anything when Failure to overcome own fears and weaknesses. Failure to destroy evil; harming innocents for Feeling any emotion; feeding on good people. Expressing any emotion; showing any weakness. Feeling strong emotions; failure to kill for the greater good or for survival. Chapter Four: Building Better Bastards of Self-Focus Forget everything outside yourself. Everything in the world is mutabk by your own will, by your own chosen perceptions. Never forget that you control your own destiny, your o m fate, your own future, your own unlife. Master yourself before trying to master others. Juleidah, dominion of the Eastern Hand The Path of Self-Focus is an ancient path of Enlightenment brought from the East. It has elements of Taoism’s concept ofwu wei, or non-conscious action, and the Buddhist concept of Ch‘an, or Zen. However, the path was adopted by Kindred of the Middle East and has been modified from its original path to suit the Kindred who follow it. Those who follow the path are called Internalists because they look inside themselves for the answers to all their moral and spiritual questions. Many claim the Path of SelfFocus is the easiest route to Golconda. Still, most Internalists warn those who would follow the path that it is not meant as a road to becoming, but as a means of Being. I Forget everything- simply Be. Focus only upon what you are doing at that moment. Use chanting, t’ai chi and other methods to practice your focus. There is only Now. You cannot understand pain, temptation, and all other feelings except through feeling them. Action is focus. Thought of action is impure and inferior. Know yourself. Know when and when not to fight the Beast. The Beast is part of you, and sometimes it must be unleashed. Be the Beast, but do not Become the Beast. Only by understanding it can inner peace be attained. Master yourself. Learn your strengths and weaknesses. Always learn. Always seek to strengthen your mind, body and spirit. Be not prideful or disrespectful. Overconfidence is weakness and illusion. It is best to be humble and confident. Respect all and treat others as you would be treated yourself. You must have honor. He who has no personal honor is worthless and lost to the world and to himself. There is equal value in the arts of peace and the arts of war. Study them both. Judge all by their actions, not their words. Seek out wisdom and listen to those who have it. Be wary of other vampires. Vampires are creatures eclipsed by their own darkness. Their tragedy could be your own. Pity them, but also watch them carefully. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 68 Dirty Secrets of the Black Hand Learn to love andunderstand that all things have their purpose even evil things. Being of your own free will means you must choose between the two, and good must be your choice. Fight only when there is no other option, and fight with honor if you fight at all. Enjoy the company of others, but do not subsist on it. You must not let others define your value; you must do so yourself. Believe that there is a greater purpose to everything. There is an Oversoul which guides things. Your vampirism is a test unto you. It will not taint your soul or destroy you unless you let it do so. Around A.D. 550, Asian Kindred visited the Middle East and made friends among the Tal’mahe’Ra. The Kindred taught their Arabic friends their beliefs and, over the course of the next 100 years, the Path of Self-Focus developed. Some have suggested a connection between the beliefs of the mystical Akashic Brotherhood and this path, but little research has been done in this direction. The Path died out before the year 1000 but was recorded for later use. During the last 150 years, the path has begun growing in popularity among the dominions and younger sect members. It is followed mostly by the Kindred of the Cult of the Erinyes, so many chatterlings also take up this Path of Enlightenment. While the path has never been popular with European Kindred, it is spreading among the American Hand members and is still practiced by some Middle Eastern members. Description of Followers Kindred who follow the Path of Self-Focus tend to be among the most well-balanced of all vampires. They study martial arts, swordsmanship, poetry and painting. They focus through chanting, meditation and t’ai chi. Some even partake of the tea ceremony, though this is a recent addition by American Kindred. Internalists are usually in good physical shape and almost always respectful of others. They are non-violent warriors who fight with honor. They hold personal honor in the highest regard, and those who call them friends can depend on them. Almost all Intemalistshavehigherthan-average ratings in Brawling, Melee, Artistic Expression, Etiquette, Athletics and Meditation. PreferredDisciPlines: Auspex, Celerity, Fortitude, Potence and Presence are all considered worthy Disciplines. Views on the other Paths Path of Caine “They focus too much on what they are, not who they are. They look for the answers to their own problems in legends instead of inside themselves.” Path of Cathari “They are careless creatures who are blinded and weak from their revelry. Their focus on pleasure is merely a distraction from what they fear they have become, and through their distraction they become it even more.” Path of Death and the Soul “They ignore this world and their purposes for being in it. They know nothing, because death can only be really understood by the dead.” Path of Evil Revelations “They are a blot upon the Oversoul. They are pawns in a sinister game. They are fools who will destroy themselves and lose everything.” Path of Harmony “They are close to the truth, but they search for their place by looking at themselves through the eyes of others. They have honor.” Path of Honorable Accord- “They are honorable, but that is not enough. They merely go through the motions. They lack the true value of their actions and do not understand what they are.” Path of Lilith “They are dangerous. Watch them carefully.” Path of Power and the Inner Voice “They are the dark reflection of ourselves. They look inside for wisdom and truth but use the knowledge they gain for selfish reasons. They are strong, but unwise because of this.” Path of the Scorched Heart “They think they can cut off their emotions like cutting off an arm or a leg, choosing to be unwhole just for survival. But they cannot cut off their feelings so cleanly. Instead they merely repress them, and so who knows what lurks beneath their cold facades?” Path of Self-Focus Hierarchy of Sins 10 Any foolish behavior. 9 8 7 6 Any evil behavior. 5 4 3 Improper use of combat. 2 1 Laziness of mind, spirit or body. Depending upon others; failure to treat anyLying; fighting the Beast when you should one as you would be treated yourself. not; not fighting the Beast when you should. Manipulating others for own gain; being Stealing; failure to practice your focus. Disbelief in a higher and greater existence; Failure to keep your word; fighting dishonorgreedy or egotistical. disrespectful of others. ably. I L I I I I I I I I I I I I I 69 Chapter Four: Building Better Bastards The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice but I will better the instruction. Skill Blood Preparation You know the effects of various substances on the blood. You can use this knowledge to recognize foreign substances in any blood you taste, and you also know the art of feeding your victims certain substances to get the desired taste and effects. You are knowledgeable in chemicals, intoxicants, herbs, spices and food and how they affect mortal and immortal blood. You can prepare a variety of flavors for blood feasts, and are capable of combining this art with Toxicology to make the blood of living mortals dangerous to the Kindred. 0 Novice: You are a dabbler; you can prepare simple meals. Practiced: You know several recipes and can prepare a variety of meals. Competent: You know many recipes, though you have trouble preparing truly exotic cuisine. Expert: You are an excellent chef; you know all the great recipes as well as a wide range ofexotic recipes. variety of recipes and you can create your own masterpieces. Possessed by: Some Toreador, Sabbat, Baba Yaga’s Specialties: Intoxicants, Spices, Easy-to-Prepare meals, 0 . 0 0 Master: You are a master chef; you know a great chefs, Black Hand Kindred and some cannibals Kindred Poisons, Recognizing and Analyzing Tastes Mummy Lore If you are not a Mummy, you have studied with Inauhaten or another of these strange beings. You know of their origins, their history, their cycle of death and rebirth, their magic and, though you are not a practitioner, their spiritual beliefs. You know a little about the Silent Striders, the Setites and the Children of Osiris, but most of your information is confined just to their relations with the Mummies. 0 Novice: You have seen a Mummy and talked with him a little. Practiced: You know a few relevant facts. Competent: You are knowledgeable in their beliefs and practices. Expert: You possess great insight into their ways. the nature of their existence. 0 Master: You understand their cycle of rebirth and I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 70 Dirty Secrets of the Black Hand Possessed by: Mummies, Eaters of the Dead, some Euthanatos, a few Giovanni, and a rare few members of the Black Hand Specialties: Mummy Magic, Ancient History, the Nine Divisions of Mummies’ Souls, Individual Mummies You are a student of death. You are knowledgeable about spiritual phenomena, physical aging, near-death experiences, and medical causes of death. You are a student of the transformation from living being into wraith. You are knowledgeable in the art of embalming and the many death rituals of various cultures, both human and supernatural. 0 Novice: You have read a little on the subject. Practiced: You know some scientific, philosophical and religious beliefs about death. Competent: You know agreat deal about scientific, philosophical and religious beliefs concerning death, and possess very limited Supernatural knowledge. Expert: You possess expansive knowledge, some of which is supernatural in origin, concerning death, and you have conducted your own experiments. Master: You think you understand the mystery of death. Possessed by: Euthanatos, Eaters of the Dead, Mummies, Sabbat on the Path of Death and the Soul, Benandanti, and Black Hand Kindred Specialties: Near-death Experiences, Aging, the Life Force Underworld Lore You know something about the Underworld. While you do not have in-depth knowledge of the various political, professional and spiritual factions of wraith culture, you do know about the various groups. You know a little about the Hierarchy, the guilds, the Renegades and the Heretics. You know how the economy works, what existence is like and some about nearby holdings. You have heard a little about Stygia and about the Tempest. You have also heard about Doomshades, Spectres and other creatures that roam the Tempest. 0 Novice: You know your way around Enoch. Practiced: You have heard tales of the Underworld outside Enoch. Competent: You know a few facts about the Under world outside Enoch. Expert: You have traveledalittle outside the holding. Possessed by: wraiths, Mummies, Euthanatos, some Specialties: Tempest, Guilds, Enoch, Doomshades Master: You visit other holdings. Giovanni, and members of the Black Hand 1 4 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Chapter Four: Building Better Bastards 71 G: The following Background was first presented inElysium: The Elder Wars and is only available to elder characters. Age You have survived for many, many years as a vampire. You have seen much of the ever-changing, never-changing dance of politics and pain that forms the worlds of both Kindred and kine alike. This Background does not necessarily reflect your actual age, however. Instead, it reflects the number of years you have been conscious throughout your long existence. If you have fallen into torpor, time passes you by, as does the experience and knowledge you could have gained by participating in the events of that period. Players are free to determine how many times their characters have fallen into torpor, and for how long each time. This enables players to create characters born in truly ancient times. Every dot in this Background comes with a number of freebie points to use in character creation, but also costs Humanity. This can be repurchased, but elders must spend five freebies per extra dot of Humanity. Amounts given reflect cumulative totals. Note that each dot in Age grants slightly less of an experience advantage then the one before (reflected in freebie points), reflecting the difficulty an elder has in gaining new Abilities as she becomes more and more set in her ways. Additionally, the older a vampire is, the harder it is for her to learn new Traits. This is reflected in the optional system on character development below. Storytellers have the final say in deciding how old characters in their chronicles may be, and should feel free to limit elders to one or two dots in this Background. 0 0 201-350yearsactive: +55freebiepoints, -2Humanity 0.0 351-500yearsactive: +75freebiepoints, -3Humanity 0 0 0 . 501-750years active: +90freebiepoints, -4 Humanity 0 0 0 75 1 - 1,000 years active: + 100 freebie points, -5 0 5 1-200 years active: +30 freebie points, -1 Humanity New Disciplines W e feel that we are greater than we know. William Wordsworth, “The River Duddon” The following Disciplines are common among certain bloodlines within the Black Hand. They are extremely rare, and few Kindred outside the Black Hand possess them. This peculiar collection of powers originates from the Underworld and from the nothingness energies of Oblivion. This is a trademark Discipline of the Nagaraja which only adds to their image as cruel and demented sorcerers. Eyes of the Wraith Y The vampire can peer from the Living World into the Underworld and from the Underworld into the Living World the same way. System: No roll is required, though using the power costs one Blood Point. The effects last the entire scene, and the character can shift her senses from one world into the other at will. While focusing on one world, she cannot perceive what is happening in the other. This power only allows her to look and listen. 0. Consume the Dead By using her fangs to cause damage, a vampire with this power can subsist on wraiths, gaining one Blood Point per Corpus Level consumed. System: No roll is required, but the vampire can only drain up to three corpus a turn. Note that this is not like the Kiss, and the wraith can fight to escape. Aura of Decay The vampire can strengthen the feeling of corruption around her to the point where it can serve several uses. It can gnarl wood, rust metal, and erode plastic, glass and dead organic material. This power has a range of one foot from the vampire’s body, but all those in the presence of the vampire will feel her corruption. System: No roll is required, but this power does cost a Blood Point. Objects subjected to this Aura of Decay generally break down and become useless somewhere between one turn and one day after being targeted, depending upon the material, the type of object, and its complexity. A stereo would stop functioning the first turn, but it would take at least several hours to break down all the plastic, glass, metal and rubber in it. A wooden stake would begin to lose its pointed tip on the first turn and would be rotten and useless within a minute. Note that since this power requires the expenditure of a Blood Point, a character cannot cause an Aura of Decay while staked. --The DarkTouch The vampire can direct destructive energies toward living, undead, and dead (wraith) opponents. The vampire causes them to suffer terrible pain and to begin decomposing. The nature of the effects varies. The vampire must be within 10 feet of the victim and must reach her handout toward him. System: RollCharisma + Occult (difficulty equalsvictim’s Stamina + 3). The victim suffers 2 levels of damage per success. .*** The vampire can issue an unearthly cry heard both in the Living World and in the Shadowlands, regardless of where the vampire is at the time. The cry will summon creatures of the Shadowlands. If the vampire is in the Living World, the creatures will appear in the Living World if possible. The Storyteller decides what types of creatures are summoned, though they should be appropriate to the area. Chapter Four: Building Better Bastards y - - System: Roll Charisma + Intimidation (difficulty 8). The greater the number of successes, the greater the number or power of the creatures summoned. These will usually be the ghosts of people who had some connection to the vampire’s current location. Creatures from Wraith: The Oblivion may also be used as summoned creatures, or whatever else the Storyteller desires. The character has no control over what is summoned. A botch indicates that the summoned creatures are extremely hostile toward the character. 6.Black Blood This power makes many functions of vampiric blood work for wraiths as for humans. The Kiss now creates ecstasy, the vampire can Blood Bond wraiths into her service, and ghoul wraiths gain one level of Potence. The Blood Bond functions the same as it does upon any living creature, requiring three drinks to create a Regnant. System: No roll is required and no Blood Points, except those drank, must be spent. 7.0blivion’s Dance The vampire swirls about, using her own body as a conduit to bring forth the nothingness energies of the Underworld into the Living Lands. The energy pours from the vampire’s eyes, ears, nose and mouth and affects everything in the vicinity. System: Roll Stamina + Athletics (difficulty 8). The effect lasts two turns for each success. Treat the effects of Oblivion’s Dance as Aura of Decay and The Dark Touch, affecting everything in the vicinity except the character, though it will affect the character’s possessions. While Troile stole the blood of Brujah, she did not steal his most prized Discipline -Temporis. Now the True Brujah carefully guard Temporis, for those who understand the Discipline can manipulate time itself. Time Sense The vampire can sense contractions and dilations in time. In addition, she can sense the use of Temporis or other time-altering powers. She also has an internal clock which keeps perfect track of time. This is particularly useful with the higher level powers of this Discipline, as it allows the vampire to know just what she is capable of doing with her powers, how long the effects will last, etc. System: No roll is required and the effects are constant. 0. Ramble On The vampire has the power to cause a single subject to continuously repeat his own actions, without ever realizing he has been repeating himself. The subject gets so caught up that he pays no heed to events around him unless they are m I I I I I I I I I I I I I 74 Dirty Secrets of the Black Hand obvious and dangerous. For example, a subject may be walking along when the vampire uses this power on him. The subject may have been intending to go to the store, but gets so carried away that he finds he has been walking for an hour and is now far away from both his home and the store. If the subject had walked out in front of a car, he would have been less likely to notice it, but if he did, the trance-like effects would have been broken. System: Roll the character’s Manipulation + Empathy (difficulty of the subject’s Willpower). An obviously dangerous situation will snap the victim out of this trance if he succeeds in a Perception + Alertness roll (difficulty 6). 1 success One turn 2 successes One minute 3 successes 10 minutes 4 successes One hour 5 successes One day *e* Zombie’s Curse The vampire can cause one subject to perceive rime as having sped up. The victim moves at half speed, and everything she says comes out slowly and in a deep pitch. The subject will have trouble communicating and even more trouble in combat. While bullets, once fired, move at normal speed, punches, kicks, sword swings and other attacks that require personal speed in order to add kinetic force do only half their normal damage dice pool and have their difficulty to hit increased by two. target’s Willpower). The duration of the effect varies with the number of successes. 1 success One turn 2 successes One minute 3 successes 10 minutes 4 successes One hour 5 successes One day **** Cowalker The vampire can stop time for a moment, allowing her to appear in two places at once. The vampire appears to teleport or blinkfromone place to the next, but she is actually slipping out of the normal flow of time and space. The vampire cannot affect objects within the time stream, so the vampire could not attack someone while using this power. Instead she could move behind an opponent, hit him and then blink away again. System: This power costs a point of Willpower. The vampire cannot open doors or otherwise affect physical objects, though she can move about freely. ***e* Frozen Object The vampire can stop time for an inanimate object for a predetermined length of time. The vampire could throw a knife into the air and stop time on it, only to later let it continue on its course. The vampire could freeze time on a light switch and then turn it on. When it re-entered time, the I II I a ' , P c light would come on. This power can be used on bullets and other projectile and missile weapons, but not on objects touching animate beings. In addition, objects lose no energy during the time stop, so anyone touching the bullet frozen in flight would bum her hand, and the slug would have the same velocity when it re-entered time. System: Roll Dexterity + Occult (difficulty 6) to freeze time for an object. The number of successes determines how long time may be stopped. 1 success One turn 2 successes One minute 3 successes 10 minutes 4 successes One hour 5 successes One day To stop time for projectiles, the character must see and stop them before they reach their destination. Therefore, the vampire must make a Wits + Alertness roll (difficulty 6 to stop thrown weapons, difficulty 8 to stop a single bullet) before using the power. 60Control Aging The vampire can slow down and speed up the process of aging. The vampire must be in physical contact with the target, and he can only affect one object or subject at a time. System: Roll Stamina + Occult (difficulty equals victim's Willpower, or 6 for inanimate objects). For each success, the character can age or reduce in age a target by ten years. This power may only be used once per scene on the same individual, but an object can be affected as many times as the character likes. Vampires targeted with this power may become unable to gain sustenance from drinking animal or even human blood. 1 success One year 2 successes Five years 3 successes 10 years 4 successes 50 years 5 successes 100 years 70Domain of Evernight The vampire can dilate time in an area so that a day passes in the blink of an eye, and night seems to come minutes after it left. This is highly useful in a haven. Hunters who enter will realize only too late that, though it should be noon, it is 11 p.m., and the master is awake. The vampire would probably use this only on her private chamber, as prolonged exposure to such effects would drive her servants insane. T h i s power can also be used as an invaluable weapon, causing morning to arrive unexpectedly and leaving vampiric victims in a terrible situation. System: Roll Intelligence + Alertness (difficulty 7). The character can make a number of hours pass equal to her current Willpower. The number of successes determines how fast time passes. 1 success 2 successes 3 successes 4 successes 5 successes One Hour = 10 Minutes One Hour = Five Minutes One Hour = One Minute One Hour = 30 seconds One Hour = 10 seconds I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 76 Dirty Secrets of the Black Hand Outside the Hourglass The vampire can step fully outside the time stream and take whatever actions he pleases. Everything is frozen in timematter, energy, life, etc. Mechanical devices are also frozen and cannot be operated, except manually. Thus, cars will not run, phones will not work, and computers will not function. The vampire could fire a gun, but the bullet would not leave the chamber until the vampire re-enters time. The vampire’s own kinetic energy still functions outside time, so a thrown knife would hit and penetrate a target. However, the subject would not suffer the effects until the vampire reenters time. System: Roll Stamina + Occult (difficulty 8). For each success, the character can step outside time for one full turn. &Pocket Out of Time The vampire can cause an entire area to leave the time stream. All those in the Pocket Out of Time can interact at normal speed, but everything outside the Pocket Out of Time seems frozen. System: Roll Manipulation + Security (difficulty 7). The radius is 10 feet around the caster per success. Characters in the affected area cannot leave it until the one who created the Pocket wills it closed or is destroyed. &Rewind Time The vampire can turn time back to a certain point, where it will commence again. The vampire will remain wherever he is standing before using this power, though everything else will return to wherever it was before. Once rewound, events may be changed by the vampire. The vampire may also cause others to change their actions. However, unless the vampire actually motivates others into different actions, they will take the same actions and their actions will have the exact same results. System: Roll Strength + Alertness (difficulty 8). The number of successes determines how far back time may be rewound. 1 success One turn 2 successes One minute 3 successes 10 minutes 4 successes One hour 5 successes One day If successful, the character remains wherever he was when he used this power, not where he was at the previous time. In addition, the character can change his actions, knowing everything that will occur if he does exactly the same thing. 9.Summon History The vampire can pull a pocket of space and time from the past. The vampire can concentrate on bringing a certain time forth, but not a particular event. Those inside the summoned area do not see and cannot interact with the present, unless fi I I I I I I I I I I I I 77 Chapter Four: Building Better Bastards enough of the liquid to cover one large ad *. Animal Experimentation The vampire CanThaumaturgically alter lesser life forms. The vampire can change the size, Attributes, Abilities, instincts, nature, ecology, and internal makeup and appear. ance of animals and other creatures less complex than humans. System: Roll Intelligence + Medicine (difficulty 8). For each success, one Attribute dot, two Ability dots, one instinct, one behavior pattern, one aspect of the creature’s ecology (such as diet or climate) or some physical feature (such as a leg, tentacle, set of feelers, etc.) may be added, subtracted or altered. The Storyteller must approve all modifications. Thaumaturgical Surgery The vampire can perform Thaumaturgical surgery on patients using all sorts of wickedly shaped tools. The surgery can heal all sorts of wounds in both natural and supernatural creatures, including aggravated wounds. System: Roll Wits + Medicine (difficulty 7). For each success, two levels of normal damage or one level of aggravated damage can be healed. Surgery cannot be performed on the same patient more than once per injury. Note that this surgery does not necessarily require one week to perform, but it takes at least that long to recover from. ***e Human Experimentation The vampire can perform alterations on humans just as System: Treat as Animal Experimentation, except that she can on animals. it functions on humans. The vampire can perform alterations on Supernatural creatures, such as vampires, Lupines, Mummies, mages, faeries, and wraiths, just as she can on animals and humans. System: Treat as Animal Experimentation, except that it functions on supernatural creatures. New Thaumaturgical The effects of these rituals last for approximately one hour unless noted otherwise in the specific description. Level One Ritual Preserve Corpse This ritual enables the user to create a special elixir that keeps dead things from rotting and deteriorating. The ritual requires the caster to use her hand, coating the material to be preserved with a special liquid composed of decaying organic materials and rare herbs. Once the liquid dries into the surface, the material is protected indefinitely. The ritual produces will l&e potency unless applied within a week of its manufacture. This is a widely known ritual among the Nagaraja. Level ltvo Ritual Black Water The Thaumaturgist can pour a special pitch-black oil into a pool of water, thus turning the water solid black. The black water cannot be seen through from the surface, but it has no other effect. The surface of the water will remain black until the effect is dispelled, the water evaporates or the black water is diluted with a large enough amount of normal water. Ancient Thaumaturgists used this ritual to blacken the water of their moats or pools so their underwater guardians could not be seen. One pint of oil covers a small swimming pool-size area. The oil will last for a week, but a large amount can be prepared at one time. Level Three Ritual Moonlight Dancers This ritual was created by a lonely and insane Kindred to create the illusion of ghostly apparitions and music. The apparitions resemble five or more dance couples from some time in history chosen by the Thaumaturgist. The apparitions are not spirits, and they are not sentient they are merely figments which dance to the music. The effects last until sunrise, though the Thaumaturgist can dispel them at any time. Some Toreador cast this ritual at their socials. Level Four Ritual This ritual allows the Thaumaturgist to enter or leave the Shadowlands by painting an X over each eye and then stepping into an extremely dark shadow. The shadow will open up into the corresponding Shadowland, and the character can bring anything that he can carry. The X must be marked on with a powder made of coal and human ashes. Level Five Rituals Haunting Breeze The Thaumaturgist can summon a light, Supernatural wind which serves more to frighten than to harm. It is chilling, and those who listen can hear the warnings, curses, screams and laughter of the dead carried on it. Those who look closely can see the shapes of people swirling about in the wind. The wind can even be summoned inside an enclosed area. The wind increases the difficulty of Perception rolls by 2 and all other rolls by 1. In addition, all mortals subjected to the wind, which covers the entire area within the Thaumaturgist’s sight, must make a Courage roll (difficulty 5) or else they will run away in fear. Shadowland Passage The vampire can physically pass into any location of the Shadowlands, provided that she has been in that location before. This requires that the vampire symbolically “kill” herself by plunging a specially prepared dagger into her heart (doing at least 2 wound levels) and falling into a body of water deep enough to cover her. The dagger must be made from the purest silver, and the hilt must have at least one vampire fang worked into its construction. When she returns from the Shadowlands, she will reappear in the water. Members of the Black Hand use this ritual to get to Enoch. Level Six Ritual Mass Grave Most members of the Black Hand first reach Enoch via this ritual, which is similar to Shadowland Passage except that it can affect an entire group. Everyone going to the Shadowlands must be buried together in one grave, using dirt mixed with the remains of at least one freshly killed sentient creature. Flaws Variety is the mother of Enjoyment. Benjamin Disraeli, Vivian Grey Many of the Merits and Flaws listed below are designed for elder characters. Storytellers should carefully consider whether younger characters could possess these. Animal Affinity ( I pt. Merit) You have an innate understanding of and rapport with a certain type of animal, such as dogs, bats, rats, cats or wolves. Animalism and Animal Ken rolls with these animals have their difficulty reduced by 2. Entrepreneur (I pt. Merit) Making money comes easy to you, and you know what it takes to succeed in business. All rolls that involve acquiring money through business reduce their difficulty by 2. Mage Companion (3 pt. Merit) You have a friend and ally who just happens to be a mage. Though you have the right to call upon her in times of need, she can call on you as well. Most likely this mage is of the Euthanatos or Verbena, but she can be of any Tradition or Convention. Wraith Companion (3 pt. Merit) This is the exact same Merit as Spirit Mentor. Just bear in mind that the spirit mentor is a wraith, and you can see and touch him in the Underworld. For those with Wraith: The Oblivion, consider the character one of the wraith's more powerful fetters. Faerie Hatred (2 pt, Flaw) You are hated by the fey. They find you totally repulsive because of some past action or for no reason whatsoever. You cannot interact with them and, should they get the opportunity, they will thwart your every effort. Demon Plagued (2 pt. Flaw) Either you once practiced Infernal Diablerie and then tried to break it off, or you have angered Infernal Diabolists, be they Baali, Sabbat or mortal cultists. Whatever the case, you are plagued by the evil efforts of a demon. The demon constantly tries to cause all sorts of problems for you, but it is seldom powerful enough to face you directly. Kindred Ties Blackmailed (I pt. Flaw) You are being blackmailed by aKindredpowerfu1 enough or smart enough to keep you from destroying her. Your blackmailer uses you to her personal advantage, forcing you to do all sorts of awful things you hate doing. She may take money from you, she may take blood, or she may force you to aid her in her own schemes. Capable Assistant (7 pt, Merit) You have another vampire who acts as your right hand in everything. She is loyal, capable, and powerful enough to stand against those in her way. She may be Blood Bound to you, but would serve your will anyway. Elysium Domain (I pt. Merit) You control some part of the city's Elysium. You are its recognized protector, and in many ways it is considered your domain. However, it does not belong to you, and other Kindred can enjoy it freely. While this Merit involves some measure of responsibility, you can enjoy this Elysium domain at your leisure, and you gain respect and Status as its protector. Inconnu Associate (4 pt. Merit) You are friends with another Kindred who belongs to the Inconnu. Though you may call upon your friend in times of need, she may call on you as well. Neither of your sects appreciate such relationships, and your leaders would punish you if your friendship were discovered. Arranging methods of communication and meeting places will be difficult. by the Storyteller. Perhaps the character knows that the prince is an Infernal Diabolist or that the primogen are actually all Sabbat. Whatever the case, only those involved in the secret and the character know about the Valuable Secret. Well-Traveled (2 pt. Merit) You have traveled all over the globe, seen many different cities and met a great number of Kindred. There is a chance you will know of a vampire from another city when you hear his name. This is an Intelligence roll (difficulty of 10 minus the Kindred’s Status). Mortal Society Airport (4 pt. Merit) Castle (5 pt. Merit) You control a major airport, and all Kindred who would use it must answer to you, for it is your domain. You own a castle with at least 50 rooms and maybe as many as 500. You also control a large estate around the castle. The servants, if you have any, are provided for if you choose this Merit. The castle can be in as poor or as good a condition as you wish. The more inhabited it appears to be, the more attention it will garner. Characters in the New World cannot have this Merit unless they can justify it “An insane relative had the castle moved from Scotland, stone by stone.” , , I I I I 1 I 1 I I I I I I I Dirty Secrets of the Black Hand 0 --3 Extremist Group (4 pt. Merit) You have both Influence over and Contacts within an extremist group of some sort. This could be a group of nearinsane survivalists with a cause, some hate group or a terrorist group. This group provides you with assistance, and possibly even agents to handle your dirty work. It might also provide you with ties to similar groups. The more often you use your ties, the weaker they grow. University (4 pt. Merit) You have control over a university. The trustees and important officials serve your interests. You have full access to the school, and you can hunt the campus freely. The professors and libraries are useful in providing you with research information. The campus also has lots of computer equipment, along with those who know how to use it. Strong Blood (5 pt. Merit) Your blood is especially potent. Any Kindred who tastes your blood will find it extremely rich and potent and will recognize its great strength. Any diabolist who tastes it will lust after it. You can Blood Bond someone with but two drinks of your blood. Irretractable Fangs (I pt. Flaw) You are unable to retract your fangs. You should be very careful, lest the wrong mortals see them. Vicissitude 3 (Bonecraft) can be used to forcibly cause them to shrink, but the process is painful and the fangs will return the next night. Methuselah's Thirst (7 pt. Flaw) You are no longer capable of drinking mortal blood to sustain yourself and must feed upon the vitz of other Kindred. Nature hath framed many strange fellows in her time. William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice The four ghoul-families of the Black Hand occasionally carry on business dealings with one another and join together in their service to the sect. They also arrange marriages between members of their families as gestures of goodwill, especially in settling disputes with one another. Those who do not marry still come together with one another at the Temple of Lilith in Enoch to procreate. Storytellers looking for more information on revenants should refer to the Storytellers Handbook to the Sabbat. I I I - I - I - I - I I I I I I I I I 83 Chapter Four: Building Better Bastards “-lilaying Revenants She’s got a date at midnight With Nosferatu Oh baby, Lily Munster Ain’t got nothing on you Well when I called her evil She just laughed And cast that spell on me Boo Bitch Craft -Type 0 Negative, “Black No.l” While it is possible to play revenant characters, they have many advantages and disadvantages to take into consideration. The fact that they do not have to drink blood is one most vampires envy, and one which could take away some of the horror of the game if their inhumanity is not played up. Also, do not give revenants additional Disciplines after they are Embraced, though they may gain additional Disciplines at their normal clan cost. Otherwise, many players would play revenants just to pick up three additional points in Disciplines (three as revenants and three more after the Embrace). This would make them too powerful at the start. Revenants can be useful supporting characters, adding mystery, flavor and a sense of the absurd to stories. Feel free to alter these ghoul-families or to add more. It is possible that there are other ghoul-families similar to the Rafastio, hiding from mortals, their fellow ghoul-families and most Kindred. Revenant Character Revenant characters are not meant to be as powerful as true vampires, for they are simply long-lived mortals with some vampiric advantages. However, it is up to the Storyteller to decide the level of power with which revenant characters should begin the game. Here are four levels: Ghouls and the Biood Bond Ghouls cannot Blood Bond others to themselves. Those who have vampire blood in their veins can create Blood Bonds, however. Anyone who drinks the ghoul’s blood will be one step closer to being Blood Bound to the Kindred whose blood the ghoul drank. If the ghoul drank a mixture of many different Kindred’s blood, then no effect (not even the Vinculum) is created. It takes three drinks of a Kindred’s blood, even when carried through a ghoul intermediary, to create a Blood Bond. After a Regnant is established, the subject will immediately feel the effects of the Blood Bond, though she may not even know to whom she is in Thrall. - I - I - I - I - I - I I I - I - I 84 Dirty Secrets of the Black Hand I I I I Young Revenant - 7 Age Range: 15 to 50 Attributes: 71513 Abilities: 131915

Open by id →