Spawned in darkness, their spirits merged with the depths of the Abyss, the vampires of the Lasombra clan are regal, elegant, and consumed with the flawless exercise of power. Few vampires have such will and control as the Lasombra, or maintain such a deep interest in excellence, nobility, and ambition. The clan’s ranks are filled with priests who would be Pope, and counselors who steer the fates of nations. They enjoy the “sports” of the nobility (namely duels, poisoning, assassination, and ambition), and rule the night with elegance and dark desire.

Where other vampires seek meaning, looking to blood or their internal hierarchies to motivate them throughout an immortal existence, Lasombra seek nothing less than complete supremacy. Their influence in the church is unmatched. Throughout the ages, the Lasombra have invested themselves with the trappings of faith, seizing both wealth and power behind the scenes.

Even though faith is crucial to the Lasombra, most of them do not believe that vampires can be forgiven or redeemed. They believe that vampirism is a curse levied upon a few in order to drive mortals toward God’s light or to punish and destroy those who will not turn from darkness. Certainly, the clan has long abandoned the hope for an afterlife or salvation. What pleasures a Lasombra finds, she finds in the mortal world; what glory she earns comes from seeing enemies and upstarts crushed beneath her boot.

Arrogance seems native to the Lasombra vitae. Even the clan’s youngest fellows radiate a dark sense of command, and true elders can use their clan’s power over shadow to enforce their will on the night itself. They feel that no other vampire is their equal, and that the Lasombra clan is of quantifiably superior blood.