Adroanzi
Many gods have been lost to the ravages of time. But some of us are still listening.
Long before western civilization had real knowledge of the African continent and the mysteries within, gods walked the earth. Sometimes alien and bizarre, these gods interjected themselves into the lives of the mortals throughout the area. They were known to take on widely different forms, and most of their appearances did not resemble the typical dark-skinned native African. Just as varied were the stories of creation each tribe or culture attributed to their patrons; some legends claimed that Humanity sprang from the earth or grew from unorthodox parts of their god’s anatomy.
The Lugbara were, at one time, a culture spread throughout areas including modern day Uganda and the Republic of Congo. They worshipped a god named Adroa, a being of two aspects, good and evil, his body split in half. Half of his form — One Arm, one leg, One Eye, and half of his torso — resided in their world. The other half existed in the heavens. He was tall and white, always looking like he was near death. His offspring were the Adroanzi. Also said to appear like they had only half of a body, they were visible when viewed from one side and vanished when turned to view the other.
The Adroanzi had more contact with the tribes of the Lugbara than their deific parent ever conducted. They would protect the people from wildlife and malevolent bandits, they would keep watch over their chosen, and they would ensure benevolent harvests for the most worthy tribes. They were not, however, wholly benign patrons. Stories told by the Lugbara warned against trying to look at the god-children. A mere glance would infuriate the Adroanzi, prompting them to kill and devour the offender immediately. Even more mysterious tales were told of the homes of the Adroanzi. From time to time, the tribesmen would find groves of demented trees, full of perverted plants that could not be found anywhere else in their lands. Those who ventured into these groves returned with horrifying stories of venomous flowers, carnivorous trees and crawling roots. All of these plants dripped with blood, and were growing from or around disturbed graves and bodies of those claimed by the gods.
The Lugbara were, at one time, a culture spread throughout areas including modern day Uganda and the Republic of Congo. They worshipped a god named Adroa, a being of two aspects, good and evil, his body split in half. Half of his form — One Arm, one leg, One Eye, and half of his torso — resided in their world. The other half existed in the heavens. He was tall and white, always looking like he was near death. His offspring were the Adroanzi. Also said to appear like they had only half of a body, they were visible when viewed from one side and vanished when turned to view the other.
The Adroanzi had more contact with the tribes of the Lugbara than their deific parent ever conducted. They would protect the people from wildlife and malevolent bandits, they would keep watch over their chosen, and they would ensure benevolent harvests for the most worthy tribes. They were not, however, wholly benign patrons. Stories told by the Lugbara warned against trying to look at the god-children. A mere glance would infuriate the Adroanzi, prompting them to kill and devour the offender immediately. Even more mysterious tales were told of the homes of the Adroanzi. From time to time, the tribesmen would find groves of demented trees, full of perverted plants that could not be found anywhere else in their lands. Those who ventured into these groves returned with horrifying stories of venomous flowers, carnivorous trees and crawling roots. All of these plants dripped with blood, and were growing from or around disturbed graves and bodies of those claimed by the gods.
Culture
Culture and cultural heritage
History and Culture: Long before Europeans made their way into the interior of Africa and interfered in the affairs of the indigenous cultures, a number of vampires took the roles of gods. While many required their human subjects to perform various rituals or provide different tributes, most of them appeared to be often benevolent. Almost universally, this benevolence was simply given to keep the mortal tribes from fleeing or fighting back. Thus it was that the Adroanzi “cared for” the Lugbara tribes. A number of these supposed gods had a culture and a form of society of their own. Throughout central Africa, most of these vampires conducted games and competitions through their devoted tribes. Tribes would wage war upon each other, challenge each other for land and Resources, and demand rights of breeding from the other tribes. In most cases, these tribes were simply going about their own business. However, the Adroanzi never left their subjects unmolested for long. They would command their chieftains, sour the local wildlife (forcing the tribe to migrate), or subtly instigate aggressions. With the intrusion of European outsiders, the tribes’ cultures began to change. Some were decimated by the invaders, some incorporated the teachings of others. Christianity, however, was the benevolent poison to the Adroanzi’s carefully cultivated Lugbara.
The Adroazni did not take well or adjust easily to the shifting cultures, introductions of new religions, and emergence into a larger world. A significant number of them perished in battles against the outsiders and a sizeable portion fell into Torpor, hoping to be swept up to the heavens with the rest of the gods once revered by the people of Africa. Only a minuscule minority of these vampires made any serious attempt to integrate themselves with the Europeans or Asians, and with the world around them in general. The youngest and most impressionable, who did make the effort, quickly discovered a niche they could fill.
Through the decades and centuries of ruling the mortals from the position of gods of nature, they had accumulated a great deal of skill in manipulating plants. These manipulations certainly bore the mark of the vampiric condition, and there was one beneficial side effect to this practice. The Adroanzi became known as Lacrimists because their horticultural experiments produced Mandragora plants more reliably than any other known practice. From these Mandragora, the Adroanzi were able to extract quantities of lacrima. A rare delicacy among Kindred, Adroanzi were able to barter great favors and vast Resources for their lacrima. It took very little time for a few entrepreneurial Lacrimists to make the transition into the societies outside of Africa.
Initially, these vampires traveled with and settled near the Kindred who had first discovered them among the African tribes. Thus, they were most prevalent near colonies controlled by the Grémio de Corajoso. Where the Gardeners went, the Grémio forged mutually beneficial relationships. The guild protected the Adroanzi while they capitalized on their association with the peddlers of Kindred vice. Few knew of the Gardeners’ origins, and those with such knowledge rarely cared after their first sip of lacrima. A few of the fallen gods attempted to return to their old ways, especially those rare elder Adroanzi who had ventured out into the world. On the heels of mortal explorers, these vampires sought out cultures and civilizations that had not suffered the same dilution theirs had. Attempting to enslave new villages, manipulate other Kindred, and reestablish their divine place over mortals rarely met with success.
This time, in the relative public eye of Kindred society, the acts of a number of Adroanzi elders cast a shadow over the bloodline. They developed a reputation as maniacal monsters who threatened the Masquerade. When they did occasionally find success and enthrall a remote village, explorers and invaders swiftly put an end to the oppression. Most of the bloodline was hunted down. The temptations of lacrima became tainted with Suspicion. The majority of Kindred who learned of the substance through dealings with the Gardeners suspected foul play. Most wondered how many vampires had become unsuspectingly blood bound to the African elders. Even the most reputable Gardeners ended up running from Kindred domains, fearing destruction. Memories clouded by Torpor, information inaccurately passed from one generation to the next, and the passage of time eventually allowed them to return from hiding.
Modern Adroanzi differ very little from the members of the bloodline who existed centuries ago. They are consistently reminded of their divine origins and take great pride in the fact that they still possess their mastery over nature and the flora around them. Between the uneasiness they cause in social situations and their utter contempt for Humanity’s decision to abandon them for Christianity, the Gardeners tend to isolate themselves with personal pursuits. These activities commonly involve the exploration of various types of Mandragora and the varieties of lacrima they can produce, but they can also bury themselves in the past. Feeling such a connection to the divine spurs a number of these vampires to delve into their own history, searching for how and why they fell from the grace of the other gods.
If the Adroanzi are more prevalent in any single covenant, it is in The Circle of the Crone. Lost rites, connections to ancient gods, and bloody tradition certainly appeal to many of them. The rest of the covenants generally attract only small numbers of the Gardeners. These also tend to be younger members of the bloodline. Searching any path that might offer answers to their past and longing for stability in a group separated from Man, they spread across the other covenants. Kindred aware of the bloodline’s history are always surprised to hear about one of the Adroanzi joining The Lancea Sanctum. However, the Sanctified are, after all, certainly not like the devout Christians of the breathing world. Indeed, younger Gardeners are far more open to exploring the darker side of the Sanctified.
The Adroazni did not take well or adjust easily to the shifting cultures, introductions of new religions, and emergence into a larger world. A significant number of them perished in battles against the outsiders and a sizeable portion fell into Torpor, hoping to be swept up to the heavens with the rest of the gods once revered by the people of Africa. Only a minuscule minority of these vampires made any serious attempt to integrate themselves with the Europeans or Asians, and with the world around them in general. The youngest and most impressionable, who did make the effort, quickly discovered a niche they could fill.
Through the decades and centuries of ruling the mortals from the position of gods of nature, they had accumulated a great deal of skill in manipulating plants. These manipulations certainly bore the mark of the vampiric condition, and there was one beneficial side effect to this practice. The Adroanzi became known as Lacrimists because their horticultural experiments produced Mandragora plants more reliably than any other known practice. From these Mandragora, the Adroanzi were able to extract quantities of lacrima. A rare delicacy among Kindred, Adroanzi were able to barter great favors and vast Resources for their lacrima. It took very little time for a few entrepreneurial Lacrimists to make the transition into the societies outside of Africa.
Initially, these vampires traveled with and settled near the Kindred who had first discovered them among the African tribes. Thus, they were most prevalent near colonies controlled by the Grémio de Corajoso. Where the Gardeners went, the Grémio forged mutually beneficial relationships. The guild protected the Adroanzi while they capitalized on their association with the peddlers of Kindred vice. Few knew of the Gardeners’ origins, and those with such knowledge rarely cared after their first sip of lacrima. A few of the fallen gods attempted to return to their old ways, especially those rare elder Adroanzi who had ventured out into the world. On the heels of mortal explorers, these vampires sought out cultures and civilizations that had not suffered the same dilution theirs had. Attempting to enslave new villages, manipulate other Kindred, and reestablish their divine place over mortals rarely met with success.
This time, in the relative public eye of Kindred society, the acts of a number of Adroanzi elders cast a shadow over the bloodline. They developed a reputation as maniacal monsters who threatened the Masquerade. When they did occasionally find success and enthrall a remote village, explorers and invaders swiftly put an end to the oppression. Most of the bloodline was hunted down. The temptations of lacrima became tainted with Suspicion. The majority of Kindred who learned of the substance through dealings with the Gardeners suspected foul play. Most wondered how many vampires had become unsuspectingly blood bound to the African elders. Even the most reputable Gardeners ended up running from Kindred domains, fearing destruction. Memories clouded by Torpor, information inaccurately passed from one generation to the next, and the passage of time eventually allowed them to return from hiding.
Modern Adroanzi differ very little from the members of the bloodline who existed centuries ago. They are consistently reminded of their divine origins and take great pride in the fact that they still possess their mastery over nature and the flora around them. Between the uneasiness they cause in social situations and their utter contempt for Humanity’s decision to abandon them for Christianity, the Gardeners tend to isolate themselves with personal pursuits. These activities commonly involve the exploration of various types of Mandragora and the varieties of lacrima they can produce, but they can also bury themselves in the past. Feeling such a connection to the divine spurs a number of these vampires to delve into their own history, searching for how and why they fell from the grace of the other gods.
If the Adroanzi are more prevalent in any single covenant, it is in The Circle of the Crone. Lost rites, connections to ancient gods, and bloody tradition certainly appeal to many of them. The rest of the covenants generally attract only small numbers of the Gardeners. These also tend to be younger members of the bloodline. Searching any path that might offer answers to their past and longing for stability in a group separated from Man, they spread across the other covenants. Kindred aware of the bloodline’s history are always surprised to hear about one of the Adroanzi joining The Lancea Sanctum. However, the Sanctified are, after all, certainly not like the devout Christians of the breathing world. Indeed, younger Gardeners are far more open to exploring the darker side of the Sanctified.
Major organizations
Reputation: Most Kindred find the Adroanzi to be eccentric and deviant peddlers of their liquid sin. Some elder Kindred may remember the years of ambitious and egotistical Adroanzi insisting that they were the direct offspring of a god, but very few would have had (or currently remember) direct confrontations with the “lost gods” trying to reclaim their glory. That being said, they tend to be viewed as novelties; worth attention only when the tiny bottles of lacrima are being passed around. Kindred who choose to roam the wilderness might have the most need to raise a conflict with Adroanzi in their own territory. Wherever the Gardeners conduct their experiments with plants, the property or landscape is littered with failed attempts — dead vegetation that take years to decompose, pools of bloody, pulpy, putrid and liquefied plants, and aggressive, bloated insects that scour the area of any other, more normal, insects. These disposal sites and groves for experimentation certainly cause a taint on the land around them, scaring away wildlife and placing a strain on anyone who depends on that land.
On the other hand, movers and shakers within the Kindred community feel very fortunate when they can contact and maintain a relationship with one of the Gardeners. Simply possessing lacrima can elevate a vampire’s reputation; having a regular method to distribute tiny vials of the substance to favored Allies can place a vampire’s admirers in awe.
On the other hand, movers and shakers within the Kindred community feel very fortunate when they can contact and maintain a relationship with one of the Gardeners. Simply possessing lacrima can elevate a vampire’s reputation; having a regular method to distribute tiny vials of the substance to favored Allies can place a vampire’s admirers in awe.
Nickname: Gardeners, Lacrimists
Bloodline Disciplines: Nburu, Nightmare, Obfuscate, Vigor
Weakness: All Adroanzi share the weakness of the Nosferatu clan (see p. 111 of Vampire: The Requiem).
In addition, the Lacrimists are exceedingly bitter about their place among Humanity and their apparent denial from the residence of the gods. This twist of fate infuriated the first of the Adroanzi so much that none of the subsequent generations would be allowed to forget their loss of divinity, nor would they be allowed to forgive Humanity for it. Any time an Adroanzi feeds, he lashes out and abuses his prey. Whether he gnaws and chews while he drinks, pummels over and over again, or physically disfigures the victim, the end result is the same. For each point of Vitae taken, an Adroanzi inflicts an additional point of lethal damage. This means that it is more difficult to feed while trying to be discreet, and probably also interrupts the mortal’s experience of the Kiss. It is possible to avoid exacting this revenge, but the player must spend a Willpower point. This allows the vampire to feed from a single victim for a single scene without inflictingthis additional damage.
Concepts: Vintner to the elders, poisoner, herbalist, inner city pharmacist, drug dealer, graveyard gardener, god of the dead forest, monster of the woods, wood stake weaponsmith, African refugee protector
Mandragora (sometimes called “mandrakes”) are plants that have been infused with Kindred Vitae. They are not Ghouls and do not have any sentience of their own, but they do have intrinsic value to many Kindred. These warped and perverted plants produce small amounts of a bloody Sap known as Lacrima (also referred to as “mandrake tears”). Lacrima is a unique substance that Kindred may consume. In fact, due to its compelling taste and properties that allow it to be blended with human blood, the rust-colored Sap is sought out as a rare delicacy. Creating Mandragora is an exceedingly difficult process that takes months and requires specific conditions for the plant to transform into this aberrant thing.
Mandragora and lacrima are discussed in more detail in Ghouls, but in brief: A plant can become a Mandragora if a vampire feeds it blood for a long period of time. Not every plant becomes one (most die, in fact), and there is no set formula for how much Vitae is required to make the change. Larger plants require more blood, yes, but it’s possible that a smaller patch of greenery becomes voracious and sucks up whatever the vampire gives it, while an oak grows sickly and dies after only a few nights of the treatment. Mandrakes sometimes gain a bit of mobility, and slowly grow toward sources of blood, much like normal plants turn toward sunlight.
Parent ethnicities
Weakness: All Adroanzi share the weakness of the Nosferatu clan (see p. 111 of Vampire: The Requiem).
In addition, the Lacrimists are exceedingly bitter about their place among Humanity and their apparent denial from the residence of the gods. This twist of fate infuriated the first of the Adroanzi so much that none of the subsequent generations would be allowed to forget their loss of divinity, nor would they be allowed to forgive Humanity for it. Any time an Adroanzi feeds, he lashes out and abuses his prey. Whether he gnaws and chews while he drinks, pummels over and over again, or physically disfigures the victim, the end result is the same. For each point of Vitae taken, an Adroanzi inflicts an additional point of lethal damage. This means that it is more difficult to feed while trying to be discreet, and probably also interrupts the mortal’s experience of the Kiss. It is possible to avoid exacting this revenge, but the player must spend a Willpower point. This allows the vampire to feed from a single victim for a single scene without inflictingthis additional damage.
Concepts: Vintner to the elders, poisoner, herbalist, inner city pharmacist, drug dealer, graveyard gardener, god of the dead forest, monster of the woods, wood stake weaponsmith, African refugee protector
Mandragora and Lacrima
Mandragora (sometimes called “mandrakes”) are plants that have been infused with Kindred Vitae. They are not Ghouls and do not have any sentience of their own, but they do have intrinsic value to many Kindred. These warped and perverted plants produce small amounts of a bloody Sap known as Lacrima (also referred to as “mandrake tears”). Lacrima is a unique substance that Kindred may consume. In fact, due to its compelling taste and properties that allow it to be blended with human blood, the rust-colored Sap is sought out as a rare delicacy. Creating Mandragora is an exceedingly difficult process that takes months and requires specific conditions for the plant to transform into this aberrant thing.Mandragora and lacrima are discussed in more detail in Ghouls, but in brief: A plant can become a Mandragora if a vampire feeds it blood for a long period of time. Not every plant becomes one (most die, in fact), and there is no set formula for how much Vitae is required to make the change. Larger plants require more blood, yes, but it’s possible that a smaller patch of greenery becomes voracious and sucks up whatever the vampire gives it, while an oak grows sickly and dies after only a few nights of the treatment. Mandrakes sometimes gain a bit of mobility, and slowly grow toward sources of blood, much like normal plants turn toward sunlight.