Ravnos
A clan almost annihilated in the opening salvo of the Gehenna War, its embers are now growing brighter with each passing night. Others know them as message-bearers, wanderers, and mind-fuckers, but the Ravnos know their legacy to be far greater. They walk in the footsteps of Anansi, Coyote, Hanuman, Hermes, Rabbit, Loki, and their ilk, a flame of capricious divinity simmering in their Blood. They range across domains and continents, only rarely settling down, always a step ahead of the Antediluvian judgement that pursues them (and occasionally brings them into conflict with clans like the Gangrel, who otherwise might share an affinity for the world’s liminal spaces). Their methods are not brute force, adoration of crowds, or meticulous centuriesspanning plots, but rather wit and panache, artful charm, and outright illusion.
Or, as one Ravnos put it: “Tomorrow we may burn, but tonight we’re on fire!”
Masters of misdirection, the Rogues prefer not to fight or bleed for something they can obtain through subtler means. They can charm and vanish within the same mortal breath, and those once fooled quickly learn to question their very senses when in the company of Ravens. For that reason, Ravnos vampires seldom advertise their nature, and once their cover is blown they are quick to make their escape. Not that they have much choice in the matter, as inexorable doom lurks in their vitae, threatening to consume them if they ever come to rest. But as the flashover of the supposed destruction of their progenitor burns through the clan, new generations have managed to stay a step ahead of this blood-borne conflagration and are quietly re-establishing the lineage.
Driven by omens of their own destruction and possessing a supernatural capacity for illusion, the Ravnos have always attracted and been attracted to mortals who gamble with their lives and those of others. Confidence artists, confidantes, venture capitalists, performance artists, and plain wayfarers all contribute to the manifold cast that is the Ravnos clan in the modern nights. Which isn’t to say that they’re harmless or even sympathetic — much risk-taking requires a heart hardened to the plight of others, and more than a few Daredevils were “self-interested” even before they became blood-drinking night-haunts. Still, that makes for an easier transition, and many Ravnos fledglings do take to the undead state with more ease than those of other clans, having already cut their ties to friends, family, and society.
While the nomadic habits — even requirements — of the clan make any kind of proper organization difficult, something like a Ravnos revival is forming, taking root among the more communal members of the clan. A complex set of signs and signals, known and taught only to members of the clan, helps them find and identify each other, as well as set up occasional gatherings to swap rumors and trade information on the state of Kindred affairs across domains. Storytelling is popular, and a mythology of sorts is emerging among young Ravens in which they identify as descendants of various mythological trickster deities, going so far as to form coteries or Embrace broods devoted to one clever god or another. Lacking still-active ancestors, they make up their own, elevating their craft to divine mandate.
The Ravnos’ relationship to mortals varies. Historically they have latched on to various subaltern societies, where the imbalance of power means that even should they be discovered, few of their victims would be in a position to do anything about it. Numerous Ravens have even attached themselves to itinerant commercial groups such as traveling carnivals, where they not only have a steady cycle of prey, but might even be able to turn their talents to a profit. As with most relationships of the Kindred to their herds, the Rogues’ vampiric influence is rarely benign, and while some Ravnos genuinely care for their charges, others see them merely as tools or vessels, to be used and disposed of. A ship of refugees is as likely to see port, delivered safely by a mysterious benefactor, as to arrive at port empty, a ghost ship, with bones and bloodstains the only signs of its past passengers.
For these reasons and more an increasing number of Daredevils are making do on their own, or fighting their curse in an attempt to settle in established domains. To avoid their curse they set up multiple havens and frequently employ an equally impressive number of mortal masks. No clan is as adept at blending in as the Ravnos, and many operate under the radar of the Kindred community of the domain, or present themselves as innocuous Caitiff. Those who do fly the colours of their heritage tend to adopt a staunchly independent position, selling their services as spies, saboteurs, and negotiators to the highest bidding sect. Few Ravens can maintain this for long, though, and most eventually find themselves packing. Whether due to an accumulation of enemies, vengeance-driven victims, or the doom seething through their very Blood, a Ravnos vampire always ends up on the run. This is fine with most other Kindred, who can’t help but see a cautionary lesson in the Ravnos, as they represent the most final outcomes of the Gehenna War.
Disciplines:
1. Animalism: The Ravnos maintain an almost affable relationship with animals, especially ravens, foxes, coyotes, spiders, and monkeys. (At the Storyteller’s discretion, reduce the Difficulty for Animalism tests involving these animals by one and increase it for all other kinds of animals.) Employing these familiars as spies, distractions, and the occasional companion, a Ravnos is never truly alone on the road.
2. Obfuscate: While many Rogues are able to vanish from sight and remain hidden, the clan is also adept at extending the use of Obfuscate to craft elaborate and sustained hallucinations, effectively using their Presence to propel the properties of the Discipline to encompass more than their own visage.
3. Presence: The go-to method when natural charm and persuasion isn’t enough. Few Daredevils are without at least some measure of this Discipline. They make frequent use of Presence to procure victims in a pinch, and the Discipline also has a part to play in hallucinatory powers.
Clan Bane: The Ravnos are doomed. The sun’s fire that incinerated their founder rages through the Blood of the clan, erupting from their very flesh if they ever settle down for long. If they slumber in the same place more than once in seven nights, roll a number of dice equal to their Bane Severity. They receive aggravated damage equal to the number of 10’s (critical results) rolled as they are scorched from within. This happens every time they spend the day in a location they’ve already slumbered less than a week before. What constitutes a location in this regard depends on the scope of the chronicle, but unless otherwise stated, two resting places need to be at least a mile apart to avoid triggering the Bane. Furthermore, a mobile haven, such as a movers’ ruck, is safe so long as the place where the truck is parked is at least a mile from the last location. Ravnos characters cannot take the No Haven Flaw at character creation.
Related Organizations
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