TEXT: CREDITS
  Written by: Deird're Brooks
  Developed by: Justin Achilli
  Editor: Diane Piron-Gelman
  Art Director: Richard Thomas
  Layout & Typesetting: Becky Jollensten
  Interior Art: Mike Danza, Leif Jones, Andrew
  Trabbold.Drew Tucker, Christopher Shy
  Front Cover Art: John Van Fleet
  Front & Back Cover Design: Becky Jollensten
  735 PARK NORTH BLVD.
  SUITE 128
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  , USA
  G A M E S T U D I O
  © 2001 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.
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  DIED ON THE VINE
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  DUH
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  accidentally left out of Clanbook: Tzimisce. I am a
  cabbage.
  CLANBOOK: RAVNOS
  2
  Apleif
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  A
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  INTRODUCTION: THE DEVIL sDuE
  CHAPTER ONE: AGREED UpoN LIES
  CHAPTER Two: ON THC ART OF BEING R.AVNOS
  CHAPTER THREE : O RPHANS IN GEHENNA s WAKE
  4
  14
  38
  70
  CONIEMIS
  3
  \
  
  "BLOOdY HELL," GWEFJ muitEREd iT[t0
  .dRinX "Qn,E LASt niGHt OF FREEdOIfL"
  SHE dRAinEd tHE GLA88 in, OnE GULP, SHUd-
  dERinG AS tHE SCOtCH BUR||Ed its WAY tO
  HER.8tOmACH tO JOin, tHE PAR^Y ALREAdY
  BY tHE PRfViOUS tHREE SHOtS.
  GWEIldOLYn. BRATfd, PH. D., FULLY il|-
  HAVE A HEAdACHE tOmOR£0W, BUt SHE RE-
  GAR^Ed tHAt A8ATI ACCEPtABLE C01TIPR0mi8E.
  WHERE WAS tHAt BAStARd JOHArjn. WHEII
  SHE REALLY HEEdEd Him? THE LAZY FUCRGOt
  HER. intO tHiS mESS, tHEFl VATjiSHEd JUSt
  WHEF1 SHE n,EEdEd tO GEt OUt, A SlflUGGLER.
  LIKE Hil]l SHOULd HAVE PfO tRQUBLE SIlEAKillG
  A tHiEF LiKE HER.0Ut OF tHE LAW'8
  REACH, R]GHt? GWEFf SiGI] ALEd tHE BAR^EEP
  FOR. A FiFtH 8H0t And tOOK^A m0mEr|t tO
  WAtCH tHE ROOI|I SWilfl AROUTld HER. It
  LOOKEd UFjREAL, LiKE HER. tilJIE AR0Und
  JOHATiri. 8omEtHin,G ABOUt HilJI IJIAdE tHE
  WORLd FUZZ OUt At tHE EdGES.
  THE BARKEEP tAPPEd HER.On, tHE 8HOUL-
  dEK "Don'tYOUtHiriKJt'stimE to GO HomE?"
  GWErj 8HOOK^HER.HEAd AT[d iRiEd tO FOCU8
  BOtH EYES OH, tHE BALdinG OLdER.mATl. HE
  WAS LOOKinG AnnQYinGLY PAtERTjAL. "A
  YOUT1G LAdY LiKE YOU SHOULd BE HOmE WitH
  YOUR.BOYFRiEr|d QH. A HiGHt LiKE tHiS."
  THE DEVIL'S DUE
  
  SHE SHQOtvHERJIEAd AGAirj, PARTLY in,
  dEniAL And PARTLY tQ KEdUCE tHE nVI[lBERj3F
  BARKEEPS irj HER,ViSiOn, tO OHF
  DAlfflJ, FlJISHmlrjGALREfidY. 'TJ0...
  WAitinG FOR, HilfL GilJUfE... GiVE I|1E AT|-
  OtHERJBCOtCH, PLEASE." WitH AIlYLUCK, SHE
  COULd PERFORAtE HERjiVOLErfOVGH tO diE
  BEFORE SHE GREW OLd in, PRiSOrj.
  THE BARKEEP n,OddEd And 8HRAT]K.intQ
  tHE SHAdOWS, LEAViT|G GWEfJ il| PEACE. SHE
  StAREd iT[tO HER,EIHPtY SHOt GLA8& "BA8-
  tARdS. YOU BW tHEIJI BOOKS, YOU PAY tHEiR,
  WAY, And WHAt dO tHEY dO? THEY EAt tHE
  BLOOdY tEACHEK FUCKinG BAStARda"
  THE FinAL tilflE HAd BEEn '&!
  SHE'd IjEt WitH JOHAnn ^ tHE
  , in A niCE, IJIOdERXl niGHtCLUB. THE
  dAnCE FLOOR,FLA8HEd WitH A ipliorj COL-
  ORS WHiLE YOUnG PEOPLE FROIfl A dOZEn
  BiFFEREnt nAtiOnS tHRASHEd AR0Und EACH
  OtHERtO tHE IflUSiC OF An ISRAELI POP SEnSA-
  IfAIIlEd .DAT|A IntERIIAtiOnAL. THE
  8I1IELL8 OF SWEAt, ALCOHOL AT^d A
  LESSEKCLOUd OF ILLiClt dRJIGS LEnt An AiRJDF
  UnREALiiY tO tHE PROCEEdinGS. GWEI] SAt
  At A CORHEKtABLE, HERFLlGHt BAG FiLLEd
  WitH PORTABLE 1REA8URE8 FOR^JOHAnn t0
  AUCtiOn in tHE StAtES.
  JOHAnn, i*E BAStARd, WAS LAtE AGAin.
  HE'd nEVERBEEn On tilflE AndREFUSEd tOiRY
  tO CHAnGE HiS HABitS. THE tREASURES SHE
  WAS HOLdinG FORHilJI HAd COIflE FRpIfl 0I1E
  OF tHE EndLESS diGS ilftEndEd tO idEntiFY
  REAL PLAin OF iLlUIp, WHERE tHE TRO-
  CLANBOOK; RAVNOS
  
  JAijs And GREEKS SUPPOSEDLY FOucHt
  TRPJATI WAK THE tRinKEts
  LOOKEd LIKE tHEY dAtEd FROIfl tHE ACHAEATl
  PERJOd, BUt COULd EASiLY HAVE BEET] LAtER.
  ilflitAtionS. GWEn didn't CARE BEYOnd tHE
  GENEROUS FiTjdEEC 8 FEE JOHATirj ALWAYS HAd
  REAdY.
  SHE tHOUGHt SHE RECOGniZEd AI| AT]GLO
  FACE nEARj-HE BAR, BUt tHE LiGHt WAS tOO
  dilfl irj COHi^ASt tO tHE 8tR£)BES FOR.HER.tO
  BE SURE. BEFORE SHE couLd tAKE A CLOSER.
  LOOK, JOHAnn APPEAREd AI}d SAt OPPOSitE
  HER, SHE StUdlEd HiS HARROW, PALE FEA-
  tURES, l^IARKEd BY AH UTJU8UALLY HiGH FLUSH
  iff HiS CHEEKS — PROBABLY Fi*0Ifl tHE CLOSE
  HEAt ill tHE CLUB. AS USUAL, HiS PUPiLS WERE
  SLiGHtLYdiLAtEd AndHiSOtHERWiSE StYLiSH
  CLOtHES UnKErilPt, AS IF HE'd BEEF[ SLEEPiFfG
  i ill -tHEIp FOR.A WEEK, HE StAREd At A POirjt
  JUSt BEYOnd GWEn '8 LEFt SHOULdER, FOCU8-
  iljG OWLiSHLY FOR.A I|10I|IEITt BEFORE ASKirjG
  ill HiS CLiPPEd ffEW ErjGLAI]d ACCEIlt,
  "WHAt'd YOU BR]riG Ijffi MS tllJIE? I HOPE
  YOU HAVE 80IHE iljtACt POttERy. GljE OF IflY
  BUYERS HAS BEEPf OPf IJIY CASE FORAGES-"
  "HU8H!" GWEIJ CUt E'm OFF AI]d
  GLAflCEd AROUrjd. F[0 O^E WAS LOOKING
  HER.WAY — WAit, HAd tHE AriGLO At tHE
  BAR. JU8t tURf[Ed AROUTld FASt EIjOUGH tO
  GEt WHiPLASH? HE WAS LEAIjiriG AGAil|8t
  tHE BAR.HOW, HiS POSE CASUAL. SHE KEPt
  HALF All EYE OI| Hil|I A8 SHE SPOKE tO
  JOHAnn." ICAH 't EVEn COUnt ALL tHE LAWS
  FIJI BREAKinO BY HEEtinG YOU HERE. COULd
  YOU At LEASt KEEP it dOWn?"
  '8 EYES WidEnEd At HER.ilfIPERti-
  . HE StAREd FOR.A FEW r[IOI|lEnt8, tHEn
  SHOOKHilflSELF And SHRUGGEd WltH AFORCEd
  SIlliLE." SORRY BABY, GOt CARRJEd AWAY. THE
  HASH HERE iS tHE LiVinG ETjd, I tELL YOU. 80,
  WHAt'd YOU BRinG IfE?"
  IfIOLLiFiEdBYHiS80FtER.tonE, SHEtiCKEd
  OFF tHE ACQUiSitiOnS AGAin, FORGEttinG
  ABOUttHE AnGLO, tHE IjlUSiC And tHE CLUB in
  GEnERAL. THE GWEn in tHE PRESEnt-dAY
  HOR.8E BRASS PUB CURSEd HER.8ELF FOR. tHE
  HUndREdtH til[E FOR.tHAt IJIOpEnt OF i
  intER^UPtEd HER. HALFWAY
  tHROUGH tHE LiSt. "HEY, IQddO, tHAt SOUndS
  GOOd, BUt CAn YOU SHOW IJE SOIjlEtHinG? I 'd
  LiKE A LOOK.BEFORE I COfpflit tO AnYtHinG."
  HE PAiiEd HiS JACKEt, WHERE HE USUALLY
  KEPt HiS WALLEt. HiS CAVALiER.AttitUdE AL-
  WAYS ATflAZEd HER.THE COCKYBAStARd COULd
  WALK, tHROUGH tHE nAStiESt PARt OF AnY
  CitY in tHE WORLd in tHE IfliddLE OF tHE
  niGHt And SHOW not A SinGLE CARE FORj-HE
  FACttHAtHiSPRESEnCE SCREATfEd " Victiljl! "
  tO tHE FflOOn, 8tAR.S And EVERY PREdAtOR.
  WHO WALKEd tHE 8i«EEtS. EVEn IJHDRE ATflAZ-
  inG WAS tHE FACt tHAt HEIJEVERJSEEI|IEd tO
  8UFFER.FOR.it. THE 80d.
  SHE SLid tHE GRgEn FLlGHt BAG OVER.tO
  Hirn LEt Hiiji QPEn it UP. SHE didn 't WAnt to
  GEt CAUGHt HAndLinG MS StUFF il| PUBLiC,
  BUt SHECOULdn 't LEt JOHAnn GO. SHE IjEEdEd
  tHE CASH. JOHAnn SEEIpEd HAPPY EnOUGH
  WitH tHE i«inKEt8 And t088Ed HERJtfj EnVE-
  LOPE StUFFEd WitH HUJldREd-dOLLAR. BiLL&
  BLOOdY YAnivCOULdn 't BE BOtHEREd tO EK-
  CHAnGE tHE IflOnEY BEFORE PAYinG OFF HIS
  FAitHFUL MEVE8.
  APPAREntLY SAtiSFlEd WitH tHE tRAnS-
  ACtiOn, JOHAnn GOt W, 8LUnG tHE BAG
  OVER. Hi8 8HOULdER.And HEAdEd FOR. tHE
  EKit. A BLACK-HAlREd WOIflAn GWEn HAd
  8EEn A dOZEn tifflESBUt nEVERJlEt CAUGHt
  THE DEVIL'S DUE
  
  UP WitH JOHAnn HALF WAY, Alld tHE tWG
  LEFt tHE niGHtCLUB FOR^tHE WARJfl,
  A WEEKUAtE^And BACKBIT] London
  GWEFf RECEiVEd A LEttER. FROTH DEAn
  WELLE8LEY THE I]li88iVE dEIflATldEd An iljl-
  IjIEdiAtE rfEEtirjG AI]d EXPLAinEd LittlE,
  tHOUGH SHE HAd A dEFil|it E FEELi^G tHE !|IAI|
  WAT|tEd HERJIEAd 0t] A PLAttER.
  DEAn WELLE8LEY WAS WELL into HIS
  508, PROBABLY On tHE VERGE OF HIS 8EXAGE-
  nARJAn dECAdE. His AGE OlfLY AddEd to Hi8
  FORpdABLE PRESEnCE. RyijIORS AR0VT)d tHE
  COLLEGE CLAiflTEd HE COVLd StARE dOWIJ tHE
  IH08tiT[CORRiGiBLE8K7dEr|tin 8ECOr}dS, WitH
  OFfLY tHE LiFt OF ATJ EYEBROW tO iTfdiCAtE
  HiS diSPLEASURE. DESPltE tHE StORiES, G WErj
  WAS nOt PREPAREd FOR. tHE FULL FORCE OF
  tHE IJIATj'8 ATfGER^tHAt ASSAULtEd HER^tHE
  inorfErft SHE EFltEREd HIS OFFICE. " WHAt Ql\
  EARtH WERE YOU tHiTfKiriG, DOCtOR^RATld?"
  HiS EI]lPHA8i8 OF] "dOCtORT GAVE HER^tHE
  distirfct iiiiPRjESSiorf tHAt HE did not viEW it
  A8 AT| HOriORiFiC.
  StARtLEd iTltO SPEECHLESSTTESS, GWEI]
  COULd OI1LY SHAKE HEKHEAd. THE dEAT]
  BARELY HOtiCEd HER. REACtiOI) AT|d tHUTl-
  dEREd On, "OXFORD IS EnCLAnd'S I]108t
  PRE8tiGiOU8UniVERSitY. It EHiStS tO PROVidE
  tHE YOUtH OF EVERY GEnERAtiOn tHE VERY
  BESt OPPORi^nitiESFORJldUCAtiOn tO BEttER.
  tHEiR^LiVES And tHEiR.CAREER8." HE PAUSEd,
  Hi8 GAZE BORinG intO HER.8KULL.
  GWEn nOddEd, SUSPiCiOnS dEVELOPinG.
  "YES, SiPv" SHE tOOl^A BREAtH And StARtEd
  tO ASK^WHAt WAS GOinG On, BUt tHE dEAn
  WASOFFAGAin.
  "OKFORd iS rjOt HERE tO PROVidE PEttY
  CRilTlinALS WitH A VEnUE tt\ WHICH tO PRAC-
  tlCE tHEiKiLLiCit ACtMtiES. DO YOU
  MS UniVERSitY HAS StOOd FOR.A8 LOnG AS it
  HAS, IflAin+AinEd itSREPUtAtiOn FOR.A8 LOnG
  AS At HAS, BY COddLinG REPROBAtES?" HiS
  VQLUIJIE inCREASEd UntiL tHE FinAL WORd
  LitERALLY RAttLEd tHE WindOWS.
  "FJO 8JR." FfOW GWEn KnEW tHAt tHE
  HAd LEARnEd OF HER.dEALinG8 WitH
  1. But HOW?
  THE AnSWER.ARRJVEd iTlOrfEntS LAtER^
  WELLESLEY iwnEd FROIII GwEn And
  SPOKE intO HiS intERCOIH "1^88 WALLACE,
  COULd YOU PLEASE SEnd tHE BOY in?" HE
  BARELY WAitEd FOR. tHE AFFJRJlAtiVE And
  WAVEd GWEn tO SiLEnCE BEFORE SHE COULd
  ASK^A QUEStiOn. "ALL WiLL BE CLEAR, in A
  I[IOI]IEnt, ALtHOUGH I ATjI CERtAin YOU AL-
  REAdY KnOW WHY YOU ARE HERE."
  WHEn tHE dOOR.OPEnEd, GWEn StAREd.
  THE YOUnG I|lAn StAndinG in tHE dOORWAY
  WAS EdwAR^ TAYLOR, HEKRESEARCH Assis-
  tATjt FROIIT tHE iLiUTfl diG. WitH A SUddEn
  CHiLL, SHEREALJZEdit WASHirriSHE'd SEEn in
  tHE KyiflKgPl
  ; niGHtCLUB. THE dEAn diRECtEd
  EdWARd tO Sit - SOIflEtHinG HE HAd IfOt
  inVitEd GWEn tO dO.
  "Ijow, I{^ TAYLOR, " WELLESLEY SAid in
  A IflORE COniROLLEd iQT\E, "COULd YOU RE-
  PEAt FOR.DR, BRAl|d WHAt YOU tOLd HIE A
  FEW dAYS AGO?"
  GWEn '8 HEARt SAnivAS Ed — WHOI|1 SHE
  HAd COnSidEREd A FRiEnd — PROdUCEd PHO-
  tOGRAPHS OF tHE StOLEn IflAtERiALS And
  dESCRJBEd HER. REndEZVOUS WitH JOHAnn
  down tO tHE EXCHAnGE OFGOOdSFORT[10nEY.
  Ed ALSO PROdUCEd tHE nOtE JOHAnn HAd
  8Ent tO ARRAnGE tHE tilpE And PLACE - n©t
  dATtinino in itsELF, But in corjiBin Ation witn
  tHERESt....
  CLANBOOK; RAVNOS
  
  WELLESLEY tuRifEd His
  | GAZE BACKJ-0 GWEI|. "T]QW, YOUHG LAdY,
  HAVE YOU ArjYtHinG tO SAY if] YOUR.dE-
  FEHSE? BEFORE YOU BEGin,, YOU snouLd
  ALSO BE AWARE tHAt I HAVE AUtHORJZEd
  tHE HiRinG OF ir]VE8tiGAtOR.8 tO CHECK.
  rjK TAYLORJS CLAiijis BEFORE suifUfioriinG
  YOU HERE. SUCH ACCUSAtiOrjS LEVELEd
  AGAil|8t OHE OF OURJACULtY — EVET] OF|E
  AS HEW AS YOURSELF - ARE VERY SERIOUS
  iridEEd. WE HAVE EVidEtlCE OF YOURtHEFtS
  FROrfl diG SitES 8tREtCHir|G BACK^tO tHE
  BEGinninG OF YOUR.ARCHAEOLOGICAL CA-
  REEKI AIjl APPALLEd tHAt YOU WOULd r[0t
  OrjLYR]8K.YOURj9Wri PROFESSiOHAL StAFjd-
  , BUt ALSO tHEREPUtAtiOn OF OURJiLIflA
  StOOd StRAiGHtER, AF[d r[lEt
  WELLESLEY' s GAZE. " YES, DEAII , I do HAVE
  soiiiEtHinG to SAY." IF HE couLd USE HOII-
  ORJFiCS AS WEAPOHS, 80 COULd SHE. "I did
  it. WHAt ELSE COULd I dO? I COULdl^'t AF-
  FOR^d tO LiVE OF! tHE PittAIjCE tHiS
  UTjiVERSitY LAUGHil|GLY CALLS A SALARY.
  PERHAPS IF tHE ATjciEnt Arid FAirEd OH-
  UriiVER.SitY PAid IJlE AS IJIUCH AS Al^Y
  PROFESSOR. RECEIVES, I WOULd HOt
  HAVE BEEI1 COllffELLEd tO 8EEKLAI] ALtER.-
  FORIII OF irjCoiiiE. HOWEVER. I HAVE
  no CRiijiE on ErjGLiSH SOIL. IflY
  SOLlCitOR. WiLL COritACt YOU SHORTLY."
  BEFORE WELLESLEY OKtAYLOR.couLd stop
  HER, SHE StORJIEd OUt OF tHE OFFiCE,
  SLAllIIIIEd tHE dOOR.AIld RAH FOR.HER.AUtO-
  IIIOBiLE.
  THE DEVIL'S DUE
  
  SHE dROVE tO PlCCAdiLLY CJRCU8, SPETji-
  SEVERAL IflinUtES LOOKJnG FOR. A PARKJnG
  SPACE, AT|d tHEn tOQK.tHE tUBE SOIjEWHERE
  ELSE. SHE didn 't CARE WHERE, SHE just ROdE
  WjtiL SHE FOUnd SOFfEPLACE PRQIIliSinG And
  stoppEd. SHE HAd no intEntion OF GALLIC A
  LAWYER. BUt SHE did UJATlt 10 CALL JOHAIjIl.
  THE BAStARd GOt HER. iri^O tHiS IJ1E88, HE
  COULd GEt HER.OUt, SHE didn't BELIEVE SHE
  COULd StAY OUt OF PRJSOn FOR.A I^UtE, fjQt
  WitHOUtHELP.
  SHE didn 't dARE REtURn tO HER.FLAt OR.
  HERCARjHE FJRSt ORdERj3FBl78il]ES8 WAS tO
  CALL JOHAnn ATfd LAY OUt HER. SitUAtiOI]
  WitHOUt inCRilllinAtinG Hiljl AS WELL Alld tO
  ARRANGE A FflEEtiriG. THE SECOIld WAS tO
  KEEP IJIOVirjG UTltiL JOHATTI] COULd REACH
  HER, SHE PLACEd tHE CALL ATfd WAitEd,
  StOHIACHROiLiTlG,
  "HELLO?" CAJIE JOHAIjrf '8 VOiCE OFf tHE
  OtHERJ^dOFtHELiljE,
  "LiStEi], YOU YATltvidiOt IrfEEdHELP. IjlY
  BOSS SAid HE KTlOWS ABOUt US ATjd I KIlOW
  HE'S CALLEd tHE POLiCE. THEY'VE PROBABLY
  PUt OUt A BULLEtiFf WltH I)1Y PiCiWE 01] it. IF
  YOU dOFl't HELP IJE, I'LL tELL tHEIJl EVERY-
  tHillG I Kf|OW—"
  "UJHOA, WHOA SLOW dOWII, BABY Just
  HOW dEEP 18 tHE SHit YOU'RE ill?"
  "I COULd dR0Wri YOU il| it."
  "RiGHt, tHEIT. I'LL BE OVER.A8 FASt AS
  ICArj."
  THEYHAd I^AdE ARRATlGEIflELltStO HOOK.
  UP At tHE HORSE BRASS PUB. Arid so riow
  HERE SHE WAS, GEttillG dRUrfK^Ori SCOtCH,
  IlEVER, A BRJLLiAIlt IJIOVE WHEIl YOU
  HAVEfl't SLEPt ill tWO dAY8, BUt SHE WAS
  so tiREd
  JOHAIiri ARRJVEd AttHE PUB FOUR.HOUR.8
  LAtE. GWEIl HAd CHASEd OFF A SECOFfd
  AttEIJlPt tO WAVE HER.HOIT1E WitH A tlP ill
  tHE dOUBLE diGitS. THE YATJIQWAS HiSUSUAL
  UIIFLAPPABLE SELF. "80, WHAt CAFl I dO FOR.
  YOU — HOLY SHit, HOW ITIUCH HAVE YOU
  BEEIl dRiriKJIlG?"
  GWEIl LOOKEd At HER.GLA88. "ALL OF it."
  JOHAIiri GRiT[IlEd. "U/ELL, At LEASt YOU
  IflAdE it illtEREStiTlG. LEt'S GO, SHALL WE?
  I'VE PREPAREdAROOrilAttHE ROYAL GARdEIl.
  tHE BESt FOR.ITIY LAdiES." HE HELPEd
  tO HER, FEEt. "U/HEIl YOU GEt ill
  tROUBLE, YOU dOIl 't dO it in SIjIALL dOSES, dO
  YOU?" SHE IJlUIflBLEd ATI AI18WER, FAtiGUE
  And ALCOHOL CARRYinG HER.BEYOnd VERBAL
  RESPOnSES. BY tHE tilfE JOHAnn GOt HERJntO
  Hi8 REntEd CAR. SHE WAS OUt COLd.
  SHE AWOKE BRiEnY on tHE ijiost coiii-
  FORtABLE BEd SHE'd EVER. SLEPt in.
  HALF-COnSCiOUS, SHE WAS AWARE tHAt
  JOHAnn - WHO ELSE COULd it BE? - WAS
  dOinG SOIJIEtHinG tO HER.tHAt FELt GOOd —
  BEtJTER,tHAn tHE BESt SCOtCH And tHE BESt
  8EKROLLEdintOOnE.SHE'dtAKEHilIltOtA8K.
  iF SHE COULd OnLY StOP IlELtiTfG into tHE
  IflAttRESS. SHE SLiPPEd BACK, into SLEEP,
  HAUntEd BY dREAIfIS tAintEd WitH tHE PARA-
  noiA OF tHE PASt tWO dAYS.
  SHE AWOKE FULLY 80I|lEtillTE in tHE LAtE
  AFtERJlOOn. THE SUn '8RAYS SHOnE tHR0UGH
  tHE OPEIl CURtAinS And HATlUlIEREd At HER.
  EYELidS LiKE A BAd BA88 RHYtHPfL SHE FORCEd
  HEREYES OPEn tHROUGH tHE POUndinG HEAd-
  ACHE. SHE COULd tAStE HER.tOnSiL8 — And
  tHEY did not tAStE GOOd. SHE tURJJEd HER.
  ACHinG HEAd And SAW A nOtE On tHE PiL-
  LOW nEKt tO HER, in PRECiSE HAndWRJtinG:
  CIANBOOK; RAVNOS
  
  '} GO AIJYWHERE, dOfJ 'i USE
  SERVICE. fVELEFt YOUFOOd ATjd d£//7KF0R
  tHEdAY. I'LL BEBACf^tHiSEVEVtiJG Aljd WE
  CM] LEAVE.
  KISSES,
  JOHATJJJ
  "WoridERFUL," SHE IflUitEREd. "TRAPPEd
  il| A HOtEL ttEXt tO KEFlSinGtOn, PALACE
  WitH tHE POLICE 110 dOUBt SCOURinG tHE
  SiKEEtSFORJlIE." SHE SiRAGGLEd OUt OFBEAd,
  aOSEdtHECURtAinaSHUtOFFALLtHELiGHtS,
  And SiPPEd A8 MUCH WAtER^AS SHE COUld
  HOLd dOWn, SOLid FOOd WAS BEYOHd HER.
  Tip SUCH A BLOOdY FOOL." THROUGH A
  IJIJRACLE OF BIOLOGY, SHE dOZEd OFF BEFORE
  EVEnina
  JOHAnrj WOKE HERJJGURS LAtFJ^ OFJ tllTE
  . "I'M SORRY I HAd tO LEAVE YOU.
  , YOU'LL UTldERStAIld WHY SOOn EI10UGE" HE
  HELPEd HER. intO A CHAIR, "I HAd HOPEd tO
  HOLd OFF FQRJlWHiLE, At LEASt UTftlL I COULd
  EKPLAin EVERYtHinG, BUt tHiHGS ARE tEI]8E,
  ATfd tHE On,LY WAY I CAI] GEt YOU OUt OF
  London - ATIYWAY, WHAtEVER^YOU dO,
  WHAtEVER.HAPPEn,8, dOn, 't PAT|iC" 
  v
  GWEH OPET|Ed HER.mOUtH itD ARGUE, BUt
  ALLtHEFiGHt8UddEI|LYdRAiriEdFROmHER,8HE
  KI1EW tHAt JOHAT|r| HAd SOMEHOW CAUSEd
  HERLEtHARGY, BUt COULdn. 'tFin,dtHE StRErjGtH
  to conFRont HIM OKEVEH MOVE SHE EVETJ
  LACKEd tHE ENERGY to Fil]d tHE EKPER|En,CE
  A SMALL PARi1 OF HER. Miffd REr[IAin,Ed
  ALERj- tHROUGH tHE LASt VEStiGES OF HATlG-
  OVERJtfld WHAtEVERWAS 8MOtHER]r|G HER
  SOUL. THAt PARt SAW JOHATin, '8 PERFECtLY
  n,0RlflAL tEEtH GROW into FRJGHtEn,in,GLY
  SHARP FAnGS. THAt PARt OF HER. Min,d
  THI DEVIL'S DUE,;
  
  SCREAIfEd BLOOdY mUR^ER^WHEn, HE 8An,K.
  tHOSE KJliFE-LiKE fEEtH in,fO HER.fHR.OAT,
  SHE SWOOnEd AS HE dRAiljEd HER.BLOOd il|
  swiFt GULPS, SHE BARELY FELt tHE in.tEn.8E
  PLEASURE tHE FEEdifjG in,8tiLL8 in ViCtilfIS
  BEFORE SHE PA88Ed OUf.
  GWEn 8tOOd Off A FLAt PLAify I[IOUn,-
  fAil|8 if] fHE diStAnCE, HEAVY CLOUdS
  OBSCURinG tHE STARS. AREd LIGHT FLASHEd O\
  tHE diStAnCE, SEARCHinG. THE REd WAS T\Qfc'
  80 MUCH A COLOR.A8 AT] EmOtiOI] — inf El} SE
  AnGER.And HAfREd MlKEd TOGETHER, EIJIA-
  riAtinG FR0ra A SOURCE so stRpno it WAS
  ViSiBLE tO tHE IfAKEd EYE. SHE KJjEW SHE
  COULd not ALLOW it tO Find HER, BUt LACKEd
  A PLACE fO HidE. SHE tURTfEd f0 RJ/n -
  JOHAnn PRESSEd HIS WRJSf TO GWEn'S
  IJIOUTH, StAininG HER. FACE WitH A tHiCK,
  COLd LiQUid tHAt BURJlEd HER^tHRDAt AS SHE
  dRAniv LiKE T\0 SCOTCH EVEK COULd And
  BARfLY SAtiSFiEd A LMlGER^tHAt PERHEAtEd
  HEKBEino, "DRinK, dAmn YOU." SHE SWAL-
  LO WEd A LARGE CLOf tHAt HAd POOLEd in HER.
  tHROAf WHILE SHE WAS WTCOnSCiOVS And
  dRAnK, UTjABLE TO tHin^OF AnYtHinG ELSE.
  SHE KEPt dRinKlnC OT|tiL tHE HUnGER.
  SUBSidEd tO A COntROLLABLE LEVEL A^ HER.
  mindREtURHEdtORAtiOnAL tHOUGHt. THEn
  SHE SnAPPEd HER.HEAd AWAY FROIfl Hi8
  WR]8t, StAREd At H1I1IFOR.A mOIIlEnt, And
  SLAPPEd Hilfl AS HAR^ AS SHE COULd. "YOU
  FiLtHY. YAniv BAStAKd!" SHE RAn Ol7f OF
  BREATH And HAd TO COnSCiOUSLY tAKE in
  WORE AiR, "WHAt tHE HELL dO YOU THinK
  YOU'RE dOilJG?"
  HiS n08tR]L8 FLARf d And HE SnARLEd BE-
  FORE ViSiBLYREGAininG COniRPL. "Fiji SAVinG
  YOU FRO^I A PR]80n SEntEnCE, JU8t AS YOU
  ASKfd." HE SPAt EACH WORd AS IF it WERE A
  dAGGER. BLOOd tR|CKtEd FROIJI fHE CORTjER. I
  OF HiS mOUTH, WHERE OnE OF GWEn '8 RJnGS
  HAd CAUGHt fHE 8Kin. HE WiPEd tHE BLOOd
  WitH tHE BACK.OF His HAnd And StAREd At it
  FOR.A UTOIlEnt BEFORE LiCKJnG if CLEAn.
  GWEn StOOd, SHAKinO WitHRAGE " U/HAt
  HAVEYOUdenEtOriE?" SHE COULdn'f FEEL HER.
  HEARf BEAtinG And didn't BOTHER.TO CHECK
  FOR.A PULSE. "I WAntEd TO LiVE SOMEWHERE
  tHAt WOULdn't EXfRAditE T[1E, n^ GEt infO
  KlnKY.,. WHAtEVERjHiSiS!" 
  -- 
  ;
  JOHAnn WOndEREd BRIEFLY IF HE'd d©nE
  tHE RlGHf THinG, BUt BULLEd AHEAd AnYWAY.
  "LOOK, I CAn UndERStAnd YOUR. OUTRAGE I
  IJIEAn, SOIlEOnEdid tHiSTO IjlE ©nCE AnYWAY,
  WE nEEd TO GEt YOU A VESSEL - 80IJ1E SU8TE-
  nAnCE BEFORE YOU LOSE COr]tR0L And SfARf
  SnAPPinG At THROATS CALL ROOff! SERyiCE"
  "And ORdER.WHAf? 8tEAK.tARtARE?"
  "It dOESn'f ITIAttER.iF YOU WAnt fHE
  BELLHOP, BUt YOU CAn't IQLL Hi^. I LiKE tHiS
  HOtEL And I WAnt TO COI|E BACK."
  SHE LAUGHEd At HilfL 'T|lAYBE I WILL KJIL
  HilH "THEn SHE StOPPEd, SURfRiSEdtHAf SUCH
  WORdS HAd COIflE FROIJI HER.LiPS. "F[0. U/Alt.
  ; FLLCALLROOIJlSERyiCE."
  StARfEd FOR.tHE PHOnE, BUt GWEn BEAt
  HilH fO it.
  SHE SpRKEd. "I'LL HAndLE it, JUSf LiKE YOU
  TOLdljlE" SHEPiCKEdUPtHEPHOnE AnddiALEd.
  "WHAt'S tHE IflOSt EKPEnSiVE ifEI]I On YOUR.
  ijEnu? WHAf's in it? VERY Good, I'LL tAKE
  8QIJIE And SEnd UP SOIrlE OF YOUR.BE8t WinE, IF
  YOU PLEASE" SHE WinKEd At JOHAIjn AS SHE
  HUnG UP. "Fill SURE YOU CAn AFFORf) it."
  THE WAit WAS nERVE-WRACKinG FOR.
  GWEn And FRystRAf ino FORjOHAnn.
  CLANBOOK; RAVNOS
  ... 17
  
  tHE BELLHOP FirjALLY BROUGHt tHE IfffiAL,
  GWEn BRIEFLY SHAPPEd OUt OF HERJIOOd ATld
  LAtCHEd OntO tHE POORJfIAIj'8 tHROAl SHE
  WOULd HAVE KJLLEd HJIjl, LOSt if] SLAKJnG tHE
  HUnGERjHAt tHREAdEd tHROUGH HER.BOdY
  AT[d SOUL, HAd JOHATin HOt PULLEdHERAWAY.
  "LiCIQtHE WOUTld," HE HlSSEd. TOO StARj-LEd
  tO ARGUE, SHE OBEYEd.
  AS SOOn AS tHE dAZEd BELLHOP LEFt -^
  WltH A HEFtY tiP And APOLOGiES FOR^HiS
  "UnHEALtHY WiFE" FR01]1 JOHAnn — tHE
  ." WE lllUSt LEAVE
  — WE CAT] 't LEt QUEEn AnnE CAtCH
  US HERE. ESPECIALLY AFtERjUAt LittLE EPi-
  SOdE I'VE ARBAnGEd tRAnSPORtAtlOn FOR.
  HUW BLOOd On HERLIPS, COULdn 'tlflUStERtHE
  JWiLL tO ARGUE SHE FOLLOWEd JOHAnn '$ftQ
  tHE niGHt, And tHE nEW EXiStEnCE tHAt
  AWAitEdHER.
  THE DEVIL'S DUE
  u
  
  HISTORY, n. An account mostly false, of events mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers mostly
  knaves, and soldiers mostly fools.
  —Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
  Okay, this is what you wanted and it's all I
  could dig up. Thank you so much for sending us
  into the middle of India and all those Chinese and
  Indian psycho-Kindred out for our vitae.
  We found the havens you told us about and dug
  out the journals and artifacts. John and I translated
  and transcribed it in a stinking hotel room in
  Calcutta while some fucked-up coterie calling itself
  the Bone Flowers was looking for us about 200 miles
  away to the south. I can't promise that any of this
  will make sense or answer your questions, but I bet
  it'd make a great summer blockbuster. You know —
  one of those really overblown ones. We could cast
  Ah-nuld as Zapathasura, the tougher-than-hell bas-
  tard who just won't stay dead. Drew Diaz, or whatever
  Hollywood whore is hot right now, could play the
  love interest who sticks a knife in his back, the
  Gangrel progenitor.
  We found pieces of the Karavalanis/ia Vrana,
  though not a complete copy. Clues pointed us
  toward a mountain in Pakistan, but when we went
  there, it looked like pure hell. Something had
  warped the landscape and fused it into glass. John
  saw a crack running through a mountain. We found
  nothing useful there and didn't really want to hang
  around. I swear something was watching us the
  whole time. Something nasty.
  If even half of this stuff is true, I want to get off
  of this world right the fuck now.
  A note about dates: If it happened before the
  Bronze Age, I don't have much in the way of
  accurate chronology. The era of Enoch and the
  Karawianisha Vrana just doesn't exist on the cal-
  endar. My best guess is between 10,000 and 6,000
  BC, but I have no rational way to narrow that
  down. You want better specifics, you can come get
  them. I'm busy holding my bitten-off arm to the
  stump left after the attack by a flying head with all
  the guts hanging out, and hoping it will heal.
  CHAPTER ONE: AGREED UPON LIES
  15
  \
  
  THE KARAVALANISHA VRANA: AN ASIDE
  So you're reading this history and wondering,
  "What the hell is this Karavalanisha Vrana crap?"
  The Karavalanisha Vrana, translated as Wounds
  of the Night's Sword, is an epic poem about the
  origins and early years of the Ravnos clan. It falls
  into clear fabrication and fable at points, espe-
  cially when the author tries to justify the existence
  of the Ravnos and their holy purpose. It also serves
  as the basis for the Path of Paradox, a Ravnos code
  of ethics that sees the Embrace as an investment of
  duty rather than an excuse to claim jurisdiction
  over life and death just because those Embraced
  drink blood.
  All evidence indicates that the Ravnos be-
  lieved Zapathasura him/her/itself wrote the
  original text, but then Kindred of all stripes are
  good at the big lie. I suspect the real culprit was a
  now-forgotten elder with more time and poetic
  talent than good sense. The Karavalanisha Vrana
  could be based on earlier tales about our origins, or
  might be a work of fiction some ancient bastard
  wrote so he could keep his childer in line.
  Right now, it's hard to tell either way. The
  existing text is also the best starting point we have.
  Against my better judgment, I believe in it. It
  just... feels right.
  INDIAN RECORDS
  These records are taken from a half-dozen
  havens, presumably those that belonged to elders
  who were destroyed during the Week of Night-
  mares. Stories in the Americas and Europe describe
  Ravnos flying into frenzy and suffering diablerie or
  Final Death. The Ravnos elders showed no signs of
  violence or even resistance. Their desiccated re-
  mains apparently fell wherever the victims were
  standing, or stayed where they were sitting or
  laying. Something appeared to have drained all
  the vitae out of their bodies.
  We burned every body we found, or scattered
  the ashes when too little of the corpse remained.
  MARCIA FELICIA LICINIA
  Centuries ago, the Ravnos elder Marcia Felicia
  Licinia, childe of Phaedyme, childe of
  Marizhavashti Kali, childe of Zapathasura (as she
  signed her name) compiled a trove of information
  on Ravnos history and lineages. Her own journals
  ;;.' : : . . . : > . . ' 
  LEXICON g 
  •
   itfff'^-f
  :f'^.,,'*M 
  ,
  Claribook: Ravnos introduces several terms not
  seen in other Vampire titles. Many are derived from
  Hindu words, but their use among Ravnos may differ
  from usage among mortals. Other words are derived
  from the Romani language, as spoken by the Rroma.
  Alexandrites: A lineage of Ravnos formerly een*
  Jtered in Egypt, now scattered.
  asuratizayya: "Countless demons"; what the
  Ravnos called the siddhi after their fall.
  Bashirites; A Ravnos lineage whose members
  were apocalyptic Christians. Most joined the Sabbat.
  Brahman: One of the original Ravnos jati. The
  Brahmanhad"secondsight"andcouldperceive the world
  in strange ways. Known for their gift of prophecy.
  Chandalas: One of the jati, though not always
  Ravnos. This jati is composed of outcasts and caitiffs,
  and is considered impure.
  jati: A Hindu word, meaning "caste". Among the
  Ravnos, it denotes lineage. Among Indian Ravnos,
  lineage and caste are considered the same thing.
  Karavalanisha Vrana: Wounds of the Night's
  Sword. An epic poem about the Ravnos clan's history
  in India. Much of it is metaphorical or allegorical and
  may make only sidereal reference to real events.
  Zapathasura is the rumored author, but it's more likely
  that several Ravnos contributed to the work over time.
  Kshatriyas: The jati associated with warfare and
  leadership. They led the war against the asuratizflyya for
  millennia. , 
  ..;• 
  ' . 
  ' ••,.:;,•..;.-''• \ 
  ' : . , / • • < ' ''/.' 
  • 
  '.
  kumpaniya: A traveling family or company of
  Rroma. Sometimes described as Gypsies, these com-
  panies may harbor Kindred among their ranks.
  mayaparisatya: From maya, referring to illusion,
  and parisatya, referring to truth. It refers to the "para-
  dox" in the Path of Paradox. The word also occasionally
  refers to the Path itself or to Chimerstry.
  Phaedymites: A visionary branch of the Ravnos,
  this line vanished just after the formation of the
  Camarilla.
   
  4
  Phuri Dae: Brahman Ravnos who traveled west
  with the Rroma. The word comes from Romani and
  means "old womaru" 
  ^ . 
  .. '
  ;<?'.
  ::'.''•'•(, '>:%?*'; ' 
  ' •
  shilmulo: A Kindred; the undead.
  siddhi: Supernatural beings charged to protect hu-
  manity from demonic forces. They failed, becoming
  demonic themselves, and were cursed for their failure.
  Sudras: The most common meaning is "Ghouls",
  but the title carries other formal connotations.'
  svadharma: An individual's purpose; her reason
  forbeing. 
  '-H •' . '.'••• '" ; ;:':;,, * 
  , 
  '.-.
  Vaisyas: A Ravnos jati concerned primarily with
  interaction among mortals and covering up any evi-
  dence of Kindred existence. 
  S 
  i 
  e
  Zapathasura: The Ravnos progenitor. More of a
  title than a name, this word means something like
  ; "Accursed Monster." 
  5 ?
  \
  CLANBOOK: RAVNOS
  16
  
  indicate concern at the arrival of Ravnos with the
  nomadic Rroma and their disdain — even hostil-
  ity —for the Ravnos already established in Europe.
  Much of the following account comes from
  Marcia's writings.
  Lawrence received Marcia's records in an
  anonymously shipped parcel I refer to as the "care
  package." I cannot vouch for Marcia's accuracy —
  some of her writings are downright unbelievable
  — but I included them for the sake of complete-
  ness. Her history fills in gaps that the Indian
  material could not, especially regarding the do-
  ings of the Ravnos once they left India. Also, I
  can't claim to have been around when much of
  this happened, so maybe my modern mind just
  can't wrap itself around what she's describing.
  Perhaps those older than I can vouch for the
  veracity of various incidents... oops, no they can't.
  They're all dead. We may never know, but here
  you have it anyway.
  DEMONS AND THE DEAD
  According to the Wounds of the Night's Sword,
  the Ravnos first appeared in India when a group of
  angelic guardians betrayed their duty and used
  their powers to spread war and tyranny across the
  face of the Earth. These beings, called the siddhi,
  were called before the gods to face justice. The
  siddhi stood accused of murder, of using their power
  to drain the life from the humans they were charged
  to protect. They also faced judgement for losing
  track of their purpose — to battle the true demons
  that encroached upon the mortal world.
  The gods cursed the siddhi, taking their divine
  breath from the culprits and cursing them to be-
  come one with the darkness. The gods named
  them asuratizayya, or "countless demons." Because
  the gods could not strip the accursed horde of all its
  power without greater harm to the world, they
  chose to create a balance. They summoned the
  soul of a man more terribly wronged than any other
  mortal by the siddhi's crimes and told him that he
  was to become like his tormentors, so that he could
  hound them to the four corners of the Earth and
  destroy them. Unlike the asuratizayya, the man
  would be able to make more of his own kind and so
  overwhelm the enemy. Unfortunately, the true
  demons saw how the gods' chosen warrior was
  returned to Earthly existence as one of the unliving
  CHAPTER ONE: AGREED UPON LIES
  17
  
  and taught the secret to the asuratizayya. The
  fallen angels could not learn the secret of the
  Embrace, but with this knowledge, they did not
  need it.
  Some of the gods feared that their unliving
  warrior would turn on them as the siddhi had, and
  cursed him. The gods of fire and the sun especially
  despised this creation because it drew life not from
  warmth, but from death. The king of all the gods
  declared that the warrior would have no true
  name, that he would simply be Zapathasura, or
  anathema, as well as a demon like those he fought.
  I should make it clear that Zapathasura and the
  asuratizayya were never referred to as true demons,
  despite the meaning of the word asura. True de-
  mons lived apart from the world and sought to own
  or devour it. The asuratizayya were beasts that
  chose to emulate the true demons, and
  Zapathasura's creation is best summed up as, "It
  takes a thief to catch a thief."
  On the brighter side, the gods gifted their
  wunderkind with the ability to command animals,
  withstand tremendous physical punishment and
  manipulate may a directly. Unfortunately, his undead
  nature somewhat proved his undoing. Zapathasura
  envied the living and took far more than he needed
  to survive. He passed this hunger on to his childer
  and ultimately to the Ravnos clan.
  1 want to highlight something here: The
  asuratiza^a were bloodsucking demons risen from
  the dead to feed on the living. Sound familiar? It
  damned well should! The so-called asuratizayya
  are just another clan of Kindred. My first guess
  would be the Gangrel, but they're mentioned later
  in a different context. 1 think the would-be histo-
  rian who wrote this poem was confused. 1 also
  think the Ravnos created a Sabbat of sorts thou-
  sands of years before the Lasombra and Tzimisce
  thought one up.
  THF FIRST BROOD
  Zapathasura Embraced five times in the first
  century or two of his existence. He may have
  Embraced others later, but we've found nothing to
  indicate that. All the lineages we've uncovered
  trace their origins back to these five childer.
  The first is called the Black Mother. The Old
  Lady of the Ravnos clan, she occasionally gets
  confused with Kali Ma, the Hindu goddess of
  death, destruction and the end of the world. The
  Black Mother was famous for her perception and
  understanding of all layers of reality and was a
  renowned prophetess. The Brahman, and later the
  Phuri Dae, claim descent from Zapathasura through
  her. The stories say she could sense the asuratizayya
  from hundreds of leagues away, know the deepest
  inner thoughts of all near her, and kept a list of the
  sinners and saints among her peers. After the
  Black Mother abandoned Zapathasura and his war,
  her sire ordered her name stricken from all records.
  (Obviously, they missed a few.)
  The second childe was the Rakshasa, reputed
  to possess unequaled skill at deception. According
  to the stories, he could walk among the most
  potent of the asuratizayya without risk of detec-
  tion, suckle at a tiger's teat and sell water to a
  thirsty fish. During the long years when he stood at
  Zapathasura's right hand, he acted as scout for the
  Ravnos and learned much about the enemy. In
  time, he disagreed with his sire's war and made the
  mistake of telling him so. The two fought bitterly
  and the Rakshasa barely escaped. According to the
  Karavalanisha Vrana, he turned to Zapathasura's
  second-greatest enemy. Based on the apocrypha,
  that enemy might be the so-called "traitor" Ennoia.
  According to other records, the Rakshasa may
  have sought refuge in Africa or what is now re-
  ferred to as the "Middle Kingdom," where the
  Cathayans prowl.
  A WORD FROM DR. MAYHHW
  CLANBOOK: RAVNOS
  18
  
  Zapathasura's third childe was more loyal than
  the first two. Known as Chandraputra the Gen-
  eral, he reputedly led the Ravnos into battle against
  the asuratizayya. He worked with the Black Mother
  to coordinate intelligence, from which he devel-
  oped his strategies. He may have ruled over the
  mortal city-nation of Harappa until it went to war
  against the asuratizayya stronghold of Mohenjo-
  Daro. The Kshatriyas jati traces its lineage through
  Chandraputra.
  The fourth childe, Ravana, allegedly bargained
  with the true demons for power greater than he
  could ever earn from his sire. The text is remark-
  ably short on specifics, though it does say he
  vanished from the world after striking the deal.
  Later tales describe him using his unearned infer-
  nal power to undermine the asuratizayya virtues
  and lure them to his service, as they once lured
  him.
  The fifth childe, Ramessu, is the sire of the
  Vaisyas jati. He watched mortals for signs of
  asuratizayya activity in their midst and Embraced
  solely from the merchant class. In time, he also
  tired of fighting and departed for lands west, where
  he established another lineage that knew nothing
  of Zapathasura and his war against the Eastern
  Kindred. There, Ramessu surrounded himself with
  the trappings and titles of nobility, rising above
  the station assigned him in his homeland.
  THP GANGRPL HFRHSV
  A text separate from the Karavalanisha Vrana
  and given no title describes the creation by the
  gods of a second undead monster. She is called the
  most dangerous of warriors, supposedly mastering
  the art of shapeshifting in order to better combat
  the asuratizayya. When the gods told her the price
  of her existence, she cursed them for making her
  an unliving beast and turned her back on the
  duties they had charged her to fulfill.
  Enraged, the gods cursed their second creation
  to "dwell among the beasts and find no safe haven
  anywhere in the world." They also gave her bestial
  features, so that no human would be deceived by
  her appearance. The text names her as Ennoia and
  her brood as the Gangrel.
  Other stories that follow relate how the
  Gangrel, enraged at their loss of purpose, cannot
  abide the sight of the Ravnos — who, the text
  alleges, never backed down from what was re-
  quired of them. In several times and places, the
  Gangrel and the Ravnos have come to bitter blows
  over everything from territorial boundaries to fa-
  vored vessels.
  The Gangrel "heresy" states that the Gangrel
  can be shown their true destiny
  and so shed their unreason-
  ing hatred. Tales of such
  redemption are less numer-
  ous than accounts of
  conflict, but the
  text seems to
  encourage
  the reader
  to seek
  \
  CHAPTER ONE: AGREED UPON LIES
  19
  \
  
  counsel with the Gangrel and teach them their
  svadharma, or true purpose as Kindred.
  I'd pay a pretty penny to hear what the Gangrel
  say about us.
  ENOCH
  This story came in the anonymous care package.
  I don't understand half of what it means, but I
  transcribed it for the sake of completeness.
  This is the First City, called Enoch, where Caine
  Embraced his childer Enosch, Zillah and had, who
  Embraced the Third Generation. Allegedly, at the same
  time the gods made Zapathasura into the first Ravnos,
  one of Caine's childer Embraced a man by the name of
  Dracian, who was the first of the Ravnos. According to
  this story, Dracian had broken into hod's haven by day
  and attempted to steal something of value to him. had,
  awakened by this intrusion, Embraced Dracian in the
  hope of using this new childe to spy on his siblings and
  their childer. had suspected the other third generation
  neonates (now there's something you don't hear every
  night) of plotting against the three members of the second
  generation and their sire.
  Dracian, for his part, took to the plot like a fish to
  water. He was at heart a selfish man, and becoming one
  of the typically selfish Kindred only deepened that trait.
  Before long, he joined the Third-Generation cabal that
  sought the hearts' blood of the second generation, and he
  led the assault against had. Sources do not say whether
  had (or Enosch and Zillah) were destroyed, but the Flood
  — yes, the biblical Flood that Noah built an ark for —
  followed swiftly on the heels of the Third Generation's
  betrayal.
  Each Antediluvian was cursed for his or her participation
  in the assault upon their sires. Dracian, as punishment for his
  selfishness and shortsightedness, was cursed to never know satis-
  faction. In search of that elusive quality, he followed the one member of the Third
  Generation who had not been cursed into the East, to seek what that other had allegedly
  found.
  This document also describes a feud with another Antediluvian: Ennoia.
  According to this version, she blamed Dracian for tempting her into the
  assault, or for attacking her sire — the text is unclear as to which. The language
  is different enough from other sources that it appears to be a later addition, possibly
  an attempt at revision.
  MOHENJO-DARO AND HARAPPA
  Two cities in the Indus Valley, 400 miles apart and 4,000 years old, correspond to two cities described
  in several places in ancient journals — at least, I think it's these cities. They and the culture that built them
  are referred to several times in the Karavalanis/ia Vrana.
  r
  CLANBOOK: RAVNOS
  20
  
  . OtL,
  originated in CnocL
  an apparently concpete
  intLtcit
  , expana,
  According to the writings, Ravnos princes ruled
  over several cities in the Indus Valley and nearby,
  and defended them from encroaching asuratizayya.
  What this really means, I think, is that they defended
  their herds from asuratizayya poaching, but their
  actions are presented as a holy mission. I can't tell if
  "prince" is used in the context of a modern Kindred
  prince or if it means the literal ruler of the city.
  The civilization described is quite advanced
  — its people have writing, plumbing, a complex
  theology and a penchant for getting caught in the
  middle of Kindred warfare. Warfare, I might add,
  that was not hindered by the needs of the Mas-
  querade. Descriptions of battles between the
  Ravnos and the asuratizayya include details of the
  incredible Disciplines they employed against each
  other. They caused rivers to run with blood,
  melted the flesh of hundreds or thousands of
  soldiers and shattered their bones, made the sun
  flee the sky and any number of wild claims. If
  they're true, I'm glad these monsters are dust. Let
  me rephrase that: I hope these monsters are dust.
  The conflict continued for several centu-
  ries (as long as 2,000 years in one source, as
  short as 500 years in another). It ended in a
  near-apocalyptic clash between the two cities.
  General Chandraputra led his army of Ravnos,
  ghouls and mortals against the asuratizayya
  who ruled over Harappa. During the battle, the
  two generals called forth otherworldly aid,
  forced "the light of four suns" to shine upon
  each other and turned the river valley red with
  the blood of thousands of mortals and Kindred.
  The final battle reportedly lasted for a year and
  a night, ending when Chandraputra took the
  head of his millennial adversary and condemned
  its soul to the most horrible of Hells.
  No mortal in either city survived this war. The
  sites became necropoli, haunted by the spirits of
  those who died defending them. No Ravnos or
  asuratizayya ever returned to the cities after the
  war ended. Ahem.
  iiti
  i/\ 
  . A./
  CHAPTCR ONE: AGREED UPON LIES
  21
  
  DIASPORA
  In the wake of this confrontation, the ac-
  counts portray the surviving Ravnos as shocked at
  the degree of bloodshed and destruction their war
  brought to those they had sworn to protect. More
  realistically, they probably worried about their
  own asses and covered up the stupidity of the
  conflict in pretty excuses. The end result was the
  first crack in Zapathasura and Chandraputra's con-
  stant drive to wage war against their rivals. Many
  Ravnos questioned whose battle they were fight-
  ing, 
  and all too often, the answer was "not 
  ours."
  Zapathasura's fifth childe, Ramessu, simply
  vanished from his haven one night — apparently,
  the Black Mother refused to assist in any search.
  Just a few centuries later, the Rakshasa turned on
  Zapathasura and departed after a bitter and bloody
  combat with his sire. The Black Mother reported
  to Zapathasura that Ravana had turned to unholy
  powers to forge forbidden pacts, but he, too,
  disappeared.
  The final desertion occurred on the heels of
  Alexander the Great's arrival in Northern India.
  (I know — force a cynical sigh of relief, as
  Alexander's appearance in the history constitutes
  Real History! Unfortunately, I'll have to warn you
  not to grow too comfortable....) After the
  conqueror's death, his army returned to the west
  whence they had come. The Black Mother fol-
  lowed them.
  Along with the desertion of Zapathasura's
  childer, younger generations also left India for
  lands hopefully less drenched in bloody conflict.
  They traveled east and west, searching out a place
  where they could avoid the endless conflict with
  the asuratizayya. Zapathasura himself fell into tor-
  por from despair, leaving the clan in the hands of
  Chandraputra, his only remaining loyal childe.
  The Methuselah Chandraputra tried to re-
  structure the clan in the wake of mass desertions
  and a complete collapse in morale. He constructed
  what would later become the Path of Paradox, or
  the study of mayaparisatya. Newly Embraced Ravnos
  were indoctrinated in mayaparisatya tenets, which
  demanded an understanding of the clan's place in
  the world and its members' devotion to the war
  \
  CLANBOOK: RAVNOS
  22
  
  against those Kindred who could not or would not
  understand their purpose. Naturally, this included
  the asuratizayya-
  RAMESSU
  Ramessu turns up in documents that came in
  the care package, authored by Marcia Felicia Licinia
  —yes, I know her name is not strictly correct
  according to Roman tradition. You can tell her she
  screwed it up.
  Ramessu was a powerful elder who existed in
  Egypt for centuries and Embraced the lineage that
  later became known as the Alexandrites. These
  Middle Eastern Ravnos traveled extensively, alone
  and with the Rroma who arrived later. Soon after
  reaching Egypt, Ramessu carved a bloody chunk
  out of Setite territory when they tried to eject him.
  At the time, the Setites were battling Lupine clans
  also native to Egypt and lacked the resources to
  fight both. Not long after Ramessu established
  himself, the Setites approached him with a pro-
  posed alliance against the Lupines.
  Over time, Ramessu apparently lost himself in
  reminiscing, to the point that he denied the passing
  of Dynastic Egypt. He apparently created an "au-
  thentic" Egyptian court that survived into the
  Renaissance, despite routine bouts of torpor. Though
  I'm tempted to dismiss this detail as conjecture or as
  proof of Ramessu's own deranged state, I have seen
  enough supporting documents penned by those claim-
  ing to be Alexandrites to indulge my doubt. Surely,
  some arid haven somewhere contains the wealth of
  kings and an undead court to spend it, if only to spite
  my bitterness.
  THE RAKSHASA
  The Rakshasa, according to all evidence (which
  isn't much) traveled west to Africa and Embraced
  several childer as he went. He took care to educate
  them, but didn't stay with them long — at most, a
  decade or two — before moving on. At least four
  distinct Northern African lineages claim descent
  from a trickster figure with no name or home, who
  warned against the sins of his father and cautioned
  them to prepare for the time when "our sire turns
  his wrath upon us and destroys the world." The last
  evidence of the Rakshasa's presence in Africa is at
  least 3,000 years old.
  jLaccounts aLuttLfou nderoftLseJlfri
  can lineaaes Jo matck closely witk wLt we Low o
  tie fiaLLsa. But if- 
  a* mentioned earlier -
  L was a akoul, then Low could LCmhrace more
  jgavnoJjsuSpecttL "tricLterfiaure motion,
  is Ramessu and that some accounts confuse tL two
  -or the accounts lead to erroneous conclusions
  tLt references to one are actually references to the
  otLr.^LhoundscLracteristicofa 
  trickster in
  my opinion. Jllternativelu, tL tricLter may he an
  undocumtntedchilcLofZapatLsura s, oramemhe,
  of a later generation.
  (jweJolun Ls a Lilt of static tier assump-
  tions witkaLsolute surety wLn In fact sL discusses
  natters we cannot know for certain. SL is Lr own
  paradox - dodtfedLy certaintu. J<eep this in,
  mind when reading her history.
  THE BLACK MOTHER
  The Black Mother was present for Alexander the
  Great's arrival. She apparently knew (Rumor? Gift of
  prophecy? Who can say?) of his arrival well in ad-
  vance and watched his progress as he led his army into
  her homeland. She Embraced one of Alexander's
  soldiers and followed her childe back to Europe. The
  Black Mother spent several centuries crossing Eu-
  rope, ending her sojourn in Southern Gaul. The last
  anyone heard of her was more than 2,000 years ago,
  during the Roman Empire's height.
  RAVANA
  Rumors claim that Ravana, in the service of
  infernal powers, led hundreds of asuratizayya to their
  doom, promising them glory and power they could
  not otherwise gain. According to one apocryphal
  account, Ravana appeared to Zapathasura and of-
  fered him power beyond what even the gods would
  give. Ravana claimed he could walk in the sun and
  enjoy mortal delights. Zapathasura struck him, only
  to hit nothing. As Ravana's taunting laughter slowly
  CHAPTER ONE: AGREED UPON LIES
  23
  
  faded, Zapathasura pondered the offer and what it
  could mean. Shortly thereafter, he fell into his first
  prolonged torpor.
  THE ANCIENT WORLD
  Ramessu's Alexandrites spread throughout
  Northern Africa, southern Europe and Asia Mi-
  nor, with at least a few participating in that great
  Brujah experiment, Carthage. Most tried to avoid
  contact and conflict with other Kindred, prefer-
  ring to retain their freedom of movement through
  stealth rather than fear or respect.
  The Black Mother's childer spread throughout
  the Roman Empire and made their presence known.
  Though few in number, they got on well with the
  Toreador and Malkavians, the three clans that
  made up some of the most decadent of Kindred in
  that era. These Ravnos eventually became known
  as the Sybarites and founded the Path of Paradox
  that has earned the clan so much distrust and
  outright hatred (though the clan's predilection for
  vice in general likely also had something to do
  with it). The eldest Sybarites apparently played a
  game where they each, in turn, claimed to be the
  line's founder. On occasion, they also claimed
  kinship to a famous historical figure — or, if they
  were feeling extreme, claimed to be that figure.
  The game served to keep the line from losing their
  most potent elders, as no Kindred could be certain
  who to look for.
  In India, Chandraputra assembled a new order
  with a stronger commitment to opposing the
  asuratizayya. He'd learned something about Kin-
  dred psychology and mixed the philosophical
  rhetoric with appeals to the Ravnos' selfish char-
  acter. In other words, he convinced the clan that
  it was in their best interests to stand and fight
  rather than leave for parts unknown.
  This militancy was helped along by a fresh
  influx of asuratizayya from China, who apparently
  believed it their holy duty to expunge India of all
  Kindred influences. At the same time, Kindred of
  other clans — Oangrel, Lasombra, Malkavians,
  Tzimisce and Ventrue primarily — arrived in In-
  dia, probably on the heels of Alexander's army.
  Some of the new arrivals aligned with the Ravnos
  against the Eastern Kindred, and in time a few
  adopted Ravnos philosophy and cosmology.
  Others bitterly fought Ravnos and asuratizayya for
  dominion. The end result was a vast diversity in
  India's Kindred presence.
  As an interesting side note, the Karavalanisha
  Vrana is based entirely in mythology from this
  period, a few thousand years after Zapathasura
  supposedly had his necromantic apotheosis at the
  hands of gods who wouldn't be named for a long
  time afterward. Not that I would ever hint that
  the clan founder was a self-serving bastard intent
  on making himself look good in front of the clan
  he created. No more than any other Kindred, at
  any rate. Give a guy godlike power and he decides
  he's flawless....
  THE ROMAN EMPIRE
  The Sybarites' nights of prominence!
  Chandraputra's teachings filtered into Europe
  through deliberate action; the ancient Kshatriyas
  attempted to spread the mayaparisatya teachings in
  hopes of drawing rogue lineages back into the fold.
  The attempt backfired unpleasantly. The Syba-
  rites took the teachings and twisted them to support
  a philosophy of unhindered self-indulgence. The
  Path of Paradox became an excuse for them to do
  whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, to
  whomever happened to be convenient.
  Of course, the Path of Paradox didn't really
  encourage this behavior. The Sybarites were al-
  ready well on their way down that road. The
  addition of a codified ethos that jusitifed their
  hedonism was simply the final straw that ushered
  in nearly two millennia of indulgence and sin.
  It didn't help matters that Chandraputra's
  messengers slid into the Roman Ravnos' de-
  bauchery and vice. In fact, they adopted it
  wholeheartedly. They drank the blood of chil-
  dren, fornicated like still-living mortals and
  bought tangible comforts with money they stole
  from each other, their Kindred fellows and
  wealthy mortals.
  At the same time, the Alexandrites melted
  further into the shadows, hoping to avoid the
  reputation their more public cousins were stir-
  ring up, and the elder Phaedyme established
  her own power base in Gaul. This act led to
  competition with the already present Ventrue
  and Gangrel — the latter none too pleased
  \
  CLANBOOR: RAVNOS
  24
  \
  
  with Phaedyme's arrival or her growing influ-
  ence. About the only positive side effect of
  Phaedyme's presence was her and her childer's
  practice of destroying Sybarites who intruded
  on their territory. These killings were not acts
  of philanthropy: Phaedyme's sire simply wanted
  no intrusions or attacks on her while she lay in
  torpor. Why she saw other Ravnos — even the
  decadent Sybarites — as a threat is not entirely
  clear. I should note here that the Path of
  Paradox's prohibition against diablerie on other
  Ravnos was a later addition, probably the work
  of an elder tired of attempts upon his blood.
  THE PATH OF PARADOX
  The Roman Path of Paradox was an odd beast.
  On the one hand, it espoused spiritual purity. On
  the other, it claimed that its adherents could
  achieve such purity through diablerie, theft and
  murder. The path's tenets further laid out an alter-
  native cosmology to Zapathasura's creation and
  Dracian's self-imposed exile. It taught that the
  Antediluvians willed themselves into existence.
  Once they had formed, they realized that the world
  was filled with energy and so they began to take it
  for their use. A final Antediluvian created himself
  in a similar act of will and vowed to stop the others
  before they froze the world into an unchanging,
  joyless place with no room for merry activities like
  cannibalism and unbridled bloodlust.
  The Path as laid out in Rome further explained
  that the only way to stop this spiritual stasis was to
  keep the energy in motion — release it. This
  meant that powerful vampires had to be destroyed,
  preferably through diablerie. The ultimate goal of
  the Path was Gehenna, at which the Ravnos An-
  tediluvian would destroy the other Antediluvians
  with the aid of all right-thinking Ravnos.
  Of the Ravnos, I know what I've read and I
  know my sire, his sire, and a few others. Not very
  many, I admit. As far as I'm aware, not one of us
  is comfortable with the Beast. No matter whether
  it drives us to drain a human dry, go utterly insane
  and kill anything within arm's reach, or simply to
  grab that trinket that catches our eye regardless of
  the risk. That last one is the most insidious be-
  cause it's so subtle. Half the time, I'm following
  through on the impulse before I realize what's
  happening. It's enough to make you crazy. It
  seems the debased Roman Ravnos, lost in the
  decadent wonders of the Empire, decided to en-
  shrine that impulse rather than reject it.
  THE B ASHIRITES
  You know that commercial about the candy
  bar? The one where one ingredient mixes with
  another to make a better candy bar? Well, this was
  something like that, only the result probably was
  not for the better. A Ravnos Paradox-follower
  happened to be in Israel when a new religion
  appeared almost overnight. That Ravnos, Bashir,
  claimed to have seen God — which was fine, until
  the Revelation of St. John turned up and Bashir
  ran across it. He took it to heart, melded it with
  Paradox philosophy, and decided that the Path of
  Paradox was actually meant to usher in the apoca-
  lypse as foretold in the Book of Revelation. Bashir
  passed this doctrine along to his childer and ended
  up creating a millennial cult with the fanatical
  intention to cause the Second Coming and bring
  about the end of the world.
  Bashir's line spread throughout the Middle
  East and gained momentum as the presumed time
  for Christ's return approached. Various Bashirites
  killed pilgrims, Muslims, Jews and anyone else
  they thought might bring about the Second Com-
  ing. In one case, a Bashirite caught a peculiar form
  of Jerusalem Syndrome and decided she was the
  Antichrist.
  It eventually became clear even to the most
  blindly devoted Bashirite Ravnos that the Second
  Coming wasn't happening on schedule. Several
  committed suicide in the wake of that realization.
  Others adopted a more relaxed stance toward both
  the Path of Paradox and Scripture.
  THE MEDIEVAL
  PERIOD
  The Ravnos clan underwent its last dramatic
  changes, at least in Europe, during the medieval
  era. Over three centuries or so, the established
  lineages clashed with the Ravnos who arrived with
  the Rroma. Indian journals that match closely
  with the period demonstrate an increased interest
  in the West, along with strong resistance to the
  Ravnosj'ati system. Specifically, the Chandalas jati
  \
  CHAPTER ONE: AGREED UPON LIES
  25
  \
  
  decided they'd rather leave than continue as the
  equivalent of the few Western Caitiff. In truth,
  they had it better. Western Caitiff often suffered
  destruction as soon as they got caught. In India,
  they were simply treated like valueless chattel.
  RROMA RAVNOS
  The Rroma slowly filtered into Europe over
  three hundred years. A few Rroma kumpaniyi (no-
  mad/family groups) brought Ravnos along with
  them. These Ravnos, who had been Chandalas in
  India, felt themselves superior to the Western
  Ravnos, who had diluted their pure blood by Em-
  bracing those not of Indian or Rroma descent. The
  usual interactions led to long-term feuds, destruc-
  tion or conversion — the Chandalas were not
  completely without mercy and would often use
  tactics such as branding and boiling (and killing
  mortal relatives and various larcenies...) to recruit
  Europeans rather than destroy them out of hand.
  In time, the overall Kindred perception of
  Ravnos as Rroma shifted from "newcomers" to
  "they've always been Rroma." Those who were not
  became exceptions — curiosities.
  The Chandalas, some of whom still gave at
  least lip service to the mayaparisatya teachings,
  proved susceptible to the Sybarites' version of the
  Path of Paradox. At first, they tried to teach the
  Sybarites the "correct" way, but many — espe-
  cially the neonates and ancillae — ended up
  converting to the Sybarite view. They already felt
  poorly served by the Indian jati structure. The
  new Path of Paradox erased such distinctions, and
  many young Ravnos were enticed into it simply to
  rid themselves of the "untouchable" stigma they
  had carried in their former homeland.
  THE TREATMENT
  This tradition first appeared during the medi-
  eval era. European Ravnos, many of whom were
  not guilty of the crimes for which they suffered,
  decided to discourage princes from unilaterally
  exiling Ravnos from their domains or destroying
  them on sight. These Ravnos spread rumors about
  the Treatment and told stories to other Kindred
  about the terrible fate of Prince So-and-so in
  Such-and-such-berg over the mountains yonder
  who kicked Ravnos out for no good reason. They
  followed up with stories of how every deceiver
  within two or three weeks' travel showed up on the
  CLANBOOK: RAVNOS
  26
  
  unlucky ruler's doorstep and turned his domain
  into a waking hell. With each retelling, the de-
  scription became more harrowing and bizarre. At
  some point, the stories became reality. I have no
  idea where the first real Treatment happened, but
  it was viciously effective. The princes found the
  Ravnos no less welcome than before, but were less
  willing to kick them out before they misbehaved.
  In a nutshell, the Treatment was a reactionary
  response from offended Ravnos who felt that if
  they couldn't get even the minimal respect most
  clans paid each other, they'd make those clans
  sorry for the snub. Resentful Ravnos would send
  out a call for help, and mendicant or indigent (or
  legitimately blacklisted) fellow Ravnos would con-
  verge on the spiteful city. For weeks or months at
  a time, the avenging Ravnos would run amok,
  indulging their desires as they saw fit. I'm sure
  you're well acquainted with our penchant for ta-
  boo — now imagine a score of Ravnos, all having
  their way with a given city. Killings soared, the
  invaders stole everything not nailed down, they
  seduced husbands and wives, bread was poisoned
  or the grain used to make it found curiously in-
  fested with ergot... the list goes on.
  These kinds of tactics did little to help the
  Ravnos build a better reputation, but worked bril-
  liantly as a method of bullying others into never
  letting such things happen again. Believe me,
  these documents make no bones about how quickly
  the princes of the Long Night acceded once their
  domains became dens of sin and iniquity.
  Tne OTHERS
  The Phaedymites reached their height in the
  medieval era. Many of Phaedyme's descendents
  chose to adopt the tenets of chivalry in favor of
  other paths. They were never a populous lineage,
  but they probably exercised the most self-control
  among the Western jati. The Yoryari, a small
  splinter faction composed of Sybarites who re-
  jected their fellows' more self-indulgent code of
  conduct, eventually adopted the "pure" Path of
  Paradox that the Rroma brought with them. The
  Bashirites met their end as a Western jati and
  largely scattered into the Alexandrites and Syba-
  rites, with a few joining the Rroma.
  THE INQUISITION
  Everyone remembers the Inquisition. At least,
  many Kindred elders remember, or claim to. It was
  not a pleasant time to be Kindred, but then, when
  is? The Catholic Church managed to dig up hun-
  dreds of Cainites and put them to the torch —
  almost as if someone planned it that way. In any
  event, we weren't spared. Sedentary Ravnos were
  caught as easily as members of any other clan, and
  those traveling with the Rroma were as likely to be
  turned in as anyone else. (Assuming the Church
  didn't see the Gypsies as trouble and investigate
  them without outside encouragement.)
  I can't say the Ravnos never took advantage of
  the Inquisition to dispose of a few inconvenient
  enemies — I'm sure every clan did it at some point
  — but the whole thing usually backfired nastily for
  those Kindred who tried. The carefree times were,
  to put it bluntly, over. The mortals knew we were
  out there and they weren't going to take it any-
  more. I'm sure more than a few Kindred thought
  the Inquisition was Gehenna.
  THE CAMARILLA
  Just as it looked like things would never get
  better, a few brave, enterprising Kindred stood up
  and showed the rest of us that we had a better
  option, that we could survive with only a few
  sacrifices. As the histories go, Kindred of all clans
  were invited to join the new social club — the
  Camarilla — and become a part of a "worldwide
  society of Kindred," whatever that's supposed to
  mean. I admit, it looks good on paper, but it's
  horribly fucked-up in practice.
  I want to note here that a few Ravnos elders
  recorded their experiences at the first conclaves
  held to decide the form the Camarilla would take.
  It's true that all Kindred were invited to join, but
  it's also true that Kindred of certain clans were
  invited to go to hell (subtly or otherwise). The
  Camarilla's creators saw it as a club for certain
  clans; while members of the others were welcome,
  they couldn't expect the same blessings.
  Given some of the behavior attributed to the
  Ravnos, I can't exactly blame the founders for not
  wanting our clan in their little social circle. Still,
  \
  CHAPHR ONE: AGREED UPON LIES
  27
  
  I can't help but wonder, why those seven1. In any
  event, the Setites and Ravnos weren't exactly high
  on the popularity scale, not with the founding
  clans. As for the Assamites and the Giovanni, you
  don't invite cannibals into your home.
  Some will tell you their clans chose indepen-
  dence. I think they did, but only because they had
  no other choice.
  AGE OF EXPLORATION
  While the Camarilla suffered its growing pains
  and the Inquisition began to slow down (at least as far
  as destroying Kindred), the European nations were
  building empires. Because most of Europe was al-
  ready explored, "civilization" traveled west and south
  and established colonies in Africa, North America
  and South America. Naturally, because exploration
  involved travel, the Ravnos weren't far behind.
  With the Camarilla elders and their steely-
  taloned claims of dominion choking all life out of
  Europe, the so-called New World represented a
  fresh opportunity. Many Ravnos doubtless found
  the chance to take advantage of the birth of new
  nations exciting — and dangerous. Still, no matter
  how bad things got on the new frontiers, the
  Ravnos who went there probably found their new
  existence preferable to dealing with stuffy
  Camarilla princes who had the weight of seven
  clans behind their proclamations. No, the
  Camarilla's authority didn't make the Ravnos any
  more welcome in Europe than we'd been before. In
  fact, more princes showed a willingness to boot us
  — especially if we didn't have the clear backing of
  mentors, Ravnos or otherwise. The Rroma had the
  advantage because they traveled in relatively large
  groups, big enough to make the princes wary of
  keeping them out. Instead, local rulers merely
  "encouraged" the Rroma to move on fairly quickly.
  In Africa, things were different. The Ravnos
  had lived there all along, competing with the
  Setites, Assamites, Nosferatu and Gangrel for ter-
  ritory and existing among civilizations largely
  forgotten by mortal society. With the rise of colo-
  nization and national expansion, things changed
  considerably. Predictably, the Camarilla followed
  their mortal counterparts to all four corners of the
  world and established their petty fiefdoms along-
  side the newborn colonies.
  CLANBOOK: RAVNOS
  28
  
  THE New WORLD
  I want to make something clear — we're not
  exactly like the Gangrel. Where a Gangrel will
  cross a mountain range to see the valley on the
  other side, her Ravnos counterpart will cross a
  mountain range to put the mountains between her
  and any enemies she left behind. I'm not saying the
  Ravnos set out to make enemies, but it seems
  almost inevitable. If a Ravnos is in town and
  something bad happens, the Ravnos gets blamed.
  Even when we're on our best behavior, we can run
  into trouble just for being in the area.
  I want to establish this point to put Ravnos
  migration to the New World in the proper con-
  text. Not all of the Europeans who came to North
  America, for example, migrated because they had
  wanderlust. Many traveled west to leave their
  respective pasts behind. We traveled right along-
  side them, for exactly the same reason. The New
  World had no elder princes with firmly entrenched
  power structures and support networks built up
  over centuries. At best, the ancillae princes had
  only been present for decades, and were often
  grateful for support no matter the source.
  Most Ravnos traveled to the Americas in
  search of domains where the princes were simply
  not strong enough to afford the kind of indul-
  gence and arrogance the European elders exuded
  like sweat. It makes me wonder what happened in
  the interim.
  RENAISSANCE
  During this age of exploration, Europe expe-
  rienced what some later called a "rebirth of the
  life of the mind." The Renaissance arrived — a
  time of artistic and literary revolution, a time
  when science and reason began to triumph over
  base superstition. Of course, that era also saw the
  birth of the "divine right of rule" concept. Can't
  get them all right, I suppose.
  To the Ravnos, the Renaissance meant in-
  creased commerce. We feed on it — not like the
  Ventrue, who desire to own it, or the Giovanni,
  who treat it like a big game (and whoever dies with
  the most toys... probably still fucks his sister).
  Where there's commerce, there's vice. Where
  there's vice, there are Ravnos. No matter how sick
  and twisted the hobby you can name, I guarantee
  some Ravnos somewhere is trying to improve on it.
  It's what we do. Most of the clan settled for more
  pedestrian variations, engaging in acts of piracy
  and highway robbery.
  The Sybarites of the Renaissance had a par-
  ticularly good time. Much of that jati were in the
  process of joining up with the newborn Sabbat, but
  more than a few continued playing in the same
  arenas they'd occupied since Phoenicia was a na-
  tion. Slaving was one favorite hobby among the
  Sybarites. Europe and the colonies had made en-
  slaving the less "civilized" members of other racial
  groups a booming business. Of course, the Syba-
  rites weren't the only Ravnos involved in the slave
  trade. Several Ravnos had the bright idea of selling
  their mortal relatives into bondage — just goes to
  show you how well Ravnos shilmulo got along with
  the mortal Rroma. This practice wasn't widespreadl;
  it primarily happened in Eastern Europe, but it
  lasted for centuries.
  THE SABBAT
  One of the most common threads in the Ravnos
  ethos, paths and philosophical thought is the con-
  cept of freedom — a peculiar or perhaps oddly
  appropriate emphasis, given that the Ravnos clan
  (at least in India) incorporates a rigid social struc-
  ture that mirrors India's caste system. With such a
  powerful bent toward freedom — freedom to travel,
  freedom to take what we want — it's something of
  a surprise that more Ravnos didn't join the Sabbat
  when it formed.
  More than any other, the Path of Paradox born
  in Rome lives up to its name. It enjoins its follow-
  ers not to follow any expression of Kindred society.
  The Traditions? Screw them. Elders? Ignore them
  or eat them. Why, then, did the largest group of
  Ravnos converts to the Sabbat come from the
  Sybarites — the lineage that most vehemently
  spread the Roman Path within the clan? The
  Sybarites were infamous for their vicious and self-
  serving ways (as if other Kindred aren't more or
  less the same). Apparently, the Sabbat provided a
  structure that allowed them to better indulge their
  baser urges. Interestingly enough, the Path of Para-
  dox is apparently unknown in the Sabbat. It may
  have mutated into something more acceptable to
  Sabbat sensibilities, but I couldn't swear to it.
  CHAPTER ONE: AGREED UPON LIES
  29
  \
  
  Other Sabbat recruits came mainly from
  branches of the Ravnos that weren't Rroma-domi-
  nated, which further reinforced the perception
  among other Kindred that the Ravnos (as opposed
  to antitribu) were all Rroma. The Sabbat's rhetoric,
  heady stuff for its time, provided an outlet for those
  Kindred who didn't care for the shape the Camarilla
  had taken. Not surprising that so many Ravnos
  opted to follow the Sabbat, even if the freedom it
  gave them came at the cost of ideological slavery.
  Were they right to do so? From what I under-
  stand, a large percentage (not population, obviously)
  of survivors from the Week of N ightmares are Sabbat.
  Maybe they made the right choice.
  INDUSTRIAL
  REVOLUTION
  The Industrial Revolution brought many
  changes to the Ravnos. During this time frame, the
  Rroma Ravnos first Embraced giorgio—non-Rroma
  — in large numbers, and did so without grave
  repercussions from their elders.
  Among the rest of the clan — well, if you're
  already into criminal activities, it helps to have a
  large pool from which to draw idle hands. The
  onset of industrialization may not have made for
  many of those, but it did make for hands that
  preferred being idle — quite apart from people
  who simply couldn't find honest work. Industri-
  alization also benefitted criminals by increasing
  the flow of wealth. Manufacturing means more
  goods and more money to buy them. More money
  means more chances for corruption.
  As organized crime grew like a cancer on the
  world's industry, the Ravnos took advantage of it.
  Why ? Well, when your blood drives you to steal, it
  can't hurt to take up thieving as an occupation.
  That's the obvious reason. I'm sure everyone has
  his or her individual ones as well.
  SPCT WARFARE
  In the midst of all this progress, the Sabbat built
  its strength and began lashing out at the Camarilla
  for wrongs committed against Kindred who had been
  destroyed before most of the Sabbat Cainites had
  been Embraced (but revolution is rarely a logical
  affair). The new Camarilla domains in North America
  CLANBOOK: RAVNOS
  30
  
  were ill-prepared to defend against the initial wave of
  Sabbat strikes, and several cities changed hands (in
  some cases, several times).
  This state of affairs didn't make unlife any easier
  for the Ravnos. Freedom of movement is hard to
  maintain when a fanatical sect of apocalyptic sons of
  bitches wants to recruit or eat you. The threat of the
  Treatment wasn't enough to keep them off, because
  they rarely had any qualms about killing those ad-
  ministering the Treatment. On the other hand, it's
  next to impossible to patrol all of an urban area in
  hopes of catching a few random Kindred trying to slip
  through.
  Aside from a few skirmishes, the Ravnos man-
  aged to avoid the sibling rivalry between the Camarilla
  and the Sabbat. For once, our independent status
  proved more of a blessing than a bludgeon for the
  Camarilla elders to wield against us.
  WAR
  The Industrial Revolution brought the world
  many wonders previously unseen, including the
  mass carnage made possible by modern weaponry.
  Napoleon's march across Europe was a chilling
  preview of the destruction to come. The American
  Civil War ended some of the Ravnos' most lucra-
  tive slaving operations (not that I'm about to shed
  tears over that). With the advent of the Gatling
  gun, also during the American Civil War, and
  aviation in the early 20th century, humanity con-
  tinued to refine its ability to inflict the greatest
  amount of bloodshed in the least amount of time.
  Not surprisingly, human awareness of (and conse-
  quently, animosity toward) Kindred declined
  during this period. It's hard to regard Kindred as
  the preeminent threat when mortal armies are
  pumping mustard gas into trenches and burning
  the faces from strapping young men prepared to die
  for their countries.
  THE FIRST WORLD WAR
  It's difficult to describe the effect World War
  I had on Kindred society. The conflict was largely
  restricted to one continent, but that continent
  contained the heart of the Camarilla's power. The
  Kaiser's army rolled over Europe one country at a
  time, sowing carnage in the mortal sphere that
  forced the Camarilla to adapt its accustomed uses
  of the power it wielded among Kindred. These
  events didn't affect the Ravnos much, though, as
  our clan simply moved out of the way. Many of the
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  CHAPTER ONE: AGREED UPON LIES
  31
  
  European Ravnos by this time were of Rroma
  descent and traveled with the nomadic families.
  Princes and elders distressed over the prospect of
  war coming to their precious domains worried
  much less about Ravnos travelers, especially those
  who could bring news of troop movements and
  warnings of impending attack.
  THC SECOND WORLD WAR
  The first historical event of the 20th century
  to have a real impact on the Ravnos was World
  War II. Travel in Europe became more difficult as
  the German Wehrmacht slowly ground the Con-
  tinent under panzer treads and Stuka-carried
  bombs. Even so, few Ravnos had any difficulty
  finding someplace safe to wait out the combat
  when it caught up with them — at least, not until
  the Holocaust.
  PORRAJMOS
  Porrajmos is the Rroma word for the Holocaust.
  To many people in the modern world, the Holo-
  caust happened to the Jews. They forget that it also
  happened to the Rroma. The Nazis carried out
  their genocidal practices against all the so-called
  mongrel races or those they deemed "unfit" to
  breed. For the European Ravnos, Porrajmos was a
  disaster. The Nazis had tracked Rroma movements
  throughout Europe for some time, and rounded up
  kumpaniya after kumpaniya. Along with the Rroma
  prisoners, they gathered up dozens, possibly as
  many as a few hundred, Ravnos shilmulo who trav-
  eled with the Rroma and used them as cover. I
  could manufacture a conspiracy theory accusing
  the German Tremere or Ventrue of a secret plot to
  wipe out the Ravnos — but I don't think it hap-
  pened that way. The Holocaust was bigger than
  the Kindred could ever be. Certainly, some took
  advantage of it. The death camps probably made
  great places to feed without undue notice, as much
  as I hate to say it.
  Some Kindred like to take credit for mortal
  history. Anytime anything significant happens, a
  Toreador, Tremere or Ventrue will pop up and say
  "We did that!" I suppose it makes them feel useful.
  I haven't heard of any who took credit for the
  Holocaust, however, outside of a few deranged
  individuals. Lawrence says he's met elders who
  would gladly lay claim to any atrocities they have
  committed, but they will not claim this one.
  CLANBOOK: RAVNOS
  32
  
  To mortal perceptions, the Jews suffered more
  than anyone under the Holocaust. To the Kin-
  dred, more Ravnos probably met Final Death in
  the Second World War than did members of any
  other clan. Convenient, perhaps. I see it as a
  lesson, but I haven't figured out what the lesson is
  yet.
  Stories still circulate through the clan about
  Ravnos who ended up in the camps and Embraced
  every Rroma — or in some cases, every prisoner —
  they could find. As the tales go, the whole crew
  then led an assault on the guards. If this happened
  even half as often as the stories claim, the Holo-
  caust would be a footnote in mortal history. I have
  no doubt it happened once or twice, and those
  events were inflated over the decades until half of
  Poland had Ravnos-infested death camps.
  Some Ravnos who survived that time and
  resided in Europe blame the Tremere for the
  event, calling the Holocaust a ruse to destroy the
  Ravnos clan. Kindred are, as I've mentioned ear-
  lier, an egotistical lot. I cannot find it plausible
  that the warlocks would go to the trouble of
  slaughtering millions of mortals just to wipe out
  one clan. Well, I take that back. I can see it, but
  I'm not sure such an act is logistically possible.
  Kindred are not the predators they claim to be.
  They're parasites, dependent on the mortals, not
  the shepherds of the children of Seth.
  THE MODERN ERA
  After the Second World War, things settled
  down, relatively speaking. The superpowers snarled
  at each other while the former Allies carefully
  defanged Germany and Japan. The eldest Ravnos
  awakened to find a strange new world, with an
  India just freeing itself from British rule. In con-
  junction with the British Empire's withdrawal from
  India, the asuratizayya renewed their efforts to
  expel Western Kindred from the nation. The el-
  ders fought back, initially with considerable success,
  as the Eastern Kindred were relatively young and
  unprepared to deal with older and cannier attack-
  ers. This conflict escalated as stronger asuratizayya
  came to assist in the war and the Ravnos Embraced
  more childer to serve as cannon fodder.
  THE 60s
  For the American Ravnos among the Rroma,
  this decade was an interesting time. The Rroma
  were settling down all over, forcing the Ravnos to
  settle down along with them or find another meal
  ticket. By the early 1970s, a large percentage of
  the itinerant Rroma may well have ended their
  traveling days because of their bloodsucking rela-
  tives. This change meant that fewer Rroma were
  available to provide cover for Ravnos who wanted
  it. The primary alternatives to the Ravnos' van-
  ishing lifestyle were to join the Sabbat, join the
  Camarilla, or join the anarchs.
  Or, in some cases, join the Hell's Angels —
  though it's hard to join a biker gang if you can't
  come out by day. These guys do runs night and day,
  and while they won't look at you too strangely if
  you only come out at night, they won't put their
  own recreation on hold just to accommodate some-
  one who doesn't want a tan. Many Ravnos who
  took up the biker look did so in groups, to give
  themselves decent cover stories. At least, they did
  until police and highway patrols started cracking
  down on groups of motorcyclists.
  Hippies offered another popular option for
  itinerant Ravnos — deadheading was apparently
  a popular pastime for Ravnos well into the 1990s,
  at least until Jerry Garcia's death. Hippies were
  already strange enough, viewed with suspicion by
  the "straight" population and otherwise sufficiently
  odd that a few additional peculiarities didn't stand
  out too much. Ravnos and hippies ultimately
  proved something of a volatile mix. Indulging in
  chemical recreation became a popular vice among
  the younger Ravnos, with the expected conse-
  quences. I may be going out on a limb here, but I
  think it's a little unwise to give undead bloodsuck-
  ers who can conjure images through sheer force of
  will access to hallucinogens.
  THE'80s
  During this decade in India, the conflict with
  Eastern Kindred started to really pick up for the
  first time in centuries. The Kshatriyas experi-
  mented with mass Embracing as a weapon against
  the asuratizayya, with mixed results. The
  asuratizayya appeared in unprecedented numbers,
  CHAPTER ONE: AGREED UPON LIES
  33
  
  for which the Indian Ravnos were often unpre-
  pared. Apparently, Eastern Kindred can't just
  Embrace others, as the Ravnos can — they have
  some other method of defying Final Death. Still,
  when faced with swelling global populations, even
  the more rigorous asuratizayya "Embrace" results
  in foes more numerous than before.
  BHOpAL
  One account records a plan to Embrace several
  hundred mortals in a single night and cover the
  event up in what would appear to be an industrial
  accident. What really happened? In 1984, the
  Kshatriyas swept into the city of Bhopal and gath-
  ered up mortals for the Embrace to send them as a
  massive Kindred wave against a potent asuratizayya
  who posed a serious threat to the status quo. The
  plan was to Embrace, force the childer to feed on
  their families, and manufacture an incident to
  cover up the disappearances and deaths.
  As inevitably happens, someone screwed up.
  At the end of the day, more than 40 tons of poison
  gas killed over 4,000 people and injured 50,000
  more. On the brighter side, the toxin also polluted
  the asuratizayyas' herds and weakened the Eastern
  Kindred long enough for the Ravnos and their
  cannon fodder to destroy them. Hooray for our
  team. The masterminds who thought this up were
  aware of Union Carbide's poor safety standards,
  but underestimated just how bad the situation was
  when they sabotaged the plant.
  In India, the ancients awakened and walked
  again. Their childer — the elders — prepared the
  way for them. At the same time, Indian Ravnos
  traveled east and west in search of those Ravnos
  who had left or never known India. When they
  found what the clan had become — the European
  shilmulo with pretensions to mysticism through a
  false Path of Paradox, the American Ravnos with
  no knowledge whatsoever of the clan's reason for
  existence, and so many others who did not even
  try to resist the vices imposed or facilitated by the
  Beast — they took action.
  In a reversal of events centuries before, when
  the Sybarites' flawed Path spread through the
  newcomers, this wave of newcomers converted the
  Western Ravnos to mayaparisatya. Perhaps the
  followers of the Sybarites' Path of Paradox were no
  longer satisfied with an ethos that claimed "all is
  permissible, nothing is forbidden"? It's possible. I
  can't imagine an unlifetime of excess as remotely
  satisfying, never mind centuries of it.
  The converts may also have found the alterna-
  tives less than desirable. The Ravnos who left
  India to spread the good word were often quite old,
  very powerful and extremely intolerant of youthful
  indiscretions. My impression is that the converts
  could choose to adapt or die. Even with such a
  traumatic reason for evolution, it took years for
  the change to make it as far as America's West
  Coast or South America. I believe that by 1998, a
  majority of the Path of Paradox followers had
  converted to the "proper" path. Timely, no doubt.
  Accompanying the conversions were the rumors
  of powerful Methuselahs of the Fourth and Fifth
  Generations awakening and tearing a frightening
  swath of destruction through their enemies in India.
  In fact, if the journals can be believed, hundreds —
  if not thousands — of Ravnos were Embraced, sent
  against the asuratizayya and destroyed within a mat-
  ter of nights at a time, over the final decade of warfare
  before Zapathasura's awakening.
  THE WEEK OF
  NIGHTMARES
  The week of the Ravnos Antediluvian's awak-
  ening — by whatever name you want to call it —
  was a literal week of nightmares. Ravnos Disci-
  plines flew out of control as even the weakest
  neonates effortlessly produced illusions and skilled
  elders created images without the conscious intent
  of doing so. Few Ravnos could take advantage of
  this potency as visions from the Antediluvian's
  clash with its enemies overwhelmed them.
  I saw my sire and his sire suffer from literal
  waking nightmares and bring them to "life" before
  they could get things under control. Lawrence's
  attempts to explain the appearance of a many-
  headed monster in battle with a tiger and a dragon
  in the middle of an LAX-bound airplane were
  amusing, but they didn't help his reputation. Fur-
  ther evidence, all of it anecdotal, indicates that
  such incidents happened to Ravnos around the
  world. At the time, we worried more that someone
  was slipping PCP-LSD cocktails to our herd, but
  abstinence didn't seem to help.
  CLANBOOK: RAVNOS
  34
  
  On the fourth night, it got really bad. I guess
  the best "new age" way to describe the event is as
  if a psychic bomb went off. It happened during the
  day, but all of us awoke when it hit. I didn't get
  much rest for that day. Come nightfall, things
  grew much worse. When I arose, I found Karl,
  more tense than I've ever seen him, sitting in front
  of the television and flipping channels like it was
  an Olympic sport. At first, I was annoyed. But as I
  watched, I realized how wonderfully delicious his
  blood must taste, as well as how surely he deserved
  destruction. I can't explain the loathing that pen-
  etrated to my bones and seemed as natural as...
  well, as natural as anything else we do.
  On one level, I wanted nothing more than to
  bite down on Karl and devour his soul. On another
  level, I knew doing that would be the King
  Kamahameha of all bad ideas. I don't know how
  long I stood there before Karl turned and saw me.
  He cured me of my indecision — he attacked me.
  Between desperation and serendipity, we man-
  aged not to destroy each other, but it was close for
  awhile. We both left for other places to stay (with-
  out telling each other or the good doctor, who'd
  fucking better not claim this story as his, or
  Zapathasura's destruction will seem like Migraine
  Headache #15, and I hope I make myself perfectly
  clear) until the fit passed.
  The thirst and rage lasted for four nights. I've
  never felt a rage like that before and I hope never
  to feel it again — a filthy, driven rage, backed by
  a hatred 10,000 years old and encrusted with
  enough emotional baggage to sink Asia. Such fury
  called to mind the end of the world.
  Who knew that was exactly what it heralded?
  By the time we began to suspect, we knew it was
  big, but until Lawrence got his care package, we
  didn't know just how big it was, and is.
  Two months ago, I — we, all five of us — stood
  on the plain in Bangladesh where Zapathasura (or
  Ravana, or Dracian, or whatever name you care to
  throw its way) fought its last battle. We found the
  spot where it was destroyed by the light of four
  suns, where — by all the evidence we can gather
  — someone detonated nuclear weapons. We have
  a scrapbook of news reports from the time, about
  the worst typhoon to strike this area in more than
  a century. They don't tell the half of it.
  CHAPTER ONE: AGREED UPON LES
  35
  
  Looking over the area, it's clear that someone
  or something swept through afterward and tried to
  hide the evidence. They were thorough, but not
  completely so. We found enough to tell us what we
  needed to know — that at least three or four
  powerful, or should I say godlike, things battled
  here. That reality, maya as some would call it, was
  torn here.
  I wish I could find the words to convey with
  sufficient gravity what I'm trying to say. In the
  simplest terms, "this is the first battlefield of
  Gehenna." I can't begin to convey the profound
  nature of this fact — the end of the world started
  here. How could I? It's too big. What keeps me up
  wondering all day is, "Where next?" Then I won-
  der, "What the hell can I do about it?"
  FALLOUT
  In the weeks that followed those days of hell,
  we learned a few things. First, a lot of Ravnos
  apparently went mad for no good reason. We
  couldn't reach most of the Ravnos Lawrence and
  Karl kept in touch with (and still haven't managed
  it). Lawrence consulted some experts regarding
  Indian mythology and its imagery, from which we
  learned that people all over had visions of
  Zapathasura's swan song. The Fortean Times was
  abuzz with stories of weird events during that
  hellish week and I suspect I'm barely touching the
  tip of the iceberg.
  I know you're wondering about the other clans
  — how did they react to all this? As far as I can tell,
  they didn't. That is, most of them don't have a
  clue. A few have a clue, but it's incomplete. Some
  Kindred think all of us are dust, but they don't
  know why. Some know more details than I do.
  Some might suspect the truth and are afraid to
  speak of it. In the Camarilla, I don't blame them.
  Those ostriches aren't about to admit Gehenna's
  on their doorstep until it's sitting on the sofa,
  guzzling all the beer and putting out cigarettes on
  \
  CLANBOOK: RAVNOS
  36
  
  the coffee table. Even then, they'll probably try to
  pass it off as their undersocialized geek uncle.
  We're the first, but more will follow. When
  one of the Camarilla clans falls, you can bet they'll
  take notice. They'll blame it on the Sabbat, but at
  least they might start doing something.
  PROPHECY
  What's next ? Good question. Back in India, all
  our best evidence showed that the eldest Ravnos
  were destroyed during the Week of Nightmares.
  All well and good, but now we're not so sure.
  Stories filter around and a few of us still talk — we
  have to, to survive. Stories about the legendary
  Durga Syn pop up every so often, linked to rumors
  about the Nosferatu. Maybe they're next?
  Durga Syn isn't the only one, either. Part of
  this history was gleaned from work completed 600
  to 800 years ago, by a Ravnos who was ancient
  then. We received it in the mail before we went to
  India. Why? Who sent it? I don't know, but I have
  suspicions.
  Does the idea make me comfortable? No. The
  other Grave Robbers and I take great comfort in
  the idea that all the oldest, most powerful Ravnos
  bit the dust two years ago. I just don't like thinking
  that one of those ancient bastards is ready to rise
  up and start using us in some private war or other,
  pretending it's a holy duty that comes part and
  parcel with the blood.
  Wake up and welcome Kali. Gehenna's
  almost here.
  \
  \
  CHAPTER ONE: AGREED UPON LIES
  37
  \
  
  The universe seems bankrupt as soon as we begin to discuss the characters of individuals.
  — Henry David Thoreau
  The Ravnos really don't fit one tidy definition,
  not because the charlatans lack common traits, but
  simply because humanity — and by extension, the
  Kindred — have come up with so many crimes.
  That's right, every Ravnos is a criminal of some sort,
  whether that crime is based in human or Kindred
  society or both. No one has a reason to sugarcoat that
  simple truth, no matter how uncomfortable it is. If it
  seems bigoted or insensitive, it is — because all too
  often, the Ravnos' crimes are only against the prin-
  ciples of others.
  Ravnos usually congregate in small broods or
  packs ostensibly led by one who has probably Em-
  braced the others. The Ravnos do this for safety in
  numbers, although many put on a show of blood
  loyalty. Not all Ravnos believe in this so-called
  obligation within the clan; many use it primarily to
  convince clanmates to do favors for them.
  In the wake of the Week of Nightmares,
  however, surviving Ravnos often eschew contact
  with other Ravnos, fearing a recurrence of the
  madness that consumed the clan and destroyed
  so many. Even those Ravnos who choose to asso-
  ciate with their broods are wary of a recurrence.
  Few will discuss the matter with other Kindred
  under any circumstances.
  THE RAVNOS
  EMBRACE
  The Ravnos treat the Embrace in different
  ways depending on which segment of the clan is
  involved. Indian Ravnos and Path of Paradox
  adherents see the Embrace as a metaphysical sac-
  rifice to one or more gods so the childe can move
  on to fulfil her svadharma, as well as assist other
  Kindred in the fulfillment of theirs. Among many
  of the younger American lineages, the Embrace is
  usually given without much ceremony — it de-
  pends on personal taste and the individual sire's
  background and preferences.
  CHAPTER Two: ON THE ART OF BEING RAVNOS
  39
  \
  
  Ravnos create new childer for a vast number of
  reasons. Some Ravnos select a criminal mind as care-
  fully as an artist seeks a prote'ge, while others look for
  candidates who can assist them in their own schemes.
  In many cases, a Ravnos sire expects his childer to stay
  around for a long time — before the Week of Night-
  mares, many Ravnos structured their broods as families,
  albeit dysfunctional ones. During the disaster, most
  such families were wiped out in blood-crazed frenzies.
  Of the few that survived, many have not been heard
  from since.
  The Ravnos clan as a whole adheres to no single
  rule that all must follow — everything is fairly
  informal among most of them. Only those who turn
  their Damnation into a religion — the Paradox
  followers —have codified who, when, how and why
  a childe receives the Embrace. Among the Indian
  Ravnos, a prospective sire petitions her sire for the
  right to Embrace. With the permission and blessing
  of both her sire and the eldest Ravnos in her city, she
  brings her new childe into the fold.
  New childer of Paradox followers are taught the clan's
  history and duties—a small degree of indoctrination into
  the Paradox mindset — and typically are released to
  become full shilmulo within two decades, usually much
  sooner. Neonates aren't expected to turn to Paradox
  before the first century of unlife passes, nor are they pressed
  to accept it. They are, however, expected to abide by its
  tenets when in the presence of their elders.
  INDIAN MASS EMBRACES
  Sabbat-style mass Embraces are the primary excep-
  tion to the Indian mode of Embrace. The practice is
  deemed brutish by those few outsiders aware of it, but some
  Ravnos feel — prompted by their conflicts with the
  Cathayans — that mass Embrace tactics are necessary for
  victory. As the number of Eastern Kindred increases and
  the fighting becomes more intense, the Eastern Ravnos
  are more willing to Embrace a dozen or so in a single night
  to use as cannon fodder. These unfortunates are not
  expected to survive, and are occasionally destroyed after
  they've served their purpose. Some elders protest this
  tactic, stating that it violates the tenets of Paradox and the
  mortals' own destinies.
  ^/AT/AND
  BLOODLINES
  Among the most traditional Ravnos, mortal lin-
  eage is at least as important as Kindred. Among the
  eldest, it defines the Kindred's role in the clan, much
  to the chafing of neonate sensibilities.
  CLANBOOK: RAVNOS
  40
  i
  
  How MANY?
  /How many Ravnos still walk the World of
  Darkness? In the nights following the Week of
  Nightmares, estimates range from fewer than 100
  to double or triple that. Time of Thin Blood states
  that "perhaps 100 survive, and no powerful elders."
  Nights of Prophecy implies that there may be
  more, and shows that Durga Syn and her brood
  clearly survived (and if Durga Syn isn't a powerful
  elder, who is?). 
  , 
  „ 
  -
  In truth, there isn't a single gospel answer as to
  -how many Ravnos survived the week, befond
  "very few." How many died? Most of them. This
  leaves a great deal of leeway in individual chronicles
  for Storytellers and players to determine just how
  many Ravnos are still around. 
  ,
  WHAT ABOUT THE HLDHRS?
  Elder survival is another matter. It all really
  depends on how one interprets "powerful elders."
  Does it mean that all fourth and fifth generation
  Ravnos were destroyed? Does it mean that no
  Ravnos stronger than eighth generation survived
  the purge? Again, this question is for individual
  chronicles to determine. Clanbook: Ravnos hints
  that a few powerful elders are up and about in the
  wake of the Week of Nightmares, but those hints
  may be misleading.
  WHO CARESABOUT
  THE WFEK OF NIGHTMARES?
  If the Week of Nightmares hasn't happened
  yet in your chronicle, or the Storyteller doesn't
  plan to use it, then simply ignore all references to
  it and its effects. The Ravnos ate still at full
  strength and up to whatever they were doing. It's
  that simple.
  ]ati is the Hindi word for "caste," and refers to a
  Ravnos' lineage within the clan. Several Ravnos jati
  exist, originating from nearly every continent and
  ranging in age from the most ancient to a matter of
  decades. Naturally, the eldest lines hold more status
  than the newer (some would say "vulgar") lines. Few
  Ravnos agree on what a jati should be, let alone
  whether any given line constitutes a valid caste.
  Most neonates could care less about the entire ques-
  tion of pedigree.
  LINES
  The following lineages are the original Ravnos
  lines and were prominent in India up until the Week
  of Nightmares. Some probably still exist, but not in
  sufficient numbers to make a large difference. Nearly
  all of the Indian elders were destroyed.
  The Ravnos elders in India tried to enforce strict
  rules about which Ravnos could Embrace which
  mortals, often in much the same way as the princes
  in Western cities. For Indian practitioners of the
  Path of Paradox, however, the strictures carried the
  weight of the Antediluvian's words, or so the elders
  liked to claim. Ravnos were forbidden to Embrace
  mortals who were not part of their own caste —
  Ravnos Brahman could Embrace only Brahman,
  Kshatriyas could Embrace only mortal Kshatriyas,
  and so on. In truth, few Ravnos obeyed the stricture
  and many elders chose to assume the neonates came
  from the appropriate castes. With the conflict against
  the asuratizayya a constant threat, the Ravnos were
  more interested in results.
  BRAHMAN
  The Brahman Ravnos have a gift of sight that the
  other jati do not, and often use it to divine the future
  or the locations of their enemies. The Brahman also
  consider themselves the keepers of the "Way of
  Mayaparisatya," or the Path of Paradox. Among the
  Indian Ravnos, the Brahman are the spiritual advi-
  sors and philosophers of the clan, and often serve as
  advisors to other jati.
  Brahman replace Fortitude with Auspex in
  their clan Disciplines, and are otherwise identical
  to other Ravnos.
  KSHATRIYAS
  The Kshatriyas are the traditional warriors,
  and most Ravnos in India belong to this jati. The
  elder Kshatriyas traditionally outlined strategy
  for the war against the asuratizayya, and many
  were among the deadliest Kindred in India. De-
  spite tradition, many Embraced British soldiers
  and officers while India remained part of the
  British Empire. After the British departure, many
  continued to look outside India for competent
  soldiers to bring into the asuratizayya war.
  In recent centuries, the Kshatriyas sometimes
  employed the "mass Embrace" strategy. They swept
  through a neighborhood or village and Embraced as
  many mortals as they could, often adding several
  dozen to their ranks over a single night. Those
  considered unworthy were given to the fledglings as
  their first meals. The Kshatriyas conducted such
  mass Embraces as preludes to massive assaults against
  packs of asuratizayya or individually powerful East-
  ern Kindred in an attempt to overwhelm them while
  the truly skilled Kshatriyas made the actual kills.
  CHAPTER Two: ON THE ART OF BEING RAVNOS
  41
  
  The Brahman warned against this tactic, but even
  they could not deny its success on several notable
  occasions.
  Few surviving Kshatriyas remain in India, hav-
  ing chosen to seek their fortunes elsewhere. The
  Week of Nightmares convinced many that the war
  itself was futile.
  VAISVAS
  Traditionally Embraced from the merchant class,
  the Vaisyas are the Ravnos who traditionally deal
  with mortal society. Most Vaisyas had many connec-
  tions and much power in their neighborhoods and
  cities before the Embrace, and they maintain these
  ties through their families' wealth and influence.
  Vaisyas oversee the cities so that the Kshatriyas are
  free to manage the war.
  Typically, the Vaisyas handle Ravnos interac-
  tions with mortal governments and businesspeople,
  cover up any problems that could lead to discovery of
  Kindred existence (Eastern or Western) on a wide
  scale and track the movements of Eastern Kindred in
  the cities. Historically, one of this jati's more frustrat-
  ing duties was to "clean up" after the Kshatriyas' holy
  wars, usually with fire or reports of plague or some
  other means of keeping too many mortals from asking
  questions. It's impossible to prevent suspicion com-
  pletely, but with the number of humans packed into
  a city like New Delhi, the Vaisyas rarely found it hard
  to keep the wrong people from asking the wrong
  questions — if nothing else, they could simply shrug
  and tell others that the night swallowed those who
  vanished.
  CHANDALAS
  Chandalas is the lowest-ranked jati. Its members
  are forbidden to Embrace, lest they spread their
  impure blood and ideals. Indian Ravnos consider any
  Caitiff to be Chandalas, and any Ravnos caught
  breaking the tenets of Paradox is likewise demoted to
  this caste. Members of other clans and bloodlines
  who come to India are seen as Chandalas, although
  the Ravnos may offer them more overt respect or
  consideration to avoid immediate conflict.
  Chandalas often receive opportunities to improve
  their standing through onerous and odious duties—for
  example, arranging to gather and cremate the bodies of
  mortals considered likely to rise again as Eastern Kin-
  dred. Most Ravnos unlucky enough to be declared
  Chandalas have simply left India rather than suffer
  under such a stigma.
  CLANBOOK: RAVNOS
  42
  
  SUDRAS
  The Sudras are not a true j'ati, and no Ravnos is
  considered to be Sudra. Ravnos ghouls are consid-
  ered Sudras and therefore beneath the Embrace. If a
  mortal was truly worthy of the Ravnos Embrace, he
  would not be a ghoul and thus a servant. Ravnos
  rarely treat their ghouls well, nor do they usually
  keep them for very long. Some Ravnos have kept
  personal ghouls for decades or centuries, and these
  servants are quite formidable for their age. A few
  have been passed from regnant to regnant and suffer
  from the shifting loyalties of each new blood bond.
  Sudras commonly serve as scapegoats. If a Ravnos
  draws too much attention from the mortals, one of
  her ghouls will probably suffer in her place.
  Among the Ravnos of India, ghouls are consid-
  ered outside their dharma, much as Kindred are, and
  so do not receive the same consideration that mor-
  tals do, at least according to the Path of Paradox. The
  longer a Sudra has been a ghoul, the less connected
  he is to his human life, and the less valuable as an
  individual to even the most devout Ravnos.
  In the West, the Ravnos have placed much less
  emphasis on lineage and pedigree, Embracing mor-
  tals for any number of reasons that may have little to
  do with blood relations or social standing. Such
  considerations may have been more important sev-
  eral centuries ago, but in the modern nights, Western
  Ravnos aren't tightly knit. Instead, they tend to find
  a niche and build it up. It's not unheard of to find a
  Ravnos acting as consigliere to a Mafia family, or
  working with the Medellm cartels. Lacking a tight
  social structure like that in India, Western Ravnos
  drift to whatever interests them most.
  Consequently, most Western Ravnos form small
  coteries composed of neonates with no direct blood
  connection, or a sire Embracing a few childer to
  share the night with her, or simply individual Ravnos
  working with and among members of other clans. In
  the wake of the Week of Nightmares, most of the
  Ravnos-only coteries either fell apart or lost the bulk
  of their members during the frenzies that overtook
  the clan.
  The surviving Ravnos have retreated into hid-
  ing, sought out other clan members, or taken the
  opportunity to approach mortal and Kindred society
  on their own terms without the influence of other
  Ravnos, especially elders. Those who form new cote-
  ries do so from the need to survive or the desire to
  CHAPTER Two: 
  ON THE ART OF BEING RAVNOS
  43
  
  learn what happened -
  to them.
  - or to keep it from happening
  RROMA SHILMULO
  Throughout Europe, North America and South
  America, Ravnos traveled with their Rroma fami-
  lies. They traveled in groups, largely for reasons of
  safety, especially among Kindred who distrusted them
  on sight (a reputation they brought upon them-
  selves, and to an extent, their mortal cousins). Unlike
  the giorgio Ravnos, the Rroma Ravnos were much
  more tightly knit and closely associated with each
  other. This closeness largely stemmed from a siege
  mentality, as Ravnos who associated with Rroma
  rarely found welcome in European or American do-
  mains; when they did stay, more often than not the
  established Kindred strongly encouraged them to
  move on.
  Ravnos who traveled with the mortal Rroma did
  not necessarily enjoy a pleasant relationship with
  their mortal relatives. Many a Rroma took it upon
  himself to rid the world of another bloodthirsty
  monster before it killed another member of his fam-
  ily. Others took to traveling by day and leaving the
  Kindred somewhere unpleasant and alone.
  CURRENT SITUATION
  During the Week of Nightmares, the Rroma
  Ravnos suffered more than any other group. In the
  few nights during which the blood frenzy overtook
  the clan, nearly all the Rroma Ravnos destroyed
  each other in cannibalistic rage simply because of
  their close proximity. The few survivors disdain the
  company of other Ravnos in reaction to the mad-
  ness. Before the Week of Nightmares, Rroma Ravnos
  formed the visible majority of the clan. Now they
  have dwindled to a shadow of their former numbers
  and are barely visible to anyone. Outside observers
  (wrongly) assume this means the Ravnos clan has
  been destroyed utterly (if they notice at all).
  RAVNOS AROUND
  THE WORLD
  The Ravnos Kindred have always traveled. Be-
  fore the disaster, they lived on every continent —
  CLANBOOK: RAVNOS
  44
  
  and probably still do, if one looks carefully enough.
  Reports of Ravnos casualties from the Week of Night-
  mares vary from "all Ravnos met destruction" to
  "maybe a hundred or so survive" to suspicions that
  the bulk of the clan has gone into hiding. The truth
  is a bit more complex, and not easily divined. At
  least 100 survivors exist, some of whom may be
  elders, but if the old ones survived, they haven't yet
  made themselves known except in rumors.
  The following paragraphs provide some context for
  Ravnos activity before and after the Week of Night-
  mares, as best as can be reconstructed.
  INDIA
  India is the Ravnos clan's traditional homeland
  and has been the center of clan activity for the past
  several thousand years. Events in India are some-
  what confused, considering Ravnos presence there
  and the purpose for that presence. The Karavalanisha
  Vrana, for example, claims that the Ravnos progeni-
  tor was created in India. If the recorded dates are to
  be believed, gods who didn't exist for at least four
  thousand years afterward created Zapathasura and
  the Ravnos. The skeptical might suspect a great deal
  of "after the fact" rationalizing tied up in the
  Karavalanisha Vrana and its associated texts.
  Before the Week of Nightmares, the Ravnos clan
  in India arguably represented the largest Kindred
  power base in Asia. Ravnos princes claimed domains
  in Indian cities much as the Ventrue and Toreador
  claim that title in European cities. The largest differ-
  ence between the Ravnos and other clans was the
  continuing war with the asuratiza^^a, the Indian
  Ravnos' name for the Eastern Kindred. For centuries,
  a fluctuating state of war between the two groups
  existed throughout India and led to brutal battles.
  This warfare wasn't universal — some Eastern Kin-
  dred had better things to do than kill Ravnos and
  vice versa — but elders on both sides drove the
  conflict. Ravnos in India had to be careful where
  they traveled; entering the wrong city could mean
  painful destruction at the hands of the asuratiza^a.
  In the wake of the Week of Nightmares, several
  Eastern Kindred took advantage of the sudden drop in
  Ravnos numbers and moved to claim their own do-
  mains in cities formerly held by their rivals. Cities once
  safe for Ravnos are now death traps for the incautious
  or unlucky, but thankfully for the Kindred, it's not too
  hard to hide their existence in cities literally crammed
  with human beings. Some of the more ancient and
  powerful Ravnos may survive in torpor; no one knows
  what will happen when or if they awaken.
  Elder havens throughout India sit abandoned, as
  if their owners had just stepped outside to sup for the
  evening. Neonates survive throughout the country,
  trying to avoid ancient enemies intent on purging
  India of all Ravnos (and other Kindred) influences.
  Ravnos of Note: Formerly, scores of elders and
  possibly hundreds of neonates. Now, no one knows.
  Most of the Ravnos in India suffered the Final Death
  during the Week of Nightmares, either in cannibal-
  istic frenzies or because such frenzies revealed them
  to their ancestral enemies. The weakness suffered by
  the Ravnos across those several nights gave opportu-
  nistic asuratizayya the chance to destroy their most
  hated foes with little fear of reprisal.
  AFRICA
  Ravnos have lived in Africa nearly as long as
  they have in India, although not as visibly. The
  Deceivers spread throughout Northern Africa with
  the Phoenicians and traveled into the interior to
  other African kingdoms and empires. Few returned
  to tell the tale, but those who did had some interest-
  ing experiences to relate. In modern times, Ravnos
  can be found in any major city. Such places are easy
  to blend into, given the presence of international
  black markets, constant drug and weapon smuggling,
  and piracy.
  Ravnos of Note: One small lineage in eastern
  Africa claims descent from Anansi, a trickster spider
  god known for his thievery. This claim is obviously
  not verifiable and these Ravnos show the same ten-
  dencies as their cousins from other parts of the world.
  Given the proliferation of Ravnos creation myths,
  the Anansi connection is probably just another cul-
  tural malapropism. The eldest surviving clan member
  seems to sincerely believe the claim, however, and
  calls himself Anansi. He and others of his line travel
  continuously across Africa and often try to under-
  mine the power and presence of European Kindred
  — over a slight from the lips of a Camarilla prince
  uttered centuries ago.
  ASIA
  Ravnos have lived in Asia for the clan's entire
  history. The heart of the Ravnos has always lain in
  India, and Ravnos have often traveled to China,
  Mongolia and other nations, frequently disguising
  themselves as Eastern Kindred for passage. When the
  Rroma began their migrations out of India, some
  traveled into Asia proper as well as to Europe. Ravnos
  traveled with them and spread across Asia in greater
  numbers than before, which led to more conflicts
  CHAPTER Two: ON THE ART OF BEING RAVNOS
  45
  
  with the Eastern Kindred. Despite those battles, a
  few Ravnos still survive in Asia. These rare Kindred
  must maintain a Masquerade from mortals and their
  own ancient enemies, and usually have a compelling
  personal reason to remain.
  Outside India, the Week of Nightmares in-
  flicted few losses on Asian Ravnos, as they group
  together less often than their brethren elsewhere.
  Even so, fewer Ravnos likely still stalk the night
  in Asia than on any other continent outside Eu-
  rope simply because of the difficulty of surviving
  in the Cathayans' midst.
  Ravnos of Note: Unconfirmed rumors place a
  Ravnos elder known as the Flesh-Eater in the Green
  Courts of the Kuei-jin.
  AUSTRALIA
  Despite being established as a penal colony,
  Australia is about as criminal in culture as the United
  States. Therefore, the Ravnos find it no more attrac-
  tive than any other nation and less so than many.
  Nonetheless, the Australian continent's large size
  and relative paucity of Kindred makes it a favored
  place to cool off if other regions get too warm.
  Smugglers transport their goods through many Aus-
  tralian ports, and some Ravnos take advantage of
  that fact. Many have networks throughout South-
  east Asia and in Hong Kong, and use Australia as a
  base of operations away from the Eastern Kindred
  (who rarely take kindly to Western intrusion).
  Ravnos of Note: A small jati, the Seven Phoe-
  nix Triad, operates extensively through mortal
  proxies in Hong Kong, but is actually based in
  Darwin. The Ravnos rarely entered Hong Kong
  even before it changed hands from the Common-
  wealth to China; nowadays, they visit the city
  only in extreme circumstances.
  In the years following the "discovery" of the New
  World, many European Ravnos migrated to North
  America. The primary population they left behind was
  Rroma, who had migrated from India only shortly
  before. Many European Kindred of other clans believed
  that the "Gypsies" had destroyed those who weren't of
  proper blood, and the new arrivals had no desire to
  CIANBOOK: RAVNOS
  46
  
  disabuse them of this notion. This circumstance, per-
  haps more than anything else, led to the enduring
  perception of the Ravnos as a Gypsy clan.
  Apart from the Indian Ravnos, the Week of
  Nightmares struck the European segment of the
  clan the hardest. The European Ravnos traveled
  inkumpaniya, sometimes with as many as five or
  six shilmulo traveling with the mortal Rroma. This
  close association led to the clan's virtual annihi-
  lation in Europe, leaving giorgio and outcasts as
  the primary survivors.
  Ravnos of Note: Despite the near-total de-
  struction of powerful Ravnos elders, Durga Syn
  continues to survive, surrounded by neonates and
  ancillae she Embraced over the centuries. In fact,
  some who know whisper that the Week of Night-
  mares left her and her blood untouched. A few
  who know enough to speculate have put forth the
  theory that whatever blocked supernatural access
  to Russia somehow blunted the curse that swept
  the Ravnos. Durga Syn has not stepped forward to
  offer her opinion.
  MIDDLE EAST
  Ravnos live throughout the Middle East, some
  of them descendents of a few jati with extreme
  religious views. Though many were chosen from
  the Muslim faith, Muslims are not the dominant
  group among the Ravnos in the area, as
  Muhammed's followers frequently find the Path
  of Paradox hard to accept. The predominance of
  faith and violence in the region makes it difficult
  for most Kindred to survive here, and the Ravnos
  are no exception.
  Ravnos of Note: An ancient known as
  Amaravati recently awakened from torpor and
  spearheaded the clan's conversion to the tradi-
  tional Path of Paradox. She was known to reside
  in Iraq before the Week of Nightmares, and is
  reputed among Ravnos who recognized her name
  to have close ties with the Assamites. She van-
  ished during the Week of Nightmares and is
  assumed to have met the Final Death.
  NORTH AMERICA
  North America has possibly the largest surviving
  Ravnos population — or perhaps had. One reason
  modern Ravnos are less willing to claim their lineage
  is the fact that many Camarilla elders have an in-
  kling of what happened to the clan and see the
  younger Ravnos as harbingers of Gehenna. These
  elders, in their respective cities, have attempted
  purges of any Ravnos who enter, and the Ravnos lack
  sufficient communications or numbers to mount any
  kind of Treatment (or so they think).
  At least a dozen Ravnos have gathered into two
  or three coteries for safety in numbers. They're trying
  to find other Ravnos — not necessarily to make
  contact, but to find out what the hell happened.
  Many Ravnos live on the West Coast, where a
  few elders moved to face the incoming Eastern Kin-
  dred threat, and young Deceivers have taken cover
  among the crumbling anarch domains. Several other
  young Ravnos survived the clan's collapse, but the
  eldest have not been seen since then. Without the
  so-called spiritual guidance of their elders, the survi-
  vors have taken to unlife in California with a
  vengeance, playing up to the clan's degenerate repu-
  tation and giving in to their darker temptations.
  Ravnos of Note: See the coterie described in
  Chapter Three.
  SOUTH AMERICA
  Opportunistic Ravnos find South America fer-
  tile ground for their needs. Many are attracted to Rio
  de Janeiro and its allegedly decadent atmosphere.
  The reality is not always what they expect, but many
  Ravnos adapt. Others are drawn to Colombia and
  other parts of the continent where they can indulge
  their base urges without much fear of reprisal from
  mortal or Kindred authorities. Unfortunately, many
  find that other Kindred who got there first have
  definite and unpleasant ideas about visitors.
  As a general rule, the Ravnos avoid the wilder-
  ness of South America. The Amazon Jungle is too
  dangerous to travel, given the presence of Lupines
  and stranger beasts. This wild region does not easily
  forgive trespassers.
  Ravnos of Note: Rafael Schliemann is well
  known among the criminals in Rio de J aneiro. What-
  ever anyone needs, Rafael can provide it. Mortals are
  his specialty merchandise. He handles a thriving
  slave trade that serves as the center of a web stretch-
  ing across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans into
  Africa, Asia and parts of America. He reportedly
  uses the Rio slums as his base of operations. He also
  provides herds to order for his more selective clien-
  tele, and rumor has it that several Ventrue go to him
  regularly. Rafael makes his haven in a heavily guarded
  mansion that originally belonged to a Portuguese
  plantation owner.
  CHAPTER Two: ON THE ART OF BEING RAVNOS
  47
  \
  
  BORN CRIMINALS:
  THE RAVNOS
  WEAKNESS
  In the words of Leszek Kisliewsky
  This is the simple truth: Every Ravnos is a crimi-
  nal. Let me restate that: Every Ravnos is a criminal.
  The Embrace awakens the Beast within every Kin-
  dred, but the Ravnos Beast is a bit more cunning, a
  bit more deceptive and a bit more underhanded than
  that of other Kindred. This is not an advantage. We
  are subject to the same psychotic episodes that every
  other Kindred suffers, but we also have to deal with
  a little voice in the back of our heads that whispers,
  "Go ahead. Take it — no one will notice. If they do,
  they won't think you did it." It's persuasive, it knows
  every dark corner in your soul and eventually you'll
  give in.
  Other Kindred think that Ravnos are thieves. If
  it were that simple, existence wouldn't be such a
  pain. Truthfully, our weakness gives many princes
  and other Kindred valid reasons to distrust or even
  hate our clan (though they come to us whenever they
  need something underhanded done). Ravnos suffer
  from compulsions that range from the pedestrian
  habit of kleptomania to the far more exotic and
  dangerous drive to commit diablerie on fellow Kin-
  dred. Fortunately, relatively few Ravnos are driven
  to the latter.
  What I said in the first paragraph sounds a bit
  metaphorical, so I'll expand. That little voice is not
  external, it's not like a demon gibbering in the dark
  places of your conscious mind that you can ignore or
  argue with. It is part of your own deepest self. Often,
  you'll find yourself acting on that impulse before you
  realize what you're about to do. It's quieter than
  frenzy and less likely to be noticed, but it's no less
  compelling when it happens. Path of Paradox fol-
  lowers say this destructive inner drive is one of the
  temptations laid in our path that we must control or
  direct toward our own needs, but I think they're just
  rationalizing their own behavior.
  The fact is, we Ravnos don't have to give in to
  every sudden impulse. With effort, most of us can
  fight down the urge and move on, at least for a while.
  The Ravnos who ignores it for too long feels a
  CLANBOOK: RAVNOS
  48
  
  gnawing ache, like the thirst for blood. She might
  even seek out opportunities to commit crimes, or else
  find herself subject to temptation more and more
  often until she gives in. How often a Ravnos gives in
  depends on each individual's degree of self-control
  and strength of will.
  In the end, it's not really that we're inclined
  toward crime. We're simply doomed to prove to
  ourselves that we are the masters of our own
  svadharma.
  According to old stories, the curse of tempation
  under which the Ravnos labor was inflicted as a
  punishment because the clan founder desired the
  pleasures of the life lost to him. His need to steal life
  from mortals, as well as his desire to regain what he
  no longer had, expanded to encompass all aspects of
  mortal life. Rather than simply seek out what he
  wanted on his terms, he was compelled to take
  whatever he could get as a reminder that no matter
  how much he had or how he got it, he would never
  benefit from it. I note that the curse did not simply
  include theft, but many crimes. Some stories say "all
  possible crimes."
  One version of the story goes on to state that the
  Antediluvian could weaken the curse placed upon
  him by spreading it to others — his childer, their
  childer, and so on. The more Ravnos in the world,
  the weaker the founder's own curse would become.
  THF SHApe OF Vice
  For every Ravnos, the crime is different — some
  bear strong similarities to each other, but the driving
  motivation and intent usually differs in some key
  way. Ravnos develop criminal inclinations based on
  their activities in life, either a temptation they in-
  dulged often as mortals or something they especially
  despised, as the Embrace is an ironic gift. This means
  that the meticulous serial killer will probably have
  an even stronger urge to kill, and his murders will
  probably become more intricate. Or the police of-
  ficer who loathes the drug dealers she routinely
  arrests will develop an urge to obtain those same
  drugs, or partake of them through her vessels (the
  two urges are not incompatible).
  Some Ravnos develop impulses toward crimes
  they never would have considered in mortal life. The
  Kindred form and its powers provide opportunities to
  commit acts that no mortal would attempt, and the
  Embrace occasionally brings such urges forth. A
  newly Embraced Ravnos may be unaware of any
  reason she might be tempted to commit such of-
  ,::/'.' '/V' ?CHoose YOUR CRIMP* '^,. 
  '•
  The Ravnos stereotype is the thief — Ravnos
  characters are expected to steal things as part of
  their weakness — but this trait isn't very evocative
  unless handled in an interesting or different way.
  ,/' 
  First, when creating a Ravnos, consider his his-
  tory and personality and use that to establish context
  for the character's crime. Don't worry about making it
  perfectly balanced with the compulsions of other
  V Ravnos, because the weakness is different for every ;
  one. One Ravnos might have the urge to tempt
  archons and lead them away from their justicars and
  the Camarilla; another might be more interested in
  ; sparking or exacerbating vendettas among Kindred or
  ;| mortal power structures. The former is specific and
  the latter quite general. The two are not by any means
  equal, nor do they need to be.
  ,
   
  f The Ravnos weakness is mainly a roleplaying 1
  ,, matter. When a Ravnos has the opportunity to I
  • commit her crime, the player must make a Self- ,t
  ^Control roll (difficulty 6) to avoid it. The effects, f
  ^however, largely come down to her character. A ?
  Ravnos who needs to reject and oppose authority ,,
  figures has to actually reject and oppose such figures |
  in roleplay. The player must be willing to play f.
  through the chosen crime when it comes up, or play *j
  through resisting it — an act of will in itself. 
  • 
  si
  .ti-.-i The image of the happy-go-lucky Ravnos who ?
  merrily skips from victim to victim and relieves |
  them of property and prosperity is a vapid stereo- 1«
  type, and should not define the clan. Consider, I
  when creating a Ravnos character, what it would be >J
  like to be driven to commit verboten acts above and
  beyond those needed for survival. Some Ravnos |
  may choose to hide their disgust at their own |
  actions with a supercilious demeanor, but few truly ;
  are so carefree. Those who are so exuberant tend to
  lose control of their urges most often and many are |
  destroyed before they get old enough to be puch of |
  a hazard in Kindred society. 
  ; ' 
  • I
  . 
  ••;• •. ?••:••.. • 
  ; /m.j'iiit, r. si
  fenses, but even these derive in some way from the
  childe's personality.
  RROMA RAVNOS AND THF
  Some Ravnos who were Rroma as mortals claim
  that they are less bound by the weakness, that the
  thin nature of "giorgio" vitae has made us too weak to
  resist stronger impulses toward specific crimes. They
  go on to say that they are instead driven to break
  society's mores and laws, in any way they choose. I
  CHAFFER Two: ON THE ART OF BEING RAVNOS
  49
  
  think they're deceiving themselves. Some Rroma
  may suffer under such a compulsion, and I do mean
  suffer. If you think getting the urge to hold up a
  convenience store every time you see the cash drawer
  open is bad, imagine the need to act against what-
  ever society you're in.
  The rumor is that Ravnos hang out with Rroma
  and we're all one big happy family. I don't know
  about you, but I've looked into Rroma culture,
  and they have a lot of taboos I don't pretend to
  understand. Now, if you were part of a culture
  with a lot of rules about what you do and how you
  behave, would you want some bloodsucking bas-
  tard hanging around who breaks those rules every
  chance he gets? I wouldn't.
  OTHER
  GATHERINGS
  As told by Neel Ramanathan
  For a clan whose blood drives its members to
  break laws and customs, Ravnos are often given to
  strong traditions within the clan.
  SECTS AND SOCIETY
  Sects are crap — both of them. They're a con
  and a lie. Go to any city and try to guess whether
  it's Camarilla or Sabbat by looking. The answer
  is, you can't. They spend so much time hating
  each other they've become mirror images. What
  can I say ? Unintentional irony is the best kind. Or
  perhaps the worst.
  THP CAMARILLA
  Sect is a matter of choice, at least if you're
  dealing with the Camarilla. In truth, most princes
  and elders don't care if you're a member of their
  little club as long as they don't catch you breaking
  their little rules. In fact, it's remarkably easy to
  get by in a Camarilla domain by claiming mem-
  bership. Hypothetically, any Kindred can do it
  and few princes care one way or another unless
  your presence brings problems or solutions to the
  domain. It's best to offer solutions.
  I would say that, at best, only a minority of the
  Camarilla's membership has ever seen a Ravnos, and
  fewer still have ever met one knowingly. That's a
  fairly low number, but consider who does appear at
  their Elysiums and garden parties and salons and
  whatever-the-hell else they call their little soirees.
  You're lucky to see the prince once a year, let alone
  continuously run afoul of her. Any primogen will
  show his face only if he thinks his presence will let
  him play a situation to his benefit. Even before they
  jumped ship, the Gangrel rarely showed their snouts
  at Kindred gatherings, and while you can expect the
  Nosferatu to attend, you probably won't see any. The
  Ventrue appear to see, the Toreador to be seen, the
  Brujah so they can rail against authority, the
  Malkavians just smile and nod and the Tremere
  make carefully annotated reports on it all. Aside
  from that, they're all ancillae and their childer trying
  to curry favor with elders who'd rather spend their
  time chortling over maps of the city and congratulat-
  ing themselves on their newest scheme to seize control
  of City Hall or some other bullshit.
  THE SABBAT
  Back in the ancient mists of history, around the
  16th or 17th century, a group of disgruntled Kindred
  got together and decided they were destined to rule
  the world. The two major contingents in this little
  party were the Lasombra and the Tzimisce — go
  figure. We're probably lucky they both decided to
  team up in this little plan. Just one of them might
  have made actual progress by now. As it is, these two
  clans of manifestly destined Ventrue knockoffs are
  too busy interfering with each other to make a
  difference. They take a city, they lose a city. Check
  out the deal in Manhattan last year.
  Don't get me wrong — I'd love to be in a world
  where Kindred don't have to hide in the shadows like
  rats. I'm under the impression that the Sabbat's
  normal modus operandi is exactly the sort of thing
  that triggered the Inquisition and the Camarilla's
  formation back in the 15th century. It strikes me as
  a little wrong-headed to try to correct the problems
  of the past by repeating the mistakes of the past.
  THF ANTITRIBU
  Okay, okay, you ask, "If the Sabbat sucks so hard,
  why did so many Ravnos join?" The answer lies in the
  Sabbat's party line: freedom. Freedom from the el-
  ders, from the Antediluvians, from the end of the
  world, credit-card debt and just about everything
  else you can toss into the mix. For a clan whose
  members widely value freedom, the Sabbat looked
  like the best option around. I don't know how many
  joined when the Sabbat formed, or how many par-
  ticipated in the Anarch Revolts that preceded the
  Camarilla — I've heard educated guesses that range
  from one-third to one-half of the clan in Europe. I
  don't think it really matters. The end result is that
  the Ravnos antitribu were one of the larger clans
  (outside the Big Two) in the Sabbat.
  GANBOOK: RAVNOS
  50
  
  The worst thing about Ravnos Antitribu is
  that they're like the born-agains — they've found
  something Important and they Must Share It With
  Us. I'm talking about seriously evangelical behav-
  ior here. Within the Sabbat, the Ravnos are
  relatively relaxed, at least compared to the other
  anti-clans like the Assamites or the Ventrue.
  When they come across one of us, that's when
  they start witnessing. Just smile, nod and take a
  brochure. Then leave town.
  It's worse since the Week of Nightmares. At a
  guess, one-third to one-half of the Ravnos antitribu
  were in Ravnos-only packs, with the rest sprinkled
  among the rest of the Sabbat. Sabbat loyalty is an
  incredible thing — Kindred in a Sabbat pack can get
  away with near-murder among each other — and
  when the Ravnos went crazy, most of them were
  thoughtfully subdued with whatever weapons came
  to hand and left to sleep off the urge. In some cases,
  if rumor is true, the blood-crazed Ravnos ended up
  leading their packs on a wild chase after a few elder
  Ravnos and sucking down their souls. I'm not sure all
  of the Sabbat even noticed the change in behavior.
  The end result is that most of the Ravnos still on
  the streets are probably Sabbat. Relatively few actu-
  ally died during the N ightmares, but few is a subj ective
  word. Not many elders were part of the Sabbat, and
  I'm hoping any elders who were Sabbat died.
  ANARCHS
  The anarchs can be a Ravnos' most valuable
  acquaintances. Most of them are too young to give
  two flings with a dead whore about clan or history. If
  you've spent any time around the Camarilla, your
  first image upon seeing the word "anarch" is probably
  a pack of Hell's Angels rejects who have nothing
  better to do with their time than toss Molotov
  cocktails into the Toreador's favorite Elysiums.
  Thankfully, they're usually smarter than that, or at
  least not that interested in revolution.
  A significant number of North American anarchs
  spend their time wandering the freeways, byways,
  highways, back roads and dirt roads of the United
  States, and more than a few Ravnos accompany
  them. It's always better to travel in a group, after all,
  and the anarchs are less likely to place bizarre condi-
  tions upon their favors. Anarchs can also be used as
  camouflage for any less "wholesome" behavior that
  we might find ourselves engaging in. I mean, it's easy
  for a prince to blame his problems on the anarchs,
  but it's not always so easy to attach a face. If you cause
  trouble likely to bring the prince's wrath down on
  somebody, leave town and let the anarchs soak it up.
  They have sufficient practice at dealing with princely
  outrage.
  Some anarchs have political goals — the over-
  throw of the elders' power, equality for neonates and
  other such nonsense. Don't get too involved in this
  crowd; it can only lead to bloody tears. I see no point
  to joining a fight you don't believe in, let alone
  suffering destruction for someone else's beliefs. If
  you're caught in the midst of a pack of rhetoric-
  spouting Caitiff anarchs who want to ban the fucking
  bomb, smile and nod often. When they're not paying
  attention to you, slip away quietly. You do not want
  to get into the kind of trouble they stir up. Oh, and
  never throw in with the "Unbound," or you'll wake
  one night with the sheriffs fangs at your throat.
  THE TREATMENT
  Word is that princes who kick Ravnos out of
  town have "The Treatment" coming to them. Some
  unwise neonates have been known to use this threat
  to induce princes to allow them to stay. This is about
  as stupid as you can get.
  The Treatment rarely happens. When it does,
  it's most often because some elder with more con-
  nections than sense decided to wreak unholy
  vengeance on a prince for some slight or other —
  usually denying the rights due to all Kindred in the
  city in question. Now, this is not to say that a prince
  who kicks us out of a city doesn't deserve a response,
  but that response need not be obvious, announced or
  threatened. Don't mention it. If a prince says "Leave
  town," then leave town, friend. Odds are good that
  his sheriffs and scourges and primogens and personal
  bodyguards and whatever else he has handy outnum-
  ber you. Hanging around is stupid and you'll be
  brightening sunsets before too long with that kind of
  attitude problem.
  With that little lecture out of the way, the
  Treatment is real. It happens. The point is that if the
  princes expect it, they'll quietly kill us when we
  come into town rather than escort us out. In fact, this
  is one of the scourges' assigned duties — quietly
  killing inconvenient Kindred.
  THF METHODS
  One of the reasons Ravnos stick together is the
  potential for mutual support. You didn't think it was
  the warm, cozy feeling of family on the holidays, did
  you? No, we have a vested interest in keeping our
  freedom to go where we want. Of course, walking
  into a city and getting your sorry ass whacked is not
  the best way to achieve this. So, to make it work, we
  have to cooperate.
  CHAPTER Two: ON THE ART OF BEING RAVNOS
  51
  
  The first step is to keep in touch with other
  Ravnos. Maintain e-mail addresses, cell phones, post
  office boxes, answering services, anything that will
  get the word through. Then send word when you go
  somewhere. Leave information about where you're
  going, when you'll arrive and how long you expect to
  be there. Be sure to give an idea how often you'll
  leave reports of your well being. Pick up messages
  from others and pass them around so that your fellow
  Ravnos have a general sense of where we all are at
  any given time.
  If you run into or expect trouble, leave a note to
  that effect. If you lose touch with your contacts,
  other Ravnos may decide to check it out. This choice
  depends on how they feel about the prince or other
  Kindred in the city where you vanished, how they
  feel about you and whether they care to risk their
  existence trying to avenge what may be an idiot's
  well-deserved demise, or just another pain in the ass.
  If you do get run out of town, it's a good idea to
  post a heads-up to the rest of the blood, so they know
  why or how. If a prince hates Ravnos, avoid his
  domain. If you're kicked out of a prince's domain for
  poor behavior, leave. Don't get pissy, don't bitch at
  the prince, don't make threats and do not, under any
  circumstances, mention the Treatment. It's what
  "everybody knows" about us, but we shouldn't men-
  tion it to them. Other Kindred get weird when you
  talk casually about turning their cities upside down.
  That, and it works better to let them fear it without
  stooping to churlish threats, especially since you
  probably don't know enough other Ravnos to call a
  Treatment worth the capital T.
  Of course, you are expected to return the favor.
  Just a warning: Not all Ravnos care about the
  Treatment, especially since the Week of Nightmares
  hit. In fact, since that time, most Ravnos prefer to lie
  low and avoid notice even from the rest of the clan.
  I can't blame them. It's hard to get anyone together
  for a Treatment if you can only find one or two of the
  blood who will talk to you at all.
  THIS MFANS WAR!
  Assuming you've got a mob together to inflict
  the infamous Treatment on a city, it's time to as-
  semble a plan. That's right, you actually have to
  prepare. Even the Sabbat has a strategy behind their
  riots. Sure, it looks like a random mess when two
  dozen blood-crazed mooks charge Elysium brandish-
  ing crowbars and zip guns, but that's its charm — it
  only looks like utter chaos.
  Don't go for ineffectual pranks that only make
  your target look foolish. This is vengeance, not the
  script for an Adam Sandier movie. Fire for effect at
  all times. Use every resource you have available and
  do not — ever — let them catch you. Don't break the
  Masquerade, your ego isn't worth it.
  Part One: Plan
  I can't stress this enough. If you walk in with
  nothing more in mind than causing trouble, the
  powers that be will destroy you faster than you can
  say, "just kidding." These Kindred have a lot of ego
  and effort invested in their titles and power. Even
  the vampire prince of the smallest town that can
  harbor Kindred got there because he was mean and
  ruthless enough to grab hold with his talons and sink
  his fangs into it. Any rival claimants are either dead
  or seriously defanged in his domain, assuming they
  exist. Don't even ask what happened to the previous
  prince — you don't need the nightmares.
  Get a city map — you can buy them at gas
  stations, so no need to get baroque about it. Read
  the newspaper — you can buy newspapers for most
  major cities anywhere. I can walk into a news-
  stand in Seattle and pick up a copy of the New
  York Times, after all. Look for trouble spots —
  youth violence, gangs, drugs, police or political
  turbulence. These are both the weak spots and
  likely the areas on which the native Kindred have
  already focused their attention.
  Part Two: Leave Town
  Once the Treatment is' in motion, leave town
  and don't come back. You've made your point;
  there's no reason to hang around to see the results
  if the local scourge destroys you for your disrup-
  tive behavior.
  Also, it's great if the prince and his lackeys aren't
  sure whether or not the Treatment just hit or if it was
  a run of bad luck. The confusion enhances the
  mystique — trust me on this.
  THE OTHERS
  You didn't think I was going to let you off the
  hook without saying my piece about our fellow Kin-
  dred, did you?
  ASSAMITFS
  Half of the Assassins are dangerous psychopaths
  who would just as soon devour your soul as look at
  you. The other half smile while doing it. I admit,
  that's a harsh judgment, but these guys got hit with
  a nasty curse five centuries ago because they couldn't
  \
  CLANBOOK: RAVNOS
  52
  
  behave in civilized company. Now they act like
  polite and cultured, but turn your back on them and
  they'll have a stake in you faster than you can say
  "AllahuAkbar!"
  All right, so some have overtly rejected their
  bloodthirstier cousins' nastier habits. But be careful
  around this pack. For all we know, they could be the
  front line for another wave of diablerists. If an
  Assamite is interested in you, be polite and give him
  every reason to find someone else to bother should
  he decide to obey his thirst.
  BRUJAH
  I think the Brujah largely support the Camarilla
  because it gives them something to bitch about. At
  length. They're as much a part of the establishment
  as the Ventrue they're always calling out, unending
  streams of vitriolic rhetoric aside. Some Brujah go on
  about the fabled glories of their pet cause and the
  absolute necessity to strike down the Ventrue with
  all the fury they can muster. This is why they're one
  of the six pillars of the Camarilla, right?
  FOLLOWERS OF
  This clan must have stepped out of a bad fantasy
  pulp. "Okay, we're all dead and we worship an evil
  snake god! 'Cause he has snakes!" Then they run
  around promoting pedestrian acts of infamy that are
  supposed to prove their commitment to their naughty
  lord. The best thing about Setites is this: The first
  time is always free. No, I'm not kidding. They figure
  if they hook you, they can keep you forever. The
  trick is to hook them. If one of the serpents is dumb
  enough to give me stuff to do evil things, then I'll
  take it. Of course, when the shit hits the fan and
  everything falls apart, he's the one who should take
  all the credit, right?
  GANGREL
  Ever since my sire and my sire's sire and my
  sire's sire's sire can remember, the Gangrel have
  been at odds with our clan. I don't know what
  their malfunction is, but I've heard quite a few
  theories. One says the Gangrel were created to
  fight an enemy alongside the Ravnos, but that the
  Gangrel turned tail and ran rather than assume
  their rightful place. Personally, I think it's more
  likely we ran into trouble over kine herds. For
  several centuries, Ravnos were coming into Eu-
  rope with Gypsy families. Gangrel poached the
  herds and Ravnos responded appropriately. Even-
  tually, it got so you couldn't introduce yourself
  before the Gangrel had his claws in the Ravnos'
  gut and the Ravnos had imaginary priests shoving
  illusory torches into the Gangrel's face. In the
  modern nights, half the fights you see start be-
  cause one side knows the other side is an enemy,
  but neither party quite knows why.
  I hesitate to say that we can't get along with
  Gangrel. Among the anarchs, it wasn't unusual to
  see Ravnos and Gangrel side-by-side without either
  deciding the other one just had to go. I'm not saying
  I saw any bosom buddies in the mix, but I rarely saw
  any of those vague irreconcilable differences that the
  elders always went on about. Rule of thumb, though:
  when you're around Gangrel, watch your back. You
  never know when one might decide your existence is
  a blight on his world and start waving his six-inch
  press-ons in your face.
  GIOVANNI
  I have an odd relationship with the Giovanni
  I've met. They are a family; we act like a family.
  They're into money and dead things; we're into
  money. The Necromancers are among the creepiest
  Kindred I've had the displeasure to meet. All that
  aside, they make great business partners. Just keep all
  interactions on a professional level and don't let
  them count the money until you're long gone.
  Sometimes a Giovanni will come looking for
  someone to do special jobs for them. They especially
  like Ravnos because we're not well known to other
  Kindred and we can cover our tracks. If approached,
  act according to your conscience and don't give
  them your name. They have eerie powers over the
  dead, and they can use your name as a link. Your real
  name, that is.
  LASOMBRA
  The Lasombra epitomize the Sabbat's core
  tenet: The strong prevail, the weak perish. Rumor
  has it they destroyed their eldest just before the
  Camarilla formed. I can't confirm that, but the
  few I've met were hardcore enough to try any-
  thing if they thought it would get them ahead.
  When you're around a Lasombra, give her the
  respect she thinks she deserves. If you're tired of
  existence, just start taunting her. Unlike our clan's
  power over perception, the Lasombra's power over
  shadows can get downright physical.
  MALKAVIAN
  The Malkavians bother me, and not just because
  they know too damned much. Half the time they do
  I
  CHAPTER Two: ON THE ART OF BEING RAVNOS
  53
  \
  
  something utterly clever, we get blamed for it. I
  think most of our reputation for uncivilized behavior
  comes from a Malkavian's lunacy. They're not stupid
  or clownish, but that's no consolation. They have a
  weird ability to see through any deception or trick-
  ery. Personally, I'd rather kill one than deal with
  him. Kindred who like to think in shortcuts will
  compare Ravnos (because we're "tricksters," right?)
  and Malkavians (because they're "tricksters," right?)
  and lump us into the same category. This is plainly
  stupid. I don't recall when Ravnos became blood-
  drooling maniacs by default. If you come across that
  kind of lazy thinking, milk it for what it's worth.
  Either the Kindred will assume you're a blood-drool-
  ing maniac or think you're much more frightening
  than you have any right to be. Either misconception
  will be to your advantage if you're on the ball.
  NOSFFRATU
  For such a group of ugly sonsabitcb.es, these guys
  make my vitae itch just thinking about them. They
  know far too much for my own good. Sure, it's easy to
  deal with them — hey, we're outcasts, they're out-
  casts, we talk to the animals and they talk to the
  animals. We have a lot in common, right? Sure, but
  don't count on their goodwill and caring nature to
  extend to you if they can turn the dirt they have into
  benefit for them. You haven't unlived until a sewer
  rat's blackmailed you.
  Here's a trick in dealing with them: The Nosferatu
  know many things about the goings-on in their
  cities. Better yet, they get together and discuss it. If
  you feel up to it, you can use your power over animals
  to get a little of that action for yourself. It's simple —
  just find a real rat and send him in to spy on the
  Nosferatu. Okay, it's not that simple. They'll turn
  that damned rodent against you half the time. So
  send a few dozen—the Sewer Rats can't get them all.
  If you have the skill, possess one of the rats. Spend
  enough time in the sewers and you're bound to learn
  something. The Nosferatu know their game, but they
  don't always pay much attention to the animals in
  their warrens. They're used to them, so a few extras
  don't always set off their paranoia circuits. Hell,
  don't even use rats. Use roaches.
  TOREADOR
  If I ever thought there was an underlying cosmic
  significance to my existence as one of the bloodsuck-
  ing undead, the Toreador are the best evidence
  against that foolish belief. I'm not saying that I think
  all these dry-humpers need to burn in the sun, but I
  wouldn't shed any tears if they did. I've rarely en-
  countered creatures so convinced of their importance
  to the universe and yet so utterly lacking in evidence
  to support their delusions. I mean, these losers use
  supernatural powers of charisma to win friends and
  influence people.
  Naturally, if you want to get anywhere with a
  Toreador, you have to treat him as if he's as impor-
  tant as he believes he is. Anything less and he'll
  throw a temper tantrum and beg a primogen or the
  prince to swat your knuckles.
  TRHMHRE
  Here we have a pack of paranoid blood witches.
  What do they want to do ? The same thing they do every
  night. They want to rule the world. Okay, I don't know
  that for sure, but look at these two-bit special effects
  rejects. Sure, they can toss fireballs, fly around like a
  superhero and summon the very elements to strike
  down their enemies. What's the flaw? Subtlety, or
  rather, the lack of it. I'm continually surprised that the
  Brujah have such a reputation for brute force when the
  Tremere have refined it to an art form. The most
  important rules when dealing with Tremere: Don't
  meet their gaze and don't give them your blood. Any-
  thing beyond that is up to you.
  I've heard rumors that at least one branch of the
  Ravnos enjoyed positive relations with the Tremere
  before the Camarilla formed. I haven't seen any
  evidence of that in my own dealings. Either they
  have a short memory or my sire was sucking down
  punks tweaking on crank. I wouldn't rely on the
  possibility, either way.
  TziMisce
  These guys redefine the words "sick fuck." The
  Fiends are the walking embodiment of the Sabbat's
  core aesthetic: They have no human connections.
  To be more precise, they work really hard at con-
  vincing themselves that whatever was human before
  the Embrace withered away afterward. The psycho
  protests too much, methinks.
  I have never met a Tzimisce I didn't want to
  shove a stake into and put on a rooftop. Not one. I
  hate these shapeshifting bastards like nothing else.
  They're vile, polluted things. I'm not even sure
  they're really Kindred. Stay away from them if you
  value your existence. If you're lucky, any Tzimisce
  you meet will turn you into a carnival sideshow act.
  If you're unlucky, you'll spend forever as a quadriple-
  gic blood dildo.
  CLANBOOK: RAVNOS
  54
  
  VPNTRUE
  If you put the Toreador at one extreme of behav-
  ior and the Lasombra at the other end, the Ventrue
  fall somewhere in the middle. Your typical Ventrue
  probably believes that she's owed the world, but
  she'll do everything in her power to take it. Overall,
  they do the leadership thing better than the Lasombra
  and they just aren't as pathetic as the Toreador.
  They're dangerous as hell. One call from a Ventrue's
  cell phone and you'll find your bank accounts frozen,
  a warrant out for your arrest and your haven paved
  over to make a goddamned parking lot. Don't make
  them angry — or if you have to make one angry, do
  it in such a way that she's not angry with you. I don't
  care how much of a hardcore rebel muthafucka you
  think you are, when you're in the presence of a
  Ventrue prince, treat her with the respect she claims
  to deserve. You'll find it pays off in the long run.
  THE RROMA
  This topic is a delicate one. Many Kindred be-
  lieve that all Ravnos are Rroma — what most people
  call Gypsies. This is partly true. Until recently, most
  visible Ravnos were Rroma. Roughly 600 years ago,
  the Rroma spread throughout Europe and picked up
  a really bad reputation. I suspect it largely sprang
  from the fact that a few hundred Ravnos traveled
  into Europe with them.
  The Ravnos believed that to maintain blood
  purity, they should only Embrace from within their
  families. So the Ravnos who arrived with the Rroma
  (presumably their relatives) Embraced from among
  the Rroma. All these Ravnos had a little voice in the
  back of their minds telling them about all the wicked
  things they could do to make their unlives easier.
  This made the mortal Rroma's lives harder, as every
  time they traveled to a new place, the Ravnos trav-
  eling with them would descend on the town and
  wreak havoc upon the wealthy and the powerful.
  Invariably, the Rroma were accused of the crimes or
  forced to move on.
  I'm not saying the Rroma were blameless. Every
  society has criminals. But when the Rroma looked
  for help in getting rid of the Ravnos who had bled
  them white and led trouble to their families, the
  Gangrel were ready to step in and offer that help.
  Personally, I think the Rroma who made that
  bargain traded one devil for another. In the process,
  the Ravnos and Gangrel clans came to blows on
  multiple occasions. Kindred in both clans met the
  Final Death for no better reason than the Rroma's
  passage through Europe.
  Some basic rules when around Rroma — remem-
  ber they're mortals. If you tell them you're a
  bloodsucking undead monster, they'll probably freak
  or try to kill you. So don't. If you think it would be
  cool to dress and act like the Gypsies you see in the
  movies, don't. You'll stand out like a bleeding thumb.
  If you think it would be cool to relate to a Rroma
  person because you think she's got the "wanderlust,"
  don't. Rroma traveled because they had no place to
  stay. You'll find a lot of Rroma living sedentary lives
  and holding respectable jobs. They're not mortal
  Ravnos and don't treat them as if they are. It'll
  probably get you killed, if you're lucky.
  One last thing: Traditional Rroma are sticklers
  for cleanliness. I'm talking seriously so. They won't
  eat off your table if you put your feet on it. If they
  know you drink blood, they won't hang around you
  — blood, as a bodily fluid, is impure. Like most
  mortals, the Rroma believe fairly strongly that the
  dead shouldn't get up and walk around. In fact, I
  think they might be a little more vehement than
  most about it. Just don't bring up the topic.
  FAERIES
  I've never seen a faerie and I'm not sure I believe
  they exist. Sure, I heard about them from my sire, but
  what does that mean? Anyway, the word is that our
  illusions might be able to hurt them somehow. I
  don't understand why, and I haven't felt compelled
  to go looking for anyone to ask. Besides, I'm not sure
  where to find a faerie, let alone why I'd want to fuck
  with one.
  THE LupiNE SURVIVAL
  GUIDE, Y2K EDITION
  Author unknown, distributed in hardcopy and, re-
  cently, digitally
  Every Ravnos ends up in the following situation
  sooner or later. You're hanging out in town and
  you've come to the attention of The Powers That Be.
  The prince, the primogen, the archbishop — it
  doesn't matter what the power calls itself, it's no-
  ticed you. That means you need to move on before
  whoever it is does something permanent to you.
  The best solution is to leave town. Take a bus,
  plane or train and get the hell out of Dodge. Unfor-
  tunately, if they want to catch you, they'll watch the
  airport as well as the bus and train stations. Sure, you
  CHAPTER Two: ON THE ART OF BEING RAVNOS
  55
  
  might slip by, but how certain are you of your ability
  to do so ? Late night in any of these places is generally
  not very crowded and it's hard as hell to get a flight
  out of town on short notice that will land before the
  sun rises.
  The problem with traveling between cities, even
  in our modern world, is the Lupines. These furry
  bastards live to tear us apart. The odds are good that
  if you hop onto the Interstate 5 corridor and make a
  run from Seattle to the Anarch Free States, you'll be
  able to find good places to stop during the day. You
  probably also won't run into Lupine trouble — they
  can't be everywhere at once. Unfortunately, you
  can't get lucky every time. At some point, Lupines
  will probably appear from the woods, drop a tree on
  whatever you're using for transportation and pro-
  ceed to treat you like a pinata.
  If you're going to travel and risk a meeting with
  Lupines, I suggest packing the following items: Mace
  and/or pepper spray. Lupines have sensitive noses; if
  you can screw those up, you're halfway there. Get a
  crowbar, or better yet, see about getting something
  electroplated with silver. Silver burns Lupines like
  nothing else. Don't use this weapon to kill them,
  only to fight them off. Your goal should be to get
  away. Pack a few roadside flares as well. They're not
  too dangerous for you to use and if you can shove one
  into a Lupine's eyes and/or throat, that should even
  the odds a little. Don't forget your fire extinguisher.
  By law, every car should have one. For us, it's rather
  more important than for most. You can use it to blind
  attacking Lupines (lacking anything better), and put
  yourself out if you have an accident. Remember:
  Safety first.
  Travel in a group. If you're with other Ravnos, this
  precaution is ideal. If not, find a handy pack of anarchs.
  If you can get in on their good side, you'll probably run
  into much less trouble. A pack of Lupines who have no
  qualms about attacking a single Kindred on the road
  might — might — think twice about attacking a half-
  dozen Kindred on motorcycles and loaded for bear.
  Keep your trips short. Don't try to push all the
  way from Portland to San Francisco in a two- or
  three-night haul. Don't use the back roads, the
  Lupines watch them more closely. Don't stop in
  small towns — you won't necessarily find Lupines
  there, but it's best to avoid the trouble.
  Before you travel, scout your route. You might
  not have time to do this, but if you do, at least do it
  right. Call on the birds of the air and the beasts of the
  CLANBOOK: RAVNOS
  56
  
  field and ask them. They won't know what a "Lu-
  pine" is, but they'll probably know about
  "man-beasts." Animals aren't bright enough to be
  completely reliable, but you should use every re-
  source you have available.
  One last caution: Don't drive faster than the
  traffic around you. The last thing you need is to catch
  the Highway Patrol's attention.
  ANOTHPR NOTE
  Some Ravnos with more knowledge than good
  sense spread the word a few years ago that a clan of
  Lupines called the Striders are related to us. Don't
  believe it. I don't know what a Strider is, but I've never
  met a Lupine I didn't have good reason to run away from
  as quickly as possible.
  M A YAp ARISATYA I
  ATH OF
  pARAOOH
  For centuries, Ravnos in Europe and the Ameri-
  cas followed a Path of Paradox that taught them to
  treat mortals as cattle and to indulge every whim
  with no consideration beyond "cover your ass." They
  used it as an excuse to commit any crime or atrocity
  imaginable without concern for the consequences of
  their actions. Most of these Ravnos claimed they
  were following the tenets of Paradox in order to
  rationalize their increasingly monstrous activities,
  and quite a few fell to the Beast over the years.
  The Path of Paradox as practiced was a loath-
  some thing, not discussed outside Ravnos circles. If
  any Ventrue ever got wind of the practices espoused
  by Paradox advocates, they'd start a purge to equal
  the attack on the Assamites in ferocity and efficacy.
  It's a wonder that never happened in the first place.
  THE TRUE PATH RETURNS
  In the past decade, elder Ravnos awakened from
  deep torpor and spread into Europe and the Ameri-
  cas. When they saw what the neonates and ancillae
  of those continents called "Paradox," they reacted
  with bloodthirsty horror and destroyed the worst
  offenders. The rest, they educated in new (or rather,
  very old) ways of Paradox, which they called
  mayaparisatya.
  The wordmayaparisatya is a Hindu construction,
  describes Chimerstry almost literally — it
  means "illusion," with connotations of supernatural
  power in certain contexts. It also refers to the illu-
  sion of the physical world we can all see and touch.
  Parisatya refers to absolute truth. The juxtaposition
  of the two is a koan, or a Zen riddle, like "What's the
  sound of one hand clapping?" Understanding of
  mayaparisatya leads to true enlightenment. The means
  of that understanding comes through study and ad-
  herence to the Path of Paradox as created by
  Zapathasura, the Ravnos Antediluvian; at least that's
  the name the Indian elders used.
  This version of the Path of Paradox focuses on
  the Ravnos' condition as one of the Kindred, on the
  reasons for being Kindred and how Ravnos fit in the
  world, especially in relation to the other Kindred —
  Western and Eastern. This is not to say that Paradox
  is a peaceful or forgiving path. It demands the de-
  struction of Kindred who refuse to adhere to its
  precepts, as they damage the world simply by exist-
  ing. It demands an individualist approach to unlife,
  with respect —.not love — for mortals.
  THE SVADHARMA
  Paradox teachings state that all Kindred are
  locked outside the cycle of samsara, life and death.
  The Embrace locks the Ravnos out of natural rein-
  carnation, at least until her destruction. Paradox
  doctrine teaches that once Embraced, the soul loses
  all karma and must reestablish its dharma as one of
  the Kindred.
  In order to advance her dharma, a Ravnos must
  understand and eventually penetrate maya. Accord-
  ing to the teachings, the clan's continued failure to
  fully understand this leaves them mired in the curses
  of undeath — death by fire or the light of the sun, and
  the unending thirst for blood. Ravnos who are very
  advanced in the study of Paradox believe that once
  maya is transcended, a Shilmulo can likewise tran-
  scend these curses, and no longer suffer from the
  sun's light, the burning flames or the need for blood.
  Other Kindred may recognize this as similar to
  Golconda, and a few of the most ancient Ravnos
  have claimed in their writings that Golconda springs
  from the Path of Paradox.
  Ravnos who follow the Path of Paradox must
  learn their purpose — their svadharma — and ad-
  vance it at every opportunity. This is not as simple as
  it sounds, and no two Ravnos have quite the same
  svadharma. One may decide that he must ignore the
  temptations the Beast presents to him, while an-
  other may decide that she must give in whenever
  ON THE ART OF BEING RAVNOS
  57
  \
  
  Ravnos do not follow only the Path of Paradox. The path's tenets make it exceedingly difficult to follow
  while remaining a constructive part of a sect, especially the Sabbat. The prohibition against blood bonds
  means that any Paradox follower will find a new set of morals or descend fully into the Beast's grasp through
  the constant influence of the Vinculum. Ravnos antitribu look elsewhere to satisfy their philosophical needs,
  should humanity wither within them. 
  :• 
  ;- r ~ 
  « • 
  ; ;: 
  ,^ "* 
  ... 
  . 
  ;,.,
  Path of Caine: Some of the oldest Ravnos antitribu turned to the Path of Caine in direct rebellion against
  the teachings of the Path of Paradox and their elders. They dove headlong into the Sabbat teachings about
  Caine and the Antediluvians and denied the Ravnos lore surrounding Cainite origins. 
  : : • ; " ; ;
  Path of Cathari: Some Ravnos are attracted to this path because it offers justification for their more
  complex amoral urges (the clan weakness). Ravnos on the Path of Cathari tend to refine and practice their
  particular vice until it becomes a high art — at least in the eyes of fellow Sabbat. Other followers of Cathari
  tend to find the Ravnos'innate grasp of vice enviable.
  Path of Death arid the Soul: Former followers of the Path of Paradox often switch to this path, if only
  for the common thread regarding the fate of the soul after death. This is not to say that adherents feel the two
  paths are generally similar, only that their similar notions of the soul's fate serve as a useful starting point.
  Ravnos whose vice turns them toward murder are also often drawn to this path to better understand their
  urges. 
  ' • ' , . ' , 
  • 
  . . . ' : . ' • / 
  . 
  ' 
  • 
  ". 
  .;.'..• 
  .... , • >
   
  :; 
  •
  Path of Evil Revelations: Ravnos antitribu, like the Kindred of their parent clan, are strong individualists
  ,. and find it difficult to give their allegiance to a greater power, no matter how evil or depraved it may claim
  jjfitobe. A Ravnos who finds his own way is admired much more than one who follows in the footsteps of the
  Path of the Feral Heart: Due to the sophisticated nature of aRavnos' Beast, Rogues find this path difficult
  to follow. The path is based in the Beast's more primitive urges and needs, and the Ravnos Beast tends to focus
  on more refined concerns. 
  .
  '* -Path of Honorable Accord: Few Ravnos antitribu follow this path, but those who do are deeply committed
  to* its tenets. Some may find it more difficult to follow because of their addiction to vice, but this path usually
  strengthens the Rogue's resolve to behave properly.
  ,r 
  Path of Lilith: Ravnos typically attracted to this path tend to be those few interested in pursuing rumored
  "^connections with the Gangrel and the idea that both clans somehow sprang from Lilith. Others adopt this
  path simply to wallow in heresy against the Sabbat's doctrines without pledging fealty to a demonic power.
  Path of Power and the Inner Voice: Rogues typically do not turn to this path, but those who do pursue
  it with a ruthless efficiency that even the Lasombra admire (as long as the Rogues' depredations aren't aimed
  i8t them). Ravnos antitribu on this path most often seek power not for its own sake, but simply to make it easier
  1 for them to do whatever they want whenever they want, though they rarely use their power foolishly. While
  few Ravnos care to give fealty to another, most are willing to accept it when offered.
  possible. Whatever the svadharma, the Ravnos must
  spend every waking moment trying to understand
  and achieve it. A Ravnos who loses track of his
  svadharma — one who falls under a blood bond or
  gives up his freedom to serve another — will quickly
  fall to the Beast as he discovers that he cannot find
  his way on another's path.
  Paradox adherents, known as Shilmulo (from an-
  other Hindu word for this wretched state), view Kindred
  who aren't on the path as inferior, misguided or actively
  dangerous. Since Kindred who don't follow the path
  can't be trusted to seek out their svadharma, let alone
  understand what it means, Shilmulo take it upon them-
  selves to find out other Kindred's svadharma, so they
  can guide them to it. Those who refuse to follow are
  destroyed, if possible. They are simply too uncontrolled
  and dangerous to be allowed to exist. Those few who
  learn are taught the basics of the Path of Paradox and
  may in time become Shilmulo.
  This isn't to say that Paradox followers are ruth-
  less murderers of their fellow Kindred. Rather,
  Shilmulo see their cause as a holy one, and they are
  more than satisfied to make converts. It takes a long
  time and great commitment to transcend one's mor-
  \
  QANBOOK: RAVNOS
  58
  I
  
  tal moral code and adopt the one better suited to
  unlife. And so, as the Shilmulo reason, those ear-
  nestly wishing to make the change have forever to
  enact it.
  STARTING ON THE PATH
  The beginnings of the Path of Paradox must be
  taught — as with any path of enlightenment, they do
  not come naturally to Kindred without tutelage.
  Unlike many other paths, once the student has taken
  her first steps, she's on her own. Paradox stresses that
  each Ravnos must find her own way, and she cannot
  do that by holding onto the coattails of her elders. A
  Shilmulo may seek advice from a more advanced
  adherent, but she should not expect to get an easily
  deciphered answer.
  Very few Paradox adherents survived the Week
  of Nightmares, and those who did are not easy to
  find. A Ravnos who finds writings, such as the
  Karavalanisha Vrana, may use those as a guide for
  study and advancement (assuming he can translate
  from the original Sanskrit).
  DISCIPLINES
  As told by Desiree Narayan, anarch historian
  Whether combating the asuratizayya or weather-
  ing the fallout of the Week of Nightmares, the
  Ravnos are no strangers to the gifts of Caine. Some
  reason that the First Vampire armed his childer with
  the weapons to fight the eternal Jyhad, while hardline
  Shilmulo argue that only through understanding the
  ways of undeath can an individual achieve svadharma.
  ANIMALISM
  The Animalism Discipline is often underestimated
  and overlooked. It lacks the flash and style of Disci-
  plines like Chimerstry. So you can summon a pack of
  dogs or a flock of birds; what's the big deal? For the
  Ravnos, Animalism is probably their most useful Disci-
  pline if applied in an intelligent fashion. It demands
  subtlety and planning to a degree that even Chimerstry
  does not require. Many Ravnos consider Animalism an
  extension of their Beast, which they see as more evolved
  than that of other clans. It whispers to them in the
  night and pushes them to commit sophisticated acts of
  malice beyond those inspired in the frenzy. While this
  compulsion is by no means an advantage, it gives
  Ravnos a greater understanding of their Beasts and
  makes it easier for them to communicate with the
  Beasts of others. A Ravnos using Animalism can, to a
  CHAPTER Two: ON THE ART OF BEING RAVNOS
  59
  
  OPTION FOR DRAWING OUT THE BBA§T
  The Ravnos Beast, as described on page 49,
  differs somewhat from that of other Kindred. It is part
  of the driving force behind the clan's predilection for
  forbidden activity. Because of this link, some Story-
  tellers may rule that a Ravnos can choose to use
  Drawing Out the Beast when she is driven to succumb
  to her weakness. The drawback is that the new vessel
  might be better at the chosen crime or simply more
  willing to commit it than the Ravnos was. If this is the
  case (at Stoyteller's discretion), it may be difficult or
  impossible to regain the Beast. Because of this hazard,
  Ravnos tend to kill anyone who has served as a vessel
  for their Beast, no matter what the use. 
  "
  Players should not use this option to circumvent
  the clan weakness. After all, any Ravnos who uses
  Drawing Out the Beast suffers the consequences
  outlined in Vampire: The Masquerade, page 149,
  limited extent, perceive another's Beast while using
  the Discipline on that individual. Rather than an
  extra-sensory ability like Auspex, Animalism gives a
  sense of another's animal consciousness — that part of
  the mind that drives others to blind rage or unreasoning
  panic. The Ravnos doesn't really deal with the person
  or animal, but the Beast within that person or animal.
  Consider the possibilities with Feral Whispers or
  Beckoning. The first enables the Ravnos to speak with
  animals and give them instructions. For example, a
  Ravnos who decides to spy on an elder's haven can call
  upon nearby animals to patrol the area and return if
  they find anything unusual — like someone slinking
  around the haven. There is no guarantee that this
  strategy will work and it does require a modicum of
  effort, but the chance for success is probably worth the
  payoff. Beckoning simply summons animals — poten-
  tially, all animals of a given species in the immediate
  area. Uses for this ability include feeding or finding the
  sentries mentioned previously. Neither of these powers
  really lets the user communicate well with animals, and
  never mind trying to discuss complex topics. Nonethe-
  less, the uses within the restrictions of the Discipline
  are nearly limitless.
  Quell the Beast is frequently an effective way of
  dealing with mortals or noisome animals. If a watch-
  dog gets in the way, use Quell the Beast to calm it
  down. Mortals under this ability's influence are par-
  ticularly suggestible and none will defend themselves,
  making Quell the Beast ideal for feeding or for
  convincing irritating people to keep their distance.
  Though less versatile than Dominate or Presence,
  for what it does, it manages very well.
  Subsume the Spirit is the most useful and risky
  application of Animalism. A Ravnos who transfers
  her consciousness into an animal risks losing her
  sense of self and identity to the animal's instincts.
  Some Ravnos are vastly uncomfortable with the loss
  of control experienced during and after the posses-
  sion, and so prefer to avoid using this ability unless
  necessary. Subsume the Spirit makes it possible for a
  Ravnos to personally search an area without physi-
  cally going there and lessens the need to rely on the
  perceptions of other animals who are likely to miss
  what the Ravnos needs to know.
  Drawing Out the Beast sees infrequent use, though
  several Ravnos survived the Week of N ightmares thanks
  to quick thinking and intelligent usage of this ability.
  Even more so than Subsume the Spirit, Drawing Out
  the Beast is best saved for when you really need it.
  FORTITUDE
  Animalism has immense utility, Chimerstry pro-
  vides extensive versatility, but Fortitude is a literal
  ass-saver. This Discipline makes it easier to survive
  the slings, arrows and fires of outrageous fortune.
  Even better, it might give you that extra edge you
  need to survive a Gangrel's claws. It's not a cure-all,
  but it's vastly better than nothing. Learn it, love it
  and use it.
  CHIMIBRSTRY
  Everyone knows our reputation for deceit, not
  the least of which is our ability with Chimerstry. I
  don't know how it works or what it does, but it's
  probably the most versatile trick you'll see Kindred
  waving around anywhere. Unfortunately, we have a
  reputation for using it in obvious and stupid ways,
  which probably leads to Ravnos being escorted out of
  any given domain (often strapped to the front of the
  sheriffs classic Mustang). If any of you get the urge
  to run out somewhere and start weaving illusions
  that look like they belong in the movies, I suggest
  you write up your final will right now and let the rest
  of us get on with our unlives. Like we need any more
  jackasses fucking shit up for us.
  Chimerstry is our most useful weapon, if used
  well. Images of the King of the Monsters stomping all
  over the city aren't good uses and you shouldn't
  abuse the power in such a way. Save it for subtler
  applications — draw a gun, distract others with
  sudden and unexpected noises or make something
  CLANBOOK: RAVNOS
  60
  
  WHAT is CHIMERSTRY?
  Players and Storytellers alike are often uncertain as to what Chimerstry actually represents and how it
  works. Another common concern is that Q^irneatry doesn't readily tie into the vampire, m^ttos.
  Bear the following in mind. 
  . . » . ; ; - ; ' • • ' ' 
  ' 
  ••</:•;; 
  •, 
  . .••';-•' .' . <•:•;_., :^ /~i..'.'!-;*',, • . • • • ' yp
  CHIMERSTRY is NOT OBFUSCATE
  Chimerstry can't make anything "invisible." Unlike Obfuscate, Chimerstry does affect cameras, motion
  detectors and other technological sensing devices (but it won't trigger tripwires or pressure plates).
  Chimerstry derives from the Ravnos' ability to visualize an image and bring it to life and doesn't rely so much
  on the human mind's tendency to fill in the blanks, at least not to the extent that Obfuscate does.
  DISBELIEF
  This is a tough one — just because a character knows that a Ravnos can create illusions is not sufficient
  reason to disbelieve everything a Ravnos does. If the Ravnos draws a kris from her purse, it very well could
  be a real kris. Belief is not like a water faucet. Characters can't simply turn it on or off at will. On the other
  hand, a completely implausible illusion won't convince anyone. Either way, the fact that someone has a good
  reason to disbelieve a Ravnos' Chimerstry-created images does not mean those images will vanish. The false
  nature of such images is obvious to any who can penetrate the illusion, but the illusion will remain until it
  would otherwise disappear.
  How MUCH AREA CAN CHIMERSTRY COVER?
  As much as the Storyteller deems reasonable. If a Ravnos wants to conjure an image of an ancient,
  chthonic, tentacled deity rising from the ocean, he can. The illusion probably won't convince anyone, but
  there's no reason the image will fail to appear. 
  £
  HORRID REALITY vs. HIGH A uspex
  Auspex and Chimerstry work against each other in the same manner as Auspex vs. Obfuscate (see
  Vampire: The Masquerade, p. 152). If a Ravnos inflicts Horrid Reality against another Kindred who has
  Auspex at level five, the interaction occurs as described in the core rules. If the victim has more Auspex than
  the Ravnos has Chimerstry, the power fails automatically. Harsh luck.
  CHIMERSTRY ISN 
  ... 
  .
  Some people have strict definitions of what '.fits into traditional vampire tales. Their views may be as
  narrow as what Stoker's Dracula could do, or perhaps as broad as whatever appeared in European legends.
  Either way, strict definitions imply that a body of legend is obliged to stop growing at some point and never
  add anything new. This is not necessary or required. Anyone who's seen Lost Boys probably recalls the
  sequence with the rice disguised momentarily as maggots. This is a good example of Chimerstry in a vampire
  story — a very recent story, certainly, but how does a story's age invalidate it? Indeed, Chimerstry is a fine
  way to evoke psychological horror. 
  , 
  , 
  a^
  It's not that Chimerstry is somehow "not vampiric," but rather that it's rarely used M a manlier that
  supports the themes running through Vampire. How can a Storyteller maintain a game of "personal horror"
  when the Ravnos conjures up stock-fantasy tropes or near-comical absurdities? In the hands of a clever
  Kindred, Chimerstry is a potent tool — it can be used to cover or prevent Masquerade breaches, to add subtle
  touches to a scene, to drive mortals (or other Kindred) to their mental limits and the like. It works best when
  its use isn't obvious. Use Ghimerstry to reinforce the mood rather than break it.
  look like something else. Make sure your illusions are
  plausible and in context for the situation at hand.
  WHAT is CHIMERSTRY?
  For every Ravnos I've spoken with, I have at
  least three theories about why we have this knack for
  illusions. I'm going to go with material my colleagues
  have translated from the Karavalanisha Vrana and try
  to establish what it is from that.
  The Karavalanisha Vrana describes Chimerstry
  as a way to warp or twist the surface of may a. May a is
  what we call "reality." It's an illusion that overlays
  I
  CHAPTER Two: ON THE ART OF BEING RAVNOS
  61
  \
  
  whatever the "really" real world is. Apparently, it
  extends through several levels from the purely physi-
  cal to the purely spiritual (bear with me; I'm not an
  expert on this stuff). What Chimerstry can do is take
  something from the realm of pure spirit, or thought,
  and make it appear in the realm of the physical, or
  "pure illusion." Paradoxically, Chimerstry rarely
  manifests substance, often giving the appearance of
  tactile presence. Ravnos who have mastered
  Chimerstry can go a step further and inflict terrible
  injuries simply by imagining them. This is a draining
  and costly process that's rarely used, but no one
  would want to experience it.
  Even the truly horrible wounds aren't real —
  they fade with time. If you convince a mortal he
  burned to death, he may be in a coma for years. When
  he awakens, he won't have any scars or other signs of
  the trauma. Psychologically, he'll probably be an
  utter mess, but no physical signs remain.
  I've come across some hair-raising rumors about
  the kinds of tricks the elders and Methuselahs could
  pull off. It's hard to test the stories, though, because
  all our evidence indicates they've gone into hiding
  or torpor, or else that something destroyed them
  during that terrible week last summer. On the chance
  that some are still out there, I'll pass along what I
  know. I've heard of elders who could inflict psycho-
  somatic injuries across a crowd of mortals or Kindred.
  Other rumors include actual physical effects — not
  illusions, but the real thing. Personally, I'd be pleased
  as punch to hear these monsters are all dead. I don't
  like the idea of some elder getting a burr up his ass
  and projecting violent flaming death at my brain
  from halfway around the world. The best piece of
  advice I can give you is that if you meet an elder
  Ravnos, just assume she can do whatever she damn
  well pleases.
  FALSH RESONANCF
  (CHIMERSTRY Level. Six)
  Illusions of living or unliving beings are all well
  and good until someone decides to read the illusion's
  mind or its aura. The automatic failure to perceive
  any sense of the target's thoughts or emotions will
  usually be passed off as bad luck or simple lack of
  concentration, or whatever reason any Kindred might
  construct to explain why he didn't succeed in glean-
  ing information through supernatural means. A
  Ravnos can use False Resonance to overlay auras and
  thoughts on illusions, as well as leave a trace that
  other emotionally resonant powers can detect later.
  System: This power automatically applies to any
  other use of Chimerstry as the user wishes. In effect,
  any attempt to use Auspex or the Dementation
  power, Eyes of Chaos, that generates five or fewer
  successes will detect an aura, thoughts, Demeanor or
  whatever the power would normally detect. Thoughts
  won't be exceptionally complex, and will relate to
  whatever is going on around the illusion in a mun-
  dane and simplistic way. Auras will consist of colors
  related to specific emotions (anger, sadness, hatred,
  love and happiness) and will not show much com-
  plexity beyond that. Spirit's Touch can pick up the
  same emotional resonance until the next sunrise.
  MET System: This is an Elder level Discipline. It
  applies to any illusions the Ravnos creates. When
  another Kindred uses a Discipline like Aura Perception
  or Telepathy, resolve it normally against the Ravnos'
  current Mental Traits. If the Ravnos player wins the
  challenge, he (or a Storyteller) provides the false infor-
  mation in the illusion. This information can only be
  something simple as noted above. Any attempt to delve
  deeper than surface thoughts will reveal nothing — the
  illusion has only surface thoughts.
  FATUUS MASTPRY
  (CHIMPRSTRY LEVFL Si«)
  A Ravnos with Fatuus Mastery has no restriction
  on how often she may use the first three levels (Ignis
  Fatuus, Fata Morgana and Apparition) and can main-
  tain or control illusions with minimal concentration
  or fatigue. Kindred who rely on the high cost of
  Chimerstry to limit a Ravnos' ability to use illusions
  are in for a very rude surprise when they encounter a
  Ravnos with this power.
  System: Fatuus Mastery negates the Willpower
  and Blood cost for using the first three levels of
  Chimerstry. In addition, the Ravnos may direct move-
  ment for a number of illusions equal to his Intelligence
  without intense concentration. Furthermore, the
  character can maintain the illusion as long as it
  remains within his Willpower score in miles (al-
  though he may not make it react to events around it
  if he has no way to perceive those events).
  MET System: Fatuus Mastery is an Elder level
  Chimerstry power. The player need not expend Blood
  Traits or Willpower to use the Basic and first Interme-
  diate Chimerstry Disciplines. Illusions can engage in
  complex activities as if the Ravnos were concentrating
  on maintaining the illusion, but concentration is not
  necessary. The illusion will remain until sunrise, unless
  the player spends blood to make it permanent.
  CLANBOOK: RAVNOS
  62
  
  SHARED NIGHTMARE
  (CHIMERSTRY LEVEL Six)
  Even though Horrid Reality is visible to all
  onlookers, it can only inflict "damage" on one vic-
  tim. With Shared Nightmare, a Ravnos can inflict
  her tormented visions on a crowd.
  System: To use this power, the player must
  spend one blood point per target and two Willpower
  points. The player rolls Manipulation + Subterfuge
  once, but compares the results against each target
  individually. The difficulty is still each victim's Per-
  ception + Self-Control.
  Example: A pack of five Lupines have cornered
  Lizette in a blind alley. She turns to face them, pulls a
  shotgun out of her tote bag and aims it at the rampaging
  werewolves. She doesn't actually fire, choosing instead
  to invoke Shared Nightmare. Her player spends two
  Willpower points and five blood points to inflict the
  power on all five Lupines. Since the Lupines are rela-
  tively young, the Storyteller assigns them Perception
  scores of three and Self-Control scores of two, making
  the difficulty five. The player rolls Lizette's Manipula-
  tion + Subterfuge and receives three successes. Lizette's
  player describes the illusion as "riddling the Lupines'
  bodies with silver shot," and inflicts three levels of aggra-
  vated damage on each of the victims. The Lupines
  obligingly fly into pain-addled frenzies, buying Lizette a
  few precious seconds to plan her escape route.
  MET System: Shared Nightmare is an Elder
  level Chimerstry Discipline. To use this power in
  Mind's Eye Theater, the Ravnos player must spend
  one Willpower Trait per target, up to a maximum of
  five. The player needs to bid only one Social Trait
  against all of the targets and engage in a Social
  Challenge — everyone throws, this is not a group
  challenge. Traits are compared individually, and
  those who lose the challenge suffer the effects of the
  Shared Nightmare. Mechanics are otherwise identi-
  cal to Horrid Reality.
  FAR FATUUS
  (CHIMERSTRY LEVEL SEVEN)
  This power is the province of the Phuri Dae, who
  use it in conjunction with highly developed Auspex
  powers. It allows a Ravnos to project illusions to any
  area he can see or visualize. Under most circum-
  stances, accomplishing this requires him to have
  visited the location in question before he can project
  illusions there. Although more difficult, a Ravnos
  may project illusions on the basis of a description, a
  photograph or a television image.
  CHAPTER Two: ON THE ART OF BEING RAVNOS
  63
  
  •"X 
  (NOTES ON HORRID REALITY
  / Horrid Reality is an expensive power that is
  often difficult to use. For two Willpower points,
  players expect to get something out of it. However,
  keep in mind that the power continues to work for
  the entire scene and during that time, the victim
  perceives the illusion as absolutely real. While a
  speeding car created with Fata Morgana won't run
  anyone down, a car created with Horrid Reality is a
  deadly threat to its "victim" for the scene. A bonfire
  will bum the victim every time he steps near it for
  the duration of the scene. An illusionary stake will
  find the heart unerringly and immobilize the victim
  throughout the scene. 
  ;
  Illusionary damage inflicted with Horrid Real-
  ity can't be soaked — the Ravnos assaults the
  victim's mind and perceptions, not his body. The
  only defenses against this power are high scores in
  Perception and Self-Control, or sufficient Auspex
  to see through the illusion. 
  r 
  *;
  .When players use Horrid Reality (or any
  Chimerstry power), reward creativity. The power
  demands unusual applications, especially when com-
  >' pared to more direct and physical Disciplines such as
  Thaumaturgy or Potence. On the other hand, don't
  reward players for blatantly silly or preposterous uses
  of Chimerstry. It's best applied in subtle and believ-
  able ways. The Ravnos who uses Horrid Reality to
  say "A flying saucer zips out of the clouds and shoots
  you with its anti-life ray gun" should probably suffer
  a penalty unless he's using it on some slack-jawed
  yokel who's plausibly inclined to believe it.
  System: The difficulty for using Far Fatuus depends
  on the user's familiarity with the location. The player
  must roll Perception + Subterfuge to affect the loca-
  tion. Once this roll is successful, the Ravnos may then
  use any other Chimerstry power on that location.
  Difficulty 
  Familiarity
  6 
  As familiar as one's haven; currently view-
  ing with Clairvoyance or Psychic Projection
  7 
  Visited three or more times
  8 
  Visited once; viewing on a live feed camera
  9 
  Described in detail
  10 Never been there; seen it on television or
  have a photograph
  MET System: Far Fatuus is a Master level
  Chimerstry Discipline. To use this power, the char-
  acter must be familiar with the location in question.
  In addition, the player must spend one Willpower
  Trait and succeed in a Static Mental Challenge
  against 10 Traits. If successful, the illusion appears in
  the designated area and performs as the character
  directs. Players can use this power with any other
  Chimerstry power. If the location is in the character's
  line of sight (either through a telescope or an Auspex
  power like Clairvoyance), then the Willpower ex-
  penditure is not necessary.
  SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF
  (CHIMERSTRY LEVEL S^VEN)
  A Ravnos with this power can imbue her
  Chimerstry with a sense of reality that makes it easier
  for viewers to believe in the illusion. No matter how
  strange or surreal the illusion is, an onlooker will
  accept it as real. If the illusion is wildly unrealistic
  (fire-breathing dragons, a pack of gray aliens), once
  it is no longer in his sight, the observer will question
  what he saw and eventually deny the event ever
  happened. A Ravnos can also use this power to make
  something appear unbelievable, whether it's real or
  not. In this case, observers will write off what they're
  seeing as some kind of trick or hallucination.
  System: The player rolls Manipulation + Sub-
  terfuge (difficulty 7). The number of successes
  determines how many witnesses are affected. If the
  player uses the power to make something look unbe-
  lievable, Auspex will show the thing in question to
  be an illusion unless the Auspex score is high enough
  to penetrate the Ravnos' Chimerstry.
  1 success 
  Five people
  2 successes 10 people
  3 successes 25 people
  4 successes 50 people
  5 successes Everyone who can see it
  MET System: Suspension of Disbelief is a Mas-
  ter level Chimerstry Discipline. To use it, the Ravnos
  player must spend three Social Traits, and anyone
  who witnesses the illusion and has a reason to disbe-
  lieve it must win a Static Social Challenge (difficulty
  equals the Ravnos' current Social Traits) or believe
  implicitly that it's real, no matter how outrageous.
  The Ravnos may also use this power on something
  real, causing others to doubt its veracity.
  OCCLUSION (CHIMERSTRY LEVEL CIGHT)
  A Ravnos who masters this power can shuffle
  others' senses around to suit his preferences. He can
  select one target and inflict a serious, disorienting
  and all-encompassing case of synesthesia upon her,
  making it impossible for her to interact meaningfully
  \
  CLANBOOK: RAVNOS
  64
  
  with the real world for the power's duration. The
  Ravnos has complete control over how the target's
  senses work and can manipulate them to suit. For
  example, he may decide that she smells all sounds as
  varieties of nauseating stenches, or more subtly, he
  may exchange pain for pleasure. Against a crowd,
  sensations are randomly shuffled, so one man will see
  what the woman next to him sees, but hears what the
  man 15 feet behind him hears and feels what the
  child a block away feels. The end result is extremely
  disorienting for all victims.
  System: When used against a single victim, the
  player must spend one Willpower point and roll
  Manipulation + Intimidation (difficulty is victim's
  Willpower). For use against crowds, the difficulty is
  7, and the power affects everyone within the Ravnos'
  line of sight and subtracts one point from Perception
  per success rolled. Victims whose Perception has
  been reduced to zero can only sit down and wait for
  the disorientation to end. Duration against a single
  victim is determined below. Against a crowd, the
  power persists until sunrise.
  1 success 
  One week
  2 successes One month
  3 successes Six months
  4 successes One year
  5 successes Permanent
  MET System: Occlusionis an Ascendant level
  Chimerstry Power. To use this power, the player
  must spend one point of Willpower and win a Static
  Social Challenge against a difficulty of 12 Traits. If
  he wins the Challenge, he must spend one Social
  Trait per target affected. Affected targets must spend
  one Willpower Trait to act at all, and must bid two
  Traits in all challenges. Furthermore, they automati-
  cally lose on ties, even if they have a Discipline or
  other power that grants them the ability to win on
  ties. This power lasts until sunrise or until the Ravnos
  voluntarily releases the targets.
  MAYAPARISATYA
  (CHIMCRSTRY Lever NINP)
  Arguably the philosopher's stone for Shilmulo,
  this penultimate expression of Chimerstry allows the
  Ravnos to directly alter or create real objects or
  creatures, although such changes are of finite dura-
  tion. A Ravnos with this power can transform the air
  around a rival Kindred into fire or render a locked
  door insubstantial. A more harrowing use of this
  power enables the Ravnos to force an object out of
  existence by transforming it into nothing more than
  a wisp of its former reality.
  CHAFER Two: ON THE ART OF BEING RAVNOS
  65
  
  DISSOCIATIVE ppRcepxiONs SVNDROMH 
  1
  Since the Week of Nightmares, Chimerstry |
  hasn't behaved quite the same as it did before. $
  Theories range from the notion that the
  Antediluvian's death somehow changed the
  Discipline's nature, or that his existence buffered
  Ravnos from more extreme effects. Another theory #
  states that the final curse the Antediluvian laid
  upon the clan as he was destroyed distorted
  Chimerstry's effects. Whatever the reason, Ravnos
  who indulge in Chimerstry often slowly lose the
  ability to distinguish between what is real and what |
  is not. . ' : ' 
  ^ 
  • ' 
  • • • 
  • 
  ' • 
  . 
  f
  '~f 
  ;At first, the Ravnos suffers as if from the 
  .-.-
  Dementation power, The Haunting (Vampire: The
  Masquerade, p. 155). 
  This happens after a Ravnos
  has completely depleted his Willpower reserves i
  (zero temporary Willpower) to create a Chimerstry
  illusion. Whenever the player spends all of the
  character's Willpower, the character suffers from f
  ,?fTFhe Haunting. 
  f - \ 
  . : ' , / . % » / ' " • •'?!* , ^ 4-'':-'^'' I
  If the Ravnos continues to overuse Chirnerstry,
  he experiences full-sensory hallucinations. These ;
  hallucinations can happen at any time, especially
  moments of great stress. They can range from seeing
  a friend as an enemy (or vice versa) to seeing a busy
  street as completely empty. The hallucinations 
  •<
  start at relatively low scale and build up over time ;
  until they become potentially threatening to the j
  tRavnos' continued existence. If the Ravnos realizes f
  he's 
  experiencing hallucinations, the player can 
  ••-
  spend one point of Willpower ;to negate the hallu- f
  cinations for a scene, 
  ', 
  .
  Path of Paradox philosophers point to this power
  as the only "true" use of Chimerstry, claiming all
  others are distractions or stepping stones to this
  profound understanding. Since the Week of Night-
  mares, it's likely that no surviving Ravnos has
  mastered Chimerstry to this degree.
  System: To use this power, the player must
  spend 10 blood points and one permanent Will-
  power point and roll Manipulation + Subterfuge.
  Difficulty for the roll is 6 for affecting inanimate
  objects, and the victim's Willpower score for affect-
  ing characters. This power can affect anything within
  miles of the Ravnos, as long as the character is aware
  of the target in some way. 
  If used with Far Fatuus, the
  effects are centered on the chosen location. This
  CLANBOOK: RAVNOS
  66
  
  power can affect a number of conscious targets equal
  to the Ravnos' Willpower per use.
  When dealing with inanimate objects, the num-
  ber of successes determines how drastic the alteration
  may be. No matter how many successes the player
  rolls, the duration is always a scene. This power can
  affect any objects of a type within the Ravnos' area
  affected.
  1 success 
  Render an object harmless (swords
  won't cut, firearms won't shoot), create a large vol-
  ume of obscuring smoke
  2 successes Change an object into another ob-
  ject (turn candles into tarantulas, etc.)
  3 successes Render the object insubstantial,
  make smoke solid
  4 successes Cause drastic changes (stone be-
  comes highly flammable)
  5 successes Cause the environment to behave
  illogically (gravity twists sideways, rivers stand still
  as hills flow upward)
  6+ successes 
  Delete any offending mate-
  rial objects from existence. This effect is permanent
  (to use this on conscious targets, follow the system
  described below).
  For example, Marizhavashti Kali is awakened from
  her centuries-long slumber by the entrance of hunters
  into her haven. Shaking the cobwebs of centuries from
  her mind, she sees four hunters approach her with stakes
  ready. She focuses her full power on the stakes, trans-
  forming them into deadly spitting cobras.
  When using the power on conscious targets,
  consult the table above for alterations (such as forc-
  ing the victim into another form or transforming her
  into a different substance). If using the power to
  negate the victim's existence, the power inflicts two
  levels of unsoakable aggravated damage per success.
  If the power doesn't kill the victim, subtract one dot
  of Strength and Stamina per success. The damage
  must be healed normally, but the lost Attributes
  return at the end of the scene. Victims of this power
  look hazy and insubstantial. Victims destroyed with
  this power simply vanish.
  MET System: Mayaparisatya is a Methuselah
  level Chimerstry Discipline. The player must spend
  10 Blood Traits to activate this power, and succeed
  in a Static Mental Challenge (difficulty six Traits)
  to affect an inanimate object, or succeed in a Mental
  Challenge against conscious targets. If she wins the
  Challenge, the player may choose to spend one
  Mental Trait per aspect she changes in the target, or
  one Mental Trait per level of aggravated damage
  inflicted on the target. This damage may not be
  reduced with any Discipline, armor or equipment
  short of Methuselah level Fortitude. If used to alter
  inanimate objects, the power's effects may be applied
  to every inanimate object within the Ravnos' line of
  sight at no additional cost. The scope of effect is
  solely up to the player, but Storytellers are encour-
  aged to veto any effect too outrageous.
  COMBINATION DISCIPLINES
  Throughout their history, Ravnos have been
  forced to adapt their Disciplines into new and un-
  usual applications to better fight the asuratizayya,
  Gangrel and other enemies they've faced over the
  centuries. Prior to the Week of Nightmares, Ravnos
  elders in India spent decades and centuries first
  establishing the theoretical underpinnings for their
  Disciplines and then extrapolating combinations to
  grant them an advantage in their eternal war. A few
  of their techniques survived the clan's ruination and
  include the following powers.
  SYMPATHETIC AGONY
  (CHIMERSTRY • •, FORTITUDE • • • • )
  The Kshatriya caste of India developed this power
  to shift the pain of wounds inflicted on them to their
  enemies. Whenever the target strikes a Ravnos using
  this power, the target feels the pain instead of the
  Ravnos. This power enabled Kshatriya to better
  survive their wounds and more quickly dispatch
  their enemies.
  System: The player spends one blood point and
  rolls Manipulation + Intimidation (difficulty equals
  the victim's Perception + Self-Control). Each suc-
  cess allows the Ravnos to ignore the pain from one
  health level and inflict that pain on the victim. The
  Ravnos still suffers from the wounds, she simply
  doesn't feel it for a brief period. This power lasts for
  the duration of the scene.
  Example: Sanjay is in melee combat with an
  asuratizayya. His player rolls 6 dice against the
  asuratizayya's Perception + Self-Control and receives
  two successes. If the asuratizayya inflicts four health
  levels (Hurt) on Sanjay, the Ravnos suffers only the first
  two levels (to Wounded, or —1 to dice pools), and the
  asuratizayya also suffers as if he has taken two health
  levels (in addition to any he has already taken).
  This power costs 20 experience points to learn.
  MET System: The player spends one Blood
  Trait and engages in a Social Challenge (Intimida-
  tion retest) against the target. If successful, she may
  spend one Social Trait per level of damage the target
  CHAPTER TWO: ON THE ART OF BEING RAVNOS
  67
  
  can potentially suffer in her stead. Endurance does
  not block the pain inflicted with this power.
  Sympathetic Agony costs 10 Experience Traits
  to learn and requires that the character already
  possess Basic Chimerstry and Intermediate Forti-
  tude.
  HEART'S DesiRe
  (Auspex • • • •, CHIMPRSTRY • • )
  With this power, a Ravnos can reach into a
  target's heart and create an image of her greatest
  desire. This image always manifests as a material
  object. For example, if the target desires a specific
  lover, she'll see a letter from that person professing
  his love. Phuri Dae and Brahman Ravnos use this
  power to gain influence over others. Many people,
  faced with their heart's desire, ar likely to do any-
  thing to achieve it.
  Note that simply creating the illusion does not
  automatically convince the target. This power grants
  the Ravnos a potential advantage, but it's up to her
  to make use of it.
  System: The player must spend a blood point
  and a Willpower point, then roll Intelligence +
  Subterfuge (difficulty is the target's Willpower) to
  discern the target's heart's desire and create a reason-
  able facsimile. Three successes are necessary for this
  to work properly. Once the Ravnos creates the ob-
  ject, she can recreate it at will (so long as the player
  spends the blood point and Willpower point to
  create the illusion), unless the subject's heart's de-
  sire changes.
  This power costs 20 experience points to learn.
  MET System: To use Heart's Desire, the player
  must spend a Blood Trait and a Willpower Trait,
  then engage in a Mental Challenge against the
  target to discern her heart's desire and create a
  reasonable facsimile. Once the Ravnos has used this
  power on a target, he can recreate the illusion at will
  using Fata Morgana normally.
  This power costs 10 Experience Traits to learn
  and requires that the character possess Intermediate
  Auspex and Basic Chimerstry.
  MASK OF CATHAY (ANIMALISM • • •,
  CHIMERSTRY • • • )
  Ravnos in Asia have had to learn several tricks
  to conceal their presence among the fanatical East-
  ern Kindred. One of the more common techniques is
  the ability to appear as an asuratizayya. This mask
  conceals the Ravnos' nature as one of the Kindred
  CUNBOOK: RAVNOS
  68
  
  descended from Caine and makes them appear to be
  asuratizayya for purposes of all tests.
  This power does not grant the Ravnos any ability
  to learn Eastern Disciplines or adopt their Dharmic
  paths. It simply allows the Ravnos to misrepresent
  herself.
  System: The player spends one Willpower point
  and one blood point and rolls Manipulation + Sub-
  terfuge (difficulty 6). Each success the player gains
  on that roll represents one success an onlooker must
  overcome with the use of any power (Auspex, Kuei-
  jin Life sight, Death sight, etc.) to perceive the
  Ravnos as one of the Western Kindred. Otherwise,
  senses show the Ravnos to be a yin-aspected Kuei-
  jin. If no roll is associated with the power, roll
  Perception + Alertness (difficulty 6). Eastern Mask
  lasts for only one night per use.
  This power costs 15 experience points to learn.
  For more information on the Kindred of the East, or
  Juei-jin, see Kindred of the East.
  MET System: For a Ravnos to use Eastern Mask,
  the player must spend one Willpower Trait and one
  Blood Trait to invoke the Mask until sunrise. During
  that time, the Ravnos is perceived through super-
  natural means as a yin-aspected Cathayan (see Laws
  of the East), not as one of the Kindred.
  Eastern Mask costs seven Experience Traits to
  learn and requires that the character possess Inter-
  mediate Animalism and Chimerstry.
  \
  CHAPTER Two: ON THE ART OF BEING RAVNOS
  69
  
  Frank and explicit — that is the right line to take when you wish to conceal your
  own mind and confuse the minds of others.
  — Benjamin Disraeli
  Among Kindred who know of the Ravnos, many
  hold stereotypical images of the Deceivers: "They're
  merry Gypsies," or "They're like Malkavians, but with
  magic tricks." This is partly because the most visible of
  the Ravnos often pander to the stereotypes that lead
  other Kindred to dismiss them as troublemakers. Given
  the clan's current situation, however, most Ravnos
  aren't interested in attracting undue attention any
  longer. Even before the Week of Nightmares, knowl-
  edge of their lineage often earned the Ravnos suspicion
  before they actually did anything, so why make it worse ?
  The fact that others' suspicions are usually justifiable
  only makes many Ravnos even less interested in adver-
  tising their presence openly.
  In the Week of Nightmare's wake, with the destruc-
  tion of most of the Ravnos clan—many of whom were put
  down by scourges, sheriffs and others who saw them
  succumb to Zapathasura's blood-rage — many Kindred
  believe that the Ravnos have been utterly destroyed.
  Elders who know that some Ravnos survive fear that their
  existence will hasten Gehenna, and are more than happy
  to destroy any they see. The majority of Kindred in the
  Final Nights don't really know much either way, beyond
  rumors. Surviving, sensible Ravnos have little interest in
  taking chances. They're hooking up with each other and
  trying to find out what happened to them. Most of all,
  they're trying to avoid Final Death.
  The Ravnos on the following pages are survivors —
  they're not particularly interested in destabilizing the
  Camarilla (at least not in the near future), nor do they
  go out of their way to draw attention to themselves.
  Some are willing to watch each other's backs only
  because the gesture is reciprocated, but they don't really
  trust each other any more than they trust anyone else.
  CHAPTER THREE: AMONG FIENDS
  71
  
  7i
  CLPANFR
  Quote: I can remove your targe t and cleanup the scene. No one
  will find a thing. Yes, my services are expensive, but the investment
  is worth it.
  Prelude; You grew up a social outcast. Your parents never
  really understood why you weren't happy among your peers, and
  you developed a strong misanthropic streak in response to the
  cruelty of children and later teenagers. Your introduction to the
  underworld and organized crime was abrupt and fortuitous, if
  shocking.
  You found a body in the trunk of your
  boyfriend's car. When you confronted him
  about it, he stammered a few excuses until
  he realized you were suggesting how to
  dispose of it properly. It turned out he was
  a professional hitman. Impressed with your
  ability to clear a scene of evidence
  bodies, he let you in on his "business,"
  which also led to better lovemaking—the
  idea of killing with his girlfriend aroused
  him.
  Of course, it was too good to last. Your
  lover got the job he couldn't finish, and the
  target got him. He was hired to kill
  a newcomer to the local under-
  world, someone who had
  established new operations
  and was impinging heavily
  on established turf bound-
  aries. Unfortunately, the
  target was too tough to kill
  with one shot, and your boy-
  friend never got a chance for the
  second. Staring death in the eye,
  you did the only thing you could
  — you ran.
  For several months afterward, your
  boyfriend's former boss tried to hire
  you for more jobs, while you tried to lay
  low. You knew your lover's final target
  was still up and about and probably knew
  where to find you. When you saw him
  nearby every few nights, casually walk-
  ing past or sipping coffee at the same
  Starbucks, you knew he was stalking
  you. When you tried to leave town,
  he followed you and gave you an
  offer you couldn't refuse.
  Now you know why the first
  shot didn't kill him and you've
  developed a taste for killing that
  you're not entirely comfortable with.
  Concept: You've never liked
  people much, except on a rare indi-
  vidual basis. You've had a string of
  boyfriends that ended with the hitman,
  but you never really felt close to any of '
  them. You hate your sire and look
  forward to destroying him. Your crime
  >
  is the perfect murder. You prefer targets
  who are hard to get, but will often stalk
  NAMF:
  PIAVFH:
  CHHONICLF:
  Strength _______
  Dexterity
  Stamina ————————
  TAIFNTS
  Alertness
  Athletics
  Brawl
  Emp;ithv
  Expression
  Intimidation
  UaJership
  Contacts 
  '
  ——— MFRITS/FLA
  dKpt:"""'
  telw
  ESr*
  _MOOO
  ••••0
  •MOO
  •OOOO
  ooooo
  ••ooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  •oooo
  •oooo
  Charisma 
  »OOOO
  Manipulation
  •MOO
  ••ooo
  GFNFRATION:llth 
  I
  HAVFN:
  CoNCFpn Cleaner
  MFNIA
  Perception
  Wits
  •MOO
  ••000
  •MOO
  SKILLS
  Animal Ken 
  OOOOO
  Crafts
  Drive
  Melee
  Performance
  Security
  Stealth
  Survival
  •MOO
  ••000
  ooooo
  •MOO
  •OOOO
  M*00
  •MOO
  •OOOO
  HNOWLFD
  Academics
  Computer
  Finance
  Law
  Medicine
  Occult
  Politics
  Science
  c.t-i
  ••OOO
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  ooooo
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  ooooo
  ooooo
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  • • • • • O O O O O
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  Self-Coritrolflmttnet MM*
  Courage 
  ••••0
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  Wounded
  Mauled
  Crippled
  Incapacitated
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  someone 
  who
  catches your eye sim-
  ply for the satisfaction of
  the hunt. You cannot leave
  any evidence of your killing, ever.
  Roleplaying Hints: You're a borderline so-
  ciopath, balanced somewhere between honest
  dislike of humanity and actual insecurity. You
  hide it behind a cool demeanor and like to give
  the impression you're in complete control.
  The truth is that you would do anything to
  give up the unnatural taste for blood and
  death the Embrace foisted upon you.
  Equipment: Sniper rifle, silenced pis-
  tol, briefcase filled with tools like surgical
  gloves, wet napkins from a fried chicken
  franchise, binoculars, two-shot derringer,
  executive wardrobe, pent-
  house 
  apartment,
  Jaguar and a few gal-
  to0| - 
  Ions of powerful acid.
  i < ..
  
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  B A C K g B O U N D S
  Contactsx2
  BACKGROUNDS
  AlliesxS 
  ResourcesxS
  PHTSICAL
  NimblexZ 
  Vioorous
  PHYSICAL
  /Aaile 
  Steadv
  Influence (Street x 2)
  Influence (Transportation x 1)
  i N f L U E N C E S
  Dexterous x 2 Tenacious
  SOCIAL
  Beguiling 
  WittyxZ
  DISCIPLINES
  Chimerstry (Ignis Fatuus)
  Fortitude (Endurance. Mettlel
  DISCIPLINES
  Animalism (Feral Whispers
  Beckoninal
  Fortitude (Endurance)
  M E R I T S S FLAWS
  MEBITS fi FLAWS
  A B I L I T I E S
  Animal Ken 
  Streetwisex2
  ABILITIES
  Crafts 
  Security
  Firearms 
  Stealth
  Politics 
  Streetwise
  
  COURIFR
  Quote: Yes, I can get this package to Kuala Lumpur inside two
  hours and no one will know, but it wiU cost you big time.
  Prelude: You started as a bagman for a Mafia family in New
  York City, but you learned that if you paid attention to where
  things were sent and to whom, you could assemble a sense of the
  bigger picture. In fact, you had a talent for deduction that your
  superiors never spotted. They never thought much of you and
  paid you little attention beyond sending you to deliver valuables
  across two states.
  You eventually realized that you had no real future in the
  Mob, so you decided to branch out. With your knowledge of
  family operations, you figured you had a valuable commodity that
  your superiors would never know about. You needed to stay
  anonymous to do your thing, so you decided to sell your informa-
  tion via the Internet. You studied computers so you could do what
  you had to do, and made a point of getting contact information
  fot other gangs in the city. You knew enough people to spread the
  information about your new "service" without alerting your
  bosses, and it didn't take long for you to acquire a regular
  clientele of satisfied customers.
  One of your customers was quite impressed with
  your initiative and creativity. She came to you in the
  night and made you an offer you thought was great—
  immortality. She told you that the family had caught
  on to your antics and the head had already ordered
  your execution. You didn't want to give them the
  satisfaction, so you took her up on the offer.
  After your Embrace, your sire introduced you to
  the Kindred and helped set you up as
  a courier during the Camarilla's
  siege of New York City. You
  helped deliver sensitive infor-
  mation and track Sabbat
  movements to the Camarilla's
  benefit, and they're still a little
  grateful. No one thinks you
  made a major difference, but
  every little bit helps.
  Concept: You get sensi-
  tive material from point A to
  point B with a minimum of
  fuss for other Kindred and
  occasionally a primogen
  might hire you. Camarilla
  Kindred treat you as some-
  what neutral because you're
  not a member of the sect, but
  that means they don't entirely
  trust you. This means that some-
  times you have to submit to
  uses of Disciplines so you
  can't reveal what you're
  transporting or otherwise
  betray your employers. Not
  that you would at this point; you
  know where the food is, and it's
  not in betraying bloodsuckers who
  can rip your head off with a thought.
  Your personal indulgence is
  calculated misinformation. You
  take what you know and build a
  NAMF:
  PLAYFR:
  CimoNicii--:
  PHVSICAL
  Dexterity
  TALFNTS
  Alertness
  Athletics
  Brawl
  Dodee
  •MOO
  •MOO
  MMO
  ••OOO
  ••OOO
  •OOOO
  ••OOO
  NATIIHI :Conniver
  DFM(ANOR:CompetttivC
  SOCIAL
  Charisma 
  M*OO
  Manipulation 
  M«OO
  SKILI?
  Animal Ken 
  ••OOO
  Crafts 
  •OOOO
  Drive 
  M«00
  Eticiuette 
  OOOOO
  r.PMF»ATinfct:12t
  HAV^N:
  coNrtpi: Courier
  MFNTAL
  Perception
  Wits
  KNOWIHX
  Academics
  Computer
  Finance
  Investigation
  1
  •MOO
  ••OOO
  •MOO
  t-'S
  •OOOO
  ooooo
  •OOOO
  •OOOO 1
  _»0000
  _»oooo
  Leadership____„_„._.OOOOO 
  Se<
  Streetwise________MOOO 
  Ste 
  __
  Subterfuge_______MOOO 
  Survival.
  __«oooo
  __ooooo
  __ooooo
  __ooooo
  _MOOO
  Politics_
  Science_
  .•OOOO
  _00000
  —ADVANTAGE'S"
  Allies
  _*MOO
  __*MOO
  _«OOOO
  _M«00
  _ooooo
  _ooooo
  _ooooo
  CL
  >ttM*OO
  _MOOO
  _»OOOO
  _ooooo
  _OOOOO 
  Sclf-Comrolfaw*ftet •MOO
  _OOOOO
  _ooooo
  _OOOOO 
  Courage_________MMO
  ••••••OOOO
  • • • • O O O O O O
  DDDDDDDDDa
  .————Bmoi>prx)i ————
  naoDnnnnDD
  naoDDDanDD
  Bruised
  Hurt 
  -
  Injured 
  -
  Wounded 
  -
  Mauled 
  -
  Crippled 
  -
  Incapacitated
  picture of politics and events from that, but you use it to
  spread rumors that can create strife. You won't be
  obvious about it, but you might casually mention to
  the Tremere primogen's childe that you saw an
  Assamite lurking around the prince's fa-
  vored nightclub. You walk a thin line
  between giving too much information and
  too little, and the temptation to cross that
  line is always present. Eventually, you'll
  give in.
  Roleplaying Hints: Show deference
  and respect to Camarilla Kindred. You
  I know they're higher up in the "organiza-
  tion" and that you can't afford to rock the
  boat. That doesn't mean you aren't plan-
  ning for the time when you can parlay
  your work into better standing (and
  acceptance), or possible betrayal of
  I Camarilla operations to the Sabbat
  (if they offer the right price). Don't
  rule out the possibility of using what
  you know to increase tension among
  the Kindred and thereby make
  your own business more lu-
  crative. Just be careful about
  the controls and safeguards
  they implant.
  Equipment: A 1994
  red Ford Taurus, a 9mm
  pistol with silencer, some-
  what shabby clothes and a
  Pentium III computer system.
  
  DFVIL SLAYFR
  Quote: Your existence serves no purpose. Now it ends.
  Prelude: You were born in Nepal and served in the British
  regiment, the Royal Gurkha Rifles. Your unit remained with
  the British after India's partition in 1947 and continued to serve
  Queen and Country as duty demanded. In the early '60s, your
  unit was assigned to Malaysia during what the government
  called "confrontations." You certainly got involved in a con-
  frontation — in the middle of the night, no less.
  Your unit fought bravely, but it's not always easy to stand
  your ground when you're facing the supernatural. You held out
  as best you could while men all around you died. You fought,
  battling fiends that could twist their bodies into monstrous
  shapes or even separate their heads to move independently —
  penangaUan, the locals called them. Fortunately, some divine
  power was on your side, as several bloodthirsty monsters joined
  what remained of your unit and fought off the abominations.
  You suffered mortal wounds in the fighting, but one
  of the new monsters took pity on you and gave
  you his vitae. The Embrace awakened you to
  the larger world — a darker world where
  monsters wage wars nightly for the right to
  exist. Your sire trained you in your new re-
  sponsibilities as one of the Kshatriyas — a
  Ravnos warrior, with a duty to destroy monsters
  that have no reason to walk the Earth.
  Not too long ago, your sire sent you along with
  several other Ravnos to California to meet with an
  ancilla who was coordinating an investigation
  into increased asuratizayya activity in
  America. You spent the journey in a
  locked container in a freighter's
  hold and in voluntary torpor.
  Disturbing and bloody dreams
  punctuated your slumber.
  When you arrived in Cali-
  fornia, your attempts to
  contact the ancilla Vivek
  Lalji proved fruitless, as
  did attempts to inform
  your sire of the situation.
  Concept: You're a
  warrior, but you try not to
  revel in bloodshed. The
  Beast would do otherwise,
  no matter how much you
  try to deny it. Despite your
  training, you hate to give
  in to it, so you try to avoid
  combat unless absolutely
  necessary. You resent hav-
  ing been Embraced to fight
  a seemingly endless stream
  of asuratizayya and would
  much rather find some other
  means to deal with
  them — or even bet-
  ter, ignore them. 
  \<
  Violating the te-
  nets of Paradox satisfies
  . your need for criminality. You
  iAAosochist
  PLAVFR:
  PHVSKA,
  Strength
  S ram in a _________
  TALFNTS
  Alertness
  Athletics
  Brawl
  Dodse
  I Intimidation
  1 Leadership
  1 Streetwise
  Snhh-tfiigp _______
  BACKGROUN
  Herd
  Ikfe^
  •Hffj ——
  MMO
  •MOO
  _M»OO
  •OOOO
  _MOOO
  ••OOO
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  •OOOO
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  _ooooo
  >s
  •OOOO
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  _ooooo
  _ooooo
  vs ——— *
  oewFANOR; Fanatic
  Charisma 
  MOOO
  Manipulation 
  ••OOO
  Appearance 
  ••OOO
  SHIMS
  Animal Ken 
  ••OOO
  Crafts 
  •••00
  Drive 
  MOOO
  Etiuuette 
  OOOOO
  Melee 
  M*OO
  Performance 
  OOOOO
  Security 
  OOOOO
  Stealth 
  •OOOO
  Survival 
  MOOO
  DlSCIpl INFS
  Fortitude 
  ••OOO
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  H 
  /D
  Paradox
  • • • • • O O O O O
  • • • • • O O O O O
  nnnanDnnan
  nnaaDnnDQa
  Dnnnonnnnn
  coNcrpi : Devil Slayer
  MfNlAl
  Perception
  Wits
  KNOWI in
  Academics
  Finance
  La»
  Medicine
  Occult
  Politic.
  Science
  VlRTUP
  ••OOO
  •MOO
  •MOO
  'i"i
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  ••000
  OOOOO 1
  OOOOO 1
  OOOOO 1
  •MOO I
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  Njf-QinirollW»« M»OO
  Couraee 
  MMO
  M
  Bruised
  Hurt
  Injured
  Wounded
  Mauled
  Crippled
  Incapacitated
  1
  n
  -1 D
  -1 D
  -2 D
  -2 a
  -5 aa
  1
  v>'C
  have adopted the Path of Paradox as your moral
  compass, but the restrictions chafe you,
  driving you to act against them. This
  means that you may never fully
  master the path, but you do not
  yet consider it an impossible
  obstacle.
  Roleplaying Hints:
  You hate to be defined by
  your duty and mission, at
  , least by others. You occa-
  sionally behave contrary
  to expectations. If others
  think you should be a stoic,
  silent warrior, you will be
  boisterous and undisci-
  plined. If others expect you
  to be a thieving scoun-
  drel (a common reaction
  when they learn your
  clan), you act as if such
  behavior is beneath you.
  You are starting to won-
  der if you're simply a
  reflection 
  of others
  around you and if your
  existence has become a
  matter of fighting one ex-
  pectation after another.
  Equipment: Ca-
  sual clothing, kukri, .45
  ACP pistol, passport. \
  
  nnnccononn
  oooooooo**
  cnnnncnnon
  nnnnnncononnnnn
  onocnnnnnnonncc
  jauuny ung aajovHVHo
  awvN
  I /10H1N03-J13
  ooo**
  or/
  OIXO1ANOJ /33N
  BACKGROUNDS
  Allies x 2
  B A C K C j B O U N D S
  Generation x 5
  Path of Paradox
  •••00
  Contacts x 2 
  Influence(S1reetxl)
  Generation xl Resources x 3
  Herdxl 
  Retainersx2
  PHYSICAL
  Endurinax2 Touah
  Inf luenceCTransportationx 1)
  SOCIAL
  Charismaticx2 Empathetic
  Commandinax2 Expressive
  Diplomatic 
  Friendly
  DISCIPLINES
  Animalism (Feral Whispers)
  Chimerstrvdonis Fatuus)
  DISCIPLINES
  Animalism (Feral Whispers
  Beckoning')
  MENTAL
  E)isciplinedx2
  Fortitude (Endurance)
  Fortitude (Endurance, Mettle)
  ABILITIES
  Academics 
  Law
  Finance 
  Streetwise x 2
  Investigation
  
  i-fe
  GUNRUNNER
  Quote: You want it, I can get it. 9mm, 
  10mm, 
  black talon,
  glaser. You name it. Of course none of it's traceable. What do you
  think I am? Stupid?
  Prelude: Bom a minority on the wrong side of the tracks, you
  didn't have many options for a lucrative career, at least not a legal
  one. To your credit, you tried to work within the system, but the
  system didn't care about your competence or skill base, only about
  quotas. After you finally gave up, "affirmative action" was a four-
  letter word to you. Not ready to start flipping burgers, you looked
  up a cousin and told him you wanted a piece of the pie.
  At first, he didn't take you seriously — after all, you had a
  reputation for honesty and following the law. That actually
  worked in your favor, once you convinced him that no one would
  expect you to be moving whatever illegal commodity needed
  transporting, so he gave you a chance. Within a year, you became
  his best runner. If he had anything important, he gave it 
  to
  you. Usually, it was firearms.
  Not that you cared how your cargo was
  used. You'd just drive a hundred miles,
  picked up your load, drive back, drop it
  off, take your money and live life in the
  fashion to which you wanted to become
  accustomed. Everything was great until
  your usual contact at the other end of
  the pipeline changed. The new guy
  would only meet you after midnight,
  and you'd swear he followed you (with
  headlights off) for several miles after
  you made your pickup. Convinced he
  was stalking you, you tried to back out
  of the business, but your cousin
  wouldn't have it. He said the new
  source would only deal with you.
  This situation continued for
  six uncomfortable months before
  your contact revealed his true na-
  ture . He said he had a place for you
  in his organization, bigger, better
  and more profitable. You only had
  to die to join. He didn't give you
  much choice; fighting back was like
  beating on a wall.
  Since your Embrace, your sire has
  had you running guns and equipment for
  anarchs in California. However, you re-
  cently flipped out on a back road and
  found yourself drenched in blood in someone's
  farmhouse, surrounded by a dead family (whom you
  killed). You don't know what caused the frenzy, and
  you'd really like to find out. Unfortunately, you
  haven't been able to find your sire and the anarchs
  you met with have pulled up stakes.
  Concept: You're using your contacts on the
  street and the underworld to keep up your business,
  so you can maintain your mobility and track down
  other Kindred who might know what the hell
  happened. You have vivid memories of a nightmar'
  ish battle fought through several days and vague
  impressions of the carnage you inflicted during
  that time.
  NAMF:
  PLAY*H:
  CHRONICI F
  P
  Strength
  T
  Alertness
  Arhlettcs
  Brawl
  Intimidation
  1 Leadership
  1 Streetwise
  I Subterfuge
  1 
  BAC
  1 Contacts
  1 Herd
  1 Resources
  ^Retainers
  K
  •fl
  IV-ilCAl
  MOOO
  MOOO
  ••OOO
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  •OOOO
  MOOO
  •OOOO
  ______ OOOOO
  •OOOO
  •MOO
  •OOOO
  ••OOO
  ••OOO
  •OOOO
  •OOOO
  M»00
  ••OOO
  ______ OOOOO
  NA-IURI Traditionalist
  CiANiftavnos
  Charisma 
  ••••Q
  Appearance 
  •••OO
  SHU i s
  Animal Ken 
  •OOOO
  Crafts 
  •OOOO
  Drive 
  •OOOO
  Etiquette 
  •OOOO
  Firearms 
  •OOOO
  Melee 
  OOOOO
  Performance 
  OOOOO
  Stealth 
  •OOOO
  Survival 
  OOOOO
  Animalism 
  •OOOO
  Chimerstry 
  »OOOO
  Fortitude 
  coooo
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  • • • • • • • O O O
  ————— W n i imwpR ————
  • • • • • O O O O O
  aaannaDDDD
  GFNFRA1ION:12th
  CONCFPT: Gun Runner
  MFNTAI
  Perception
  Intel! iBi-nce
  Wtts
  KNI>WI rnc
  Academics
  Law
  Linguistics
  Medicine
  Occult
  Politics
  Science
  VIRTUES
  Bruised
  Injured
  Wounded
  Mauled
  Crippled
  Incapacitated
  •MOO
  •MOO
  ••OOO
  I;S
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  You like to give people guns. You'd
  rather make them pay for it, but if you can get
  a firearm into the hands of (say) a troubled
  teen who's likely to shoot up his high
  school, you'll do it. This desire
  repels you, but you can only
  resist the urge for so long be-
  fore it becomes overwhelming.
  Roleplaying Hints: Keep
  your distance from mortals
  and try to find Kindred who
  can tell you what's up. Don't
  look too eager or they'll up
  the ante. You're willing to
  work with anyone who can
  pay your price, and you try
  to present an aura of confi-
  /* 
  dence. Unfortunately, you
  come across as intensely
  frantic instead.
  Equipment: Ford
  Expedition, casual middle-
  class clothing (nothing too
  stylish — you're trying to
  project a "normal" image,
  whatever that means), and
  an assortment of firearms
  you'd rather not use.
  
  V.
  IMMIGRANT SMUGGLER
  Quote: Yes, Senor Esposito, I can get your family across the border and
  into Arizona and no border patrol wt&beihe wiser. Trust me, 1 have it aH
  covered.
  Prelude: Yougrewupinamiddle class family inarelatively normal
  neighborhood, but you weren't exactly normal in the eyes of others. You
  were Rroma, and your grandparents died in the German death camps
  during the Second World War. Your parents came to America as
  children; somehow they managed to get a piece of the American dream
  and even buy a house. Your father teaches anthropology at a major
  university and your mother teaches physics at the same institution.
  You didn't give a huge amount of thought to your Rroma heritage,
  although your parents made certain you understood just what it meant
  and how much your people had suffered—and how fortunate you were
  now. The moment that drove your background home to you happened
  when you went to a favorite restaurant and saw an INS official going
  through employee records. The restaurant employed several Mexicans
  and so came under government scrutiny. When
  you later learned that more than half of the
  employees got deported back to Mexico and
  the business itself was fined, you wondered
  just what America represented. The in-
  scription on Ellis Island reads, "Bring us
  your poor, your tired, your huddled
  masses." How can that mean anything if
  the United States spends more time keep-
  ing people out than bringing them in?
  All this reminded you of your
  family's history — the Rroma and their
  separate culture have not been wel- 
  (
  come anywhere for most of their
  history and were forced to travel sim-
  ply to avoid more trouble than they
  could handle. Not that traveling
  helped when the Nazis decided to
  open their extermination camps.
  You weren'thappy.butyou weren't
  sure what to do.
  You started by talking to the
  restaurant owner. Once you con-
  vinced him of your sincerity, he
  introduced you to a few people and
  they helped you get started in the
  illegal immigration business. It
  didn't take you long to become
  one of the best—you knew the
  patrols, studied INS strategy
  whenever you could and were
  otherwise careful and meticu-
  lous. You didn't feel too guilty
  about cbargingforyour services,
  since you needed to eat too.
  Everything 
  went
  smoothly for the first year or
  so, before the government
  caught up with you. You were
  looking at prison time and
  worse.justforhelpingothers 
  ,
  find their dreams or escape \\OJME
  their nightmares. The smaL ^"^
  pack of motorcyclists who were
  right behind you when the agents
  stopped you turned out to be your
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  saving grace... to adegree. They decided to remove
  the roadblock and didn't care too much about the
  Masquerade (but didn't leave any survivors). You
  quit running immigrants after that, but the motorcy-
  clists came lookingforyou again, this time tobringyou
  "into the fold." Through the Embrace, you discovered
  a distinctly horrifying part of your Rroma heritage.
  Concept: As a Ravnos, you've given up smug-
  gling mortals anywhere, instead applying your skills
  to aiding Kindred. You help the blood-hunted
  , escape their punishment, get Kindred into or out of
  Sabbat-controlled areas and otherwise behave in
  i much the same way you did while alive. You don't
  base your identity on your ethnic heritage, but you
  don't deny it, either.
  Roleplaying Hints: You're in control at all
  times, even if things are falling apart around you.
  ' Two years of running the border and looking out
  for INS patrols have given you an iron nerve, and
  little scares you. Of course, you're not yet fully
  aware of just how frightening older vampires can
  be, so there are stillsurprises. Until then, aCamarilla
  sheriff is no more worrisome to you than a county
  i sheriff.
  You hate to see people ground up under the
  weight of government or bureaucracy, and will
  act to help them, almost like Robin Hood. This
  means you will help a blood-hunted Caitiff in
  defiance of a prince's wishes and you'll give an anarch
  I a place to stay while she's avoiding her sire's attempts to
  ' drag her back.
  Equipment: An old, beaten-up van with three sets
  I of license plates and titles; 10-gauge pump shotgun you
  keep under the driver's seat; clothing appropriate for all
  social classes and occasions.
  
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  IOB.LH03-JT3S
  BACKGROUNDS
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  i N f L U E N C E S
  SOCIAL
  CharismaticxS Persuasivex2
  DISCIPLINES
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  Fortitude (Endurance)
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  SOCIAL
  Charmina 
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  DISCIPLINES
  ChiiRgrstry (Ignis Fotuus Fota Morgana)
  Fortitude f Endurance)
  MENTAL
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  MEBITS B FLAWS
  ABILITIES
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  Performance
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  INSIDF TRADER
  Quote: Yes, Charks? I have some investment advice for you. SeU
  Cost-Less.com stocks now. Yes, I'm sure. Apparent^, out of work,
  overweight, singing bald actors can't save them.
  Prelude: Your family never had much, a state of affairs that left
  you very unhappy. While all your friends had new clothes, you wore
  hand-me-downs and castoffs from thrift stores. Through a string of
  lucky breaks and honest work, you managed to earn a scholarship to
  a prestigious university and a degree in business.
  Once out of school, you carved a career for yourself in the
  business sector, quickly workingyourway to the top (andbackstabbing
  more than a few competitors to get there). That's the way business
  works, after all. Still, it wasn't enough.
  As an executive in a multinational corporation, you had access
  to sensitive financial information that could be used to make or lose
  billions of dollars. You had no intention of using thai information in
  such a way or passing it to anyone who did, but someone else had
  other ideas.
  He came to meet you late one night to discuss a
  business proposition you could not refuse — not
  because you didn't want to, but because refusal
  could be fatal. The man simply needed enough
  information to make a killing on the stock>
  market — nothing important enough for the
  SEC to know about.
  You cooperated, wanting to believe the
  promise that it wouldn't be necessary again, but
  the man kept coming back. Each time, he needed
  a little more. He always seemed to know when you
  held back or tried to lie, so you gave up.
  Within a year, you were a nervous wreck.
  You'd compromised your career for a man
  whose nameyoudidn'tevenknow;
  every time the phone rang, you
  expected it to be someone from
  the Securities & Exchange Com-
  mission to tell you that "the jig is
  up." Salvation — in a particu-
  larly ironic manifestation —
  arrived from another corner.
  Someone else came to you in
  the night. She reminded you of
  the first man in a way you
  couldn't precisely identify, but
  she made it clear she was there
  to break him. She told you his
  name and that he worked for
  someone else, and that they
  were about to sacrifice you now
  that theirplanhad netted them
  the money they needed.
  She offered you a way out.
  All you had to do was accept
  her offer of "immortality."
  Concept: You're still a
  businessman and you man-
  aged to hold onto your
  position thanks to the Em-
  brace — the Ventrue who
  were set to betray you to the
  SEC couldn't turn another
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  Kindred over. Your sire set them up, and that game's still
  playing out. You're less concerned about mortal
  authorities now and work with other
  finance-minded Kindred to make as
  much money as possible. Your next
  challenge, of course, is to make
  headway in Kindred society. That
  will be difficult for a Ravnos, even
  for one of the Phuri Dae.
  You're willing to violate confi-
  dentiality if it will net you an
  advantage. Sell out the primogen
  who cut a deal to remove a rival?
  Sure, if the rival has more to
  offer. You're not very trust-
  worthy when it comes to
  dealing with others and you
  never put anyone's well-be-
  ing ahead of your own.
  Roleplaying Hints:
  You're a predatory business-
  man; whether you're in the
  boardroom or Elysium, everyone
  around you is either off-limits or
  prey. You started at the bottom
  in mortal life and you can do it again if you
  have to. Show deference where necessary,
  go through the motions and throw any
  impediments to your upward mobility to
  the sharks.
  Equipment: Cellular phone,
  pager, European sports car, expensive
  suits, nice mansion in the really expen-
  sive part of town.
  
  PRINCE s ADVISOR
  Quote: My advice is to watch that primogen .He's planning
  to move against you and he has a few allies so far. Nip it in the bud
  now and nobody will think twice. Wait too long and... just stop it.
  Now.
  Prelude: You've always been able to ingratiate yourself
  into power structures and gain the favor of those at the top.
  Of course, you actually make yourself useful once you're
  there. You did it throughout your school and college years,
  and kept it up once you made it into the workplace. Others
  called you a suck-up or "teacher's pet" (depending on when
  and where), but you always came out ahead, so the insults
  never really mattered.
  Within a few years, you ended up as executive secretary
  to a CEO of a major software corporation. Your ability to
  watch organizations and understand how they work made you
  invaluable to your employer, who came to rely on your
  observations about his subordinates.
  Everything changed the night you decided to work late
  and saw the CEO come in with a man you'd never met before.
  Your employer treated him with obvious deference, despite
  the clear difference in social class
  between the two. This
  man dressed like he be-
  longed in a pool hall,
  not your workplace.
  Curious, you worked
  late more often,
  hoping 
  to
  catch further
  glimpses of'
  this man.
  You saw
  him on several
  more occasions
  and engaged
  him in conver-
  sation a few
  times. You
  didn't under-
  stand 
  his
  a r r a n g e -
  ment with
  the CEO at
  first, but
  the 
  man
  eventually
  came to you di-
  rectly 
  for
  information. He asked
  a few questions and you
  found yourself unable to
  work up the energy to re-
  sist. You did remember the
  conversation, however,
  and used that informa-
  tion to track what
  your employer was
  up to.
  You found out that the CEO had arranged to monitor
  bank ATM transactions through software the corporation
  had developed for those banks and was giving the informa-
  tion to the stranger.
  When you next saw the man, you confronted him. You
  were convinced he couldn't make you back down again, but
  then you felt the will to fight drain away. This time, he didn't
  talk. He Embraced you, saying you were too intelligent to
  waste as a mortal.
  Concept: You observe, note and draw conclusions. You
  realize you can't always be right, but often you're close enough
  that it doesn't make a big difference. Since your Embrace and
  subsequent introduction to the Camarilla prince, you've
  worked yourself into his graces much as you did in life. Your
  sire is pleased with your position, but makes it clear that you
  owe him your first loyalty. You feel otherwise, but at the
  moment expedience requires you to serve two masters. Some-
  day soon, perhaps you can convince the prince to destroy or
  banish your sire. Until then...
  Your personal comfort and status are primary in your
  eyes; if you can improve what you have, do so. If your gains
  come at the expense of others, don't stop to worry about it —
  if they deserved to keep what they have, they wouldn't get in
  your way.
  Roleplaying Hints: Don't sit back and watch, partici-
  pate. It's easier to understand social dynamics when you're
  part of them.
  Equipment: Cellular phone, Mace, BMW, penthouse
  apartment and fashionable clothes.
  NAMI--:
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  DEMEANOR Director
  
  PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE SPECIALIST
  Quote: The plan is to convince the Kindred that their defenses are
  useless and our forces are overwhelming. We begin the siege with terror.
  Prelude: In mortal life, you worked for the CIA as a specialist
  in psychological warfare. Your job was to identify enemy weak-
  nesses in morale and turn them to your advantage, as well as to
  minimize enemy strengths. You fought with words and propa-
  ganda, not bullets or bombs. You softened up the enemy in
  preparation for physical warfare.
  You participated in operations against Manuel Noriega
  and Saddam Hussein, as well as a score of classified operations
  the government still hasn't released to the American people.
  You spent most of your time involved in the so-called "war on
  drugs," although you were convinced the government had no
  chance of winning, even before you discovered what you were
  really up against.
  You and your subordinates became involved in actions
  against a South American drug cartel that either had
  incredible luck or more military equipment than
  any civilian should. Your part of the operation
  went smoothly, but when the soldiers followed
  up for a midnight raid, they ran into some-
  thingworsethananythingyou'deverimagined.
  Over the comm, you heard the screams of terror
  and agony as the men were brutally shredded in
  battle against god-knows-what. Eerily, you heard
  no gunfire.
  After the screaming finally stopped,
  someone spoke, saying you were next.
  You'd never been on the receiving
  end of such tactics before, but
  you didn't lose your cool diat
  quickly. You got everyone ready
  to leave and went straight to
  the waiting helicopter. You
  told the pilot to pull out and
  he flashed you a grin, show-
  ing wickedly sharp fangs.
  Concept: Your pri-
  mary weapon is terror,
  which is why the Sabbat
  went to such pains to re-
  cruit you. You're
  member of a nomad
  pack that's usually the
  first 
  to 
  scout
  Camarilla 
  cities
  about to come un-
  dersiege. You enjoy
  the oppor-
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  NAiuR! -Perfectionist
  DtM^ANon; Director
  Ci AN: Rovnos Antitribu
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  Manitwlation 
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  MOOO
  Drive 
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  CONCI PT : Psychological 
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  tunity to plan and occasionally direct shadow wars on
  American soil, against creatures that have under-
  mined society for centuries. The Sabbat may not
  be much better, but at least they're on your side.
  You like to distort perceptions, beliefs
  and attitudes, not through Chimerstry, but
  through the application of psychology and
  deception. Some might call you a liar.
  Others might call you a born diplomat.
  Roleplaying Hints: Be observant,
  watch your surroundings and don't let
  I your guard down. The last time you
  didn't pay attention, the Sabbat set up
  a shovel party for you. The Vaulderie
  makes you loyal to your pack, but
  you don't really care a lot for the
  Sabbat. You hate the Camarilla
  for what the "Kindred" of that
  organization have done to the
  , United States and the world
  throughout history and you
  realize that the Sabbat of-
  fers you your only chance
  to strike against them.
  You're still patriotic and
  you haven't fully bought
  into the Sabbat's ideal
  ) of vampiric superiority
  over mortals.
  E q u i p m e n t :
  Wooden stakes, lighter, bu-
  tane, black van, .45 ACP pistol
  
  \
  SABBAT HeRexic
  Quote: The Sabbat was founded in lies and built on deception. It
  is time for us to lead the Sabbat into victory, far the truth shall prevail!
  Prelude: Your life before the Embrace was aimless and
  without purpose. You drifted from faith to faith and religion to
  religion in search of something you could believe in, something
  larger than yourself to be a part of. Sadly, no mortal faith could fill
  the void in your soul. You knew there had to be something better,
  something finer to work toward, but you didn't know what.
  All that changed the night she came to you and told you of
  immortality and Caine and the coming war against those who
  would devour their own childer. Her words about Gehenna and
  the Antediluvians stirred your heart. When she proved she was
  one of the undead—a Cainite—you knew you'd found your faith.
  At least, you knew until the Embrace. You were taken in to the
  Sabbat and subjected to the harrowing Creation Rites. You had your
  humanity stripped away in front of your future packmates and replaced
  with a gnawing, driving hunger that nothing could banish. The
  Embrace was not the promised fulfillment; this was damnation! You had
  traded away your life for a false existence as a parasite.
  Your sire laughed at you. As she said, "You should see the
  expression on your face!" To her, it was a tremendous joke—your
  faith, your need, your search for something. You snapped, lost
  control, became a raging monster and tried to kill her, but the pack
  stopped you and held you down until you calmed. The Vaulderie
  eased your feelings of betrayal, but you had be-
  come a hollow woman.
  Then the Week of Nightmares happened.
  Your packstaked you and your sire until
  it was over, but you had visions
  —you saw the Ravnos Antedi-
  luvian fall in battle with a dragon and
  a tiger, you saw him destroy!
  under the light of four suns.
  Finally, you felt the Antediluvian's
  ultimate curse and how it de-
  stroyed the Ravnos. When
  your pack released you,
  started asking questions and
  learned that Ravnos all over
  theSabbatsufferedsimilarly. You
  also learned that the Lasombra
  and Tzimisce clans had never suf-
  fered such a curse.
  You knew then what you'd
  been looking for.
  Concept: You have
  found your mission in life.
  You must bring the
  Ravnos Antitribu into
  dominance in the
  Sabbat, now that you
  know that yours is
  the only clan whose
  Antediluvian has
  assuredly been de-
  stroyed — the
  Lasombra 
  and
  Tzimisce are clearly
  lying and you can see it
  as plain as anything. You
  NAMP:
  PLAYFR:
  CHHONK-. r:
  PHYSICAL
  Streneth
  Dexteritv
  Stamina
  TALTNTS
  Alertness
  Athletics
  Brawl
  I Empathy
  1 Expression
  1 Intimidation
  NATu«%:Pedagogu<
  DFM^ANCHI: Martyr
  Ci AN:RavnosAntrtribu
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  Crafts
  Drive
  Melee
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  Intelligenc
  Wits
  K
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  Medicine
  ON: 13th
  Sabbot Heretic
  MPNTAI
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  •OOOO
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  • • • • • O O O O O
  • • • • • • O O O O
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  ———— BLOOD pool ————
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  Politics
  Science
  Vnnu
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  Injured
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  DDDDDnn
  know that preaching too loudly
  will bring the Inquisition or
  the Black Hand, but every
  revolution starts small.
  You want to subvert the
  Sabbat's social order completely.
  When you get the chance to break
  down its structure in some way —
  converting another vampire to
  yout cause, undermining a
  Lasombra's authority, etc. —
  do so.
  Roleplaying Hints: Watch ev-
  eryone around you for signs of
  possible sympathy to your cause
  or dissatisfaction with the
  Sabbat as it currently exists.
  Be slow to recruit, but once
  you bring in converts to your
  cause, vehemently express
  your beliefs until they're
  swayed. You know you're
  right, and they should see
  the truth in your words
  and the conviction
  that drives them.
  Equipment:
  Tattered, 
  filthy
  clothing that prob-
  ably hasn't been
  changed in two
  years.
  
  SMY1J g S1IH3 W
  (6uiuo>p3g sjads|i(/v\
  saNiidi
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  COURAGE
  ••OOO
  CHABACTEB Sabbat Heretic
  CHRONICLE
  CLANRavnosantitribu
  aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa GENERATION isth
  AGE
  ••OOOOOOOO 
  NATURE Pedagogue
  aaaaaaaaaa 
  DEMEANOR Martvr
  
  THUGGFE
  Quote: I am a Thug. My father was a Thug. My grandfa-
  ther was a Thug. But only I was chosen to drink of Kali's blood
  and become as Shiva. Do not stand in my way — my duty is
  sacred.
  Prelude: You were raised in the Thuggee cult, a group
  of men who worship the goddess Kali through the act of
  sacred strangulation. You once had a life beyond murder.
  You had a family, a respectable job and sufficient wealth for
  happiness, but none of that filled you with the joy that
  service to Kali could.
  You had to make sure your murders did not attract the
  attention of the authorities. Most people think the Thuggee
  were broken nearly two centuries ago. You were taught that
  the Thuggee allowed them to believe this. Now that you
  know the true nature of the highest ranks among the Thug-
  gee, you suspect that many more forces are at work than you
  can understand . . . yet.
  One night, three Thuggee came to you and
  took you to a ritual, where you were stripped
  and they drank your blood. They returned it
  to you after transforming it into the blood of
  Kali, thereby making you into a true Thug-
  gee — a Ravnos.
  Ravenous for the taste of blood, you
  could not stop yourself when your wife and
  children were brought before you. The others
  said that to become as Shiva, you must shed
  the trappings of your mortal life. For a time,
  you mourned the act but now you under-
  stand why it was necessary.
  When the Week of
  Nightmares came, you
  barely kept control of
  yourself as the others
  leapt on one another
  and devoured each
  other's vitae. Now,
  you're the last surviving
  true Thuggee and the
  asuratizayya you were
  Embraced to fight have
  driven you out of your
  homeland. You seek a way
  to fulfill your sacred duties
  in Europe or America, or
  wherever else you may find
  yourself.
  Concept: You are the di-
  vine murderer, given the
  blessings of your goddess to
  take life and destroy the
  undead as you see fit. You are
  not stupid or needlessly
  bloodthirsty, but you under-
  stand your svadharma and do
  NAMF:
  PHYSIC
  Dexterity
  TALFNI
  Alertness
  Athletics
  Brawl
  Docke
  Leadership
  1 Streetwise
  BA< i«mo
  Retainers
  L
  1
  ^THF rjASQUFRADeU 
  1
  NATimF:Conformi$t 
  GFNFBATION: llth 
  1
  DFMFANOR : LorKP 
  HAVFN:
  ci AN:Ravnos 
  conc-pp-i: Thuggee
  ••••0
  MMO
  ••••0
  s
  ooooo
  •••00
  M»OO
  •oooo
  ooooo
  ••OOP
  ooooo
  ooooo
  JNDS
  MOOO
  •oooo
  MOOO
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  Charisma ________ MOOO
  Manipulation 
  MOOO
  Appearance 
  MOOO
  Sums
  Animal Ken ______ MOOO
  Crafts 
  ••000
  Drive 
  OOOOO
  Etinuette 
  OOOOO
  Firearms 
  »OOOO
  Melee 
  MOOO
  Performance 
  OOOOO
  Security 
  MOOO
  Steal tri 
  ••••O
  Survival 
  «0000
  DlSCIpLINFS
  Chimerstry 
  •OOOO
  Fortitude 
  MOOO
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  ooooo
  Paradox
  • • • • • O O O O O
  • • • • • • O O O O
  nnannoDQaa
  annaannDnn
  nnanDnnnnn
  MI-NT A
  Wits
  Academics
  Law
  .inguistics _____
  Medicine
  Occult
  Politics
  Science
  Bruised
  Hurt
  Injured
  Wounded
  Mauled
  Crippled
  Incapacitated
  * ————— F up FH i Ft>
  MOOO
  •MOO
  (IPS
  ••OCX)
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  1
  not foolishly deny it as the Western Kindred so
  often choose to do.
  You strangle people, per
  your religious duty. You kill
  Kindred who are far too blind
  to ever understand their
  svadharma so that they can-
  not harm others through
  their existence.
  R o l e p l a y i n g
  Hints: Despite your
  self-awareness and
  purpose, you are not a
  machine. You can feel
  and express emotion.
  You regret deeply the
  loss of your brethren and
  your home to the enemy,
  and you're not averse to
  finding allies to reclaim
  what you lost, even if they are
  Western. After all, they can
  learn, just as you did.
  Equipment: Weighted
  scarf used for strangling, bagh
  nakh (tiger claws, treat as a
  knife in each hand), assorted
  knives, Western clothing,
  small apartment.
  \
  
  OTERIE:
  THE GRAVE ROBBERS
  The Grave Robbers are a coterie of Ravnos loosely
  linked through common interests before the Week of
  Nightmares. They have formed a more tightly knit
  group for mutual protection in the wake of the
  Antediluvian's curse. They intend to find out just what
  happened and what it means for the world. They have
  strong reason to believe that the end has already begun,
  and they think the proper knowledge might enable
  them to put a stop to it.
  HISTORY
  Dr. Lawrence Mayhew, archeologist and tomb rob-
  ber from the previous century, was still recovering from
  the effects of the Week when he received the first
  package. It contained the writings of a medieval Kin-
  dred historian and an invitation to receive further
  information. Lawrence, his curiosity piqued, took up
  the invitation. He didn't find anyone at the listed hotel,
  but the clerk gave him another package, this one with
  more history and some information that would eventu-
  ally guide him to Indian elders' havens.
  When Lawrence fully understood what he'd re-
  ceived, he contacted two of his childer, both of whom
  shared similar interests. They brought in two other
  Ravnos who could assist. When Lawrence got the other
  four Ravnos to meet, he presented his plan — to go to
  India, locate the havens of ancient Ravnos and deci-
  pher everything they could. And if possible, to use this
  information to stop or slow any further disasters.
  The other four Ravnos didn't exactly believe every-
  thing Dr. Mayhew had to say — the good doctor had
  trouble with some of it himself — but the opportunity
  to ransack elder havens without much risk of retaliation
  proved tempting.
  The Grave Robbers debated travel arrangements,
  as movement is always risky for Kindred and even more
  so when it takes them halfway around the world.
  Lawrence's mysterious benefactor came through again,
  this time offering passage on a cargo vessel that would
  take them to Calcutta and offload them after dark.
  The newly formed coterie debated the wisdom of
  taking the offered passage. Without any idea as to who
  offered it, nor a clue as to motive, the risk seemed high.
  They eventually agreed to go, because they found the
  opportunity sufficiently tempting and also reasoned
  that whoever wanted to send them could probably kill
  them in America as easily as in Calcutta.
  The trip to Calcutta was uneventful. The five spent
  the journey in voluntary torpor to conserve vitae and
  awoke in a Calcutta warehouse a few weeks later.
  Again, they were provided for, this time by Dr.
  Lawrence's own people who had gone ahead and ar-
  ranged a haven and other necessities for the coterie
  during their stay on the Indian subcontinent.
  Events after the coterie's arrival were not always
  pleasant. The Eastern Kindred who warred against the
  Indian Ravnos were much more common than they had
  been before the Week of Nightmares and had no
  intention of allowing Western Kindred to stay in their
  territory. Fortunately, the coterie found it easy to lose
  themselves in India's crowds.
  The coterie started searching with the hints pro-
  vided and discovered a few havens in Calcutta itself—
  at least, a few that hadn't already been ransacked by
  former ghouls or the Eastern vampires. From that start-
  ing point, the Grave Robbers found havens in other
  cities and at least one haven that may have belonged to
  an ancient Methuselah.
  Real success came when the coterie believed they
  had located the Antediluvian's resting place. Unfortu-
  nately, when they traveled to the site, they found a
  scene literally from Hell. The place resonated with
  remnants from the vicious battle waged several months
  before, making any length of stay distinctly unpleasant.
  The coterie departed shortly thereafter without having
  made any real investigation.
  The youngest member of the coterie, Gwendolyn
  Brand, has suffered nightmares every night since the
  visit. The coterie has ceased explorations and are now
  collating their findings. They're not sure what to do
  with what they've found, or if it's even half as pertinent
  as they'd hoped, but it certainly makes fascinating
  reading.
  HAVEN
  Lawrence's ghouls purchased a nice manor in
  Calcutta, away from the center of the city and most of
  the real problems. Mostly isolated, the haven provides
  as much privacy as the coterie needs, as well as necessary
  proximity to the city for the purposes of feeding.
  The house was originally built for a wealthy British
  family during India's colonial period, but the family sold
  it when India gained independence in the late 1940s.
  The decor is relatively subdued, although Lawrence did
  send along several rare art objects he'd picked up over
  the years.
  In preparation for the coterie's arrival, the ghouls
  had the most advanced security equipment available
  installed as quickly as possible. The grounds are covered
  CHAPHR THREE: AMONG FIENDS
  87
  
  with security cameras, motion detectors and hidden
  microphones. The windows are heavily barred and the
  doors practically require explosives to force open.
  The coterie rests by day in the basement, which is
  divided into smaller areas. The basement door can be
  barred and locked from the inside. In addition, each
  coterie member has a personal "bedroom" for appear-
  ances, as well as extensive work areas for research.
  The house has high-speed Internet access, allowing
  the coterie to obtain information and news from any-
  where in the world as well as research materials that
  might otherwise be difficult to get.
  THE VAMPIRES
  Four members of the coterie have known each
  other for decades but have only been working together
  for a few months. They aren't quite a smoothly oiled
  machine (and may never be), but at least they have a
  reason to work together. The coterie's presence has
  recently become known with their first release of some
  of the documents they translated to Ravnos in America
  and Europe. At this point, the coterie as a whole is
  seriously considering returning to America. After their
  visit to the site of Zapathasura's destruction, things
  haven't been quite as comfortable for them as before.
  LAWRENCE MAYHPW ,
  Background: Lawrence Mayhew is an Oxford edu-
  cated archeologist who followed his family to India in
  the late 1 9th century so he could explore India's jungles,
  temples and other ruins. The subcontinent always fas-
  cinated him — its culture, religion and so on.
  He spent his years in India digging up anything he
  could find and learning whatever he could. It was
  I
  inevitable that one day he would learn too much. Dr.
  Mayhew came to the attention of Jayakumar, a Ravnos
  of the Brahman caste who took an interest in Mayhew's
  activities. At first, Jayakumar approached him as a
  fellow scholar and discussed India at length into the
  evenings and on to the morning. Mayhew often found
  himself arriving at his family's home an hour or two after
  sunrise.
  It wasn't long before Mayhew's erudition and curi-
  osity convinced Jayakumar that he would make a good
  Ravnos of the Brahman jati. Of course, Jayakumar did
  not consult Lawrence in advance. Jayakumar arranged
  events to appear that Lawrence had died in a terrible
  accident. Mayhew himself was brought to Jayakumar
  and subjected to the ritualistic Embrace favored by
  Brahman Ravnos.
  Lawrence adjusted quickly to his new state, al-
  though he bitterly resented the loss of daylight hours.
  The fact that human frailties no longer troubled him
  was much more of a boon, at first.
  Jayakumar wanted Lawrence's counsel about the
  West. The Brahman saw the time fast approaching
  when the Ravnos would have to move out to prepare for
  the asuratizayya's final onslaught. He knew that to do
  so, they would have to know what to expect.
  After Jayakumar got everything he needed from
  Mayhew, he sent his childe away. Lawrence, who had
  long grown tired of his sire, did not object. He left for
  America to put as much distance between himself and
  India as possible. He managed to insinuate himself into
  Harvard's faculty and spent several decades comfort-
  ably ensconced within its halls. During this stay,
  Lawrence Embraced Johann Matheson and Zachary
  Carter, his two best students (and partners in crime).
  Image: Lawrence Mayhew is a fit gentleman, ap-
  parently in his early 30s, with dark brown, precisely
  trimmed hair and brown eyes. He likes to wear conser-
  vative business suits when not digging in tombs.
  Roleplaying Hints: You're soft-spoken and unas-
  suming unless you believe you absolutely must get what
  you want or need, at which point you're very intense,
  driven and likely to run over anyone's objections. You
  have several decades' experience dealing with unruly
  students, and you find it easy to extend that experience
  to others. When around Kindred elder to you, however,
  you hold back no matter how stupid they sound. Your
  time with Jayakumar taught you not to toy with those
  more powerful than you.
  Sire: Jayakumar
  Nature: Architect
  Demeanor: Director
  CLANBOOK: TZIMISCE
  
  Generation: 9th
  Embrace: 1879
  Apparent Age: 34
  Physical: Dexterity 3, Stamina 4, Strength 3
  Social: Appearance 3, Charisma 4, Manipulation 3
  Mental: Intelligence 4, Perception 5, Wits 3
  Talents: Alertness 3, Athletics 2, Brawl 1, Dodge 2,
  Empathy 1, Expression 4, Intimidation 2, Leadership 3
  Skills: Animal Ken 2, Drive 2, Etiquette 3, Firearms 2,
  Survival 3
  Knowledges: Academics 5, Computer 1, Investigation
  4, Linguistics 2, Occult 4, Politics 3
  Disciplines: Animalism 2, Auspex 4, Chimerstry 3,
  Dominate 2, Fortitude 3
  Backgrounds: Contacts 5, Influence 1, Resources 5,
  Retainers 2, Status 2
  Virtues: Conscience 3, Courage 3, Self-Control 5
  Morality: Humanity 7
  Willpower: 7
  Crime: Not a major weakness, although it shames
  Lawrence no end. He's discovered that he has quite the
  taste for stealing others' work and making it his own.
  Plagiarism is an ugly word, and Lawrence prefers not to
  think of what he does as such, but that's it. He profits
  from others' work.
  GWENDOLYN BRAND,THF VISIONARY
  Background: Gwendolyn is a young, ambitious
  and gifted archeologist. As an Oxford graduate, her
  career might have led to incredible discoveries in the
  mortal world, had she not been caught stealing.
  Gwendolyn had been on several digs and was in-
  volved with Johann Matheson in selling rare art and
  other items picked up at archeological sites on the black
  market. The business was lucrative enough to help pay
  the bills, and Gwendolyn didn't see what she was doing
  as wrong. After all, she dug up the things in the first
  place; why shouldn't she decide not to pass everything
  along?
  Unfortunately, one of her colleagues found out
  what was going on and reported her. As a result, she was
  suspended from access to university resources and only
  avoided arrest because she thought quickly enough to
  get away from her usual haunts and call Johann.
  Johann, who already intended to Embrace
  Gwendolyn, did so right then and there. He took her
  back to America, where she met Johann's sire, Lawrence.
  Lawrence, for his part, was enthralled to find another
  Oxford scholar in his circle, even if she was a woman.
  Not long afterward, the coterie departed for India
  to research some leads a benefactor had passed along to
  Lawrence. Gwendolyn's skills served her in good stead
  during the sojourn on the subcontinent. She assembled
  much of the historical text shortly after visiting the site
  of Zapathasura's destruction. She has since suffered
  from daily nightmares about the event and occasionally
  awakens babbling in Sanskrit, a language she could
  barely manage to translate before. Gwendolyn suspects
  that whatever remains of Zapathasura's spirit has en-
  tered her body.
  Image: Gwendolyn is a tall, slender, blonde with
  dark eyes. She's always smoking a cigarette and dresses
  as casually as possible. She rarely smiles and then usually
  at another's misfortune.
  Roleplaying Hints: Bitter, cynical and resentful of
  your Embrace, you're torn between wanting to get back
  at Johann for taking your mortality and forgiving him
  because he got you out of England before the police
  carted you off. To everyone else, act abrasive until
  you're convinced they're not as bad as you initially
  thought. Don't tell anyone about your suspicions re-
  garding Zapathasura — they'll think you're crazy. You
  think you're crazy.
  Sire: Johann Matheson
  Nature: Rogue
  Demeanor: Curmudgeon
  Generation: llth
  Embrace: 1999
  Apparent Age: 28
  Physical: Dexterity 2, Stamina 2, Strength 2
  Social: Appearance 3, Charisma 2, Manipulation 3
  Mental: Intelligence 3, Perception 5, Wits 4
  CHAPTER THREE: AMONG FIENDS
  89
  \
  
  Talents: Alertness 2, Empathy 2, Expression 3, Intimi-
  dation 3
  Skills: Firearms 1, Survival 3
  Knowledges: Academics (Archeology) 4, Computer 2,
  Investigation 3, Linguistics 4, Occult 3, Science 2
  Disciplines: Auspex 3, Chimerstry 1
  Backgrounds: Contacts 3, Mentor 1, Resources 3
  Virtues: Conscience 2, Courage 3, Self-Control 5
  Morality: Humanity 7
  Willpower: 8
  Crime: Gwendolyn steals. She's not a kleptomaniac;
  she only takes valuable things. She may sell them or
  keep them afterward, but if she sees something she
  wants, she'll try to get it.
  MARION FRENCH, DACOIT
  Background: Marion's father taught her how to
  shoot before she was 12 and she learned how to fight and
  defend herself before she turned 16. When she gradu-
  ated from high school, she joined the Army for four
  years before going to university on the GI Bill.
  This isn't to say Marion was a killing machine on
  two legs — far from it. She was, however, quite compe-
  tent. While attending university, she put her fighting
  skills to use and hired herself as a bodyguard to supple-
  ment her cash. Her most lucrative job, and the one that
  changed her life the most, was the night Johann
  Matheson hired her.
  Johann stressed that anything she saw "never hap-
  pened" and took her along to meet some people about
  a shipment. The situation broke down, the people got
  offended and one drew a gun. Marion did her best to
  handle the situation, but it ended in gunfire. What
  disturbed her was the fact that Johann took two bullets
  to the chest during the fighting and didn't look as nearly
  dead as he should have been.
  After that night, Johann took Marion along when-
  ever he needed backup. He convinced her to continue
  despite the bad first experience. While she was good at
  her job, it was inevitable that something would go
  wrong eventually. The bullets would have killed her if
  it hadn't been for Johann's vitae.
  Image: Marion has black hair, dark eyes and pale
  skin. She wears clothing that gives her maximum range
  of motion and restricts or catches as little as possible.
  Roleplaying Hints: You don't trust anyone other
  than Johann, and him you trust enough to get you into
  trouble. You stick with him anyway because without
  you, he'd be brightening sunsets by the weekend. You're
  curious about the investigations but don't have the
  expertise the others do — a degree in Western literature
  isn't a big help when it comes to excavating ancient
  Ravnos havens. In a fight, you use Chimerstry —
  sparingly — to create distractions.
  Sire: Johann Matheson
  Nature: Survivor
  Demeanor: Gallant
  Generation: llth
  Embrace: 1987
  Apparent Age: Late 20s
  Physical: Dexterity 4, Stamina 4, Strength 3
  Social: Appearance 2, Charisma 2, Manipulation 2
  Mental: Intelligence 2, Perception 3, Wits 4
  Talents: Alertness 3, Brawl 4, Dodge 3, Expression 3,
  Intimidation 2, Streetwise 2
  Skills: Animal Ken 2, Drive 2, Etiquette 1, Firearms 2,
  Melee 2, Stealth 2
  Knowledges: Academics 3, Computer 1, Linguistics 1
  Disciplines: Animalism 2, Auspex 1, Chimerstry 3
  Backgrounds: Contacts 2, Resources 3
  Virtues: Conscience 2, Courage 5, Self-Control 3
  Morality: Humanity 5
  Willpower: 7
  Crime: Marion has taken up mugging and other unsa-
  vory habits to supplement her resources. She has the
  skill and ability to take what she wants from others.
  JOHANN MATHESON, FAITHFUL STUDENT
  Background: Johann attended Harvard in the mid-
  60s and dropped out a year before earning his degree to
  protest the Vietnam War and dodge the draft. Lawrence
  Mayhew, while part of Harvard's faculty, never actually
  CLANBOOK: TziMisa
  90
  
  taught classes. He did, however, keep track of promising
  students and offer them the opportunity to attend
  private discussions. He was about to offer Johann that
  chance when the young man dropped out. Not deterred
  at the apparent loss of one of archeology's future bril-
  liant minds, Lawrence convinced Johann to at least
  attend his private sessions.
  Johann's grasp of archeology and related topics
  greatly impressed Lawrence, to the point that he de-
  cided to Embrace Johann years before he actually
  followed through. Unfortunately, Johann had a predi-
  lection for chemical experimentation of which Dr.
  Mayhew disapproved. He tried to convince Johann to
  stay away from pot and LSD, but Johann laughed it off
  as something "everybody else was doing."
  Lawrence primarily opposed Johann's drug use be-
  cause he liked to use his "advanced students" as a herd,
  and the presence of drugs in Johann's system made the
  Ravnos uncomfortable. Nevertheless, Johann's bril-
  liance made up for any shortcomings Lawrence
  perceived. He Embraced Johann when he did mainly
  out of loneliness. He found the prospect of someone
  with whom he could openly discuss his experiences
  extremely tempting.
  The Embrace didn't cure Johann of his fascination
  with drugs. He regularly feeds on mortals who are under
  chemical influence, especially those who have taken
  drugs Johann never tried. In addition, Johann used
  Lawrence's connections to get a foothold in a lucrative
  black market in stolen antiques and archeological trea-
  sures. Lawrence disapproves, but learned to keep quiet
  after Johann's efforts dropped several unique and inter-
  esting items into the archeologist's possession.
  Image: Johann is a young-looking man with sandy
  blond hair and green eyes. He dresses appropriately for
  the situation at hand. When meeting customers, he
  wears business suits and ties. When feeding, he usually
  dresses in counterculture styles. In India, he's taken to
  khakis and pith helmets, much to the coterie's amuse-
  ment.
  Roleplaying Hints: You act young and cocky and
  give the impression you can do anything and are willing
  to try—even when you're wrong. You're not stupid, but
  you are extremely overconfident. The fact that you've
  Embraced twice within 30 years of unlife shows your
  lack of restraint.
  Sire: Dr. Lawrence Mayhew
  Nature: Thrill-Seeker
  Demeanor: Rebel
  Generation: 10th
  Embrace: 1971
  Apparent Age: Early 20s
  Physical: Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Strength 3
  Social: Appearance 2, Charisma 3, Manipulation 2
  Mental: Intelligence 4, Perception 3, Wits 4
  Talents: Alertness 2, Dodge 2, Expression 3, Leader-
  ship 1, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 2
  Skills: Animal Ken 2, Drive 2, Firearms 1
  Knowledges: Academics 4, Computer 2, Investigation
  3, Linguistics 3, Occult 4
  Disciplines: Animalism 3, Auspex 2, Chimerstry 3
  Backgrounds: Contacts 4, Herd 2, Influence 1, Mentor
  2, Resources 4, Retainers 1
  Virtues: Conscience 3, Courage 3, Self-Control 2
  Morality: Humanity 5
  Willpower: 7
  Crime: You traffic in stolen artifacts, but your actual
  vice is drugs. You'll try anything once, usually many
  times more often. You try to get your herd hooked on
  your favorite drugs (currently MDMA and cocaine) and
  then feed on them while they're high.
  ANJALIKA UNDFRWOOD
  Background: Anjalika is the daughter of a Brah-
  man woman and an English lord. Born in India but
  raised in England, she grew up speaking both her mother's
  and father's tongues, and shifts between the two with
  startling ease. She entered Oxford for a formal educa-
  tion and studied literature, focusing primarily on Indian
  writings. After graduation, her Indian relatives invited
  the family to come to India for an extended stay.
  CHAPTER THREE: AMONG FIENDS
  91
  
  Anjalika was excited because she wanted to see the
  places she'd read about and better understand her
  heritage.
  The stay wasn't all that she'd imagined. Her mother's
  family, being Brahman, was wealthy by Indian terms.
  But the city was crowded with people and animals, and
  Anjalika found the sheer poverty overwhelming. She
  was accustomed to England and Europe, where popula-
  tion density was much lower and the standard of living
  much higher. Certainly, she'd seen her share of home-
  less people, but not camped out on every square foot of
  sidewalk.
  Anjalika found some things about her stay enjoy-
  able. She had access to Calcutta University's library and
  met a few scholars whose work she'd studied closely.
  Things remained pleasant until the final week, when
  her relatives took her to meet an "old friend of the
  family" named Jayakumar. Jayakumar did not look very
  old, but he spoke with Anjalika well into the night
  about India's history. At least half the time, Anjalika
  thought he was speaking from experience. Before the
  night was through, Jayakumar Embraced her and for-
  bade her to return to her family.
  The Ravnos elder told Anjalika that he would tell
  her family she'd died in a terrible accident, and that he
  wished her to remain with him to learn about her duties
  and responsibilities as a Ravnos of the Brahman jati.
  Anjalika tried to leave several times, but on each
  occasion Jayakumar and his retainers prevented her
  escape. He kept Anjalika with him for over a decade
  before he deemed her ready to assume the duties for
  which he'd Embraced her.
  Anjalika was prepared to argue with her sire over
  these duties. She had spent years applying herself to
  work that she did not enjoy, existing from night to night
  in a constant state of despair. Jayakumar ordered her to
  go to Boston and find an itinerant childe of his, Lawrence
  Mayhew, and convince him to return to Jayakumar as
  soon as possible.
  Jayakumar cautioned Anjalika that this task was
  only the first part of her duty and that failure to return
  could mean disaster. Being the modern woman she was,
  Anjalika did not believe him. Leaving India was like
  dropping a heavy burden and setting it on fire. Once
  back in Europe, she had no intention of returning to the
  subcontinent. She did intend to meet Dr. Mayhew, who
  could probably tell her more about what Jayakumar had
  refused to explain, especially if he was one of Jayakumar's
  older childer.
  She stopped in London with a vague thought of
  visiting her parents, but couldn't bring herself to actu-
  ally walk in and greet them — the Embrace and the ten
  years that had followed it were too great a barrier for her
  to surmount. She traveled on to America and met with
  Lawrence Mayhew, to whom she told everything about
  her experiences with Jayakumar.
  Dr. Mayhew invited Anjalika to remain in Boston
  with him and help him place certain events in Indian
  mythology in context with the Ravnos history they had
  both picked up from their sire. After the Week of
  Nightmares and Lawrence's receipt of packages from an
  anonymous source, Anjalika agreed to travel to India
  with him to learn what happened. She fears that
  Jayakumar still walks and will take her freedom from her
  when he sees her again.
  Image: Anjalika is a small, slender woman, with
  long black hair and green-flecked brown eyes. Her skin
  is a dusky brown with ashen undertones if she hasn't fed
  recently. She dresses conservatively, preferring a busi-
  nesslike demeanor to avoid drawing attention to herself.
  Roleplaying Hints: You're quiet and subdued
  around people you don't know, but that can change in
  a second if conversation shifts to a topic you know well.
  You can spend hours discussing a few passages from the
  Upanishads or the Rg Veda if given the chance. You
  hate to discuss or think too much about your undead
  state — you feed when absolutely necessary, but you
  refer to aspects of Kindred existence with euphemisms.
  The only aspect of being Ravnos you don't loathe is the
  ability to talk to and relate with animals.
  Sire: Jayakumar
  Nature: Pedagogue
  Demeanor: Penitent
  CLANBOOK: TZIMISCE
  92
  
  Generation: 9th
  Embrace: 1975
  Apparent Age: 24
  Physical: Dexterity 3, Stamina 2, Strength 2
  Social: Appearance 3, Charisma 3, Manipulation 2
  Mental: Intelligence 4, Perception 3, Wits 3
  Talents: Brawl 1, Dodge 1, Empathy 2, Expression 4,
  Subterfuge 2
  Skills: Animal Ken 4, Drive 1, Etiquette 3
  Knowledges: Academics 4, Computer 1, Investigation
  2, Linguistics 3, Occult 3
  Disciplines: Animalism 5, Auspex 1, Chimerstry 2
  Backgrounds: Mentor 2, Resources 1, Retainers 1
  Virtues: Conscience 4, Courage 3, Self-Control 3
  Morality: Humanity 7
  Willpower: 6
  Crime: To draw attention from your faults, you point
  out and exaggerate flaws you see in others. If you get
  rolling, you will thoroughly humiliate anyone who
  irritates or offends you. If this other is Kindred, you
  might push it until you trigger frenzy.
  USING THE GRAVE ROBBERS
  The Grave Robbers are presented as having a semi-
  permanent base in Calcutta and a more permanent base
  in Boston, Massachusetts (specifically, Harvard). As of
  2001, the coterie is likely in America considering their
  next project. The next endeavor could take them any-
  where and involve them in nearly any plot, especially if
  it somehow relates to the Final Nights.
  In their investigations, they might disturb a power-
  ful elder or Methuselah of any clan, or they might
  accidentally stumble across information of more con-
  temporary use. Because they're Ravnos, any prince may
  decide to deny them entrance into his domain, which
  could cause problems (and lead them to contact charac-
  ters for assistance, especially if something they need is
  in a museum or library within the forbidden domain).
  Alternatively, Johann's black market dealings might
  net him something important to an elder local to the
  characters, which could lead to intrigues as the elder
  tries to get the coveted item. The characters could get
  involved on either side.
  The Grave Robbers are not stereotypical Ravnos—
  none are "Gypsies," and all have goals beyond swin-
  dling, lying or stealing. They're all concerned about the
  apocalyptic rumors and events that have occurred in
  the past few years. Some of them can see the red star
  quite clearly, all survived the traumatic Week of Night-
  mares and they've stood at the site where the Ravnos
  Antediluvian fought for its existence and lost. They're
  not necessarily pivotal to events, but they have a good
  idea of what's going on — perhaps better than many
  others do.
  There's also the question of their benefactor. The
  entries for Marcia Felicia Licinia and Durga Syn hint
  that one or both are involved somehow, but that's not
  necessarily the case. Whoever is the coterie's benefac-
  tor might just as easily bring the characters into similar
  investigations to increase opportunities to gather more
  information. Finally, what happens when the benefac-
  tor steps in to gather the fruits of her proxies' labors?
  SURVIVORS
  TATIANA ST.EPANOVA, ALASTOR
  Background: Tatiana Stepanova was the daughter
  of a Russian noblewoman who dallied with an itinerant
  raconteur. After her birth, her father sensed something
  not quite right with her and never really liked the girl.
  As Tatiana grew older, the feeling became mutual. She
  grew up a disobedient child and did whatever she could
  to vex her parents.
  When Tatiana discovered that her parents in-
  tended to marry her off to another family to cement an
  alliance, she was angry. When she met the filthy old
  man who was to become her husband, she became
  enraged. She decided to leave before the arranged
  marriage could sap all freedom from her existence. In
  the years following her departure, she had to learn to
  survive on her own, often disguising herself as a man to
  avoid unwanted attention and taking up robbery when
  she had no other way to feed herself.
  \
  CHAPTER THREE: AMONG FIENDS
  93
  \
  
  One night, while burglarizing a merchant's house,
  she saw a man bite another on the throat and apparently
  drink. Frightened, she tried to hide before he noticed
  her.
  The next night, Tatiana saw the man again, but
  only for a moment. In the following weeks, she caught
  glimpses and hints of his presence, but nothing definite.
  Her thieving excursions also became trickier, almost as
  if someone were putting obstacles in her path. Times got
  leaner, although she managed to survive despite the
  increased difficulties.
  Within six months, the man presented himself to
  Tatiana. It was a cold, winter night, with snow piled
  high on the ground. The first thing she noticed was that
  his breath didn't steam. Knowing legends of vampires,
  she turned to run, but found him waiting behind her.
  She barely got away. The following night, the scene
  repeated itself. For two weeks, this bizarre apparition
  haunted her. Before long, she could only huddle in her
  room and wonder when he would simply kill her.
  The moment came soon enough. When he took her
  blood, she thought she would die; she did not suspect he
  would make her one of the Ravnos. Her sire, Vasiliy,
  taught her little of the Kindred and primarily used her
  for her talent at burglary. He didn't fully realize how
  strong her knack for deception was.
  Tatiana deeply resented the Embrace — the thirst
  for blood violated her sense of humanity on a primal
  level, and the strong compulsion to conceal her true self
  bothered her in a way she didn't fully understand. She
  had concealed herself from others for years before the
  Embrace, but now she felt as if she had no choice.
  Vasiliy believed that the Ravnos blood manifested in a
  desire to steal, a compulsion he tried to exploit.
  It took Tatiana three decades to break free of
  Vasiliy's hold, after which time she used the few tidbits
  of information her sire had dropped to wend her way
  into Kindred society. She made a point of being useful
  to the other Kindred she met, rather than antagonizing
  them. Their power frightened her at first, but she came
  to realize that such power could be hers. Through the
  careful application of prestation and the ability to make
  herself useful as needed, she exchanged her services for
  lore and teaching in Disciplines that didn't otherwise
  come naturally.
  After learning more of the other clans, Tatiana
  traveled across Europe, meeting and dealing with Kin-
  dred and building up the information she needed to
  more fully conceal her true self. Eventually, she settled
  on a Brujah identity she had manufactured from expe-
  riences in Russia and France. Tatiana participated with
  several other Brujah during the French Revolution, but
  chose shortly afterward to move on to the relatively
  young United States of America.
  Tatiana moved frequently, establishing identities
  as a Gangrel and a Malkavian as well as her original
  Brujah alter ego. She quickly learned to avoid the
  Sabbat and spent her time within Camarilla-aligned
  domains. In her routine efforts to make herself useful,
  she fell in with the Ventrue archon Lucinde and worked
  with her on several occasions.
  In the 20th century, Tatiana has also fallen in with
  anarchs and associated with Lilith Storm, a prominent
  Bruj ah anarch in Seattle, when Petrodon was destroyed.
  Tatiana had heard of a plot against one of the Justicars
  but had not yet discovered enough evidence by the time
  Petrodon was ash. She contacted Lucinde to warn her
  about rumblings among the anarchs, only to receive an
  invitation to work for the new Ventrue Justicar as one
  of her archons. Her first official mission was to assist
  Lucinde in the capture of Genina, a Samedi who was
  under a global bloodhunt from the Camarilla.
  Tatiana knows of Danya, the Ravnos art thief on
  the "Camarilla's Most Wanted" Red List, another Kin-
  dred under global blood hunt. She sees Danya as a rival
  and strongly desires Danya's destruction.
  When the Week of Nightmares struck, Tatiana
  barely managed to fight off the frenzy. She held on to
  her self-control mainly because few Ravnos were nearby.
  The violent images and feelings drove her into hiding
  until the event ended, further insulating her from any
  potential consequences. She doesn't know what hap-
  pened to the rest of the clan and is very disturbed about
  what she perceives as an attack aimed at her.
  Image: Tatiana Stepanova is a mildly attractive
  black-haired woman. As one of the Kindred, she has
  pale skin, but she offsets the effect with cosmetics and
  Obfuscate. She cultivates a formidable image and pre-
  sents herself as much more dangerous than she truly is.
  Her steady gaze has unnerved more than one primogen
  or prince who sought to dissuade her attention from
  their domains.
  As an alastor, Tatiana bears the identifying tattoo
  on the palm of her left hand, and wears gloves or uses
  Disciplines to conceal it.
  Roleplaying Hints: Allow none to see your true
  self; keep it hidden under layers of deception. Manufac-
  ture identities as needed to deal with any level of mortal
  or Kindred society to get what you want. If you must
  masquerade as an anarch one night and a Camarilla
  elder the next, do so. Everyone you meet is a potential
  tool — do not hesitate to recruit those who can help you
  \
  CLANBOOK: TZIMISCE
  94
  
  get what you want, or to repay them what they are owed.
  Project a sense that you are honorable to neonates (who
  are still young enough to believe such foolishness) so
  that you can exploit it at your leisure.
  All your self-assuredness conceals massive paranoia
  that someone will learn something about you. Anyone
  coming close to the truth must be neutralized or de-
  stroyed if necessary.
  Sire: Vasiliy Vasilevich
  Nature: Survivor
  Demeanor: Judge
  Generation: 8th
  Embrace: 1764
  Apparent Age: 22
  Physical: Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Strength 3
  Social: Appearance 2, Charisma 5, Manipulation 5
  Mental: Intelligence 5, Perception 4, Wits 5
  Talents: Alertness 3, Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Dodge 3,
  Empathy 3, Intimidation 4, Leadership 4, Subterfuge 5
  Skills: Animal Ken 3, Drive 1, Etiquette 3, Melee 3,
  Stealth 3, Survival 3
  Knowledges: Academics 2, Investigation 5, Law
  (Camarilla) 3, Linguistics 2, Occult (Vampire Clans) 4,
  Politics 3
  Disciplines: Animalism 2, Celerity 2, Chimerstry 5,
  Fortitude 2, Obfuscate 3, Potence 2, Presence 4
  Backgrounds: Allies 4, Contacts 5, Resources 4, Re-
  tainers 2, Status 4
  Virtues: Conscience 2, Courage 3, Self-Control 5
  Morality: Humanity 5
  Willpower: 8
  Crime: Infiltration. Tatiana uses her skills at disguise
  and deception to assume other identities and claim
  membership in other clans. She won't try to imperson-
  ate a Tremere or a Ventrue, but no other clan is
  off-limits. She especially delights in manipulating those
  who perceive the concept of "clan" as more binding and
  fraternal than is the norm. This compulsion stems from
  her need to conceal her true identity from others, to the
  extent that she will do her best to dispose of any who
  learn too much about her.
  SANJAY CHAKRABARTI,
  RENEGADE KSHATRIYAS
  Background: Sanjay Chakrabarti was born in New
  Delhi to a family living on five by five square feet of
  sidewalk. Sanjay resented his position in society as a
  member of the lowest caste and blamed his parents for
  bringing him into the world. Instead of adjusting to his
  role, he fell in with several others also less than thrilled
  with their assigned lots in life, and began a lucrative
  career mugging tourists.
  One night, Sanjay and his companions chose a
  target who looked like a wealthy European, not realiz-
  ing that the man's pale complexion stemmed from
  something other than his racial background. When
  they confronted the man with their knives and threats,
  he laughed at them. The largest boy, Ekaja, moved to
  attack the man and fell screaming after his second step.
  None of the other boys could see what had hurt Ekaja
  so badly, but he sounded as if he'd been ripped open. A
  second young thug moved and he, too, fell screaming.
  The rest ran, except for Sanjay. Always the opportunist,
  Sanjay said, "Teach me your magic."
  So the man taught Sanjay his magic. He was a
  Ravnos of the Kshatriyas ("warrior") caste, Embraced
  over a century before to fight against the asuratizayya.
  He coached Sanjay in presenting the proper attitude
  and behavior to fit in as one of the Kshatriyas. Five years
  passed before Sanjay met another Ravnos, and another
  10 before Vivek, his sire, felt he was truly ready to battle
  the Eastern Kindred. Sanjay enjoyed his new existence
  to a point — he had all the money, fine clothes and
  women he could ever want — but as one of the undead,
  he could no longer truly enjoy these benefits. He learned
  the gifts common to the Ravnos and he learned to fight,
  but he also indulged other, less pleasant, pursuits.
  Sanjay loathed the fact that his condition made it
  impossible to enjoy mortal activities. He recruited his
  mortal friends to help him as necessary and made Ekaja
  his ghoul. Ekaja also served as his proxy for worldly
  pleasures. The ghoul brought women to bring to Sanjay's
  CHAPTER THREE: AMONG FIENDS
  95
  \
  
  haven and thoroughly degraded them under Sanjay's
  appreciative gaze. Once a woman had suffered sufficient
  indignities that Sanjay no longer enjoyed the sport, he
  would drain her to death and have Fkaja dispose of the
  remains. Vivek knew of Sanjay's excesses and tried to
  limit them, to teach Sanjay to resist such temptations,
  but Sanjay did not listen.
  When rumors swept through India that the
  asuratizayya had begun their long-rumored and oft-
  prophesied invasion the West, starting with the state of
  California in the United States of America, Vivek was
  among those who went to investigate the matter. He
  took Sanjay with him to keep an eye on him and tutor
  him further in the Path of Paradox.
  Upon arrival in Los Angeles, Vivek and Sanjay
  made contact with local Kindred and began the process
  of locating the asuratizayya for destruction. Before they
  and the other Ravnos managed to accomplish much,
  the Week of Nightmares struck. Vivek fought the frenzy
  and attempted to inflict his Beast on a ghoul to main-
  tain control. Sanjay did not try to resist. Instead, he fell
  upon his distracted sire and drank his soul. In this
  horrific act, Sanjay discovered a joy that transcended all
  he had regretted, and wished to experience it again.
  Since the Week of Nightmares, Sanjay has decided
  he'd rather indulge his urges than fight a war he doesn't
  care about. Los Angeles is the perfect city for him —
  America's decadence is distilled and reproduced for
  mass consumption in the City of Angels, and he's more
  than happy to partake. He regrets diablerizing Vivek,
  but he also desperately wants to experience that sensa-
  tion again.
  As for the mortal world, Sanjay has moved on to
  drug dealing and prostitution. Along with Ekaj a, Sanj ay
  has slowly solidified his influence with a few mortal
  gangs. He doesn't realize yet that he's stepping on other
  Kindred's territory and that only the chaos sown by the
  Eastern Kindred's invasion has kept him safe so far.
  That chaos is passing quickly.
  Image: Sanjay is a young Indian male, with short,
  black hair and dark skin. He wears the most stylish
  American clothes he can afford. He tries to present a
  quiet and respectful front when dealing with American
  Kindred, but his contempt for the Western vampires
  occasionally spills forth.
  Roleplaying Hints: You're the man! You'll rule the
  streets within two years if you play your cards right, but
  you don't want to bring the native Kindred's anger
  down on your head, so you won't move too fast. Play
  their games when you have to — respect the princes,
  \
  primogens and archons when you must, but mark time
  until you can devour them as you devoured your sire.
  Sire: Vivek Lalji
  Nature: Monster
  Demeanor: Deviant
  Generation: 10th
  Embrace: 1958
  Apparent Age: 17
  Physical: Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Strength 3
  Social: Appearance 3, Charisma 2, Manipulation 3
  Mental: Intelligence 3, Perception 3, Wits 4
  Talents: Alertness 2, Brawl 3, Dodge 3, Leadership 1,
  Streetwise 4, Subterfuge 2
  Skills: Animal Ken 2, Drive 3, Etiquette 1, Firearms 2,
  Melee 2
  Knowledges: Investigation 1, Linguistics 1, Politics 2
  Disciplines: Animalism 1, Chimerstry 3, Fortitude 2
  Backgrounds: Contacts 2, Fame 1, Herd 3, Influence 1,
  Resources 3, Retainers 1, Status 1
  Virtues: Conscience 1, Courage 2, Self-Control 2
  Morality: Humanity 4
  Willpower: 5
  Crime: Initially, Sanjay's preferred crime was to use
  women and kill them. Since discovering diablerie, he's
  lost interest in killing mortals, but he still does it on
  occasion to see if he can invoke the same rapture he
  experienced before. He doesn't do it often, in the wake
  of one murder that nearly brought a police investigation
  to Ekaja's doorstep (and thus to him).
  BRIAN THOMPSON
  Background: Brian grew up listening to the blues.
  He spent half his life wishing he could play, and the
  other half actually learning to. As a teenager, he took
  whatever jobs he could to pay for a Gibson Les Paul
  guitar and Marshall amplifier stack, as well as for les-
  sons.
  Despite all that, something was missing from his
  music. Brian couldn't put his finger on it — it was
  something he could hear when he listened to Stevie Ray
  Vaughn, but nothing that existed in his own music. He
  may simply have been his harshest critic, or he may
  genuinely have lacked the ability to truly play the blues.
  Brian tried to join a few bands, but he never got very
  far, and each try led to greater disappointment. The
  night after his final rejection, after deciding to give up
  the music and try to make a "serious" living, he got one
  final chance. He received an invitation to meet a man
  at a blues club in New Orleans called The Crossroads.
  The invitation's wording implied that the man felt
  CLANBOOK: TZIMISCE
  96
  
  Brian had potential and could help where Brian had
  failed.
  Brian went to The Crossroads. After all, what was
  one more disappointment piled atop so many others?
  No one else was at the club when he arrived, only the
  man who'd sent the invitation. The man offered Brian
  a drink and asked him to play a few songs. The drink hit
  Brian like a sledgehammer and the music flowed freely
  as it never had before. Brian felt as if the strange man
  had reached inside him and pulled out the deepest parts
  of his soul.
  "I can help you play the blues, but you have to do
  something for me in return," the man said. Brian ac-
  cepted the offer and for ten years, he played as few others
  ever had. The fact that the man — named Legba —
  needed him to do things every so often didn't bother
  Brian too much. At first he did little things, like quick
  delivery jobs. As the years passed, the tasks became
  more difficult and dangerous. Within five years, Legba
  had Brian disposing of a corpse. The young musician
  found he could not refuse Legba's requests, no matter
  how hard he tried.
  Brian's musical career didn't exactly skyrocket, but
  he was no slouch, either. He had a recording contract
  with BMI and released six albums within ten years of
  making his deal with Legba. He'd just received his first
  offer for a major United States tour when Legba came to
  him and said it was time to pay in full for the music.
  Legba then Embraced Brian.
  Needing to come to terms with the Embrace and
  the hungers it awakened, Brian turned down the tour
  and retreated from the public. He's rumored to be
  working on his next CD, but no one knows for sure.
  A year ago, Brian and Legba fought as Zapathasura's
  curse drove both to frenzy. Brian recovered several
  nights later and has seen no sign of Legba since. He does
  not know if Legba still exists or if he was destroyed, but
  he would like to know the truth.
  Image: Brian is a youngish white male, often dressed
  in denim and leather. He occasionally emulates the
  fashion preferences of his blues idols, but hasn't yet
  established his own image. His hair is shaggy and
  unkempt, and he was cultivating a beard when Legba
  Embraced him.
  Roleplaying Hints: You're standoffish; you don't
  want to let anyone near you as long as you want human
  blood. You are trying to work on your next album, but
  the creativity that existed before Legba Embraced you
  seems to have drained away. You have to fight every
  inch to write a song, which drives you to utter distrac-
  tion. When you're around others, you try to hide your
  frustration and put on a good act.
  Sire: Papa Legba
  Nature: Bon Vivant
  Demeanor: Gallant
  Generation: 10th
  Embrace: 1997
  Apparent Age:
  Physical: Dexterity 4, Stamina 3, Strength 2
  Social: Appearance 3, Charisma 3, Manipulation 2
  Mental: Intelligence 2, Perception 2, Wits 3
  Talents: Athletics 1, Brawl 2, Dodge 1, Empathy 2,
  Streetwise 2
  Skills: Animal Ken 2, Drive 2, Performance (Blues) 4,
  Survival 1
  Knowledges: Academics 1, Computer 2
  Disciplines: Animalism 2, Chimerstry 1, Fortitude 2
  Backgrounds: Contacts 3, Fame 3, Herd 3, Resources 2
  Virtues: Conscience 3, Courage 3, Self-Control 2
  Morality: Humanity 6
  Willpower: 6
  Crime: Betraying trust. Brian hasn't had a chance to do
  this yet, but as soon as he gets close to someone, he'll be
  driven to turn on her at the worst possible moment.
  Since he needs to build a relationship before he can
  destroy it, this vice is unlikely to come up often.
  KHALIL RAVANA
  Khalil Ravana recently emigrated from India to
  the United States and expanded his horizons from
  stealing wallets to stealing souls. He's sold information
  t \
  CHAPTER THREE: AMONG FIENDS
  97
  
  to the Sabbat, played hostage negotiator for a Setite
  neonate and became entangled in a Ravnos elder's
  schemes for a time.
  Khalil had the luck to survive the Week of Night-
  mares, despite his proximity to the site of Zapathasura's
  destruction. He encountered the Setite elder, Hesha
  Ruhadze, and after a shaky introduction negotiated a
  deal with the Setite to smuggle him into America. In
  exchange for passage to the West, Khalil gave Hesha
  information about the Eye of Hazimel, an artifact the
  Setite desired.
  Once in the United States, Khalil hitchhiked to
  New York City. Before and during the trip, he experi-
  enced and resisted telepathic compulsions from an
  unknown elder. Once in New York, he was guided to a
  young Setite — Hesha's former ghoul. Khalil held the
  neonate hostage to bait the Setite elder. During this
  time, the Ravnos met the Gangrel Ramona, who had
  experience with the Eye of Hazimel and had seen the
  curse it carried — hideous wounds and stigmata that
  could not be healed, even with the powers of Caine's
  blood. Khalil learned how to heal the wounds from the
  elder who had led him to New York.
  Khalil traded this knowledge to Sabbat and
  Camarilla Kindred in New York City, as members of
  both sects had suffered Eye-inflicted injuries. In ex-
  change for teaching them how to heal the wounds, the
  Ravnos asked for information on Hesha's location.
  Unfortunately, this information didn't help much. Khalil
  traded the location of the Eye of Hazimel to the Sabbat
  in exchange for potent blood. In exchange, he received
  information about the recently Embraced childe of the
  Prince of New York City.
  Unfortunately for Khalil, dealing with the Sabbat is
  never safe. He learned that simply being of Ravnos
  lineage was more dangerous than ever — one of the
  Kindred with whom Khalil had dealt, a Ventrue traitor,
  discovered the Ravnos clan's current situation and
  decided it would be simple to dispose of Khalil Ravana.
  The Ventrue miscalculated and suffered the fate he'd
  intended for Khalil when the Ravnos consumed the
  Ventrue's heart's blood.
  After this act, Khalil became addicted to diablerie,
  and his previous patience with his Setite hostage wore
  thin. However, he soon found his alliance with Ramona
  coming back to haunt him. Ramona had built up
  sympathy for his hostage and freed her. Worse, she had
  then found Hesha and led him straight to Khalil. The
  hapless Ravnos barely escaped the trap set for him.
  Now, Khalil has perhaps more enemies than any-
  one else in New York because he betrayed the Camarilla
  and the Sabbat. Worse, his addiction to diablerie led
  him to diablerize one of his own clan, a fool named
  Ghose, and turn his mortal family into ghouls. Subse-
  quently, Khalil left New York for Chicago. He remains
  controlled by his addiction, haunted by the manipula-
  tions of an elder and with no real allies.
  Image: Khalil, despite his greatest efforts to the
  contrary, can never really escape his urchin's origin.
  Even in a three-thousand-dollar suit, Khalil looks like
  little more than an Untouchable in a three-thousand-
  dollar suit. His hair is just shorter than his shoulders and
  his features are fine, almost to the point of being feline.
  Khalil was Embraced with two days growth of facial
  hair, which he shaves when he needs to be presentable
  but otherwise ignores.
  Roleplaying Hints: Survive. You know you can,
  you know you will; it's just a simple question of doing
  whatever it takes. One night, you'll manage to turn
  things back around, but until then you're going to need
  to make a few sacrifices, and your humanitas may be
  among them.
  Sire: Unknown
  Nature: Bravo
  Demeanor: Autocrat
  Generation: 9th (presumed Embraced at 11th Genera-
  tion)
  Embrace: 1878
  Apparent Age: late 20s
  Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4
  Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 3
  Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 2, Wits 4
  ClANBOOfcTziMlSCE
  98
  \
  
  Talents: Alertness 3, Brawl 1, Dodge 3, Empathy 2,
  Intimidation 2, Streetwise 5, Subterfuge 3
  Skills: Animal Ken 2, Drive 1 , Performance 4, Security
  3, Stealth 4, Survival 5
  Knowledges: Investigation 3, Law 2, Linguistics 2,
  Occult 2
  Disciplines: Animalism 2, Auspex 1, Chimerstry 4,
  Dominate 1, Fortitude 4, Obfuscate 1
  Backgrounds: Contacts 4, Fame 1, Resources 3
  Virtues: Conscience 2, Self-Control 3, Courage 2
  Morality: Humanity 4
  Willpower: 9
  Durga Syn's long history is intertwined with the
  Nosferatu Methuselah, Baba Yaga. In her mortal life,
  Durga Syn was a priestess of a pre-Christian religion
  that venerated nature. Her understanding of the mys-
  teries and mastery of the rites gave her a reputation that
  spread far beyond her home. Supernatural and mortal
  beings alike came to her for counsel and assistance. It
  was only a matter of time before the hag, Baba Yaga,
  learned of the young priestess' reputation.
  Baba Yaga came to Durga Syn and offered her more
  power than she could ever have as a mortal, and an
  eternity in which to perfect it as well as to study and
  understand nature. Durga Syn turned down the offer.
  The hag then cursed Durga Syn and her homeland for
  all time. The curse turned the young woman into an
  ancient, brittle caricature of her former self.
  Crusaders swept through Durga Syn's homeland
  shortly thereafter and nearly killed her. As she lay
  dying, Baba Yaga came to again offer the Embrace, but
  found unexpected competition. Ravnos who had come
  to make the same offer distracted Baba Yaga with
  illusions as one of them Embraced the priestess against
  her will.
  Repelled by what she had become, Durga Syn
  distracted herself by warring on Baba Yaga and her
  servants at every opportunity, if only to pretend she had
  not fully lost her soul. After Baba Yaga fell into torpor,
  Durga Syn spent much of her time trying to locate the
  hag's haven and also countering the Russian Nosferatu's
  schemes.
  For a time, Durga Syn advised the fiend Vlad the
  Impaler and assisted him in his ongoing quest for
  Golconda. She is rumored to have foretold many of the
  disasters that have befallen the Kindred, from the
  anarch revolts to the fall of the Giovanni's predecessors.
  She also developed rituals that would enable her to
  temporarily banish Baba Yaga's curse, but no final cure.
  In the final decade of the 20th century, Durga Syn
  seemingly vanished. She was in Russia when a super-
  natural force apparently imprisoned all Kindred in that
  nation. In truth, she was actively warring against the
  newly arisen Baba Yaga. The Week of Nightmares
  interrupted her efforts; her childer were forced to stake
  her during that terrible time so that Zapathasura's curse
  would not bring her (or them) terrible harm. Afterward,
  just when she had her forces ready to strike directly
  against Baba Yaga, an unknown Kindred destroyed the
  hag with little effort.
  In the wake of the Week of Nightmares and Baba
  Yaga's destruction, the curse has weakened consider-
  ably, to the point that Durga Syn has banished it for
  nights at a time with little effort. She expects it to
  dissipate within a year or two, but still maintains a frail
  appearance to disguise her true strength.
  Durga Syn strongly suspects the cause of the Week
  of Nightmares, but fervently hopes she's wrong. She
  knows that if she is correct, Gehenna has already begun.
  She actively searches for other signs of its arrival. Baba
  Yaga's destruction only strengthened her conviction —
  she believes that the Nosferatu Antediluvian may be
  awake and walking the land.
  Concerned that direct action will attract the atten-
  tion of powers she's not prepared to face, Durga Syn
  prefers to guide others to find what she needs. She
  recently gave a Ravnos coterie enough information to
  find elder havens in India and hopefully shed more light
  on the Week. The coterie members believe they're
  dealing with a ghoul.
  MATA HARI
  The woman called Mata Hari is best known for the
  accusation of espionage leveled against her, for which
  she was executed in front of a firing squad. What is not
  known is that in her younger years, while studying
  Eastern dance styles, she came to the attention of an
  Indian Ravnos. Mata Hari's exotic dance centered on
  Shiva, one of the gods this Ravnos had worshipped
  during his mortal life, before the Embrace stole his faith
  along with his mortality.
  Mata Hari's dance reminded him of his days in the
  sun, and so he followed her career. To his disappoint-
  ment, it never got far; she ended up dancing nude simply
  to make ends meet. He lost interest shortly thereafter,
  believing she had tainted the purity of her chosen art for
  the sake of illusory gain.
  A decade and a half later, he saw her face again.
  Mata Hari had been accused of committing acts of
  espionage for the Germans and was to face the firing
  squad. The Ravnos visited her in prison and offered her
  CHAPTER THREE: AMONG FIENDS
  99
  t
  
  the strength of his blood to support her through the
  ordeal, with gift of immortality to come soon after. Mata
  Hari accepted his proposal, and he lent her his durabil-
  ity for the execution. Though she appeared dead, she
  remained very much alive.
  The Ravnos' ghouls procured Mata Hari's body and
  returned her to their master, who promptly Embraced
  her. In exchange, she danced for him whenever the
  mood struck him. She had also developed considerable
  cunning and caution thanks to her experience during
  the First World War and her close brush with true
  death. She has no desire to repeat the experience.
  Eventually, the two traveled to America. Those
  who are aware of Mata Hari's Embrace believe that she
  and her sire assumed new identities once they arrived in
  the United States. Rumors have also placed her as
  working for archons, princes and other Camarilla and
  independent luminaries, applying her skill at espionage
  to good effect.
  MARCIA LICINIA
  Marcia Felicia Licinia was among a small lineage of
  Ravnos who tried to exist according to the virtues of
  chivalry in medieval France. Marcia vanished during the
  Inquisition, her sire several decades before that; the rest of
  the lineage reportedly fell to the Beast or turned to other,
  less strict moral guidelines throughout the swiftly chang-
  ing times. Before her disappearance, Marcia spent a lot of
  time researching her Eastern cousins from India and trying
  to discern their purpose in coming to Europe.
  After her third expedition, she returned to Paris in
  the mid-15th century mere nights before her elaborate
  haven was burned to the ground. From that point
  forward, most Kindred assumed that Marcia had met
  Final Death. Her studies on the Path of Paradox and its
  permutations, along with extensive discussions of the
  clan's history, were also believed destroyed. Theories as
  to who or what caused the fire range from anarchs to the
  strict Rroma Ravnos who believed none outside their
  families should receive the Embrace to the Inquisition
  and its witch-hunters, but no one ever discovered the
  truth, or cared much after a time.
  Shortly after the Week of Nightmares, Marcia's
  writings turned up in the hands of a few Ravnos who
  were trying to unearth the Nightmares' cause. While no
  direct evidence exists pointing directly to Marcia as the
  source, the writings have been updated with a few
  modern observations.
  It seems unlikely that an elder of Marcia's power
  could have survived the Week of Nightmares. On the
  other hand, rumors abound of powerful elders and even
  Methuselahs who lay in torpor before the Week, were
  awakened by the battle and ensuing curse, and who may
  have survived simply because they were too weak to
  succumb to frenzy. If the rumors are true, a handful of
  potent Ravnos elders may indeed have survived. If any
  did, they could become dangerous wild cards in the
  Final Nights.
  SPIRIT CRFFK
  The kumpaniya known as Spirit Creek may not be
  a collection of Ravnos at all, but rather a coterie of other
  Kindred led by one of the few remaining Deceivers. The
  group's leader, Doug Schoeneck, is the only known
  Ravnos is the coterie, which has three other members.
  Under the guise of a guitar band, Spirit Creek plays
  a dangerous game, traveling between the tenuous
  Camarilla domains of Milwaukee and Chicago and the
  Sabbat-infested city of Detroit. To outside observers,
  the group leads a sort of "Radio Free Domain" unlifestyle,
  taking their underground music wherever they can play
  for the evening. Others suspect the group's goal is not so
  straightforward, however. Rumors run rampant, linking
  them to nomadic Sabbat packs, a band of Gangrel
  archons last seen active outside of Chicago, or even as
  the eyes for an unknown Inconnu Monitor. Perhaps
  more likely, the group has made no secret that they
  communicate with other Ravnos, using their tours as
  opportunities to find out what Doug's fellow Ravnos
  know about recent events in the clan's history.
  If anything is certain about Spirit Creek, it's that
  the group has access to an enormous network of con-
  tacts, with members ranging from black marketeers to
  the owners of safe havens. Spirit Creek traffics in
  information primarily, and can almost certainly offer
  something in return to anyone who knows something
  that they do not.
  CLANBOOK:TZIMISCE
  100
  
  NAME:
  PLAYER:
  CHRONICLE:
  PHYSICAL
  Strength
  Dexterity
  Stamina
  TALENTS
  Alertness
  Athletics
  Brawl
  Dodge
  Empathy
  Expression
  Intimidation
  Leadership
  Streetwise
  Subterfuee
  •oooo
  •oooo
  •oooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  BACKGROUNDS
  OOOOO
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  ooooo
  -• ——— MERITS/FLAWS ——— •-
  NATURE:
  DEMEANOR:
  CONCEPT:
  SOCIAL
  Charisma 
  0OOOO
  Manipulation 
  00000
  Appearance 
  00000
  SKILLS
  Animal Ken 
  OOOOO
  Crafts 
  OOOOO
  Drive 
  OOOOO
  Etiquette 
  OOOOO
  Firearms 
  OOOOO
  Melee 
  OOOOO
  Performance 
  OOOOO
  Security 
  OOOOO
  Stealth 
  OOOOO
  Survival 
  OOOOO
  DISCIPLINES
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  OOOOO
  ooooo
  -• ———— H UM ANITY/P ATH ———— •-
  o o o o o o o o o o
  -1 —————— WlLLpOWER —————— -
  o o o o o o o o o o
  n n n n n n n n n n
  -• ———— BLOOD POOL ————— •-
  GENERATION:
  SIRE:
  HAVEN:
  MENTAL
  Perception 
  00000
  Intelligence 
  0OOOO
  Wits 
  0OOOO
  KNOWLEDGES
  Academics 
  OOOOO
  Computer 
  OOOOO
  Finance 
  OOOOO
  Investigation 
  OOOOO
  Law 
  OOOOO
  Linguistics 
  OOOOO
  Medicine 
  OOOOO
  Occult 
  OOOOO
  Politics 
  OOOOO
  Science 
  OOOOO
  VIRTUES
  Conscience/Conviction 0OOOO
  Self-Control/Instinct 
  0OOOO
  Courage 
  0OOOO
  -• —————— HEALTH —————— »-
  Bruised 
  D
  Hurt 
  -1 D
  Injured 
  -1 D
  Wounded 
  -2 D
  Mauled 
  -2 D
  Crippled 
  -5 D
  Incapacitated 
  D
  -« ————— WEAKNESS ————— •-
  Addicted to vice
  
  OTHER TRAITS
  .ooooo
  _ooooo
  _ooooo
  _ooooo
  _ooooo
  .ooooo
  ooooo
  _ooooo
  _ooooo
  _OOOOQ
  _ooooo
  _ooooo
  _ooooo
  ooooo
  ' 
  4
  _ooooo
  _ooooo
  _ooooo
  _ooooo
  _ooooo
  _ooooo
  ooooo
  +
  i RITUAL s«
  NAME
  TOTAL
  TOTAL
  spent on:
  •D ERANGEMENTS
  BOUNDTO
  •BLOOD BONDS/ VINCULI
  RATING 
  BOUND TO
  RATING
  COMBAT
  WFApON
  DAMAGF
  RANGF
  RATF
  Cup
  CONCFAL
  ARMOR
  
  ALLIES
  •EXPANDED BACKGROUND
  MENTOR
  CONTACTS
  RESOURCES
  FAME
  RETAINERS
  HERD
  STATUS
  INFLUENCE
  OTHER
  GEAR (CARRIED)
  POSSESSIONS
  EQUIPMENT (OWNED)
  FEEDING GROUNDS
  VEHICLES
  LOCATION
  HAVENSDESCRIPTION
  \
  \
  
  HISTORY-
  PRELUDE
  A OF_______
  APPARENT Aoe_
  DATE OF BIRTH_
  RIP______
  HAIR______
  EVES______
  RACE_____
  NATIONALITY_
  HEIGHT____
  WEIGHT____
  SEX_______
  VlSUALS
  COTERIE CHART
  CHARACTER SKETCH
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/World of Darkness (WoD) [multi]/oWoD/Vampire (c)/Clanbooks/OWoD - White Wolf - Vampire - The Masquerade - Clanbook - Ravnos (Revised).pdf