Masquerade society
Encyclopedia
In White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade
book
s and role-playing game
s vampires are staunch creatures ruled by tradition passed on for millennia. These traditions over time shaped a form of society broken into three separate sects, each with their own laws and traditions. Generally, the laws vary with the sects as well as the philosophies held by the sects leading to conflict.
In the revised rulebook; the Anarchs, the Sabbat and the Camarilla are listed as the three main sects that Clans belong to. The three sects are perpetually at war with one another in varied degrees as each holds conflicting views.
These sects are not used in the Kindred of the East
, Kindred of the Ebony Kingdom
or Vampire: The Dark Ages
, however, and only apply to Vampire: The Victorian Age, Vampire: The Masquerade
and the card game Vampire: The Eternal Struggle
.
of vampires in Vampire: The Masquerade
. Although they are technically members of the Camarilla, they reject the Camarilla's top down power structure, and aim to change it into the grand protector of kindred it claims to be. The name refers to their favor of an anarchic
form of social organization over the Camarilla's traditional, hierarchical form. The misconception that Anarchs are a nihilistic cult, wishing to spread chaos and disorder is encouraged by the vampire elders, who hold most of the power in the game world.
Membership of the Anarchs is wide and varied, but the majority of its members are drawn from the clans of the Camarilla and the Sabbat. Whilst it is possible for members of independent Clan
s or Bloodlines to join, they are less frequently counted amongst the Anarchs numbers.
al sect
of vampires
in Vampire: The Masquerade
. The Camarilla are composed of seven clan
s, and are the largest organization of vampires, and possibly of any supernatural creatures, in the World of Darkness.
Camarilla policy is that vampires should try to fit in with and hide from the rest of humanity
, as to easily feed on them. For this reason, they created a web of lies and misinformation, called the Masquerade, to make the public believe that supernatural beings like vampires could not possibly exist. The Camarilla also believes that the only way the vampire species can survive in these modern nights is if it unites—any breach of the Masquerade by any vampire risks exposing the entire race. Both viewpoints are fundamentally opposed by the Sabbat.
The Camarilla also enforces the Eldest as ruling class over the younger vampires.
Also unlike the Camarilla, the Sabbat believes in Antediluvians
, and for the most part considers them a great threat. This is unsurprising, especially considering that the Sabbat was formed in the wake of the Anarch Revolt, and both of the core clans, the Tzimisce
and Lasombra
, claim that their clan founders were killed during this period of upheaval.
All Sabbat adhere to a code of conduct called "The Code of Milan", which preaches loyalty to sect and packmates, and to one's own freedom within the sect, as long as one's own good is never placed above the good of the Sabbat itself.
In addition to a very firm "if you're not with us, you're against us" mentality, the sect considers vampires to be a higher form of life than humanity, and is based upon the principles of Loyalty and Freedom. Loyalty to the sect and to one's comrades is one of the important aspects of the sect, and the Sabbat vampires maintain this loyalty through a ritual called Vaulderie, where strong emotional bonds are created between members of the Sabbat.
Note: These are the Clans and bloodlines that exist in numbers amongst the Sabbat; members of other bloodlines & clans can also be found but are much more uncommon.
Despite its open structure at the bottom, the Sabbat maintains several Ranks, listed from "high" to "low" in the sect organization. The highest rank being Regent, although the sect considers this a stewardship until Caine, the Father of all Vampires assumes leadership.
Sabbat packs are divided into two types, founded and nomadic. Founded packs usually stick to one place and do not move around much, instead making one location their base of operations. Nomadic packs, as their name implies, travel from area to area, helping to keep the Sabbat as a whole unified and vital.
Every Pack has a Ductus (a vampire of higher status and experience who functions as leader) and most have a Priest. Priests lead or oversee the rituals of a Pack. There are some universal rituals within the Sabbat, but Packs usually develop their own, with a wide variety of uses.
, Mexico
, the heart of Sabbat power and influence and seat of the regent. Much of the southern and eastern United States
cities belong to the Sabbat, except New York City
, which was retaken by the Camarilla vampires in 1999.
In Europe, the sect presence is much smaller, although several domains of Europe are held by founded packs of the Sabbat, made up of vampires much more powerful and experienced than those elsewhere. One exception is Spain, where they are in prominence, Madrid
and Cadiz
being great Sabbat strongholds.
s, composed of several clans
and bloodlines, from White Wolf Game Studio's
Vampire: The Masquerade
books and role-playing game
s. The name comes from their symbol, an inverted black hand print. The sect is often confused with the Sabbat itself and another mysterious sect, the Tal'mahe'Ra.
The Black Hand, or simply the Hand, are the assassins of the Sabbat. They comprise a special sub-division of the Sabbat, a sect within a sect. They are an elite group of vampires recognized as separate from all other members of the Sabbat. The Black Hand is not truly a separate body, however, since all its members are loyal to the Sabbat over all else.
Often the Black Hand is called to hunt down especially troublesome vampires during a blood hunt.
al sect
of vampire
s, composed of several clans
and bloodlines, from the Vampire: The Masquerade
books and role-playing game
s. The sect was often confused with the Black Hand
, which it claimed to have created.
Also called the True Black Hand, the sect was secretive and claimed to have infiltrators in all other factions. The extent of this power and infiltration was debatable, due to the very nature of the sect. Dedicated to bringing about Gehenna
and the return of the Antediluvians
, these vampires hoped to serve the ancients and gain positions as favoured servants.
Most of the Tal'mahe'Ra were destroyed at the start of the Sixth Maelstrom
in the Shadowlands. The surviving members quietly blended into the sects they once infiltrated.
The Bloodlines unique to this sect were the Old Clan Tzimisce
(who avoid the mainstream Clan use of Vicissitude), the True Brujah (who wish to avenge their Antedeluvian Ilyes, who was diablerized by her childe Troile, founder of the mainstream Brujah
Clan) and the Nagaraja (a necromantic and cannibalistic cabal of Euthanatos Magi who turned themselves into vampires long before the Tremere
). The sect also contained members from various other vampire consanguinities.
The Shadow Crusade of the Sect was a campaign against Vicissitude, which they believed to be a parasitic entity contracted by a Tzimisce Methusulah named Andeleon while in plane of reality known as the Deep Umbra. This came to a halt when their base of operations, the shadow realm answer to the classic Enoch, was destroyed. They chose that place not only for its historic value, but also because four creatures thought to be Antedeluvian vampires slept within it, known collectively as the Aralu. While their spirits were visible through Auspex, they were impossible to find. It is later realized that it was not Enoch, but the illusion created by at least one of the Torpid ancients to better mask his presence. The Shadow Crusade ended with the destruction of Enoch, and further White Wolf books revealed Vicissitude to be an active piece of the Tzimisce Antedeluvian. The true nature of the Aralu was never disclosed.
In Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
, the player has a chance to pick up a fabled blade of the Tal'mahe'Ra in the Hallowbrook Hotel.
, Saulot and a host of other conspiracies. Several cities in the World of Darkness have Inconnu monitors, mysterious elder vampires who do little, other than watch the events of their chosen city.
The official storyline for V:TM ended before much was revealed regarding the Inconnu. They were the last secret left unanswered. The Inconnu were elders (Methuselah
s) who wished to withdraw from Kindred politics (the Jyhad), kindred seeking Golconda, and hunted clans and bloodlines like the Salubri. All have sworn an oath of Autarkis, which is a fictional term used to describe vampires who turn their back on the Jyhad, refusing to serve a sect, Camarilla or Sabbat, or associate with their Clan
outside of the Inconnu.
One Gehenna scenario offered the possible answer that the Inconnu elders were antediluvians besides the 13 who, for the most part, never sired and were loyal to Lilith. In the scenario they help Lilith defeat Caine.
. The Ashirra, which means 'Brethren' in Arabic
, still maintain their Humanity and are loosely affiliated with the Camarilla. The sect was founded by Suleiman ibn Abdullah, a Lasombra Methuselah who had heard the Prophet Muhammad
speak, and was much more important to the setting in Vampire: the Dark Ages
(in part because of the Crusades
and Moors
). Some rare few Ashirra still practiced older Roads, such as Tariq al-Sama' (the Road of Heaven), even into the modern era. Although they were comparatively rare in the western world, the Ashirra were still powerful in Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia
, Egypt
, Iran
and Afghanistan
, where neither the Camarilla nor Sabbat held much influence. The Ashirra includes members of all Clans, but the most numerous are the Banu Haqim (Assamite
), Qabilat al-Khayal (Lasombra
) and Hajj (Nosferatu who had undergone the Pilgrimage to Mecca
). Rumors claim that the Ashirra were in contact with a Muslim sect of Mages known as the Ahl-i-Batin.
Ashirra Buyut
, a clan (often spelled Clan, with capitalization) is a group of vampires "related" by blood; i.e. the vampiric equivalent of an extended family
or lineage. A clan is usually a large group, acknowledged widely in the vampiric society, and not a small offshoot (which is called a bloodline).
It is assumed that each clan descended from a single progenitor (called Antediluvian
s in Vampire: The Masquerade
and Vampire: The Dark Ages
, who passed to each of his descendants, or childer, his unique gifts and flaws. However, in the original World of Darkness, it is also assumed that each of these Antediluvians came from a common source: commonly accepted to be Caine, the first murderer.
The Book of Nod names certain clans as the original thirteen; the Kingship Clan (Ventrue
), the Clan of the Beast (Gangrel
), the Moon Clan (Malkavian
), the Clan of the Hidden (Nosferatu
), the Wanderer Clan (Ravnos
), the Clan of the Rose (Toreador
), the Night Clan (Lasombra
), the Clan of Shapers (Tzimisce
), the Snake Clan (Setites), the Clan of Death (Cappadocian
), the Healer's Clan (Salubri), the Clan of the Hunt (Assamite
) and the Learned Clan (Brujah
). Other fragments have alluded to the possibility of there being other clans who did not survive into the final nights.
Typically Elder vampires are more respected than younger ones (In the Camarilla by law and everywhere else as they are stronger) with some clans being considered higher than others.
The highest ranks in the game are the inconnu (regardless of clan) while the lowest are the clanless. Also worthy of note is the Black Hand.
; known as Pander, a title whose namesake is a politically powerful and clanless vampire Joseph Pander, they find direction through the Sabbat.
Since they are clanless, they do not specialize in any particular discipline, but have the freedom to learn any discipline or develop their own. However, finding a mentor for such a pursuit can be difficult.
book
s and role-playing game
s, a blood hunt is the persecution of a vampire
by the rest of the vampiric society in order to kill him. Another name to a blood hunt is the word Amaranth, in reference to the flower. In the past, an Amaranth flower was given to a vampire who will be killed a week before the hunt began as a warning.
The blood hunt must be officially declared by the local prince. Once the order is given, it is customary to allow the vampire to flee the city. This mercy is extended until midnight, after which any vampire is free to hunt down and destroy the persecuted subject. On occasion, a reward might be offered to the one who delivers or kills the victim.
Any vampire who helps the subject of a blood hunt in any way is considered an accomplice and may himself become an additional target.
In some cases it is traditional to let the victim's sire, who is then allowed to perform diablerie
on his childe, perform the execution.
Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade is a role-playing game. Created by Mark Rein·Hagen, it was the first of White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness role-playing games, based on the Storyteller System and centered around vampires in a modern gothic-punk world....
book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
s and role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s vampires are staunch creatures ruled by tradition passed on for millennia. These traditions over time shaped a form of society broken into three separate sects, each with their own laws and traditions. Generally, the laws vary with the sects as well as the philosophies held by the sects leading to conflict.
In the revised rulebook; the Anarchs, the Sabbat and the Camarilla are listed as the three main sects that Clans belong to. The three sects are perpetually at war with one another in varied degrees as each holds conflicting views.
These sects are not used in the Kindred of the East
Kindred of the East
Kindred of the East is a role-playing supplement by White Wolf Game Studio to their Vampire: The Masquerade line. The vanguard of White Wolf's "Year of the Lotus" theme , this rich sourcebook is a stand-alone setting, requiring only secondary rules to be fully playable...
, Kindred of the Ebony Kingdom
Kindred of the Ebony Kingdom
Kindred of the Ebony Kingdom is a source-book, alternative setting, and stand-alone pen-and-paper RPG designed for Vampire: The Masquerade, Vampire: The Dark Ages, and other games set in the Old World of Darkness developed by White Wolf Game Studios...
or Vampire: The Dark Ages
Vampire: The Dark Ages
Vampire: The Dark Ages is a role-playing game originally published by White Wolf Game Studio in 1996. Later, in 2002, the gameline was replaced by Dark Ages: Vampire...
, however, and only apply to Vampire: The Victorian Age, Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade is a role-playing game. Created by Mark Rein·Hagen, it was the first of White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness role-playing games, based on the Storyteller System and centered around vampires in a modern gothic-punk world....
and the card game Vampire: The Eternal Struggle
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, published as Jyhad in the first or "Limited" edition and often abbreviated as VTES, V:TES or V:tES, is a multiplayer collectible card game set in the World of Darkness. It is published by White Wolf, Inc....
.
Anarchs
The Anarchs are a fictional sectSect (World of Darkness)
In the role-playing games and books based on the World of Darkness setting, by White Wolf Game Studio, a sect is a large organization of vampires with a leadership, rules and goals, that trascend clan divisions....
of vampires in Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade is a role-playing game. Created by Mark Rein·Hagen, it was the first of White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness role-playing games, based on the Storyteller System and centered around vampires in a modern gothic-punk world....
. Although they are technically members of the Camarilla, they reject the Camarilla's top down power structure, and aim to change it into the grand protector of kindred it claims to be. The name refers to their favor of an anarchic
Anarchy
Anarchy , has more than one colloquial definition. In the United States, the term "anarchy" typically is meant to refer to a society which lacks publicly recognized government or violently enforced political authority...
form of social organization over the Camarilla's traditional, hierarchical form. The misconception that Anarchs are a nihilistic cult, wishing to spread chaos and disorder is encouraged by the vampire elders, who hold most of the power in the game world.
Membership of the Anarchs is wide and varied, but the majority of its members are drawn from the clans of the Camarilla and the Sabbat. Whilst it is possible for members of independent Clan
Clan (World of Darkness)
In White Wolf Game Studio's role-playing games about vampires, a clan is a group of vampires joined by blood relations...
s or Bloodlines to join, they are less frequently counted amongst the Anarchs numbers.
Camarilla
The Camarilla is a fictionFiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al sect
Sect (World of Darkness)
In the role-playing games and books based on the World of Darkness setting, by White Wolf Game Studio, a sect is a large organization of vampires with a leadership, rules and goals, that trascend clan divisions....
of vampires
Vampire (World of Darkness)
A vampires is a fictional creature in the role-playing games and books based on the World of Darkness setting by White Wolf Game Studio. The concept of a vampire in WoD takes many elements from the folklore surrounding traditional vampires in Western culture, and adds a number of specific features...
in Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade is a role-playing game. Created by Mark Rein·Hagen, it was the first of White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness role-playing games, based on the Storyteller System and centered around vampires in a modern gothic-punk world....
. The Camarilla are composed of seven clan
Clan (World of Darkness)
In White Wolf Game Studio's role-playing games about vampires, a clan is a group of vampires joined by blood relations...
s, and are the largest organization of vampires, and possibly of any supernatural creatures, in the World of Darkness.
Camarilla policy is that vampires should try to fit in with and hide from the rest of humanity
Human Race
Human Race refers to the Human species.Human race may also refer to:*The Human Race, 79th episode of YuYu Hakusho* Human Race Theatre Company of Dayton Ohio* Human Race Machine, a computer graphics device...
, as to easily feed on them. For this reason, they created a web of lies and misinformation, called the Masquerade, to make the public believe that supernatural beings like vampires could not possibly exist. The Camarilla also believes that the only way the vampire species can survive in these modern nights is if it unites—any breach of the Masquerade by any vampire risks exposing the entire race. Both viewpoints are fundamentally opposed by the Sabbat.
The Camarilla also enforces the Eldest as ruling class over the younger vampires.
Core clans
- BrujahBrujahThe Brujah are a clan of vampires in White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness books and role-playing settings. Their name is derived from Bruja, the Spanish word for witch....
- MalkavianMalkavianThe Malkavians are a clan of vampires from White Wolf Game Studio's books, role-playing games Vampire: The Masquerade and, Vampire: The Dark Ages. In modern times, they are associated with the Camarilla. Their symbol is a broken mirror...
- NosferatuNosferatu (World of Darkness)The Nosferatu are a clan of vampires from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade, Vampire: The Dark Ages books and role-playing games....
- ToreadorToreador (World of Darkness)The Toreador are a clan of vampires in White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire: The Dark Ages books and role-playing games. Their symbol is the thorned rose.The Toreador are some of the most beautiful and glamorous of the Kindred...
- TremereTremereThe Tremere are a clan of vampires in the Classic World of Darkness setting.The Tremere backstory is heavily based on Ars Magica, and the original House Tremere appeared as a Hermetic house in that game system. As the World of Darkness progressively diverged from Ars Magica's medieval Europe,...
- VentrueVentrueThe Ventrue are a clan of vampires, associated with the Camarilla, from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade, Vampire: The Dark Ages, and books and role-playing games. Their symbol is a scepter....
- GangrelGangrel (World of Darkness)The Gangrel are a clan of vampires, often associated with the Camarilla, from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade, Vampire: The Dark Ages, and books and role-playing games....
(until 1999)
Adherent clans
- AssamiteAssamiteThe Assamites are a clan of vampires, from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade books and role-playing games.In the original version of this clan the Assamites are a group of skilled, select assassins who often commit contract killings in exchange for the blood of other vampires...
Schismatics (mostly Viziers and Sorcerers) - LasombraLasombraThe Lasombra are a clan of vampires, associated with the Sabbat, from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade books and role-playing games.The Lasombra are in many ways the Sabbat's answer to the Ventrue Clan...
Antitribu
Sabbat
Unlike Whitewolf's Camarilla, freedom is preached in accordance to the Sabbat belief that every vampire is free to create their own destiny without being hindered by the reputations of their elders, and that no Sabbat has to lay down their life for cowards who cannot take care of their own matters. Of course, it does not always work like this in practice.Also unlike the Camarilla, the Sabbat believes in Antediluvians
Antediluvians (World of Darkness)
Antediluvians is a term used by White Wolf Game Studio in their fictional role-playing game, the World of Darkness.According to in-game legends, antediluvians are the vampires of the Third Generation. Supposedly they were created by Caine's first childer, Enoch, Irad & Zillah...
, and for the most part considers them a great threat. This is unsurprising, especially considering that the Sabbat was formed in the wake of the Anarch Revolt, and both of the core clans, the Tzimisce
Tzimisce
The Tzimisce are a clan of vampires in White Wolf Game Studio's books and role-playing games Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire: The Dark Ages....
and Lasombra
Lasombra
The Lasombra are a clan of vampires, associated with the Sabbat, from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade books and role-playing games.The Lasombra are in many ways the Sabbat's answer to the Ventrue Clan...
, claim that their clan founders were killed during this period of upheaval.
All Sabbat adhere to a code of conduct called "The Code of Milan", which preaches loyalty to sect and packmates, and to one's own freedom within the sect, as long as one's own good is never placed above the good of the Sabbat itself.
In addition to a very firm "if you're not with us, you're against us" mentality, the sect considers vampires to be a higher form of life than humanity, and is based upon the principles of Loyalty and Freedom. Loyalty to the sect and to one's comrades is one of the important aspects of the sect, and the Sabbat vampires maintain this loyalty through a ritual called Vaulderie, where strong emotional bonds are created between members of the Sabbat.
Adherent Clans
- Ahrimanes
- AssamiteAssamiteThe Assamites are a clan of vampires, from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade books and role-playing games.In the original version of this clan the Assamites are a group of skilled, select assassins who often commit contract killings in exchange for the blood of other vampires...
Antitribu - BrujahBrujahThe Brujah are a clan of vampires in White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness books and role-playing settings. Their name is derived from Bruja, the Spanish word for witch....
Antitribu - GangrelGangrelGangrel may refer to:*Gangrel , a fictional clan of vampires in the role-playing game Vampire: the Masquerade*David Heath , an American professional wrestler better known as "Gangrel" in World Wrestling Entertainment...
Antitribu (includes City-Gangrel and Country-Gangrel bloodlines) - Harbingers of Skulls
- Kiasyd
- MalkavianMalkavianThe Malkavians are a clan of vampires from White Wolf Game Studio's books, role-playing games Vampire: The Masquerade and, Vampire: The Dark Ages. In modern times, they are associated with the Camarilla. Their symbol is a broken mirror...
Antitribu - NosferatuNosferatu (World of Darkness)The Nosferatu are a clan of vampires from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade, Vampire: The Dark Ages books and role-playing games....
Antitribu - Pander - Sabbat Catiff
- Serpents of Light (Antitribu of the Followers of SetFollowers of SetThe Followers of Set or Setites are a clan of vampires from White Wolf Game Studio's books and role-playing games set in the Old World of Darkness .The mythic-historical origins of the Followers of Set are in ancient Egypt, as they claim to be descended from the dark god...
) - Salubri Antitribu
- ToreadorToreador (World of Darkness)The Toreador are a clan of vampires in White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire: The Dark Ages books and role-playing games. Their symbol is the thorned rose.The Toreador are some of the most beautiful and glamorous of the Kindred...
Antitribu - TremereTremereThe Tremere are a clan of vampires in the Classic World of Darkness setting.The Tremere backstory is heavily based on Ars Magica, and the original House Tremere appeared as a Hermetic house in that game system. As the World of Darkness progressively diverged from Ars Magica's medieval Europe,...
Antitribu (mysteriously destroyed) - VentrueVentrueThe Ventrue are a clan of vampires, associated with the Camarilla, from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade, Vampire: The Dark Ages, and books and role-playing games. Their symbol is a scepter....
Antitribu
Note: These are the Clans and bloodlines that exist in numbers amongst the Sabbat; members of other bloodlines & clans can also be found but are much more uncommon.
Organization
The Sabbat, as a whole, is not a very structured sect. Though they lack the structure that can be found in the Camarilla, the Sabbat does not regard generation as a guideline for promotion. Instead, simply the most capable of vampires fill the positions they are most suitable for.Despite its open structure at the bottom, the Sabbat maintains several Ranks, listed from "high" to "low" in the sect organization. The highest rank being Regent, although the sect considers this a stewardship until Caine, the Father of all Vampires assumes leadership.
- Regent, true leader of all Sabbat
- Prisci, attendants/liaisons to/of the regent
- Cardinal, War/spiritual leader for a continent
- Arch-Bishop, war/spiritual leader for a given region
- Bishop, war/spiritual leader for a single city
- Templar, the bodyguards to Bishops and Arch-Bishops
- Ductus, war leader for a single pack
- Priest, spiritual leader for a single pack
- Abbot, keeper of the packs haven
Packs
Perhaps the most distinctive part of the Sabbat structure is the formation of so-called Packs of vampires, a state in general the opposite of standard vampire behaviours. The formation of these Packs happens on a voluntary basis. The Vaulderie ritual ensures loyalty to the Pack, reinforcing their loyalty to each other and the Sabbat.Sabbat packs are divided into two types, founded and nomadic. Founded packs usually stick to one place and do not move around much, instead making one location their base of operations. Nomadic packs, as their name implies, travel from area to area, helping to keep the Sabbat as a whole unified and vital.
Every Pack has a Ductus (a vampire of higher status and experience who functions as leader) and most have a Priest. Priests lead or oversee the rituals of a Pack. There are some universal rituals within the Sabbat, but Packs usually develop their own, with a wide variety of uses.
Territories
The Sabbat headquarters is located in Mexico CityMexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the heart of Sabbat power and influence and seat of the regent. Much of the southern and eastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cities belong to the Sabbat, except New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, which was retaken by the Camarilla vampires in 1999.
In Europe, the sect presence is much smaller, although several domains of Europe are held by founded packs of the Sabbat, made up of vampires much more powerful and experienced than those elsewhere. One exception is Spain, where they are in prominence, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
and Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
being great Sabbat strongholds.
The Black Hand
The Black Hand are a fictional sect of vampireVampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s, composed of several clans
Clan (World of Darkness)
In White Wolf Game Studio's role-playing games about vampires, a clan is a group of vampires joined by blood relations...
and bloodlines, from White Wolf Game Studio's
White Wolf, Inc.
White Wolf Publishing is an American gaming and book publisher. The company was founded in 1991 as a merger between Lion Rampant and White Wolf Magazine, and was initially led by Mark Rein·Hagen of the former and Steve and Stewart Wieck of the latter. Since White Wolf Publishing, Inc. merged with...
Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade is a role-playing game. Created by Mark Rein·Hagen, it was the first of White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness role-playing games, based on the Storyteller System and centered around vampires in a modern gothic-punk world....
books and role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s. The name comes from their symbol, an inverted black hand print. The sect is often confused with the Sabbat itself and another mysterious sect, the Tal'mahe'Ra.
The Black Hand, or simply the Hand, are the assassins of the Sabbat. They comprise a special sub-division of the Sabbat, a sect within a sect. They are an elite group of vampires recognized as separate from all other members of the Sabbat. The Black Hand is not truly a separate body, however, since all its members are loyal to the Sabbat over all else.
Often the Black Hand is called to hunt down especially troublesome vampires during a blood hunt.
Tal'mahe'Ra (True Black Hand)
The Tal'mahe'Ra were a fictionFiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al sect
Sect (World of Darkness)
In the role-playing games and books based on the World of Darkness setting, by White Wolf Game Studio, a sect is a large organization of vampires with a leadership, rules and goals, that trascend clan divisions....
of vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s, composed of several clans
Clan (World of Darkness)
In White Wolf Game Studio's role-playing games about vampires, a clan is a group of vampires joined by blood relations...
and bloodlines, from the Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade is a role-playing game. Created by Mark Rein·Hagen, it was the first of White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness role-playing games, based on the Storyteller System and centered around vampires in a modern gothic-punk world....
books and role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s. The sect was often confused with the Black Hand
Black Hand (World of Darkness)
The Black Hand are a fictional sect of vampires, composed of several clans and bloodlines, from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade books and role-playing games. The name comes from their symbol, an inverted black hand print...
, which it claimed to have created.
Also called the True Black Hand, the sect was secretive and claimed to have infiltrators in all other factions. The extent of this power and infiltration was debatable, due to the very nature of the sect. Dedicated to bringing about Gehenna
Gehenna (World of Darkness)
In the role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade by White Wolf, Inc., Gehenna is the vampires' prophesied armageddon.Gehenna is the time when the Antediluvians will rise to consume the blood of all the younger vampires and construct a city in which they will rule for one thousand years...
and the return of the Antediluvians
Antediluvians (World of Darkness)
Antediluvians is a term used by White Wolf Game Studio in their fictional role-playing game, the World of Darkness.According to in-game legends, antediluvians are the vampires of the Third Generation. Supposedly they were created by Caine's first childer, Enoch, Irad & Zillah...
, these vampires hoped to serve the ancients and gain positions as favoured servants.
Most of the Tal'mahe'Ra were destroyed at the start of the Sixth Maelstrom
Wraith: The Oblivion
Wraith: The Oblivion is a role-playing game set in the afterlife of White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness. In the game, players take on characters who are recently dead and are now ghosts...
in the Shadowlands. The surviving members quietly blended into the sects they once infiltrated.
The Bloodlines unique to this sect were the Old Clan Tzimisce
Tzimisce
The Tzimisce are a clan of vampires in White Wolf Game Studio's books and role-playing games Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire: The Dark Ages....
(who avoid the mainstream Clan use of Vicissitude), the True Brujah (who wish to avenge their Antedeluvian Ilyes, who was diablerized by her childe Troile, founder of the mainstream Brujah
Brujah
The Brujah are a clan of vampires in White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness books and role-playing settings. Their name is derived from Bruja, the Spanish word for witch....
Clan) and the Nagaraja (a necromantic and cannibalistic cabal of Euthanatos Magi who turned themselves into vampires long before the Tremere
Tremere
The Tremere are a clan of vampires in the Classic World of Darkness setting.The Tremere backstory is heavily based on Ars Magica, and the original House Tremere appeared as a Hermetic house in that game system. As the World of Darkness progressively diverged from Ars Magica's medieval Europe,...
). The sect also contained members from various other vampire consanguinities.
The Shadow Crusade of the Sect was a campaign against Vicissitude, which they believed to be a parasitic entity contracted by a Tzimisce Methusulah named Andeleon while in plane of reality known as the Deep Umbra. This came to a halt when their base of operations, the shadow realm answer to the classic Enoch, was destroyed. They chose that place not only for its historic value, but also because four creatures thought to be Antedeluvian vampires slept within it, known collectively as the Aralu. While their spirits were visible through Auspex, they were impossible to find. It is later realized that it was not Enoch, but the illusion created by at least one of the Torpid ancients to better mask his presence. The Shadow Crusade ended with the destruction of Enoch, and further White Wolf books revealed Vicissitude to be an active piece of the Tzimisce Antedeluvian. The true nature of the Aralu was never disclosed.
In Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, abbreviated as Bloodlines or VTMB, is a computer role-playing game for Windows developed by Troika Games in 2004...
, the player has a chance to pick up a fabled blade of the Tal'mahe'Ra in the Hallowbrook Hotel.
Inconnu
Supposedly the oldest known sect, the origin, goals and even very existence of this group are largely unknown to the supernatural population at large. The Inconnu has been linked variously to Infernalism, GolcondaGolconda
Golconda may be:Places:* Golkonda, ruined city and fortress in India* Golconda, Illinois, town in the United States* Golconda, Nevada, former town in the United StatesOther:* Golconda...
, Saulot and a host of other conspiracies. Several cities in the World of Darkness have Inconnu monitors, mysterious elder vampires who do little, other than watch the events of their chosen city.
The official storyline for V:TM ended before much was revealed regarding the Inconnu. They were the last secret left unanswered. The Inconnu were elders (Methuselah
Methuselah
Methuselah is the oldest person whose age is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Extra-biblical tradition maintains that he died on the 11th of Cheshvan of the year 1656 , at the age of 969, seven days before the beginning of the Great Flood...
s) who wished to withdraw from Kindred politics (the Jyhad), kindred seeking Golconda, and hunted clans and bloodlines like the Salubri. All have sworn an oath of Autarkis, which is a fictional term used to describe vampires who turn their back on the Jyhad, refusing to serve a sect, Camarilla or Sabbat, or associate with their Clan
Clan (World of Darkness)
In White Wolf Game Studio's role-playing games about vampires, a clan is a group of vampires joined by blood relations...
outside of the Inconnu.
One Gehenna scenario offered the possible answer that the Inconnu elders were antediluvians besides the 13 who, for the most part, never sired and were loyal to Lilith. In the scenario they help Lilith defeat Caine.
The Ashirra
The Ashirra are a Muslim sect of vampires who have embraced the tenets of IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. The Ashirra, which means 'Brethren' in Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, still maintain their Humanity and are loosely affiliated with the Camarilla. The sect was founded by Suleiman ibn Abdullah, a Lasombra Methuselah who had heard the Prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
speak, and was much more important to the setting in Vampire: the Dark Ages
Vampire: The Dark Ages
Vampire: The Dark Ages is a role-playing game originally published by White Wolf Game Studio in 1996. Later, in 2002, the gameline was replaced by Dark Ages: Vampire...
(in part because of the Crusades
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
and Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
). Some rare few Ashirra still practiced older Roads, such as Tariq al-Sama' (the Road of Heaven), even into the modern era. Although they were comparatively rare in the western world, the Ashirra were still powerful in Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, where neither the Camarilla nor Sabbat held much influence. The Ashirra includes members of all Clans, but the most numerous are the Banu Haqim (Assamite
Assamite
The Assamites are a clan of vampires, from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade books and role-playing games.In the original version of this clan the Assamites are a group of skilled, select assassins who often commit contract killings in exchange for the blood of other vampires...
), Qabilat al-Khayal (Lasombra
Lasombra
The Lasombra are a clan of vampires, associated with the Sabbat, from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade books and role-playing games.The Lasombra are in many ways the Sabbat's answer to the Ventrue Clan...
) and Hajj (Nosferatu who had undergone the Pilgrimage to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
). Rumors claim that the Ashirra were in contact with a Muslim sect of Mages known as the Ahl-i-Batin.
Ashirra Buyut
- al-Amin
- Banu HaqimAssamiteThe Assamites are a clan of vampires, from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade books and role-playing games.In the original version of this clan the Assamites are a group of skilled, select assassins who often commit contract killings in exchange for the blood of other vampires...
- Bay't MajnoonMalkavianThe Malkavians are a clan of vampires from White Wolf Game Studio's books, role-playing games Vampire: The Masquerade and, Vampire: The Dark Ages. In modern times, they are associated with the Camarilla. Their symbol is a broken mirror...
- Bay't MujrimRavnosThe Ravnos are a clan of vampires from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire: The Dark Ages role-playing games....
- Bay't MushakisBrujahThe Brujah are a clan of vampires in White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness books and role-playing settings. Their name is derived from Bruja, the Spanish word for witch....
- El HijaziVentrueThe Ventrue are a clan of vampires, associated with the Camarilla, from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade, Vampire: The Dark Ages, and books and role-playing games. Their symbol is a scepter....
- HajjNosferatu (World of Darkness)The Nosferatu are a clan of vampires from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade, Vampire: The Dark Ages books and role-playing games....
- Qabilat al-KhayalLasombraThe Lasombra are a clan of vampires, associated with the Sabbat, from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade books and role-playing games.The Lasombra are in many ways the Sabbat's answer to the Ventrue Clan...
- Qabilat al-MawtCappadocian (World of Darkness)The Cappadocians are a clan of vampires from White Wolf Game Studio's role-playing games Vampire: The Dark Ages and Vampire: The Masquerade....
- Ray'een al-FenToreador (World of Darkness)The Toreador are a clan of vampires in White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire: The Dark Ages books and role-playing games. Their symbol is the thorned rose.The Toreador are some of the most beautiful and glamorous of the Kindred...
- GangrelGangrel (World of Darkness)The Gangrel are a clan of vampires, often associated with the Camarilla, from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade, Vampire: The Dark Ages, and books and role-playing games....
Clans and rankings
In Vampire: the MasqueradeVampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade is a role-playing game. Created by Mark Rein·Hagen, it was the first of White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness role-playing games, based on the Storyteller System and centered around vampires in a modern gothic-punk world....
, a clan (often spelled Clan, with capitalization) is a group of vampires "related" by blood; i.e. the vampiric equivalent of an extended family
Extended family
The term extended family has several distinct meanings. In modern Western cultures dominated by nuclear family constructs, it has come to be used generically to refer to grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins, whether they live together within the same household or not. However, it may also refer...
or lineage. A clan is usually a large group, acknowledged widely in the vampiric society, and not a small offshoot (which is called a bloodline).
It is assumed that each clan descended from a single progenitor (called Antediluvian
Antediluvians (World of Darkness)
Antediluvians is a term used by White Wolf Game Studio in their fictional role-playing game, the World of Darkness.According to in-game legends, antediluvians are the vampires of the Third Generation. Supposedly they were created by Caine's first childer, Enoch, Irad & Zillah...
s in Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade is a role-playing game. Created by Mark Rein·Hagen, it was the first of White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness role-playing games, based on the Storyteller System and centered around vampires in a modern gothic-punk world....
and Vampire: The Dark Ages
Vampire: The Dark Ages
Vampire: The Dark Ages is a role-playing game originally published by White Wolf Game Studio in 1996. Later, in 2002, the gameline was replaced by Dark Ages: Vampire...
, who passed to each of his descendants, or childer, his unique gifts and flaws. However, in the original World of Darkness, it is also assumed that each of these Antediluvians came from a common source: commonly accepted to be Caine, the first murderer.
The Book of Nod names certain clans as the original thirteen; the Kingship Clan (Ventrue
Ventrue
The Ventrue are a clan of vampires, associated with the Camarilla, from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade, Vampire: The Dark Ages, and books and role-playing games. Their symbol is a scepter....
), the Clan of the Beast (Gangrel
Gangrel (World of Darkness)
The Gangrel are a clan of vampires, often associated with the Camarilla, from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade, Vampire: The Dark Ages, and books and role-playing games....
), the Moon Clan (Malkavian
Malkavian
The Malkavians are a clan of vampires from White Wolf Game Studio's books, role-playing games Vampire: The Masquerade and, Vampire: The Dark Ages. In modern times, they are associated with the Camarilla. Their symbol is a broken mirror...
), the Clan of the Hidden (Nosferatu
Nosferatu (World of Darkness)
The Nosferatu are a clan of vampires from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade, Vampire: The Dark Ages books and role-playing games....
), the Wanderer Clan (Ravnos
Ravnos
The Ravnos are a clan of vampires from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire: The Dark Ages role-playing games....
), the Clan of the Rose (Toreador
Toreador (World of Darkness)
The Toreador are a clan of vampires in White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire: The Dark Ages books and role-playing games. Their symbol is the thorned rose.The Toreador are some of the most beautiful and glamorous of the Kindred...
), the Night Clan (Lasombra
Lasombra
The Lasombra are a clan of vampires, associated with the Sabbat, from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade books and role-playing games.The Lasombra are in many ways the Sabbat's answer to the Ventrue Clan...
), the Clan of Shapers (Tzimisce
Tzimisce
The Tzimisce are a clan of vampires in White Wolf Game Studio's books and role-playing games Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire: The Dark Ages....
), the Snake Clan (Setites), the Clan of Death (Cappadocian
Cappadocian (World of Darkness)
The Cappadocians are a clan of vampires from White Wolf Game Studio's role-playing games Vampire: The Dark Ages and Vampire: The Masquerade....
), the Healer's Clan (Salubri), the Clan of the Hunt (Assamite
Assamite
The Assamites are a clan of vampires, from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade books and role-playing games.In the original version of this clan the Assamites are a group of skilled, select assassins who often commit contract killings in exchange for the blood of other vampires...
) and the Learned Clan (Brujah
Brujah
The Brujah are a clan of vampires in White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness books and role-playing settings. Their name is derived from Bruja, the Spanish word for witch....
). Other fragments have alluded to the possibility of there being other clans who did not survive into the final nights.
Typically Elder vampires are more respected than younger ones (In the Camarilla by law and everywhere else as they are stronger) with some clans being considered higher than others.
The highest ranks in the game are the inconnu (regardless of clan) while the lowest are the clanless. Also worthy of note is the Black Hand.
Clanless
Caitiff are Camarilla clanless while Pander are Sabbat clanless. Lacking patrons or allies, holding no real power as a group, Caitiff are held in contempt by the Camarilla. The Sabbat's Caitiff are treated as a clanClan (World of Darkness)
In White Wolf Game Studio's role-playing games about vampires, a clan is a group of vampires joined by blood relations...
; known as Pander, a title whose namesake is a politically powerful and clanless vampire Joseph Pander, they find direction through the Sabbat.
Since they are clanless, they do not specialize in any particular discipline, but have the freedom to learn any discipline or develop their own. However, finding a mentor for such a pursuit can be difficult.
Blood hunt
In White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The MasqueradeVampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade is a role-playing game. Created by Mark Rein·Hagen, it was the first of White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness role-playing games, based on the Storyteller System and centered around vampires in a modern gothic-punk world....
book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
s and role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s, a blood hunt is the persecution of a vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
by the rest of the vampiric society in order to kill him. Another name to a blood hunt is the word Amaranth, in reference to the flower. In the past, an Amaranth flower was given to a vampire who will be killed a week before the hunt began as a warning.
The blood hunt must be officially declared by the local prince. Once the order is given, it is customary to allow the vampire to flee the city. This mercy is extended until midnight, after which any vampire is free to hunt down and destroy the persecuted subject. On occasion, a reward might be offered to the one who delivers or kills the victim.
Any vampire who helps the subject of a blood hunt in any way is considered an accomplice and may himself become an additional target.
In some cases it is traditional to let the victim's sire, who is then allowed to perform diablerie
Diablerie
In the context of White Wolf Game Studio's vampire books and role-playing games from the World of Darkness, diablerie takes place when a vampire drinks not only all the blood of another vampire but also their soul, generally in order to increase their own powers...
on his childe, perform the execution.
External links
- The Camarilla at White-Wolf.com
- Vampire NPC gallery Unofficial NPC (non-player character) gallery