Sotoha
“Blood shed at twilight pledges the heart’s true service until dawn brightens.”
In the 16th century, Europeans came into sustained contact with the people of Japan for the first time and, in turn, the Japanese met their first Europeans. Fujita Kunimasa, the founder of the Sotoha (SO-to-ha), was Embraced some time fairly early in that century. His sire was a Ventrue, but Kunimasa spoke little of him in later years, even less than he spoke of the beginning of his Requiem in Japan. That period is the subject of considerable speculation among those of his blood, but almost nothing is known for certain.
What is known is that in the 17th century Tokugawa Iemitsu closed the country, cutting off almost all contact with foreigners. Kunimasa, who had built up a strong power base among European traders and missionaries, realized that if he remained in his homeland he would be rendered almost powerless — and so he chose to leave. As it happened, his best servants had recently established themselves in the New World, so Kunimasa chose to travel to the Americas, rather than Europe.
There, he found himself alone and in exile. He still had his mundane Retainers, so he was not isolated in that sense, but no one around him shared his culture, his commitment to bushido or, indeed, his Language. He sired his childer and created his bloodline, the Sotoha or “group of people on the outside,” to fill his need for family as much as to increase his power. Kunimasa succeeded in his aims, and while he has not been noticeably active for decades — and may be in Torpor — his descendants remain mostly loyal to their founder’s ideals.
The most important of those ideals is loyalty. Kindred of the Sotoha are expected to show absolute and unquestioning loyalty to their immediate superior, and this loyalty is supposed to take priority over any claim that a higher authority might have. Thus, if a Kindred’s immediate superior rebels against the Prince, the inferiors should support him, even if they have sworn loyalty to the Prince themselves. In theory, this situation would never occur, as the Kindred’s lord would maintain his loyalty to the Prince just as the Kindred served his lord; in practice, it is all too common.
Kindred are expected to obey any orders from their lords without question, even if the order is suicidal. A vassal’s Requiem is of no importance compared to the commands of his lord. Lords are expected not to waste the lives of their followers, and those within this bloodline do not, as long as they are in their right minds. While, in theory, even an insane lord is due absolute obedience, this is one place where theory tends to break down in the face of practice.
There are, traditionally, two ways in which a Kindred may legitimately break his link with his lord. The first is harakiri, or seppuku. In this rite, the Kindred cuts his stomach open with his sword, in front of witnesses, declaring that he is protesting against his lord’s decisions. The vampire must inflict enough damage to himself to drive himself into Torpor, so the witnesses need to be Kindred, or sometimes Ghouls, whom he trusts completely. When the Kindred comes out of Torpor, he is freed of all obligations to his former lord, and may freely seek a new lord.
The second protest is more dramatic. A vassal may choose to destroy himself, traditionally by facing the morning sun. This frees all of the lord’s other vassals from their loyalty to that lord, and gives the lord’s lord proper grounds to renounce him. Such suicides are known as hinomi (hee-noh-MEE — “sun viewing”), not harakiri or seppuku, both of which mean “stomach cutting.” Only two instances of hinomi are recorded in the bloodline’s history. The most famed is that of the Kindred now known as Fujita Yuko (“child of the sun”), a vassal of Fujita Pedro. Fujita Pedro had surrendered almost entirely to the Beast and was a known diablerist, but the vassals he retained from his days of sanity made it impossible for any Kindred to move against him safely. Fujita Yuko’s sacrifice stripped Fujita Pedro of all support, and he was staked out over Fujita Yuko’s ashes, to face the sun as she had.
The second ideal is constant calm, showing no violent emotions. Obviously, this is extremely hard for Kindred, beset as they are by the Beast, and the bloodline’s unique discipline, Kamen (the Mask), is devoted to making constant calm more possible. However, only violent emotions are disallowed. A gentle melancholy at the passing of ephemeral life is permitted and, indeed, encouraged.
In fact, such an appreciation forms the third ideal of the bloodline. All its members are supposed to appreciate the beauty of things condemned to a short life span, such as cherry blossoms (which fall within a week) or cut flowers (which soon wither and die). Fujita Kunimasa’s eldest childe, Taro, is renowned for a set of poems he wrote reflecting on the greatest tragedy of the Kindred: that their curse robs them of such an ending. Other Kindred suspect that most members of the bloodline do not really believe this, but they certainly claim to be sincere.
Any Kindred who enters this bloodline takes the name “Fujita” to indicate that he has become part of Kunimasa’s family. While most such Kindred are Embraced by a member of the bloodline, adoption was a well-established custom in Kunimasa’s Japan, and the bloodline is happy to accept suitable Kindred from outside.
What is known is that in the 17th century Tokugawa Iemitsu closed the country, cutting off almost all contact with foreigners. Kunimasa, who had built up a strong power base among European traders and missionaries, realized that if he remained in his homeland he would be rendered almost powerless — and so he chose to leave. As it happened, his best servants had recently established themselves in the New World, so Kunimasa chose to travel to the Americas, rather than Europe.
There, he found himself alone and in exile. He still had his mundane Retainers, so he was not isolated in that sense, but no one around him shared his culture, his commitment to bushido or, indeed, his Language. He sired his childer and created his bloodline, the Sotoha or “group of people on the outside,” to fill his need for family as much as to increase his power. Kunimasa succeeded in his aims, and while he has not been noticeably active for decades — and may be in Torpor — his descendants remain mostly loyal to their founder’s ideals.
The most important of those ideals is loyalty. Kindred of the Sotoha are expected to show absolute and unquestioning loyalty to their immediate superior, and this loyalty is supposed to take priority over any claim that a higher authority might have. Thus, if a Kindred’s immediate superior rebels against the Prince, the inferiors should support him, even if they have sworn loyalty to the Prince themselves. In theory, this situation would never occur, as the Kindred’s lord would maintain his loyalty to the Prince just as the Kindred served his lord; in practice, it is all too common.
Kindred are expected to obey any orders from their lords without question, even if the order is suicidal. A vassal’s Requiem is of no importance compared to the commands of his lord. Lords are expected not to waste the lives of their followers, and those within this bloodline do not, as long as they are in their right minds. While, in theory, even an insane lord is due absolute obedience, this is one place where theory tends to break down in the face of practice.
There are, traditionally, two ways in which a Kindred may legitimately break his link with his lord. The first is harakiri, or seppuku. In this rite, the Kindred cuts his stomach open with his sword, in front of witnesses, declaring that he is protesting against his lord’s decisions. The vampire must inflict enough damage to himself to drive himself into Torpor, so the witnesses need to be Kindred, or sometimes Ghouls, whom he trusts completely. When the Kindred comes out of Torpor, he is freed of all obligations to his former lord, and may freely seek a new lord.
The second protest is more dramatic. A vassal may choose to destroy himself, traditionally by facing the morning sun. This frees all of the lord’s other vassals from their loyalty to that lord, and gives the lord’s lord proper grounds to renounce him. Such suicides are known as hinomi (hee-noh-MEE — “sun viewing”), not harakiri or seppuku, both of which mean “stomach cutting.” Only two instances of hinomi are recorded in the bloodline’s history. The most famed is that of the Kindred now known as Fujita Yuko (“child of the sun”), a vassal of Fujita Pedro. Fujita Pedro had surrendered almost entirely to the Beast and was a known diablerist, but the vassals he retained from his days of sanity made it impossible for any Kindred to move against him safely. Fujita Yuko’s sacrifice stripped Fujita Pedro of all support, and he was staked out over Fujita Yuko’s ashes, to face the sun as she had.
The second ideal is constant calm, showing no violent emotions. Obviously, this is extremely hard for Kindred, beset as they are by the Beast, and the bloodline’s unique discipline, Kamen (the Mask), is devoted to making constant calm more possible. However, only violent emotions are disallowed. A gentle melancholy at the passing of ephemeral life is permitted and, indeed, encouraged.
In fact, such an appreciation forms the third ideal of the bloodline. All its members are supposed to appreciate the beauty of things condemned to a short life span, such as cherry blossoms (which fall within a week) or cut flowers (which soon wither and die). Fujita Kunimasa’s eldest childe, Taro, is renowned for a set of poems he wrote reflecting on the greatest tragedy of the Kindred: that their curse robs them of such an ending. Other Kindred suspect that most members of the bloodline do not really believe this, but they certainly claim to be sincere.
Any Kindred who enters this bloodline takes the name “Fujita” to indicate that he has become part of Kunimasa’s family. While most such Kindred are Embraced by a member of the bloodline, adoption was a well-established custom in Kunimasa’s Japan, and the bloodline is happy to accept suitable Kindred from outside.
Culture
Culture and cultural heritage
Background: Kindred of this bloodline prefer to Embrace mortals who have demonstrated loyalty, self-control and an aptitude for the acquisition and maintenance of power. As a result, Sotoha childer tend to be taken from the upper ranks of the civil service and large companies. Leaders are rarely Embraced, as they have not demonstrated loyalty to anyone else, and those in lower ranks are deemed not to have proved themselves.
The Sotoha have no particular preference for people of Japanese descent. Indeed, the Sotoha tend to look down on Japanese kine, believing that these kine have lost the soul of their nation, a soul that is preserved only among the Sotoha. Kindred of Japanese extraction who wish to join the bloodline are, however, welcome.
The Sotoha have no particular preference for people of Japanese descent. Indeed, the Sotoha tend to look down on Japanese kine, believing that these kine have lost the soul of their nation, a soul that is preserved only among the Sotoha. Kindred of Japanese extraction who wish to join the bloodline are, however, welcome.
Common Dress code
Appearance: While the Sotoha think like Japanese, they do not, these days, look like Japanese. Indeed, after Kunimasa, there were several generations of the bloodline containing no Kindred of Japanese extraction. In the last century or so, a number of Ventrue of Japanese descent have chosen to join the bloodline, forming the main body of those adopted into the family. All members of the bloodline believe that sharing in Kunimasa’s blood makes them Japanese, however, and most make an effort to learn the Language.
The Sotoha almost never wear samurai armor; most do not own any and would not know how to wear it if they did. They dress in formal, subdued clothes, often suits, with the result that they look much like Japanese salarymen. However, every Sotoha has a sword, and carries it with him if at all possible.
The Sotoha almost never wear samurai armor; most do not own any and would not know how to wear it if they did. They dress in formal, subdued clothes, often suits, with the result that they look much like Japanese salarymen. However, every Sotoha has a sword, and carries it with him if at all possible.
Art & Architecture
Haven: A strong Japanese influence on interior design is very common in Sotoha havens. The floors are often covered in tatami mats, and calligraphy makes for popular wall hangings. The older members of the bloodline regard woodblock prints as a product of the degeneration of Japanese culture under the Tokugawa, but younger members collect this art form eagerly. Larger havens almost always include a dark garden. Developed from the dry gardens of Zen temples, these gardens include rocks, raked gravel of various kinds and flowing water and pools. Nothing lives within them. Sotoha Kindred are known to spend hours sitting in their gardens, meditating on their fate.
Major organizations
Covenants: Almost all Sotoha are members of The Invictus, as Fujita Kunimasa has always been a member of that covenant, and requires his vassals and their vassals to remain members. Those Sotoha outside the covenant either committed harakiri themselves or are descended from Kindred who did. The Ordo Dracul contains the next largest concentration of the bloodline, as the idea of overcoming the curses of Kindred nature is one that appeals to them. A few Sotoha are also in The Lancea Sanctum, and this group has the best relations with the main body of the bloodline. Sotoha in The Carthian Movement or The Circle of the Crone are lone renegades, protected from the vengeance of the bloodline only by the rights granted by their acts of harakiri.
Organization: The Sotoha are one of the most rigidly organized bloodlines. Every Kindred has a lord, and most also have vassals. A vampire’s first lord is the Kindred who Embraced him, and the only way to change his lord is through the rite of harakiri. The Sotoha enforce this even on Kindred who do not choose to awaken their blood.
As noted above, a vassal is expected to show absolute loyalty to his lord. The lord’s orders and interests should take precedence over everything, including the vassal’s very survival. If the lord is harmed or killed, the vassals have a duty to hunt down and attempt to kill the offenders, even if that means certain death. The Sotoha, on the whole, take these obligations very seriously. Lords are permitted to order the deaths of their vassals. However, that vassal’s vassals then have a duty to hunt down their lord’s former lord. As a result, this option is rarely exercised.
Torpor does not normally interrupt the claims of loyalty; the only exception is Torpor due to harakiri, which releases a vassal from the chain of fealty. Final Death transfers the loyalty of the vassals to the lord’s lord, with the exception of death through hinomi, which leaves them free. A Sotoha without a lord, a ronin (and the Sotoha do use that term), is accorded very little respect or Status, and cannot have any dots in Clan Status as the rest of the Ventrue take this shunning seriously. However, the rite of harakiri is respected, and no action is taken against Sotoha who choose to remain ronin. The attitude of the bloodline toward a member who swears fealty to someone outside it depends entirely on the attitude to the new master.
Organization: The Sotoha are one of the most rigidly organized bloodlines. Every Kindred has a lord, and most also have vassals. A vampire’s first lord is the Kindred who Embraced him, and the only way to change his lord is through the rite of harakiri. The Sotoha enforce this even on Kindred who do not choose to awaken their blood.
As noted above, a vassal is expected to show absolute loyalty to his lord. The lord’s orders and interests should take precedence over everything, including the vassal’s very survival. If the lord is harmed or killed, the vassals have a duty to hunt down and attempt to kill the offenders, even if that means certain death. The Sotoha, on the whole, take these obligations very seriously. Lords are permitted to order the deaths of their vassals. However, that vassal’s vassals then have a duty to hunt down their lord’s former lord. As a result, this option is rarely exercised.
Torpor does not normally interrupt the claims of loyalty; the only exception is Torpor due to harakiri, which releases a vassal from the chain of fealty. Final Death transfers the loyalty of the vassals to the lord’s lord, with the exception of death through hinomi, which leaves them free. A Sotoha without a lord, a ronin (and the Sotoha do use that term), is accorded very little respect or Status, and cannot have any dots in Clan Status as the rest of the Ventrue take this shunning seriously. However, the rite of harakiri is respected, and no action is taken against Sotoha who choose to remain ronin. The attitude of the bloodline toward a member who swears fealty to someone outside it depends entirely on the attitude to the new master.
Nickname: Samurai or Outsiders (note that the Sotoha never refer to themselves as Samurai)
Character Creation: The Resistance Attributes (Resolve, Stamina and Composure) are the most important to the Sotoha. As the bloodline tends to recruit from the upper ranks of white-collar workers, Social and Mental Attributes are likely to be more important than Physical. Similarly, known Skills are those useful in running an organization, rather than fighting on the ground. This is one reason why the members of the bloodline never refer to themselves as samurai. That said, there is a certain amount of hankering after that element of their past, so Sotoha who have developed substantial combat abilities are not uncommon.
Almost all Sotoha develop at least the basics of Kamen, as that Discipline virtually defines the nature of the bloodline.
Bloodline Disciplines: Animalism, Dominate, Kamen, Resilience
Weakness: In addition to the clan weakness of the Ventrue, the Sotoha devote so much energy to suppressing their Beast that, when it emerges, the Beast grabs its freedom for all it is worth. Sotoha frenzies do not end naturally. When the Storyteller decides a frenzy should end, he may instead require the Sotoha’s player to make an extended Resolve + Composure roll to bring his character out of frenzy, rolling once per turn or minute, as the Storyteller sees fit. A total of five successes are needed to pull out of an involuntary frenzy. If the character was riding the wave (see p. 181 of Vampire: The Requiem), only three successes are needed to pull out.
Finally, a Sotoha in frenzy cannot simply spend one Willpower point to take control of himself for one turn (see p. 180 of Vampire: The Requiem). Instead, the character must earn the right to spend that Willpower point by succeeding on a reflexive Resolve + Composure action. If the roll succeeds, he may spend the Willpower point that turn. If not, he is helpless before the Beast during that turn. Concepts: Fiercely loyal urban samurai, sensitive warrior-poet, power-broker just waiting for the right moment to separate from his lord, trapped vassal of a tyrannical lord, over-enthusiastic Japanophile, idealistic ronin Carthian, artist of deaths and endings, a Seneschal as impassive as the traditional English butler, ronin searching desperately for a worthy lord, Kindred determined to make his own unlife a brief and glorious thing
Parent ethnicities
Almost all Sotoha develop at least the basics of Kamen, as that Discipline virtually defines the nature of the bloodline.
Bloodline Disciplines: Animalism, Dominate, Kamen, Resilience
Weakness: In addition to the clan weakness of the Ventrue, the Sotoha devote so much energy to suppressing their Beast that, when it emerges, the Beast grabs its freedom for all it is worth. Sotoha frenzies do not end naturally. When the Storyteller decides a frenzy should end, he may instead require the Sotoha’s player to make an extended Resolve + Composure roll to bring his character out of frenzy, rolling once per turn or minute, as the Storyteller sees fit. A total of five successes are needed to pull out of an involuntary frenzy. If the character was riding the wave (see p. 181 of Vampire: The Requiem), only three successes are needed to pull out.
Finally, a Sotoha in frenzy cannot simply spend one Willpower point to take control of himself for one turn (see p. 180 of Vampire: The Requiem). Instead, the character must earn the right to spend that Willpower point by succeeding on a reflexive Resolve + Composure action. If the roll succeeds, he may spend the Willpower point that turn. If not, he is helpless before the Beast during that turn. Concepts: Fiercely loyal urban samurai, sensitive warrior-poet, power-broker just waiting for the right moment to separate from his lord, trapped vassal of a tyrannical lord, over-enthusiastic Japanophile, idealistic ronin Carthian, artist of deaths and endings, a Seneschal as impassive as the traditional English butler, ronin searching desperately for a worthy lord, Kindred determined to make his own unlife a brief and glorious thing