Independent Clans

Ahrimanes
The Ahrimanes are a modern clan compared to most. They where founded by Muricia a country Gangrel who grew tired of the constant internal war within her family, between Gangrel of the country and the city. Through her struggle for Freedom Muricia broke the chains of Vaniculum with her Sire and using the rituals of the Native Americans transformed her new bloodline.

The Ahrimanes prize freedom above all and while the Bloodline has no political views as whole, most used to lean to the moderate faction of the Sabbat. No one knows what happened to these once proud worriers within the Sabbath they just simple vanished overnight. Those that remained or where forgotten soon found themselves alone in a very dangerous world. Some believe they where left to continue the Bloodline other say there where not worthy. Either way those remaining became nomads and most left the Sabbat tired of being used and with little left to fight for.

There is thought to be only one pack left now unified in Surrey. They strive to rebuild their numbers and maintain their own political independence letting their members decide where they stand within the sects. Though now they are fight against the Sabbat who they once protected for so long, seeing them as unworthy and lost to their original ideals. The Bloodline also does not have quite the same Elder/Neonate split that runs through many larger groups their culture is based on strength , spiritualism and Harmony between the three worlds: Man, Beast and Spirit.

Clan Flaw: The ritual that changed them is called the Third Birth. Those that underwent the ritual of the Third Birth were changed forever. Their blood thinned leaving them unable to sire and though the Ahrimanes have the strength of blood to Ghoul they can not hold a bond with their thralls.

Disciplines: Varies depending on the characters background. They can choose form Three of the following:
Animalism, Fortitude, Presence, Protean and Spiritus for former Country Gangrel.
Animalism, Celerity, Obfuscate, Presence, Protean and Spiritus for former City Gangrel.

Assamite
The Assamites are know as murderous ‘Assassins’, working for whomever can pay the price for their services in blood. Originating form eastern deserts, the mere mention of them breeds fear. Working within the Sabbat as well as the Camarilla in pursuit of their own goals, they tend to stay away from either sect’s affairs; on the whole they have a wide range of skills that most find useful. The Assamites tend not to form trues alliances with any kindred, seeing them as unworthy. They claim that their founder was in fact a member of the Second Generation, making all other kindred inferior copies. In nights past the Assamite’s delved deeply into Diablerie, seeing it as a way to bring them closer to the ‘One’ who founded them. After the night of the formation of the Camarilla and the Sabbat, many elder grew nervous about the assassins and turned to the Tremere for help. The Camarilla had their blood cursed through ritual, making them no longer able to ingest kindred blood. Due to the strength of the unified Camarilla, the Assamite’s had no choice but to suffer this indignity. However, there were a few that refused the curse, went into hiding, and joined the Sabbat. In recent nights, the clan has found away to be released from the curse, and now on the whole has become more ruthless then ever before. They no longer bind themselves by contracts to kill. Neither is the clan bound by constraint, whereas before if a target bested the assassin they would be allowed to go free, now the clan is free to pursue them relentlessly. The trues motivations of the clan is unknown. Once the clan was seen as honourable and with useful functions, but now they are just seen through the eyes of dread.

Clan Flaw: Now they are freed from the Tremere’s blood curse, the Assamites are free to consume Kindred blood. Assamites that now feed on kindred blood find themselves easily addicted, however. Every time an Assamite drinks or even tastes the blood of kindred, he or she must make a self-control test difficulty at the number of blood points ingested +3. If this roll is failed, the next time the character comes in contact with kindred Vitae, failing this sends the Vampire into a sanguinary frenzy, were they will do anything they can to consume as much blood as possible. When the addiction manifests, the consuming need for blood should be role-played. Assamites no longer see the need to hide their vampiric natures.

Clan Disciplines: Celerity, Obfuscate, Quietus.

Caitiff They can be Camarilla is the player chooses.
Seduced and abandoned by their sires, the Caitiff are everywhere on the fringes of Camarilla society. Clanless and unwanted, the Caitiff are the results of one-night stands, infatuations, frenzied Embraces and outright mistakes. Most have hazy recollections, at best, of sire and Embrace; some have none whatsoever. Stumbling along in the haze of a new existence, each eventually discovered the keys to survival usually in the form of other Caitiff looking out for the newcomer or died trying.

A Caitiff's only identifying mark is a lack of identifying marks. Some Kindred theorists posit that some sort of "imprinting" between sire and childe takes place over time, allowing the younger vampire to acquire the physical characteristics of her sire as mandated by the blood. Caitiff, however, have no such Caitiff descended from Nosferatu, for example, may be ugly, but distinguishing marks rarely do they show the full-blown monstrosity of their vampiric ancestors.

Caitiff fill in the positions in Camarilla society that no one else really wants. While the Camarilla may take the clanless in on occasion out of a vague sense of paternalism, the clans take care of their own first and leave the scraps for the Caitiff.

Nickname: Trash

Caitiff are primarily a development of the last century, especially the years since World War II. Alarmist Kindred point to the explosion in the numbers of clanless as a harbinger of Gehenna, but more level-headed vampires see the problem as symptomatic of a breakdown in the traditional social orders.

Weaknesses: Caitiff can purchase any Discipline at character creation (with Storyteller permission), but thereafter have to pay six times their rating for any and all powers purchase with experience points. On a more basic level, Caitiff suffer a social stigma from not being part of an accepted clan. As a result, more established Kindred feel free to snub or denigrate Caitiff freely. Until a Caitiff established herself in a city of social circle, she's at a +2 difficulty on all social rolls with all non-Caitiff vampires.

Clan Disciplines: Any (default to Fortitude, Potence and Presence).

Daughters of Cacophony
The daughters are distinctly modern phenomena despite their classical name. no kindred claims to have heard of them before the 1700's, and if they had existed, vampires feel sure they would have known. the daughters are such masters of song that most kindred believe they are an offshoot of the toreador, though those who have been on the receiving end of their powers think the malkavians had more influence. They are now all female, but once they were both. The Sons of Drake the male version were culled by their female counterpart for a reason only known by some of the clan.

The daughters of cacophony are singers without peer, but their melodious harmonies are not their main claims to fame. it is the damage their songs can do to the mind that causes their kindred concern. The daughters songs can be as horrid as they can be beautiful, and there is no way to know their intentions until they act.
the daughters are a small bloodline, centered mainly in the new world, and members embrace only those who show real singing talent. most create no more than one or two childer. the childer learn from their sires for years before being released into the world.

Clan Weakness: Every Duaghter hears a constant song in their mind, ever is distinctive from one another. Due to this music, no Daughter of Cacophony may ever have more than 3 in their Perception rating. They are also +1 Difficulty in any Perception based test.

Disciplines: Fortitude, Melpominee, Presence.


Giovanni
The Giovanni are respectful, genteel and well-mannered. Affluent beyond imagination, Clan Giovanni traces its roots back to before the Renaissance, to a family of merchant princes. The clan still maintains its original home in Venice, in a thousand-year-old loggia just outside the heart of the city. No other clan makes such a spectacle of humility and propriety as does the Giovanni. And no other clan hides its blasphemous secrets as well.

According to tales whispered in Camarilla salons and Sabbat esbats, the Giovanni's money spoiled the family, and the Venetians turned to necromancy out of perverse boredom. Surprisingly enough, the family demonstrated a great aptitude for trafficking with the dead, and their newfound abilities caught the eye of a forgotten Antediluvian. The vampire Embraced the head of the family, Augustus Giovanni, and brought him into the world of the Damned. This particular Antediluvian, the legends say, had a profound interest in death, and the Embrace of Giovanni and his family was intended to further the vampire's knowledge of what lay beyond the wall of mortality.

The Ancient's plan worked better, albeit differently, than he'd intended. Augustus, a cutthroat and mercenary merchant, saw the opportunity to seize his doddering sire's power and did so, hunting and killing all of the Antediluvian's descendants as well. After drinking the Ancient's blood, Augustus became a member of the Third Generation and founded his own clan, the Giovanni.

Other vampires reacted in horror, and, for a century, the "Devil Kindred" Giovanni were rooted out and destroyed wherever they went. Finally, the Giovanni sat down with the newly formed Camarilla and formed a mutual truce. This truce guaranteed the Giovanni would not participate in the Jyhad and would leave other vampires to their affairs. The Giovanni agreed, thus averting the genocide they surely would have otherwise met.

Taking advantage of other vampires' lack of involvement with them, the Giovanni quietly continued to amass wealth and power, practicing their Discipline of Necromancy all the while. Few believe the clan is engaging in either practice for altruistic purposes, and recent global movements by the Giovanni have many Kindred worried. With all that money and all those harvested souls, something is on the horizon; it is an ill wind that blows out of Venice.

Members of the Giovanni clan are also members of the Giovanni family, and those not Embraced often serve their Kindred relations as ghouls. This familial tie - members of the clan are related by blood twice - ensures complete loyalty on the part of the Giovanni. While concentrated primarily in Europe, the Giovanni have recently been expanding into, the world market, and the clan seems to be more prolific in recent nights.

Weaknesses: The Giovanni Kiss causes excruciating pain in mortals who receive it. In fact, the bite of a Giovanni vampire often kills its mortal victim from shock before the poor soul has a chance .to die from blood loss. The Necromancers do twice as much damage as any other vampire to mortals (and only mortals) who suffer their Kiss. Thus, if the Giovanni in question took one blood point from a mortal vessel, that vessel would suffer two health levels of damage. As such, Giovanni vampires are quite likely to feed from already dead corpses or from resources like hospital blood reserves.

Organization: Giovanni clan affairs are handled in Venice, in a vast loggia colloquially known as the Mausoleum. As is to be expected, the clan has a familial structure. Inbreeding, necrophilia, favor-currying, ancestor worship and carefully cultivated guilt riddle the family; by the time most Giovanni Kindred are Embraced, they've seen more than enough to inure them to the vagaries of undead existence. The clan's nonintervenrion in the Jyhad allows members to focus on their own vendettas and better their knowledge of Necromancy. The Giovanni Antediluvian, Augustus Giovanni, reportedly still maintains direct control over the clan, though none outside the clan is known to have seen him in the past 400 years.

Bloodlines: The Giovanni do not have antitribu - they are all loyal to the family as a whole, if not individual members. However, the clan has brought several other families into its fold. These include the Pisanob (Central and South American witches), the Dunsirn (Scottish bankers who practice cannibalism), the Milliners (a prominent New England family dating back to the turn of the 20th century) and a host of minor families. Not all Giovanni are surnamed Giovanni.

Clan Disciplines: Dominate, Necromancy, Potence.


Ravnos
These Cainites are deceivers of the first order, weaving illusion and lies into elaborate schemes to part the foolish from whatever it is the Ravnos might fancy - be it wealth, blood or even their victims' freedom. Like Mephistopheles or Old Scratch, the Ravnos ply their devil's deals with whomever they choose, be it human or Kindred, and woe to those who wind up unable to pay the hidden costs.

Although many Ravnos see themselves as great tricksters, the generally benevolent tricks of Coyote and Raven aren't so much their style. Instead, they draw on a tradition of illusion and deceit inherited from the rakshasas and ghuls of the Middle and Far East. A Ravnos is a highly dangerous being with whom to sup or bargain. And these devils have been making their wagers and bargains for a long time indeed The Ravnos are nomadic to the core and care little for permanent havens or positions in a city's established power structure. Even those who have chosen a given city for their home tend to establish and abandon havens as the mood strikes them, taking whatever lairs they like, doing as they please, and moving on when bored. This habit infuriates princes across the world, who resent the Ravnos' disregard for the Tradition of Hospitality. Few punish violators, though, for fear drawing the malice of the clan as a whole.

Although the clan has long-standing ties with the Gypsies, few Ravnos enjoy the hospitality of their mortal kin. Perhaps the Gypsies know these vampires' true natures too well, and are loath to offer friendship to the undying. Perhaps the Ravnos themselves alienate their mortal families through their dangerous tricks. Whatever the reason, a Ravnos typically has no allies he can rely on regularly. His charm may win him a few temporary companions, and clan loyalty may draw fellow Ravnos to his side in times of dire need, but the vampire's path ultimately lies alone

Naturally, the princes of many cities are leery of allowing such tricksters free rein in their domains. The Ravnos' eccentric code of honor is strong, but rarely coincides with another Kindred's definition of the term. A Ravnos may break her word at will, unless she's spit in her palm and shaken on the deal. She'll defend her "good name" for all it's worth - depending on what she considers slander. And she'll usually come to the defense of a clanmate, and vice versa; the Ravnos may take advantage of one another, but they consider it their privilege. Outsiders aren't allowed the same.

Weaknesses: The Ravnos have indulged in their particular vices so long that they have become addicted to them. Each Ravnos has a weakness for some form of trickery, deceit or mischief, whether it be gambling, lying, theft, blackmail or even cleverly framed murder. When the opportunity to indulge presents itself, a Ravnos must make a Self-Control roll (difficulty 6) or succumb to her compulsion.

Organization: Most Ravnos trust nobody, not even their own clanmates, but work together when necessary to bilk, rob or topple an outsider enemy. They often make grandiose pledges of family loyalty to one another, although neither party expects very much to come of the vows.

Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Chimerstry, Fortitude.


Follower of Set
According to most Setites, their clan founder was none other than the dark god of ancient Egypt, a hunter without equal in the desert night. Other tales state that Set was an Antediluvian - at feast - who enshrined himself as a god among the Egyptians. In either case, Set's rule went unquestioned until he was challenged by a being named Osiris - whom some call a vampire, and others something else. Their war lasted for centuries, but ultimately Set was cast out of Egypt, into the darkness. And yet, his followers claim, it was in the darkness that wise, ancient Set began his rule in earnest. Although great Set has vanished from the world, his childer work to ensure that the world will be in a suitable state for his return - advancing their own schemes in the process, of course.

To achieve their goals, Setites master several potent tools. To their thinking, the weapons of addiction, seduction and decay are the oldest and finest of means to an end. Setites use drugs, sex, money, power - even vitae and supernatural lore - to draw others into their coils. To date, the Followers' methods have proved terribly effective. Kindred and kine alike succumb to the Setites' charms, gladly doing whatever their new masters bid in return for the Serpents' reptilian patronage. Indeed, in some cities, entire subcultures and economic strata are under one or more Setites' sway. Neutrality is far too valuable for the Followers of Set to bother with sects. They find the Camarilla pretentiously idealistic, and the Sabbat exactly the same. Setites prefer to barter their secrets to both sides, but reserve their truly significant finds for the clan's exclusive use

The Followers of Set cryptically refer to themselves as the "eldest among clans,"

Weaknesses: The Setites, as creatures of the most ancient darkness, have a severe allergy to bright lights of all sorts, and sunlight in particular. Add two health levels to any damage inflicted by exposure to the sun. Followers of Set also subtract one from all dice pools while in overly bright light (spotlights, magnesium flares, etc.).

Clan Disciplines: Obfuscate, Presence, Serpentis.