Anvari
Take it. Consider it a free sample. C ’mon, what are you afraid of? I ’m not going to bite….
The Anvari claim to be one of the oldest bloodlines walking tonight. According to their legends, their founder was Sepehr Anvari, an opium-dealer in the last years of the Persian Empire. Like their Daeva parents, the Anvari are very sensual in nature, but unlike the Succubi, they do not compensate for their lost passions by manipulating others. Rather, the Anvari have turned to the use of opium and other narcotics to try to recapture their dead emotions. Over the centuries, the Anvari have come to view narcotics not only as a way to ease the torments of unlife, but as a way to ascend to a higher state.
The bloodline also relies on the addictive effects of narcotics to tie others to its members. Building herds of pliant kine is not only acceptable to the Anvari, but necessary. The line is so intertwined with drugs that a “Pusher” has difficulty feeding from a vessel who isn’t coursing with opiates. Such drugs tend to quickly addict their users and ironically lead them to rely on the very beings that feed on them. It’s a double-edged sword, though. The Anvari themselves are incapable of enjoying the euphoria of narcotics except through the blood of drugged vessels, leaving them tied in turn to their herds.
Other Kindred tend to view the Anvari with distaste at best, and as a constant threat to exposure among mortals at worst. The rest of the Daeva view Pushers as substandard members of the clan who are incapable of seducing prey through beauty and talent alone. That Anvari are not above feeding on addicts in slums and alleyways only reinforces Succubus opinion. Other vampires tend to consider Anvari use of addictive drugs to coerce kine as little more than a poor Kindred’s Vinculum, and indicative of lazy or inept hunting. Some Kindred fear that the Anvari risk exposing undead society as a whole. After all, heroin addicts are always heroin addicts. Who knows what one might say to get a hit, or what a vice cop might uncover during a raid? So, to participate in the Danse Macabre as equals, most Anvari keep their heritage hidden from their undead peers.
The bloodline also relies on the addictive effects of narcotics to tie others to its members. Building herds of pliant kine is not only acceptable to the Anvari, but necessary. The line is so intertwined with drugs that a “Pusher” has difficulty feeding from a vessel who isn’t coursing with opiates. Such drugs tend to quickly addict their users and ironically lead them to rely on the very beings that feed on them. It’s a double-edged sword, though. The Anvari themselves are incapable of enjoying the euphoria of narcotics except through the blood of drugged vessels, leaving them tied in turn to their herds.
Other Kindred tend to view the Anvari with distaste at best, and as a constant threat to exposure among mortals at worst. The rest of the Daeva view Pushers as substandard members of the clan who are incapable of seducing prey through beauty and talent alone. That Anvari are not above feeding on addicts in slums and alleyways only reinforces Succubus opinion. Other vampires tend to consider Anvari use of addictive drugs to coerce kine as little more than a poor Kindred’s Vinculum, and indicative of lazy or inept hunting. Some Kindred fear that the Anvari risk exposing undead society as a whole. After all, heroin addicts are always heroin addicts. Who knows what one might say to get a hit, or what a vice cop might uncover during a raid? So, to participate in the Danse Macabre as equals, most Anvari keep their heritage hidden from their undead peers.
Culture
Culture and cultural heritage
Background: The Anvari Embrace from all levels of society, but tend to favor those of upper-middle-class or higher financial Status. Part of this predilection is due to the lingering influences of the Daeva, but it’s largely because the Anvari actually seldom have direct contact with poor segments of society. (Their agents and “employees” do the selling.) Among the Anvari who actually deal, many build sizeable herds among the lower social strata, where drug use provides an escape from the drudgery of existence. These street dealers are usually looked down upon by their “high-class” brethren.
Contrary to what one may assume given the bloodline’s close association with drugs, the Anvari rarely (if ever) Embrace an addict or even a frequent user. Experience has shown that addicts are ill suited to the bloodline’s weaknesses, quickly succumbing completely to the lure of opiates. Few Anvari suffer the Vice of Gluttony. A Kindred addict is a tremendous liability, risking not only business ventures, but also exposure to mortals. Pushers therefore tend to seek individuals with exposure to narcotics who’ve proven resistant to the lure.
Anvari himself also indulged heavily in opium. He found it provided some relief from the loneliness of unlife. His customers also provided him with a readily available Herd from which to feed. Anvari soon discovered he had no need to hunt or even use charm to seduce victims. More vessels than he could desire came to his lair every night to partake of his drug. By feeding from them while they languished, he introduced the drug into his system virtually every night.
It’s unclear even to elders of the bloodline if Anvari Embraced any childer prior to founding the lineage. It is believed by most that he became gluttonous in the years between his Embrace and the foundation, slipping into Torpor numerous times. Even the duration of this period is a subject of debate, as no elder active in the western world claims to have been Embraced prior to the 16th century, although many assert they’ve met Anvari from the East who are far older.
The truth of the bloodline’s origins will likely remain a mystery as Anvari himself has not been heard from in nearly 500 years. What’s known is that his constant exposure to opium changed his Vitae in some fashion. He fed so frequently from vessels under the effects of narcotics that his Addiction achieved supernatural magnitude. He ceased to be able to effectively draw nourishment from blood that lacked opiates. He could still feed, but it required much larger quantities of blood to sustain him.
In addition to an actual physical preference for opiate- laden blood, he was able to use his affinity for the substance to grant him a unique ability to induce narcotic effects in others — both mortal and Kindred. At that point, Anvari diverged from the Daeva. By the 14th century, opium use reached Europe and suitable vessels were plentiful. Anvari had Embraced more than a few childer, who had followed the opium trade west, hoping to find a climate more hospitable to them than that of their now primarily Muslim-controlled homeland.
Their parent clan soon came to regard the line with disdain and not a little fear. More than one vampire fell victim to the same trap that had caught Sepehr Anvari’s sire. The Anvari might not control the flow of opium, but they did hold sway over more than a few influential mortals who did — and they were willing to exploit any Kindred who fell under the drug’s power. Naturally, elders didn’t cherish the thought of some Anvari upstart achieving leverage over them.
It didn’t take long for more paranoid members of the Ventrue and Daeva clans to decide that the Anvari needed to be brought firmly under control. It was for the good of all. Indeed, the bloodline’s weakness provided a powerful tool to do just that. There was no need to risk exposing the Kindred as a whole. Culling the Anvari’s Herd of vessels would serve just as well. A few years — and quiet accusations to Inquisitors by Ventrue and Daeva servants — later and the Anvari found themselves largely bereft of suitable victims in Europe. The clans then moved secretly against any of the bloodline that still persisted. In the end, the line effectively ceased to exist on the Continent. Only a handful in the Middle East and a rare, isolated member or two in the Far East remained.
At the same time, recreational use of opium became popular in Persia and India. The Dutch exported the drug — along with the pipe in which to smoke it — to China. British shipping spread the drug from India across southeast Asia. While conspiracy minded Kindred sometimes lay this explosion at the feet of the Anvari as a power grab, the truth is the bloodline had nothing to do with it. Certainly, they benefited from it, but at the time it’s unlikely they numbered more than a dozen or so due to the lingering effects of the Inquisition and the rapid spread of Islam. The truth is that mortals longed for euphoria as strongly as any Kindred, and opium could supply it on demand.
Regardless of the reason, the Anvari profited substantially from the expansion of the opium trade. Yet survivors of the Inquisition remembered all too well the dangers of their fellow Kindred. While they remained tied closely to the drug trade, they were careful to keep their involvement at arm’s length to defend against any return to harsh times. When they interacted with other vampires they presented themselves as Daeva. Only rarely did they coerce other Kindred through Addiction. As the bloodline extended tendrils this time, members were careful to remain behind the scenes.
Over the centuries, opium use waxed and waned, but always remained a part of mortal culture. Indeed, kine proved innovative in finding new ways to use the poppy flower. Laudanum gave way to morphine and morphine to heroin — each more addictive than the last. Society was woefully slow to recognize the dangers of narcotic Addiction. Heroin was marketed by Bayer as a cough medicine as late as the end of the 19th century, and opium dens were so prevalent at the same time that San Francisco alone had over 300.
By the time mortal governments realized the dangers posed by narcotics, the demand was too widespread to stop. Laws and active enforcement served only to drive up prices and increase the power of the criminal element. In the end, the attempt to stem the tide of opium created a thriving black market that in turn financed powerful drug cartels.
This period also marked the greatest growth in the bloodline’s numbers, with the Anvari swelling to over a hundred throughout the world.
Nonetheless, they have not forgotten the lesson learned during the Inquisition. Though they must take care to not draw mortal attention, perhaps their most dangerous foes remain other Kindred who fear their pervasive influence.
For most members of the line, opiates are more than merely drugs. They represent a way to recapture a portion of what was lost through the Embrace. Throughout much of mortal history, opium has held an almost religious awe for mortal society. Every culture introduced to it has proven willing to use all of the drug available. The Anvari believe that this craving is due to more than simple chemical craving. Most view partaking of opium as an almost sacred ritual, made all the more poignant by the fact they can no longer enjoy its effects directly. Even the most jaded and cynical Pushers regard it as more than just a drug.
Bloodline elders teach that Sepehr Anvari eventually achieved a state of sublime bliss through his communion with opium, becoming something more than Kindred or mortal. Some lineage members of both The Ordo Dracul and The Circle of the Crone believe their founder may have discovered a “backdoor” to Golconda. No proof is offered of either claim, but the Anvari maintain that they know at least the first step down the path to true enlightenment.
Despite a variety of options, the drug of choice for both Anvari and their kine is heroin. The supply is plentiful, it’s often mixed with other street drugs, and it can (contrary to movies and TV) be taken through a variety of means, not just by needle. New heroin users tend to shy away from injections for a variety of reasons, such as fear of contracting AIDS or hepatitis, a desire to avoid telltale track marks, or the fact that they simply don’t like needles. The purity of the drug from many suppliers has risen to the point that users can simply snort it. As a result, it appeals to a more affluent clientele, especially since upwardly mobile professionals have discovered that after the initial euphoric sensation they can function in the workplace and home without the telltale signs of other drugs.
The Anvari don’t have to work too hard to find addicts. Nearly one out of every 200 U.S. citizens is addicted to opiates in one form or another. Since few show signs identifying themselves as illegal drug users, the trick is finding them — and even that isn’t too hard. There are numerous mundane methods: criminal Contacts, frequenting clubs or areas known for drug crime, prostitutes and even the internet. One of the first abilities Anvari develop is a sense for opiates, even in another’s blood, allowing them to locate suitable prey quickly.
While finding existing addicts is far from an insurmountable challenge, many of the bloodline prefer to “grow” their own herds from non-addicts. These vampires claim that turning a non-user into a user gives them a greater hold over the victim. Someone who’s avoided hard drugs is likely to hide his new problem from family and friends. This secrecy creates a deep psychological bond in the vessel, particularly when the vampire occasionally and subtly reinforces any feelings of guilt in the subject’s mind.
Mortal dealers employ a wide range of tactics for drawing in new blood. The Anvari know all of those tricks and then some. The highly addictive nature of narcotics makes their work easy. Peer pressure or free samples are often enough to get someone started, particularly a young teenager, down that slippery slope. Spiking other less dangerous drugs to build addictive chemistry is another method. A more aggressive approach is to get victims to take a single dose and then, while they’re reasoning is clouded, keep refreshing the dose over a period of nights until, by the time the dealer allows the effect to wear off, users are addicted. The innate Anvari ability to manipulate blood chemistry also gives line members a powerful tool for establishing a pool of vessels.
At the other end of the scale, few Anvari stoop to directly dealing drugs on the street. It’s not from any ethical code, but rather a survival instinct. So many law-enforcement agencies line their pockets with drug and property seizures that dealing is a high-risk venture. Cops look for chances to grab a nice car, boat or house. Most U.S. states allow an agency to keep half the profits of any sale of seized material. With that sort of reinforcement, it’s no surprise that most departments keep a careful eye on traffic. Not that it works that well to stem the sale of drugs, but it is a lottery ticket few Kindred want to play.
Those who do deal directly do so on a small scale, say at an exclusive party or members-only club. Not only does this limit their exposure to law enforcement, it helps keep their herds manageable. A small clientele base allows an Anvari to keep track of who’s a habitual user and who uses only on occasion. “Social” users areusually cut off soon after the vampire identifies them. They’re unreliable as vessels and also less reliant on the Anvari as a supplier.
While the bloodline needs narcotic-laced blood to survive, those Anvari who deal often diversify their offerings. They may find that a new buyer hesitates to shoot up, but is willing to sample ecstasy. Or maybe just a dime bag of marijuana to start off. As time goes by, with a little sales talk and misplaced trust, the Pusher creates a heroine addict and vessel.
Anvari dealers frequently keep costs to their herds below street value. Doing so makes it more likely that a vessel keeps coming to the vampire for her supply. The Anvari also hopes that by keeping the product cheap, the user buys — and uses — more. And a low cost makes it less likely that an addict has to resort to crime to fund her habit. This last reason doesn’t arise out of any concern for society’s laws or even the wellbeing of the addict, but from the fact that if the user gets busted, there’s a good chance she might turn her supplier in to cut a deal with the cops. Ultimately, even at a reduced cost, the profit on narcotics is considerable.
Most line members deal through third parties. The Anvari may provide a location suitable for transactions, such as a club or hotel, but otherwise keeps his hands clean of any connection. That approach keeps suitable kine handy without the risky legal entanglements. The drawback is that the vampire doesn’t have as much direct control over addicts, but for many the safety factor outweighs the convenience.
Others remain as removed as possible from the narcotics trade. They keep only a small supply on hand and distribute it to only a few close and trusted vessels. Although U.S. drug laws don’t differentiate on the amount of heroin or other narcotic in one’s possession, most law-enforcement agencies are so focused on numbers and statistics that a low-key operator can usually fly under the radar.
When feeding from a vessel under the influence of a narcotic, an Anvari suffers the full effects of the drug, just as if she had taken it herself (see “Drugs,” p. 176 of the World of Darkness Rulebook). A common practice among the Anvari is to feed from a clean vessel every two to three nights. Since a Pusher has to take more blood than normal means she usually has to have more than one clean vessel from which to feed, or she needs to allow one time to recover before returning to him. Some solve the problem by maintaining a few non-user members in a Herd, while others simply take to the streets and hunt like most Kindred.
Another way in which Anvari avoid Addiction is to feed heavily one night and then fast for a night or two. The drawback is that a vampire may find her Vitae reserves short on one of the fasting nights should she have to fuel Disciplines or perform other supernatural feats.
Regardless of how a vampire chooses to deal with Addiction, an Anvari walks a fine line. The source of the bloodline’s unique power constantly threatens to cut members as deeply as it does their vessels. Many Anvari are consumed with loathing for brethren who succumb to deep Addiction, perceiving them as weak or traitorous to their “higher calling.” It’s not unheard of for Anvari to occasionally embark on unsanctioned hunts to eliminate a badly addicted member of their kind.
Contrary to what one may assume given the bloodline’s close association with drugs, the Anvari rarely (if ever) Embrace an addict or even a frequent user. Experience has shown that addicts are ill suited to the bloodline’s weaknesses, quickly succumbing completely to the lure of opiates. Few Anvari suffer the Vice of Gluttony. A Kindred addict is a tremendous liability, risking not only business ventures, but also exposure to mortals. Pushers therefore tend to seek individuals with exposure to narcotics who’ve proven resistant to the lure.
History
According to Anvari histories, the bloodline was founded sometime in the 4th or 5th century A.D. by an opium merchant named Sepehr Anvari in Ctesiphon, now a suburb of Baghdad. Anvari’s sire was an unnamed Daeva whose attraction to the man was apparently due in no small part to the fact that the vampire had become addicted to opium through feeding on drug-tainted vessels. Anvari’s Embrace may well have been an effort to establish control over the relationship between the two. Regardless, legend has it that the Daeva collapsed under her Addiction and came to Final Death by falling into a drug-induced daze on a Babylonian rooftop before sunrise.Anvari himself also indulged heavily in opium. He found it provided some relief from the loneliness of unlife. His customers also provided him with a readily available Herd from which to feed. Anvari soon discovered he had no need to hunt or even use charm to seduce victims. More vessels than he could desire came to his lair every night to partake of his drug. By feeding from them while they languished, he introduced the drug into his system virtually every night.
It’s unclear even to elders of the bloodline if Anvari Embraced any childer prior to founding the lineage. It is believed by most that he became gluttonous in the years between his Embrace and the foundation, slipping into Torpor numerous times. Even the duration of this period is a subject of debate, as no elder active in the western world claims to have been Embraced prior to the 16th century, although many assert they’ve met Anvari from the East who are far older.
The truth of the bloodline’s origins will likely remain a mystery as Anvari himself has not been heard from in nearly 500 years. What’s known is that his constant exposure to opium changed his Vitae in some fashion. He fed so frequently from vessels under the effects of narcotics that his Addiction achieved supernatural magnitude. He ceased to be able to effectively draw nourishment from blood that lacked opiates. He could still feed, but it required much larger quantities of blood to sustain him.
In addition to an actual physical preference for opiate- laden blood, he was able to use his affinity for the substance to grant him a unique ability to induce narcotic effects in others — both mortal and Kindred. At that point, Anvari diverged from the Daeva. By the 14th century, opium use reached Europe and suitable vessels were plentiful. Anvari had Embraced more than a few childer, who had followed the opium trade west, hoping to find a climate more hospitable to them than that of their now primarily Muslim-controlled homeland.
Their parent clan soon came to regard the line with disdain and not a little fear. More than one vampire fell victim to the same trap that had caught Sepehr Anvari’s sire. The Anvari might not control the flow of opium, but they did hold sway over more than a few influential mortals who did — and they were willing to exploit any Kindred who fell under the drug’s power. Naturally, elders didn’t cherish the thought of some Anvari upstart achieving leverage over them.
The Inquisition
The coming of the Inquisition nearly dealt Final Death to the bloodline in Europe. Not only did Kindred themselves have to fear the Church’s Inquisitors, but opium itself became taboo. To the eyes of Inquisitors, anything from the East was tainted by the Devil’s hand. Thus, once-plentiful herds of opium users dwindled to a scattering of wary addicts.It didn’t take long for more paranoid members of the Ventrue and Daeva clans to decide that the Anvari needed to be brought firmly under control. It was for the good of all. Indeed, the bloodline’s weakness provided a powerful tool to do just that. There was no need to risk exposing the Kindred as a whole. Culling the Anvari’s Herd of vessels would serve just as well. A few years — and quiet accusations to Inquisitors by Ventrue and Daeva servants — later and the Anvari found themselves largely bereft of suitable victims in Europe. The clans then moved secretly against any of the bloodline that still persisted. In the end, the line effectively ceased to exist on the Continent. Only a handful in the Middle East and a rare, isolated member or two in the Far East remained.
Rebuilding
During the height of the Enlightenment, opium was reintroduced into Europe through a number of means. The medical community began widespread use of it as a painkiller. Laudanum, a mixture of opium and alcohol, became a popular remedy for a variety of complaints. Finally, the New World introduced Europeans and later easterners to the pipe, a Native American invention that made smoking opium — a practice discovered by Portuguese sailors — far easier.At the same time, recreational use of opium became popular in Persia and India. The Dutch exported the drug — along with the pipe in which to smoke it — to China. British shipping spread the drug from India across southeast Asia. While conspiracy minded Kindred sometimes lay this explosion at the feet of the Anvari as a power grab, the truth is the bloodline had nothing to do with it. Certainly, they benefited from it, but at the time it’s unlikely they numbered more than a dozen or so due to the lingering effects of the Inquisition and the rapid spread of Islam. The truth is that mortals longed for euphoria as strongly as any Kindred, and opium could supply it on demand.
Regardless of the reason, the Anvari profited substantially from the expansion of the opium trade. Yet survivors of the Inquisition remembered all too well the dangers of their fellow Kindred. While they remained tied closely to the drug trade, they were careful to keep their involvement at arm’s length to defend against any return to harsh times. When they interacted with other vampires they presented themselves as Daeva. Only rarely did they coerce other Kindred through Addiction. As the bloodline extended tendrils this time, members were careful to remain behind the scenes.
Over the centuries, opium use waxed and waned, but always remained a part of mortal culture. Indeed, kine proved innovative in finding new ways to use the poppy flower. Laudanum gave way to morphine and morphine to heroin — each more addictive than the last. Society was woefully slow to recognize the dangers of narcotic Addiction. Heroin was marketed by Bayer as a cough medicine as late as the end of the 19th century, and opium dens were so prevalent at the same time that San Francisco alone had over 300.
By the time mortal governments realized the dangers posed by narcotics, the demand was too widespread to stop. Laws and active enforcement served only to drive up prices and increase the power of the criminal element. In the end, the attempt to stem the tide of opium created a thriving black market that in turn financed powerful drug cartels.
This period also marked the greatest growth in the bloodline’s numbers, with the Anvari swelling to over a hundred throughout the world.
Tonight
In spite of increased legal powers and more sophisticated technology to combat illegal drugs, the percentage of the population addicted to narcotics in the western world is nearly identical to what it was over a century ago. To the Anvari, who’ve resisted the temptation to swell the bloodline in response, suitable vessels are more plentiful than ever. While Pushers as individuals seldom seek to rise in the ranks of a drug cartel, fringe involvement in the narcotics trade has benefited them enormously.Nonetheless, they have not forgotten the lesson learned during the Inquisition. Though they must take care to not draw mortal attention, perhaps their most dangerous foes remain other Kindred who fear their pervasive influence.
Society and Culture
The fulcrum on which all Anvari actions rest is opium. They need it to feed satisfactorily, they use it to bind their herds to them, and most use it to provide for at least some of their financial strength. It’s possible for an Anvari to exist without narcotics, but why?For most members of the line, opiates are more than merely drugs. They represent a way to recapture a portion of what was lost through the Embrace. Throughout much of mortal history, opium has held an almost religious awe for mortal society. Every culture introduced to it has proven willing to use all of the drug available. The Anvari believe that this craving is due to more than simple chemical craving. Most view partaking of opium as an almost sacred ritual, made all the more poignant by the fact they can no longer enjoy its effects directly. Even the most jaded and cynical Pushers regard it as more than just a drug.
Bloodline elders teach that Sepehr Anvari eventually achieved a state of sublime bliss through his communion with opium, becoming something more than Kindred or mortal. Some lineage members of both The Ordo Dracul and The Circle of the Crone believe their founder may have discovered a “backdoor” to Golconda. No proof is offered of either claim, but the Anvari maintain that they know at least the first step down the path to true enlightenment.
Doing Business
Narcotics tonight are plentiful. Heroin has overtaken cocaine in many areas as drug of choice. Oxycontin and other synthetic narcotics flood the market from legal sources, from family doctors to dentists to internet pharmacies. In many ways, it is now easier to get narcotics on the street than alcohol.Despite a variety of options, the drug of choice for both Anvari and their kine is heroin. The supply is plentiful, it’s often mixed with other street drugs, and it can (contrary to movies and TV) be taken through a variety of means, not just by needle. New heroin users tend to shy away from injections for a variety of reasons, such as fear of contracting AIDS or hepatitis, a desire to avoid telltale track marks, or the fact that they simply don’t like needles. The purity of the drug from many suppliers has risen to the point that users can simply snort it. As a result, it appeals to a more affluent clientele, especially since upwardly mobile professionals have discovered that after the initial euphoric sensation they can function in the workplace and home without the telltale signs of other drugs.
The Anvari don’t have to work too hard to find addicts. Nearly one out of every 200 U.S. citizens is addicted to opiates in one form or another. Since few show signs identifying themselves as illegal drug users, the trick is finding them — and even that isn’t too hard. There are numerous mundane methods: criminal Contacts, frequenting clubs or areas known for drug crime, prostitutes and even the internet. One of the first abilities Anvari develop is a sense for opiates, even in another’s blood, allowing them to locate suitable prey quickly.
While finding existing addicts is far from an insurmountable challenge, many of the bloodline prefer to “grow” their own herds from non-addicts. These vampires claim that turning a non-user into a user gives them a greater hold over the victim. Someone who’s avoided hard drugs is likely to hide his new problem from family and friends. This secrecy creates a deep psychological bond in the vessel, particularly when the vampire occasionally and subtly reinforces any feelings of guilt in the subject’s mind.
Mortal dealers employ a wide range of tactics for drawing in new blood. The Anvari know all of those tricks and then some. The highly addictive nature of narcotics makes their work easy. Peer pressure or free samples are often enough to get someone started, particularly a young teenager, down that slippery slope. Spiking other less dangerous drugs to build addictive chemistry is another method. A more aggressive approach is to get victims to take a single dose and then, while they’re reasoning is clouded, keep refreshing the dose over a period of nights until, by the time the dealer allows the effect to wear off, users are addicted. The innate Anvari ability to manipulate blood chemistry also gives line members a powerful tool for establishing a pool of vessels.
Dealing
It’s almost unheard of for an Anvari to rise very high in a drug cartel. Drug lords draw too much attention to themselves and their organizations. Colombian cartels are frequently the target of Colombian, British and U.S. military action. The entire opium industry in Afghanistan has been attacked by the former Soviet Union, the Pakistanis, the Taliban and most recently the U.S. Southeast Asian cartels contend with government troops, guerillas and bandits all at the same time. None of this attention stops the industry, but only a reckless Kindred would thrust himself into the middle of that intensity.At the other end of the scale, few Anvari stoop to directly dealing drugs on the street. It’s not from any ethical code, but rather a survival instinct. So many law-enforcement agencies line their pockets with drug and property seizures that dealing is a high-risk venture. Cops look for chances to grab a nice car, boat or house. Most U.S. states allow an agency to keep half the profits of any sale of seized material. With that sort of reinforcement, it’s no surprise that most departments keep a careful eye on traffic. Not that it works that well to stem the sale of drugs, but it is a lottery ticket few Kindred want to play.
Those who do deal directly do so on a small scale, say at an exclusive party or members-only club. Not only does this limit their exposure to law enforcement, it helps keep their herds manageable. A small clientele base allows an Anvari to keep track of who’s a habitual user and who uses only on occasion. “Social” users areusually cut off soon after the vampire identifies them. They’re unreliable as vessels and also less reliant on the Anvari as a supplier.
While the bloodline needs narcotic-laced blood to survive, those Anvari who deal often diversify their offerings. They may find that a new buyer hesitates to shoot up, but is willing to sample ecstasy. Or maybe just a dime bag of marijuana to start off. As time goes by, with a little sales talk and misplaced trust, the Pusher creates a heroine addict and vessel.
Anvari dealers frequently keep costs to their herds below street value. Doing so makes it more likely that a vessel keeps coming to the vampire for her supply. The Anvari also hopes that by keeping the product cheap, the user buys — and uses — more. And a low cost makes it less likely that an addict has to resort to crime to fund her habit. This last reason doesn’t arise out of any concern for society’s laws or even the wellbeing of the addict, but from the fact that if the user gets busted, there’s a good chance she might turn her supplier in to cut a deal with the cops. Ultimately, even at a reduced cost, the profit on narcotics is considerable.
Most line members deal through third parties. The Anvari may provide a location suitable for transactions, such as a club or hotel, but otherwise keeps his hands clean of any connection. That approach keeps suitable kine handy without the risky legal entanglements. The drawback is that the vampire doesn’t have as much direct control over addicts, but for many the safety factor outweighs the convenience.
Others remain as removed as possible from the narcotics trade. They keep only a small supply on hand and distribute it to only a few close and trusted vessels. Although U.S. drug laws don’t differentiate on the amount of heroin or other narcotic in one’s possession, most law-enforcement agencies are so focused on numbers and statistics that a low-key operator can usually fly under the radar.
Feeding
One of the biggest dangers to Anvari Kindred is that they develop a personal Addiction to narcotics. It’s inevitable given their need to frequently consume narcotic blood. While some show no trepidation for this fate and a few actively seek it, some take steps to avoid it. After all, they’re well aware of the power opium offers over their vessels. Few are willing to allow another to have that hold over them.When feeding from a vessel under the influence of a narcotic, an Anvari suffers the full effects of the drug, just as if she had taken it herself (see “Drugs,” p. 176 of the World of Darkness Rulebook). A common practice among the Anvari is to feed from a clean vessel every two to three nights. Since a Pusher has to take more blood than normal means she usually has to have more than one clean vessel from which to feed, or she needs to allow one time to recover before returning to him. Some solve the problem by maintaining a few non-user members in a Herd, while others simply take to the streets and hunt like most Kindred.
Another way in which Anvari avoid Addiction is to feed heavily one night and then fast for a night or two. The drawback is that a vampire may find her Vitae reserves short on one of the fasting nights should she have to fuel Disciplines or perform other supernatural feats.
Regardless of how a vampire chooses to deal with Addiction, an Anvari walks a fine line. The source of the bloodline’s unique power constantly threatens to cut members as deeply as it does their vessels. Many Anvari are consumed with loathing for brethren who succumb to deep Addiction, perceiving them as weak or traitorous to their “higher calling.” It’s not unheard of for Anvari to occasionally embark on unsanctioned hunts to eliminate a badly addicted member of their kind.
Common Dress code
Appearance: While the lineage is originally of Middle Eastern descent, one can now find examples of nearly every ethnicity and race among its members, thanks largely to the global reach of narcotics. The Anvari aren’t as bound by physical appearance as are members of their parent clan. Nonetheless, few (if any) of the bloodline could be described as unattractive. The Anvari are also as in touch with the most recent trends and fashions as the Daeva, but are more likely to dress according to their surroundings, whether it’s an upscale social gathering or an inner-city crack house.
Art & Architecture
Haven: Anvari refuges are generally comfortable in their furnishings and insulated from the rest of the world in some manner, whether by location, construction or design. Most are also well-appointed, thanks in no small part to the fact that the majority of Pushers see sizeable profits from the drug trade. Many Anvari havens are well protected by security measures, ranging from hired guards to closedcircuit cameras to advanced intrusion-detection devices. As a result of drug seizure laws in the U.S., most Anvari there are careful to keep their havens far removed from any serious drug trafficking.
Major organizations
Covenant: More Anvari are drawn to The Circle of the Crone than any other covenant. The myths of Sumeria and Persia both have a strong female presence, leading many of the bloodline — particularly its elders — to be comfortable with the Acolytes’ general philosophy. Furthermore, as some rituals of the old ways employ psychotropic substances, the Anvari are able to barter influence readily among the cultists. The Carthians are probably the most common choice for young Anvari, if for no other reason than members are slightly less hidebound in their viewpoints than more staid covenants. The Invictus enjoys its share of Pushers as well, whether they are established elders with a secure power base or up-and-coming dealers building fortunes in the drug trade. The Ordo Dracul may interest the occasional Anvari who seeks to escape the Curse or Addiction through covenant strictures, but by and large its rites and practices require more self-discipline than most Pushers are willing to devote. It is the rare Anvari indeed who heeds the call of The Lancea Sanctum, as the very nature of the bloodline’s relationship with narcotics is offensive to many orthodox followers of that group.
Organization: The closest the Anvari come to any formal organization is when two or more work together in a drug distribution scheme. Such deals are handled largely as in any criminal enterprise, although an elder member of the bloodline is granted respect regardless of his position in the arrangement. Otherwise, relationships among Anvari are largely limited to vampires with Blood Ties to each other. The very nature of their activity makes line members a paranoid lot on many levels, and most fear that any concentration of their number just begs to be exposed (if not as Kindred, then as drug dealers). Still, among elders — and a few young, traditional members — a simple ceremony of greeting is practiced when one member enters another’s domain. The host presents the guest with a single poppy, which the two then ritually cut into 12 separate pieces.
The strongest Anvari presence is currently in the United States. While the U.S. has only four percent of the world’s population, it consumes over 60 percent of its illegal drugs. Western Europe, particularly the Netherlands and Italy, are also home to several Anvari. There are more than a few members in the Golden Triangle region of Southeast Asia. Few remain in Middle East countries, as the current climate there isn’t as favorable to their pursuits as in ages past. There are also reports of isolated members in Mexico, Colombia, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Organization: The closest the Anvari come to any formal organization is when two or more work together in a drug distribution scheme. Such deals are handled largely as in any criminal enterprise, although an elder member of the bloodline is granted respect regardless of his position in the arrangement. Otherwise, relationships among Anvari are largely limited to vampires with Blood Ties to each other. The very nature of their activity makes line members a paranoid lot on many levels, and most fear that any concentration of their number just begs to be exposed (if not as Kindred, then as drug dealers). Still, among elders — and a few young, traditional members — a simple ceremony of greeting is practiced when one member enters another’s domain. The host presents the guest with a single poppy, which the two then ritually cut into 12 separate pieces.
The strongest Anvari presence is currently in the United States. While the U.S. has only four percent of the world’s population, it consumes over 60 percent of its illegal drugs. Western Europe, particularly the Netherlands and Italy, are also home to several Anvari. There are more than a few members in the Golden Triangle region of Southeast Asia. Few remain in Middle East countries, as the current climate there isn’t as favorable to their pursuits as in ages past. There are also reports of isolated members in Mexico, Colombia, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Nickname: Pushers
Character Creation: Pushers call upon all aspects of their identity to perpetuate their existence and trade. Social Attributes and Skills are most useful for influencing the spread of opiate use, and can be used for such base activities as dealing drugs directly. Mental traits are only slightly less important in observing modern mortal society and perceiving ways to ensnare more and more users, and to then prey upon them. Wits is particularly useful for reacting to situations quickly, whether it’s recognizing that a city councilman could be lured into obedience through Addiction, or to anticipate police presence before it makes itself known. Physical Attributes and Skills are pursued last but still important for self-defense and holding one’s own amongst competitors or drug-crazed vessels.
The Haven Merit is invaluable, specifically in terms of Security but also for Location in terms of access to drug users without immersion in them. Contacts, Allies and Retainer Merits are equally useful to Anvari as they are to mortal purveyors of illicit substances, be it to have favors done, to anticipate challengers or to win protection.
Whether a Daeva revels in her Anvari blood soon after the Embrace or well into her Requiem means little to the lineage. What she brings to the collective table is most important to fellow Pushers.
Bloodline Disciplines: Celerity, Majesty, Nepenthe, Vigor
Weakness: Not surprising given their choice to pursue a replacement for their long-lost passion, the Anvari have the same difficulty as their parent clan in restraining their hedonistic urges. Any time a Pusher has an opportunity to indulge her Vice but does not, she loses two points of Willpower (as opposed to gaining one by partaking in its pleasures).
The Anvari fascination with the effects of narcotics has also resulted in an odd effect on line physiology. When feeding from any mortal not currently under the effects of an opium-based drug (heroin, morphine, codeine, opium) or a designer drug based on opium (China white, oxycodone,), a vampire gains only half the normal Vitae. In other words, for every two points of lethal damage she inflicts or for every two turns that she feeds, she gains only a single Vitae. If she feeds from a mortal under the effects of such a drug, she gains Vitae at a normal rate. Of course, if she does so, she also suffers the effects of the drug that currently afflicts her victim.
Concepts: Drug dealer, pharmacist, pimp, cartel kingpin, corrupt vice cop, substance-abuse councilor, musician, porn producer, burned-out veteran, Research chemist
Although the word “narcotic” is often used tonight to mean any illegal drug, it actually refers specifically to opiates and opioids. When used in reference to the Anvari, it always means opiates and opioids.
Very few people associated with drugs on a regular basis refer to them by their formal or chemical names. The street names for drugs change faster than virtually any other slang, often in an attempt to stay one verbal step ahead of the authorities. Using the wrong name for a drug is a dead-giveaway that one is either a poser or a narc.
Amphetamine: Amies, bennies, black beauties, bumblebees, speed
Cocaine (powder): Blow, booger, candy, coke, dust, flake, girl, snow
Crack or free-base cocaine: Apple jacks, bad, ball, bazooka, bones, breakfast of champions, bullion, caviar, pasta
Hashish and opium: Black hash, black Russian, soles
Heroin: AIP (from Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan), antifreeze, brown sugar, China White, garbage, junk, Persian, smack
Heroin (Mexican tar): Black pearl, chocolate, Mexican mud, tootsie roll
Heroin and cocaine: Belushi, speedball
Heroin and free-base cocaine: Chasing and basing
Heroin and PCP: Alien sex fiend
LSD: Acid, Alice, Bart Simpsons, battery acid, blue heavens, Chinese dragons, windowpane
Marijuana: Acupulco Gold, African bush, airplane, baby, Barbara Jean, blanket, blunt, chronic, ganja, grass, herb, joint, pot, weed, 420
Marijuana and heroin: Atom bomb
Methamphetamine: Crank, crystal, meth, yaba
Meth and crack: Ice
Opium: Auntie, black, hop, laudanum, op, Paragoric, poppy
PCP: Angel, animal tranquilizer, blue star, Cadillac, cyclones, dust, fresh, hog, jet fuel, peace, shermies, surfer, tranks, zombie dust
Any character addicted to narcotics who avoids taking a drug for more than one or two nights suffers withdrawal. The character experiences nausea and vomiting (of blood), cramping, tremors and Anxiety. All dice pools and Resistance traits such as Defense suffer a –2 penalty. Furthermore, a Willpower point must be spent each night that the vampire wishes to take any actions other than stay in her Haven, fighting symptoms. Assuming the character continues to avoid taking the drug, withdrawal effects last for seven nights and then subside. Psychological Addiction to drugs may last years, however.
Parent ethnicities
The Haven Merit is invaluable, specifically in terms of Security but also for Location in terms of access to drug users without immersion in them. Contacts, Allies and Retainer Merits are equally useful to Anvari as they are to mortal purveyors of illicit substances, be it to have favors done, to anticipate challengers or to win protection.
Whether a Daeva revels in her Anvari blood soon after the Embrace or well into her Requiem means little to the lineage. What she brings to the collective table is most important to fellow Pushers.
Bloodline Disciplines: Celerity, Majesty, Nepenthe, Vigor
Weakness: Not surprising given their choice to pursue a replacement for their long-lost passion, the Anvari have the same difficulty as their parent clan in restraining their hedonistic urges. Any time a Pusher has an opportunity to indulge her Vice but does not, she loses two points of Willpower (as opposed to gaining one by partaking in its pleasures).
The Anvari fascination with the effects of narcotics has also resulted in an odd effect on line physiology. When feeding from any mortal not currently under the effects of an opium-based drug (heroin, morphine, codeine, opium) or a designer drug based on opium (China white, oxycodone,), a vampire gains only half the normal Vitae. In other words, for every two points of lethal damage she inflicts or for every two turns that she feeds, she gains only a single Vitae. If she feeds from a mortal under the effects of such a drug, she gains Vitae at a normal rate. Of course, if she does so, she also suffers the effects of the drug that currently afflicts her victim.
Concepts: Drug dealer, pharmacist, pimp, cartel kingpin, corrupt vice cop, substance-abuse councilor, musician, porn producer, burned-out veteran, Research chemist
Obsession
Although the word “narcotic” is often used tonight to mean any illegal drug, it actually refers specifically to opiates and opioids. When used in reference to the Anvari, it always means opiates and opioids.
Talking the Talk
Very few people associated with drugs on a regular basis refer to them by their formal or chemical names. The street names for drugs change faster than virtually any other slang, often in an attempt to stay one verbal step ahead of the authorities. Using the wrong name for a drug is a dead-giveaway that one is either a poser or a narc.Amphetamine: Amies, bennies, black beauties, bumblebees, speed
Cocaine (powder): Blow, booger, candy, coke, dust, flake, girl, snow
Crack or free-base cocaine: Apple jacks, bad, ball, bazooka, bones, breakfast of champions, bullion, caviar, pasta
Hashish and opium: Black hash, black Russian, soles
Heroin: AIP (from Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan), antifreeze, brown sugar, China White, garbage, junk, Persian, smack
Heroin (Mexican tar): Black pearl, chocolate, Mexican mud, tootsie roll
Heroin and cocaine: Belushi, speedball
Heroin and free-base cocaine: Chasing and basing
Heroin and PCP: Alien sex fiend
LSD: Acid, Alice, Bart Simpsons, battery acid, blue heavens, Chinese dragons, windowpane
Marijuana: Acupulco Gold, African bush, airplane, baby, Barbara Jean, blanket, blunt, chronic, ganja, grass, herb, joint, pot, weed, 420
Marijuana and heroin: Atom bomb
Methamphetamine: Crank, crystal, meth, yaba
Meth and crack: Ice
Opium: Auntie, black, hop, laudanum, op, Paragoric, poppy
PCP: Angel, animal tranquilizer, blue star, Cadillac, cyclones, dust, fresh, hog, jet fuel, peace, shermies, surfer, tranks, zombie dust