When you enter the dark, and can see nothing but blackness, you are truly alone. Voices become distant. Even the dim light of the stars feels like a fading hope,
devoured by the black. There is nothing.
Nothing but you.
Now that you’re one of us, you realize you are the
center of it all. Nothing matters except you. Everything
will die except you. Does this make us nihilists? Perhaps
so, but better to be pragmatic than to cling to the hope
of redemption or the light.
Our elders believe we can only grow in strength
through enlightened self-interest and preying on the
weak. The weak will always be prey, so it is far better
that their predators are competent enough to handle
them with grace.
You will find yourself clad in the trappings of
religion. You will find Kindred and kine falling to their
knees and begging you for guidance. Fight the urge to
send them to some Ministry preacher, and take them to
your bosom. Hold them. Nurture them. Enslave them.
Destroy them.
We promise those who serve us a place in heaven, a
bounty when they slay our enemies: a glorious cocktail
of dogmatic faith and absolute nihilism.
Does this make us evil? No. Don’t be silly. The
concept of evil is something on which elders sell their
ignorant childer. We Lasombra are the only ones awake.
We are awake because we stepped into the darkness,
opened our eyes, and saw what was staring back at us.
There is nothing out there, and there is everything.
You are one of the flock, and I’m overjoyed to have
you among us.
Who are the Lasombra?
Lasombra sires favor mortals who fit the mold of
the clan. The Lasombra have been of a Darwinian philosophy since before the term existed. They have no time
for weakness, feel the only way to survive is to excel, and
cut away the trappings of sympathy and petty morality
wherever it might slow down their ascent to power.
The Lasombra Embrace those who fight against the
odds, survive dangerous situations, and exist at the pinnacle of excellence. The Magisters describe their Embrace
tradition as “targeting those fit for more than a simple
human life.” Sociopaths, counter-culturalists, deviants, and
scarred survivors all hold appeal for the Lasombra. Anyone
who can say they have seen the dark on the other side, and
subsequently came back stronger, is a potential candidate
for the Embrace. Many become vampires obsessed with
the accumulation of social power, prepared to mislead and
use mortals to elevate themselves. Others were like that
before the Embrace, with such pragmatic traits leading to
their ascent in Lasombra eyes.
The Lasombra lean heavily into the institutions
of organized religion to find their prospective childer.
They do not look for the truly faithful, or the truly
depraved, but the priests who gained their role through
a desire to have complete control over the spiritual
destination of their congregations. Those nuns, monks,
vicars, and rabbis who use their institutions as a tool to
increase their power, often shaking hands with gangsters behind closed doors, are the kind of cold-hearted
bastards Magisters adore.
The mortals Embraced into this clan surprise those
who underestimate their ability, rising to positions of
power in Camarilla cities more swiftly than anyone can
predict.
Lasombra Archetypes
Activist
The Lasombra have claimed to exult the virtue of
rebellion and opposition to tyranny for the last half-millennium. Though the clan now attempts to hold membership in the Camarilla, many younger Lasombra still
refuse to kneel before unknowable ancients. In life, this
character was likely a political or religious activist, recognized for the Embrace by a Lasombra who shared, or
at least appreciated, their vision. Such a character could
be a libertarian, anarcho-capitalist, or even a member of
a terrorist cell.
Legate
Clan Lasombra values the art of the deal and those
who make it. Whether in attempts to court power and
influence, broker peace or instigate a war, a Lasombra
found this character capable of the required task and
Embraced them. In life, they were likely a diplomat or
successful trader, or perhaps a marriage counselor or
Mafia consigliere. They are well-equipped to handle
negotiations on behalf of the clan, likely using the title
“Legate.”
Masquerade Templar
The Lasombra target fighters for the Embrace. Any
mortal who has overcome extreme adversity draws the
eyes of Clan Lasombra, often because the Lasombra
place that adversity in the way of prospective childer.
This mortal survived and triumphed over great and punishing odds. As a vampire, they fought on and proved
worthy of their sire’s respect, going on to fight against
greater oppressors in the form of the Second Inquisition
and the Sabbat.
Religion’s Parasite
This Lasombra hid among the religious in life,
continuing to do so in death. Whether a leader
or simple congregant, this character holds allies
within the faithful and at least some sway over
like-minded individuals. Not a true believer, this
Lasombra coldly manipulates others who hold
faith, using the religious institution to serve their
own elevation.
Winner at Life
The beaming athlete holding their medal aloft,
the mother proud of her rosette-winning daughter,
the investment banker tossing cash at strippers,
the actor with cocaine lining his lungs — all ex
emplify the winner. Clan Lasombra loves winning
more than they love the battle, and they will do
anything to win. Weak humans who succumb to
stressful failure hold no allure to the Keepers. This
character is possibly braggadocious, and almost
definitely envy-inducing, but few can deny their
perpetual success.
Disciplines
Dominate
The power to mentally compel
others into action, and remove and alter memories.
The Lasombra speak lovingly of their ability to
crush wills and command obedience without the
unnecessary pretense of the Ventrue and Toreador.
The callous way in which they exert this Discipline
on victims earns antipathy from the other clans,
yet few deny the Magisters’ ability in brainwashing
and subjugating prey. Without hesitation, a Lasombra uses Dominate to tell a victim to bare their
neck and ready for feeding.
Oblivion
The ability to manipulate darkness
as a weapon or tool. This power, envied by some
Kindred, loathed by most, is the Lasombra’s greatest strength and deepest weakness. Lasombra may
use shadows to attack a foe, intimidate a victim
with a cloak of darkness, or pass into one shadow
and exit another to evade observation. Many claim
there’s a cost to one’s soul for using Oblivion, or
that it draws the eyes of the clan founder.
Potence
This power enables a vampire to hit
unnaturally hard, lift with an inhuman strength,
and bound across impressive distances. Few
Lasombra use Potence for the purpose of assisting their
feeding, considering it a vulgar exercise to manually grab
and hold a vessel. The clan’s members favor popping an
enemy’s skull with their hands, driving a boot through
a punk’s stomach, or ripping a door off a hinge to command respect and fear in other circumstances, however.
Compulsion
Lasombra: Ruthlessness
To the Lasombra, failure is not an option. Their
Blood will urge them to any act conceivable to reach
their goals, whether in the moment or in Byzantine plots
lasting centuries. Any setback is felt profoundly and
they quickly escalate to the most ruthless of methods
until they achieve their aims.
The next time the vampire fails any action they receive a
two-dice penalty to any and all rolls until a future attempt at
the same action succeeds. Note that the above penalty applies
to future attempts at the triggering action as well.
Bane
Anyone seeing the reflection or recording (live and
otherwise) of a Lasombra vampire can instantly recognize them for what they are, provided they know what
they’re looking for. People with no prior knowledge
will know something is wrong, but likely attribute the
distortion to irregularities in the reflecting surface or
recording errors. Note that this will not hide the identity of the vampire with any certainty, and the Lasombra
are no less likely to be caught on surveillance than any
other vampire. In addition, use of modern communication technology, including making a simple phone call,
requires a Technology test at Difficulty 2 + Bane Severity
as microphones have similar problems with the voice
of a Lasombra as cameras with their image. Avoiding
electronic vampire detection systems is also done at a
penalty equal to Bane Severity
Lasombra and Technology
While all vampires lose something profound at their
Embrace, the Lasombra exhibit the most telling signs
of this spiritual deficiency. When viewed in a reflective
surface or a recording medium, their image appears
distorted, sometimes almost invisible. Whether flickering, twisted, or transparent, their reflection betrays their
undead state and lineage. Similarly, modern technology
relying on touch or other forms of direct interaction
— such as voice activation or use of a stylus — tends to
glitch or simply act unresponsive to Magisters, and electronic detection systems easily pick up the tell-tale signs
of their passing. It’s as if they exist on a slightly different
frequency to other beings, flickering in and out of light.
While Lasombra fledglings despair at technology’s
refusal to work to their wills, most swiftly recruit mortals or create ghouls to handle such “busy work” as taking calls and driving them around a city. This clan trend
is so noticed among the Magisters, that a Lasombra who
conducts their business without a personal attendant is
held as a curious kind of beast..
