Tremere
A Hermetic mage in eighth century Romania, Tremere was the leader of cabal of magick users rightfully feared for their
obsession with knowledge and power. Able to prolong his life unnaturally for centuries, his powers eventually lessened and his grip on youth became shaky. Unable or unwilling to accept his own mortality, Tremere cast his eyes on the hallowed secret of immortality. In his greed, the mage instigated the most terrifying magickal experiments ever conducted, damning himself and his followers to a hell of their own making. Thousands of mortals were murdered and hundreds of Kindred vivisected and drained in ritual circles before Tremere and his cultists thought they had found the elixir of life. How surprised they were to have discovered the curse of Caine. Terrified, they died and woke again to an eternity of unlife and hunger, cut off from their craft.
In a mockery of their former magickal rituals, now only fresh blood allows the Tremere to cast their thaumaturgic spells to twist reality.
After the Second Inquisition destroyed the Prime Chantry in Vienna in 2008, the Tremere fell from gray eminences to personae non gratae in many regions. The arrogance of the Pyramid had made the Usurpers few friends. But the need for sorcery has not disappeared; if anything, it grows as the cursed Blood shifts in the veins of the Kindred.
Without the Pyramid ordering them into rank and value, the warlocks find themselves competing with their fellow Kindred and, increasingly, with each other for anything that might allow them to regain some of their former power. A clan-wide chase for artifacts and grimoires belonging to their ashen ancestors rival the social intrigues in ugliness, and the alliance with the Camarilla is an oft-used weapon between the houses of Clan Tremere.
Meanwhile, the term “mercenary magus” is becoming increasingly widespread, as warlocks who were formerly Bound by the will of their masters find themselves free to serve for whatever price they choose.
Tremere serve in three ways: the Warlocks serve the other clans with occult expertise, they serve the Camarilla with Blood Sorcery, and they serve themselves with their missions to grasp power. Though more Tremere ascend to praxis these nights than ever before, they still claim fewer thrones worldwide than Clan Nosferatu. In truth, most Warlocks acknowledge that becoming the Prince is only useful if it helps them expand their knowledge. Tremere see true power as knowing the ways of shaping the world, having access to the right blood, and owning the rarest of ancient artifacts.
As the Tremere ally with confused coteries seeking them out, hunt for well-protected relics and artifacts, or closely analyze fragments of lore relating to the Cainite mythos – all the while miserly guarding their secrets from each other – they are all united in their thirst for knowledge. A Kindred who wishes to understand a piece of their history will do well to approach the Tremere for answers, as long as they are at peace with sharing a few secrets of their own – knowingly or otherwise.
Disciplines:
1. Auspex: Tremere use Auspex to perceive the auras of others, search for evidence of magical essences and important objects left behind, and to communicate with each other across vast distances without fear of being overheard. When needing to feed, Auspex assists a Tremere looking for a pliable vessel, as they can discern the enthusiastic from the reluctant. Many Tremere use Auspex to determine what a mortal needs in order to be more malleable.
2. Blood Sorcery: Master thaumaturges, the Tremere’s expertise in blood magick makes them a valued, if mistrusted, pillar of the Camarilla. Using Blood Sorcery, they can convey devastating attacks on an opponent’s mind and body, defend themselves, and ease their feeding. Some warlocks use Thaumaturgy to sap a mortal’s blood from their veins without ever having to touch them.
3. Dominate: The Tremere will do almost anything for the sake of knowledge and influence, and Dominate is the Discipline that lets them g et away with it. Thievery, backstabbing, and the unjust murder of a clan member’s ghoul are all made easier by the ability to control a mortal’s mind and body. When attempting to feed, a Tremere will show little compunction against using the Discipline to force a mortal into baring their throat.
Clan Bane: Once the clan was defined by a rigid hierarchy of Blood Bonds reaching from the top to the bottom of the Pyramid. But after the fall of Vienna, their Blood has recoiled and aborted all such connections. Tremere vitae can no longer Blood Bond other Kindred, though they themselves can be Bound by Kindred from other clans. A Tremere can still bind mortals and ghouls, though the corrupted vitae must be drunk an additional number of times equal to the vampire’s Bane Severity for the bond to form. Some theorize this change is the revenge of the Antediluvian devoured by Tremere, others attribute it to a simple mutation. Regardless, the clan studies their vitae intently to discover if the process can be reversed, and, indeed, determine if they would want to do so
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