By Geoffrey C.

Grabowski and Sarah Roark

Credits
Authors: Geoffrey C. Grabowski (Prelude, Flames of
the Furores) and Sarah Roark (In Darkened Streets,
Wearing the Wolf’s Head, Appendix).
Developer: Philippe R. Boulle
Additional Development: Richard E. Dansky
Editor: Cynthia Summers
Art Director: Richard Thomas
Layout & Typesetting: Pauline Benney
Interior Art: Mich Byrd, David Leri, and Brad Rigney
Front Cover Art: William O’Connor
Front & Back Cover Design: Pauline Benney

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 Contents
A Rat in the Kitchen 5
Introduction: Beneath the Notice of Kings 9
Chapter One: In Darkened Streets 13
Chapter Two: Wearing the Wolf’s Head 43
Chapter Three: Flames of the Furores 59
Appendix: Mavericks and Cutpurses 87
ASHEN THIEF

4
 I think, as I sink my claws into the wooden
support beam, that I am out of my element.
I am a creature of the city — I like horse shit
and easy necks, taverns and hangings.
This is one of those moments when I am
most grateful that I am a creature of dead
flesh. My body does not shiver in the winter
night. The moon is hidden in the overcast
night, yet in the faint light reflecting off the
snow-covered pines, my eyes see every grain
of the wood with dim but perfect clarity.
If I were alive, and climbing hand over
hand along this endless eave, my arms and
shoulders would have gone child-weak with
fatigue. I would have been paralyzed by the
iron-toothed wind. I would have long ago
dropped screaming into the courtyard below,
into the midst of those things the owner of
this insane chateau uses in the place of dogs.

A RAT IN THE KITCHEN

5
5
 If I were mortal, the rotten spots would bother me is also possible that the bar will go end-over-end down a long
more. I have found three so far. The first one left me flight of steps, and that I will die shortly thereafter. Not the
hanging by one arm and calmly reaching for a more solid sort of wager I’m eager to make, particularly because if I lose
hold with the hand that had just pulled away a 10-inch it, my mission goes unaccomplished.
strip of oak with greasy ease. The next two were easier I came prepared for this. It seemed much easier when I
to spot, and by carefully testing my holds, I believe that made my original plans, however. I reach to the back of my belt
I will be able to detect any further such weak spots. and draw out a thin, flat pry bar. First, I must gently work the
I sink my claws in. I test. I place weight on the hand. shutter loose from the nails that hold it to the hinges. Then,
Sturdy — no soft popping, no smell of rot or termites. I share I must gently tear it loose with a single hand, and work the
my weight between hands, and then release the other grip and bar so that it is centered in the loose shutter’s staple. Then I
swing that hand forward. I test. If I were a mortal, I would be must slide it into the window (which is thankfully quite deep),
praying sincerely that I did not miss another rotten spot and slip quietly inside and then be off on my bloody little errand.
fall to my death below. As a damned thing, I can only hope. And, of course, I must do this while hanging
Another foot covered. I am not counting how many times one-handed in this wire-edged winter wind. If I move
I have done this. I am not counting how many more times suddenly or drop the shutter, then that is the end of me.
it will be required to reach my goal. I will do this thing until I give thanks for the strength and surety of the Blood,
I reach the window, and then I will do the next thing. This and curse it, because I’ll need to murder someone shortly
is the way I must do it, and this is the way it will be done. after getting inside. I must put a monster to its rest before
w w w the night is through, a very old and determined monster.
Dinner is being a bore. Again. It’s barely struggling, even After the struggle of getting through this window, I will
after the szlachta told me it was ready for another bout. The be in no shape to do it without fresh nourishment.
servants are telling me things they think will please me. I w w w
wish they weren’t so difficult to train. Perhaps if I implanted Some might consider it masturbation of a grotesque
dog organs of some sort, they would transmit some of that sort, or blasphemy, but I do not. It is my love. The glory
species’ inbred loyalty. Unfortunately, they would probably of the reshaping of the flesh is ours. If the master cannot
become as distempered as all such lesser beasts do in the bear to reshape his seed, is this not hubris? The Blood is
presence of their true natural masters. I wonder about this great and glorious, true, but by no means is it infallible. It
sometimes. Caine was a farmer and a murderer, not a hunter. must be perfected. It can, if necessary, be differentiated.
If anything, one imagines that humans should fear us, and Specialized. Made suitable for specific tasks.
animals show us trust, yet this is clearly not the case. For love.
Academic speculation, and in any case the flesh of the new Her embrace is perfection. I know, because I sculpted it as
Gardenwillberemadetowhatevershapesweneedanddesire.Iknow such. It is not beautiful by simple human standards. Mortals,
this, for the Dracon has informed me of it in his dream-visitations. all they want is chalk-white skin and hair. But this is not the
My schedule is clear for some time, and I am sure there are dogs of imagined purity of false virginity, it is the very real excellence
some sort nearby I can secure for my research. I shall just take one of a form absolutely suited to its function. There are no sacks
of the more worn szlachta — perhaps the one trying to pour of fat and erectile tissue to satisfy infancy’s remaining hungers,
honey in my ears — and see if various levels of replacement and the curves are not the barely concealed functionality of
with canine parts engender the sort of behavior I desire. childbearing, but those which mate most closely to my body.
I toss my dinner to the hounds. This is pathetic, and No clumsy fingers, but a thousand caressing cilia, and fangs
there’s little better to do. All the missives that need atten- to pierce me in the place that I most enjoy — the back of the
tion are long digested and responded to. If I keep reading neck, where the spine meets the collarbone.
over them, I’ll just start second-guessing myself. I send She is not intelligent, my love, but I would not be without
some lackey — his identity is so defaced I doubt even he her. Our exchange of fluids is the revivification of my blood,
remembers who he is — to fetch my love. Perhaps the and she reminds me always of the ideal that I hold highest. She
ecstasy of the Kiss will make the night a little less agonizing. cannot betray me, only love me, as I can only love her with
w w w the master’s perfect love of that which he has wrought. As the
szlachta carry her to her resting-crypt, I stretch: The
I am working my legs so that they will function again. boredom of the evening has been alleviated. I think that
The damned flesh freezes easily in the cold, and so I must I will read some Juvenal, and then retire early. After all,
work blood into it so I can move my limbs again. This is with a mission so grand as ours, we voivodes cannot stint
important to remember. If I were to forget and attempt to ourselves a little leisure. Relaxation keeps the predatory
move my feet, I would find they were quite stiff. Given that appetite sharp, for when it is most needed.
I must climb into a window soon, this would be a terrible w w w
revelation, but not one that would trouble me for long.
First, however, I must get the window open, and that’s no The window proved difficult, the murder less so. Still hot
easy task. I could always wrench or claw it open, even one-hand- with the effort of entry, I made one of the deformed inhabitants
ed, but the commotion would surely draw the attention of the of this foul chateau my celebratory feast. I hid the body where
beasts below, to say nothing of the inhabitants of this delightful it would not be easily found, of course. Corpses are remarkably
pile of black stone. Likewise, the window opens onto what is easy to fold once the vital fluids have been removed — most of
doubtless a staircase — if I stick something through the shutters the flesh’s weight and resilience seems to reside within them.
and flip the bar up, it is possible the tapestry will catch it. It As for the master, I must first get into his chambers. This
is easier said than done. There are no tools for this — I cannot
ASHEN THIEF

6
do it correctly. I must do it the wrong way, and hope that I am I am caught off guard by the shattering blow to my
good enough that, even doing it the wrong way, I can succeed. arm, but my surprise is only the issue of a mortal heartbeat.
I would very much like to live through the night, and the Unfortunately, it is a heartbeat that almost costs me my
creature that I hunt is not stupid, but I am no weakling either. existence. Luckily, the blood of a Tzimisce knows full well
I am naturally as strong as I am ugly. I learned the wolf-claw the value of intrigue, and I have spent many years preparing
trick from Boris, who learned it from his sire. From Magdalena, for such occasions. I dodge as best as I am able and let my
I learned a different trick — I learned how to be very, very fast. body flow into its battle form. Thanks be to our Progenitor,
The Fiend walks right past me, blood streaking the back that he created us superior to all other Cainites and gave
of his linen shirt. I have no idea what he has been doing, but us the blessing of the battle-body.
he is... whistling. This cheery, human sound coming from that My arm is useless, and that is fine.
perfect, emotionless mask is perhaps the most disturbing thing All I wish to do is gain distance, and I succeed, though I
that I have heard in years. I have no doubt that he could easily take another rake from his claws in doing so. The might of my
detect me, but I am not relying on the blood for my stealth. bloodline begins to run through me, and I show him a trick of
I am hiding behind a door with hinges I oiled myself while I the flesh that I have mastered — the extension of the tongue
laid in wait. The most important thing is that the noise of the in the manner of the Children of Set. They would not teach
combat be muffled. If I fight him here, in the hall, they will me willingly, but the blood is the life, and also the knowledge.
be on me before his ash has even hit the floor. I do not want With his eyes removed, he is a markedly less dangerous
to meet my end here, not if I don’t have to. There are other foe. He can obviously fight through his Disciplines, but
monsters to put down, and too few hands to do the job as it is. he has not trained to do so. He is awkward, and uncertain
Smiling, I let the door swing noiselessly open and step when relying on sound, on smell, on air pressure.
out behind him. Luckily, he is not the sort of Fiend who I puncture his skull twice with my tongue and begin to
embeds eyes in the back of his head. He opens his door with feed from the convulsing body before it strikes the stone floor.
an improbable key — the lock must have cost a fortune. I too am acquainted with the trick of inhuman quickness,
He steps through the door, and I follow him, my bare feet and soon, I will be acquainted with who sent this talented
noiseless on the flagstone floor. My body is burning with the but obviously amateur killer to my abode. Particularly, I will
fires of the Blood, and as his hand sends the door swinging know if he has any friends. The act of devouring the soul is
inward, I slash brutally at the limb. What follows is chaos. unpleasant, but sometimes there is no other remedy. Steeling
w w w myself, I drink, and with the draught comes understanding.

A RAT IN THE KITCHEN

7
ASHEN THIEF

8
. . . now does he feel his title
Hang loose about him, like a giant’s robe
Upon a dwarfish thief.
- William Shakespeare, Macbeth

BENEATH THE NOTICE OF KINGS

9
9
A Whole
and so lead a rougher unlife. They like violence, and so
move in circles where life (and blood) is cheap.

New Domain
Some are mere thugs, riding the knife’s edge of the
Beast and indulging in every dark desire, taking what they
want and going where they care. Greed and self-grati-
Kingly courts. Dark monasteries. Tournaments of fication rule their damned souls. Others are wretches
clashing knights. Battles for the Holy Land. Ancient with little other choice. The childe of a disgraced sire,
keeps in the blood-spattered Carpathians. These are the a Nosferatu in the fief of a prince who doesn’t tolerate
domains of the childer of Caine — the places of power stench, a thrall who has freed himself from a powerful
and intrigue, conquest and ambition. (and vengeful) regnant — the variations are endless.
Or so they think. Of course, most Cainites fall somewhere in between
In reality the Damned thrive in other corners of the those two moral extremes. Like mortals, a combination
night. Amidst the filth and press of the cities, on the of inclination and external factors guide them toward
darkened forest roads, a different breed of vampire stalks roguery. For some it is a way station on the path to true
its prey. Just as mortals profit from the lust, greed and power; for others it is just where destiny has put them.
hate of kings and merchants, so Cainite gutter-dwellers If they happen to be highly skilled at killing or robbing
profit from the needs and weaknesses of princes. If the fools, then so be it.
mighty elder believes that leprous beggars are beneath
contempt, so much the better for the neonate who rules Robber Kings
as king of the mendicants. And when the beggar-king The other major group among vampires in the gutters
makes his move, the royal prince may learn the folly of and robber dens shares much with the princes of the Long
his dismissal. Night. Their logic is simple: If the established princes have
a lock on the royal courts and powerful abbeys, ambitious
Ashen Thieves
Third sons, lost childer, discarded wretches — these
Cainites just have to find other domains to make their
own. Brigand bands, crowded city streets and brothels
make fine bases for power if you know how to use them.
are the “ashen thieves” of this book. Dark Medieval Eu- These robber kings play a game of accommodation
rope is in the midst of a vampiric overpopulation; elders and deception with the established power structure.
and lucky ancillae have established domain over many They define their domain socially as well as geographi-
cities, shires and monasteries. To the young neonate it can cally (claiming the beggars and cutpurses of Reims, for
seem that every corner of the night belongs to someone example) but the established elder (the prince of Reims)
else, someone too powerful to divest of their claim any rarely acknowledges this. So accommodation comes into
time soon. play; the robber king pays tribute to the prince, provides
And yet — save in the case of some Ventrue — to him with information and favors he might not otherwise
a Cainite, the blood of a beggar is as sweet as a king’s. have access to (beggars make fine spies, after all), and
Vampires are nobles by nature, supreme predators and gains a certain sanction in return. The deception is that
manipulators who gravitate toward centers of power and the robber king is satisfied with his place as a subordinate.
prestige. The young, the wretched and the desperate While paying lip service to the prince, these Cainites
react to this trend by turning to the debased, the poor slowly build up their position until (hopefully) they are
and ne’er-do-wells for their feeding stock. Among the so indispensable that they can make demands of the
brigands and harlots, the beggars and mountebanks, they prince instead of the other way around — or replace His
move like sharks swimming in filthy waters. Highness altogether.
These ashen thieves are not fools barred from power
and influence. In a repetition of an eternal cycle of rule Revolutionaries
from above and revolt from below, they have found The last group of ashen thieves are the smallest but
that there is power to be had amidst those princes do cast the largest shadow. Like robber kings they use mortal
not deign to acknowledge. A “base cur” who knows the ne’er-do-wells to gain power, but instead of simply seeking
trick of entering impenetrable havens or riling a mob to gain prestige and place, the revolutionaries want to tear
to terrible, torch-wielding violence can be more useful the whole bloody order down. They believe in a better
than any number of landed nobles and monks. way and in doing whatever it takes to get there. Most are
disenfranchised neonates seeking vengeance, but some are
Scoundrels skilled politicians with real plans for the future.
A large number of the vampires who move among Cainite revolutionaries come in two general breeds:
mortal thieves and charlatans share much in motiva- the subtle and the blatant. Subtle revolutionaries play
tion with their prey. They are scoundrels and tricksters the long game; as vampires they have a great deal of
because that is the way they have found to survive and time ahead of them, and they are using it to patiently
thrive. They break into houses (and havens) to take what ready their master stroke. The problem is that centuries
they want because they can. They don’t have the skills of work can be for naught if a single elder catches on.
or opportunity to play the game of prince and Elysium, The Prometheans, who dream of a new Carthaginian
ASHEN THIEF

10
utopia, are a prime example of subtle revolutionaries; Appendix: Mavericks and Cutpurses provides you with
they are establishing a wide-ranging influence over ur- four ready-to-play characters. These ashen thieves exempli-
ban criminals across Europe in the expectation that they fy the themes and trends that appear throughout the book.
can make their move when urban centers swell anew.
The blatant revolutionary is less patient. She is ready
to take to the streets and burn down the elders’ havens now.
In Cainite circles, these raging radicals are called Furores,
Some Useful Sources
Thannkfully, there is no dearth of text written about
more a catch-all term than an actual sect. Every few years a medieval Europe. Crime and criminality have not always
principality sees neonates try to kill the prince and establish been the most respected of topics, but they have their fair
some utopia; the other princes mutter about the Furore share of scholars as well. The following sources should help
threat, and then go on about their business. The truth is get you started on your own research, if you feel so inclined.
that the most successful Furores are less blatant than most
would believe — they too lay the groundwork for revolt, Books
but they function on the scale of years, not lifetimes. Daily Living in the Twelfth Century: Based on the
Observations of Alexander Neckam in London and Paris

How to by Urban Tigner Holmes — Wonderfully detailed and

readable account of daily life in the two cities mentioned,

Use This Book

The Ashen Thief is your guide to what stands for the
with short discussions of related topics; much of the in-
formation in the book can apply to the rest of Western
Europe. An excellent quick-reference.
medieval “criminal underworld” and the vampires who Hearth & Home: A History of Material Culture by
move among it. Of course, there is not an underworld Norman J. G. Pounds — Actually covers all the ages of
in the modern sense in 1197 — laws are too loose and human civilization, but the chapters on the medieval pe-
variable for there to be truly organized crime. But there riod are quite useful and might nip a host of anachronisms
is a stratum of society in both the cities and countryside in the bud. One chapter is devoted to the development
that subsists through activities called illegal or immoral of urban life.
by their supposed betters. Cutpurses and con artists divest The Medieval Underworld by Andrew McCall — This
urban dwellers of their coin; housebreakers and murderers book is 20 years old, and the research might be a bit out
do worse. Outside the city walls, brigands and pirates take of date (it’s not always easy to tell); but it seems to be
advantage of travelers foolish enough to trust their safety the most accessible and comprehensive introduction to
to fate. And amidst these miscreants lurk monsters. medieval naughtiness out there. It covers not only the
people we think of as “criminals” today, but also the
Chapter by Chapter oppressed in general — heretics, “witches,” Jews, etc.
There is also a survey of medieval law. Numerous juicy
Chapter One: In Darkened Streets focuses on crime
in the cities of Dark Medieval Europe. It examines the tidbits and facts.
various criminal (and legal-but-immoral) activities that Medieval Crime and Social Control, edited by Barbara
go on in these crowded streets, as well as the laws that A. Hanawalt and David Wallace — Rather than an
govern medieval life. Discussion of mortal laws and overall introduction, this book is a collection of papers
crimes appear side by side with insight into the Cainite on highly specific topics, including adultery in medieval
perspective on such matters. The chapter concludes Spain, rape in Burgundian France and the sociology of
with a look at the Prometheans, the sect of so-called London taverns. Somewhat denser reading than the
Firebringers who are using urban thieves as the basis for other references, but full of useful facts and interesting
their campaign to create a new Carthage. discussions, and very painstakingly documented.
Chapter Two: Wearing the Wolf’s Head takes Internet Resources
you into the woods and forests between the cities. The
brigands, poachers and other scoundrels of the rural Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies (edited by
landscape come to center stage. The chapter focuses Carolyn Schriber) at http://orb.rhodes.edu/ — A very
principally on the vampiric role, on how brigandage informative site. It also has quick-links to the other major
can serve to challenge the power of elders. Discussions web sites for medieval research, such as the Labyrinth,
of piracy and Islamic banditry round out the chapter. NetSerf, Argos and the Internet Medieval Sourcebook; the
last is an especially rich treasure trove of period literature,
Chapter Three: Flames of the Furores puts the documents and essays.
revolutionaries in the spotlight. The Furores are not
an organized sect, but rather a disparate agglomeration Medieval English Towns by Stephen Alsford at http://
of vampires fighting to bring down the elders in their orb.rhodes.edu/encyclop/culture/towns/towns.html —
own communities. As such, the chapter examines the Unfortunately, the site’s content deals only with, well,
process of vampiric revolution, from the first motivation English towns; but within that area, an incredible wealth
through the establishment of a supposed utopia. Sample of history and documents is presented. The site also has
Furore communities and guidelines for running Furore several very useful lists of sites dealing with medieval
chronicles complete the survey of bloody revolt. urban life throughout Europe.
BENEATH THE NOTICE OF KINGS

11
ASHEN THIEF

12
 Look on us six that are hanging thus,
And for the flesh that so much we cherished
How it is eaten of birds and perished,
And ashes and dust fill our bones’ place,
Mock not at us that so feeble be,
But pray God pardon us out of His grace.
— François Villon, “The Ballad of the Gibbet”
(trans. Andrew Lang)

IN DARKENED STREETS
13
13
O Fortuna
“I owe you nothing anyway! You cheated me. You
switched the dice for loaded ones.”
“That’s not what you said at the time.” The man
A Journey was unmoved, almost bored. No doubt he went through
Through the City’s Underbelly countless such scenes. He reached for the dagger at his
Professor Aymeric stopped sanding his quill and belt and took another step; Aymeric put out a warding
listened. It was difficult to tell, but he thought he’d hand.
heard a noise. Perhaps Nicholas was knocking about “Wait— wait, my good fellow.” Miraculously, the
downstairs doing something. “good fellow” did. Aymeric took the opportunity to
After a few moments of silence, he went back to draw in a much-needed breath.
his work, blowing the dust off the quill, then blowing “I maintain that the game was not a fair one. None-
on his fingers for good measure in an attempt to warm theless, I’m prepared to drop that objection—”
them up. Not good enough. He cupped his right hand “How very good of you.”
around the candle flame and glanced wistfully at the “—seeing that if you so chose, you could break faith
brazier in the corner. He could move it closer, but ever with me further, by spreading the story about.” And
since he’d knocked it over six months ago, igniting though Aymeric’s tenure lecturing in theology had been
a good quarter of his gloss on Cyprian, he felt little long enough that he felt he could defend himself against
inclined to dare. the charge if necessary, he certainly didn’t need the ad-
Especially since this was an important letter. He ditional distraction. Even an unsubstantiated rumor of
reviewed the next few sentences in his head, mumbling profligacy might be enough to draw unwanted attention
them to himself several times to make sure they were to his leisure hours.
sufficiently eloquent. Then he set pen to parchment “I’m glad you see things my way, maitre. You being
for the first long stroke of a capital B. in such a reasonable humor, no doubt I can expect my
“Magister.” first payment immediately.”
Aymeric started violently, ruining his letter in an “First payment? Don’t get over-ambitious. I’ll pay
instant. On the good vellum! He cursed aloud and gazed you the agreed-upon sum, which is already more than
helplessly at the damage. But there was a slightly more press- I can spare right now.”
ing issue, wasn’t there? The voice had been low, smiling… “You’ll have to do better than that, I think.”
and did not belong to Nicholas. Who was behind him? “I shall. You shall have the original amount, half
He turned. The figure in the doorway was a mys- now, half on Saint Cecilia’s Feast. Then within an-
tery, the hood of a weathered cloak pulled down low other few months I’m expecting to come into a little
enough to obscure his face even in the dimming af- money. I can now promise you 40 sous of it. On the
ternoon sun. It was a man, a young man, of that much condition, of course, that you leave me alone both
Aymeric was sure. before and after.”
“You look surprised, maitre,” the man went on amia- Even through the shadow of the hood, Aymeric could see
bly. “Were you not expecting to receive a call from me? the man’s brow folding, weighing the merits of the proposal.
Maybe you hoped I would bid my money farewell after “You’ve already run out on me once,” he rumbled.
I learned that there isn’t any Pierre of Blois staying at “Yes, but you know who I am. How can I get away
the Weeping Maid?” from you now?” Aymeric put his hands behind his back,
“Your money?” Aymeric retorted, though he was the great debater making his point.
indeed beginning to place the fellow. “I have no idea w w w
what you’re talking about.”
Pepin glanced again at the old man and thought it
The man smiled again and took a step into the over. Of course he’d raise the price. No doubt the professor
room. Aymeric half-rose; his heart leaped even further was offering far less than he could really afford. But then
within him. He was too old for this sort of adventure again it was already well above what Pepin himself could
now. Why this week of all weeks? Why the hell hadn’t make in 12 holidays, and all in a lump sum. If he pressed
Nicholas or Marie stopped this man at the door? too hard, Aymeric might decide to have him ambushed
“Come, maitre. You don’t honestly suppose a cap and arrested for robbery instead of paying up. His word
to hide your tonsure and a bright tunic are enough to against the word of a lecturer at the University: how far
disguise you? Do you think the students don’t gamble would that go?
in the same houses?” “You might just spend it all before I get to you.”
“I saw no one I recognized,” Aymeric said, his “Nonsense. I’m sure whichever student told you
cheeks reddening a little. about me will tell you the moment I collect.”
“Then you should have been paying more attention.” “Yes, and he’ll expect his share of the payment. 60 sous.”
“Which one of them was it? Which one of the little “45.”
miscreants told you?”
“50.”
“Now, maitre…”
ASHEN THIEF

14
 He ran the dagger’s edge along his thumb, just as “Trust me, he’ll be too busy trying to walk straight
a reminder to the old man. to notice you.”
“Very well,” Aymeric shrugged. “50.” “Good. I’ll be back at Prime.”
“If you pay me that first half now.” w w w
“Yes, yes. Go downstairs and I’ll meet you with it “And where do you think you’re going?” Mathilde
there.” sent Jehanne a stare which should have fixed her to the
Pepin went, obediently, but with a suspicious glance spot, but the girl kept going, trying to pretend she hadn’t
backward. After a few minutes, the professor emerged, heard. The madam’s instinct for profit was instantly
his palm glittering: several silver coins and a little gold aroused. They only avoided her when they’d done better
ring with a modest stone set in it. than usual. She took hold of the girl’s arm.
“Here you are, my lad, much good may it do you. “Let go of me, you swine!”
This bauble sat on the finger of my dear niece who died “There, there, daughter….” Mathilde knew Jehanne
last year, the last family I had.” hated to be called that, but it served to remind her of
“That’s a sad story, maitre,” Pepin grinned, looking her place. “I only wanted to know what could be taking
the thing over. you away from us so early in the day.”
“You remember the agreement. I don’t want to see “I’m going to visit my mother. And I’m not giving
you till Saint Cecilia’s Day, after Vespers.” you a single denier of it!”
“I remember, maitre.” Mathilde maneuvered her over to a trestle table,
w w w forcing her to sit down on the bench. “Is that so? Is your
“What sort of luck?” Jehanne wanted to know. Her mother the only woman in Paris who needs to eat? What
breasts, somewhat over-large but still quite lovely, swayed about us? What about dear Agnes, who slaves to cook
back and forth as she rocked on top of Pepin. for you even when you’re behind on the rent?”
Pepin shook his head. “A business arrangement,” “I’m not behind on it now!”
he managed through his increasing bliss. Of course that “No, but I’ve no doubt you will be before too long,”
was all the detail she was likely to get. said Mathilde dryly. “If you’ve had a stroke of good fortune
She grinned. “Is that what you’re celebrating tonight?” this week, share it now and it’ll be remembered later on.
“Will you shut up and move?” Bear in mind, my girl, we didn’t have to take you on,
“Aren’t I moving?” She gave a slightly deeper thrust. did we? You’re a burden to us, a danger, in fact. Pretty,
“There. Is that what you want?” yes, but if the sergeant ever finds out where you came
“Nh.” from… or worse yet, if your husband should hear of it….”
“And that? And that?” Jehanne flushed. This time last year, the mention of her
“Ah, Jesu.” He clutched her round buttocks, hated husband had been enough to send her into a terror,
digging in his fingernails, his whole body locked in but now it only made her furious. Tears leapt to her eyes.
ecstatic rigor for a moment; then he fell back onto “Well, all right then. If you’re going to be that great
the mattresses, exhausted. She slid off him gently and a pig—,” she thrust her hand into her purse.
laid her head on his chest, listening to the rhythm of “Let’s see what you’ve got first, then we’ll see how
his breathing. great a pig I choose to be.” Mathilde examined the little
Well, that had taken somewhat longer than it should pile Jehanne held out, picking up the ring and trying it
have, but what else could you expect when you got a on. A covetous gleam came into her eyes.
man drunk? All she’d needed was a single look at his “It’s for my mother!” Jehanne exclaimed.
wide smile and well-worn clothes to realize that here
was a fellow on an unaccustomed splurge. Within a few “It looks better on my white hand than it would on
minutes he was sound asleep. her spotted one,” Mathilde answered smugly. “Now you
should be off — you mustn’t keep the old woman waiting.”
She scooted herself over to the edge of the bed
and felt around on the floor for his purse. It had looked w w w
nicely full; saints be praised, it felt heavy as well. She “That girl has got a flogging coming to her!” Renaud
opened it and looked inside, manipulating the bottom of declared later that afternoon. A trickle of blood seeped
it with one hand so she could shift its contents silently out from beneath the poultice he was holding to his
within: the gleam of silver caught the moonlight. She cheek. “And if you don’t administer it, I will.”
put it down carefully, then got up, went over to the Mathilde wrung her hands. “I am sorry, sir. She’s
window and leaned out, not even bothering to slip on young — she’s new — and I can’t suffer her to be marked.
her undertunic first. She’s the favorite of a very important customer.”
“Well?” came the hissing whisper. “Oh, and what am I, if not a sergeant of the Châtelet?
“At least 25 sous!” she whispered back. “I want eight of it.” Little Spanish tart. What did you give her to me for, if
“You’ll see to him?” you knew she was such a hellion?”
IN DARKENED STREETS

15
 “But I didn’t, sir, honestly I didn’t. She’s been gentle They seemed to be alone: the deacon in the nave outside was
as a lamb ever since she came. I don’t know what could polishing candlesticks or some such. His slightly out-of-tune
have gotten into her. She’ll be made to understand how humming drifted into their little chamber, providing adequate
wicked it was, believe me.” (perhaps deliberate?) cover for their conversation.
Renaud glowered, although he knew perfectly well what “You have… forged the royal seal?”
had gotten into the girl. Even the whores were reluctant to “We believe so, yes, sir. For a reasonable price, you may
accommodate his deepest desires. He had barely gotten his take this sample with you and see for yourself how it compares.”
hands around her neck — hadn’t even begun to squeeze — Renaud looked over stamp and seal, pressing one into
before she’d driven her knee into his side and lashed out the other to match them up, his hands trembling slightly.
with her fingernails for good measure. She trembled in the “And the stamp itself?”
corner now, staring with those wide dark Moorish eyes of
“Will cost somewhat more. After all, to have the
hers, probably only understanding one or two words in 10.
royal seal at one’s command, without having to waylay
Mathilde was fitfully twisting a ring on her finger. and butcher genuine writs to get it…. But we can discuss
“I assume this is going to raise your fee.” that later, when you’ve satisfied yourself of its… fidelity.”
“You can be sure it is.” “I see. Well, I haven’t got a lot on me at the moment.”
“I could give you over to Berthe. She doesn’t see “That is unfortunate.” The boy was the Christ Child;
anyone but a few regulars anymore, but I’m sure I could he was St. Cyr; he was a Holy Innocent.
persuade her to see you later this week, since your friend-
“I suppose you’ll be letting others bid on these
ship means so much to us.”
in the meantime?”
“That would be an excellent start.” The provost
“But of course.”
himself knew Berthe’s well-deserved legend, or so Renaud
had heard. She was getting on a bit now. Still, there was Renaud then remembered the little ring in his purse. Ah,
no reason to suppose her skills had dulled. “But today?” well, Adele could hardly miss a gift she didn’t yet know about.
He drew it out, polishing it a bit on the edge of his tunic.
“Today…” Mathilde dithered a few moments more, strug-
gling with herself, then dropped her shoulders in resignation. “Here. Will this do? For the seal.”
“Today you can take this. It was a present from an admirer, and The boy held it up to the candlelight, clearly tempted.
I cherish it, but I’m sure you can get something for it.” With Perhaps he too had some lady-love.
that, she drew the ring she’d been fidgeting with off her finger. “Consider it earnest money for the stamp as well,”
He picked it up. A small but flawless sapphire, cabochon-cut the officer added, sensing that he now had the leverage to
and polished to a mirror shine. Hadn’t his mistress been saying press a little harder. “Naturally I must check this against
just the other day how much she liked sapphires? the real thing. But it looks like a fine likeness to me.”
Renaud made himself frown. “I suppose it’ll do.” “Very well. For the seal. And I shall tell my master
w w w that you were sincerely interested.”
The youth with the long locks never stirred from “Do that, my lad.” Renaud got up, patting the youth’s
his spot before the statue in the Lady-chapel — never head as he did so. He had the gratifying, if short-lived, reward
even raised his head. He spared the man who came to of seeing that icy complacence crack for a moment, the
kneel beside him barely a sidewise glance. waxen face darkening, and then he was out, heading against
“We offer it to you first,” he murmured, “because the winter breeze that rushed in through the church doors.
my master knows how much he owes you.” w w w
Renaud snorted. “Just you remember that. A word Heloise listened for the whisper of mortal feet in leather
from me, and this place would be so tightly besieged that shoes, but most of her attention was on the view before her.
you couldn’t even get your pricks out the door to take a It wasn’t worthy of a queen, or even a duchess. No lush vistas
piss. What have you got for me this time?” greeted her eye, no barbered gardens with flowery bowers
“Something special. Look at this.” in which young lovers might make their decorous trysts. It
was simply the city, nothing more or less than that. Rows
With a flowing, surreptitious motion, something
of squeezed-together half-timbered houses, rotting mazes
cold and flat and smooth was pressed into Renaud’s
of alleyways, a constant stream of muck running down the
hand. He glanced at it.
center of the street, meandering inch by inch back to the
“The king’s seal. And pristine. But I can get these river where it could dump its bounty of filth. Here, directly
on my own if I want.” below her, a drunken student had just pinned his equally
“Ah.” The youth smiled tolerantly. “The king’s seal, say drunken friend to the wall, and the two of them were now
you? Look, if you will, sir. That seal was made with this stamp.” reinventing the sodomitical wheel — their barking laughs of
Renaud took the leaden stamp from the boy’s other hand, pleasure no less sharp than the haranguing their consciences
glancing quickly around to see if anyone might be watching. would give them tomorrow. There, off in the distance, a
ASHEN THIEF

16
woman was picking over the body of an old man that she’d “All is well, madame. He took our bait. I have no
just found in an alleyway. Somewhere across town, in a doubt he’ll buy the stamp.”
room whose dimensions and character Heloise could still “Good. And once he has the wherewithal to really
only imagine, a creature called Alexandre lay on an old overstep himself, he’ll surely hasten to do it. You see,
Roman couch and fancied himself ruler of all this. Geoffrey? Patience is a virtue. “
She smiled, and turned. “Geoffrey.” “Indeed, madame. I told Monsieur Hugues just that.
“Madame.” The boy bowed, touching one knee to the He is, of course, eager to see his cousin get himself hanged
ground, gazing up at her with the same lambent adoration he’d and thus vacate his very lucrative post.” Geoffrey’s hungry
vouchsafed the Virgin 10 minutes ago. Then, with no further gaze traveled again to her wrist.
ceremony, he came forward. She extended her wrist to him, “Pay attention, my dear. Now the honorable Renaud,
opening a gash in it with her teeth first. He closed his mouth what payment did he give?”
over the wound. Never mind that the arm he clutched was “Oh.” Suddenly the youth was alight with excitement.
withered and covered with leprous scabs, or that the silhouette “I bargained for this, madame. He was going to give it
that leaned over him bore an unhappy resemblance to the to his wife, but I persuaded him.”
gargoyle carvings at the eaves. As far as his mortal senses were With that, he deposited the ring into her cupped hands,
concerned, the former was white as alabaster and supple as a eager for her word of approval. She nodded and slipped it
young branch, the latter as finely drawn as a gilded acanthus on. “Lovely. But how gallant of you, Geoffrey, to acquire
border in a psalter. She let her weight settle back on her heels, such a thing for me.” Then she leaned down and kissed him
relishing the feel of his hot little tongue scraping on her skin, on the forehead. As she did, she couldn’t help noticing a
but steeled herself not to make any noise or touch him in return. little sore just under his smooth jaw, the first flowering of the
It wouldn’t do to let a slave know he had power of any sort. Nosferatu curse. Ah, well; it was bound to happen. “Now
After a few moments, she gently pulled away. He go. Although the night is long, we both have much to do.”
hesitated before letting go, flicking the tip of his tongue “Yes, madame.” He bowed twice as he withdrew.
to catch the last droplet of blood that beaded on his lips. His lovesick, triumphant grin was the last part of him
“What news, Geoffrey?” to disappear into the darkness.
IN DARKENED STREETS

17
 Heloise stood silent in the bare chamber, letting that in the Middle Ages, the task of justice is split between
her perception move deep into the stone. The Toreador two separate bodies: canon law and secular law.
thought they monopolized this power, just as Alexandre
thought he monopolized the beating mortal hearts around Canon Law
him. Flecks of color danced at the edges of her vision Christianity was born in an outpost of the Roman
as she bored deeper, deeper, and found what she had Empire; perhaps it’s only fitting that its laws should come
suspected: the subtly wavering density of glass. from the civilization which once ruled Judea along with
She put her ungainly head back and laughed. much of the rest of the world. Moreover, the empire is
“A counterfeit, for a counterfeit counterfeiter,” she Europe’s one common property, the only cultural au-
proclaimed to the birds roosting in the rafters above her. thority to which nearly everyone bows. What else could
She raised her fist toward them so they could see it. “I possibly induce Irish monks to agree with French prelates?
think it suits me, don’t you?” In the old imperial law, particularly in the Theodosian
and Justinian codes, canonists have discovered a system
Crime in the Dark of logic that they can adapt to their own administrative
needs. Gratian’s recently published Decretum, a brilliant
Medieval World
First, a little debunking: The “urban underworld,” as
summing-up of their efforts to date, now spreads this legal
gospel throughout the Continent.

modern people understand the term, does not yet exist Jurisdiction
in the Dark Medieval world. Even legitimate civil For those who give themselves in service to the faith,
government has only begun to fumble its way toward a canon law governs every aspect of life. Naturally, it claims
semblance of order. (Indeed, the most telling evidence of jurisdiction on all matters relating to their religious duties;
the absence of an organized criminal class is the absence should one of these shepherds so forget his vows as to en-
of an organized police force.) You will search this chapter gage in theft or murder, only the Church may judge him.
in vain for a Dickensian community of mortal rogues On rare occasions, a bishop may so loathe the crimes of
who all use the same slang, follow the same unwritten an accused cleric that he strips the offender of his status
codes, and maintain relations with brother communities and hands him over to the secular arm for trial. However,
in neighboring towns. What you will find, however, is an the Church normally guards its legal rights quite jealously.
attempt to show some of the colorful panoply of urban Thus the recent dispute between Archbishop (and now
medieval crime and suggest the numerous ways in which
enterprising Cainites might exploit it. “Crime” in the
Dark Medieval world is defined slightly differently than Cainite Law
in modern times. For practical purposes, a crime is any The Six Traditions form a rough legal framework for
action of which the local authority — which also tends the courts of most European princes and other Cainite
to be the most influential authority — disapproves. potentates, at least in theory. In reality, the Tradition
of Domain — which clearly establishes the power of
It’s a little more complicated than that, of course. an elder in his area of influence — tends to be the only
Accordingly, the first section deals with medieval law and one that counts. The local prince then interprets the
some of its unexpected quirks. The next section brings other Traditions as he sees fit. Mortal legal traditions
forth a wide assortment of mortal medieval criminals (by move into the hidden Cainite world as those versed in
no means exhaustive, but hopefully at least representative). law gain the Embrace and the recognition of the local
In the final section, the reader is cordially invited potentate. Most legal appeals in a Cainite court will
to sit in on a meeting of the Prometheans, a Cainite cite the Six Traditions, but the form of the court, the
brotherhood that hopes to harness the skills and power nature of sentences and even the nature of the crimes
of the cities’ human refuse in creating a newer, better are usually based on mortal foundations.
incarnation of great Carthage. The Prometheans’ own Of course, if a Cainite is dragged before a mortal
activities will naturally be discussed, as well as the ac- court, then no appeal to the Six Traditions is possible.
tivities of various other vampires who, for one reason or The vampire is just another criminal to be dealt with.
another, choose the low road to success. While certain Disciplines (Dominate and Presence)
Keep an eye on your purse, and follow…. can make a mortal trial less than threatening to a
Cainite, the mere fact that proceedings occur during
Medieval Law
Medieval criminals must fear the law, just as their modern
the day means that few vampires wish to tangle with
the mortal authorities. Cainites generally arrange to
have charges dismissed, witnesses vanish or simply to
counterparts will in centuries to come, but the threat is of a escape before any actual proceedings occur.
distinctly different character. The most obvious difference is
ASHEN THIEF

18
martyr) Thomas à Becket and King Henry II of England cially when confronted with a “town and gown” riot; thus
over, among other things, the proper procedure for dealing the need for secular decrees confirming it, such as the one
with “criminous clerks” — a dispute that ended, but only King Philippe will grant to the University of Paris in 1208.)
for the nonce, with episcopal brains scandalously littered The Church nominally concerns itself with the welfare
on the holy floor of Canterbury Cathedral. of souls rather than the settling of earthly scores; thus, the
Canon law applies not only to those under lifelong vows sentences it hands down tend to have a penitential quality.
(priests, monks, nuns and the rest of the panoply), but also Fasts and pilgrimages are common, and of course alms serve
to those whose employment with God is only temporary the double purpose of remitting sin and helping out one’s
— Crusaders, pilgrims and so forth. And its reach extends fellow man. However, judges also order more public forms of
further yet, into the affairs of laymen. Widows and orphans penance, such as flogging, the better to impress upon everyone
take legal refuge under the Church’s protective wing. The the steep price for defying God’s word. A combination may
Church has the power to condemn anyone for heresy, sac- even be employed: For instance, a convict might be whipped
rilege or oath-breaking. Laymen may bring personal actions through the streets to his local church, where he would then
against each other in ecclesiastical court. On top of all this, lament his errors to the gathered crowd before departing on
canon law enjoys jurisdiction in a number of matters the a pilgrimage to a prescribed series of shrines.
modern man would consider purely civil: wills, annulments While heresy is without a doubt the blackest possible
(the one form of divorce acceptable to the Church) and sin against Holy Mother Church, actual punishments for
suits of slander, to mention only a few. it run the gamut from light to severe, depending on the
depth of the offense and the convict’s willingness to name
Trial Process accomplices. In any case, a convicted heretic forfeits all
Bishops, cardinals, archdeacons and vicars-general all rights to property — a fact not lost on cynical observers,
maintain their own courts, and a metropolitan (the primate who have noticed that rich heretics seem to elicit far more
of an ecclesiastical province) can further call a panel of his prosecutorial zeal from the local lords and clerics than poor
bishops to sit on a special court called the provincial council. ones. Moreover, any kindness shown to a contrite first-time
The procedure for a Church trial, in 1197, is increasingly based offender certainly won’t be extended again should he relapse.
on the old Roman inquest. That is, rather than employing
Technically, an ecclesiastical judge may not condemn
one of the traditional barbarian methods of establishing guilt
anyone to death — even a heretic. Instead, he excommu-
or innocence — which will be discussed below — the court
nicates and then regretfully “abandons” the wretch to the
conducts a series of examinations and cross-examinations.
secular government, which of course hastens to carry out
The burden of proof rests, theoretically, with the accuser.
its pious duty. In 1197, with the Albigensian Crusade still
Appeals may be carried all the way to a conclave of the Pope
waiting in the wings, most Church authorities favor the “civil
and cardinals (or, speaking more realistically, to the highest
ban” as the ultimate secular punishment for an unrepentant
level a man’s personal finances will allow).
heretic. This consists of stripping the offender of all legal
Ancient imperial law forbade the use of torture against rights, then exiling him from the realm. Quite often his
free men except in cases of treason and, from the fourth house is burned down as well, just to help speed him along.
century onward, sorcery. In any case, Church leadership Nonetheless, many feudal lords prefer to send their heretics
presently agrees with St. Augustine that confessions pro- to the stake; the Church is certainly well aware of this, and
duced under torture are meaningless. However, beginning it’s a rare prelate who will step in to stop the proceedings.
in 1209 with Innocent III’s crusade against the Cathars
Truly heinous criminals among the clergy may also
of Languedoc (which in turn leads to the founding of the
be “abandoned” to secular execution (though, as noted
Inquisition in 1231), the papacy will discover detours
above, they must be defrocked first). More often, they end
around its canonical prohibitions of torture.
their days in a Church prison, forbidden even to speak to
Punishments another human being. Many monasteries have a row of
Canon law is generally kinder than secular law. Thus cells built alongside the abbey infirmary for just this pur-
the rush by otherwise venal folk to secure the benefit pose. Official documents call such close confinement the
of clergy by taking minor orders — a status which can carcer strictissimus, but waggish monks have dubbed it in
be proved (or faked) by displaying a tonsured head or pace — as in, Requiescat In Pace — since it’s effectively
reading aloud in Latin. a tomb for the living.
(An intriguing side note: since universities developed Even the carcer strictissimus, however, pales beside the
from the old cathedral schools, university students are by horror of a sentence of excommunication. In the lesser
definition clerks — i.e., minor clergy. This renders them version of the curse, the unhappy victim is forbidden the
immune to secular law, which may explain why medieval comfort of the sacraments as well as Christian burial; in
scholars enjoy such a reputation for roguery. Of course, civil the greater version, anyone who trafficks in any way with
authorities sometimes choose to ignore this privilege, espe- the condemned risks excommunication as well. Those
who make their living by commerce rightly dread such
IN DARKENED STREETS

19
a fate. Indeed, when a city errs greatly in the Church’s Although an excommunicate might try to escape his
eyes and thus falls under mass interdict, it can ruin the fate by fleeing (bear in mind that he can’t sell his land
local economy for years. or possessions to raise travel funds), such journeys are
Excommunication begins with a Church rite — the hazardous, and people often treat strangers with deep
bell is rung, the book closed, and the candle snuffed out to but justifiable suspicion. In the Dark Medieval world, a
show that the condemned is now dead to the body of the man depends on his social ties to survive — and society
faithful. For a particularly influential victim, the ceremony likewise depends on that fact to keep him honest.
may be read in many churches far and wide; and even a poor Needless to say, the bureaucracy that exercises all this
excommunicate can expect his local priest to pronounce fearsome authority puts a great strain on Church coffers. For this
sentence repeatedly in order to keep public memory alive reason, convicts can often buy off or lighten even the harshest
on the subject. From that point on, the reprobate has one sentences with sufficiently generous alms. The increasing traf-
year to make amends with God or else become a heretic fick in such indulgences no doubt comforts the rich malefactors
in the eyes of the law. And should he have the misfortune of the world greatly; of course, secular governments are just as
to die still excommunicate, his soul will certainly end up guilty of putting justice on sale, if not more so.
in one of the hotter corners of Hell. Or so the priests say.
Sanctuary
Even so, people occasionally take it into their heads
For the miscreant who can’t pay the price of her feudal
to defy the ban. After all, a Cathar certainly doesn’t care
lord’s mercy, the tradition of sanctuary provides a free (if
what the Church of Babylon thinks of his kind. And
not always reliable) refuge. If she can make it past a church
since it’s so easy to defraud or frame a person who no
threshold, the secular law is forbidden to go in after her, on
longer has any rights under law, everyone realizes that
pain of excommunication. In a few places, the protection is
some excommunications are pronounced for less-than-
even extended past the church walls, to as much as a mile’s
holy reasons. But defiance takes great bravery, not to
radius (the border of this radius being marked by stone cross-
mention resourcefulness, when even the baker on the
es). Elsewhere, the requirements are stricter, and the fugitive
corner risks his soul by selling bread to the condemned.
must not only get inside the church but also touch a brass
knocker-ring or sit in a special seat — called the “frith-stool”
in England — to claim her right. Sanctuary technically expires
Official Warning after a month or 40 days, depending on local tradition, after
The Fourth Lateran Council (which won’t actually which the felon must face justice or go into exile.
meet till 1215, but will certainly know its business when The custom is heavily abused in both directions. As
it does) declares that the excommunicate may not be noted above, sentences of excommunication are hardly
“admitted to public offices or councils or to elect others irrevocable; if an official still doesn’t dare risk divine
to the same or to give testimony. He shall be intestable, anger, he can always surround the church with an armed
that is he shall not have the freedom to make a will
guard and settle back to wait. On the other hand, court
nor shall succeed to an inheritance. Moreover nobody
summoners and sergeants constantly complain of the
shall be compelled to answer to him on any business
thieves, gamblers, murderers, forgers, errant apprentices
whatever, but he may be compelled to answer to them.
and chronic debtors who use their local cathedral as a more
If he is a judge, sentences pronounced by him shall
or less permanent home base for criminal endeavor. As
have no force and cases may not be brought before
for the clergy who protect these felons, one can usually
him; if an advocate, he may not be allowed to defend
anyone; if a notary, documents drawn up by him shall be count on them to stand firm, whether they be motivated
worthless and condemned along with their condemned by a sense of duty to the poor in spirit, zeal for guarding the
author; and in similar matters we order the same to be Church’s prerogatives or a small financial consideration.
observed. If however he is a cleric, let him be deposed
from every office and benefice, so that the greater the Secular Law
fault the greater be the punishment. If any refuse to Since Christendom has no one supreme secular ruler,
avoid such persons after they have been pointed out by secular law varies a great deal from place to place. In
the Church, let them be punished with the sentence of Italy, the heart of old Rome, the imperial codes survive
excommunication until they make suitable satisfaction.” largely intact. Further north and west, ancient barbar-
Modern readers who doubt the Church’s power ian custom still carries great weight, but even there the
to make good on this extravagant threat would do Roman model is hardly unknown, and the Church has
well to reread the section on jurisdiction, above, and successfully convinced many feudal lords to look to canon
then further remember that medieval people tend law as their exemplar of good government.
to fear as much for their souls as for their lives. The
ruling of the mightiest secular judge only carries as
Jurisdiction
much weight as other Christians give it. Briefly put, the secular law has jurisdiction over
everything and everyone not claimed under canon law.
ASHEN THIEF

20
 be appealed to a higher court. Furthermore, a monarch may
Amicus Usque Ad Aras dispense pardons more or less at whim. Every so often one
hears of the king giving mass amnesty in observance of some
To the fair and noble Dame Rosamunde, from special occasion, or offering to pardon anyone who will pay
your humble clanfellow, Brother John of St. Albans, a certain fine or serve in the war du jour.
greetings in the Blood.
Note that a bishop or abbot can also be a feudal lord.
I rejoice to inform you that your excellent cousin
In such a case, the lord appoints a representative, called
is alive and well and under the protection of a Brujah
an avoué, to oversee his secular court.
colleague at Norwich Cathedral. As you may know,
Norwich is among those churches whose right to give Police Power
sanctuary is specially recognized by the Crown, so you Although there exist a few types of official charged with
need have no fear. Dominus may well persuade the keeping the peace — sheriffs and bailiffs, volunteer watchmen
reeve to go after your cousin — I hear he has all the reluctantly recruited from the merchants’ guilds, knights
royal ministers in Norfolk under his thumb — but even of the watch and their serjanz — rulers primarily look to
if they are hard-hearted enough to defy God’s curse, the people of a community to discover and produce the
they will not so easily give the lie to their king’s honor, offenders among them. If a community fails in this duty, it
to say nothing of the scandal which would arise from can be forced to make restitution or stripped of privileges.
having such rare blood spilt on holy ground. Such a citizens’ manhunt is known as the hue-and-cry.
The time this grants us should be more than enough In England, this self-policing is formalized in the in-
to arrange young Robert’s safe return, provided of course
stitution of the tithing, also known as a frankpledge. Each
that Your Ladyship has considered and agreed to our price.
tithing group consists of 10 free men; members in a tithing
For now, he enjoys the hospitality of my colleague and
must stand surety for the other members — which includes
his merry little flock. I am told that he is in good spirits
and has made many fast friends. No doubt he shall know making certain that those who are summoned to court
how to cut a purse-string with the best of them by the actually appear — and can be held liable for their offenses.
time he finds his way back to Your Ladyship’s arms. Or Tithings are themselves gathered into larger administra-
perhaps Deacon Aelfred, who is reportedly fond of the tive units, called hundreds, which have similar obligations
lad, will persuade him to a holier calling. (knights in a hundred, especially, are expected to round up
any malefactors in their midst). Englishmen tend to regard
We await your word with all eagerness, and in
any stranger who can’t immediately name his tithing and
the meantime our earnest prayers fly up to Heaven
hundred as a suspicious character, possibly even an outlaw.
on behalf of Your Ladyship and the esteemed fugi-
tive at Norwich. Choose swiftly, and choose well. Trial Process
By my hand at St. Albans, at the calends of Men of reason everywhere struggle to reform the secular
May, Year of Our Lord 1197. trial, but it’s slow going. While the inquest method of examina-
tion and cross-examination has become commonplace, torture
However, this isn’t always a clear-cut distinction. In and starvation diets are still considered perfectly respectable for
1197, the relative authority of monarch and prelate is obtaining confessions from suspects. Although judges some-
still very much under debate, and some sorts of cases may times ask for an advisory ruling from a panel of leading citizens,
be validly tried in either court. The Church currently the right to a “jury of one’s peers” is pretty well undreamed-of.
has the upper hand in this struggle for legal territory, Moreover, the inquest trial itself still competes with even more
mainly because secular justice is so unpopular. ancient methods of ascertaining truth.
Authority to judge disputes is, like land, parceled out The method of compurgation, in which accuser or de-
according to the feudal hierarchy. The royal courts decide fendant either swears multiple oaths in multiple churches,
particularly important cases, especially cases of treason, but or convinces a number of associates to swear to their faith
in ordinary affairs, each lord exercises justice in his own in his word, is no longer generally trusted — although a
holdings. (The right of high justice — that is, the power to trial witness may choose compurgation as a way of lending
divest people of life or limb — is sometimes withheld from greater weight to his testimony. Many, however, yet believe
minor barons, and may be withdrawn from greater lords as that God makes His own judgement known in the trial
a punishment. In such a case, all felony trials go to the next by combat and the trial by ordeal.
court up.) Towns enjoy, along with their other chartered Any of the principals or witnesses in a case may chal-
rights, the power to institute their own courts; merchant lenge each other to a trial by combat. If a witness loses
guilds in a town usually reserve the right to prosecute their such a duel, his testimony becomes void. In France, the
own members for breaking trade regulations. latter stratagem has become so common that witnesses
Although no one’s really determined the precise ins who plainly can’t hope to defeat a challenger are often
and outs of the procedure, unsatisfactory rulings can usually barred from testifying in the first place.

IN DARKENED STREETS

21
 Cainites and Canon Law
Although the faithful guardians of the Church would The actual punishments of canon law are less prob-
be disheartened to know so, the childer of Caine often look lematic. The civil ban and excommunication are serious
to canon law for inspiration and precedent. Some vampires matters indeed — vampires never take burning havens
would argue that this has more to do with the system’s Ro- lightly — but vampires have nothing if not time to rebuild.
man roots than any ecclesiastical matters; indeed, most of Backed by the blood oath, and perhaps useful Disciplines
the dark princes of Europe feel a bond toward Rome. But like Presence, Dominate or Obfuscate, rebuilding a new
the Lasombra adoption of the Catholic Church as one of identity or reestablishing oneself in a new land is not all that
its fiefdoms and the importance most neonates and ancillae difficult. Only if the vampire has also offended the Cainite
still put on matters of eternal souls and religious dogma mean prince can he expect to become a pariah, and then he may
that Church authority adds extra weight to the classical legal have to deal with a blood hunt as well.
tradition. Furthermore, Cappadocians, Tremere and other Cainites do take advantage of the tradition of sanc-
scholarly vampires were often literate in life and so used to tuary. Those whose domain is church ground can use it
being able to claim status (fraudulently or not) under canon to protect childer and pawns from kine authorities. But
law and expect some of the same privileges in unlife. a vampire seeking shelter in a church must always be
In some principalities, canon law and its Roman wary, for some sanctuaries are decidedly uncomfortable
predecessor are the main tools used for interpreting the to the childer of Caine.
Six Traditions, determining punishments, and establishing Canon Law and Lextalionis
other laws and regulations. Lasombra bishops use this pol- Significant elements of canon law have migrated into the
icy most of all. Other courts preserve the kine distinction interpretationsoftheSixTraditions,especiallyinLasombracourts.
between secular and canon law, often applying harsher Most notably, ideas of appropriate punishment often cross-pol-
secularly inspired justice to vampires of lesser status. This linate from mortal bishops to their Magister counterparts (and
status can reflect disfavored “inferior” clans (often Gangrel, those of other clans, as well). Princes often find it useful to have a
Ravnos and Nosferatu) or having a disgraced sire or cosan- variety of punishments available to them besides the blood hunt
guineus. Furore activity and other forms of dissent are often or an enforced blood oath, and these are drawn from canon law.
strong in principalities that use such a double standard. Excommunication strips a vampire of status within the
Vampires in Ecclesiastical Court principality. The protection inherent in the Six Traditions
no longer extends to him, although he must follow them
Most Cainites move silently through human circles himself. He may no longer claim domain, is subject to
and (at least some of the time) pass themselves off as kine. destruction (without attackers facing justice) and may not
As such, it’s very possible for them to be dragged into an create childer. His ghouls may be imprisoned or destroyed.
ecclesiastical court if they commit a crime and can claim Like a mortal, the vampire has a year to make amends to the
status under canon law. A vampire of status can quickly prince (and any other offended party) before the decision
dispense of such a problem by greasing the right hand (and becomes irrevocable. Lesser excommunication — in which
using the right Disciplines). Even a lowly neonate can usually the vampire may still deal with others — is not uncommon
work something out, unless his elders actively oppose it. for serious breaches of the Traditions. Greater excommunica-
For those unfortunates who must face an actual inquest, tion (in which the vampire becomes untouchable) is rarer.
unlife becomes much more difficult. For one thing, such The vampiric equivalent of the civil ban is exile. The
events usually occur during the day, although any vampire prince strips the vampire of status and forces her to leave
masquerading as a man will have already created a cover story his principality. He burns her haven, takes her possessions,
to explain daylight absences. The matter of faith can also be destroys her ghouls and unreleased childer, and warns that
troubling. Although they are not so common as some might her return will lead to a blood hunt. This is a rare punish-
think, there are religious men and women whose very gaze ment because it usually inspires desire for revenge in the
can force a Cainite to back down. Church bells and other exile; princes use it when a vampire to whom they owe a
artifacts can also make the Beast rile inside the Cainite form. great debt commits some crime deserving of destruction.
All this can make resisting questioning quite difficult. Most princes have long since adopted and adapted the
The problem is not for the vampire to lie (or even answer ecclesiastical tradition of sanctuary because it nicely resolves a
honestly) but to not reveal her true nature. One slip and the long-standing problem surrounding the vampiric Tradition of
court will know it is dealing with “hellspawn” of some form, Domain.IfavampireingoodstandingsheltersawantedCainite
and many of the regular rules fly out the proverbial window. in his haven or labyrinth, it is unclear whether his domain over
In a minor court, a vampire might well bare her fangs and the haven or the prince’s domain over the principality takes
scare off the hapless priests. But word will spread, inquisitors precedence. Can a prince violate a haven to extract a fugitive?
and exorcists will eventually arrive, and the vampire’s mortal In most parts of Europe, the answer is now “only after 40 nights.”
identity will shatter. In a provincial or other high court, it is Like a church, a haven can provide (at the owner’s discretion)
all the more likely that someone who can deal with such a shelter for that long after which time the fugitive must leave or
monstrosity will be on hand. see his host’s claim to domain fall by the wayside.

ASHEN THIEF

22
 Certain classes of people are forbidden the trial by Clergy are forbidden to undergo the ordeal, and
combat. Children may not fight; neither may the lame, within a decade, they will be further prohibited from
the diseased or women. (Actually, this last prohibition isn’t officiating at the ordeals of laymen. Since the ordeal is
always observed. Women do occasionally fight and defeat primarily a religious proof, the withdrawal of the clergy
opponents in judicial duels. However, these are exceptional will effectively put an end to its use in most of Europe.
events. When they do occur, the male opponent is usually
forced to take a handicap.) Clergy, too, are exempt, although Punishments
this has only been so since a papal ban of 1140. Finally, serfs As might be expected, secular punishments vary
and bastard sons may not challenge those more honorably according to the severity of the crime and the social
born. In some places, such as London, the trial by combat status of the convict. The old custom of paying a fine
has been completely abolished. directly to the victim (or his survivors) has finally died
If the person thus challenged to fight is legally unable to out; crime is now an offense against the state, and the
respond, a chosen champion may defend the charge instead. state demands recompense. From this, it follows that
This custom has produced a class of professional champions, but punishments must not only revenge the wrong, but also
the man who makes his living in this way must be a reckless sort publicly demonstrate that justice has been served.
indeed; in many places, the shame of losing a trial by combat Accordingly, judges design their sentences with
is immediately followed by the further discomfort of a death spectacle in mind. Imprisonment is rare — although less
sentence. The profession thus attracts more than its share of so in England than on the Continent — except for those
felons and ne’er-do-wells. This is doubly unsurprising when one awaiting trial. (If one is poor, imprisonment can amount
considers the general lack of dignity of the proceedings: trials to a sentence of death by starvation, as most inmates must
by combat can take place with the participants mounted or pay for their own upkeep. However, charity provides some
on foot, using almost any weapon or combination of weapons funds for prison relief, and certain convicts are granted
imaginable, from lances and shields to clubs, rocks and teeth. the privilege of begging at the prison gate or about town.)
The actual rules vary greatly from place to place. Felonies, which include theft, rape, vagrancy and
The trial by ordeal is an even more direct appeal to murder, are capital crimes. Usually, this means hang-
Heavenly aid, since, in its most usual forms, few could hope ing, but if the judge deems it fit to inflict a greater or
to pass it without God’s intervention. The ordeal, like the longer agony, that can certainly be arranged as well.
trial by combat, is prefaced by oaths on holy relics and a The really creative methods, like quartering and boil-
special Mass for the participants. Next, the priest blesses ing, are generally reserved for treason. However, even
the implements of the ordeal, and only then can the trial a medieval hanging is hardly a picnic; the long swift
begin. There is an ordeal of boiling water, in which the drop designed to break the neck and thus make a quick
accused must thrust a hand or arm into a cauldron up to end won’t come about for centuries yet. Even after the
a specified depth, and an ordeal by fire, in which he must malefactor is dead, his body can continue to serve as an
walk over red-hot plowshares or carry a heated lump of object lesson. Generally, it hangs all day in the place
iron a certain distance. Following the ordeal, the wound of execution before being removed to the town gibbet
is bound up and sealed with a signet, and then examined and left for the carrion birds. Loved ones may, in several
again after a prescribed interval (three days is traditional). years’ time, be permitted to take down whatever’s left
If an open sore remains, the accused has failed the ordeal. and give it a decent burial.
Magical treatises prescribe various ointments for On the other hand, a court may be convinced to issue
fending off the heat of the ordeal. However, for those a lesser sentence, such as flogging, branding or mutilation,
disinclined to trust sorcery, a sufficient expenditure can particularly on the first offense. Mutilations often serve
often ensure either a false report of the wound’s state, or poetic justice by removing the body part responsible
a lower temperature for the water or iron. Then there are for the crime in question. (Unfortunately, it’s easy to
other forms of ordeal which are much easier to beat: the mistake a maimed innocent for such a convict, which
ordeal by cold water, in which the accused is bound hand is why many cripples prudently carry papers from their
and foot and lowered into the water, sinking being the liege lord affirming their good names.) Branding is less
necessary proof of innocence (hopefully, a rescue follows debilitating, but it suffices to mark the condemned for all
shortly thereafter); and the ordeal of swallowing a hunk time, unless he happens to know a sympathetic Tzimisce.
of consecrated bread or cheese (which only a Cainite Misdemeanors are expiated by any of a number of petty
need fear; indeed, a popular Lombard folktale recounts harassments, most commonly the stocks, the pillory or the
the misfortune of a “devil in man’s pleasing form” — ducking-stool. These artifacts of humiliation stand in places
that is to say, a Lasombra neonate — who was narrowly where they can enjoy the largest possible audience — in
prevented from marrying into the Visconti family by a the market, in front of the church or on the common green.
rival suitor who accused him of murder and challenged Finally, there’s outlawry, which will be covered in
him to submit to that very test. The Visconti, for the more depth in the next chapter. Outlawry condemns a
record, have dubbed this utter nonsense). man in absentia, after he’s fled his trial or his just sentence.
IN DARKENED STREETS

23
 Suspendatur
From the memoirs of Urraca Beguy-Urdina: keep you from strangling for the many hours you must hang.
…and it turned out that a Provençal judge is even gloomier And yet for love of you, I have found a way to save you.” Then
than an Andalusian qadi. I had recovered well enough from the insensible priest slit my neck open with his knife; the life
the loss of my hand some months before, but now I was drained out of me into the filthy straw; and finally, from a little
condemned to be hung at the end of a rope until the breath glass vial, I received the gift of Set which I had so long desired.
was choked out of me. I had to hide my head and shake my I lay there for a long time, burning with hunger
shoulders with false sobs so as to hide my amusement. I knew but far too weak to get up. Then at dawn I woke to the
that my undying master could save me from any injury. guards’ prodding and clucking. There were 200 people
I was sure that he would contrive to visit me that night gathered outside the prison, and how were they to get
in my cell, but only the fat confessor came. Having naught their sport now? In the end, they decided to hang an-
else to do, I told him of all my thieving and fornication and other prisoner who would have died the next day; me
thus whiled away several hours; yet within myself I trembled. they wrapped up in a winding-cloth and carried out.
Why had my lord abandoned me? Was he displeased with I could feel tiny lancets of sunlight pricking me
me for getting caught twice in so short a space? through the cracks in the shroud, overcast though the
But then the confessor spoke to me in turn, and the words morning was. I bit my lip to keep silent. I had to trust
were not his own, but my beloved master’s. “My daughter,” he in my master’s design and pray that he would find a way
said, “I cannot come to you, for the ruler of the Damned in this to get me to safety before the men unwrapped me again.
city has cleverly summoned me to pay court tonight so as to The soldiers were surprised, though I was not, when they
prevent me. The blood-strength you possess now will never heard savage shouts from the alleyway alongside us…

Anyone with a mind to may kill an outlaw and collect Most sentences, even hanging, can be bought off
the price set on his head (The base bounty on an outlaw for a fine; and even if a court refuses to be persuaded of
in England is, symbolically, the same as that given for the earthly benefits of forgiveness, the monarch may be
slaying a wolf). An outlaw, like a heretic, forfeits all legal far wiser. All too often, the pitiful corpses at the gibbet
rights, especially the right to property. are condemned for a failure of the purse, not of the soul.

ASHEN THIEF

24
Justice in the East aldermen, etc.) maintain courts of law. Trial by ordeal
Byzantine law, like that of Western Europe, is based on and combat are highly regarded, although Westerners,
the old Roman codes. There is also a distinction between who are used to carrying hot irons and boiling their
religious and secular courts. In Byzantine cities, the eparch hands, might well regard the Russian ordeal of kissing the
(prefect) oversees trade and guild matters, which includes cross as a travesty of justice. In Novgorod at least, and
judging trials having to do with trade regulations; the no doubt in other Russian cities along the caravan trade
symponos (assessor), his assistant, is charged with keep- route, German merchants are granted special protections
ing order and maintains the troops for this purpose; the under the law, and trials for their offenses are conducted
logothete assists the eparch in administering the courts of differently than trials of the citizenry.

A Catalogue of
law. (In rural areas, things are considerably less organized,
although there is a body of men who serve informally
as the police.) As in the West, imprisonment is a fairly
uncommon punishment compared to floggings and mu-
tilations, largely because of the belief that imprisonment
unfairly punishes the offender’s dependents. For similar
Divers Rogues
Scholarly tradition divides society into the three
reasons, fines are likewise uncommon (unlike in the West). eternal estates of warrior, priest and peasant. Merchants
Slavic law, in general, owes much of its form to the Byz- and artisans are, to their betters, simply a new and more
antines. However, Russian law regards physical punishment presumptuous species of peasant; but one only has to
with unique distaste. Even for murderers, fines and penances look at the many cities already bursting out of their first
are a more common sentence than loss of life or limb. Ecclesi- walls — not to mention the swelling traffic along the
astical lords as well as secular princes and city officials (dukes, trade routes reopened by the Crusades — to know that
the bourgeoisie have become a force to be reckoned with.

Cainites and Secular Law

Mortal secular law and traditional Cainite law major problems. Proceedings occur during the day,
have much in common. The prince is the ultimate and any exposure of monstrosity will likely lead to
legal authority just as the mortal monarch is. Codes a quick trip to the stake. Because of this, princes
of law and traditions have weight, but ultimately it is usually manipulate events to deal with troublesome
the elder’s personal power and privilege that wins the Cainites themselves.
day (or the night, as the case may be). Both systems Those who do end up in a secular trial (and
also rely heavily on ordeals and combats and believe somehow manage to have it occur at night) face
in brutally final justice. Cainite courts routinely use fewer problems than in a Church trial. For one thing,
trial by combat and ordeals of fire and sunlight. the dangers of faith are rarely a problem. Those with
Disciplines like Dominate can usually influence the
Even in Cainite principalities where Roman or canon presiding lord to find in their favor, but even those
law has had an influence, the harsher forms of justice remain without can usually get through a trial. Mortal trials
in play. Indeed, inquest, exile and excommunication are by combat are rarely a problem unless the vampire is
only useful when one is dealing with a “civilized” criminal. truly unskilled or blood-starved; even a lowly neonate
A savage Gangrel or a underhanded Serpent can’t be trusted can make short work of an equally armed kine. Trial
in such circumstances. Or so the princes claim. by ordeal is also far easier when backed by Cainite
The English institution of the tithing also has echoes blood, with the notable exception of trial by fire.
in many Cainite principalities. The longstanding Tradition Even if found guilty, secular punishment need
of Accounting makes a sire responsible for his childer until not be the end for the vampire. Hanging is hardly
their release; this has been expanded among English and a problem at all — blood will heal a stretched neck
other Cainite principalities that a sire remains responsible and ceasing to breathe is quite easy. Mutilation,
for his childer facing justice. Although the childe is still drawing and quartering, and other more traumatic
accountable for his own actions after release — it is he, punishments can be fatal even to vampires, but not
not his sire, who faces retribution for his crimes — his necessarily so.
sire must ensure that he appears before the prince to face Ironically it is not the intensity, but the duration
justice and accepts the punishment imposed. In some of the punishment that is most problematic. The
places, those vampires who form coteries become a form Cainite vulnerability to sunlight means that even a
short stint in a pillory or having one’s hanged “body”
of tithing, responsible for each other’s actions. exposed for days and weeks on end is a sentence
Vampires and Kine Justice of Final Death. In these cases, the vampire either
Vampires can face mortal secular justice just arranges to be spared the exposure or escapes before
as they can ecclesiastical, and they face the same it is too late.

IN DARKENED STREETS

25
Those Who Fight an impostor feel the prick of guilt at his crimes, he can
comfort himself that even bishops occasionally forge the
It’s really the most pressing question of a military papal seal in order to expedite a transaction. Pardoners
man’s existence: What to do in between wars? Some are also have the right to preach; many have been known to
rich enough to amuse themselves with the sort of enter- station themselves in front of churches and shout their
tainment nobles prefer. However, it takes many men to sermons so loudly as to drown out the service going on
fight a campaign, and not all of those trained to fight inside, thus diverting the alms that would normally go
enjoy the privileges of knighthood and land; furthermore, to the poor-box into their pockets.
even a rich man can succumb to the lure of shining gold A fair number of clerics never really intended to give
languishing in the purses of the weak. For the most part, Mother Church their sacred devotion — or even their
larcenous soldiers fall into brigandage, which takes them honest labor — in the first place. Instead, they see their
outside the scope of this chapter (although brigands do vows mainly as cover for a criminal career. Such people
frequently go into the towns to spend their loot, or even usually take minor orders, the minimum commitment
to raid the market on market-days). For those who do needed to secure benefit of clergy. (Minor orders confer
become city-dwellers, employment can often be found one of four titles: acolyte, exorcist, lector or doorkeeper.
with a noble, politician or merchant who has enemies However, the percentage of clerks who actually perform
to get rid of and no more Christian means for doing so. those duties is embarrassingly low. It’s seen mainly as a
Alternatively, they may go to work for the government; pledge of intent to enter the priesthood.) These minor
the best graft is naturally reserved for high officials (whose clerks, like priests, can be stripped of their status, but a
posts are effectively a grant of legal immunity from them- ceremony is required to do so, and frankly, most of them
selves, their relatives and their richer friends), but even aren’t worth the bother so long as they confine their
a humble sergeant of the watch may be able to extract a mischief to the secular world.
little silver here and there from ne’er-do-wells who wish
Then there are others who didn’t actively set out to
to purchase his inattention.
fall from grace, but found their way down easily enough.
Those Who Pray Students who belatedly realize their distaste for the
trivium; other students who like the trivium well enough
The medieval Church could be described, by the ungodly but reach the bottom of their fathers’ purses by the end
of course, as a very efficient machine for converting piety of the first year; students who’ve finished their degrees
into currency. Collected tithes must filter their way upward but can’t find two benefices to rub together; runaway
through a steep bureaucratic pyramid, and the book-keeping and expelled monks and nuns; mendicant preachers
is sufficiently obtuse to hide any number of sins — especially trying to live on meager alms — all these folk swell the
since said books are kept in Roman numerals. Simony, a ranks of unruly clergy. To their credit, however, they’ve
grave yet popular offense against canon law, includes such also produced a class of wandering poets called goliards,
diverse crimes as selling relics, blessed oils, rosaries and holy whose exquisite verse almost manages to elevate its usual
water; charging for the performance of the sacraments; and subjects of dicing, sex and drink.
trafficking in benefices. However, since “charging a fee” looks
remarkably like “accepting alms” to the careless observer,
most simony can and does go unpunished.
Those Who Work
Added to this are frequent opportunities to mismanage (If They Must)
the large bequests that govern hospitals (which serve as free Considering the example set by the more privileged
shelters for paupers and travelers, as well as the infirm) and classes, it’s not all that surprising that some laborers and
lazar-houses; prelates repeatedly condemn the many reports tradesmen decide they, too, are entitled to whatever their
of clerics renting out the rooms and beds for personal profit, cleverness can earn them.
or even of harboring criminals, harlots and Jews. All these
practices, though perhaps not as widespread as heretical Vagrancy
rabble-rousers like to claim, are common enough that most Most citizens manage to get along well enough on the
folk simply take them for granted. revenues from a legitimate trade (or several legitimate trades).
Should one’s cupidity need further accommodation, But wars, plagues, famines and other vagaries periodically
one can always take up a more actively sinful sideline. dampen a town’s economy, putting large numbers of people
Simony can be compounded with out-and-out deceit by out of work, and when one town suffers, its refugees scatter
doctoring up fake relics, or simply bottling and selling more into others. Nor are refugees the only people on the run in
oil than one could ever have time to consecrate. Then there Dark Medieval society. Runaway serfs and apprentices also
are those evildoers who pass themselves off as one of the seek cover in the tangle of foreign streets, lest they be caught
Pope’s pardoners (quaestores), offering remission for this and prosecuted by their former masters.
or that sin for as little as a halfpenny apiece. After all, Such folk can often find no other means of living but
how many fishmongers and wheelwrights know what begging, yet society frowns on begging by the able-bodied.
a real indulgence from Rome looks like? Should such As a result, many have turned to fraud of one sort or another.
ASHEN THIEF

26
Sores or amputations can be faked by cooking up colored
unguents and draping the clothes to hide bound-up limbs; Cainites and Vagrancy
darker rumors circulate of men and women deliberately Vagrancy is a blessing to those Cainites who feed at
maiming themselves or their children. Alternatively, one can the bottom of the medieval social order and those who
sew a badge onto one’s cloak and pose as a wanderer on holy wish to move about unseen. Nosferatu are infamous for
pilgrimage, or a foreign merchant who’s just been robbed or feeding on beggars, lepers and the infirm, but many other
even an escaped Christian slave of the infidels, desperately young childer do so as well. In times of famine or economic
in need of funds for ransoming fellow slaves. In an age where downturn, when refugees move across Europe, enterprising
charity given on Earth is directly deposited to one’s Heavenly Ravnos and Setites can much more easily sneak through
account, a fine career can be made on public pity. principalities that have banned their kind.
False-Seeming For those who rule the night from on high — the
Magister, Patrician and Artisan princes — vagrancy
For those too good to beg, other forms of deception
is a pox for the same reasons. Crowds of human refuse
may permit a more dignified lifestyle. Some outwardly
can hide enemies and undesirables, and they create
respectable merchants clip a little off the edge of the coins
needless disorder among the principality’s sedentary
they’re paid in, then melt down the collected shavings
herd. Few Cainites princes can eliminate vagrancy
into ingots — or, should they feel ready to dare a charge
itself, so the most successful tactic is to find allies who
of treason, they might alloy it with a cheaper metal and
can move about the wretches. Several upstanding
use the alloy to counterfeit coins. (If they do, they’re in
Ventrue princes employ Nosferatu scourges who seek
good company. The officials who mint the royal coinage
out unwelcome visitors among refugees and beggars.
are frequently accused of the same crime; indeed, Henry I
became so convinced of widespread corruption among his
moneyers that in 1134 he gave orders for each of them to the appropriate court hand, he must affix a convincing
be deprived of right hand and testicles.) For this reason, seal to the document as well. Many simply purchase a
visitors to a city should expect their coin to be bitten, legitimate writ from a crooked official and transfer the
bent and rung on the counter to within an inch of its life. seal from the old parchment to the new. Others steal
Other tradesmen skim off the other end of the transaction or manufacture a stamp, but this, like counterfeiting,
by adulterating their scale-weights; millers are especially is usually considered a treasonable activity — and one
notorious for this offense. who stands accused of treason may not claim the benefit
If a man knows how to read and write, he can forge of clergy normally granted to the literate.
official documents — credentials, writs of novel disseisin, The illiterate, meanwhile, can content themselves
etc. — and thereby defraud others of money or land. Nor with actually impersonating an official, or even a servant
is this talent useful only among mortals. However, in of an official. Mortal governments operate on influ-
order to succeed in his task, a forger must not only copy ence-peddling, just like Cainite principalities; those who
work for a bishop, a rich abbess or a provost can make
Misericordie a fortune simply by promising to whisper a few words
To Her Most Generous Worthiness, Heloise in their employers’ ears. A suitable wardrobe, a bulging
of Paris, from your sister in suffering, Genevieve of purse and a bit of patter often suffice to convince the
London, heartfelt greetings. gullible that they’re dealing with someone important.
This poor humble Jew who comes to you, Hétouyn de Other breeds of impostor include the quack doctor,
Sessane (you may readily identify him by the scar in the who can quote just enough Galen to ape a university
shape of an upsilon which mounts his left cheek), is education (and, given the state of Western medicine,
the man I mentioned when we met on St. Aquinas’ may have a success rate depressingly similar to that of
Feast, and whom you urgently wished to see. He has his bona fide colleagues). The quack sorcerer, too, can
begged outside the synagogue at Troyes for the past prescribe cures for various ailments; or, showing off
15 years and heard much of the conversation within his alchemist’s apparatus and cabalistic seals, he might
and without. No doubt he can shed considerable persuade a young wife or freshman student to give him
light upon the doings of your rival Mosse. My Brujah gold and jewelry, which he promises by enchantment
colleague was loath to part with such an informative to double or triple in quantity. Needless to say, he then
companion, especially one who can spy for him in absconds with the treasure or else returns with a heap
the Jewish quarter; but I pressed your petition until of cut glass and brass. Far less effort is required for a
he gave in. I now commend this man to your care, man to make his living cheating with loaded dice or
hoping that you will remember kindly your Ragged misrepresenting his skill at draughts, ringing-the-bull
Jenny and all her small services to you. or some other tavern game.
By my hand at London, Quasimodo Sunday, Finally, there are those who use deception to lure a mark
Year of Our Lord 1197.
into parting with bodily caution as well as money. In Laôn,
IN DARKENED STREETS

27
for example, according to Guibert of Nogent, the townsfolk may sport descriptive names for the tourists’ benefit: Gro-
like to pose as grain merchants, carrying around cups of pecuntlane in London and the Rue Pousse-Penil (Pushprick
corn or barley, which they show to interested shoppers Alley) in Blois are but two examples. Such districts are
as proof of their wares’ quality. They then make a deal often, but not always, located just outside the city walls.
for a larger purchase, but naturally the canny buyer will Public baths — called “stew-houses” in England
demand to see the rest of the grain before money changes — serve double duty as whorehouses. Many inns and
hands. He is duly led to a tall grain bin and invited to taverns also operate more or less openly in this capacity.
look down inside; while thus occupied, the “merchant” Some houses, however, exist solely as brothels, and city
pushes him off-balance so that he falls into the bin. From governments, universities and churchmen do not blush
there, his only way of escaping is to pay whatever price to be their official landlords. In fact, investing in a fine
his captor demands. brothel is rightly seen as an excellent way to raise funds
for worthier endeavors.
Harlotry Regulations for the tolerated houses and harlots vary
Few would dare claim that prostitution is anything but a from area to area. The Italian states are the most severe
vile sin. Of course it is — it combines lust with greed. However, in their requirements, and thus have the most trouble
even venerable theologians agree with St. Augustine that enforcing them; the rest of Western Europe contents itself
if it were not for the harlot, men’s dammed-up lusts would with laws meant to ensure that business is conducted in
burst loose and destroy the public order. Although she damns a relatively orderly and taxable fashion.
herself in the process, she ultimately benefits society. Thus,
prostitution is legal throughout Western Europe. It should go without saying, but doesn’t: Priests may
not frequent prostitutes. Jews are usually forbidden as well.
Men of gentle birth keep their own private harems, sized Of course, regulations do no good if they’re unenforceable;
and assembled to suit personal taste. (In 1170, the Abbot of San thus, licensed prostitutes may be required to wear some
Pelayo reportedly had 70 girls so employed.) Most others seek sort of identifying badge, such as a special ribbon or cloak.
their adventure in the districts specially set aside for it, which
Plainly, prostitution isn’t the moneymaker for criminals
that it will become in future nights — how can it be, when
Cainites and False-Seeming the ruling class openly and jealously profits from it? How-
By dint of the Sixth Tradition — the Silence ever, outside the recognized bawdy houses, one can find a
of Blood — and the mere fact that passing amongst huge number of unsanctioned operators. Some brothels try
humans is easier as one of them, most Cainites are to divert official notice, lest they be forced to observe all
skilled at some form of disguise and false-seeming. the tiresome rules and taxes or, as is more likely, pay for the
(Disciplines like Obfuscate and Vicissitude bring selective enforcement of the same. This is especially true for
this practice to a whole new level.) Vampires (as those houses that cater to clients with unusually sinful tastes.
previously noted) are also better able than many Then there are all the unlicensed (and frequently larcenous)
humans to arrive in a new area and rapidly establish streetwalkers and courtesans, some full-time, some part-time,
a new identity, if only by the powers of their blood. who for whatever reason don’t wish to declare as prostitutes,
False-seeming within Cainite circles is a more and their procurers and procuresses, who actually attract more
serious matter. Because the “mark” may well have scorn from the courts than the girls themselves.
Auspex, fraud through simple Disciplines is far from The foregoing has only mentioned the prostitution of
reliable. Most princes put a great deal of importance women, but certainly no slight is intended to the thousands
on lineage (both in terms of clan, and also specific of catamites similarly employed throughout Europe. (Career
sires and grandsires), which creates an incentive for prostitutes who cater to female customers are unheard of,
some to misrepresent themselves — and for the prince although ladies of wealth and influence certainly have little
to punish such a crime most severely. In many courts, trouble attracting companionship whenever they wish.)
false-seeming leads to blood hunts. Although secular authorities prescribe the death penalty
Followers of Set and Ravnos are masters of for homosexuality — whether professional or amateur —
false-seeming, if only because many courts ban their kind and Church penitentials list harsh penances for sodomy,
outright. They are not the only vampires to hide their relatively few cases are ever brought to trial. Indeed, sodomy
true selves, however. In Hungary, Tzimisce voivodes, (and the less examined, but still definitely wicked, Sapphic
Ventrue princes and Tremere regents alike have vice) flourishes as never before in a number of settings, in-
royally fêted a certain well-spoken Ventrue, appar- cluding monasteries, convents and royal courts — at least,
ently a defrocked priest, who claimed to have been if the moralists are to be believed.
sent by their enemies to negotiate a truce and bore
what looked like genuine letters of credence. Of Thievery
course, they all learned months after his departure Thievery is practiced in much the same forms that it has
that none of their goodwill gifts or urgent messages been for centuries. Pockets per se don’t yet exist, but purses and
reached their destinations. cutpurses certainly do. Moreover, valuables are carried in

ASHEN THIEF

28
 padlocks for mobile security. Keys are generally worn
Osculum Infame on someone’s belt all day, whether that of the lady of
FromThe Trial of Rixenda de Luzia, Concubine to the Devil, the house or of the seneschal. The locking mechanisms
1242 (Bib. et Tab. de S. Leopold, 65C-2802 AD 1242): themselves, however, are far cruder than they will be
Then he took her to the question again and said, You in the coming centuries, so much so that locksmiths
have told me that during your immoral congress with the frequently resort to hidden keyholes as an additional
men of the city, you frequently drink of their blood, and protective measure.
this is what secures your eternal youth? And she said, Yes, Heavy bars secure the outer (typically double) doors
sir, that is so. And he asked, How is it that they do not of a good house. Inner doors usually have a latch only, but
die? And she said, sir, the pain is sharp but the wound the latchstring which hangs on the outside, permitting
I make is small; behold the teeth the Devil gave me for someone to work it from the other side, is drawn back in-
the purpose. And he said, Methinks they would still seek side whenever the family retires or simply wishes privacy.
to find the source of that pricking. And she answered, Even those too poor for a proper latch can secure their
They are lost in the supernal joy of my caresses, and they doors with knotted rope. Windows are shuttered on at
notice it not, nor do they see how I divest them of their least the lower floors. Since shop fronts are not boarded
jewelry. And he said, No doubt you were a whore even up at night, merchants generally take everything they can
before you went to the Devil, and she answered, Sir, it is upstairs to be locked up. Finally, and most importantly,
true; but even if I had been a nun, I should have turned houses are rarely completely empty. In this era, gangs of
to this trade upon gaining my immortality, for no one
questions why a harlot should be about after curfew, and
my prey come to me eagerly, which they would not if I Cainites and Thievery
made my true nature known…. Cainites have all the mortal motivations for
thievery and housebreaking, and a few supernatural
ones. Some enter homes to feed, others to use various
the ends of knotted sleeves or in the skirts of the undertunic blood arts to enslave or torment the (often sleeping)
(called the chainse); although these are harder to get at by kine within. Madmen may twist the dreams of their
sleight-of-hand, brute force can accomplish the feat nicely. victims, while Patricians slowly create slaves of burghers
Housebreaking is a trickier endeavor. Locks on doors and wealthy merchants. But three nights of forceful
are a privilege for the well-to-do, but many people have blood feeding can create a convenient thrall as well.
locking chests for their valuables, and some even carry Armed with the right Disciplines, a vampire makes
an excellent snatch-thief. Obfuscate and Chimerstry are
Cainites and Harlotry supremely well-tailored for this purpose, but the strength
Brothels and stew-houses are among the best of of Potence and speed of Celerity can help divest almost
all urban feeding grounds for the childer of Caine. An anyone of whatever they may be carrying. Housebreaking
assortment of men visit and are supremely distracted — is a little more complex. Certainly certain applications of
ending a visit somewhat weak and pale hardly causes Protean and Obtenebration can make entering a house
any concern at all in a satisfied customer. The type of simple, but few vampires have access to such arts — and
whorehouse a vampire frequents or oversees depends on fewer still who would lower themselves to thievery in
his or her taste for blood and herd — some lounge in the a city. It is most common for Cainite housebreakers
harems of the upper crust, others rut in the stew-houses to simply use their superior strength and endurance to
(legal and otherwise) of the lower class. climb up to less well-locked windows or to use stealth
These feeding grounds are so desirable that they to sneak past any guards. A band of Cainite thieves can
can be the site of dangerous territorial struggles. Imagine also bring to bear a variety of skills.
the case of a Cainite who runs a brothel and feeds on the For the most part, stealing from mortals and breaking
customers, and another who uses the brothel and feeds into their homes — as long as it doesn’t interfere with
on the girls; a better recipe for disaster is hard to come by. an elder’s games or cause undue panic — is allowable as
In many of the larger cities of Europe, the prince (or his far as the prince concerned; violating a vampire’s haven
representative) has had to lay down the law to keep the is another matter entirely. To break into a labyrinth or
peace. In some places all the major brothels are designated haven is a clear violation of the Tradition of Domain
Elysium and open to all who remain in the prince’s good and punishable by blood hunt in most areas. That is not
graces. In other areas, each brothel is recognized as the to say that such violations do not occur, only that they
domain of a particular Cainite — others may use it only are dangerous indeed. The Assamites’ reported ability
at her pleasure. Those who would violate such a ban have to get into havens regardless of any defenses is one of
to face the brothel’s ruler (and the many harlot ghouls the main reasons the “Saracen threat” causes terror in
she has on hand) and ultimately the wrath of the prince. many European principalities.

IN DARKENED STREETS

29
thieves tend to be fairly small and independent, although Heretics, too, cherish the vision of a utopia where the
they may certainly have dealings with any number of god Mammon is overturned and impious rulers receive
people, from fences to court summoners. their just due; a clever orator can win himself an instant
army by appealing to it.
Murder
Murder for hire is another ancient enterprise. Men
of rank can usually find a way to justify any killing they Princes of Thieves:
may perform or order, and thus tend to use the forces
already at their disposal to do so, i.e., their troops and An Evening Among
the Prometheans
bodyguards. However, as any Lasombra could tell you,
there are times when it simply won’t do to have the blood
traced back to one’s own doorstep — for example, when Oh, do hurry up. Yes, yes, it’s a lovely piece. Belonged
one is plotting against one’s own liege lord; and even to the Emperor Justinian. Many men have died for the
commoners occasionally go to the expense of hiring a privilege of holding it, gloating over it, listing it in their
thug to satisfy some injury for them. As with thieves, how- account books, imagining briefly that it was theirs. How
ever, no large-scale order of professional assassins exists fleeting fortune, eh? If we didn’t have real business to
in the West. Would-be employers must take whomever attend to tonight, I’d let your Toreador senses revel in
they can find among the professional champions, tavern it for as long as they pleased. Come along now, or must
rowdies and so forth — the men collectively known as I blindfold you again?
ribauz (good-for-nothings) in France.
Here we are. Remember this knock. Twice in the
Sometimes bloodshed on a larger scale is required. In middle of the door, wait a moment, then three times
the cities, one can bring this about by riling up the nascent on the frame.
craft-guilds, who rarely hesitate to defend their hard-won
Peter, good evening. This is Peter the Lombard of Clan
privileges — or better yet, the masses of unprivileged workers
Ventrue, my companion in arms. Mademoiselle Urraca Be-
(apprentices and journeymen, members of unrepresented
guy-Urdina belongs to the snake-clan — ah, excuse me, my
trades, and other menials), whose hatred of merchants and dear — the Egyptians, yes. Don’t trouble yourself over her;
clerics is all too easily ignited. (literally — setting build- even a serpent may be charmed by the right tune, isn’t that so,
ings ablaze is a time-honored method of voicing public mademoiselle? Our two Johns: John of St. Albans, your clan
displeasure, and considering how rapidly fires spread in brother, and John ó Conlae of the Brujah. I’m afraid Monsieur
the wooden bramble of a medieval city, Cainites have Berengar cannot doff his enchanted hood to you, not until we
every right to quake at the prospect of mob violence.) know how far we can trust you. His masters in Ceoris would
be most displeased to learn of his secret allegiance. Nor will
Cainites and Murder you be seeing the true face of our Ragged Jenny, but for that
you’re undoubtedly grateful. We are lucky to have Madame
Predators and parasites, Cainites are some of the Divya here to report on our progress in the eastern reaches.
greatest murderers of Dark Medieval Europe. While Have you ever heard of the Ravnos clan? Well, now you have.
many vampires feed carefully, leaving their prey weak
but alive, not everyone is so discriminating. Accidents Sit down. Please understand that we don’t usually
invite outsiders to these meetings. It’s only because I’ve
do happen as well and the Beast can be strong. Because
told them we would benefit greatly from your joining…
of this, most Cainites are quite skilled at disposing and because I know that a man with your penchant for
of bodies, usually stripping them of clothes, defacing honor would never betray one to whom he owed his life.
them and dropping them in poor areas of the city
or at the bottom of some marsh. Yes, you do indeed owe me your life… or your exis-
tence, I should say. I’ll elaborate, but first, listen and learn.
Cainites can and do make a living as hired killers.
Murder provides an excellent venue for feeding, and a
Cainite can gain a great deal of influence by remem- Magni Nominis Umbra
bering who has hired him to kill whom. Successful We call ourselves Prometheans. Truth be told, you’ve
murderers often form bands, sending ghouls out to do actually deduced quite a lot about us already. As Cainites
the actual killing while they reap the rewards. and Cainite brotherhoods go, we are quite young. The
name lends a certain aura of antique sophistication, but
Murder of fellow vampires is obviously much you mustn’t think we’re pretending to be something we’re
more serious as it violates the Tradition of Destruc- not. We borrowed the name purely for its allegory. As
tion. Those who can kill and get away with it are Prometheus stole fire from the gods and brought it to
supremely skilled and stealthy. They can become Man, so we will bring the flame of a new society.
quite powerful because the service they provide
Similarly, we borrow the legend of Carthage. As a duti-
is invaluable to an ambitious elder who wishes to
ful son, you’ve no doubt heard all the familiar bogey-stories
eliminate rivals without going to war.
Toreador and Ventrue grandsires like to tell about the place.
ASHEN THIEF

30
Well, frankly, I find them irrelevant. Perhaps it was an us lean and tough. Can you afford to disdain it? Do you not
eighth wonder of the world, a vision of harmony; perhaps appreciate the poetry of dispossessed Cainites ruling dispossessed
it was a monument to hubris, built upon the corpses of mortals, and conquering through their combined might?
human children. Does it really matter? Nothing remains But enough of rhetoric. You will get a better idea
of Carthage now but magni nominis umbra — the shadow from listening to the particulars — Peter, perhaps you’d
of a great name. That dream is what we quest after, since like to speak of your endeavors?
the historical truth is now lost to us.
Please. Sit, sir. You misunderstand. At present, we
don’t betray the ancient injunction of Silence — any
Exploits and Exploiters
more than anyone else does, anyway. We choose a trusted Ventrue and Lasombra
few to receive our blood and be bound into our service. My endeavors, eh? Perhaps I owe a word of explanation
The time for a wider revelation will come. to our guest first. You started a bit when you saw me, sir. Don’t
Why, the time when our ends have been achieved, tell me you’ve never seen a man come back from the dead?
that’s what. Think for a moment. Think of those you Yes, I arranged it all. The fire, everything. I was well
serve. What have they wrought with the power granted out of there by the time the blaze flared up, I assure you. My
to them? Have they shepherded the mortals as they sire has always accused me of impatience. I suppose it got
should? Have they guided you and your siblings to the the better of me at last. But consider this: would you care
heights worthy of your immortality, or have they set to wait a century and a half to be trusted and enfeoffed,
you one against the other, laughing up their sleeves as treated as a cherished vassal rather than a slave?
you fight for whatever little scraps of sustenance their That is true, sir: Ventrue don’t normally care to deal
greed leaves you? with human rabble. They aim their intrigues directly at the
Well, that can change, my friend. The mere fact that we throne. Why settle for anything less than your true desire?
flourish right under their noses — not only here, but in towns It is a testament to my sire’s might and tenacity that no
great and small throughout Christendom — should prove to rival has ever broken his hold on the dukes. Obviously,
you that your elders neither know all nor control all. There are I had no hope of opposing him with the resources then
many feasts laid for us, if we only have the patience to look for
at my disposal — the resources he allowed me to possess.
them. The fare’s less hearty, perhaps, but all the better to keep

IN DARKENED STREETS

31
 more; by the time I’m finished, they can cause a knight to be
Who Are the thrown from his horse, defend themselves against his lance,
sword and mace, and even hold a formation under cavalry
Prometheans? charge. I am assisted in this by my serjanz, good men all,
fighting men who’ve fallen on hard times.
All right, in plain English now: The Prometheans
are a loose band of Cainite visionaries and revolu- Of course few of them realize what they’re really being
tionaries that has cropped up in the cities of the Dark trained for. They know only that our little guild cares for
Medieval world. They believe in a semi-utopian “New their welfare. But the same skills that allow them to dispatch
Carthage,” a new covenant between Cainite and kine a bailiff or knight of the watch will also prepare them to
that (they believe) would be mutually beneficial. fight as true soldiers when the inevitable night arrives.
Their dreams of the future are not terribly well-de- And for the nonce, they serve a more immediate purpose.
veloped, but they stand in contrast to the established I require every man who trains under me to serve once a
system of prince and lackey, of the Silence of Blood week in our own version of the city watch. Should they
and of the power of the clans. hear the hue-and-cry raised in their area, they are to rescue
The Firebringers (as they are sometimes called) the miscreant and bring him to us; in their relief at finding
have managed to grow by operating among the messy that their necks have slipped the noose, many men — and
fringes of urban society. Most of the powerful princes a few ladies as well — have agreed to join us on the spot.
whom they despise use the power of feudal lords or the While I have the floor, I should proceed to my report,
Church as a front, so by feeding from and manipulating my true task for the evening. If our dear guest will suffer
harlots and thieves the Prometheans have thus far me to do so? Thank you.
avoided a great deal of notice. They have also been My brothers and sisters, I’ve studied the letters of our
quite cautious, preparing the way for a revolt of sorts missionaries, and journeyed to over a dozen towns to speak
but not yet going through with it. with various prospects, and I must tell you that I despair
The Prometheans are present in most of the of recruiting many more of my blood. Although enough
significant European cities, including Paris, London, of them chafe as I did under the burdens of their elders,
Venice and Milan. They do not control the criminal they’re too proud yet to pursue glory by such “indirect
world in these places, but have influence and contacts and ignoble” means as we propose.
within it. In some places they are the predominant Peace, friends; the words are theirs, not mine, and
vampiric influence over one or more types of mortal of course it’s pure hypocrisy. Do my Ventrue colleagues
miscreants, in other areas they are in active competition disdain to attach themselves to corrupt royal ministers
with various other Cainites. Local Prometheans are and crooked sheriffs, to have the tax collectors assess
responsible for ensuring their own influence. the people for outrageous amounts, and then bury their
Rumors and Suppositions thievery in a mountain of parchment? Do they mind
Anyone talking about New Carthage is going to being landlords for whores, or purchasing benefices from
attract attention from the Brujah. There are those Zealots simoniacal priests? No. They profit from evil as much as
who look on what should just be another band of Furores we do, and with no higher purpose in mind than lining
and see the workings of their brethren. Rumors run wild their own purses; but so long as their foul proxies are at
that one elder Brujah or another created the Prometheans least well-born, they’re perfectly satisfied. The tragedy
as a way to advance his or her utopian ideal. of it is they make more from these gentlemen’s crimes
Such rumors bubble up inside the movement as in one month than Jenny’s thieves and beggars could
well. Although a council of various Firebringers sup- produce in a year!
posedly directs the movement, many members wonder And if the Ventrue fancy it a debasement to become
if an elder isn’t pulling the strings from some hidden Prometheans, you can well imagine what the Lasombra
labyrinth, as such ancient creatures are wont to do. say; their vanity forbids them to traffic overmuch with
For the time being the truth remains a mystery. Cainites of lesser blood, to say nothing of mortal com-
moners. Most of the shadow-mongers I tried to approach
What was it to me to rule a barony or county under him, wouldn’t even hear me out.
when I knew he’d never let me rule as I saw fit? Even so, Saint Jude be praised, I can boast a modest
My new charge is much more to my liking. Anthony success — particularly with those trod under Dame
studies the old legends and moderates the dialogues by Fortune’s heel. There is a Lasombra, who once served
which we arrive at our philosophy. He talks about how these as vizier for an Andalusian prince but then fell out of
miserable creatures, these thieves, murderers and vagabonds, favor. He longs for revenge against his former liege, and
may be shaped into men and made to serve a higher cause. I, would bargain with the Devil himself to obtain that end.
however, put theory into practice. When they come to me, Then in Lombardy I met a pair of Ventrue brothers who
they know how to cut the throat of a fat merchant and little have had the blood hunt called on them for revealing
ASHEN THIEF

32
themselves to their mortal family. There are a few others, part of the price of his initiation, he provided me with a
all in need, all deprived forever of the clan honor which half-dozen letters, correspondence between the bishop
might otherwise prevent them from joining us. and a papal legate, which these lads had copied on the
Yes, I realize that desperation alone is not sufficient sly for him; by comparing them with other intelligence
to recommend these men to our cause. They must accept in my possession, I believe I have uncovered another of
the idea that a ruler serves the interests of his people, not my grandsire’s wicked plots. But I’ll save that account
vice versa; or else they’ll turn and crush their mortal tools for later in the evening.
as soon as they have what they want, and there goes our Sacrilege, say you? Well, if Holy Mother Church truly
new Carthage. I further concede that such a notion comes were Christ’s vicar on earth still, I might agree. But even if you
hard to these noble Cainites. But they are eager to prove have not been to the Papal States yourself, you surely know
themselves to us… I say we give them the chance. Be- that they are a den of Lasombra cozenage. Have you ever kissed
sides, I prodded them as subtly as I could before revealing the ring of the Archbishop of Canterbury? Would you do it
my true intentions, and their thoughts on the subject of again, if I told you his household has more blood-slaves in it
justice showed that they already knew the essential truth. than untainted men? Then don’t speak to me of sacrilege. My
Ah, and what is the essential truth, our guest wants to grandsire battens on the corruption of king and prelate; I shall
know? Why, I thought it had become plain by now, dear sir. profit from the sins of humbler men, and use those profits to
Both a king and a street thief get into your purse whether liberate them. It may not look like it, but this is God’s work.
you like it or no; the only difference between them is that Pardon me, sir, I must return to my catalog of recruits.
society abets one and condemns the other. Should the At Anthony’s fervent pleading, I have finally begun to
whim of society change, a street thief may become a king search among the laymen of my clan, and am pleased to
and vice versa. This is not idle speculation, but historical report that a young Minnesinger has joined us. That may
fact. Trace any great lineage back far enough and you will not sound like much of an accomplishment, until you
find the unscrupulous commoner who started it all. consider that by virtue of his melting voice, he is welcomed
And now, my brothers and sisters, you have the pith in courts all over the Holy Roman Empire. Such men
of my report. Since the summer nights are short, I will are rarely slow with news. Moreover, he promises that
observe the virtue of brevity and give the floor to our he will cultivate any kindred spirits he may run across.
librarian of St. Albans. After all, society treats a poor goliard or vagante singer
little better than a thief, and what inflames the hearts
Toreador of the downtrodden better than a bit of satiric verse?
Assistant librarian, now. Would that I could continue Our most promising acquisition, however, dwells in
to enjoy my former honors, but as they say, man proposes Rouen. He is the ruler of a group of mendicant preachers,
and God disposes; I have not shown my face openly in too dirty and heretical to interest anyone else. With
the cloister for many years. Dominus vobiscum, my son. regular infusions of his vitae and a little training, these
As you all know, the Church harbors a number of men have learned to move sinning souls so deeply that
Toreador. Unfortunately, despite their lofty talk of charity even a crowd of stonecutters will weep and give up their
toward the mortals, most of them are too well-fed and hard-earned wages. He told me that if he wished it, his
luxurious to wish a place among us. They prefer to take brothers could whip the people into such a fury that the
their little slice from the top, ensconcing themselves in a city would topple in a day. I have urged him to be careful;
rich abbey or cultivating a bishop’s chamberlain. And yet after all, the same city burned Eudes de L’Etoile a mere
exceptions abound. In the great archbishoprics, our elders lifetime ago, and he wasn’t nearly as radical. Still, when
have spawned large broods to help them administrate the time comes, would it not be helpful to have an order
their holdings, and there simply isn’t enough revenue or of preachers ready to stir our brewing pot? I have asked
prestige to go round. Such scarcity calls clever men to him to send one of them to us to learn the Saxon tongue.
more extreme measures; Deo gratias, I have convinced Which brings me to my final item. From heresy that
several of these to bring their resources to our aid. is heresy merely because it dares to teach the true humility
In Reims, I found a fellow Benedictine and his three and poverty of Christ, I turn to the Cathars of Languedoc.
childer who have all turned their exquisite skills of cal- Some of our colleagues like to insist that the Toreador who
ligraphy to forging episcopal and even papal writs. A belong to this — I hardly dare call it “faith” — would make
veritable swarm of mortal counterfeiters huddles in their excellent allies, because they have turned their backs on
little hospital in the foreign quarter. In Paris, a Toreador luxury. I would suggest to you that the riches of Toulouse,
barely 50 years in the Blood has made such a successful the grandeur of their heretic cathedral, the finely wrought
venture of procuring for the humbler grades of cleric that yet morally debased poems of their troubadours, indicate
he knows the pillow talk of every penny-grubbing vicar otherwise. If we must have Albigensians among us, let them
and starving lecturer in the city. Even better, the poorer at least be sincere in their asceticism, like the Nosferatu
clerks on the bishop’s staff have begun coming to him. As perfecti that Ragged Jenny has brought into our fold.

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33
 I’m sure Jenny has many other such successes to
recount tonight, so I will now yield to her. Milady.
Nosferatu and Cappadocians
My, we are polite. Yes, it’s true — there are many of my
blood among the Cathars, and a good two dozen of those
support our cause most fervently. But why does it surprise you
that we tolerate such folk among us? Although we don’t agree
with them on all points, we certainly believe that the
modern Church has fallen from grace, perhaps forever.
And for their part, as they question the Whore of Rome,
often enough they come to question the other whores
who rule us — mortal and immortal. The same goes for
other heretics as well: Waldensians, Manicheans, even
the infidel Sufis of Spain. All dare fiery death to preach
a world of true brotherhood, and some go further yet.
Though L’Etoile, as Brother John remarked, came to
a bad end, he and his raging followers did quite a job
of redistributing the wealth of Brittany… but I see I’m
upsetting you. Shall I move on to less presumptuous
forms of mischief?
Very well. Let us discuss the beggars and cutpurses. I’ve
begun following ó Conlae’s suggestions on the matter. The
beggar-bands we rule are now organized on the model of
the trade guild. Each beggar, upon joining us, must choose
a specialty and stick to it, and their dues to the guild are
graded according to their expected income. For instance, a
man who plays the part of a robbed merchant must pay more
than a woman who simply stands in front of the church and
feigns an attack of the falling sickness, and she in turn shall
pay more than a genuine leper. A portion of the dues goes to
Peter’s men for their gallant protection, while the remainder
is saved up for bribes and expenses. Guild members have been
expressly forbidden to quarrel among themselves for territory
and so forth; should there be a dispute, they must bring it
before one of our blood-servants for judgement or else suffer
the penalty of traitors. These changes do seem to be for the
better. Indeed, I’ve begun to notice a remarkable swelling
of… well, I would almost deem it civic pride, which has
stirred my soul to the utmost. For so many years I’ve longed
to instill in my dear little ribauz the same fellow-feeling
which has preserved my clan down through the ages.
The thieves, alas, are another matter. They’ve already
bundled up into their own little bands. After all, one needs
accomplices to pull off even the simplest housebreaking in
safety — a pairing of burglar and lookout, at least. And once
a man joins a gang, he tends to look upon other gangs with
the envious hatred most folk save for invading barbarians.
You won’t be seeing any thieves’ guilds in our cities for
many years, I’m afraid; and yet I have made some progress.
As you know, I’ve been training mortals in the
larcenous arts for some decades now. Most never live
to pass on their skills, of course; but every generation,
some few of them reach the age where they can no longer
squeeze through a window or silently cut a purse string
themselves. At that point, they have nothing to lose and
everything to gain by teaching others. I now have 10
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34
master thieves, all graduates of my little school, who’ve But that’s enough of my nattering. Ó Conlae’s been
begun to instruct others in their turn; and several of my positively itching to speak for some time now. Go on, dear.
colleagues can boast similar accomplishments.
No, their students don’t pay a percentage; they would
Brujah and Malkavians
never stand for that, I’m afraid. Just a flat fee for the lessons. But Stadtluft macht frei, my friends — breathe the city air
this is about much more than filthy lucre. Thieving teaches a and be free. This is not simply a proverb. A serf who
body to be wary, deft and clever, and we need folk like that. manages to dwell within city walls for a year and a day
Besides, many of them come to have fond feelings for their without being caught earns his freedom under the law.
teachers, and approach them even years later for advice on You’ll pardon me, Jenny, but I can’t believe you forgot
whom to rob and what to take. Naturally I make sure that to mention our new “lazar-houses,” where we hide such
the master thieves are well-provided with suggestions. Behold folk and thus earn their lifelong gratitude! A tincture of
our latest success. I had my Nicholas mention to a pupil that Nosferatu blood and certain herbs in a flagon of wine, and
the deacon of Saint Leonard’s was getting quite deaf, and they erupt in boils which would satisfy even a doctor of
that the toe-bone of a saint could fetch a lofty price in the Bologna. Not that the authorities come all that often to
right circles. Now we possess yet another relic — and its inspect. My idea, if you’ll forgive my vanity in saying so.
gem-studded reliquary — around which to rally the people. On to even better tidings. My colleagues and I have helped
Oh, don’t worry. I’ve been carrying it all night and it hasn’t toobtainrecognitionforpoortradesmen’sguildsineightdifferent
hurt me yet. Saint Leonard is a gentleman. towns. Indeed. Why should only London’s bakers have rights?
Then there are the children. Some of our very youngest Why should Paris alone be just toward her butchers? Must a man
housebreakers are so adept that I cannot bear to lose their own so much property before he may have a say in governing his
talents to puberty. Accordingly, we’ve made them blood-ser- own trade? Your pardon; my feelings on the matter are strong.
vants of the clan. Think about it. They’re small, they’re fleet, Anyway, it seems that for the right fee, our feudal lords are willing
and hardly anyone pays attention to them. With our help, to defy even the rich burgesses and their town-guilds — though
they’ll stay that way even as their wisdom increases. I’m I fear too many of them are equally ready to reverse themselves
training mine to read and understand Norman, after which again should the enemy make them a better offer. If any does,
they should be fit to undertake all sorts of spy-work for us. I he shall have the bloodiest workers’ riot ever known on his
will have them dangling from eaves all over England! hands, I promise you that! It’ll take time, my friends, but with
every new guild we establish, that many more people are freed
Ah, yes, Cainite recruits. I’m afraid that while many
from virtual slavery; and more importantly, the iron grip of our
Nosferatu do shepherd exactly the sort of mortal folk we
elders and their mercantile proxies is loosened by another inch.
seek, most of them already have an arrangement with their
In some places, my colleagues seek trade protections not only
princes and don’t want to jeopardize it. Gold and informa-
for non-citizens, but even for serfs.
tion for the privilege of wallowing in the gutter with their
charges. You might think they’d balk at such injustice but Ah, look, Anthony, I’ve brought a smile to the face
— heh! — the Nosferatu expect no less from this world. of our guest at last. In our new Carthage, sir, everyone
The youngest ones, the ones who feel the sting and disgrace shall have an honest living; even among Jenny’s ribauz
of the curse very keenly still, listen a bit more readily. They there are men who know a craft and would practice it,
also have the least to contribute, though that’ll change! At except they can’t scrape together the exorbitant price
any rate, we’ve added six Nosferatu to the roster recently, their betters demand for allowing them the privilege.
all young, most estranged from their sires, most with no We don’t create criminals. There are already more than
more than a half-dozen mortals at their command. enough, and of those, far too many are already under the
control of Cainite masters who have no plans whatsoever
As for the Cappadocians: We’ve gained only one since
of raising them out of infamy.
the last meeting, but he’s certainly the most interesting
so far. He has a gang of thieves and cutthroats in the But back to my report. Recruitment proceeds apace.
catacombs under Naples. More importantly, he says he I can go Jenny one better and tell you that we now have
knows a fellow clansman who makes a hobby of raiding seven more Brujah under us, many of whom were already
ancient havens and elder tombs. The booty from these laboring to better the lot of the poor tradesmen when I
expeditions is naturally up for bids — he tried to tempt found them. Well, after all, it was Brujah who pressed
me with tablets from old Carthage. I asked him why he the monarchs to start granting town charters in the
hadn’t already sold them to some Idealist Brujah with a first place. But our elders imagine that they’ve rendered
fatter purse than I could ever wave at him, and I’m not adequate service to mankind in so doing, and now they
sure that his answer entirely satisfied me. Still, he’s been can simply sit back and reap the material benefits. They
given his task, and it’s a steep one; if he fulfills it, I’ll be ignore all the other work that’s left to be done. To be fair,
happy to sponsor his membership. Anything we learn there are a few elders of my clan who’ve found out about
about grave-robbing could come in handy down the road. us and have stated their approval. Critias himself writes
constantly to lecture me on this and that. Wants to be
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35
 Setites
Verbum Sapienti I did not give you a look. How jumpy you Irishmen are.
From the correspondence of Critias (Bib. Reg. Yes, I am of the so-called snake-clan, but not by choice.
Sol. Tute. Hort. 1572B 778 Vol. 1): My Embrace was simply the culmination of a long battle of
…and, as usual, I urge patience. It could well be wits between myself and my sire. He could not seduce me to
worse. At least these childer have some idea of what his side any other way. Even now, I disgrace him by joining
they plan to do after they burn us all out of our havens. I forces with you, and I dare to do more yet, to undermine my
have begun a correspondence with one of their founding brothers and sisters in blood by revealing their secrets to you.
members, a distant consanguineus of mine. Of course Firstly, and most shamefully, my clan deliberately aids
I shall never actually be admitted into their little and abets the traffick in slaves. I am not merely speaking
society — nor indeed do I wish to be — but I have of the selling Christians to Saracens, or vice versa. In clear
made a point of asking him nonetheless, and the defiance of the Church’s prohibition, we sell Christian to
flattery seems to have loosened his tongue. Last year Christian. Or have you not heard what a strong English
he wrote to ask my advice on behalf of a Nosferatu lad can fetch in Armagh? Fortunately, the Prometheans
refugee who had run afoul of Okulos (and touching
on that subject, have you heard aught of what that have chivalrously sworn to help me put an end to this vile
old heretic is up to these days?). Perhaps I shall soon practice. I shall get as close as I can to the slavers, induce
be able to give you a better picture of these folk and them to count me as one of their own, and then choose the
their activities. Meanwhile, let these “Prometheans” moment to betray them one by one. Of course the slaves I
have their human rabble if that appeases their lust purchase will be manumitted and given sanctuary with you.
for control! They readily acknowledge that they It is the slavery that most wounds my heart, but you may
must spend some years building up their strength take my word for it, friends: Name a pernicious commerce, and
before they can hope to take on their elders; and there is a Follower of Set involved somewhere along the way.
I think you will find, my friend, that as they wax They attach themselves to Oriental merchants, Venetians,
in influence they will inevitably become more Genoans and men of the Hanse; thus they acquire gold, silk,
conservative; arrangements will be made with the spices and other luxuries with which to corrupt mortal
powers that be…. and immortal alike. Worse still, our valiant Crusaders
are tempted in the East with Saracen learning which is
made an honorary member. Huh! If they want to help, rightly condemned by the Church, and darker secrets
they can just withhold their aid from the princes when the from religions which even the Mohammedans condemn.
night of fire and reckoning comes. That will be enough. Then, not satisfied with lying in wait for the innocent,
Yes, the Malkavian. I haven’t forgotten her, believe my clansmen see to it that these books of forbidden lore
me. As you all know, the Malkavians are no more worldly find their way back along the Silk Road, into the monas-
a folk than the Cappadocians. Though they often dwell teries of the West, where some monk or nun with more
among the downtrodden, they rarely attempt to cultivate curiosity than piety may stumble across them. You have
them for any purpose other than nutrition. Certainly I know no doubt heard of this or that Cainite prince bragging
of no Madmen beggar-kings or master thieves. There’s the that he possesses a page or chapter of the fabled Book of
Nod? I tell you now, it is a forgery, and I can introduce
occasional heresiarch, but they doom themselves and their
you to the man in Constantinople who acquired it for
followers to the stake all too quickly. For these reasons, him. What? You really would like to meet him? Well,
among others, we’d all but given up on the Malkavians. yes, I can see the potential for havoc in a false scrap of
But last fall, when I was visiting in Liège, one of that Noddist lore, how it might be used to set elder against
blood approached me, a sister of the Beguines. She spends her elder… I simply hadn’t thought of it before. You see,
nights, ironically enough, tending the insane and infirm in even if I wished to I wouldn’t be a very good priestess of
several hospitals throughout town. Seemed to already know Typhon. I’m not even as clever as the Ventrue.
of my purpose in that uncanny way they have. Her manner In the cities where my blood dwell, they certainly
was gentle as could be; true, she spoke to Saint Benedict take over as many thieves, strumpets and murderers as
several times during our conversation, but as Malkavians go, they can. Not only do such folk bring evil and chaos to
I think you’ll agree it’s a minor fault. She has influence not society in general through their crimes, they are also
only in the hospitals where she ministers, but in her Beguine the perfect tools for corrupting city officials. Frequently,
house as well, and remember that the Beguine movement however, other vampires already claim that niche; in
has begun to spread. What say all of you — should I set her such cases, being the patient creatures that they are, my
a task and see, or does the prospect frighten you too much? clansmen are usually content to wait, and chip away at
Ah, I should have known. Nothing frightens you. After all, their rivals’ influence little by little. After all, it is the
we welcomed Mademoiselle Urraca readily enough. seduction of other Cainites which they prize above all
There, did you see the look she gave me? I suppose other goals. Anything that doesn’t directly contribute to
I’ll have to let her go next. that process is merely an additional devotion. And those
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36
Followers of Set who do enjoy sovereignty over the ribauz
in their domains — well, I myself would not trust them
even to deal squarely with us, to say nothing of joining.
I am abashed, mesdames et messieurs… I wish I had
more to say, but as you know, I am very new to your
brotherhood. Perhaps next time I shall have victories
of my own to recount. For now, I will resume my seat,
listen, and humbly learn from yours.
Ravnos, Assamite and Tzimisce
In that case, little Divya will take up the tale. The
task you charge me with is a heavy one, Anthony; how
could even one who has traveled as many roads as I tell
you everything about the malcontents of the East? I can
say this much: Wherever you find the content, you are
certain to find malcontents.
But yes, I know, details, details. We Ravnos enjoy
a reputation for thievery and trickery. To some extent,
it’s true. The so-called nobles of the Cainites abuse us
terribly, and we return the favor with interest. I say they
deserve it. Here they are, gifted with immortality and a
wide world to explore, and yet they have nothing better
to do than sit in their moldy castles and hoard wealth and
power. Frankly, they could use a little shaking-up… or
shaking-down. On that much, all of us here agree, yes? If
you want them, a round dozen of my brothers and sisters
stand ready to join you in your endeavors. They ask only
Serpent’s Tooth
To my inexorable sire, from your little magpie, a thou-
sand kisses and all the blessings of the Red-Haired One.
The work goes well. This group of rebels is not quite
as clever as we had hoped — it was almost too easy to
convince them of my good intent — but their numbers
are growing, and their colonies of human filth reach
further eastward. Indeed, Volchok in Balgrad already
complains that every filthy Saxon in the Empire has
come to roost in his alleyways and steal all the trade
away from his whores and assassins. For that, you have
my colleague Godelinda of the Nosferatu to thank. In
time, I hope, these Prometheans shall become a sword
pointed at the throats of all your rivals.
As for Marzuq and Galjin: tell them that they have
a new customer. Evidently my Ventrue friend wants
a scrap of the First Book to set a couple of Frankish
princes quarreling. The text should be something on
the subject of Saulot and his vision of his own shameful
end. I am hoping to spread the report of this parchment’s
“discovery” to several other elders as well, and with any
luck the Christian Cainites will soon have an all-out war
on their hands. Or if not, it is still one more corruption,
one more deception; and as the Great Father teaches
us, they add up, like grains of sand in a storm, to wear
down even a Sphinx in time. I am, as ever, your slave
and fellow slave, lusting endlessly for your touch….

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37
your regard and protection. Many have never been west war and its dangers. You will have to get him free of his sire
of Constantinople, and would fain see the lands of the somehow, but if you do, you would have among you a man
Franks at last. who can reshape the face of anyone, even into a likeness of
Moreover, they possess skills that might be of aid to someone else. Of course I can perform a similar trick, but it
you. For instance, those who make their way by creating doesn’t last that long. Think of the mischief you could cause!
false relics to sell to gullible Crusaders could teach even You could make a thief up to look like a treasury guard, your
Brother John’s forgers a thing or two about deception. ghoul to look like the prince’s ghoul. Why huddle in the
Mademoiselle Urraca was speaking of the Byzantine alleyway trying to listen through a window when you can
Serpent who deals in spurious Cainite treasures — you simply stroll in and find out everything you need to know?
surely don’t think he made them himself, do you? That offer, likewise, stands. I shall leave it to Your
We wander too much to actually cultivate great Worships to consider. Monsieur Berengar? Only you are
numbers of mortals, but we know the great scoundrels left, for I’m sure Anthony will wish to go last.
of cities all over the Levant, and I daresay that if you
give us the chance we’ll soon accomplish the same feat
Tremere
in the West. So, for instance, if one of Jenny’s thieves Yes. Ahem. I must apologize to our guest for my
should manage to rob the duke himself, he needn’t risk rudeness. No doubt it seems cowardly to you, that I hide
selling the booty in his own town. We can take it off his my face while the others here show theirs. But it was a
condition I set when I joined, that my identity should
hands, for a reasonable fee, and carry it elsewhere. No
never be revealed to any who had not been fully initiated.
trouble at all. The wilderness holds no more peril than
If you’d ever seen the punishments Ceoris metes out to
the city for our cursed folk; as long as we’re traveling, we
traitors, you’d understand. Most clans content themselves
may as well perform a service. Likewise, we’ll be happy to
with simply reducing them to ash, but the Tremere have
carry messages from one Promethean to another, along better… uses for the condemned.
with tales of any clever trickery we may have heard of
or perpetrated, and we can all learn from each other Many of you are unfamiliar with my brotherhood. I
shall explain to you something of our structure and why it’s
that much faster.
so difficult to convince other Tremere to join us. Yet I must
The offer stands — we await only your word and, of keep trying, for there is much we could do to further the cause.
course, your tasks. Challenge us! We shan’t let you down.
Among the Prometheans, I’ve already begun to hear
Now let me move on to the childer of Assam. Despite the complaints about the threefold division of rank. Appren-
wars, they still rule much of the Levant, just as the Ventrue tice, journeyman, master: a Promethean progresses up
do here. And like the Ventrue, many regard themselves as a through the ranks through the performance of increasingly
chosen elite and won’t sully themselves by trafficking with the difficult tasks. Speaking of that, I must congratulate Brother
lower grades of mortal — cutthroats, cutpurses, Christian slaves John on his recent masterpiece. Mine is still in progress,
and whatnot. However, Saracens come in many shapes, more alas — but I shall elaborate in a moment. Of course there
than most of you realize. There are scholars who need secrets are always those who will grouse anytime they’re asked
pilfered, outcast warriors willing to become killers for hire, to earn their keep. Yet imagine, for a moment, that the
even blood sorcerers with their own hidden agendas. These Prometheans have not three grades, but seven, and that to
Saracens can be useful to us, but I would beware: While none ascend in rank you must not only prove your loyalty and
can surpass them at spying and destroying the undead, they utility by braving ever-greater dangers, but also demonstrate
seem to hate all other vampires with a rare passion. I have heard your mastery of dread occult arts.
that even an outcast Assamite might be able to earn his way Imagine further that at each stage of this process, you are
back into the Old Man’s graces if he can return with enough considered the chattel of your immediate superior. You can
Cainite blood on his hands. He would not care whether that be ordered to move from this city to that with no warning,
blood belonged to you, or to your enemies. no matter your attachments, or to betray your friends outside
I know Monsieur Berengar is eager to hear about the the clan, or to go on crusade against the Fiends in Hungary.
Tzimisce. I must tell you honestly that I myself have had Even more: imagine that upon your initiation, you must
few enough dealings with the Fiends. Nor do I wish more. straightaway give up some of your vitae as a guarantee of
They, too, are rulers in their own lands; though other clans your good behavior, so that your masters may practice their
do dwell there, they dance to the tune the Tzimisce call. blood-arts against you should you ever disobey; and that even
The Fiends take precious little interest in mortals — they the smallest sign of disobedience can be taken for treason, for
regard them as food, or at best, amusing playthings. So I which you shall be pursued by your brothers in the order to
doubt you will have much luck finding many to populate the ends of the earth and beyond. Have I satisfied you that
your new Carthage, especially since you evidently plan to it’s no easy thing to defy House and Clan Tremere?
harbor Tremere within it as well. However, I do know one Yet I know that I’m not the only one among my blood
who has sworn to me that he wants to give up the blood- who resents his fate. There are many others who, like me,
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38
never agreed to forfeit our lives for the sake of our magic;
many who feel cheated out of the true immortality which Quo Vadis?
their arts might have won them in time. Many more, I’m Before I call the next item on the agenda, has our
sure, who joined knowing full well what they would become, guest any questions?
but have grown disillusioned as they continue to bear the Gangrel and Caitiff
indifference of their elders and the hatred of other Cainites. Ah, yes, the Gangrel. Alas, they exclude themselves by
Do the Tremere ever make use of mortal unfortunates? their philosophy. We believe the well-ordered city — with
Well, yes, certainly — as food, for one thing. Even in the requisite orchards and crops in the surrounding contada, of
cities where the prince grants us a chantry, we’re rarely course — to be the best hope for Cainite and mortal alike.
allowed to hunt among the choicer vessels. But I daresay Leave the wilderness to the wild things who belong in it;
that’s not what you meant. No, true unfortunates, the we here are concerned with civilization. Some of us say we
so-called deserving poor, have little to offer us but their should institute, after our victory, a body of folk entrusted
blood. Mountebanks, however, abound among our mortal with guarding the roads between our cities; and there has
servants: fake doctors, false sorcerers and not-so-wise- been talk of entrusting Gangrel with this task. From what
women, purveyors of penny-magics and stinking unguents. I hear, however, practically the only Gangrel who concern
They tell us about the people who come to them for spells themselves with mortals at all are bandit-kings.
and physic, and usually we simply nod and tell them to
What’s that? My own clan? My dear fellow, there’s a
do as they like. But when someone important comes to
reason it hasn’t been mentioned. I have none. No, I have no
them — someone who could be blackmailed, or, better yet,
idea who she was, nor do I feel any burning need to know.
obliged to us — then we take over. After all, it’s no great
It hardly matters. Without the sponsorship of a sire, I may
trouble to us to mix up a potion so that a burgomaster’s
as well be clanless as far as everyone’s concerned. So you
mistress may rid her womb of an unwanted babe, or an
see, I don’t champion the dispossessed as a moral exercise;
alderman dispose of a rival alderman. Some of us can even
it’s a subject near and dear to my heart. Like the serf, I have
restore maidenheads, remove branding-marks and so forth.
existed, till now, only at the pleasure of great lords who deem
I’m wooing one such magus right now, but I must move
carefully. If he should prove loyal after all, and betray it more worthwhile to use me than kill me. But I tell you this:
me, then I will be hard-pressed indeed to avoid capture. In their cruelty to the orphaned, our masters plant the seeds
of their own doom. We’re just as immortal as they, bastard
Finally, on the subject of my masterpiece: Work pro- and weak-blooded as we are, and those of us who survive shall
gresses. As Anthony can attest, I have my spell. With but a never forget the injustices heaped upon us. Small wonder
drop of blood and a secret phrase, a Promethean may briefly
that we Prometheans have nearly as many Caitiff as Brujah!
touch minds with a Promethean in a neighboring city. Each
of you may devise your own secret phrase, whatever you will Organization
best remember — only make sure it’s not something your But let me forge ahead, to the things you must know
enemies can easily guess. However, I’m still having trouble before you can take your place among us. As Berengar
getting the spell to stick to the mirror for longer than a night explained, we model ourselves after the trade guilds. An-
or two. It’s most odd; after all, I’m adapting a very simple, very yone less than two centuries old may join us (no, we don’t
old ritual which my clan brethren use to speak to one another cast anyone out for reaching that age; we simply can’t be
from a distance. I suspect the sluggishness with which our bothered to teach old dogs new tricks). Once a man joins,
magic flows through non-Tremere blood may be to blame. he becomes an apprentice, and receives assignments and
Yes, I realize how vital it is that I succeed in the en- guidance from those above him in rank. From there, it
chantment. After all, it does us little good to take a city takes three proven successes to advance to journeyman.
by revolt or coup, if it’s only going to be overwhelmed Who gets to judge, you mean? A panel of at least
by reinforcements a few days later. We must be prepared three masters. As to what constitutes a “success,” I can tell
to let loose chaos in several towns at once, grouped you that bringing in a recruit who’s at least your equal in
together as tightly as possible, so that the prince of any power and influence usually suffices; stripping some elder
town will be too busy dealing with the mess in his own of a valuable tool is naturally even better. As a rule, we
domain to go to anyone else’s aid. Especially important frown on blatant violence against other Damned — it’s
given how the Patricians like to stick together in such too dangerous for that yet. When the time comes, we will
matters. Trust me: When my research is ended, I shall strike unflinchingly, but first we must gather our strength.
be able to provide each of you with a magic mirror by
A journeyman chooses his own tasks and pursues them as
which you may inform your brethren when you feel that
he sees fit. Don’t worry; after you start attending our meetings,
you and your mortals are ready to seize the advantage. I
you’ll quickly come to see what sorts of tasks we deem appropriate
will not rest until it is achieved.
for a journeyman. Finally, in order to become a master, you must
Anthony, the floor is yours. furnish a masterpiece, just as in a mortal guild — in our case, of
IN DARKENED STREETS

39
course, a “masterpiece” is an especially impressive success — and our journeymen think nothing of traveling hundreds
and a quorum of seven masters awards that honor. of miles to help bring an oath-breaker to justice. Princes
In our meetings, everyone has a vote. Yes, even aren’t the only ones who can call a blood hunt! Lesser
apprentices, though any masters attending can vote offenses are left to the discretion of the local masters.
twice to break a tie; and anyone can make a motion. We As a rule, you won’t be punished for honest mistakes,
never gather more than a dozen of the order together at so long as they do no real harm to the order. We want
once, for safety and secrecy. Nor do we encourage our to encourage invention, not suppress it as our lieges do.
apprentices to meet Prometheans of other cities until Your initiation is already devised. We tailor it to the indi-
they’ve shown themselves to be prudent. vidual, but it’s always a task that requires one to break Cainite
No, there is no Grand Master, no King, no Prince of law or betray an elder — preferably both. We want no lapdogs
the order. At least, there’d better not be. Leave that tripe here. Our spies watch over you as you work, and we acquire proof
to the elders. Our most senior members come to know of your treachery if at all possible. Once the task is fulfilled, you
a great deal of what’s going on in their areas, of course, must recite and sign an oath, then carry the parchment next
and they keep in contact with each other to make sure to your breast for no less than three days and nights. Any elder
with second sight who touches it will know that the document
they’re not working at cross-purposes. But they have
is no forgery. Finally, we take all this blackmail and give it to
no more power under our code than any other master.
another apprentice in the guild. You will not know whom. We
The code… shall be taught to you immediately after find this an admirable method of ensuring loyalty.
your initiation. For now, know that the penalty for be-
Don’t shake your head. Our elders keep peace among
traying one’s brethren is swift and final, though merciful,
themselves in much the same fashion, and their aims
aren’t half as lofty.
Prometheans in Coterie As it happens, we already have one of your secrets,
If you’ve been reading along and wondering how to so we’re not all that worried about compromising you
fit one of these socially conscious rascals into a coterie, further. Well, I did say you owed me your existence. Is
rest assured that there’s more than one way to do it. the name of Fra Beggio familiar? I rather fancied it was.
In the first place, a Promethean needn’t reveal But you never imagined he’d tracked you this far north,
her other ties to her coterie-mates. Indeed, if they did you? Never fear him and his burning cross again. He’s
too belong to the criminal world — where distrust is in our hands. His will is far too strong to be bent even
a vital occupational skill, and issues of gang loyalty by our eldest Ventrue, but iron and stone holds him well
are well worth killing over — suddenly declaring enough. How close he came to penetrating your haven!
oneself a robber-prophet with a vision for the New I leave it to you. From observing you, I’ve come to
Carthage is probably a bad idea. On the other hand, believe that you sympathize with our aims. You, too,
a Promethean with sufficient charisma might be hoped for more from immortality. You remember Caine’s
able to subtly bring her friends around to her way of admonition to use our power over mankind responsibly.
thinking, and even persuade them to convert. You weep to see how civilization and justice suffer under
Even in coteries where the other members aren’t the government of our brittle marble gods. Up till now,
hoodlums by trade, however, a character’s Promethean you’ve simply lacked a viable alternative. Isn’t it so?
allegiance can come into conflict with the demands of Certainly you can choose not to join. And we can
friendship. This becomes even more likely if the coterie choose to release the poor old Fra. But I’m afraid we
or its members should begin pursuing and attaining status simply haven’t been able to convince him that you aren’t
in “legitimate” Cainite society. (In fact, Prometheans responsible for his imprisonment. Stubborn fellow. I hate
have been known to join ambitious coteries for the to think what might happen if he were to fall into the
sole purpose of playing agents provocateur.) Still, with hands of your prince. Should you join us, we’ll naturally
patience and negotiation, a character’s coterie can deliver him to whatever fate you deem fit.
often develop a livable, if not mutually beneficial, Your task? Nothing too dangerous, I assure you. After
relationship with the Promethean order, which after all, a man of your status and talents is far more valuable
all can always use a few more allies. as a spy. Jenny, bring the girl in, would you?
Lastly, there is the possibility of an all-Promet- This is Margot, one of Jenny’s most accomplished
hean coterie, which should suggest all sorts of wicked students. We’d originally thought she’d become her chil-
inspirations to the Storyteller. After all, the order de as well, but I think you’ll agree it would be a shame
considers itself lucky to recruit vampires singly; how to lose such beauty to the Nosferatu curse, especially
could it possibly resist the temptation to take full considering the uses to which it might be put. Besides,
advantage of a tight-knit band of Cainites and all you’re over a century old. Isn’t it time you became a sire?
the complex missions such a group might perform? Of course. Take a moment to consider. But consider
swiftly — we’re eager for your opinion on a number of subjects.
ASHEN THIEF

40
 The Prometheans: Destiny
In 1197, the official order is less than 80 years old; the reader has just witnessed them in their infancy. Over
the next few centuries, they cautiously expand their influence with various subsets of the urban underclass. Some
operate fairly openly as vice lords, arranging a regular bribe in order to stay in business and concealing nothing
from their princes except their ultimate intent. Others keep their criminal involvement secret for the sake of
reputation; still others, who for whatever reason don’t wish to be known, simply keep out of sight altogether.
The order’s efforts certainly shape the developing underworlds of the cities it operates in, but the success is
hardly unqualified. Ó Conlae’s Brujah gradually lose influence in the burgeoning craft-guilds as the guilds grow
wealthier and more powerful — and thus more attractive to elder Cainites; of course, each time they’re crowded
out, they concentrate their efforts on the next level down, and soon cities all over Europe are troubled by Bru-
jah-incited riots and strikes among the unskilled laborers. (The Black Death doesn’t exactly help matters, either.)
Despite these troubles, Promethean criminal networks continue growing (thanks partially to the
Ravnos and Monsieur Berengar’s ritual), and by the mid-14th century, many agree that the time is finally
right to make their move. Using the Black Death and other crises as cover, they stir up mob violence in
city and countryside alike. Unfortunately, though the results are satisfyingly devastating to the mortal
authorities, they fail to shake the reins of Cainite power loose from the grip of the elders. Several of the
most influential Prometheans, mostly Nosferatu and Brujah, lose their unlives in the ensuing strife, and
worse, the secret of the order’s existence is exploded for good.
Fortunately, their lack of hierarchy saves the Prometheans from the worst of the purge that follows. Four
of the order’s senior members consign themselves to the flames in order to avoid being captured and made
to betray their fellows (according to rumor, not all of them make this heroic sacrifice willingly); the rest go
underground, severing their ties to the others and concerning themselves with their own affairs only, hoping
that in time the heat will die down. A feeding frenzy ensues among the beggar-queens and robber-kings of the
Cainite world as everyone tries to snatch up all the abandoned mortal syndicates.

IN DARKENED STREETS

41
ASHEN THIEF

42
Than bespake hym gode Robyn:
“To dyne have I noo lust,
Till that I have som bolde baron,
Or som unkouth gest.”
— Anonymous, A Gest of Robyn Hode

WEARING THE WOLF’S HEAD

43
43
Bramber Castle,
I’ve lost some good men that way.
When the hunt is on, you must stay out of this copse no

First Watch
matter what. Don’t ever let me hear that you came here when
His Highness had his hell-mount saddled — do you understand
Come closer, lad. You can’t see a thing if you hang back. me? Good. Come down this way, there’s more to show.
Just inch you out along this limb. Steady on, I’ve got you.
The Fields
The Hilltop Look at this crop. Sad sight, eh? A hail out of season,
and all their labor is wasted. Of course, the lord must still be
Now. Everyone knows that castle over there belongs to
paid for his investment. Once he’s taken his share, what’ll be
de Braose. But he’s not the only lord who dwells there, nor left to live on? The coming moons will see poaching aplenty.
even the chief one: Reyner Fitz Payn is one of our kind, and Now this is old Hereward’s kennel. Scratcher there — hst!
he claims the entire shire for his domain. Mark that bricked-up Quiet, Scratcher! — was lawed a long time ago, as was his
window there? That’s his room. He poses as the lord’s invalid bitch… but d’you see there, in the curve of her belly? I’d
nephew, even carries a crutch. Except when he hunts, of course. wager thruppence at least one of those puppies escapes the
Heh. That’s not what I meant. He’s got his bevy of knife somehow. As for the rest of the villeins, they’ll hide
vessels stashed among the ladies-in-waiting, but no, I was their bows and arrows as best they can.
speaking of the special occasions, when His Highness holds Not everyone in the lord’s service is past trusting, my
court. On such nights, Lord de Braose’s gaol is emptied. boy. These are stout folk. John atte Well brews ale, and
Fitz Payn gives them a half-hour’s head start, usually; tells he’s sold it to my fellows when they were thirsty. Once
them that if they can survive till dawn without leaving he even let us stop and water our horses. The widow
the wood, they’ll earn a pardon. Then all the fine, dead Gunnora has a kind heart. Her second son Ham is one
lords and ladies mount up and head after them. You’d of our lads. Broke him out of prison along with Philip a
never heard the tales? Ah, but you were above such old few years back because I knew he shot so well.
woman’s talk. I don’t think the lord likes it much, not No, it’s the foresters and their men that outlaws must
that he would ever dare defy. People die in gaol of disease be wary of hereabouts. Always showing up where they’re not
and darkness. It happens all the time. wanted, always ready to slap a man in irons. Always thumbing
their noses at the law they’re supposed to be protecting, too,
Tally-Ho or do you really think that rascal Fulk paid for the wood he
From the correspondence of Marco de San chopped down for his new shed, or the roasted boar he had
Pablo (private collection) — at his son’s knighting? Eh? But who’s going to report him?
…You shamed me, you shamed your husband and I shouldn’t care about such things anymore, I know.
you shamed yourself. For the sake of your honor, I be- The real trouble is that whilst riding hither and yon in
trothed you to the son-by-Blood of the greatest prince search of humble poachers, they’re like as not to find us
in the Rhineland! Out of paternal love I contributed a instead. Dear Fulk is good friends with the sheriff, too,
generous dowry and then some, that you might have and while he may lack the courage to take us on, he’d
the most extravagant festivities known to the Cainites gladly testify in the shrieval court against us. We mustn’t
in those parts for the past two hundred years! And do give him the chance.
not forget, you promised me that you would gird up your Hurry now, back to the horses.
spirit when the time came for the obligatory hunt.
But the news has come to me that you wept as the
Ritter returned to the clearing, their cheeks flushed The Highway,
with vitae and victory, bringing the kills made in
your honor; that you dampened their joyous ex-
ultation with weak maidenly tears. Have I taught
Second Watch
Now this little stand of trees is royal forest, if you ask
you nothing? If a woman enjoys any advantage
in this hard world, it is the willingness of men to the royal archives. But ask the people who come through
shed blood for her. You are no longer a childe, here — they’ll tell you it’s all ours. Perfect for our purpose as
and should certainly be able to look upon a few well: just big enough to hide a rough company in, and with
corpses with equanimity. Further, I am told that the a little ridge that gives us a hawk’s-eye view of the highway.
Rhinelanders choose only outlaws for their sport, Track a deer, and you must search the brush for hoof prints.
men who shall not and should not be missed from Men are far kinder. Look there; they’ve outlined their path for
the world. What were they to you, that you should us, broadened it, smoothed it out till you can see it even from
weep? A gentle heart is a fine virtue, but it will be this height. We have only to watch and wait. Not much traffic
of precious little use to you in our society, of which along it at night, of course. That’s why it’s so important to
you are now truly a part. train the lads well. They carry on most of the work without us.
ASHEN THIEF

44
 Forest vs. Wood
These two terms are not synonymous in the Dark Ages. “Forest” is actually short for forestis, meaning
“outdoor” or “outside,” and is used to designate areas held in personal reserve by lord or king, which thus fell
“outside” the common land of the realm. (The original, longer phrase forestis silva did refer specifically to wood-
land, but only because of the word silva.) Thus an area referred to as “forest” in medieval times might actually
be barren heath — not too barren, however; after all, the main reason to set aside an area as forest is to ensure
the preservation of game, particularly the herbivorous deer and wild boars.
In 1197, forest law is at its most formal in England — King Henry certainly believed in tight administration — but
the basic mechanisms described here have parallels on the Continent. Punishments for infractions range from a modest
fine to blinding, the removal of bow-drawing fingers, or even (occasionally) death; in particularly serious cases regarding
the royal forests, offenders might languish in prison for years waiting for their cases to come up before the proper authority.
However strict the enforcement, though, the law itself is always open to financial negotiation. Barons can purchase the
right to take royal venison, or buy a tract of land (a chase) within a royal forest for their private use and jurisdiction;
and even humble villeins can be licensed to gather extra wood or hunt small game (called the right of warren;
small game is considered harmful to deer anyway, so lords tend to be fairly free with this right).
A Poacher’s Lexicon
The following terminology for English poachers can add flavor to your chronicle:
agist: The pasturing of animals, especially swine (who are most fond of acorns) in the wood. Also called
pannage. Anyone wishing to exercise this right must pay a fee to the collector, called the agister, who counts
the pigs as they go in and takes up the toll as they come out.
back bear: An unhappy situation to get caught in — carrying a dead deer on one’s back.
bloody hand: An even unhappier situation to get caught in — literally red-handed, over a fresh-slain deer.
dog draw: The offense of tracking deer with a dog.
eyre: The high court of royal forest law, composed of barons and knights who tour the counties every seven
years to hear especially grievous cases. Lower courts, thankfully, meet far more often. Swainmotes, so called
because of their usual occupation with the pasturing of swine, convene three times a year, and local courts meet
as often as every several weeks. Evidence of offenses, from antlers and skins to greyhounds, is saved as long as
necessary to be presented at the trial.
firebote: The right to gather dead branches for firewood.
forester: One appointed to oversee a forest, whether royal or privately owned. Various types and degrees of
forest official exist in Dark Medieval England: stewards are high-level administrators; bailiffs are the next grade
down (the term also applies to a sheriff’s assistants); surveyors set forest boundaries; regarders report encroach-
ments on those boundaries, particularly building or clearing; keepers are in charge of game; bow-bearers arrest
trespassers; woodwards are chief officials over private forests; and lardiners store deer carcasses for the king (a
position of considerable trust). Foresters also hunt game for the table whenever their employer doesn’t care to
expend the effort himself. Forest officials tend to be chosen from the nobility and yeomanry.
lawing: The practice of removing the first three talons from the front paws of a mastiff or hound, so that it
can’t be used for unlicensed hunting. Also called expeditation.
stable stand: The offense of drawing a bow without license.
venison: In this period, the word actually refers to the right to hunt deer, not to the meat itself. Thus the
phrase offense against the venison.
vert: The growing things of the wood. The trees themselves, their fallen branches — even the acorns on
the ground and the honey in the hive. Gathering or harming any of these things without permission constitutes
an offense against the vert. A verderer is a man appointed specifically to guard the vert.

“Som Unkouth Gest” peasants with naught but cudgels and rope trip a knight’s horse
and have him down before you could say by-our-lady. Priests
Ah, the work. The prey. and monks make far better victims than knights, of course.
There’ll be the lone travelers. Those are the easiest. We’re If you see one, don’t let piety hold you back. No matter how
blessed, lad, to have a number of stout yeomen among us, poor he looks, he’s bound to have coin on him.
and a few who squired for years and can ride and use a sword Then there’ll be plenty of merchants as well. Cagey lot.
as well as the lord’s own guard; but I’ve seen a gang of four They like to travel under guard when they can afford it, and
WEARING THE WOLF’S HEAD

45
 vassals make the journey every year to pay homage, and
Filthy Lucre there are the feasts and hunts, as I said. Sometimes, other
Highwaymen, brigands and pirates alike may comfort Cainite lords send emissaries to hammer out treaties and
themselves on one score: Europe is enjoying a tremendous whatnot. Sometimes, though, they’re just travelers heading
silver rush at this moment in history, and silver coin now further north who mean to stop at the castle for hospitality.
flows more freely than ever before. Numerous strikes in the Mind you, I’ve never stopped one of these precious
Black Forest, Bohemia, Hungary, Moravia and Sardinia lie guests myself… not yet. But I must admit that now I’m
in the recent past and near future. Of course, such strikes tempted. I’ve got you by my side, fully in the Blood, and
exert an irresistible siren call on fortune-hunters from all more men in the band than ever before; and I hear Fitz
over the Continent (particularly Saxon miners, whose Payn will be hosting a grand mêlée in just a few weeks.
expertise is eagerly sought), and local rulers are generally Eh? Well, it’s always wise to have an ear somewhere
only too happy to let the prospectors dig, for a handsome in the castle. In our case, it’s a kitchen slut who’s tumbling
commission, of course. All the liquid cash generated by half His Lordship’s squires. One takes what one can get.
these efforts goes to fuel laudable social improvements I promise you, at least one young Ventrue fool will be
in all the major nations of Europe, but a considerable riding out here in his bright new mail to try his luck. His
portion of it is certainly diverted into brigand and pirate sire is a man I know, a man who’s dwelt in peace from me
hoards far and wide. for far too long. And what scandal it would cause Fitz Payn,
whose protection supposedly covers all Sussex! No doubt
together with other merchants if possible. The bright side to they’d both pay a handsome fee to get the little bully back….
it is they don’t like bloodshed. Everything’s got its price with Don’t look so worried, lad. I’ve survived this long through
them, and their lives bear the highest price of all. Now, lad, caution and quick wits. If we try this bold caper — if — we’ll
I’ll tell you how to handle a merchant. Most of them’ll give have our plans well-laid indeed, and our escape waiting
you a portion as tribute readily enough, if it’ll get them back for us. We can go deeper into the ancient wilds of An-
on their way with no fuss; they just mark it down as one more derida if we must, and a good number of the men would
tax. The trick is not to bite off more than you can chew. If he even follow us.
has any good coin on him, you’ll naturally want that. Don’t What? Dragons? Hogwash! There are dangerous
take anything you can’t spend hereabouts unless you know beasts there, I’ll grant, but no dragons. Besides, you are
a man that can melt it down and another man who’ll buy it. one of the night-things now. It can be done; I’ve done
The same thing goes for the goods in the wagon. Don’t take it myself. The wilderness can harbor our kind. Ride with
it if you can’t sell it. Now I knew a fellow once who had the me now and I’ll show you.

St. Leonard’s
most marvelous trick; he’d stop every wool merchant he saw
until he had enough to make up a wagon himself, and then
he’d pack up and head to market! But that’s a lot of effort.
Too much like honest labor for most of us.
Worst comes to worst, a rich enough merchant may
Wood, Fourth
himself be taken for ransom, just like a noble; don’t take
too rich a one, though, because great lords listen when WatchWhen Fitz Payn first declared the blood hunt against me,
other great men start screaming. You see, if the lord or
Fitz Payn really wanted to stop us — enough to pay what it didn’t even occur to me to go a-robbing. I’d never dwelt
it would cost, that is — they could do it. The might of in anything but servitude, and what’s a yeoman without his
arms is on their side. But we’re only a nuisance, a fly liege? I was heading off to London to beg refuge from one of
buzzing round in the corner, and until we cause enough His Highness’ enemies when my lads — well, they weren’t
trouble that they have to swat us, we’re all right. my lads just yet — tried to stop me. Good thing they did!
That, my lad, is why we can’t let any other robber I stood there, watching ‘em writhe on the ground holding
share this stretch of road. Any who won’t join me, I their bruised heads, and it suddenly struck me that it would
show them on their way. If this place should ever become be far better not to go to another prince. After all, that’s
such a hazard that the commerce stops altogether, His the first place anyone would look for me, isn’t it? And
Lordship and His Highness would take that ill indeed. these woods are the last place anyone would look.
You’d never guess how many of us there are, skulking
The Cainite Traveler around Sussex, Kent and Surrey. A lot of Gangrel, of course
I’ll tell you another thing His Highness would take ill. — the wilderness calls to their blood. The others have
One can’t be a great lord all alone in a cold little room their reasons. Some of them are outlaw. They don’t dare
with the window bricked up, you know. There must be fes- show their faces in an English court, but they don’t want
tivities, panoply… and an immortal audience to appreciate to leave the lands of their birth either. Others never broke
it. And since only a few of our kind can fly — ha! — most one of the Six Traditions, but have made themselves so
of that audience takes the highway to reach Fitz Payn. His odious to some great lord that they must disappear or die.
ASHEN THIEF

46
 Then I knew a Toreador who came all the way down
from Wales, gathered up a band and took to the woods,
all for the sole purpose of worrying away at his enemy’s
wealth and good name. Had his men outfitted with fine
green livery and shields with his own device blazoned
on them. Even hired a trouvère to write a poem about
the time he managed to seize some sorcerous Tremere
thingummy from a Usurper ambassador’s wagon and
ransom it back for some other sorcerous thingummy to
help him turn invisible. Heylyn of the Oaken Tower.
Grand fellow — the humble Dorset folk treated him
like a king. He was made to greet the sunrise recently….
Ah, well. Whatever their first intent, they all be-
come bandit-chiefs in time. It’s the best way to stay fed.
I’ve heard tales of vampires who could survive on the
blood of beasts, but try it once and you’ll see why few
turn to that sort of fare. You can raid the villages, but
unless you’ve a band of rowdies with you, so that your
meal gets lost in all the mayhem, someone’s bound to
realize what you’re doing. Any Cainite with an ounce
of wit keeps both ears pricked for tales of mysterious
wasting maladies in his holdings — and Cainites don’t
like poaching on their hunting grounds any more than
living lords do.
For that matter, you must also be careful of taking
too many poachers and hunters as they wander in the
woods. Accidents do happen, but there’s a limit to bad
luck. As for feeding on your own men, I wouldn’t do it
unless it meant my death otherwise. The risks are too
great — of killing one by mistake, of being discovered
in the wrong fashion. Bad business.
No, the best thing is to take the highwayman’s
part and prey on travelers, on foreigners. Fewer care
what happens to them, so many hazards await them
on the road, and unless they’re writing home at every
stop, who’s to know exactly where they met their end?

The Maintenance
of Merry Men
Oh, my lads probably have a vague fancy that their
master’s made a pact with the Devil. They’re rough
fellows, and I’ve taught them not to fear their Maker
overmuch. As long as the Devil’s on their side for now,
they’re content to die rich men with generous wills and
settle their souls’ accounts that way. Heh.
Not all Cainite robber-kings take that tack, of course.
Some don’t even let their men know they exist; they just put
a blood-slave or two in charge and then sneak into camp at
night to claim their share of the booty. On the other hand, I
heard a ballad once about a Lasombra lady in Provence who
revealed herself outright as the Daughter of Satan; demanded
that the whole band sell her their immortal souls; chanted
a little gibberish to convince them the deal was struck; and
then proceeded to enslave as many in Blood as her vitae could
support. Heh! Now that’s steel. Hm? Her name? Clotild. In

WEARING THE WOLF’S HEAD

47
the ballad, she ends up marrying the prince of Toulouse, or Friends, then, friends among the settled folk. You
something like that. I don’t know if that’s true. need them, especially when the authorities press harder
But back to my subject, which is managing the men. than usual, and that’s the best reason not to go raiding
Mortals aren’t any more fitted to the wild than we, as the villages in your territory. Now usually we make do
you well know. Yes, meat can be had in abundance, but with the likes of Gunnora and John. The taverns of
bread doesn’t grow on trees, nor do wenches. The men Horsham and Arundel, though, are a suitable reward
must go into town or village for provisions, if nothing for an especially good haul. Be sure to gamble, at least a
else. And what’s the point of stealing a mountain of coin little. If you don’t, the men will think something’s very
if you can’t purchase a few pleasures with it? There’s wrong with you!
no way to stop them taking their little furloughs; you Eh? Yes. Yes, that’s true. It sometimes comes to pass
can only teach them to be smart about it and hope the that a lord or freeholder adopts a gang of bandits, so to
lessons stick. speak, and even receives them into his home. Indeed it

Outlawry
The word outlaw, though loosely applied to criminals in general, actually has a specific legal meaning in
the Dark Medieval world.
Criminal justice in the Middle Ages is a haphazard affair at best. Since they lack an organized police force
to carry out their dictates, courts have very little power to actually compel defendants to appear. Yes, local
communities (like the English tithings and hundreds) are held legally responsible for their fugitives, but this
provides only middling motivation, particularly to the offender. After all, everyone knows that the overwhelm-
ing majority of trials end in conviction (since criminal cases only proceed that far when the powers that be
wish it so). Given the harshness of felony sentences, it should come as no surprise that defendants who can’t
or won’t produce the funds necessary to buy off the authorities very rarely appear for their trials.
Outlawry, then, is the formal punishment visited upon such delinquents. An outlaw is effectively a
non-person — certainly a non-citizen. He loses all legal rights, including the right to own property. Any land
or chattel he holds is escheated back to his liege. His life is likewise forfeit. Anyone who wishes to may kill
him with (legal) impunity, and collect a bounty for so doing.
Although an outlaw’s pariah status, as far as day-to-day living goes, only carries the force the local commu-
nity gives it, it’s still an unenviable situation — particularly for a person of high social standing. Class manifests
through property; a noble deprived of land and inheritance, in this period, is no longer noble in any practical
sense of the word. Such a degradation is bound to come as a stinging humiliation. And with the humiliation
comes a question: How to make a living now, when one only possesses the skills suited to aristocracy?
Perhaps that’s why the romances are so full of wronged noblemen who embark on their criminal careers only
after becoming outlaw at the instigation of usurping enemies (a reversal of what one hopes is the more usual
process: the crimes first, then the sentence). Eustace the Monk and Fouke le Fitz Warin are good 13th-century
examples of the type, and historical to boot — though the reader should be warned that their conduct in the
ballads falls a good deal short of Arthurian chivalry. (Eustace, in fact, manages to dabble not only in woodland
brigandry but also piracy and even necromancy over the course of his impressive career.)
Another commonplace of the ballads is that the outlaw’s king or liege invariably pardons him at story’s
end, and even rewards him with land and honors. This idea may strain modern credulity, but actually, a num-
ber of medieval outlaws are able to earn pardons for themselves — some on multiple occasions! — by aiding
their sovereign with either money or military might. Indeed, a scandalous number go on to become officials,
particularly lawmen. The general rule in the Middle Ages is that if someone important needs your services
badly enough, even mass murder and pillage can be forgiven. Clever criminals, take note.
Unfortunately, Robin Hood, the 20th century’s consummate gentleman thief, seems to be a yeoman rather
than an earl in his earliest incarnations. Nor does he routinely share his earnings with the poor. On the other
hand, he has a stylish way of demanding his due: He courteously “invites” his victims to dine with him, and
waits till afterward to shake them down.
On a more encouraging note, for those players yearning to portray a Cainite Maid Marian: Women do sometimes
join robber bands in the medieval period, according to surviving court records, and are outlawed just as readily as
their male counterparts. Joining and leading (as a vampire would surely expect to do) are two different things, true;
quite a few heads might need to be cracked before a gang of bandits accepts a woman’s authority — or, if she prefers
a gentler approach, it may be more practical to join as a regular member and gradually earn recognition through
impressive feats.

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can be difficult to tell such outlaws from a lord’s regular see, they, like we, are a legend proved true; and though little
men, for they oft behave the same. We have no such remains for you to fear, they’re surely among that remainder.
arrangements with anyone. Fitz Payn’s got the lord un- What’s worse, they run in packs, like their bestial
der his thumb, and the lord has every freeholder within cousins. There were a pack of them living right here last
miles under his. But that’s the most comfortable way to year when Elton and his children went a-wandering. Heh!
go about things, I’ll grant. A nice warm home for the Your eyes are starting out of your head. Don’t worry. The
lads to return to at night, and influence over the great demons are gone now. Alured the Gangrel speaks with
men who might otherwise persecute you. Of course, you beasts and learned that they have left on some devilish
have to give up a fat portion of the take in exchange for endeavor or another. Perhaps more will come sniffing
such privileges.
along someday, but I for one hope not. To face them in
You can also let some of the men stay with their own single combat is to ask for destruction, or so Alured says.
families, if they haven’t been outlawed yet, and if their fame
as bandits hasn’t reached the wrong ears. That eases the In the time since their departure, I have noted a few
burden somewhat. A good half-dozen of my lads can dwell signs left behind by the demons. Do you see that stone
at home safely enough, and of course they do. Better cooking there, stood up on end? There are a few more about,
there. They join us when they can. All the rest, I fear, are too and I believe they mark their territory. That’s a silent
widely wanted. Usually they stay at an old deserted hunting command to stay away, and I suggest you keep it. The
lodge a few miles south of that lookout I showed you. It’s not earth was also marked with hellish glyphs when I first
much, but it’s big enough to have a fire in. surveyed it, but they have faded with the rain. I believe
Let’s tether the horses here. We must get a little further they marked some form of altar, surely where Elton was
in before the night’s done, and all the vampire blood in the fed to whatever corner of Hell such beasts serve.
world can’t fit these beasts for riding down into that ravine. Well may you shudder. Let us hope, lad, that you
never see one of these creatures. But if you do, run. They
The Den are powerful, but your blood can make you fast and strong
Which is the whole point, of course. This is the way I as well. Fend them off and make for the night.
come when I don’t want to be followed. Even a woodsman It’s getting close to dawn now; time for bed. Where do
born and bred won’t tarry here. Give me your hand. Mark you think you’re going? Look here — the old oak’s rotting
me, you don’t want to fall into that swift stream. out from within, and the trunk’s hollow can fit two quite
There. Now look across the ravine… see that crack comfortably. Squeeze in under the root there, and we’ll block
in the stone’s face? You can’t see it from higher up because it up with a stone once we’re both within. Of course it works.
of the sheltering ledge. It opens out into a little cave after It worked for Alured and I when we first saw this place.
a few feet. Wrap yourself up in a cloak, and you’ve got a D’you know, the last time I slept here, I dreamed.
haven for the day. There are nice little nooks like that all We vampires dream so rarely. Some magic left in the
along here. tree, I suppose. Perhaps it’ll happen again today. If you
Well, it’s far better than burying yourself in the forest dream too, you must tell me what it was about. Mayhap
floor. Carrion-birds and burrowing creatures can’t always it’ll hold something of our future in it.
tell the difference between a dead man and a sleeping
Cainite, as I’ve learned to my sorrow. A hound or pig
might dig you half up before you even realize it. I un- Bramber Castle,
derstand that Gangrel can sink into the earth at dawn
and pop up again at sunset fresh as daisies, but I haven’t Audience Chamber,
The Next Even
managed to talk any into teaching me that trick.

The Beast’s Lair Really.

Hush. Now, you were worried about dragons — here, we I confess myself fascinated. A dream, you say.
must be wary of something far more dangerous. You should
No, no, I believe you, sir. Scripture recounts many
tread quietly, out of respect for the dead if naught else.
episodes of prophecy in dreams. If only Pilate had heeded
You’ve only been in the Blood a few nights, my lad, but as well as you do.
surely in your breathing days you heard the stories they tell
about this deep wood. Yes, of poor Elton and his vanished Yes, young Baldwin has been invited the mêlée;
family. You thought perhaps those of the Blood were behind indeed, we look forward to seeing him. And yes, he is
his murder, did you? Well, I don’t blame you, but know that much as you describe, golden hair and a red beard, a
there are even worse things that that which you have become. portion of flesh missing from the lobe of his left ear. He
As you grow older, you’ll come to hear many terrible lost it to a Saracen blade just before his Embrace. He’s
stories of the werewolf and its savagery. Listen well. You almost as new in the Blood as you are, sir; a finer, more
valiant vassal could hardly be imagined.
WEARING THE WOLF’S HEAD

49
 I take it very kindly that you come to warn us of the indeed, you will keep a watch on the highway and inform
threat against him. By God’s grace, perhaps the tragedy me of any Cainites you see traveling along it, so that I
you foresee shall be averted. Neither he nor you need may send them escorts as appropriate. You will also en-
die for the sake of your sire’s foolish vendetta. sure that the robbers’ greed and bloodthirst stays within
Hm? Ah, your sire. Well, you must understand, he reasonable limits. You will report to me on the goings-on
has committed crimes against his liege’s honor, and in the wilder corners of Sussex. And it may come about,
more importantly, against the Traditions of Caine. I now and again, that I ask you to waylay some particular
cannot afford to overlook such things. If he were to sue victim. There are times when an enemy’s tools must be
for pardon, to offer me suitable recompense, that would disposed of discreetly, and if their misfortune can be
be another matter; but you have said it yourself. He is blamed on an accident of travel, so much the better.
too proud, and will never bow to me willingly. It is… Don’t be ridiculous. Arrangements like these are
regrettable. I understand he is your mortal cousin? Ah. hardly a novelty among our kind. You’ve no doubt heard
Doubly regrettable, then. My clan believes very strongly of this or that company of brigands being maintained by
in the sacredness of the blood tie. this or that mortal lord. Well, the benefits are the same
Nevertheless, you must ask yourself if you are prepared for us as for them. For one thing, there are only so many
to join him on his dark path to perdition. You did say he legitimate ways to profit from the commerce which passes
has no idea you’re here? Ah, that was clever of you. Good. through one’s realm. Through you I shall effectively be
Let me have a look at you, my young fellow. Your putting another tariff in place, and one for which no
profile is pleasing, and I notice that you “can of courte- account need be made anywhere. Is it really just that so
sy,” as they say. Your grandfather a knight? A Crusader? much wealth should pour through this area, using our
That speaks well of you. And you have dreamed to do highways and waterways, without benefiting the local
the same? Well, I have precious little influence with the folk and especially the local ruler?
Pope, I’m afraid, so you might have to wait a while for I have heard of worse uses and abuses, certainly. I
that… but the knighthood might be seen to. In time. If don’t suppose you know of Mithras yet — your sire hasn’t
you prove yourself worthy of it. In the meantime, you mentioned him. No. Well, I understand that on more
shall have to content yourself with serving me as the than one occasion, great Mithras himself has caused the
new captain of that bandit regiment. formation of Cainite-led robber bands in the north —
Of course. As I said, there’ll always be banditry. particularly Yorkshire — as a way of distracting his vassals
I could try to stamp these little vermin out. Perhaps and enemies. You see, a prince’s prestige rests on his ability
I would even succeed, for a time — though it’s not as to follow through on promises and threats. If he cannot
easy as you might think. I know that my sheriff is indeed even convene a summer court in safety, how can he dare
mine. He is pledged to me in blood. But when it comes hope that any real business of state shall be conducted
to his bailiffs, I can only do so much to ensure their in his domain? And if nothing of importance takes place
honesty and courage. I expect at least a few of them in his domain, well, how important can his domain be?
have arrangements with your cousin. Bandit gangs may serve as a form of extortion against
No, one simply can’t rely on the wheel of justice one’s neighbors, as well. Mortals rely on this trick con-
to tread such men under. Bounty hunters are far more stantly. One lord puts forth some proposal or treaty to
dependable. Such expertise doesn’t come cheaply, another lord; the second lord refuses; lo and behold,
naturally. My neighbor prince in Kent once managed he finds that his merchants who trade within the first
to rid himself of a particularly stubborn robber gang lord’s territory are plagued as never before by thieves
through the clever device of pardoning a condemned and murderers. If he complains, he receives nothing but
robber to lead a force against them. However, the man a shrug of the shoulders in return. Being an observant
also demanded to be made chief forester as a reward. fellow, or so one hopes, eventually he’s sure to notice
Which he was, until he died mysteriously a few months that no one else’s citizens endure such treatment — but
later. Yet — and this is the salient point — another that’s because they, unlike him, have agreed to be rea-
gang has appeared right in the old one’s place, along sonable. Soon afterward, he too shall concede whatever
the same stretch of highway. is requested of him. This ruse has also served many a
As for your cousin’s men, of course, I could have Cainite master well.
sent all the bounty hunters I liked against them, and all Then, though you may not believe it, there are a
in vain. Do you know, it had begun to occur to me that few Cainites who host robbers against their will. Indeed.
they were much cleverer than most bandits? I should Well, young sir, as you come to learn more about our
hardly be surprised to find a childe of Caine in charge. ways, you will understand. Most of us labor under various
And a childe of Caine will remain in charge. You obligations of honor. For instance, an age-old Ventrue
will prevent the men from harassing my guests, of course; tradition dictates that if another of the clan should
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50
 Storytelling
formally request hospitality from me, I am compelled to
give him at least a night and a day’s worth, even if the

for Brigand
petitioner is an ancient enemy. Only if the petitioner
is guilty of breaking a Tradition is this obligation lifted.
Not that one night of hospitality is all that useful to a
bandit, unless he happens to be on the run.
And there are certainly other situations in which one
Characters
Oh, sure, it sounds as though it should be easy. Robin
finds oneself forced to keep company with the disreputa- Hood with fangs, right? The idea has an immediate swash-
ble. You’ve already encountered one, alas. I daresay you buckling appeal. However, actually structuring a chronicle
didn’t realize, when you agreed to the Embrace, that your around a band of Cainite merry men (or even one Cainite
sire was wanted by Cainite as well as mortal authorities? plus ghouls/mortal consorts) presents a number of logistical
He neglected to mention it? Well, there you have it. and dramatic difficulties. A few obstacles to be aware of:
Blood is thicker than water, as they say. And it works • Isolation. The traditional theater of vampiric con-
the other way as well. Hardly an elder in Christendom flict is the court, that infamous nest of intrigue. Although
is without… embarrassments among his childer. But if players’ characters need not be habituates of Elysium to
he disowns them, refuses to receive them when they become involved in such plots, they must either dwell in
call, it only draws further attention to the scandal; and close proximity, or have reliable means of keeping informed
in any case, petty immoralities like robbing and killing of events and influencing them in turn. Cainite courts cer-
mortals are hardly considered sufficient grounds for such tainly exist outside the major cities and towns of Europe,
a rejection. Ties of marriage can be similarly entangling. but they tend to be far smaller; indeed, they often consist
And finally, there are obligations of prestation. Even simply of a prince and his personal brood, with occasional
an unasked-for favor must be repaid upon demand. As visiting guests. The opportunities for direct vampire-ver-
a result, I know of several princes in England who must sus-vampire rivalry are thus spread far thinner for rural
play host, willy-nilly, to scoundrels and mercenaries. Of characters, particularly Cainite “outlaws” and officials like
course, if one must, regardless of whether one profits by the scourge who spend a great deal of time under starlight.
it or not, then one may as well profit. • The Outlaw Coterie. When you think about it, there
That’s good advice for you as well. are very few reasons for Cainites to take up the brigand’s
Besides, there are matters of security at stake. You way en masse. Yes, it’s a quick path to riches, if done stra-
tegically. However, steep problems face such characters as
must learn to think of yourself as one of a ruling class,
well, particularly feeding and shelter. The more vampires
young sir. We rule over the humans, even if they don’t in the group, the less local vitae there is to go around. Nor
realize it. And like all subjects, they have a tendency to does it take multiple immortals to overpower the usual prey
become… discontented now and again. Most of them of brigands, and more substantial victims (such as fellow
are cattle by nature, too cowardly ever to rebel against Cainites) probably pass through only occasionally. Thus,
their betters. But far too many know quite well how to while it might make sense for a coterie to contrive a few
take up arms and get what they want by force. ambushes against specific targets, the justification for a
By managing these bandits for me, you shall mollify whole gang dwelling in the forest full-time is fairly thin.
one of the more shiftless and dangerous populations of • The Silence of Blood. Cainites who wish to make
men in my realm. That protects all of us. Heylyn of the their fortunes as brigands will certainly want a substantial
Oaken Tower — ah, have you heard of him? A bold leader, group of mortals in their employ. After all, clear superiority
but also a careless one. It seems one of his squires came to of numbers is the best way to ensure victims’ speedy and
realize what he truly was, took control of the band, and bloodless surrender. Smaller shares of loot, yes, but it’s worth
led the men on a raiding tour of Dorsetshire. Somehow the greater chance of living to rob again, isn’t it? And while
he managed to wrest a number of secrets out of his former a would-be robber-king can insulate himself from having to
master. Three Cainites were burned to death in their own deal closely with his men if necessary (by using ghoul proxies
havens before the massacre could be stopped, and I firmly for example), that deprives a character who is already largely
believe that blasted squire is still running around some isolated from Cainite society of another major opportunity
corner of England with that blasted Tremere trinket. An for social interaction. On the other hand, if the character
object lesson in caution, young sir; take it to heart. uses a more hands-on style of management (more fun for
all concerned), then he must contend almost nightly with
Now come. We must have our plans well-laid. I
the question of how to either conceal his true nature or put
want your sire to survive to stand trial if at all possible. it in the most flattering light possible.
Let me summon my scourge now, for he’s very clever
• Torchlight vs. Halogen. The true curse of Dark
at the strategy for this sort of thing. What’s that? A
Ages vampires: mortals simply aren’t as active in the
scullery maid? Treachery in my kitchen! Well, you evening as they will be in centuries to come. That espe-
can’t trust anyone anymore….
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51
cially applies to travel. People don’t ride at night when A band of human brigands with a vampire chief is far
they can help it, even on the smoothest highway. Non- more plausible than one with multiple Cainites. If your
ghoul horses stumble in the dark, and during the new chronicle’s robber band fits this model, consider letting
moon or on overcast nights, human beings can’t see past the other players in the troupe create mortal characters
the few yards of illumination a lamp or torch provides. in the brigand band for part-time or even full-time play.
Even most raids take place during the day (particularly • Sponsorship. It’s all too common for brigands
raids on markets, a favorite tactic of medieval brigands), and highwaymen to collude with local lords, magnates
although there’s at least some strategic justification for and officials. If your players’ characters have made such
descending upon a sleeping inn or village. The day-to-day arrangements with a nearby vampire, that can serve both
business of brigandry is just that — day to day — which as a connection to the wider circles of Cainite society
cuts vampires out of much of the fun. and as a source of endless story hooks. The characters
will certainly end up getting entangled in their patron’s
Solutions intrigues whether they like it or not (after all, they’re
All that said, there are a number of ways to overcome, too useful a tool to ignore), particularly if their patron
or, more to the point, sidestep these obstacles while milking also supports a brood or a Cainite court.
the outlaw legend for every drop of story potential: Alternatively, you might cast the characters themselves
• Deeper Characterization. Since the cast of charac- as the lordly sponsors, which gives you, as Storyteller, more
ters for a Sherwood Forest chronicle is likely to be smaller freedom. The characters can take an active role in the
than that for one set in, say, Constantinople, the Storyteller brigand band more or less as it pleases them — he who pays
must ensure that all the dramatis personae, including the the rent runs the show — and then leave it in the hands of
players’ coterie, are even more richly layered than usual. surrogates when they must attend to more traditional plot
Not a single character should go to waste, most lines in their elders’ city and country courts. (Make sure
especially not the villain. The device of a shadowy, that their patronage of criminals gets them into political
nigh-invincible nemesis who is suggested largely through trouble more than once!) This approach also helps solve
the actions of her pawns and henchmen won’t give nearly some of the logistical problems, since the characters will
as much mileage here as in a city chronicle. You need a have a manor house or perhaps even a fortified castle at their
villain who is truly fun to hate — even if she’s not in- disposal. On the other hand, it does undercut the mystique
tended to serve as chief villain for the entire chronicle, of rebels living by their wits in the wild greenwood.
let her make the most of the spotlight while she’s got it. • Rebels With A Cause. On that subject: If your
Try making her as clever and powerful as the combined chronicle is built around a gang of bona fide woodland
coterie, so that the chronicle can careen satisfyingly to robber-vampires who must get along without easy access
and fro as heroes and villain exchange tenuous victories to well-fed vessels and soft havens, they’d better have a
and narrow defeats. Feel free to provide lucky breaks as good reason to be doing what they’re doing.
needed, within reason. Give everyone in the setting a Is it survival? Do they literally have no other option?
detailed past, as well as strong feelings about a number Is there some reason why they can’t simply leave the
of issues (religion, class, current mortal wars, royal suc- area and try to find a more comfortable existence else-
cessions, the elders of the region, etc.). where? Is it a burning vendetta, and if so, why do they
• Mortals, Mortals, Mortals. An extension of the all share this common hatred? And how long can you as
same principle. As noted above, your Cainite brigands are Storyteller keep the vendetta from being satisfied, and
likely to be dealing more closely with mortals than most what happens after that? Is it greed, and if so, why are
other vampires. Make their cohorts and victims colorful they taking this particular get-rich-quick route? What do
(especially the more despicable types), and spend a lot they plan to do with their ill-gotten gains? How did they
of time demonstrating how the vagaries of these people’s meet? Were they fellow-brigands in mortal life who got
petty existences affect the characters. Yes, the cheapness of Embraced together somehow and just haven’t thought
mortal life is a potent theme for Vampire games in general to change careers, or were they all originally captains of
and Dark Ages games in particular, but the theme is doubly separate bands who have now agreed to combine forces?
potent when demonstrated on mortals that the characters The better the answers to these questions, the more easily
have come to appreciate, even as comic relief. Robin plot lines will develop.
wouldn’t have been much good at all without Little John A noble cause is, of course, the very stuff of legend, so
and Much the Miller’s Son; don’t let anybody forget that. it’s worth it to your players to try to find one… or to make
Don’t let the myriad rural settings where mortals can be their characters paint their cause as noble, whatever the
encountered go to waste, either. The woods can host hermits, reality of the matter. Rebellions have a tendency to live
poaching villeins and royal huntsmen alike; the local mon- on in story and song, even when the historical truth is
astery and its neighboring village are bound to be hotbeds of nowhere near as pretty. Moreover, there are always (at
minor dramas; ditto for the local manor and its neighboring least) two sides to every story, and most criminals are
village, whether or not any Cainites reside there. justified in their own minds.
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52
 An outlaw chronicle that takes on such moral line would undoubtedly devastate them, perhaps even
overtones provides a perfect opportunity to show the crush them for all time….
disturbingly fine distinctions between war and brigandage The Balearic Islands of Spain, particularly Majorca,
(picture, for instance, an Outremer chronicle where the are under strong Islamic rule at the moment. Indeed,
characters, as Crusaders, are essentially brigands for Christ); Majorca itself is now powerful enough to offer its pro-
between true justice and suppression of dissidence; between tection (which, obviously, comes with strings attached)
legitimate and de facto authority; between violence in the to a number of ports on the African coast with which it
name of whatever and violence for its own sake (if your trades extensively. It has become astonishingly rich on
coterie consists of hopeless idealists, consider letting their this commerce, and Palma, its major city, is famous for
precious cause degenerate horribly over time as they and its bakeries, bathhouses and palaces.
their followers lose touch with their roots); between real However, trouble brews even in this paradise. The
vampiric depredations and the metaphorical vampirism eternally feuding maritime states of Pisa and Genoa
of mortal authorities; and much, much more. continue to harass each other for dominance over the
Have fun. Mediterranean trade routes; Majorca is a prize either of
them would pay dearly to get, not only because of its
Brigands importance as a trade port, but also because it would
serve as an excellent launching pad for corsair attacks
Beyond the Wood
This chapter has focused on those criminals most associated
against either city’s ships. Majorca’s government also has
an ongoing rivalry with the mainland Muslims. In the
face of these multiple conflicts, it becomes progressively
with the term “brigand”: robbers and highwaymen who prey on weaker and more vulnerable to piracy, particularly after
travelers through the forests and countryside of Europe. And a revolt and subsequent conquest by the Almohads.
given the importance of this setting to Vampire: The Dark Sicily and Malta have been back in Christian hands
Ages, that’s quite appropriate. There are other places for a little over a century, but their nobles still remember
where bandits and thieves ply their trade, however, and the lessons learned under the Muslim pirates and corsairs.
some mention needs to be made of them. The following Indeed, the current Count of Malta (the Genoese captain
sections should serve as primers for your own imagination. Guglielmo Grasso) and his recently deposed predecessor are
both famed for their piratical exploits. While the Maltese
The Tales of Dead Men: fleets raid Muslim ships with great gusto, they don’t neces-
Dark Medieval Piracy sarily forbear from attacking Christian merchantmen and
cities either — particularly those belonging to the hated
Some mention deserves to be made of what is, after all, Venetian/Byzantine mercantile empire. The King of Sicily,
a trade as old as seafaring, which itself is practically as old for his part, seems perfectly happy with the situation. At
as civilization. Alas, 1197 is not a peak year for piracy (al- any rate, his corsairs continue to enjoy their customary
though it certainly continues to plague every ocean known privilege of not having to pay import tax on foods. Corsica
to man). In Outremer, the Crusades once again freshly haunt and Sardinia, while not at their apogee, remain eternally
local memory, ever since King Richard recently marauded attractive to pirates seeking a base of operations.
up the coast of Palestine — taking the island of Cyprus in On the Adriatic Sea, Venice and Hungary vie for
the process. Still, the peace treaty he signed afterward with control of the Dalmatian ports. Venice being good for
Saladin is still in effect (though not for long). business, the port cities tend to favor the Italians at pres-
The Hospitalers retain only Tripoli from their major ent. Although Venice makes a point of clamping down
holdings. By the end of the coming century, they are on piracy (the piracy of others, that is), and has indeed
further exiled to Cyprus; upon becoming compulsory succeeded in crushing the vast Narentan fleets, the Omis
islanders, they turn their military genius more and raiders continue to practice their hereditary craft.
more to naval pursuits, and by the 14th century, under Meanwhile, on the North and Baltic Seas, one of the
their new name of the Knights of Rhodes, they number great mercantile empires of the world is about to be born. The
among the most notorious pirates and corsairs of the marriage of Hamburg’s salt trade to Lübeck’s herring trade has
Mediterranean. All that is far in the future, of course. propelled both of them onto the stage of world commerce. In
Still, passions in the Holy Land run high in the wake the years to come, a number of German and Baltic ports will
of the war, and where there’s ill will, there’s inevitably join their budding association: the Hanseatic League. Not
privateering, on the part of Christians and Muslims both. only will the Hansa eventually come to dominate trade
No doubt the Hospitalers contribute their fair share as far away as Russia, it will also prove a staunch (and
to the effort even at this early date. The diminished well-funded) foe of piracy in northern waters. Of course,
Crusader States, now hemmed in on a narrow strip of many merchants come to regard the Hansa’s aggressive
freshly regained coastline, depend heavily upon Italian trade strategies as little more than the civilized version
shipping for their trade goods. Cutting off that supply of a Viking raid, but that is beside the point.
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 possible. Clever seamanship, however, can make up for
You Say Pirate, I Say Corsair… a lack of raw force. Thus, pirates tend to prefer smaller,
As with the line between a soldier and a brigand, defter, lighter vessels. The superior handling makes all
the line between a corsair (or privateer) and a pirate sorts of clever tactics possible, such as darting in between
is a slender one indeed. In theory, all of a corsair’s or enemy ships to break up their formation, pulling up close
privateer’s deeds are rightful acts of war or reprisal, to board a ship or ram its sides and circling rapidly around
conducted against a recognized enemy. In practice, for repeated archery attacks.
the majority of seafaring raiders end up preying on • Deception: Although national flags per se are not
friendly and hostile vessels both; so the definition of yet in use, ships do fly colors; flying under false colors,
any one raider as a corsair, privateer or pirate depends then, is certainly a valid strategy even at this early date.
largely on the attitude of the present speaker. A captured or copied flag can allow the pirate vessel to
sail right up to its victims without fear; once they are
close enough that the enemy’s vessel (which is usually
Pirate Tactics clumsier, particularly if loaded down with cargo) can’t
Many of the basic concerns facing land-based brigands get away quickly, the pirates reveal their true nature and
also bedevil pirates: where to corner the foe, how to over- make their demands.
whelm the foe without getting oneself killed, how to obtain Other forms of bluffing are equally important tools in
booty in a negotiable form, where to hide afterward. How- the pirate’s arsenal: Pirate vessels should be well-armed in
ever, although there certainly exists a maritime equivalent order to frighten the enemy into surrender, but in truth,
of the king’s highway (trade routes are relatively fixed in it’s to the pirate’s advantage to damage the ship and its
these dark days, since sailors remain at the mercy of seasonal occupants as little as possible. Damage to the ship can result
winds and currents, as well as their primitive navigation in the loss of booty and prisoners, by the same token, can
methods), travel by sea presents its own unique challenges. be held for ransom (if they’re rich), hired on as crewmen
As a result, pirates must employ methods somewhat different (if they’re skilled) or enslaved (if they’re neither rich nor
from those of their earthbound colleagues: skilled). Waste not, want not is the pirate’s way.
• Maneuverability: Pirates don’t always have the • Mercy: Believe it or not, a reputation for going easy
advantage of numbers. Merchant ships, particularly on captured victims (once they’re overpowered, of course)
large cargo ships, prefer to travel in convoys whenever can work to pirates’ advantage. After all, the majority of

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people on a ship are usually crew, who, unless they too which Arab shipwrights gradually abandon as they begin
happen to be raiders, often have only their wages to moti- to experiment with Western construction techniques.
vate them. If they know they won’t be harmed, many will galea: A smaller, lighter, faster version of the Byzan-
gladly surrender without a fight. Even merchant captains tine galley, originally designed for spy missions, which
whose own cargo is at stake can frequently be persuaded to makes it quite useful as a pirate vessel.
give up a portion of their treasure if it will avoid bloodshed galley: An ancient form of vessel, primarily propelled
and the devastating losses that a battle might bring; but if by oars and used mainly in the Mediterranean where
they have reason to suspect that the pirates won’t honor a the doldrums (a lack of wind to propel a sailing ship)
promise of mercy, they’re far less likely to be reasonable. are common.
• Friends in High (and Low) Places: As with land- hulk: Similar to the cog, and often confused with it.
lubber thieves, all the loot in the world isn’t much good knarr: The classic Viking-style longship, which con-
if you can’t spend it. Although pirates prefer, in times of tinues to be used, though less and less widely, throughout
real desperation, to seek out remote havens protected by the Middle Ages. A fleet ship, its shallow draft permits
mountainous coastline (this is why they love Wales so it to be beached easily almost anywhere, thus providing
dearly) and treacherously narrow marine passages, the pirate captains with a convenient method for escaping
merchants willing to sail out to such godforsaken locales enemies and raiding coastal settlements. (Particularly
to buy stolen goods are a sparse and stingy lot. determined raiders have even been known to convey it
Fortunately, any number of seafaring nations count overland across an isthmus in order to confound pursuit.)
themselves privileged to take pirate custom: to repair nef: A generic French word for “ship,” but in this
their ships, buy their wares, change their foreign silver, period it most often refers to a common type of Western
ply them with a constant stream of venal pleasures and European single-masted square-sailed ship with a high
so forth. Governors of outlying territories, unhappy with stern and prow, a starboard rudder, and sometimes one
the relative meagerness of their lot and eager to make or more “castles” fore and aft.
useful friends, are often particularly accommodating.
Monarchs, for their part, happily overlook and even abet
piracy as long as it causes more trouble to their current The Banu Sasan:
enemies than to themselves. Corsairs should always be
wary of their powerful patrons, however; politics in the
Rogues of Araby
“He has slept with the Sufis, has banged his food-bag on the side of
Dark Medieval world are notoriously unstable, and a man the mihrab, and has slept under the rush mats in the mosques...”
can find himself degraded from needed ally to superfluous —Beggar proverb
embarrassment in less than a heartbeat. Although it is the focus of The Ashen Thief, West-
• Cowardice: Don’t tell the poets, but most pirate ern Europe certainly has no monopoly on brigands and
ships simply sail away if their victims begin to put up other ne’er-do-wells. Indeed, the tremendous civic and
a determined resistance. After all, as has been pointed technological achievements of Islamic society are not
out, pirate ships generally enjoy greater maneuverability without their dark reflection. When (and if) Crusaders
— no reason not to use it. Unless there’s some specific wash back up on the western shores of the Bosphorus,
reason to suspect that a particular enemy holds a cargo their awe-filled tales recount not only the ingenuity of
worth the risk of dying to discover, of course. the Arab physicians, but also that of the Arab scoundrels.
Tools of the Trade Arguably the most remarkable of these are the Banu Sasan.
A few ship types for the main Dark Ages period The “Sons of Sasan” like to claim descent from Persian
(note that the difference between a pirate ship and a royalty — Shaikh Sasan was supposedly an imperial heir
legitimate ship is largely in how it’s used and armed): who, upon being cheated out of his succession, took to
the vagabond life; but whatever the original truth of that
buss: A more up-to-date version of the knarr (see legend, the Banu Sasan brotherhood now encompasses a
below). Chiefly used for fishing and coastal trade. multitude of ethnicities and professions. It shelters Arabs,
cog: A workhorse of a merchant ship, with a right Kurds, Persians, Bedouins, Kabulis and Rrom; blind beggars,
stern and high sides (which discourages unwanted false cripples, bear-trainers, astrologers, street-preachers,
boarding). When weighted at the bottom with cargo or housebreakers and hardened killers all find their place in
ballast, the cog is exceptionally stable. A good choice its thronging masses. Even the term “brotherhood” is a
for longer voyages. misnomer, for many women belong as well (as the jargon
dhow: An ancient style of lateen-rigged ship, widely attests — for instance, baz refers to a beggar woman who
used throughout the Muslim world. (Lateen sails represent is faking paralysis, baghla to one faking blindness).
a great advance over the square sail, but it will take the The common denominator, if there is one, is deceit. Even
Westerners some time yet to incorporate it.) Can be in 1197, a burgeoning literature testifies to the cleverness of
single- or double-masted. Traditionally, planks are sewn Sasani tricks — now with ostensible disapproval, now with
together with coconut fiber rather than nailed, a practice
WEARING THE WOLF’S HEAD

55
 indigo-leaf, basil, cubeb and green vitriol, when boiled up and
The Cainite Perspective: A smeared on the skin, produces the effect of leprosy. Should
mere leprosy fail to elicit onlookers’ charity, razor blades can
Crusader Admiral’s Gloat produce wounds “delivered by the jinn,” while even more
radical procedures involving animal windpipes can sim-
… and so you see, my dearest sister in Blood, that
while I cannot prosecute the Amaranth against Hanif ulate severe hemorrhoids. Ground mustard in a cloth or
al-Din Bakr al-Mubarrak because he is a godless infidel, olive oil can help the false pilgrim to Mecca conjure up
I may certainly pursue him for the wanton breach of a storm of convincing tears. Clever metallurgy can dress
Tradition, and the Amici will be well satisfied. up a worthless bronze trinket with a precious-looking
Now, thanks be to Him that died for us — and to veneer. (If all this industry seems excessive, bear in mind
your cleverness, of course — my enemy has provided what a highly competitive profession false-seeming can
us that opening. All that remains is to prove his care- be. After all, there’s only so much coin out there, and it
lessness to the Amici. It is my sincere belief that if his always goes to whoever seems the most deserving.)
mortal lieutenant is shipwrecked and finds that he must Yet despite the numerous exposés, the akhshan — the
either drink from the wrist of a Frank or succumb to dupes — keep flocking back to get fleeced. As in the Chris-
the decay that has awaited him so long, he will drink; tian world, almsgiving is recognized as a prerequisite to
and then I shall have all the secrets I require from him. Muslim piety. The Prophet himself reportedly admonished
Accordingly, I have spoken to the Venetian, who has the faithful, “Give to a beggar, even if he appears before you
agreed to captain the effort on my behalf. mounted on horseback!” And like Christians, Muslims have
I can fairly hear you now, cautioning me to be wary a romantic attachment to the figure of the mendicant holy
with the scoundrel. Never fear! I have sailed on expe- man. This mystique cloaks and protects the able-bodied
ditions of war and parley quite often enough to know beggars of the Banu Sasan somewhat. As for the other
a pirate when I see one, and that he undoubtedly is. disreputables, as long as they can steer clear of the muhtasib
But unless his necromancy has taught him tricks even (an official charged with maintenance of order in markets
the Devil would blush to know, none of his pasty ilk and other public spaces, among other things) and the shurta
will ever be able to match one of the Magister’s blood (city guard), they can enjoy all the riches a gullible world
in seamanship. Can they call up the void to blacken has to offer. Or so the Sasani poets would have one believe.
the waters so that even Cainite ships run aground A Lexicon of Saracen Thievery
thinking they have not yet reached their depth, and If only to provide a glimmer of the variety of Sasani
make a cloaking gloom descend over an entire convoy endeavors, following are a few definitions and jargon
of vessels? Can they call up false silhouettes of villages terms. Use them to pepper a visit to the East and to spark
on the shore and sirens on the rock, to lure unwary ideas for deceptions far and wide.
sailors to their doom? Does the great Deep flow through akhshan: (sing. khushni) Outsiders, dupes.
their heart and soul, as it does ours? Until it does, and
until he can, he dare not betray me. anbar: A place for dividing up or storing spoils.
Sometimes a rented space, in which case the owner is
He has, of course, requested a favor from me in ex- sure to demand a cut of the take.
change for seeing to it that the Tres Magos of Túy meets
its unfortunate end. It seems there is a certain young buhlul: A master beggar. Beggar-men in particular
student in Toledo — some little Norman barbarian are expected to take on young lads as “squires” (and, if
from the wilds of the Boulonnais, named Eustace — you believe the poets, catamites). Accounts also speak
who presently seeks to ingratiate himself with that of Sasani shaikhs, hinting at another, higher level of
notorious cabal of sorcerers at the University, and organization. Presumably these bosses would organize
without much luck. My Venetian friend wishes me a system for collecting dues in exchange for their “pro-
to arrange for the young man’s removal to his care. tection” and arbitration. (After all, what good is a fancy
You would think there were enough aspiring wizards title if it doesn’t net you anything?)
in his own miserable swamp! Perhaps he hopes to dar al-qaum: A beggars’ house. These are usually
disrupt his clan’s mortal enemies in Toledo, or perhaps transient affairs at best, but while the dar al-qaum is in use,
he has some other wicked thing in mind entirely. In beggars who are too sick to work their usual rounds can
any case, it is a simple, even modest request, and I do come to it for soup and other handouts from their fellows.
not see how I can deny it him when my enemy is so ghazi: A fighter for the faith. Many a beggar takes on
nearly within my grasp…. the persona of a ghazi, raising funds to return to the front,
to ransom captured colleagues or to mount a renewed war
outright admiration, but always with the titillating details. The effort somewhere. Posing as a refugee can bring much the
chroniclers devote special attention to the ways in which Ara- same results. Some beggars even swallow their tongues
bic science can be put to wicked use. A concoction of dragon’s and, via a companion or wax tablet, explain that the
blood, gum arabic and gum tragacanth can raise piteous sores; enemy has mutilated them.
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 hadhur: A circle of mountebanks, astrologers, quacks, as Sufi wise men or dervishes, and perform any number of
amulet-makers and other such charlatan miracle-workers. “supernatural” feats to prove their mystic power.
hakiya: A mimic, especially one who can pretend sahib at-tariq: A “gentleman of the road” — i.e., a high-
to be a foreigner or converted infidel in order to work wayman. Mutashabbiha is an old term for masked bandits.
a confidence game. tarrar: A common pickpocket. Other simple variants
khannaq: A “strangler” — that is, a thief who of the thief’s trade include the practice of standing on roof-
murders his victims. Most operate by either befriending tops with a hooked pole and fishing from passing wagons,
and betraying or else drugging their marks; many pose as well as the delightfully simple ruse of stopping in the
as travelers or pilgrims, which gives them a convenient street to urinate, and when the folk nearby avert their
excuse to hook up with other travelers. eyes out of modesty, grabbing their goods and running off.
mastaba: A raised platform in front of a mosque. The zakuriyyun: Beggars who carry a special food-bag
Banu Sasan can’t practice their trade in the mosque itself, for going door-to-door. Door-to-door begging is a highly
but the mastaba and the suffa (the mosque’s portico) are prestigious, specialized and competitive field: mughallis,
marvelous staging grounds for tricks of all sorts. Fake for instance, catch people on their way to work, while
relics of Muslim heroes’ tombs are easily sold there, and the ‘isha’an catch families at suppertime.
pickpockets can take advantage of many distractions
(whether real or staged). One class of beggars specializes in
creating obnoxious disturbances just outside the mosque Isalmic Cainites,
until the beleaguered worshippers pay them to go away. Crime and the Banu Sasan
Others, in a medieval version of the windshield-clean- Christian Cainites have no monopoly on roguery.
ing, sprinkle rosewater on passerby and then demand A wide variety of Islamic vampires gain benefit from
payment for services rendered. Mosques are a popular mortal thieves, beggars and con artists or partake in these
place for paupers to spend the night; the stokeholds of crimes themselves. Specialized skills like the naqqab’s
bathhouses and kitchens, however, are warmer — one
proficiency at entering underground dwellings can be
can frequently tell a beggar from the ashes on his back.
very useful in violating an enemy’s haven, for example.
muna’’is: Shoplifters who prey on market carts. The Followers of Set are quite numerous in Islamic
munaghat: Cant, argot. regions and do not hesitate to use false-seeming and
musta’rid: A con artist posing as a “distressed other practices in the service of their dark god.
gentleman” who has lost everything to fire or infidels.
Clan Assamite — more properly the Children of
Musta’rids are highly respected, being comparatively
big-time operators. Haqim — usually try to limit these activities in the
areas they influence, much like Ventrue and Lasombra
muzankil: One who preys upon pilgrims to Mecca. A
common ruse is to offer to complete the arduous journey princes do in Europe. The clan’s vizier caste includes a
on a weary pilgrim’s spiritual behalf — for a fee, of course. fair number of legal scholars from many traditions, and
Another is for the trickster to stand by the road weeping they have little tolerance for thieves and charlatans.
over the carcass of a dead camel, and explain to passing The warrior caste, despite an increasing willingness
“fellow pilgrims” that without money for a new mount, to partake in murder for hire, has embraced a certain
his holy mission is doomed to failure; in a more gruesome Islamic militancy. Vampiric muzankil and qass had
version, he might stand over the corpse of a man instead, best beware, especially given that many other local
and beg money for his “friend’s” funeral shroud. Cainites also have strong feelings about Islam.
nabbash: A grave-robber. (Evidently this is a com- The Banu Sasan themselves are largely a mortal
mon occupation. Cappadocians, beware.) phenomenon, although one that has attracted Cainite
naqqab: A thief who specializes in tunneling into attention. A wide variety of vampires have piggy-backed
people’s cellars. Other housebreakers employ an accom- onto the brotherhood, making ghouls or servants of var-
plice to distract the targets — for instance, by posing as ious members, for their own purposes. After all, skilled
a member of the shurta city-guard and leading the family thieves, beggars and con artists make excellent spies.
off on “official business.” A Ravnos named Abu-Jamal has been more ambitious
qass: (also wu’’az) A street preacher and storyteller. than most, trying to gain influence over larger parts of
Like the wandering friars of Europe, these Muslim orators the brotherhood. So far he and his brood have managed
are condemned by the higher religious authorities; but, as to impact the flow of coin in parts of Egypt, and they
in Europe, this hardly hurts their popularity. A wise qass can are expanding into the Levant. However, his attempts
tell stories of the Alids’ martyrdom to gain Shi’ite sympathies to move into Damascus and Jerusalem have attracted
and pontificate on the virtues of Abu Bakr to get Sunni coin. the unwanted attention of his powerful clanmate Varsik
If he is especially clever, he might plant a kan (stooge) in (see Jerusalem by Night). A reckoning between the
the audience to whip up enthusiasm, or even a qanna’ (one two Charlatans — with the Banu Sasan caught in the
who pretends to be an infidel and is “converted” to Islam
over the course of the sermon). Beggars also frequently pose middle — may well be in order.

WEARING THE WOLF’S HEAD

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ASHEN THIEF

58
 Violence and injury enclose in their
net all that do such things, and gen-
erally return upon him who began.
— Lucretius, De Rerum Natura

FLAMES OF THE FURORES

59
59
 The hatchet rose, its edge a glittering line in the torchlight. the way elder Cainites deal with the disloyal, many such
The ghoul stood stolidly on the gravel of the courtyard. The childer choose to suffer an agonizing night-to-night exis-
elder Cainite stroked his chin. tence rather than the wrath of their sires and broodmates.
“Do you understand how you have failed me, Philippe?” Other Cainites restrain their childer from rebellion by
The young Cainite grimaced, his wrist laid across the misinformation. Some teach their childer that diablerie
hatchet-scarred stump where the manor’s chickens traditionally is the common custom of Cainites, that the childer must
shuffled off the mortal coil. “Yes, sire.” lay in a particular grave or tomb under pain of death, or
“Do you understand that I do not tolerate failure, that that there are a bare handful of vampires in the world,
it breeds more failure?” and that flight means an eternity alone.
“Yes, sire.” Finally, there are those who simply cannot run.
“Amputate the hand, Artur.” Some are held under the blood oath and thus cannot
The ghoul brought the hatchet down with practiced skill. conscience the thought of abandoning their sires. Others
The hand twitched for a moment on the block, as if it, like have something they love, typically mortal relatives or
the chickens, might scuttle off. Then it collapsed into ash. paramours, who will suffer at their sires’ hands if they
“You might think your little faux pas was minor, Philippe, flee. Others are just too well-watched.
and you might hate me for what I do, but my sire did it to
me, and I think there’s a lesson to be learned. Everything is Between witch-hunters and Lupines, territorial fel-
critical — we don’t live in a world that’s tolerant of failure.” low-vampires and the simple difficulty of surviving on
“I dripped wax on your cloak, master.” the road, the lot of a traveling vampire is a difficult one.
“Our world is not very tolerant of insolence either, A sensible and experienced Cainite is unlikely to bolt
Philippe. Artur, take the other hand as well.” without preparation — hoarded funds, a moderately safe,
The ghoul nodded, and the white-faced young Cainite pre-arranged haven in a new location and ghouls or other
placed his other wrist on the block. Inside, he boiled, but servants to watch over and protect him during the day-
not now, and not here. There would come a time, though. light hours. A paranoid sire (and most sires who abuse or
Someday, there would come a time. ruthlessly manipulate their childer are quite paranoid) can
make it very difficult indeed for these vampires to get the
For the young neonate, Cainite society is often quite wherewithal to flee and have any real chance of survival.
oppressive. Vampires are usually strongly overmatched by
their sires, and their society as a whole favors the old over Yet some do flee rather than endure the tyranny of their
the young, the strong over the weak. For every Cainite for sires. Some run without preparation and are fast and lucky
whom unlife is a gift or a liberation, there is another who enough to get away with it. Others wait until their masters
spends her existence as a virtual slave to her sire and elders, become casualties in the War of Ages, slip into torpor or
either bound by the blood oath or simply hopelessly in their become distracted with some new plaything or pet project.
debt and thrall. Some lucky few even manage to secretly scrape together
the resources necessary to make an honest go of existence
This servitude doesn’t necessarily mean that the vampire elsewhere, and a tiny handful manage to destroy their sires.
is her sire’s servant and lackey (though it often does). Being
the object of a hopelessly enraptured elder Cainite’s affection In every case, the young vampire typically endures years
is at least as terrible a fate as being his servant — indeed, it is or decades of abuse and servitude prior to making his break.
quite likely worse. The elder is far more likely to subject his Regardless of how the Cainite gains his freedom, he soon
“true love” to the blood oath than a mere catspaw. finds himself in an unpleasant position. Vampiric peers are
everywhere — the Church, temporal governments, even
For unfortunates, immortality means an eternity of criminal gangs and mortal trade associations. Now, without
servitude. They cannot escape, or dare not. While this his sire’s power and influence, he must make his own way in
may seem like cowardice, it is not. Many paramours and a society that goes out of its way to punish impudent youth.
minions know all too much about their sires’ comings and
goings and plans to be allowed to flee. After having seen Some do succeed, scrabbling their way upward to
legitimacy, either through the established channels or
by seeking new ways to expand their might. Most often,
these Cainites end up perpetuating the very system from
How Bad Can It Be? which they fled — siring broods of childer to look after
Reading this section, you can easily get the their affairs and falling prey to increasing paranoia as they
impression that every young Cainite is a maltreated become swept up in the intrigues of the War of Ages. Such
wretch whose sire lies to, manipulates and shamelessly vampires are dealt with elsewhere — indeed, they are the
exploits him. Obviously, this isn’t the case. Some sires basic character type for Vampire: The Dark Ages.
treat their childer quite well. However, very few of
the fortunate childer end up becoming Furores, and so The vampires that are dealt with here are those who
this section isn’t going to talk about them very much. attempt to break with this cycle and find a new mode of
That doesn’t mean they don’t exist, only that they’re existence. Like the Prometheans, the Furores wish to build
not germane to the material at hand. a utopian world, but unlike the Firebringers, they have no
desire to stand as equals to the kine. Like the Autarkis, they
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 Furores And Modern Freedom With Liberty And Justice For Some
At the turn of the millennium, we stand at the end While some Furores may campaign for a utopian
of almost four centuries of serious debate about freedom, world of peace and justice for both Cainite and kine
liberty and the responsibilities of the individual and alike, this sentiment is in no way universal. Just be-
community. Most Furores know none of this — they cause the Furores believe that the oligarchy of the
exist long centuries before any of the thinkers who Cainite elders is wrong and unjust doesn’t necessarily
laid the groundwork for the modern world. mean they disagree with the idea that Cainites are
naturally superior to kine.
While the Furores want liberty, they do not nec-
essarily want it on terms that we would be comfortable Indeed, it’s quite likely that they can embrace
with. There is no reason for the average Furore to favor both viewpoints without necessarily perceiving them
as mutually contradictory. It is only our perception that
democracy or socialism over enlightened autocracy, makes this seem hypocritical — the idea of a system
communism, bureaucracy or any other form of govern- that was not naturally hieratic is probably as foreign
ment. Likewise, there is no reason to assume that these to the characters as the idea of a system based on
Cainites will perceive any difference between Church aristocratic lineage is to the average inhabitant of
and State. These ideals are very much products of the the modern Western world.
modern era, and will not begin developing in earnest Even those trained in Classical politics can find
until after the Reformation. Indeed, few are likely to plentiful justification for such a view. Plato’s Republic
have even read the Classical works of Aristotle, Plato is a meritocracy of the most severe sort, and Aristotle’s
and Thuycidides. apologia for slavery could just as easily be extended
When portraying a Furore, try keep in mind that to embrace Cainite-kine relations.
while we have well-developed preconceptions about Just because the character and the player both use
liberty, justice and individual rights, the character words like rights, freedom, justice and equality doesn’t
almost certainly does not. She is the product of a mean that they mean the same thing. In different times
militarized, theocratic aristocracy who has never and different places, it has been seen as perfectly natural
really known anything else, stabbing in the dark to narrowly award and tightly restrict rights and privileg-
to build a better tomorrow. es — Dark Medieval Europe is one such time and place.

wish to bring the War of Ages to a close, but unlike the Cainite social history has a distinctly cyclical pattern.
Self-Ruled, they are unwilling to just opt out of the system. Ever since the fall of the Second City, there has been
The Furores are revolutionaries. There are many voices and a pattern of organized vampiric groups forming, then
many solutions, but the pressing need to change, to find a breaking apart from ego pressures, conflicting agendas
better way even at the cost of war, unites these Cainites. and the tensions caused by the War of Ages. During the
periods of fragmentation, the social pressures that prevent
History
“And so you’re telling me that this is somehow unavoid-
elders from grossly mistreating their progeny dissipate.
The result is a wave of unrest that generally results in the
destruction of the worst offenders at the hands of mobs
able, that we should just lay down and let these thugs — our of unhappy ancillae and neonates, and the formation of
own progeny — have their way with us?” some new Cainite social structure.
The Brujah elder shook his head. “No, what I’m saying is Rome, Constantinople, Carthage — all are examples
that they’re part of the natural process. That this has happened of such a structure. In the East, the crumbling Byzantine
before. That the more we push them, the harder they’ll push back.” Dream and its powerful defenders still hold even elder
“That is foolish. They are in rebellion. One squashes vampires in check, though Michael’s control deteriorates
rebels. That is how one deals with them.” a bit each year. But in the West, Rome and its standards
“No, Your Majesty, that is how one deals with them if one would of behavior are long-faded memories, nothing but stories
like more rebels. If we accommodate them somewhat, we can steal passed down from sires and grandsires, often long since
away the ones that are only somewhat committed to the rebellion.” rendered into dust by the feuds of the Children of Caine.
“That is giving in. If I give in now, I’ll have a thousand With social controls a historical footnote, the lot of
so-called ‘rebels’ at my doorstep by tomorrow night. Go back many young vampires is best described as poor. Obviously,
to your training hall, Hemocles. Politics doesn’t suit you.” even in the Roman era it was not easy to be a neonate
But violence did suit Hemocles, at least as well as schol- or ancilla, and there were always elders who could flaunt
arship. Before the sun rose the next morning, messengers had the rules. Still, since the end of the Roman milieu, the
been dispatched to local Furores from the newly crowned prince. prospects of the young have grown progressively dimmer.
There would be negotiations, and there would be amnesties, and
in the end, a few of Hemocles’ peers would sleep with the dead. By 732 CE, when Charles Martel turned back the
Who said the political career of the Brujah clan was in its sunset? paynim at the Battle of Tours and Poitiers, there were
already a fairly large number of disaffected young vam-
FLAMES OF THE FURORES

61
pires. At that time, these dispossessed Cainites had few willingly speed along a process that creates a system that a
places to go — most cities were dropping dramatically political rival could use to box him in. The Six Traditions
in population from sack and famine, and the vampires are more than enough common law for most princes.
who controlled them were clinging desperately to their As a result, the events of recent centuries have had a
thrones. Far from welcoming refugees, these Cainites were distinct pattern, as discontent slowly rises in a region. Elders,
in many cases exiling their own childer rather than place unwilling to legitimize the rebels by negotiating with them,
undue burden on the vastly reduced local population. instead attempt to suppress the discontent with increasingly
Obviously, not all of these down-at-heel Cainites violent and repressive measures. Each measure hardens the
were devoted revolutionaries. Most just wanted a place to rebels, generating more discontent and more sympathizers
call their own, but there were a fair number — especially for the Furore cause. Eventually, either an outrage or an in-
among those exiled by their own sires — whose experiences fusion of aid from an established Furore community enables
had left them determined to change the way the system a charismatic or cunning rebel to bring together the Furores
worked. By 800 CE, the urban population had begun to of the area, and take the fight to the elders.
rebound, and there was a large population of dissatisfied Often, but not always, the elder Cainites of the area
Cainites. Many of the toughest, those able to survive the close ranks and squash the rebels. Sometimes the rebels are
post-Roman population crash, had founded communities too powerful or too numerous to be crushed. In other cases,
of various sorts on the fringes of settled society, and the the elders fail to close ranks in time, either because they
ranks of the dissatisfied grew each year as elders, now free don’t recognize the threat, or because they fall prey to that
to mistreat their offspring, began to create new progeny ancient bane of oligarchies: divide-and-rule politics. It only
to take advantage of expanding populations. takes one or two elders willing to betray their fellows to the
rebels for political gain to doom resistance to an uprising.
Recent Events The result is often chaos. The average Furore defines
The Furores have been a real and going concern herself by her opposition to the existing power structure.
since the ninth century. Every few decades brings news Success, when it comes, is often sudden, and the rebels are
of some fresh outrage of the young against the old, of totally unprepared for the responsibilities thrust upon them.
labyrinths invaded and Elysiums burnt, of revolutionary Usually, especially when enough politically savvy repre-
states and angry youths eager to commit diablerie. These sentatives of the old regime survive to provide continuity,
rebels are the cause for many sleepless days for the elders the system quickly returns to business as usual. Confronted
of western Europe, particularly those whose mistreated unexpectedly with the need for effective administration,
progeny have flown the coop, as it were. These dissatisfied the Furores find themselves assuming the very roles and
youths are ripe for use as catspaws, and many receive methodologies of the elders they so recently displaced.
financial backing from other elder Cainites. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes there
But repressive elders are not the only ones who fear. are no survivors of the old guard, or the revolutionaries are
The Furores often use sharp, brutal violence — any vam- ideologically committed enough to consciously reject the
pire unfortunate enough to be caught in an uprising can status quo. Over the last 300 years, a fair number of such
meet the Final Death. Regardless if the Cainite is one radical communities have established themselves. Often,
of the guilty or an innocent bystander, war doesn’t care. the vampires who make up these utopian experiments find
As a result, the reaction to these open rebellions is often that they agree on less than they believed they did. Other
brutal repression with the support of even comparatively Cainites turn out to be more interested in making themselves
open-minded Cainites. powerful than actually effecting change. Between infighting
And the elders know no shame is using this to their over which political agenda will be implemented and the
advantage. “No matter how justified the Furores are in their machinations of the compulsively ambitious, many (but
outrage,” they say to their childer and fellows, “to bow to by no means all) of these revolutionary communities tear
their demands is to encourage and empower them.” Give the themselves apart in short order.
Furores an inch, the elders claim, and they’ll take a mile; if But the rebels aren’t always the sole responsible parties
one elder is handed over to the angry mob, then there will for these failures. The primary export of such ideological
soon be a hundred calls for every vampire’s head. Cainites strongholds is revolutionary ideology, and elders dwelling
will have no choice but to point the mob at their enemies and nearby cannot help but notice this sudden, blatant threat
rivals before their enemies and rivals point the mob at them. to their position. The ancient Cainites who were backing
But the real threat isn’t so simple. By bowing to the the revolutionaries just months ago are often the first to
demands of the Furores, the elders compromise their encourage divisiveness and factional infighting in the
authority, admitting that some actions are “right” and infant sect. What may have been an excellent catspaw
some are “wrong” or “improper,” and thus make them- against political rivals is a terrible neighbor. Nearby elders
selves subject to an external code of morality. It could be carry out every sort of subversion against young Furore
argued that the emergence of such a code is inevitable, but communities, from assassination and encouraging mortal
no Cainite savvy enough to become an elder is going to witch-hunters and Inquisitors to become active in the
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area, to the subversion of the political process through have many servants and warriors create ever-larger broods
paid agents and open military campaigns. (The latter is of offspring, and manipulate them more ruthlessly than
especially popular in the Tzimisce-dominated Balkans.) before, competing brutally with their peers for resources, for
power and for prestige. Three hundred years ago, rebellious
These Nights vampires were almost certainly either crushed immediately
or brought into the fold. But each decade there are more —
Furores today are much like Furores of 300 years
ago, just more numerous. The average Furore is a young and more successful — rebellions. The proto-sects that have
creature, and experiences events as a human would, not emerged have in many cases persisted, even prospered, and
as an elder Cainite long conditioned to the ebb and flow the draconian measures used to quell the tide of discontent
of the historical process would. As a result, the move- have only sown the seeds of future discord.
ment — even where there are established communities Unless something changes (and changes significantly)
— exists in a distinctly mortal mode. in the next few centuries, the fabric of Cainite society
Those few rebels that have heard of Carthage know will be rent asunder. Either there will be a Furore uprising
of it as a concept only, a name for a mythical golden age strong enough to achieve widespread success and spawn a
when all Cainites were equal. Many do not even know its new social order, or the constant conflicts will awaken the
general location, and those that do know enough Classi- mortals to the menace of the Cainites. Either way, unless
cal history to be familiar with the story are unable to tell matters improve, there will come a day of judgement, and
what is folktale, what is Cainite myth, and what is truth. that day, by vampiric standards, is not far off.

The Furore
More recent events are often just as misty. All Furores
know that there have been places where the rebels have

Underground
won, and many have even been to one, or even taken part
in failed (or successful) rebellions. This is perhaps the one
benefit of being a Furore — practically every rebel knows
that there are others out there with similar goals and am- The dark-clad vampires turned on Michael almost in unison.
bitions. But few rebels — and even fewer elders — have “What in the name of Christ’s bleeding wounds are you
a good picture of recent events as a whole, or of historical telling us? That you’re a Furore?”
trends in the ongoing rebellion of the young against the old. Michael nodded, “Yes, Uwe, that is precisely what I
am telling you.”
Those few who do have such a picture have good reason “You pox-rotten dog, you’ll get us all set out for the sun!
for high spirits or grave worry, depending on their loyalties. Do you think we bought this operation, laid out all this silver,
With every passing night, Cainite society stumbles a little lost three ghouls fair and fine, so that you could make some
further toward the brink. Today, the Traditions are honored political point, die trying to get your fangs into some elder,
more in the breach than in the practice. Elders eager to and ruin everything? Is that what you think?”
“No — yes. Damn you, this is important! Do you just
Hunting the Hunters want to live as slaves forever? Is that it? Until you get a chance
to be like them and take it?”
Because these revolutionaries seek to convert
neonates and ancillae to their cause as well as to as- The knives were out, and Uwe advanced on Michael.
sassinate elders, elder Cainites are reluctant to allow “Yes, Michael, because that’s all there is. More and more of
contact between their offspring and the rebels, even that until the Day of Judgement. More control, more power,
confrontational contact. Even a brief conversation more violence and more money. It’s not about God, or the
at sword’s point can sow seeds of disloyalty that will Devil, or good or evil. It’s about who holds the whip and the
hatch in a decade or three. knife and the purse. There’s no reason, and no rhyme”
Indeed, in many cases the elders of an area actively “You want to spend forever locked in the same routine,
conspire to conceal evidence of Furore activity from living the same miserable existence as your sire?”
their own progeny. Instead, combat-trained ghouls are “Changing the system is a loser’s game, Michael. The
used. In places where Furore activity is rife, there are people who want to change the rules are the ones too weak
often ghouls whose entire purpose is to scourge the to win. Tell me the elders don’t live in luxury. Tell me they
city in search of strangers and subversives. Ghouls can can’t do what they want when they want.”
hunt during the day, and are much more difficult to The young Cainite gulped by reflex, and remained silent.
detect than Cainites. Confined by the blood oath, their Uwe continued, “Maybe you are right. Maybe it is wrong.
loyalty is perfect, and their deaths, while regrettable, But so is the life we lead. I’m not going to steal a woman’s
are hardly heartrending. Better to lose several such life one minute and then wring my hands about justice the
ghouls than the loyalty of a prized offspring. (Who next. If you’re really right, Saint Peter will understand.”
says elders do not value their childer?) Uwe looked to his men, “Kill him.”
And they tore Michael to pieces.

FLAMES OF THE FURORES

63
 On The Run
Where they do not rule, those who are openly known to
support the Furore cause are often quite unwelcome. Because
they seek to abolish the rule of the elders, and because their
rebellion almost always involves the use of force, the rebels
themselves are often the targets of violence.
No Honor Among Thieves
Just because many of the vampires who move among
rural brigands and urban thieves are not a part of the ruling
oligarchy doesn’t mean that they are automatically allied
with the Furores. Indeed, the hierarchies of these groups are
often just as repressive as the society that ostracizes them,
and many members of these groups entertain ambitions of
their own. These groups are not so much rebels as underdog
competitors for the power that the elders currently hold.
The last thing these outcasts want is the attention
of the elders focused squarely on the ever-so-narrow
shadows where they hide. Furore activity, violent and
subversive as it so often is, is just the thing to bring that
attention to bear. All it takes is a single assassinated
ghoul or poached childe to bring down the wrath of the
elders. And with that attention will almost surely come
reprisals and the exposure of whatever plots the local
bottom-feeders among the Cainite population has been
laying to grab their own little piece of the pie.
As a result, the Furores must be careful to conceal their
identities when not actually “on the job.” Rebels who are
discovered by their fellow ne’er-do-wells may be harassed
and driven out of an area, possibly with a missing arm to
remind them not to return. Indeed, if a Cainite bandit
is currying favor with the powers that be, a troublesome
Furore left staked on the doorstep of some influential elders
would make an excellent placatory gesture.
The Furores return these sentiments, and in places where
the Cainite underworld is hostile to their activities, the rebels
often harbor more ill will for their fellow criminals than for
the elders. Elders, the Furores reason, are just holding onto
a good thing, whereas the local scum bear arms against the
rebels for a few debased coins and the possibility that some
day they might have a tiny little mouthful of the elders’
success. In addition, many Furores land in “outlaw” groups
prior to joining the rebel cause, and these vampires may
have been treated as badly or worse than during the time
they were in the thrall of their sires. Outlaws of various sorts
who find themselves in a community ruled by Furores would
do well to keep a low profile — many Furores are waiting
for an excuse to even up the score for some past slight, and
woe unto the Cainite that gives it to them.
Flirting with the Cause
The core of the Furore movement is rebellion against
the established power structures. There are “Sunday Furores,”
but the rebels are a dangerous crowd to run with. Neonates
and ancillae whose sires find they’ve been associating with
known Furores can expect punishment. They may lose priv-
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ileges or come under close scrutiny. Those with paranoid they nor any others will be subjected to the same abuses.
sires or dwelling in areas where rebellions are real worries Generally, but not always, revenge comes first, utopia
can expect worse: torture, domination, the blood oath or second. After all, the natural place to start overthrow-
possibly even destruction at their sires’ talons. ing a tyranny is the place that you know best, and that
But these sorts of draconian treatments are to be expected generally means the vampire’s sire and his fellow elders.
only in areas where the conflict is constant, or from sires of Revenge
the worst sort. Most neonates and ancillae flirt with rebellion
and the underworld at some point, and most sires accept this, Hatred is a cold mistress indeed, and most Furores are
though they may administer pro forma punishments — usu- well-versed in her icy embrace. For most Furores, unlife as
ally to avoid censure by their fellows or to teach the childe a neonate was either indebted servitude or concubinage
discretion. In places where ghouls are turning up dead and of indefinite duration. Their sires enslaved them, abused
them and quite possibly threw them away as a pawn in some
labyrinths are burning down, however, Cainites flirting
private war. Or an amorous sire may simply have discarded
with the rebel cause had better hope that the vampire them when she discovered her next “perfect love.”
who catches them on the wrong side of the line is either
Those who escape these chains can swap tales of
a close friend or a closet sympathizer.
physical torture for disobedience, of their sires and elder

Revolt
broodmates’ psychological games, and of the endless
and often fatal bickering between older Cainites. The
Sarah cut an imposing figure from the top of the tun. When she Furores are an underground railroad for these escapees,
had been alive, men had said she looked like a dray. Now she could and a society of like-minded allies to help them obtain
coldcock a carthorse and shatter its skull, and everyone in the room the only restitution that matters from their sires.
was perfectly aware of it. “How long have they kept us down?” Some rebels simply want their sires to experience
“Too long!” the dozen vampires shouted back. It wasn’t one final morning at their hands, while others want their
ragged. It had been at the start, but Sarah had given them sires’ heart blood, for the satisfaction of actually consuming
discipline and the sense of being part of something larger. the ones who inflicted such pain on them. This latter
Blood ran to her face, reddening her skin with pride. option is quite popular — diablerie has a visceral appeal
“Will we take it anymore?” as a form of revenge, particularly to vampires influenced
“No!” by the Cainite Heresy. The increased power certainly
“What will we have instead?” doesn’t make it unattractive, either.
“Freedom!” To the elders, who already fear the Amaranth at the­
She nodded curtly and jumped smoothly down from hands of their peers and progeny, this Furore blood-hunger
the barrel. “Now let’s go over what we’ll be doing. Since is particularly terrifying, especially after several retellings
Christophe and Henri killed his ghouls last week, Arnulf have made it even more blasphemous and common than
hasn’t left his labyrinth. He’s been sending out for his herd. it already is. Most elder Cainites can envision all too
Two ghouls go out and get three of the boys, take them in, well the scene as they are held down by a half-dozen
and bring them out about an hour later. Avis thinks he has thuggish Furores and their very souls consumed to feed
one of his progeny in there.” She nodded to the Malkavian, their childer’s insurgency. These sorts of images certainly
who mumbled behind her stained blindfold. don’t do anything to engender dialogue between the
“Avis also found the pattern behind who gets fed on, and elders and their rebellious offspring.
she’s called it correctly for the last three nights. Tomorrow night, Revolution
three of us will be replacing the vessels. Avis, Fangdog and Mole
will mask themselves and replace his dinner. Once past the gate, The Furores’ ambitions aren’t limited to a simple
thirst for revenge and elder vitae. They genuinely want to
they’ll slay their escort as soon as they’re alone. They’ll take the
build a brighter future for themselves and their peers. Yet
gate from behind, and open it for the rest of us. Then it’s all of us
where the Furores are united in their desire for revenge,
against Arnulf, and we never have a fight where we’re outclassed.”
it is the desire to build a social edifice of greater justice
The group nodded. They clearly thought it was a good that most divides them.
plan. Sarah certainly hoped it was. Of course, if it wasn’t,
there wouldn’t exactly be any recriminations afterward. Every Furore, it would seem, has her own utopian
dream. In most cases, they also have a candidate for leader
Goals of that perfect sect in mind — most often themselves, but
sometimes the leader of their gang or social circle. While
The average Furore has two goals. First, she wants the Furores are largely ignorant of “modern” government,
revenge — revenge on her sire, her broodmates, other all of the basic human forms except age-based oligarchy
elders, whoever is standing too close. The thing that are represented in their ranks. The most common forms
separates her from a driven and embittered Autarkis on are merit-based oligarchy, simple democracy and agricul-
the road to diablerie is that she also want revolutions. For tural-commune socialism. However, there are aristocrats,
the rebels, their actions aren’t just a matter of payback, republicans, theocrats and every other sort of government
they are an attempt to establish a system where neither represented somewhere among the rebels.
FLAMES OF THE FURORES

65
 The process of determining what the final form of
government for a rebel community will be like is often The Cainite Heresy
one of the critical moments for a successful uprising. As A vampiric perversion of various Gnostic beliefs,
discussed elsewhere, these squabbles sometimes destroy the Cainite Heresy preaches that the blood of Caine
young Furore communities before they have even fin- is holy, and that Caine himself was punished for his
ished their victory celebrations. This isn’t as common rebellion against Ialdabaoth, the oppressive lord of
as one might believe, however. Most Furore uprisings the material world. To drink the blood of Caine
are led by one band, and that band is generally united in is to drink the holy elixir of rebellion against the
its belief regarding the ideal state, if for no other reason tainted world of flesh. Unsurprisingly, these beliefs
than the members may never have been exposed to any are propagated by many Cainites in order to secure
other possibilities. It’s only when the rebels are of several herds and mortal influence.
distinct factions that serious clashes tend to develop. However, not every vampire is in on the joke,
and there are a certain number of younger Cainites
Tactics who actually believe the tenets of the Heresy. Many
of these firebrands are active among the Furores,
In their revolt against the elders, the Furores are typi- carrying the fight to their elders, who they feel have
cally the underdogs. They can’t just march up to an elder’s themselves become corrupted by the temptations of
haven, kick down the door, drag him out and cut his head Ialdabaoth’s fleshy prison. Hungry for the blood of
off in the street. Such open hostility is only possible late in their elders, these vampires seek to bring themselves
the game, when the Furores’ victory is already complete or closer to Caine through diablerie, both as a spiritual
nearly so. Done too early, a blatant act simply provokes the experience and to gain more power for their crusades
local powers-that-be to hunt the rebels down like mad dogs. against the corrupt elders, and against the blandish-
In place of simple bloodshed, the Furores must use cunning. ments of the material world as a whole.
Those who can’t or won’t are shortly former Furores. For more, see the Vampire: The Dark Ages
supplement, Cainite Heresy.
False Lineage
The most important trick to being a successful and every vampire isn’t expected to be able to produce a
long-lived Furore is not looking like what you are. Some complete pedigree, Cainites who wander into a city must
rebels are cunning, strong or fast enough to live outside the know their lineage and sire. There are, after all, only so
cities and demesnes controlled by the princes and elders. many vampires. The smart Furore will know the names
Many, however, are not cut out for the big wide world of of a few reclusive and surly Cainites they can claim as
snakes, bugs and Lupines — which leaves them with an their sires. The more likely the claimed sire is to simply
unpleasant choice. They can introduce themselves and eat any messenger who comes to ask about his progeny,
attempt to live in the elders’ lands under false pretenses the better. Sires known to be destroyed also work well.
while pursuing their own agenda, or they can try to live The reason the wise Furore knows several such
unrecognized on the fringes of society and hope to avoid vampires is because the smart rebel spends some time
the local sheriff, scourge and other interested citizens. incognito before he introduces himself. This allows him
Living under false pretenses is difficult, and for every to assure himself that he will not have the misfortune to
Furore who makes a successful habit of it, there’s another who encounter any of his “siblings.”
meets the sunrise for her trouble. The mistake that kills the Regardless of how it’s done, living under false pre-
largest number is to vastly underestimate the connections tenses is a gamble. No matter how good the story is, the
between various Cainite principalities. Webs of alliance and local authorities are going to be suspicious of new arrivals,
especially in an area suffering from Furore activity. While
consanguinity tie elders together across much of Europe,
not every city is a nest of informants and suspicion, some
and most princes can obtain some basic information about are, and some Cainites make a tidy living from noticing
a newcomer either through a formal request or by calling in what people would rather they didn’t and then charging
a favor with well-placed aid in a foreign court. The War of for their silence. A Cainite whose façade slips one too
Ages and other conflicts sometimes cut these lines of com- many times can easily end up under official scrutiny, or
munication, but relying on such things is a recipe for disaster. else a blackmailed puppet. The latter is particularly trou-
Many a young rebel has brashly introduced themselves as blesome — what does the blackmailer want, and how long
who they actually are, thinking that a thousand miles would have they known? Can the Furores afford to eliminate this
have protected them from word of a murdered sire or stolen nuisance, or does the cause demand that they act as the
riches. Little did they realize that the prince they sought servants of some greedy but observant Cainite?
shelter with shared a grandsire with the one they stole from.
The trick to successfully living under false pretenses Shadow Unlife
is to know what you’re doing before you try it. While Those Cainites not competent enough to pass
themselves off as someone else’s progeny (or those too
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66
 Shades of Gray
It’s certainly possible to paint Furore characters as strong-jawed, gleaming-fanged heroes and the elders as
black-hearted manipulators whose minions are lickspittles or violent goons. But real revolutions never work out
that way.
Sometimes the people fighting for the cause of justice and right are otherwise completely reprehensible. They may just
be out for number one and using the cause as a cover, or simply vile people who are doing the right thing just this once.
Likewise, good — even admirable — people can end up on opposite sides of the line for perfectly understandable reasons.
In vampiric circles, all it takes is one careless sip too many, and a perfectly admirable, even heroic Cainite
does his very best to send the rebels to their Final Death. Even without the device of the blood oath, there are
perfectly good reasons to oppose the Furores.
For starters, many Furores are bloodthirsty fanatics at least as interested in taking down the sires they hate than in
actually building a better tomorrow. Whatever they may profess, their “revolution” has a lot more to do with red-handed
murder than justice and equality. They found some ramshackle republic of the blood that lasts a year or 10. Then it turns
into a dictatorship, or the professional politicians rot it out from the inside, or the neighboring elders march in during a
moment of weakness, put everyone to the sword and have their favored progeny take over rule of the area. In the end,
they do nothing but cause hardship and strife and push Cainite affairs all too close to mortal scrutiny.
Even those who agree with the goals of the Furores may find themselves on the other side. Personal loyalty to a
single elder or ancilla likely to be put to the pyre in any glorious utopia can make an enemy of an ally, as can a desire
to preserve some part of the old regime — like a prized treasure trove of art or influence over a mortal institution.
And neither are the princes and elders wholly reprehensible. Indeed, they are very experienced at the business
of rulership and know how to maintain the Silence of Blood, to keep Lupines at bay and to stave off witch-hunters.
Furore “utopias,” often heralded by quite public slaughter, clearly have some problems in those regards.
In the argument of security versus freedom, some will always choose security, no matter what they have to
give up to get it. For them, better a balance of terror between the elders than a tottering would-be Carthage with
prospects as dim as a vampire’s chance of catching noon Mass. That doesn’t necessarily make them contemptible,
it just means they choose to see matters differently. There can be few things as moving as the conflict between
two persons or groups who know that, in the other man’s shoes, they’d be doing exactly the same thing.
It boils down to this: Conflicts, particularly social conflicts, inevitably put good and bad people on both
sides of the line — don’t be afraid to do it in your games.

well-known to risk such a masquerade) have only one cities with their high Cainite and ghoul populations, these
alternative. They must lurk on the fringes of society, creatures instead dwell in places that have high populations
feeding when they can, hiding from their fellow Cainites of mortals but that wouldn’t necessarily attract Cainite
as best as they are able, and striking out against the elders habitation otherwise. Hostels for pilgrims, isolated abbeys,
when possible. This sort of lifestyle breeds fierce Cainites county seats, market towns, popular inns and rural dens of
— the weak die off quickly and the tough get tougher. iniquity all make excellent bases of operations for Furores
There are two main requirements for where these Cain- who want to avoid major urban areas.
ites live. There must be a secure place for them to sleep, and Most of these locales have the advantage of a small
there must be food nearby. Because few European forests are number of mortals who must be manipulated to secure the
wild, and even fewer are safe for Cainites to wander in, “food” Cainite’s safety, and large transient populations that allow
generally equates to “mortals.” A safe place to sleep is harder the Cainite to exist without a local herd. Even if the place
still — a Gangrel can meld with the earth, but that costs has a Cainite already in residence, a band of determined
blood and means the Cainite must feed more often, once Furores can usually claim the place as its own, either
every day or so, rather than once every two or three days. by destroying the current residents, dominating them,
Some of these rebels live urban existences. While subjecting them to the blood oath or otherwise setting
medieval cities are generally not very large, the conditions them up as a front. With large numbers of pilgrims and
of the poor and the forgotten are often miserable indeed. merchants going in and out, the rebels have a ready-made
Furores can often carve out a safe little haven and herd source of spies and messengers, and can easily tag along
for themselves among the mortal dispossessed, provided with a traveling band if they must move across-country.
they’re careful to avoid the turf of slumming elders and Elders know this, of course — it’s an old trick. In areas
not raise the ire of the populace. It’s a hazardous existence, of heavy Furore activity, the local powers that be often
but no more hazardous than living openly among the city’s sponsor their own witch-hunters, either ghouls or duped
Cainite population under an assumed identity. mortals, to slog through the boondocks in search of Furore
The majority of such Furores, however, live what is best strongholds. Others plant ghouls or mortal agents among
described as a semi-rural existence. Avoiding the walled the residents of particularly favorable locations to look for
FLAMES OF THE FURORES

67
the telltale signs of Cainite habitation. These agents are far of lucrative holding, or skimmed from the tax coffers of a
more difficult to deal with than the regular run of snooping market town, or even tolls on a bridge or river. Regardless,
churchmen and burghers concerned over a wife’s sudden revenue means flexibility. It means the ability for the rebels
anemia. They know what they’re looking for, and a terrible to buy, bribe and hire as necessary. Disciplines can substi-
accident isn’t really an option. The elders who sent them tute for money, of course, but owning your own cart means
are going to take the agent’s unfortunate demise as a sure never causing the sort of highly visible ruckus sure to kick
sign of Furore activity and land on the area with both feet. up when local farmers start taking their cabbage wagons to
Regardless of the risks, these high-traffic areas provide the local city once a week and are unable to remember why.
excellent staging grounds and strongholds for Furores. It’s foolish to assume that most Furores are dumb young
Easily controlled and well-provided with prey, a large thugs; dumb young thugs rarely merit the Embrace in the
hostelry or market town can easily provide a dwelling first place. The sort of vampires who become Furores are
for six or 10 well-disciplined Cainites who take care not different from the sort of vampires who become ancillae
to bite too deep, as it were. only in that they have a lower tolerance for being used and
abused by their elders. Just because they leave the gutted
Resources ghoul servants of elder Cainites hanging upside down at the
crossroads doesn’t mean the rebels can’t operate a financially
Determination is not enough — you cannot fight a
war without resources. Mortal agents and tangible riches successful operation at the same time.
are the two things that elders have in plenty and that
Furores lack. Motivation and a willingness to break the Subversion And Recruiting
rules and get their own hands dirty can go a long way It is natural that Furores attempt to win others to their
to making up this deficit, but directness is potentially cause. Once you realize that you were held in chains, it’s very
quite costly and can easily trigger an open conflict long hard to not to spread the gospel of freedom. The overall outcome
before the rebels are prepared. of these recruiting and education attempts is generally mixed.
Rebels who wish to succeed must find a regular source You may need resources to fight a war, but you need
of income. Blackmail is popular — being the dark lord of a troops just as badly. If the Furores did not spread their
market town lets you put the screws to the successful local message, there wouldn’t be nearly as many of them. Even
merchants. The revenue could also be control of some sort if a Cainite is not persuaded to openly join their cause, a

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turned head or tipped hand at the appropriate moment can The righteousness of the rebel’s argument will generally
prove the difference between victory and defeat, or between matter little when pitted against decade upon decade of skill
flight and the Final Death. Even a vampire under the blood at debate. Certainly the rebels can sometimes out-argue their
oath has some free will. The seed of rebellion planted today elders, and occasionally the older vampire’s obviously rigged
can blossom over the decades into a broken blood oath or arguments may work against him. Generally, however, an
one so strained the thrall can work passively toward the open debate is an invitation to a public relations disaster for
regnant’s downfall. This alone makes up for the negative the young Furores, and that danger is subtle enough that
aspects of recruitment, and that’s a good thing, because the many rebels don’t see the pitfall until it’s too late.
negative aspects are legion.
Internal Dissent
Exposure Openly proclaiming the doctrine of revolt also
The first and most obvious negative aspect is the fact that has another, albeit less dramatic, drawback. Too much
attempting to proselytize exposes the existence and identity recruiting can easily expose just how little most Furores
of the Furores. While it is possible that one or two neonates actually have in common. While several rebel gangs
or ancillae might be approached without the cat getting out might exist in the same region and even work together
of the bag, the fact that the local Furores are on a recruiting despite their differences, attempting to make converts to
drive is just not going to stay secret for long. Once more than the cause often strains an already-tenuous relationship.
a few vampires know that there are Furores in the area, it will First, it is easy for other rebel groups’ recruitment
only be a few nights (or hours) until the only Cainites in the attempts to be seen as poaching. Rebellions and resis-
region who might possibly not have heard are the ones in tance movements require strong personalities at the
torpor. Once the local elders know, they can start taking helm. These are the sorts of people who tend to interpret
precautions, assuming they’re the sort of elders who worry attempts to gain more members as a threat or personal
about such matters. In the case of Furores pretending to be slight. And in some cases, they’re quite correct. The
someone they aren’t, one false step attempting to recruit wise rebel plans for what happens after the revolution.
allies means, at best, a flight into exile. If two Furore bands have diametrically opposed visions
Also, the rebels can’t sent just any old Cainite to for the future, it is natural (if not necessarily wise) for
attempt to convert neonates and ancillae to the Furore each to attempt to grab all the resources they can so
cause. Recruiting requires sending intelligent and per- that when it comes time to fight over the spoils, they
suasive advocates of the cause into harm’s way. Worse, have a decisive edge.
attempts at recruiting require communication, which Of course, the public spectacle of such conflicts damages
generally means face-to-face contact under circumstances the reputation of all the rebel groups involved and creates
that aren’t favorable to the rebel spokesman — nobody an open invitation for meddling by elders interested in
goes to listen to the bloodthirsty brigands in the middle divide-and-rule politics. Why risk your childer to fight the
of the bandit encampment. These contacts are perfect rebels when some other Furores will gladly meet the Final
opportunities for elders to set up ambushes, assassination Death opposing them? Even without recruiting and med-
attempts, kidnappings and what have you. dling by the elders, it’s already all too likely that matters
The sort of vampires who make good recruiters are will come to blows between two up-and-coming gangs in
generally the ones whose demise would be the worst blow a region. With competition for recruits and elders tossing
for the revolution. All it takes is one poor assessment of a in the occasional golden apple, it’s even worse. Even if one
recruit’s potential to lead a valuable Furore into a death organization is victorious, it has probably bled itself white
trap or worse. Worse, a vampire capable of making a decent smashing the opposition, and the elders can pick up an easy
recruiting pitch probably isn’t just a useful spokesman for victory against their weakened, overextended foes.
the rebels; she’s likely closely involved in most everything
the Furore band does. If the prince’s agents can get her to
talk, it can compromise everything the agent’s band is doing.
Terror
Going hand-in-hand with conversion is terror. Ter-
Sophistry ror is the best weapon of the Furores. By striking a few
well-placed blows, the rebels can make the night seem
Worse than being lured into an ambush is being lured
full of watching eyes and hungry fangs.
into open debate. If the Furores are recruiting, there is the
distinct possibility that some elder will draw or challenge Terror has a number of goals. The first is simple
them into a public dialogue. In many cases, this is the worst revenge. By making them slaves to fear, the Furores
thing that can possibly happen. The worry of ambush or make the elders suffer as they themselves suffered. The
betrayal, which is the primary concern of most rebels, is importance of this as a goal shouldn’t be underestimat-
not the real danger (though it is there). The danger is that ed. As discussed above, the average Furore is a hateful
most elders have spent centuries mastering their ability to creature, typically with good reason.
manipulate mortals and Cainites alike, even without The second goal of terror tactics is to damage the elders’
Disciplines. position. Assassinated ghouls, burnt or destroyed holdings
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and terrified herds all lead elders to take action, spending wrath of an entire region on the rebels’ heads. Delayed too
their finite resources to search for an elusive target. long, it deprives the mounting cycle of terror and repression
Elders typically have resources aplenty, but at any of its impact and gives the local elders a chance to regain
given time, most of these are committed to one endeavor their footing and prepare counterblows. Not only is the
or another. Terror attacks not only reduce an elder’s timing critical, but the actual process of assassination can
might, they force her to pull out of prior commitments, be very difficult, particularly if the target dwells within a
losing face and forgoing the opportunity to use those labyrinth or other elaborately defended haven.
resources for profit. Instead, the elder must use them For some rebels, this makes elders with labyrinths the
to chase down an elusive target and protect her other most attractive targets. By destroying the most well-defend-
holdings. Also, the rebels have a significant advantage, ed target, the Furores show that they can strike anywhere,
in that they are almost sure to have the initiative. They no matter how secure. The assassination of a well-defended
can concentrate on any one target, but the elder must elder increases the level of anxiety considerably among
attempt to guard all her holdings well enough to stop his surviving peers. Resources nearby elders would have
a full-scale attack. To do otherwise invites the Furores used to hunt the Furores or maintain their day-to-day
to pick off targets one at a time. Not only would such operations are used instead to protect themselves. This
an elder lose the target itself, but the rebels could quite grants the Furores increased freedom of activity, to strike
possibly annihilate the inadequate security guarding it again at a place and time of their choosing.
with no loss to themselves. Between the constant drain The actual manner of the assassination is of course
from increasing security and the cost of the assets actually strictly dependent on the elder and the Furores. One
destroyed in the attacks, one or even several elders can question that is always difficult for a Furore band is how
quickly find themselves stretched thin indeed. many of their number to send after an elder. The more
But the elder’s physical property isn’t the only thing they send, presumably the greater their chance of success.
that the Furores target. Their mental stability and their But killing an elder is never easy, and a wise Furore plans
image are just as much a target as their ghouls and in- for failure — if a failed assassination weakens the band too
vestments. A frightened, angry elder is an erratic elder, greatly, they will be easy picking for the target’s revenge.
prone to short-term thinking and fixating on what they And an elder’s revenge is a terrible thing.
perceive as “the problem.” Like bullfighters, the rebels What is important is to maximize the impact of the assas-
seek to reduce the elders to an insensible rage during sination. An attack on an elder involves a great expenditure
which they can casually slip in the fatal sword. Likewise, of resources, quite probably including the Final Deaths of one
an elder who is the target of repeated attacks can lose face. or more critical member of the Furore band. At such a cost,
Obviously, their ability to protect their followers comes the rebels must wring every possible drop of benefit from the
into question. Perhaps more seriously, a weakened elder destruction. This means fully exploiting the psychological
may well be attacked or even destroyed by her rivals or effects on other elders and their followers. The Furores make
disgruntled progeny, who may attempt to dress it up as it clear that the elder died by diablerie, even if they didn’t.
a Furore attack, or may just show their hand and laugh The rebels also make certain that they don’t leave the ashes
heartlessly at their enemy’s poor luck — the War of Ages of their own destroyed fighters at the site of the battle — the
is brutal and played for keeps, after all. matter must look as one-sided as possible. Because ghouls
Terror’s third goal is to make the elders more repressive. are essentially impossible to terrify, the Furores kill them in
This seems paradoxical, but it makes sense from a brutally whatever fashion will most terrify their owners — as if they
practical point of view. The very first thing most elders do were no threat at all, or else with gut-wrenching brutality.
when they realize there is Furore activity in their region is How to deal with the progeny and other vampiric
to lighten up on their progeny. Progeny whose existences minions of an elder targeted for assassination is a matter of
are rewarding have little reason to risk Final Death by much debate. Obviously if they are under the blood oath,
throwing in with the Furores. By striking repeatedly at the there won’t be much choice. They’ll have to be staked
elders, the Furores seek to create a climate of suspicion and or destroyed. Staking is better, because they’ll probably
anger in which elders are likely to clamp down on their be free of the blood oath when the stake is removed after
childer. They may become angry over real or imagined the elder’s death. Rebels would, however, do well to make
failures, suspicious about their childer’s loyalty or simply sure that whoever discovers the scene of the assassination
frustrated. Regardless, if they are frightened and angry can’t arrange matters to their own benefit, for example
enough, most elders will lash out at the nearest target. by decapitating the staked progeny and then claiming the
And the more the elders lash out, the more those targets rebels immobilized and executed them.
are likely to see the merits of the Furore arguments. Progeny and Cainite underlings who aren’t bound by
the blood oath are more complicated to deal with. Letting
Assassination them go can mean they fight another day, or imply weakness
Actually assassinating elders or their favored progeny on the parts of the Furores. Destroying them can make the
is a tricky business. Done too early, it will bring down the Furores seem too bloodthirsty when it comes to dealing with
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neonates and ancillae — nobody wants to work with the
people who butchered a friend or close peer. The actual The Real Situation
decision will hinge on the situation, and on what sort of Many elders entertain the belief that the Furores are
vampires the Furores really are, other than rebellious ones. totally unsuited to govern — that if they somehow do
end up in control of things, that they’ll make a hopeless

Revolutionary botch of matters. While it is true that the Furores are

usually inexperienced with the reins of power, the idea

Government
that they’re dramatically unsuited to it couldn’t be far-
ther from the truth. While it is understandable that the
“You’re leaving!” His tone was accusatory. average elder might want to take comfort in the idea of
“I am.” indispensability, it’s not the fact of the matter.
“You’re abandoning us! We need you!” Most Cainites are Embraced because they possess useful
“No, you don’t.” I started to keep walking down the skills, and those skills very often relate to administration. A fair
road, but he blocked my path. “I have a long way to walk number of young vampires were once highly competent nobles,
tonight, Erik. Let me go.” abbots or merchants before they became neonates. Just because
“It’s just ego, isn’t it? We don’t want you to lead us any- they are younger than their sires does not necessarily mean that
more, and so you’re going to leave. Who’ll be our general? they are totally inexperienced, only that they are inexperienced
Who’ll lead us in battle?” as Cainites. While obviously not every Furore was once a
“Aurelius is good. Sven’s good, too.” merchant prince, any given rebel community is likely to
“You bastard! You’re leaving me!” He punched me, but have some members in it who are experienced administra-
just out of anger, not to injure. He certainly had reason to tors. Lack of skills is not the obstacle that these vampires
be angry. must surmount. Their challenges have much more to do
I grabbed him by the collar and picked him up off the with the opposition the Furores encounter, and the lack of
ground without trying. That shocked some sense into him. established institutions with which to meet that opposition.
“Listen to me, and listen well. You can come if you want. To be completely honest, their sires are not neces-
Go, pack your things, and we’ll go together. But I am not sarily any great shakes either. For all that most princes
staying here, and it has nothing to do with an offended ego. would like to lay claim to the ancient wisdom of the
You elected Aurelius as your leader. I don’t agree with it, but Cainite brotherhood, the truth of the matter is that
I don’t think it’s a terrible choice either. But I know there are most “elder” vampires are at most a few hundred years
some people who do disagree with it, and that there are some old. Admittedly, this is a long time by mortal standards,
other people who wish they had been selected. If I stay here, and elders who diligently apply themselves can master
Aurelius will never be able to rule without everyone looking many fields of endeavor. Of course, elders can also create
to me for my approval, or without people bitter over their a brood of progeny to do all their work for them and
own lack of success whispering behind his back about what spend those centuries in scheming and self-indulgence,
a better job I’d do. He can’t do his job that way, and I care learning essentially nothing. Truth be told, there are
too much about what I’ve built to cripple him. Do you under- probably more elders of the latter type than of the former.
stand that?” I shook him a few times to drive the point home. TheFuroresalsooftendonotfacethefullmightoftheprince
Maybe I shouldn’t have, but I did. He was crying — tears and elders they target. Dealing with troublesome rebels usually
of blood. I should never have hooked up with a kid like that. falls to a prince’s minions — a sheriff, scourge or other agent.
I set him down. “Now, either run off and join Aurelius’ These Cainites, although skilled, lack the near-infinite patience
victory celebration, or go pack your things while they’re all and instinctive resilience and flexibility in devising plans that
at the party and meet me here, but choose.” typifies the most successful elders. Still ancillae, princely agents
He nodded, stood up straight, and said, as calmly as he become angry, act impulsively and take their defeats to heart.
could, “I’ll be back.” I nodded as he ran off, mostly to myself. To the Furores, this is useful — if they have access to a gifted
Stupid kid — he was going to get himself killed. politician (or the advice of a truly ancient Cainite), the rebels can
If the rebels are not exterminated, and they actively takeadvantageoftheirenemy’spoliticalinexperience.However,
pursue victory, sooner or later they will achieve it. What it isn’t all positive. A sheriff who can be led by the nose is also a
the rebels do when they stand on the verge of victory vampirewhocanandwillbecomefixatedonFurorecommunities
— how they divide the spoils if there are several bands that thwart him or destroy favored pawns and progeny.
working together, how they deal with elders who sur- Even when the Furores attract direct attention from elders,
render and how quickly they take over the elders’ mortal they may not be done for. Indeed, Cainites, by their own natures,
and supernatural concerns — all shape the government are static creatures. As the years and the centuries roll by, they
to come. Make no mistake: Actually carrying out the become more and more set in their ways. Most typically, this
revolution is as critical as all of the rebellion that led up manifests as an inability to understand changes in the world
to it. If the end result is no different or no better than around them — indeed, this lack of ability to connect with
what came before, then the whole exercise has been the world is one of the reasons most elders create progeny.
just another bloody little footnote in the War of Ages.
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71
 Elders from the Classical Era are products of a freewheeling
group of societies and have been through enough trials that
the particularly inflexible have long ago met the Final Death.
But the post-Roman elders are products of a relatively simple
world, that of landed feudalism, and the War of Ages has yet
to weed out those who are unable to change. Quite often, the
elders the Furores face have difficulty even grasping the concepts
behind the tactics the rebels use against them.
Challenges
It often seems as if every weapon is drawn against a young
rebel holding. Most obviously, there are neighboring elders
worried about their safety and the safety of their power bases.
But there are other menaces as well — dispossessed elders
and Methuselahs looking for a place to roost, local Lupines
and even witch-hunters drawn by the reports of vampiric
activity can all make the life of the community a difficult
one. Indeed, such threats bring an end to many Furore groups
within a decade or two of their initial success.
If a Furore community does the idealistic thing, wiping
out or driving off the surviving elders rather than incorporating
them into the new government, the rebels must then establish
their government from scratch. A certain amount of mortal
influence can be retained if the young Turks are quick to
rebind the ghouls of destroyed Cainites and pick up vacated
social contacts, but sometimes this is not an option. The elders’
resources and ghouls may have been destroyed in the rebellion,
or the Furores may not know what exactly the elders had their
hands in until it’s too late to pick up the threads.
Mortal influence is only a tiny part of what a Furore
community needs, however. The real menace to a nascent
sect is in other supernatural creatures, and this is a menace not
so easily addressed as mortal interference. The primary worry
is the wrath of neighboring Cainites, and their manipulations
are dealt with specifically in “Power Plays and Subversion,”
below. But, sometimes there is no subtle undermining of the
political structure; there is just open war.
A young Furore community must be able to somehow
repel attacks on its members or on the community itself
by the ghouls and progeny of nearby elders, and even
occasionally by the elders themselves. If the Furores do
not all make their havens in close physical proximity, the
attacks will almost certainly resemble guerilla tactics. This
is not because the elders are cowardly, but because they’re
intelligent. It’s much less of a drain on the elders’ resources
to have a ghoul set a Furore’s haven ablaze in the middle
of the day than to try to draw the rebels into open battle.
If the Furores all dwell in a fortress or compound of
some sort, or if the elder is of a particularly combative
inclination (like many voivodes or former knights), matters
aren’t going to stop with a little arson and some daylight
ghoul attacks. Instead, a full-scale assault is likely. Ghouls
may undertake this raid during the daylight or they may
be joined by vampires for a night-time attack; especially
chivalrous elders may even issue a challenge to battle on
the open field. Such a battle is a serious matter — the
elders are sure to put everything they can muster into
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it, and losing it means a drastic setback for the rebels, at not inculcated into their culture the way it is in ours. Of
the very least. On the other hand, such attacks take time those Furore communities that do exist, a large number
and effort for the elders to muster — Furores with spies or are one-vampire shows, run by an unelected leader with
sympathizers in the prince’s court will probably know about no real provisions for succession or removal should they
an assault in advance, and may even be able to ambush prove unfit. When and while this system works, these
their enemies while they’re preparing or on the march. benevolent despots provide the best government they’re
capable of giving. When it fails, as it almost certainly
Power Plays and must, it typically marks the end of the community.
Subversion Authoritarianism
The first priority of a successful rebellion, one that Another common path to failure is the authoritarian
must be tended to even before the first elder has withered state. Most typically, a powerful Cainite, either the leader of
to dust in the morning sun, is forming a government. the revolution or someone who came along afterward, uses
Wartime administration cannot substitute for this — wars a small cadre of loyal followers to terrorize local Cainites
are won with organization and discipline, but if the victory into submission. Sometimes this is simply repressive, and
is to be something more than a prelude to a totalitarian no improvement at all over the previous situation. Other
state, there must be an accountable, egalitarian structure times it is much, much worse. All it takes to reduce the
to take the place of the wartime hierarchy. community to a black carnival of Amaranth is a ruler who
Building that structure is the single most difficult task has no ambition but the gratification of her own sick urges. It
that a successful Furore community must undertake, and can and does happen that these hopeful young communities
it is the one most likely to go wrong. Resisting attacks end their existences (or at least their free existences) as the
is easy — most Furores are seasoned fighters. Building a playthings of powerful infernalists, demented Methuselahs or
stable government is hard, and building one that doesn’t a Cainite who is simply crafty and brutal enough to impose
base its stability on iron-handed authority is harder still. his will on all those unable to escape.
But this isn’t always the road to tyranny. Many dic-
Autocracy tatorships happen one seemingly justified step at a time.
Most successful rebellions come to fruition because of With neighboring elders eager to subvert the government,
the efforts of a few talented and driven individuals taking those in power must act to preserve their rule. The rulers
leadership roles. Because vampires are deathless, it is must ferret out those who have become beholden to outside
tempting to place all authority in the people (or person) powers. They must suppress dissent so that the enemies of the
who carried the revolution to fruition. This is one of the community cannot use it as a lever to tear the body politic
most common, and commonly fatal, Furore errors. apart. They must prevent vampires from doing things that
First, basing a government on the principle of “we will endanger the community as a whole. If the community
do what she tells us” assumes that “she” will be there has reason to fear infernalism or some other sort of black
in perpetuity. Vampires are unaging, but not immortal. practice, then that must be policed for as well.
They can and do succumb to the Final Death and torpor. Measures taken to protect the community and preserve
They are also not indefatigable, or infallible, or immune its freedom are often a slippery slope toward repression —
to the temptations of power. A particular Cainite may be the goal can easily shift from preserving freedom through
a viable leader now, but what happens in 10 years or a protecting the state to preserving the state for its own sake.
hundred when she becomes weary of the post, succumbs The habits of wartime thinking are hard to break, but unless
to the Beast, proves corrupt or when her leadership style they are broken, any attempt to find an egalitarian solution
becomes unsuited to changing political conditions? to the problems of Cainite existence is likely to degenerate
Similarly, whatever his followers call him, a single into a self-perpetuating exercise in power.
Cainite running the operation is the prince. He might While it may have stated goals far superior to the
be a friendly prince, but it’s still essentially the same average elder’s, an authoritarian Furore community is
situation as before, just with different people in the really just another player in the War of Ages. Having
various chairs. In the short term, this can seem benefi- long compromised its ideals, it becomes no different than
cial — neighboring elders are likely to see the leader its opponents. If a vampiric sect will use any tactic to
as someone reasonable they can deal with. In the long expand its power and assure its internal security, does
term, it’s disastrous. The community is still going to be the rhetoric it uses to justify its excesses really matter?
troubled by and take part in the same conflicts as before,
and in the same fashion, except that now the leaders Infighting
will have considerably less knowledge and experience. Perhaps the most popular way for a potential utopia to
The error of the one-man show is by no means obvi- come to an untimely end, political infighting has brought
ous in the short term. Keep in mind that the vampire in ruin to many a carefully laid plan. As has been said before,
question is often a heroic figure, and that while democracy successful revolutions are typically led by ambitious people
is by no means unknown in Dark Medieval Europe, it is with powerful personalities. Often, several of them must
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 How much dissent can be suppressed in the name of
The World of the Finite keeping out people whose only motivation is to increase
Keep in mind that elders are working with finite their status irregardless if they tear apart the community
resources. Unless you specifically want the game to as they do it? How often can a leader attempting to forge
run that way, they shouldn’t be cartoon villains with a better way of life silence those who oppose her before
endless hordes of minions to throw at the characters opposition in and of itself becomes grounds for silencing?
in this week’s insidious plot. Cainites have only so This situation is exacerbated by the fact that elder
many disposable resources, and once they run out, vampires excel at encouraging precisely this sort of thing.
there aren’t any more. Few elders are stupid, and fewer A young community of Furores shouldn’t just expect to
still are playing the game for anything but keeps. They be beset by compulsive power-grabbers. It should realize
will aim their blows to kill, and when they have the that these political predators are backed by the money,
advantage, they will push it to the fullest. advice and if necessary the armed retainers of one or more
However, the average elder has a lot of other things local elders. Maybe the elder is interested in securing the
on his mind. You don’t get to be a powerful Cainite borders of his domain, or maybe he want to extend his
lord by sitting around and twiddling your thumbs. holdings. Either way, he is likely very good at spotting the
Even if the characters have earned the immortal one (or more) Furore who can convince herself that she
enmity of a prince, his progeny and ghouls are going can take his resources without compromising herself. By
to be spread out, taking care of his interests. It will the time she is disabused of such a notion, it’s too late.
take time, effort and probably great expense to con-
centrate everything an elder controls to deal with an
unusually tenacious problem. While the elders will be
Exporting Revolution
The enmity that elders hold for Furore communities
striking to kill, they will in most cases attempt to do is well-merited. Often, the first thing that a newly estab-
so in the most economical fashion possible. Victory
lished utopian community does is attempt to spread its
is meaningless if it brings nothing to the weakened
winner but Final Death at the fangs of a rival. creed. Indeed, often before the pyres of the last elders
are cold, spies and agents have fanned out across the
Also, most elders have nothing but time. Not landscape to spread the news of freedom.
that they don’t understand urgency, but without a
compelling reason, why should they hurry? Some This is both understandable and unavoidable. Vam-
will resort to force out of habit or anger or immediate pires who have fought so long and so hard to gain their
need, but most are willing to pursue more long-term, independence are likely to look abroad to find others
economical paths to their goals. Why sacrifice a locked in similar struggles. Likewise, Cainites driven by
few ghouls or a childe when a few years planting an a compulsion to take revenge against elders as a group
infiltrator, fomenting unrest or provoking a mortal aren’t likely to stop with just one city or small region.
witch-hunt will pay off just as well, for a much There are two ways to export rebellion. The first is by
smaller investment? actually subverting and attacking neighboring fiefdoms.
This is really little more than war, and not terribly dis-
unite to lead their followers to victory. While the needs similar to the rebels’ original revolutionary battles. The
of the rebellion hold these vampires together against a differences lie mostly in the fact that the rebels are now
common foe, what happens afterward is a different story. almost certainly more secure, possessed of more extensive
The one thing that Furores have in common is resources, and hopelessly overconfident.
the desire to live outside their elders’ tyrannical grasp. In this regard, the reach of these young communities
Beyond that, they agree on very little indeed. Left with exceeds their grasp. It is not uncommon for such vampires
nothing to hold them together but the promise of brighter to have almost their whole strength out stirring up havoc
tomorrows, a fervently Catholic Lasombra and a Brujah while the weak sisters and the ghouls keep the home fires
yearning to return to the glory of the Hellenic age are not burning. The result is obvious: A huge amount of effort is
going to get along well, and neither are their followers. spent stirring up trouble, and that trouble then lands on
Slightly (but only slightly) worse is the specter of political the unprepared community with both feet. Many successful
opportunism. In any social group, there will be those who Furore groups make this error, and it destroys many of them.
want to better themselves regardless of the cost to the system. The second manner Furores export rebellion is by
The chance to get in at the founding of what is essentially a providing aid and advice to other Furore bands. Some
new sect brings these vampires out of the woodwork. Given rebel communities are very particular about who they will
the small size of young Furore communities and their often aid, only assisting those Cainites in complete ideological
tenuous position, it only takes one or two social climbers or agreement with them. Others are more generous, and will
tribe splitters to destroy the rebels’ chances. aid even groups they find objectionable. The enemy of
Of course, and unfortunately, the only alternative is their enemy is their friend, or tool at least.
to suppress, exile or destroy these Cainites. This forces Regardless, this the safer method of supporting revolution.
the leaders of these infant sects to make painful choices. The aid dispatched may be silver, advisors or well-trained
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ghouls to bolster the rebel forces. Regardless, a Furore com- play, as a location for adventure, or simply as an unusual
munity can give other rebel bands a much better chance background element that shapes play.
of success without necessarily weakening itself or drawing What has been omitted is the specific location of
the wrath of the elders down onto its newly unbowed head. these communities. As a courtesy to Storytellers who
There are downsides, of course. It’s only a short step don’t wish to find a band of fervent revolutionaries set
from supporting other rebel groups to acting as their patron, down in the middle of their ongoing Dark Ages chronicle,
and from acting as their patron to using them as catspaws. only their general location is specified.
It’s easy to play the War of Ages game — without any
conscious effort, a Furore community can easily become
an alliance of elder Cainites who differ from those they
Common Clans
There are Furores from every clan — it’s not as if
oppose only in that they use rhetoric to justify their actions. any clan’s elders have a monopoly on being good or bad
On a more practical level, these efforts must be carefully people. There are rebellious Assamites, Setites, Tremere
balanced. While they further the Furore cause and give neigh- and Cappadocians. But by and large, the majority of
boring elders something to worry about other than squashing Furores come from one of four clans. Depending on lo-
the infant Furore state, they are not free. Advisors, silver and cation, these clans taken together make up between 40
ghouls sent out to help another Furore band fight their war and 70 percent of the rebel population. Because there
are not available to the rebel community from whence they are more of them than of any other Furores, members of
originate. These young rebel communities are often operating these clans also most often occupy a leadership position.
in a hand-to-mouth fashion as it is, and many can scarcely However, just as there are Furores from each clan, so are
afford to subsidize the efforts of others. Likewise, while offering there Furore leaders from each of them as well.
advice and support is less likely than direct attack to bring
down retribution, it is still possible to go too far and bring Brujah
about a concerted attack by a number of princes. Zealots unsurprisingly make up a large proportion
of the Furores. A goodly number are rebelling directly
Furore Groups against their sires — just because they preach a rhetoric
of equality by no means exempts Brujah elders from using

And Personalities
“You’re bringing in a fanatic!”
and abusing their progeny. Others are rebelling indirectly,
against the clan as a whole rather than any specific elder
— these vampires reject the introspective elders of their
“Yes.” clan and seek to shame them into action by their own
“This is not about the Church, and if it was, that... priest success. Indeed, the Brujah are one of the few clans whose
is a Heretic! He thinks Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior was members join the Furores without a long history of abuse.
a savior for Cainites only!” The result is often more than a little awkward. The
“Yes.” Brujah are charismatic speakers and excellent warriors,
“What is this shit? Are you going to pour vitae into a but they’re often involved for academic and not personal
chalice and pass it out at the local church?” reasons. Some are fair-weather revolutionaries who vanish
“They are offering to back us up. In case you missed it, when they realize that Final Death is forever, but most soldier
Horsingas died last month at the hand of what may possibly on at hopeless tasks to which they have only ideological
be the best Cainite blood-hunter on this side of the Pyrenees.” commitments. This is often met with a mixture of admira-
“They are Heretics!” tion, puzzlement and derision, depending on the vampire
“They are sending us one of their missionary priests, who just doing the assessment: Many Furores believe that someone
so happens to have trained under the same person who educated who hasn’t been treated terribly has no business or reason
Jack of the Chase, and who has killed more elders than there are to be fighting a revolution. On the other hand, chronically
people in this poxed army of ours. Don’t be stupid. Do you want short tempers and powerful combat Disciplines mean these
to get us all killed? He’ll try to convert us — so what? We know Cainites are rarely insulted to their faces.
they won’t be forceful about it, and I’ve met him myself. He’s Philosophically motivated Brujah often have very
legitimate, he just happens to have some very strange beliefs. stormy relationships with their sires. These young Cainites
Longinus’ spear, Shannon, if we stand on our principles, we’ll be are clearly acting with their hearts and not their heads,
gone in six months! Ash in the morning sun, just like Horsingas!” which makes them foolish, but on the other hand, they’re
“Fine. I’ll listen, but I won’t like it.” basically doing the right thing, and both sides know it.
“You don’t have to like it — you just have to learn.” Unfortunately, the youths make it explicitly clear, often
The following section talks about the sorts of Cainites at inconvenient moments, just how they’re doing the
who make up the Furores, and briefly describes various right thing. The result is huge public spats, followed by
Furore communities that have established themselves unspoken apologies and (often but not always) the quiet
in Europe. These societies make interesting additions to provision of assistance or care packages, culminating in
an ongoing chronicle — they can serve as a setting for another public showdown as Zealot tempers flare again.
FLAMES OF THE FURORES

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Ventrue Tzimisce
It is perhaps no surprise that the Patricians produce a large Just as with the Lasombra, the Fiends’ high expectations
number of Furores. A number of those selected for the “natural and brutal competition produces a lot of Cainite refuse. The
nobility” of their blood and taken into the clan of “natural rulers” nighted roads of Eastern Europe are seemingly thronged by
eventually wonder when their chance to rule will come. In ragged bands of Tzimisce refugees, castoffs from the wars
most cases, the answer is not for a long, long time. Physical of the voivodes. Most are young Fiends whose sires were
abuse aside, the realization that the Embrace was essentially destroyed, or who disappointed their masters and were
a giant scam is enough to send many Ventrue over the edge. disfigured and cast into exile as punishment. Others were
Envy isn’t the sole cause, however, or even the prime mercenaries or accidental victims of the conflicts, thrown
one. Many young Ventrue have their heads filled with stories into the harsh, dark world by unlucky circumstance.
of the daeva, insidious creatures whom the Ventrue believe These Eastern European refugees are in some ways
lurk in the shadows behind the world and spin out webs of markedly different than their fellow Furores. Colored
black-hearted intrigue. It is often rather difficult for young strongly by the eldritch bloodlettings of their parent clan,
Ventrue, trained to see the plots of sinister demonic beings these Cainites hold strange beliefs about the sharing of
behind every events, to not see that their own clan and blood, and often share vitae as a ritual of unity. Because
society is also most likely a daevic ploy. After concluding they are so fierce in battle, Tzimisce are welcome among
that elder Patricians who participate in vampiric society the Furores. Indeed, in many places, their blood-sharing
are either minions or dupes enabling the menace even rituals have been adopted as a way to encourage loyalty
as they allege to fight against it, what real choice do the between members of a Furore band. Though most Furores
clan’s ancillae have but to attempt to stop it? It’s their discourage true blood oaths inside the band, the positive
duty by right of blood, after all. emotions engendered by sharing blood once or twice are
This somewhat unusual fervor puts the Ventrue near often encouraged, as they create a sense of unity and
par with Brujah for vampires who join the Furores for discourage betrayal.
ideological reasons. Like the Brujah, their power in battle
and their leadership abilities make them feared, if not nec- New Lacadaemonia
essarily respected, by their compatriots. However, while the
Brujah will typically hold forth on the righteous nature of (The Greek Islands)
their cause for as long as anyone is willing to listen, Ven- New Lacadaemonia exists on the border marches of
true Furores are more taciturn. They fight without giving the Byzantine Empire, just outside the influence of the
explanation, remain ever-vigilant for spies and portents, and Toreador Methuselah Michael of Constantinople. During
fear threats they choose not to share with their comrades. the early years of the 11th century, an elder Brujah named
Better, believe many of these silent crusaders, if others do Hektor (no relation to the Trojan hero) awakened from
not know the gravity of the situation. a sleep of several centuries to find the world around him
radically changed. The Muslim Caliphate, which had
Lasombra been at its zenith, was now shattered, and the Dream of
Just as the Ventrue produce many dissatisfied young the Methuselah Michael was clearly on the wane, along
vampires, so do their dark likenesses, the Lasombra. If with Cainite society as a whole.
anything, Magister society produces significantly more It seemed as if the time might be ripe for a new
such rebels, and those rebels are considerably more bitter beginning to the Brujah vision of utopia. Hektor had
about the situation. nothing but contempt for the posturing and reflection of
The Lasombra practice of recruiting second sons and his clanmates; he had taken the sleep of centuries because
promising might-have-beens bases itself on the promise he couldn’t convince them to act. Now, the once-strong
of recognition and accomplishment after the Embrace. Cainite social edifices had crumbled to the point where
Yet many Lasombra sires mock and punish their progeny he could operate on his own without bringing down the
for failing to measure up. The clan’s collective penchant wrath the elders. The time was ripe for action.
for overcompensation assures that for these elders, good Hektor gathered together a group of disaffected young
enough will never be good enough. Cainites. The recruits were mostly unhappy Brujah,
Those neonates who persevere until their sires release grandchilder and great-grandchilder of his own rivals —
them find that little more awaits than further chances to be an irony he did not fail to appreciate. There were also
disgraced and passed over yet again. The Magisters divide a number of Lasombra recruited from the ranks of that
themselves into an array of social cliques. Just being skilled clan’s seafaring members, and Tzimisce driven from the
is not enough — one must also become one of the Friends border marches by the bloodlettings of the Byzantine-Slav
of the Night. To be otherwise is simply failure dressed up as wars and the conflicts between the voivodes.
an acceptable performance. Decades of ruthless exploitation Though Hektor was no Methuselah, he was still old
by their sires and brutal competition with their peers embit- enough to have known most of the local elders’ sires, and
ters many members of this clan, and many of those hateful, his power had grown significantly during his long slumber.
ambitious castaways go to join the ranks of the Furores. With him at their head, the Furores’ rebellion was short,
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bloody and successful — one of the most to date. Most legal code, and all these policies exist at the whim of the
neighboring elders discounted it as just bloody-handed citizenry and dictator.
politics, but New Lacadaemonia was soon providing co- This, of course, is the system’s greatest weakness.
vert aid to a dozen rebel bands around the Mediterranean Everything ultimately relies on the Assembly exhibit-
basin. By the time potential rivals realized the Brujah elder ing self-control and having a dictator wise and distant
had an agenda other than amassing personal power, the enough to mediate any disputes. Hektor is already forced
rebels were too well entrenched to be dislodged without to mediate constantly in the Assembly, and there are no
support from Byzantium — support which was unlikely Cainites of his caliber to replace him if he suffers some
to be forthcoming unless Hektor misplayed his cards mishap. The elder Brujah already slips in and out of short
terribly and antagonized the city’s ancient inhabitants. torpors regularly, and when he returns to the sleep of
Since then, New Lacadaemonia has prospered. centuries, as he inevitably must, his structure will have
While it is not terribly different from a normal Cainite a great deal of difficulty standing without him.
community, it does have a much stronger democratic
component than is typical. In addition, young vampires Hektor,
may not be mistreated prior to their release, and Cainites Dictator of New Lacadaemonia
who fall into difficulties can plead for relief from the state. 6th generation, childe of Philogos
In terms of faith and belief, Hektor and his priestess Clan: Brujah
Maureen preserve pagan practices from pre-Christian Nature: Autocrat
days, but many of the citizens retain their Byzantine Demeanor: Judge
Orthodoxy. To follow the faith of the dictator, however, Embrace: 375 CE
has a certain status attached to it, and a growing cabal Apparent Age: late 30s
of Cainites have been initiated into the secrets of their Sired during the fall of the Western Roman Empire and
mystery cult. the rise of the Byzantine state, Hektor spent his time as a
Structure neonate listening to tales of Greek and Carthaginian glory
New Lacadaemonia is located on a large island with passed down from sire to childe from his great-grandsire,
about 20,000 inhabitants spread across a small city, who had once held an important post in Sparta, and who
several market towns and a large number of agricultural had served as a functionary in Carthage prior to the First
hamlets. These mortals are essentially serfs of the 40 or Punic War. Frustrated with his sire’s and his peers’ lack of
so Cainites who make up the citizenry of the vampiric willingness to actually do anything about the decline of his
state. The mortal inhabitants (whom the vampires call clan or of the world in general, Hektor cast about angrily
“helots”) are allowed to retain their own rituals and for something he could seize on to give meaning to his
religion, but are not allowed to move elsewhere. existence. Failing to find anything, he laid down to sleep
The island remits the proper tax revenues to the the morning after he heard the news of Attila’s entrance
Byzantine Empire, and the Lacadaemonians assure into the Po Valley, and slept away the centuries, never
themselves that the tax-farming governors appointed knowing that the Hun had been turned back.
to administer it are scrupulously honest, hopelessly
dominated and totally ignorant of the true situation on
the island. In this way, the utopia is preserved.
Hektor is the dictator of New Lacadaemonia, and
theoretically he holds all power. In reality he serves
as a sort of manager, arbitrating between factions and
giving assent to decisions of the Assembly, a body made
up of every Cainite citizen released by their sire. All
of these vampires have a legally equal voice and the
Assembly can recommend any action it feels necessary
for the community’s wellbeing. This includes but is not
limited to raising tax revenues and the conscription,
exile or even death of a Cainite. Hektor must sanction
a recommendation for it to be enacted.
New Lacadaemonia generally abides by several of the
Six Traditions: Hektor (and the Assembly) approve every
Embrace and review any destruction, sires are responsible
(and still release) their childer, havens remain largely
sacrosanct, and the community preserves the Silence of
Blood to avoid outside attention. But there is no strict

FLAMES OF THE FURORES

77
 While a valiant warrior and skilled leader, Hektor is ing to his duties by advising rebel groups across Europe.
possessed of two faults. The first is that he subconsciously The Zealot is taking unnecessary risks, and he doesn’t
greatly enjoys being the dictator of New Lacadaemonia. care — the alternative is to tear apart a community he
While he doesn’t think about it very much, his failure to helped found. If nothing changes, Antiochus is going to
set up a form of government that can continue without meet the Final Death sooner or later, and most of the
him is at least somewhat deliberate. hope for reform in New Lacadaemonia will die with him.
Hektor’s more severe flaw is the fact that his Antiochus is a relatively devout Orthodox Christian
great-grandsire also inculcated in his descendents a responsible for keeping the island free of the Cainite Heresy,
tremendous respect for the religion of the Carthaginians, despite the degree to which it would be convenient for the
the worship of Baal-Haman in rituals involving human rulership. He knows Hektor and some of his cronies are
sacrifice. Hektor has very quietly but persistently sought practicing pagan beliefs, and he can deal with the idea of
out a Baali priest (see Maureen, below) for his community, them groveling to statues of Zeus. However, if the Cainite
and is gradually initiating those he trusts most into the ever finds out precisely what is required to placate Baal-Ha-
true mysteries of their ancient beliefs. man, it will not be something he can abide.
Antiochus, The Voice of Reason Maureen, Dark Priestess
10th generation, childe of Lumilla 8th generation, childe of Sugareg
Clan: Brujah Bloodline: Baali
Nature: Penitent Nature: Monster
Demeanor: Judge Demeanor: Fanatic
Embrace: 1011 Embrace: 681 CE
Apparent Age: late 40s Apparent Age: early 20s
Antiochus and his followers form the loyal opposi- Maureen was a young Baali of traditional training who
tion to Hektor’s rule. A Brujah sired in the first year of dwelt in North Africa during the early years of the Muslim
the 11th century, Antiochus was one of Hektor’s first Caliphate. She took advantage of the early Muslim heresies
followers. Over the last few decades, Antiochus has to make a comfortable existence, but a Tuareg attack on her
been the leading voice urging Hektor to set up a more followers left her without sustenance, stranded in a desert
sustainable form of government. cave and eventually trapped in hunger-torpor.
As a result, Antiochus has fallen somewhat out of It was Hektor who unearthed her after immense research,
favor. While he is still a respected voice in the Assembly, and asked her to become the priestess of his New Lacadaemonia.
one too many intractable disputes over the same matter With her own followers centuries dead, she quickly agreed.
have cost him his once-preeminent popularity. Antiochus Hektor introduced her as the childe of a companion of his
is no more happy about his intractability than his peers, deceased sire, and none saw reason to dispute it.
and has been spending as much time as possible attend-

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 Since her awakening, Maureen has been growing missionaries were rebuked or destroyed, assassins followed.
her congregation in New Lacadaemonia. It currently For the last 50 years, the Heresy has been casting around
numbers slightly over a half-dozen, and it is growing to find way to deal with this festering sore.
very gradually, adding another member every few years. (Not unexpectedly, the Cainite Heresy supplement
None of those involved are devil-worshippers — all are has more information on the Heresy itself.)
quite sincere in their placation of the Children. Not that
this will matter if the blasphemous faith is discovered. Structure
There are currently around 240 monks in the City of
The City Of God God, about 18 of whom are Lasombra embraced by the
original three vampires. The rest are ghouls. The City of
(Pyrenees Mountains) God consumes an immense amount of resources keeping
Founded in 1120 by the (late) Bishop Hugh, this all the ghouls fed, given the regularity that Cainites feed
splinter of the Cainite Heresy has proved troublesome on them and their distinctly unhealthy lifestyles. The vast
to many elders, particularly those involved in the actual sums of silver flowing in from enfeoffed lands have long
direction of the Heresy itself. ago ceased flowing out to jewelers and merchants of rare
The great fortified monastery that has become the City of delicacies, and begun flowing out to herdsmen. The quan-
God was originally held by the Crimson Curia in trust for the tity of meat consumed by the monastery in a single year is
Heresy. That was, of course, until a small number of Lasombra amazing, even by the standards of a decadent monastery.
took it as their own. The directors of the Heresy had no idea The amount of bone meal and leather that flows back out
that the three vampires they had invited to the monastery as has made the monastery locally notable, though the stink
assistants in keeping it under control were themselves members from the tanning vats has made it widely avoided as well
of a splinter faith — the Red Temptation. — a calculated decision on the part of the bishops.
This faith preached that the appearance of Christ as the The City of God is a monastery and generally follows
Second Caine had signaled the beginning of a great uprising the Benedictine Rule, although not in those instances
against Ialdabaoth, the devilish creator of the corrupt physical where the rule teaches a morality that would go against
world. All former rules were to be abolished, and the followers the City’s heretical beliefs The two remaining Lasombra
of the True Faith were to grant Gnosis (in the form of the founders now rule the community (the third having died
Embrace) to as many as possible, indulge in as much license as at Heretic hands), and it continues to prosper — it is
they were able and tear down all structures that served make careful to conceal the blasphemous truth of its existence
Cainites and mortals alike dependent on Ialdabaoth’s world of from mortal eyes, though it is all too well-known among
clay and accountability. It also taught that many of the Second Cainites for hundreds of miles.
Christ’s childer had been corrupted, and that opposition to Red Temptation missionaries are active in southern
the False Creator required opposition to elder Cainites, most France and northern Spain. A half-dozen Cainites and
of whom were in some ways pawns of dark forces. twice that many ghouls routinely try to sway Heretical
This faith was popular among the Ophites, but the sect congregations and debate theology with Heretical priests.
was largely destroyed early in the Christian Era — mostly Normally, the missionaries are tolerable, but occasionally
by Cainites who quite sensibly saw it as a terrible threat. internal politics reach the point where they become vi-
The three Lasombra had uncovered Red Temptation holy olent, and a few years of tit-for-tat assassinations result.
writings while in southern Italy and taken them for revela- The Red Temptation is happy to provide assistance to other
tion. After carefully searching out a well-fortified base whose Furore groups. All they ask is that their advisor-missionaries
inhabitants had experienced one too many Red Pentecosts,
be given the opportunity to preach and not be persecuted for
the three arranged to become its guardians and the providers
of its vitae. Given that there were almost 300 monks in their beliefs. In the eyes of the Red Temptation, it’s more
the monastery, this had already proven problematic, and important to pull down Ialdabaoth’s world than to make sure
the Heresy was glad to have them. everyone recites the right psalms. Indeed, the Temptation sees
itself as having far more in common with the average Furore
It was only a matter of a few years until the entire than with the average Heretic. Most Furores would beg to
populace of the monastery was converted to the Red differ, however, and despite their generosity the inhabitants
Temptation, and only a few years after that that the
of the City of God are not well-loved by their fellow rebels.
City of God was proclaimed and the monastery freed
from the yoke of Ialdabaoth’s pawn, the “true” Cainite Bishop Arnaud, The Fallen Heretic
Heresy. The Heresy sent a number of Cainite warriors 8th generation, childe of Marie-Claire
and their retainers to the monastery to inquire into the Clan: Lasombra
heretical outburst, and only one Cainite and two retain-
ers returned, bearing news that the Lasombra had been Nature: Survivor
Embracing freely and that there were legions of heretics. Demeanor: Fanatic
Shortly afterward, outposts of the Heresy began to Embrace: 999 CE
receive missionaries from the City of God. Where the Apparent Age: late 30s
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79
 The Bishop Arnaud has a terrible secret — he the ancient holy writings of the true faith, and Josephus
doesn’t actually believe any of this. Maybe he did once, knew that it was his sacred mission to bring those teachings
or maybe he just convinced himself he did for the sake of to the world and see them come to fruition.
blood and power. Whatever the case may be, he doesn’t And something powerful, it would seem, agrees with
believe now, and he isn’t exactly in the sort of position him. Josephus practically glows from within with the light
that permits crises of faith. To Arnaud, existence in the of his faith. Miracles happen around him — chalices of wine
Red Temptation is like an unending nightmare. Never turn to blood, crucified figures writhe in agony, the sick
for a minute can he let it slip that he finds the almost are made whole and unbelievers are sometimes consumed
20 vampires who surround him to be grotesque freaks. from within by the fires of the Lord. Josephus himself is a
Arnaud slipped once, and confessed his weakness to the walking tapestry of Ialdabaoth’s wrath — his hands bleed
now-late Bishop Hugh. Hugh was incensed that Arnaud with stigmata, there is a gash in his side, foul things nest in
could turn his face away from the faith and stormed off to his flesh, but somehow whatever favor he enjoys protects
the mission trail, there to debate what to do with his weak- him from the negative sides of these horrific afflictions.
willed brother. The next night, Arnaud informed Heresy The inhabitants of the monastery worship him as an
agents of Hugh’s itinerary and arranged his destruction. unliving saint. Monks beg to receive the Kiss and Embrace
Arnaud is constantly struggling with Josephus for from him, and he grants it when he is able. Josephus is
control of the City of God. If it was up to Josephus, they’d beatific in his perfect faith. This is all ordained, and
have swarmed into Rome like locusts by now. Only Ar- everything will work out well. It vexes him sometimes
naud’s constant pleas for secrecy, to wait until the time that Arnaud worries so, but he understands that those
is right, have postponed Josephus’ holy crusade. Arnaud who do not know are often plagued with doubts great
cannot even imagine what Josephus would do if had had and small. As for Arnaud’s reluctance to march on
even the slightest inkling of his doubts. What frightens Rome and proclaim the glory of the faith from the Papal
him the most is that if Josephus is “touched”, a blue bolt seat, Josephus understands that there must be time for
from the Heavens seems like an entirely possible response. preparation. That is why he lets Arnaud stop him. One
day, Arnaud’s worries will no longer be reasonable, and
Bishop Josephus, The Chosen Voice Josephus will at that point proclaim to him the glory of
8th generation, childe of Hugh the faith in the words that the angels have taught him.
Clan: Lasombra Until then, Josephus can wait.
Nature: Monster
Demeanor: Fanatic The Free State (Finland)
Embrace: 901 CE The coming of the Christ-god has not been not kind
Apparent Age: early 20s to the Norse. In just a few centuries, their fiercely indi-
Josephus is a fanatic, and what is worse, he would vidualistic culture has been displaced by Christianity and
appear to be a fanatic on the right side. When Josephus a Christian social structure that is a poor reproduction of
was just an ancilla, he and his two broodmates discovered western Europe. While local democracy persists even as the
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 (For more on the einherjar, see Wolves of the Sea.)
What Is Josephus’ Story?
In game terms, Josephus has the 5-point Merit Structure
Miracles of the Faith, and the 5-point Flaw Scourged The Free State is a traditional Norse democracy, more or
By God, both from Cainite Heresy. You don’t need less. There is an assembly where all adult males are allowed to
to own Cainite Heresy to use him, because the joint speak. The Cainites act as the local lords, with their ghouls as
effect of these Traits taken together is pretty clearly their thegns (the Norse equivalent of liege men), overseeing
depicted in Josephus’ description. What is causing this the process of debate, gathering taxes and enforcing legal
phenomena to happen — be it infernal power, strange rulings but otherwise letting the community steer itself.
Chimerstrylike effects that Josephus doesn’t even Of course, given that there isn’t much to do other
realize he’s doing, or a genuine miraculous event — is than adjudicate law and gather taxes, the assembly is
up to the Storyteller. Whatever is behind Josephus, largely a debating club for settling disputes over livestock
however, it is clearly potent and focused on him. ownership. The Cainites encourage it nevertheless — they
Josephus in his full glory is a terrible thing to be- believe it’s important to keep the old ways alive while
hold and best reserved for chronicles where horrors of in exile. While the mortals don’t really understand just
the faith are manifest. In the same way that the most how long the wait may be, the Cainites are estimating
twisted of Tzimisce fiends can ruin a story about personal they may have to camp out for 300 or 400 years. To this
struggle, so Josephus can ruin a more visceral tale. Use end, they’ve been carefully grooming the mortals. Those
your best judgment as to whether he is appropriate for who become discouraged or start to lose respect for the
your troupe or not (and feel free to tone him down if old ways are quietly conditioned with Dominate. They
you like — there could just be a Malkavian or Ravnos don’t believe they’ll need it, but the einherjar have laid
thrall “behind the curtain” after all).
preliminary plans to condition the entire colony, just in
case the culture begins to wander unduly. After all, if the
population is gradually reduced to serfdom and peasantry, old ways are to be preserved, they must remain intact.
the days of the Petty King and the war band are long past. Whenever possible, the Cainites feed on reindeer and
But these days are not necessarily past for the land’s animals to reduce the load on their people. Almost all the
Cainite inhabitants. Most of the einherjar (as Norse einherjar are Gangrel and those who are not have learned
vampires call themselves) believed as fervently as any Protean — as a result, they are generally only present
of the poor bastards who went toe-to-toe with Christian for nine months of the year, sleeping in the earth during
warriors to prove the strength of their faith. And most the brief but bright northern summer. The einherjar act
of them learned, just as the heroes who supported the among themselves as a rough democracy and anarchy in
old ways did, that the Christians (and their Cainite the Norse style. So far there have been none of the lethal
supporters) kept on coming. duels that are used to resolve the worse disputes in such
Some died fighting the Christians, some converted a system, but it’s always a possibility. This is particularly
and some gave up and slipped into the dark slumber of true if the Cainites continue to support Furores across
torpor, hoping to awaken in a world where the Christ- the Baltic and in Norway.
god was forgotten and the old ways remembered. These support operations require tremendous re-
But some did not. Some tried to preserve the old ways sources (at least tremendous by the standards of a small
in their own somewhat unwholesome way. In 1160, after town), and the thing that the Free State can best provide
gathering about them a large number of mortal fanatics, — free haven — is the thing it can least afford to give. If
these einherjar retreated into then-pagan Finland to set the location of the community becomes known among
up a utopian state of their own, from whence they would Furores, the knowledge will ripple quickly outward, first
hopefully oppose or outlive the weak religion of the south. to Cainites and then to mortal leaders and missionaries.
In all, there were a dozen Cainites, three times that Then there will be an army, and one more bastion of free
many ghouls and several hundred mortals who wished men will flicker out in the tundra. There are some who
to cling to the old faith. The band gathered together as would rather lash out, and some who would rather try to
secretly as possible, made a great show of setting of for preserve the community, and the two groups, while still
Greenland, and then very carefully sank their boats several coexisting, may well come to blows soon.
fjords up the coast and set off into the interior on foot.
A year later, after losing several einherjar and ghouls Eirik Longtooth, Furore Crusader
to Lupine attacks, the settlement was relatively stable. It 10th generation, childe of Kostbera
did some farming, but depended, like the native Lapps, Clan: Gangrel
primarily on reindeer herding. With their support struc- Nature: Fanatic
ture in place, some of the more emotional members of the Demeanor: Barbarian
community began looking toward striking back against Embrace: 903 CE
the followers of the Christ-god, and thus was the Free Apparent Age: mid 30s
State’s support of the Furores born.
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 Perhaps the most virulent advocate of intervention on
the part of the Furores, Eirik Longtooth is an unliving legend Karl the Blue,
among the einherjar of Scandinavia. Embraced while in Architect of the Free State
outlawry for his opposition to Harald Fairhair’s conquest 11th generation, childe of Mustafah ibn-Jubair
of Norway, Longtooth killed almost 50 men before and Clan: Toreador
after his Embrace. As a vargr (“wolf,” a wilderness-dwelling Nature: Defender
Norse Gangrel), he roamed the entire length and breadth
of Scandinavia, Lupines and fellow Cainites be damned. Demeanor: Judge
Eirik is a hunted creature in Norway, but one with a Embrace: 861 CE
deservedly deadly reputation. His open alliance with the Apparent Age: mid 30s
Free State kept it free from open attack, and it was he Karl the Blue was a sagaman, a tale-teller who kept the
and his three progeny who guided them to the eventual old stories of fame and war and feud alive, to educate and to
site of the settlement, scouted out and chased in the first entertain. He traveled south with Björn Ironside in search
reindeer herds, and generally did everything in their of riches and adventure, and was Embraced in Egyptian Al-
power to make the settlement prosper. exandria by a disbelieving Toreador. After a time with his
Now, it is he who is the closest to destroying it. sire, learning the stories of the Arabs, Karl made his own way
Longtooth is fervently, irrationally anti-Christian. He home and began using his now-endless existence to catalog
sees Christianity as the apotheosis of the centralizing, and gather all the stories of the Norse tradition, long before
controlling way of life that destroyed the traditional, in- the Heimskringla was a twinkle in Snorri Sturlusson’s eye.
dividualistic Norse world, and hates it even more than he With the coming of Christianity, Karl saw the tradi-
hated Harald Fairhair for conquering Norway. He and his tions, the stories, the very culture of his people vanish, as
progeny travel constantly, sometimes going south to sell the followers of the thrice-poxed Christ-god suppressed
their aid to the pagan voivodes of the Tzimisce, other times stories the told the stories of the gods or that they believe
scouring Norway from north to south in just a few weeks, taught “un-Christian virtues.” He was at first a great
destroying any Cainite unwise enough to cross their path. advocate of the old way and convinced men to fight the
Eirik is the great advocate of the Furores, who he sees as Christian tide, but Karl’s spirit broke with the burning of
tools in destroying or distracting the southern Lasombra and the Norse bastion of Uppsala and the disappearance of
Ventrue whom he feels keep his people in bondage. Maybe the All-High, the progenitor of the vagr. He cast about
they really do, or maybe they’re just an accessible target — for some way to save his culture from the encroaching
it’s unlikely that even he knows what he thinks, other than tide of forgetfulness, and came up with the idea of the
that he hates them. Regardless, Eirik is constantly pushing “time capsule” of the Free State.
for a greater community involvement against the Christian In many ways, Karl is the heart of the Free State. He
Cainites, and sooner or later, he’s going to either push the originated the idea, and he was the one daring enough to track
Free State into a war, or push someone (probably Ulfsdottir) down Eirik Longtooth in his outlawry and ask him in on the
into killing him in a holmgang (a formal duel). adventure. Karl is also the prime motivator behind the forced
conditioning of the Free State’s inhabitants. He and Longtooth
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havestruckanuneasyalliance—Longtoothwillnotobjecttothe open violence among the Cainites of the Free State, unless
conditioning, if the sagaman will allow Eirik and his progeny to it happens over her ashes. So far, none of the inhabitants
raid where and when they please. While Karl refuses to consent of the State have pushed her into action, but if Longtooth
to involving the community directly, he is willing to give the keeps pushing for more open involvement, tensions will
most famous and deadly of the vargr free reign if that’s what to continue mounting until eventually she must take a
it takes to protect his culture from Christianity. stand or stand aside. Ulfsdottir keeps no counsel but her
own, however, and so none know her plans.
Ulfsdottir, Chooser of the Slain
5th generation, childe of the All-High
Clan: Gangrel Fuel for the Pyres:
Nature: Judge
Demeanor: Loner Storytelling
Embrace: 808 CE
Apparent Age: late 20s the Furores
Ulfsdottir is the most mysterious of the major voices A chronicle featuring the Furores — either as the troupe’s
in the Free State. She appeared in the camp just prior to its characters or as Storyteller characters — need not be that far
departure. Obviously a former walkurie, she would not discus removed from a mainstream Vampire: The Dark Ages yarn.
her past, or where she had been since the fall of the Up- Themes like the loss of Humanity, the quest for power and
psala temple. She simply asked permission to accompany glory, the conflict with dark forces and the chaos slowly
the community on its way, and offered her services as a tearing the Long Night asunder are appropriate whether
warrior in exchange. Karl, in awe of the All-High and his the players portray budding revolutionaries or lords of the
walkurie progeny, accepted the beautiful Gangrel’s offer. night. The storytelling advice in the main rulebook (and
Ulfsdottir is a direct offspring of the All-High, and in various other supplements) is very much applicable to
as such, she has some remarkably potent blood in her tales of blood and revolt. A bloody revolt is not the same
veins. Though she is relatively young in Cainite terms, as a war or campaign of intrigue, however, and this section
she still has three centuries of constant practice at warfare should help you prepare for those differences.
and wayfaring under her belt, and she is quite possibly
Eirik Longtooth’s superior in combat. Notes from the
The walkurie attempts to remain silent on most issues.
She is moderately opposed to both the conditioning of the
Battlements
The prospect and reality of revolt shifts the priorities in
mortal inhabitants and to Eirik placing the community a chronicle. The typical Cainite intrigue and factionalism
at risk to carry out his personal vendetta. In neither case, reaches unprecedented heights as the stakes grow. Once the
however, does she feel compelled to act. What she has made pyres start burning, survival becomes the overriding goal.
her feelings clear on, however, is that there will be not Ideology fights it out with bloody-handed vengeance. To
properly run such an intense chronicle, you need to keep
a variety of points in mind when planning and running it.
Battle!
Furores are violent revolutionaries. That makes it
hard to tell a story about them that is not, at some level,
a war story. Think ahead of time about exactly what
sort of war story it will be. There’s a world of difference
between The Sands of Iwo Jima and Saving Private Ryan,
or Go Tell the Spartans and Full Metal Jacket.
Before the first combat, decide if the action will be
heroic or gritty. Do the characters go into sword-swing-
ing toe-to-toe combat with the bad guys, or are the
fights squalid little ally brawls where two Cainites grab
a ghoul’s arms and a third vampire guts her with Wolf
Claws? Likewise, how much does the narrative focus on
the realistic effects of violence, and how much of it is just
conflict in the abstract? Are you running a game about
a daring gallows rescue or about the hysterical panic of
a prisoner being dragged out to execution? Do you in-
dulge in a harrowing description of the slow expiration
of someone the characters mortally wounded and left to
FLAMES OF THE FURORES

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die, or is it all stage blood and torso wounds discreetly more importantly, how do they answer accusations that
concealed from the camera? they have compromised the ideals they claim to be fighting
Finally, you should decide just how human the op- for in pursuit of momentary advantage?
ponents are. Are they sacks of warm oatmeal who rush
at the characters because it’s time for a combat scene, Idealism, or Not
or do they have at least a rudimentary personality and The Furores are essentially a movement of optimists
an annoying tendency to stick up their hands and beg — they believe that by political and military action, they
to live when seriously outmatched? can build a better system than the one they currently
The style of combat you choose has a serious affect on the live in. But their elders beg to differ. As any of them will
rest of the chronicle. Cinematic, merrily-lopping-off-heads explain, the world is a place where might makes right,
battles will make it very difficult to create personal horror; where the strong devour the weak and where guilt and
why should the players care about their characters’ souls innocence are not nearly so important as power and
if the world is just a stage for them to play upon? On the alliances. At their heart, most Furore stories are about
other, gritty and visceral combat each and every time can this conflict between the need to believe versus the moral
weigh down a chronicle, making it so morose that nothing exhaustion engendered by warfare against opponents, the
ever gets done. What’s the point of taking on the elders if Beast and the uncaring hazards of existence.
dealing with a single ghoul is a soul-flaying trauma? But it isn’t a matter of idealistic young heroes versus
A middle road is probably best, occasionally dipping the evil old grumps. Many elders (even most) believe
to either end of spectrum. Keep the combat fast and very strongly in what they do. The War of Ages isn’t
furious when the Beast is raging and the stakes are high, fought entirely to avoid yawning boredom. It is a struggle
but inject hints of personality and terror into the scene to advance families, cities, nations and ideals. No war
when you can. As the characters rampage through the can be fought without soldiers and no army can march
inn controlled by the prince’s sheriff, the mortals scatter; without discipline. Even a heartless elder with faith only
one man raises a sword and looks ready to fight, but then in his Cainite existence can claim that without the stern
darts to pick up his terrified son and get away. hand of this authority, vampires would quickly draw
the wrath of mortals and bring down a persecution on
When the dust clears after a battle, you can bring themselves the likes of which they have never seen. Who
the gritty reality of the situation home. As the Beast re- is more cynical, the elder who struggles nightly to keep
cedes, the characters hear the whimpers of the wounded the wheels of Cainite society in motion, or the Furore
and the cries of the widows. The prince has lost some who condemns the elders one and all as morally bereft?
resources, but these peasants have lost their livelihoods
(and some their lives). Was it all worth it? Similarly, the Furores aren’t fonts of purity. No
one intelligent enough to write propaganda or speak
Ideology and Reality persuasively cannot know that at some level, they’re
Any Furores chronicle should tackle the conflict lying while they do it. Similarly, for all their talk about
between belief and action, ideology and reality. Furores, ethics, expediency nevertheless always figures (to some
and those who fight them, are constantly placed in moral degree) in Furore planning. Are they really that much
quandaries. Do they do the thing they believe in, or do better than the elders, or at they just less honest about it?
they sacrifice their ethics “just this once” in order to take Motivations
the best possible option? This isn’t just a problem for the
Furores — a Cainite on the Road of Chivalry is going to Furores games are about revolutions, and civil in-
have to face some tough choices when confronted with surgencies are never pretty. They pit sire against childe,
the necessity of stopping a Furore terror campaign. Rebels broodmate against broodmate, paramour against par-
fight dirty; they can’t afford not to. How far will a religious amour. You need to develop a coherent idea, not just of
or chivalrous vampire stoop to meet them on their own what the main characters are doing, but of why. Are an
turf? How far will the rebels themselves go? Blackmail of elder’s childer sticking by him because they’re afraid of
the innocent? Threatening mortal families? Forcing the him, because they’re afraid of the Furores, because they
blood oath on the unwilling? Necessity is the mother of think he’ll win, because they’re thralls, because they love
invention, but she’s also an ice-cold mistress. How tightly their sire or their broodmates or because it looks like a
will the character embrace her in the name of expediency? good deal for now? Each motivation generates a totally
different response to a number of common situations. If
These aren’t just questions of battlefield ethics. How the only reason they’re present is because the villain needs
do the rebels and their opponents deal with the fact that some henchmen and their response to seeing Furores is
the other side may well believe in what they’re doing? to shout, “Yaaaaargh! Get ’em!,” it’s probably not going
Do they demonize them, and if they do, what happens to be as compelling a game as it could be.
when they can no longer pretend their opponent is wholly
monstrous? If they accept their opponent as a fellow being, This goes likewise for the Furores. With rare ex-
how do they justify conflict rather than negotiations, and ceptions, Cainites don’t just jump on the revolutionary
bandwagon because they’re bored. Every Furore is there
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for their own reasons. They may be in love with someone, it will be when they tell you to fuck off and walk out at
fulfilling a debt of honor, out to get even, out to change the climax of the chronicle.
the world or just caught up in the situation because their Dealing with political themes is one thing, but a storytelling
friends got involved and now they are too. Even if a char- game is not a proper venue for attempted conversion.
acter’s motivation is as archetypal as having been abused
by his sire, there are a lot of options. Being used as a foot Terror
soldier in some arcane feud is a different experience than A lot of this chapter has been about terrorism as a
being forced to exchange blood with your sire in the name political tool, but it’s been talked about in a fairly abs-
of a love you don’t feel until the third sip. Depending on tract way. As a Storyteller, you want to make it real, and
the sort of person it happened to, either could engender visceral, and as scary as you possibly can.
any number of reactions. From the receiving end, a terror campaign is a deligh-
And all this goes for players’ characters, too. If they’re tful combination of random violence against things you
playing in something as complex and thorny as a revo- need or love, mixed with carefully calculated, obviously
lution game, you should make sure that their characters staged violence against things you really need and really
are interesting. It isn’t any fun if nobody ever wonders love. Nothing you care about is safe, it seems, and there’s
why they’re doing this. During character creation and the nowhere the enemy can’t strike. And none of it comes
prelude, make sure to examine the reasons these vampires with any warning, unless it’s deliberately given too late
want to change the system (or fight to preserve it). Build for you to be able to do anything.
your stories around their motivations, challenging them All around you, ghouls die, havens burn down and
and further drawing them out. mortal contacts are dominated into thumb-sucking mo-
rons. The head-cracking stress of the desperate struggle
Making (and Taking) Offense for clues that will let you seize the initiative mixes with
Furores games are about politics back in the days the constant terror of an assassination attempt that mi-
when it was inseparable from religion. Worse than that, ght come at any second until paranoia becomes a way
they’re about bloody, extremist, revolutionary politics. of life (or unlife).
It is not unlikely then, that your chronicle will wander From the giving end, it isn’t much easier. Terrorists are
into sensitive territory and offend or disturb a player. typically overworked, outgunned, short on resources and
When that point comes, you should know what just as paranoid as their targets, because they know that
you’re going to do. How are you going to deal with the priority number one for the targets is turning the tables and
fact that one or more of your players sympathizes more giving back a little bit of what they’ve so recently received.
with the villain than the heroes, and isn’t happy about Information for the attacks typically comes from one or
the fact that their personal beliefs are dressed up in a two spies or sympathizers who are putting their heads into
snazzy black hat and boots? the noose to provide you with targets, and desperately
It is strongly suggested that you discuss ahead of attempting to make sure that they aren’t caught or the
time (meaning prior to the start of play) what sort of rough target of some sort of misinformation campaign deigned
direction the game will be taking. Make sure that the to make them reveal their identities.
players know the level of grittiness and cynicism in the In short, terrorism is terrifying, and living in an
game, and make sure that they all know the general environment where you are trying to dish it out or avoid
political thesis, if any. In all honesty, if you think letting receiving it is possibly one of the most stressful, least en-
them in on the secret that socialism is evil will spoil the joyable existences possible. It’s not easy to bring off, but
denouement of the game, just think how much worse if you do it properly, you can tell some excellent stories.

FLAMES OF THE FURORES

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ASHEN THIEF

86
 If you give me six lines written
by the most honest man, I will find
something in them to hang him.
— Cardinal Richelieu

MAVERICKS AND CUTPURSES

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87
 The Beggar-King
Quote: Better to reign in hell...
History: You had a bright mortal career ahead of you. You’d done your time as a squire in the ducal household; you’d been
knighted; you’d even learned to write and figure well enough to prove that your father’s reeve had been cheating him for 12
years. You were finally ready to start life as a true nobleman, and then the widowed lady of Montenegro changed everything.
Purely because she was nothing like the simpering towheads whom your father pressed you to consider, your passion
for her blazed higher than any other you’d known. Perhaps hers did as well, though she never showed it, or perhaps she
simply knew a trusty servant when she saw one. At any rate, she Embraced you into
Clan Lasombra. You loved her too much to quail at the prospect of damnation.
You belonged to a clan of rulers now, she said, and she promised that in time —
when she tired of reigning from the dark alcove behind the duke’s throne — she’d
retire to the convent and you’d take her place. Years went by, then decades. You were
given a small manor house and a dirty little village to oversee, but that was all.
You were hardly the only Cainite in town to resent the lady’s iron rule,
but as her first-chosen childe, you were the only one with any right to expect
more from her. As love gradually curdled into bitter envy, you resolved to
penetrate her defenses from underneath, the one angle of attack she would
never expect from a fellow Magister and noble.
You started off with a protection racket against the beggars. A few
ghoul spies and several mysterious murders were enough to convince
most to pay up. You then used that notoriety to acquaint yourself
with the cutpurses and highwaymen who dropped in occasionally.
Through them, you managed to get your thumb over a few corrupt
officials — just a few, and not very important ones, but enough to keep
you informed of what really goes on in the city. Every new acquisition,
however small, is a resource at your disposal.
Concept: You lead a double unlife: Smiling as you dutifully re-
port on all your trifling assignments in court, then sneaking over the
walls and into the city to consort with your ever-growing network
of spies. You watch, wait and slowly send out your tendrils, groping
toward the eventual discovery of your sire’s haven and the method
by which it may be overtaken. There’s no hurry; evidently, you and
your career aren’t going anywhere anyway if the lady has anything
to do with it. Besides, she’s the most subtle creature you’ve ever
known. If you hope to defeat her, your plan must be foolproof.
Roleplaying Hints: The rabble who pay tribute to you as
their terrible and somehow all-knowing “Beggar-King” are, of
course, useless except as a possible distraction when you make
your final move. Still, you take a certain pleasure in their
fawning adoration. Guard your operations jealously, and let
no vampire stumble onto the secret of your little sub-king-
dom without obtaining equal blackmail or prestation to
protect yourself. Do everything by proxy. No doubt the
lady would laugh to hear of your slumming, but the
laughter would quickly end if she realized how close
you are to uncovering her own network of puppets.
Equipment: Sword, mail, court clothing,
shabby clothing
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Name: Nature: Autocrat Generation: 10th
Player: Demeanor: Rogue Haven:
Chronicle: Clan: Lasombra Concept: Beggar-King
Attributes
Physical Social Mental
Strength lllOOOOO Charisma l l O O O O O O Perception lllOOOOO
Dexterity llOOOOOO Manipulation l l O O O O O O Intelligence llllOOOO
Stamina lllOOOOO Appearance l l O O O O O O Wits lllOOOOO

Abilities
Talents Skills Knowledges
Acting llOOOOOO Animal Ken O O O O O O O O Academics lOOOOOOO
Alertness OOOOOOOO Achery OOOOOOOO Hearth Wisdom O O O O O O O O
Athletics llOOOOOO Crafts O OOOOOOO Investigation l O O O O O O O
Brawl lOOOOOOO Etiquette lllOOOOO Law OOOOOOOO
Dodge OOOOOOOO Herbalism O OOOOOOO Linguistics OOOOOOOO
Empathy OOOOOOOO Melee lllOOOOO Medicine OOOOOOOO
Intimidation llOOOOOO Music O OOOOOOO Occult OOOOOOOO
Larceny lOOOOOOO Ride lllOOOOO Politics llOOOOOO
Leadership llOOOOOO Stealth l OOOOOOO Science O OOOOOOO
Subterfuge lllOOOOO Survival OOOOOOOO Seneschal lOOOOOOO

Advantages
Disciplines Backgrounds Virtues
Dominate l l O O O O O O Allies l O O O O O O O Conscience___________l l O O O
Obtenebration l O O O O O O O Contacts lllOOOOO
Potence l O O O O O O O Influence l l O O O O O O Self-Control________l l l l O
O O O O O O O O Mentor lOOOOOOO
Courage____________llllO
OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOO

Other Traits Road Health

Resources l l O O O O O O __________________________
Chiv alry Bruised
Status llOOOOOO
l l l l l l O O O O Hurt -1
OOOOOOOO
Injured -1
OOOOOOOO
Willpower Wounded -2
OOOOOOOO
Mauled -2
OOOOOOOO l l l l l l l O O O Crippled -5
OOOOOOOO
Incapacitated
OOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOO Weakness
OOOOOOOO
Blood Pool
OOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOO

MAVERICKS AND CUTPURSES

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 The Furore Fiend
Quote: Conduct our guests to their… rooms down below. If my grandsire is so solicitous as to inquire after my well-being,
the least I can do is entertain those she sends to me.
History: You were born to the Obertus revenant family and stood out even in childhood as a candidate for the
Embrace. For one thing, you already spoke to the spirits of earth, wood, bone and water; or rather, they spoke to
you and you didn’t know any better than to answer.
You were apprenticed to a noted koldun; when she felt you had learned all
a mortal could, she gifted you with the “dead water” — the Embrace. That
silenced the spirits, for a little while, although they came back soon enough in
a much worse temper. Your sire was also an ardent Metamorphosist, and taught
you to see yourself as a nascent dark god whose highest duty was to pursue
self-cultivation. You advanced rapidly in your studies. You subdued anyone
who dared mutter against you, man or spirit, swiftly and mercilessly.
Unfortunately, those same skills made you the perfect choice to lead
her troops against a Tremere incursion. The fight was bloody and demor-
alizing — you lost most of your men, and you were horribly wounded by
enemy balefire yourself — but you won. The Usurpers fled into the night.
You returned home for your reward; but instead of praising you before all
the brood, your sire called you a coward, spitting on the floor before
you, and had you taken to her chambers to answer for your failure
to pursue the wizards all the way back to their miserable chantry.
Privileged and pampered as you had been till that moment,
you could not comprehend her reaction. Had you truly been
expected to sacrifice your precious immortality, your progress
along the sacred path, merely to kill a few more worthless
Usurper maggots? You survived her rage, but were changed
and blasted by the knowledge of her hypocrisy. The next
time the Tremere came, you suppressed your protesting,
blood-maddened emotions for just long enough to provide
them their opening. As your sire died shrieking, you whipped
your horse into a bloody foam and rode away, finally free
to seek the revelations you’d been promised for so long.
Concept: You’ve spent most of your existence
under the blood oath, and though you were taught
the divinity of the vampire (or at least the Tzi-
misce) as a philosophical principle, only now do
you explore that principle to its fullest. You belong
to the Furores for supremely selfish reasons: You
know that your eternal essence is not yet purified
enough for you to face the wrath of your elders alone.
Roleplaying Hints: You are an arrogant liege at
heart, and have little patience for fine talk of eternal
brotherhood. Meritocracy is your vision for Cainite
society, and of course you have firm opinions about
who possesses merit and who doesn’t.
Equipment: Several chests stuffed with
old books and scrolls, various fetishes and
animal bones, vials of opium
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Name: Nature: Tyrant Generation: 12th
Player: Demeanor: Celebrant Haven:
Chronicle: Clan: Tzimisce Concept: Furore Fiend
Attributes
Physical Social Mental
Strength llOOOOOO Charisma l l l O O O O O Perception lllOOOOO
Dexterity lllOOOOO Manipulation l l l l O O O O Intelligence lllOOOOO
Stamina lOOOOOOO Appearance l l l O O O O O Wits llOOOOOO

Abilities
Talents Skills Knowledges
Acting OOOOOOOO Animal Ken l O O O O O O O Academics lllOOOOO
Alertness lOOOOOOO Achery OOOOOOOO Hearth Wisdom l l O O O O O O
Athletics OOOOOOOO Crafts (Body) lOOOOOOO Investigation l l O O O O O O
Brawl OOOOOOOO Etiquette OOOOOOOO Law OOOOOOOO
Dodge llOOOOOO Herbalism l OOOOOOO Linguistics lOOOOOOO
Empathy OOOOOOOO Melee llOOOOOO Medicine lOOOOOOO
Intimidation lllOOOOO Music O OOOOOOO Occult lllOOOOO
Larceny OOOOOOOO Ride lOOOOOOO Politics OOOOOOOO
Leadership llOOOOOO Stealth O OOOOOOO Science lOOOOOOO
Subterfuge lOOOOOOO Survival lOOOOOOO Seneschal OOOOOOOO

Advantages
Disciplines Backgrounds Virtues
Animalism lOOOOOOO
__________________________ __________________________
Contacts l l O O O O O O Conviction___________l l l l O
Auspex llOOOOOO
__________________________ __________________________
Heard lOOOOOOO
Sourcery O O O O O O O
__________________________
Koldunic l Resources l O O O O O O O Instinct____________l l l O O
__________________________
lOOOOOOO
__________________________
Vicissitude __________________________
Retainers l O O O O O O O Courage____________ l l l O O
O O O O O O O O __________________________
__________________________ OOOOOOOO

Other Traits Road Health

OOOOOOOO
__________________________ __________________________
Beast Bruised
OOOOOOOO
__________________________
l l l l l l l O O O Hurt -1
OOOOOOOO
__________________________ Injured -1
OOOOOOOO
__________________________
Willpower Wounded -2
OOOOOOOO
__________________________ Mauled -2
OOOOOOOO
___________________________ l l l l l l l O O O Crippled -5
OOOOOOOO
__________________________ Incapacitated
OOOOOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOOOO
__________________________ Weakness
OOOOOOOO
Blood Pool
__________________________
OOOOOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOOOO
__________________________

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 The Highwayman
Quote: You rob a wagon full of tithes for Rome, and this is all you find? Come now, Sigurd — you know better than to try that game.…
History: You were a wanderer long before you became a Gangrel. Born to a lowly tenant farmer, you attracted
your lord’s attention by dint of your great size and strength. After distinguishing yourself in several local skirmishes,
you left home and began travelling throughout the country, offering your services. Your cool head and firm courage
kept many a shield-wall tight that might otherwise have crumbled under the cavalry charge.
When the Second Crusade was levied, you eagerly set out for the Holy Land, filled with glorious visions of the
honor you’d win and the rich loot you’d bring back. Unfortunately, the Christian forces were rather unceremoni-
ously routed, and as you lay dying on the field, having stood your ground in vain, you silently cursed the Pope and
emperor both for sending you on this fool’s errand.
Your sire-to-be had come upon the battlefield the previous night and stayed on to see the outcome; that evening,
he found you breathing your last at the center of a wide circle of corpses. Stirred by
your ardor for battle — and not realizing that it had just been extinguished forever
— he dragged you back from death into unlife. You accompanied him on the last
leg of his pilgrimage, then followed him back West, where he was promptly
destroyed by a longtime Patrician rival.
You escaped, and now you lurk in the woods on the edge
of the Ventrue’s estates, head of a band of robbers. Your
sire died without mortal issue; as far as you’re concerned,
that makes you heir to everything he owned — namely,
a locked chest full of Saracen gems. You certainly
mean to revenge yourself on the one who robbed
and murdered him. In the meantime, you console
yourself by harassing your enemy with banditry.
Concept: You enjoy what you do. In fact, you’ve
wondered for some time now whether ruling from
the Ventrue’s castle could really be pleasanter than
dwelling in the deep woods. You take great pains
not to let your enemy know you’re still in the area.
Whenever you join one of your raiding parties,
you let some other man pose as leader. You also
conceal your identity with a cloth tied over your
face from the nose down, and require the other
bandits to do the same. Your ill-gotten gains
go not only to entertaining the men, but also
to aiding certain Cainites and mortals whom
you expect to become valuable allies in time.
Alas for the local peasantry, you’re not much
of a Robin-Hood type. You always took care
of yourself — let other men do the same.
Roleplaying Hints: You comport yourself
with the cheerful irony of an old mercenary
who’s seen and done it all. The spirit of the
wild wood is exerting its pull on your Gangrel
soul, however, and you suspect that one night
it will claim you completely.
Equipment: Well-nicked sword, staff,
dark clothing, courser, hawk, treasure chest
ASHEN THIEF

92
Name: Nature: Survivor Generation: 11th
Player: Demeanor: Survivor Haven:
Chronicle: Clan: Gangrel Concept: Highwayman
Attributes
Physical Social Mental
l l l l O O O O Charisma__________________
Strength___________________ llOOOOOO
l l l l O O O O Perception_________________
l l O O O O O O
Dexterity___________________ Manipulation_______________ llOOOOOO
l l O O O O O O Intelligence_________________
l l l l O O O O Appearance________________
Stamina____________________ llOOOOOO
l l O O O O O O Wits____________________

Abilities
Talents Skills Knowledges
OOOOOOOO
Acting____________________ lllOOOOO
Animal Ken________________ OOOOOOOO
Academics_________________
lllOOOOO
Alertness__________________ lOOOOOOO
Achery____________________ llOOOOOO
Hearth Wisdom_____________
O OOOOOOO
Athletics___________________ O OOOOOOO
Crafts_____________________ OOOOOOO
Investigation________________
l
lllOOOOO
Brawl______________________ OOOOOOOO
Etiquette___________________ lOOOOOOO
Law_______________________
OOOOOOO
Dodge_____________________
l O OOOOOOO
Herbalism__________________ lOOOOOOO
Linguistics__________________
lOOOOOOO
Empathy___________________ lllOOOOO
Melee_____________________ OOOOOOOO
Medicine__________________
lllOOOOO
Intimidation________________ O OOOOOOO
Music_____________________ OOOOOOOO
Occult_____________________
llOOOOOO
Larceny____________________ llOOOOOO
Ride_______________________ OOOOOOOO
Politics____________________
llOOOOOO
Leadership_________________ lOOOOOO
Stealth____________________
l OOOOOOOO
Science____________________
OOOOOOOO
Subterfuge__________________ lllOOOOO
Survival___________________ OOOOOOOO
Seneschal__________________

Advantages
Disciplines Backgrounds Virtues
__________________________
Animalism l l O O O O O O __________________________
Allies l l l O O O O O Conscience___________
llOO O
Fortitude l O O O O O O O __________________________
__________________________ Generation l O O O O O O O
__________________________
Protean l O O O O O O O Resources l l O O O O O O Self-Control________l l l O O
__________________________
O O O O O O O O __________________________
__________________________ OOOOOOOO
Courage____________l l l l l
__________________________
O O O O O O O O __________________________
O OOOOOOO

Other Traits Road Health

OOOOOOOO
__________________________ __________________________
Humanity Bruised
OOOOOOOO
__________________________
l l l l l O O O O O Hurt -1
OOOOOOOO
__________________________ Injured -1
OOOOOOOO
__________________________
Willpower Wounded -2
OOOOOOOO
__________________________ Mauled -2
OOOOOOOO
___________________________ l l l l l O O O O O Crippled -5
OOOOOOOO
__________________________ Incapacitated
OOOOOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOOOO
__________________________ Weakness
OOOOOOOO
Blood Pool
__________________________
OOOOOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOOOO
__________________________

MAVERICKS AND CUTPURSES

93
 The Promethean
Urchin
Quote: Remember, when the time comes: Our Lord said the meek shall inherit the Earth as well as the heavenly kingdom...
History: You didn’t really intend to rebel, not at first. Circumstances nudged you into it. You were a young lass on
the eve of your Embrace, the child of a poor couple who’d fled war in one city only to find
even greater hardships in the next. Slipping in and out of the crowds on market-days,
you never failed to make off with a fat purse or a bag of spices or produce. Your sire
had been watching you for months, entranced not only by your dove-gray eyes but
also by the consummate grace with which you exercised your profession. It was art of
a sort, he declared, and marked you for immortality.
Well and good, but the other Artisans didn’t see it that way. They mocked you
for your rude manners, your foreign accent, your permanent scrawniness. After
a while, your sire recovered from the disgrace enough to be permitted to make
another, more palatable childe. All too soon, even he could no longer find any
time to spare you. Angry and lonely, you retreated to your old haunts, the alley-
ways and churchyards. Your skills were better appreciated among the mortals
there, although they still teased you about your size.
Within a few years, you were the mastermind of a highly successful burglary
ring. In a moment of glory, your gang managed to break into the archbishop’s
treasury, and that was when the Prometheans noticed and approached
you. Had you perhaps gotten into his library as well, they asked? No, you
hadn’t; what use could a bunch of books be to you? They laughed, and
then offered to teach you to read so that you could find out.
Concept: Like many Cainites, you’ve come a long way from
unpromising beginnings. However, your waifish looks and rough
behavior keep you from making real political headway. The
Prometheans, however, respect both your skills and the Arti-
san pride you take in them. Moreover, they freely share their
knowledge and wisdom, as well as their dream of a world
where the iniquities of both mortal and vampire worlds are
righted. You would gladly die to bring that new world about.
Roleplaying Hints: You’re a little unsure of yourself still, caught
between the unwelcome brat you were and the wise, fearless leader
you aspire to be. Sometimes you go a bit too far trying to impress
others with your new learning, but you really are quick to grasp
things — and quick to become impassioned about them. As a
Promethean, your ethics compel you to take blood only from
those who give permission or those who deserve it; the latter
category, fortunately, includes just about any mortal with
high status in society, or those who work for such. When on
the prowl, spying or robbing for your new compatriots, you
are a vision of sly fluidity, a true master of your profession.
Equipment: Daggers, rope, crowbar, bribe money,
dark clothing, well-thumbed and thoroughly glossed
Latin classics
ASHEN THIEF

94
Name: Nature: Rebel Generation: 12th
Player: Demeanor: Defender Haven:
Chronicle: Clan: Toreador Concept: Promethean Urchin
Attributes
Physical Social Mental
l l O O O O O O Charisma__________________
Strength___________________ llOOOOOO
l l O O O O O O Perception_________________
l l l l l O O O
Dexterity___________________ Manipulation_______________ llOOOOOO
l O O O O O O O Intelligence_________________
l l l O O O O O Appearance________________
Stamina____________________ llllOOOO
l l l O O O O O Wits____________________

Abilities
Talents Skills Knowledges
lOOOOOOO
Acting____________________ OOOOOOOO
Animal Ken________________ llOOOOOO
Academics_________________
llOOOOOO
Alertness__________________ OOOOOOOO
Achery____________________ lOOOOOOO
Hearth Wisdom_____________
llOOOOOO
Athletics___________________ (Carpentry)l O O O O O O O
Crafts_____________________ O OOOOOOO
Investigation________________
lOOOOOOO
Brawl______________________ OOOOOOOO
Etiquette___________________ lOOOOOOO
Law_______________________
llOOOOOO
Dodge_____________________ OOOOOOOO
Herbalism__________________ lOOOOOOO
Linguistics__________________
OOOOOOOO
Empathy___________________ lllOOOOO
Melee_____________________ OOOOOOOO
Medicine__________________
OOOOOOOO
Intimidation________________ O OOOOOOO
Music_____________________ OOOOOOOO
Occult_____________________
llllOOOO
Larceny____________________ OOOOOOOO
Ride_______________________ OOOOOOOO
Politics____________________
lOOOOOO
Leadership_________________
l llllOOOO
Stealth____________________ OOOOOOOO
Science____________________
lOOOOOOO
Subterfuge__________________ llOOOOOO
Survival___________________ OOOOOOOO
Seneschal__________________

Advantages
Disciplines Backgrounds Virtues
__________________________
Auspex llOOOOOO __________________________
Contacts l l l O O O O O Conscience___________l l l O O
__________________________
Celerity lOOOOOOO __________________________
Influence lOOOOOOO
__________________________
Presence lOOOOOOO Mentor l O O O O O O O Self-Control________l l l O O
__________________________
__________________________
OOOOOOOO __________________________
Resources l l l O O O O O Courage____________l l l l O
__________________________
OOOOOOOO __________________________
Retainers l l l O O O O O

Other Traits Road Health

OOOOOOOO
__________________________ __________________________
Humanity Bruised
OOOOOOOO
__________________________
l l l l l l l O O O Hurt -1
OOOOOOOO
__________________________ Injured -1
OOOOOOOO
__________________________
Willpower Wounded -2
OOOOOOOO
__________________________ Mauled -2
OOOOOOOO
___________________________ l l l l l l O O O O Crippled -5
OOOOOOOO
__________________________ Incapacitated
OOOOOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOOOO
__________________________ Weakness
OOOOOOOO
Blood Pool
__________________________
OOOOOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOOOO
__________________________

MAVERICKS AND CUTPURSES

95