Requiem For Rome 2E - Core Rulebook - MS11hq

Credits
Authors: Kelly J Clark, Jesse Charles Cowell, Astra Crompton,

Chris Handforth, Roman Lanzarotta, Raziel MacPhereson, Michele
Masala, Mike Massiah, Sam Young
Appendix Three: Rose Bailey
Interludes: Kelly J Clark
Developer and Editor: Sam Young
Consulting Editor: Megan Robinson
Interior Artists: Sophie “Fish” Coogan, Astra Crompton, Geraldine
Jules, Alexander Meza, Scott Paisley, Paul Schultz, Gerald Spades
Cover Artist: Gerald Spades
Necropolis Map: Paul Schultz
Book Design: Geraldine Jules
Art Direction and Layout: Sam Young
Latin Consultant: Neil Barney
Proofreaders: Roman Lanzarotta, Mike Massiah
Fiction Beta Readers: Robin Holford, Jen Peters, Christine Rattray
Character Sheet: Chris “Mr. Gone” Leland
Executive Producer: Jacob Waskow
“De Mortuo Remo” reprinted from Requiem for Rome First Edition
Special Thanks
Ember “The Phoenix” May, for blithely confirming Astra’s
Creep Factor
Danisha Punja, for putting up with Chris’s polycephalic,
Centimani nonsense
Maddy “Sounding Board” Smith, for patient 1 AM conversations
Charlie, for being the best boy. Yes you are! Now if you could
only read…
Every single member of The Six Degrees server, for being as cool
as they are
Jesse “Bryson” Cowell, Megan “Felicia” Robinson, Nick “Titus”
Stinchcombe, Jacob “Serapis” Waskow, and Ariel “Vesna” Young,
for helping the Camarilla receive its just desserts
Dedication
Rose Bailey, David Chart, Kenneth Hite, Ray Fawkes, Will
Hindmarch, Wood Ingham, and Chuck Wendig, for placing the
whole world under the sovereignty of the Kindred
© 2023 Paradox Interactive AB. All rights reserved. Vampire: The Requiem, Werewolf:
The Forsaken, Mage: The Awakening, Promethean: The Created, Changeling: The
Lost, Hunter: The Vigil, Geist: The Sin-Eaters, Mummy: The Curse, Demon: The
Descent, Beast: The Primordial, Deviant: The Renegades, Chronicles of Darkness,
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This work contains material that is the copyright of Paradox Interactive AB. Such material is used with permission under
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2 REQUIEM FOR ROME SECOND EDITION

Table of Contents
Introduction 6 The Peregrine Collegium 39 Step Six: Merits 86
Themes 6 The Senex 42 Step Seven: Advantages 86
Excess & Duty 6 The Lancea et Sanctum 45 Anchors 86
Progress & Imperialism 7 Mask and Dirge Archetypes 86
Interlude II 48 Touchstones 87
Endings & Beginnings 7
Banes 87
How to Use This Book 7 Chapter Two: Humanity 87
Chapters 7 Sodalitas Pernox 51
Through the Ages 8 Frenzy 88
Annals of Death 51 Common Banes 89
Caveat Lector 8
Blood of Mars 51 Clan Banes 89
Inspirational Media 9
We Call Him Old Man 53 Merits 90
General Media 9
The Lie 54 General Propinquus Merits 90
Requiem Books 9
The Others 55 Deific Boons 93
Lexicon 9
The Unnamable 55 Necropolis Merits 94
Interlude I 12 Chambers Great and Small 56 Jura 95
De Mortuo Remo 57 Legislatio 97
Chapter One: Rome by Night 58 Modern Covenant Merits 99
The Pale and Hungry Ones 15 The Propinqui 58 Mundane Merits 100
Julii 16 Nightly Tributes 60 Fighting Merits 101
Clan Origins 17 Immortal Pillars 62 Fenestrae 103
In the Camarilla 18 Edges of the Empire 65 Common Fenestrae 104
Daeva 19 Ritus Mortuorum 67 Blood Sorcery 105
Clan Origins 20 The City of the Dead 68 Systems 105
In the Camarilla 20 Ex Terra 68 Theban Sorcery 106
Gangrel 22 Beneath the Surface 68 Miracles 106
Clan Origins 23 Deeper Mysteries 74 The Veneficium 109
In the Camarilla 23 Pactio Sanguinaria 79 Procedures 110
War 112
Mekhet 25 Interlude III 80 Archaic Weapons and Armor 112
Clan Origins 26
In the Camarilla 26 Chapter Three: Battles 113
Blood and Circuses 83 Beasts of Burden 116
Nosferatu 28
Debate 117
Clan Origins 29 Character Creation 83
The Audience 117
In the Camarilla 30 Step One: Character Concept 83
Action 118
The Camarilla 31 Step Two: Select Attributes 83
Interval 118
The Wings 31 Step Three: Select Skills 83
Impression 118
The Cult of Augurs 33 Step Four: Skill Specialties 85
Forcing Doors and Leverage 118
The Legion of the Dead 36 Step Five: Add Kindred Template 85
Errata 118
TABLE OF CONTENTS 3
Storytelling System Errata 118 Vespasian 150 Necropolis Nova 173
Requiem Errata 119 Locations 150 Stricter Rule 173
Alexandria 150 Things Fall Apart 174
Interlude IV 122 Cremona 151 The End 174
Chapter Four: Germania Inferior 151 Locations 174
Storytelling the Era 151 The Quaestor’s Domus 174
Ages of the Empire 125 Story Seeds 152 The Porphyry 175
For Vengeance, Inspirational Media 153 Classe 175
Triumph, and Blood 126 Cult of Divus Flavius 154 The Dead of Ravenna 175
What Has Come Before 126 Bloodline Origins 154 The Wings 175
The Eagle: Scipio’s Rome 127 In the Camarilla 155 Notable Kindred 176
The Bull: Hannibal’s Carthage 127 The Flavianist Party 155 Playing the Game 177
What Is to Come 127 The Emperor’s Blessings 155 New Merits 177
The Mediterranean at War 128 The Sea of Fire 156 New Miracle 177
The Dead at War 128 What Has Come Before 156 Storytelling the Era 178
Battles to the Final Death 129 The Sleeping Giant: Vesuvius 157 Senex vs. Sanctified 178
Locations 130 What Is to Come 158 Duty vs. Faith 179
Cannae 130 Locations 158 Story Seeds 179
Syracuse 130 Pompeii 158 Inspirational Media 181
Zama 130 Herculaneum 158 Interlude V 182
The Bleeding Pantheon 131 Misenum 159
The Others 131 The Eruption 160 Chapter Five:
To Moloch: Baali Blood Sorcery 131 Before the Eruption 160 Mortui Impii 185
Fate of the Baali 132 Beginning of the End 160
Hell Above 160
Bourkolakes 186
Storytelling the Era 132
Background 186
Across the Mediterranean 132 Through the Ashes 160
Rumors 187
Warring Vampires 133 Harbingers of Death 160
Phillipos 188
Inspirational Media 133 Climax 161
Systems 188
Baali 134 Storytelling the Era 161
Story Seeds 189
Clan Origins 135 Running the Game 161
Stopping the Eruption 161 Striges 190
In the Camarilla 135
Story Seeds 162 The Story of Dis 190
Favor the Bold 137 Bargain and Betrayal 190
What Has Come Before 137 Inspirational Media 162
The Enemy Is Us 190
What Is to Come 138 The Anarchy 163
Triadic Archetypes 191
The Story of the Dead 138 What Has Come Before 163
Rumors 191
Locations 139 Plague 163
Three Striges 192
Alesia 139 Invasion 164
Strigid Systems 195
Bibracte 139 Succession 164
Anchors 195
Mutina 139 What Is to Come 164
Triadic Archetype 195
Life in Gaul 140 The Persecution 164
Attributes and Skills 195
Death in Gaul 140 A Divine Plague 164
Shadow Potency 195
The Clans 140 An Empire Fractured 165
Advantages 195
The Gobannes 141 The Unconquered Sun 165
Banes 196
New Merit 141 The Dominate 166
Inherent Powers 197
Storytelling the Era 142 Locations 166
Dread Powers 199
Story Seeds 143 Colonia Agrippina 166
Antioch 167 Traditores 203
Inspirational Media 145
The Nymphaeum 167 The Legend 203
Sic Semper Tyrannis 146 The Truth 203
What Has Come Before 146 Storytelling the Era 167
The Heralds of Oblivion 168 They Were the Akhud 204
The Great Fire 146 They Were the Clan of Romulus 204
The Pisonian Conspiracy 147 Story Seeds 169
Inspirational Media 171 They Were Remus’s Other Childer 205
The Fall of Nero 147 They Are the Enemy Within 205
What Is to Come 148 City of Miracles 172
They Were the Julii 206
Galba 148 What Has Come Before 172
They Were Belial’s Brood 206
Otho 149 What Is to Come 173
They Were a Sacrifice 207
Vitellius 149 The New Capital 173

Horrid Legions 208 Bloodline Gift: Inside Man 230 The Haunting 259
Aventine Harpies 208 New Merits 230
Three Sibyls 208 Ferrati 231
Appendix Two:
Systems 208 Bloodline Origins 231 Latin and Roman Names 260
Story Seeds 209 In the Camarilla 232 Latin 260
Cineres 209 Three Unfinished 233 Pronunciations 260
Three Whispering Ashes 209 Bloodline Gift: Punching Up 233 Declensions 261
Systems 210 New Devotions 233 Registers 261
Story Seeds 210 Galli 234 Greek to Us 261
Colossi 210 Bloodline Origins 234 Roman Names 261
Three Ichor Giants 211 In the Camarilla 235 Tria Nomina 261
Systems 211 Three Eunuchs 236 Women 263
Story Seeds 211 Bloodline Gift: Slaves, Christians, and Foreigners 263
The Cult of Faces 212 Beauty of Attis, Sight of Cybele 236 Germanic Names 263
Three Waxen 212 New Veneficium Procedures 236 Appendix Three:
Systems 212 Phersui 237
Story Seeds 213 Bloodline Origins 237
Cults of Rome 266
Lamiae 213 In the Camarilla 238 Cities on the Cross 266
Three Child-Eaters 213 Three Personae 239 The Chapel 266
Systems 214 Bloodline Gift: The Toll 239 The Spear 267
New Adaptations 215 New Merits 239 Covenant 268
New Merit 215 Blood and Bulls 268
Rotulae 240
Story Seeds 215 The Great Foreign Gods 268
Bloodline Origins 240
Plani 215 Empty Houses 269
In the Camarilla 241
Three Lures 215 Cults of One 270
Three Reds 241
Systems 216 Ancestor Worship 270
New Merit 242
Story Seeds 216 New Devotions 242 Appendix Four:
Reflections 216
Systems 217 Appendix One: Conditions and Tilts 272
Dread Powers 218 The Pretenders 244 Conditions 272
Story Seeds 219 Adored 272
Setting 244
The Sabine Order 219 Adrift 272
Choose Your Own Era 244
Three Quaestors 220 Anagnorisis 272
On Monarchy 245
Systems 220 Cowed 272
Affairs of the Dead 245
Story Seeds 220 Demoralized 272
The Cult of Augurs 245
Tullians 220 Doomed 272
The Legion of the Dead 245
Three Fire-Marked 221 Exposed 273
The Peregrine Collegium 245
Systems 221 Fixation 273
The Senex 245
Story Seeds 222 Humbled Blood 273
The Lancea et Sanctum 245
Vitae Angels 222 Indebted 273
Flashpoints 246
Three Caelestes 222 Mission 273
I. The Stolen Throne 246
Systems 222 Plague of Blood 273
II. The Warrior Queen 248
Story Seeds 223 Taxpayer 273
III. The Tunnel Riots 250
Tilts 274
Interlude VI 224 IV. The Pig and the Fool 252
Avalanche 274
V. The Collapse 253
Collapsing Ceiling 274
Chapter Six: Cognati 227 VI. The Revolution 255
Dust Storm 274
Cassii 228 VII. The Regicide 256
Earthquake 274
Bloodline Origins 228 Resolutions 257
Heavy Winds 274
In the Camarilla 229 Print the Legend 257
Inferno 274
Three Rejects 230 The Good Soldier 258
Riot 274
TABLE OF CONTENTS 5
INTRODUCTION
Death twitches my ear. “Live,” he says. “I am coming.”
— Virgil
Rome never fell. politics to play or rivals to slay. The Camarilla made the Kindred
Imperialism is too like a parasite to be defeated by armies or kindred. That’s its legacy, not Latin words for stolen blood.
political will. It clings to the conquered, sapping away the vital The whole world over you will find them, each Embrace
fluids of culture and society. No, we don’t speak Latin anymore, another conquest of an undead nation. Even where the
but we do speak French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish — and Emperor’s legions never marched, even where Europe never
English, that mongrel tongue of Rome and the barbarians who pillaged across land and sea, your Kindred await.
ravaged her. Even Christianity filtered through the Eternal City, If a Roman vampire woke tonight in America, transported
a state religion that launched pogroms for two thousand years across oceans of time, how surprised she would be to find the
after Jesus died in one. foreign dead are just like her. Exactly like her.
The Camarilla never fell. Were there others? Yes. They are Kindred now.
Like its twin in the light above, it changed the world. It A wise Lick once said the blood of the Kindred is not the
changed the dead. The Camarilla gave vampires a culture and blood of the living, channeled in tidy little arteries and veins.
Traditions. It taught them faith and ideology. Most of all, it It’s spilled blood, the kind that flows from a torn-open throat.
made them family. Without the Camarilla, the clans are just And when the Necropolis burned and the Julii met their
different brands of greedy corpses without schemes to lay or fate? Well. How could anyone hope to staunch the bleeding?
Themes
Glory reigns above. Requiem for Rome is about playing on though the curtain
The light of the seven hills drinks the night as you rise from the earth, draws near. Bodies and civilizations both come to the same
all the people of the world caught up in the thirst. You can get a taste dust, and though vampires can pretend the games go on forever,
of anything in this Eternal City — anyone. Will it be the patrician or the Reaper has no time for eternity. But memento mori isn’t a
the pleb? The conquered or the conqueror? Or maybe you’ll demand warning. It’s the only way to live.
tribute for those who came before, a greedy ghost in the lararium light.
The life of the dead is in the memory of the living, and by the gods, Excess & Duty
you’ll make them remember. Rome will eat you alive, and you’re here
The romance of imperial purple and the triumph of march-
to help her along. All that blood’s got to go somewhere.
ing armies. Cheers for bloodsport and prayers to tyrants
Death rules below. masked as earthly gods. Moderation has no place in Rome,
Requiem for Rome is a game of dark fantasy and epic horror. and death’s twisted you into the embodiment of that uncaged
Requiem for Rome is about swords and sandals and adven- spirit. Vampires embody all the Empire’s avarice, and the Beast
tures. It’s about corpse gods striding the earth and the terrible devours what little restraint that’s left.
things that rise in their wake. It’s about glorious deaths and Yet Rome values pietas above all. The Pantheon demands
ignominious lives. It’s about looking fantastic in a toga. respect at every turn of the calendar, its petty grudges the stuff
Requiem for Rome is about politics and violence, about of legend. Even the state is sacred — and so are the dead. You’re
secret assassinations and barefaced coups. It’s about the greatest a bloodsucking monster clawing up from the underworld, but
city in the world and the rot curling through its majesty. It’s you’re also an honored ancestor. How will you serve your family
about how you live and die with that decay, and all the ways and paint the Eternal City blood red? Will you become the
you’ll come up short. beloved lar, guiding your gens through an age of prosperity, or will
Requiem for Rome is about where we came from and who you take your place among the lemures, tormenting descendants
we are tonight. who fail to meet your holy standards? Why not both?

Progress & Endings &
Imperialism Beginnings
Rome is a beacon. It’s a multiethnic state that’s known The most storied Kindred covenant in history will fall expo-
centuries of peace. It produces some of the finest art and liter- nentially faster than it rose, and the dead will spend two mil-
ature in the world, leaving an indelible mark on global culture. lennia wondering where it all went wrong. Of course, you don’t
Advanced in technology, philosophy, and law, it builds a legacy know that. You think this thing will last forever. Just like you.
that will transcend its collapse. Fate looms over the Propinqui, whether that’s the inevitable
But that's not the whole story. end of the Camarilla or just the cheapness of life and Final
Rome is a nightmare. It takes slaves and treats women little Death. The Necropolis is a place of scant mercies and sundry
better. It treats genocide as a public virtue, stripping cultures for monsters, and you don’t need to look far to find ones willing
parts and spitting out the rest for the vultures. Its Pax Romana to reduce you to ash under Sol Invictus.
is a protection racket writ on a global scale, a contented veneer Yet death is also opportunity. You have enemies too, and each
over a depthless hunger. Rome is an empire, and we’re still one is another barrier in the halls of power. The Propinqui laud
picking up the pieces of its conquests. selfishness and reward ambition, qualities that mark the All
And yet, we can’t let it go. Just like the Kindred. Vampires Night Society for centuries to come. That ruthlessness will serve
are sexy and thrilling; vampires are dangerous and frightening. the Kindred well long after the Camarilla crumbles. When the
These are not contradictions. end comes, you can be the one to build a new world, shaping
it in whatever way you see fit. You just have to survive it first.
How to Use This Book

In 2007, White Wolf Publishing released Requiem for
Rome, the first in a duology exploring the backstory of Chapters
Vampire: The Requiem. Rome was a soft reboot of the game, Chapter One: The Pale and Hungry Ones introduces the
a way to solidify lore hinted at in various previous supplements dead gentes, the five castes of Kindred who dwell beneath
and a jumping-off point for the future clan book series, which Rome. We also examine the Camarilla and its quincunx of
dug even deeper into the All Night Society’s murky history. wings, breaking down how each serves the Empire of Night.
That book and its companion, Fall of the Camarilla, contin- Chapter Two: Sodalitas Pernox explores the history of the
ued to influence the game as it entered its Second Edition, Julii and their Camarilla, followed by a deep dive into ways
with the malignant Strix and other elements becoming core the Propinqui make their Requiems in Rome. We then take a
parts of the Requiem experience. However, apart from a short guided tour of the Necropolis, home to all Kindred who nest
adventure released in 2010 and a semi-related Dark Era in in the Eternal City.
2017, the Chronicles of Darkness hasn’t had many chances
to revisit this setting. Chapter Three: Blood and Circuses provides systems
for creating and portraying Roman vampires, with new
But all roads lead to Rome in the end. Archetypes, common banes, clan banes, Merits, and other
Welcome to Requiem for Rome Second Edition. Inside, you’ll special systems, along with era-appropriate Skills and a
find a complete guide to portraying the Kindred of Ancient Rome reworking of blood sorcery. We also detail the ins and outs
in Vampire: The Requiem, from their Camarilla covenant and of warfare and the finer points of debate, concluding with
its wings to the dirges they sing from the depths of Necropolis, selected errata for the core rules of Vampire: The Requiem.
the unholy City of the Dead. You’ll also meet the Julii, the first Chapter Four: Ages of the Empire is a historical excursion
clan of Rome and undisputed masters of the All Night Society. through Ancient Rome via six Dark Eras. Starting in the early
Like the Ventrue, the Founders favor the Dominate Discipline, Republic and ending as the Western Empire teeters at a preci-
but the Lords seemingly have no presence in the Empire. The pice, we reveal the most notorious periods of Camarilla history,
Dead Julii ruled the dark for a thousand years, and their destruc- including legends of the vampire societies the Kindred conquered
tion at the Owls’ talons still fascinates the Kindred. They are an along the way: Join in on the bloody rites of the Baali, Lords of
aspiration and a warning, but tonight, they’re more propaganda Carthage, and take up a hammer with the Gobannes of Gaul.
than fact. Read on and see past the myth.
Chapter Five: Mortui Impii is a catalog of horrors. Within,
You’ll need the Vampire: The Requiem rulebook to use this we’ll divulge all the secrets and lies of the Striges, the bane
supplement, but we’ve also taken the opportunity to rethink a of the Julii, and show you how they differ from their modern
handful of its systems. Ten years on, Requiem continues to be incarnation. And if you dare, you can delve into the multi-
the definitive game of visceral drama and personal horror, but ple-choice truths of the Traditores, the clan that must not be
it’s never a bad idea to look under the coffin and make sure named, and the endangered Bourkolakes of Greece. You’ll also
the stake’s still secure. find numerous other, stranger monsters.
INTRODUCTION 7
Veritas et Falsitates
THE CAMARILLA WAS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL VAMPIRE SOCIETY IN HISTORY
True. You’d still be nesting in grave dirt and draining babes in their bassinets if it weren’t for the Small Chamber.
They also fucked it all up, but I suppose progress can’t come without a little suffering. Or a great deal.
THE INVICTUS IS THE CAMARILLA’S RIGHTFUL SUCCESSOR

In the same way the Holy Roman Empire was holy, Roman, and an empire. The First Estate thinks a Latin
name means it’s next in line for the throne, but it’s just picking up the pieces smarter dead men left behind.
THE CAMARILLA NEARLY DESTROYED THE LANCEA ET SANCTUM

Didn’t finish the job. The Sanctified were getting thrown to lions right along with the Christians, though they
were a lot more fun back then. All apocalypse and abandon.
THE STRIX DESTROYED THE CAMARILLA

And don’t you forget it.
THE VENTRUE DESCEND FROM THE JULII

Heh.
Chapter Six: Cognati is a selection of bloodlines common stories about vampires. Partly, we’ve done this to give you more
to the nights of Rome. of the Camarilla, but this choice also has a lot to do with the
Appendix One: The Pretenders is a ready-made chronicle nature of research in 2023 compared with 2007. History has
about ambitious Kindred seeking to rule the Camarilla. never been more accessible on the Internet, from Wikipedia
Appendix Two: Latin and Roman Names discusses the wormholes to niche blogs about classical-age cuisine. We felt it
Latin language and offers tips on applying it to your chroni- wouldn’t be the best use of our page count to get too deep into
cles. You’ll also find an explanation of the tria nomina, with real life when many scholars have done so far more effectively.
all the tools you’ll need to make a name for yourself in the Readers will also no doubt be interested in different aspects
Roman Empire. of Roman history and culture, and we didn’t want to tie this
setting too closely to any one thing in particular.
Appendix Three: Cults of Rome is a brief overview of the
pagan faiths the Kindred practice in the dark and the Christian Note that the setting of this book also differs slightly from its
Rome to come. presentation in the first Requiem for Rome. This is partly due
to general changes to the Vampire setting in Second Edition,
Appendix Four: Conditions and Tilts provides a reference
but we’ve tweaked aspects of the Camarilla and the Propinqui
to the lingering effects of supernatural powers and other rules.
as well, particularly in our vision of the clans and when exactly
they showed up in the Necropolis, as well as the advantages
Through the Ages each Camarilla wing enjoys. That doesn’t mean you have to do
Requiem for Rome First Edition was set during the dying away with what came before. If you prefer the setting material
days of Western Rome under the Constantinian dynasty. We’re in the original Requiem for Rome and Fall of the Camarilla,
taking a slightly different perspective. This book doesn’t have a all the systems here are compatible.
specific period beyond the Empire: not the Republic, but also
not the Christian Rome of later years. If you want a ballpark, Caveat Lector
we pin things to the Lancea et Sanctum’s appearance in the
We’ve tried to take care with our presentation, but this book
Necropolis in the 3rd century, before it became a legal wing of
doesn’t sugarcoat the Rome. The ancient world was a hard place,
the Camarilla. This is mostly for consistency; your chronicles
and it was hardest on those who didn’t fit into its rigid power
can take place whenever you like, and to that end, Chapter Four
structures and traditions. Women and slaves in particular led
provides several specific settings, with multiple opportunities
difficult lives, and unbridled imperialism was a lauded feature
for characters to take part in Roman history.
of Roman society.
For this reason, we don’t spend a lot of time talking about
These elements of the setting should be handled with care.
mortal Rome. The Empire changes a lot in a thousand years,
Many of the horrors described herein were all too real, so keep
and while we do touch on human society where it coincides with
that in mind as you continue. Be respectful of your fellow players
the All Night Society, most of this book is dedicated to telling
— and yourself — as you explore Sodalitas Pernox.

Inspirational Media
Chapter Four cites numerous inspirations relating to Rome real guidebook to Ancient Rome, exploring the Empire as it
and the themes of this book, and the original Requiem existed in 300 CE, right around the same period we default
for Rome covers a lot of the basics (Gladiator, Julius Caesar, to. Not only is the prose accessible and charming, it includes
Spartacus, etc.) As such, we offer the following as a brief sample detailed maps and illustrations, making it a great resource for
of media that inspired this book’s creation. anyone interested in Roman culture and history. If you want
a straightforward treatise on mortal Rome, look no further.
General Media
Cleopatra, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz: It’s a
Requiem Books
mess, but hey, so is Rome. However, its sumptuous style is We wouldn’t be here without the original Requiem for
unmatched, and even now, this sword-and-sandals block- Rome. In addition to establishing the world you’re about to
buster is the first thing people picture when they think of the explore, it offers a fascinating perspective on Roman civilization
genre. It’s also Liz & Dick nearing the height of their powers, as history’s ultimate vampire. You don’t need that book to use
embodying all the lust for power and romance that drives the this one, but, in the authors’ opinion, it’s some of the sharpest
best vampire stories. writing White Wolf ever put out.
Hades, created by Supergiant Games: Though more Greek- On the same note, Fall of the Camarilla is a classic full-length
inspired, endlessly dying only to resurrect from an ever-flowing adventure — one of the few for the Chronicles of Darkness —
pool of blood seems rather appropriate for vampires. Moreover, providing an inside view of the ways Sodalitas Pernox finally
the shifting, labyrinthine halls of Tartarus (as well as its back- cracked under social and supernatural pressures.
biting residents) evoke the grim spectacle of the City of the Paterfamilias is a ready-to-play chronicle by one of the
Dead. Throw in Furies trying to destroy you for a taste of the original Requiem for Rome authors and includes the Birds of
Striges, and there’s plenty here to inspire the dark fantasy of Minerva, an early conspiracy of hunters.
Requiem for Rome. The original clan books elaborate many of the plot points
Titus, directed by Julie Taymor: With an aesthetic some- introduced in Requiem for Rome First Edition, and they’re
where between Fascist Italy and a half-remembered dream of a great reads in their own right. You can also find updated and
Roman daytrip, this Shakespeare adaptation isn’t historically expanded systems in their Second Edition counterparts:
accurate in any way, shape, or form. However, Taymor nails the • Better Feared: Nosferatu
feel of Rome in her surrealist nightmare, capturing all its glory
and debauchery in Anthony Hopkins’ scene-chewing, Grand- • False Gods: Ventrue
Guignol performance. And Harry Lennix is not to be missed • Sin Again: Daeva
as Aaron, a mortal villain who’d put any Propinquus to shame.
• Strange Shades: Mekhet
Traveller’s Guide to the Ancient World: Rome, by Ray
Laurence: This excellent little book is written as if it were a • Wild Hunt: Gangrel
Lexicon
This lexicon supplements the definitions starting on p. 74 of Camarilla (cam • uh • RIL • uh; Latin, Camarula): “Small
Vampire: The Requiem. The pronunciations below are derived Chamber” 1. Metonymy for the only legitimate vampire cove-
from Classical Latin, except for Julii, where we’ve retained the nant of Ancient Rome. Variously called the Midnight Republic
typical English form. For a short overview of Latin phonology, (Res Publica Media Nox), the Empire of Night (Imperium Noctis),
see Appendix Two. or both depending on the era. Unlike modern Kindred, the
Many of the typical Vampire setting terms we use in this Roman dead consider their covenant a legal, albeit hidden,
book are anachronistic. Requiem and Masquerade, for instance, organ of the state. 2. The room where the Senex originally met,
don’t have Latin equivalents despite being Latinate words, and carved into the Tarpeian Rock of the Capitoline Hill.
Roman Gangrel almost certainly weren’t called that, as gangrel Cult of Augurs (Latin, Cultus Augurum): The Wing of
is an English word not attested until the 1300s. Prophets (Ala Vaticinia). Blood sorcerers and religious bureau-
However, we’ve chosen not to bog down our readers with a lot crats who lend the Camarilla spiritual legitimacy.
of new vocabulary for concepts they already know. You can find gentes (GEN • tess; sg. gens): The five Kindred clans.
a few more “authentic” Latin words for certain concepts in the Sometimes called the dead gentes.
following list, but these are provided as optional set dressing. Fenestrae (feh • NES • try; sg. Fenestra): “Opportunities;
Assume the Propinqui have their own specialized Latin terms loopholes.” The strange abilities the Peregrine Collegium uses
where any anachronisms come up. to cheat the laws of death.
INTRODUCTION 9
Invictus: The Inner Circle of the Senex, comprising various
Camarilla Timeline elders and what’s left of Julius Senex’s childer.
Julii (JOO • lee • eye): The first clan of Rome and the
The following is an overview of important events
in Propinquus history, collected from Requiem Founders of the Camarilla. Known for being imperious,
for Rome First Edition and Fall of the Camarilla. depraved, and vicious.
Several are elaborated on in later parts of this book. Jura (YOO • rah; sg. Jus): “The laws.” The Legion of the
Year Event Dead’s ability to enforce the Traditions.
Rome founded. Remus revived Lancea et Sanctum: “The Spear and Chapel.” A Peregrine
761 BCE Collegium cult or a Camarilla faction in its own right, depend-
by the Striges.
ing on the era. Believers in the Christ but forever denied his
Abduction of the Sabine Women.
752 BCE love, the future Wing of Apostles (Ala Apostolica) believes the
Embrace of Julius Senex.
end times are imminent, and it has been called by God to test
609 BCE Remus disappears. His mortal flock before Judgment Day.
Roman monarchy abolished. Legion of the Dead (Old Latin, Legio Mortuum — “The
509 BCE Striges betrayed and Traditores Dead’s Legion”): The Wing of Soldiers (Ala Militaris). The
purged. Camarilla founded. Camarilla’s official law enforcement and standing army.
300 BCE Julius Senex disappears. Without the Legion, the Camarilla could not enforce its laws,
218– Second Punic War. Camarilla and the Kindred could not travel between domains.
202 BCE victory over Baali of Carthage. Legislatio (leh • gees • LAH • tee • oh): “The giving of the
Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. law.” The Senex’s ability to mystically legislate the Camarilla
c. 30 CE and resolve disputes between Kindred.
Embrace of Longinus.
Longinus visited by a vision of the Mendacium (men • DAH • kee • oom): “The lie; the fic-
57 CE tion.” The Propinquus term for what modern Kindred call the
angel Vahishtael.
Masquerade. Sometimes, Mendaciolum nostrum: “Our little lie.”
The Great Fire of Rome. The
Necropolis is devastated, and Necropolis: The sprawling Undercity hidden beneath the
64 CE catacombs of Rome. All Kindred exist within this secret
most Julian elders meet Final
Death in the blaze. metropolis in one way or another.
First Black Mass. Lancea et Nefastus (neh • FAHS • toos; pl. Nefasti): “Impious one;
232 CE wicked person.” A derogatory term for a vampire.
Sanctum founded.
Thascius Hostilinus sires the Peregrine Collegium (PER • ih • grin kuh • LEE • jee •
262 CE um; Latin, Collegium Peregrinum): The Wing of Strangers (Ala
Morbus bloodline.
Edict of Milan. Religious tol- Peregrina). Made up of lowborn, disgraced, or foreign dead, or
erance becomes Roman state those who prefer less structure in the Requiem, the Advenae’s
313 CE semisecret ability to circumvent supernatural law makes them a
policy. The Lancea et Sanctum
is recognized as Ala Apostolica. valuable asset even as the Camarilla denounces them.
335 CE Consecration of the Black Abbey. Propinquus (proh • PEEN • kwoos; pl. Propinqui): One
of the Kindred. This term was originally a nickname for
Rome bans pagan sacrifice. The
the Julii, but as the other clans appeared, it came to refer to
341 CE Camarilla follows suit, proscrib-
ing the Veneficium. all vampires of Roman stock, and then all vampires of the
Camarilla. Many elder Julii do not consider the other clans
Edict of Thessalonica. Sanctified their Kindred.
380 CE Legislators use this as a pretext
to disband the Cult of Augurs. Requies (reh • KWEE • es): “The repose.” The Propinquus
term for what modern Kindred call the Requiem.
A Mekhet elder seizes Alexandria,
407 CE Remus (REH • moos): One of the Eternal City’s legendary
seceding from the Camarilla.
founders, along with his twin brother, Romulus. According to
Last contact with the Propinqui
409 CE the Julii, the first Kindred vampire in Rome. Often called the
of Britannia.
Inauspicious Twin.
Sack of Rome. Final Death of
410 CE Senex (SEN • eks): “Old man.” 1. The Wing of Ancients
Julius Senex. Fall of the Camarilla.
(Ala Senecta). Primus inter pares of the wings, the so-called
Night Senate is a legislative body that handles the night-to-
night business of the Midnight Republic, with its lower-ranking
members acting as advocates and arbiters in disputes. 2. The
cognomen of Aulus Julius, only known childe of Remus and
founder of the Camarilla.

Sodalitas Pernox (soh • DAH • leet • as PER • nawks): “The Veneficium (wen • ay • FEE • kee • oom): The bureau-
All Night Society.” A faintly ironic nickname for the Camarilla. cratic-yet-prophetic Ritual Discipline of the Cult of Augurs.
Striges (STREE • ges) (sg. Strix): 1. The Nemeses. The creators viriles (wee • REE • less; sg. virilis): “Mature ones.”
and bane of the Julii. 2. What the living call vampires. Propinquus term for an ancilla vampire. In Ancient Rome,
Traditiones (tra • dee • tee • OH • nes): The Three the Latin word ancilla refers to slave-maids, lacking its modern
Traditions of Dominion, Destruction, and Amaranth. All law in “ancillary” connotation.
the Camarilla is subordinate to this triad. Vitae (WEE • ty): The stolen blood that animates the dead.
Traditores (trad • dee • TOR • es): The clan that must not A unique plurale tantum derived from the Latin word for “life,”
be named. Traitors who served the Striges in the early nights of used only by the Kindred.
the Necropolis, before the Camarilla. Purged in a single night wing (Latin: ala): One of four (later five) factions of the
by Aulus Julius Senex and subjected to damnatio memoriae, Camarilla, from a term for military units among the living.
their true name is legally proscribed, though it’s unlikely anyone These are not covenants in and of themselves, but rather sub-
remembers it. divisions of an enormous one.
INTRODUCTION 11
Interlude I
cannot see his face, yet I must kneel. They light twigs that trail through the room like
I The darkness is incomplete, but still so dim

I strain to make shapes from shadow, and a
lone oil lamp hangs like a star above me.
fireflies to other, smaller lamps. The figures step
back beyond the reach of light, once again breath-
less, soundless specters. The room sputters to a dull
I haven’t eaten in days, but it’s not weakness that glow, but while the air warms, I still feel cold.
forces me to my knees; some unknown gravity The light finally reaches his face, and I risk a look.
bears down on me. Defiant, I dare crawl forward It’s still the King’s face, but different from the busts
in a march measured in inches, my numb fingers and coins. This one is more solid, more severe, pale
scrabbling over cold rock like millipedes. as marble. But most unsettling are the scars: a web
I can feel his presence. He sits. He watches. He of broken flesh ruining the corner of his left eye all
doesn’t move. As the moments pass, my breath the way to his ear. Like a cracked egg.
echoes off the chamber’s stone walls, but I realize I I remember the story and, in doing so, my pride.
can’t hear his. Perhaps he’s not a man, but a statue. I will not be cowed by any man, demon, or god.
I push further, and after a century of agony, the I raise my gaze to his and feel his spell lessen. “It
shadows surrender his face to me. I gasp and press pleases me then, Domine
Domine,, to be in your presence.”
my head to the floor, for I have seen its profile my “And I in yours, honored guest.”
entire life, cast in marble if not in flesh. His features “May I ask how the living might serve the dead?”
are handsome and young, face still round with the “The dead find many uses for the living. I require
hale vigor of youth, body barely contained by the your special services, vestal.”
briefness of a tunic. Seated in a rough-hewn throne “Alas, I am a vestal no more, Domine
Domine.. I was sullied
of rock, it’s clear he’s not tall, but built sturdy and by pleasurable pursuits and left to enjoy my life in…
strong. A builder. A king. the hospitable chamber where you found me.”
“Domine mi,”
mi,” I whisper, ashamed of my quavering He leans forward, and the lamplight catches his
voice, “thank you for rescuing me.” eyes. They glow a brilliant yellow. He waves in
“You know me?” His voice is ice beneath a veneer casual dismissal to the shadowy things. “Begone.
of mirth. I amuse him. I will continue to do so. I wish to speak to my virgin in peace.”
“You are my king. Our king—” Awe spreads over my f lesh as the shadows
“No.” His interruption is a thunderclap. “I’m the instantly obey. I realize you need not love him to
other one.” respect him, but you do anyway. A divine mandate
Fear threatens to pull me back into the dark. I rolls from his troubled visage like mist clinging to
cannot cry before this creature, but my eyes sting the seven hills. But now we are alone, and in an
from the refusal. My voice is not as strong as I wish instant, the feeling fades.
it were as I beseech him: “Please, sire. Am I dead?” His gaze meets mine, and he raises an eyebrow.
“Not yet.” His proclamation is stony and certain, “For all the superstition, I’ve never found a woman’s
and I have no response but to smooth the goose- power to be tied to her virtue. Tell me your name.”
flesh on my arms. “Ah, but you must be freezing. “Septima.”
See how you shiver.” He sweeps his hand across “And you were a vestal?”
the room. “Light.” “I was.”
Things sway in the dark, and a dozen bodies “Then we shall see if you’re still what I need, sul-
previously invisible to me converge on the lamp. lied or not.” His eyes are earnest, but beneath that
12
lies a fathomless hunger. I am a goat led to slaughter my heart, and it’s all I need. Images flood my vision
if I please him not. This is a test, or perhaps a game, as the black reaches for me:
and I must play it to the fullest. I see an eagle rise and fall as it flies above dark
“Of course, Domine
Domine.. But vestals require payment.” water and a black mirror that shows its bones. Greek
“Then let it be such: You shall provide me with letters rise from the water and then a thousand echoes
three services, and I shall provide you with two, as I of it rise, then a hundred thousand. Between the
already rescued you from the tomb they left you in.” symbols, black smoke boils like a fog that ignites.
“I would prefer three…” All burns. All is blood.
“Would you also prefer I return you to your pre- I reel backward, tripping over my own feet in my
vious accommodations?” panic. I fall, striking my head on the uneven stone
floor as I land. My vision swims and a fever rushes
“That is within your power, Domine
Domine.. But where
over me like wildfire, burning my flesh to cinders.
would you find another vestal at this late hour?”
“My last request…”
He clucks his tongue. “My, they breed women with
fire these days. Three and three then.” I nod, and he I hear him shift behind me, and I look up. I’m
continues. “Then let us begin. My… son has made once again on my hands and knees, but even my
himself scarce. I wish to find him. They say your order exhaustion, hunger, and pain can’t dull the fear,
knows the secret prayers that can halt a slave’s retreat.” fear as I’ve never felt for any evil in this world. He
stands from his seat and advances, and a look I’ve
“Your son is a slave?”
seen from men before comes over his face: the look
“In a way.” His voice chills. “All children are slaves
of wolves. I do not know his exact intention, but my
to their parents.”
soul does, and though I can feel my blood scream
“They say you were raised by a wolf.” in my veins, my body has set roots in the cave floor.
“That’s what the stories say.” He savors the thought. “I have not made my requests!”
“I suppose my foster mother was a wolf. Sometimes.”
He takes a step. “Then make them.”
“How is someone a wolf sometimes?”
“I want to eat,” I whimper. He takes another step,
“My next request: They say you can see the future.” but I cannot move. “I want to be freed.” Another
“Sometimes.” step. As he grows closer, the flames begin to snuff
He laughs, like a drowning man’s cough. “Even out at his presence, one by one. “And…” My voice
more audacious!” But the delight quickly drains trembles, and my ribs shudder in my breast.
from his voice. “Can you do it or not?” “I do not want to die.”
I nod, and he tells me his son’s name. I narrow All lights save the hanging lamp submit to his
my eyes and whisper it along with the secret prayer darkness, but even it begins to flicker. He looms
taught to all vestals. A sudden tug pulls at my chest over me now, so close I can smell him, the sweetness
as if a fishing line were being set taut, and I look to of blood and the staleness of rancid oil.
the south. “He rests upon the Aventine Hill, by the “Do not worry, Septima, sullied vestal virgin —
main crossroads. He will not leave that spot until all three of your requests align with my last.” His
the moon sets.” fingers touch my throat. I want to shrink away,
“What a disappointing boy. Still, fine work. I will but I can’t. I can only look into that ruined eye.
send for him. Do you need rest for your vision?” His cold, rough hands encircle my neck, and he
“I do not need to sleep — only to untether my lifts me from the floor as if I were a child. “You
mind. My hunger should suffice.” will not die.”
I look at the oil lamp, staring into the dancing His lips part, revealing the fangs of a viper.
flame, and I sway with the light. A bolt of panic strikes “Not in any way that matters.”
13
CHAPTER ONE
THE PALE AND HUNGRY ONES
Dying once is enough.
— Virgil, Aeneid
Five clans and wings comprise the blood covenant known as Camarilla: the first and last unified nation of the dead.
THE CLANS OF ROME

Once we were five. Now we are one.
But unity has many facets. Each of us bears a
purpose in our Necropolis, a caste mark bequeathed
by the hand of Dis Pater:
Leader, idol, warrior, zealot, toiler.
From shadows near and far, we came with songs
of battles, blood, and rage, and thus do the
revenants of Rome call out in harmony, each in a
note the Blood commands.
Lend us your ears as our dirges rise from the
mausoleums. Spare a prayer for those who could
not find the happiness of death.
For we are your ancestors.
We are your Kindred.
CHAPTER ONE: 15
JULII
THE SOVEREIGN DEAD
Founders, Nobles, Tyranni
She stands above the crowd because nowhere else will How? The details aren’t important. A Roman reigns
do. “Ave! Ave!” they cry, the rhythm of their chant the from the horse. What other explanation could there
heartbeat of her triumph. And when she casts her gaze be? The truth is needless to those with the power
on you, their eyes turn with her. And when she smiles, to make it.
their knives gleam like her teeth. “Et tu?” she asks, But they do know, don’t they? Watch close
and there can only be one answer. and see past the artifice of power and piety and
Aliquid mortuum appropinquat. It balances puerility. When the braziers blow black smoke
the world upon a fasces, imperium made man- and their faces turn a paler shade. When the
ifest in pale flesh. “Veni, vidi… edi!” it laughs, hearth light catches in their servants’ eyes and
blood-spittle staining its dress a deeper purple. It they start like frighted beasts. When they pay
is the maw of more, gorging on the sweetest vines, their blood-stained coin to the haruspex and find
the thickest veins, the comeliest vestals. But this is no black feathers in the bowel.
mere carouser. There’s a bureaucracy to debauchery, a wrong Hail the statesman! He walks the colonnades carrying
way to live and a right way to die. It is the swollen corpse of the burden of office like a curse, lamenting the bromides
tradition, Magna Mater, heavy with honored rite and petty of bureaucrats barely in their togas. How welcome his hard-
procedure alike. When the feasting’s done and the bodies cool, earned wisdom. How graciously he accepts their praise. When
it awaits tribute in its candlelit lair (pardon, lararium), just as it the assembly stands, they always stand with him — and sit,
did your father and his father before him, the tallow smelling and kneel, and all the other things coming to a man of stat-
so like the night they laid your grandmother on the pyre. “The ure among youths. As the hall empties and he stands before
dead teach the living,” it says in her voice, and the first lesson the bust of his ancestor, he wonders when he shall sit for a
shall be sacrifice. portrait once again.
The Julii are Rome. Rome the mother. Rome conqueror. Hail the general! War is a ladder, and each victory is a rung.
Rome the defiler. Rome the vampire. They are the Eternal Can she fight? Sure, why not. But winning is less important
City in all her contradictions: demanding virtue yet violating than networking, and the more fallen heroes she recruits from
greater bounds; preaching family yet bleeding generations for the legions, the more respect becomes an aegis. How grateful
their orgies; weeping for the ancestors yet digging up corpses they are to serve again. How deafening their cheers. Loyalty is
to lay at their enemies’ doors, MEMENTO MORI carved in all, and she bleeds it. Her officers slaughter innocents as gladly
ragged remains. They call the state sacrosanct then remake it as they fall on their swords, and they compete to see who’ll let
with a word or a fist or a drop of blood, and that is the true the blade slip deepest.
genius of the Julii. Hail the genius loci! But do not look upon it! Don’t disrespect
For this, the other clans call them Founders, sons and daugh- it with your sight! It has protected this place since before the
ters of the Inauspicious Twin, who lost one legacy but forged Emperors, before the Republic, before the Kings, before the
another beneath the earth. He chose well for heirs. From the Etruscans, existing wherever troubles plague the people — a
line of Caesar and Augustus his childer came, and like their blighted harvest, a crumbling roof, an anemic child — taking
infamous cousins, they became architects of a new order. Before gold and sweetmeats to mend calamities. It holds the cornuco-
the Founders, vampires were unthinking things with no drives pia in one hand and a viper in the other, both mouths smelling
beyond spilled blood. The Julii changed that. Now to be one of of rust. If you seek its favor, feed both. How prosperous it makes
the dead is to be Propinquus. To be Kindred. This is what they them. How clever it is to always know when it’s needed.
claim, and they’ll never let you forget it. Let the other clans submit. The Julii will take nothing less.
You have the blood of a Roman! Good.

Now you’ll bleed like one.
Why you want to be us
You want to be lord over the damned? Trivial. Never settle for king when emperor’s on the
table. The blood of Remus and Caesar lifts us above every pedestal and each tradition. All
laws may bend; all taboos are relative. We do as we want because we wish it, and that’s all
the justification you’ll ever need.
Why you should fear us

Civilization or ruin. The only choice that matters. The issue isn’t whether you’ll be enlight-
ened by our leadership. That’s written. Already history. The issue is whether we raise a cross
and wait for Apollo. So — civilization or ruin? Easy.
Why we should fear ourselves

A thousand wings through a thousand years of darkness! They watch. They
wait. They know. Please, have mercy. No, it wasn’t me! By the gods, it wasn’t me!
Clan Origins
• Lying in the ditch where his brother left him, a dying man stares at
the Moon, one eye matching Luna’s gaze as twelve vultures plan their
meal. A shadow breaks the light, and an owl of living smoke frights the
buzzards, filling the warm night air with cool ash. “Son of Mars, I come
to bargain.” It promises the world. Not the one of his birthright, no, but the
night needs masters too. The owl tells the dying man he shall rule the dark a
thousand years if he only pays homage to its kin, and so he blinks assent. The
man is true to his word — at first — offering his brother’s get to the parliament,
but he keeps the best of the harvest for himself, forging pacts with the words
the owl whispered. And one night, the sacrifices stop altogether…
• Rome is a death cult. To sit the throne or the head of the house, one must
show pietas before the departed. In little alcoves, the people make oblations to
domestic demigods of death, and for nine days in February, the state halts so
the living might supplicate the ancestors, begging their favor with wine-soaked
bread and amaranths. But worshiping death only breeds it. The offerings prove
too sweet to resist, and corpses rise from their charnel houses to collect. Too
heavy with life to return to Dis Pater, they remain to guide the people. Yet
the Father of Riches never miscounts. Even tonight, his ashen agents hunt
lost assets to return to his vault.
• Olim, Aeneas of Troy fled Ilium pursued by spiteful Juno, who hated
his people for rejecting her at the Judgment of Paris. Eventually, Aeneas
and his followers found refuge in the alabaster hills of Latium, where
he asked a bride of its ruler so they might unite their peoples. Though
the princess was betrothed to Turnus of the Rutuli, she favored Aeneas,
foreseeing the mighty nation they would sire together. But Turnus swore
revenge, murdering Aeneas’ friend Pallas and declaring war on Trojan and
Latin alike. This war raged for many years until the two princes met on
the battlefield, the Trojan striking the Rutulian down with a stroke of
his spear. But as he considered his rival’s plea for mercy, Aeneas spied
his beloved friend’s belt upon his enemy’s shoulder, a gift bestowed by
Juno. The prince murdered his enemy in a rage, lapping up the blood in
hate. Thus was Juno’s trap sprung. Though she could not strike Aeneas
down, for he was too beloved by all the other gods, she could curse the
ground where he blasphemed. His people would share his thirst, one that
would one day bring about its fall. And if his people should ever deny their
nature, their ancestors shall rise to remind them of who they really are
— rapaciter in aeternum.
CHAPTER ONE: 17
In the Camarilla
The Cult of Augurs: Most Julian Fates treat their holy offices Stereotypes
as steps in the cursus honorum they call a Requiem. Not cynically DAEVA: Drunk on the cheers of the mayflies they
— no more than any other Vaticinators — but they cast their lots wish they were.
and gut their hens knowing the gods have bigger plans for them. GANGREL: I’ll take a dozen in formation.
Still, Julian true believers do walk among the Prophets, untan- MEKHET: Your gods were weak, so we killed them.
gling webs of fate because they know it’s their birthright. Who
NOSFERATU: Serviles are useful, true, but never
else bears the blood of Mars and Divus Julius? Quis sicut deus?
let them know they’re necessary.
The Legion of the Dead: Many Founders aspire to lord over
armies as praetors, but a few prefer the lower ranks, traveling the
Empire in search of adventure and new subjects. The Midnight
Republic is an eternal project, and like their own deaths, it must Clan Bane: The Strigid Curse
never be constrained. Who better to conquer the night? Who The Julii have no bane. The other clans are foreign and
else could lead the Camarilla by the blade? depraved, and only the Founders, true children of Rome, are
The Peregrine Collegium: It’s not an easy death, but it’s fulfill- unburdened by the corruptions of death. As such, the ancestors
ing: to be free of the Julian Requiem’s constraints, to do as thou expect more of them. Perhaps they’re harsh with their repri-
wilt without some purple-clad prick judging your nomen. Most mands, but so be it. This is obligation, not punishment. No,
Founders among the Untouchables are second sons and daugh- the Julii know obedience. Nothing more.
ters, mistakes, accidents, and impulses left to their own devices.
But from the bottom, a Founder always rises to the top. Who Favored Attributes
better to run the pit? Who else could cheat death so brazenly? Composure or Presence
The Senex: Some serve as senators, voting however the Inner Disciplines
Circle needs them to tonight; others serve as advocates and
judges, using the weight of their Words to adjudicate disputes Dominate: Who’s more commanding than a Roman? To the
and advance their careers. But all serve. Service to the Old Man Julii, Dominate is the essence of imperium. There’s nothing
is the one thing the Founders can’t shirk or besmirch, and this supernatural about the weak obeying the strong. That’s the
is their burden and their boon. The Julii aren’t the majority way the world works, as is good and right. The Tyranni wield
anymore, but they still play the game best. They built it, rigged their birthright with little reserve, compelling their servants to
it, and convinced everyone else it was fair. Who else could hold complete even trivial tasks, and sometimes just the fear of losing
this thing together? That remains to be seen. one’s mind to a Founder is enough reason for some to comply.
The Lancea et Sanctum: Julian Sanctified are traitors all, a Resilience: Who’s tougher than a Roman? The Founders
label they relish like sinful blood. The clan considers it a matter shrug off assassinations like summer showers then debauch
of honor to destroy Founders who truck with these Atheists, till morning, abusing themselves and each other in ways that
but that just eggs them on. These are the iconoclasts of the would devastate human bodies.
family, rebels who’ll usher in a better future for the Propinqui. Vigor: Who’s stronger than a Roman? To rule the night, the
God wills it, and they speak so forcefully with His voice. Who Julii had to take it by force, and they use their strength both as
better to lead the dead into Hell? Who else has seen the rot at warriors and lords, wielding the threat of pain against those
the heart of the Camarilla? who don’t yet know to submit.

Daeva
The captivating dead
Courtesans, Players, Cinaedi
He strides the stage before the multitude, each member in the torchlight. The show is everything, and if you help her
perfect rapture as he rakes the blade across his breast. put on a good one, she’ll let you in on her trade
Every drop dribbling down his faultless nudity is an secrets. The posca has an iron tang as she pours
offer: “You could be like me.” To be the object of all it down their throats, but it makes them strong
desire, one ship upon a sea of adoration. He beckons; and beautiful like her, the muscles gleaming and
you come. The antiphon thunders as you drink their smiles crowd-ready. Now wave to the
deep of his light — you and all the other marks people; she’ll make you a star.
sucking at the wound. Hail the debater! Is the logic a tad spu-
Aliquid mortuum appropinquat. It makes it look rious? Is he just begging the question? Who
so easy. It’s the tears as the audience weeps for cares? How piercing his rejoinders. How brutal
Oedipus. It’s the spatter of equine blood upon his ad hominems. He scores like a harpastum
the track. It’s the boast as the gladiator dares the player, brutalizing his foes with such force they
lord to turn his thumb. On the stage with a song or the dais shed tears in agony (“And Caesar wept!”) His wit is a brand
with a speech, it puts on a show. It’s always performing, tuned burning through real arguments, marking his opponents with
in and turned on to its public’s every desire. Like comedy and humiliations that never heal. His fan club grows by the night,
tragedy, ego and bloodlust are just two teeth in the same maw, and even a few senators are taking notes. He has much to teach
and it has such appetites. We are so desperate to feed it. Give them about rhetoric, but he only really has one lesson: No one
it your veins or your cheers; give it your praise or your throat. watches debates to be convinced. It’s all about the bloodbath.
Doesn’t matter. Either way, you’ll give it up. Hail the temple whore! Sacred virgins are so passé. She knows
The Daeva were waiting for Rome. The Eternal City is the the divine has never valued chastity, and so she fucks in its name
promised land of sin, and they were among the first to answer all night long. Which god does she serve? Wouldn’t you like to
its wicked clarion call. In the streets or the sheets or the crypts, know. That’s half the fun, a mystery her followers can solve as she
the Daeva know the heart of Rome is her libido. Sex, theater, takes them behind the veil. How soft her caress. How sacred her
violence — same difference. Consummate artists, they’ll fill any embrace. When the time comes to make oblations, they always
role that comes with a crowd, whether at the Colosseum or a pay up. And when she makes her own sacrifices, the things she
private command performance. As long as you can afford them. serves pay her with far more carnal pleasures.
For this, the other clans call them Courtesans, highest yet Let the other clans judge. The Daeva tread the boards and
lowest of the dead. The Daeva’s rivals deride them as sluts bedrooms with the same swagger, lighting up the night so the
and cocksuckers and other, cruder terms (actors), but they’ve other dead can pretend to flush in the afterglow. That’s what
never cared about reviews. They didn’t care when the rabbis the others will never admit: They need their Courtesans, need
condemned them as tempters, screech owls of the desert taking to be reminded of all the sick and sacred things of life lest the
pleasant forms to dirty the faithful. They didn’t care that the Beast takes center stage. Oh, how they deny it! Oh, the polemics
dasturs called them gods to be rejected — hell, they even kept and reproofs! The resentment and the jealousy.
the name. And they really don’t care when dead pigs in purple But they all come in the end.
squeal about depravity. Not with numbers like these.
Hail the gladiatrix! A woman in the arena is rare indeed, Why you want to be us
and those who jeer are quick to meet her might. But the point You want to stand above all and proclaim the song of you,
of the ring isn’t who hacks and slashes the best: It’s who holds the only one worth singing. Few know what it’s like to be wor-
the crowd. How exquisite her form. How bright her blade in shiped as a god, and Daeva stand higher than the Pantheon.
You call these games?

Let’s play a real game.
CHAPTER ONE: 19
What Roman doesn’t want glory? With the Courtesans, you’ll intended. It’s a lonely end to be left to the curs and buzzards.
be triumph in the flesh. It’s too much for some. The isolation drives them from their
rest, and when they return, they’ve got a lot of living to
Why you should fear us make up for, lapping up all the attention and
A broken bone mends, but reputations never really heal. A adulation denied by death. To be seen. To be
rumor moves through the Forum so fast when ears can’t known. To be wanted.
help but listen. None of it’s true, sure, but here’s the
• Olim, Lavinia was the most-desired bride
Daeva’s secret: It doesn’t matter if you mean what you
in all the land. When she was small, her
say if you say it well. They do everything well.
hair caught alight from the braziers on
Why we should Lupercalia, and the soothsayers saw visions
in the flame, foretelling a husband of great
fear ourselves character and the war he’d wage for her hand.
Fail to top the last hit and the cheers grow dull, And lo, when Aeneas came to Latium and
quieting till the only crowd left is your own wooed her, the princess was well-pleased,
pretty voice echoing up the amphitheater. for she wanted the handsome prince
What’s a sculptor without a patron? A poet all for her own. However, if she
without a muse? Nothing at all. was to be a trophy, she wished
to be earned. It was not
Clan Origins Juno who whispered
poison in Turnus’s ear.
• Buried in a garden grave, a corpse waits
It was not the spiteful
for the worms to have their way. For lying
goddess who slipped
with the queen’s husband, death was the
Pallas’ belt around the
only proper punishment, and so she
king’s waist. When
took the knife with duty in her heart.
the war was won and
Yet her mistress regrets this thought-
scores lay in the fields,
less vengeance. She yearns for her
Lavinia knew who had
handmaid’s comfort more than her
really won. Even now,
fickle husband’s, and as she mourns
those who died in her
before the grave, a nightbird calls
name still yearn for
from the wild: “Daughter of Ningal, I
her affections — mem-
come to bargain.” It offers to raise her
orabiliter in aeternum.
confidante from the land of death
in exchange for her royal soul, and
the queen accepts with a crescent In the
smile. Yet when the nightbird
demands recompense, it Camarilla
cannot find the queen. The Cult of Augurs: Religion
Now she rules only in is no stranger to pageantry, but the
the light of Utu, where Courtesans pull out all the stops to see
creatures of the dark beyond the here and now. Blood and
may never go. Her new entrails, sacred bacchanals, human sac-
consort rules beneath rifice — amateur hour. More baroquely
Sin in the night, bring- bureaucratic than their fellow Vaticinators,
ing ever more followers the Daeva know gods have tastes mortal
to her silver throne with men can’t satisfy, and so they stand at the
all the glory the nightbird dais accepting sacrifices as appealingly as
gifted her… possible. And if they amuse the divine well
• The Persians don’t touch enough? Sometimes, it applauds.
death. A corpse is just a The Legion of the Dead: War is the
skinsuit for devils, and great stage of empires, where generals
burial in earth, fire, or water taints compete for triumphs and soldiers want
the sacred elements of God. Instead, to win badly enough to die. The Daeva
they leave their dead in towers open strike as hard as any Worm or Founder, but they
to the elements, where scavenger also look fantastic doing it. They appreciate the finer
beasts deal with things as nature things in death, and what better way to earn them

than a pretty uniform and a prettier rank? Who else could put
the fair in warfare?
Stereotypes
The Peregrine Collegium: So many vices to peddle, so much
JULII: And they call us whores.
eternity to do it. Daeva Strangers will play any part you like if
you’re paying, and in brothels, bathhouses, and rigged chariot GANGREL: Conquer me.
races, the people flock to take in their sights. The Daeva earned MEKHET: So busy searching for divinity they left
their Courtesan nickname among the Untouchables, and it’s their hearts behind. Not to speak of their minds.
a laurel wreath of vice. Who better to fence hot goods? Who NOSFERATU: Work’s all well and good, but when
else could properly fuck the upper classes? you forget to play, you become… that.
The Senex: Politics is just entertainment for the patricians,
theater by any other name. That’s the kind of act the Daeva can
get behind. The titles, the speeches, the backbiting — all of it
nonsense; all of it delicious. Power is about who the masses like
Favored Attributes
best, and the Courtesans have never had a likability problem. Dexterity or Manipulation
Who better to make the rhetoric soar to new heights? Who else
Disciplines
could put so much style over so little substance?
Celerity: Celerity is the embodiment of movement, the
The Lancea et Sanctum: Longinus spent time among the
essence of form. Maybe no one’s seen a perfect circle, says
Daeva cults to Lilith in the Levant, and it was they who taught
Plato, but — briefly — the Daeva will show you a perfect body
him how best to tempt the sinful (some Courtesans even claim
in motion.
the Dark Father as their kin). Though they spurn Lilith now,
Daeva Witnesses haven’t forgotten her lessons. However, it’s the Majesty: It’s more than lust or charm, or even talent: It’s
Church’s revolutionary spirit that attracts the clan, an ideology showmanship. To be everything the people crave but never lifting
that views temptation as the surest way to serve His will. Who a finger to earn it, to embody divinity without a divine bone
better to dance on the Camarilla’s grave? Who else loves the in your body. Maybe they can get some blood out of it, but a
sin but hates the sinner? true Courtesan does it for the art.
Vigor: That Courtesan nickname can be deceptive. Many
Clan Bane: The Wanton Curse take the arena as celebrated gladiators or the field as legendary
The more they fill the seats, the more a performer craves that soldiers, and it’s Vigor that gives them the edge to not only
personal touch. He goes looking for plaudits offstage, collecting draw eyes but crack skulls. Death is beautiful, and the Daeva
groupies like masks for his parts. A captive audience. will show you how.
CHAPTER ONE: 21
Gangrel
The bellicose dead
Wanderers, Champions, Jumenta
“Draw a drop of my blood and I’ll let you go,” she says, soldiers, vanquishing enemies with all the self-as-
a slight thing in rags, her rust-caked knife gripped in a surance of a battering ram. For now.
puny fist. You’d laugh, but she’s on you faster than Hail the recruit! So eager to learn. He picks
your mind can register the absurdity, and she splits up all the tricks with ease, holding a sword as
you like an ax cleaving oak. “Last chance…” though battle were in his blood. Maybe it is.
Aliquid mortuum appropinquat. It does not Like his father before him, he joins because
come in peace. It rides the tide of war, a red his love of the motherland surpasses all. How
tide come to conquer. It spurns death because dutiful his word and deed. How selfless his
death hasn’t proved a worthy foe. It goes where sacrifice. When he falls, his comrades carry on
it likes because borders are fables for those who’ve in grief and rage, winning the war for their little
never known the march, who’ve never brought a boot martyr. They’ll die for him too, just like they did for
down on mud or blood or skull. Now it’s here to destroy his father. Just like they will for his son.
you. Isn’t personal; you aren’t that important. Its duty is Hail the advocate! She fights for you, Eternal City! She never
patriotism and conquest, victory and revenge, and you have loses a case, and that’s both a promise and a threat, a sword
so little to do with those. A real warrior sees the big picture her clients can wield against accusers before the trial even
and the bigger kills, and if you’re lucky enough to be one of its starts. How steep her fee. How cunning her stratagems. She
statistics, make thanks you’re not its enemy. dispatches evidence like lions devour gladiators, each victory
The Gangrel fight for Rome. In bar brawls and riots and building her repute and topping off her coffers. Does she go
Senate scrums, they’re the conflict roiling the Eternal City’s too far? Oh yes. But that’s what you paid for, kid. She burns
soul. They are the contagion of empire, a pox infesting peace bridges with such glee barbarians would call her savage, and
and brotherhood with good old brutal violence, spreading over if her worthy opponents should choose to lose their politesse,
Mother Night in search of new vectors. They call neither man well, that’s when she works pro bono.
nor corpse master, serving because it pleases them to make Hail the philosopher! Civilization has robbed us of our nat-
carnage a credo. If that happens to align with the state’s will, so ural state, and it’s high time we took it back. He wanders the
be it. A wild heart burns in the Gangrel breast, and it doesn’t streets barefoot and ragged, preaching to bastards the Empire
always lead them back to Rome. discards as it marches toward a new tomorrow. How unadorned
For this, the other clans call them Wanderers, wardens of his ethics. How dangerous his notions. He takes them to secret
the Midnight Republic. The Old Man could never have purged places beyond the walls, barrows and crypts even the dead call
the Striges and their pawns without Gangrel claws and Gangrel profane. He teaches them the laws of nature, and all the secrets
blood, and in gratitude, he offered them an eternal place in his of flesh once the animal mind’s set free.
grand experiment. Long did the Wanderers yearn for a place Let the other clans cling to some imagined peace. The
like Rome, where viciousness might yield glory rather than Gangrel will prepare for war.
meals alone. When the Celts conquered Gaul they spoke of
walkers, those who fell with no honor and rose to hunt the Why you want to be us
pure. When the Phoenicians carved up North Africa, camps Death’s a generous patron. You want blood and treasure? It’s
would disappear before the dawn, as if battles had come and yours. You want glory and power and riches? They’re waiting at
gone, leaving nothing but crimson trails between the dunes. the end of your fangs. But more than that, you want to stride
But for now, the Wanderers have hunkered down. The the Earth and slay it, walk where other corpse men dare not
Camarilla provides the targets, and the Gangrel are her citizen tread. Just because you can.
Triumph or death?
Both.
Why you should fear us wolves and lions she oft slew, but as the conflict’s years grew
We’ll raze your crops and topple your gods. We’ll cut out your long and the cause more desperate, she realized she must
mother tongue with hot shears. We’ll rip your children from also become a beast in mind and body. At the final battle,
your arms and give them our names. We’ll end everything you no longer the shape of any mortal woman, she stalked the
were and could’ve been. And if we’re merciful, we’ll kill you too. field taking blood as she once sought glory, a wild thing
made for death. And though the Latins struck her down,
Why we should fear ourselves so impressed was Diana with such a perfect predator that
A weapon knows only division. With no rivals left to slay, she returned her from Dis Pater to make more of her kind
when all the worlds are conquered, it turns on whatever gave — vehementer in aeternum.
it meaning beyond slaughter. Once it’s done, no one will even
be left to bury it. In the Camarilla
Clan Origins The Cult of Augurs: The Gangrel brought rites to the
Fates to earn their place before the gods of Rome. Some came
• Sprawled before a mourning mass, an immortal paragon lies from wild divinities dwelling in Italia, Gaul, and Germania,
dead. Pierced through the heart with a mistletoe bolt — his taught to their ancestors in the dark times before the Eternal
only bane — a trickster placed the spear in his blind brother’s City, and some they cut from the hides of heathen witches.
hand to test the bold one’s mettle, a cruel jest and a crueler Faith has always been about blood, and the Gangrel know
punchline. His mother prays before the body even as the that alone placates the ones above, not spectacle or proce-
multitude drifts away, and two ravens emerge from behind dure. Prophecy must bleed, and the only sacrament is the
the placid eye of Maní in the night: “Daughter of Fjörgynn, cut. Who better to make sacrifice? Who else can call on the
we come to bargain.” They offer to restore her son if only wrath of gods?
she’ll offer up his strength when the time comes for the gods
to die and fire to remake the world. She agrees, but she is as
clever as she is devoted, wise in the wyrd. She splits her son
in half, one side lacking all compassion, the other taking
all his nerve. She sends the first to the ravens, a hollow
thing to master men as the old gods fall, and the second
to walk the wilds, an undying warrior stalking shadows in
the dark. The ravens have not yet realized the deception,
but if they ever do…
• In Gaul, warriors demand tribute in death.
Gold, thralls, and even beloveds join the
fallen, all his conquests tossed on the pyre with
his corpse. It’s simple economics, a guarantee
to join the ancestors with the same standing he
had among the living. It doesn’t always work. The
offerings might be picked off by covetous kin, or
maybe the poor bastard just dies like a dog, his
body sinking through a random bog without any
hope of recovery. If you spent your life fighting for
what was yours, wouldn’t you also fight to
get it back? You’d kill Death for the dis-
honor. And you’d keep on going once
you wiped the blade clean, because
who’s going to stop you now?
• Olim, Camilla was the greatest of
Turnus’s allies. Her father, King of the
Vosci, fled usurpers while she was but a
babe, and when he came to a river too wide
to ford, he bound her to a spear and swore her
to Diana, hurling her safely across. The goddess bestowed
Camilla with divine ferocity, and by the time she came
of age, she was the mightiest hunter in all of Italy. When
the war against the Trojans came, Camilla fought like the
CHAPTER ONE: 23
The Legion of the Dead: The Kindred say the Legion
belongs to the Gangrel, and they’re right. It’s more cosmo-
politan than the nights of Julius Senex, but the Wanderers
Stereotypes
treat the lower ranks like a bat’s nest. It’s not for nothing that JULII: Keep your city. The rest is ours.
the stereotypical Virgator is a Gangrel thug with copper on DAEVA: Harlots are the same the world over. We
her breath. This is the wing where the clan earned its name, should know.
wandering the Empire of Night to keep the roads safe for their MEKHET: If the gods want praise, they can earn
Kindred, living off the land without oversight or restraint. it on the field.
Who better to keep the barbarians at bay than more barbar- NOSFERATU: Watch these ones. Too busy by half.
ians? Who else is made for war?
The Peregrine Collegium: Despite a reputation for
leg-breaking, protection rackets, and unspeakable circus Clan Bane: The Bestial Curse
feats, Collegium Wanderers possess a certain subtly. They
collect Fenestrae like some Kindred build herds, all the better War is hell. It chips at the soul till nothing’s left but conflict.
to stick it to those who deem them beasts. They aren’t just Who’s next for the sword? The Beast knows, and its orders
criminal enforcers: They’re freedom enforcers, protecting it are always final.
from Nefasti who think noble names are the only things that Favored Attributes
grant imperium. Who better to tear the law to shreds? Who
Resolve or Stamina
else values liberty over death?
The Senex: Politics is the highest form of violence. Sure, Disciplines
bloodshed is off the table (officially), but the Senex provides Animalism: Unique among the dead gentes, only the
all the opportunities a Gangrel could ever want to hunt prey Wanderers have inherent dominion over beasts. Gangrel use
and humiliate her enemies. That’s what democracy’s all about. this edge against “civilized” Romans who grow too content in
Most Wanderers don’t possess the subtle arms the other clans their finery, plaguing them with scuttling infestations or siccing
wield, but finesse is nothing against bloody-mindedness. They’ll blood-hungry predators on those who cross them.
filibuster their ideological foes into torpor if they have to, and
Protean: The Wanderers mastered so many tools of death
what’s attrition but another name for victory? Who better to
their flesh became a weapon, an eternal and infinite arsenal.
bully at the bully pulpit?
Gangrel refine their forms as it suits the battle, switching
The Lancea et Sanctum: God declared war on Rome, and between them in daysleep to wield the perfect weapon for
the Gangrel are His frontline. He gave them hard bodies to whatever conflict awaits.
break the sinner’s sword. He gave them shifting skin to slip the
Resilience: A Champion’s form is just a vessel for her warrior
Adversary’s grip. He gave them clever tongues to speak with
will. Whatever arms her enemies stab, impale, or gut her with
beasts, to sic all the crawling, hungry things on tyrants. And
have no bearing on her ability to keep on fighting. Some say
if they serve Him well, the hunting ground He’ll grant shall
they no longer feel pain, but that’s a lie: They feel every agony,
be fat with prey. Who better to butcher the goats and tend the
and that just drives them harder.
sheep? Who else could knock false kings from their thrones?

MEKHET
THE FAITHFUL DEAD
Seers, Emissaries, Tenebrae
She moves to the altar with a step so light you’re not sure quite the same alley or behind the same door. The
it reaches the ground. A voice in your mind hisses the gods deem who finds her, and tonight’s your lucky
rites you must perform, the words a sacred fire licking night. How tall the shelves! How strange the con-
through your skull. Now she’s before you — beside you! tents. The tales don’t end the way the pedagogues
And where your hand was empty, a dagger grins across taught — the gods seem crueler in the cracked
the palm. “The gods have their own laws,” the voice pages of her volumes, quicker to rage and ruin.
concludes, and the congregation cries, “Amen!” Yet the illustrations are so familiar, like echoes
Aliquid mortuum appropinquat. It’s a funeral of a dream. Odd, the reprobate in this one shares
dirge in cold keys, an unhallowed hymn too your name… and now you see her. A look that
dreadful to place upon the tongue. It’s a thief could cut paper. And then, there is no bookstore.
in the night, counting every obol and setting its Hail the oracle! The gods tell him what must
thumb upon the scale. It’s the blessedness of death be done, though the priests and politicians call him
and the horror of what comes next. It haunts the sacred mad. He should be so lucky. How incomprehensible
groves and temple gates, the places where gods slip their griev- his babbling. How wretched his truths. An absence spreads
ances through the cracks. Wherever divinity cuts a wound across the world that only he can see, a not-thing where the
in the Earth, it flies from its liminal nest to pick at the scar. gods can’t bear to look. Each prophecy shows him who’ll next
Lapping up prophecies in the pus. step through its maw. Few listen. Few come back. Those who
The Mekhet are watching Rome. From shrines to deities only heed his words must sacrifice, so the voices tell him. But each
they recall, they spy upon the Kindred and the kine, glutting time he partakes of their oblations, the void grows darker still.
on secrets and sins. The more wisdom they gather, the more Hail the pastor! Nearer to God than thee, yet she gathers her
depravities they hoard, the more the gods lift the veil before their people in the low places of the city, the ones the pagans could
eyes, revealing the world for the library of blood and blackmail it never find. Deeper than the catacombs, she preaches, close
is. And as holy prurience fills what once occupied their hearts, to Hell to keep Lucifer on his toes. How great her piety. How
they shrug off the burden of life to bask in the lightness of death. wondrous her miracles. She lifts the dead from perdition with
For this, the other clans call them Seers, diviners of truth a sip of sacramental wine, the blood of the Savior compelling
and servants to all things esoteric, or just arbiters of anything them to spread His love. She whispers a secret gospel in their
they deem dogma. Religion binds the Mekhet like a spiderweb, pale ears as they turn their paler eyes upon the flock, hungry
though who’s spinning the thread matters less as the centuries for the Lord’s grace. Now they shall take communion.
pass. In the Empire of Kemet, they surfaced from the Nile to Let the other clans sin and sin again. The Mekhet will still
preach the providence of Osiris, wielding miracles to balance be watching.
the sacred and profane. In Delphi, they stepped from Gaia’s
holy vapors, ghosts of prophecies past and futures yet to come. Why you want to be us
And in the Kingdom of Rome, they appeared on the Tiber’s Want to know everything in heaven and hell? That’s just
shores as the royal family fell under Phoebus’s farsighted sway, for starters. It’s simple: Feed the gods and they’ll feed you.
his shrine seeming to erect in a night. As if it had always stood. Don’t like the gods? Screw ’em. Tell yourself the Christ blessed
Beyond sight, beyond flesh, the Mekhet are so close to god- you, or damned you, or whatever comforts you in death. The
liness, and each violating gaze is another sacrament. details are irrelevant. Few are touched by the divine, and fewer
Hail the bookseller! Take a left as the Argiletum passes the still are lucky enough to survive the encounter. Somebody up
Temple of Janus and you’ll find her store, though it’s never in there likes us.
Give me your sins.

I need them more than you.
CHAPTER ONE: 25
Why you should fear us prince for the crime of loving a woman. Juturna was blessed
It’s not us you should worry about. What the ones above and cursed with a terrible vision, the future moving like
decree can’t be unwritten, and if they call upon us to weigh a river before her eyes, but she was also clever and swift,
your heart, we must obey. They made your secrets smell of sweet wise in the ways of deception. She hid among her people’s
ambrosia, and it would be a great sin not to partake. army when the war came, taking different guises to aid her
beloved brother in his fight, his constant shadow. Though
Why we should fear ourselves each mask robbed her of another memory, her will to
The truth and lies flow like a deluge, hollowing out what challenge fate never dimmed. But when great Jupiter sent
was already empty. Eventually, all that remains are riddles in a fury in the form of an owl to strike fear into Turnus as
the night, with no one — not even the gods — to answer them. the Trojan threw his spear, Juturna finally knew the gods
cannot be denied as Latin arrows cut her down. No longer
Clan Origins anyone at all, she rose to make amends with the divine —
sagaciter in aeternum.
• Scattered to the four corners of the world, the pieces of
a corpse wait for the jackals to finish the job, all as
his murderous brother claims his throne. His sister In the Camarilla
gathers the fragments hoping he might be whole The Cult of Augurs: Emissaries are the most
again, but she cannot find the final piece, and her devout Prophets, and it’s here they earned that
tears wet the sand. Answering her lament, an ibis nickname. That doesn’t make them any less mer-
glides from the sky, a blight on Khonsu in the sky: cenary, of course. They’ll tailor their predictions
“Daughter of Geb, I come to bargain.” It tells her like any Augurs, but their justifications are far more
it came upon the missing piece floating down the self-righteous. If the gods didn’t want them to lie, they
river, the key to taking vengeance on the usurper. wouldn’t talk to the Mekhet. No, the gods expect the
In return, all she must do is reward the ibis for its Seers to get creative. Who better to perform divine
kindness. She agrees. Tying the piece to her brother reverse psychology? Who else could keep the
with linen in the way of her people, she mysteries a mystery?
does what she must upon the banks of The Legion of the Dead: Seer
the fertile Nile. Her child destroys his Legionaries form cults in the name
uncle, his sight so keen he sees the old of Mercury, god of travel, assuring
man’s moves before he makes them. Kindred have safe passage between
And when the time comes for the the Camarilla’s various domains.
ibis and its flock to collect their gift, However, Mercury is also a master of
he knows all the places it will never deception, and many Mekhet Soldiers
find him… serve him as assassins and spies, using
• In Egypt, funerary rites follow the their travels to embed themselves
proper procedures. The stomach, among unknowing Kindred, wearing
the bowel, the lungs, the liver, each faces not their own. Tenebrae are
in a jar marked by a son of Horus. warriors of the holy persuasion,
Servants to attend, wealth to annihilating all who def y the
spend. Ah, but that’s a rich man’s Camarilla’s gods… or God, in later
death. For the peasants? A pit nights. Who better to cut out sin
and a pittance. Maybe that’s why with a knife?
their bodies sometimes crawl up The Peregrine Collegium: It’s
from the mass graves, the insult of not a crime if the gods tell you
a pauper’s death a greater pull than to do it. Seers are the soul of the
the Duat. The cadavers covet the Collegium, not just as discount
respect denied them, collecting sins astrologers and fortunetellers,
on behalf of those that lie below. but as the wing’s primary
But never mind what becomes field operators. T he
of their souls. Collegium would
collapse without
• Olim, Juturna of the
the Mekhet: They
Rutuli sought to save
see falsehood with a glance, scram
her brother Turnus
faster than a bolting horse, and make
from the terrible destiny the gods wove
the dark their eternal accomplice. Who
for him, to be slaughtered by a foreign
better than a clairvoyant to know when

the heat dies down? Who else can go so fast when the going
gets tough?
Stereotypes
The Senex: The Old Man lacks perspective. Too often his
JULII: Don’t look up.
deliberations ignore spiritual matters in favor of the material,
and Seers assure their colleagues enjoy a broader viewpoint. DAEVA: Diversions. But we do like to watch.
Whether they want it or not. Despite a reputation for casting GANGREL: A dog has no fear of Fortune’s whim.
votes based on star signs (true), Mekhet Senecti are shrewd One must both envy and pity him.
operators, and one would be well advised to never speak a lie NOSFERATU: If you need to dig to find the gods,
in their presence (truer). Who better to cut through all the red you’re doing it wrong.
tape? Who else can see through all the bullshit?
The Lancea et Sanctum: Many of their clan come from
pagan lands, but Sanctified Mekhet burn with a fire for the
Lord. God is always speaking, always telling the faithful where
Favored Attributes
they must go and what they must do. Though He’s Damned Intelligence or Wits
them, the Tenebrae know they can still listen in. Who better
Disciplines
to expose false gods? Who else can look the Devil in the eye
and not blink? Auspex: Called Sedjem-ib (“the listening heart”) among the
Seers of Aegyptus, Mekhet use their clan gift to track holy
Clan Bane: The Tenebrous Curse secrets threaded through the night. Some believe it’s the gods
Reaping sin gets under your skin. The divine marks the themselves who whisper in their ears, leading them to the things
Mekhet with signs and wonders, infesting them with little they should see and touch and consume.
personal canons to keep them humble. To keep the faith. Celerity: Hermes’ blessing is more than speed. It’s existing in
many places at once, and the Mekhet use this gift to experience
Clan Bane: The Haunted Curse something akin to divinity… and outrun the sinful.
But Seers who keep the old ways differ from their Romanized Obfuscate: The gift of Erebus is the Seers’ trump card. To
Kindred. They know the Embrace exacts a price, the vital spark feast upon the world’s secrets, the Mekhet must walk among
of life, but they also know it’s worth losing to experience the the kine like the gods, unseen and unheard, answering prayers
gods’ dark miracles. with nightmares and stealing sins from unguarded souls.
CHAPTER ONE: 27
NOSFERATU
THE LABORIOUS DEAD
Worms, Artificers, Infames
He tosses you a shovel. “This is what you are now,” he Thus do the Worms dig on. Through sunsets and
says, and no one’s ever been more honest in your charmed revolts and debauches, they’ve neither the time
life. Your finery, your nomen, your honored blood — nor patience for anything else. They’re content
washed away as dirt cakes cuts and sweat mates to leave the Kindred to their games — and if
with offal. The hole grows wide like a serpent’s grin, they want to keep on playing, they’ll stay out
and all around, the maggots cackle as you fall. of the Nosferatu’s business. Stand in their
Aliquae mortua appropinquant. They do the way if you like, but remember what happens
hard work. Their blistered hands, their weep- when you split a worm in half.
ing wounds, their faces cracked from wear: Hail the lanista! Brutality isn’t an attitude
These are the fruits of their labors, mushroom so much as an ethos, but clemency is for those
caps from blood-wet soil. Brick by brick, street by who don’t want long careers. How fearsome her
street, body by body, a city can’t rise without pain, methods. How great her turnover. Her teachings
and they’re the hammer and the lash. Terrible things make make the other gladiator schools look like symposia, but
the marble shine so bright in moonlight — but that’s not why we don’t mistake harshness for cruelty. Hers is a family of blood
fear them. The world is a pyramid on its point, and they hold the and sand, and no one calls himself slave in her barracks. Her
keystone in their grasp. Like Atlas with a shrug, they could bring politics are as populist as her workouts. The proconsul is
it all down, and you, poor you, wouldn’t know till brick met bone. attending the next fight, and she wants everyone to show him
The Nosferatu know fear built Rome. They speak with a riot of a good time.
authority. In tunnels, alleys, and gutters, they helped pile the Hail the undertaker! Shun him if you like; mock him with
bricks and wash away the viscera, and more awful work is always your curses and strike him with your clubs. No law will stop
waiting past the dusk. No one else will do it, and that’s the edge you. But know that he is faithful even to the faithless. How
we dread. Smart people aren’t afraid of monsters. They fear the dutifully he toils. How dedicated to the craft. Be glad of that.
ache of hunger when the grain dole dries. They fear miasmas As much as you may loathe him, you shall require his services
twisting the air when no one’s left to haul the dead. They fear in the long run, and in your black dreams upon his slab, his
their comforts torn away when servants say enough. The low must voice will echo through the dark: “I am owed.”
serve the high, but the high must never forget who turns the Hail the official! The law must bind all, and so she dedicates
wheel. And so, the Nosferatu labor. Then, they name their price. herself to finding those who slip its coils. How little a thing a
For this, the other clans call them Worms. But they don’t rule is. How easy it is to discard. But what about a sea of them?
care. A worm is brother and sister to all the other worms, and Like Neptune, she rules the waves of bureaucracy, deluging
it devours all that sinks beneath the earth. This fraternity is scofflaws and the ignorant alike, bringing them to her offices
beyond political power or theology, or whatever else Kindred for… reprimand. All are equal. All must fear.
are pretending to care about tonight. The Nosferatu remember Let the other clans fuck around. The Nosferatu have much
when vampires weren’t concerned with preening, when nothing to do. Labor vincit omnia.
could stop them from their appointed tasks. They climbed from
the plague pits of Athens to remind the people where all journeys Why you want to be us
end. They kept on marching when the Scythians dipped their The Worms are one. The other cadavers call themselves kin,
spears in snake spit and dead men’s blood. They rose from pot- but only the Nosferatu understand that word. To be a Worm is to
ter’s fields to answer prayers when Rome was young and winters hold the Eternal City in the palm of your calloused hand, to move
harsh, ending sorrows the idle gods could not. its lifeblood between your fetid fingers — or choke it with your fist.
Move or don’t. No matter.

We’ll pave with your ashes.
Why you should fear us
Power resides with the people, even dead people, and that’s what keeps the highborn up at
night in their purple sheets clutching at their painted whores. Call it a riot. Call it secessio
plebis. Call it what you like: The mass always wins.

They’ll never love you. Haunt them and they’ll fetch a flamen. Return
in flesh and they’ll grab a torch. They know what you are: a dead thing,
just like all the other dead things. And should you forget, your loving
siblings will drag you back to the mass grave where you belong.
Clan Origins
• Five they were! Five they are! The Brothers Worm! The Lord of Death did
name his need, and so the host began to toil. A city in the earth to spawn their
brood, a hive for all the swarming things: Necropolis! From stone and blood, her
children rise, her burden and her pride! Across her length we make our nest! Upon
her breast, we steal her strength! Necropolis! O sacred void, O vile progenitor, to
you we dedicate our labor! Glory to the Magna Mater! Glory to the Hidden One!
• Knelt before the massacre where his sons lie dead, a hero wails. Driven to passing
madness by a vengeful goddess, the crime of their death falls on his mighty shoul-
ders, and as any paragon should, he prepares to fall on his sword. But as the clouds
clear to make Selene above his only witness, an eagle blots the light and stays his
hand: “Son of Zeus, I come to bargain.” It promises to deliver his sons’ souls
from Hades if only he will serve, performing just thirteen labors in exchange.
The hero agrees, and the wounds rent through his children’s flesh fade like
evening light. The hero and his boys travel far and wide to do the eagle’s
will, but when the bird and all its kin return for the thirteenth labor, they
cannot find their prizes, for they dig so deep beneath the earth that even
Death can’t reach them…
• The people fell where they stood in the Plague of Athens, shitting and
puking themselves to death as the world’s seams split. The poor became
rich as the wealthy tumbled like coins over pavement, and the
citizens no longer feared that vaunted Periclean rule of law
(because that old bastard was dead too). Someone had to keep
order. Someone had to set things right, democracy be damned. So,
the diseased dead got right back up to scare the living straight, to put
everyone in their place with all the horrors they’d seen in Tartarus. They
felt it best to stick around, too, because no one else was fit to do
the job, for a dead man never tires.
• Olim, Achates was the most loyal of all the Trojans in Aeneas’s
company. Through war and peace and ruin, sweet and
faithful Achates followed. Never flagging in his devotion,
never giving a thought to resentment when his people’s needs
outpaced his capability. Eventually, it seemed that wherever
the Trojans went, Achates would already be there, finishing
work scores of men could not accomplish. And when Aeneas
stood triumphant, a hero for all ages, Achates was more than
he began as well, his ceaseless labors rending his body and soul
to better serve his master, his name a title of rote virtue rather
than a man’s. And thus, with too many Achates for Death to
reap them all, they remained among the living to carry on their
self-appointed tasks — laboriose in aeternum.
CHAPTER ONE: 29
In the Camarilla
The Cult of Augurs: If the Worms know one thing, it’s that Stereotypes
the gods are cruel bastards. Honesty is a nebulous concept in JULII: All that rises may fall. That’s the worm’s
Ala Vaticinia, but its Nosferatu don’t gild their prophecies. law, and it’s the only guarantee.
They’ll tell a man the date of his demise and charge extra for DAEVA: Soft hands.
noting the hour. Who better to speak the gods’ unvarnished GANGREL: Bloody hands.
truth than those they refuse to flatter? Who else could under-
MEKHET: The spirit is willing, but the flesh is
stand divine ruin so well?
so malleable…
The Legion of the Dead: Just as good craftsmen know
patience, Legionary Worms prefer wars of attrition. Their favorite
tactic is the siege, spreading horrific auras at the gates and stealing
soldiers and citizens into the shadows. Few Nosferatu make it to Clan Bane: The Lonely Curse
the top ranks, but the praetors know those who don’t hold the The Camarilla needs the Nosferatu, needs them so much it
Worms’ loyalty won’t be praetors for long. Who else could seed makes sure they could never go anywhere else. Their labors file
terror in the hearts of their enemies and their comrades? away what once was human, and the scars forever mark them
The Peregrine Collegium: The collective strength of the plebs as cadaverous servants of the All Night Society.
is nowhere more evident than among the Strangers, and their
ranks are some of the few places in Sodalitas Pernox where the Favored Attributes
Nosferatu hold unambiguous positions of power. They are pit Composure or Strength
bosses at Kindred gambling dens and leg-breakers for hire or in
their own employ. Where else does a Worm belong but the dirt?
Disciplines
The Senex: It’s not all shovels and soil. Administration is Nightmare: Fear is the most useful tool of all. It herds kine
a necessary evil in an organization as vast (and evil) as the for slaughters and keeps them out of the Nosferatu’s affairs. But
Camarilla, and Senex Worms bring the papyri, taking minutes, more than anything, it makes the patricians think twice about
making ledgers, and counting votes. Yes, they’re more than pressing the boot down any harder than necessary. Nightmare
happy to occupy the backbenches. To watch and wait. To note shows the rich and idle what they would lose if they didn’t have
who breaks ranks. Who better to grease the gears of govern- their Worms to push around.
ment? Who could think anything else is going on? Obfuscate: You’ll never know when the Nosferatu are work-
The Lancea et Sanctum: The Worms know God hates them, ing. They can erect whole cities without anyone the wiser; no
and they’re here to make it everyone else’s problem. Nosferatu one needs to see how the sausage gets made. Of course, they
are tunnel firebrands, preaching hate and martyring themselves can rip it all down just as secretly. By the time you think to
for the master who’ll never grant His grace to them. It’s said stop them, they’ll be on to the next project.
the first Sanctified converts in Rome were Nosferatu, creatures Vigor: Hard work requires a sturdy back and a firm grip, but
broken through years of service to sin, and perhaps it’s here the Nosferatu aren’t content to just be strong: They’re efficient.
most of all that they live up to that Worm moniker. Who better Leaping up scaffolding with no need for ladders; carving marble
to rejoice in damnation? Who else but the lowest of the dead with fists alone. And if anyone interferes, they have all the gear
could truly take up the spear? they need to “deal” with work stoppages.

THE CAMARILLA
Sodalitas Pernox, The Midnight Republic, The Empire of Night
We’ve done to politics what we did to so many power and blood, and the Camarilla is the surest
things: stripped them down to the bone and dis- road to both.
carded the fat of higher ideals.
The Cult of Augurs
The Camarilla wasn’t built on some noble
delusion of equality, or some puerile notion That the gods are watching isn’t a matter of
of a better society. No, this grand experiment faith but an unquestioned fact. Even Roman
works because Aulus Julius — through force vampires, power-hungry though they are, dare
of personality and arms — convinced a mass not offend the deities governing every aspect
of selfish monsters it was in their best interest of creation.
to participate. Thus, the Wing of Prophets practices its rites
It does work, too, no matter what scribbles the to ensure everything from the passing of laws to
rabble deface our walls with. Since its inception, the the burning of traitors happens in accordance with
Camarilla has seen its numbers grow, and its hold divine providence. The Vaticinators seamlessly
over its thralls tightens ever more, blood flowing merge ritual and bureaucracy to create a system
like the Tiber. of purchased prophecy and bought blessings the
Camarilla would swiftly grind to a confused halt without.
But now, centuries later, fear of the Old Man’s wrath has
faded. In its place, anger rises, rage from those who’ve never The Legion of the Dead
contributed to our All Night Society but nonetheless feel Borders and laws are meaningless without the ability to
entitled to its many fruits. Only time will tell if fear or anger enforce them, and so the Legion acts as the Camarilla’s iron
will prevail. fist of civilization both domestically and abroad. Between the
And isn’t that the oldest political question of all? small bastions of blood and light the Camarilla has carved
into the night, the forests are deep and dark, with shadows
The Wings concealing terrible things that would prey on the Kindred as
happily as they feed on the kine.
The Camarilla did not, like most governments, form organ- The Wing of Soldiers protects the Camarilla from these
ically over successive generations. It was the vision of one outside threats, but perhaps their most important task is
vampire, Aulus Julius Senex, who used methods both subtle guarding its lawmakers against its citizens by way of pitiless
and brutal to force order onto a mass of backbiting predators. law enforcement. Without their black-armored lines, the All
This is reflected in the Camarilla’s viciously practical wing Night Society would swiftly fall from either external assault
structure and the rigid hierarchies within. or rebellion from within.
While its factions may make it seem like several different
organizations on the surface, the Empire of Night is a single The Peregrine Collegium
covenant that lays claim to all Kindred who fall under its Artisans, gladiators, merchants, killers, and thieves, the Wing of
shadow. In theory, each of the wings serves a specialized role, Strangers serves almost as many functions as it has members, and
and they work together to produce a harmonious society of the its ranks are deep indeed. They’ll be the first to tell you they do
dead. In practice, vampires are vain, paranoid beasts, and in the real work in the Camarilla, ensuring its citizens have shelter
the centuries since the Camarilla’s founding, whatever ide- from the sun and access to all the little joys that make eternity
alism that once walked the halls of the Necropolis has long worth dying for. While they’re often looked down upon by the
since withered. That said, vampires love nothing more than other wings as not being committed enough to Propinquus ideals,
Keep your emperor.

We are the state.
CHAPTER ONE: 31
the Camarilla would swiftly become unsustainable if not for the The Lancea et Sanctum
constant upkeep provided by the Untouchables. The Sanctified are a force of change in an empire that
The Senex thrives on stasis. Given free rein, they would burn the Augur’s
temples, shatter the Soldier’s swords, tear down the Assembly,
The Wing of Ancients is made up of leaders, advocates,
and demolish the Strangers’ dens of sin.
scholars, and lawmakers. Its Assembly passes and interprets
legislation for the Camarilla’s citizens, and only it possesses Too few for revolution, but too many to be stamped out,
the vision to properly guide the Midnight Republic. Not just the Spear and Chapel exists on the fringes of the Camarilla,
administrators, the Legislators manifest the law in mystical whispering in the ears of those dissatisfied with the status quo.
obligations all citizens must obey — or suffer the consequences. Unwillingly, even the so-called Wing of Apostles plays a role
While often accused of being self-serving (it is), without the in the Empire of Night, for without its adherents to serve as
Senex to shape the night, the Camarilla would swiftly disinte- scapegoats, the citizens would swiftly see their real problems
grate back into a collection of warring domains. are the fault of those who rule them.

THE CULT OF AUGURS
THE FATES
Ala Vaticinia
I learned to ignore the screams after my first decade I turn with a smile. “The battle against the Atheists
of service. It’s a minor nuisance these nights. shall be a trivial matter! Their cult will see the sun.
Nevertheless, the offering’s voice is muffled with I’m sure he’ll be pleased with such good news.”
a rag for now. It’s not necessary, but it does make We can resolve the matter of why his under-
concentrating on the gods’ needs easier. And no ling turned on him later, of course. There’s no
one would care to hear the last words of a criminal shortage of offerings certain to please the gods.
anyway. How generous of the centurion to offer I have nothing but faith they will reveal the
up one of his prisoners. assassin’s secrets to me.
It’s all second nature now. Give the attendants You want to join the Cult of Augurs because:
time to bow in reverence. Take the knife. Walk You want power without being in the line of fire
to the marble altar. Make sure the bindings are when things go wrong. You want to be the one
tight. Drape him in the goatskin cloak. Draw with all the answers. You spent your life fearing
first blood down the wrists. Light the incense. the power of the gods. You’re a good liar.
Dab the ashes on his skin. Hear the cry of pain.
The big picture: You know there are other things
Draw second blood across the stomach. Recite the god
out there, don’t you? Things bigger, stranger, and crueler
of war’s name thrice, a different epithet each time — Mars
than any Propinquus could ever hope to be. Even the most
the Father, the Marching God, Mars the Avenger. One final
ignorant kine know it, somewhere in the back of their fragile
cut across the throat. Take in the death throes. Wait until
little skulls. Even you’re afraid of them. You should be.
the Beast that lurks in the heart of every Augur hears the
whispers of the gods. But that doesn’t mean you should avoid them. They can give
so much, and all they demand is your servitude. Call them gods
The mortal world unravels around me. The visions come
or monsters, but it’s all a matter of perspective. Either way, the
in bursts — static images and scents. I stand in a dark forest
wheel of fate turns at their whims.
surrounded by dead men in armor. The smell of viscera is all
too clear. What’s left of the Legionaries stand, triumphant for The Cult of Augurs serves things that lurk in the shadows or
the moment. the heavens. On paper, we are the priesthood of the Camarilla,
and in fairness, we do spend a lot of time talking to the gods,
Three remain. One holds a stake in his hand. He’s holding
but calling us that is a simplification. We’re the ones who keep
down the centurion who demanded a prophecy of us. The stake
things in order. The Legion comes to us for blessings as they
shatters his ribs and enters his heart. The second Legionary
march off to Final Death; the Senex listens to our divinations
lies gutted on the ground.
first and their “elder” second; and the Strangers make sure
One last glimpse of the assassin. His eyes are a sickly yellow. their necessary evils go unnoticed.
He’s gone in a moment, his former comrades left behind.
The upside is that our skills are always in demand, even
The sun rises. Ash remains. if some contrarians claim the prices we ask are suspiciously
The silence hangs heavy until one of the younger Vaticinators high, or complain how unfair it is that we just so happen
breaks it. “Eupolones? What are we to tell the centurion?” to have the market cornered. But the gods demand much
Loyal soldier he may be, but he’s abandoned his duty to the of their servants, and only some are willing to accept that
gods too many times. When was the last time he paid his tithe? burden. A pity. They’ll never know the joy of being one step
A meager sacrifice given in a moment of personal need shows closer to the divine, of channeling powers greater than they
a lack of respect. could ever comprehend.
Yes, Senator, the gods favor your election

above all. Now, about your donation...
CHAPTER ONE: 33
First and foremost, we know rules keep the world in check. work to learn what the gods require. Remember: Ritual is
Everything has a place, and everyone and everything has a role faith, not belief.
in a greater whole, so vast our small minds can’t comprehend Drape the house of the Senecti in gilded finery, burn the
it. As time marches on and the boundaries of empire expand, right incense in its fire pit, and Vesta is appeased. You can
we’re proven right. The world is vaster and more uncaring than even call her Hestia. She doesn’t really mind. Or care. Either
any man dead or living ever thought, but through it all, some way, she’ll make sure all their household affairs stay in order
things remain the same. People organize themselves into greater and their ghouls stay in line. Thus does the Wing of Ancients
and lesser. The greater supposedly have an obligation to the remain content. But the goddess of the hearth will never
lesser, and the lesser serve the greater. It’s all webs of influence. forget you were the one who brought the offerings and who
We are the center of that web, weaving away, the force that called to her so kindly. She’ll whisper back all the secrets of
keeps the Necropolis from falling into tattered strands of spider the household she hears.
silk. The wicked dead might sneer at how hidebound we are. Tell the Legion of the Dead just the right marching orders,
But let’s be frank — it’s tradition that separates us from the make sure the oil they pair with their whetstones is blessed,
base animals the Beast pushes us to be, and the traditions we and they’re sure to meet with victory. But if Mars chooses one
follow give us a level of control the other Propinqui can’t hope or two to face Dis Pater in the process of the battle, well, ain’t
to achieve. Our position may not command respect, but we are that a shame? And if it comes out that the slain might have
feared for what we know. That matters more than anything. been poaching from your herd, that’s just a coincidence. The
Where we came from: We began as mystery cults to individ- whims of the gods are inscrutable to mere immortals.
ual gods. Some are names you would recognize. Others, less so. For those of us who perform especially well, we’re even
The Daughters of Diana held bloody hunts under the full moon, allowed to pull the strings, though it doesn’t come for free. The
accompanied by ghoul hounds they bred as an offering to her. gods, while predictable, aren’t kind. All the better to make sure
The Rabisu dedicated themselves to some ancient god of death you get your chance to be one, if only for a moment. It’s best
and treated the act of hastening a mortal’s end as a sacrament, you also make sure you’re good with the gods. We might ask
freeing them from the pain of their failing mortal shells. for a little extra on the side of your usual tithe. Just in case. Do
We spent time working adjacent to one other, but never you really want to risk offending them? They have a right to
together... well, bar the times we stole secrets from each other. enjoy the finest the world has to offer, so pony up or suffer the
Don’t bring that up around elder Prophets. Kindred do hold consequences. They have long memories. So do we.
grudges. But for those willing to forgive, it means we’ve uncov- Nicknames: The Wing of Prophets, the Vaticinators (for-
ered all sorts of fascinating tricks to read the loom of fate, and mally), the Fates (informally), Intrigants (derogatory)
even pick a few threads. Concepts: Exacting cultist, mouthpiece of a forgotten god,
Once the Julii seized the throat of Rome’s dead and forced manipulative advisor, philosophical fatalist, greedy oracle,
everyone in line, we knew which way the wind was blowing. proud con artist, devout scholar
It certainly helped when Senex swept in to convince us that How we serve: Life is unpredictable. Death more so. A turn
unity would benefit both ourselves and our gods. Especially in the weather spreads a famine that will impact generations
when cult leaders who objected to this new regime were tried to come. Plagues tear through the kine. Barbarians lurk at our
and executed. gates. And we know when each disaster will strike. So, pay
So, we too fell in line and played out the Masquerade your dues and we’ll give you a heads-up. Just enough to set your
along with the other Propinqui. Elder Fates quietly dedicate affairs in order. The gods aren’t kind, and you haven’t put in
themselves to the gods they remember; the younger are happy the effort to dedicate yourself to them. Oh, you wanted to live?
to dedicate themselves to many. Our faithful service to the That can be arranged. If you want us to go above and beyond,
immortal and divine alike has paid off with dividends, some we might just be able to find some loopholes to get you out of
of which we’ve had to forcefully extract from the fleshier half it. Just sign, make your oaths, and bring a fattened bull-calf…
of the equation. and your favorite ghoul. Everything has a price.
But that’s the price of doing business. How we rebel: Well, we’re certainly not stupid enough to
Our practices: There is a god for every hearth, every beast make it obvious. We always perform our rituals as well as pos-
of the field and sky, every city. Call them whatever you want, sible, but interpretations can be a little loose. You’d be amazed
but it’s an indisputable fact. This is the world they made and at how much you can get away with if you use some creative
can bend to their whims. They pull the strings of Kindred wording. Irony is our best friend, and we pick and choose our
and kine alike, and we dance for their amusement. But dances favorites in a way the Senex wishes it could. After all, when you
always hide a pattern, and so long as you’re paying attention, spend your time plying gods, the whims of dead men are easy
you can understand it. It’s not hard if you’re willing to do the to twist to your needs.
CHAPTER ONE: 35
THE LEGION OF THE DEAD
THE GRIM BATTALION
Ala Militaris
I’m expecting it, but I still flinch when the door “If you have everything in hand, I’ll take my
bursts into kindling. Just as well. Makes it easier leave. I hope we can continue this working rela-
to ape the others’ fear and confusion as black-ar- tionship in—”
mored thugs storm the new opening. Fewer than I don’t even see the blow, just an explosion of
I’d have thought: a grizzled centurion flanked by pain in my skull.
a pair of grim-faced munifices. Now I’m looking up at Drusa from the floor.
The small number must provide some courage to Before I can scramble away, her boot comes down
my “comrades,” because Appius and Hosta decide on my knee, and my scream almost covers the
to charge them, the former swinging a chipped ax sound of shattering bone.
and the latter sprouting claws. Idiots. “N— no! Please!” I manage to fight down my
The centurion doesn’t even react to the assault; Beast, knowing my only chance is to talk my way
she just scans the room until her eyes find me. A out. “I can tell you more! I know things—”
step in front of her, and the munifices meet the “Silence.” Drusa hisses and my mouth snaps shut.
charge together with mirrored disdain. The left She grinds her heel into my destroyed knee. I can feel shards
takes Appius’ ax arm off at the elbow with a swing of his gladius, of bone squeezing through the meat, but I can’t make a sound.
then stabs through the big man’s neck, the point of his blade
“You are a parasite. A disease blighting my Necropolis,” she
bursting out the back of his head. The right impales Hosta low
says as she draws her gladius with exaggerated care. She looks
in her stomach with a spear and keeps pushing, shoving her
at the munifices and makes a sharp gesture toward the back-
till she’s pinned to the far wall, pale guts uncoiling between
room. They walk in. Splintering wood is followed by growls,
her knees. Hosta’s claws scrabble at the blade to no avail, her
then screams. She returns her gaze to me.
arms too short to reach its wielder.
“We are the cure.”
Pathetic, both of them. You can’t fight the Legion — better
to cut a deal. You want to join the Legion of the Dead because: You believe
in the rule of law. You want to punish anyone who threatens the
“Vibius! Help us!” Hosta has somehow managed to reign in her
Camarilla. You enjoy hurting people. You desire the spoils of war
Beast for a moment and looks at me imploringly past the dark
and conquest. You have something you want to protect at any
bulk of her captor. I ignore her, taking a step forward and inclin-
cost. You know there’s safety in numbers. You want to be feared.
ing my head toward the only person in the room who matters.
The big picture: See the border on the map? That’s us. We
“Good evening, Drusa. I trust my information proved satisfac-
are at once the sword cutting down resistance to our expan-
tory?” I put as much Courtesan charm into my smile as I dare.
sion and the shield blocking all attempts to retake what’s been
The centurion’s expression doesn’t change as her eyes flick rightfully conquered. We are the ones who squash defiance,
from me to the two Kindred impaled on weapons behind her. casting dissenters into the dirt and burning their havens as an
As I watch, the left munifex pushes Appius off his sword with example to others who reject the protection of the Camarilla.
a boot to the stomach, and he collapses to the floor. Edicts and laws mean nothing without blood and steel to
“Are these the only ones?” Drusa says. enforce them. We provide both.
“Three more out back. A chamber under a rug.” Join us for glory, for respect, and — rarest of all — trust. We
“Traitor!” Hosta screams before she’s silenced with yet tolerate no schemers in the Legion. Leave the petty squabbles
another spear thrust, this one through her throat. I roll my to those soft-handed Ancient. Do your duty and be rewarded;
eyes as she gurgles her way into torpor. fail and be forgotten. That is our way. Any Soldier who
Accept the boot on your neck

lest it’s replaced with a sword.
would climb over the backs of his fellows to enrich himself As our authority grew, we found we were able to bring justice
isn’t worthy of the name. We are the thin black line between not just at the end of a sword, but with our own will. Fresh
order and rebellion, and we won’t waste time watching our recruits often ask where the power of the Jura comes from, and
backs for each other. the answer is nothing less than our hearts and minds bent toward
Be prepared for ingratitude, to have your honor and methods one task, marching to the same beat. That unity, more than any
questioned by weak-hearted fools who’ve never raised a blade. other weapon, is our true strength. The Camarilla would’ve been
Camarilla law applies to all, but everyone has some excuse about stillborn without us, and it still needs us each and every night.
why it shouldn’t apply to them. They’ll lie. They’ll offer gold, It’s a constant struggle to maintain Senex’s vision of a unified
blood, and flesh to turn your gaze. Ignore them. The law will nation of the dead, and we’ll always be on the front lines.
cut through their twisted words, and what need do you have Our practices: We keep order, and we’re damn good at it.
for bribes? Everything you need: comrades, purpose, justice — it Conscripts guard their posts and munifices patrol the tunnels,
can all be found in the Legion of the Dead. keeping watch on citizens. Centurions train our troops and take
We hold the Empire or Night together, our steel and sacrifice command in battle. Immunes handle the most difficult and
allowing civilization to prevail against the relentless pull of dangerous tasks that fall to us, whether far from the Necropolis
savagery. You must stand between the most dangerous threats or in its very heart. Finally, Praetors command whole domains,
and the lowest of Camarilla citizens, for our honor demands setting down policy, dispensing justice to the convicted, and
nothing less. You must be prepared to silence the braying of communicating with local Senex leadership to ensure we are all
dissenters and rebels who would bring the Empire of Night working in harmony — just as Aulus Julius intended.
crashing down to line their own pockets. It’s by our will that Outside the Necropolis, we’re the ones keeping the night safe.
a nation of monsters can hold itself accountable, and so our Plenty of dead are jealous of what we’ve accomplished, and they
methods must match our means. Justice must be brutal so the want nothing more than to sabotage our success. Out of pity
Beast remembers, and we must teach it to fear the law as it does for their ignorance, we offer them a chance to submit and join
fire and the touch of the sun. Sodalitas Pernox before we put them down. Worse things than
Where we came from: Without the threat of force behind vampires stalk the dark forests and the lonely roads. The Nemeses
them, laws are meaningless. Julius Senex knew this, and so when are but one, and we make sure citizens never have to meet them.
he began to form his All Night Society, he brought those willing Unlike the other wings, we have no petty squabbling. Follow
to enforce his will with blood into the fold. We began humbly, orders and do your duty. Merit is recognized; incompetence is
Kindred who saw the potential in what Senex was building and punished. Simple. The Senex and Augurs are out of touch with
wanted to defend it. More militia than army, as the Camarilla what it takes to keep the Camarilla going, and the Collegium
expanded, it quickly outpaced our ability to defend it. We needed is an ungrateful mob looking for an excuse to riot. And those
more recruits, and so the first of us stalked the battlefields of the Spear lunatics would like nothing better than to tear everything
age and offered dying soldiers a choice: allow the gods to embrace down around them. It falls to us to keep the Empire of Night
them, or take our Embrace instead. Our ranks swelled, and we stable and secure, with fist and blade. Just like it always has.
became a ring of steel against the lawless wilds. Nicknames: The Wing of Soldiers, Legio Mortuum (an
In those early nights, many defied Senex’s vision, and some archaic name, but favored by most members), the Grim
were thick-blooded and terrible. However, they were lone mon- Battalion (informally), the Virgatores (Floggers; derogatory)
sters in the dark and could not stand against the discipline Concepts: Black-sandaled thug, seen-it-all veteran, Strix
and might of an entire regiment. They fell, one by one, and hunter, paranoid investigator, ruthless enforcer, eager recruit,
we put their withered skulls on display as a warning to the sharp-eyed tactician, idealistic defender, reckless front-liner
rest. The more we struck down, the more Kindred warriors How we serve: An empire is only as strong as its borders,
joined our ranks, deciding they’d rather stand by our side than and we keep those very strong indeed. Our continued service is
in the path of our swords. Others came because they lacked why the other wings can indulge in their petty political games,
purpose, fearing what the Beast would do with the strength inventing problems for themselves because we deal with the
of their blood when it consumed them. We gave them focus real ones. Inside the city walls, it’s the same story: We give the
and drive, gifts the young take for granted but elders know Traditions teeth, and we keep the rabble from getting out of
the true value of. control. We are the truest servants of the Camarilla, and the
As the Necropolis grew, so did our duties. While more other wings could stand to recognize that more often.
Kindred flocked to Senex’s banner every night, not all who How we rebel: What’s the difference between enforcing
joined the nascent Camarilla did so in good faith. Saboteurs authority and actually having it? Nothing. We’re the real power
hoping to kill our Midnight Republic in its infancy, greedy in Sodalitas Pernox, and everyone knows it. Let the priests and
leeches out to suckle blood but contribute nothing. And, of politicians play their games and think themselves relevant. If
course, the Nemeses. These threats had to be eliminated, and we ever decide we don’t like their laws, they’ll change them, or
we were the obvious ones to do so. No longer just conquerors, they’ll discover how well a stylus really does against a sword.
we also became protectors.

THE PEREGRINE COLLEGIUM
THE UNTOUCHABLES
Ala Peregrina
“Step here, step here! Just two bronze to play! Guess right, the ridges of the central one. “She trapped a rat for us, but
win silver! Two bronze for silver — who wants it?” now she needs to give it a rest. Enjoy her victory.
The busker’s patter somehow penetrates the Spend her bonus on soft company.” The shells
buzz and murmur of the crowd that fills the start whirling again.
torch-lit street as evening settles. He’s sitting “I am a soldier of the Camarilla! I order
on a goatskin, moving a trio of clamshells you to release me!” My words, infused with
in front of him in a series of deft patterns, ancient authority, have stopped frenzies in
occasionally lifting one to expose a bit of their tracks. They flow around the hooded
sea glass. A silver denarius rests in a small clay man in front of me with as much impact as
bowl like a promise just behind the shells, as if blown smoke. I take a breath in to try again,
they were little armored soldiers guarding it. and instead, get a fist to my jaw that cracks bone.
“You there, soldier boy! Come gamble some Arrogant. No laws here. Shut your mouth.
of your meager pay; maybe win more than what they give The busker clucks his tongue like he just caught a child
you, hm?” To my surprise, the busker’s looking right at me, scratching himself in front of guests. “None of that nonsense,
beckoning me forward. Naevius.” As the Blood knits my jaw back together, I try to con-
I cross the street to crouch in front of him, and he continues ceal my surprise, but his smile widens fractionally. “We know
to slide his shells about. Even close up, all I can see of the man’s all about you, Naevius Falto Minor. Munifex of the Legion — all
face is a smile like a knife slash beneath the drawn hood of his around good, obedient citizen of the Camarilla.” The shells
ragged robe. “Hoping to fleece me of my salary, eh?” I ask, keeping whirl in more complex patterns than before. “New to death.
my tone light so he doesn’t think I’m going to shut him down. Still plenty of living family. Two children, grown now. Your
The shrouded figure shakes his head. “No, you’re going to daughter is happily married and pregnant. Soon to give birth.
deliver a message.” You must be so proud.”
Too late, the warning jolt moves down my spine. Even as Family man. Living blood. Wonder what they taste like?
I try to turn, many sets of strong, cold arms grab me from I stop struggling.
behind and force me back down. The amused curiosity I felt “Good. Sharper than you look. You’ll go far with the
earlier vanishes like mist, and my Beast shrieks in panic. I’ve Virgatores once you understand a few things.” He lifts a shell
seen what happens when one of our enemies uses a Legionary to reveal nothing underneath. “Such as where power really lies
to “send a message,” and visions of meat hooks and hot knives in this city,” He turns over a second shell: still nothing. “Trust
flash through my mind. me, your boss will appreciate the warning.”
“How dare you!” I bellow and thrash, but the stream of “How do I—” But he cuts my question off with a gesture.
evening strollers ignores me. The kine pass by just a hand- “We’ll know. Don’t try and find us, Naevius. You won’t be
span away without so much of a flick of their eyes toward able to. Or worse…” He flips over the last shell, but there’s still
my struggle. no sea glass beneath it. “You will.”
Poor Soldier. No one hears him. No one cares. How’s it feel? You want to join the Peregrine Collegium because: You don’t
Mocking whispers float up from behind me, the sibilant belong anywhere else. You don’t trust the system. You know the
voices curling around each other, thick with cruel amusement. only real rule is “don’t get caught.” You hate being told what to do.
“Drusa needs to back off,” the busker continues, the shells in You want to hone your craft to a razor’s edge. You enjoy making
front of him still for a moment as he runs one dirty finger over trouble. You would rather be needed than wanted.
Laws? Laws are scratches in stone marked by

blind old men. They have no power here.
CHAPTER ONE: 39
The big picture: Everyone knows a functional society requires didn’t mean we didn’t agree with him — or, at least, we didn’t
more than just politicians, soldiers, and priests to run the show, think it was worth eating a dirt nap by disagreeing too loudly.
even one populated by blood-drinking corpses. You need crafts- The Old Man knew his covenant with the dead needed us, or
men, merchants, and entertainers, sure… but you also need folks he wouldn’t have put up with us in the first place. Wish his
to do the jobs that aren’t so polite. namesakes would understand that. Point is, our history is the
We provide gladiators to spill blood for cheering masses, history of the Camarilla, and vice versa. There’s no All Night
whores to slake lusts and soothe weary minds, thieves and Society without us. Don’t forget that.
assassins to steal coin and lives. The higher-ups like to look Our practices: What don’t we do? Untouchables are always
down their noses at the huddled masses, but the fact is, we’re working for the Camarilla, even if the other wings don’t like to
thriving in all the places they ignore: The alleys, bathhouses, admit it. Who do you think keeps the Necropolis expanding?
arenas, and gambling dens are where we rule. Let the Senex have You want someplace roomier than a hole in a rock to spend
their “small room” — we’ll have the rest of the night, thanks. your days in? We can do that for you. Want some company of the
The other wings call us failures and has-beens. They kick us lithesome, warm-blooded variety? We have a stable so vast you
and sneer at us because they know Sodalitas Pernox depends can choose everything from eye color to cock size. Want some
on us in a thousand different ways. And they hate it. entertainment with your snack? One thing that never gets old
Forget what you’ve heard, that those who can’t hack it in the is watching two people try to carve each other into steak, and
Cult, Legion, or Senex wind up in the Peregrine Collegium by that’s why we provide the arenas to house the viewing public.
default. That we’re all foreigners and fuck-ups. Sure, we’ve got Make a bet, have a drink, and enjoy the show! Why should
plenty of foreigners, and lots of fuck-ups, but most of us choose these pleasures be just for the living?
to be Strangers. You think there’d be so many of us if all we got We specialize in jobs that are either so specific as to defy
were the other wings’ castoffs? We’d rather have independence categorization or so dirty that no one else wants to sully their
and privacy than empty prestige and hollow authority. Hey, precious dead hands with them. Look, some people just need to
we all agree the Camarilla’s a good idea — beats scavenging for get knifed in an alley for things to keep running smoothly. Or
rats in the wild — but that doesn’t mean we think status should maybe you’ve got to take a couple jugs of virgin’s teeth out into
define our Requiems. the woods to appease something old and awful that’s got nothing
Law and order have their place, but more often than not, they to do with the gods. If it’s a job none of the “proper” wings will
get in the way of what vampires really want out of death. We even acknowledge, I promise you a Stranger earns his blood
might not care much about this regulation or that policy, but with it. It’s not exactly a secret — everyone knows. However, the
enough Kindred and kine do that it’s useful to keep our ears Camarilla is a proper civilization, one that requires proof (or at
to the ground and our hands in certain pockets. More votes least certainty) of crimes, and we have a knack for dodging both
in the Assembly are bought through bribery and extortion with our little loopholes. No witnesses? No evidence? No crime.
than anyone likes to admit, but the trick is to figure out which And no one needs to see the awful, shameful, vital jobs we do
Legislators respond better to denarii or daggers. We make sure behind closed doors. Ultimately, that is what we do: We’re the
there are enough loopholes to exploit so our businesses keep ones who keep everything running, whether you notice us or not.
running, the lawmakers get to keep condemning them in public, Nicknames: The Wing of Strangers, Untouchables (among
and the people get their blood and circuses. Everyone’s happy, themselves), Advenae (Outsiders; derogatory)
and the Camarilla endures another night. Concepts: Ageless artisan, cheerful cutthroat, ambassador
Where we came from: History’s funny. It does fine looking at to the dark places, flesh-peddler, disgraced senator, faceless spy,
the big moments, but it glosses over little things. Little people. everyone’s snitch, legionary-turned-gladiator, resurrection man
They say after Senex got done beating anyone who didn’t agree How we serve: We might not be the ones expanding the
with him into greasy ash, everyone left grabbed a quill, a sword, Empire, but we are the ones who make it habitable. After they
or an athame, and then — bam! The Camarilla was born, whole plant the flags and the bodies of the fallen are cleared away (by
and perfect, like Minerva popping naked from Jove’s skull. us), we’re building sun shelters, gambling houses, and brothels.
They don’t have much to say about the Kindred who ran We’re the ones keeping new citizens entertained, their Beasts
through the woods between cities to deliver the message writ- sated and bellies full of blood. The Legislators and Soldiers might
ten by the quill, or the ones who forged the swords. Definitely be why you have to join the Camarilla, but we’re why you want to.
nothing to say about the Nefasti who snatched the poor bastards How we rebel: We’re only part of the Camarilla because it
— sorry — sacrifices off the streets to die under those athames. continues to benefit us. If someone offered us a better deal
You think anyone spared a line of chiseled text for the wretch tomorrow night, half of us would jump at it with few questions
whose job it was to get rid of Senex’s drained blood dolls? Fuck, asked, and the other half would only delay long enough to
no. Everything else just fell into place, like a miracle. haggle. We subvert the laws at every opportunity, twisting the
Except there was no miracle. There were just dead like us system as much as we can get away with, giving just enough lip
doing the work: laying bricks, slitting throats, and swapping coin. service to keep the Legion from our doors. There are no throngs
We’ve always been here. Just because we didn’t trip over of devoted citizens, no pride in this grand alliance we’re a part
ourselves racing to be the first dead men to kiss Aulus’s ass of. It’s all about convenience, not loyalty.
CHAPTER ONE: 41
THE SENEX
THE NIGHT SENATE
Ala Senecta
“But how will you compensate those citizens whose Rutilus nods. “True, true. And I can’t thank you
residences are disrupted by your proposed territo- enough for the practice.”
rial redistribution?” I don’t see the length of sharpened ash until
The question is expected, and Rutilus needs it’s between my ribs, the pain exploding from
me to answer quickly and smoothly. my chest. I’m too shocked to even scream.
“If the Assembly will turn its attention to the “Apologies, Corinna. Your proposal is too
maps I’ve prepared, it will see that few citizens important to be dismissed because of who’s
will need to be relocated, and those who do, making it.” He shakes his head, giving the
of course, will be granted new feeding rights, stake another twist, and I shudder as it pierces
as well as a stipend for the inconvenience.” My my heart. My vision starts to fade, but I can
voice is measured, controlled, and pitched just still hear Rutilus carrying on. Sounding oh-so
between respectful and confident. There is no very reasonable.
Senex, of course. That’s tomorrow night. Now, it’s “This proposal would simply be wasted on you.
just Rutilus and me, alone in his chambers, as he helps Consider this my last lesson — I’m sure you’ll thank me
me prepare for the most important night of my Requiem. for it. Eventually.”
Rutilus gets up from his modest desk and paces a few steps You want to join the Senex because: Your ideas are the best
to my right before asking his next question, representing how ideas. You deserve the same prestige in death you had in life. The
voices can come from any direction during Assembly. “What status quo serves you well. You crave power. You deserve power.
value is this stipend? Can a fledgling Worm understand the The big picture: Simply put, we are the Camarilla. It’s from
expense of relocating a decades- or centuries-old residence?” our Assembly that new laws are introduced, debated, decided,
I swallow my irritation, keeping my face a neutral mask. and then disseminated to the rest of Sodalitas Pernox. We
Rutilus knows someone will try and fluster me this way, and represent the voices of every status-bearing member of the
he’s preparing me for attacks on both my youth and my gens. Empire, and the laws we introduce exist to serve the interests
I’m fortunate to have such an experienced consul willing to of those members. All citizens are encouraged to seek audiences
mentor me, and he agrees that my proposal will greatly reduce with us to share their concerns and ideas, no matter their wing,
territorial conflict in the domain. “The stipend will be equal clan, or station. The Night Senate hears all voices, and while
to expenses accrued during relocation, as well as compensation we may create the laws, that doesn’t mean we’re above them.
for resources lost. If the Assembly wishes further details—” And that’s what we say to placate the rabble.
“That’s enough.” I can’t quite stop from wincing as Rutilus Every citizen is indeed a servant of the Camarilla, but we’re
cuts me off, already anticipating another lecture on proper the only ones that matter. Without us, the whole thing falls
stance, or tone, or whatever minute protocol I’ve violated. He apart. The Ancients are the core of the Empire of Night, and
steps back into view, much closer than I thought he’d been, our supremacy must be preserved at all costs, lest we regress into
and gives me a rare smile. “Corinna, I think we’ve done it.” isolated savagery. Your average Propinquus hasn’t the slightest
I can’t help it: I grin, even as my over-crowded fangs press comprehension of the complexities involved in running this
painfully against my lips. “You think I’m ready for the Assembly?” All Night Society, and they don’t want it. All they want is blood
“Oh, by the gods, no!” he chuckles, but there’s no humor in it. spoon-fed into their needy little mouths and to complain it
My elation dissolves into confusion. “But we’ve rehearsed wasn’t done fast enough — like newly hatched birds. That we’ve
every counter-argument — every possible attack!” used our position to enrich ourselves is only just compensation
for enduring the endless, greedy chirping.
Your sentence has already been chosen.

Now we must decide which laws you’ve broken.
This is why our numbers must remain conservative. While Julii with something as crass as bloodshed. Nevertheless, there are
are (almost) always welcome, others must prove themselves worthy always a few members of the Legion on hand to dispense swift
of the power we wield. Authority diluted is authority weakened, justice if anyone does anything foolish.
and that’s unacceptable. Never forget the laws of the Camarilla Any Senex member — even magistrates — may raise an issue
exist to keep us in power and the rest in line. Appearances must for discussion during Assembly. Any opposition is handled with
be maintained, of course — mobs are so tedious — but as long debate, and the matter is settled via Division of the House:
as we maintain that veneer of accountability, most citizens will members move to sit or stand behind whichever representa-
never bother to look past the next blood dole. tive they support. The majority decides the ruling, ensuring
What about those who do look closer? Well, that’s why we the Camarilla’s voice is always heard. Of course, many votes
have magistrates. It’s a truism that the masses care more about are already decided well before an issue is formally raised in
symbols than reality, and so the appearance of other wings Assembly, but outsiders appreciate the show! Once a matter is
among the Assembly helps them believe the fiction that their settled or a law passed, it’s considered most fair and just. While
voices matter. Quaint. Magistrates are only a handful of seats it’s acceptable to reopen formal debate at a later time, those who
among many, and we can elevate or silence them as we like, but dissent after the fact had best be prepared for the consequences.
the illusion of choice is important for control. We’re also happy to get our hands dirty when the need arises.
Suffer no dissent; harbor no doubts. You’re here because One has to do something between votes, and so we act as our
you deserve power, and you deserve power because you’re here. Kindred’s trusted advocates, adjudicating disputes where they
Our voice is the voice of Senex, and those who can’t abide are come up and making sure everyone comes away happy. And
welcome to leave. some of them even believe that.
Where we came from: Aulus Julius Senex. He understood To say the word of the Senex is law is neither metaphor nor
that ruling the dead is too great a task for any one being, no hyperbole. Our will is the will of Aulus Julius, childe of Remus,
matter how ancient or powerful. Having spent years convincing he who defeated all who stood to oppose him. Thus, to defy
Rome’s Kindred his philosophy was the only way forward, the us is to defy him — a heinous act! This equivalence is vital to
Old Man was the unquestioned authority among their number. the Camarilla’s stability, as those who might not respect us still
However, as his territory expanded, Senex realized he couldn’t fear him. Before the Night Senate, offenses were repaid in kind,
be everywhere at once, couldn’t see to every issue personally. So, endless blood feuds carried out over centuries that did nothing
he appointed his most trusted advisors to be his representatives. but weaken and divide us. The Legion may keep the common
Originating an ideal that holds to this day, he chose not based rabble in line but it is we who convince millennia-old monsters
on age or clan, but competence and loyalty. Well, mostly. to cleave to the trappings of civil obedience each night. Our
These Propinqui, more than mere mouthpieces, were exten- legislation is proof that the will of Senex flows through us, and
sions of Senex himself. Their words were his, and to defy them that empowers our negotiations like nothing else.
was unthinkable rebellion. As the Camarilla grew, by necessity, Our duties are many, our reach vast, and our hand firm, but
so did we. From a few handpicked advisors, we became an everything we do, we do for the Empire. A strong Senex is a
empire-spanning organization. No city in the Empire lacks a strong Camarilla. And a strong Camarilla is a strong Rome.
Night Senate, from Bedriacum to Londinium. Nicknames: The Wing of Ancients, the Night Senate
While none have seen Aulus Julius in many years, the fact (informally), the Assembly (for their primary meeting place),
that he allows us to rule in his stead is proof of his faith in our Legislators, Senecti, First Among Equals (ironically)
wise and just leadership. We proudly bear his cognomen, both Concepts: For-sale politico, crooked advocate, power on the
as a symbol of our origins and as a reminder to all the Camarilla throne, entrenched middle-management, ambitious social-
of the authority we’ve been entrusted with. climber, hungry idealist, favor-sharking elitist, cynical deal-
Our practices: We have so many! It takes a lot of coin, maker, wealthy patron, faithless plutocrat
bureaucracy, and blood to keep the Camarilla moving in the How we serve: We are the Camarilla’s most tireless servants.
right direction, so our duties are innumerable. However, of all From us, the law flows. By our will, the chaos of petty, individ-
our practices, it is the monthly Assembly that’s the most vital. ual agendas is forged into order. We see to diplomacy and ensure
This is when we decide which laws will apply to the rest of the the other wings’ squabbling never goes beyond that. Safety
Republic’s citizens, as well as punishments for criminals whose and stability all originate from us and are distributed to every
crimes are great enough to warrant our attention. citizen, no matter how ungrateful or… heretical some might be.
Creativity is encouraged for the latter; there are only so many How we rebel: What, against ourselves? The Camarilla
times you can flay or crucify a lawbreaker before it starts to lose functions because we lead it; therefore, what keeps us in power
its impact. Only Legislators may participate directly by opening must be good for the Camarilla. We seem a united Assembly
debates or casting votes, but the proceedings are, of course, to those without a seat, but the truth is, we spend more time
open for anyone to witness. Indeed, we encourage outside usurping each other than we do crafting laws. This is only
attendance so that citizens might better understand how our right. How else might we determine who’s fit enough to serve
laws benefit them. Violence is banned during these proceedings, the people? As long as the other wings know their place, the
not that any right-thinking citizen would dare sully Assembly Camarilla will rule forever — with us at its head.

THE LANCEA ET SANCTUM
THE WITNESSES
Ala Apostolica
The night is beautiful. Without a cloud in the sky, the you want to be on the winning side. You want to punish the
firmament glitters above, casting light on chalices of bad guys and are fine with overkill.
wine we never did quite finish before getting to The big picture: The man from Galilee died,
the festivities. The moonlight plays over his bare and the world will soon follow him. The suffer-
skin. His dark hair stains the sheets, a black stain ing at Golgotha will be nothing compared with
against pure white. A sight any man or woman of what’s to come. His Kingdom is nigh. The rest of the
Rome would pay a small fortune for. world — and those unworthy to enter the Kingdom —
I wish I could enjoy it. Instead, with his attention he will leave to us. We are the left hand of God, the
away from me, I take the bedsheets and wipe as wolves whose teeth tear into the goats among
much of him off me as I can. the Good Shepherd’s pious flock. So says the
He turns over, his eyes half-lidded, a contented prophet Longinus.
sigh on his lips. “You’re welcome to stay the night.” We do not know when that blessed night will come
I twist the edges of the silks between my fingers. “And when we can throw away the sheep’s skin we hide beneath,
what about your wife? How quickly will I need to leave?” only that this will be the last generation. We know the dead
His body locks up for a few seconds, and his eyes snap open. who mock the Word will face the Last Sunrise, six full days
Yet, he still can’t take his eyes off me, this time despite himself. of sunlight that none can hide from but those who chose to
“I know about her. And all the others. The serving girl, the walk in the Dark Father’s footsteps. We do not know where the
senator’s wife. All the whores.” I push a knife toward him, Kingdom will be, only that it will be a place on Earth. More
pulled from shadow. He’s the rat pinned under the serpent’s importantly, we know that we won’t be allowed in it. How could
gaze, his body locked up in fear. I can see the sweat beading we be, when we must hunt God’s children to survive?
on his skin. “If thine eye offend thee...” That’s not to say the Lord doesn’t have a plan for us. We
He stares, gaping not at the knife, but me. Typical. I pick won’t be condemned to the cruel light of the Last Sunrise other
it up and put it in his hands. “It’s not too late to repent. But immortal sinners might, and the kine who fall short of God’s
accounts must be balanced. I’m worried for you, Marcellus. grace will wish they were. For now, we can give the wicked a taste
God is too. We both want what’s best for you. To make sure of what’s to come, to test those who think themselves pious and
you don’t do this again.” ensure the world God shall walk is truly worthy of Him. Only
the best of the kine should be permitted to stand in His sight.
And like a switch of green wood bent too far, his mind finally
snaps beneath the force of my power. He pulls out the blade After all, wouldn’t God want those who refused His message
and turns the tip toward his face. to be punished? Who would be more suited for it than us?
Some even say we are a sign of the End Times, that we are the
Oh, how rich the spray smells. My hand twitches at it,
destroying angels who would bring this vile Empire to its knees
and a twinge of hunger jolts me forward. I hold myself still
before cutting off its head. Still, most of us believe that even
with a whispered prayer. A shame I must fast. His penance
though we will not be permitted within the Kingdom’s walls,
is useless to me.
we will wander outside the safety of its homes and hearth. In
His blood is the only worthwhile thing he can offer. the Kingdom of Night, the wolf shall rule, and the goats cast
You want to join the Lancea et Sanctum because: You’re out of the shepherd’s care will be our prey.
down and out and the idea of watching everything burn appeals Where we came from: Humans weren’t the only ones to
to you. You were a devout Christian in life and you can’t let go hear the good news. It has less pull with those who fear not the
of God. You see the end of the Camarilla on the horizon and shadow of death, but a few latched on. The first Witnesses any-
Bless me, Dark Father,

for the violence I am about to commit.
CHAPTER ONE: 45
one will talk about were Judean slaves who heard the Messiah the backrooms where senators broker alliances. All the better
preach, but the most famous is the preacher Longinus, who to find ideal victims. We can’t help but pity the Camarilla; it
claims it was his spear that drew the blood of Christ. Where seems so hard for them to find joy in depredation. So serious,
he goes, dark miracles follow. The skies turn dark for days, so dour. So grave. Our services are wild and ecstatic because we
letting us walk the day without fear of the sun. Elders crumble know how lucky we are. God is great, His wisdom beyond mea-
to dust in the face of his terrible, predatory purity. The blood sure, for we have been granted mercy through our monstrosity.
of mortals dries in their veins, even as they still walk, starving We get a head start separating the sheep from the goats.
the heretics among the Nefasti. Sometimes, we tempt those we think might fall to sin, just
Or that’s what his followers say. It’s convincing enough, and to make sure they’re worthy of God’s grace. More often, we
as his cult swells in numbers as other dead prophets find the hunt down those who’ve already proven themselves unworthy.
faith of their flocks falter. Blasphemers, adulterers, murderers — as long it’s close enough to
Still, much as they might struggle to retain believers, there mortal sin, we’ll make sure they have a taste of what’s to come.
are other prophets. Yohanan of Syria claims an angel took him We claim unholy relics from those who fall to temptation,
to whatever dark realm lies after death for those who were whether ours or someone else’s. The eyes of the lustful, the
sinful, and God brought him back to steer others away from hand of a thief, the stomach lining of a glutton. There’s power
eternal torment. Most of us think an afterlife of gray-tinged in these, and they invite dark miracles just as the bones of
misery is so very Roman, but he does have his believers. Naomi martyrs might for mortals.
of Bethlehem says she was at the Last Supper, a beggar picking We leave the wicked ones alive, if barely. A dead man can’t
at its scraps, and that drinking the blood of Christ struck her repent, and it doesn’t hurt to have someone to spread the word
dead. He revived her in exchange for her faithful service to of the dark angels who herald the End Times. And if they don’t
punishing the wicked. Then, of course, there’s the Monachus. have enough time left to make right with God, at least their
Childe of Longinus. Paul to his Christ. He did not witness the corpses can serve as reminders of the wages of sin.
Dark Father’s damnation, but he recorded all he was told, and Nicknames: The Wing of Apostles (mockingly, but offi-
he gathers more followers by the night in his abbey. It’s he who cially toward the end of the Camarilla), Witnesses, Sanctified,
gave us our name: Spear and Chapel. Monachals, the Church of the Dark Father, Atheists (derogatory)
Who’s right? Who’s got the ear of God? Depends on who Concepts: Former temple sacrifice, doomsday preacher,
you ask. These Kindred and many others form their own little born-again legionary, escaped slave, shepherd of the damned,
schisms, unified only in the knowledge that God sanctions desperate fugitive, false prophet, author of a lost gospel
their depredation.
How we serve: Nothing brings together the Necropolis like
At first, we kept with the Strangers. Where better than among a common enemy. You can always cast a judgmental eye on the
our fellow outcasts? But even they couldn’t handle our associ- metaphorical leper who just walked into Elysium or decides the
ation’s stigma for long. So, we scattered to the winds, forming sanctity of hunting grounds is just a suggestion. For those who
cells with minimal communication between them. However, might otherwise be the lowest of the low, we act as scapegoats.
as the Last Sunrise approaches, we’ve finally started banding We even welcome Final Death. The hopeless and lost flock to
together again. We don’t like it, but we know home churches us, where they won’t openly argue or riot, and we give them
with a dozen members aren’t going to last if the Virgatores come the promise of a darker tomorrow where they’ll all be free.
kicking down our doors. Now we always have another bolt-hole The others can keep telling themselves tomorrow won’t come.
waiting, even if we do think the others are heretics God won’t
How we rebel: The End Times are here, and we spread
let see the Endless Night. But one must pick one’s battles.
the Word. Some are wise enough to listen, but the rest have
Our practices: We hide. We aren’t safe even after sunset, declared their souls forfeit. We take our enemies’ ghouls, flay
though over time the rest of the Kindred have decided it’s better them, and torment them with visions of the Hell that awaits
to leave us be, just so long as we don’t stick our necks out too far. them, letting the stolen life in their veins ensure they last a few
We argue. Only when nobody’s listening, of course. The oth- nights. We profane their temples with the grave dust and ashes
ers see us as a single-minded mass, a unified body threatening of our dark saints, ensuring whatever heathen gods they follow
their cozy little Necropolis. We aren’t. Preachers gather their withdraw their guidance. We tempt the rabble and conscripts of
personal flocks, teaching their own truths. The lucky ones who the Camarilla with the promise of a better death if they would
can read and write compile manuscripts of their beliefs. The rest only light a fire in their hearts and their superiors’ havens. Just
just preach and trust that their words might spread far enough. don’t get caught, for God’s sake. Your brethren can only do so
We worship. Our churches are wherever sin and suffering much. The Lord might favor His sacred predators, but He won’t
fester, from the bathhouses to the battlefields of petty wars to protect a foolish one.
CHAPTER ONE: 47
Interlude II
ife contains no sweeter sound than the cries Now his face is slick with tears and snot, dis-
L of the vanquished.
Under other circumstances, the halls of
graced and undignified. Curls of white hair puff
from his torn tunic. His greasy hair is pasted to his
this old estate would echo with different kinds of scalp with sweat, his wrinkled cock exposed from
moans and screams. They would be full of bodies the orgy that came before. Pathetic debauchery.
writhing in pleasure, swollen with meat and wine. And in my house!
Now they’re full of crawling, weeping wretches. It I step forward, grinding a broken amphora to
was so much better when it was mine. dust beneath my foot. The ceramic shards slash the
One of my men — Quintus, I think — approaches soft places beneath my toes, but I pay no heed. A
and whispers in my ear. “The atrium. Alive, as splash of blood stains the hem of my robe, turning
requested.” the bright white a brackish red.
I haven’t smiled like this in twenty years. As I near, he raises his hands. “Please! Anything
A few sconces burn in the atrium as I enter, but you want! All I have! Spare our lives!”
unlike my guardians, I no longer need light to see. “Tempting offer, Marcus,” I say. “But all you
I look around the room and am instantly enraged. have was stolen from me.” I step into the moonlight
The skylight shines pregnant moonlight upon a and watch his resolve shrivel. Among other things.
statue of Mercury, and a statue of Diana sits awk- “Lucius?” He laughs, shrill like a gull. “No! My
wardly in the corner of the room, her outstretched cousin is dead!”
arms fitted with a serving tray. I had this room built He’s right. Yet Lucius will be the last sight he sees.
to venerate her visage in the moonshine. Mercury “True, you saw to that. But the gods have seen me
was constructed for the courtyard fountain. The return to repay a debt to a kinslayer.”
marble doesn’t even match! “That’s not true! I didn’t mean to —”
I shouldn’t let it rile me as much as it does. “Shut up. Of course you did. Look at all this
I inspect Diana’s features, and then my own wealth. My wealth.” He sputters, tries to deny it,
in the tray’s reflection. Fluids, both strange and but I continue. I’ve wanted this for two decades.
obscene — wine, blood, and more — cling to her I’ve rehearsed this so often, the moment’s like
divine form. I will have those cleaned. Myself? a dream I’ve had a thousand times. “My dear
I am young and handsome — the envy of those cousin, you slit my throat in an alley like a bull for
who thought themselves my peers and those who Jupiter and left me to die in my own filth. Then,
thought themselves my betters. Both were wrong: you adopted my son and threw him from the cliffs.
I am a flawless Roman specimen, above all of them. You didn’t even have a mask cast from his face. Or
I suck a bit of gore from between my teeth and mine. I checked.”
smile. Perfection. His eyes widen as he realizes I’ve been in this
The musk of sex is thick in the air. There was a house. Yes, I’ve been to our hall of ancestors. Yes,
party here before my arrival. The atrium is deco- I stood over him while he slept. Yes, I watched
rated with the corpses of slaves and guests alike, him grow fat and happy and wither and age as he
struck down by my mercenaries — hired men from squandered his years.
the vigilante fire brigade. The mosaics are splashed “You know the worst part? You murdered kin to
with blood, wine swirls with blood on the tiles, and steal his riches, and this is the best you could do.”
busts are shattered on the ground.
“Please, Lucius! It’s been twenty years. I was a
I paid my men handsomely to kill everyone except different man then. I’ve changed! My daughters —
the four who now huddle into each other like a ball my wife — they’ve done nothing wrong.”
of snakes. Three women and a man who also once
“Pity.” I turn to my men. “The wife.”
thought he was better than me. He too was wrong.
48
They don’t hesitate, peeling her clawing fingers “Marcella and I will never forget you,” Marcus
from him and throwing her to the tiles. The axes flash whispers, a bit too eagerly.
twice in the dark: chop, chop. Blood sprays Marcus I step forward and the girl looks up at me. Hate
and his daughters. The wife was too surprised to has swallowed any fear upon her features.
make a sound, so her daughters inherit her screams. “Fear not, little bird. You shall have the last laugh.”
I let him crawl to her, but the daughters are too I plunge my fangs into her throat and drink. All
terrified to go to their mother. the while, Marcus and his other daughter shriek.
“Now him.” My men turn in a delicious bit of the- Soon, she’s dry, and I drop her corpse to the
ater. As expected, he screams, and I stay them with a floor, pressing my bleeding foot to her face. A few
hand. “Fine
“Fine.. I’m not without mercy, cousin. Choose. moments later, her cold, dead tongue cleans away
Give me one of your daughters and I swear neither the shards of pottery from my toes.
you nor the other will be harmed by my men or me.”
I turn to him and grin. “I stand corrected, Marcus!
What a delight. No father could— Seems you made a decent table vintage, at least.”
“Arvina.” He points at his younger daughter. “Your eyes!” He sucks in a shaking breath. “By
I’m not sure who’s more surprised: me or Arvina. the gods! What are you?”
I motion for the girl, and my men push her toward I laugh, long and hard.
me; her sister’s eyes run with tears, but she doesn’t
“Better,” I reply, and turn to my men. “Lock
even so much as protest.
the doors. Raise the curtains. If she survives until
Arvina stumbles over the tile floor, exposing her- tomorrow, bring my daughter to me.”
self as her dress snags on her own feet. She’s plump
“And if they do?” says Quintus.
and weak-chinned, but her nose is proud and Roman
like her mother’s. The homelier of the two — no I look back and watch my cousin. Arvina’s corpse
doubt the source of the nickname — but her eyes twitches and begins to rise.
are wide and white with fury while her sister’s weep. “They won’t.”
49
CHAPTER TWO
SODALITAS PERNOX
A liar ought to have a good memory.
— Quintilian, De Institutione Oratoria
Rome was built with blood. The blood of patriots, soldiers, and the conquered. Every brick, every stone, every mile of road
has tasted the blood of centuries.
Look around you and witness the splendor that lies at the heart of the Empire, its vast and peerless glory. Like us, this city
is eternal. It has been a millennium since Romulus and Remus laid the foundations of its first wall, and now Rome holds the
world by the throat.
Turn your gaze downward, beneath the seven hills and through the soil and rock below. Follow the rivers of blood into the
hungry earth and you will find us. Open your eyes to the night and bask in the grandeur of Necropolis.
We are the Camarilla, the secret empire, and our history stretches back like shade fleeing Sol Invictus. In every brothel tak-
ing Roman coin, we are there. In every port where Roman ships dock, we are there. In every Roman legion taming barbarous
wilds, we are there.
Wherever Rome goes, we follow in her shadow.
Come and join us in the dark.
Annals of Death
The Camarilla is ancient, but we Founders are older still. man discovered the twins in the wolf’s care and took them to
Our history is that of Rome itself, and I have been tasked with his home as she looked on with the wisdom of beasts.
sharing it for your betterment. Ah, the clean version. I prefer the one where the farmer slaughters
And, as with all stories, we must start at the beginning. the she-wolf and the twins bathe in their mother’s blood. How much
Read on and be glad these lessons come from me. There are far worse — more Kindred can you get than that? To be sure, there are kinder
and more tedious! — purveyors of history you could’ve been stuck with. tellings, but why should I condescend or, perish the thought, bore you?
The twins grew into men, and men seek adventure.
Blood of Mars Companions flocked to their divine blood and their growing
renown echoed behind their deeds. Romulus was brave and
Since even before its conception, Rome has pitted brother
against brother. Long ago in Alba Longa, there ruled a king by bold; Remus was cunning and swift. Before long, fate returned
the name of Procas. He was of Aeneas’s line, but the ravages them to the still-simmering conflict between Numitor and
of time made him weak. On his deathbed, he bequeathed his Amulius. Remus was taken captive by the king, who told him
throne to his son, Numitor, but his other son Amulius had other the truth of their heritage and threw him in his dungeons.
plans. Amulius slew Numitor’s sons and seized the throne. He There, he was kept lashed to a wall without food or drink.
feared a prophecy that Numitor’s daughter, Rhea Silvia, would But he was not alone: Some of Numitor’s loyal subjects had
bear children who would avenge his kinslaying, so he forced overheard the king’s words and nursed Remus on their blood
her to become a vestal virgin so she would never lie with a man. so he would not starve.
Perhaps this is where he got his taste for the stuff. And with all
Instead, she was impregnated by a god: Mars. In a way, Amulius
the chains and torment… what an erotic start!
succeeded, but this brought about his downfall. The children
of gods are much more dangerous than the children of men. On the seventh night, Romulus led a heroic rescue to reclaim
I presume that you know the rest of the story, as any trueborn his brother, and armed with the knowledge of their birthright the
Roman should. A sacred she-wolf came upon the twins, taking twins slew Amulius and restored their grandfather to the throne.
them as her own, and they grew strong on their foster mother’s And what is the lesson this history teaches us? It’s a reminder that
milk in the cave of Lupercal. After a time, her nightly hunts Rome was born in blood, and that our rise to power was ordained by the
alerted a kind shepherd named Faustulus to her presence. The gods. Triumph was inevitable.
CHAPTER TWO: SODALITAS PERNOX 51

To the Vultures The Pact of Dis
With a freshly murdered tyrant behind them, the twins set The tale of the Julii is the tale of Rome. We were patricians in
out to build a city of their own on the seven Latin hills where life and are twice as grand in death. We owe everything to the
they had been raised. But after Remus’ rescue, bitterness and first of us, Remus, the Inauspicious Twin. The truth of how he
contempt had grown between the pair. Without a common became the first Propinquus is more a case of competing legends
enemy, they soon discovered they could agree on little, from than a matter of debate. The most commonly held version of
the location of the walls to the name of their new city. And so, the story follows, though whether it is the most accurate, only
the twins did what was only natural: they took their quarrels Remus himself can say.
to the gods and prayed to their father for a sign. Romulus left his brother’s body as carrion for Mars’ vultures,
Remus went first and spied six vultures, Mars’ sacred bird. but as the twin lay in the mud, head cracked open, neck broken,
He was elated and celebrated his victory by drinking more birds circling overhead in the moonlight, he was not yet dead.
than his share of wine and bragging to his brother until sleep Though his brother’s blow was mighty, Remus had survived
took him. But while he slumbered, Romulus watched the sky. the injury — at least for a time. He still breathed, but he could
Hours later, he roused his brother. Romulus had seen twelve not stand or move. He tried to scream for help, but his crushed
vultures. Romulus is the victor. throat stifled the sound to a whisper. And so, Remus wept and
Did Romulus actually see the vultures, or did he take advantage waited to die.
of his brother’s drunken state? Ask any Roman and he’ll tell you it But then something strange happened. As vultures plucked
doesn’t matter. By allowing himself to lose his wits, Remus forfeited. out his eye and feasted on his genitals, a different sort of bird
After all, there’s a time and place to lose oneself in indulgence, but it’s arrived. It was an owl: black as smoke with eyes that glowed
not in the company of one’s enemies. Especially family. like yellow embers. Remus laughed a raspy rattle and with the
Romulus’ victory only deepened tensions. Though Remus last burning coal of defiance in his belly, he whispered for it
never accused his brother of deceit, his actions revealed a to take its gloomy meal. To his surprise, the bird replied in a
growing spite, mirrored in Romulus’ growing pride. A quiet man’s voice:
war began between the twins. Remus obstructed his brother’s “I have not come, get of Aeneas, for your blood. I am here,
work: He hid spades, collapsed trenches, and confused the son of Mars, with an offer. I am here, brother of Romulus,
workers. And yet, Romulus continued. When the spade was with a pact.”
hidden, he dug with bare hands; when the tunnel collapsed, Kindred scholars often wonder what it was that caught the
he redoubled his efforts; when the workers were sent away, he attention of the Birds of Dis. Was it the fratricide? Or was it
called them back. And when the work was complete, Romulus perhaps the spilled blood of a demigod that called them forth?
admired the foundations of his new city’s wall. No matter the lure, the Striges arrived with an offer: An eter-
But envy had flowered in Remus’ heart, and rather than nity of conquest for a pittance. Remus would rule the night,
celebrate his brother’s success, he instead leaped back and and all it would cost him in return was the regular sacrifice of
forth across the foundations of the city walls in mockery of his his twin’s issue. And couldn’t such a mighty king spare a few
accomplishment. Romulus warned his brother that his actions heirs and bastards?
were a bad omen and a transgression against their new home. Remus considered the pact and thought to refuse, but the
Remus replied that perhaps Romulus should have built walls shadow of his brother’s shovel fell across him, and he felt Dis
that were more difficult to breach. Enraged, Romulus seized a Pater’s cold hands claw at his wounds. He knew he was at his
nearby shovel and caved in his brother’s skull. As Remus’ body end. And so, with his heart full of envy and rage, he accepted
lay cooling in the mud, Romulus swore it would be the last time the owl’s terms, and as the pact was sealed, its eyes flashed like
an enemy would cross his walls. lightning. Once more returned to formless smoke, and with his
I haven’t asked the Augurs about this directly, but Remus’s murder last mortal gasp, Remus breathed them in, the Strix flowing
is reminiscent of the ancient ritual of shipbuilders offering libations like tar in his veins. And thus, Remus became the first of us.
to their vessels. Rome was anointed in the blood of its founder’s kin. If you have to take anything from Remus’s tale, let it be this:
The living believe Romulus buried his brother, be it in a The Embrace is not a gift, but a pact. It is a promise of service to
vaunted tomb or the foundation of the walls, but we know those who have come before you, and the mortal descendants who
the truth. Romulus left his brother’s corpse as a feast for the follow afterward.
vultures. And that is where our story truly begins. We are incomplete, creatures without substance.
There’s an old piece of poetry I found that gives dialog to this
We do not breathe or breed or feast.
exchange. I’ve always found it quite delectable:
We drink and breed only through blood.
“I curse your walls, brother. I will never live in the city you
We do not walk in the sunlight but hide in the shadows.
stole from me.”
We do not live, and thus we are beneath life, consigned to the
Romulus’s reply:
darkness and worms, burrowing in lost crypts beneath Rome.
“If you will not live in it, then you shall sleep beneath it.”
This is the correct way of things, for we are at once eternal and lesser.
Fitting, no?

But we are still Romans.
And when the children of Romulus conquer, the children of
Remus will enjoy the spoils.
Always remember that you are a blood oath that walks, and
talks, and drinks, and fucks, but you are no longer one of them.
Yet while Sol Invictus shines upon the glory of Rome, and
every corner of the earth shudders at her majesty, by night, this
empire is the domain of Nox and her Kindred.
But we will get to that story soon enough.
We Call Him
Old Man
Though Remus is our progenitor, he is not the first
Founder. That title falls to Julius Senex, from whom we
draw both the name of the august clan and the political
wing of the Camarilla. He is the Old Man for there are
none elder, save Dead Remus himself.
Remus watched his brother’s city grow, at least in terms
of walls and buildings, and soon it became a teeming mass
of hard, brutal men. They flooded in from all corners of
the world, seeking new lives and opportunities away from
their homelands. But they are only men. A city cannot
survive on men alone.
Rome needed women, and yet as Romulus called out
to the neighboring tribes for wives, they refused him. He
is an upstart. A fratricide. They would have nothing of
him. Romulus was defeated, and his crown weighed heavy
on his brow — a crown he feared would become a noose.
But cunning Remus was watching and waiting. He visited
his brother in his restless sleep and whispered a plan in
his slumbering brother’s ear: Rome takes what it wants.
Romulus announced he would hold sacred games,
inviting the Sabine tribes to attend, and they flocked
in droves. At the height of the games, the King gave a
signal, and Roman men, armed and ready, surged into
the crowd and stole off with as many women as they
could. After the games, the tribes went to war, but Rome
offered a generous apology: reparations in gold and silver
for each woman taken. A reverse dowry at spearpoint.
The Sabines could not help but accept. And thus began
the grand Roman tradition of defining civilized behavior
as whatever a Roman does. Only Rome is high enough
above decorum to decide what falls within its bounds.
In victory, our deeds are exonerated.
Such cunning avarice. Were we discussing another people,
such acts would be barbaric, yet we revere the tale as cunning.
Is this merely bias, or something more? That’s a trick question.
Every Roman knows the difference, even if he can’t express it
in words. Simply put, it is different because we are Romans.
Years passed since the disagreement at the wall, and
the Inauspicious Twin learned much and sought to abate
his loneliness. For years, he watched the city swell with
men, but on the night of the Sabine Games, where so

Within that cave, Remus drained Aulus’s blood and made
him the first of the Julii. When he awoke, sober and enraged
Who Is a Julian?
When Aulus sired his clan, the first Founders only
at the trick, Remus calmed his childe and explained his new
Embraced from their mortal families among the gens existence. When the man seemed unconvinced, Remus offered
Julia. When that proved too limited a pool, they only him a way out: dig down to the realm of Dis Pater, and perhaps
drew from “trueborn” Romans. This restricted the the dark god would be merciful in ways the twin would not.
Embrace to those of Latin descent, but eventually, Aulus did not believe the lie, but when his sire handed him a
it included Sabines, Volsci, and other related tribes,
and even Etruscans. Then, it was any Italian at all.
bloodstained spade, he took it and began the work, for Remus
Tonight, the Julii take all imperial citizens, and talk hinted at desires of dark masters of his own. In a single look,
of restrictions is dismissed as hopelessly archaic. The Aulus learned to fear his sire, just as his childer would soon
Founders are innovators, and new blood must flow fear him. And thus, the Julii were born.
for their— pardon, the Kindred’s empire to function.
Do you think Remus gave him the same shovel that ended his own
Early on, many Founders adopted the nomen
Julius/Julia if they weren’t members of the living life? Would he be so ironic? Or would it be an omen of what was to come?
family, though some just added Julianus/Juliana and
other variations as cognomina. However, this tradition
faded along with the blood restrictions above. By the
The Lie
mid-Republic, only the most conservative Julii insisted As Rome grew, so too did our clan. Remus would send Julius
their childer take the family name. The practice briefly to find suitable childer and have him petition for the right of
revived when Caesar and Augustus came to power,
but it more or less faded into history when the Julio- Embrace. Sometimes, he would force them to fight or forni-
Claudians did. cate to the death for the honor, often with their bare hands.
Sometimes, exotic animals would be brought in. Before long,
the Julii numbered in the dozens. Then, hundreds.
many seeds would be sown for Rome’s future, Remus decided Though they knew the depths of their power, Remus and
his own family must grow as well. He watched and waited Aulus agreed their nature should remain secret from mortals.
from the shadows, sometimes listening at the debauchery and No Roman alive believes the dead are truly gone, but nightly
crimes within the windows, the sobs of the conquered and reminders of this truth are counterproductive. Across the
the pleasures of the willing until he found the one he sought. Empire, pious citizens worship their ancestors, but the constant
presence of these vaunted dead would be — pardon the pun — a
Aulus Julius was one of the bachelors at the games, but when
drain on their resources and morale.
he tried to steal himself a wife, her brothers threatened him
with castration. When the festivities concluded, Aulus found There are myriad rituals and observances personal to each
himself emptyhanded and alone, and so he lamented his lot house, and we dead are no different. In the Necropolis, we each
with wine and Rome’s few and exhausted brothels. Aulus was hold our own sacred rites and prayers, our chosen gods and silent
a distant descendant of Romulus, and as Remus stalked him offerings. Those of us with descendants sometimes act as lares,
through the night, he saw himself in both the man’s nobility offering guidance or aid in exchange for the brief and fleeting
and his indignation. In Aulus, he saw the future. experience of connection. They remember us, our faces cast in
wax and bronze, and we do our duty to those who go on ahead.
Aulus, however, saw a robber and vagrant, and when Remus
presented himself, the man plunged a dagger into the twin’s But though we guide, we must not control. Our elders
throat. When Remus returned the blood-soaked blade to the understand our living kin may turn their worship to us if they
drunk’s hand, Aulus pissed himself and asked in his stupor understand our true nature. For that matter, if they knew our…
if he’d been visited by a god. Projecting his voice through the flaws, it would be a simple matter to bring the torch and lamp
gaping hole, Remus claimed to be Orcus, and offered the boons oil. Thus, the Julii created and enforced an elaborate falsehood:
of Pluto: riches and power should the young man follow him Mendacium. The Kindred should seem as human as the living lest
down into the earth. And so he did. Remus led him to a cave they influence the mortal world beyond an acceptable amount.
whose entrance is hidden at the base of the Tarpeian Rock. However, much like Rome’s flexible civility, this Masquerade is
Tonight, the cave is blocked with heavy stone, but back then it a fluid concept, and its interpretation favors the bold.
led into what we know as the Small Chamber. It’s easier to be nuanced with these concepts when your plea-
Why Julii? Why not Remi? Wouldn’t it make more sense to sures don’t risk leaving behind bastards. However, if you think
chronicle our gens from the moment of inception? Perhaps. But how far for a moment Kindred avoid contact with the upper realm or
back do we go? Should we trace ourselves through his divine parentage don’t flaunt their power or fuck and drink their way through
and call ourselves the Martes? After a while, such philosophizing is half the population, you’re dangerously naïve. It’s not about
little more than mental masturbation, which — while more sanitary refusing the orgy: It’s about not leaving stains. At least not too
— is significantly less fun than the real thing. many. Aulus Julius himself is the greatest example of this. It’s well
documented that Senex, as he’s known tonight, took a personal
All Julii trace their lineage to Aulus Julius, and so all descended
stake in shepherding his mortal descendants. For centuries, he
from him look to him as our paterfamilias. Remus, after all, is closer to
watched over their affairs and tinkered with their destinies as a
god than Kindred, and he never Embraced again. As far as we know.
horse breeder might. He sought to perfect his bloodline. And

when members of his family did not meet his expectations, he
rained upon them cruelty the likes unseen since Troy fell. Fathers
The Unnamable
forced to eat their children; children sold into slavery; daughters And here we come to the festering black heart of it all. We all know
whored for small coin; sons castrated on hounds’ teeth. of the clan I must not name and their cruelties and righteous demise,
and yet we feign ignorance. Their legacy is a whisper campaign among
To anger Senex was to suffer the most creative indignities —
the careless. That said, no chronicler worth reading is fool enough to
something he would teach Propinqui in short order.
record their true history, so I suppose this shall suffice.
In fact, some might argue he did so at the expense of his descendants.
Not me, of course.
We Julii have always been gracious hosts for our foreign
cousins, but before the Camarilla, there was one clan we could
The Others not abide. Tonight, we call them Traditores, and by law, we do
not speak about them or write of their felonious nature — and
Were there others before Remus? Certainly not in Rome. yet we must never forget, lest we forget their crimes against
Remus was the first of the Kindred to walk the Latin hills. Oh, the Kindred.
there were vampires in Rome before even the foundations were Though the Julii were the first clan of Rome, the traitor gens
laid, but these pale and hollow wretches were no more than held a special place in the black hearts of the Striges. Through
hungry corpses that drank goats in the night and hid in caves their craven worship of the Birds, they were granted special
from the sun. Remus was different. favors and privileges above all other dead. While the Propinqui
Once he granted the Embrace to Aulus, and he, in turn, toiled in the tunnels, the clan I must not name leisured and
perpetuated our gens, strange new dead things poured in from played their strange games. Where the Kindred of Rome spilled
all the edges of the world. These strangers swarmed like rats in the very Vitae from our veins in offering to the Birds, the clan
search of the glory and privilege bestowed upon those who live I must not name glutted themselves on patrician blood. When
beneath the Eternal City: the Mekhat of Egypt, the Nosophoroi the Striges called for a sacrifice of mortal or Kindred, the clan I
of Greece, the Daeuuas of Persia, the Gangiloz of Germania. must not name were always the ones wielding the knife, never
As good hosts, the Julii allowed them to stay. laying upon Dis Pater’s black altar.
Or that’s what the incurious say. It’s not untrue. But, a very loud Never forget this truth: The Julii faithfully upheld the pact of
(non-Julii) minority of my colleagues believe at least a few members of Remus. In our own way, we all served the Striges, every single
the gentes must have risen from Italian stock along with us Founders. Propinquus haunting the Necropolis. But while the five gentes
Different in purpose, but Romans nonetheless. Our Sodalitas Pernox played the role of dutiful servants, the clan I must not name
couldn’t function without castes, goes the reasoning, so the Blood found sought to be the Birds’ equals. For centuries, the Propinqui
new niches to fill. If this is true, the Julii were merely first, nothing served in the Inauspicious Twin’s stead, and we would have
more — phrasing I’d quibble with, but you get the idea. continued to do so for a thousand years more had the Striges
At any rate, few remember the truth, and those who do are liars. not changed their terms — had the clan I must not name not
Why these alleged “native” members of the other clans can claim hungered for more.
their foreign cousins as kin is an open question, and if there was ever On the same night that Lucius Junius Brutus and his allies
an answer, someone no doubt went to great lengths to conceal it. conspired against Tarquin the Proud, the last King of Rome,
Perhaps we Julii have counterparts too… but that’s a supposition the clan I must not name they came to our councils and pri-
I wouldn’t be too loud about. vate chambers with new edicts from the Striges. Despite their
privileges, these Traditores had been part of a tense unity with
To house these newcomers, we dug into the old Etruscan
the rest of the clans for hundreds of years. But, in an instant,
tombs beneath Rome and expanded them into chambers fit for
that peace was shattered.
the dead. To make them useful, they were given blood to sup
and put to work. To feed them, we encouraged the patricians The offerings of Vitae and occasional sacrifices would no lon-
above to conquer and enslave. In time, these visitors became ger be sufficient to satisfy the Birds of Dis. Henceforth, the Owls
Propinqui too, though some of our elders deny them this title. were to have access to the bodies and souls of any human, regard-
less of rank, connections, or family ties. They would claim all of
The laborious Worms are suited to the darkness and the
Rome as their own, and wield its might through their puppets,
tasks it holds, and they thrive in the deep tunnels.
with the clan I must not name their lackeys as their right hand.
The hedonist Courtesans are given latitude to pursue and
In siding with their dark masters, these traitors earned their
cultivate earthly delights.
name by betraying both the living and the dead.
The zealous Seers are priests and informants spreading word
There are few stories from that night, but one I’m allowed to share
of our new society across the world.
with you goes like this:
The ferocious Wanderers are glorious warriors and brutal
One of the Traditores — a high-ranking speaker of some kind,
enforcers of our will.
no doubt — entered Senex’s chambers without invitation. Aulus
And we to lead them all. greeted him as an honored guest, then watched as he tracked mud
Five clans, united as one, like the fingers of a fist. across his fine carpets like a barbarian. The Old Man offered the
But there was another. herald a draft of blood, only to have the wretch spit it out in disgust

at its vintage. The audacious creature then recited the Birds’
demands and dared to grin in triumph.
Who Are the Kindred?
But what fool condescends to a god? And be certain, Julius is as close The Julii say the dead are Kindred because they
to a god as his sire. He did not take this well. were all once men, but this is a platitude. When
With bare hands and fangs, he tore the traitor’s head from his other vampires arrived from foreign lands, they
weren’t quite like the Founders, with other bans
shoulders and wrapped his own fine toga with the dead man’s entrails.
and banes cursing their blood. Some could walk in
As he led the Founders through the city that night, he wore his gruesome the sun, or lacked addictive blood, while others were
accessory as a delightful statement piece. barely more than animals, not the sophisticated
The statement? Don’t fuck with the Julii. corpses of Remus’ brood. However, as these dead
came under the auspices of the Camarilla, whether
The clan I must not name The clan I must not name through force, migration, or legislation, they became
The Traditores had long plotted and maneuvered their way so like the Julii that they were Propinqui in all but
into special privileges with the Birds of Dis, but the Julii had their personal banes and supernatural affinities.
suffered enough. As Brutus ousted tyranny above, so too did Such is the greatness of the Midnight Republic. Or
so the Julii say.
the Founders eliminate corruption from the Necropolis. A
Whatever the catalyst, the Camarilla made all
century had passed since Remus was last sighted, so the duty of vampires in its bounds alike, and that could be part
action fell to his childe. Senex rose to the occasion. In a single of the grudge the Striges bear. Maybe the Owls
night, he rallied the Propinqui, and before dawn, he and five don’t just hate the Founders because Senex broke
of his most trusted confidantes from each clan had personally faith, but rather because the Julii made the other
overseen the Final Death of each and every last member of the dead like them: all too human. Or is it the other way
around? Perhaps with so much outside influence,
clan I must not name the Traditores, ensuring their ashes were what the Julii call Kindred aren’t as monstrous as
scattered over the Tiber. they once were.
Not one drop of traitorous Vitae was drunk in the slaughter,
and tonight, not a dram of it remains in the entire world. Senex
ordered their name stripped from records and histories; scrolls than the Striges’ demands. The anarchy of the Necropolis would
were burned and tablets ground to dust. By the next night, all be ended and tempered by the reasoned law of Aulus Julius
traces of the clan I must not name the clan I must not name Senex, and all Kindred would benefit from his wisdom. The
the clan I must not name the clan I must not name were wiped assembled Propinqui agreed — unanimously. They offered to
from the face of the earth, and Remus’s pact with them. let him lead this new republic, but Senex declined, saying he
We shall speak of them no further. would rather be first among his equals. And though he took
Is any of this true? Few — perhaps none but Senex himself — still no special role, any rogue brash enough to attempt legislation
remember these events, so it’s impossible to say. If nothing else, take it without his approval was not long for this world. In time, it
as yet another lesson: In Rome, if you intend to overreach, be sure to soon became clear that Senex was not only a greater man than
have more friends than your enemies. his sire ever was, but a greater monster as well.
Thus, the Camarilla came into being. And though the
Chambers Republic is gone and the Empire now grips the world’s throat
in its talons, the Camarilla remains. Kindred travel freely
Great and Small from Italia to Hispania, Britannia, or Asia without fear. All
As the betrayers’ ashes still hung in the air above the four wings of the Camarilla are strong, and save for the minor
Tarpeian Rock, Senex called the Propinqui to council in the aggravations of upstart religions, our nights are full of eternal
room where he had been Embraced. He called for an end leisure and bliss.
to the oath forced upon his sire and the beginning of a new We are ageless creatures, and our history is long and storied.
era of self-rule and justice. Julius understood that Kindred It would be impossible to share it all with you, but I hope this
require safety and crave power, but he also knew that for lesson was useful. However, if you took nothing from these
living and dead to coexist, the latter must remain in Rome’s lessons, at least know this: We are the Camarilla. And like
shadow. More than that, he proclaimed, they must become Rome above, we will reign forever.
Rome’s shadow. I hope you found this instructive. If not, I’m sure there are others
He called for the establishment of a Midnight Republic where who would tell you their own versions of things. But take it from
all the dead could claim membership, and all deemed Kindred me. I insist.
would pay a tithe in work or blood that was far more reasonable — S. Julius Macellarius Corbulo

DE MORTUO REMO
None dare defy the elder twin:
and see, the younger lies,
skull cracked open,
his face half-destroyed,
his lifeblood spilled in a soaking stain
half-within and half-without these
yet-to-be-built walls.
No brute beast comes to feed on Remus.
The moon rises, and he stirs a little,
dying unknown
and not yet without breath,
He cannot cry out;
all for ill-fated Remus is to open
one eye and see the moon,
and he sighs, for an inauspicious
shadow descends.
It has the shape of an owl, a man’s voice.
“Son of Mars,
I have come to bargain,” it says,
“for the issue of Romulus are
fated to rule over all
and to endure for a thousand
years, this I know.
I offer your line equal
posterity, and more,
if only you will agree to pay
due respect to
my own family, when the
right time comes.”
Remus blinks assent, and the owl seems to
grow and obscure the skull-pale moon.
He rises to his feet.
Come sunrise,
none remark on
the absent remains, and great-hearted
Romulus’s sleep is
vexed that night with visions of the
inauspicious twin.

Rome by Night
“Rome is eternal.” That’s what Mother said, voice flat, as you Mendacium
watched Father march away with the legions.
The living outnumber the dead. They could drag each and
“What if Pater dies?” you asked. And he did. every corpse into the day, doing the Nemeses’ work without
Mother couldn’t have known the depth of that ruthless truth. Or so much as a talon for help. The Emperor’s armies could clear
that it would become, in turn, the answer to your own death. the Necropolis in a fortnight with enough men and torches.
Now you wake each night in your mausoleum, the scent of blood So, we don’t give them a reason.
filling your nostrils. Pungent. Seductive. You grew so accustomed to While not law, the Masquerade is so widely practiced that
that iron tang from years of attending the chariot races, the gladiator to discard it is unheard of. But this is not pretending we aren’t
matches, and Mother’s surreptitious offerings to Hecate. real. Other dead in other lands hide their existence, crafting
The scent is overwhelming, clouding your vision, blotting out all fragile falsehoods that crumble like sand at the slightest touch.
other perceptions. You hunger. With the strength of Hercules, you shove We know the best lies are the simple ones. There’s no point
aside the sarcophagus lid only to step into a world of endless night. pretending something isn’t real if everyone knows it. Rome
Your sire is waiting. Not Pluto or his ferryman — some chthonic knows death too well, and she knows her ghosts still walk. This
demi-deity that sloughs off names as the ages crumble. Before you, an is the way of things; to deny it is to deny the tides.
empire spreads as cold and vast as the living’s: Camarilla. Thus, we make our masks. Those who discard them are
“And you are part of it now,” your sire says, promise and threat, soon for Apollo, but they weren’t worth the Vitae that ran in
answering the question you dared not ask. “Always.” their veins. Some of us walk among the living as their own,
Ut in vita, sic in morte. Rome is eternal. finding reasons to be out in the night or by the hearth. A
Nefastus with brawn might take up with the vigiles, walking
The Propinqui the streets at night and “dealing” with criminals as he sees
fit. Or perhaps a new hire appears among the brothel girls,
Blood runs downhill. It seeps through the Colosseum sands, unfamiliar yet never questioned. She entertains all the pow-
drenches the Terminus stones, spatters ten thousand altars. erful men, all the senators who’ll say anything for a glorious,
Rome can’t shed enough blood to sate its gods, and countless anonymous smile.
souls have crossed the Styx to craft and covenant the Eternal Others become one of the ancestors — the lares. Each Roman
City. Lucky bastards. household sustains an altar to familial and domestic ancestors.
Romans treat cheaply with death; always have. Call it the birth- By making offerings and giving prayers to their lares, they might
right of a fratricidal founder. But death brings glory and honor. come to them in dreams or visions, there to advise, counsel, or
Death is to be faced bravely, defiantly, for only cowards reach old direct. Likewise, to neglect their altars is to court disaster and
age. Death is inevitable, by your own or another’s hand. Call it render them into lemures, the vengeful, hungry ghosts that
population control: With new slaves brought to market and new roam in search of succor. Even the greatest house can fall if its
territories acquired, one has to deal with the chaff somehow. dead are disrespected.
But then again, the living bear certain troublesome expec- Kindred lares accept coin, blood, or whatever else they insin-
tations about death. That it’s final, for one. Corpses must be uate will please them, in exchange for lending their guiding
treated with the appropriate rites to prevent a restless ghost hands. Each gens plays a different role:
from haunting the streets. Those who fail to pay the funerary • Julii pose as great patricians of their lineage, sacred women
guilds might be tossed outside the walls for the wolves and of the shrines, or even past senators and emperors. Some
vultures. Pray they don’t wander back. Widows and orphans bold few pose as gods, offering boons to favored relatives or
might expect a stipend to compensate them for the loss of a smiting those who disgrace the family.
legionary father — but how can they collect if he rises from his
grave? And with countless assassinated so others might rise in • Daeva thrive as muses or by impersonating their petitioners’
rank and power, lingering shades wreaking vengeance are sure geniuses. Or, they embody forbidden desires: Your cousin,
to cause a panic. brother, or even mother. They employ the tricks of dreams
and visions better than most, slipping into thoughts and beds
So, when you find the god you’ve been worshiping is an idol
with equal skill.
fed with blood, or realize the champion of the Amphitheater
is an animate corpse, or notice the eerie likeness between the • Gangrel take the form of animals: hunting falcons, hounds,
senator upon the Palatine Hill and the colossus on the western or household cats. In this guise, they stoke nostalgia. Animals
road built four hundred years ago… you’ve stumbled, woe betide, are often less complicated than human relations, and easier
upon the Kindred. to forgive for clumsy demands or failed proclamations.
If you’re lucky (or damned, according to the Christians), you • Mekhet shroud themselves in mystery, relying on unspoken
may just become one of them. Or maybe you’ll just be one more secrets to cajole, tempt, or sway. They may orchestrate omens
among the countless ground into Rome’s mortar.

significant to augury or cultic beliefs, preferring oblique
symbolism over personal appearances. Some sustain myths
that grow as subsequent generations add to their familial lore.
Flashpoint:
The Third Servile War
• Nosferatu come as whispered voices in the darkness. They 73–71 BCE
haunt as relatives wronged: primal and wretched, on the Spartacus comes within an inch of Rome. He
verge of twisting into manes unless the right offerings are might’ve taken her if he wanted, though perhaps he
made and the family turns to honest work. But only in dire never intended to unleash his force of freed slaves
on the Republic’s heart. Even historians who live
circumstances do they employ the full horror of their visages. through his rebellion can’t agree, but his motives
Melt away into the shadows as needed, rise up to silence are unimportant. Crassus crucifies him anyway. Six
thousand men are left to die along the Appian Way.
naysaying tongues, bend a stubborn descendant with your Some of the bodies go missing. Lost to the vultures.
overmastering will, and any Propinquus can become a spectral The Kindred say new faces haunt the Necropolis
vision from beyond the grave. these nights. They speak Thracian and other
But remember, the living have their own needs. What hap- tongues, and no sires claim them. The Strangers’
ranks swell, and some say these fledglings bring
pens when a young descendant grows suspicious of demands
ways to undermine the laws of death. Most are
more suited to the flesh than the spirit? What happens when Wanderers and Worms — but some are Julii, a
your guidance leads the family into disaster and ruin? If you fact the Senex is quick to repress. The Vaticinators
would play a god, never prove yourself false. perform a cleansing rite at the Templum Remi,
though none will say why. The Legion is told to
watch the eyes of any newcomers.
De Bestia
They call the Striges our Nemeses, but the Owls are external.
Distant shadows and paranoia. The true enemy of all Propinqui
Camarilla with rank, wealth, or deed to establish their position
resides in each of our skulls, the voice of wrath and ruin that
after death, and even centuries on, the eternal question is never
drives us to be more than corpses and less than men.
Who are you? but Who are your people?
Yes, the Beast brings power. Its bloody gifts make the
However, like the living, workarounds are abundant.
Camarilla strong, and each gentes’ talent is necessary for the
Blood and territory define the Requiem more than coin or
proper functioning of Sodalitas Pernox. The Julii assure order is
nomina, but a lowborn Propinqua can attain all the wealth
maintained; the Daeva warm dead hearts with their charms; the
and prestige she needs if she’s willing to work for it, whether
Gangrel rend our enemies’ flesh; the Mekhet keep the Kindred
with a blade in the Legion or a silver tongue in the Assembly.
righteous; and the Nosferatu make the Necropolis fearsome to
Even the Collegium, the wing with the greatest number of
those who would impede upon her.
plebeians, can eke out a great deal of material power. A pleb
But these are blasphemous rites by mortal reckoning. Black can be Princeps, after all, and the dead have eternity to build
magic is not the province of a Roman. Kindred come up with their personal empires in the dark. Strategy, courage, fortune,
all manner of excuses to use their witchery, some even calling timing. With these virtues, any Propinquus can stake out his
their powers “natural,” but all know the truth. We are blighted place in the Camarilla or distance himself from the limita-
beings, shunned from the sunlit world for our inherent deprav- tions of an unhappy birth. But only with luck and discipline
ity. Though we feed on mortals, vampires are second in all may he keep it.
things. We are denied the blessing of life and true death, and for
• An ambitious but lowborn Founder might look beyond
that, we are lesser. Never forget that we are Nefasti: No mortal
Rome’s borders, where countless kings rise and fall. Out
judgment may be laid upon us, for we are already condemned.
there, a prudent Julius can claim any throne he desires.
Never is this clearer than when the Beast takes its price. Some
will say it’s another voice of the gods, Bacchus spurring us to • A Courtesan might rise through the echelons by providing
partake of pleasures or Diana demanding a hunt. Others call entertainment to the powerful and well-favored. Actors,
it the Owls’ revenge, their hatred left to fester in our hearts — prostitutes, and other performers are untouchables, true,
though this doesn’t account for the other clans (perhaps we’re but the dead aren’t bound by living bans.
more Kindred than we think). But the provenance doesn’t • A Wanderer might earn fame and fealty as a fearless warrior,
matter. All that should concern you is acting like a Roman, earning the loyalty of an entire legion. War is how emperors
even if you can’t really be one. The Beast deprives us of will, are made.
and that’s why we should fear it. Whether you be a coward
or a villain, an aggressor or a hero, the choice must be yours. • A Seer might gather knowledge and skill beyond the possible
scope of mortal reckoning; with centuries unfolding, what
Cursus Dishonorum mysteries might hide in the stars, the sciences, or the Blood?
Blood is inviolable. It may take on new qualities among the And who might be willing to pay for them?
dead gentes, but a patrician is always a patrician, and a plebeian • A Worm might build her own domain, a fiefdom deep in
is ever a plebeian. Many Kindred ride their lineage into the the Necropolis where Camarilla law is what she says it is.

Nightly Tributes
Torches burn between columns, casting writhing shadows that
leap and dance down marble steps. Most of the living are home and
abed, except the whores, beckoning softly from the narrow alleyways
to drunks leaving the warmth of the inns in search of other comforts.
A pair of soldiers patrol, shining swords cleaving the darkness,
pulses steady but senses alert to trouble. Before them upon a plinth
stands a statue of Diana, a bow in her fist and about to draw an
arrow, eyes flashing like onyx.
“If the flamens don’t want to incur the Huntress’s wrath, they’re
due to apply fresh paint,” one remarks as they pass beneath her
gaze. “Marble’s looking paler than it ought.”
His companion nods, gazing up at the life-sized statue—
He freezes. His hand tightens on the haft of his weapon.
“Marcellus! It moved.”
Marcellus laughs. “Come off it, Flavius. The lanternlight plays
tricks on your eyes. The old bastards who run this temple have
carried out the same statue every night since you were a boy.”
Flavius relaxes his grip. He’s chafed by Marcellus’s chiding
tone, but more so by the insinuation that he, a son and soldier of
Rome, was afraid. Shoulder to shoulder, they pass the plinth and
turn into the deeper shadow of Diana’s temple. Still uneasy, he
briefly glances over his shoulder.
The plinth stands empty.
Flavius is not a superstitious man. Nor is he inspired by an excess
of faith. People make tributes to the gods because it’s proper… but
the gods will do as they will. No matter what a man might wish.
Tonight, it seems, Diana wishes to hunt.
He forces himself to face forward, to keep his stride steady lest
Marcellus mocks him again. But try as he might to steady his
breath, the hairs on the back of his neck prickle, some animal
voice inside him urging him to run.
“Wait,” Marcellus says, half-turning toward the unassailable
black of the inner temple, like a doorway into Pluto’s kingdom.
“I thought I heard something.”
“If you’re trying to frighten me —” Flavius begins, but gets no
further. A blur streaks from the dark, and in his terror, Flavius
registers only the beautiful face distorted into a wolf-like snarl, jaws
wide and full of sharp teeth. Both of the goddess’s hands end in
vicious talons, and she tears through Marcellus as if he were papyrus.
But papyrus doesn’t bleed. Blood sprays across Flavius’s face, into
his eyes. He staggers, thrusting his sword blindly. A son and soldier
of Rome, he tells himself desperately, lives and dies with honor!
Marcellus, to his credit, doesn’t scream. He gurgles from the
marble steps, his sword knocked beyond his reach. Flavius clears
his vision in time to see the goddess stamp one pale foot down
upon his chest, pinning him with divine strength. She stoops over
him, holding him fast, as if to seal his fate with a kiss.
Flavius can’t see clearly past her mass of dark curls, but when
she rises, his comrade lies ashen and still.
Diana turns, rolling her beautiful shoulders back, moonlight
gleaming off her coiled hair, off her naked arms, off the blood
dripping from her hands.

“Will you not run?” Her voice is as soft as it is terrible.
Flavius’s hands are shaking, so he tightens his grip. He swallows When in Rome…
hard, tries to keep his voice from quaking. “Have we displeased you, First, orient yourself. The city of Rome is symbolic
Goddess of the Hunt?” of the Empire’s successes and supremacy — so too
is the Necropolis. Toe the line. Or, at least ensure
She considers the question, looking down at Marcellus. “Hunting you’ve got the power to draw new lines for others
pleases me,” she says. to toe.
Flavius thinks. Dare he strike a goddess? He hesitates. Places of the High: Palaces, villas, and insulae
can house wealthy Propinqui, most likely in altar
Her onyx eyes slide back to him, sly and watchful as an owl. “Will rooms or cellars.
you please me, soldier? Give me something to chase. Go on. Run.” Places of the Low: Corridors run like streets
He thrusts at her, blade aimed at her heart — or where her heart beneath the seven hills. So, too, do the Kindred
was just a moment before. She lunges fast as an arrow, and the sword make use of the sewers and aquifers threaded
throughout their domain.
point bends against her blocking arm. Unscathed, she knocks it aside.
Places of Delight: Brothels, baths, colosseums,
The next heartbeat, her bloody hand is closed around his throat. amphitheaters, and cauponae are all excellent
She lifts him without the slightest hint of effort. Her jaws are those hunting grounds for food and fun.
of a she-wolf, snapping shut on her prey. Places of Torment: Crucifixion hills, dungeons,
and lion-baiting at the Colosseum provide
When the next patrol begins, bloody traces run down the temple punishment for the living and easy prey for the
steps and into the gutter. Down in the sewer, things already feast on dead.
the soldiers’ remains, stripping the bodies for salvage to trade. Above, Places of Worship: Temples, cult alcoves, and
the night is deeper. Quieter. Terminus Stones. Where mysticism and faith dwell,
Kindred gifts are easy to explain away.
One of the men gazes at the statue of Diana, standing proudly atop
her plinth. The torchlight gleams off the red of her lips, the onyx of her
eyes, the ebony of her hair, the glow in her marble cheeks. The hem
of her tunic is stained red, her bare legs catching the light. The soldier pragmatic scythe, only to rise in the dead of winter as merciful
gestures with his spear. “Look how vibrant she is tonight.” Proserpina, come to offer release to the starving and half-frozen.
His companion grunts. Some Kindred look to the state for guidance, after a fashion.
“Must’ve repainted her.” When Caligula, Nero, and Commodus wear the laurels, does
their wickedness trickle down? Do you eat the flesh of your
Blood in the Streets kine as well as their blood? Do you, drunk on your own power,
The living possess capacious appetites, but vampires have have others bound so you can murder them in a farce of fair
limitless cravings. Why would we leave behind our beautiful play? Do you, in paranoid fits, cut down your retainers lest they
orgies, our lavish feasts, our bathhouse trysts? Every opportu- conspire against you?
nity is at our fingertips. The vintage overflowing our goblets But the good times never last forever. When the plagues
may have changed, but we can still infuse our cold flesh with sweep through the mortal population, decimating millions,
warmth to perform a full array of sensuous acts. We’re more what then? When fire ravages the city, burning dead and living
alive now than we ever were before, and if that doesn’t scare without care, where will you turn for a meal?
you, you haven’t been listening.
First, however, you’ve got to eat. Quick Bites
In times of stability, there’s no shortage of blood. Reside in • Serve one of Rome’s many gods. Animal sacrifices provide
a well-appointed palace — complete with columns, mosaics, blood for the less picky (or more pious).
and baths — run by living descendants still faithful to your • Join a cult. Countless living and dead religions lurk in Rome,
memory, ready to provide you with both a stable larder and all and if the mysteries involve a little bloodletting, who’s going
the comforts your cold heart could want. Draw guests in with to complain?
raucous parties overflowing with vinum, sweet music of the sis-
trum and lyre filling the air, cornucopic feasts, and orgies that • Become an assassin, slaying dignitaries, outlaws, or anyone
last all night long. Among so much reverie, no one will notice else who crosses those who’ve got the coin to buy death. So
a little nick or bruise, or a bit of weariness in the morning sun. long as the target bleeds their last, no one asks questions
about what you did with the body.
Or maybe you prefer a little religion with your meals. There
are a thousand gods whose forms we can borrow. Steal in • March to the front. There are a hundred wars to wage against
among the ranks of the priests, diverting their rituals to your any number of antagonists: Gauls, Persians, Carthaginians.
own ends, accepting sacrifices of beast and blood. Slink into Blood waters the Empire; don’t let it go to waste.
bed chambers and make love as Somnus, leaving your lover in • Face off against gladiators, wild beasts, or the occasional
a death-like slumber. Burst out onto a field of battle as Mars, monster. You’ll drink your fill beneath the cheering crowds
ready to take your tributes of the worthy dead. Drift across the — as long as you survive.
territories with the seasons, cutting down the sickly with Ceres’

THE FIRST TRADITION: DOMINION
All of the territory of the civilized world is also the territory of the Camarilla.
The Camarilla determines the divisions of domain.
A vampire who denies tribute to the Camarilla forfeits claim to the Blood.
THE SECOND TRADITION: DESTRUCTION

No vampire shall be put to Final Death without the express legal sentence of the Senex.
All citizens of the Camarilla are entitled to defense of dispute in the Necropolis Forum.
THE THIRD TRADITION: AMARANTH

All Kindred of the Camarilla are forbidden from devouring the heartsblood of another vampire.
Cannibalism is the tool of the Nemeses.
Those who violate this commandment risk empowering our great enemy.
Immortal Pillars Dis still swirl around the edges, through the catacombs, slipping
through the dead like a miasma. Without our Traditions, they
The Midnight Republic comes first and last. Be you the would destroy everything we’ve built.
wealthiest Julian or the most debauched Daeva, the most mar-
tial Gangrel or the most perceptive Mekhet, or even the most The Hierarchy of Death
ill-used Nosferatu, you are all Camarilla. Belonging is what As with all things Roman, structure is vital. It’s by our laws
makes you Kindred. If sharp-fanged things exist beyond the All we die and live again in Sodalitas Pernox. The Senex has its
Night Society’s reach, they are not Kindred. Legislatio, the Legion has its Jura, and the Augurs have their
Our protections do not extend to them. Veneficium (the law of the gods).
Through them, our rule is absolute. A Senecta protected
The Three Traditions by the spirit of Aulus Julius is impervious to harm; she knows
Know that our Traditions are fair, just, and inviolable. all your sins at a glance; she can even suppress the gifts of
Dominion. Would you have us return to the days of sons the Blood until debts are repaid. A Soldier can ferret out any
slaughtering fathers to claim their inheritance? Tales of the criminal regardless of haven; enforcing the laws enhances his
Titans reveal how untenable such a world is. Only by the power already considerable strength and focus; he can even hold you
of the gods did the heavens achieve order. Likewise, only by in place until judgment comes — or, if need be, until Final
the power of the Camarilla does our world gain shape. We Death. And a Vaticinator can learn however the pantheon
cannot progress if we must resist the corrosive tides of schism wishes us to hunt, or build, or vote.
and insurrection. Kindred must be united. The First Tradition Each wing serves in its own way:
provides the stability to further our civilization. • The Cult of Augurs listens to the will of the gods, translates
Destruction. Would you have our precious peace snatched this for Propinquus ears, and performs rites to ensure favor-
away without a fair trial? In eternity, there must be ways to able outcomes.
punish those who prove themselves unworthy of it. Final Death
is aptly named, a door through which one may never return. • The Legion of the Dead defends us at home and abroad,
If one of our number must pass through that portal, let it be clearing the paths between domains, but it also fights for
proven that their actions have no other recourse. The Second riches, victory, and glory.
Tradition ensures what we build is civilized. • The Peregrine Collegium labors, organizes, and Embraces
Amaranth. Would you have Dis destroy us from within? To those who make up the body of our culture, bringing new-
devour another of our kind is to taint the purity of the Blood. comers into the fold and ensuring all the dead are Kindred.
It is to invite madness. It is to do our enemies’ work for them. If • The Senex governs, hears disputes, and passes judgment. It is
we hunt each other, the first two Traditions crumble, and thus, foremost of the wings and has the sole legal right to pass out
the final and Third Tradition ensures our civilization endures. death sentences. It is the ultimate authority in all matters.
The Traditions keep us safe, stable, and in power. Enemies
What? Ah, yes, the Spear and Chapel. They belong to the
would destroy us, our Nemeses first among them. You might
Strangers, whatever they both might say. They’re a passing
say “Let them try!” but such hubris will cut us all down in short
fashion, and while fashions may rise, they most assuredly fall,
order. In the grand scheme of things, it hasn’t been long since
like last season’s stola. And even the Spearman’s Apostles, for
that fated Owl whispered poison in Remus’s dying ear. For all
all their doomsaying, dare not forfeit the Blood.
the Julii (and, yes, the other clans) have built since, the Birds of

Each wing has a general purpose, but within these factions,
more specialized roles are available. These positions vary
between cities, but all Camarilla domains have at least rough The Three Bans
equivalents, usually following the trends of Rome herself. Apart from the Traditions, three unwritten rules
are enforced among the dead, more out of cultural
The Cult of Augurs reverence than as a matter of law.
The Cadaver Ban: This is likely the most violated of
The Augurs have innumerable vocations and positions, with the three bans: A vampire must respect her victim’s
different chief priests and subordinates dedicated to each god corpse if she kills, provided that doing so doesn’t
in the pantheon. violate Mendacium. For this reason, revenants are
more common in Rome than in the modern nights.
• Vaticinator: Technically speaking, all Fates are vaticinators
Many vampires mistakenly believe that if a victim is
(prophets), such that this position is more a nickname than given proper funerary rites, he will not rise, though
a role. As vaticinators, the Fates are required to carry a some Propinqui have surmised the truth. However,
small iron dagger for rituals and wear a distinct black or they must be careful destroying their victims’ bodies
gray cloak with a raised hood when conducting official away from prying eyes.
business; different roles modify this cloak with a stripe of The Infamia Ban: Propinqui consider feeding from
one’s own childer akin to the mortal Roman “sin”
varying colors. of taking a passive role in homosexual relations.
• Scholar: A specialist vaticinator who studies the Veneficium Perhaps this began as practical advice to not be
bound to one’s lessers, but the proscription has
and preserves the history of the Camarilla. They serve as since taken on a cultural taboo. An annoying one, at
instructors for new blood sorcerers, and some leverage that, as it makes it difficult for elders to feed if they
access to their private libraries to gain power among those haven’t developed special herds. The reverse isn’t
who seek mystic knowledge. These Augurs bear a white controversial at all; sires bond their childer under
stripe on their cloaks. Vincula all the time.
The Contaminant Ban: Contaminating blood is a
• Epulo: Among the living, epulones arrange public feasts grave crime against one’s Kindred, but this is the most
during religious festivals and games; for the dead, they are reli- ambiguous of the three bans. According to the Julii,
gious bureaucrats of the highest caliber. An epulo beseeches it prevents the creation of “perverted” bloodlines,
but no one really knows what that means, including
the gods for blessings and approval in all state affairs, includ- the Founders, if pressed. Some Kindred believe it has
ing Assembly meetings and warfare. They also command a something to do with the Traditores, while others
high price to bless Kindred undertakings in general, whether say it refers to an obscure power of the Nemeses. A
they employ the Veneficium or not. Their mandatory role in few vampires even gossip that the Julii are perverted
consecrating state actions often puts them at odds with the themselves, but they do so quietly. Feeding from the
diseased treads the line of this custom, though it’s
Senex’s aediles, who bear an overlapping function but care considered acceptable if clean Vitae isn’t available.
less about the proper moon sign when a new tunnel needs That said, the Morbus bloodline finds its Kindred
to be dug up. These Augurs bear a red stripe on their cloaks oddly unforgiving in that respect…
and often carry a sacrificial bowl.
• Regina/Rex Sacrorum: The Queen/King of the Sacred. The
Rex/Regina is the leader of the Cult of Augurs, appointed • Munifex: The majority of the Legion are these rank-and-file
by the Senex, though in practice, the Cult “recommends” enforcers, and their black armor and helmet crests form the
the candidate. This position is similar to the living office, stereotypical image associated with the wing. Munifices are
but it carries more political power, and it’s not restricted to rarely alone, encouraged by their superiors to associate with
patricians or men. The Rex/Regina is always a gifted student each other even off-duty, and it’s well known that to challenge
of the Veneficium, and they’re paid well for their advice and a single munifex is to pick a fight with all of them. Often
blessings. This Augur wears a toga, regardless of gender, and called Virgatores (“floggers”) after one of the most common
carries a special sacrificial ax. punishments they inflict upon lawbreakers, though this has
become a general derogatory term for all Soldiers.
The Legion of the Dead
Unlike other wings, where influence is a tangled web of • Centurion: The officers of the Legion, centurions command
deception, favors, and blood, hierarchy in the Legion of the units of munifices in battle, easily identified by their side-
Dead is clear-cut. ways helmet-crest, and they expect their orders to be obeyed
without question. When possible, centurions also oversee
• Conscript: The Grim Battalion uses ghouls to perform the
the training of new recruits, but this duty sometimes falls to
necessary military drudgery Kindred don’t have the time for,
senior munifices. Centurions also act as ad hoc judiciaries,
like guarding various tunnels in the Necropolis and keep-
hearing testimony and handing down minor punishments
ing watch during the day. These grunts are usually drawn
to criminals. Much like their orders in battle, a centurion’s
from existing military servicemen, slaves, and gladiators.
verdict is not up for appeal, and once they have spoken on
A conscript can be “promoted” to munifex by earning the
it, the matter is considered closed.
Embrace through loyalty and service.

• Immunis: Experts in their field, immunes are specialists who,
in some cases, have been practicing their particular craft for
centuries. This rank shows the most variety in the Legion, as The Embrace
immunes can be anything from interrogators to tacticians, No law constrains the Embrace. The dead have
but all wear a unique silver ring to signify their position. never needed such a regulation, and it would
run counter to the goal of expanding the Empire
• Praetor: The commanders and generals of the Legion, prae- of Night. At any rate, the Beast provides all the
tors set defense policy for entire domains, and all Soldiers restrictions the authorities will ever need. Still,
therein are under their command. They are the highest some Kindred perceive an implied threat in the
First Tradition: Your domain must support your
authority in the wing, responsible for promoting rising stars brood, and their deeds are your responsibility. Rule
and punishing those who disgrace their rank. There are no your house well, or the Old Man might find ways
armchair generals among praetors: Each is expected to take to prosecute any carelessness.
the field should a threat to their domains prove dire enough.
The Peregrine Collegium

The Untouchables aren’t very formal, but two positions are • Aedile: The middle management of Ala Senecta, aediles
legally mandated. Neither is linked to status, though it’s rare oversee everything from religious holidays to public works
for low-ranking Untouchables to earn either role. to defense contracting, as well as the distribution of funds
and administration of the First Tradition. They work closely
• Tribune: The Collegium organizes itself into “bands” (cater-
with the other wings to assure they serve the Camarilla as
vae), loose associations of Kindred with common purposes
intended, frequently liaising with magistrates and tribunes.
or origins (Gallic Gangrel, freedmen, etc.) These bands
determine their own internal structures, but each must elect a • Consul: Official witnesses acting on behalf of the state,
tribune, whose job is to keep the wing’s magistrates informed consuls preside over the Assembly. Without a consul to
of their band’s activities and current membership. If a mem- acknowledge them, debates may not occur and laws may
ber commits a crime, it’s the tribune’s responsibility to aid not be passed. Once a consul witnesses a potential law, it’s
the state in bringing them to justice. In theory. In practice, entered into the roster and can be voted on. Though they
the tribune is just as often the point man in covering up can’t veto laws once acknowledged, this role gives consuls
crimes. No one votes for a snitch. a great deal of indirect power, as they can choose to ignore
proposed legislation when it suits them. The position is
• Governor: If the Strangers have a shit job, it’s the governor.
typically reserved for those of high status or patrician
A governor is elected once a year by the other tribunes to be
heritage. Typically, it’s a Requiem-long appointment, but
the whole wing’s representative within a domain. However,
many Kindred will kill for this position if they think they
she has little formal power, and she’s often the designated
can get away with it.
scapegoat when the Senex or Legion need to blame the
Collegium for some social ill. The governor is typically a • Invictus: Invicti are the most powerful Kindred in Rome,
magistrate, though she’s not required to be. While some and though they don’t have official roles, no legislation
have cultivated a bit of soft influence over the centuries, few may pass the Senex without at least their nominal support.
could be called leaders. Sometimes they’re referred to as the Inner Circle, so called
because seating at the Assembly and Camarilla is arranged
The Senex by status, with the highest closest to the center. A few Invicti
Unlike the living, the Old Man’s cursus honorum is rather loose, may be Aulus Julius’s remaining childer, but most were wiped
but the following roles (with the exception of magistrate) form out in the Great Fire of Rome, and it’s considered politically
the rough path Ancients aspire to as they rise through the ranks. expedient not to advertise this connection. A handful of
• Advocate: The lowest-ranking Senecti are “lawyers” and magistrates with high status in their wings have forced their
dispute-resolution specialists, acting as neutral (or not-so- way into the Inner Circle over the centuries, but, oddly, they
neutral) third parties. This is the grunt work of the wing, don’t tend to live very long.
but even the highborn are expected to spend at least a few • Magistrate: A member of another wing with the right to vote
years serving the public. at the Assembly. Each wing is granted a number of magiste-
• Quaestor: Among the living, these officials are treasurers, rial roles in proportion to its population in the Necropolis,
but Senex quaestors fill roles closer to the word’s literal or whatever domain the Kindred happen to be occupying.
definition: prosecutors and investigators. These Senecti Vampires in other wings sometimes use this position as a
are the Camarilla’s proxies in criminal cases, acting as stepping stone in establishing Senex careers.
factfinders and/or arguing on the state’s behalf before the
Assembly. A formal quaestor isn’t always required for minor
The Lancea et Sanctum
offenses, but one must be appointed in any trials involving The Witnesses have not yet gained any official purpose in
the Second Tradition. the Camarilla beyond annoyance, and their various cults are

too scattered to have consistent titles. However, two informal
roles are common these nights.
• Martyr: A vampire who swears to meet Final Death in the Flashpoint:
name of the Spear and Chapel. This is not holy suicide, but Death of the Republic
27 BCE
rather an oath to accept the consequences of faith. While
Augustus is a great man. He finds Rome in clay
they’re often warriors, martyrs can also just be preachers who and leaves her in marble. He sweeps away malignant
refuse to back down when the authorities would silence the bureaucracy. He is the redeemer, the son of a god.
Dark Father’s word. He saves Rome from herself.
Augustus is a tyrant. He murders. He conquers.
• Missionary: Most Churches of Longinus are built around His hunger for power isn’t sated till the day he dies,
guru-like missionaries, teachers of the faith who work to and anyone who takes him at his word is worse than
bring more dead into righteous Damnation. Missionaries a fool. He rapes the Republic because he believes
live up to their title in all ways, whether as tacticians or cell it’s his birthright, and the rough beast he spawns
leaders when the pogroms begin. shares all his bloodlust.
Augustus is both these things. Selflessness and
selfishness are the same in an emperor, and he’s not
The Liberation of Death troubled by the contradiction. Not usually. Once a
Vampires cannot be slaves. Slavery is a quality of life, and year, he sits upon the steps of the Forum and begs
death is a freedom that can’t be revoked. Even when they for alms, with no bodyguard or blade on his person.
Few dare ask why, but a brave handful do. He replies
encounter foreign vampires and conquer them, the Camarilla that he must placate Nemesis.
doesn’t make slaves of them: It makes them Kindred. It does The Emperor of the Living is also the Emperor of
take them prisoner of course. It subjects them to punishments the Dead. The Propiniqui welcome a strong hand,
and perversions and plays awful games with their minds. But it wielded by a man who shares all their awful virtues
never enslaves them. Kindred do keep mortal slaves; the living and beautiful vices. As Rome’s twilight reflection,
the Camarilla suffered the same unrest that
may be higher than the dead, but there are exceptions. Vampires plagued the Republic, and thus does Pax Romana
bring slaves into their Requiems like Egyptian kings clutch at bring Pax Nocturna.
grave goods. However, they rarely keep them long, as the needs The Emperor inspires the Senex in a way even the
of the Masquerade make it difficult to maintain households Old Man couldn’t, emboldening them to rule the
the way mortals do. Indeed, many Kindred consider slavery dead as Augustus the living. The Augurs bless his
reign, and the Soldiers swear their loyalty. Even the
pointless: The Blood is far more direct.
Strangers raise salutes, for contented kine make fat
Most living women are little better than slaves, subject to their and easy prey. The Empire of Night expands with
fathers and husbands and rarely allowed legal independence. Rome, its Legion a conquering army as it follows
They don’t even get their own names. But a dead woman is no in the tracks of Augustus’s forces. And as their
territory expands, they find other dead. And they
different from a dead man. This isn’t out of any enlightenment
become Kindred too.
among the Propinqui that the living lack; it’s practicality. Few
would bother Embracing a woman if the Requiem had noth-
ing to offer, and fewer women would accept the Blood if they
could never use it. Some vampires rankle at female generals and once the Blood flows through you, the Camarilla ensures you
senators, but as time passes, their prejudices wither. The dead heed the Traditions.
can’t violate taboos that only apply to the living.
Beyond the Eternal City
Edges of the Empire A vast empire awaits, and untold opportunities abound,
war-bought wealth and the prestige of valor. But the challenge
Look to the far corners of our territories: Pannonia,
comes in how to get there.
Macedonia, Cappadocia, Mesopotamia, Judea, Aegyptus,
Africa, Aquitania, Hispania, Britannia, and all the rest. As The Legion of the Dead is charged with protecting trade
far as the might of Rome stretches, so too does the Camarilla. routes and guarding caravans moving between domains, but
they can’t be everywhere. Hadrian’s walls mark out Roman
With each new territory claimed, new blood filters along
territory, many of which bear Kindred sigils showing the way
the arterial network of Roman roads. These newcomers bring
to outposts of the Necropolis. Learn to read them; put that
skilled fighters, fresh hands for labor, exotic mores, and even
literacy to good use. These smaller underworld cities make up
new practices of worship. And, of course, wealth enough to
domains assigned by the Camarilla, tribute states feeding the
fund those triumphal marches home, and elaborate games to
power of Rome. Still, while reports arrive by efficient couriers,
win over the people, above and below.
you may still be weeks away from civilization. If you need aid or
Many of the conquered come from lands of bestial kings or reinforcements, seek the local magistrate. Bring blood.
motley bands of nomads; they’re unaccustomed to the grandeur
The slowest and most vulnerable method is to travel on foot,
and organization of Rome (and, likewise, our Necropolis). They
even with the powers of the Blood. Riding a horse, camel, or
must learn to embrace Roman customs and Roman laws. But,
elephant — or having a mule pull a cart — can enable you to

carry more supplies at a steadier clip, but this also presents a The wealthiest travel with their entire households, carried
bigger target for brigands. The main roads are well maintained aloft in a litter borne on the shoulders of servants and slaves,
and safe to travel at high speeds, but beware of smaller roadways with ghoul retainers and attendants standing between them
suffering damage from earthquakes, sandstorms, or neglect, and any danger. Such herds provide protection during day-
where broken paving and loose cobbles can break an axle or time rests, especially across arid wastes where travel is best
leave your beasts lame. Bandits are watching for just such a done by night, even by the kine. Beware arrogance, though;
helpless fool. bringing that many dead with you provides that many more
Making a ghoul of your steed, of course, ensures they’re eyes that might gleam yellow when you’re miles from help in
resilient and tireless. Yet, ghouls are harder to maintain on any direction.
journeys through desolate regions where your own ability Many of Rome’s holdings are best reached by ship, using sail
to hunt may be hampered. Whatever your conveyance, aim and oarsmen to propel you to Africa, Asia, Cyprus, and beyond.
for the crossroads. Crossroads often maintain outposts or Take care feeding or else the captain may think there’s a plague
roadside memorials that offer temporary shelter from the aboard… and pin its source on you. The sun rises swiftly when
ruthless sun. Legionary troops may even be posted there, there’s no land on the horizon to shield you.
whose honor may be prevailed upon for protection. Assuming The contested regions along the borders are crawling with
you’re honorable. dangers. A Propinquus is always at risk of attack from raiders,
There is safety in numbers, though. Worm your way into a roaming Germani, lamiae, werewolves, or — worst of all — the
caravan or march out with the Legion, but be careful, lest you Nemeses. On the frontiers, those cast out by the Camarilla
arouse suspicion and find yourself crucified by the side of the scratch desperately for survival. Eventually, inevitably, they
road as a warning to other would-be blood thieves. In a pinch, lose themselves to the Beast, and the Birds of Dis fill those
you can always play dead. Get mortal mourners to carry your skies with smoke.
sarcophagus to your intended destination. If needed, you can If you must press past the edges of the Roman Empire, do
even haunt their nighttime camps as a restless ghost to speed not go alone.
them on their way.

RITUS MORTUORUM
By inspiration of divinity and in accordance with the Laws
of the Republic, ludi funebres shall be held on the Ides of
Quintilis in celebration of and veneration to the long
service of Aulus Julius Senex.
During this night, none of the Blood in Necropolis shall
hunt but shall drink of vitae provided by Ala Senecta.
During this night, none of the Blood shall quarrel, be they
in conflict of clan or wing. Those showing disrespect or
violence shall be brought before the Assembly.
During this night, none of the Blood shall Embrace, except
as chosen by Ala Senecta, and in tribute to the historic
power of Lord Senex, a youth of good lineage and beauty,
and proven to be beloved of the gods, shall be welcomed
into the Requiem. This youth shall serve for the following
year as cupbearer in the Senex chambers.
During this night, all wings shall attend Elysium as
befits their station to present demonstrations providing
entertainment to the Camarilla.
Ala Vaticinia shall sacrifice seven criminals to the gods,
representative of the seven hills of Rome, which shall be
attended by the mystic rites of their order.
Ala Militaris shall arrange a gladiatorial presentation of
their best essedarii, whose chariot horses must be ghouls of
the highest quality.
Ala Peregrina shall present chosen magistrates to stand
before the whole of the Assembly, where they shall give
speeches. He the Assembly deems best-spoken will be admitted
to Ala Senecta, replacing one member who is deemed by vote
to have failed in his duties in the year prior.
Thus the mighty fall and the low rise. All acts in service to
the Camarilla shall by virtue be rewarded.
Thus by these rites shall the Camarilla prosper.
Thus do we uphold them for the good of all Kindred and
by the eternal favor of the gods.
Camarula invicta.

The City of the Dead
Nestled beneath Rome is a dark reflection of its majesty, stretches out beneath Rome like its shadow, mirroring the city
carved from the cold rock by dead hands that expand its shad- above in glory and mystery.
owed depths to this very night.
This is Necropolis, the unbeating heart of the Camarilla, Beneath the Surface
the epicenter of Kindred culture. In the Necropolis, Propinqui
The Necropolis is ever-changing: Old tunnels collapse,
are made and struggle through their Requiems, many meeting
flood, or simply disappear in the shifting darkness — vanish-
Final Death having never strayed far from its winding corridors.
ing for decades or more only to reappear as if they never left.
The blood and ash of Rome’s vampires have sunk deep into
Meanwhile, the scrabble of dirt-caked fingers can always be
the stone, as have the screams of the many mortals whose last
heard just around the next bend as Nosferatu and other workers
sights were black marble columns lit by flickering candles. More
ceaselessly claw new chambers from the cold earth. Absolutely
than rock and shadow, the Necropolis is a place of ambition, of
no one has a complete map of its labyrinthine corridors, and
intricate schemes unfolding over centuries. It is a place of deep
thus, for all its ubiquity, the Necropolis remains mysterious to
faith, of blood-slick altars and prayers whispered into darkness.
even the Kindred who walk its tunnels nightly. Below are some
It is a place of haunting beauty and horrific savagery, where
of the most well-tread chambers in the Undercity, but even
atrocities play out beneath breathtaking works of art — all of
their relative infamy doesn’t prevent them from concealing a
it unseen by the living.
surprise or two.
And rarely, the Necropolis is a place of hope. Freed from the
fear of the sun and the need to scrabble nightly for the next The Assembly
mouthful of blood, some vampires dare to be more than the As the Camarilla expanded, its governing body outgrew its
self-serving monsters they are. namesake, and it became impractical and dangerous to hold
Through it all, the Undercity bears mute witness to the important gatherings in a chamber that could only hold per-
struggles, triumphs, and despair of the dead who call it home. haps fifty Kindred squashed together. After yet another chain
of frenzies left the walls of the Small Chamber smeared with
Ex Terra ash and blood, a more robust meeting space was necessary.
Julius Senex knew the Kindred would need to overcome many Located in the heart of Elysium (p. 69), the Assembly is one
challenges if his vision were to become reality, not the least of of the largest “buildings” in the Necropolis, modeled after no
which was labor. To literally build a new society required an less than the Roman Senate, and it can accommodate a hundred
immense amount of work that only one group of dead had the Kindred comfortably while still sitting out of reach of each
ability and temperament for: the Brothers Worm. other’s fangs. The ceiling is covered in a mosaic depicting the
night sky over Rome, with major constellations picked out in
Lairing beneath the earth in their lightless caves, the Brothers
quartz that glimmers in the torchlight. This is where the Senex
watched Senex unify the dead gentes for many years with little
meets once a month to discuss the every-night business of the
interest. It was made clear to them long ago that affairs on the
Camarilla, reserving the actual Small Chamber for only the
surface were not their concern, and so they were surprised to
most vital discussions and important trials.
be sought out by the soon-to-be dictator.
Though mostly Wing of Ancients’ domain, technically,
The Old Man was as humble as he could make himself when
any Camarilla citizen is welcome to attend Assembly and
he came before the five Brothers Worm in their dark havens
speak without fear of reprisal. That said, anyone wishing to
and asked — not demanded — their help. Though they talked
be inflammatory better have a good exit strategy, as nothing
for many nights, the bargain they struck was a simple one: The
protects them from the Old Man’s daggers after they’ve left the
Worms would build Senex’s city for him, and in exchange, they
Elysium district.
would always have a place within it. To many, this seemed a small
price to pay, but for the outcast and maligned Worms, having a Aula Nigra
place where they could actually belong was everything. They knew, The Aula Nigra is something between a community center
too, that their blood would expand along with the Necropolis, and a bordello. A relatively late addition to the Necropolis, the
and they would grow too numerous to be contained ever again. Black Court is modeled after stories of Emperor Domitian’s
And so, the Brothers Worm began to dig. personal feasting hall, a (likely) apocryphal tale of the tyrant’s
They started in the catacombs, where the Etruscans once lay taste for terror and depravity. After Domitian’s death, it
their dead to rest. They cracked rock, moved earth, and carved became fashionable for Kindred to hold their own Aula Nigra
stone over countless nights, some not ceasing to work when the parties, and many such courts once littered the Necropolis.
sun rose, so complete was the darkness in which they labored. In these places, Kindred wined and dined, making informal
They never really stopped digging. Tonight, the Necropolis deals and plans as they fed on mortals. It even became an
is a warren of tunnels, chambers, markets, and corridors that informal tradition in the early second century to make

ghouls of “dinner guests” who survived the experience. Still,
trends tend to fade, and eventually, the various Black Courts The Worms Crawl In
were repurposed or fell into disrepair, like so many other Senex kept faith with the Brothers Worm, and
Propinquus fancies. their descendants have since made themselves
All except one. The Aula Nigra is run by one Marcus Julius indispensable to the ongoing construction and
maintenance of the Necropolis.
Nigellus, a Founder known for both a shrewd business sense It’s common knowledge that Nosferatu know
and a flair for storytelling. Sometimes he claims he was one of the tunnels better than anyone, and if you need to
Domitian’s boy servants at his feasts, while at others he hints find any place or person in the Undercity, you hire a
at having been a practitioner of dark magic, cursed to remain Worm to guide you. The most respected architects
in a youth’s body until he pays off some obscure debt. In truth, and builders in the Camarilla are Nosferatu, and
they’re an inescapable part of a Requiem spent in
he was just a late bloomer at 17, unfortunate enough to get the the Necropolis.
bite before he grew those last few inches. He wouldn’t know Indeed, it’s said you’re rarely more than a few
black magic if it bit him in the ass. However, he’s leveraged meters from a Nosferatu in the Undercity, even if
these tales to make himself the most successful “barkeep” you might not know it. The clan considers the place
in the Undercity, though the cognomen he’s earned for his more “theirs” than anyone else, and it’s known
trouble (The Slightly Black), is a nickname he both loathes to alter, misinterpret, or flat-out ignore decrees it
feels would be damaging to its hallowed, twisting
and can’t afford to drop. That’s branding for you. halls. The Senex tolerates these minor rebellions
Blood is always on tap at the Aula Nigra, and you can get because, well, it’s not a good idea to spark conflict
any vessel that’s your fancy if you have the coin. The Black with vampires who can open your haven to the sun,
or see it buried beneath tons of anonymous rock,
Court’s blood dolls come from all across the Empire and
never to be found again.
beyond, and some speak languages unknown to even the
most knowledgeable Kindred. By vampire standards, Nigellus
treats his herd surprisingly well, and his vengeance is swift if
a careless Nefastus harms part of his collection. Nigellus also derous rivals being most vampires second most prominent
employs a small force of Kindred and ghouls to keep order concern when considering a resting place, just after the sun.
and the rabble out. These niches are spartan, effective, and numerous, and exactly
Kindred come here to hold parties or do business, often the sort of practical solution you’d expect from Worms when
bringing mortals and turning them into ghouls as per the given the problem of housing an ever-growing population of
old tradition. Most ghouls in Rome aren’t actually created dead things.
here, but patrician Kindred will pay well to hold private cer- Wealthy and powerful Kindred have private havens within
emonies for servants they wish to impress with the glories of the Necropolis: lavish underground manses commissioned to
death. However, just as many bring mortal rivals they want their specifications. For the rest of the citizenry, there’s always
to intimidate, showing them the hell that awaits if they defy space in one of the many Columbaria when dawn threatens.
the ancestors. Some Kindred lay down a claim on a specific niche, or groups
The structure itself is a large hall, the walls painted a shin- of them in the case of close coteries or broods. Others feel more
ing black, with numerous bare couches for Kindred and their secure sleeping in a different niche each day, the better to keep
company. At the center, a mock cemetery stands, with small their enemies guessing. While each niche is theoretically free
placards where Kindred may place the names of their victims for any citizen to use, over the centuries, the wings have laid
for the night, whether as a memento mori or just plain psycho- down claims on various Columbaria for their exclusive use.
logical torment. The Legion of the Dead maintains several “black barracks”
to house Soldiers who aren’t on active duty, and they enforce
Columbaria their claim by brutally beating any outsider who dares use them.
Common features of the Necropolis are Columbaria, large The torpid bodies of trespassers are often chained just outside
chambers with many niches carved into their walls, modeled such Columbaria, as a way of letting any other passersby know
after the catacombs where living Romans inter their dead. the area is claimed.
Indeed, these are also places where the dead reside, though these Regardless of the presence of these exclusive Columbaria,
particular corpses still walk, talk, and kill. The Columbaria any citizen looking for shelter from the sun can expect to find
are the “living” quarters of the Camarilla, where its citizens it within the Necropolis.
go to sleep away the day before rising for the night’s business.
The individual niches are simple in construction: a per- Elysium
son-sized hole carved into the rock, large and deep enough for When Senex rose to power, he declared the heart of the
a single Propinquus to rest comfortably, with, perhaps, some Necropolis Elysium, named (with deliberate irony) for the idyl-
additional room for personal effects. A panel of hinged bronze lic afterlife the dead gentes have lost. In this area, violence is
covers each niche, with sturdy latches on the inside allowing not permitted, and all Kindred may speak freely to debate the
whoever rests within to lock it tight against intrusion – mur- matters of the night.

Also called the Forum Propinquum, this district
roughly encompasses the uppermost tunnels around the
Assembly, Templum Remi, and Camarilla, and it includes
several large chambers that can act as meeting places and
markets, often filled with hawkers and mystics offering
services. The Underway (p. 73) has several paths leading
to Elysium.
This area is the Necropolis Forum referred to by the
Second Tradition (p. 62), and the Senex once held trials
and other legal disputes anywhere they could fit. These
nights, the Assembly is the likeliest venue, or the Small
Chamber if the crime or criminal is especially notable.
However, anywhere within Elysium may serve as an ad
hoc courtroom as circumstances dictate.
Porticus Sanguineus
Just as the poorest mortals are sustained by the
Emperor’s bread dole, the poorest Kindred find suste-
nance in the blood dole below. Heralded as one of the
great triumphs of the All Night Society, the Porticus
Sanguineus is an example of how the Camarilla has
elevated Kindred above their selfish, feral nature — what
could be more civilized than charity? Unlike the bread
dole, the blood dole isn’t a daily affair, and it’s not as vital
to the Necropolis as its twin is to the citizens of Rome.
There are fewer Kindred than mortals, and fewer still who
have difficulty finding food in the most populous city in
the world — blood flows almost as commonly as wine in
the streets above.
Rather than regular allotments, blood doles are the
product of groups or individuals that wish to display their
commitment to the citizens of the Camarilla (read: they want
to show off their wealth and status). Whoever wishes to put
up a blood dole announces when it shall be, usually at the
Assembly, and they are responsible for providing the goods.
Methods of acquiring the vast number of victims needed
to put on a proper blood dole vary. Wealthy patrons buy
large lots of slaves; others scour the streets for the poor and
unwanted, dragging them back to the Necropolis to their
fate. The only consistency is the location: The Porticus
Sanguineus itself is less a room and more a long, wide
tunnel near the heart of the Necropolis. Cut into the sides
of the tunnel are many manacle-adorned alcoves where
mortals are restrained. During the dole, Kindred flow from
one end of the tunnel to the other, feeding as they go. It’s
polite to leave vessels alive, but it’s not uncommon for the
only thing left of the kine to be drained corpses, discarded
like bones whose meat has been stripped away by gluttonous
teeth. No one above will miss them, after all.
While no one is obligated to provide a blood dole, it’s
a common enough inclusion in the status games of the
Camarilla elite to occur regularly. However, woe betide
anyone who promises a blood dole and doesn’t deliver.
Riots over lack of food are rare, but when they happen,
the Necropolis can descend into nights-long waves of

Flashpoint: Rise of the Lancea et Sanctum
232–335 CE
A monk and his followers hide in a cave in Jerusalem, celebrating mass for the first time. They are not Christians.
They are not alive.
The monk says he was sired by the Spearman who pierced the Christ’s side, and that God made the soldier one of
the hungry dead for this vile act. But an angel told the soldier the Damned still have a part to play in the Lord’s designs,
to be wolves to the sheep and holy devils, and he taught the monk this too. The monk believed him.
The Kindred of Jerusalem despise these rank atheists, and they decide to rid themselves of the meddlesome
priest and his fanatical disciples. The Kindred lie in wait for the congregation, but mass lasts the whole night, and
the would-be assassins fall to the sun, somehow caught by surprise. A miracle. This is as the monk says, and his
people believe him.
The congregation is ejected from the city, so they wander, preaching joyous Damnation wherever they find the
dead. Some come to Rome, coopting and reviving old cults to the Jewish Messiah among the Propinqui. They bring
miracles of the One God, liberated from pagan hands in Egypt, and thus they call themselves Sanctified. Some of the
Kindred believe them.
The monk is not the only follower of the Spearman. Perhaps he’s not his only childe, or even his childe at all. But he
is the most eloquent. The most brilliant. The most ruthless. More than a century after that first mass, he founds the
Black Abbey, where the Sanctified learn at his feet away from pagan debauchers. The Camarilla mocks and spurns
them, but the Abbey and its Witnesses will outlast it, standing even as the Nemeses exact their vengeance. And they
will not just watch.
violence as starving Beasts run rampant in the tunnels. Those The third room is behind a door tucked behind the statues
responsible for a disappointing dole are considered fortunate of Mercury and Proserpina. Only the Regina Sacrorum and
if all they suffer is a loss of face. Members of the Peregrine her highest-ranking Vaticinators are permitted entry into this
Collegium often take it upon themselves to deliver brutal and chamber, and only then to perform the most powerful and
public punishments to those responsible for a failed dole, some significant rituals of the Veneficium. The scent of blood drifts
of which, such as the Priest with the Squirming Belly, are still out from within, and many imaginative Kindred claim any
whispered about tonight. Vitae spilled within the cella inevitably flows toward this door.
Speculation about what this chamber contains runs rampant
Templum Remi through the other wings, with one of the most popular rumors
Deep beneath the Capitoline Hill of Rome lies the holiest being that the Old Man lies torpid within, waiting to rise one
place in the Necropolis: The Temple of Remus honors the leg- night and lead the Camarilla once more.
endary first Founder, connecting all the Camarilla with its gods.
The temple consists of three primary chambers, all carved The Underway
straight into the rock, and each is appointed in gilded marble There are hundreds of tunnels within the Necropolis,
and semiprecious stones. The first chamber forms an atrium forming a twisting honeycomb of dark passages and cramped
with carved reliefs standing in for actual plant and animal arteries that someone could spend nights wandering and never
life. Similar to many of the more important chambers in encounter another soul. However, Julius Senex demanded a
the Necropolis, a ceiling mosaic above depicts the night sky. measure of order in traversing the Camarilla’s home, and the
However, this mosaic is unique, as it recreates one night in par- Brothers Worm responded with the Underway.
ticular: May 15, 761 BCE (by modern reckoning), which many Built using similar construction techniques as human engi-
Kindred scholars consider the date of Remus’s “Embrace.” An neers, the Underway is a marked series of tunnels that runs
altar, its stone stained permanently crimson, sits in this cham- the entire length of the Necropolis. Its avenues have enough
ber, attended at all times by a member of the Cult of Augurs space that four Kindred can walk it abreast, and it maintains
so that anyone wishing to make a sacrifice to the Inauspicious a comfortable ceiling height throughout, making it unique
Twin may do so with the proper blessings. among passages in the Undercity. It connects to the Assembly,
The second chamber is the cella, the chamber of the gods, Camarilla, Porticus Sanguineus, Temple Remi, and several of
home to exquisitely crafted statues of all the deities in the the largest Columbarium blocks, providing swift and (relatively)
pantheon. Most are easily recognizable, but one in the center safe access to these locations.
of the room, crafted of sandstone, is so old its features have Small, square chambers are carved out at semiregular inter-
worn away, leaving only a vague male figure posed triumphantly. vals along the Underway’s length, used for both meetings and
Many Kindred believe this statue honors Remus himself, still as places of commerce for Kindred merchants and craftspeople.
watching over the city he helped create. There is another altar While these chambers have no official names, their individual
in this room, but this one is exclusive to the Augurs, and when features have led to a variety of different designations: Dripping
in use, entry to the cella is by invitation only. Ceiling, Cracked Tile, Old Bloodstains, and Always Cold are

Surface Tension
Not every location important to the Kindred lies buried in the earth. Some rest upon the surface like oily blemishes,
leaving the mortals of Rome to wonder where they came from.
Lapis Niger: This slab of black marble lies conspicuously in front of the Roman Senate, and mortals suppose it to be a
tomb marker for a long-forgotten king. The Kindred, however, know it denotes the place where Remus formalized the
Pact of Dis. It’s said any vampire who touches the stone draws the yellow-eyed gaze of the Nemeses, so rightminded
Kindred avoid even looking at it too long.
Lacus Curtius: A small basin near the Forum Romanum is marked off by marble railing and surrounded by alters.
This area marks the site where, according to mortal legend, a chasm opened and swallowed up many lives. Kindred
say it was a Sabine Nosferatu with the nomen Curtius who tunneled beneath the Forum and caused the collapse,
though his motives vary wildly depending on who’s doing the telling. Rumors persist to this night of great wealth
still hidden within Curtius’ tunnels, and every so often a group of young Kindred will attempt to locate and exploit
them — some never to return.
just a few of the best known. Kindred use these monikers to dole is questioned, she claims to have no memory of ever
provide instructions or directions (“Leave the message with holding a dole at all.
the Seer who will appear to you at Old Bloodstains, then take
• The sandstone statue in the center of the cella within the
the tunnel next to Cracked Tile to exit safely”), as there are no
Templum Remi has gone missing. Its plinth stands empty,
street signs in the Necropolis.
and the Augurs on duty at the time have been beaten into
The Underway is also frequently the sight of small gather- torpor. The Prophets predict dire consequences for all the
ings of Kindred who have business of the less-than-official Camarilla if this blasphemy is not corrected. Where do you
kind. It’s the only place in the Necropolis where groups hide an enormous stone sculpture, even in the Necropolis?
can move easily. Evangelists of the Lancea et Sanctum have It’s not like it walked off on its own… right?
also taken to setting up along anonymous stretches of the
Underway and preaching at anyone unfortunate enough to • A rumor runs wild in the Necropolis of a new chamber that
pass by. Such displays don’t last long before the Legion arrives can be found along the Underway. This “Bright Room” never
to clear them out, which always leads to either a frantic chase appears in the same location twice, but any Kindred who
or a brutal tunnel fight, depending on the numbers and tem- enter apparently experience the sensation of warm sunlight
perament of the Atheists. upon their skin without any injury. Several Nefasti claim to
have experienced the Bright Room’s effects, but how does the
Tales of the Undercity Necropolis react when one of them turns up dead, burned
• A Mekhet of unknown affiliation takes up residence in the to blackened bones?
Assembly and refuses to leave, claiming it’s the only place he’s
safe. He’s not hostile, but sometimes chants uncontrollably
and loudly in a strange language, disrupting any ongoing
Deeper Mysteries
proceedings. The Seer is very skilled in his clan’s shadow The Necropolis is vast, with countless tunnels branching
magic and has resisted all attempts to remove him. An exas- off the Underway and squirming over and through each other
perated member of the Senex promises a reward if anyone like the Worms who dig them out. These twisting catacombs
will evict this squatter, but how will his evictors react when contain a multitude of rooms of all shapes, sizes, and functions,
they recognize their names in his strange chants? some used every night, and some that haven’t been entered
in centuries. No complete map of the Necropolis exists, and
• An entire Columbarium vanishes one day, taking its sleeping even if one did, it would be quickly rendered obsolete by the
population with it. The tunnel that used to connect it to Nosferatu’s constant industriousness.
the Necropolis now ends in a scree, and breaking through
As a result, despite it being an every-night part of their society,
it only leads to an empty cavern. Worse, this particular
there are some places in the Necropolis that even the Kindred
Columbarium was a black barrack, and now the Legion is
tread with caution. Many are difficult to find, while others
storming through the entire Necropolis demanding answers
are almost too easy to get to, seeming to call out to those who
about their missing comrades.
may have need of them. Kindred who stumble across these
• A blood dole put on by a popular and well-connected locations would be well advised to be cautious of gifts that rise
member of the Peregrine Collegium has had a strange effect unbidden from the darkness. One never knows what sort of
on Necropolis residents: all who drank from the offered price may be attached.
humans have begun to rise during the day and wander With all the Necropolis provides the Kindred, some worship
the tunnels of the Necropolis until the next night, causing it as a goddess unto itself. Comprising mostly Nosferatu, the
many to go missing. When the Stranger who provided the Cultus Terrae Atrae is a Kindred mystery religion that focuses

on the expansion and preservation of the Necropolis, believing
that there should be Kindred who specifically serve and protect Exploring the Necropolis
her, just as she serves and protects them. For more, see p. 94. This section lists strange and significant locations
within the Necropolis that characters might seek
The Camarilla out or discover while traversing the catacombs.
The Small Chamber from whence the Empire of Night Finding any of the locations described below (except
the Camarilla, which is well known) may require a
grew from the soil of Rome, the Camarilla is the most storied successful Wits + Survival roll at the Storyteller’s
space in the Necropolis. Some say Remus found the chamber discretion. The need for this roll can be bypassed
fully formed beneath the earth, as if it were waiting for him by hiring someone with the Worm Guide Merit (p.
all along. Others claim he carved it out of the rock with 95) if none of the seeking characters possess that
his own hands. The more practical say it was built at Julius trait themselves.
Senex’s direction when the Brothers Worm came to expand
the Necropolis.
Despite its history, the Small Chamber doesn’t actually see There are eight entrances to the Camarilla, two per wall
much use, having been supplanted by the larger and more prac- of the chamber. One of these connects to a thin tunnel that
tical Assembly. Indeed, the name is descriptive: It’s not very big. attaches to the Underway, and the rest spiral out into various
Situated in the Tarpeian Rock, the Camarilla is a rectangular catacombs throughout the Necropolis. Lost Kindred often
chamber, eight meters on the long sides and six meters on the claim they’ve stumbled upon the Camarilla while trying to
short; it can fit perhaps two dozen vampires comfortably. There find their way out of the labyrinthine passages of the deeper
are stone seats carved out of the same rock as the rest of the cham- Necropolis, even though they should be nowhere near the
ber in four rows: two rows of eight on the long sides, and two rows Capitoline Hill.
of three on the short. Behind each seat is a niche nearly identical Dead young and old feel a natural reverence for the
to those found in the Columbaria, except the panels covering Camarilla, and violence between Kindred is not only for-
them are made of beaten iron. Once, Inner Council members bidden within its walls but deeply taboo, more than in any
havened here, but they long ago abandoned the practice. other place in Elysium. Thus, vampires fleeing violent pursuit
The middle seat of the northern short wall is a dais with a often claim sanctuary in the Camarilla, and many desperate
large stone throne, carved out of darker rock than the rest. This Kindred have found one of the Small Chamber’s entrances to
is the seat of Julius Senex, and even the earliest descriptions be much closer than they realized in dire moments. Rumors
of the chamber note its presence. It’s known that anyone who sometimes make the rounds that necropoles in domains far
dares sit in it will be cursed, and while few have tested that from Rome connect to the Camarilla chamber, but none have
superstition, those who have were quickly struck down by the ever proved it.
Vaticinators before the curse had time to get them. Some citizens come to the Camarilla to meditate, finding
On the southern wall is a small altar that once bore an that contemplating the sheer weight of history contained within
inscription that’s since been hacked away. Elders do not men- its walls to be a centering exercise. The Senex still uses the
tion this altar, nor do they look at it when they’re in the room. Camarilla to meet when discussing vital matters, such as major
It is not used for anything, and Julii go out of the way to avoid legislation, or to give proclamations that will affect the entire
touching it. All Night Society. During these times, Kindred cram inside
Flashpoint: Betrayal of the Cult of Augurs

341–380 CE
In 341, Constans I bans pagan sacrifice in Rome, and a Sanctified magistrate of the Senex immediately puts forth
a proposal calling for the Camarilla to outlaw the Veneficium. This leads to weeks of acrimonious debate. The
measure is defeated, but the arguments continue, with even devoutly pagan Kindred questioning whether they
have the right to defy their Emperor.
Months later, a similar measure passes, effectively crippling the Cult of Augurs. While they can still practice their
religion and serve the state, they may not perform their rites, at least publicly. Enforcement is spotty at first, but as
the Witnesses gain more power, being caught practicing the Veneficium becomes a death sentence.
In 380, Theodosius I issues the Edict of Thessalonica, establishing Nicene Christianity as Rome’s state religion in
all but name. The act has nothing to do with paganism (which the Emperor tolerates better than his predecessors)
but is instead a proscription against Arianism and other heresies. However, the Sanctified have learned many lessons
about politics since they became a wing, and one of the most important being pretexts.
Philemon the Damascene, Archbishop of Rome and one of the most influential vampires in the city, stands before
the Assembly and calls for the Vaticinators’ dissolution, as well as renewed hunts for any remaining Veneficium
sorcerers. None oppose him. The Fates are proscribed and purged, most fleeing the city or taking up with the
Strangers as the Legio Mortuum begins a pogrom against pagan Kindred.

the small room, pressed shoulder to shoulder and spilling out
into the connecting hallways as they strain to hear whoever
speaks within. The Darkness and the Light
Any rolls to use ritual magic intended to harm
Fons Ater or hinder another exceptionally succeed with three
successes rather than five if performed within the
Deep beneath the Esquiline Hill, the “Dark Spring” is a Fons Ater.
pitch-dark cavern where light of any kind is forbidden. It’s a However, if as much as a spark ignites within
favored site for enacting the Veneficium, especially rituals that the main cavern, the gases trapped there will
aren’t authorized by the Cult of Augurs. A double set of bronze explode, dealing 20 points of damage (aggravated
doors guard the entrance to this otherwise natural cavern, their for Kindred and lethal for most living beings) to
everything within it. The inferno only lasts a few
surface covered in carvings depicting an impressive assortment seconds, burning itself out quickly, but the pools of
of sins and obscenities, making clear exactly what sort of place oil ensure the gas is quickly replaced.
lies beyond them. Each set of doors is connected by chains,
with a small antechamber between them so that when one
pair opens, the other closes. Within the cavern proper is total
darkness, though the sound of dripping liquid occasionally the divide between life and death. At the center of the chamber
echoes through the room. is an elaborate, open-topped stone sarcophagus engraved with
It’s said that anyone bringing light into the Fons Ater will scenes honoring important moments in the history of both
be consumed by lemures, and while that might not be literally Remus and Senex, but some elders claim these engravings
true, it’s still unwise. The liquid that fills the many small pools have been altered over the centuries, their original message
within the chamber is not water, but some kind of oil, and the lost or covered up.
fumes that rise from it fill the cavern. Taking a naked flame Attached to the interior of the sarcophagus are four man-
within will ignite the atmosphere, utterly consuming any acles, one for each limb. The chains aren’t meant to truly
Kindred in moments. restrain the victim but rather to make it so they can’t easily
The traditional way to use the Dark Spring for magic is to leave. A metal frame hangs above the sarcophagus, suspended
bring a lead tablet engraved with the intended victim’s name by chains that can lower it to just above its lip. Newly risen
and a description of what the caster wishes to befall them. Kindred are often starving, and the frame is meant to be
After beseeching the malign forces that lair within the cave occupied by a restrained mortal, providing the fledgling with
and reciting the tablet’s text, the caster then leaves the object an easy meal.
for the darkness to consume. Over the centuries, hundreds of The Porta Noctis is attended at all times by four masked
tablets have piled up within the chamber, making it a potential volunteers known as lictors (p. 94), who swear oaths of secrecy
goldmine for blackmail and information-gathering; however, and service each time they take up their posts. The lictors
between the total darkness and constant, echoing drips, it’s attend to the needs of the chamber and those who use it.
impossible to tell if one is ever truly alone in the Fons Ater… They restrain mortals to the frame and lower it when it’s time
for the new childe to feed, and they ensure that an Embrace
Porta Noctis in progress is not interrupted. They also clean up the inevi-
The Porta Noctis is where mortals die and new citizens of table mess. By tradition, lictors are anonymous and are not
the Camarilla rise. permitted to speak of what they witness while on duty, but
In the first nights, it seemed appropriate that Embracing new that doesn’t necessarily stop them from using such knowledge
Kindred should be done within the Necropolis, to symbolize for personal benefit.
a mortal’s transition from the living world above to their new Lictors also enforce the most sacred law of the Porta Noctis:
existence as one of the dead below. This practice swiftly became No one leaves the chamber alive. Any human brought within
a popular tradition, and so a special chamber was constructed only leaves once they have been transformed within the sar-
specifically for the purpose of siring childer. While all Camarilla cophagus or consumed as a sacrifice above it.
citizens know of the Porta Noctis, routes to the chamber are
deliberately convoluted and well concealed. Creating a new Labra Rubra
vampire is an intimate and vulnerable act and should be done One of the more baff ling, if useful, mysteries of the
with as much privacy and security as possible. This prevents Necropolis is the large pools of free-standing blood sometimes
confused or frenzied fledglings from easily stumbling back into found in out-of-the-way corners and half-forgotten tunnels. The
the more populated areas of the Necropolis and embarrassing so-called Red Baths vary in size from a large bucket to a small
both themselves and their sires. bathhouse, and the blood within ranges in temperature from
Unlike many rooms in the Necropolis, the Porta Noctis has pleasantly warm to nearly boiling — even if there’s no source
a high ceiling, supported by rows of narrow columns. The floor of heat within the cavern. The blood is human and just as
is decorated with a simple black-and-white mosaic of geometric nourishing to Kindred as if drunk straight from a vessel. It
design, the sharp divides between light and dark symbolizing stays fresh and consumable until the pool vanishes or thirsty
Kindred drain it dry.

The appearances and disappearances of Labra Rubra defy
prediction, and the rumor of a new one can send the entire
Necropolis into a fury of activity as Kindred race to be the Dis Pater’s Domain
Readers with access to Geist: The Sin-Eaters will
first to find it. Some citizens even specialize in exploring the no doubt recognize this phenomenon as Avernian
Necropolis’ most desolate areas in the hopes of discovering — Gates, entryways into the upper levels of the
and controlling access to — a Red Bath. Underworld. As an underground space saturated
While the obvious use of a Labrum Rubrum is feeding, with death and blood, it’s no wonder the Necropolis
would form such Gates. In the Republic and Empire,
Propinqui consider their appearance a blessing from the gods Sin-Eaters (immortui) are very rare, but a city as large
and that those who bathe in the pool are similarly favored. as Rome still might contain enough of them to form
Conflicts over newly discovered Red Baths often arise between a Krewe. How do they respond to Kindred turning
faithful Kindred who wish to gain divine providence and up more and more frequently in the Underworld?
more practically minded vampires who just want a free meal
before it’s all dried up. Technically, all citizens are responsible
for reporting Red Baths to the Senex so its aediles can see figures out the trick to unlocking one and manages to journey
to the proper distribution of the blood within. However, the through. They are almost never heard from again, and even
nature of the Baths makes the law difficult to enforce, and those who return are changed, altered in mind or body by what
it’s rarely obeyed. they experienced on the other side.
There are many explanations of why and how Red Baths Rumors speak of strange caves populated by hungry shades,
form, and each wing has its own pet theory. The Cult of Augurs, of rivers of blood and pus, and of domains whose laws rival
of course, call them divine gifts, further proof that Sodalitas the Camarilla’s in scope and complexity. Wise Kindred pre-
Pernox is a blessed institution. The Legion likes to say the tend not to notice the doors if they happen to come across
Baths are the blood of the Camarilla’s enemies, soaked into one, for — surely — nothing but suffering could come from
the earth and then delivered to its warriors to feast upon. In opening one.
a surprisingly poetic stance, the Strangers claim that for every
mouthful of blood the Kindred take, the Necropolis extracts Tales of the Depths
a drop, and these drops eventually fill the Baths. The Senex • The unacknowledged altar within the Camarilla chamber
simply states that the Camarilla looks after its citizens in all is missing, and Julian elders are shutting themselves up in
ways, and the Red Baths are further reason for all dead to be their havens, stockpiling their herds, and otherwise acting
brought into the fold. like the world is about to end. Before also going into hiding,
The heretics in the Lancea et Sanctum might have a theory a leading Senectus offers a bounty to find the altar — and
as well, but no one asks them. destroy it.
Doors to Nowhere • Some enterprising Nosferatu spelunker manages to retrieve a
sack full of curse tablets from the Fons Ater without getting
Sometimes, Kindred crawling through the narrow, ill-used
burned, only to be promptly staked by the Cult of Augurs
tunnels in the deepest pits of the Necropolis come across a
for his presumption. The tablets have yet to be recovered,
strange sight: doors, pressed into otherwise bare rock. Often
and the Vaticinators are offering blessings aplenty for their
simple, but sometimes elaborately carved or made of exotic
return. But the Peregrine Collegium is also offering heaps
materials, these apertures are always closed, and they resist
of hard coin…
being opened with force. Every so often, however, a vampire
Flashpoint: Fall of the Camarilla

410 CE
Alaric sacks Rome. The Nemeses make their move. The Julii fall — not so much as ashes left. Founders who weren’t
in the Eternal City perish soon as well, either by the Striges’ talons or their Kindred’s knives, who now realize how
easily the Founders serve as vessels for the Owls. So many Kindred perish that no accurate losses can be recorded.
Even Julius Senex meets his end. Betrayed.
The ashes of Rome’s dead litter the Necropolis. What remains of the Cult of Augurs splinters further, possessed
Legionaries turn their blades on each other, the Senecti collapse without a figurehead, and the Strangers scatter to
the wind without any laws to cheat. But the Church of the Dark Father remains. The Lancea et Sanctum is ascendant,
the other wings lost to the ages.
The modern Sanctified have quietly swept their apocalyptic past under the rug, destroying or concealing scripture
and prophecies predicting a more dramatic end. You’d be hard-pressed to find any Kindred who believe in the Last
Sunrise in the modern nights.
But it did come.

• A foolish neonate, the lover of a senator’s son, drags his beloved put pressure on the Legion to shut the whole thing down.
down into the Porta Noctis so they can be together forever. Should anyone stumble on the Labrum in peace rather than
However, his lover is less than thrilled with the arrangement hostility, the Atheists will make them an offer: stymie the
and manages to drive off his would-be sire using a pilfered Legion’s efforts, and they can have free access to the blood
torch. Unfortunately, as per tradition, the lictors won’t let the until it’s gone.
young man leave until he’s dead, and meanwhile, his powerful
• Down in the depths, Nosferatu workers find a mysterious
father is turning Rome upside down looking for him.
door made of bone. Unlike similar portals that occasionally
• During a particularly lean time in the Necropolis, the Lancea appear, this one is already open — from the inside. Kindred all
et Sanctum discovers an enormous and, apparently, new Red over the Necropolis hear voices and see apparitions of those
Bath. To use it, a Propinquus simply has to offer thanks to they’ve slain, and the constant torment is causing some to
Longinus the Dark Father for the bounty, and she may then lose their minds. However, to close the door, one must first
drink her fill. The Augurs are furious, of course, and have go through it…

PACTIO SANGUINARIA
See the old man’s triumph,
the traitors’ blood
still wet upon his blade.
He takes his seat, that throne of dread,
calling forth each dead
tribe to swear its oath.
Mark you how they bow their heads to Aulus,
called Julius, called Senex, called Lord.
To the Courtesans, he speaks:
“By your visage,
we shall never become that which
the Nemeses desire us to be.”
And they drink of him,
and he calls them Kindred.
To the Wanderers, he speaks:
“By your ferocity,
we shall rend
the Nemeses from stolen flesh.”
To the Seers, he speaks:
“By your holy vision,
we shall know
the Nemeses by the hungry
look upon their eyes.”
To the Worms, he speaks:
“By your toil and terror,
we shall forever banish
the Nemeses from our domain.”
And to the Founders,
he does not speak,
and they do not drink of him.
They are Kindred.

Interlude III
’m no stranger to death. I’m simply about to draw blood. And yet, he’s pressed against them with
I die one more time.

I imagine the arena is far grander from the
seats, but there’s something beautiful about the
his not-insignificant strength.
“Atellus, please!” he begs through the wall, his arm
swinging to grab me. “Help me! I— I keep losing
pageantry I’m trapped within. The stone walls of the my bearings!”
central bowl are obscured by layers of vine and plant His fingers close around the hem of my robe, his
matter, painstakingly transported and attached with rough fingernails tearing the thin linen as he pulls
paste. It must’ve taken fifty ghouls to construct this me toward him. He’s in a blind panic, on the verge
maze in a night. of frenzy, and unless he calms down, he’ll tear me
I wonder how it all looks from above. Perhaps apart — or worse, summon the hunter.
I’ll get to see it after they tear my head off. With “Enon! Listen to me! Of course it’s confusing you:
any luck, they’ll remember that I — Atellus the It’s a maze! Stop trying to find your way out. Stop
Worm, servant of the tunnels — met my end with thinking like prey! Think like a builder
builder.”
.”
faith and honor. “I don’t understand!”
A pair of screams tears through the wall of a “In the tunnels, we mark fresh walls so if we get
nearby row — Ismael and Mariah. Their tenor lost in the deep dark, we can find our way out. But
grows; they’re each reciting a prayer to the Dark if there’re no markings, we keep a hand on the wall
Father as fast as they can. and walk until we find our way back up.”
A feral roar ends both prayers abruptly. I clasp my “Which hand, Attelus?”
hands and say the final words for them. It’s too late
“What?”
to do anything else. It’s too late for anyone inside
the maze. “Which hand should I use?”
Another voice rises to the south, screaming for “Which… hand?” I can’t help myself. I giggle. “It
help. As much as the voice in my head screams, I’m doesn’t matter, you fool! Just pick one!”
not willing to have my body torn to ribbons for this “Thank you! May the Dark Prophet — AHH!”
faith or its faithful. He screams and pulls me against the wall. My face
But if that’s true, why am I already running to slams into the foliage again and again. Panic rises in
the sound? me, and I manage to hurl myself back. The tension
releases as I tumble to the sand, and something falls
I rush past my own footprints down a passage
limp across my stomach.
that leads around two serpentine turns and a right
opening into a square clearing — easier to see from Enon’s arm still clutches my robe, raggedly sev-
the stands. A kill room. ered where it once met his elbow.
The maze’s walls are made of more woven vines I yelp shamefully and slap at the arm till it releases.
and wood, but they’re not without gaps. A meaty As it hits the sand, the meat is already rotting. From
arm juts through one, its forearm and knuckles thick beyond the wall, I hear rending. Enon is no longer
with hair. I approach the hole carefully and look screaming, but I feel drawn to the hole; I have to
through it: It’s Enon, once a Hebrew leg breaker, know what I’m up against.
now a devout convert. I was there when he shaved I peer through the opening and crane my neck
his curly locks down to his wrinkled, pale scalp. to take in as much of the scene as I can. The other
He’s one of the largest men I’ve ever met, and if he’s side is carnage.
afraid, perhaps I should be too. A pair of blue eyes fills my vision, framed by a face
Enon didn’t realize soon enough he was too awash in red. Blue, but slit like a large cat. We were
large to crawl through the wall. His body’s wedged never being hunted by animals. Not really.
between them so tightly the vines have begun to “I don’t suppose you’re full?” I say.
80
The reply is the impossible speed of a tiger’s paw. It “Yes.” She stabs me in the thigh, hard. So hard,
flashes through the hole like an arrow and finds my indeed, my leg detaches at the hip. I hear the scream
chest, tearing away the meat of my chest to the ribs. before I know it’s my own.
I’m undone. Is this what you really want, Attelus? Fine.
I struggle against the agony and will the Blood I hold up my hands in surrender, forcing words
to knit bone and flesh as quickly as it can, but it’s through the pain. “Wait! Just a moment! You were a
already too late. I hear the vines breaking as a tigress slave, right? Brought to Rome by Septimius Severus
melts through the hole. The beast rolls and rises as a himself. Terrible what he did to your father…”
woman. She’s tall and whip-thin, covered in tattoos “How did you know that?”
and metal rings pierced through her face. Her hair A crack in the iron stare.
is red and long, braided with beads and leather.
“I can show you power greater than any other.
German? She’s carrying a long, serrated gladius,
Power to destroy them all,” I say.
dripping with gore.
She stabs my side and twists the blade, trying to
“Be proud. You are last.” The words are labored,
seem amused, but she’s shaken. “With your pretty
like squeezing whey through cheesecloth. Her Latin
eyes? Or your God?”
is stilted, delivered… in a Pictish accent!
“There’s more power in me than you know,” I say.
“I know you! The gladiatrix! Do you really want
“But first…” I look up at the audience. “You’d better
to slaughter an unarmed opponent?”
give them what they want.”
81
CHAPTER THREE
BLOOD AND CIRCUSES
We’ll bury him; and then, what’s brave, what’s noble,
Let’s do ’t after the high Roman fashion
And make death proud to take us.
— Cleopatra, Antony and Cleopatra
Requiem for Rome is about the epic fantasy of being a vampire in the classical age, when empires rose and tyrants fell.
In this chapter, we’ll show you how to turn the clock back two thousand years on your Kindred characters, with Roman
Archetypes, banes, Merits, and a new system for blood sorcery. You’ll also find special mechanics for political debates, the ins
and outs of ancient warfare, and a short selection of errata for Vampire: The Requiem and the Storytelling System.
Character Creation
Unless otherwise stated, character creation in Requiem for Is she a patrician who spent her life parlaying with senators,
Rome follows the same steps starting on p. 79 of Vampire: favoring Social Attributes? Or is she one of the plebeians, a
The Requiem. What follows are suggestions and resources for laborer favoring the Physical category? And while the Romans
building Roman-era characters. didn’t have a true priest caste like many ancient societies,
almost all citizens had some understanding of religion, and
Step One: perhaps yours dedicated herself to the gods, putting high-
minded pursuits first with Mental Attributes.
Character Concept Of course, there are always iconoclasts. Some patricians
This step doesn’t differ from the one described in Vampire, thought of themselves as soldiers first and foremost, and many
but players who aren’t familiar with the real history of Rome commoners rose through the social ranks, with several emperors
might have difficulty getting into the mindset. If so, don’t fret coming from plebeian backgrounds.
about historical accuracy at first. Instead, start with a modern
concept, and follow the process listed in Vampire as you nor- Step Three:
mally would.
Once you’ve got that baseline, rework your character in an
Select Skills
ancient context, consulting the steps below. While the Romans Assign your character’s primary, secondary, and tertiary
were different from us in some ways, in many others, they Skill categories.
were uncannily similar: A bitter veteran of Middle Eastern As with Attributes, consider how Rome’s class structure
wars easily becomes a haunted legionary who was in Judea might affect your character’s various talents. A pleb isn’t likely
when the Temple fell, and corrupt politicians are all alike in to have much knowledge of Academics, and a patrician probably
Washington and Rome. doesn’t know as much about Crafts, for instance. As above, this
isn’t to say there were no outliers, and breaking the social norms
Step Two: is a time-honored character hook all on its own, especially in
conservative societies like the Roman Empire.
Select Attributes Note that four Skills do not exist in this era: Computer,
Assign your character’s primary, secondary, and tertiary Science, Drive, and Firearms. Drive, Firearms, and Computer
Attribute categories. are not compatible with Roman technology, and while there
The value and meaning of Attributes are the same as the are scientists of a kind in the Empire, they don’t follow the
modern nights, but consider how your character’s social class scientific method as we would understand it. Things like
may influence their distribution: Class distinctions were mathematics and biology instead fall under Academics and
stringent among the Romans, and this would likely have an Medicine, respectively. To fill in these gaps, four archaic Skills
impact on your character’s traits. are outlined below.
CHAPTER THREE: BLOOD AND CIRCUSES 83

Archery (Physical)
Archery allows your character to shoot, identify, and repair
any kind of weapon that mechanically assists in firing a pro-
jectile. This can include bows and their variants — including
ballistae — as well as spear-throwers and similar weapons. The
Archery Skill can represent formal military training or the
familiarity born of experience in the field, from a hunter who
shoots to eat, to a soldier who shoots to kill, to a sportsman
who shoots for fun.
Sample Actions: Shooting (Dexterity + Archery), Bow
repair (Intelligence/Dexterity + Archery, extended)
Sample Specialties: Arcuballista, Ballista, Composite
Bow, Hunting, Poor Visibility, Self Bow, Trick Shot, Wind
and Weather
Sample Contacts: Hunters, Mercenaries, Sagittarii
Archery operates almost identically to the Firearms Skill
described in Vampire: The Requiem. However, dramatic
failures work a little differently.
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: Bows can fail in a wide variety of ways,
from snapped strings to damage to the bow itself. Restringing
a bow takes about as long as clearing a jam in a gun — one
turn — but damage to the bow makes it useless until it can
be repaired. Alternatively, the archer might hit a different
target. If the Storyteller has opted to represent ammunition
narratively rather than keeping track of each missile, a dra-
matic failure could also indicate that your character has run
out of arrows.
Ride (Physical)
Ride is your character’s ability to handle and maneuver
horses (p. 116) or more exotic creatures. In addition to
riding a horse or operating a horse-drawn vehicle, the Ride
Skill is useful for performing basic veterinary medicine on
commonly ridden animals. Ride can also be used to build
and maintain a working relationship with such animals,
as compared with the Animal Ken Skill, which applies to
interactions unrelated to the task of riding.
Ride is not required to ride a horse. Rather, it represents
a character’s ability to use one in high-stress and dangerous
situations, or just when he needs to move quickly. While not
as ubiquitous as cars, many more Romans can ride a horse
than modern people. As such, assume that most characters
have a passing familiarity with horse riding.
Sample Actions: Ridden pursuit (Manipulation + Ride +
Handling), Jumping and other dangerous tricks (Presence +
Ride + Handling), Ridden tailing (Wits + Ride + Handling)
Sample Specialties: Chariots, Jumping, Riding in Combat,
Tricks, Tailing, Unfamiliar Horses
Sample Contacts: Cavalry, Charioteers, Stable Workers
The Ride Skill is almost identical to the Drive Skill, and
much like cars, animals have Handling scores. As a guideline,
an animal’s starting Handling is equal to Wits. This trait

can rise through good treatment and successive Manipulation
+ Ride rolls or fall with maltreatment and neglect.
Step Four:
Roll Results Skill Specialties
Dramatic Failure: Dramatic failure with a horse almost Assign three Specialties to your character’s Skills.
always involves either an injury to the horse or the animal Many of the modern Specialty examples listed in Vampire
adopting an unhelpful attitude, refusing to perform or even apply in a Roman context, and you’ll also find samples for the
rearing up and throwing its rider. It’s also possible, though Skills listed above.
unlikely, for the rider to just fall off.
Religion (Mental) Step Five:

Religion represents a character’s knowledge of their own faith Add Kindred Template
and sometimes even those of other creeds. This is not occult
The basic vampire template remains the same, but rather
knowledge, but rather a familiarity with the widely available and
than five covenants, each Propinquus belongs to a wing of the
greatly complicated tales of religion, as well as an understanding
Camarilla. Furthermore, the Ventrue are not present in Rome,
of its proper practices, both domestic and foreign.
instead replaced by the Julii.
Note that Religion is used to perform mundane religious
rituals and the Cult of Augurs’ Veneficium procedures. Clan
In modern times, Occult is used in exorcisms, but among the The clans of Rome are as follows. The Daeva, Gangrel,
Romans — both Christian and pagan — this is an inexorably Mekhet, and Nosferatu clan curses are listed on p. 103 Vampire:
religious rite. The Requiem. The Julii bane and the optional curse of the
Sample Actions: Exorcism (Intelligence + Religion), Preaching Hollow Mekhet can be found on p. 89 of this book.
(Presence + Religion, extended), Rituals (Manipulation/ Favored
Dexterity + Religion) Clan Attributes Disciplines
Sample Specialties: Christianity, Pantheon (Egyptian,
Julii Composure or Dominate, Resilience,
Etruscan, Roman, etc.), Omens, State Religion, Rituals
Presence Vigor
Sample Contacts: College of Priests, Christian Sages, Vestal
Daeva Dexterity or Celerity, Majesty, Vigor
Virgins
Manipulation
Warfare (Mental) Gangrel Resolve or Animalism, Protean,
Warfare represents your character’s understanding of large- Stamina Resilience
scale combat maneuvers, whether gained through education, Mekhet Intelligence or Auspex, Celerity,
experience, or just innate sense. Warfare is useful when Wits Obfuscate
planning a battle — assigning troops well, reading the lay of Nosferatu Composure or Nightmare, Obfuscate,
the land for advantages and trouble spots, predicting enemy Strength Vigor
movements — and when attempting to read the flow of events
during open conflict. A character with a high Warfare score
is unlikely to walk into a trap in battle and is more likely Wing
to adopt the correct response to a change in circumstances The Camarilla is the sole legal covenant of the Roman state,
amidst the chaos of war. and to exist outside its bounds is to invite Final Death. Yet it isn’t
Warfare doesn’t just represent the ability to gain objectives quite a unified front. The Empire of Night has its wings, and each
in war; it’s the ability to gain those objectives while incurring offers advantages to the dead. Kindred characters must possess
minimal losses and inflicting maximum casualties on the at least a dot of Wing Status to access the following benefits:
enemy. Any good soldier can take an objective with overwhelm- • The Cult of Augurs: Prophets of the Cult of Augurs may
ing force; it takes a great one to achieve the same goal with an study the Veneficium (p. 109).
underpowered force and avoid losing any subordinates in the
process. • The Legion of the Dead: Soldiers of the Legion of the Dead
may purchase Jura Merits (p. 95).
Sample Actions: Battle planning (Intelligence + Warfare,
extended), Commanding an army (Presence + Warfare), Tactical • The Peregrine Collegium: Strangers of the Peregrine
analysis (Wit + Warfare) Collegium may develop Fenestrae (p. 103).
Sample Specialties: Ambushes, Fields of Fire, Logistics, • The Senex: Ancients of the Senex may purchase Legislatio
Troop Movements, Terrain Merits (p. 97).
Sample Contacts: Camp Followers, Field Officers, Praetorian • The Lancea et Sanctum: Apostles of the Lancea et Sanctum
Guards may learn Theban Sorcery (p. 106).

Disciplines
Ages Pass: Assign three dots to your character’s Disciplines. Two dots
Gangrel Favored Attributes must apply to her in-clan Disciplines, and the third is a free
The Gangrel of Rome favor Resolve instead of choice. This third dot can include the Veneficium, Theban
Composure. As the Midnight Republic’s most feared Sorcery, or a Fenestra, provided she has at least a dot of the
warriors, the Champions value persistence, refusing appropriate Wing Status.
to back down when a fight comes calling.
Does this mean “Gangrel” outside the Camarilla Blood Potency
also favor this Attribute? Or do other ancient
Savages favor a predator’s self-possession over a Your character starts play with a single dot of Blood Potency.
soldier’s tenacity? That’s up to you. But the Camarilla Additional dots costs five Merit dots per level at character
has a way of changing those it brings into the fold. creation.
Step Six: Merits

Mask and Dirge Assign ten Merit dots to your character. You can purchase
Propinquus characters can draw from the Mask and Dirge Merits from Vampire: The Requiem, Chronicles of Darkness,
Archetypes listed below or p. 84 of Vampire: The Requiem. or any other sourcebook your Storyteller allows, though take
care to choose ones that fit in a Roman context. You’ll also
Touchstone find Rome-specific Merits starting on p. 90.
Attach a Touchstone to your character’s sixth Humanity dot.
Propinqui generally use the same things to keep them grounded Step Seven: Advantages
to Humanity as modern vampires, but see p. 87 for a short list
All additional Advantages are calculated as per Vampire:
of Roman Touchstones.
The Requiem, p. 81.
Anchors
Like modern Kindred, Propinqui have several Anchor traits Hero
to keep them connected to the worlds of the living and the dead.
A hero strives for glory. This is not altruistic; it’s the heroism
of Odysseus and Achilles, with personal honor above all. She
Mask and Dirge seeks out worthy rivals to pit herself against, claiming trophies
Archetypes to proclaim her greatness before the masses.
Single Willpower: Overcome a competitor in an even
The following are common Mask and Dirge Archetypes contest.
among the Propinqui. All Willpower: Claim a trophy when a superior foe acknowl-
Beggar edges utter defeat.
A beggar exists by taking handouts from others. This isn’t Iconoclast
due to inability; it’s a strategy for survival, one he’s honed over An iconoclast can’t empathize with those who follow the
many long nights. It’s his goal to live without ever providing wrong gods. Defining himself in opposition to other powers
for himself. lends him strength and purpose.
Single Willpower: Convince someone to aid you at their Single Willpower: Attack something holy to another cult
own expense. or religion.
All Willpower: Put yourself at risk by refusing to invest your All Willpower: Bring down the wrath of a god’s followers
personal resources into an effort. by destroying something irreplaceable.
Dictator Lar
A dictator exists to be seen leading. He needs to not only A lar exists to protect something important to her. She places
impress his vision upon the world but to be acknowledged for the safety and prosperity of her chosen ward above all other
his greatness in doing so. things, including herself.
Single Willpower: Convince others your path is the correct Single Willpower: Drive away a threat that endangers your
course of action. ward.
All Willpower: Be lauded by a large group for leading them All Willpower: Burn bridges just to destroy a threat to your
to success. beloved ward.

Noble Touchstones
A noble is elevated above the masses by right of blood. She
The following are examples of Touchstones Kindred might
understands her place apart from the common folk and isn’t
take in Ancient Rome.
afraid to show it.
Single Willpower: Force someone to grovel or admit your Adoptive Father
superiority. He gave you his name and his family, made you the heir he
All Willpower: Harm your position by refusing to accept the couldn’t produce from his own loins. When you disappeared,
authority or expertise of someone of lower birth. he was never the same, and as the years grew longer, the spark
of the man he was faded from his eyes. But a Roman must
Oracle pass on his name, and his new heir is every bit the person
An oracle experiences visions of other times and places, or you were. Maybe more.
has convinced others that he does. He sees hidden truths and
offers cryptic warnings of dangers to come. Death Mask
Single Willpower: Change someone’s course of action by They made the cast when you were still breathing, and you
sharing your vision with them. never really thought you’d see it again. It sits in the atrium of
All Willpower: Put yourself at great risk to avert a danger your family estate, growing dustier with each generation. Do
you saw coming. they even know who it is anymore? Tonight, you snuck in just to
give it a polish, to remind the living that the dead still demand
Worker respect. It was gone.
A worker earns his place in society. He supports himself
and others, propping up those around and above him with
Mystery Religion
his efforts. They were your brothers and sisters, and the truths they
Single Willpower: Take responsibility for a burdensome task. taught you of the secret gods were important when you became
one of the dead. You still come to meetings, participating in
All Willpower: Face serious deprivation or harm to provide
their rites and dedicating yourself to your brethren. But some-
for those who depend on you.
times, they stare a too long at your pale complexion. You’re sure
Zealot one of them made the manu fica in your direction when they
thought you weren’t looking…
A zealot has seen the true face of righteousness and dedicated
her life to following its teachings. There is a correct way to live, The Oath
and she does so unfailingly.
You swore to avenge her, swore upon the Iuppiter Lapis
Single Willpower: Convert a new follower to your (correct) itself. But her killers have made other enemies; they’re the
way of thinking. kind of people where to know them is to loathe them. If you
All Willpower: Succeed at a task that risks death or ruin by don’t act soon, someone will act for you. But if you do, what
following your beliefs. will be left of her?
Banes
The Propinqui suffer the same banes as modern vampires, changes in human society, and the concept of Humanity marches
but some discussion is necessary to place these traits in a in lockstep. In Rome, most things that drive a vampire away from
Roman context. the sense of their humanity, like surviving injuries that would
kill a human being or existing long enough to watch their loved
Humanity ones wither and die, will still cause detachment. Just like their
modern counterparts, the Propinqui struggle with the suffering
Detachment comes from any source that forces a vampire to they cause and must wrestle with the realities of immortality.
confront the idea they’re no longer human, and what causes The primary differences in Rome’s outlook exist in how loy-
these revelations varies with the values of its given society. alty and violence are understood. Romans build their identities
Humans in Rome aren’t fundamentally different from humans around belonging to the state, harboring deep nationalism
tonight, but their environment and society is dissimilar enough and encouraging its growth in their peers. They believe in
to cause some divergence in how the Beast erodes the Man once their nation and its supremacy over others in matters spiritual,
they become Propinqui. martial, and social. Though this belief degrades as the Republic,
and later, the Empire ages, it’s a powerful foundational belief
Mores Romani for most of Rome’s existence. This generalization doesn’t gov-
Throughout history, the concept of what constitutes normality ern every single Roman, but it carries enough weight to form
has been an ever-moving target. Vampires can’t help but echo a pillar of their society.

This unshakable belief in their state allows Romans to do their Beasts. The Propinqui don’t look at these shifting mores
terrible things in the name of what they call the greater good. in these terms, but the ebb and flow of fashion and depravity
Greed and personal ambition are rampant, but many temper or are intertwined within the halls of the Camarilla.
disguise these vices behind an apparently selfless allegiance to Atonement also takes a different flavor in Rome. Often, the
Rome herself. To many, it’s unthinkable to act in a way that truly dead of the Camarilla do not seek permission or forgiveness
undermines Rome or her gods. Storytellers should bear this in for their sins from each other or the humans they torment,
mind and apply bonuses or penalties to breaking points if those but from the gods themselves. The Propinqui take signs and
rolls have to do with the good of Rome directly. Remember that portents from the gods very seriously. Ill omens can make even
although vampires may lie to each other, a vampire and their the most wanton Nefasta rethink her actions since only the
Beast cannot fool one another. The Beast cares little for excuses, foolhardiest actively seek to anger the gods, and those who do
and it knows the true motives that lurk in the vampire’s heart. rarely survive long. In the same vein, a vampire who receives
Romans existed with a level of violence that would shock positive signs after a questionable act may take this as divine
modern people. This isn’t to say violence happened all the absolution, or even as permission to continue transgressing.
time, or that everyone fell victim to it, but physical violence Some may even believe that unless they repeat the act, they’ll
and murder weren’t policed the way they are in current times, anger the gods who’ve shown them favor.
which meant mob violence and vigilante action was often the
only avenue available to those wronged in ways too small to con-
cern state officials. Simply put, the government didn’t concern
Frenzy
itself with private acts of violence, provided those acts didn’t Special mention should be made to the omnipresence of fire
threaten SPQR. People, and by extension, the Propinqui, were in an ancient city like Rome, as well as the Propinqui’s dim
more accustomed to the use of violence as a natural tool for view of the Beast’s appetites.
the enforcement of order by and in a community. Impassioned
violence and impassioned killing in particular were much more
Fire
forgivable if they occurred within the appropriate context — While vampires can function quite well in near-total darkness,
usually that of righting a great wrong or punishing a crime. they do need some light, especially for complicated tasks such as
writing, crafting, and most artistic endeavors. The only source
Gladiatorial contests and other blood sports don’t usually
of portable light at this time is fire, be it small candles or large,
provoke breaking points for observers, even though they may
oil-burning torches. Thus, strangely, Kindred in the Necropolis
include multiple grisly deaths. That is part of life in Rome, and
are constantly in the presence of one of their greatest banes.
that surety acts as a shield to the populace’s psyche. Most people
would be horrified to commit such acts themselves, but they In general, Roman vampires are more accustomed to the
readily accept their presence. proximity of flame than modern Kindred. They have to be
to function at all each night, and most develop a tolerance
System: As an optional rule, any breaking points that refer to
through repeated exposure, a process that begins in their
violence can be treated as one level higher than they’re typically
mortal lives and is honed after death. Of course, they draw
treated if conducted in a socially appropriate setting.
a fine line between controlled and wild (or wielded) flame.
Mores Propinqui After all, Kindred were once human, and humans can adapt to
nearly anything, even the constant presence of potential death.
Humanity in the Camarilla is complicated. Outlooks among
Think about how often you casually walk along a busy street
Rome’s dead vary greatly depending on culture, education, and
filled with cars, even though any one of these vehicles could
religion. Many don’t have a concept of humanity to cling to,
potentially strike and kill you. That doesn’t mean you’re just
instead using their own moral compass to guide their actions.
going to wander into traffic, but you’re not constantly fearing
The Propinqui know some of their kind fall to the Beast, but
for your life. It’s the same with Roman vampires and torches.
they attribute this to personal failings or spiritual weakness
They respect the fire for what it can do to them, but they’re
rather than a universal transgression. The Camarilla views
not endlessly flinching away from it.
those who are strong, powerful, and prosperous as examples
to follow, regardless of how depraved they may be. The omnipresence of fire also serves as a constant reminder of
the danger of Rome herself. Many Propinqui draw comparisons
Changes in Camarilla culture play a part in Humanity as
between the fires that surround them and the human mob:
well. Fads and trends come and go among the dead, which
both serving useful and necessary purposes, and both capable
can have corresponding impacts on the spiritual wellbeing of
of inflicting grievous harm when mishandled. Vampires with
the Propinqui. If a trendsetter decides it’s in vogue to string up
responsibility for fires who are lax in those duties are often put
humans on hooks at parties, then the Necropolis is likely to see
to death. Very minor infractions may be punished with burns
dozens of copycat events trying to improve upon, compete with,
to drive home lessons about what carelessness can wreak, but
or outdo the original, leading many Kindred to face detach-
it’s a lucky Propinquus who escapes with such mercy.
ments they might’ve otherwise avoided. Similarly, as waves of
austerity and tradition return to the fore, Roman dead have a System: Unless they’re true fledglings, Roman Kindred only
chance to fortify their souls and avoid the worst predations of resist frenzy in the presence of flames if they’re brandished as
weapons or burning out of control.

Hunger Organ Thief: Your character must feast on a specific organ to
Rage and fear can both drive a Beast to seize control, but fully satiate herself. Choose an organ like the heart, stomach,
it’s hunger that Propinqui hold in the greatest contempt. They eyes, skin, or liver (which many ancient cultures believed housed
look down on those who must resort to the dole to keep them- the soul). While feeding on living creatures, the number of
selves fed, but a consequence of that same sentiment is that Vitae she can drink per victim is capped by Humanity. To gain
anyone who grows hungry enough to lose control is not only more Vitae, she must devour the chosen organ, likely killing or
a fool but also lazy enough to have allowed an easily remedied maiming her victim. Your character can eat and digest these
problem to fester. organs without the blush of life. This bane does not apply to
feeding from Kindred.
Propinqui who fall to hunger frenzy frequently can expect a
torrent of ridicule. They’ll certainly lose the respect of their peers, Plague-Bearer: Disease clings to your character’s Vitae, and
and they may face other consequences, such as being pressed into she risks infecting her victims. Whenever she feeds directly
service to undertake menial tasks, as those around them sense from a living creature, roll her Humanity. On a failure, the
weakness and rush to take advantage before someone else does. victim contracts a disease that your character carries or one
Falling once is often forgiven and forgotten with time, but any chosen by the Storyteller.
Propinquus who gains a reputation of poor control because of
hunger is unlikely to survive long. Most who learn that they’re Clan Banes
known for this choose to flee Rome, braving the dark unknown
Each Propinquus clan bears a unique curse. The Daeva,
rather than face the tender mercies of their Camarilla fellows.
Gangrel, Nosferatu, and most Mekhet suffer the same banes
as in the modern nights, though their perceptions of these
Common Banes curses differ. The Julii clan bane can be found below, as can
The following are banes common to Roman vampires. Some the alternate curse of the Hollow Mekhet.
may appear in the modern nights, but they would mark a Lick
as strangely archaic.
Julii: The Strigid Curse
The Julii honor the lares and patron gods of Rome. Yet the
Banishment: Living creatures can recite prayers, shout
more they become like the cannibal state they revere, the easier
commands, or ritually force your character to flee from their
it is for such divinities to smite them. A Founder’s Humanity
presence, similar to abjuration. When presented with such a
caps any dice pools or traits used to contest/resist the Numina
banishment, your character must resist frenzy with a penalty
of ephemeral beings and the powers of the Striges.
equal to (10 – Humanity) divided by two, rounding up. On a
failure, her Beast will flee from the ritual as swiftly as possible. Mekhet: The Haunted Curse
Bound: Your character finds it difficult to stray far from a Many Egyptian Tenebrae still practice the old ways of their
particular place. This could be where she was born, the house clan, the ones taught upon the black earth of Egypt long before
where she spent her mortal life, or where she was Embraced. they were Kindred. When a Mekhet murders a mortal and
Wherever it is, once chosen, this location cannot be changed desecrates his resting place, she can perform a special form
until she loses a dot of Blood Potency from torpor, in which of posthumous Embrace (Vampire, p. 93). If successful, her
case, her new binding will be the location she awakens in next. childe immediately gains the Haunted Curse, his soul rent
Her dice pools lose the 10-again quality if she does not visit from his body and forced into the form of a Reflection (p.
this location once every (Humanity) nights. 216), a vengeful, hungry creature that wishes only to punish
Charon’s Obol: Placing a coin in your character’s mouth its wayward body. Because of this abruption, Hollow do not
has the same effect as staking her. She will remain in torpor cast reflections or shadows, and the sounds they make do not
until the coin is removed. In a grapple, a character can force a echo or carry over long distances.
coin into her mouth by taking a –3 modifier on the action to Whenever the Reflection appears in the story to haunt the
control the grapple. Placing Charon’s Obol in her mouth while Mekhet, the vampire gains a Beat, but the number of Beats he
she’s sleeping prompts a Humanity roll to awaken, as usual. can gain within a chapter/story is limited by Humanity (see
Knock Once: Your character can’t enter a mortal’s home if below). A Mekhet can always gain the maximum Beats per
all its doors and windows are closed. Even a closed curtain bars story when her Humanity falls, but any she gained at lower tiers
her passage. She can only knock once on a particular dwelling count against the maximum if she raises the trait once more.
per scene to request entry but suffers (10 – Humanity) dice of
bashing damage if she forces her way in. She cannot heal any Humanity Beat Maximum
damage as long as she remains inside. 9–10 Once per scene
Lightning Rod: Lightning and electricity burn your character’s 7–8 Twice per chapter
flesh just like fire, causing aggravated damage. If she’s outside in 5–6 Once per chapter
a storm without shelter, once per scene, roll a dice pool equal to
3–4 Twice per story
her Humanity. On a failure, she suffers an aggravated damage
as lightning strikes, even if it would normally be miles away. 1–2 Once per story

Merits
normally be possible. He can dig a hole through soil large
General enough to wriggle through at a quarter of his Speed per turn
Propinquus Merits (rounding up).
Most Kindred Merits from Vampire: The Requiem are Elector (••••)
also available to Camarilla vampires, except for proprietary Prerequisite: Julii
covenant Merits, which are assigned differently in this era Effect: One of the Owls has left its stamp on your character’s
(see p. 99). soul, which makes others of its kind hesitant to interfere with
him. He cannot resist or contest the Dread Powers of the Strix
Blood of Persephone (••) that once claimed him, but he doesn’t suffer the Strigid Curse
Prerequisite: Ghoul regarding other Owls. The Storyteller must still roll the Strix’s
Effect: The Curse rests heavily on your character’s veins, dice pools. Your character’s bane functions normally against
thickening their blood to almost the level of a newly Embraced other ephemeral beings, however.
vampire. She counts as having Blood Potency 1 for resistance
rolls and Clash of Wills and can expend two Vitae per turn. Escape the Lions (•)
Drawback: At Integrity 5, choose a common bane, applying Prerequisite: Lancea et Sanctum Status •
Integrity instead of Humanity where relevant. Effect: Your character knows the fate awaiting members of
her faith who aren’t quick or clever. She’s fostered connections
Boundless Vitality (•••) and knows places the Sanctified have prepared for situations of
Prerequisite: Daeva dire need. Once per chapter, gain the 9-again quality in rolls
Effect: An entertainer must appeal to her audience, and involving extended chases for a scene and two dots of Safe
even the smallest slip of the mask can be fatal to a reputation, Place for a single night.
or the Propinqua behind it. If your character’s Humanity
minus Blood Potency is greater than 3, she doesn’t need to
Fire-Bearer (•••)
spend Vitae for the blush of life. This takes an instant action Effect: In life, your character was responsible for main-
instead. If she falls beneath the prerequisite, she can keep taining a flame, whether it was a cooking fire, hearth, or
this Merit until she meets it again, or she can cash it in per the lamps and braziers used to light public spaces after dark.
the Sanctity of Merits. She’s suffered many burns and has a familiarity with flame
that surpasses most Kindred. When resisting frenzy caused by
Cerberan Soul (••) the presence of fire, she can treat any source as one Size level
Prerequisite: Mekhet smaller, and spending Willpower adds two dice per point to
Effect: Stranger creatures than Propinqui stalk the dark of the roll instead of one.
Rome in search of prey, but the Emissaries rarely provide a Ghostblood (•••)
satisfying hunt. Mekhet with a Cerberan Soul have a Beast that
Effect: Your character has a deep connection to the ances-
acts as a vicious guardian against intrusion, much like Cerberus
tors. Perhaps they were once touched by one of the Nemeses,
guards the passage into the Underworld. Your character gains
or perhaps their blood’s truer to the lares than most. They can
+3 to resist possession, and a successful resistance roll inflicts
demand an audience with any ghost in their vicinity, causing it
a level of lethal damage on the being that attempted it.
to manifest within a few minutes.
Conquered (•) Julii Only: By spending a Willpower, your character can also
Prerequisite: Peregrine Collegium Status • force the ghost to remain manifested for the rest of the scene,
Effect: Rome isn’t just filled with Romans, but a mélange of or until they verbally release it, whichever comes first.
peoples who’ve added themselves, or been added, to the Empire. Ichor of Dis (••)
Your character is one of them. She shares a sense of community
Prerequisite: Ghoul
with all who are not “true” Romans, gaining the 9-again quality
to any Social actions with humans not born in Rome. Effect: Propinqui display a level of control over their blood
other creatures can only envy. Vampires don’t bleed when cut,
Earthmover (•) and they never lose blood they don’t mean to. Your character’s
Prerequisite: Nosferatu blood takes on similar qualities, meaning they don’t bleed from
Effect: Other broods may claim Rome’s culture or history, wounds and never die from blood loss caused by injuries. Only
but it was the Worms who built the Necropolis. The earth complete aggravated damage in her Health will kill her, though
yields to your character’s touch and skill faster than would before that point, she may well wish for it.

Kindred Status (• to •••••) A character can have multiple lararia.
Effect: Kindred Status (Vampire, p. 113) in Requiem for Drawback: Your character must fulfill his part of the bargain,
Rome works the same as it does in modern nights with a few protecting the family from misfortune and blessing their home.
minor changes: If not, they may question his nature.
• City Status becomes Camarilla Status, which extends beyond Limen Mortis (•• or •••)
the bounds of Rome herself. If your character travels to
Effect: The darkness of Hades dwells within your char-
another domain, she will be afforded all the same honors she
acter’s blood, tolerating neither light nor heat to persist in
was due in her home city. That said, on the furthest reaches
their proximity. Said to be offspring of the lower depths,
of the Empire, her station might be questioned without proof
Propinqui demonstrating this oddity are given a wide berth,
to back it up, and Camarilla Status may function more like
lest they drag unwary souls into the Underworld. The chill
City Status in such backwaters.
of the grave causes them to exude a frigid aura, blanketing
• Covenant Status becomes Wing Status. Because the Camarilla everything near them in shadow.
is a single covenant, Wing Status is slightly less restrictive than At two dots, your character can take an instant action to
Covenant Status: A character’s combined Wing Status may not cause all flames within Blood Potency meters to shrink by
exceed six dots rather than five. The exception is the Lancea one Size level. At three dots, they can snuff out Size 1 flames
et Sanctum. A known Apostle may not have additional Status entirely by spending a Vitae as well.
dots in wings other than the Peregrine Collegium. However,
this will change after the Edict of Milan in 313 CE, when the Love of the Masses (••)
Camarilla reluctantly integrates the Sanctified as a wing. Prerequisite: Senex Status •
Effect: The wisest in Rome know ultimate authority lies with
Lararium (•• or •••) the mob, and that being a friend to the people is the easiest
Effect: Your character presents himself as the household god way to ensure a long life. Some Senecti take this lesson with
(lar) of a particular family, and they have a dedicated shrine them into death, fostering good relations with Propinqui of
where they pay tribute to him: a lararium. At two dots, he can lower classes. Your character counts half their Senex Status,
take a Willpower from their oblations once per week. At three rounding up, as dots of Peregrine Collegium Status in Social
dots, he’s so connected to this family that he can refresh his rolls with Strangers.
entire Willpower pool once per story.

characters who would be impressed by her heritage. At two
dots, gain a +2.
Julian Merits
The Daeva, Gangrel, Mekhet, and Nosferatu have Drawback: The Camarilla expects more out of the noble
access to special Merits in their respective clan books. dead, and if she’s found behaving in a way that besmirches her
Since the Julii have no dedicated supplement as of family name, your character will be judged harshly.
this publication, Founder characters may purchase
Ventrue Merits from False Gods: Ventrue and other One God’s Favor (•••)
sources, making any necessary modifications.
This is not a statement on the Lords’ connection Prerequisite: Must have a Deific Boon
to the Julii (or lack thereof). Both clans simply fill a Effect: The gods of Rome love those who show them proper
similar niche in the All Night Society. deference, but they require a constant supply. One of them
smiles upon your character, and she isn’t shy about letting
others know it. Rarely does she miss an opportunity to sing
the praises of her patron deity, and it rewards that devotion.
Martial Prowess (•) Once per chapter, in a scene where your character has
Prerequisite: Legion of the Dead Status • verbally invoked her chosen god, gain the rote quality on
Effect: The Camarilla trains its Soldiers well, and some a single action. This roll can be for anything apart from
are capable of picking up fighting techniques at a remarkable breaking points.
pace. Whenever your character gains a dot in a Fighting Style Mekhet Only: A Seer with this Merit regains a Willpower if
or learns a Fighting Merit, she takes a Beat. she exceptionally succeeds the rote action, in addition to the
usual Condition.
Natural Authority (• or •••)
Drawback: Your character must sacrifice or otherwise show
Prerequisite: Julii fealty to her god in a meaningful way once per chapter or loses
Effect: Some voices are more easily heard than others, and the benefits of this Merit until she atones properly.
your character’s is often heard above most. She’s accustomed
to being listened to, and others seem to instinctively want to Primacy (••)
follow the directions she gives. At one dot, this Merit grants Prerequisite: Clan Status •
the 9-again quality on all actions related to debate. At three Effect: Clans are far more important to the organization of
dots, it grants the 9-again quality to any Social action where the Camarilla than they are to modern covenants. Broods cleave
your character’s Clan or Wing Status would apply. together, and family units have greater significance to nightly pol-
Magistrate (•) itics. Leveraging those connections, your character can also add
Clan Status on Social rolls where Camarilla Status would apply.
Prerequisites: Non-Senex Wing Status ••, no Senex Status
Effect: Your character was elected by her wing to be a voice Primal Essence (•••••)
in the Senex. She (supposedly) has the ear of the Old Man, Prerequisite: Gangrel
receives a vote in the Assembly, and can propose and debate Effect: Your character is unlike other Propinqui, perhaps
policy. In Social interactions with Senecti and purchasing wing only a generation or two removed from the shadowy things
Merits, treat your character as having Senex Status equal to half that first created her kind, and the curse is strong in her
her Wing Status, rounding up. While she’s not permitted to blood. Rather than taking damage from sunlight, she is par-
learn the secrets of Legislatio, she does count as a participant alyzed, unable to make even the smallest motion, but she is
for Leges that require a consensus. otherwise unharmed.
A magistrate’s role is strictly defined, and she isn’t just a
Propinqua who owes allegiance to two wings. Like Caesar’s Ride the Knife’s Edge (••••)
wife, she must remain above suspicion, and if your character Prerequisite: Legion of the Dead Status ••
ever earns true Senex Status, she loses this Merit. Effect: The Legion has trained your character to harness the
Drawback: Kindred often overestimate how much pull Beast’s rage, granting a primal potency to the powers of their
magistrates have with the Senex, coming to them with a blood. In any scene where your character successfully resists
laundry list of issues and grievances they feel are worthy of frenzy, gain +2 to uses of Dominate, Majesty, and Nightmare,
the Assembly’s time. Navigating the expectations of both your and +3 rather than +2 when invoking Physical Intensity.
character’s home wing and those of the Senex can be a difficult
and dangerous task. Repurposed (•• or ••••)
Prerequisite: Peregrine Collegium Status •
Noble Heritage (• or ••) Effect: At some point during her past, your character was
Effect: Your character is the recognized scion of a patrician deemed a failure by the Assembly and given to the Untouchables
gens, and the Propinqui will treat her with all due respect. At to remake into a more useful citizen. While very little remains
one dot, gain a +1 on Presence and Manipulation rolls with of your previous existence, flashes of old memories and abilities

occasionally rise to the surface. At two dots, these remnants
are specific but indistinct: gain a Specialty in any Skill you
Deific Boons
have no dots in. Whenever you attempt to use that Skill in a Many Kindred enjoy advantages said to be bestowed by the
situation where this Specialty would apply, you may ignore the gods themselves. Whether or not this is truly the cause, it’s
untrained penalty for it. undeniable that some Propinqui display oddities that align with
At four dots, the memories from your past are clearer, giving aspects of the pantheon. Though not always gifted to those
you hints as to who you used to be. In addition to the above, devoted to specific gods, most with such gifts choose to favor their
you gain an additional Mask, which must be different from benefactors for fear of giving offense, if not out of genuine thanks.
your Dirge. Special: In addition to the systems below, these Merits grant
Drawback: Relying on fragments of your destroyed previous a universal effect. Once per chapter, the vampire may pray for
self is disconcerting, to say the least. Whenever you make her god to intercede on her behalf as a reflexive action. If so,
a successful roll using the Specialty granted by this Merit the Storyteller rolls a die in secret. On a 10, treat a single action
or regain Willpower from your additional Mask, gain the related to her prayer as an exceptional success before the end
Spooked Condition. of the chapter, regardless of the actual rolled result. If this is a
contested action, treat the vampire as having achieved exactly
Roar of the Crowd (•) five more successes than her opponent. The Storyteller decides
Prerequisite: Fame • when and where this effect comes up.
Effect: A performer never rests easy knowing his audience A character can have more than one Deific Boon, but if she
awaits. Your character’s soul hovers just on the other side of beseeches more than one god per chapter, the result of a 1 on
death, eager to rise and seek applause. They awaken 30 minutes the secret roll means she must suffer a dramatic failure on an
before sundown each evening. action, as the gods punish her fickle devotion.
Daeva Only: Courtesans rise an hour before sundown. These Merits are available only to vampires and, potentially,
other supernatural beings.
Suckled by Lupa (•)
Effect: Just as Rome was nurtured by the milk of a wolf, so
Boon of Bacchus (•)
your character is fed by the natural world. Count her Blood Effect: Vitae is a brutally addictive substance, but your
Potency as one dot lower when determining whether she gains character’s blood has been blessed by the God of Vices him-
sustenance from animal blood. self. Mortals and Kindred alike find the nectar in her veins
irresistible and are easily overcome by it. When your character
Gangrel Only: Your character’s Blood Potency is considered
feeds their blood to a character, you may spend a Willpower to
two dots lower instead.
advance the bond by two steps instead of one.
Unstable Blood (•••) Boon of Ceres (••)
Prerequisite: Blood Potency •
Effect: Some Propinqui cling to life more stubbornly than
Effect: The blood animating your character has a mind of others, your character among them. She’s never lost the ability
its own, refusing to accept the limitations set upon it by the to consume human food. Food is mystically absorbed by her
Kindred. Once per chapter, your character may use this Merit body, disappearing without needing to expel anything. If she
for any common Discipline (Animalism, Celerity, Obfuscate, feeds on raw meat of at least Size 1, she gains a single Vitae,
Resilience, Vigor) they have only a single dot in. They lose but only once per night.
access to the chosen Discipline for the scene but gain a single
use of any other common Discipline they do not know in Boon of Dis Pater (•••)
exchange. For the Physical Disciplines, the active effect can Effect: Your character’s soul refuses to rest easy in the realm of
only be applied for a turn, but the passive effects remain for death. When struck down, they return with startling alacrity but
the scene. wake feeling empty and chill, as if a piece of their soul were left
Drawback: Your character loses this Merit if she gains Blood behind. When your character enters torpor because of violence,
Potency. Sanctity of Merits applies. they can choose to awaken at the beginning of the next night.
Drawback: The Ferryman’s not cheap. If your character uses
Wormborn (•) the effect of this Merit, they lose a Humanity dot. If they choose
Effect: Born in darkness and brought up in the tunnels not to accept this price, they must endure the full length of
of the great Necropolis — or one like it — your character has torpor unless awakened early through the usual means.
developed instincts unknown to those who dwell in the world
above. Your character can’t become lost underground; she Boon of Fortuna (••)
always knows the cardinal directions and can retrace her steps Effect: Luck smiles upon your character. Once per night, she
to the last place she slept. can apply the Advantaged quality (p. 118) to a single instant
Nosferatu Only: Worms with this Merit gain the 9-again or reflexive action, or she can apply the Disadvantaged quality
quality on all mundane Survival rolls while underground. to an opponent’s roll.

Drawback: Your character must spend a Willpower in sup- Lictor (••)
plication to Fortuna when she uses this Merit. If not, the effect
Effect: Your character volunteers as one of the masked
works as described, but she suffers the opposite effect (i.e., a
attendants guarding the Porta Noctis, ensuring the chamber’s
Disadvantaged action or an opponent with an Advantaged
sanctity and overseeing the creation of new Propinqui.
action) at some point before the end of the night.
While within the Porta Noctis and wearing her ceremonial
Boon of Janus (•••) mask, your character is immune to any mystical effect that
Effect: The Two-Faced God has blessed your character with would force her to leave the chamber against her will. Anyone
a scrap of his dominion over pathways. Once per story, she may attempting to affect your character with a supernatural power
open a door and come out the other side elsewhere in the same that would interfere with her duties within the chamber
city if she has passed through that door before. If she is touching suffers her Composure as a penalty on the activation roll.
another person (or people) they can join her, but only as many If Composure would already be subtracted from this roll,
as can pass through the door simultaneously. double it.
Finally, because of her frequent attendance at the Embraces of
Boon of Jupiter (••) new Kindred, your character possesses extensive knowledge of
Effect: Your character has a strange affinity for lightning, the Rome’s bloodlines. She applies the 9-again quality to any Occult
element of Jupiter. In a thunderstorm, she can take an instant or Politics action involving the blood lineage of Camarilla
action and make a short prayer to the King of the Gods and Kindred, including Taste of the Blood.
direct a thunderbolt at any target. This applies once per night. Drawback: Lictors are sworn not to reveal what they witness
The lightning bolt deals 5 lethal damage, even to Kindred, and in the Porta Noctis, and like most oaths sworn in the Camarilla,
inflicts the Stunned Tilt. Once per story, the vampire can pray this one carries mystical weight. If your character breaks her
to summon a storm, which will arrive in (10 – Blood Potency) oath, she loses this Merit, her mask turns to dust, and she gains
turns. After which, she can use the effect above. the Shaken Condition if she ever enters the Porta Noctis from
then on. Sanctity of Merits applies.
Boon of Mars (•••)
Effect: The Propinqui know dire consequences can befall Mystery Cult Initiation:
them should they anger the God of War and patron of Rome. Cultus Terrae Atrae (• to •••••)
To act against the Empire is to invite his retribution, and that Effect: Most nights, the Cult of the Black Earth (p. 74) keeps
extends to its servants. to a custodial role, replacing light sources, shoring up tunnels,
Your character has been marked by Mars as his emissary, and and ensuring the traditions of rooms like the Porta Noctis and
any physical attack against her while she acts on behalf of the Templum Remi are enforced.
Roman state (including the Camarilla) suffers half her Blood That said, the Black Earth isn’t opposed to taking an active
Potency (rounding up) as a penalty. If she spends a Willpower, hand against those they feel aren’t showing their goddess
the attacker also suffers the Shaken Condition. proper respect. Some of the disappearances that occur down
Boon of Vesta (••) in the deep tunnels are their doing, as the cult’s favored
method of removing “problem” Kindred is to bury them, fully
Effect: Your character draws their connection to the mor- aware, in some deep and forgotten corner of the Necropolis
tal world through a family rather than individuals and can to allow their pat to reclaim the blood and flesh of those
weather the sands of time better than her Kindred as long as who’ve done her wrong.
that lodestar survives.
• Members of the Black Earth are at home in the subter-
If your character loses a human Touchstone, they can replace ranean realm of their goddess. Gain an Underground
her with another member of the same family unit within one Specialty in Survival.
generation without needing to reacquire a Touchstone the
usual way. Your character must still resist detachment because •• Cultists can never be lost as long as they have the
of the death of a Touchstone, if relevant. Furthermore, she Necropolis to guide them. Gain the Direction Sense
gains two Willpower for minorly defending this Touchstone Merit (Chronicles of Darkness, p. 44).
instead of one. ••• The Black Earth is adept at not being seen, for they
seek no recognition for the work they do. Gain a dot
Necropolis Merits of Stealth.
The Undercity is of such depth and sprawl as to be a world •••• As they advance, cultists grow to appreciate how
unto itself, replete with its own rules and dangers. Indeed, a their goddess can be seen in all things. Gain the
Propinquus who knows its ways can gain shelter, sustenance, Interdisciplinary Specialty Merit, with the Necropolis
wealth, and influence without ever leaving its twisting cat- as its focus.
acombs. The following are some of the ways a canny citizen ••••• The Necropolis looks after those who look after
might get ahead while staying low. her. Once per chapter, when your character turns

down any tunnel in the Necropolis, she can spend a
Willpower and emerge into any other tunnel they’ve
Jura
previously been to. She can bring a number of others The Legion of the Dead is empowered by the Senex to enforce
with her equal to Blood Potency plus one, but she the laws of the Camarilla and punish those who defy them. This
must pay a “tribute” of 1 Vitae for each unless they authority takes many forms, from the physical symbols they bear
also possess Black Earth Initiation. This effect can- to their right to search, detain, and assault those they suspect
not bring her directly to any named chamber of the of criminal behavior. The purest form, however, manifests as
Necropolis — only anonymous tunnels and niches Jura, a collection of abilities that blurs metaphorical and tangible
she knows. power together, allowing a Soldier to wield her authority like a
truncheon to crush dissent wherever she finds it.
Tunnel Runner (••) Unless otherwise noted, Jura only affect Kindred, ghouls, and
Prerequisite: Streetwise •• creatures who have sworn the Oath of Citizenship (see p. 98).
Effect: Your character is adept at using the Necropolis tunnels By the Book (•)
that run beneath Rome to move across the city swiftly. She
Effect: Soldiers who hold fast to the Camarilla’s laws find
always knows where the nearest entrance to the Necropolis
they provide comfort against the whispers of the Beast in trying
is (though not necessarily the safest or most convenient), and
times. When your character suffers a breaking point, if she does
when attempting to move through the city on foot, roll Wits +
so upholding Camarilla law, apply a +2 to the detachment roll.
Streetwise to attempt to reduce the travel time by dipping in
and out of the Undercity. Success reduces travel time by one- Die on Your Feet (••)
third, while an exceptional success cuts it in half.
Effect: Legionaries can fight long after they should be struck
Drawback: It’s difficult to quickly weave through tunnels down, for the laws command them to fight past what they
and alleys with a group. For every person your character is can truly endure. When your character is fighting to defend
traveling with who doesn’t possess this Merit, he suffers a –1 property, citizens, or ideals protected by Camarilla law, she can
to the above roll. spend a Willpower to gain temporary Health boxes equal to
Undercity Scavenger (•••) her Legion Status for the rest of the scene.
Drawback: These Health boxes fade at the end of the scene,
Prerequisite: Investigation •• or Streetwise ••
but any damage suffered remains, added to your character’s
Effect: All sorts of cast-offs and rotten trinkets make their Health track as if she had suffered them as a fresh wound.
way down into the Necropolis, and your character is adept at This can lead to torpor or even Final Death, so a wise Soldier
finding the hidden bits of treasure in the refuse. does his best to heal as much as possible before this happens.
Once per session, he can spend an hour scouring the
Undercity for hidden resources. Describe to the Storyteller Executioner (•••)
what he’s searching for in terms of material or blood, then Prerequisite: Legion of the Dead Status ••
roll Wits + Investigation/Streetwise, penalized by the degree Effect: While sentences of Final Death are rare in the
of difficulty in scrounging such a thing up. Camarilla — and normally the Old Man’s purview — some
Small scores, such as a few mouthfuls of Vitae or a set of criminals are too dangerous or offensive to exist. Inevitably,
simple tools, incur no penalty, while more specific or rare the duty to execute outlaws falls upon the Legion of the Dead,
items can incur as much as a –5. An exceptional success rep- whether this is in a formal setting in front of the Assembly or
resents a rare or unexpected find, such as a runaway ghoul some gods-forsaken tunnel of the Necropolis after a long and
or a stash of valuables buried long ago. bitter chase.
This Merit can’t be used to find specific objects or people, like When your character makes an Athletics, Brawl, or
a senator’s personal seal or the head chef of his household, but Weaponry attack against a vampire she’s witnessed violating
almost anything (or anyone) that might have been lost, thrown Camarilla law, halve the penalties (rounding down) your
away, or forgotten is fair game. character takes when she makes a called shot. She can spend
a Willpower before the attack to inflict lethal damage on
Worm Guide (••) a success, and if the victim of this attack has had a death
Prerequisite: Wits ••• or Nosferatu sentence formally declared upon them by the Senex, she can
Effect: Your character has spent extensive time traveling choose to deal aggravated damage instead.
all corners of the Necropolis, and she rarely leaves its depths,
offering her services to guide less-familiar citizens. She never Eyes of the Empire (••)
needs to take Streetwise/Survival actions to navigate to any Effect: While most simple guard duties in the Legion are
location in the Necropolis that she’s been to before, and any performed by ghouls, there are locations and personnel import-
Streetwise/Survival rolls made to navigate to a new location ant enough to warrant Kindred guardians of their own. To be
enjoy the 8-again quality. trusted with the safety of such an asset is considered a great
honor — and to fail in that duty, a terrible disgrace.

Your character must swear a short oath to guard another acters present in the scene with Legion of the Dead Status, so
vampire or place unfailingly. For the rest of the night, she gains long as those characters are visible and not obviously working
the rote quality on Perception to detect intruders or threats against her, to a maximum of +5.
while within the presence of the asset she’s guarding. This
effect also imbues your character with supernatural vigilance, Summary Justice (•••)
potentially piercing through the veil of Obfuscate. If someone Prerequisite: Legion of the Dead Status •••
concealed by Obfuscate acts against her or her charge, a Clash Effect: The Senex can’t handle every crime. Sometimes,
of Wills occurs, with your character applying her Wing Status officers of Grim Battalion must pass judgment over petty misde-
+ Blood Potency. If your character wins the contested action, meanors not considered worthy of the Old Man’s time.
the Obfuscated character is revealed to her, and he cannot Within a bordered space no larger than a meeting hall (usu-
conceal himself or others from you for the rest of the scene. If ally in the Necropolis, but any space of appropriate size will do)
you call attention to the Obfuscated character, other characters your character must loudly accuse a present Camarilla citizen of
attempting to find them via indirect clues (Vampire p. 138) a crime and then spend a Willpower to invoke this Jus. Once
receive a bonus equal to your character’s Wing Status. invoked, neither your character nor the accused may leave
Drawback: Once the oath is sworn, your character must or attack one another without first spending Willpower and
remain with the asset for the entire night. If she leaves or allows succeeding an instant Resolve + Composure action, penalized
a person she’s protecting out of her sight for more than a few by your character’s Wing Status.
minutes, this Jus ceases to function and she loses a point of To resolve the Jus, the accused must either confess and accept
Willpower. Once it has failed in this way, Eyes of the Empire can- the punishment your character hands down, or your character
not be used again on the same subject until the following night. can declare the accused innocent of the offense. In either case,
the accused regains a spent Willpower if they accept their sen-
Interrogator (••)
tence without further trouble.
Prerequisite: Legion of the Dead Status ••
Fleeing Summary Judgment or attacking the accusing Soldier
Effect: It falls to the Legion to hear their pleas and sort truth before a verdict is reached is a clear sign of guilt in Camarilla
from falsehood before criminals are brought before the Senex. culture, so most accused at least attempt to plead their cases
With this Jus, the words of those who’ve broken Camarilla law before resorting to desperate measures. Likewise, it’s a sign of
ring harshly in your character’s ears. When interrogating a dishonor and weakness for a Soldier to invoke this Jus for per-
suspect, he gains the 8-again quality on Empathy, Intimidation, sonal reasons or to entrap someone they know to be innocent.
and Persuasion. If he successfully engages the suspect in conver-
Once invoked, Summary Judgment remains in place until it’s
sation for at least a few moments, for the rest of the scene, she
resolved, the accused successfully flees, or your character enters
suffers a penalty to all mundane Subterfuge-based rolls equal to
torpor or meets Final Death. As such, some brazen Legionaries
half your character’s Legion of the Dead Status, rounding up.
will invoke it in areas open to the sky, adding the pressure of
No Escape (•) sunrise in a bid to force a suspect to confess.
Effect: The Grim Battalion’s tenacity is well known through- Summary Judgment may only be called down on a single
out the Camarilla. When pursuing someone your character accused once in a given night.
knows or suspects of breaking Camarilla law, add her Wing Officially, the Senex supports the judgments of their Kindred
Status to Speed. Furthermore, if your character can see her in the Legion, but privately, many Legislators rankle at this Jus
quarry, subtract her Status from their Speed as well. for its “undemocratic” nature. At minimum.
No Quarter (•) Weight of Law (•••)

Effect: There’s no safety for those the Legion wishes to Prerequisite: Legion of the Dead Status ••
find. When attempting to breach a Safe Place belonging to Effect: Often, the mere presence of the Legion of the Dead
someone your character knows or reasonably suspects to have stops lawbreakers from causing trouble.
broken Camarilla law, she may offset the penalty levied by that Your character must present herself as an obvious symbol of
Merit equal to Wing Status. This protection also extends to Camarilla authority, whether by declaiming about the sanctity
her Dexterity + Larceny actions to avoid traps the Safe Place of law, rebuking a rebellious voice, or simply standing tall and
may contain. proud in full black armor. As long as she continues in this fash-
ion, anyone attempting an action that would violate Camarilla
Our Invincible Will (•)
law suffers her Wing Status as a penalty unless they first spend
Effect: The Legion of the Dead fight and train as one, and a point of Willpower.
just as their shield wall defends the entire formation against
Drawback: Weight of Law only functions as long as your
physical threats, so too can they pool their determination to
character’s air of authority lasts. If she violates Camarilla law
turn aside corrupting mental influences. Your character gains
or is decisively rebuked, or even humiliated, the effect of this
a bonus to resistance rolls against supernatural mental and
Merit ceases.
emotional manipulation equal to the number of other char-

We March as One (••) When your character invokes this Lex, one of the involved
Senecti must spend a Willpower to bind two subjects: the con-
Effect: It’s called the Legion of the Dead for a reason. Strength
victed and the plaintiff. The convicted loses Social Merit dots
in numbers is a power recognized the world over, and otherwise
equal to the combined Senex Status of the Ancients invoking
stalwart foes quail at the sight of rows of black-armored Soldiers
this Lex, to a maximum of five (Sanctity of Merits applies). The
advancing in lock-step. Your character gains a bonus to her
plaintiff then gains dots in the same Merits that the convicted
Initiative and all mundane uses of the Intimidation Skill equal
was stripped of. This cannot reduce a convicted vampire’s dots
to the number of other characters present in the scene with
in a single Merit to less than zero or the plaintiff to rise above
Legion of the Dead Status, so long as those characters are visible
five in any given Merit.
and not obviously working against her, to a maximum of +5.
This transfer is permanent, but if the plaintiff later loses
Legislatio the Merit dots she gained from this Lex, perhaps as a result
of a legal entanglement of her own, Sanctity of Merits does
Camarilla law is more than the mumbled words of hoary old not apply.
corpses. It has weight and power beyond language, and Legislatio
(“the giving of law”) is the manifestation of that power. When Humble the Blood (•••)
Remus taught Senex the Lord’s words, it wasn’t simply control Prerequisite: Senex Status ••
he gained, but authority. The laws crafted by their Words were Effect: The Senex considers physical punishment a crude,
imbued with that authority, granting them power over those inefficient tool. Flogging, beatings, and even amputations are
that bow to the institution of the Camarilla. It is only right temporary inconveniences to Kindred who will then seek out
then, as the leaders and lawmakers of Sodalitas Pernox, that more blood to heal their injuries and further drain resources.
the Legislators’ authority and judgment should be absolute. This Lex was created so Senecti could exercise a bit more
Unless otherwise noted, each Lex only affects Kindred, creativity in punishing lawbreakers, as well as have them give
ghouls, and creatures who’ve sworn the Oath of Citizenship back to society at the same time.
(see below). Humble the Blood temporarily suppresses a vampire’s access
to one of their Disciplines until they fulfill a condition set
Aegis of Authority (•••) down by your character. This requires the public consensus
Prerequisite: Senex Status •• of at least three Status-bearing members of the Senex, though
Effect: The Senex claim to channel the might and will only one of them needs to possess this Merit. Your character
of Aulus Julius. There might be something to that boast, as spends a Willpower and announces the victim’s crimes and the
Kindred who try to impede Legislators from their duties with Discipline she will lose access to, as well as what she must do
violence are often unable to do them any real harm, as if the to end her punishment. The subject then gains the Humbled
Senecti were protected by some powerful outside force. Blood Condition (p. 273).
When undertaking official duties in the name of the Senex The victim can be called upon to do nearly anything in the
(voting at the Assembly, sharing a proclamation, overseeing a name of this Lex, but it must be something she has a reasonable
criminal’s punishment, etc.), your character counts her Senex prospect of succeeding at. Until she meets that requirement,
Status dots as general armor against all sources of physical she cannot use any aspect of the suppressed Discipline unless
harm, including banes (but not sunlight). To receive this she first spends a point of Willpower, which does not add any
protection, your character must be an obvious and active dice to the activation roll (if any).
participant in whatever official duties are occurring: reading Drawback: Your character cannot refresh the Willpower
out a new law, debating a proposed change, etc. This effect spent to activate Humble the Blood until the victim fulfills
stacks with mundane armor and Resilience. their service, meets Final Death, or enters torpor.
This protection is lost for the scene if your character takes
any significant action outside of her official duties. For example, Lawful Insight (•)
flung stones, fruit, and even arrows might bounce harmlessly Effect: The Senecti are tied to their laws in a way that goes
off her while she reads out an unpopular new law to a crowd, beyond bureaucracy. Almost all of them have an intuitive sense
but if she stops to assault one of her attackers, then this Lex of Camarilla law, and veteran Legislators can extend this to the
ceases to function. rules of far more exotic locations.
Your character always knows the laws and customs of any
Forced Reparations (••) Camarilla domain she enters, gaining the 9-again quality
Prerequisite: Senex Status •• on any Academics of Politics rolls to interpret them as long
Effect: When a citizen is found guilty of harming another as she’s been in the domain at least one night and briefly
in violation of Camarilla law, this Lex ensures he makes fair conversed with someone who resides there. This extends to
restitution. Forced Reparations requires the public consensus any set of mystical laws or rules tied to the location, such as
of at least three Status-bearing members of the Senex, though deep domains within the Underworld, or the intricate oaths
only one needs to possess this Merit. of changelings and spirits.

Drawback: Because of your character’s innate understand- gain Status in any of the wings that will have them, and the laws
ing, she has a difficult time claiming ignorance of any laws of the Camarilla will both bind and protect them, including
that might apply to her. She suffers a –2 to any Persuasion or Legislatio and Jura. The oath is permanent once sworn; only
Subterfuge rolls made to convince others she was unaware of the destruction of the symbol will free the signee, an act your
violating a rule or law. character and the signee will be instantly aware of no matter
how it happens.
Litany of Violation (••) Your character can only have one sponsorship active at a time.
Effect: By conversing with a Camarilla citizen for a few Drawback: The actions of such “adopted” citizens tend to
moments, your character can call up a record of their past reflect on their sponsors, especially the negative ones. The social
transgressions. Roll Intelligence + Politics as a reflexive action, consequences of sponsoring a new citizen who proves unfit for
+1 if your character can steer the conversation toward justice or the role can be dire.
politics. For each success, she gains knowledge of one crime the
subject has been accused of and if they were found guilty or not. Official Witness (•)
Note that culpability doesn’t always equal justice. Litany of Effects: Members of the Senex are often called upon to oversee
Violation only reveals official rulings, not true guilt or innocence. disputes and agreements between citizens to ensure fairness. The
Quaestors (p. 64) are usually required to know this Lex to gaze of a Legislator adds weight to the proceedings and guarantees
perform their duties. any violations of negotiations will not go unnoticed.
Your character must either read or hear the terms of a deal
My Word is Law (•••) between two or more consenting parties as it’s being negotiated.
Prerequisite: Senex Status ••• These can be as simple or complex as is required, but after the
Effect: This Lex effectively creates a temporary law enforced deal is agreed upon, your character will have a perfect recol-
by your character’s own will. She must spend a Willpower lection of the terms for as long as it persists. For its duration,
and declare a course of action to be forbidden. This should she knows if anyone bound by its terms violates it, which party
be something active (not doing something can’t be illegal) and broke trust, which clause was broken, and a rough idea as to
cannot be a state of being. For the next scene, anyone in your the immediate circumstances around the violation.
character’s presence cannot perform the illegal action unless Your character can only act as an Official Witness to a num-
they first spend a Willpower, which allows them to act against ber of deals at one time equal to Wing Status.
the edict for a turn. However, if this illegal action requires
a roll, it’s penalized by your character’s Wing Status. Only Persona Non Grata (•••••)
one instance of this Lex can be active during a given scene. Prerequisite: Senex Status ••••
If another Senectus attempts to override your character’s use Effect: Sometimes, a citizen must be removed for the good
of My Word is Law, or vice versa, it provokes a Clash of Wills of the Camarilla. Whether it’s used to punish a particularly
where both characters roll Senex Status + Blood Potency. heinous criminal or to destroy a political rival, this Lex causes
Drawback: While the actual Assembly might be full of the laws themselves to forsake a victim, effectively revoking the
hypocrisy, Legislatio is less tolerant. If your character attempts protections of citizenship.
the action they forbade, this Lex fails, and your character loses This Lex requires your character to call a vote to declare a
a Willpower. If they have no Willpower left to lose, they enter victim Persona Non Grata, which requires at least fifteen Senex
frenzy instead. to attend, and at least one of equal or greater Status to your
Oath of Citizenship (•) characters. A majority consensus is required; in small domains
with fewer Legislators, the vote can be held with as few as five,
Prerequisite: Senex Status •• but the vote must then be unanimous.
Effect: The Camarilla is a society built by the Kindred, for Your character crosses off a dot of Willpower to mark a vic-
the Kindred. However, they’re not the only predators of the tim currently within the domain at the time of the vote as a
night preying on the living. Though rare, occasionally one of pariah. The victim immediately takes a level of lethal damage
these “cousins” wishes to enjoy the safety and security Sodalitas as a black brand appears on their forehead. This brand cannot
Pernox offers. If such a being manages to make its case to a be concealed, healed, or removed as long as the victim remains
member of the Senex and be accepted, the Legislator can invoke within the domain. While the brand remains, the victim loses
this Lex to make them a citizen. access to the following Merits: Allies, Contacts, Haven, Herd,
Your character may sponsor a non-Kindred vampire by hav- and all Kindred Status. As long as the victim is inside the
ing them swear this oath in front of a fully informed witness domain where this Lex was invoked, nothing done to him is
and then marking a symbol of their agreement in blood. This considered a violation of Camarilla law, up to and including
symbol might be a formal written contract, a crudely drawn diablerie. Jura and Legislatio do not function for him, nor will
pictogram, or an intricately carved totem — the form doesn’t they punish anyone who harms him.
matter. As long as this symbol is intact, the signee is treated as Any Propinquus who inflicts at least a level of lethal damage
a citizen of the Camarilla in every way that matters. They may upon the victim, or impedes him in a significant way, refreshes

a point of spent Willpower (though only once per use of Persona Laws, discussed below) are available at the Storyteller’s discre-
Non Grata). In addition, any citizen who wishes to aid the tion. As a rule of thumb, the Senex can access Invictus Merits
victim must spend a Willpower to do so for the scene, or else (but not Oaths), the Collegium can access Carthian Merits (but
any rolls to do so fail automatically. Finally, any character who not Laws), and the Augurs can access Ordo Dracul and Circle
would suffer a breaking point related to actions taken against of the Crone Merits (where appropriate). As long as they’re not
the victim gains a +3 on detachment. anachronistic, Witnesses can access modern Lancea et Sanctum
This effect lasts until the victim has spent at least one full Merits. Because the Legion of the Dead has no direct modern
night outside of the domain where the Lex was invoked, at analog, Storytellers should decide which (if any) modern Merits
which point, the brand fades (though he must heal the damage Soldiers can access on a case-by-case basis.
normally), and he regains access to Merits blocked by this Lex. Covenant Status prerequisites shift to match the appropriate
For a year and a day, should he return, Persona Non Grata will Wing Status, but otherwise, the mechanical effects work the
take effect again unless the domain’s Senex members have since same unless otherwise noted.
voted to overturn his sentence.
The dot of Willpower is permanently lost until repur-
Cult of Augurs
chased with an Experience unless your character commits the Members of the Cult of Augurs may purchase Altar,
Amaranth upon the victim while they are under the effects of Lorekeeper, Night Doctor Surgery, and Secret Society Junkie.
Persona Non Grata, in which case, it will return after nights • Altar becomes Templum, a sacred space the vampire (or
equal to the victim’s Blood Potency. vampires) can define as a ritual setting. This Merit functions
the same way for the Veneficium as Altar does for Crúac.
Red Tax (••)
• Lorekeeper becomes Scholar. A character with this Merit
Effects: One of the Camarilla’s greatest achievements is the
maintains the history of the Camarilla and Propinquus lore.
blood dole, a communal source of nourishment donated by
The Empire of Night assures she never wants for assistance
privileged citizens for the benefit of all. How a would-be philan-
and never goes hungry.
thropist goes about gathering enough blood for a dole is up to
them, but many Senecti use this Lex to help the process along. • Night Doctor Surgery becomes Medicus Nocturnus. The first
Violators found guilty of poaching blood must repay their physicians in Rome were priests and magicians, and while
theft in kind. The Red Tax requires the public consensus of living doctors (sort of) became more scientifically minded,
at least three Status-bearing members of the Senex, though Propinquus doctors never shook this association.
only one of them needs to possess this Merit. A Vitae must be • Secret Society Junkie becomes Initiate, a Vaticinator who
ritually spilled to invoke this Lex, but it may come from any of hides in plain sight among the various mystery cults of Rome.
the involved Kindred — including the victim. This Vitae is then
used to anoint the intended vessel for the victim’s taxed Vitae, Legion of the Dead
whether that’s another Propinquus or a container of some kind. Members of the Legion of the Dead may purchase Sworn as
The victim then gains the Taxpayer Condition (p. 273). Staff Officer. A Staff Officer is an integral part of a large divi-
sion or unit and is afforded both more direct mentorship from
Spotless Record (•)
her superiors and greater aid from her inferiors. She may shift
Effect: The Ancients must appear to be model citizens, lest her Mentor and Retainer dots as she gains new assignments.
the masses lose faith in their right to lead. As long as your
character participates in Senex business (attending Assembly or Peregrine Collegium
a sponsored blood dole, for instance) at least once a week, her Members of the Peregrine Collegium may purchase Carthian
Wing Status acts as a penalty to any Academics, Investigation, Pull and I Know a Guy.
or Politics rolls made to uncover her past legal violations or
• Carthian Pull becomes Honor Among Thieves. The Strangers’
transgressions.
many ill-gotten gains must be shared and shared alike.
Drawback: This Merit does not function if the character
investigating you has equal or higher Senex Status. Shit rolls • I Know a Guy is unchanged. In all times and all places, there’s
downhill, even in Rome. a guy, and someone always knows him.
Modern Senex
Members of the Senex may purchase Attaché, Friends in
Covenant Merits High Places, Invested, Speaker for the Silent, and Where the
Bodies Are Buried.
The Merits similar to the various Covenant Status Merits
of modern nights exist in Rome, but these are distributed • Attaché becomes Adjutor. The Ancients have a higher class
differently between the wings. of deputies and assistants, and they don’t hesitate to martial
these human resources for all they’re worth.
The following are from the Vampire: The Requiem rule-
book. Merits from other supplements (except for Carthian • The remaining Merits are unchanged.

Mundane Merits
Ages Pass: Christian Vampires Beloved of the People (••)
The Lancea et Sanctum won’t appear in Rome
until the mid-3rd century CE, but before that, some Prerequisite: Fame •• or Status ••
of the dead worship as Christians, and a few odd Effect: Your character’s face is known to the people, and the
cults exist within the Peregrine Collegium in the people love her. They will generally treat her favorably, and some
early Empire.
Most of these groups are banned after a folk may rush to her side to greet her as she moves through the
notoriously violent incident in the Necropolis city. Few would stand by if your character w threatened with
involving an explosion, but some remain in secret, harm. In any scene where your character is obviously threatened
ready to be absorbed into the future Sanctified and or harmed in front of witnesses, your character can implore
help define their dogma. Vampires with Status in observers to assist them. Roll Presence + Expression and gain
such cults can purchase the Discipleship Merit and
the equivalent of Carthian Pull (“Apostolic Mutual Retainers equal to successes rolled for the scene as the common
Aid”), with Retainer and Mentor instead of Allies folk come to assist.
and Contacts.
Castrum (• to •••••)
Effect: When not in use, supplies must be kept somewhere
safe. The Roman military held their supplies in strongholds
Lancea et Sanctum called castra, and your character has learned to apply this
Members of the Lancea et Sanctum may purchase Anointed wisdom to their everyday tools, leaving small caches of useful
and The Mother–Daughter Bond. things hidden throughout areas they frequent. This Merit
• Anointed is unchanged. represents disguised stores of food, weapons, or equipment
secreted around the city in convenient places. Each dot of this
• The Mother–Daughter Bond becomes Discipleship. Adversity Merit represents a stash of goods worth a dot of Availability.
is always on the horizon for the Spear and Chapel, so its congre- Locations for this Merit need not be predefined and should be
gants are far more tightknit than their modern counterparts, quickly reachable when called upon.
an insularity the Camarilla mistakes for weakness.
Home Altar (•)
Carthian Law Effect: Displays of worship to the Roman pantheon are sym-
The abilities “rediscovered” by the Carthian Movement bols of status for many Romans. Your character is known to be
during the French Revolution are echoes of the legal powers dedicated to a single deity of the pantheon above others and
wielded by the Senex and the Legion of the Dead, filtered displays an altar prominently in their home. This reputation
through the notorious Gallows Post covenant that rose in grants them the equivalent of a Status dot with the god’s others
the latter’s ashes. followers, and they enjoy an additional +1 to Social actions on
Many laws have been lost, and some have been corrupted that god’s festival days.
or otherwise altered; others remain identical to their past
incarnations. Because of this, most Carthian Law Merits can Patron (• to •••••)
be used as either Jura or Leges with no alteration. Below is Prerequisite: Status equal to or higher than that of the client
a list of Carthian Laws appropriate for Requiem for Rome Effect: Your character is engaged in the Roman practice of
chronicles and their associated wings. In the case of Laws with clientela, acting as a patron to a lower-level member of society.
Carthian Status prerequisites, substitute the appropriate Wing The level of this Merit determines the severity of the debt the
Status instead. client owes, which influences the level of favors he’s willing to
• Breaking the Chains (Secrets of the Covenants, p. 179): perform. Your character can call upon the client to perform
Legion of the Dead tasks for her, with higher dot levels representing more and
greater favors. These are rated as small, medium, and large:
• Cease Fire (Secrets, p. 180): Senex
• Small favors don’t require the client to spend any money, piss
• Coda Against Sorcery (Secrets, p. 180): Senex anyone off, or do anything illegal.
• Empower Judiciary (Secrets, p. 180): Senex • Medium favors require him to spend money, risk losing
• Establish Precedent (Secrets, p. 180): Legion of the Dead status, or engage in semi-serious crimes.
• Lex Terrae (Vampire, p. 116): Legion of the Dead • Large favors risk the client’s whole career, or even his life.
• Mandate from the Masses (Vampire, p. 116): Senex Once per chapter, your character can ask a favor of her client.
The Storyteller determines if it’s small, medium, or large, but no
• Right of Return (Vampire, p. 116): Senex roll is required to gain its benefits. Small favors are unlimited;
• Strength of Resolution (Vampire, p. 116): Legion of the Dead medium favors can be called in a number of times per story
equal to Merit dots; and large favors can be called in half that

many times, rounding up. If the client cannot perform the
favor in a single chapter, your character must wait until he
does so before she can ask for another, even a small one.
Your character can call in medium and large favors past
these limits, but this means the client has gone above and
beyond what he owes her, and he will consider his debt
at least partly paid off. An excess medium favor reduces
your Patron rating by a dot, and an excess large favor
reduces it by two. Sanctity of Merits applies.
Drawback: A client isn’t a flunky or a servant. He can
ask your character for minor favors of his own, especially
if he’s done something for her lately. He’ll expect your
character to help him advance his goals in good faith,
and if he realizes their relationship is all take and no
give, he’ll find someone more amenable. Furthermore,
if the client ever exceeds your character’s Status, she can
no longer serve as his patron.
Resources (• to •••••)
Effect: The Resources Merit has largely the same effect
as presented on p. 123 of Vampire: The Requiem, but it’s
worth noting that sources of wealth differ in this period.
Systems of loan and credit exist much as they do today,
but much less value is placed on actual currency, and
more on the exchange of services or opportunities. As
such, Resources takes on a social facet since so much of
their use requires negotiation and diplomacy compared
with the modern era. A Resources level of 4 or 5 grants
a dot of Contacts each to represent the hands-on net-
working nature of currency and barter.
Fighting Merits
Cramped Spaces (• to •••)
Prerequisites: Resolve •••, Strength ••, Weaponry ••
Effect: Mostly known to Propinqui who’ve had many
opportunities to draw weapons in the tight tunnels of the
Necropolis, or mortals who employ it in the suffocating
press of regimental combat, this style allows your char-
acter to turn confined surroundings to their advantage.
Mastery of this style allows your character to trap or
break weapons and move inside their opponent’s guard.
Limited Arc (•): The first lesson is to treat tight spaces
as if they’re allies. Your character gains +2 Defense in any
situation where she has less than a meter of clearance to
both the left and right.
Deny Encircle (••): Lone fighters are easily over-
whelmed once they’re surrounded by enemies. Your char-
acter can maneuver herself so that foes can’t outflank her
to bring greater numbers to bear. In situations where your
character has less than a meter of clearance on either side,
hostiles can’t move past her without taking her weapon’s
damage modifier in injuries, and she cannot be attacked
by more than two opponents in a round. This does not
apply to thrown attacks or Archery-based attacks.

Pin (•••): Closed-in fights always have solid obstacles
nearby, whether they’re walls or other combatants, and you
have become an expert in using the enclosed battlefield itself More Styles
In addition to those listed here and in Chronicles
to your advantage. By reflexively spending a Willpower after a of Darkness, the following Fighting Styles from Hurt
successful attack in an enclosed situation, you can inflict the Locker are available in Ancient Rome. Non-inclusion
Pinned Tilt (p. 274) on your opponent. in this list doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t use a
particular Merit, but these are the ones that best
Deadly Coordination (•) reflect archaic warfare and violence: Bowmanship
(p. 47), Chain Weapons (p. 48), Combat Archery (p.
Prerequisite: Formation Fighter • 48), Grappling (p. 49), Mounted Combat (p. 51),
Effect: Legionaries drill together ceaselessly, ensuring any Powered Projectile (p. 51), Spear and Bayonet (p.
group of them can function together as a deadly whole. Add 51), Weapon and Shield (p. 53).
+1 success to any roll made to assist another member of the
formation in a teamwork action. In combat, your character can
choose to reduce their Defense by 1 to add 1 to the Defense of
any soldier within (Weaponry) meters once per turn. Shield Breaker (••): When conducting the Cuneum Formate!
maneuver, your character can take a –3 instead of the normal
Destroyer (• to •••) penalty to double the damage bonus.
Prerequisites: Strength ••••, Weaponry ••• Offensa Perfecta (•••): Your character knows how to make
Effect: Lacking a weapon in combat usually means dying the most of her attacks as the formation fends off enemies.
shortly thereafter. Users of this style learn to defeat the weapon When performing the Ciringite Frontem! maneuver, if your
rather than the wielder, correctly concluding that an unarmed character forgoes the +2 modifier on her attack roll, she excep-
opponent is no opponent at all. Weapons and equipment dam- tionally succeeds with three successes instead of five.
aged using this Fighting Style can be repaired unless Structure Call to Arms (••••): Your character is the one the rest of
is reduced to zero, in which case, they shatter or are otherwise the formation looks to for guidance. Spend a Willpower and
destroyed, and they must be rebuilt or discarded. roll Presence + Warfare as a reflexive action when a formation
Knick (•): A battle of a thousand strikes begins with a single command is issued; on a success, the tactic can be set up as
blow. Make an attack with a 2-die penalty targeting your oppo- a reflexive action, as the whole formation works in concert.
nent’s weapon. In addition to any damage dealt to Structure,
permanently reduce its damage bonus by one. Note that a
Gladiatorial
weapon cannot be reduced below a damage bonus of zero. Showman (• to •••)
Blade’s Betrayal (••): Weapons can be turned against unsus- Prerequisites: Athletics ••, Expression •••, Weaponry ••
pecting wielders. Your character can drive an enemy’s weapon Effect: Romans love a good fight, and recreating spectacles
back on him. If she makes an attack using Knick and achieves of ancient wars is a time-worn tradition. Gladiators learn to be
more successes than their opponent’s Weaponry dots, she can artists in their craft, exaggerating their motions and communi-
inflict the Stunned Tilt (p. 274). cating with an audience through telegraphing and body language.
Shatter (•••): Your character can quickly identify weak They use this style to enhance the perception of their prowess
points in weapons wielded against her. When attacking with to gain favor and adoration from all who see them. To gain this
Knick, she can ignore the targeted weapon’s Durability by style’s benefits, your character must use it in front of an audience.
spending a Willpower on the attack. This does not confer Pop (•): Your character can feign weakness to draw out the
the usual +3 modifier. drama, making their inevitable success more pleasing to the
crowd. Take a –2 on an attack, but gain the effect of spending
Formation Fighter (• to ••••) a Willpower on the next attack after that.
Prerequisites: Strength ••, Athletics ••, Warfare ••, Too Easy (••): When being brash, loud, and playing to a
Weaponry •• crowd, it’s easy to convince an opponent their efforts are futile.
Effect: The Camarilla is the dark reflection of the world Speaking aloud to the crowd, your character states the ease with
above, and nowhere more so than among the Legio Mortuum, which they’ll claim victory, and if the next attack succeeds,
where the tactics and strategies of mortal armies are expertly inflict the Shaken Condition on the opponent. Your character
adapted to the dead. can also claim a bonus equal to the net successes on a Social
While most Soldiers are familiar with formation tactics (p. roll against someone who saw the attack during the scene.
115), some know how to refine these techniques, standing above Admiration (•••): Your character has mastered the art
even the other troops of the elite Legion of the Dead. of combat entertainment. It’s second nature to play to the
Defensa Perfecta (•): Your character is an expert at operat- audience, winning hearts and minds as well as the battle at
ing in formation, using her place in the crowd to keep herself hand. People who see your character fight talk about their
safe. She gains a +1 to Defense while attacking within the performance for weeks afterward. If your character wins the
formation’s ranks. fight, they gain the Adored Condition (p. 272).

Mixed Arms (• to •••) Reckless Abandon (• to •••)
Prerequisites: Athletics •••, Weaponry ••, Quick Draw Prerequisites: Strength •••, Weaponry •••, cannot be
Effect: True soldiers master all means of doing harm. A wearing armor
master of all forms of combat, your character can use a variety Effect: In a world where few people, even soldiers, receive
of weaponry to probe his enemies for weaknesses to exploit. formal combat training, an overabundance of aggressiveness
This style alters with different weapons at different ranges in and nerve can often win out. Warriors skilled in this fighting
the following order: a thrown javelin or ax, a spear or polearm, style don’t consider their own defense, focusing solely on
and closing with a sword or dagger. Each step of this fighting overwhelming their opponent through pure aggression. This
style builds on the last, requiring your character to continue fighting style cannot be used while wearing mundane armor.
closing in on the target while they perform each step. Strong Arm (•): Your character knows striking hard is the
The Throw (•): Your character begins their attack from afar, best way to end a fight fast. They’re practiced in putting their
hurling a projectile to knock their foe off balance. Take –1 to all into every attack. When she makes an all-out attack, she can
your character’s attack roll and inflict an Arm or Leg Wrack if substitute her Weaponry score instead of taking the normal +2.
the attack is successful. Froth (••): Overwhelming an opponent is as much a men-
The Close (••): Moving closer to their foe, your character tal battle as a physical one. By building herself into a state of
attacks from a middle distance to create an opening for their frothing intensity, your character can weaken her opponent’s
final strike. In addition to the damage your character deals with resistance. Make a reflexive Presence + Intimidation roll. If
this attack, they’re placed one step ahead of their opponent in successes rolled exceed the opponent’s Composure, they cannot
the initiative order on subsequent turns if they wish. If they’re spend Willpower for attacks or defense against your character
already ahead, the victim of the attack suffers your character’s for turns equal to successes. They can still spend Willpower
successes as a penalty to Initiative. normally for all other effects.
The End (•••): Battered and off balance, few can stand Rhythmic Strikes (•••): Your character can feel the drum-
against this skilled sequence of well-timed attacks. Spend a beat of battle deep in her bones. When fighting, her wild strikes
Willpower to gain the rote quality on an attack with a 1L follow a flow and pattern that can be heard, building to the final
hand weapon if The Throw and The Close have been used in crescendo of her opponents’ defeat. Gain a stacking +1 modifier
sequence on the previous two turns, ignoring any mundane against an opponent as long as your character continues to
armor worn by the target. attack them each turn, to a maximum of +5. These attacks do
not need to be successful, merely directed at the same target.
Quick Draw (•) A dramatic failure breaks the sequence.
Prerequisites: Wits •••, a Specialty in the weapon or fighting
style chosen Track Star (•)
Effect: Choose a weapon Specialty in Weaponry or Archery Prerequisites: Ride •••, Weaponry ••
or in a Fighting Style Merit when you purchase this Merit. Effect: Your character is an expert charioteer, whether at
Your character has trained in that weapon or style enough that the Circus Maximus or the various smaller venues in Rome.
pulling the weapon is her first reflex. Drawing or holstering Gain a Chariots Specialty in Ride, and add a +4 instead of
that weapon is considered a reflexive action, and can be done +3 when spending Willpower on attacks while handling a
any time her Defense applies. horse-drawn chariot.
Fenestrae
Strangers can dodge the laws of death with surprising ease Fenestrae cost 3 Experiences per dot and are purchased in
— especially considering the suspicion the other wings have for the same manner as Disciplines. They can come in any order or
them. Even Jura and Legislatio have trouble identifying and combination, and no teacher is required as long as the vampire
punishing veteran Untouchables, to the eternal frustration of is a member in good standing of the Peregrine Collegium. Every
both Senex lawmakers and Legion enforcers. time a character purchases a dot, she selects which Fenestra she
The reason for this uncanny slipperiness is Fenestrae, the gains from the list below.
Collegium’s odd collection of knacks and talents. No one among The number of Fenestrae a character can purchase is
the Strangers is certain why Fenestrae work, but there are whis- unlimited but dots past the fifth level cost an additional
pers. Half-heard tales of old, chthonic gods who resented the Experience. For Clash of Wills and other rolls/modifiers,
presumption of Remus and the Striges, leaking the secrets of her rating caps at five.
Fenestrae into the dreams of those Kindred who similarly chafed At character creation, a Peregrine Collegium character may
under the new order. Not quite Disciplines, these abilities defy spend one of her three starting Discipline dots on a Fenestra
categorization, just like the Untouchables who wield them. of the player’s choice.

Common Fenestrae
The following are Fenestrae common to the city of Rome. The Letter and the Spirit
Many more exist throughout the Empire, and Strangers often Fenestrae aren’t legal, but they’re also not not
legal. How do you legislate against something that
develop their own personalized techniques. exists to nullify laws? But while the Camarilla could
make more effort in wiping them out, it’s not in its
All Are Free best interest. The Strangers can avoid all the little
Most Strangers hate the Vinculum as a tool of oppression, roadblocks that prevent the higher classes from…
and this Fenestra can free them from its coils at a steep cost. dealing with each other more definitively.
The vampire cannot be blood bound by any means, but, at the
same time, she can’t create the Vinculum in others — not even
her own ghouls. This does not prevent her from becoming
addicted to Vitae, and her blood is as addictive as ever.
Deny Sol
The Strangers can even pull a fast one over on Sol Invictus.
Blessing of the Unseen Subtract the vampire’s Fenestra dots from her effective Blood
If no one else saw it, did it even happen? The vampire can Potency when calculating sunlight damage (to a limit of one
ignore a breaking point if she was unobserved or left no wit- dot). However, there’s a catch: Instead of her flesh, the day
nesses. Instead, she takes a Bestial Triad Condition befitting the burns away her other legal loopholes. Each time she benefits
crime, even if she would normally be immune. This Fenestra is a from this effect, she loses access to her other Fenestrae until
reflex; not being able to use it won’t alert the vampire to hidden the following sunrise. She can choose to forgo this benefit
observers. If she ever confesses or evidence proves her guilt, she if she wishes.
suffers the breaking point she would’ve taken, even if she no
longer has high enough Humanity. She can’t use this Fenestra
Evading Prosecution
again until she resolves Bestial, Competitive, or Wanton. The Senex views the Peregrine Collegium as a mass of
interchangeable thugs, criminals, and ne’er-do-wells. This
Blood of Anonymity Fenestra uses that perception against them, making Legislatio
Blood will out — for most vampires. With this Fenestra, Taste unreliable unless those wielding it know exactly who they’re
of Blood rolls involving the Stranger’s Vitae automatically fail, trying to control. If a Lex could be used on the vampire, the
and relatives do not gain a Discipline sympathy bonus against Senex member invoking it must engage in a Clash of Wills,
her. She feels when they successfully detect blood sympathy to rolling the Merit’s dot rating or an appropriate Attribute
her, and she can choose to block this, even in torpor. instead of a Discipline, whichever is higher. This requirement
is waived if all Legislators involved in the Lex know the
Burden of Evidence Stranger’s name or face.
Untouchables are so skilled at avoiding blame that it can be
difficult for even the Legion of the Dead to enforce punishments Fate Breaker
unless they’re certain of guilt. If a Legionary Jus could be used on The Peregrine Collegium is defined by its independence,
the vampire, a Soldier must engage in a Clash of Wills, rolling and most Strangers prefer to make their own destinies.
the Merit’s dot rating or an appropriate Attribute, whichever Whenever the vampire is subject to a supernatural power
is higher. This requirement is waived if the Soldier personally that attempts to read or alter her future, its activation roll
witnessed the vampire violating Camarilla law on the same night. is reduced to a chance die. Furthermore, she is immune to
the Striges’ Inflict Doom ability (p. 197). However, Fortuna
Code of Silence knows a few loopholes herself. Once a story, if the character
The Peregrine Collegium is made up of varied interests, con- has less than half her Willpower left (rounding down), the
flicting loyalties, and clashing temperaments, but the wing does Storyteller can choose to obviate the effect of this Fenestra.
agree on one thing: Never snitch. The vampire cannot be mysti- However, if so, she must refill all the vampire’s Willpower
cally compelled to tell the truth through the powers of the Blood. regardless of the outcome.
Furthermore, actions to discern her true motives or feelings are
penalized by her Fenestra dots and cannot exceptionally succeed. Heretic
The gods have their laws, and the Collegium ignores those
Defer the Beast too. The vampire applies her Fenestra dots to all rolls to con-
The Beast is a kind of authority, and while it isn’t legalistic, test Ritual Disciplines. Furthermore, if a sorcerer wants to use
it does understand bargains. As a reflexive action, the Stranger a ritual on the Stranger outside her presence, he must win a
can spend a Willpower to ignore a frenzy provocation or upgrade Clash of Wills to make the attempt at all.
a failure to resist into a success (this does not apply to dramatic
failures). However, he must still accept the Tempted Condition in Ignorance of the Law
either case. If the penalty from Tempted is 5 or greater, the vam- If the vampire breaks a supernaturally enforced rule that
pire cannot use this Fenestra until she resolves the Condition. she does not know about, she does not suffer any mystical conse-

quences for doing so. If she later becomes aware of a rule she’s Supernatural methods of tracking or locating her trigger a
broken in the past, any relevant consequences are not retro- Clash of Wills. If the vampire has any dots in Fame, she loses
actively applied, but this Fenestra no longer protects her from that Merit upon gaining this Fenestra.
it. This ability came about in response to Jura and Legislatio,
but it also works just as well against other occult laws, such as Unbound
bargains made with the Fae, or trespassing the spiritual taboos Untouchables have an uncanny ability to escape anything
of the Uratha. that could entrap them, be it chains, locks, ropes, or more exotic
restraints. The Stranger can automatically slip any mundane
Slip Through the Cracks bindings and bypass any normal lock with an instant action.
Trying to find a Stranger who doesn’t want to be found If she’s bound by mystical means, or facing a bewitched lock,
is often an exercise in futility. All mundane rolls meant this triggers a Clash of Wills. This Fenestra does nothing to
to research, locate, or track the vampire automatically fail. escape a grapple, however.
Blood Sorcery
The powers of the Blood go far beyond what the Beast The request is a ritual component of the casting, the ecstatic
permits a vampire to do physically, and Rome is where these dancing or holy chanting she performs to appease the gods.
properties were refined into a gruesome art. To the Propinqui, This is represented by the player’s roll. Requests are resolved as
blood sorcery isn’t just a force of Vitae, but a way of attaining instant actions, but by default, they take one narrative hour to
the gods’ favor. Or, for that matter, God’s. enact. The player can halve that period for every two Discipline
For the Vaticinators, this is merely a method of communi- dots her character has above the required level. For example,
cation. It’s nothing new; it’s what society’s built around. You a one-dot effect takes a five-dot sorcerer about fifteen minutes
talk to a patrician, bring a bribe, bow and scrape just right, to cast, and a three-dot ritual takes half an hour, but four- or
and you get what you want. It’s just input and output. Call five-dot rituals always take an hour.
and response. When the gods walk the earth, it only makes Defense does not apply during casting, and if the vampire
sense that they’d work the same way. They’re not so different is interrupted in any way, all resources are wasted unless she
from us. accepts the Stumbled Condition (Vampire, p. 306). She can
For the Sanctified, a miracle is a way of inviting God’s wrath only do so once per ritual; any further interruptions result in
into the world. The ritualist is a vessel for something greater failure. For bookkeeping purposes, the player spends the sac-
than herself, a conduit of His will. If her cause wasn’t just, she rifice first, but her roll comes at the end of the request period.
wouldn’t receive the blessing, and the mere fact a ritual works
at all is proof positive that Witnesses are right and, in time, God
Potency
will usher in their Kingdom of Night. Some rituals have a Potency trait through which the sorcerer
can improve the degree of her ritual’s effect in various ways. By
Systems default, Potency is one. To increase this trait, the ritualist’s player
must take a cumulative –2 modifier to her dice pool for each level
Ritual Disciplines allow vampires to extend the powers of the of increased Potency. She must be able to roll at least one real die
Blood beyond themselves and force them onto the surrounding (i.e., not a chance die) or else she cannot increase Potency further.
world. Each dot has numerous associated rituals rather than
a discrete effect. Fast Casting
The following systems supplant the Ritual Discipline rules A vampire can try to perform a ritual instantaneously, but
starting on p. 150 of Vampire: The Requiem Second Edition. such recklessness means she can’t apply her Discipline dots
All previously published rituals are compatible with this to the request roll, and Potency can’t be raised. Furthermore,
system: Ignore references to target successes, and all resisted she must accept a particular Condition: Practitioners of
rituals become contested, applying Blood Potency to the listed Theban Sorcery must take Mission, and a ritualist casting the
resistance Attribute. Experience costs for blood sorcery dots Veneficium takes Indebted (p. 273).
and rituals are the same as those listed in Vampire (p. 84). This overreach must be declared before the request is rolled.
Veneficium dots and procedures cost the same number of If the action fails, the character gains none of the benefits and
Experiences as Crúac dots and rites. must still accept the corresponding Condition. Furthermore,
she treats the casting as a dramatic failure.
Sacrifice and Request
Each ritual involves a sacrifice and a request. Defending Against Sorcery
The sacrifice is the material and spiritual cost of the ritual, Unless specified, the subject of a ritual does not need to be
which varies depending on which form of sorcery the vampire present for it to take effect, though the sorcerer must know
is practicing. the name they’re commonly known by (i.e., not an alias).

The victim has a chance to shake this off, however, for the
touch of the sorcerer’s vampiric nature exposes her to her
intended victim. Conversions
If you want to use this system with the
• Hostile rituals are always contested actions. specialized blood sorceries of various bloodlines
• Through a sensation much like blood sympathy, vampires are and minor covenants in the modern All Night
Society, the following Conditions apply to making
always aware when someone uses a ritual on them. Their Beasts the ritual instantaneous:
react to the ritualist’s sorcerous presence from the moment the • Gilded Cage (False Gods: Ventrue, p. 136):
sacrifice is made until the ritual fails or succeeds. This applies Megalomania — The pure genius of the
even to vampires in daysleep or torpor, although they can’t do Monolith overwhelms you. Whenever you fail a
anything about it until they wake. Note that vampires don’t contested or resisted roll against someone you
perceive to be an inferior or with lower Kindred
know what a ritual does, just that one is taking place. Status, lose a Willpower. This Condition fades
• Conscious victims may spend Willpower to increase their without resolving in a number of nights equal
contesting dice pool. to the invocation’s dot level.
• Kimiya (Dark Eras 2, p. 143) and Lithopedia
• Frenzying increases a victim’s dice pool as though she spent (Strange Shades: Mekhet, p. 30): As per Crúac.
Willpower, without requiring the expenditure. • Therion (Dark Eras 2, p. 344): As per Theban
Sorcery.
• While the ritual is taking place, the victim increases his
blood sympathy to the ritualist by two ranks if he is of the
same clan, or gains it at “Thrice Removed” if he’s part of a
different clan. of Egyptian stock, say the Atheists stole these rites from the
native dead, and pagan Mekhet warn that one night there will
Suggested Modifiers be a full accounting.
Situation Modifier Systems
The power applies to a vampire with Sacrifice: Miracles require a sacrament, a sacrificial object
whom the ritualist already has blood the ritualist dedicates to God to empower the ritual. Once she
+1 to +3
sympathy. Crúac and the Veneficium completes the request, the sacrament falls to dust unless other-
double this modifier. wise noted. In addition, the vampire must spend a Willpower
The ritualist is rushed or distracted. point to focus her mind.
The penalty is cumulative with multiple −1 to −3 Dice Pool: Intelligence + Academics + Theban Sorcery
distractions.
Action: Instant or contested; one hour of effort
The ritualist takes an additional hour
+1 to +3 Duration: Per miracle
to complete the request (+1 per hour).
The ritualist forgoes the time she would Roll Results
save for casting a ritual at a higher +1 to +2 Success: A miracle occurs, however small. The vampire gains
level, one for each step. the benefits provided by the ritual.
The ritualist prepares an elaborate rit- Exceptional Success: The Witness’s soul, or whatever passes
+1 to +3
ual above the minimum sacrifice. for it, aligns with God’s will, allowing her to act as His savagely
The ritualist successfully meditates divine agent. She can take the Raptured Condition or halve
+1 to +3
before casting (bonus equal to med- the time it took to cast the ritual (rounding down).
(Theban Sorcery
itation successes above the target, to
Only) Failure: The vampire’s need for divine intervention is
a limit of 3).
found wanting.
+ Size Dramatic Failure: The vampire’s efforts are rebuked, and
The ritualist prepares a blood sacrifice
(Veneficium
or burnt offering of a living being. she knows God has abandoned her in this time of need. She
Only)
takes the Humbled Condition.
The ritualist sacrifices more Vitae than +1 to +3
required (bonus equal to excess Vitae). (Crúac Only)
Miracles
Theban Sorcery All Theban Sorcery miracles described in Vampire: The
Requiem (p. 153) and other supplements are available to the
Theban Sorcery is the Ritual Discipline of the Lancea Sanctified of Rome. However, the following rituals are enacted
et Sanctum. The Witnesses say Saint Daniel, one of the differently compared with their modern counterparts, with
Monachus’s followers, was guided by an angel to discover these Witness gatherings hoping for divine intervention turning
miracles beneath the city of Thebes in Egypt. While similar to into ecstatic, frenzied services where all are expected to get in
the Lord’s holy works in the Bible, many Propinqui, especially touch with their nature as holy predators.

Final Repose (•) An amulet will activate when its holder takes at least one
level of damage from someone attacking them, regardless of
Sacrament: One treasured belonging of the deceased
type. The amulet comes to life, singing loudly and pecking the
Duration: Indefinite attacker. It isn’t capable of dealing any real damage, but it’s an
This solemn ritual may only be performed on a deceased irritating distraction that imposes a –2 modifier on any further
human or ghoul. Its usage is controversial even among the acts of aggression on behalf of the attacker. The sparrow will
Sanctified, some of whom fear it will prevent God from reviving continue to pester the aggressor until it is destroyed or at the
the lost on Judgment Day. end of the scene. Targeting it incurs a –5 modifier. In either
If successful, the dead will remain dead. They will not leave a case, it will crumble into a pile of dust.
ghost; cannot be posthumously Embraced, possessed, or revived The other amulet also comes to life and flies toward its other
through any means; and cannot rise as revenants. Any attempts half, leading its wearer to the other amulet.
to supernaturally tamper with the corpse or view their last
moments fail automatically. The ritualist instinctively knows Jacob’s Ladder (•••)
if someone attempted to do so and may spend a Vitae to track Sacrament: A cord of woven copper
them as though she had tasted their blood. Duration: Nights equal to Potency
The Spider’s Web (•) The vampire metaphysically ascends into God’s Kingdom,
gaining knowledge of what could have been hers but is forever
Sacrament: Assorted insects and other vermin, burnt along
out of reach. It might inspire her to become something greater
with incense
than she is, but she’ll always be a divine monster at her core.
Duration: One lunar month
Once per night, when acting in accordance with her Mask
Jewish folklore tells that King David, pursued by Saul, took to refill Willpower, the subject gains the Steadfast Condition.
shelter in a cave. To prevent his pursuers from finding him, Furthermore, if she has fulfilled her Mask, she may ignore
God sent a humble spider to save him by weaving its web over any frenzy triggers outright for the rest of the scene. However,
the entrance of the cave, convincing Saul that no one could any act that would fulfill her Dirge inflicts the Demoralized
have entered without breaking the threads of silk. Condition (p. 272).
Often used to protect their meager holdings, this ritual pro-
vides the ritualist and all present at the ritual the benefits of Micah’s Hope (•••)
Safe Place equal to Potency. If used in an area already designated Sacrament: A nail driven into the palm of the beneficiary
as a Safe Space, the penalty for others to find it doubles, though Duration: Scene (when triggered)
it does not increase the bonuses from traps.
It’s a fact of death that the Sanctified are often put to the
Cephalophore (••) sword by Propinqui and mortals alike. Those who know they’re
soon to walk in the shadow of Final Death are blessed with this
Sacrament: The tooth of a dead, baptized Christian
rite. The beneficiary need not be the ritualist himself.
Duration: Nights equal to Potency
This miracle grants no effect until the beneficiary faces some-
There are tales of martyrs who continued to preach the Word one who intends to cause them serious harm. The assailant must
even after death. In a similar vein, this ritual ensures the truth attack first, and upon doing so, the subject regains all Willpower,
will never die, even as immortal flesh might. a +1 to all Power Attributes (including derived traits), and ignored
The sorcerer must speak a factually true statement upon fin- wound penalties, after which, the ritual ends.
ishing the ritual. The beneficiary, who need not be conducting
the ritual, gains a +2 to any Expression rolls using the spoken Quelling the Storm (•••)
word. If they die before the ritual’s effects end, then whatever Sacrament: A vial of seawater no more than an hour removed
statement the sorcerer spoke during the ritual will be immedi- from its collection
ately transmitted into the minds of all people, whether mortal Duration: Until the subjects reach their destination or a
or supernatural, within a two-kilometer radius of the corpse. week, whichever comes first.
They intuitively understand the statement is true. All affected
The forces of nature are nothing to the truly faithful, for
people suffer the Stunned Tilt and a point of bashing damage.
there is no power greater than God.
Clay Sparrows (••) So long as they travel without rest, bar the necessity of
Sacrament: Clay mixed with fresh human blood daysleep, the ritualist and a number of beneficiaries equal to
Potency may ignore the ill effects of one type of Environmental
Duration: Nights equal to Potency
Tilt and any secondary effects of it. For example, if they were
It’s said that God knows when a sparrow falls, but it certainly to travel across a desert where the High Winds Tilt is in place,
doesn’t hurt for the Sanctified to have a few extra eyes on them. they would not take the Blinded Tilt from sand blowing in
This ritual creates two bird-shaped amulets that must be given their eyes. They do not suffer any Conditions or Tilts relating
to two separate parties. They will remain enchanted for the to exhaustion for the duration of the ritual.
duration. Both functionally have a single Health box.

Ages Pass: Ancient vs. Modern Blood Sorcery
The Blood isn’t resistant to change, and sorcery is just another expression of its power, as much as adherents want
to believe their rituals are blessings from the gods/God.
The needs of Kindred evolve. Sea travel becomes less deadly with GPS, and thus Neptune’s Embrace falls to the
wayside. The Sanctified no longer have their backs against the wall in the modern nights, and without the need to
make the ultimate sacrifice to prove their faith, The Martyr’s Miracle is lost to the ages. If the need is strong enough
to regain these powers, there might be some fragmented records remaining of how to perform them, but piecing
these ancient practices back together would take quite a bit of research.
But it’s more than just what the Kindred need — it’s what they do that changes as well. After being banned by the
Sanctified, the Cult of Augurs’ remnants splinter with Rome’s fall, dividing into the cults the Empire of Night once bound
together into a whole. They revert to older practices that even few elders remember, falling into ecstatic, predatory
frenzies instead of the carefully measured formulae they thought would communicate their will to their gods. Those
instead are passed down, and the Kindred start to remember a more primordial way of doing things, a dark secret
taught beneath the crescent moon.
This ritual cannot affect the same group or individuals more This ritual binds an ephemeral entity into a physical object
than once at a time. crafted by the ritualist. The sorcerer must be within the crea-
ture’s immediate presence. It is held there until the item breaks,
Blighting the Fig Tree (••••) if ever. However, it isn’t so easy to contain the unfathomable
Sacrament: The branch of a barren, fruit-bearing tree power of wicked spirits. Wherever the item might be stored, it
Duration: Night blights the land around it. Plants around it rot, then the soil
Time and time again, the Lord salts the lands of His ene- blackens, and food spoils in its presence. Animals who spend
mies. Hunger, after all, is the force that will turn all so-called too much time in its presence mutate in subtle ways, their
reasonable creatures into mere beasts. eyes turning jaundice-yellow, or fur clumping into feather-like
growths. Humans who spend more than a day around it regain
The ritualist curses a two-kilometer radius around him. Upon
all Willpower from indulging their Vices and only one from
doing so, unnatural hunger sets into all living and unliving
following their Virtues.
beings in the area. Vampires must resist frenzy with a penalty
equal to Potency, and they require four Vitae rather than one This blighting effect is negated if the ritualist carries the
to wake from daysleep. Mortals must eat twice as much food vessel on her person, but she hears the voice of the bound entity
to feel sated at all. in her head whenever it chooses to speak. It is unlikely to be
very pleased about its imprisonment.
Rebuking the Brazen Bull (••••) If the vessel is ever destroyed, the prisoner is released.
Sacrament: A golden statue of a bull
Shadrach, Mesach, and Abdenego were delivered from a
The Martyr’s Miracle (•••••)
torturous death by fire as repayment for their devotion to the Sacrament: The ritualist
Lord. The Kindred might not be so pure, but they can still gain Duration: Night
a fraction of that blessing. This ritual may include a number of Those who perform the ultimate sacrifice this ritual
vampires or ghouls equal to the miracle’s Potency times two. For demands are sure to be plucked from Final Death when the
the rest of the night, the subjects cannot be damaged down to Last Sunrise ends.
their last three Health boxes by fire, nor can they be provoked This miracle cannot be used on any other subject but the
into fear frenzy by being exposed to it. They may divide any ritualist herself; its benefits are reserved only for the most
damage taken by fire among each other as a reflexive action. devoted Witnesses. Unlike most miracles, it will not immedi-
ately consume the sacrament, as that comes later. However, at
Casting Out Legion (•••••) sunrise, should she find no worthy foe to use it against, the
Sacrament: An assortment of gold, incense, and various ritual ends and she takes the Humbled Condition for daring
finery equaling five dots of Resources to ask such a great favor of God without using it.
Contested: by Resistance + Rank/Shadow Potency If the ritualist does find an appropriate moment, usually
Duration: Indefinite when facing certain death, she may choose to prematurely
As the Messiah drove the legion of demons into a herd of end the ritual. Should she do so, she dies immediately in a
swine, so can the Sanctified cleanse the world of the Birds of blaze of holy fire. Anyone who was within about a meter of
Dis and, perhaps, even stranger beings… at a cost, of course. her will take fire damage as though touching a Bonfire size
After all, the world is imperfect; its people fall far short of the with a Torch intensity (Vampire, p. 103). She continues to
sublime embodiment of God’s only begotten Son, and His burn until sunrise, at which point, the fire gutters, leaving
Kingdom is yet to come. not even ash behind.

The misfortune of those who dared to harm her doesn’t
end there. Anyone who she has a blood bond with is
immediately aware of her sacrifice and can choose to
arrive at her location at any point by stepping into the
nearest patch of shadow. So long as they actively pursue
her attackers, they gain all dots of the highest physical
Discipline the martyr had to a maximum of 5, a dot
of Blood Potency, and, if human, temporarily become
ghouls. This aspect of the rite ends after one lunar month
or when all those who would have harmed the martyr
are dead, whichever comes first.
The Veneficium
The Ritual Discipline of the Cult of Augurs, the
Veneficium (sometimes the Veneficia when referring to
its manifold canon) is unique to the Camarilla. Collating
countless pagan rites from the various dead residing in
the Italian Peninsula and beyond, the Vaticinators have
distilled prophecy and blood magic down to a science.
Other vampire societies practice similar magics, but they
are wilder rites, lacking the dogmatic methodology the
Fates have worked so hard to maintain.
The Veneficium is corrupting, occult, and pagan.
Like a slow-acting poison, it taints all it touches, sap-
ping the life from its victims with strange agonies and
stranger visions.
The Augurs have many ways to speak with the gods
using the Veneficium, augury being one of many. Indeed,
the wing’s common nickname is something of a misno-
mer. The first Prophets were indeed augurs like living
priestly officials, but as they codified the Veneficium,
augury became a secondary practice and, eventually, just
another ritual focus.
Systems
Sacrifice: One Vitae per dot of the procedure. The first
Vitae is spent by the caster as though fueling a Discipline.
Any remaining Vitae used must be spilled, and not neces-
sarily by the caster — mortal blood is insufficient until it
has been consumed by a vampire and turned into Vitae.
Vampire blood spilled during a procedure becomes inert
and unsuitable for feeding.
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Religion + Veneficium
Action: Instant or contested; one hour of effort
Duration: Per procedure
Roll Results
Success: The gods are appeased by the ritualist’s show
of devotion and permit him a fraction of their power.
Exceptional Success: The Prophet gains a glimpse
into the web of fate, and understanding his place in
it keeps his worst impulses in check. He can take the
Ecstatic Condition or halve the time it took to cast the
ritual (rounding down).

Failure: The ritualist’s request provides nothing more than Arius’s Pursuit (•)
amusement for the gods.
Duration: Night
Dramatic Failure: The ritualist does attain divine knowledge,
The stallion Arius could never be caught. Not by mere mor-
but like the hubristic heroes of yore, he’s reached too far. It is
tals, at least. But other beings of myth might be able to take a
not what he hoped for: It’s a vision of his own downfall. He
fraction of that power. For the duration, the ritualist achieves
takes the Anagnorisis Condition (p. 272).
all benefits of an exceptional success on three successes rather
than five in a chase scene and is always considered to have the
Procedures Edge in a Chase (Chronicles of Darkness, p. 84). If not using
These are just a sample of rituals practiced by the Cult of the Chase rules, then his first action to pursue someone or flee
Augurs. Many modern Crúac rites have their roots within from pursuers takes the Advantaged Action quality.
Rome, and thus they are available to Vaticinators as Veneficium
Gifts of the Divine (••)
procedures. However, practitioners of the Veneficium may know
them by different names, usually relating to stories and deities Duration: Actions equal to Veneficium dots
they would be familiar with and seek to channel through their The Augurs are dealers of good omens. If you’re willing
rituals. For example, Birthing the God (Secrets of the Covenants, to pay, they can make sure the gods bless all your endeavors.
p. 186) might be known as Pygmalion’s Craft. See the chart below Sometimes Vaticinators also use this ritual to bless celebrations
for Roman names for rituals listed in Vampire: The Requiem. and other undertakings.
That aside, the trappings of these sorceries are drastically The Vaticinator names a god and beseeches it to bless the
different, even if it’s certain blood will spill during a procedure. supplicant’s undertaking at one of its temples, making an
The Veneficium is far more rigid and elaborate than Crúac, and appropriate offering along with the sacrifice. For the dura-
even its sacrifices are solemn affairs, controlled right down to tion, the subject gains the procedure’s Potency as a bonus
what the knife cutting the throat is made of. Vaticinators take to a particular Skill. Alternatively, the subject can choose to
their bureaucracy very seriously, and an Acolyte would have forgo this bonus to take the Advanced quality on this action,
little in common with such systematic pedantry. but she can only do so once, and she must not have used the
die bonus yet.
Crúac Rite Veneficium Procedure Each god grants a different bonus to a particular Skill. This
Pangs of Proserpina Libera’s Hunger list is not exhaustive, and the Storyteller and player can work
together to come up with other god–Skill combinations.
Rigor Mortis Gorgon’s Touch
• Apollo: Archery
Cheval Eyes of Minerva
Hydra’s Vitae Blood of the Hydra
• Cybele: Occult
Deflection of Wooden Doom Fortuna’s Blessing • Dionysus: Socialize

Touch of the Morrigan Jupiter’s Wrath • Janus: Persuasion
Blood Price Saturn’s Tithe • Jupiter: Politics
Willful Vitae Blinding Cupid • Mars: Warfare
Blood Blight Curse of Echidna • Mercury: Subterfuge
Feeding the Crone Typhon’s Maw
• Venus: Expression
Arianna’s Thread (•) • Vesta: Religion
Duration: Night • Vulcan: Crafts
If a mere human can find his way through a treacherous This ritual cannot be used on unwilling subjects, but it
labyrinth with a simple spool of thread, surely the wicked dead cannot be resisted once they consent.
can do the same with less.
Upon completing this ritual, the sorcerer must name a Neptune’s Embrace (••)
location she wishes to reach. She cannot lose her way for the Contested: by Resolve + Blood Potency
duration of the ritual and is immune to any effect that would Duration: As per Adrift
bestow the Lost Condition.
The sea is treacherous. It’s common for someone traveling
If any supernatural effects in place would cause her to go across it to never make it back to land, so this ritual remains
astray or obfuscate the location, she gains the 8-again quality a favorite weapon of the Fates. The victim of this ritual gains
on any Clash of Wills. She knows the fastest way to the loca- the Adrift Condition (p. 272) when they are in open water with
tion she’s named on foot, but not any of the obstacles that no land in sight.
might stand in her way.

Crúac
While Crúac isn’t practiced in Rome (that any Romans know of), it finds a firm foothold in the All Night Society after
the fall of the Camarilla. If you want to use this updated blood sorcery system for Crúac in a modern chronicle, apply
the systems for the Veneficium with the following changes:
Success: The monstrous power the Acolyte worships creeps into the world, and the effects of the rite take place.
Exceptional Success: The Beast delights in the mystical savagery of the ritual. The ritualist takes the Ecstatic Condition
or can halve the time it took to cast the ritual, rounding down.
Failure: The strength of the Blood falters. The ritualist gains no benefits.
Dramatic Failure: The rite succeeds only in rousing the Beast, and now it wishes to run free. The ritualist takes the
Tempted Condition.
If the vampire wishes to perform the rite instantly, they take the Exposed Condition (p. 272).
Apollonian Sight (•••) Torment of Tantalus (••••)

Contested: by Stamina + Blood Potency for the first person Contested by: Resolve + Blood Potency
the ritualist strikes Duration: As per Fixation
Duration: Night The gods may task mortals with labors they’re doomed to
Extispicy is a time-honored method of learning the future, never accomplish. So too can the Kindred. The victim of this
and the Vaticinators do love a blood sacrifice. When you’re ritual gains the Fixation Condition (p. 273). Before casting the
willing to give up something greater than just a simple beast of rite, the vampire may spend a point of Willpower to also over-
the field, you’ll find even greater knowledge is waiting for you. write an existing Aspiration with one of her choosing instead.
The night the ritualist performed this rite, she must harm
someone within their last three Health boxes with lethal damage.
Arrow of Tartarus (•••••)
If so, she gains the Informed Condition on Investigation rolls for Duration: Indefinite until used
both the target and their closest blood relative, usually a sire or This procedure is the Vaticinator equivalent of a nuclear
childer for a vampire, or a parent or child for a mortal. option. It’s never spoken of directly and only used in times of
war or other existential threats, used to blight the herds of enemy
Stymphalian Bird (•••) dead. Even then, its chances of backfiring are enormous.
Duration: Nights equal to Potency The ritualist spreads the sacrifice over a piercing weapon.
Nothing is more valuable for a sorcerer than a faithful famil- Once complete, the object turns an unnatural, void black, and
iar. When one can’t be found, you may as well make your own. the Vitae covering it becomes viscous and hot to the touch. If
Before conducting this rite, the ritualist must create a statue this weapon strikes a mortal, they suffer a terrible degenerative
of an animal using Wits + Crafts. The statue comes to life at disease, such as leprosy, cholera, or scarlet fever. There is no
the end of the ritual and henceforth exists as a conduit for the resistance. This disease’s severity is equal to Potency, and it
powers of the gods, benefiting both the ritualist and anyone spreads as easily as the mundane form. Furthermore, even if
they have a blood bond to, regardless of the direction. All vampires wouldn’t normally be carriers, any Kindred who feed
blood sorcery rituals for which the familiar is present enjoy a from infected subjects will spread the disease to their victims
+3 modifier. In addition, once per night, anyone who benefits until they purge all Vitae from their systems.
from the familiar may instead choose to make a ritual instan-
taneous without taking the Indebted Condition.
Pelian Spear (•••••)
Duration: Indefinite
Journey of Orpheus (••••) One of the Augur’s most viciously guarded secrets is the
Duration: One lunar month power to not merely contain the wraiths and wicked spirits that
Death cannot be defeated. Hades will always have his due. bedevil the Propinqui but to destroy them permanently — if
But you can cheat him — just a little bit. one is willing to pay the price.
This ritual requires the body of someone who has died within As part of the sacrifice, the ritualist must cut off one of
the past lunar month and who has not left a ghost. The ritualist his limbs. He then flays and ritually cleanses the remaining
performs a passion play, acting out the last moments of the bone before sharpening it into a point. That bone will then
deceased’s life, which she must have a rough sense of. Upon act as a bane to the first ephemeral being it strikes, becoming
completion, she takes a fragment of the deceased’s psyche into attuned to only that spirit. From that moment forward, it
herself. She learns one secret the corpse kept to himself, and can strike that entity even in a Twilight state. After the being
five dots worth of Skills he had in life. She may access these is damaged in its last Health box, both it and the bone are
Skills at any point in time for the Duration. destroyed permanently.

War
Warfare is an essential skill for the Propinqui, and this • Pila: One pilum for throwing, the other for close combat.
section has all the tools you need to wage it in Requiem for
• Pugio: A wide dagger (use knife traits on p. 180 of Vampire).
Rome, including equipment, tactics, and rules for conflicts
between armies. • Scutum: A tall shield used in formation fighting. Earlier sol-
diers used clipei (round shields), which were more durable in
Archaic Weapons general but less protective against archers and other projectiles.
• Armor: A helmet, manicae (arm protectors), and sometimes
and Armor greaves. Chest armor depends on the era: Default to lorica
The charts below supplement the weapons and armor lamminata in the late Republic and early Empire (segmented
described in Vampire: The Requiem Second Edition. Apart armor). Lamminata was cheaper and lighter than lorica hamata
from anachronistic materiel (firearms, Kevlar, etc.), most of the (chainmail) but had worse coverage and required maintenance.
equipment there fits in an Ancient Roman chronicle or can be Later soldiers wore lorica squamata (scale mail), especially in
converted with an artful name change. the east. Greaves were more common in the Republic, typically
Note that Availability is a bit more abstract than in the covering only one leg, with the other limb being protected by
modern era. In the early Republic, soldiers had to bring a scutum.
their personal weapons, whereas they were outfitted by their
generals in the Empire. The same was true of the Camarilla, Sagittarius Equipment
with Legionaries being provided arms by the state and smaller Sagittarii (archers) gain the same equipment as other legion-
personal guards and mercenaries using their own arms. aries but without a scutum or pila. Their tapered helmets also
differ from the galea style of formation soldiers, but they have
Legionary Equipment the same traits. About two-thirds of archers were foot soldiers,
A typical Roman legionary (and Camarilla Soldier) gains the and the other third were mounted.
following equipment: Typically, archers were armed with composite bows. However,
• Gladius: A short sword. some used arcuballistae, crossbows similar to Greek belly bows.
Melee Weapons
Type Damage Initiative Strength Size Cost Tags
Clipeus +2 −2 3 3 •• Shield
Cestus +1 −1 1 1 • Brawl
Falx +2 −4 3 3 ••• Two-Handed, Armor-Piercing 2
Gladius +2 −2 1 2 •
Net +2 −2 2 4 • Grapple
Scutum* +2 −4 3 4 ••• Shield
Staff +1 −1 2 4 • Knockdown
Trident† +3 −3 3 4 •• Two-Handed; Reach
Armor-Piercing: Subtract the weapon’s armor-piercing rating from the target’s armor rating (ballistic first, then general).
Brawl: Attacks use Brawl instead of Weaponry.
Grapple: Add the weapon’s damage rating to your dice pool when grappling.
Knockdown: Double the weapon bonus for the purposes of the Knockdown Tilt.
Reach: Grants the wielder +1 Defense against opponents using weapons of smaller Size (including unarmed attacks). This
bonus doesn’t apply while grappling; instead, the weapon (if it can be used at all) inflicts a −1 modifier to grapple actions.
Shield: A character who wields a shield but doesn’t use it to attack can add its Size to her Defense and applies Size as
a concealment modifier against ranged attacks.
Two-Handed: This weapon requires two hands. It can be used one-handed, but doing so increases the Strength
requirement by 1.
* Scuta are cumbersome and hard to move in close combat; treat the shield’s Size as 3 against melee weapons.
† Can be thrown.

Ranged Weapons
Type Damage Ranges Initiative Strength Size Availability Tags
Arcuballista +4 40/75/150 −5 3 3 ••• Armor-Piercing 1
Composite Bow +3 40/75/150 −3 2 4 ••
Pilum +2 Thrown −2 2 4 • Armor-Piercing 1*
Plumbata +1 Thrown −2 2 1 •†
Self-Bow +2 30/60/120 −2 2 3 •
Sling +0 20/40/80 −1 1 1 •
* Used as a melee weapon, a pilum has the Reach tag.

† For a set of ten plumbatae.
Armor
Type Rating Strength Defense Speed Availability Coverage
Galea* 2/1 1 −1 +0 •• Head
Greaves 1/1 1 +0 +0 • Legs
Lorica Hamata 3/1† 3 −2 −3 ••• Torso, Arms
Lorica Lamminata 2/2 3 −2 −2 •• Torso
Lorica Squamata 3/2 3 −3 −3 ••• Torso
Manicae 1/1 1 +0 +0 • Arms
* Wearing a galea (helmet) confers a −1 to sight- and hearing-based Perception rolls.

† 2/1 against blunt-force damage.
Battles
The following section contains rules for large-scale battles
FORMATION
between formations of soldiers.
Attributes: Intelligence 2, Wits 2, Resolve 3, Strength
Unless otherwise noted, these systems work using the usual 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2, Presence 2, Manipulation 2,
rules for violent scenes in Vampire: The Requiem. Composure 3
Formations General Dice Pools: Positioning 5, Taunts 4, Never
The system below is written from the perspective of forma- Surrender 4
tion combat, but it works fine for gangs of less formal antago- Combat Dice Pools: Shield Combat 4, Swords and
nists. Indeed, soldiers don’t have to be grouped in formation to Spears 7, Throwing 5
use these rules, though they also wouldn’t be able to perform Initiative: 6
any tactics (p. 115).
Defense: 6
Traits Willpower: 3
Use the sample traits below for an average formation, adjust- Size: 5
ing as you see fit. Apply any necessary weaponry and armor as
needed (see above for examples). Speed: 11
These traits also work for individual soldiers who break off
Cooperative Actions
from the group to engage in single combat. However, since
formations don’t track Health (see below), treat a lone soldier’s Resolve the formation’s action as a single roll using the
Health trait as 8. traits above. Each soldier in formation past the first grants a
+2 modifier if the action is within their usual purview (that

is, war). If they’re doing something out of the ordinary for a
formation of soldiers, the modifier is +1, and if they’re out
of their depth, it’s +1 for every two soldiers (rounding up).
Formations can make all-out attacks as per the usual rules.
Player characters and major Storyteller characters who are
part of a formation act on their own initiatives and use their
own dice pools in mass-combat scenes, benefiting from any
bonuses from tactics. They make their own attacks against
opponents, including against other formations, and are not
counted among the formation’s collective Health. They’re
more important to the story, so they get more to do.
Player characters acting in their own formation act as usual,
but they gain access to tactics, if relevant.
Collective Health
Any successful attack dealing bashing damage greater than
the formation’s Stamina, or any amount of lethal or aggravated
damage, takes one soldier out of the fight. This works the
same as being Beaten Down (Vampire, p. 175). If the soldiers
are immune to Beaten Down (for example, ghouls), every two
successful attacks of this nature take a soldier out of the fight.
Area-affecting attacks, such as from Devotions or Merits,
can eliminate multiple soldiers at once, and abilities that
impose Tilts or Conditions take out a soldier every time
(or every second time) at the Storyteller’s discretion. The
formation doesn’t suffer wound penalties or Personal Tilts,
but Environmental Tilts work as usual.
Blood Potency and Disciplines
Formations primarily made up of ghouls have Blood
Potency 1 and three Physical Discipline dots. Formations of
Kindred gain Blood Potency 2 and five Physical Discipline
dots. The Storyteller is free to adjust these traits as she sees
fit, but elders and other heavy hitters don’t typically fight
in formations: They lead them. If you want soldiers to use
more sophisticated Disciplines, create individual characters.
Because the formation is treated as having a collective
Health trait, to heal, it spends Vitae to negate damage from
attacks. Aggravated damage cannot be healed in battle.
Subdivisions
A commander can divide a formation into subdivisions
before its turn so it can take multiple types of actions. For
example, against a couple of Gangrel berserkers, a group of
twelve could split into two groups of six to deal with both
vampires individually. If two groups take the same action
(i.e., attacking the same target), they merge once again. Split
formations draw from the same Vitae and Willpower pools.
Morale
When a formation suffers an attack that deals an excep-
tional success, the controlling player must make a morale
roll of Resolve + Composure. On a failure, panic makes
waves through the ranks, and the Storyteller rolls a die and
halves the result, rounding up: this is how many troops are
knocked over in the chaos or lose their nerve. The formation

loses that many troops on its next attack, and it cannot use a
formation tactic. On a dramatic failure, a catastrophic blow to
morale causes these soldiers to either die or flee. If the formation
Scale
If you’re operating on a scale of hundreds or
includes Kindred, some may frenzy. dozens, apply the usual attack bonus for every
As with frenzy, the formation can spend Willpower to prevent ten soldiers in the group. The number of soldiers
losing its nerve for a turn. When it comes time to roll, it gains eliminated by attacks may also need to be adjusted
— five soldiers per bashing damage, for example.
each spent Willpower as a one-die bonus to its morale roll.
While some individual characters can take on
Formation Versus Formation whole legions, generally speaking, a big enough
army can crush even an elder vampire, and that’s
When two armies clash, the bonus for actions is calculated a case where you don’t really need to roll any dice.
based on the difference between the two groups. For example,
if a group of twelve were facing a group of ten, the former would
only gain a +4 bonus to its attacks, whereas the latter would
gain none at all. The Storyteller can decrease the bonus to +1 Tactics
if she feels that the small group outmatches the larger in some
The legions train to dominate the battlefield, and each
fundamental way (a gang of ghouls versus mortals, for instance).
formation is designed for a specific purpose. Together, they
Battle Plans are a toolkit for victory. To use these tactics, a character must
have a Formation Tactics Specialty in Warfare. Furthermore,
Once a group outnumbers another by enough, the battle
these techniques do not work outside of a formation. Only one
isn’t going to last long. But that’s why you fight smart, not hard.
tactic may be used at a time, and unless otherwise stated, each
Battle plans are extended actions before the fighting takes requires an instant action to set up. All the following tactics are
place, with the commander’s player rolling Intelligence + available to living and dead Roman soldiers, but other forces
Warfare. The base target is 5 successes, plus any modifiers based may have access to a smattering of similar tactics.
on the chart below. The Storyteller determines the intervals for
each roll depending on the complexity and size of the battle.
Roll Results IACITE PILA!
Success: The commander’s strategy is sound. She gains her
Warfare dots as points she can spend on her troops during the The legionaries throw their pila. Enemies subtract 2 from
battle. She can spend these points in one of the following ways: Defense, unable to easily escape the deadly wave of projectiles.
Using this tactic means the soldiers must take a turn to rearm
• Negate an Environmental Tilt for a turn.
unless they have the Quick Draw Merit (p. 103). In mass com-
• Move them at double their full Speed and have them attack bat, assume that a formation will have to take a turn to rearm
in the same action. unless the Storyteller decides otherwise.
• Gain a +2 to Defense for the turn.
• Gain the 9-again quality on an attack. CIRINGITE FRONTEM!
• Gain a +3 on a morale roll.
Trained to hold position, a legionary rebuffs enemy attacks.
• Set up a tactic as a reflexive action.
The player rolls Strength + Weaponry + 2 against each attacker
Exceptional Success: The usual effects of exceptionally in a turn. Success applies the Knocked Down Tilt (Chronicles
succeeding an extended action apply. of Darkness, p. 285). However, the character loses his Defense
Failure: The die is cast. It’s up to the gods now. when performing this maneuver. If he applies Defense before it
Dramatic Failure: The commander grossly miscalculates. comes to his action in the turn, he cannot use this technique.
Treat the first failure her forces suffer as a dramatic failure.
Suggested Modifiers CONTENDITE VESTRA SPONTE!
Situation Target Modifier
In a powerful assault, the legionaries unleash a wave of
Low morale +1
attacks. If a character in this formation scores a successful hit
Unfamiliar with the battlefield +2 with her melee weapon on an adversary, she may benefit from
Bad weather +2 the position of her fellow soldiers, pushing her target directly
into another’s blade, or otherwise maximizing the benefit of
Entering the field from a vulnerable +3
position her attack. This capitalization requires no additional roll; the
adversary takes one additional damage for every other soldier
Enemy is a significantly larger force +5 in the formation, to a maximum of +5.

This tactic does not require an instant action to set up, but Use the following traits for an average horse. If a player
to participate, each soldier involved must spend a Willpower invests Merit dots into such an animal (e.g., with Retainer),
point before she makes her initial attack. The Willpower does the Storyteller and player can adjust these traits as they see fit,
not grant the usual +3. If the attack roll fails, the Willpower is depending on the Merit’s rating.
wasted, and the bonus does not apply to her attack (although
her participation may still be counted toward the bonus of
another soldier’s attack in the formation). HORSE
CUNEUM FORMATE! 5, Dexterity 3, Stamina 5, Presence 3, Manipulation 1,
Composure 2
This fast-moving wedge breaks enemy lines. The character’s Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl (Kicking) 1, Survival 2
dice pool suffers a –2 modifier, but her weapon’s damage rating
Initiative: 5
gains a +2. In addition, the enemy suffers the Cowed Condition
(p. 272) against every soldier in the formation until resolved. Defense: 7
Health: 12
ORBEM FORMATE! Willpower: 5
Size: 7
The legionaries form a tight circle with archers amidst and Speed: 19 (species factor 12)
behind them to act as fire support. Anyone within the circle
Special: Horses can lift four times as much as a human
gains a +1 to Defense against melee and ranged attacks for with comparable Strength and Athletics.
every soldier in the circle, to a maximum of +5. For every three
soldiers in the formation, one person benefits from this bonus. Weapons/Attacks:
The character or characters being protected cannot participate Type Damage Dice Pool
in combat, or else they lose the benefit of this defense. Bite +0B 5
Hoof +2B* 6
REPELLERE EQUITES! * A successful strike from a horse’s hoof inflicts the Knocked
Down Tilt (Chronicles of Darkness, p. 285).
To repel cavalry attacks, the legionaries form a square and
use their spears to strike at approaching riders. The soldiers Elephants
gain +2 Defense against mounted combatants, and each attack Hannibal crossing the Alps with elephants is one of the most
against the horse strips two levels of Defense from the horse enduring images of the Second Punic War, both for the awe
instead of one. However, the legionaries suffer –2 Defense they inspired and the devastation they wrought. In the ancient
against non-mounted combatants and throwing weapons, as world, many different breeds and subspecies were used as war
their mobility is hampered by the formation. elephants. The Seleucids and various states of India and China
used Asian elephants, while the Carthaginians used the North
African elephant, which was smaller, couldn’t swim, and was
TESTUDO FORMATE! more difficult to train. Sadly, their overuse by humans led to
their extinction by the beginning of the 2nd century CE.
All soldiers overlap and raise their shields. Each gains +2 The Romans also used war elephants, likely taking a few point-
Defense but can’t attack. Reduce Speed by half, rounding down. ers (and actual elephants) from the Carthaginians. War elephants
were widely used by Rome up to the time of Julius Caesar, after
Beasts of Burden which they were mostly implemented on an individual basis.
War elephants are exceptional animals, and the following
Humans and vampires aren’t the only combatants in war. special rules apply to their use:
Horses The High Ground
That Romans revere horses is something of an understate- A war elephant can support up to four people, though two is
ment. One even became a senator. The Empire’s riding tech- less harmful to its spine. Riders can be archers, javelin throwers,
niques are unmatched, taking all the best from the various or just spear-stabbers. This applies a +1 modifier to the riders’
peoples they conquer, and they study as many as seventeen attack pools and a –2 to most melee attacks against them.
specializations for different kinds of equestrian service. Notably, Carthage and Rome also mounted turrets on their elephants,
horses are primarily used for war, hunting, and charioteering, providing cover for the riders (Partially Concealed). Whether
with relatively little use in agriculture.

North African elephants could support these structures is a mat- intent, roll Resolve + Composure; this is a fear frenzy trigger
ter of scholarly debate, but we suggest going with the rule of cool. for vampires. If a target experiences a direct attack from a war
elephant (that is, not one of its riders), the roll is opposed by the
Bulky Creature elephant’s Presence + Intimidation. If an animal victim has a
Elephants are enormous creatures, and while they’re swifter handler, roll the higher of the animal’s Resolve + Composure or
than one might expect, smaller targets can dodge them with rel- the human’s Presence + Animal Ken. On a failure, the creature
ative ease. However, if the beast does hit, it’s going to hurt. If an suffers the Shaken Condition related to any action where they
elephant attacks a target of Size 7 or less, it suffers a 5-die penalty might attack, approach, or antagonize the elephant.
to its attack dice pool. But, if the attack hits anyway, the victim
takes 3 additional bashing damage. Furthermore, elephants aren’t Trunk
agile. A war elephant may only apply its Defense to attacks on its An elephant’s trunk has an effective Strength of 4 and can
head or legs unless the attacker is Size 8 or higher. be used to bash or grab victims before the creature crushes or
gores them. The trunk is not subject to the Bulky Creature rule.
Crush Underfoot
If a target of Size 7 or less can’t or won’t get out of the way,
add a +5 to the elephant’s attack as it crushes targets underfoot. WAR ELEPHANT
This inflicts lethal damage and stacks with the Bulky Creature
rule, effectively zeroing the die bonus in some cases.
Elephant Behavior 9, Dexterity 2, Stamina 7, Presence 2, Manipulation 1,
Elephants are very intelligent animals, but this instills them Composure 3
with willfulness and a sense of self-preservation that makes Skills: Athletics (Running) 2, Brawl (Tusks) 3,
them hard to control. Some situations might spark unpredict- Intimidation 3, Survival 3
able behavior, including abuse (or even memories of abuse), Initiative: 5
musth (a periodic mating cycle in males), harm to a human or
animal friend, aggravated damage, etc. If any of these things
Defense: 4
occur, roll the elephant’s Resolve + Composure. On a failure, Health: 22
it will flee or attack the source of its anxiety. Willpower: 6
Mass Slam Size: 15
An elephant can trample multiple nearby targets with a Speed: 15 (species factor 6)
collective Size of 15. Roll the animal’s attack pool against each
Armor: 2/1 (natural armor) or 4/1 (with worn armor;
target individually, but count the action as only one attack. –1 Dexterity, –1 Defense)
Morale Weapons/Attacks:
As Hannibal made his way through Europe, a not-insignifi-
cant portion of his victories came from the utter terror his ele- Type Damage Dice Pool
phants inspired. Whenever a person or animal of Size 7 or less Tusk +1L 13
sees a war elephant attack someone or approach with aggressive Trample +3B 12
Debate
Debates and speeches are an integral part of Roman politics,
no less so among the Roman dead. Rhetoric is an art all its The Audience
own, as evidenced by celebrated thinkers like Cicero, Seneca A debate isn’t about who’s right: It’s about who the crowd
the Elder, and even Julius Caesar himself. thinks said it best. Thus, the target of the maneuver is the
The original Requiem for Rome sourcebook included a sys- audience, though it tends to keep abreast of its betters. The
tem for debates in the Senex and Elysium. This was effectively crowd has base doors equal to those of the member with the
updated in Guide to the Night as a general system for social highest relevant Status. Otherwise, it’s whichever high-Status
combat, one with explicit connections to Ancient Roman vam- character has the most doors if two or more have equal dots.
pires. Guide to the Night thoroughly covers these mechanics, If no one has any relevant Status, it’s the highest Resolve/
and they’re an excellent stand-in for the First Edition mechanics. Composure in the crowd.
However, if you don’t have access to that book or prefer However, one also can’t discount the whims of the masses.
a more down-and-dirty process, use the following modified The crowd has additional doors depending on its size. Size
version of Social maneuvering for debates. here is relative to the context: a “minuscule” crowd in a local

taberna might be a couple of inebriated sex workers, whereas a
minuscule crowd at the Assembly might be as many as twenty
Interval
vampires out of hundreds of Senecti. Each roll represents a single exchange rather than a specific
Just as when an individual attempts to influence an entire timespan, which might be as short as a few one-liners flung
group using the usual rules, the Storyteller should also across the Assembly floor or as long as a pair of soliloquies.
determine three Aspirations, a Virtue, a Vice, and a relative The Storyteller and players define the context.
Integrity/Humanity score for the crowd.
Crowd Size Additional Doors
Impression
Minuscule +0 Impression levels are the audience’s collective views of each
debater, as determined by the Storyteller. Instead of set intervals
Small +1 for each roll, the impression applies a modifier to a debater’s
Medium +2 dice pools; consult the table below.
Large +3 Impression Modifier
Massive +4 Perfect +3
Colossal +5 Excellent +2
Action Good +1
Average +0
The maneuver is a series of contested actions between the
debaters. The players roll at the same time, although one Hostile −2
might go before the other narratively. Whoever wins opens a
door, and once all doors are open, whoever opened the most Forcing Doors
wins the debate. In the event of a tie, apply a sudden-death
door and treat opening it as one more contested action. If it and Leverage
becomes impossible for one side to open enough doors to win, A debater cannot force the audience’s doors, but soft and hard
the debate ends early. leverage apply depending on how gutsy they are: They might have
Winning the debate doesn’t mean every single person in bribed the audience beforehand or threatened key members of
the crowd agrees with the victor, but the consensus is that the the crowd. Merits and other effects that automatically open doors
winner presented their argument best. or otherwise apply to Social maneuvers also apply to debates.
Errata
Since the publication of Vampire: The Requiem Second Action takes the better of the two results, while a Disadvantaged
Edition, numerous new versions of the various Chronicles Action takes the worse of the two. Most Advanced Actions are
of Darkness games have been released, and some of the Advantaged unless stated otherwise.
basic rules of the Storyteller System have been tweaked or
expanded. Since it was the first game released for the new Aspirations and Beats
edition, Vampire has the most out-of-date system of these Instead of after each chapter, characters replace resolved
gamelines, so we provide the following as a brief collection Aspirations at the end of the scene. Furthermore, all Beats
of errata and clarifications. are pooled, with the Storyteller distributing them evenly.
These errata complement and replace any relevant rules or Remainders can be saved for the next chapter, or the troupe
language in Vampire: The Requiem or Blood and Smoke: can determine who earned extra. The troupe may still use
The Strix Chronicle. They also supplement the official FAQ the “individual” Beats system, but all members of the troupe
document, available online. should agree.
Clash of Wills
Storytelling If a vampire is called upon to engage in a Clash of Wills
System Errata that does not involve a Discipline power, roll the most relevant
Attribute instead unless otherwise specified.
The following errata apply to Vampire specifically, but they
are compatible with all Storytelling System games. Contested Actions
Contested actions count the difference between successes
Advanced Actions to determine the number of successes/exceptional successes,
Some Chronicles of Darkness games use Advanced Actions, and contested actions that result in a tie are rerolled until one
which call for a player to roll a dice pool twice. An Advantaged of the actors prevails.

Meditation to a maximum of a three-die bonus. If a character applies his
A character can improve her chances of resisting a breaking Defense while aiming, he loses his accumulated bonus and must
point by meditating. Meditation is an extended action with a start over. Aiming is incompatible with autofire.
pool of Composure + Wits, target successes of 4, and an interval Grappling: A character can move herself and her opponent
of 30 minutes. After successfully meditating, the character gets up to her Speed in distance in a grapple if she wins the con-
a +1 bonus to her next breaking point roll. tested action, but the usual limits on acting and movement
Once this bonus is used or the character sleeps, it disappears apply, assuming she isn’t using a move like Drop Prone or
and must be regained by meditating again. Restrain. She can also move at double her Speed if she does
not use a move. When a grapple is first initiated (i.e., the
Soothing music or relaxation tapes can provide a +1 to +2
turn before contested actions), the grappled character can
equipment modifier. A dedicated meditation room, perhaps
still take an instant action if they have lower initiative than
in the character’s Safe Place, provides +3. Loud noises, an
the grappler, though they cannot move. This must be within
uncomfortable environment, or lack of sleep inflict a –1 each.
reason, and the Storyteller can veto actions that don’t match
Lack of food/Vitae inflicts a –1 to –3 modifier.
the circumstances.
Merits Movement: A character can move, take an instant action,
Add the following text to the Retainer Merit: and move again in a single action provided she doesn’t move
Additionally, a Retainer can have access to twice the Merit more meters than her Speed.
dots in her own Merits. These are limited to Merits that don’t
create additional Storyteller Characters — your Retainer can’t Requiem Errata
have a Retainer, who then has another Retainer, for example. The following errata apply to Vampire: The Requiem
But he could have Resources, Status, or a Fighting Style Merit. Second Edition.
Violence Bloodlines
Aiming: If a character takes an instant action to aim carefully Banes: Bloodline banes work the same as clan banes, in
at an opponent with a ranged weapon, the player enjoys a one- that the vampire gains hers when she drops to Humanity 6
die bonus to the attack roll when he fires on the next turn. A after joining. She also gains it if she was at that Humanity
character can aim for multiple turns in a row at the same target, level when she joined.

Gifts: All bloodlines have a “bloodline gift.” A bloodline gift Vitae Expenditures: If a character does not have sufficient
is any benefit that can be purchased with Experiences, such as Blood Potency to fuel a Discipline (or any other power) in a
a unique Discipline, Devotions, Merits, or Coils; an inherent single turn, she can use the preceding turns to start spending
power gained upon joining; or a free trait (a Merit, Skill dots, the cost reflexively, up to her usual limit. On the turn she meets
etc.) By default, gifts that can be purchased with Experiences are the cost, she can activate the power as usual.
exclusive to their bloodlines unless otherwise noted.
Updates: The first few bloodlines published for Vampire
Devotions
Second Edition work slightly differently compared with those Cross-Contamination: Instead of contesting the vampire’s
of later supplements. If you want to conform these bloodlines successes, onlookers must make a resisted instant action with
with the current system, make the following changes: the same printed dice pool, penalized by the Discipline the
• Kerberos: The player must succeed a Humanity roll at the vampire used to activate the Devotion. If they return their gaze
beginning of each scene or the vampire loses the 10-again qual- to her, they must resist to look away again. Looking away does
ity on all mundane and non-reflexive rolls against characters not break the other effects of this Devotion.
who aren’t currently suffering from a Bestial Triad Condition. Enfeebling Aura: Increase the prerequisites to Majesty ••
and Resilience ••.
• Khaibit: The vampire’s player must roll Humanity to avoid
Riot: Optionally, the Devotion also imposes the Riot Tilt
being blinded by bright lights. Otherwise, the bane works
(p. 274) on the area for the scene if enough people are present
as written.
and affected by the vampire’s Devotion.
• Morbus: Limit the total Vitae a Morbus can take per night Touch of Deprivation: The dice pool is Intelligence +
from healthy mortals by her Humanity dots. Medicine + Obfuscate.
• Neglatu: The player must succeed a Humanity roll each time
the vampire wants to impose a blood bond. Furthermore, Feeding
the character gains a free choice of Celerity, Resilience, or The following clarifies the stages of violent feeding starting
Vigor as her fourth favored Discipline. on p. 94 of Vampire:
Step 1: The vampire successfully establishes a grapple with
Bestial Triad Conditions an opponent.
References to “Bestial Triad Conditions” in sourcebooks Step 2: The vampire and her victim engage in a contested
refer to Bestial, Competitive, and Wanton. action to control the grapple. If the vampire prevails,
A character only gains immunity to these Conditions by she can apply the Damage move to bite her victim,
fulfilling their resolution criteria, not after they fade natu- inflicting lethal wounds (including to vampires) equal
rally. However, immunity rules apply regardless of how the to successes and stealing a single Vitae point. The lost
character gained the Condition. If a vampire is immune to Vitae inflicts an additional lethal damage on mortals
these Conditions and would suffer one because of a breaking and comes directly from a Kindred victim’s pool. This
point, the Storyteller has the option to apply Guilty or another establishes a bite for the Feed move.
appropriate Condition (Shaken, Spooked, etc.)
Step 3: On the next turn, assuming the grapple continues,
Finally, Competitive only applies to contested actions, not the vampire and victim enter into another contested
resisted ones or combat actions. action. If the vampire wins, she can apply the Feed
move: She takes her successes in Vitae, capped by her
Disciplines Blood Potency, and bestows the Scarred Condition
Celerity: A character who can no longer take their chosen on mortal victims; she must pay a Willpower to inflict
instant action in a combat turn because of Celerity’s interruption that Condition on Kindred and other supernatural
effect loses their instant action for that turn, period. However, all beings. The Feed move inflicts damage equal to Vitae
things being equal, they can still move and take reflexive actions. stolen on human victims and draws directly from a
Out-of-Clan Unique Disciplines: When learned out-of-clan, vampire’s Vitae pool; it applies no further damage to
Auspex, Dominate, Majesty, Nightmare, and Protean and other Kindred. Repeat this step on subsequent turns unless
unique clan Disciplines, such as Praestantia and Vitiate, require the victim prevails in the contested grappling action.
teachers. The vampire must drink Vitae from a teacher with a
higher level of that Discipline, regardless of whether the teacher Ghouls
has a clan or bloodline affinity for that power. The vampire can Blood Potency: If the scope of an effect is based on a ghoul’s
learn as many dots of that Discipline as the original teacher had Blood Potency (normally 0) treat it as 1.
at the time after a single drink. However, unless the teacher
Devotions: Ghouls learn Devotions like vampires. As with
had the maximum dots, the learner needs to find herself a
bloodline Disciplines, a ghoul can learn any bloodline gift that
more skilled tutor to learn further levels and risk a new blood
can be purchased with Experiences, barring those that ghouls
bond, or potentially increase one to the original teacher if he
specifically can’t purchase.
improved his rating.

Ritual Disciplines: Ghouls can learn and use Ritual • Both family types have a common Touchstone attached at
Disciplines if anyone’s willing to teach them. However, in the Integrity 6, a Benefit, and a Drawback.
case of Crúac and the Veneficium, they can only use one-dot
rituals without the aid of a vampire, as higher-level powers Torpor
require spilled Vitae to fuel the sacrifice. Duration: The base duration of a vampire’s torpor is one week
Vitae Capacity: Ghouls do not apply Resilience to Stamina only for Kindred with Humanity 10. The Humanity 9 value noted
when calculating how much Vitae they can hold. at the top level of the chart on p. 105 of Vampire is a misprint.
Vitae: Providing a torpid vampire with blood that’s insuf-
Ghoul Families ficient to wake her refills her Vitae pool, though she’s still
The following clarifies and collects the rules relating to ghoul limited by her current Blood Potency feeding restrictions;
families in Vampire: The Requiem and Half-Damned: being in torpor means she cannot spend Willpower to process
• Ghoul families come in two types: biological and social. “thinner” blood. She is not subject to any Vitae addiction
unless the blood wakes her from torpor, though blood bonds
• Biological ghouls breed true, have natural lifespans of about still apply. Vitae drawn from a torpid vampire can be used for
150 years, don’t age rapidly after gaining the Deprived all the usual functions if anyone wishes to use it, including
Condition, and can learn common Disciplines without maintaining ghouls and blood bonds.
Kindred teachers. They retain their Disciplines even when
lacking Vitae. Biological ghouls are born with the Unseen Willpower
Sense: Vampires Merit. Sleep: Vampires do not regain Willpower from sleep, but
• Social families are looser associations of humans and ghouls ghouls do.
who band together to achieve a goal or live under the thrall Touchstones: Vampires cannot regain Willpower by defend-
of a single regnant. They have no special inherent qualities. ing unattached Touchstones.

Interlude IV
t is the beginning of the Camarilla’s end, Lars takes a step toward the hovels, and one of
I though I do not know it.

In truth, I’m not sure I would care even if
I did. Right now, all I’m concerned with is putting
the fanatics steps forward in lockstep, matching
his movements like a dance. The man looks Greek:
a slave. He’s wrapped in a soiled tunic that’s had its
down a gathering of heretics. It’s my job, after all. back torn away to let his worship leaders lash him.
I am Decima Junia, Soldier of the Legion of the He’s got a curly beard framing a gaunt face, marred
Dead. Tonight was meant to be my night of rest. I by a cavernous crater where his nose should be.
should not be here. But where else would I be? “You the leader?” Lars demands.
“Decima, are you listening? Brace up.” “The Dark Messiah speaks through the Blood.”
I feel the sudden weight of a sword in my hands. I can hear the leather grip of Lars’s shield squeak
The grip is too large by half, and I struggle to hold it as his grip tightens. Our unit knows the drill. We
with an air of effortlessness. Nothing in the Legion take two steps, locking our stride with Lars’s. To my
fits these nights, from the weapons to the armor. My left, Ostorius, a recruit three days my junior — a
greaves slap against my legs as I walk, and my cuirass baker in life — whispers to me.
is so tight that if I still breathed it would squeeze the “This is going well.”
wind from my lungs. Then again, I bore two children A few feet ahead, Lars is trying to remain dip-
before I was reborn, so a wide chest is expected. lomatic. “Tell your Messiah that Ala Senecta has
A pair of eyes the color of an ocean storm glares deemed your camp an unlawful gathering.”
into mine. Laurentius Caerellius Lars looks dis- “The only laws are His own. The Old Man has no
pleased, which is not what a Legionary wants to power here.”
see in her commander. I fall in line and try to hide
“Alright,” Lars says with a sigh. “You can tell
from his displeasure. The Necropolis has miles of
him yourself when we deliver you. The rest of you
tunnels — leagues if the Worms are to be believed
may depart.”
— carved into its bowels. The one where we now
stand, colorfully referred to as Shitbag Row, lies The Greek throws his hands in revelry. He’s
beneath the Esquiline Hill. To call the smell awful clutching a tarnished silver blade in one hand. “They
would be generous. The walls are slick with a foul do not know their trespasses, Dark Father—”
ichor that seeps down from the landfills and grave- “Drop the knife and come peacefully. If you do,
yards above. The stench is choking even for those I’ll note your cooperation. This really doesn’t have
who don’t need to breathe. I’m suddenly thankful to end in blood.” Lars takes another step forward.
for the cuirass. It’s a mistake.
We should have come with more than a contuber- “If blood you seek, praise Him, he that reveals the
nium. Eight Kindred isn’t enough for this rabble; true glory of God, and repent!” The fucker slashes
the fanatics breed like lice. his own wrist with the dagger. Blood rolls out from
Our tunnel gives way to a rough cave with doz- the cut like sap, the trail never breaking. Lars leaps
ens of hovels dug into the walls like the cells of a back into a gap in our formation.
beehive. I flare my nostrils and force a breath in: “Shields!”
blood. At least a dozen in the shadows ahead have “Fuck meme,”
,” Ostorius laughs. “If they want to kill
fed recently, and I can see almost twice as many themselves, I say we help—”
pairs of eyes. He doesn’t get to finish. The stream of blood
Lars steps to our flank, his voice low. “Lock shields flowing from the Greek’s wrist solidifies into a
and hold formation no matter what. I’ll personally cattle whip and lashes around Ostorius’s throat.
crucify any coward who breaks rank.” There’s no His body goes stiff and falls like an olive breaking
humor in his voice. He’s done this before. from its stem.
122
Our ranks are gapped. weak. Powerless. Prey. No, this is what I’m meant
“I said shields
shields!”
!” Lars roars. to do. Whoever I was before doesn’t matter. Right
The fanatics surround us, taking advantage of the now, I am Decima Junia, Soldier of the Legion of
disorder in our ranks. The Greek spins his wrist and the Dead.
twists the blood whip, lashing at Lars, but he’s made One. Two. Four dead men fall to their knees.
a fatal error: I’m much faster than he is. I parry the Throats rent. Tendons torn. Bowels splayed. I am
lash before it can reach Lars. It wraps around my unstoppable.
blade, which flies from my grip and spins into the In a blink, it’s over. Their ranks shatter and flee
darkness. He’s left me emptyhanded, which is his through the tunnels, leaving almost a dozen dead
second fatal error. and maimed behind.
I snarl back at Lars, “Permission to break ranks The Greek lies on the ground beneath me, still
with maximum prejudice, sir?” somehow moving despite being torn in half. His
Lars hammers his shield through the teeth of a bowels trail beneath him and dance like a jellyfish’s
nearby cultist, and in the dimness, I can see a boyish tendrils as he laughs, with no air of madness in
grin. This is the real Lars. “Granted, Munifex!” the sound.
I hurl my shield into the fray like a discus and Lars puts a hand on my shoulder and pulls me
crouch on all fours. I love this body — the power. away, expecting some kind of subterfuge.
The feeling of my hands elongating. Of my fingers Instead, the Greek just keeps laughing. “Kill me
curling into wicked black talons, dark as night and if you want, but you will not win this war.”
twice as keen. Before, it was nothing like this. I was Soon, I will learn he’s telling the truth.
123
CHAPTER FOUR
AGES OF THE EMPIRE
They have plundered the world,
stripping naked the land in their hunger…
they are driven by greed, if their enemy be rich; by ambition, if poor…
They ravage, they slaughter, they seize by false pretenses,
and all of this they hail as the construction of empire.
And when in their wake nothing remains but a desert,
they call that peace.
— Tacitus, Agricola
Throughout the Eternal City’s blood-soaked history, its ascent echoes with war, magnificence, and wealth, and its downfall
with betrayals, decadence, and excess. On this path through the ages, from a small village founded upon seven hills to one of
the largest empires the world’s ever seen, countless played a role on the stage of Rome.
From its legendary founders claiming divine heritage to the corrupt emperors, from slaves in chains to gladiators slaughtered
in the arena, all lived and died for the Eternal City, both the shining ideal and the hungry monster looming over all.
Just like Rome, vampires stand immortal. The Propinqui infest the city’s shadows, a dark reflection of its living inhabitants,
but as much as vampires claim to exist beyond human vicissitudes, their nighttime world doesn’t truly belong to them. For
good or ill, the history of Rome is the history of the Kindred — the history of the Camarilla, its wings, and all those who
opposed them.
This chapter presents six Dark Eras to explore Rome’s history in the Chronicles of Darkness, shedding a wicked light on
the Requiems of those who experienced them. Each flashpoint shows how the Propinqui evolved along with their empire and
reacted to the many troubles Rome faced.
FOR VENGEANCE, TRIUMPH, THE SEA OF FIRE

AND BLOOD Eruption of Mount Vesuvius
The Second Punic War Death wears many masks. In the depths of the
Hannibal marches and Europe bleeds, all as the long-slumbering Mount Vesuvius, it prepares to don a
Camarilla fights a shadow war with a terrifying rival. new one of flame and ash, and even the Propinqui won’t
escape its reaping.
FAVOR THE BOLD
The Gallic Wars THE ANARCHY
The Republic’s greatest general has many plans Crisis of the Third Century
once his victory over Gaul is complete. The Camarilla War and plague rage across Rome, the powerful falling
admires that ambition, even as other dead things from their thrones like bloody hail. Even the dead can’t
work to defy it. escape the chaos, for their Nemeses see opportunity.
SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS CITY OF MIRACLES

Year of the Four Emperors Fall of the Western Roman Empire
Emperors are just men. There can even be more than An empire can’t last forever, and soon, Rome will yield
one at a time, and the Kindred will have to decide to fate. Yet Ravenna, usurper of the Eternal City, stands
which one suits their dark designs. as a beacon even in dark times.
CHAPTER FOUR: AGES OF THE EMPIRE 125

FOR VENGEANCE, TRIUMPH,
AND BLOOD
The Second Punic War (218–202 BCE)
The Mediterranean burns. Thousands of soldiers march battlefields soldiers can’t march on. Those who question
to war by land and sea, each side knowing more than soil’s at the will of the gods wonder whether the clash between Julii
stake. This war is for supremacy, the dominance of one culture and Baali is just a twist of fate or, perhaps, if higher powers
over another. Over the future. wish for the two clans to face one another, either as a wicked
Fifty years ago, two rivals fell to war after circling each other entertainment or a dark experiment to determine who bears
for centuries, a peace that lasted only as long as their interests the right to rule the night.
didn’t cross: Rome and Carthage, the great nemeses. The darkness offers no answers, and some fear the truth
Decades later, the son of a defeated Carthaginian general — stands in the middle.
who in childhood swore eternal hatred for Rome at the altar of
his gods — crosses the Alps with his elephants and brings war to
Mood: Patriotism,
Italy. He is Hannibal Barca, one of antiquity’s most celebrated Noble and Desperate
military leaders. In response, Publius Cornelius Scipio rises to the Since their foundation, the city of Romulus has fought Italic
challenge, eager to avenge the father who died at Carthaginian and Celtic tribes, while Carthage has battled Numidians,
hands. Hannibal and Scipio’s rivalry reflects this clash of nations, Sardinias, and even the Iberians, and in their expansionist
both lusting to become empires, well aware the world holds no desires, both have faced the might of the Greeks. Both have
room for coexistence. It is the story of two civilizations sharing achieved great victories; both have suffered major defeats.
ideals and dreams, mirrors of each other’s ambitions. It is the Yet the Punic Wars are different. They feel different, and the
Second Punic War, fought For Vengeance, Triumph, and Blood. Romans and Carthaginians both implicitly recognize one
Even in their eternal stagnation, the Propinqui sense the war simple yet terrible truth: The outcome will determine which
with Carthage holds more than meets the eye. Against this back- civilization survives.
ground, the Republic meets its greatest challenge yet, and so does Neither side can accept the price of defeat. Sons inherit the
the Camarilla. The Kindred stand aghast as a dark truth reveals hatred of their fathers, well aware of what’s at stake and despite
itself, whisper after whisper: Carthage holds its own society of promises of civilized accords after the conflicts end. With the
predators within its walls. In the tongue of their people, these enemy at the gate, internal dissensions slide into the background,
dead call themselves “Lords,” a word Roman vampires hesitate if only for a while. Because of pride. Because of fear.
to pronounce out loud: Baali. When these tenebrous societies Embodiments of their cultures, the Julii and Baali add a vam-
discover each other, human and predatory feelings merge into a piric twist to living ideologies. In their secrecy, both societies
deadly dance that allows for neither reprieve nor mercy. have developed in proud parallel to their empires, but now the
The Senex spreads hatred and propaganda; the Augurs entire social structure of their deaths demands these vampires
face pro granted by foreign gods with blessings of their own; defend their supremacy. The Roman and Carthaginian dead
the Legion of the Dead fights secret battles cloaked in the prepare for war, bloodthirsty predators ready to eradicate any
night’s shroud; and the Peregrine Collegium roams through intrusion in their territories.
What Has Come Before

Despite any pretense of coexistence crumbling by the time clauses establishing the two societies as allies in their respective
Hannibal marches on Europe, Rome and Carthage maintain a efforts to expand, a fact either purposely forgotten or taken as
cordial relationship for centuries. Several ancient treaties detail an example of the other side’s betrayal. In truth, the situation
The soul favors victory over peace.

— Hannibal
endures only as long as these empires’ interests don’t clash. proof of their superiority in character and rank. With the Sicilian
The very moment all other foes fall, conflicts over Sicily offer dead now forced under Rome’s heel as new members of clans
a pretext for the war both nations crave. Gangrel and Nosferatu, even the stories about the “Carthaginian
Sicily, with its central position in the Mediterranean, was clan” don’t bother the Julii, and they dismiss sporadic encounters
long part of the coalition of Greek colonies known as Magna with the Baali as interactions with yet another group of unsorted
Graecia. Rome tried for decades to expand southward against dead who will recognize the Propinqui’s authority soon enough.
fierce opposition, while Carthage considered the Greeks rivals They are wrong.
in the struggle for hegemony over Mediterranean trade routes.
Although the Greeks were often victorious, constant struggles
against both empires exhausted their forces. Greece had no
The Bull:
choice but to withdraw military support from the colonies and Hannibal’s Carthage
leave the field open to Rome and Carthage, two hungry beasts
Following its defeat in the First Punic War, Carthage is in
that — up to that point — pretended not to eye the same prey.
shambles. Rome’s victory conditions impose obscene compen-
The ensuing war forces the Romans, who’ve never needed a sations, along with the liberation of all war prisoners without
proper navy, to adapt to a battlefield Carthage reigns supreme. the right to extract payments of any sort. Unlike Rome,
Yet despite these challenges, Rome manages to win both on which founds its wealth in territory and conflict, Carthage’s
land and at sea, inflicting a grievous wound on Carthage’s pride. economy follows the example of its Phoenician origins. The
Carthaginians are traders first and foremost, an attitude Rome’s
The Eagle: victory shatters. The glory days of Qart Hadasht, blessed by
Scipio’s Rome Melqart, Tanit, and Ba’al Hammon, are but a distant memory.
Carthage’s strengths turn to weaknesses. Unable to control the
The Roman Republic has reached the kind of grandeur sea, the harsh North African mainland rejects efforts to estab-
previous generations only dreamed about. Centuries of war, lish agricultural infrastructure capable of supporting its needs.
rebellion, and spilled blood finally bear fruit: The opposing Carthage’s cosmopolitan army crumbles when the Republic can’t
forces fall, dominated when not outright destroyed. The spoils afford to pay the various mercenary forces filling its ranks, leading
of war and taxes finance a golden era for all the victors, and to brutal revolts, betrayals, and uprisings. Peace treaties allow
further expansions aren’t a matter of “if,” but “where.” Carthaginians to take territories Rome isn’t interested in — at
After the First Punic War, Rome becomes the strongest least for now — but expansion attempts meet fierce resistance.
power in the Mediterranean in all but name, an achievement The Baali consider the crisis an assault both on their honor and
that will play a fundamental role in its future. War’s crucible godly mandate, a demonstration of blasphemy requiring furious
forges the Republic into an efficient monster, any trace of retribution. Unlike the Julii’s secretive approach, Carthage’s
decadence or corruption nothing in comparison to its past or vampires see themselves as divine emissaries, dark demigods
future. The citizens of Rome are proud to join its armies: The with the right to demand sacrifices but also the unholy duty to
Republican tradition expects each man to fight for his nation, protect their city. For the first time in their history, all Baali feel a
and centuries of conflicts with Italic tribes and Greeks have moral imperative to act directly to help Carthage. It’s a dangerous
laid the foundation for a fierce military tradition. game, where vampires risk exposure like never before, but the
For the Propinqui, victory in the First Punic War provides Lords agree to play it, going as far as conniving with demons
and spirits made of darkness and smoke to obtain more power.
What Is to Come
In the years between wars, Hannibal’s father Hamilcar led Of honor and discipline, Hannibal has no lack, but he has no
Carthage into Iberia after suppressing internal rebellions. mercy for the Romans. Thousands of legionaries die at Cannae,
Through grit and blood, Barca conquered enough territories the slaughter ending when darkness makes it impossible to con-
to send much-needed spoils back home, and with each victory, tinue. Carthaginians waltz through the battlefield in the morning
he drew closer to the line the Romans forbid the Carthaginians to kill anyone too wounded to become a valuable prisoner.
to approach. Once his son inherits the rank of general, to the Rome has no choice but to regroup and reorganize, trying
unanimous acclaim of his troops, he crosses that line. to weaken Carthage on other fronts — far from Hannibal. He
Blazing through Iberia and Gaul, Hannibal crosses the Alps knows the Romans are wounded, but not cornered. He can’t
and takes war to the Roman homeland. During his decadelong besiege the capital without new troops or opening up Carthage’s
campaign, he destroys any opposition and sets Rome’s territories territories for attack. Hannibal and his peers forge alliances
ablaze. His army triumphs against the legions at Cannae: Only with other enemies of Rome, eager to bleed the Republic on a
one of the two consuls sent to stop him returns, with Hannibal vast scale before striking with the final blow. War engulfs the
paying due respect to the body of the fallen one. whole of southern Europe and North Africa.

The Mediterranean
at War
Sicily — where Syracuse joins Carthage in the hope of
preventing Rome from conquering the whole island — and
Iberia — Carthage’s economic bastion — become meatgrind-
ers. The waters around Sardinia turn red as the Roman fleet
massacres the Carthaginian forces. In Greece, Carthage’s
allies clash with Rome’s, locking each other into a conflict
that prevents either side from joining their forces in Italy.
Cities burn to the ground, and tribes and kingdoms swear
to one side or another hoping to preserve themselves from
these empires’ hunger.
Scipio gains more and more renown in these years. He
faces Hannibal’s brother Hasdrubal in Iberia, sending him
bleeding back to Italy where he’ll meet his end. It’s Scipio
who takes the peninsula for Rome, dealing a heavy blow to
Carthage. After obtaining the Senate’s approval to invade
North Africa, he cuts a bloody path through Carthaginian
territories and lays siege to the enemy’s capital. Rome sees
an opportunity for victory in the event, but Scipio knows
better: Hannibal has no choice but to retreat from Italy
to defend his homeland, where his Roman rival awaits.
The two armies meet at Zama, the last and greatest battle
of the war. Carthage’s elephants charge across the battlefield,
trampling men and horses alike, while Cannae’s armies,
eager to regain their honor, hold the ground against impos-
sible odds, enough for the cavalry to pierce Carthaginian
ranks. Rome wins.
But Carthage survives, if barely, though the wounds of
the Second Punic War never heal. Rome knows its nemesis
can’t be allowed to recover. “Carthago delenda est,” adds Cato
the Elder at the end of each and every speech — Carthage
must be destroyed. A faint pretext offers the Romans an
opportunity to start another war in 149 BCE, the third
and final Punic War. It only lasts three years, culminating
in Carthage’s utter destruction: Rome burns the city to
the ground and spreads salt in its fields so nothing shall
ever grow again.
The Dead at War

For the Camarilla, the secret conflict with the Baali during
the Second Punic War represents the most dangerous exter-
nal threat the Propinqui have faced so far.
The first phases of the vampiric war play out as espionage
rather than open conflict. The Julii barely acknowledge
their Carthaginian rivals’ existence, an advantage the
Baali use to organize, spy, sabotage, and assassinate. The
Lords plan to coordinate and reveal themselves only when
it’s time to strike, but the more time passes, the more the
idea finds difficult realization. Personal ambition and the
Propinqui’s response (which, at this stage, comes mostly
from the Peregrine Collegium and perceptive Soldiers)
lead several Baali to take the initiative when opportunity

lay ruin on Roman forces. Stories of their monstrosity merge
with Propinqui propaganda, making it unclear where the truth
Their Steps Make lies. Still, no demonic pact or desperate resistance is enough to
the Earth Tremble prevent Rome’s victory.
Elephants are already extraordinary creatures,
but war elephants are a some of the most terrifying The Propinqui choose not to visit Final Death upon the
combatants in history. Meeting one in the chaos Baali, but the act bears no mercy: In Carthage’s vampires,
of battle is a nightmarish experience even those the Julii see a part of themselves they can’t bear to look upon.
deploying them aren’t immune to. The creatures are Destruction isn’t enough. Roman vampires want their rivals
as unstoppable as they are unpredictable, crushing
anything in their paths and refusing to change to suffer, broken gods of a fallen city they considered eternal.
course when panic gets the best of them. For war Humiliated, battered, and defeated. In due time, the Julii
elephant rules, see p. 116. reason, even the Baali will bend the knee and recognize the
Propinqui’s superiority. More than a prediction, it’s what the
Founders want, leading them and the Lords to interact in a
tense peace in the following years.
arises. Soon enough, the Camarilla understands the pattern
of aggressions and sorcerous miracles for what it is: the hand- For a moment, it seems as if Propinqui and Baali can indeed
iwork of vampires. coexist, but the Carthaginian clan’s absence from the modern
nights speaks volumes. The Beast, it seems, can’t tolerate look-
While no stranger to foreign dead and the dangers they repre-
ing through a glass darkly.
sent, the Camarilla find in Carthage’s clan an echo embodying
all their worst fears. The Baali are numerous, organized, and
thriving, but more than anything, the Lords are a unified clan Battles to
in the same way the Julii are, one with its own culture and
history, intrinsically bound to a mortal nation. War breaks
the Final Death
out, fueled by hate and blood. Among the many conflicts between the Julii and Baali, the
Though they support mortal armies on the field, the following are among the most notable.
Propinqui and Baali do more than just act behind the scenes
or indulge in skirmishes. In an example of open warfare the
Battle of the Phlegraean Fields
likes of which the Camarilla has never witnessed (and never The Battle of the Phlegraean Fields represents the culmina-
will again), both sides field true armies of vampires and ghouls, tion of months of attacks between Julii and Baali forces, one
fighting a parallel conflict alongside the one between Rome of the first major vampiric battles in the war. Fought under a
and Carthage. full moon on the sulfurous plains outside Naples, the battle
sees dead from both sides go to war among craters and calderas,
The differences between the Baali and Camarilla are most
stopping only when the sun rises. Vitae drenches the volcanic
evident in their relationships with mortals. Like the Julii, the
soil for three nights until both armies flee from the stalemate
Lords do not reveal themselves to the world of the living as
under the weight of their dwindling supplies.
a general rule, but Carthaginian commanders frequently see
dark figures emerge from the shadows outside their camps, The Night of Hungry Waves
bearing hidden truths and promises of victory. The Julii soon
Eager to score a victory over Rome’s seemingly unstoppable
understand the extent to which the Baali directly involve
fleet, a cadre of Baali sorcerers joins the conflict for Sardinia’s
themselves in the conflict, but not before paying for that
waters. The Legion of the Dead interferes with their efforts
lesson in blood.
again and again, but the sorcerers land a grievous wound
The Propinqui must soon face not only the Baali’s numbers when one of their rituals summons what survivors describe as
and power but their sorcerous arts. The Baali sear the horror a colossal maw emerging from the waves, devouring men and
of their dark magic into Kindred minds with dreadful violence, ships alike with insatiable abandon.
consorting with powers Roman vampires fear to name. The
Cult of Augurs and Baali blood sorcerers hold a confrontation Battle of Hadrumetum’s Depths
of their own throughout the war, eager to determine whose When the Propinqui reach Hadrumetum, a Phoenician col-
gods are stronger. ony older than even Carthage, they meet fierce resistance from
When Scipio’s legions land in North Africa, the Propinqui the local Lords. While living Rome conquers Hadrumetum
join them: generals, priests, spies, and soldiers waging a secret with ease and moves on, for vampires, the battle lasts for two
war, just outside mortal perceptions. Eager to disprove their weeks. Each night, the Kindred fight for every last inch of
enemies’ false claims of divinity, the Propinqui burn altars, soil as they push inside the caves near the city. The ancient
slaughter officials, and show the Baali’s devotees that their horrors leading the Baali exact a hefty price in Propinquus
blasphemous gods hold no power against the Camarilla’s might. blood, but the Camarilla’s soldiers emerge victorious from
Pushed to the brink, the Lords unearth forbidden rituals to the blind darkness.

Locations
The Second Punic War spans almost two decades, with the slight by declaring open war on Syracuse, the start of a long
theaters all over the Mediterranean. siege where Archimedes’ deadly inventions play a central role
in keeping Rome at bay.
Cannae The great city bends the knee to Rome after centuries of inde-
pendence when traitors open the gates to Claudius Marcellus’s
Cannae is a trap that becomes the embodiment of all
forces. Legend has it that Archimedes, busy organizing the
Rome’s fears. But for Carthage, it’s all their society’s virtues
defense of his beloved city, doesn’t even notice the true nature
expressed in an act of military genius. When he crosses the
of the Roman soldiers sent to assassinate him.
Alps, Hannibal has a plan in mind, and in Cannae, that
cunning manifests as triumphant reality. The battle creates a The Genius
clear tactical choice for Rome. Its strategy is to cut Hannibal’s Mathematician, inventor, astronomer, engineer, and much
supply lines, letting his army fall apart from sheer attrition, more, Archimedes of Syracuse’s genius grants him a reputation
but this faces a major complication when the Carthaginian as one of history’s greatest minds. As a scion of the Greek
conquers Cannae’s massive storage depots, a problem requir- independent colony, he contributes to his city’s prosperity, his
ing immediate response. brilliance finding both opportunities to bloom and earning
Hannibal knows this, but he also understands a deeper the respect of his fellow citizens — and the world. Academics
truth: The Romans crave his blood more than anything. 5, Crafts 4, Occult 5
His unstopped advance is an insult, his victories a stain on
Rome’s honor.
Zama
Hannibal concentrates Rome’s hatred and fear in a single
place, dresses it with actual tactical value, and then sets every- The Second Punic War culminates at Zama, the final
thing on fire. Proud, arrogant, and blinded by personal ambi- showdown between civilizations. In its prelude, Scipio gets
tion, the Roman consuls face a military genius who’s prepared payback for Hannibal’s invasion of Italy, attacking Carthage
all his life for this moment. The pincer maneuver Hannibal on its home soil. Hannibal shows more cunning and patience
uses — one of the first instances in recorded history — leaves than the armies he defeated at Cannae, but he knows whoever
the legions no room to escape the massacre. triumphs at Zama will win the war — a truth Scipio knows
just as well.
The Rogue Ghoul On the eve of the battle, Zama’s arid fields host all the
Mastanabal is a Numidian mercenary far older than his looks forces both sides can afford to deploy. Scipio has learned from
suggest. A triumphant cavalry charge during the First Punic Cannae’s defeat, with the largest concentration of cavalry ever
War gave him the chance to be noticed by an obscure demigod, seen in a Roman army following his commands. Carthaginian
who blessed Mastanabal with a taste of blood. His master might and Numidian soldiers share the ranks with mercenaries from
be long gone, but Mastanabal learned how to find more of her all over the Mediterranean: Celts, Gauls, Greeks, and more — all
kind and obtain what he craves — one way or another. Brawl the enemies of Rome march under Hannibal’s banner.
3, Ride 4, Survival 1 At the center of Carthage’s formation, the sight of eighty
war elephants instills terror in the Roman ranks. Recruits
Syracuse must reconcile the distant stories with the monsters in front
of them, while veterans well remember the mayhem heralded
The polis of Syracuse arose as a typical Magna Graecia col-
by an elephant’s charge.
ony, though since its foundation in the 5th century BCE, it’s
become much more. Its wealth, fame, and victories — both in Thanks to a combination of bold new tactics, lessons learned
the military and commercial fields — grew so fast the city earned from paying a bloody price, and the burning desire to avenge
the Athenians’ scorn, leading to a war Syracuse triumphantly the defeats of the past, Scipio manages to resist first, then turns
won. Syracuse’s greatness, along with its strategic position in the tides of battle against his rival.
the middle of the Mediterranean, eventually put it at odds with The Battlefield Jackal
both the Romans and Carthaginians. The two republics see
A Mekhet going by the name Tentamun has a reputation
Syracuse as either worthy prey or a dangerous rival, putting the
among Carthage’s vampires for being the gal who can find any-
Greek city between two insatiable fires.
thing, for a price. When Scipio lands in North Africa, Tentamun’s
In the Second Punic War, Syracuse takes Rome’s side during sharp survival instincts convince her the nights of Carthage
the first movements, but a succession crisis and growing con- are numbered. Now she lays a foundation for a dangerous bet,
cerns about Sicily’s independence leads the city to break the where she scavenges what’s left after battles and offers valuables
alliance and join Carthage. Hannibal’s reassurance of having to the Grim Battalion for favors, goodwill, and safe passage to
no interest in Syracuse is a crucial factor. Rome responds to the Necropolis. Larceny 3, Streetwise, 4, Subterfuge 4

The Bleeding Pantheon
The Baali clan structure places their lineage’s terrible their choices, just as the people of Rome are, a host of dread
Methuselahs at its apex. The entire culture of the clan gods infests Punic nights like divine parasites. Whereas the
rotates around the simple yet inalienable affirmation of their Julii achieve their victories in whispers and dominance, the
monstrous divinity. Even the Baali’s counterparts to the Baali do so in screams and splendor.
Camarilla’s wings aren’t really parts of a covenant working in When the Second Punic War breaks out, the Baali’s elders
unison, but rather avenues through which the Lords express disagree on how to relate to the human events enveloping their
their godly nature. civilization. Some indolent horrors insist living matters aren’t
The Head: Vampires of the Head take on the roles of leaders their concern, while passionate terrors state their divinity comes
and guides, planners and enforcers of the clan’s future and with a duty to act. A secret war divides the clan from within,
Carthage’s present. For them, slaughtering a man’s family to with neonates and viriles embracing a simple-yet-ruthless design:
let another rise through the ranks of the city’s politics is just a If those with the power to summon their dark patrons against
step toward a greater goal. Advantage: Members of the Head Rome refuse to do so, then other Baali will drain it from their
gain Merit dots in Herd, Resources, Retainer, and Staff equal useless veins.
to Clan Status.
The Fang: Vampires of the Fang pursue martial excellence The Others
beyond mortal reach, hunting humans and supernatural
Just like the Founders, the Baali have created a cosmopol-
creatures in their effort to hone body and mind to lethal per-
itan city, maintaining relationships with different dead since
fection. They stalk the night looking for worthy challenges or
any Lord remembers. While not as many of the gentes exist
entertaining prey, all while cultivating their personal doctrine
in Carthage, all vampires are welcome. Foreign practices
of blood and war. Advantage: Fangs inherently have access
and beliefs — while often looked down upon — encounter no
to the Martial Prowess Merit (p. 90) and gain a free Fighting
opposition, as long as the other clans don’t prove disruptive or
Style Merit dot upon induction into their faction, provided
forget who’s in charge.
they meet prerequisites.
Daeva and Mekhet are a common sight in Carthage, their
The Right Hand: Vampires of the Right Hand are muses,
connection to the Baali owing to the proximity of their
idols, and artists. They gift glimpses of their presence to mortals
purported ancestral homelands, but Gangrel and Nosferatu
while tearing throats apart, smiling at the thought of what their
maintain a stable presence too. Even a few Julii are said to make
glory will inspire. Each new devotee they add to their flock
havens here, though mostly exiles and criminals. The one caveat
increases their immortal legend. Advantage: Right Hands
to this acceptance is that non-Baali have nothing to do with any
gain Merit dots in Allies, Contacts, Haven, and Mentor equal
political decisions. While they can certainly befriend Lords or
to Clan Status.
influence their opinions, Carthage belongs to the Baali.
The Left Hand: Vampires of the Left Hand earn the terrible
reputation of sorcerers, keepers of dark knowledge, and masters
of the arcane. While no Baali avoids interacting with spirits To Moloch:
and demons, members of the Left Hand consider bloodthirsty
priesthood the ultimate purpose of their clan. They officiate
Baali Blood Sorcery
rites, forge new pacts, and wield blood sorcery with night- Ever since the first Baali made their appearance in Carthage,
marish skill, no sacrifice too great to appease the gods they the clan’s connection with spirits, demons, and ghosts has taken
serve. Advantage: Left Hands learn Molk rituals (below) at a the shape of a kind of sorcery that relies on sacrifices, voluntary
one-Experience discount. acts of possession, and the promise of blood and flesh for those
The Pit: Vampires of the Pit exclusively comprise the entities lacking both: Molk. Molk is a dangerous practice, one
Methuselahs who command the clan, a divine right their old the Baali’s clan bane precipitates into disaster at the faintest
age grants them. Not only is this a sign of power young Fiends mistake, with cautionary tales and monstrous consequences
never contest, but it’s also an aspirational state of grace. While being recurring elements of Carthage’s vampire society… but
all Lords commune with their spirit kin and patrons, it’s the the Lords consider even the direst incidents a price well worth
Methuselahs who speak as peers with those entities that make paying to gain the power of the gods.
the world quake in fear. Advantage: Unknown. Pit vampires For the Baali, blood sorcery is a holy act, a connection
keep their mysteries even from other Baali. between material and ephemeral divinity. However, the nature
Although the Lords maintain a Masquerade roughly com- of their rituals, and the extremes they push them to in their war
parable to that of the Camarilla, this attitude owes more to a against Rome, provide the Propinqui all the justification they
separation between divine and mundane rather than self-pres- need to paint the Baali as “Fiends” wielding sacrilegious arts,
ervation. As a result, the Baali’s shadow looms large over a taint to delete from the face of the earth before its tendrils
Carthage. Though the Republic and its citizens are masters of corrupt the Camarilla.

What’s the Difference?
The Julii preach about how Propinqui differ from the “uncivilized” dead of other lands, how their foundational
guidance shaped the clans into vampires more like themselves. During the Second Punic War, they’re quick to claim the
Lords are the most different of all, totally foreign to the Camarilla’s civilizing touch. Are the Baali and the clans who
nest in their city like the Bourkolakes (p. 186), a different breed of corpse entirely, or are they more like the Marvoi
of Gaul (p. 140), close but not close enough?
Neither. The Baali and their subjects work exactly like the Kindred.
The exact nature of the Baali’s spirit allies is difficult to clas- are a few possible truths of the matter. All may be correct,
sify. The Lords make no distinction between ephemeral beings, or none at all.
at least none that really matter. For the Baali, all ephemera are Assimilation: In yet another example of the Camarilla’s
both gods and family, kindred creatures to worship, serve, and hegemony, the Julii take the Baali into their own clan. By the
share triumphs and hungers with. While the clan recognizes time the Empire rises, all that belonged to the Lords becomes
certain entities as closer relatives to their vampiric nature and the Founders’, their traditions and identity lost to the salted
drives, Striges, spirits, angels, and torturers from the Duat all earth of Carthage.
deserve the same level of respect. Ghosts are the only exception: Extermination: The Camarilla tolerates the Baali for a while,
while the Lords entertain relationships with the ephemeral dead but old grudges and new fears inevitably lead to confronta-
too, only ancient and terrible ghosts who left their humanity tion. Just as Rome does with Carthage, the Founders push to
behind are worthy of godhood. exterminate the Baali until the idea finds purchase across the
Molk works the same way as Crúac, although the ritual Necropolis. When the Camarilla strikes, the Baali have little
names draw from Phoenician and Sumerian myths rather ability to fend off this final genocidal act.
than the Circle of the Crone’s vast pagan canon. Molk empow- Extinction: After Carthage’s destruction, the Baali simply lack
ers the Baali well past the end of the war. Stories of Lordly the numbers, power, or resources to survive the Danse Macabre.
warlocks pushing their practices into profane desperation, Like many lost clans before and after, they simply die out.
cannibalizing their ephemeral kin to perform dark miracles
Flight: The Baali flee to another land, either in this world or
beyond the ken of mortals, became more and more common
beyond. There, they regroup and lick their wounds, planning
as the conflict grew direr.
for revenge. Perhaps they still exist, waiting to strike at Rome’s
If true, said rituals may still wait for someone with the right heirs. Perhaps they already have.
blasphemous attitude to unearth them.
Rebirth: Demonstrating how they earned that Fiend moniker
in the first place, the Baali further entrench themselves as demon
Fate of the Baali worshippers and agents of malevolent spirits in a desperate
Despite a massive influence on the classical world, the Lords attempt to cling to power. As the difference between Julian pro-
disappear so utterly that even their name is difficult to find paganda and truth becomes difficult to distinguish, other dead
in ancient texts. It’s all but certain that the Julii subjected decide to exterminate the Baali. The few survivors disappear in
them to damnatio memoriae at some point, but the following the stygian darkness, becoming something less than vampires.
Storytelling the Era

Chronicles set in a complex war lasting almost two decades, within a single year of Camarilla intrigues in the wake of the
with fronts located all over the Mediterranean, pose a challenge Carthaginian invasion, remember the historical context and
to any Storyteller, but the key to bringing the Second Punic the war’s protagonists matter little compared with what the
War’s spirit to the table lies in considering the timing and player characters are up to.
placement of the narrative. The mood of For Vengeance, Triumph, and Blood shines
when vampires feel a sense of belonging to the empires at war
Across the while at the same time maintaining agency. They should feel
like their actions matter, even as the Mediterranean spirals
Mediterranean out of control.
Rather than looking at the war as a single event, break Don’t be afraid to bend historical facts and play loose with
down the conflict into a series of flashpoints for characters the conflict’s progression if that makes for a more memo-
to interact with. Whether your chronicle follows Hannibal rable story. You can focus on the Chronicles of Darkness’s
and Scipio’s troops across the entire conflict, details the secret supernatural setting, with Kindred defending themselves
war between the Propinqui and Baali, or unfolds entirely from hostile clans and Striges as living legions march ahead,

with the characters’ actions reverberating across the world promise of potential destruction. With the war lasting sixteen
of the living. Perhaps they must conspire to assassinate key years, the Kindred’s immortality makes them the perfect wit-
generals and unleash ghoul elephants on enemy formations nesses to observe human upheavals and tragedies, witnessing
— or even change history itself. The Propinqui might prevent children who lost their parents in the war grow to avenge
Cannae’s defeat from the shadows, while a chronicle featuring them on the battlefield or analyzing defeats and victories with
Carthaginian characters lends itself well to an epilogue where detached amusement.
Carthage defeats Rome. A chronicle focused on human battles — such as one featur-
ing an all-Legionary coterie — certainly doesn’t lack pathos,
Warring Vampires but keep in mind that Kindred fight a war of their own in this
era. The Camarilla’s clash with the Baali for dark supremacy
A protracted conflict on a vast scale clashes with the All
over the Mediterranean creates a stage for vampires of all clans
Night Society’s realities, but at the same time, it offers many
and wings to play a role, no matter their skills or personal
opportunities to explore new narrative angles.
inclination. While Hannibal and Scipio guide their armies,
Stories where vampires travel with Roman and Carthaginian secret battlefields appear far from the eyes of the mortals, be
armies ask characters to find ways to feed and keep up with they in blood-soaked temples, hallowed catacombs, or plains
the troops, a perilous endeavor where each night holds the where dead soldiers battle under moonless nights.
Inspirational Media
Several films depict the Second Punic War, some of the most • Scipio Africanus: The Defeat of Hannibal (1937) depicts the last
notable coming from Italian cinema. stretch of the Second Punic War from Rome’s side, ending
• Cabiria (1914), directed by Giovanni Pastrone, was one of with Zama and Scipio’s triumphant return. Approach this film
the first epic films in the history of cinema, and Martin with care: It was part of Fascist Italy’s nationalist propaganda,
Scorsese himself has said it doesn’t get nearly enough credit and it was filmed with the regime’s approval and support.
as one of the genre’s founders. A dramatic depiction of the • Hannibal (1959) covers the Carthaginian general’s inva-
Second Punic War is used as a backdrop for a larger-than- sion of Italy, from the crossing of the Alps to Cannae and
life melodrama featuring fugitive slaves, volcanic eruptions, beyond, exploring his values and his grief at the death of
heroic battles, and monstrous rites. his brother Hasdrubal.

Baali
The divine dead
Lords, Fiends, Infandi

She stands above the slab, blood dripping from her fingers as the other clans were ravenous corpses, mindless scourges,
the soldiers hold you down. The Moon flashes for an instant gnawing worms: It was the Baali’s magnificence that
on a blade: Warmth erupts, leaving behind only cold and revealed what vampires could aspire to be.
pain. Something that shouldn’t be coalesces, expanding The Lords know this. Their blood sings in a
across the battlefield in a cloak deeper than darkness. thousand dissonant voices, each howling in
Your murderer laughs. The army roars. “To victory!” hunger, power, and darkness. Worship and
the living shadows hisses. “To feast!” tributes aren’t just demands when those who
Aliquid mortuum appropinquat. It is godliness crave them can shake the earth in their grasp.
clad in brass and blood. It is profane glory made Beasts, vermin, and humans alike obey the
flesh, generous patron and fearsome harbinger, Baali’s faintest whims because they know that
the fire that all-consumes. Glyphs older than anyone foolish enough to defy a god, living or
memory adorn it, sacraments mortal men aren’t dead, deserves every doom he calls upon himself.
meant to see or understand. To look upon it is to Hail the priest! Her steps echo through the tem-
stare at the sun herself, and yet we can’t avert our ple, a ritual symphony performed in exquisite devotion.
eyes. Its words, its scent, its touch… the apparition burns The faithful stand in sacred silence at her passage, parts of a
away what we once were. Only devotion remains. Here is the whole eager to achieve the bliss of ego death. How sacred her
sacred corpse of worship, an unliving relic dispensing miracles profanity. How profane her sacredness. Listen, kneel, stand,
and tortures. It takes its place at the altar, the chanting crowd bleed — she orders and they listen, her voice the gods’ own.
ceasing the moment it opens its mouth. “I give that you may Legions of darkness heed her splendid summons, their secret
give,” it says, and knives slit veins, and blood falls on braziers. names the words of her sacred chants. She calls upon them to
A prelude to the meal that awaits your willing walk to slaughter. feast on tonight’s offering, and she wonders when her mortal
The Baali are Carthage. Their blood mixes with the bricks; coil will finally shed and let the ravenous thing within soar free.
their essence seeps through the soil beneath its walls. They are Hail the hierodule! A promise of sweet torment upon their lips,
the Republic’s greatness and its hunger, its nobility and its wrath, peasants and aristocrats alike duel to the death for a chance just
its resolve and its vengeance. Their sanguine host relays divine to converse with them. All the poems, statues, and songs in their
words and codifies them into heavenly law, daring mortals to honor weave a tapestry of awe and blood. How soft their eyes!
violate them and unleashing nightmarish retribution when they How sharp their smile. They can raze a household with naught
do, knowing those same rules don’t apply to exalted beings such but a grin — they’ve done it more than once. The prerogative of
as they. Whatever a god desires is already hers. The Baali preach the divine. Why shouldn’t they get to play with such willing toys?
this sacrosanct truth, and an empire bleeds. Hail the devouring darkness! The monstrous holiness in
For this, the other clans call them Lords. When the the cave. Patron and scourge. Each breath in its presence
Phoenicians founded Carthage, they dedicated their city to draws a terrible holiness, and each step through its lair brings
their divine patrons hoping to earn their attention, unaware darkness beyond any we’re meant to inhabit. How perfect
that gods were already waiting for them. A legion of formless the void. How sweet the silence. They know not to trespass
entities, monsters and divinities alike, each demanding worship its realm. And yet, it beckons. The shadows move; rust fills
and craving purpose. Their sanctuaries fill with the carcasses their nostrils. Lambs rushing to the slaughter. Pain, terror,
of those they and their ephemeral kin devour. Masters of the and death — all worth the chance to witness the nightmare
earth and sky, of the worlds beneath and worlds beyond, by their majesty lurking within.
dark rebirth do they gain the right to rule. Before the Lords, Let the other clans cower. The Baali’s glory shines above all.
Rejoice!
Your blood will open the gate.
Why you want to be us the first meal, she held doom tight in her grasp so all her chil-
A throne’s nothing to a god. Anything the dead have stands dren would never know the embrace of the grave. A moment
only because we didn’t decide to take it — yet. Ours is the of passion, a distraction born out of love and desire, and death
insatiable maw, the grin or frown that decides who shall joined itself in the goddess’ womb. Thus, Mot came to be, the
live and who shall die. The others can infest their fetid paradox of death brought to life and unleashed upon the
catacombs: We’ll gorge on tributes in the world above. world at the core of his most sacred mystery. Mot, whose
hunger was like that of lions for flesh, whose longing
Why you should fear us was like that of dolphins for the sea. Mot, who
The formless multitudes speak challenged his peers for the right to
through us, their heralds and rule, who slaughtered Ba’al and was
their kin. Think you can stop slaughtered by Anat in turn. Mot,
us? Or them? Hold what’s left torn to ribbons, reduced to dust.
of your soul, little bird, and The birds descended, devouring
make your choice. Kneel, and what was left of Death itself, tak-
our judgment will spare you. Defy ing a dark blessing they longed to
us, and tales of your suffering will share with worthy vessels so Mot’s
echo for an age. Long after your hunger could be born anew.
ashes scatter to the wind. • Olim, Queen Dido, the beautiful,
the clever, fled her house. Her own
Why we should kin spilled her husband’s blood and
fear ourselves tried to claim her life, so she guided
I look at myself and see a skin for her people across the sea and find
a thing I cannot comprehend. I am them a new home. She built an empire.
a tattered dress to wear and discard, But though her faith never faltered, she
a bloody mouth to feed with. Please, stop! I begged (not commanded) the gods to provide a
thought I knew the price, but it’s too much! balm to heal her loneliness. The gods answered.
They claim more and more of what I didn’t A young prince from a burning city reached her
know I could give. They’re so vast, and there’s shores, and with divine hands guiding their
so little left of me… hearts, the royal exiles found respite in their
mutual embrace. Dido dared dream of happi-
Clan Origins ness, but a higher destiny called her beloved.
She begged him not to leave, but for once, her
• A corpse lies in a pit, bodies above and pleas fell on silent ears. As the prince’s ship
beneath. Cut, drained, gutted. An offering sailed away in the dying sunset, tears of pain
anointed in pain. But the corpse lingers. It became tears of loathing. Dido tore out her
can’t move, its lifeless limbs buried under broken heart and offered it to the gods, com-
countless others. It can’t feel, its mind manding (not begging) them to sow the seeds of
shielded from the stench of offal and burnt her eternal vengeance, so her betrayer’s lineage
flesh. Yet, it listens. A choir of wretched would never know respite, his kingdom reduced
things sinks inside the vessels around him, to ash and his bloodline left fallow. Once again,
their dead eyes gleaming with wicked hunger. the gods listened — gloriose in aeternum.
“Newborn child of Moloch, to enter a god’s
maw is to become it. Now we speak as kin.”
The shadows propose a covenant, a thousand In the Camarilla
dark blessings for a thousand sins. They place Before the First Punic War, sporadic contact
conditions on the godling’s rise. Rules to with the All Night Society guaranteed that the
follow, duties to perform, and, most impor- few Lords in Rome had no trouble pretending
tantly, divine monstrosity to ever honor. to be other clans (usually Daeva or Gangrel).
It accepts. A god climbs out, kissed by Some were even seen as such without trying,
Tanit’s light. And unlike those it shares offering no correction. Only a few pioneers and
the night with, it never breaks faith. outcasts found a place in the Roman nights,
• To feed is to kill; to be fed upon is but the situation changes drastically during
death. When the most-blessed god- the Second Punic War, when the Fiends
dess created death in her left hand so make eternal foes of the Propinqui. Many
the first bird could die and become Baali in Rome act as spies or saboteurs, a
duty they perform with grave dedication.

Some remain neutral, but those who betray Carthage to serve
the enemy are deemed anathema, and few escape their clan’s Stereotypes
wrath, even in the Necropolis.
JULII: Pretenders. Oathbreakers.
The majority of Baali find their way to the Camarilla only in
the war’s aftermath, but not for long. While their exact presence DAEVA: They mistake depravity for holiness and
then expect worship.
in the wings varies over the years, a few generalizations help
place the Lords in the Camarilla’s structure. GANGREL: Kneel, and perhaps I’ll throw you a
bone to gnaw on.
The Cult of Augurs: Driven by their nature and culture
alike, most Baali gravitate to the Fates, but differences between MEKHET: You claim devotion to the gods. Very
well. Serve.
Carthaginian and Roman vampires in their relationships with
the gods make the Lords’ attitude a double-edged sword. The NOSFERATU: Divine handiwork marks them, but
a flawed mold is waste, not art.
Wing of Prophets has lines and boundaries; the Baali, though
effective Vaticinators, either strain against these restrictions or
cross them with glee. Hostility and jealousy are common for Baali
Prophets, while their divine kin seem more distant than ever. Clan Bane: The Strigid Curse
The Legion of the Dead: The Soldiers represent a common The Baali have no bane. To feel the gods’ touch is a blessing,
destination for Baali eager to employ martial skills before the not a burden. The other clans struggle against the flaws of their
First Punic War, but the wounds of the Second ensure few tainted origins, but the Baali are made of divine matter, and
Lords find a place in Ala Militaris. Propinquus soldiers remem- it’s divine presences they entertain. Only the unworthy would
ber too well fighting against the Baali, and few are willing to mistake godly intimacy for anything less than honor.
accept them as comrades. Still, the rare Lords who endure in
the Legion of the Dead prove themselves as some of the most Favored Attributes
fearsome vampires the wing ever counted among its ranks. Presence or Resolve
The Peregrine Collegium: Aside from the Vaticinators,
most Baali in Rome end up in the Peregrine Collegium. Their Disciplines
status as outsiders — and hated ones to boot — never formally Animalism: Who should beasts answer to but a god? Being
lifts before the clan disappears, so many Lords in Rome find a Lord means ruling existence itself — no exceptions. The clan’s
a structure for their talents with the Strangers. It’s actually in power over animals is testament to their miraculous blood, whose
this wing that Baali receive the sincerest appreciation from their greatness anoints the Earth and binds all creation to their service.
peers. The Untouchables, it seems, have less trouble accepting Majesty: Who deserves worship more than a god? A king
a Fiend in their ranks than anyone else. commands, his subjects fulfilling his tasks because of a fickle
The Senex: Before the First Punic War, all Baali were foreign imitation of authority. But true power? The Baali see it in the
faces in Rome. Very few had the ambitions to climb the ranks of host of worshipers kneeling before them of their own volition,
the Senex, and even fewer managed to. After the Second Punic eager for an ember of approval. Majesty is the soul of the pan-
War, no Baali can join the Wing of the Ancients. At least for a theon, and the Baali wield it with pride.
while, the Camarilla accepts the clan, but law and decree forbid Resilience: Who embodies eternity better than a god? The
them from taking any seat of power. A few manage to deceive Baali thrive in sublime perpetuity, unperturbed by things that
their way in, pretending to be Daeva or — think of the insult! — would cause torment and doom in lesser beings. As sacrificial
Julii, but none can hope to increase their status without courting blades draw a tribute from a Fiend’s own flesh and obscene
the scrutiny and inevitable destruction that comes with it. celebrations feed the fires of her greatness, a Lord endures.

FAVOR THE BOLD
The Gallic Wars (54 BCE)

It is a time of plunder and slaughter. Gaul’s wealth and from his war. Under their influence, Pompey turns his back
blood call the Romans into the dark woods where dark eyes on Julius and rebuffs all attempts by his former friend to mend
and bright fangs gleam. Safety is an illusion; peace is only a their bond.
pause in hostilities. There’s always someone else to shove your Death in this era is a game of chicken, where even the
gladius or spear into, another town to raid, a further territory slightest error or hesitation can lead to bloody doom. No one
to conquer. Nothing is sacred anymore. is willing to back down; no one is willing to talk; everyone
Yet in Rome, knives are being sharpened so they can be is ensconced in the mentality that their only options are vic-
plunged into unsuspecting backs. Friend betrays friend, lover tory or one last sunrise. Neither Roman nor Gaul is prone to
betrays lover, and the gods look down on the city’s decadence backing down from a battle, but all of them must ask what
with disdain. The city teeters on a razor’s edge, ready to col- they are willing to do.
lapse given the slightest provocation — and with egos to satisfy Just as Rome must choose between Caesar and Pompey and
the size of Caesar and Pompey’s, they won’t have to wait long. the Gauls must choose to fight or ally with Rome, the Propinqui
must decide where their allegiances lie. It may be politically
Mood: No Compromise convenient for a brood to side with a former rival, but in doing
Rome marches forth and Gaul refuses to back down in the so, they alienate themselves from a staunch ally. Everyone must
face of Caesar’s aggression. Meanwhile, his political enemies walk the tightrope of balancing change — and the power they
ready their blades, preparing for the precise moment he returns can gain through it — with the certainty of stability.

In 378 BCE, the Gauls sack the Eternal City, making them The Camarilla learns this bloody lesson well. They use mortal
the hated foes of all good Romans. Vampires who experience catspaws and proxies to wage war on one another, regardless of
these dark days will say later tales reflect Rome’s wounded the consequences. They are confident that theirs is the great-
pride rather than the violence actually dealt to the city, but est society and that the bones serving as its foundation aren’t
none bother to correct the record. Instead, stories of Gallic rotting under their very feet.
depravity serve political purposes and give the city a common In 83 BCE, Sulla takes the next step, demonstrating that
enemy. Many Propinquus elders fear the Gauls too — the raiders swords triumph over laws if no one’s left to raise a hand against
opened many tombs to the sun in their lust for treasure. you. The vicious old man thinks he’s saving the Republic from
Two centuries later, Tiberius Gracchus rides a wave of popular demagogues when he marches his legions on Rome herself.
support to become Tribune, promising land reform on a hitherto Instead, all he does is show other ambitious men that absolute
unseen scale. The marginalized and dispossessed flock to his power is within their reach if they’re bold enough to grasp it.
side, while the wealthy and elite recoil at the thought of anything Men like Pompey Magnus and Marcus Licinius Crassus. Men like
that would limit their luxurious lifestyles. Assassins murder Gaius Julius Caesar. The three forge a pact that soon becomes
Tiberius, but in 123 BCE, his brother Gaius raises the banner an open secret in the streets of Rome, using their wealth, troops,
again, proposing even more radical economic reforms. By the and influence to shape the burgeoning empire to their benefit.
time assassins silence the second Gracchus brother, the merciless To cement their ties, Caesar, the junior partner, marries his
wheels of political violence have been perpetually set in motion. daughter Julia to Pompey, binding him to the great general with
It’s easier to find men who will volunteer to die than to

find those who are willing to endure pain with patience.
— Julius Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico

family ties. All the while, Gaul looms in the Roman mind, a surrounding them bow to Rome. Thinking the “barbarians”
great terror to the north. Caesar resolves to do something about pacified, Caesar sets his sights on greater glories. He intends
it, ideally making himself rich and famous while sucking the to cross the channel, traveling like Ulysses across the farthest
prosperous region dry. Or at least keep his debtors from sucking oceans and conquer the lands the Gauls say lie beyond the
him dry. His consulship complete, he takes over as governor water. He will extend the Roman world into the unknown,
of Rome’s northernmost provinces in 58 BCE but quickly helping create an empire that shall last the ages and make its
finds reason to involve himself beyond his legal authority. He masters rich and powerful beyond comparison. Unfortunately
sets north with legions into Transalpine Gaul, intent on using for Caesar, woe follows his hubris.
his legion’s might and propaganda machine to make himself In 54 BCE, while in Britannia, Caesar receives the worst
Rome’s eternal hero. news he can imagine. Julia has died in childbirth, and her child
If Caesar wanted a fight for his life, he gets one. After his bat- by Pompey swiftly follows her to Dis Pater. Grief over a lost
tles with the Helvetii, other tribes seek his friendship, drawing daughter and a lost wife shatters the chains binding Caesar and
him into conflicts further from Roman lands. Almost by acci- Pompey. Simultaneously, Ambiorix, chieftain of the Eburones,
dent, he achieves even greater glory than he imagined. While incites the Belgae Confederation to rise against the legions and
the core of Gallic lands remains untouched, the territories prepare for a pitched battle against their invaders.
What Is to Come
A grief-stricken Caesar leaves Britain brimming with wrath,
hellbent on smothering Ambiorix’s rebellion and bringing The Story of the Dead
Gaul back in line. While he quells the uprising, Ambiorix slips When Caesar leaves Rome, the dead follow in his wake,
beyond his grasp, retreating across the Rhine into the night. sensing an opportunity to feast and expand away from com-
Even with Ambiorix gone, the fighting takes its toll on the petitors’ prying eyes. Roman vampires know nothing like the
Romans. Caesar must trade favors and cut deals to raise new Midnight Republic exists in Gaul. In their minds, dividing
legions, replacing those lost to winter and the battlefield. In 53 and subjecting such insular backwaters will be no great task.
BCE, he all but annexes Gaul into the Republic during a lull Instead, the vampires of Gaul communicate far faster and
in the constant battles. Fearing the Romans will blaspheme mobilize more efficiently than anticipated. They also wield
the Gallic sacred spaces, the chieftain Vercingetorix forges blood sorcery unseen in the south, bound in metal and allow-
an unprecedented alliance among the tribes to drive off their ing wielders to draw sustenance far from civilization. The
would-be-conquers. Unfortunately, it isn’t enough to forestall source of both problems is the Gobannes, an organization
Rome’s hunger for land. of diplomats and smiths. The Gobannes aren’t all hostile
The legions and the Gallic coalition fight three pitched toward their Roman counterparts, but many are, and even
battles. Finally, in 52, Caesar captures Vercingetorix alive the most welcoming intend to be the Romans’ partners, not
after the double siege of Alesia, where his legions besieged the their subjects.
Gallic stronghold while simultaneously fighting off a siege by When Caesar leaves to conquer Britannia, the Gobannes
a relieving army. Pockets of fighting will continue for another become even more skeptical of Roman intentions. Bloody
two years after Alesia, but this marks the end of any serious shadows begin to flee their homeland, risking the monster-in-
resistance. Rome has won; Gaul has lost. fested night of Germania rather than being gradually snuffed
Caesar doesn’t get to enjoy any of it. out through assimilation into the Peregrine Collegium or on
The political situation back in Rome deteriorates out of con- the blades of the Legion of the Dead. Not everyone leaves, but
trol. Crassus gets himself killed attempting to claim military enough do that the Gobannes’ magical Torcs — and the smiths
victory in Anatolia, and grief over Julia’s death drives a wedge who create them — become harder to find.
between Caesar and Pompey. Caesar’s foes seduce Pompey with Those who remain throw their weight behind Ambiorix and
flattery and glorious promises, ensuring the two most power- Vercingetorix’s campaigns, but even the dead can’t forestall
ful men in Rome are competitors rather than allies. When Roman victory. Ambiorix escapes, Vercingetorix is captured,
it becomes clear that his arrest — and likely execution — will and over the decades, the Camarilla crushes the Gobannes
follow the end of his command, Caesar heeds Sulla’s example. under the weight of their empire.
He crosses the Rubicon with his legions in 49 BCE, making it Caesar safely ignores Vercingetorix after the Gallic leader’s
clear he intends to march on Rome. defeat, but the Necropolis remembers him, and many Worms
For the next four years, Rome is consumed by civil war, mark- sneak into his cell to sup on his blood. When Caesar parades
ing the death rattle of the Roman Republic and the birthing him through the streets in his 46 BCE triumph, dying by
pains that will lead to the rise of the Empire. Throughout, strangulation and ritual sacrifice seems to be a relief.
Vercingetorix rots in a dungeon, left behind and forgotten A pity for him that his body gets up and walks away a few
by his captors while they squabble over their nation’s corpse. nights later.

Locations
The people of Gaul spread thin compared with their Italian While mortal Romans grant the Aedui the title “Brothers
counterparts, but urban centers like these three are still a of Rome,” relations between the Aedui’s vampires and the
hotbed of intrigue and politics. Midnight Republic are considerably frostier. The Gobannes
have worked hard to keep their independence-minded kin from
Alesia starting a bloody struggle to toss out the Romans, but even
they’re frustrated by the imperious southerners. Fortunately,
The Mandubii reside in Alesia, a large fortress town in the the Romans are few and mostly avoid the forum where the
heart of Gaul. The town sits atop a steep hill, protected by local broods do business. Thus, the Gauls and the Romans do
cliffs to the north and south, and sturdy walls to the east and their best to stay out of each other’s way. All the dead know,
west. Rivers flow north and south of the precipices, creating a however, that the city is a disaster waiting to happen.
fertile plain within the valley for farmers to support the tens of
thousands of Mandubii living in the citadel. Romans who come The Collaborator
to Alesia sneer at the Gallic settlement, as it cannot compare Gaius Flavius Caturix is Kindred now. He even claims a place
with the grandeur of Rome, but for Gauls, this is one of the among the Wanderers; he likes their martial attitude, and his
largest settlements they will ever see. temper runs just as hot. He’s one of the few Camarilla vampires
Vampire politics within Alesia are cutthroat. While there in Bibracte with any influence, though that’s only because most
are more than enough necks to support its broods, the corpses of the Marvoi remember when he just called himself Caturix.
on top of the food chain want it all for themselves. Alesia’s But Gaius is canny enough to know which way the wind is
“chieftain,” Virici, seized power by impaling his rivals along the blowing. Soon, there won’t be any Marvoi, and he’s not going
town’s cliffs until sunrise. He insists on maintaining a personal to be one of them when it happens. Politics (Appeasement) 3,
herd that marks many of the town’s citizens as off-limits to Subterfuge 3, Warfare 4, Brawl 3
the other broods. Even members of Virici’s gang, who he also
keeps supplied with exclusive herds, grow tired of his imperious Mutina
ways, but so far, no one is willing to risk standing against him.
Mutina is the capital of Cisalpine Gaul, the most Romanized
The Mediator of all the Gallic provinces, conquered by the Latins in 155 BCE.
Atepu is looking for a way to defuse the tension as peacefully The city has seen its fair share of fighting, having been a sig-
as possible. While best known for her fiery hair and skill with a nificant battleground in the Second Punic War and Spartacus’
hammer (both on skulls and anvils), the young Marvos prefers revolt, and it now serves as the de jure capital of Caesar’s con-
words over violence. She also realizes the far greater enemy quests. Ghosts of all these conflicts haunt the city, while Roman
is the Camarilla, and she despairs that Virici has neither the soldiers stationed here just as hungry for blood as vampires.
interest nor vision to deal with it. She’d prefer to convince the In Mutina, the Gobannes integrated into Roman rule as part
Chieftain to change his ways, but she won’t hesitate to stoke of the Peregrine Collegium, but they remain willful and inde-
rebellion if she can make the coup quick. Crafts 4, Persuasion pendent. In particular, they refuse to create Torcs for anyone
3, Weaponry 3 but other Gauls and frequently journey to other settlements on
either side of the Alps without leave from the Senex’s represen-
Bibracte tatives. But if there’s anywhere peace between the Gobannes
and the Midnight Republic can be worked out, it’s in Mutina. It
Situated beside Mont Beuvray, Bibracte is the home of the won’t be easy; the two cultures dislike and distrust each other,
Aedui, a Gallic tribe with old connections to Rome and one but they recognize they can mutually benefit if they overcome
of Caesar’s better regional allies. It was here Caesar resupplied their instinct to stab each other in the back.
between his early battles with the Helvetii, and it’s still where
he receives cavalry support. Yet, despite their aid, Bibracte and The Cassandra
the Aedui are divided about what to make of things. Manta sees it all too clearly: In ten years, a tyrant falls, but his
While the elder statesman Divitiacus, long an envoy to heir will come to Mutina, and though the people will not know
Rome, supports Caesar, his brother Dumnorix is staunchly it, he will earn his crown there. This is the vision she sees so
anti-Roman and wishes to see them driven from Gaul. Or at clearly, but she can’t get anyone to listen. A mere washerwoman,
least he was until he fell to Caesar’s armies, but his supporters no one gives her a second thought. She doesn’t know where
remain. Thus, the city must decide whether to maintain its these visions come from, but they grow clearer by the day. Can
long-standing ties to the southern invaders or join the warlords she stop them? Should she? The yellow-eyed thing sharing these
calling for independence. truths doesn’t really care, but it’s very interested in seeing what
happens next. Expression 3, Occult 2, Religion 2

Life in Gaul
Roman fearmongers portray the Gauls as a horde of cities — called oppida by the Romans — in defensible locations
unwashed barbarians, vicious brutes who’ll slaughter a Roman across the European plain. The Gauls connect themselves to
at the merest pretext. They both overstate Gaul’s unity and the Mediterranean world through trade; in addition to their
underplay its culture to serve their own bloodthirsty purposes. fine art, they send salt, copper, amber, furs, and slaves south
Much like Roman society, the Gauls are largely stratified by in exchange for wine and textiles.
class. Gallic aristocrats are landowners and war chiefs, with In battle, Gauls favor the longsword and spear, charging en
status determined both by the number of clients they have masse at their foes to shatter their morale. Despite terrifying
as well as their success in battle. Drawn from their ranks are their foes, this charge leaves the Gallic warriors vulnerable if
druids, the revered religious and judicial class who frequently their enemies don’t break and run, for they fight unarmored
act as de facto leaders within their communities. Most Gauls apart from their massive shields. Not only does this leave them
are peasant farms, toiling away at their farmsteads. undefended, but it also means Gallic weapons aren’t designed
Each tribe has its own traditions and institutions; some are to withstand armor, making breakage common. Romans who
ruled by aristocratic councils, while others are the vassals of get inside the longsword’s lethal arc are a thrust of the gladius
kings. While tribes ally and trade with one another, they’re away from disemboweling their foes. Still, the Gauls aren’t foes
politically fragmented, alone in the dark night. Nothing can to be taken lightly, with their ferocity and devastating heavy
compel one tribe to work with another except for the leaders cavalry making up for their technological and organizational
of those two tribes, even when facing an existential threat disadvantages. Any Roman who underestimated them will
like the Romans. Despite efforts to unify through diplomacy soon be a corpse.
or war, the Gauls remain fiercely independent of each other, Roman philosophers make much of the fact that Gallic
even unto death. warriors are motivated by wealth and power rather than
Metallurgy is an ancient tradition in Gaul, and its people duty. They see the Gauls as mercenary and unmotivated by
are known for their fine metalwork. Their extensive mines higher ideals, oblivious to their own soldiers’ loyalty to gold
extract gold, iron, copper, and tin from the earth’s bones, over patriotic fervor. But now that Marius and Sulla are gone,
shaped by smiths into fine arm-rings and broaches. The wealth surely no living Roman would raise arms against another for
this generates allows the Gallic tribes to create walled hill profit. Surely.
Death in Gaul
Gallic vampires don’t have the same overarching political It’s possible the Marvoi would have developed their own clans
structure as their Roman counterparts. Local broods have far one night, but as the Camarilla takes ever more territory, the
more authority than their contemporaries, or even modern influx of Propinqui dilutes their unique qualities. When Rome
vampires in the All Night Society. The Gobannes are the clos- finally solidifies its grasp and necropoles are dug beneath the
est thing the Propinqui can find to a wing of the Camarilla, oppida, they will all be Kindred too.
although lacking a unified government, the analogy is at best
imperfect, and at worst, deceptive. Marvos Template
The rejection isn’t just political; Kindred philosophers say Gallic vampires aren’t Propinqui, but they operate under sim-
that the Gallic Beast refuses to be chained by any laws except ilar rules. Build Marvoi like any Kindred characters; however,
its own. Northern vampires believe it’s the Romans who are as they have no clans, use the following systems:
aberrant, willing to tame their Beasts with bureaucracies and Bane: Each Marvos has a personal bane she gains at
cities rather scream together in the starlight. Humanity 6; this can be any common bane or clan curse,
or even a bloodline one, though the Storyteller has the final
The Clans say. Marvoi also have more difficulty resisting the Beast, with
Humanity limiting all rolls to resist uncontrolled frenzy, except
The Kindred aren’t native here. Instead, vampires call for riding the wave.
themselves Marvoi (“the dead”) and see no need to distinguish Disciplines: The character treats Protean and any two com-
further. Most Marvoi resemble the Wanderers and Worms, mon Disciplines (player’s choice) as in-clan Disciplines, though
and perhaps they’re cousins. Indeed, many Gangrel are said a few Marvoi can access Nightmare instead of the Protean.
to have come from Gaul when they first joined the All Night Marvoi learn the other clan Disciplines like Kindred, but
Society. Perhaps the clan divided as Rome rose in the south, Dominate is very rare.
with some becoming their own form of living death, different
from the Propinqui. Favored Attributes: Marvoi characters get a free choice
between the three Resistance Attributes.

The Gobannes in the dirt if they don’t listen; otherwise, they don’t keep their
position for long. But, of course, they prefer peaceful resolutions
The Forgemasters whenever possible and often forge Blood Torcs to ensure broods
who get a raw deal feel fairly compensated.
You want to join the Gobannes because: You were an
artisan in life and want to share your art in death. You think Nicknames: The Forgemasters, the Diplomats, the Talkers
the dead can live in peace, but you’re not afraid to kill for (derogatory)
it. You’ve turned your back on Rome and the Camarilla for Concepts: Beleaguered envoy, defender of the
a simpler life. You know the only other choice is to peace, avuncular smith, hardworking miner,
be a lone corpse in the woods. anti-imperialist
The big picture: Smiths and diplomats, When we are in power: We keep the
the Gobannes resolve disputes between the peace. It isn’t our place to rule over broods
scattered Gallic vampires, ensuring blood but to advise them and keep bloodshed
feuds don’t tear their civilization to shreds. to a minimum. If other dead — even
Unlike the Kindred, they prefer diplomatic other Gobannes — won’t listen to reason,
means when settling disputes and building we put them down, but we don’t do it to
status, and the Gobannes show their favor elevate ourselves. We already have supreme
by bestowing Torcs upon their fellow dead authority in our society; micromanaging an
— magical, bloodthirsty objects. empire would suck the joy out of our nights.
Where we came from: The Romans When we are in trouble: When danger comes
paint us as unwashed savages without calling, we call in favors. You don’t have to be
culture and society. What self-ag- a Gobanns to fight alongside us; centuries of
grandizing nonsense. Our civili- resolving disputes means everyone owes some-
zation is different from theirs; thing to the Forgemasters. Bribes of Torcs and
most vampires get along fine feeding grounds usually sway the few who
without bureaucrats like the don’t. The Romans call us barbarians, but
Kindred micromanaging every minute of they’re the ones who refuse to negotiate. Hell
their nights. Our broods have long been the with ’em. We help everyone see how much of
major dead power blocs in Gaul, but diplomacy a threat they are, and if they won’t use words,
doesn’t come naturally to predators, and some- we’ll translate our message into a language
times someone needs to take charge. That’s even they can understand: vae victis.
where the Gobannes come in. We’re the ties
that bind the Marvoi together, and when New Merit
haughty bastards like the Romans try to take
our land, we fight back together. The Gobannes craft special charms called Blood
Torcs, magical items infused with Vitae. Many Torcs
Our practices: Not every Marvos is a are the classic Gallic neckband, but despite the name,
Forgemaster, but every community has at any item primarily made from metal can serve as a
least two: one to serve as a messenger and Torc’s foundation.
one to serve as a diplomat.
The messenger keeps the broods in con- Blood Torc (• to •••••)
tact with each other all across all the nearby Prerequisite: Allies (Gobannes) • or Gobanns Status •
domains. They don’t run the entire width and Effect: You possess a Blood Torc. A Torc can store Vitae
breadth of the land but coordinate to pass news up to twice its dot rating, and any vampire can infuse
from one dead community to the next. Messengers more by bleeding from their own blood supply. Each Torc
who aren’t self-sufficient and innovative quickly get also has a minor supernatural effect that functions for
one last look at the sun before a sudden end to their anyone wielding the Torc, whether or not they possess
careers. Most use blood Torcs to help keep themselves Blood Potency.
fed when away from mortals, but they must be wary
A Torc’s supernatural power is purely a narrative effect,
of bandit broods and feral dead things attacking them
so what is does is less important than how it feels. Use
deep in the woods.
them to emphasize the primal urges a vampire feels or the
The diplomat ensures disputes don’t spiral to the threat they represent. Powers that evoke death, hunger,
point that everyone ends up as ash on the forest or danger are appropriate, while those that play off the
floor. They are voices of reason and mediators sun, fire, or safety are not. If the power feels like some-
— but don’t mistake them for weaklings. Of thing that would be terrifying to experience without
course, every diplomat can put other vampires any context, you’re on the right track.

Use the following examples to guide you when creating your metalsmiths have fashioned around its bell. Its bronze tusks
own Torcs: and teeth perpetually drip blood. Effect: While playing, the
Feeding Ring (•): This golden bracelet is patterned with musician can make everyone who hears the horn’s sound also
symbols representing horned cannibals devouring their prey. hear a single whispered threat.
The figures seem to move whenever not in view, but no one Death’s Head (•••••): Iron antlers tipped in blood and gore
ever sees the change. Effect: When touching another, the branch out of this mask made from a human skull. As heavy
wearer immediately knows whether they are starving, hungry, as metal should be when carried in hand, but as soon as the
or satisfied. mask is worn, it becomes light as cloth. Effect: While worn,
Bloody Carnyx (•••): Towering over the battlefield, this the mask’s bearer can communicate with any animal or insect
trumpet curves upward so all can see the boar head effigy that feeds on carrion.

Favor the Bold offers a variety of chronicle styles for builders, as well as the alienation of witnessing a practice you
Storytellers. The most obvious is to set a story in the heart of don’t understand.
the Gallic Wars, with players taking on the roles of vampires Most fighting during this era took place during the day,
seeking to expand the Camarilla’s influence. In these chroni- meaning vampires will rarely be involved in pitched battles,
cles, enemy vampires are monsters who sweep out of the dark but that doesn’t mean a military campaign is impossible. One
night, wreak bloody havoc, and then disappear again. Play up way to emphasize the horror of battle is for coteries to come
feelings of paranoia and dread — the protagonists are a long across the ruined aftermath of daytime battles, still littered
way from home, and they should feel like the hunters have with the dead and dying. Military camps are another place for
suddenly become the hunted. vampires to get involved, giving soldiers a chance to talk to the
A chronicle could also portray the Gobannes’ resistance dead before they face death itself (see Chapter Three for more
against their encroaching neighbors. Here, the horror lies in on battles and warfare in Ancient Rome).
the inevitability of the Roman war machine trampling all in Sieges are another way around the daylight problem, and
its path. Even if the brood is made of vampires who ally with prolonging a battle over several days or weeks allows vampires
Rome as clients, proximity to Roman customs begins to corrode to get involved. While it’s after the time period this era focuses
centuries of Gallic traditions (and perhaps even change their on, Storytellers may wish to play out or build toward the Siege
Vitae). While those traditions won’t die quickly, they will perish of Alesia in particular. The double siege allows Roman cote-
in the coming centuries, leaving only Roman culture in their ries to go on both the attack and the defensive — attempting
wake. Chronicles from the Gallic perspective should be tinged to subdue Vercingetorix while simultaneously beating off the
with remorse and regret to foreshadow this eventual loss of the relieving Gallic forces. Regardless of which siege you build the
culture’s identity. chronicle around, this is a good opportunity to emphasize
Regardless of which culture Storytellers frame for their pro- hunger, feeding, and limited resources. Where will the vampires
tagonists, consider playing up the theme of Piety + Blasphemy get their Vitae from? Do Kindred drink from Roman soldiers,
from the Vampire rulebook. Religious customs were a deadly risking weakening them for the next battle? Or do they take the
serious matter for Romans and Gauls alike, although their bare minimum and hope they don’t end up dust themselves?
practices looked very different. Whether the chronicle is set in You might also consider running Favor the Bold from a ghoul
Rome or Gaul, emphasize religiosity and ritual as community perspective. This allows characters to fight alongside — or against
— Caesar during the day while serving their Kindred overlords at
night. Some groups may want to try a form of troupe play, with
The Gobannes Tonight two characters per player: a vampire for the night and a ghoul
Are the Gobannes still dead and kicking in minion for the day. Of course, chucking historical verisimilitude
modern France and Belgium? Who’s to say? out the window and allowing more pitched battles to happen at
If Storytellers and players want a chronicle where night is also an option if having vampires mixed in among the
an ancient Forgemaster rises from torpor or there’s legions is the story your group wants to tell.
a small Gallic holdout in the provinces, they should
be empowered to do so. In most chronicles, modern Finally, the chronicle doesn’t have to take place in Gaul.
Kindred are more likely to stumble upon historical Plenty is happening in Rome during this period, with rival
references to the Marvoi and Gobannes or uncover political gangs clashing in the streets in a prelude to civil war.
one of their Blood Torcs. The Acolytes and Dragons When setting chronicles in Rome, Storytellers should ensure
go out of their way to recover these artifacts, characters here gossip about the war in the north — Caesar knew
while the Carthians use the Forgemasters’ history
to undermine narratives about the Camarilla’s a PR opportunity when he saw one. Emphasize Caesar’s divisive
historic supremacy. nature and the debate about whether he’s the Republic’s greatest
hero or its most corrupt politician. Every mortal Storyteller

character should have an opinion on him, while vam-
pires should be like the general himself — larger than
life, proactive, and willing to flout traditions for power.
This goes double for the Julii, who consider Caesar their
mortal “cousin” and back his ambitious schemes. Julii
who consider themselves young and cutting edge even ape
Caesar’s counter-cultural fashion sense, wearing flowing
and gauzy togas with sleeves as a way of showing their
allegiance to the up-and-coming general.
Storytellers should also consider using shifting alli-
ances and uncertain friendships as metaphors for the
metastasizing rift between Caesar and Pompey. Treachery
from other vampires is expected, but mortals, ghouls,
and dhampir all can have their moment to betray a dear
friend. Just remember not to overdo it; constant betrayal
by Storyteller characters runs the risk of players becom-
ing bored or upset. Let the betrayals help the coterie as
much, if not more, than it hurts them — if vampires are
supposed to be manipulative bastards, let players run
with that trope to the hilt.
Story Seeds
The following are two seeds to help build chronicles
set during the Gallic Wars.
Caesar Returns
Caesar is back, thirsty for revenge on the ungrateful
Gauls who rose up to oppose his designs for their home-
land. Meanwhile, Ambiorix presses his advantage after
annihilating the invaders’ forces at Atuatuca. The two
generals race to catch each other off guard — a decisive vic-
tory here could either spell Gaul’s salvation or final defeat.
What Is Happening?
Things are no less chaotic in the dead of night.
The Gobannes and other Gallic broods continue to
resist Roman hegemony, but that isn’t the Camarilla’s
only problem. Realizing how difficult it is for Rome
to assert its power in Gaul, an ambitious alliance of
Strangers and Soldiers is attempting to carve out an
independent covenant for themselves. They’re willing
to allow the Gobannes into their alliance — but only as
a junior partner. The rebel’s victory wouldn’t change
the Roman hegemony in Gaul; it would just swap one
master for another.
Dramatis Personae
The mastermind behind Ala Militaris’ revolt is Gaius
Memmius Sanga, an ambitious and power-hungry
Wanderer who chafes under the rule of both the Julii
and the Night Senate. Now he dreams of creating a
midnight kingdom in his own image, still made of good
Roman citizens, but without the Old Man’s meddling.
To that end, he’s convinced the Iberian Seer Ursa of the
Peregrine Collegium to join his cause. Ursa has her own
squabble with the Senex over how they treat her wing,

found new covenants to work alongside the Gobannes, which
the coterie will be in a prime position to influence and leave
Changing History a lasting legacy.
Win or lose, the Midnight Republic responds to
the Gallic revolt by erasing it from history. Romans If the characters are ambitious and powerful enough, they
are barred from speaking of it, even as bloodthirsty may be able to not only push the Propinqui out of Gaul, but
assassins are sent north to deal with its leaders. also Caesar himself. Defeated by an allegiance of mortal and
That said, this doesn’t mean the characters are supernatural forces, Caesar must go on the run the avoid the
doomed to failure if they fight Drusilla.
creditors who come chasing after him. For a few years, Pompey
Eventually, the hot war becomes cold, as both
sides accept the current division of power and do stands triumphant in Rome until the conservative faction
their best to pretend the other doesn’t exist. After decides they no longer need him following Caesar’s death.
several centuries pass and the mortal side of the Secretly mourning the loss of his one-time friend and father-
Roman Empire expands, the Camarilla proposes in-law, Pompey allies with a vengeful Octavian. Unknown to
a true peace, potentially reintegrating Gaul as a either, they have the quiet backing of the furious Julii, who
semi-autonomous province. If the players’ brood
is still around, they get to play co-consuls with seek retribution against the Romans and Gauls who brought
the Senex… right as Constantine is about to take about Caesar’s demise.
center stage.
When in Rome
Julia Pompeii is dead. The bond between Pompey and Caesar
is now the weakest it has ever been. With Crassus dead, the
but while she makes common cause with Sanga, she has no
Triumvirate is about to fracture.
intention of letting him rule. He can have the laurel upon his
head, but she will be the true power. What Is Happening?
Opposing the revolt is Papia Drusilla, the leader of the While the Midnight Republic has weathered the turmoil mor-
loyalist Soldiers who remain in Gaul. Drusilla has the unen- tals breed before, politically astute vampires sense the brewing
viable task of trying to coordinate the forces she can muster conflict will be a brutal one. Whispered questions of which
while also preventing more of them from defecting over to politician to back echo throughout the Necropolis, and even
Sanga and Ursa. Caught in the middle is Agedilio, a respected among the Founders, some partisans get violent. The coterie
Gobanns elder both sides are attempting to sway to their must navigate these political divides to ensure that, whichever
cause. For her part, Agedilio wants all of the Roman invaders general ends up on top, he’s in the Camarilla’s pocket.
gone, but she realizes the moment for that has likely passed.
She will attempt to extract the most favorable terms she can Dramatis Personae
from her allies, all the while praying for an opportunity to Quirinia — a Seer from the Senex — urges the Kindred to
slaughter them both. fall in line behind Pompey and back Rome’s patrician faction.
While her Julian rivals sneer that she refuses to support their
Possible Resolutions cousin because of clan politics, that has nothing to do with her
Loyalty to Drusilla comes with rich rewards. If the coterie stance. She’s met Caesar before and is certain he knows she
helps her suppress the uprising, they’ll win accolades upon their was something more than mortal. The look of understanding,
return to Rome. Saying they’ll be loyal is easier than actually of being a fellow predator in his eyes unnerved her, and she
doing it, however; Drusilla’s forces are in dire shape, and defec- has no desire to see him become the ultimate authority in
tions are common. They’ll either need their own propaganda the Roman Republic.
campaign or a well-placed assassin to boost the Legio’s morale Meanwhile, the Legion backs Caesar, with the Worm Quintus
to the point where it can stand its ground against the rebels. Priscius Libo acting as their voice on the matter. To Ala Militaris,
If the brood sides with Sanga and Ursa, they have an oppor- Caesar has shown his superiority by politically defeating his foes
tunity to topple the established Roman order and carve out in the Senate time and again. They’re certain he’ll do so on the
their own kingdom. Sanga will eventually grow jealous of their battlefield if a civil war does break out. Libo, however, served with
success, but if they treat the former Untouchables well, they can Pompey before his Requiem began and hopes to find a way to
still keep Ursa on their side. Sanga tries to assassinate them mend the rift between the two great men so they can rule Rome
while Caesar and Pompey are embroiled in their civil war, but as they were meant to — together, as blood brothers.
once the dust settles to the south, they will have to contend The Augurs and the Strangers don’t have a single repre-
with wave after wave of imperial loyalists. sentative to speak for them. In general, the Strangers don’t
The only way Agedilio unambiguously sides with the brood care about picking a side and are content to play the two off
is if they help push the Romans out of Gaul entirely, as well as each other. Even if they get caught on the wrong side of a
adopting Gallic custom if they’re Romans. If mortal Gaul falls war, they’ll land on their feet. The Vaticinators are strangely
to Caesar, Gallic vampires remain free. However, eventually, silent. When pressed on the matter, they foresee that Rome
more and more of the dead see the need to reform their tra- is coming to a crisis and that either general could make — or
ditions to present a united front against the Propinqui. They break — the Republic.

Possible Resolutions the aftermath, causing a new movement to rise among vampires.
If neither Quirinia nor Libo turns their ambitions into real- Clearly the mortals can’t govern themselves, and the constant
ity, history unfolds as expected. Libo dutifully serves alongside violence threatens the stability the Senex needs to manage the
Caesar’s mortal troops, following him all the way to Egypt, night. This faction believes the Midnight Republic must seize
where he meets Final Death defending Cleopatra’s palace from even more power over mortal affairs to keep the masses in line.
assassins. Quirinia survives to see the Republic collapse and If Libo’s plot to reconcile Caesar and Pompey succeeds, his-
Augustus rise in its place. Her reservations do not go away tory changes, and Storytellers shouldn’t be bound by fidelity to
with Caesar’s death, for she has the same dread feeling about Rome’s fate in the real world. Caesar and Pompey run for consul
Augustus she did about his uncle. Quirinia eventually resolves together, and the Camarilla feasts on the blood of their foes.
to get to the bottom of the Julio-Claudians’ supernatural con- The two are proclaimed consuls for life, and when Pompey dies,
nection, disappearing into the night. Caesar adopts and elevates his nephew Octavian into another
If Quirinia’s faction prevails, Pompey stands a better chance duumvirate. As the Republic becomes even more debauched,
of defeating Caesar, and holds his ground to defend Rome the Striges strike out at the Kindred by manipulating two of
against his former friend. When the dust settles, the two Caesar’s closest allies: Marc Antony feels slighted for being
allies-turned-rivals have slain each other in an orgy of blood passed over in favor of Octavian, while Marcus Junius Brutus
and violence. Their deaths do nothing to quell the sectarian is deeply troubled by the Republic’s transformation into a de
violence. Octavian, Marc Antony, and Cicero all vie for power in facto empire…
Inspirational Media
• The primary source historians use for this time period is • Dan Carlin has covered Rome multiple times on the Hardcore
Caesar’s Commentaries on the Gallic War, which provide a History podcast. “Death Throes of the Republic” is useful for
firsthand account from the perspective of the man himself. getting a sense of the political developments in Rome, while
Caesar was a master propagandist, so this text should be “Celtic Holocaust” covers the Gallic Wars from both Gaul
taken with a whole pile of salt. That said, there’s also a reason and Caesar’s perspectives.
it’s been a standard text for students learning Latin for the
• The Chronicles of Darkness has touched on similar times and
last two thousand years, and its simple, direct style is a great
places in the Dark Eras Companion. The Fall of Isireion (p.
way to pick up some basics.
10) examines Egypt during the last days of the Ptolemaic Era,
• While it’s mostly set in Italy after the events of Favor the where Caesar and Pompey’s conflict will come to a final, tragic
Bold, HBO and BBC’s Rome (2005) gets the feeling of uncer- end in a few years’ time. Meanwhile, Forsaken by Rome (p. 52)
tainty and decline in this era down pat. Use its set design pushes beyond Gaul into Germania after Rome becomes an
to guide you when creating a Rome that vampires inhabit empire. Both can be used to inspire crossover games or delve
— rundown, dirty, and dangerous in the shadows. deeper into the thematic darkness that hangs over Rome.

SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS
Year of the Four Emperors (69 CE)

The year is 68, the month of Junius. Nero, First Citizen of Emperor bear his blood. For the first time, the Romans find
Rome, faces military uprisings and rebellion in the Senate. a crack in the imperial office. Yes, Caligula was murdered for
Rather than cling to power, he chooses death. Four men will his deviance, but the family name was stronger than a single
claim his throne in the following year: Galba, Otho, Vitellius, pervert. After Nero, the Romans won’t see their Princeps as
and Vespasian. One will found a dynasty. The rest will fall. an extension of Julius or Augustus. Power is his right, not
The Year of the Four Emperors is the first civil war since a bloodline, and he must never forget where it comes from:
Augustus defeated Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Senatus Populusque Romanus. And one day, the Roman Emperor
Actium. It is the end of the Julio-Claudians, the last vestige of won’t be a Roman at all.
Caesar’s blood legacy. The plebs cry out for vengeance at the The Year of the Four Emperors proves that title is more fluid
death of their beloved Nero as the Senate grasps for relevance than Augustus meant it to be. The Princeps is an absolute
with each of his successors, and deep in the Necropolis, the monarch in all but name, yet he must always watch his back.
Kindred fear the Emperor’s death is a portent. There’s no way to remove the Emperor but wait out his nat-
Immortals know what becomes of despots. They were there ural life — or to murder him. The old organs of the Republic
the night Brutus led the people against Tarquin. They were there are powerless against his imperium, cobbled together from a
when Cleopatra bid the asp suckle at her breast. They were there thousand scraps of unwritten constitution, yet with a dagger
when the Senate dealt with Gracchus with rocks and clubs, and or a swift poison, gaining the purple is simple enough. Keeping
they were even there when his grandfather heard the news. “Bring it is another matter.
death to all who act as he!” the old man proclaimed in Greek, The Camarilla must reckon with this as much as the kine.
but history will recall it more succinctly: Sic Semper Tyrannis. Vampires don’t have natural lifespans, and even less room for
social mobility than mortals. They’ve also seen this before. The
Mood: End of an Era eldest remember Tarquin the Proud, the last King of Rome, and
The Julio-Claudians are gone. Caesar’s name lives on as a they see little difference between that tyrant and the emperors.
title (it will last another 2000 years), but never again will an Many wonder why they should be ruled by a mortal at all.

Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus would rather be to rest within his palace walls. Still, he does take advantage
an artist than a dictator. Still, he takes great pleasure in the office: of the ashes. When the Great Fire burns out, the Emperor
Banquets, concerts, and horseracing are the Emperor’s favorite commissions a great public works project in the Grecian style,
pastimes. But while his extravagance makes him unpopular with levying heavy taxes and devaluing currency to rebuild the city,
the Senate, for the first five years, good counsel stays Nero’s hand, culminating with the Domus Aurea, a splendid golden manse
and the people hail him for the games he holds in their honor. to crown his restored capital.
Few emperors are as beloved among the plebs as Nero. The patricians don’t care for such excesses. They deride the
The Great Fire foreign style and complain about the drain on their fortunes.
Some whisper that the Emperor — away on business when the
But that stability ends in flame. In 64, the world burns, but fire began — started it himself. Never beloved by the Senate,
Nero never fiddles. Instead, always a man of the people, he Nero’s grand plans fritter away what little support he has left
offers comfort to the people in their dire hour, allowing them among the upper classes. He blames everyone but himself.
Aut Caesar, aut nihil.

— Motto of Cesare Borgia

Chaos and Flame
No mortal catastrophe will affect the Kindred more than the Great Fire of Rome, at least not before the Camarilla’s
fall. The seat of the Midnight Republic nearly collapses, and even half a decade later, the Necropolis is nowhere near
recovered when the four pretenders make their claims.
The Great Fire wipes out many Kindred with firsthand knowledge of historical events like the founding of the
Camarilla and the destruction of the Traditores, and even the existence of Julius Senex, who becomes more myth than
dead man as time passes. It also forever changes the makeup of the Undercity, as many vampires from the provinces
and beyond come to Rome to take advantage of the power vacuum. While the Julii will always maintain a plurality in
the city (and the Assembly), they will never again command a majority.
This event should loom over all that’s to come. Perhaps the characters were Embraced in the aftermath, or maybe
they’re survivors looking to fill the gaps that still remain in the All Night Society when Nero falls.
The fire is a turning point for the Kindred as well. Elders Still picking up the pieces from the great fire, some Kindred
caught on the surface die in quick agony, and many others take advantage of the conspiracy’s fallout, Embracing members
are barred at the locked gates of the Necropolis and left to of fallen households, and even a few condemned. Or so the
the inferno. Panic spreads through the tunnels, even to the rumors go.
hallowed Small Chamber, and between the fire, the fear, and
the lack of blood, a riot breaks out, the size of which will never
be seen again before the fall of Rome.
The Fall of Nero
Finally having enough of the Emperor’s mismanagement, sev-
After five agonizing days and nights, barely twenty percent
eral provincial governors rebel in 68, led by Galba of Hispania
of Propinqui in the city survive by the time the flames and
Tarraconensis. Though the Senate declares Galba an enemy of
frenzies die out. Most of the Inner Circle goes up in ash, and
the state, it is an empty gesture, and many members privately
thus, many of the oldest Founders. Power games will mark the
hope he succeeds where the Pisonians failed. Soon, even the
next five years as the clans and wings reposition their many
Praetorian Prefect abandons the Emperor, and his troops begin
pawns in the light and dark, and immigration and a flurry of
to ignore his orders, quoting Virgil at him: “Is it so dreadful a
Embraces brings new blood to the Necropolis.
thing then to die?”
The Pisonian Abandoning plans to flee to the east, the Emperor’s house-
hold deserts him on the night of June 9th, and he finally
Conspiracy realizes it’s over. No one even remains to kill him. With his
few remaining allies, he flees to a friend’s villa to commit
Gaius Calpurnius Piso is a man of letters and statecraft, an suicide, telling his companions to dig a grave. He paces the
orator and benefactor of the arts. A great man, in other words; grounds, weeping and muttering. “What an artist dies in me!”
greater, he thinks, than the juvenile who rules the Principate. he exclaims, but he loses his nerve and begs his secretary to
In 65, he enlists patricians, equites, and soldiers to eliminate wield the blade instead. Who brings down the knife is a small
the Emperor, though their goals are diverse. Some wish for a mystery, but it doesn’t change anything: Nero is dead, and four
new leader (Piso sees himself in the purple), but many hope for men will scramble to take his place.
a chance to restore Senatorial rule. The republican sentiment If only Piso had waited a few years.
never fully faded among the Romans, even a century since the
Regime change isn’t popular among the Propinqui. Nero
fall of Caesar, and even though none living remember the days
was kin to the Julii, and his excesses made him as close to a
of the Republic.
Kindred emperor as Rome has yet had. However, while many
But Piso and his group are betrayed, first through incom- vampires exalt Nero the man, some are ambivalent about his
petence, then through malice. A conspirator admits the plot office. Many survivors of the Great Fire yearn for a time when
to an unfavorite at Nero’s court, hoping to bring him to her mortals didn’t put so much stock in one man, though some
cause, and he promptly turns her in. The conspiracy abandons of this is bitterness: Many were forced to pay the Emperor’s
its initial plans and attempts to move before the Emperor can heavy taxes to keep up the appearance of Masquerade.
react, but a slave of one of its members betrays his master out
Still, a bad emperor is bad for the people, and what’s bad
of spite on the morning of the assassination. Nero exacts his
for the people is bad for their secret predators. Some older
vengeance in quick fashion, murdering some, exiling others,
vampires hold fast to that peculiar brand of Roman antimon-
and pardoning few. The execution of several elder statesmen
archism, while others believe they can wait out this monarchy
emboldens the Emperor, eliminating whatever moderation
without monarchs.
he had left.

What Is to Come
In light of Nero’s suicide, some Propinqui (and a few mortals) The Kindred call Galba a usurper. Even the Senex is reluctant
believe the imperial experiment is over, but whether they should to recognize him (for all its approval matters), but conservative
welcome or fear that outcome divides them. The Senex officially Senecti argue they have no right to defy the heir of Divine Julius,
supports whichever emperor happens to hold power, but even even if he isn’t a Julian. Still, the Old Man is quietly pleased with
the Ancients debate if a return to the republican system would Galba’s ruin: Several senators lost important thralls as Galba
be preferable by the time Otho falls on his sword. purged patricians and equites of insufficient loyalty. Indeed,
No vampire is foolish enough to directly intervene, but one influential magistrate’s entire ghoul family perished when
Kindred money and blood will flow into all four claimants’ the Emperor razed a town that didn’t accept him fast enough.
coffers, whether to defend the imperial office or to hasten its The night Galba falls, the Senex holds a mock funeral in his
end by prolonging the civil war. honor, with one of his distant (living) relatives taking his place
in the pyre.
Galba It’s not as celebratory for other Kindred. A few nights after
Galba’s assassination, a Soldier beats a vampire called Gaius
A hardnosed veteran of four regimes, Galba is elderly by the Septimius into torpor after he makes a speech declaring his
time he claims imperium. Brutality and caginess helped him fealty to Rome, not some “king.” It’s unclear which wing
survive the Julio-Claudians, but these same qualities make Septimius belongs to, but the Strangers take up his cause,
him a poor Princeps. Galba’s paranoia leads to purges, and demanding the Legion punish their man. It doesn’t help that
he refuses to pay the soldiers who supported his claim. Half Septimius’s corpse disappears almost immediately after the
a year into his regime, his power evaporates when the Army Soldiers decline to make restitution. Who really throws the
of the Rhine rebels, declaring General Vitellius their new first punch depends on which side you’re on, but the ensuing
lord. In an effort to solidify his position, Galba chooses the riot leaves several important Strangers torpid or in chains, and
nobleman Licinianus as his heir over his expected successor, trust in the Legion at an all-time low.
the ambitious Governor of Lusitania, Otho. It will be his last
For the rest of the year, each time an emperor falls, a riot
mistake. Galba’s own Praetorians murder him in mid-January,
follows among the dead, and an owl’s screeches ring out over
bribed by Otho.
the fray.

Otho Vitellius
Otho portrays himself as a second Nero — despite the fact In theory, Vitellius is an ideal emperor. His family was close
that he never forgave the bastard for stealing his wife, Poppaea to Tiberius, and rumors that he was one of the Emperor’s
Sabina, or the fact that he was the first to side with Galba’s “favorites” on Capri followed him for years. With a prodigious
rebellion. Still, his youth and looks make him a good fit to military and political background, Vitellius is beloved by his
fill his shoes, and the plebs bestow him with their beloved troops and enters Rome on the heels of a resounding victory
Nero’s name as a cognomen. Otho is said to even bed the over Otho.
dead emperor’s castrated slave/wife, Sporus, who uncannily In practice, Vitellius is a disaster. The third emperor of 69
resembles Poppaea. nearly bankrupts the treasury on debaucheries, caring little for
Briefest of the four emperors, Otho is well liked by the people the day-to-day maintenance of his stolen prize. He is addicted
and the Senate. Reinstating Neronian reforms struck down to luxury and cruelty, and his incompetence ushers the civil
by Galba but pledging to rule as a temperate, sober leader, his war into the streets of Rome herself as the army of Vespasian —
politics pay off just as his military gambits don’t. Vitellius over- commander of the army in Judea and latest claimant — comes
whelms his forces, and the second emperor of 69 kills himself marching in. As many as 50,000 perish in the fighting, and
shortly after the First Battle of Bedriacum, viewing the battle Vitellius dies a coward’s death as he tries to flee. Beheaded and
as a verdict on his reign. “It is far more just to perish one for all tossed into the Tiber, he barely outlasts Galba.
than many for one,” he notes, then stabs himself in the heart. Many Kindred appreciate Vitellius’ excess. His debauchery is
Other than disposing of Galba, Otho doesn’t last long a worthy successor to Nero’s, if not his administration. Not all
enough for the Propinqui to form an opinion, but they do the dead are so content with him, however. The Soldiers resent
find his suicide suspicious. The mortal historian Suetonius his purge of the Praetorians, many of whom were connected
later claims Otho killed himself for the good of Rome, but the to their mortal pawns. The Emperor also draws the Augurs’
Vaticinators say his position after Bedriacum wasn’t so dire. ire when he bans astrologers from Italy, wishing to suppress
Some believe Otho could have rallied. After the death of two ill portents of his reign. He even orders executions when they
emperors in so short a time, the Augurs claim the imperial retaliate with predictions of his doom.
office suffers from a Nemesis curse, while some in the Senex The Vaticinators warn that Vitellius doesn’t respect the
believe (or hope) a resurrected Nero is exacting revenge on gods, and the Legion says it won’t protect him from their
his false heirs. terrible wrath.
Year of the Four Emperors Timeline

Date Event
April 68 Galba rebels against Nero.
June 68 The Roman Senate declares Nero a public enemy; he commits suicide. Galba is
recognized as Emperor.
1 January 69 The Rhine legions refuse to swear loyalty to Galba after he alienates much of
the military.
2 January 69 Vitellius is acclaimed Emperor by the Rhine legions.
15 January 69 After being rejected as heir, Otho bribes the Praetorians to assassinate Galba.
The Senate recognizes Otho on the same day Galba is killed.
14 April 69 Vitellius defeats Otho at the First Battle of Bedriacum.
16 April 69 Otho commits suicide after only three months as Emperor, and Vitellius’s claim
is recognized by the Senate.
1 July 69 Vespasian, commander of the Roman army in Judea, is proclaimed Emperor by
the legions of Egypt with the support of the provincial prefect.
August 69 The Danubian legions declare their support for Vespasian and invade Italy.
October 69 The Danubian legions defeat Vitellius at the Second Battle of Bedriacum and other
conflicts. Vespasian occupies Egypt.
20 December 69 Vitellius is killed trying to flee as Vespasian’s forces take Rome.
21 December 69 Vespasian is recognized as Emperor, founding the Flavian Dynasty.

Vespasian
Titus Flavius Vespasianus was born to an unremarkable
Vespasian as Prophesized
The Romans put a lot of stock in prophecy and
family in an unremarkable part of the Empire. He will be the omens. A bad astrological chart can break the
best Emperor since the first. highest-born patrician, and it isn’t unheard of for
Flavian forces end the Year of the Four Emperors at the senators to spread false readings about themselves
Second Battle of Bedriacum, only a few months after Vitellius or their enemies.
Vampires put just as much weight (if not more so)
defeated Otho near the same village. However, the man himself on star signs, and in the Year of the Four Emperors,
won’t arrive in Rome until mid-70. Instead, Vespasian remains astrologers in the Cult of Augurs find their services in
in Egypt to build up his support. Lacking a base at home, he high demand, especially from Senex members with
plays the propaganda game, employing fortunetellers and harus- pawns in each emperor’s camps.
pices where Vitellius spurned them. The Egyptians proclaim
him Pharaoh, and he builds a cult to victory to legitimize his
rule. The new Emperor is happy to indulge in mythmaking: Emperors apparently have the lifespan of mayflies, so the
Stories of Vespasian healing the sick in Alexandria spread Propinqui have no reason to believe Vespasian will be any differ-
among the people, and he may even believe it. His advisor ent. After five emperors in eighteen months, republican sympa-
Josephus, greatest of the Jewish historians, calls him Messiah, thies reach an all-time high in the halls of the Necropolis, even
saying his ascent is God’s plan made manifest. as Vespasian consolidates power in Egypt. Upstart Senectus
That said, Divus Vespasianus isn’t above a little graft. neonates believe they should press their thralls to overthrow
Suetonius, Tacitus, and that beloved know-it-all Pliny the Elder the new Emperor while he’s weak and lending support to the
all admit to accepting the Emperor’s patronage. All speak Senate, but the Old Man suppresses this plan when it catches
highly of him. wind of it. Its servants in the mortal legions crucify any ghoul
But Vespasian does rule well. Not as well as Augustus, but with a disloyal regnant. The matter is settled.
history will remember him as one of the good emperors, espe- Religious Kindred see Vespasian in a different light. Almost
cially after the disappointments of his predecessors. His eldest as soon as he takes power, an odd cult of Mekhet appears in
son, Titus, will become the first trueborn child of a Princeps the Necropolis, saying they believe Vespasian to be Christ to
to inherit the position. He is beloved as well, though Judea the Romans just as Jesus was Christ to the Jews. They wish
will know him as a butcher, and his lasting legacy will be the to assure the loyalty of his dead subjects. Stories of Vespasian
destruction of the Temple. experiencing a vision at the Temple of Serapis and healing the
Vespasian’s younger son, Domitian, will take the purple blind spread like wildfire, and these Seers claim to have borne
after Titus’s early death, but he lacks the generosity and witness to these events. Some of their childer and ghouls were
brilliance of his father and brother. All he has is their ruth- close to Nero’s imperial cult in life, and they believe the Flavians
lessness, which serves him well enough for a time. After 27 are the deposed Emperor’s true successors. They say Vespasian
years, the Flavian dynasty ends under the weight of Domitian’s and his sons are a holy dynasty the Kindred must help main-
corruption, and the Nerva–Antonines begin their rule over tain — debauchery and terror are the way of emperors, and the
the 2nd century. Propinqui are the embodiment of this truth.
Locations
Apart from Rome herself, the following three locations are factor and sore spot in Alexandrian life, particularly among
of note during the Year of the Four Emperors. scholars. Many early Christians will study and write here, in
no small part because of the city’s famed library.
Alexandria The Library of Alexandria is still going strong at this time. It
did suffer an accidental fire during Caesar’s civil war, but despite
Vespasian’s base of operations is Rome’s breadbasket, and
later mythologizing, it was relatively minor, and the building
even more than military victories, this is the key to the new
and its research wing were restored by the time of Nero and
Emperor’s success. Augustus himself knew this, making Egypt
the Flavians. While it will never again hold the stature of its
the Princeps’ sole property so he could control the Empire’s
heyday, the Library endures for another two hundred years. The
bread supply. The city prospered under the Julio-Claudians,
Emissaries of Alexandria consider the Library sacred, and other
and its granary will gird Vespasian’s claim to imperium, as will
Propinqui whisper that they have their own occulted wing within
the Prefect of Egypt’s endorsement.
its walls, spared from Caesar’s fire through some unknown magic.
Rome’s rule isn’t without hiccups. Tensions between the
Greek and Jewish populations are always simmering, and they The Loyalist
boil over into riots in 38, 55, and 66, all three ending in the One of the only Jews among the Empire’s high officials,
brutal suppression of the Jewish rioters. Religion is a major Tiberius Julius Alexander’s loyalty made him Prefect of Egypt.

Despite his heritage, he is a Roman first and a Jew a distant sec- fears a scandal. He orders his army not to take any slaves, and
ond, and while he attempts to negotiate with the rioters of 66, proving the general is a better conman than a mediator, they
their jeers “force” him to become the architect of their repression. respond by murdering their captives. Streetwise 4, Subterfuge
Later, he serves as Titus’s lieutenant during the brutal siege of 3, Warfare 3, Weaponry 2
Judea, helping to crush his own people and destroy the Temple.
Politically canny as he is militarily, Alexander sees Vespasian Germania Inferior
is the horse to bet on. He’s instrumental in the new Emperor’s
Vespasian’s victory doesn’t quite end the Year of the Four
ascension, eventually earning the title of Praetorian Prefect.
Emperors. To the north in Germania Inferior, Gaius Julius
Academics 4, Politics 4, Religion (Jewish) 2, Warfare (Siege) 3
Civilis, hereditary prince of the Batavi and a Roman officer, raises
a rebellion against the new regime. At first a Flavian ally, Civilis
Cremona takes advantage of Vitellius’s downfall to declare independence,
The two battles of Bedriacum are key to the outcome of rallying the other Germanic tribes to his cause. Like Arminius
this conflict, but despite the names, they’re situated closer to before him, Civilis uses Rome’s tactics against her, delivering a
Cremona, a rich city at the heart of Cisalpine Gaul. One of the crushing defeat to the legions and establishing a brief breakaway
largest urban areas in Northern Italy, Cremona is an important nation separate from the “slaves” in Rome and the provinces.
trade center along the Via Postumia, and many living and dead Whether patriotism or revenge drives him is an open question:
merchants travel here for the wealth it offers. Nero murdered his brother on trumped-up charges, but it was
only Galba’s short regime that saved Civilis from his own death.
Unfortunately, that makes it an attractive prize. Against their
commander’s wishes, Vespasian’s forces sack Cremona after they Germania Inferior is almost as far north as one can go in the
defeat the army of Vitellius, ravaging and robbing the city for Empire, and the people here are accustomed to cold winters and
four days and nights. Though Vespasian will make efforts to foul weather. The Romans refer to the waters as the North Ocean,
rebuild it, Cremona will never really recover. but the locals prefer to call it the Dead Sea for the strange, still
areas that sometimes trap ships as they cross. The Kindred say
Many Kindred participate in the second battle, as much of it
these waters are unholy, that even Neptune has no power over
occurs at night. Most fight for Vitellius, whether they support
them. Monsters lurk within, drowned sailors who return to land
him or not, as they fear the fate Cremona will suffer if they lose.
with nothing but hunger for human blood. These draugoz are
They are correct. The Camarilla abandons the domain after the
like the Kindred but mindless and (more) violent. Rumor has it
city falls to ruin, and many Propinqui make their way to other
a Wanderer with Batavian sympathies has been training them
cities in the north, leading to a refugee crisis, and more new
as attack dogs over the years and that he uses these beasts to aid
blood in the Necropolis, still recovering from the Great Fire.
the rebels, devastating living and dead troops by moonlight.
Some even join up with the Batavian revolt (below), looking
for independence after finding no safety in Rome. The Holy Prophet
The Crooked General Veleda is an earthbound goddess, so say the Bructeri. From
her high tower above the Lippe River, she arbitrates for Romans
Marcus Antonius Primus is one of Vespasian’s most devout
and Germans alike, sending forth envoys with prophecies for
backers, though not his most upstanding. Before the civil war,
the masses. Whether she predicts the rebellion or calls for it is
he’s best known for being expelled from the Senate after forging
difficult to say, even among her people, for she is too holy to
a will. Tacitus calls him greedy, extravagant, and a bad citizen,
even look upon. Perhaps Civilis twists her words. But he has
though not useless in a fight. His lasting legacy will be the
her support. The Kindred know her too, and they fear her. Even
Second Battle of Bedriacum, defeating the Vitellian forces but
the Wanderers stay clear of her stronghold, and Seers in nearby
watching helplessly as his troops sack Cremona. These actions
towns make small oblations lest she notes their impiety. Politics
disgust even a reprobate like Antonius — at the very least, he
3, Religion (Germanic) 4, Occult (Prophecy) 5

Sic Semper Tyrannis offers a wide range of possibilities for Conversely, perhaps the characters are new to the Requiem,
Storytellers, whether the chronicle is set in the middle of the Embraced by elders or viriles to realize fresh schemes as the
action or its aftermath. However, the most important thing to four generals vie for control. Purges were associated with each
consider is where the coterie’s loyalties lie: Did they bet on a dud tyrant’s ascension, and those marked for death would make
and now have to pick up the pieces? Did they back Vespasian good candidates for the Embrace.
from the start and have significantly more power among the Another angle is focusing the chronicle on the war effort.
living? Or maybe they’re trying to play each side against the Numerous battles occur throughout the year, and the cote-
others. Other Kindred might prefer to remain apolitical; inter- rie could aid or hinder these conflicts by night. While Ala
fering in mortal affairs is taboo among the dead… but in all Militaris is technically loyal to the Emperor… well… there are
the chaos of 69, who would ever notice? four of them. Like the living legions, Soldiers are often more

devoted to their generals than the state. True, no Legionary • The pretender is a Daeva neonate exploiting his likeness to
commander would dare act against the Emperor — but what the dead Princeps, with enough Majesty to cover his flaws.
about a usurper? Musical training is a common part of Roman education, and
it’s never hard to trick undiscerning marks, especially those
Story Seeds yearning to fooled. The imposter doesn’t expect to actually
take over the Camarilla, but he’s bold enough to make money
The following are two possible plot hooks for Sic Semper and blood off unwise Nerophiles. However, it’s also possible
Tyrannis. They could be separate episodes in a longer story, he has hidden backers and that his con is part of a bigger play
or they could be the basis for entire chronicles in themselves. within the halls of power. Uncovering the lie is dependent
on confirming his true identity. If this Pseudo-Nero has a
The Pseudo-Nero sire in the picture, they might not appreciate their childe’s
Nero remained a bogeyman for years. The Romans feared machinations. However, if his creator is behind the ruse,
and hoped for his survival in equal measure, and the legend then uncovering their relationship will be key to bringing
of Nero redivivus (“Nero reborn”) would haunt the Empire the charade to an end.
for centuries. Pseudo-Neros appeared during the reigns of
Vitellius, Titus, and Domitian, and Saint Augustine wrote of • Rather than a neonate, “Nero” is a Julii elder fresh from
the Emperor’s imminent return as late as the 400s. Rumors torpor. Formerly a powerful Latin chieftain, his mind is lost
spread of the deposed monarch building an army in Anatolia, to the sleep of ages; his memories of the past and his confu-
or with the Parthians, or any other number of allies. A few sion at the present lead him to believe he really is a deposed
historians believe this is the source of imagery related to the emperor. Only incontrovertible proof will dissuade him, and
Beast in the biblical Book of Revelations. even then, the fallout may push him over the edge.
• The question isn’t who Nero is, but what he is. While bold,
What Is Happening?
possessing the corpse of the Kindred’s favorite emperor
The Kindred have their own pretenders. At the end of isn’t outside the Striges’ wheelhouse. Desecrating the blood
Otho’s short reign, a stranger appears before the Senex of Divine Julius and using it to spread chaos among the
claiming to be Nero, reborn among the Propinqui. He does Kindred, this Strix wants to exploit the already fractured
resemble the Emperor, and like Nero’s mortal imposters, he political situation, hoping to force the Propinqui into their
sings well and plays the lyre with skill. He makes no mention own civil war. This effort will fail, but what will it cost the
of a sire or clan, saying he woke in his tomb a few weeks after characters to thwart it? And how has this creature possessed
his suicide, hungry for revenge. He asks for the Camarilla’s the Emperor’s body for so long without it rotting away?
loyalty as he takes his place as Emperor of the Night, with an
army of dead to strike at his living usurpers. He boasts that The Imperial Cult
he has already dealt with Galba and Otho and needs support
The cult of the emperors began with Julius Caesar, despite
to destroy Vitellius and Vespasian.
the fact that he wasn’t an emperor. Proclaiming himself divine
He’s lucky to escape the Assembly with his Requiem — he (without Senatorial approval) Caesar plotted to make a play for
certainly doesn’t retain his dignity as he’s pelted with rocks and kingship by claiming divinity, just as the Tarquins and other
blood. Nonetheless, this self-proclaimed Nero gains a coterie of Roman monarchs had. Or so his enemies claimed. Whatever
believers, and for the rest of 69, they attempt to build a follow- Caesar’s true intentions, his assassins put an end to them, but
ing, first to overthrow the Camarilla, and then, the Emperor. the idea of a holy leader took form in other ways. Shortly after
Who Are the Characters? Caesar’s death, the Senate declared his son Augustus divi filius:
the son of god.
The characters might be agents of the Senex seeking to
silence this pretender and debunk his claim. They might also What Is Happening?
be a neutral party looking to engineer a kingmaker scenario, The Cult of Divus Flavius draws on vast holdings in the
exploiting both the Pseudo-Nero and his enemies. east to build an influential bloc within the Senex. Their elders
If you’re tying this era to The Pretenders chronicle (p. 244), belong to a strange Seer bloodline (p. 154), wielding the Words
the Pseudo-Nero could be one of the various usurpers, with the as the Founders do. Despite their monotheist beliefs, and the
coterie acting as agents for one of the other claimants. fact that they come just short of advocating the end of the
Masquerade, the Old Man respects their devotion and tolerates
Possible Resolutions
their input. At first.
However the characters resolve things, the Pseudo-Nero disap-
When Domitian claims imperium and reveals his true,
pears or withdraws his claim in the first few months of 70. Other
depraved nature, so do his Kindred followers. The Vaticinators
vampire Neros will appear over the centuries, possibly influencing
say the Emperor’s tyrannical demeanor and vile proclivities
mortal tales of Nero redivivus, but none will be as successful.
are this cult’s doing, tainting his wine and meals with blood,
The specific resolution of this seed depends on the vampire’s but no one can prove it. In the final years of Domitian’s
true identity: regime, the Flavianists arrange attacks on Kindred they find

insufficiently loyal to Domitian, all but declaring war on the
“heathen” Cult of Augurs. While they’re careful to employ
Lupa’s Children
proxies, few buy the cult’s claims of innocence. At the begin- The Year of the Four Emperors proves to be a
ning of 96, the Senex finally expels them, but powerful thralls turning point not just for the Kindred but also for
in the Emperor’s household make it too risky to eliminate the Uratha of the Romulan Protectorate (Dark Eras
them altogether. Plucked from the Camarilla’s heart, the Companion, p. 54). Nero was Saturi by right and
attacks only intensify. blood, but of his successors, only Galba shared that
heritage, and he’s the first to fall. Otho and Vitellius
Who Are the Characters? don’t last long enough to matter, and Vespasian’s
ancestors are plebeians. Like the Julii, the Tzuumfin
The characters might be members of the Cult of Augurs in lose an important familial connection to the imperial
the year 96, religiously opposed to everything the Flavianists family, and this will only exacerbate their brewing
believe. While Vaticinators do venerate the Emperor, they see conflict with the Iminir.
the Flavianists as rank atheists and have fought a cold war
with the upstart Seers since they arrived in the Necropolis.
The characters might also be young or disillusioned members
Still, any Propinqua who would lay a fang on the Emperor, even
of the Flavianist bloodline, wishing to undo the damage their
indirectly, had better cover her tracks.
worship of Domitian has done to Rome.
It’s also possible Domitian’s death isn’t as devastating to the
Possible Resolutions Flavianists as the Augurs predict. Vespasian has another descen-
Despite their strength, the Flavianists have a linchpin: the dant, a granddaughter called Flavia Domitilla, and history is
Emperor. However, while Domitian is drastically unpopular unclear regarding her providence after her uncle’s death. Some
with the elite, he has the army’s loyalty, and his craftiness and associate her with a Christian saint or believe she died soon after
cruelty are unparalleled. Open revolt is unlikely. If a vampire Domitian. While the Romans are notoriously patriarchal, many
could get near him, or convince an influential thrall that the of the Flavianists are foreigners and might not see her gender
tyrant has gone too far, then a quiet death might be the best as an impediment to imperium. She might at least produce an
solution. In real history, Domitian was murdered by members of heir. In that case, it may be in the characters’ best interests to
his household, but that doesn’t preclude Kindred involvement. stamp out the gens Flavia altogether…
Inspirational Media
The Year of the Four Emperors is rather neglected in film power structures, arcane rituals, ruthless methods — being
and literature, at least in English. Still, the trope of several assassination-prone. The Five Families of New York may as
factions vying for the same throne is common in media, and well be patrician gentes, each scheming to control the criminal
the following might help you get into that cutthroat mood. underworld. But in the end, only one autocrat can stand, and
Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan: While the setting the ensuing revenge would make any princeps proud.
is meth-ridden Albuquerque as opposed to civil war–torn Rome, A Song of Ice and Fire, by George R. R. Martin: Martin
many of the principles are the same, and the story even mostly takes inspiration from the Plantagenets rather than the Julio-
takes place over the course of two years. Each new drug kingpin Claudians, but the multifactional conflict over the Kingdom
Walter White faces is worse than the last, but “Heisenberg” of Westeros (an empire in all but name) has plenty of parallels
himself stands undefeated as the most ruthless emperor of New with Rome in 69 CE. Indeed, the second novel in the series
Mexico’s amphetamine trade. focuses on the War of the Five Kings, and the sudden turns of
The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola: Mafia fortune each monarch experiences are a good reflection of the
dons and emperors have much in common: Italian, informal ways such conflicts play out.

CULT OF DIVUS FLAVIUS
THE MONARCHIST DEAD
Ave Imperator! Those who are dead salute you.
There’s a saying among the Kindred that came about in the • Fraud. It’s always fraud. The Flavianists started as a
time of Augustus: The Emperor of the Living is also the Emperor cynical pack of elder Mekhet who saw an opportunity
of the Dead. Julius Senex was a Roman first and vampire and seized it, stealing propaganda from Josephus and
second, after all. The Camarilla is an extension of the expanding it into an ideology. Who could possibly
mortal state, and though it doesn’t advertise its existence defy such loyal servants of the Emperor? Sure, they
to that state, it’s loyal to the Caesars. But not loyal enough, brought a few magic tricks from back in the old
say some. The Cult of Divus Flavius believes Vespasian nights, but Seers always have some sorcerous
is a god on Earth. Also called the Flavianist Party after hokum hidden away. Theirs just happened
their faction in the Senex, their Shadow Cult forms to fit the part. The fact that Vespasian
a vocal faction in the Assembly for three decades, actually lasted was a stroke of luck, but
worshipping Vespasian and his sons. Domitian turning out to be a bit of a
While most Emperors do end up being vampire himself? That was fate.
declared gods, they usually have to die first, • Olim, a woman became King of
and because of this distinctly un-Roman the Black Lands. Though a woman
practice, few Kindred outside the bloodline could not be a king by the reck-
buy into their doctrine. Indeed, some Seers oning of her people, she did it
of Egyptian blood whisper of a Pharaoh anyway. She was the King, after
who exalted a single god over the others, all. Her reign was prosperous
bringing ruin on Kemet. They also point and just, and when she died,
to the growing Christ cult and speculate her nation mourned. Yet her
whether these strange loyalists have successor would not be outdone
some connection to it. This may have by a woman, striking her name
something to do with the sorcery they from all the sacred records, her
supposedly wield, a power brought monuments toppled in place of his
from Egypt that the Kindred know own. Deep in the Duat, outrage
little about. at his disrespect gave her soul the
strength to fight past the Devourer
Bloodline and return to the land of the
living. Now her followers work to
Origins restore her to a proper royal body
• Flavianist elders are almost all Hellenized through any bloodline that rules
Egyptians, but when exactly they were Hellenized the Black Lands. When they find
is never stated. They are old, though. Older than a female heir, she’ll finally regain
the Ptolemies, and perhaps even older than the her throne — regie in aeternum.
last Pharaohs. Some Mekhet speak of a cult to the Nicknames: The Flavianist
Aten among the dead, the One-God Heresy of the Part y, Registae (The Kingists;
Eighteenth Dynasty, though other Seers say there derogatory)
were no dead native to Egypt at the time. Not the Parent Clan: Mekhet
kind who drink blood. At any rate, whatever they
Bloodline Bane (The Partisan
once were or worshiped doesn’t matter. It’s buried
Curse): The Registae are too bound
in the desert if you know where to find it and if you
to their master. Any action taken in
don’t care about living to tell the story. Now they
opposition to the Emperor’s servants
have a new master, and one night, the whole
or Roman law is a breaking point at
world will follow him.

the vampire’s current Humanity level. This cannot be obviated
with a bane but does not apply to laws derived from Legislatio
or enforced by Jura.
Ages Pass:
Fate of the Flavianists
Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Dominate, Obfuscate The Registae lose their standing after Domitian’s
fall, their elders retreating to Egypt to regroup and
In the Camarilla their childer ruthlessly purged by the Cult of Augurs.
Kindred who remember their brief influence will
Almost all Flavianists are Senecti. Like many Seers, they take remark on the similarities between their rituals and
a religious view of politics, and the Assembly is where they feel those of the Sanctified, but what the Witnesses
might’ve learned from them is a question no one
the true strength of their living god. They have an avid interest seems to have an answer to.
in the night-to-night affairs of the Camarilla, especially as they The rituals listed below are available to Theban
relate to the Emperor’s will. Many of the bloodline’s neonates Sorcerers. Mark of the Emperor is The Angel’s Touch,
served in the imperial household under Nero, and they were and its sacrifice is a lock of the subject’s hair; Aegis
Embraced to educate their sires on Roman imperial politics and of the God-King is Shield of God, and its sacrifice is
act as their proxies among the Legislators. How the Flavianists a martyred saint’s bones.
had the foresight to bring such useful pawns into the night
long before their “god” ever rose to power is an open question.
Some Registae join the Legion to fight on Vespasian’s behalf, and all miracles have an additional sacrament: The sorcerer can
but few can be found among the Peregrine Collegium; most can only cast a ritual if she has a specific task from the emperor, his
“pay” their way out if they’re foreign-born. And the cult holds sons, or a proxy acting on their behalf. She cannot request an
nothing but contempt for the Vaticinators. The feeling is mutual. order — only a true test of service will do. When the Flavian
dynasty dies out, so does this sorcery.
The Flavianist Party Flavianists with a dot of Initiation in their Shadow cult may
access the Emperor’s Blessings. In addition to miracles similar to
Members of the Flavianist Party can access the following
those later practiced by the Lancea et Sanctum, they can learn
Mystery Cult Initiation benefits. For more on Seer cults, see
the following rituals:
Strange Shades: Mekhet.
• To serve the Princeps, one must know his regime. Gain Mark of the Emperor (•)
an Imperial Court Specialty in Politics. Sacrament: A lock of the subject’s hair
•• Duty to the Emperor also means deferring to one’s Contested: by Stamina + Blood Potency
elders. Gain a dot of Mentor. Duration: Week
••• The closer one gets to the Princeps, the more one learns The Emperor’s servants are untouchable, and it is a grave
about the way he governs. Gain a dot of Politics. sin for the Propinqui to harm his favorites. The vampire can
use this ritual on a Status-bearing member of the Emperor’s
•••• To help the Kindred serve their proper master, one
household, or anyone with a mission set by him or his close
must be inscrutable. Gain three dots of Closed Book,
relatives. The subject is immune to the wound-sealing effect
ignoring prerequisites. This applies to supernatural
of the Kiss for the rest of the duration, making obvious any
powers.
interference by Kindred. The victim does not bleed out, but
••••• Those at the highest echelons of the Party can access key the signs of feeding become obvious.
imperial household members. Gain four Merit dots to
spend on Retainer and Staff. Aegis of the God-King (•••••)
Sacrament: A toga’s worth of fabric dyed with Tyrian purple
The Emperor’s For 24 hours, the vampire gains 5 points of general armor
against any damage that would hinder accomplishing the
Blessings Emperor’s orders. She must be actively following his directive;
protection fails if she’s attending to other matters. This armor
The Flavianists practice a form of blood sorcery transplanted
applies to supernatural damage, fire, and sunlight, but the
from Egypt. The bloodline’s elders refer to it as Heka, while neo-
vampire still takes a minimum of one point of lethal damage
nates see it as the Emperor’s Blessings. Mechanically, this magic is
from these sources even if it would normally be reduced to
similar to Theban Sorcery, but the associated Skill is Religion,
zero. This effect stacks with Resilience and mundane armor.

THE SEA OF FIRE
Eruption of Mount Vesuvius (79 CE)

Be it a fierce kingdom, a proud republic, or a vast empire, Rome And yet, the situation worsens. New construction sites appear
gained an eternal place in humanity’s memory. Few ancient cities along with those still open because of the old earthquake, their
can equal its fame, and certainly none within its borders… with workers struggling to repair damage to structures before new
only a single exception: Pompeii. The small town, an economic tremors strike. Still, people carry on with their lives, focusing
center located in the peaceful countryside not far from Naples, on their own goals. The Kindred are no different: after the
didn’t earn its immortality through glory, triumphs, or excesses. disappointment of Nero and the chaos of the Four Emperors,
In the first year of Titus’ reign, memories of the rebellion against vampires see Vespasian and Titus’s stability as a chance to
Rome from a century before and the ways Sulla repressed it had perform their secret dances in peace. Unbeknownst to them,
lost any meaning. No, Pompeii and the nearby Herculaneum however, a hidden monster far more ancient and terrible than
owe their fame to the awakening of their destroyer: Vesuvius. any elder is about to wake up from its millennia-long torpor.
When the dormant volcano erupts, it unleashes ruin beyond It is eager to feed.
mortal nightmares, erasing all nearby communities from the face
of the Earth in less than 24 hours. The rich and noble consider Mood: Looming Ruin
the Gulf of Naples a veritable pearl of the Mediterranean, but the In the years preceding Vesuvius’s eruption, Pompeii,
events between the 24th and 25th of October obliterated the area Herculaneum, and the neighboring region represent the ideal
around Pompeii, turning its verdant hills and beautiful coastline of what Roman citizens want out of imperial rule. The cities are
into a charred wasteland, burying the prosperous town — and at peace, and commerce from Rome allows them to grow. Not
its thousands of inhabitants — under a cruel sepulcher of ash, even the destructive earthquake of 62 CE can hamper Pompeii’s
forever petrified in the terrified screams of their last moments. enterprising spirit. Patricians and plebeians alike find chances
Despite the attention to signs and prophecies that Roman to grow rich, if they persevere and know how to forge the right
culture holds to, both mortals and Kindred fail to see the trag- connections. The city evolves. Life is good. The future is bright.
edy coming. Life in the region has always involved earthquakes, Still, a sensation of uneasiness persists in the back of everyone’s
and a major one gravely damaged Pompeii in 62 CE. With minds, no matter how much they try to ignore it. Statues crack,
proper rituals to obtain the gods’ favor and protection from the gods deaf to any propitiatory rites. Kindred struggle against
the manes, the citizens rebuilt a bigger, stronger Pompeii. It’s frenzies triggered without any apparent reason, as if the Beast
the Roman way. Even the ancient tombs outside town, where knows something they don’t. The earth shakes again and again,
immobile corpses share the darkness with thirsty ones, endured each tremor waiting for less time to pass than its predecessor.
these hardships. Earthquakes are frequent in the area, after all, Efforts to implement any lasting changes to the town face a dif-
and destruction only offers opportunities to grow once more ficult road, but not because of the stagnation vampires know far
and make greater fortunes. too well: It’s as if the universe itself is holding its breath.

The area around Pompeii has always enjoyed relative prosper- all agricultural efforts thrive, with grapes and wine from the
ity, but Augustus made a precise investment aimed at growing area being a coveted luxury across the Empire.
the region. Rome’s navy uses the gulf for training and coordi- This prosperity plays a crucial role in local attitudes toward
nation purposes, and Pompeii is a major commercial hub acting hardship. While the earthquake of 62 inflicts grievous wounds
as a point of passage between northern and southern Italy, both on Pompeii, Herculaneum, and the other communities around
by land and sea. Ideal weather conditions and fertile soil ensure Vesuvius, the population bounces back from the disaster with
Now everything lays covered in flames and sorrowful ash: Now the
gods would wish it wasn’t allowed them to herein wield so much power.
— Martial, Epigrams

an enterprising spirit, born out of a combination of commu-
nity-mindedness and financial savviness. There’s money to be
The Sleeping Giant:
made around the gulf, and whoever invests in the reconstruc- Vesuvius
tion can lay the foundation for future riches, all while basking
in civic gratitude. How could the Romans ignore the true nature of the
mountain casting a shadow over their own backyard? Etna and
Public structures such as the amphitheater; the aqueduct
Stromboli further south ensured Rome well knew all about
known as Castellum Aquae; and the temples dedicated to
the fearsome expressions the geothermically active Italian
Jupiter, Apollo, Isis, and Venus (patron goddess of the city) are
Peninsula could take.
rebuilt in no time, along with brand new locations, including
vast central baths. While men work ceaselessly up until the Vesuvius is a different kind of beast.
very day of Pompeii’s demise, the rest of the city heals with its The volcano reigning over the Gulf of Naples in modern
own more private rhythm, slower but constant. Villas, private nights didn’t exist. The tall mountain is a direct consequence of
domus, theaters, markets, inns, brothels, and arenas — the city the eruption of 79: when people still walked Pompeii’s streets,
repairs all and builds more. Even the tombs don’t escape the an unremarkable rocky spur was all they could hope to see,
impetus for renewal. The most ancient ones, located on the and even then, walls of trees growing from the fertile volcanic
road outside the city, suffered from the earthquake just as any soil complicated things.
other building. In town, the debate about moving the tombs Those pushing to the top of the mountain stumble upon the
according to administrative laws the previous generations sinister remains of an ancient caldera, a dead, alien landscape
ignored grows heated, with several citizens protesting, saying they deduced to be the result of an ancient eruption. Their
such an act would qualify as blasphemy. thesis was correct. Around 2000 BCE, Vesuvius went through a
Despite their resourcefulness, people can’t hope to pre- catastrophic eruption, “The Pumice of Avellino,” which blew up
vent a threat whose existence they ignore. Not that knowing the mountain and destroyed the entire region, with the caldera
would make any difference, even if the menace announces its being all that was left. Since then, nothing worthy of note has
presence with a terrifying choir of subtle signs. Ever since the happened. In living memory, the mountain hasn’t grown, and
earthquake of 62, many other smaller ones have occurred with no lava has erupted. “The volcano has been dead for millennia
increasing frequency. Some people leave, tired of the constant because, otherwise, something would have happened in the
cost of patching up their properties. Frightened too, though meantime,” say the scholars, unaware of the pressure growing
no proud Roman paterfamilias would admit it. Kindred with a in the bowels of the earth.
connection to their mortal families assuage their relatives’ fears The immortal nature of the Kindred allows them to carry
or straighten them back into discipline, worried their departure a distorted clue through the ages. The dead of Pompeii long
would leave them without bonds to the living world. Still, only observed a rite where, every ten years, a vampire would be car-
the most stubborn — Kindred and kine alike — sincerely believe ried to the silent caldera and immolated on a pyre to propitiate
everything’s well. the gods and quench their wrath. The local tradition persisted,
As the eruption approaches, the signs turn into omens. The an oddity among Kindred, especially since the passage of time
public aqueduct carries only dust, as if something redirected soon obscured the truth behind its origin, turning the sacrifice
the water elsewhere. Abandoned by their inhabitants, the into a useful tool to eliminate undesirable individuals, failed
woods around town are eerily silent, while dogs in town bark childer, or hated rivals.
without end. The smell of sulfur sometimes accompanies the Around the reign of Augustus, society’s attitude toward
increasingly common tremors. human sacrifice changed, recasting it as a despicable act of
The farmer living near the mountain discovers his harvest barbarians rather than civilized Romans. The Kindred’s decen-
won’t bear any fruit. Not the first bad year, but this time some- nial sacrifice consequently was seen as a cruel act imposed by
thing’s different: The earth itself seems poisoned. He goes detached elders upon younger Propinqui.
hunting to find something to eat, but game grows rarer each When the earthquake of 62 buried several elders in their
day until none is left. He fears a winter he won’t live to see. tombs and allowed other Kindred to rise to power, the new
The mason returns to the beautiful villa he’s building and leaders abolished the rite to unanimous praise. After Vesuvius’s
finds a crack that wasn’t there the day before. He tries to repair eruption, Kindred aware of the tradition will wonder if proper
it just as he repaired those that appeared before, but this time sacrifices did indeed keep the volcano dormant, but nobody
he can’t finish before a new one reaches its way up the wall. The can know for sure. For their part, Pompeii’s Kindred won’t have
dark web of wounds in the stone grows. The villa will survive the chance to doubt their choices.
its builder, if only for a few hours. In the decades before the eruption, the pressure within
The priestess awakens to find the altar to Venus defiled, Vesuvius’s magmatic chamber keeps growing, eager to find
its instruments cast to the ground by invisible hands. While release. An ocean of fire and heat pushes against the wall of
the omen sends shivers down her spine, she adjusts the altar its earthen prison. The natural geothermal springs Romans
and ponders what kind of sacrifice would restore her patron’s thank the gods for and the occasional tremor are but a meager
goodwill. She will spend her last day praying to unlistening ears. prelude to what the future holds.

What Is to Come
For the vast majority of those who don’t leave the area lost cities begin to circulate. Mentions of owls made of smoke
on the morning of October 24th, there is no future. In the perched on the ruins join the survivors’ tales about giants
hours preceding the eruption, a series of distant explosions, emerging from the mountain and glimpses of colossal mech-
frightening rumbles, and eerie smoke clouds rise from the anisms seen through lava and dust — panicked recollections
mountain, omens that — by themselves — still aren’t enough crafted by traumatized minds, no doubt.
to wake up vampires from their slumber. These portents spur The few Kindred who manage to survive the disaster have
some citizens to leave as soon as possible, a decision that will even less choice about restarting elsewhere. Other vampires
save their lives. Among those who don’t, only the ones who force those refugees weak enough to exploit into their schemes,
run away in the cataclysm’s very first minutes have the slightest while more dangerous Kindred rarely survive for long, crashing
hope of saving themselves. against an unfamiliar status quo and burning up in the effort.
In the aftermath, Rome stares in terror at the sight of the Propinqui living in other cities don’t forget how the Kindred
volcano’s blazing wrath. Emperor Titus organizes massive of Pompeii and Herculaneum flaunted their wealth, a gesture
relief efforts to help the victims, but the truth is, Vesuvius has those inhabiting bigger cities — Rome included — considered
reclaimed its territory, erasing any intruder from the face of an insult deserving proper punishment.
the earth. Survivors and thieves dig up what they can from the To the eyes of those living in this era, Vesuvius’s eruption
ashes, moving through silent wastelands with hope and greed can only be seen as a divine act. Eventually, the locations and
in their hearts. What the scavengers manage to dig up, none names of the destroyed cities are lost to the passage of time,
can say. Some never return, as if snatched away by the very while the mountain keeps growing, an awakened horror that
ruins they hoped to plunder. Stories of specters haunting the refuses to let its terrible majesty be forgotten again.
Locations
Across the Gulf of Naples, several communities prosper, In the roads leading outside town, both within and inside
unaware of the tragedy about to strike, with the following being the walls, ancestral tombs watch in silence as the living conduct
only the most well-known examples. their business. The most ancient ones dig deep in the earth,
well below the surface.
Pompeii The Righteous Official
Perched on a plateau above the Tyrrhenian Sea, Pompeii Appointed by Vespasian himself, Titus Suedius Clemens acts
stands as an example of Roman success. As the home of around as a special prefect with extraordinary powers. Sent to Pompeii
12,000 souls, Pompeii is without a doubt the major city in the to oversee the reconstruction following the 62 earthquake, the
area — right next to Vesuvius. Pompeii’s inhabitants enjoy the scope of his mission includes the management of properties
success the city’s position and decades of fruitful commercial imperial, public, and private. Considering he only answers to
endeavors have brought, an idyll only the constant earthquakes the Emperor, Clemens is without a doubt the most feared man
and other signs of the upcoming eruption manage to mar. in all of Pompeii. While kind and well-mannered, he has no
The city’s geometrical structure is built around a major tolerance for violations of any sort. His reformative measures
avenue going from north to south, with two others crossing apply imperial law to all aspects of Pompeii’s existence, showing
through from east to west. These speak to the typical Roman no mercy for activities with hidden masters or social circles
urbanistic style applied to Pompeii over the last century, but with unsanctioned purposes, nor for tombs and shrines built
those who know where to look — or those who were alive in within parameters Rome disapproves of. Kindred in Pompeii
times past — can recognize signs of the city’s history in its wonder if enemies in the capital played a role in his arrival,
outline. The narrow streets of Pompeii’s most ancient area an event that’s broken the city’s delicate balance. Academics
meet with expansions built to provide refuge to those fleeing (Bureaucracy) 4, Investigation 3, Resolve 5
Hannibal, while the severe changes ordered by Sulla after quash-
ing the rebels of the Social War stand in stark contrast with Herculaneum
the rich modern quarters hosting the beloved amphitheater.
Northwest of Vesuvius, closer to the volcano than Pompeii,
A perfect microcosm of Roman culture, patricians, slaves,
the small port city of Herculaneum holds far more wealth
freedmen, and people from many corners of the Empire live
than its size would suggest. Wealthy people from the Empire
in Pompeii. Rome’s syncretic approach to religion shows itself
might visit Pompeii to seek solace, but the real elites prefer
as the road passing the nearby temples of Venus and Jupiter
Herculaneum. Its nature as a sea town allows the city to gather
quickly leads to that of Isis, while people of the Jewish faith
wealth both as a commercial nexus and a ship construction
also walk the streets.
yard, though its dimensions favor quality over quantity. The

city takes its name from its mythical founder, Hercules, and
divine favor indeed seems to shine over it.
Freedmen — liberti — who made fortunes compose the vast
majority of Herculaneum’s population, their heterogeneous
tastes and cultures revealed in art found all over town, rang-
ing from statues of pantheons from across the Mediterranean
to delicate examples of decorations and jewelry. Liberti in
Herculaneum don’t show any trace of the crass nouveau
riche attitude that Roman stereotypes attribute to them,
and they’re fully assimilated into their upper-class role.
Conflicts with Roman norms still arise at times, with the
heirs of the city’s families (themselves slave owners) needing
to demonstrate they were born after their parents earned
freedom to enjoy full citizenship — but money and the right
connections solve all problems.
The Old Founder
The earthquake of 62 gave Pompeii’s neonates and viriles
an opportunity to fill the vacuum left by elders who went
missing in the aftermath, but the vampires in Herculaneum
still pay tribute to their eldest, Marcia Claudia Sabina.
An esteemed Julian and an ancient member of the living
gens Claudia (a Julio-Claudian, if you will), Marcia carved
out a little reign for herself through decades of cunning
schemes and ruthless maneuvers. Although she plays by
the Camarilla’s rules, Herculaneum is too small to mistake
her central role in the city’s power structures for anything
else. Empathy 4, Persuasion 4, Socialize 5
Misenum
Misenum can’t compete with the beauty of Pompeii or
Herculaneum, but the port makes for a different kind of town:
One of the two Praetorian fleets, the Classis Misenensis, docks
here. As the base of the main imperial fleet, Misenum acts as
a waypoint for all naval operations in the Mediterranean, from
simple exercises to actions against pirates and war operations.
Many troops pass through the city, with all the businesses
flourishing thanks to the vast amount of people drawn here.
Misenum’s western position saves it from the eruption, but
the imperial fleet is helpless before Vesuvius’s fury. Violent
winds and dangerous waves — the result of giant rocks cast
into the sea — make any effort to reach the shores near
Pompeii moot, a danger only a few dare face…
The Learned Admiral
Appointed admiral of the imperial fleet at Misenum in
his later years, Gaius Plinius Secundus treats his position
with the dedication that’s accompanied him across his entire
career. Those same virtues made him a successful juror and
officer, earning Pliny the Elder the trust of the Roman state
while also allowing him to become one of the first naturalists
in history. Striving to rescue those threatened by the erup-
tion, Pliny lands next to Herculaneum only to be trapped
by the waves. A cloud of toxic gases covering the shore reaps
the old man’s life. Academics 5, Politics 4, Expression 3

The Eruption
When Vesuvius releases all the fury gathered through mil- • From this moment onward, players of slumbering vampires
lennia of tormented sleep, the devastation threatens humans can roll Humanity to wake up, with a 2-die bonus to the roll.
and Kindred alike. This section focuses on rules for playing They may do so with each boulder strike to the nearby area.
out the catastrophe, offering characters challenges to confront. Although the sun is high in the sky, Kindred instinctively
All mechanics take humans as a baseline unless otherwise recognize the danger upon them.
specified. Kindred apply their resistances and weaknesses to
circumstances as usual. Hell Above
Before the Eruption October 24th, 2 PM
In the months leading up to Vesuvius waking up, the disas- At almost twenty kilometers high, the volcanic cloud
ter brewing underground causes subtle yet dangerous conse- loses fragments of its initial impetus and extends, opening
quences. Kindred ignore their origin just as mortals do, but in blackened branches like an infernal tree. Lighter pumice
their supernatural nature and inhuman senses catch glimpses begins to fall, a hailstorm of rock and dust that devastates the
of just how bad the situation really is. entire town. While the cloud devours the sun and plunges
the world into darkness, a storm of lightning and fire spawns
• Constant earthquakes and other hidden volcanic activities
within its coils.
scare off animals. Damage to buildings causes collapses and
shifts the ground enough for doors to get stuck. Water drains Systems
from reservoirs. Larceny, Survival, and Animal Ken actions
Tilts: Heavy Rain, Heavy Winds (3)
suffer a persistent –1 modifier, increasing to –2 in October.
• The hailstorm inflicts 1L damage each turn to anyone outside.
• While vampires carry on with the Requiem unbothered,
the Beast stands restless, subconsciously aware of the doom • Those trying to flee the town discover that rain and detri-
ahead. All rolls to resist Frenzy incur a 1-die penalty, which tus have flooded the area outside the walls. Any attempt to
increases to –2 in late October. Earth tremors of any sort can cross the bridge leading in the only safe direction calls for a
provoke frenzy, even minor ones people can barely perceive, Dexterity + Athletics roll with a –2 modifier.
leading to bursts of apparently unprovoked violence that, in • From this moment onward, Kindred no longer need to roll
truth, are anything but. to wake up and suffer no sunlight damage while in the open.
Beginning of the End Through the Ashes

October 24th, 1 PM October 24th, 5 PM
When rumblings and booms trouble the entire morning, As night approaches, a cloak of cinders and ashes envelopes
many people look in Vesuvius’s direction before the eruption the world. Stirred by hurricane-like winds, the resulting black-
happens. In the early afternoon, A dark smoke column made ened mist scours eyes and lungs.
of gas and tons of rock and magma pierces the sky, with a vast
white ring that expands in the blue signaling where the object Systems
breaks the sound barrier. A mighty roar follows, soon joined by Tilts: Heavy Rain, Heavy Winds, and Dust Storm; the
the screams of the people, the only reaction their fear allows. combined weight of pumice and ashes imposes the Collapsing
As the column rises higher and higher, it boils and twists, Ceiling Tilt on all buildings in town.
pumice boulders shooting out like comet swarms. In the mean-
time, the eruption drains air from the surroundings, causing a Harbingers of Death
storm further aggravated by falling debris.
October 25th, 1 AM
Systems Inside Vesuvius, something changes. The monster hasn’t
Tilts: Heavy Winds (3), Earthquake ceased its assault for a moment, erupting 200,000 tons of lava
• Boulders falling from the sky destroy anything they hit. On each second. Within its belly, air mixes with magma, causing
impact, anyone in the affected area must succeed a Dexterity the volcano to collapse in on itself, an act of self-destruction that
+ Athletics action or take 5L damage and the Knocked Down only intensifies its wrath. Surges of pyroclastic flow rise from
Tilt. Boulders also cause the Inferno Tilt and struck buildings Vesuvius, each a blazing horror leaving no escape. Herculaneum
cause the Collapsing Ceiling Tilt (p. 274). The boulders are has avoided pumice hailstorms and ash clouds until now, its
lethal, but not omnipresent: Storytellers should not have citizens thanking the gods, but a single surge exterminates its
players evade more than a boulder per scene. entire population in a matter of minutes.

Systems Systems
Tilts: Avalanche, Heavy Winds, Dust Storm • All Survival rolls made to navigate suffer a 4-die penalty.
Surges are masses of pyroclastic material so hot they can • Although sunlight reaches Pompeii once again, vampires
evaporate water in the body, effectively fire hurricanes made treat Blood Potency two steps lower when determining sun
of ash and gas. They don’t damage buildings, but instead seep damage frequency, to a minimum of zero.
inside and expand in open spaces. Anyone caught in a surge
suffers a variable amount of aggravated damage, followed by an • A first pyroclastic surge hits Pompeii around 7 AM. While
avalanche of heavier material soon after. The one that wiped out not as hot as Herculaneum’s, poisonous gases make it lethal
Herculaneum inflicts 13A, impossible to survive unless safely bur- to any human. The surge inflicts 3L fire damage and 5A toxic
ied underground or with the help of Resilience or other powers. damage, with vampires being immune to the latter.
• Around 7:30 AM, Vesuvius’s eruptive column collapses in a
Climax titanic fist of rock, pumice, and magma. Anything the pyroclas-
tic surge touches, it disintegrates. All buildings are destroyed,
October 25th, 6:30 AM while any survivor suffers 7L damage (bashing for vampires).
The volcano rumbles. Earthquakes return with new strength. • At 8 AM, a mass of pyroclastic flows merges to create the most
A pyroclastic flow clashes against Pompeii’s walls, unable to devastating surge yet, a vast black cloud radiating from the
break through, but carrying hundreds of corpses along its path. volcano in all directions. Given that the other flows opened
When the pumice rain ceases, survivors can make a final the way, this monster finds no opposition. Anything in the
attempt at escape. Around them is an alien landscape they don’t affected area — be it Pompeii or the coast nearby — is destroyed
recognize, a charred corpse they can’t orient themselves in. Even as the flow annihilates all semblances of life and civilization,
the sun seems like a dying ember, shrouded in ash and smoke. burying the city and the corpses of those who inhabited it.

This era being set right before and during one of the most That’s a classic storyline, but what if, instead, the characters
famous disasters in human history, Storytellers face the challenge are on the other side, vampires who spent years ensuring their
of crafting interesting stories beyond the obvious expectation that position in the Camarilla and suddenly have to confront the
Vesuvius is going to blow up. Relying on such an impressive set idea that all those efforts will burn to cinders, those are but two
piece risks depriving the chronicle of emotional depth, turning opposing extremes, with a vast range between them.
what should be a central hook into something that takes up all Reinforcing the era’s themes and moods also sheds light on
the narrative space, as players and their characters shift into the the primeval horror Vesuvius embodies. An amoral monster
background while the volcano steals centerstage. acting on a scale beyond anything most supernatural creatures
can even conceive, the volcano allows characters to exist within
Running the Game the boundaries of a true apocalypse, where they can struggle
against its nihilistic bonds — or embrace them. The sheer fear
Although Vesuvius dominates the era, several tools to craft
Vesuvius brings to the table should loom over the entire chron-
enticing chronicles under its shadow exist. The volcano takes
icle even before the survival scenario begins.
any chronicle into the realm of the disaster genre, but focusing
on the right direction allows both Storytellers and players to
enjoy a story capable of standing on its own, whether you trig- Stopping the Eruption
ger the eruption or not. Despite first impressions, knowing a Of course, any chronicle set in Pompeii raises an obvious
story’s end doesn’t necessarily invalidate its telling. The core of question: Can the characters stop Vesuvius from erupting?
tragedy comes from how characters whose lives the audience Let us answer this question with another: Why the hell not?
cares about reach their doom, a truth with excellent examples While this depends on the expectations Storytellers and play-
in both classic and modern media. ers have for their chronicle, nothing stops you from changing
The key thing to remember at a table is that the players might history. And if you don’t want to go too big, perhaps there are
know the conclusion, but their characters don’t. A chronicle set ways to just save the town. Remember, the Kindred’s world isn’t
in Pompeii offers room for vampires to experience the gamut of our own. In the Chronicles of Darkness, a host of supernatural
narratives available in the context of an upcoming apocalypse. elements inevitably surrounds Mount Vesuvius, whether as cul-
Let characters fill the void between historical facts, paying no prits behind the eruption, byproducts of it, or possible sources
regard for academic accuracy for the sake of drama. Perhaps of salvation. For example, in a Vampire context, consider the
they try to warn everyone about the eruption, only for their idea that the eruption frees countless Striges from a fiery prison
efforts to clash against those who refuse to even consider the within the depths of the earth, unleashing their malevolent
possibility because doing anything would ruin the status quo. influence upon Rome and its inhabitants.

Adding other Chronicles of Darkness settings to the older Kindred in Pompeii believed in more ancient things than
mix expands the horizon even further. Vesuvius could be themselves sleeping beneath the earth. And that name — Calu. It
Infrastructure, or perhaps a sudden injection of Divine Fire belongs to a chthonic deity from before Rome itself. Calu, wolf-
explains its sudden awakening. Obtaining the help of the right headed god of the underworld, bringer of wrath and purification.
spirits — maybe even the one embodying the volcano itself — could Has this god’s name been co-opted by a group of revolution-
alleviate the magmatic pressure. What if Irem’s Judges demand aries, or is there something else behind it? Vampires aware of
that thousands perish in the disaster for their own eldritch Pompeii’s secret history wonder if an elder left buried under-
schemes, sending trusted Arisen to turn their will into reality? ground found its way to the surface or, as only a handful dare
These are just a few examples among a myriad of possibilities. whisper, if one of the starving prisoners forged a covenant with
Kindred would be in an unusual position as saviors, but this an occult power now on the prowl for those bearing the guilt of
enhances the pathos. Struggling to find a way to put Vesuvius betrayal. As more notable Kindred meet Final Death, the mystery
back into torpor inevitably confronts vampires with their requires an answer before Calu comes after the characters too.
attachment to the world of mortals, harsh truths about tragedy
and death, and their role in the All Night Society. They might The Hands of Vulcan
even find a way to only save themselves through a miracle — or Right before 79 CE, religion in Pompeii struggled against
pact — committing inhuman acts for the promise of salvation. its many souls, and the Kindred are no exception. Conflicts
Any possible victory against the fury of the Earth no doubt between the Vaticinators’ various cults carry over from the
asks Kindred to pay a painful price, but a tragedy written in furthest reaches of the Empire, and the slow but growing pres-
fire and ash is, after all, a grim story to be the hero of. ence of Christians in Rome animates the city’s nights, heartfelt
debates happening alongside actual violence more often than
Story Seeds civilized Propinqui would like to admit.
The addition of the Hands of Vulcan to an already volatile
The following story hooks provide examples of the kind of situation complicates things even further. Led by the elder
plots that can happen in the shadow of Vesuvius. Wanderer Tarpeia, who claims to have received divine revela-
tions during her last torpor, the Hands profess a doctrine of
Sins Half-Buried sacrifice and renewal that veers into unsettling fanaticism. The
With Pompeii’s current status quo being literally built upon the Hands of Vulcan commit acts of arson and self-immolation,
bones of vampires buried during the 62 earthquake, the idea that claiming fire represents the key to returning the essence of
not all Kindred lost that day perished is something of an open the world — and of the Kindred — to the divine crucible where
secret. Those accused of killing their sires (or worse) dismiss these it will be made anew, with each devotee being responsible for
stories as nothing but gossip, of course, and most agree the true rekindling the flame by any means necessary.
cause behind a despised elder’s disappearance matters little in
Officially, representatives of the Camarilla in Pompeii consider
the end. Still, every now and then, those raising these rumors are
Tarpeia and her followers extremists, but the elder’s charisma and
either called to answer for defamation… or suddenly disappear.
raw power, along with the inexplicable powers her Hands demon-
When the sun sets on Pompeii today, these voices assume a strate, keep attracting more members, enticed by the promise of
grim tone for the first time since the earthquake. Right above a bright new world where Kindred will no longer fear fire or sun.
the ashes of Lucius Falcidius stands the sentence “CALU’S
When rumors of rituals being performed in the hills north
PUNISHMENT FOR ALL BETRAYERS,” written in the elder’s
of Pompeii spread, accompanied by whispers of Tarpeia digging
own Vitae. After the murder, stories began to circulate. Stories
tunnels near Vesuvius, other Kindred can’t help wondering what
about how Lucius emerged from the depths of his sire’s tomb
the Hands of Vulcan are really up to. Perhaps the key to strike at
after the earthquake, his hands covered in blood. Stories of how
them lies in an uneasy alliance between rival Kindred?
Inspirational Media
Despite the eruption’s fame, good inspirational sources are • “The Fires of Pompeii” episode of the revived Doctor Who
scarce. Academic works like Mary Beard’s fantastic Pompeii: series isn’t among the series’ best, but it still provides a good
The Life of a Roman Town aside, other media often fall victim example of how fantastical elements can merge with historical
to cinematic clichés, their accuracy flawed at best, but they still events to create a valid narrative in the Chronicles of Darkness.
offer valuable inspiration. Other sources include the following:
• Pompeii (2014) is a historical disaster movie that merges Titanic
• The Last Days of Pompeii, by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, is pure and Gladiator with questionable results, especially when it
19th-century melodrama. This historical novel details Pompeii comes to its protagonists and story. However, the visuals of
as a city where passion and faith intertwine, along with noble the city and its environment, combined with a pretty cool
heroes, vile villains, and unrequited loves. Sergio Leone later representation of Vesuvius’s eruption, make it worth a watch
adapted it into a sword and sandals adventure, emblematic of (with a couple of glasses of vinum).
the years he honed his craft before moving on.

THE ANARCHY
Crisis of the Third Century (235–284 CE)

The Roman Empire teeters on the brink of collapse. Plague of Cyprian runs rampant, melting bowels and filling eyes
Every calamity imaginable strikes: rampant assassinations, with blood. At its worst, five thousand die daily in Rome alone,
ignominious military defeats, ravaging plague, barbarian decimating herds and exposing those Kindred who survive to
assaults, fractured territories, imposed and outlawed religions. its ravages. Not even the most powerful elders are spared from
A rapid and confusing parade of emperors, many of them usurp- this ravenous frenzy.
ers or pretenders to failed empires of their own, leave Rome And that is only the beginning.
reeling. Twenty-eight men (and one woman) claim imperium
in only forty-nine years, fomenting constant instability. Several Mood: Haunted and Hunted
rule for less than a month. Most meet bloody ends. Ambitious bids for power end in calamity and disgrace.
Gordian I commits suicide after his son (Gordian II) dies in Friendships are fraught and frayed. Murderers lurk among one’s
battle. Gordian III, talented notwithstanding his tender age own soldiers or coterie. These are cursed nights.
of 19, dies at war with the Persians; no one knows exactly how. Previous ages saw such bloodthirsty avarice, yes, but those
Plague takes Claudius Gothicus despite a brilliant military tumults gave way to stretches of peace and prosperity. This time,
victory. Pupienus, Balbinus, Trebonianus Gallus, Aemilian, ceaseless upheavals erode every one of the Camarilla’s careful
Gallienus, Aurelian, Florianus, and Probus are all killed by their foundations. Destiny can be forged in a single act of decisive
troops. Carus, after only a year of rule, is struck by lightning. nerve — and be just as swiftly ended by a freak accident. None
Living f lamens pray to their angered gods, but dead can find their footing before another blow keeps them reeling.
Vaticinators discover something darker at work. A word threads Official religions are proclaimed, rescinded, and reinstated
through their visions, a vision of ruin and black ash: Riot. If whenever the laurels change heads. And the most damning of
the Empire teeters, there’s a chance it will take the Camarilla these is a bold and deadly worship of the Unconquered Sun.
with it. And that is an opportunity the Birds of Dis won’t miss. The Fates say something sinister’s at work. The wrath of one
They spread their wings from every shadow, taking the oppor- or more gods. They whisper of the Nemeses watching from the
tunity to push each challenge toward disaster. The Striges, as shadows. There are too many unexplainable tragedies to doubt
doom-bringers, earn their reputation. that Sodalitas Pernox is under attack. Now is the time to act,
But fate has other, more insidious ways to weaken the to scramble to the top of the shambling heap and hold tight
Camarilla. Like cutting off its food supply. For fifteen years, the to this whirling chariot wheel of fate. If not, you’ll be crushed
beneath it.

Three main factors contribute to setting off the Crisis of inherit its troubles. He lacks the genius of his father, and he can
the Third Century. neither see nor staunch the decline the Empire will succumb
to before his assassination.
Plague The historians will blame it all on soldiers who desecrated a
The Antonine Plague does not discriminate. Between 165 temple as they razed Seleucia. Perhaps it’s a fitting vengeance.
and 180 CE, seven million die, with two thousand a day in The plague devastates Rome’s economy and its population,
Rome alone, and it will claim one of the emperors for whom sapping manpower from both its labor force and its armies.
it’s named. Perhaps both. Their successor, Commodus, will The latter will be especially problematic.
The lofty pine is oftenest shaken by the winds — high towers fall
with a heavier crash — and lightning strikes the highest mountain.
— Horace

Invasion and his armies to be far more concerning than barbarians. He
is right, but this will prove a cold comfort.
Forced from their homelands by a changing climate, many
Germanic tribes push into imperial territory, some forming
alliances and becoming powers in their own right. Still recov-
Succession
ering from the plague, Rome lacks sufficient manpower to Alexander is more a wheeler and a dealer than a warrior. The
repel the invaders, and border wars vex the Empire for much people fear the Germani are coming for the Eternal City, and
of the crisis to come. numerous legions fall to them over the years. But Alexander
But these are not the only incursions. To the east, the has spent 235 fighting the Sassanids, and on the advice of his
Sasanian Empire rises from the ashes of Parthia. Their new beloved mother, he decides to buy off the barbarians. The
king, Ardashir I, wishes to make a show of strength to con- choice destroys his reputation; the army wishes for revenge,
solidate his reign, and a weakened Rome proves an attractive not rapprochement.
target. As such, Emperor Severus Alexander takes Ardashir His troops kill him in his tent.
What Is to Come
With the death of Severus Alexander, the Empire reaches a get strung up as an example, but no one knows who tight-
tipping point. The Principate never bothered to establish clear ened the ropes. Relations between the wings are strained to
rules around imperial succession: Anyone with a swift blade a breaking point.
and the people’s support can claim the title now, for Alexander Above, another series of ill-fated rulers yearns for the purple.
leaves no heirs. Assassinations, bribes, public posturing — for Decius dies in battle, and a few years and emperors later, Valerian
these trifles, imperium can be yours. rises. He doubles down on Decius’s beliefs; indeed, he believes
But Alexander’s immediate successor fares no better. With the pantheon is outraged at the Christians. They detract from
the death of Maximinus Thrax, six different contenders claim the gods’ tributes and desecrate the ancestors.
the purple in the same year, and whiplashing allegiances leave Valerian takes the Decian persecution to merciless and
the Senate and military divided and weak. For an empire built hateful extremes. His men raid cults and churches, burning
on cohesive purpose and rigid efficiency, such shambles don’t all they can find, especially targeting holy books and sigils.
resemble the Rome of old. Bishops, missionaries, and devout believers give themselves
Into this vacuum, a parade of tyrants come and go. Many up to martyrdom.
hail from far-flung territories. Some, like Philip the Arab, are
military men focused on securing peace with Rome’s many
restless allies. Others try to start dynasties, like Trajan Decius.
A Divine Plague
But first, he must deal with his prejudices. On the heels of these persecutions, sickness crawls again into
Rome. This unnamed plague sets the bowels aflame, liquefying
The Persecution their contents and dehydrating its hosts. Lesions crop up in
soft flesh. Eyes and other orifices bleed. It is agony, and it is
Decius is convinced all of Rome’s weaknesses arise from indiscriminate. The epidemic ravages the soldiery and farmers,
a failure of faith. He thinks enough worship will restore the the highborn and the slave.
old gods’ favor and, thus, Rome’s glory. To this end, he orders What good is Rome’s excellent infrastructure when crops fail
a systematic persecution of Christians: denying them rites, for a dearth of hands to harvest? When supplies are raided for
strongarming them, hiking their taxes, and evicting them from lack of soldiers to defend them? When the dead pile up in the
certain districts. cities because not enough are left living to bury them?
In the Necropolis, the Senex point to this decree to justify Propinqui go hungry, threatening the Masquerade in their
their own oppression of the newcomer Lancea et Sanctum. frenzies, and becoming one more vector to transfer the dis-
Though few in the capital, the Witnesses galvanize against ease to ever more victims. The nascent Lancea et Sanctum
these edicts, gladly sacrificing themselves to crosses and preaches that the plague is God’s retribution in defense of His
sunlit oubliettes with prayers on their cracked lips. Owls chosen people. The Witnesses grow bolder. Justified. Zealous.
wear Senex skins to make false and contradictory demands: Nosferatu crawl like lemures among the corpses, scavenging
control the rabble, accept the Witnesses, punish so-and-so. and hauling the dying into crypts where they can be salvaged
Simultaneously, Strigid whispers stir up unsustainable appe- as childer or ghouls. The pedigree of neonates becomes ragged
tites and ambitions among the Collegium’s magistrates. The and dubious. Unfortunately, a succession of these corpses rises
Sanctified are only considered Strangers when they can be yellow-eyed to rile panic — not a plague of Owls, just a single
made a scapegoat, and despite the rhetoric, many Advenae are Bird keen to live up to the name of Dis.
still not considered Kindred. A few rabblerousing Sanctified They are Riot. They are named well.

Pagan Kindred lash out all through the Necropolis. In Aurelian subsequently claws back both the Gallic and the
response, ever more Sanctified are inspired to burn as brightly Palmyrene Empires into Rome’s bosom. For the five years of
for their faith. They proselytize, praise their martyrs, and perform his rule, he travels widely, reestablishing law, claiming fealties,
miracles with their Theban witchery. Their numbers boom. and exploring his faith.
An Empire Fractured The Unconquered Sun

In 260, the Persians capture and later kill Valerian. While he’s But not all these successes suit the Propinqui. In his journeys,
indisposed, Postumus of Germania rallies the western provinces Aurelian is inspired to convert to the Syrian cult of Sol Invictus.
to break away as the Gallic Empire. He is the most powerful Worse, he decrees it the state religion.
Roman in the region, but nothing can end well for a man of Old mausoleums that have shielded elders and neonates alike
talent and ambition in these times. Likewise, Septimia Zenobia for centuries are modified for tributes to this new supreme deity.
secedes in the east, proclaiming her son emperor and herself his Pagan monuments are torn down; fanatics (many who later
regent. She defends her new Palmyrene Empire from the might claim to have been possessed) hack shafts out of the stone to
of the Sassanids, for Rome seems unable to manage the task. allow holy light to “purify” the oubliettes. Light streams even
When Gallienus wrests control in Rome, he issues the Edict into the recesses of the Necropolis. Kindred throughout the
of Toleration, allowing Christians to worship freely. There Empire burn as they are forced to worship the Unconquered
are even rumors the emperor’s wife is a Christian. This effec- Sun. Several Senex members disappear into torpor to escape
tively ends state-sponsored Christian persecution, forcing the Final Death. The cackling of Owls is almost drowned out by
Camarilla to soften its judgments in the Undercity. There are the screams of vampires burning.
also rumors that at least one Senecti has converted. The damage done by Aurelian’s religion leaves scars across
In 268, the throne is usurped in a wide conspiracy that ends the wings. Many of the old guard are gone, and the balance
in several assassinations. The traitors, in turn, are assassinated. of the Propinquus population is severely destabilized. New
Out of this scrabbling, Claudius Gothicus manages to claim alliances must be forged, and positions of power filled from
power for two fitful years. A beam of hope breaks through depleted ranks across the wings. The Peregrine Collegium
the miasma: He fights back the barbarian hordes and starts to alone swells as more Gangrel, Nosferatu, and Mekhet join
reclaim the Gallic territories. Just as swiftly, the light is snuffed the Camarilla as a result of the constant skirmishes along
when he’s destroyed by the plague. the Empire’s borders.

This tangle of new blood leads to riots in the Necropolis
driven by miscommunication between many new dialects,
clashing politics, diverging religious beliefs, and old-fashioned The Twofold Damned
fear — and one relentless Owl. Riot spurs on pandemonium For once, death is beyond the Kindred’s control.
During the Antonine Plague and (later) the Plague
during annual Camarilla funeral games, personally rending of Cyprian, many Propinqui watch as their servants,
the chosen cupbearer limb from limb. In the chaos, the Strix worshipers, and, yes, even friends fall to pestilence.
escapes; the Augurs turn to their rituals but see only smoke. Some even Embrace those they wish to spare the
Meanwhile, far from Rome, Emperor Carus is struck down, agony of such a death, their desperation so great
inexplicably, by lightning. they would damn those they love most.
It is a mistake. What they produce are not
Kindred, though they are similar. They yearn for
The Dominate the touch of the living yet are malformed by the
Embrace, hideous or strange to look upon, some as
Change is needed, from the seat of power all the way out to if plague still ravages them. Their numbers swell, and
the edges of the Empire, and Diocletian believes he’s the man they become a common part of the All Night Society
to do it. Born a pleb in Dalmatia almost a decade into the during the Crisis. Rejected even by the Strangers,
Crisis, the former Diocles becomes a formidable general under they keep to themselves, taking dirty work from
those who need a quick and quiet assassination, for
the unfortunate Carus. When Carus and then his younger they are skilled in darkness, death, and alacrity. For
son perish, their general is acclaimed Emperor. Unlike his a time, they scrape by.
predecessors, he has a plan. But such creatures could never be tolerated,
Once he defeats his rivals, Diocletian establishes a Tetrarchy, especially not when they attempt to spread their
taint, stealing the beloveds of other Propinqui to
splitting the power of the Empire. Two augusti will act as
bring into their brood. Though many in the Senex
co-emperors, preventing the reckless, absolute power of previous are their sires (so the rumors say), they finally cross a
years. Beneath these augusti, two caesares will serve. While line. When the purge is complete, just as Diocletian
this will make assassination attempts far more conspicuous, rises, none shall speak of them again.
they will also be less destabilizing. Moreover, the augusti
will be able to train their successors, providing a longer-term
vision for Rome’s laws and governance. The last remnants of
Augustus’s Principate are swept away, the Emperors becoming the wings. The Lancea et Sanctum — while still not accepted
true monarchs rather than de facto autocrats. And while the as a part of the Camarilla — finds a foothold in the All Night
Tetrarchy system won’t last, the Dominate of Diocletian will Society, though it has hard years ahead, particularly when the
reign for three and a half centuries. Emperor above begins a new round of Christian persecutions
In the Necropolis, the Camarilla takes note. They establish in less than 20 years.
new rules to lessen the impact of imperial whims and craft easier Finally, the Legion captures and destroys Riot. Or so they
ways for foreigners to earn Kindred status through service in think. The Birds retreat into the shadows. Change has come.
Locations
The following locations are important locales during the Seceding from the Roman Empire in 260, the so-called Gallic
Crisis of the Third Century. Empire will last only fourteen years.
During this period, steles mark burial grounds where
Colonia Agrippina Propinqui can stake out their domains. Colonia’s a good place for
a vampire to lay low if they’re out of favor with the Senex in Rome.
Colonia Agrippina has a ragged history. Once home to the
It’s also a good place to sow dissent or build allegiances with
Eburone and Ubii, the Romans make it into their military
those far-removed and daring enough to make a bid for power.
garrison in the Rhineland, complete with a naval port. Efforts
Here, vampires sup on rebellious blood. They take risks. And
are made to fortify this holding against the attacks of roaming
sometimes, when they don’t burn for it, they amass vast power.
Germani, such as outfitting it with a wall over 24 feet high,
which separates the city grid from the surrounding farmland The Courier
and potential attack. The Eifel Aqueduct, built to supply 20,000 Salagast was there when Postumus fought back the Germani.
citizens with daily fresh water, is one of the longest aqueducts By reputation, he’s a skilled rider, an experienced soldier, and
in the entire Roman Empire. a balanced orator. He is the model of prudence and discretion.
Marcus Cassianius Latinius Postumus, Governor of He’s mature now, and nothing much to look at — in fact, he’s
Germania Inferior and Germania Superior, declares Colonia difficult to remember. However, he knows causes can better
Agrippina his capital. Under Postumus, Germania, Gaul, be served by those who act silently. The question is, what’s his
Britannia, and (briefly) Hispania, make a bid for independence. cause? Ride 3, Larceny 3, Stealth 4, Weaponry 3

Antioch The Nymphaeum
The Palmyrene Empire encompasses Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Aboveground, nymphaea are sacred sanctuaries built atop
and Asia Minor. While its original capital was Palmyra (hence natural springs; their symbolic purity and natural splendor can
the name), the true seat of government is Antioch. wash all sins clean — symbolically and literally. Down in the
Originally built to mimic the grid layout of Alexandria under heart of the Necropolis, though, the dead’s Nymphaeum flows
the Seleucids, this Hellenistic city had expanded thrice by the with Vitae kept warm by internal copper piping during festivals.
time the Romans claimed it. Straddling the Orontes River, Lit with rippling torchlights, their watchful icons change with
Antioch’s palatium, circus, and stadium stand on the island the religious mores of any given night: Julius Senex, pagan
that divides the river, while its nymphaeum sits at the heart of deities, the latest emperor, and even the Virgin Mary.
the city on the southeastern shore. These Grecian influences Under those watchful icons, rebellions brew. Overtly, they’re
last into the Roman period, though Antioch remains a multi- meeting places where you exchange news and gossip, pray, or
cultural city with Persian, Semitic, and Egyptian influences. celebrate a wedding. Collegium newcomers can ask directions,
With its mosaics, baths, temples, and forums, Antioch supports pay tribute to the local deities, and make new connections.
learning of all kinds. Scrying Augurs perform rites in the flowing blood; Sanctified
Erudite vampires of all bloodlines mingle here — includ- practice their Theban sorcery, thinking of water that once
ing ancient blood drinkers that bear no resemblance to any turned to wine. Clandestinely, Soldiers (and sometimes even
Kindred. The Camarilla traditions hold, more out of conve- Senecti) spy on this meeting place, knowing it will be the first
nience than stout belief. But other practices and rituals flourish. to catch wind of a criminal on the run, a rebellion brewing, or
Gifts of the Blood can be explored without sanction. All are where a discreet assassin can be hired.
welcome. All are equal. It’s enough to give Propinqui ideas to
The Agent Provocateur
take back to Rome.
Afra can be found at the edge of the Nymphaeum, preaching
The Empress the Word of God. She’s always wrapped in a simple shawl,
Zenobia: Syrian monarch, Hellenistic queen, Roman Empress. curly hair tied loosely back. Her shoulders are stooped, her
She’s refined — highly educated, religiously tolerant, and multi- hands calloused, and her feet invariably bare. She especially
lingual. She welcomes all faiths, all cultures, and all ideas. She’s strikes up conversation with those who leave offerings for
cunning — she captures Egypt to secure trade routes and build her the statuette of Venus. Look closer. She conceals her seal of
new empire up against the Romans. She’s charming — when you office as a spy for the Senex, keenly listening to the internal
speak, you feel like she truly hears you. Especially if you can serve workings of Sanctified and Christians. Stealth 3, Subterfuge
her ambitions. Politics 5, Religion 3, Subterfuge 4, Warfare 2 3, Weaponry (Knives) 2

The challenge of running a chronicle set during The Anarchy Sanctified meet their first true test or resolve here, and some
is that everything is happening at once. It can be a lot for a even hope their Kingdom of Night is at hand.
Storyteller to juggle, and overwhelming for players to react to. Explore reversals of all kinds: alliances, religions, status, beliefs,
Make this more manageable by allowing the various calamities and morality. Everything in the world of men and monsters is in
to unfold in sequence (even if historically they were happening upheaval. The coterie will need to adapt, or they won’t survive.
simultaneously). Behind all these conflicts lies an unspoken The question is, however, how far are they willing to go?
impetus. Famine, disease, discontent, yes, but why? Play with The tension of these nights will push the Beast right up to
conflicting rumors, shoddy reports, and ambiguity in decrees. the surface. Feeding is difficult because of decimated herds
Allies or enemies (falsely) presumed destroyed; omens of shadowy, and an abundance of tainted blood, and vampires are likely
approaching doom. Grant brief glimpses of the Striges that grad- always hungry to some degree. Willpower will be stretched to
ually hem the players in. A yellow-eyed plague rat trailing their the breaking point, and principles may be too costly to adhere
movements. An unsettling pattern of frenzy that rips through to. Everything is as the Birds of Dis want it.
the Necropolis. A trusted contact inopportunely possessed.
Desperate vampires are more willing to take risks because
Being a vampire should be hard. The chance of exposure they have no other choice. They’re more likely to make sacrifices
is much higher. Safety is fleeting. Connections and resources they would normally never entertain. They’re also more likely
dwindle over the course of the story. Loss will feature prom- to accept a deal from a yellow-eyed monster. They may even
inently. See if any of your players are willing to explore a willfully threaten their own Humanity just to survive. This
character death, working in a new contact that may divide the setting leans into the grit of what it costs to be a monster, so be
group or sow further distrust. This era gives opportunities for sure to anchor the aftermath of these fraught situations in the
all wings, factions, and clans your group may want to play, even emotional toll it takes on your players’ coterie. Explore the guilt,
if that means they’re pitted against each other. In particular, the the fear, the stifled ambition, and the ever-present paranoia.

The Heralds This Cerberus is unattached to the forms they take, and for
this reason, they always refer to themself in the plural. One
of Oblivion week a rat, another a ghoul, another a worm-riddled corpse,
then back to smoke-and-shadow, then sinking deep into some
While not responsible for the woes of men, the Nemeses Propinquus dupe. It’s all about opportunity. And whim. Riot
take decisive advantage of the constant upheaval to sow strife drifts on the currents of change, sniffing out ambition and
among the Kindred. They can be kept as a boogeyman on the taking advantage of it. If they offer any recompense, it usually
fringes of the plot, at first, but have them act through various comes in the form of swift release before regret can settle in.
contacts as the players try to survive one calamity after another. It’s not mercy — it’s boredom.
The Owl known as Riot is the informal leader of the Striges At their worst, Riot latches their talons to a specific host
during the Crisis. It’s rare that the Nemeses fall in line behind a (typically Kindred, but sometimes a powerful ghoul) and stays
single Bird, but Riot is just the right Strix for the age. Have Riot there for a few years, frittering away their influence and power
crop up in auguries, lurk in the shadows, and whis- on outlandish commands and drastic ventures. They like to
per in dreams… despite being notoriously see how far they can push their toys before they break. Even
hard to pin down. If you want to delay better, these longer stints give Riot an opportunity to spread a
Riot’s reveal, you can Plague of Hatred that ripples out to claw countless others
also make use one down into the mire.
of the sample Striges
Yes, Riot wants the Beast in every
from Chapter Five,
vampire to wake up snarling; there’s no
or create your own.
grandiloquent philosophy behind it.
Riot The Beast is unpredictable, and that’s
W hispers th at come as close as anyone gets to speaking
from within writhe like worms. Riot’s language.
Emotions twist, curdling in the Archetype: Cerberus
breast, distorting into their cruel Vice: Chaotic
inverse. She soured by degrees, night
after night, until the mere sight of her Shadow Potency: 10
grandchild repulsed her. There was no Attributes: Finesse 7,
sudden drop. She just came to, finally, with blood Power 9, Resistance 7
on her hands. In her mouth. The child on her Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl
dinner table, a cleaver splitting sternum in twain. 3, Occult 3, Weaponry
She screamed until her throat rent, 3, Warfare 5
until the servants came running, until Corpus: 12
guards carted her off. That boy would
have grown up to be an emperor. They Willpower: 10
asked her why she did it. All was smoke Size: 5
and shadow. She only wished she knew. Speed: 12
If change isn’t in the winds, Riot
beats their wings to stir up anarchy.
Defense: 9
What this Strix finds most satisfying is a Initiative: 14
complete reversal of fortunes: vaulting the Dread Powers:
unworthy into the light or plummeting the Ambition’s Source,
successful into the depths. They don’t play favorites, Command the Lost,
and they don’t understand loyalty. But Riot is an expert Dominate ••••, Plague of
at building momentum: every minor upheaval builds Hatred, The Beast’s Rebuke,
toward the full disintegration of everything the Screech, Shadow Infection,
Kindred have built. It’s difficult to predict what Talons of Fury, Twilight Form
this Strix will do next; it’s nigh impossible to Banes: Bells, Fire, Hated by
reason with them. One thing is clear, however: If Beasts, Invitation, Material
Riot succeeds, the Camarilla will crumble. Bane (Salt), Ravening, Sunlight

Story Seeds
The following are two plot hooks set during the Crisis. These The Afflicted
concepts would work well as sequential episodes in a longer The Morbus bloodline of Clan Mekhet first
emerges in this era, supposedly sired by one Thascius
story, but they could be expanded to become the focus of an
Egnatianius Hostilinus, also known as Pestilens and
entire chronicle. Numida, remembered by future generations as the
Plague Angel. The Afflicted are surprisingly numerous
A Plague of Blood despite Pestilens’ relatively recent Embrace, and some
Countless die from the plague. One report notes 62 percent Propinqui in later years will say the Plague of Cyprian
of Alexandria’s population is lost in just thirteen years. Chances itself somehow spawned his vile lineage.
The Morbus can’t sustain themselves on the blood
are the blood the coterie is drinking is tainted. While the of healthy mortals. They must feed solely from the
plague can’t kill a Propinquus, it can transfer to lovers, ghouls, blood of diseased mortals, or else the number of
and living descendants. And viruses have a way of mutating… healthy Vitae they can take per night is limited by
Humanity, though Kindred blood is as nourishing
What Is Happening? as it would be to any other vampire. They add the
Order breaks down as the kine required to sustain the old unique power of Cachexy to their favored Disciplines.
Cachexy is on p. 112 of the Dark Eras Companion.
systems die by the thousands. The Birds of Dis take the oppor- If you don’t have that supplement, Afflicted gain
tunity to overwhelm weakened vampires, puppeteering them to Animalism instead and have an inherent bloodline
make erratic and disastrous decisions. Networks grow unstable gift: A Morbus vampire can automatically detect if a
as contacts disappear into the shadows. Resources of all kinds character is sick just by looking at him and can spend
(supplies for one’s herd, money, even clean blood) are harder a Vitae to inflame a diseased human’s illness, inflicting
an appropriate Tilt with an additional −2 modifier
to get as imperial borders falter and kine die faster than they for (1 + Blood Potency) turns; there is no resistance.
can be buried. Manes torment whoever’s left behind.
Worse, the disease is starting to affect the Blood, hardening
it like tar in veins. Vision clouds over; the ears feel like they’re
underwater; the nose clogs as if with grave dirt. Even the limbs Possible Resolutions
feel leaden. Is this what their senses were before the Embrace? Charged by the Senex to find the source of the local epi-
How can they hunt in this sluggish state? Thus impaired, they’re demic and stop its spread, the coterie can follow either of two
vulnerable to possession — or worse. main paths: find the source or find a cure for the Plague of
Carriers of the Plague of Blood (p. 273) crawl like rats Blood itself. What impact this decision will have depends on
through the poorest hovels, slurping from pustules, draining the coterie (especially if members are/were infected with the
blood-bloated sclera. Still ravenous, they look to their fellow Plague, if they’ve lost relatives to the Cyprian plague, or if they
Propinqui. One bite, and they’ve infected another. Mekhet are are Morbus).
twisted by so much feeding on the diseased and dying, they • The coterie successfully tracks infected vampires and con-
become something else. tains them in quarantine on the edges of the Necropolis.
The oldest of the Morbus bloodline have only been in their Perhaps an infected Morbus has intentionally been spreading
Requiems for nine years. They’re still coming to terms with the Plague of Blood on a holy mission to disable or weaken
their role as God’s divine retribution, and their progenitor, key members of the All Night Society; they want to send a
Pestilens, drives them to infect highborn and noble pagans, message to the Senex. Once it discovers the source vectors,
while granting merciful death to pious Christians ravaged the coterie is supposed to call the Legion and bring whoev-
by the plague. er’s responsible before the Assembly to be tried. But what
message are they sending? Is it truly their own message, or
Who Are the Characters? was it inspired by the Striges? Does the coterie support this
In destruction, there’s opportunity. If the vampires risk message, or do they try to silence the Morbus for good?
infection, they can claim abandoned spoils, challenge faltering
domains, or even petition for a higher position within their • The coterie takes samples from both kine victims of the
wings. They might be able to scratch out a moment of glory Cyprian plague and vampire carriers of the Plague of
amidst all the decay, but can they make it last? Blood (perhaps this is even one of the coterie). Using the
Veneficium, Theban Sorcery, alchemy, and/or augury, they
The characters may be opportunists trying to fill the gaps
work to create an inoculation to protect uninfected Kindred
left by those claimed by death. Perhaps the Senex appointed
from falling victim to the dread disease. Who do they test
them to research the plague, its origins, and how to prevent
their cure on? Perhaps it works, but at the risk of turning the
its spread among the kine. They may have been (or become)
patient into a Morbus, regardless of clan. Or maybe it has
infected by the Plague of Blood and develop immunity; how will
more subtle side effects: making them silent vectors, opening
this change the way they move through the stricken quarters?
them to Strix possession, or dampening their Disciplines.
They might even be Morbus Mekhet recently come into their
And even if it does work, maybe they aren’t so altruistic. Will
new need to feed off the diseased.

The Best Disinfectant
One possibility is that the Cult of Sol Invictus is the beginning of a hunter conspiracy, albeit one that doesn’t seem
to survive Aurelian’s fall. If so, use the systems below.
Status Benefits
• Your god’s holy light has revealed the corruption beneath Rome. Gain a free Specialty in Occult, Investigation,
or Streetwise relating to vampires.
••• The Emperor himself seems to implicitly endorse your efforts to cleanse the city. Gain two dots in Allies (Imperial
Court) to represent his favor, but don’t ask too much of the Princeps if you want to keep it.

••••• You have been initiated into the Cult’s deepest mysteries. Raise your Occult or Religion rating to five.
New Endowment: The Solar Crown
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Presence + Strength (−1 for every 10 meters below ground, to a limit of −5)
Action: Instant
Duration: Turn
Roll Results
Success: The cultist calls forth the power of Sol for a single turn, flooding the immediate area with sunlight regardless
of the time of day, weather conditions, or even if she’s inside a sealed room.
Exceptional Success: The effect lasts for turns equal to successes.
Failure: The sun does not heed the call.
Dramatic Failure: The cultist does not pay proper homage. She suffers a level of aggravated damage.
Backlash: Channeling sunlight through your body in a concentrated form isn’t great for your health. The cultist
takes a lethal damage.
they just turn over the cure to the Senex, or will they sell it Necropolis, so subterranean Sol should never be able to pen-
to the highest bidder? etrate it, finds the Unconquered Sun spearing its deadly light
into havens long hidden. Screams echo through the corridors.
• Of course, during play, the coterie may fail in their objectives
Elders relied upon for centuries are reduced to ash. Who can
or actively choose to turn their backs on their duty, especially
harness the sun to reach into the depths in this way? Perhaps
if they grow to believe in the Morbus philosophy. In this
they work for Riot…?
resolution, they actively choose to further the spread of the
plague and join the monsters in the quarantined crypts. How Those who survive scramble for new hiding places, dreading
do they escape from the wrath of the Senex and its Legion? tomorrow’s sunrise, and none dare sweep away the ashes to
Do they make a deal with Riot to escape their punishment? claim these sun-scorched places.
Who Are the Characters?
Cult of the Sun
The coterie, even if newly sired vampires, would have held
Under Aurelian, Sol Invictus divides religious views some sort of faith before Sol Invictus’s worship is mandated.
throughout the Roman Empire. At least it’s not the Christian Consider what they believe, and whether or not those beliefs
god, but it is a Syrian one. But what comfort might the sun will be challenged through the course of this story. They may
bring a night-dweller? The Kindred can’t maintain façades as be Augurs still holding tightly to previous rituals; agents of the
citizens for long when Aurelian is demanding obedience and Senex charged with wrangling scattered holdings; Legionaries
proof of faith (possibly at the behest of his wife, who seems struggling to defend Kindred from the Sol Invictus’s attacks;
equally devout). visiting Kindred whose domains now lie outside Rome’s Empire;
Rumors say he grows weary of excuses from those high-rank- or fanatic converts to sun worship.
ing Propinqui who move in Masquerade through his circles. Likable (or, at least, indispensable) allies will be injured
Some manage to send ghouls in their stead. Others sink into or lost to these Sol Invictus attacks. A lost haven can bring
torpor to wait this madness out. For those who embrace this together even the most motley coterie. Depending on the
religion wholeheartedly, they let their flesh sear under the length of the chronicle, the Storyteller may need to flush
sunlight seeping into an oubliette to prove their faith. Where the characters out of subsequent makeshift havens. Augurs
did the emperor get such a fiendish idea as worshipping the might divine where they can find safety, if only for a night.
Unconquered Sun? If the Striges weren’t as repelled by sunlight Introduce new contacts in these shelters, fellow survivors of
as vampires, the perversity of it would suit their tactics… other Sol attacks, each with a rumor or fragment of the culprit
What Is Happening? behind these attacks. Together, the coterie can combine skills,
resources, and hope to outlast the terror — and unmask its
Zealous sun-worshipers track Kindred to their mausole-
true mastermind.
ums and columbaria. They wait until dawn to strike. The

Possible Resolutions • After so many Final Deaths, a Kindred caravan has formed
Depending on whether you run this story on its own or part for those Propinqui who’ve survived but lost everything to
of a longer chronicle, you may want to adjust who’s responsible these mysterious Sol Invictus attacks. The caravan is headed
for the Sol attacks. Here are a few options. to Antioch, for in that fair city, they say, not a single ray of sun
has struck. But then how did the Palmyrenes know of their
• A devout Witness has weaponized light with a new miracle.
plight? Isn’t Sol Invictus one of their deities? A Courtesan
His attacks are intended to shake faith in Sol Invictus and
who controls Antioch’s largest territory has long worshiped
drive recruitment to the Lancea et Sanctum, destroying
Elagabalus and knows secret rites from before he was called
Senex elders who’ve persecuted his fellow Sanctified.
Sol Invictus in Rome. She can’t face off against the Legion
Graffiti on the walls of a burnt-out niche provides a clue:
of the Dead directly, but she can swell her fledgling schism
“Follow a false god and the Lord’s wrath will fall upon
by driving those fleeing into her magnanimous embrace.
the sinners.” But which elders are being targeted? Their
outspoken politics can shine the proverbial light on what • Burbling warnings issue through the cracked lips of a pos-
links all these Final Deaths together. sessed Vaticinator behind the Sol attacks. Only after the last
of Riot’s acrid smoke clears, the coterie sees writing on stone
• Emperor Aurelian is aware of the Midnight Republic, and
in the Augur’s own Vitae: CDX. A date? Riot promised to
his decree of Sol Invictus as the state religion is partly a
return when the Camarilla finally fell; a vain threat by a foe
calculated move to unearth those Propinqui lurking in the
about to be vanquished. The numbers were quickly scuffed
cracks of Rome. But how does he come by this knowledge?
out, but in those hurried moments, surely someone saw Riot’s
Some say he’s taking counsel from a certain yellow-eyed
proclamation and knew the truth of that portent — and, more
shadow. Riot’s need for anarchy is so strong, they’re willing
importantly, how fiercely the Senex would not want such an
to risk sunlight if it means sowing chaos in the Camarilla.
augury to be known. How is this secret kept? Who is permitted
The countless Kindred reduced to ash are random, but
to know it? How does this close conclave prepare for the utter
auguries and signs that precede each attack can be traced
collapse of vampiric civilization? Do they make a plan for what
to the Strix behind the attacks.
might come after the fall of the Camarilla?
Inspirational Media
Agora (2009), directed by Alejandro Amenábar: Although of the plague that swept through the Empire during the Crisis
the events of this film take place in 391 CE, it beautifully of the Third Century — so much so that it became known as
illustrates the conflict between the elite and slaves as well the Cyprian Plague.
as pagans and Christians, including the burning of books as Funeral Games, by Mary Renault: While this novel is
a method of silencing opposing viewpoints, something the focused on the death of Alexander the Great, it captures the
Sanctified are both victim to and will learn from in later years. sense of an expanding, bloated empire, complete with military
“De mortalitate,” by Cyprian of Carthage: This contem- conquests, disasters, assassinations, and the commemoration
porary Christian account provides most of the details we have of fallen heroes in bloody, high style.

CITY OF MIRACLES
Fall of the Western Roman Empire (402–410 CE)

The barbarians marched right past Ravenna, sacking Rome would be the start of a great schism that would witness the
instead. Its large naval base forced pirates to leave it largely permanent split of the Empire into West and East, and with
unmolested. It is a place of opportunity, to put down roots, it, the fall of the Camarilla…
to start a family, to make one’s fame and fortune, and, even-
tually, to be baptized. Over the centuries, it attracts emperors, Mood: Turmoil
regents, kings, and archbishops. What might this City of Breeds Opportunity
Miracles offer next? These brief few years are fraught with upheaval. The Western
For centuries, Kindred were posted in Ravenna, primarily as Empire and the Camarilla stand at a precipice. After this, there
an arm of the Legio Mortuum, but the appointed representa- is no going back. The Camarilla has survived setbacks before
tive of the Camarilla was not considered to hold an important — the Fire of Rome, plagues, erratic emperors, rises and falls
domain. Local vampires slept in the cemeteries outside town. of deities — but it always rose from the (at times, literal) ashes.
Initially, their havens comprised separate mausoleums and Not this time.
a few vaults, but no underground network like the grand For those with power, it’s an age of uncertainty and loss.
Necropolis of Rome. Established rules that organized Kindred relations and behav-
Then, Ravenna is thrust onto the political stage. Emperor ior for a thousand years crumble. As the Camarilla collapses,
Honorius moves the capital away from Rome, rebuilding the what becomes of its three Traditions? If no line divides the
city to make it fit as the official seat of emperors and legions. civilized Kindred from the barbarian vampire, all is left to
Marble edifices, temples, and great monuments were erected the Beast.
throughout Ravenna, beginning a trend of beautification that But for the upstart, it’s a time of chance, opportunity, clarity,
the Byzantines would eventually take to the greatest heights of and departure. The old guard is dust. Who will steer the survi-
mosaic art and gold gilding. vors? It could be you — if you have the cleverness and charisma
While many Senecti dutifully follow the Emperor to his new to wrangle disparate factions. If you appreciate the gathered
capital, no one is under the illusion that all of the Senex should power of the Sanctified, after all, the Empire is Christian now.
abandon Rome. Yet settling power in Ravenna proves prudent. The Wing of Apostles rises, and it prepares to deal a deathblow
Only eight years later, Alaric the Goth successfully sacks Rome, to its enemies.
and with his forces, the Striges make a final assault on the Ravenna pivots to a new future. When the unthinkable
Necropolis. Little could Honorius have known his decision becomes fact, anything goes.

Italic peoples established Ravenna as early as 1400 BCE. During the Crisis of the Third Century (p. 163), the frac-
It was occupied by the Etruscans and later the Gauls before tured Roman government and its rogue’s gallery of despots
joining the Roman Empire in 191 BCE. Set on a lagoon on left Ravenna and Classe in deep disrepair. In the 250s,
the Adriatic, its position provided the Romans with a prime and again in the 260s, roving bands of barbarians sacked
naval position. Augustus built the port of Classe just three Ravenna, and over the next fifty years, Classe’s silted harbor,
miles away, and this became the center of naval operations by no longer maintained, dried out and began to fill up. Despite
the 1st century BCE. this, Ravenna remained the sole easy landing point along
O sad, and sweet, and silent! surely here

A man might dwell apart from troublous fear…
Oscar Wilde, “Ravenna”

the northeastern coast of Italy, and so Roman officials (and Propinquus activity throughout this quiet rise and fall is
their Camarilla counterparts) continued to be posted there provincial. The city useful, but not important. Its Kindred
to keep an eye on the Adriatic and ensure the harbor wasn’t hold little influence, and mostly interact with Legio Mortuum
captured by enemies seeking to make landfall. At very least, dispatches posted as shadows to the living naval fleet. Camarilla
they might spot enemy ships moving past their port and send existence here is unsophisticated, old-fashioned, often influ-
early warning to Rome. enced by barbarian customs.
What Is to Come
Everything changes in 402. trying to fortify its authority. Those Kindred still possessing
Emperor Honorius moves the western capital to Ravenna. wealth and power show it off by hastily constructing statuary
Suddenly, this sleepy naval port is bustling with administration, and inscriptions to adorn their corridors and cellae. They
becoming the center of the corn dole distribution and grain compete for preeminence by staking out those regions closest
allotments. The Western Emperor and his highest officials now to the new Senex assembly beneath the Basilica.
live, meet, and plan here. The wealthy build expansive villas to
establish their importance to city and state. Stricter Rule
The New Capital But where does this leave the rest of the Midnight Republic?
In 404, a census is conducted across the Camarilla that
Wealth pours into both Ravenna and Classe: the former to be reveals membership in the Senex and Legio Mortuum has
beautified, the latter to be built up into a prosperous port. To been in steady decline for some time. In contrast, the Peregrine
house the increase in sailors and administration, a residential Collegium and Lancea et Sanctum are growing exponentially.
district swells to the south of the harbor, challenging the old The danger of this imbalance is obvious, but measures to
cemetery for domain. The Kindred say spirits are stirred up as minimize the threat are harder to determine.
graves are displaced and new monuments are built over old, Back in Rome, the remaining Senecti propose legal mea-
the forgotten pagan symbols replaced with venerated Christian sures to restrict the Embrace, effectively limiting neonates.
ones. Rome’s powerful may have dodged danger, but it still They claim this is necessary to maintain law and order. Some
churns beyond Ravenna’s walls. believe them, mostly those who cling to political power that’s
Rome has not been the capital since the end of the Crisis of steadily slipping away. The Sanctified vehemently oppose the
the Third Century, switching between numerous cities several motion but are overruled. The law passes, for all the good
times, but the Kindred have never felt the need to uproot. The it does.
Necropolis is the Camarilla’s capital, and the dead never had a In less than a year, the ineffectiveness of this policy is
need to be precisely where the Emperor dwells. repeatedly proven. There aren’t sufficient Legionaries to
This time is different. Many Senecti join the Emperor in enforce it, and many Untouchables Embrace in open con-
Ravenna, for the Ancients see something coming this time that tempt of the Senex’s bald-faced efforts to control them, many
they didn’t before. Few Kindred recognize this “new capital,” of whom join the Wing of Apostles. It all comes to a head
but many are drawn to its power nonetheless. when a Sanctified Senex member openly preaches against
their discrimination, citing that the vast majority of Rome
Necropolis Nova is Christian now. She is arrested. Yet, no public punishment
follows — no exsanguination or crucifixion. Rumor has it
While the kine build up and out, the Kindred build down she escapes to Ravenna. Kindred power is gathering there,
and within, casting shadows behind each new structure. With furthering disarray in Rome.
this expansion comes the need to establish a proper Necropolis.
Panic simmers just below the surface. Patrols increase.
This proves a difficult feat, as there are no limestone hills along
More Senex members, mostly Julii, flee to Ravenna under
the lagoon such as those surrounding Rome (and, some believe,
the thin excuse that they are going to consult the elders now
whatever dark magics preserve the Undercity are not present
here). What makes Ravenna so ideal as a harbor is its bay of silt,
perfect for bringing ships in close to shore. The lagoon can be
filled in and built up with canals, but “Necropolis Nova” will Fact vs. Fiction
struggle with unstable foundations and flooding. In real life, defining what counts as the capital
of Rome is rather arcane by this point, at least in
Instead, rather than building deep and in layers, the the Western Empire. Technically, it’s wherever the
Necropolis spreads out for miles, connecting to harbor through Emperor resides, and by that standard, the Eternal
shallow subterranean corridors. What appears to be two sep- City is briefly the capital during the same period
arate cities above ground — one political, one military — is, Ravenna is meant to be. We simplify history here.
underneath, the commingled Necropolis Nova, desperately

entrenched there. Their prudence/cowardice is swiftly proven for criminals to conduct their business, rebels to rise, and
when a string of assassinations and mysterious disappearances foederati to stake a claim.
cuts down a number of Julian Senecti. Conspiracies sprout up In 409, Rome abandons Britannia. Reports say those Kindred
that the Senex has consolidated those loyal to it in Ravenna still trapped in the region are in deadly conflict with a cult of
to purge any contenders in Rome who refuse to bow down. native vampires, wielding blood magic unknown to them. They
And a few dare whisper that the Nemeses are finally exacting are never heard from again.
their dreadful will. Meanwhile, the Wing of Apostles stands proud and powerful
in Ravenna; if Rome will not help them, the Witnesses will.
Things Fall Apart They see the End Times emerging from the dusk. All is smoke
The murders and betrayals of the past year will leave a polit- and confusion.
ical landscape that is almost unrecognizable.
In 407, an elder Mekhet seizes Alexandria, one of the oldest The End
domains in the Camarilla outside Rome herself. She begins In 410, Rome falls, and the Striges annihilate the Julii. What’s
a ruthless purge of all Camarilla elements, and many escape left of the Camarilla scatters, and the Lancea et Sanctum
to Ravenna rather than Rome, seeing the Eternal City as too prepares for its Kingdom of Night. In Ravenna, the remaining
chaotic. The ancient Seer is smoke and vengeful fire; some Senecti among the other clans inherit an impotent crown with
reports claim she is one of the Nemeses. Whatever she is, no head to rule. The Sanctified claim praxis, and none are left
she is unquestionably in control. She threatens to destroy to stop them.
any Roman vampire who enters her domain hereafter. She The residential district south of Classe explodes during this
is heeded. brief boom, encircled by a new protective wall — for all the good
The Senecti in Ravenna desperately try to maintain control it does. The Western Emperor moves the capital back to Rome
of their domain. With so many ancient Kindred killed in the in 450. As brightly as Ravenna shone, it shone briefly. Yet, both
Alexandrian purge, they offer positions of power to younger the city and its port will survive this upheaval.
vampires, those with ambition and the wealth to strengthen Hereafter, the Western Roman Empire is pocked with barbar-
their fledgling Necropolis Nova. They know they need to move ian invasions and further fracturing. Several bands of Germani
quickly because, by 408 CE, those Senecti left in Rome will (Visigoths, Burgundians, and Suebi) settle but aren’t accepted
reassert themselves as the true heirs of Aulus Julius, cutting as true citizens, forcing split loyalties among the residents who
Ravenna off from the Legion’s protection. They do not mention previously held these lands.
that they do so at the “suggestion” of Helvidius Bassianus, the
Meanwhile in the East, the other half of the Empire rises as an
War-Crow, general of the Legio Mortuum and eldest vampire
enemy. When Classe is restored, it will not be by Roman hands,
still in Rome.
but by order of King Theodoric of the Ostrogoths, who claims
The fractures that started a few years before become a full it as his own capital. In less than seventy years, the remnants
sundering. Loyalties divide, from the state level all the way down of the Western Roman Empire collapse utterly, and with it, the
to the coterie. The Legion fragments into private militias for last coils of the Camarilla. Europe splits into smaller factions
powerful Kindred, and deployments across the outskirts of the replete with warring kings, bishops, popes, and holy crusades.
Empire are left without orders. It becomes a prime opportunity The continent is primed to enter the Middle Ages.
Locations
Ravenna and Classe are two halves of a whole, and all the A series of cubicula house the current quaestor and his family,
space between and around them is swiftly filling up with both as well as the few servants and slaves that live on the premises.
the living and the dead as the world as they know it falls apart. Small shops are built into the outer walls, which are rented out
to craftspeople to provide some income for the house. Claudio
The Quaestor’s Domus Imbrex is the man to see about renting these spaces, even if the
quaestor’s stamp is required on the lease. To be granted one,
To give their new capital the grandeur befitting the Roman you’ll need to be able to serve Necropolis Nova.
Empire, Ravenna’s once-humble façades are built up with
Regardless of its official purpose, beneath the Quaestor’s
marble and monument. The domus assigned to the local
Domus lies the tomb of the preeminent Witness in Ravenna:
quaestor is a handsome affair built in the traditional Roman
Seraphina. Every night, the Sanctified gather to hear her
style but decorated in crosses. The cracks are only noticeable
preach, and by dawn ever more converts crawl back to their
at a scathing glance: the crumbled plaster on the walls, the
crypts. Her installation here sends a message to all Kindred
cracked stones surrounding the impluvium, the weeds choking
that, whatever the Senecti might proclaim, Ravenna is run by
the kitchen garden.
the Wing of Apostles.

The Porphyry Classe
In the cemetery southwest of the suburban sprawl, a porphyry Slightly south of Ravenna, Classe stands on a lagoon feeding
mausoleum stands with a now-forgotten patrician’s face carved into the Adriatic Sea. Here, the Roman fleet is maintained
above its doorway. The name has been scratched out, and the and launched, especially to defend the waterways from pirates
nose broken off; whether an intentional defacement or merely that plague the Mediterranean. At full capacity, the harbor can
the brutality of time is unknown. Graffiti has been carved hold 250 ships (mostly triremes, quadriremes, and liburnians).
into the stone beside the obliterated name, and if one looks In support of the navy, the harbor also holds barracks for the
closely, a Camarilla sigil is hidden within the scoring. This is sailors (and the Legion of the Dead), as well as an arsenal full
the primary entrance to Necropolis Nova, often referred to of weapons for warfare both on land and at sea.
simply as the Porphyry. It’s also something of a commercial port, as it’s out of the
Down a short flight of cold stone steps, a wide entrance way for marauding Germani, with storage for goods, taverns
chamber opens onto a series of tunnels that fan out to con- for sailors, and docks to repair damaged vessels. Some smaller
nect with other mausoleums, graves, and monuments across quarters can be found here, mostly for harbormasters, look-
Ravenna and Classe. When emergency meetings are held, it outs, and higher-ranking naval officers. Roads lead north to
is usually here, in the Porphyry’s entrance hall. The central Ravenna and more upscale residential districts, market places,
corridor leads to a chamber beneath the Quaestor’s Domus, and churches, while roads leading south and southwest lead
to crypts built into the city’s walls, as well as to the aqueduct, to the cemetery and the sprawling suburbs of laborers, retired
beneath which the Senex has recently set up a small assembly, sailors and their families, and freedmen.
despite their growing irrelevance. The land here is soft and silty, preventing Necropolis Nova
The living try to ignore the sprawling cemeteries that, until from spreading this far. Kindred need to travel the sailor’s
recently, served the navy’s dead. Thanks to the recent and hasty roads or take ships if they wish to navigate the harbor. While
removal of some of these gravesites to make room for more it may seem more exposed than the inland options for meet-
insulae, those who live nearest to the cemetery turn away from ing places, if a fight is brewing, the harbor is the best place
what they perceive as unhappy spirits. Sometimes they leave to arm yourself.
offerings at the mausoleum, trying to placate the restless manes.
The Dead of Ravenna

In the City of Miracles, a lot changes in a very short period impose their own commandments, too. Thou shalt Feed only
of time, even by human standards. The reckoning has come, on the Evildoer. Thou shalt always Honor thy Sire. Thou shalt
and soon, the Witnesses say there will be an apocalypse: a use the Blood to Deliver only the Goat into Damnation. After
final collapse of what was once the Camarilla. But before that all, they are pious, and their God is vengeful.
happens, where do Ravenna’s Propinqui stand? The Peregrine Collegium’s old class system burns with
Rome. Who will dare call them Strangers now? The few
The Wings who still cling to the old ways are powerless to enforce them
in Ravenna. The Collegium here upholds Greek ideals of
The Legion of the Dead has been here for centuries, and
democracy, welcoming in those freedmen or foederati that
no one’s under any illusions that Classe is a military town.
the old order denied. New allies greatly swell their member-
They control the waterways, which means they control how
ship, making them undeniably the largest faction among the
safe everyone — living and dead — in Ravenna remains. The
Kindred. But the more needs to manage, the harder it is to
responsibility that’s recently landed on the Legio Mortuum’s
reach a consensus — as the old Senex knew well. Thus far,
shoulders, to defend this rump Senex after its schism with
the biggest forces and financiers in Necropolis Nova are guild
Rome, has also given them great power. They haven’t been
tribunes like Orion (Crypt Masons), Aesarius (Merchants),
quiet about exercising it, either. They’ve had a long leash for
and Valeria Naunet (Shipwrights). If you need something, it’s
centuries, and they aren’t about to come to heel. The only one
their support you want to garner.
they’ll listen to is their praetor, Horatius Merula.
The Senex strives to be seen as the Camarilla’s sole legitimate
For the Apostles, it’s time to preach. Ravenna’s Church of
arbiters. Ignore the Romans! They may have brought centuries
the Dark Sacrament grows nightly. There are many new ears
of legacy with them when they set up in Ravenna, but the mortar
willing to listen to their apocalyptic message. They take in
is barely dry on the walls of their new assembly, the Aqueduct
destitute and shaken vampires who have lost everything in
Chambers, and there are an awful lot of new faces in their circle.
Rome, Alexandria, and everywhere at the hands of scrabbling
Perhaps they thought if they fled far enough, they could leave
political forces. They gather up ghoul retainers whose old
old sins behind. Some — mostly neonates — question their right
masters are ash and who now seek a new benefactor lest they
to rule. Others cling desperately to some sense of stability and
crumble like Lot’s wife. They uphold the Traditions, but they
normalcy, when everywhere signs point to anything but. Even

the Old Man isn’t blind to the fact that the Camarilla is losing The Merchant
its grip — not only on Ravenna. Aesarius made a name as a purveyor of all things mercantile
The Vaticinators are gone. However, while the wing was during the expansion of the Empire under Trajan. Aesarius,
proscribed in 380, it has holdouts in Ravenna, as represented seemingly on intimate terms with everyone, is effortlessly gre-
by the elder known as the Skeptic, who is forthright in her garious and known for their “wolf-bright smile.” Rumored to
refusal to bow to the Sanctified. That said, most former Augurs have once been a Gangrel follower of Cybele before moving on
in Ravenna are Strangers now, some having fled the Necropolis to more earthly interests, Aesarius’s status as one of the tertium
over thirty years ago. Rumor has it the last Regina Sacrorum sexus rankles conservative members of the Senex and Lancea
of the wing, Flaviana Galla, spent time here, but if so, she has et Sanctum. But then, they’re also unequivocally the richest
not been seen in years. For now, holdouts must practice the vampire in Ravenna, so it’s best to lick the hand that feeds.
Veneficium and their faith in secret. Vampires will always have Persuasion (Soft Sell) 4, Politics 3, Subterfuge 2
a need for the prophecy — or so these pagans believe — in one
form or another. The Shipwright
Valeria Naunet built fleets for Alexandria, and perhaps her
Notable Kindred long years of experience are the reason she was able to escape
intact. She came to Ravenna first as a refugee, but with the
The following figures are active and influential in Ravenna need to rebuild Classe Harbor, she swiftly rose through the
in this period. ranks with her practical knowhow and ability to charm Praetor
Merula with her Player ways. She might be his lover, but it would
The Ageless Smuggler
be a mistake to think she hasn’t earned every ounce of power
Old Amara Cento, a fisherwoman, followed her beloved to she’s clawed to her breast. Crafts (Shipwright) 4, Expression
Ravenna long ago. Unfortunately, sailors aren’t legally allowed 4, Persuasion 3, Politics 2
to marry while enlisted, so she built a shack near the shore and
fished while she waited. Her beloved died at sea (rumors tell The Ambitious Bureaucrat
conflicting stories about pirates), but she remained. Amara Petronius Corvinus is a Worm with pretenses to greatness,
knows things before other people even suspect. She can source despite being little more than a clerk appointed by the Senex
what folks need, even during famine or drought. Some say she to take a Kindred census of Ravenna’s booming population.
works for Aesarius, others that she can get you the things the However, beneath this bureaucratic cover, he’s gathering as
Mercantile Guild won’t touch. She’s ancient (and has been much information about the Witnesses as possible — where
ancient for a long time) but steady as ever, especially in a pinch. they meet, when, how many, who speaks, who listens, who
Crafts (Boats) 2, Streetwise 4, Subterfuge 3 nods along. If the Senecti have intentions of how to use this
information, he would never admit to such a thing — especially
The Augur Holdout
if it were true. Petronius believes in one thing only: advancing
Most often referred to as the Skeptic, Virgiliana is this Seer’s his position. So, you’d better prove useful if you want his help.
Roman appellation, though there are rumors she had other Academics (Bureaucracy) 3, Politics (Camarilla) 2, Stealth
names in other lives. As a keeper of mysteries, it’s impossible 2, Subterfuge 3
to force the Skeptic to tell you anything she doesn’t want you
to know. But as surly as she can be, she’s extremely accurate in The Quaestor’s Steward
her predictions. While she no longer calls herself a Vaticinator Decimus Claudius Imbrex has been stewarding the
for legal reasons, everyone knows what she’s up to. The Senex Quaestor’s Domus for centuries. While ostensibly serving the
here hope for some kind of bulwark against Seraphina, and for official appointed by the Emperor, Claudius is a Senex ghoul
this, they have delayed taking any action against the Skeptic. It in a unique position to carry information from the mortal state
helps that many of them still secretly rely on her for prophecies. to the Camarilla. Ultimately, Claudius is custodian to both the
Occult 4, Medicine 3, Religion (Old Gods of Italy) 5 seat and the one who sits in it. He’s notoriously tight-lipped
and tight-fisted, watching power changing hands with a dour
The Stonemason
expression and an unflappable lack of sentiment. Academics
Orion came to prominence during the Cyprian plague, 2, Politics 4, Socialize 3
when the old roads were littered with dead and the cemeteries
overflowed. He also witnessed (and survived) the horrors of the The Rising Star
Unconquered Sun. A skilled stonemason even for a Worm, he Tullia Juno is a decades-old Julii who fled Alexandria for
developed new ways to prevent crypts from being penetrated by Ravenna. She survived the Mekhet purge and now takes up her
the sun. Ravenna was an obvious destination when it became position in the capital’s new Assembly under the Quaestor’s
the new capital, and he’s accumulated a great deal of influence Domus. She’s clever, sharp-witted, and keen-eyed. Having
in overseeing the building of the Porphyry underground. None experienced turmoil and upheaval once and survived it, she’s
know the tunnels and all their secrets as well as Orion. Crafts quick to sniff out any hint of rebellion, insubordination, or
(Masonry) 5, Politics 3, Streetwise 2 riot. However, she may be a little too effective for the older

(and more corrupt) Senecti to sit comfortably. Persuasion 3, The Principle Witness
Politics 3, Subterfuge 3 Beneath the Quaestor’s Domus lies the Church of the Dark
Sacrament, haven of the preeminent Witness in Ravenna:
The Ruthless Praetor Seraphina. This Mekhet preaches night after night, and the
Praetor Horatius Merula is a venerable soldier and sailor. more she does, the more her flock grows. It’s not just that her
Even for a Wanderer he’s crude, and cutting, and his conscience claims about the Kingdom of Night seem to be unfolding as
as colder than marble. Tales of his surviving in a shipwreck she speaks, but as the creator (she would say, God’s recipient)
through two sunrises before reaching land have risen to mythic of the Reveal Judas Miracle, she has the power to back up her
proportions among the local Kindred, and some say he’s been preaching. That said, she isn’t as orthodox as many Sanctified
fighting for over 400 years, both alive and dead. He’s learned would like. She’s cobbled together her own list of “dark com-
a lot in that time, like the fact that heads of state come and go. mandments” based on what some Witnesses consider faulty
The only folk he relies on now is his battalion. He’s like a father reasoning. While most are trivial (at least to outsiders) mat-
to them, and their obedience is nigh worship. He hasn’t taken ters of doctrine, it’s the following one that makes even some
kindly to the Senex moving into his city, but they know better Sanctified fear she may be planning to go too far: You shall usher
than to order him about. If you want the Legion’s help, you in the End Times by all the means of your Dark Gifts. Academics
ask Merula. Nicely. Brawl 4, Ride 3, Warfare 4, Weaponry 4 (Theban Sorcery) 4, Occult 2, Religion 4, Warfare 2
Playing the Game

The combination of centuries with little oversight from day. Treat her Humanity as one dot higher for the purposes of
the old capital, the influx of survivors from the purges in calculating sunlight damage when on the open ocean.
Alexandria and Rome’s Necropolis, and the stranglehold the
Wing of Apostles has over Ravenna have led to more (open) Shattered Trust (••)
collaboration between Witnesses in developing their blood Prerequisites: Wits •••, Empathy ••
sorcery. No longer do the Sanctified cringe in separate hovels; in Effect: It’s not paranoia if they’re out to get you. Your
Ravenna, they make miracles to do the Dark Father’s dark work. character anticipates betrayal, disappointment, and broken
Living (metaphorically speaking) in the new capital requires promises from even their closest allies. All actions to detect
the development of specific skills that will help prevent — or at lies exceptionally succeed with three successes instead of five.
least enable one to survive — the kind of cataclysm that ravaged Drawback: Paranoia impedes other social graces. Smiles
Alexandria and now threatens Rome. never quite reach the eyes; commitments always feel slightly
lukewarm. In situations when your character requires trust
New Merits from others, she suffers a persistent 1-die penalty on all relevant
The following Merits are available to the Kindred of Ravenna. Social actions.
Guild Member (•) New Miracle

Prerequisites: Peregrine Collegium Status ••, Crafts •• or The following miracle is an innovation of Seraphina, a
Persuasion •• secret she only reveals to her most trusted followers. She
Effect: Your character is a member of one of Ravenna’s three sometimes asks her flock to submit to it willingly to prove
powerful artisan guilds: the Grave Masons, the Merchants, or their loyalty and faith.
the Shipwrights. When you take this Merit, gain a Specialty
related to one of these professions in Crafts or Persuasion Reveal Judas (•••)
(Grave Masons and Shipwrights for the former, Merchants Sacrament: A cone of sacramental incense, made from the
for the latter). Furthermore, treat your Wing Status as one ashes of an incinerated Witness, blended with Myrrh, and a
dot higher when dealing with Untouchables who aren’t part point of Vitae, consecrated by a Sanctified priest.
of the guilds. Contested: by Composure + Blood Potency
Old Salt (••) This ritual requires careful preparation, which can be com-
pleted as part of its request. The Sanctified draws a cross on the
Prerequisites: Sailing Specialty in Athletics or Crafts
floor or ceiling of the room in which the ritual is to take effect.
Effect: From a Requiem spent on the ocean, your character She may then state a betrayal she suspects. Those the Witness
becomes more resilient to reflected sunlight, able to withstand would judge must enter the ritual space of their own free will,
early dawn, and is even resistant to daylight on heavily overcast but once they do, each must resist the ritualist’s successes with
or stormy days — so long as direct sunlight doesn’t touch her. the dice pool above. In the ritualist’s vision, any individuals
It’s also easier to pass unheeded amongst sailors during the present who have betrayed her will appear with a silvery aura.

City of Miracles is an excellent era for Storytellers weaving and their contacts. Show the cracks in the Camarilla. Force
a chronicle focused on political intrigue, battles of wills, or them to take sides.
thematic murder mysteries. Since there are only eight years Keep tensions high with a need for swift decision-making
from the time Ravenna became the capital to the Midnight and rapid reactions to those decisions. Remember, this is a
Republic’s collapse, chronicles can easily span this window, whirlwind period where the halls of power permanently change:
perhaps even feeding into Fall of the Camarilla, whose events the upswing Wing of Apostles will soon be the only real power
overlap this era. among the European dead.
You don’t need to be a history buff, as most of the drama In these tumultuous nights, there’s sure to be a betrayal or
centers on the progression of Senex politics mentioned above two. Keep players guessing about each clue they uncover or
and the jostling between the wings to maintain (or make a grab piece of information they receive. Sow doubt as to whether
for) power. Players can place themselves in the midst of the they can trust what they’re told. And don’t let it be forgotten
action by picking a side. Using a breathless tempo encourages that, beyond any immediate danger, the end times are brewing.
players to work together to uncover the enemy and save their
own necks.
As older members of Sodalitas Pernox flee to the city or Senex vs. Sanctified
meet Final Death, opportunities will open for your players Conflict between the crumbling Senex and the ascendant
to step into. Use a prophet (whether a Sanctified zealot or an Lancea et Sanctum has reached its boiling point. Now the
Augur holdout) to provide drastic events to prevent, such as second-largest wing (after the Peregrine Collegium), the
preventing the next assassination. Suspecting fragments of the Witnesses are demanding obedience — both in the forum and
inevitable — and the various interpretations of these predic- the streets. More than just having vast followers and influence,
tions through different lenses of religion and class — will add the Sanctified have conviction. These are vampires willing to
a deeper layer to the political intrigue between your characters literally burn to prove their faith. They stand on principle,

believing in a power higher than any Old Man can contain. tested. They can’t not be in a society where laws are passed that
This makes them difficult to reason with, bribe, or intimidate. affect Sanctified in ways other wings are exempt. If pushed to
Meanwhile, the Senecti know their power is slipping, but they choose between the wing that gives her unstable status, dutiful
don’t have the forces they once did to enforce their Traditions. purpose, and a jockeying position in society… and a wing that
It’s all they can do to hold the Camarilla together as it falls calls her to a higher purpose, validates her beliefs, celebrates
apart at the seams. her faith, and allows her to work with others who agree with
The Storyteller can leverage this dichotomy by pitting a her vision for Rome… what will a vampire choose?
cast of vitriolic Senecti against your players’ coterie of upstart Consider what situations you can press your players into that
young Witnesses. More experienced players may wish to force them to choose between belief and duty. At what point
take on the roles of the old guard, struggling to survive the does a personal belief drive them out of their wing or compel
dissolution of all they’ve known and being haunted by all them to join the Church Eternal, in body and soul? Consider
their mistakes coming home to roost. One timeline option the impact of being part of a movement, of finding meaning
is beginning in the year 405 CE, when established members again after a hundred years spent in ruinous slaughter among
of the wings are in the midst of a spree of assassinations, the Legion’s ranks. Consider a faith that might finally allow
shifting loyalties, and slipping control. Have each player pick a despised and rejected Worm to enter the gates of Heaven.
a secret goal the other members of the troupe don’t know, Consider the idea of sin and corruption of the soul; compare
while outwardly setting them all working together as allies. it to a message of inner virtue and redemption. The Sanctified
This can make for an emotionally and morally tense game as claim it’s never too late to turn towards salvation — even if they
players forge alliances, betray confidences, and keep guessing must be devils to do it.
as they try to survive the year. Then ask what the Nemeses might think and feel and do
Even if neonates sneer at their elders and question the old about hundreds of thousands of Kindred turning their backs
ways, they can’t ignore the decay all around them. When the on the Beast…
wings fracture, the Camarilla will cease to function. Without
it, every vampire throughout the Empire will stand — and
fall — alone.
Story Seeds
Exploring current political ills through this age of corruption
Duty vs. Faith and power schisms can give players less familiar with Ancient
Rome a powerful anchor. The following story seeds are potential
Unlike the other wings with their express and specific roles hooks to get your players into a cutthroat mood.
in Sodalitas Pernox, the Lancea et Sanctum represents faith
and moral drive. Faith can rise from any faction, bloodline, The Purge
or background. And that is part of their allure. Yes, the old Senex members are dropping dread. Final Death dead.
pantheon was ostensibly for everyone; it could be argued that Kindred the coterie have known for years are cut down in dis-
accepting territorial gods was part of what enabled Rome to honorable, embarrassing, or gruesome ways. But with each one
swallow so many different peoples as it expanded its borders. that crumbles to ash, they’re forced to scrutinize the survivors’
But with so many deities, power was diffused across countless faces, wondering: which of them is behind this?
domains, some of which were so specific their influence was
rendered little more than that of a familial lar. The Augurs What Is Happening?
might have once performed rites for all and sundry, but they A vicious spree of murders and other power games in
didn’t have to believe in the gods they were paying tribute to. Rome caused many Senecti to exodus to Necropolis Nova.
The Sanctified do believe. Even when different cults disagree Rumors say an assassin has followed them north, and now
on the specifics of their holy texts or when they uphold different they’re making their way through Ravenna’s elite. If so, who
precepts, they all agree on a single, all-powerful, all-knowing are they and who hired them? Who is benefiting from this
God. That, in turn, gives followers power and focus. They can destruction? Another rumor says this is merely a new round
band together under one banner, united by a shared faith, in a of backstabbing in a seemingly unending, gory, chain reaction
way no other wing can. Just as Christianity has swept through of revenge. Only by finding what started this cycle of violence
the Roman Empire, so too has the Wing of Apostles sunk its is there any hope of ending it. Until then, the city is held
teeth into the All Night Society’s psyche. Perhaps your players hostage by paranoid leaders. Instability shakes the wings to
are new to this faith. Who did they alienate in their conversion? their foundations.
What new allies might they gain? Is the conversion genuine or Depending on how the public feels about the current powers
merely a matter of political adroitness? that be, they may not want the killings to stop. Some dare to
Unlike the old wings, the Sanctified encourage cross-mem- welcome this carnage openly: Let fate run its course and clear
berships to a far higher degree. One can be a magistrate for the the whole rotted lot out. But if that happens, the infrastructure
Collegium and a Witness. One can be a celebrated Soldier and of the All Night Society will grind to a halt in Ravenna. No
Sanctified. One can even stand as a member of the Senex and disputes settled, no supplies provided, no incomes paid. And
an Apostle… to a point. But eventually, all allegiances will be that affects everyone. Especially the coterie.

No matter how vindictive or disgruntled a vampire’s dispo- Soldiers track the enemies of the state, capture them, bring
sition toward their colleagues, each victim did perform a vital them to trial, and — when needed — mete out punishments.
function for the state (or at least less corruptly compared with They haven’t brought in any assassin because they’d never
others). Administration is still needed to keep society running. dare turn on their own. Why bend the knee to a bunch
With so many Senecti gone, very few are left who know the ins of withered cowards who fled to his city just because the
and outs of Legislatio, and someone has to take up the slack. barbarians are raising arms again? The Empire has a long
Someone needs to hear out petitioners and find resolutions. history of coups, and this one is no different. Submit. There
Those key positions stand empty. Whoever fills them will need are worse vampires to serve.
either a surviving member’s support or must take her new
position by force. It’s a dangerous offering, irresistibly dangling The Heresy
there. Let’s hope it’s not a trap. Civil war is simmering in the City of Miracles, fought
Considering making a timeline for when each assassination for the soul of Sodalitas Pernox. Or what remains of it. Its
takes place, with clues that can be gathered from each murder champions are Seraphina in one corner and Tullia Juno in
(see Chronicles of Darkness, p. 77). Depending on how much the other. Members of every wing need to choose sides. Do
freedom you want to give your players, you can either have the they support Camarilla law, or do they defy it once and for
order of assassinations set, or you can randomize their Final all and embrace the Word of Longinus?
Deaths to keep everyone guessing.
What Is Happening?
Who Are the Characters? Sanctified throughout the Empire have crawled up from
The characters are likely sitting members of the Assembly their scattered congregations to join the Church of the Dark
(though not necessarily from the Senex) so that this string Sacrament. In their vast numbers, they now have almost total
of assassinations directly affects them in gutting or personal control over the city and its immortal inhabitants. Seraphina
ways. All of the characters should have a personal reason to has stoked a holy fire within them, teaching them miracles
want to stop the murders and to find the one responsible. and urging them to “proselytize” until they’ve dealt with every
But, depending on where their loyalties lie, their personal sinner in Ravenna. The End Times are nearly here, and she
needs and motivations may clash as they chase down multiple believes she’s their herald. When that holy storm breaks, she
different leads, such that they don’t know if they can even would have Ravenna be the seat of a Dark Eden.
trust each other. In contrast, Tulia Juno defies the Dark Sacrament’s extrem-
ism, holding to the Camarilla’s time-tested Traditions. She
Possible Resolutions
points out that even the Sanctified are protected as Kindred
• Tullia Juno is secretly an agent provocateur from Rome. If under Camarilla law and warns that Seraphina’s ethos will see
captured and forced to confess who she’s working for, she the Masquerade shattered and armies of kine descending on
names the first Legislator she took down. Was that victim them. She demands order, patience, and duty, and she even has
truly destroyed, or are they in hiding somewhere still and the ear of more moderate Sanctified. Backing up Juno’s stance,
pulling the strings? Juno could be laying the blame on some- the Skeptic proclaims a dire vision: Seraphina’s ascension will
one who can’t be questioned to hide her own agenda — but cause an apocalypse to break over them all, but not one the
what does she want? To take over the Senex in Ravenna, to Sanctified desire. When that night comes, the most zealous
eradicate city’s claim to power entirely, or to bring the local Witnesses will be the first struck down. Her predictions have
Camarilla crashing down to make way for the young guard never been wrong before.
of vampires she represents?
Under the charisma and influence of these two vampires,
• The Skeptic seeks vengeance for what the Senex did to her alliances are splitting Ravenna down the middle. Violence is
wing. One night, a voice whispered to her from the dark, on the rise. Faithful in all the wings are leaving their posts to
tempting her with offers. Power, fortune, and position all join the Dark Sacrament — or worse, holding to their posts
failed to lure her. But revenge? For that, she stirred. She let and using the Church’s power to subvert its resources to serve
the Strix possess her, watching impassively as it used her Seraphina’s whims. And as more Kindred accept her unique
to devour those with the strongest Vitae. How will she be interpretation of the Testament, more feel justified in defying
brought to justice when those who pass judgment have been the Senex.
eliminated? And surely a Seer so ensconced in prophecy will
see her own end coming. Perhaps she wants it all to end. Who Are the Characters?
She knows the Camarilla is soon to fall, and with it, the last Each member of the coterie should give special consideration
vestiges of her world. to their faith, as belief lies at the crux of this story. Even if they
aren’t devout, the political climate makes it impossible to sit
• After a few hundred years of free reign over Ravenna,
on the fence. They need not all agree, and during the course
Horatius Merula decides he has no need of this upstart
of events — as both ringleaders are proven fallible — some may
Senex. The Legion has all the structure and power the city
change their alliances.
needs to weather the current political upheaval. He and his

Possible Resolutions • With the help of the coterie (or despite them), Seraphina seizes
• The coterie helps Tullia Juno destroy the Church of the Dark Ravenna using key infiltrators secretly installed in each wing.
Sacrament, scattering its followers and executing Seraphina To cement her reign, she makes a spectacle of Juno and the
before the dawn. Her adherents are forced to publicly Skeptic’s executions, employing horrible miracles known only
renounce her theology and swear an oath to uphold the to her. But how does she control the remaining citizens? Some
Traditions (as long as they last, at least). Those who refuse Kindred can be bought, but others are more rigid in their
are lashed to a raft and set adrift into the dawn of Classe beliefs or hold more tightly to their positions, like Horatius
Harbor as punishment. But how can the characters be sure Merula and the three guild masters. And how does Seraphina
they’ve caught every last believer? actually use the power she gains? Was the Skeptic right all along,
with the Bishop’s success ushering in utter disaster?
Inspirational Media
Legionary: Empire of Shades, by Gordon Doherty: Set in capital, here’s a view of what the city looked like after the
379 CE, this historical fiction sets the stage for the danger Camarilla’s collapse.
presented by the invading Goths. The focus is on legionaries The Vampire Lestat, by Anne Rice: Through the history
and the everyman’s attempt to maintain tradition and order of its titular hero, we meet a Satanic cult of vampires, a
in the face of chaos, while the army finds itself once again vampire turned during the reign of Julius Caesar, and beliefs
without an emperor. that span back thousands of years to Egypt. Throughout, the
Lest Darkness Fall, by L. Sprague de Camp: This alternate book examines the idea of belief and how it can sustain an
history sees a historian transported back to 535 CE during immortal through centuries as the world he was born into
the reign of the Ostrogoths. Seeing as Ravenna was their decays around him.

Interlude V
t pains them to acknowledge me, almost as “I’m well, Sister. You wanted to speak with me?”
I much as it pains me to be acknowledged.

I am Gaius Decius Murena, the eel mer-
chant. That is how I saw myself, well before I was
“Join me in the spectator’s area.”
She leads me to a quiet and overlooked corner of
the hall where we wait and I watch. It’s been years
dead. Long before I was Sanctified. But it’s been since I’ve seen the Senex meet. It’s normally a ribald
nearly half a century since I last drew meaningful affair, with passionate debates, cruel turnabout,
breath, and those memories grow pale and translu- and even occasional audience participation. Like
cent like spider silk before my mind’s eye. deadly theater.
The men in front of me are members of the Senex, But this is not the Old Man I remember. The
garbed in purple and crimson, but when we met, Kindred trickle in, garbed in the same colors as
things were different. The Necropolis didn’t ring my friends at the door, but there’s stiffness in
with chants and prayers to the Dark Messiah. Then, their motions, and when order is called, I notice
these men spat on me and ridiculed me, forbade me less than half the seats are filled. The ceremonies
to enter the grander chambers of the tunnels. Now, that would have taken a night now last barely an
they’re forced to nod in respect. hour, with discussion and debate anemic against
“Deacon Murena,” they both murmur. the raging torrent in my memory.
I bury my loathing and genuflect. “Ave “Ave,, gentle- “The Founders’ will is broken,” Rhetrix whispers
men… a pleasure, as always. I was told—” in my ear, “as you’ve seen with Blasius and Messor
“Yes,” Blasius, the taller of the two, gestures to the outside. Almost makes one miss Corbulo. At least
doors to the Assembly. “Rhetrix is—” the pig could write.” She sneers at some private joke
“Sister Rhetrix,” the shorter, Messor, interjects, and continues. “Those who still possess their spines
“is inside. Alone.” are few, like that viper Aurelia or that pampered
bitch Sabina.” She pauses. “Between the two, who
I stare for a long moment at the oak doors
would you place your bet?”
barring entry to the Assembly. They are wide
and grim, with haunting bone inlays that show “Gambling is a sin, Sister.”
the Camarilla’s history. How long ago would the “For the living. Humor me. This is a place of
thought of a Witness being allowed entry into this rhetoric, after all.”
space be unthinkable? I pause. “Sabina.”
I know the answer but prefer not to dwell on it. I Rhetrix turns and searches my face for something.
wish both men their perfunctory good fortune and She scowls as if finding confirmation to a question
push through the doors. As I step through, the two I don’t know I’m being asked.
Julii shut them behind me, and I pray this is not a trap. “Not that it matters,” she continues. “The real
Thankfully, it is not. reason they’re dying is their lot. Once the Senex
A woman stands, draped in a simple hooded robe was the Julii, but the clan is vanishing. Thankfully.
of linen. Returning to whence they came…”
“Murena, blessings on you. I pray you’ve been “Have they? Perhaps it’s—”
keeping safe.” Marciana Longina Rhetrix turns to “Tut. Everyone knows, Murena. There’s no use
me, and in the dim light, she looks even older than pretending you don’t. The “Nobles” are finished.”
her sixty years. I could be her grandson, though I “Yes,” I reply, not realizing the look on my face.
know for a fact I was born two years before her. “I know what you are, Murena.”
182
“Oh?” and wrath. He’s begun to call himself ‘The Sword
“Yes,” she says as she keeps her eyes on the debate. of God.’”
“And I don’t care. Honestly, I don’t. I think your lot “Again, Sister
Sister,, what would you have me do?”
is doing God’s work in the end, and that’s all I really “Well, Murena
Murena… … I do so loathe blasphemy. It
care about.” ought to be punished.”
“Is that why you brought me here? Exposure?” I pretend to consider. “He’s formidable. Many
“No. I wanted to converse in a public place. And followers. Many friends.”
ask a favor of you, if you would be so willing.” “Oh yes. But I’m a patient woman, Murena, and
“What would you have me do?” friends always seem to fall away with time. Perhaps
“Pestilens has overreached. His unclean thirst I’m bitter. Another sin. But I’m leaving the city for a
harms even the Christians of the city. The Senex while, you see. Perhaps in my absence, the Almighty
fears another plague and will speak of it after this — or whoever may be listening — will see that my
stupid, pointless debate. And yet, no matter how brother finds a new purpose.”
many times the Ancients sentence him to Final She smiles and turns back to the debate. “The
Death, he escapes. His vices have grown: pride Dark Father always has need of new martyrs…”
183
CHAPTER FIVE
MORTUI IMPII
One thing is in the least certain — nothing certain exists,
and that nothing is more pitiable, or more presumptuous, than man!
— Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia
Upstart neonates think they’re masters of the night, mis- • Aventine Harpies: The Sibyls read Kindred futures, and pity
taking themselves for hunters when they’re really parasites. any Nefastus who catches their interest.
The real predators lurk in deeper shadows than the Propinqui
• Cineres: The Whispering Ashes know family is everything,
do, for the Roman night is far stranger than any vampire can
and if you ever forget that, they’ll teach you why.
imagine. Woe to the fool who believes she can vanquish all
foes, for she’s as good a meal as any mortal. • Colossi: The Ichor Giants call themselves gods of the dead,
This chapter covers a legion of antagonists and allies the and no one’s yet found the courage to contradict them.
dead may encounter: • The Cult of Faces: The Waxen love your look. Shame you’re
In the heart of Greece, another predator stalks the night, so still using it…
like the Kindred yet not of their ilk. But the Bourkolakes are • Lamiae: The Child-Eaters are some of the most wretched of
truly damned, and one night, if the Propinqui get their way, the beasts that hunt the night, cursed to prey on the innocent
these Returned won’t even have that to their name. and anyone they hold dear.
The Striges are the true nature of the Beast laid bare in black-
smoke form. They neither forgive nor forget, and the Founders • Plani: The Lures are the price you pay for being a bloodthirsty
will pay for what they did. monster, specters of past kills hungry for revenge.
When Senex forged his Camarilla, he did so drenched in • Reflections: The Kas haunt those Mekhet who still practice
the Vitae of another clan, traitors to the Blood whose name the ways of their purported homeland.
he forever marked taboo upon Kindred tongues. Who were • The Sabine Order: The Quaestors use the organs of the
these Traditores, and what crime did they really commit to Roman state to purge the Kindred and their corruption.
earn oblivion?
• Tullians: The Fire-Marked are walking banes to the Kindred.
Finally, the dead may have conquered the known world
It’s their birthright, but more than that, it’s their destiny.
in Rome’s shadow, but they are not alone. Horrid legions
share the night, unbound from the laws and customs of the • Vitae Angels: The Caelestes claim they’re God’s messengers,
All Night Society. but where their loyalty truly lies depends on their whims.
CHAPTER FIVE: MORTUI IMPII 185

BOURKOLAKES
THE ACCURSED DEAD
Returned, Wolf-Skinned, Anathemata
You wake in the middle of the night, a great weight pressing upon Origins
your chest.
The eldest Bourkolakes claim to have been created by the
You open your eyes and see a monster perched on top of you. gods, cursed to wander, feeding on the ones they loved and
It seems to suck the breath right from your lungs, just by holding always yearning for what can never be. Others say Hecate cursed
you down. Its grip is iron, and you cannot break free. The monster the first unnamed blasphemer with undeath in the ages before
smiles, leans down, and runs his hand across your face. history was recorded. However, few remember these tales; the
You recognize that hand. You know who it belongs to, just as you Returned have a weak sense of history. Even their name is
know he died two weeks ago. an oddity, a borrowing from the Venedi who dwell north of
“My love, I’ve come back to you…” Greece: Wolf-Skinned.
Ask any farmer, statesman, or widow in Greece, and they’ll Bourkolakes are born in solitude. Rising spontaneously from
tell you. If there’s a single knock at your door in the dead of the corpses of blasphemers, the accursed, and the unlucky,
night, do not open it — no matter how much you miss the Anathemata have no sires to teach them how to adapt to their
person on the other side. hungers. Compelled to return to their old lives, they often
When blasphemers die, cut off their heads before you bury devour their families or neighbors before they understand
them. When someone’s murdered, bind their limbs down in what’s happened to them, only to be butchered in their slumber.
their graves. And when the dead rise, put them down. Tales of the Bourkolakas are common in Greece, and villages
will band together to kill the monsters when they appear. To
Background survive, most Returned either brutalize the living into surren-
der, retreat into the wilderness like animals, or find a way to
The Bourkolakes are (were) the vampires of Greece. They convince the mortals to tolerate their presence. Some desperate
are not Kindred. Not yet. Hellenic Nosferatu sometimes speak villages will offer a Bourkolakas food and safety in exchange
of these creatures, kin after a kind, but where the Worms for protection from their enemies, but such guardians often
burrowed beneath the city-states and colonies of Greece, the become petty tyrants, lording over their backwaters as their
Returned preferred wild and rural environs. appetites and power grow.
There are many ways to become a Bourkolakas: If you For untold centuries, this is how the Returned existed, until
blaspheme against the gods, if you’re cursed or ill-omened, or monsters came from across the sea.
if your grave is desecrated on Greek soil, you may wake from
death and return to the world of the living, cast out of Hades. The Imperialist Dead
The Returned feast on the living, spreading sickness in their As the Roman Empire expanded, the Propinqui licked their
wake and prowling backroads and villages like beasts. But fangs and set sail to conquer. But even though the Roman
despite their monstrous appetites and strange appearance, many Republic seized Greece’s cities, the Camarilla found unexpected
Bourkolakes are compelled to revisit their homes and families, resistance in the backroads and wayward villages of this new
driven to recapture some semblance of their former lives. In territory. Those isolated lands belonged to the Bourkolakes,
the end, they are always doomed to fail. and they would die before surrendering it to Roman savages.
The Bourkolakes are mighty, and like Kindred, grow in Though the Returned know the land better than their
power as time passes. But they cannot Embrace, and their would-be masters, the Propinqui are winning. Their superior
numbers were never great even in their homeland. Every organization and numbers have already eradicated many of their
Greek knows about the Bourkolakes and how to put them Greek “cousins.” But one cannot simply kill the Bourkolakes
down. The Romans never learned to kill their parasites. Look and be done with them. As long as there are blasphemers and
where it got them. upturned graves in Greece, they will rise again.
Let me in.

The Senex does not understand the Legion of the Dead’s
obsession with controlling Greece’s most remote hamlets
and least useful roads. They scoff at these Hellene dead and
can’t imagine them posing a real threat to Sodalitas Pernox.
Indeed, the Night Senate may soon withdraw its support
for the effort. The Legion knows this would be a mistake.
In the wake of the Midnight Republic’s campaign, more
and more Bourkolakes have begun to realize they’re not
alone. Some have begun to search for other Returned, or to
desecrate graves in an attempt to create more of their kind.
Some even want to join the Camarilla.
Rumors
“Have you seen Oenone? It’s ghastly. She goes missing for days,
shows back up in such a state, and her husband just... He sees it,
no? He must. We all know what she is. I don’t understand how he
can live with… with that thing. Puts us all in danger. Don’t leave
a single door open at night. Not a one.”
Oenone was a farmer’s daughter who grew up to become
a farmer’s wife. She lived her whole life in the same remote
coastal village. If you’d asked her, she’d have told you she was
very happy. Then, on a trip to a nearby village, she slipped,
fell into the sea, and drowned. The next night, she awoke a
Bourkolakas. Oenone knew what she’d become, and wandered
the woods for days, too frightened to return to her family.
Eventually, however, the desire to come home overwhelmed
her. Sick with grief, Oenone’s husband and all her children
welcomed her back with open arms. They know she’s not
the same, but they try to love her anyway. They take turns,
offering her their breath. She feeds as infrequently as she can
without starving herself. At night, you can see her working
her family’s fields, reveling in her new strength and power.
But her family is always tired now, and her littlest one keeps
getting sick. Oenone doesn’t know if she can keep hurting
them. Maybe she can ask the village if they can come to some
sort of arrangement. She’ll convince them, one way or another.
“Dry your tears, boy. Weeping won’t bring you justice. I may
know a way to balance the scales. Have you heard of the Man of
the Woods? If you travel up the hill in the dead of night and offer
him a sacrifice, a goat or something bigger, he may hear you. But
don’t speak out of turn — and never turn your back to him. He is
hungry, and he is cruel, but he hates oathbreakers above all. If your
brother’s done all you say, he’ll be dead in a week.”
Menekrates was once a noble and wealthy man of Athens,
who took great glee in litigating his neighbors into poverty
until one of them murdered him. He returned from death
a few nights later, took his revenge, and tried to resume his
mortal life. Unfortunately, no one wanted him back. He was
cast out and run into the woods. For decades he’s seethed
there, slowly losing all but the last vestiges of his Humanity.
But even though he is a ragged, bestial creature, he still loves
the law. Nothing brings him greater joy than revenging those
who have been wronged by the filthy, horrid denizens of
Athens. He appreciates the gifts people leave for him, but
really, he’ll take any excuse to kill an oathbreaker.

He fled the sound of his daughter’s weeping, ran until he fell
into the earth itself and slept. When he next woke, at night
Katara: The Curse That Binds once more, his wife and daughter were gone. No matter. He’d
Some Bourkolakes wield a Ritual Discipline called
Katara. This blood sorcery functions like Crúac, but find them. He can smell their scent in the air. He will apolo-
it focuses on curses and maledictions, and it has no gize, explain why he would never hurt them — anyone — ever
reverence for the gods. Spending additional Vitae again. Then they will be a family again.
does not grant bonuses to cast a Katara rite, but if
a ritual is cast on cursed land, desecrated ground, or Clan: Bourkolakas
under an ill-omen, the roll enjoys a 1-to-3-die bonus Mask: Idealist
at the Storyteller’s discretion.
Dirge: Lar
Touchstones: Zosime, his wife (6), and Phillipa, his
“Though beautiful, the isle of Thera is the most accursed place in all
daughter (5).
of Greece. At night, you can hear the shades of the dead wailing across Mental Attributes: Intelligence 2, Wits 2, Resolve 4
the waters, and hungry eyes watch from every shadow. They call it the Physical Attributes: Strength 5, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3
Island of Bourkolakes, for all the monsters that rise from its cursed soil.
It is the one place in Greece the Camarilla has never laid claim, as Social Attributes: Presence 3, Manipulation 1,
Composure 2
no Propinquus who ever set foot on its baleful soil has ever returned.”
Thera is cursed. Bourkolakes, ghosts, and other horrors rise Mental Skills: Crafts 2, Medicine 1, Occult 1
from its shores as often as the tide, but it’s the living people of Physical Skills: Athletics (Labor) 3, Brawl 2, Larceny 1,
the island who should frighten the Camarilla. The Therans have Ride 2, Survival (Hidden Trails) 2, Weaponry 1
been killing monsters since gods walked the earth. Others from Social Skills: Animal Ken (Farm Animals) 2, Empathy
far and wide ship their unquiet dead to the island for execution 2, Socialize 1, Subterfuge 1
and burial. The islanders practice a strange form of pharmakeia,
magics that render them immune to the blood bond and allow Merits: Acute Senses, Giant, Indomitable 2, Touchstone
1, Trained Observer 3
them to enslave ghosts, and even Kindred. They hold packs of
Bourkolakes in thrall and use them like hunting dogs against Disciplines: Obfuscate 1, Protean 3, Vigor 2
Propinqui who dare land on the island. The Camarilla should Blood Potency: 2
pray the Therans never leave their home.
Health: 9
Phillipos Willpower: 6
Humanity: 6
“It’s still me. I’m still me! Please, open the door...”
One night, Phillipos came home to his young wife and Size: 5
daughter, as he did every night after the harvest. It was a hard Speed: 10
day in the fields, and he was caked in dirt. But by the gods he Initiative: 4
was hungry, and needed to wash the red rash on his skin before
it got worse. He knocked at the door, just once, and found he Defense: 5
could not knock again. His wife opened the door and started Notes: Phillipos suffers the Knock Once and Holy Day
screaming. So, Phillipos held her tight and calmed her down. He (Saturday) banes.
hugged her so tight she could barely breathe. She smelled so good.
Phillipos tried to settle back into his old routine, but his wife
couldn’t look him in the eye, and his daughter backed away
Systems
whenever he approached. No matter how he explained and Bourkolakes have several unique characteristics that distin-
pleaded, they thought something in him was wrong. guish them from the Propinqui; otherwise, their mechanics
One day, while trying to scrub the rash off his skin at are identical to those of Roman vampires. In essence, they are
night in his fields (he kept sleeping through the days), a a clan that has not taken on certain Kindred characteristics.
group of his old friends came to see him. Overjoyed at first, Clan Bane (The Resumptive Curse): Bourkolakes are com-
the mood soured as Phillipos saw their hard, grim eyes, and pelled to reenact their old lives. When they encounter a person
the torches in their hands. They said some very cruel things or place that reminds them strongly of their mortal days, roll
to Phillipos. He tried to reason with them, but by the time Humanity. On a failure, the Bourkolakas gains the Obsession
dawn started to rise, they were just a pool of viscera and Condition, fixated on trying to relive some aspect of his old
blood. If only they’d been more sensible. But when he saw life, incorporating the current object of their fixation.
his daughter, huddled against the barn, clutching her ears in Disciplines: Obfuscate, Protean, Vigor
terror, Phillipos faltered. Oh no, he thought. Please, I didn’t Favored Attributes: Resolve or Strength
mean to… Please stop crying!

Ill-Fated
The Bourkolakes are cursed. The blasphemous acts that
Ages Pass:
create them stain their souls, leaving them with strange compul-
sions and weaknesses. All Bourkolakes begin play with a com-
Accursed and Forgotten
As the world lost faith in curses and omens, fewer
mon bane on top of their main curse. This bane is active upon and fewer Returned rose. Those who integrated into
Embrace, and not attached to any particular breaking point. urban Kindred society gradually dwindled, their lack
Nor does it inflict penalties on detachment rolls. Returned may of Embrace limiting their numbers. Eventually, even
have a maximum of four personal banes, including this one. the few childer they managed to create through
desecration and graverobbing rose from death as
Common banes for the Returned include Holy Day (Saturday),
Nosferatu, and those Returned who kept to the
Knock Once, and Lightning Rod (see the list starting on p. 89). wilderness were likewise subsumed into Clan Gangrel.
A Bourkolakas almost always gains the Knock Once bane over Faded and lost.
the course of her existence. However, some Kindred believe creatures called
Vrykolakas still survive into the modern era, haunting
Livid Death the remotest islands of Greece to this very night.
Where the Kindred are pale and lifeless, the Bourkolakes are
ruddy and swollen, as if gorged with blood. When Humanity is
high, a Bourkolakas looks human enough, if stout and a little
Bourkolakes use the same systems for aggressive feeding
ruddy. But as this trait falls, their bodies swell, and their skin
as Kindred do, but the Returned rip their prey apart with
reddens further, and becomes taut like a drum. When Humanity
their vice-like grip (mechanically identical to Kindred fangs)
falls to 2, the red sheen blotches with early signs of decomposition
and devour chunks of their flesh whole. Bourkolakes can’t
and rot, and the vampire gains a level of Size.
create blood bonds, though they can breathe into a mortal’s
The Return lungs to create ghouls. They also can’t spawn revenants, but
anyone they kill by breath-drinking might also be cursed to
The Returned rise spontaneously from dead blasphemers,
rise as a Bourkolakas.
unavenged murder victims, desecrated corpses, and the
remains of vile sorcerers. They cannot Embrace. Instead,
when a Bourkolakas desecrates a grave or kills someone by Story Seeds
drinking their last breath, the Storyteller can roll a chance • An odd sickness sweeps the city, and feeding grounds grow
die. On a 10, that corpse rises as a Bourkolakas, and the lean. The Propinqui blame each other, thinking their rivals
Returned who created them suffers a breaking point as if she have struck against them. The wings bicker, paranoia leading to
had spawned a revenant. If this corpse belonged to someone accusations and bloodshed. All the while, the disease spreads.
with supernatural powers or was the ghoul of a Bourkolakas, The kine whisper of a stranger who drinks their breath, and
the Storyteller may roll a real die instead. some Kindred watch for golden eyes. Someone has to find this
accursed creature and put it down, whatever it is.
The Spiteful Beast
The Bourkolakas Beast is cunning and cold, not a ravening • The mortal lover of a Collegium elder dies. But, a week later,
monster. While frenzying, Bourkolakes retain their mental someone swears they see him walking the agora. The next day,
faculties and speech, and they still suffer from pain penalties. someone else sees him hiding in the dark. One night, he shows
However, even though it may look like the Bourkolakas is cogent, up at the elder’s door. He’s changed. He’s not Kindred, and
the Beast still sets the agenda, and it will ruthlessly use every tool that frightens the elder. His appetites are strange, and there’s a
the Bourkolakas has to get what it wants without regard for others cruelty in him he never possessed before. What happens when
or long-term consequences. Bourkolakes remember everything the Legio Mortuum realizes what he is? Will the elder protect
they do while in frenzy and are often overcome with guilt when him from the Camarilla or hand him over to be judged? Will
they see the results. Returned draugr are cruel and monstrously he petition the Senex to let him join the Strangers? How much
intelligent creatures, devoured by paranoia, spite, and pettiness, is an old monster willing to risk for love?
and they are driven to ceaseless revenge. • Certain Vaticinators have begun to dream of upturned graves
in Aetolia, and accursed Greeks screaming blasphemies as
Stolen Breath they rise from their graves. They see aquilae devoured by the
and Ragged Flesh earth. They see an ancient monster roaming the lands across
Bourkolakes drink breath and can devour flesh when neces- the sea, desecrating every grave he walks upon and teaching
sary. Blood alone cannot sate them. When the Returned feed his kind how to feast on Roman hearts. The Legion says the
subtly, they must touch or restrain their victims and breathe in Returned are growing in number, and some can call down
their lifeforce. This follows the same rules as subtle feeding for curses on their foes with a vile imitation of the Veneficium.
Kindred but causes no visible injuries. This inflicts the Drained They call themselves the Anieroi, and if left unchecked,
Condition instead of the Swooning Condition, regardless of could upend the Camarilla’s presence in Greece and become
how much Health the victim loses. a power in their own right.

STRIGES
THE NEMESES
The Birds of Dis, The Owls, The Bane of the Julii
Where law tempers the Kindred, anarchy fuels the Striges. their Camarilla to mimic the mortal Empire with its soldiers
Where the Kindred hold to the vestiges of Humanity, the and priests and laws.
Striges revel in the Beast’s depravities. They are more than just They pretend they’re not bloodthirsty monsters, as the Striges
a dark mirror of the vampire soul: They are its worst potential intended. Well, if they would turn their backs on their nature,
made manifest. their self-styled creators have no qualms about becoming their
Yet the Birds of Dis claim they are the original, and the Julii eternal Nemeses.
are their watered-wine reflection. How disappointed they must The Owls are the outstretched talons of fate, and nothing
be in their creation. Behold the Julii aping the living, building will stand in their way.
The Story of Dis

The Striges claim no origin. Pasts are for the kine, and at Instead, they were betrayed. Julius Senex and his minions
any rate, they wouldn’t tell the Julii (or any Kindred) if they did broke the pact of night that Remus made, destroying the Striges’
know. They rise from the dark cracks in the earth in the form favored servants and denying the gifts they were granted. But this
of shadow owls to feast on the living, jealous of the way they was not the final insult. The dead began to learn from those they
waste their flesh on petty things like truth and beauty instead were meant to prey upon: They organized themselves into wings,
of ruin and hate. established their Masquerade, and began to hide in plain sight.
Though the Striges figure prominently in the story of Remus, The Birds of Dis were outraged.
each gens has myths of birds and bargains, though whether Thus, the Striges will not rest until they’ve destroyed every
these were the same creatures is impossible to say. Sometimes vestige of what the Propinqui have built. They will force
they appear as messengers from the gods or scourges from some Kindred to devour their own, to cannibalize all their kith and
lost hell, but they always have a preoccupation with vengeance kin. As their Nemeses, they will salt the very earth of Rome.
and the dead who cheated them. Yet only the Julii acknowledge
a special connection. The rest say they can keep it if it means
the Birds will ignore their own discretions.
The Enemy Is Us
What’s certain is that the Striges are vampires: nothing more, What is a corpse but a vessel to be filled? And if that vessel
nothing less. Even the living know this. Mortal Romans, when still possesses some animus, the Striges will shunt that conscious-
they catch a glimpse of a vampire, call him a strix, an association ness aside until, after time lost in swirling smoke, the rightful
the Nemeses encourage. The dead, refusing to accept this horror mind emerges only to be abandoned to carnage and chaos. The
as a part of their heritage — their very psyche — call themselves Nemeses use stolen dead flesh and all its immortal powers to
Propinqui. As if a new name would be enough to separate commit unspeakable evils, even by vampire standards. What
them from the destruction that hunts them through eternity. makes the Propinqui lay awake in their mausoleums is that a Strix
is capable of all the same things fellow Kindred are, but without
Bargain and Betrayal any of the Man’s restraint. Across the Empire, Nemeses abuse
the Augurs to prophesy; they puppet Sanctified to spread their
The Camarilla only exists because of the Nemeses, and it was doomsaying; they massacre through the Legion; they drive the
their gift to Remus that created the Founders in the first place. Ancients to excess and cruelty; and in the Peregrine Collegium,
They set their playthings loose, these Julii and their “Kindred,” they experiment with new torments to set upon their enemies.
eager to see what would happen when so many Beasts were It’s easier for an Owl to possess a human corpse, but it’s also
unleashed on the living. easier to spot the horrible wrongness of dead flesh walking,
We have not forgotten.

polluting the seven hills. Conversely, Kindred don’t rot. Or Humanity might wither at your complicity, or you might not
mortals. A Strix can hide behind dead and living faces virtually have enough left to care. Either way, the Strix wins.
undetected — except the eyes: a flash of gold in the torchlight,
there and gone before they can be sure. Dirae
Why do the Nemeses strike? They might single out an indi- The Dirae are ruthless and wild, swooping in unannounced
vidual because they especially hate the color of her toga, or to wreak havoc and doom. Vengeance personified. They take
the way they kiss their lover, or just because he had a stroke of offense, instantly, and for the meagerest of slights. They hide
good luck after a long run of bad. The only reason the Striges behind a forgettable face, beg for alms, offer a posy, ask for a
need is that they want to. ride in your cart. No? Woe to you in all your arrogant sense of
Can they be killed? With effort, perhaps. But even when their superiority. The Dirae shriek their curse to the skies, and they
smoke forms are trapped in fire, vanishing with eldritch shrieks, will hunt you to the ends of the earth to make it come true. Once
can anyone be sure they’ve really perished? How do you kill their attention affixes on their prey, nothing can dissuade them.
blood and smoke? The short answer: You don’t; you run. The They will always be able to find you. Even if the Dirae must burn
longer answer: There are ways to trap them, to create barriers with you to exact their deathless revenge, so be it.
the Nemeses cannot pass — sunlight, for one. How ironic that As wild as they seem, they are equally cunning. They will
the same tool that would save Kindred is equally fatal. Almost poison your entire herd just to watch you writhe with thirst.
like they planned it that way. They’ll lurk within a trusted retainer for months, only to bear
you out into the sunlight when you finally rest easy. They’ll
Triadic Archetypes disrupt blood rites, distorting every vision with lies. They’ll pos-
sess every horse in a race, thrashing chariots into the horrified
In Rome, clusters of Striges watch from shadowed temples crowds. Dirae find every weak spot and exploit it, as viciously
or borrowed eyes. If more than one or two are found, beware as possible. They are the plague of proverbial locusts, callously
— doom is brewing. Larger gatherings are uncommon… until destroying everything in their path. See the Nemesis cackling
a natural disaster, plague, or other great and sweeping tragedy from the ruined face of your dismembered sire as you both,
comes. The Vaticinators warn that as the Empire stretches trapped, await the sunrise? That is not hate; it’s joy.
further, as Rome bloats and Kindred grow indolent and
corrupt, more Nemeses will be circling in the dark. They are Parcae
carrion-eaters waiting for the mighty to fall. They are bringers Then again, perhaps the Birds of Dis are more like the Parcae,
of Final Death for Kindred and Camarilla both. those ageless sisters, weaving their dead progeny, measuring out
The Julii, fond of slotting the world into rigid structures, clas- the lives of their prey, and cutting short that thread. This is the
sify the Nemeses into three archetypes: Cerberi, Parcae, and Dirae. facet of doomsayers and prophets, whispering secrets from the
They claim all Striges behave based on one of these guiding loci. smoke and darkness that seem like madness — not because they
The bravest (or most desperate) even believe that if one appeals lie, but because they know such terrible things. They might
to this inner nature, a deal can be struck, but if there are any make a bargain, as they did with Remus. The Nemeses predate
patterns to be found, it’s only because the Nemeses caught wind the Kindred; they have seen much through the millennia, expe-
of these theories and found them satisfying to exploit. A Strix rienced everything through stolen forms. They can fly through
might well follow an archetype for a time only to turn on its the smallest of gaps in the masonry and tirelessly cross the world.
agreements or contradict its established “nature.” Others might What could you learn from them? What will you pay to learn?
ride their Cerberus ways to their seeming destruction only to rise Your gold means nothing to them, your pious sacrifices even
from the ashes behaving as a Dira. The Birds of Dis are chaos; any less. Listen to the Beast within; it may whisper dark suggestions
attempt to understand them is self-delusion — and that, at least, is of what might please these harbingers of doom. Please them and
one false comfort the Striges are willing to let the Kindred keep. you may earn their favor… for a time. But know that you deal
with pandemonium, with ever-shifting, uncontrollable forces.
Cerberi They are the gathering smoke at the edges of the Empire, the
These Owls are named for Cerberus, guardian of the afterlife, impending fall. If you would profit from your dealings, do it
a beast known for wanton destruction and an eternal vigil. quickly, and know that you damn your Kindred.
They play with their food and push their stolen bodies to the
most grotesque of extremes; Caligula would be nauseated by Rumors
their appetites. Pleasure or pain, all is novelty to a creature of
smoke. They ride their flesh toys until they break: eviscerations, “Do you blame Magistrate Mercurius for what happened — those
vivisections, crucifixion. Eating till you literally burst, fucking seven ghouls sewn together — still living — to line the walls and floor of
till the flesh falls off the bones. Go to the depths of depravity; his haven? I don’t know… he hasn’t been himself lately. Ever since he
then, keep going. joined the Mithraists, he’s been colder. Wild-eyed. If you think about
it, the god they worship flows like smoke from one follower to the next,
Novel sensations might delay them, distracting them long
promising resurrection. No one dares say it, but how could an Owl
enough for a Propinquus to escape — if you’re willing to leave
not be behind all of this?”
others behind in their nightmare clutches to save yourself. Your

Vampires are full of many dark impulses. How convenient, Appetite
then, to point to an invisible monster without morals or lim- When we heard that Lady Ventidia lost her grip, we expected to
its or substance and lay the blame for them. In these bloody see her unconscious in her bath with a few exsanguinated slave girls.
nights, “crying Strix” is becoming an increasingly common Again. Not the carnage that greeted us.
defense for those brought before the Senex for judgment. The
Her arms were nailed to the bed frame, a silk sheet twined around
accused claims he did not commit the crimes for which he
her neck. Even the Lady we knew — a Founder of such pedigree —
stands accused, that he has no memory of the events — that the
could have easily broken those bonds. Vomit covered her naked body:
last thing he saw before it all went black were a pair of glowing,
blood and figs and cooked meat carved from her own thighs. Her
yellow eyes. How do you prove it? If Striges roam in clusters,
stomach had ruptured… everything below the navel was rent open,
who else among the accused’s circle might be infected? And
and the knives used to… no, I shall not speak it. They lay strewn
if the accused is lying, how do the real Nemeses feel about
about the bed and floor.
being used as a scapegoat?
She recovers, night by night, but it will be a while yet before her
“The Fates keep the temple fires burning day and night — not in
beauty is restored. She still maintains that she has no memory of how
glory to Jove but to keep the Nemeses at bay. Their ancient rites can
the orgy began. She’s quite tightlipped about the whole affair. Since
trap the Birds of Dis in the sacrificial smoke, containing them or
the incident, though, all her appetites seem to have died.
dispersing them, as pleases the gods.”
Appetite is vain. But, being a creature of smoke, it craves a
Both sunlight and fire are impenetrable barriers to a Strix in
physical body through which to admire itself in all its myriad
its shadow form. Further, if the body it possesses is engulfed in
facets. To this end, Appetite possesses anyone it can get its
flames, the Strix cannot escape it. Of course, these deterrents
claws into — as long as its host is exceptional in some way.
are equally deadly to the Kindred. Worse still, no one knows
Extremely beautiful, grotesquely disfigured, possessing missing
what happens to the vanquished Strix — does thus trapping
or additional appendages. Then, Appetite settles in to enjoy
it send it back into the ether to reform somewhere else, or
the extremes of every sensation of the flesh: gorging, guzzling,
actually kill it? Considering how shady their origins, or their
and rutting. Unfortunately, its host bodies always give out
total numbers, it’s equally impossible to know when they’re
before Appetite is satisfied. How could it ever get enough of
truly dead. If these rites do have power, what happens when
itself? It can’t.
their performers lose faith? What happens when the old ways
are supplanted by an upstart God? The answer, then, is propagation. The only thing better
than Appetite is more Appetite. As it builds up power through
“All the Striges seek is the destruction of their failed creations. I say
this ceaseless consumption, leapfrogging from one host to the
let them. Then, when that aim is achieved, they’ll have no further need
next, Appetite gorges itself on Vitae that it can’t quite digest. It
to torment us. Let the Owls tear down this decaying, decadent regime.
siphons this excess off to generate fledgling Owls it inevitably
Perhaps they are the Lord’s vengeance on such depraved creatures.
abandons, just one more mess for others to clean up. Whether
Once they succeed, surely the rest of us shall be free, and the will of
Appetite is dividing itself into perfect replicas or siring a vast
the Dark Father will take purchase in all dead hearts.”
horde of bastard Nemeses, no one quite knows.
When Striges choose to talk, they’re full of contradictions.
All that’s certain is that everywhere Appetite goes, at the end
Some Kindred report them vowing the utter annihilation of
of the trail of carnage, lurks another hungry Strix.
the gens Julia, but there are also stories of them dressing their
stolen bodies in steaming offal just so they can feel the squelch. Story Seeds
Whatever their end goal — if they even have one — the Nemeses • A Caligulan banquet is held among the kine, where a
are enjoying themselves in their ceaseless torments, in cor- debauched patrician cannibalizes his beloved heir. The sur-
rupting the Camarilla through a thousand channels. Sooner viving children flee, taking refuge in the family mausoleum
or later, it all has to come to a head. And if the Camarilla and praying to their lares — who happens to be their Julian
does fall, where will they direct their vengeance? Will they ancestor. The children tell of a shadow that wrapped around
go loudly into the eternal night, their purpose achieved… or Pater just before the killing started. If it becomes known that
will they, like a bully bereft of its broken toys, turn their eyes their ancestor made a deal with that Strix years ago, he’ll lose
to new ventures? everything he’s built.
Three Striges • A brothel run by a prominent Daeva gains a reputation for

“unbridled passions,” and many of its patrons report feeling
Whether the archetypes provide any true guidance to the out of control once they began their carnal encounters,
Nemeses or not, individual Striges seem to have individual drinking a little too deep from their fellow Kindred. To make
temperaments and personalities. Despite their apparent sense matters worse, there have been increased sightings of Owls
of self, if they do have names, they don’t divulge them, at least appearing around the brothel, which seem to coincide with
not to Kindred. Instead, the dead have taken to documenting each report of lost consciousness. More than the brothel or
them under qualifying titles. Here are three with established its mistress’s reputation is at stake here; many in the Senecti’s
sightings across the Empire. inner circle are among her elite patrons.

• After a hard winter and three failed harvests, fifty pure white drives others, what they secretly desire, their most cherished
cows are brought into the city to appease the unhappy gods. ambitions — and she relishes having them sacrifice those core
The night before the sacrifice, all fifty are decapitated, their tenets. Once stripped away, she instills her petitioner with a new
heads missing, their bodies drained of blood. The only clue dream to strive for, a new ambition or conviction. In exchange,
is a trail of gore leading from the Temple of Venus down to a she will provide the invariable truth.
secret entrance to the Cult of Augurs’ main shrine. To make And if this exchange renders that truth empty or injurious
matters worse, over the following fortnight, a white cow’s head to the new destiny she has provided them with, well, that’s just
appears on the doorstep of the havens of the most prominent the price of knowing.
Kindred in the Necropolis, who are each stricken with an
unquenchable thirst. Kindred and kine alike are set to riot — Story Seeds
and there are still thirty-six heads to be found. • An estranged but beloved childe has been taken hostage by
a band of outlaw Kindred. They have said the sire will know
Archetype: Cerberus
what they want for ransom, but she can’t see any connection.
Vice: Gluttonous The Blind Oracle offers to tell her not only their ransom
Attributes: Finesse 4, Power 3, Resistance 3 demands but also how to exact her revenge. In exchange, she
wants the sire to willfully exile herself from the Camarilla
Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Occult 2, Persuasion 3, for one year — without her childe. What will occur while
Subterfuge 2
she’s away? Will saving her childe repair their relationship?
Shadow Potency: 3 What’s her true connection to the outlaws?
Corpus: 5 • A Seer Legislator has gone against his rival in the Assembly
Willpower: 8 for a decade now and suffered one humiliating defeat after
another. Another mistake and he’ll lose his position perma-
Size: 2
nently. His attendant informs him that the Blind Oracle has
Speed: 12 taken up residence in a ruined villa outside the city walls; she
Defense: 4 has offered to share the secrets that will finally take down his
rival and vault him into that vacuum of power. On the night
Initiative: 7
of the full moon, she beckons him to bring a silver knife, a
Dread Powers: Plague of Hatred, Taint of Life, Tip of sprig of wolf’s bane, and a tourniquet. The mysteriousness
the Tongue, Vice Manipulation of the request seems too enticing for any Mekhet to resist.
Banes: Abjuration, Fire, Ravening, Sunlight • A Sanctified convert believes in an unorthodox interpreta-
tion of Longinus. Lately, her influence has been spreading
The Blind Oracle throughout the Lancea et Sanctum. Great crowds gather to
Truth is a terrible weight to bear, fledgling. You claim you must hear her preach: She warns of a great schism that will divide
know, as if knowing what awaits you in Carthage will have any Rome, and that the Camarilla must fall for Longinus’s teach-
bearing on whether you return victorious… or, indeed, return at all. ings to rise. Few take her seriously outside the Witnesses, of
The Oracle has seen the future that lurks in the dark, soon to come course, but several in the audience can’t help but believe she
to pass. Yes, she knows all that will befall you. But, I wonder, are you speaks a dark truth. Rumor says she visited the Blind Oracle,
willing to pay the price of knowing? but no one knows what she was told or what price she paid.
Perhaps the blindfold is to better hone her mystic gifts, to Each night, the numbers who side with her blasphemous
look inward to cosmic truths, undistracted by the mortal realm. faith seem to grow…
Or perhaps the Blind Oracle knows the flash of her eyes might Archetype: Parca
give her away.
Vice: Malicious
She invariably takes the bodies of women, sometimes comely
neonates, sometimes freshly dead crones. Regardless, she’s Attributes: Finesse 6, Power 3, Resistance 4
always found in high, hard-to-reach places: remote temples, Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Religion 4, Occult 4
craggy mountain strongholds, cliffs overlooking the Hellespont.
Shadow Potency: 6
There’s no pattern to when she’ll surface. She chooses her lonely
hiding places and then waits, letting rumor draw in those who Corpus: 6
desperately seek guidance. She might reside there for a month Willpower: 10
or a year, until the winds of fate change. She accepts any
Size: 2
petitioner — Kindred or kine or things more monstrous — but
whether she tells them what they wish to know depends on if Speed: 12
they agree to pay her price. Defense: 6
No, not wealth or tribute. The Blind Oracle would have Initiative: 10
you pay in principle. She has a knack for knowing exactly what

Dread Powers: Ambition’s Source, Auspex •••, In more prolonged conflicts, she may even switch sides part
Cassandra Truth, Dominate •, See the Cracks, Web of way through, abandoning the first force to favor their enemies.
Destiny Other times, she’ll erupt in a camp, destroying an army before
Banes: Abjuration, Counting, Fire, Hated by Beasts, it ever sets foot on the field. Only chaos can sate her. At least,
Sunlight that’s what she tells the last one standing after her skirmishes
bleed themselves out.
Harbinger
I don’t understand what happened. We had the weather to our
Story Seeds
advantage. We held the high ground. We outnumbered the enemy • Marching to the frontier, a battalion reaches the spot arranged
six to one! And then — I don’t know, it was like a mist descended on for negotiations only to find the soil churned with blood and
them. They turned mid-rout and charged us. They were filled with such the faction they were to meet utterly destroyed. The opposing
unholy fire that no wound would slow them. Each man, to the last, force accuses them of an ambush and threatens to send in rein-
became an infernal Achilles. But when they were done slaughtering forcements, declaring open war. Superiors back in the Senex are
our troops, they turned on each other. I’ve never seen a massacre like it. frustrated with what they perceive as the Legion of the Dead’s
diplomatic failure. Carrion birds fill the skies, and some of them
Like the Fury of Revenge, Harbinger is drawn to battlefields.
seem to be intently watching what the soldiery will do next.
In some regions, warriors will leave offerings for her at the edges
of their camp — skewered owls with their eyes seared out — in • A Nosferatu Legionary dreamt she was caught in a storm
hopes she’ll turn away. But Harbinger does not take sides. Her of blood, unable to tell heaven from earth, tasting Vitae
only goal is to turn the tide of battle, especially if the outcome on her tongue and frenzied by it. She woke, aching and
seems a sure thing. frightened, to find her hands and tunic caked in dried gore.
She’ll dive into a soldier of modest skill to make him a She crept to report it to her commander, only to find her
whirlwind of blade and spear. She’ll take a skilled Kindred gladius buried up to the hilt in his throat, and someone
Legionary and make him Mars incarnate. But most insidious of had exsanguinated her — or, gods forbid, diablerized him.
all, whenever Harbinger possesses someone on the battlefield, She doesn’t feel hungry… unlike her fellow Legionaries,
her wrath spreads from one soldier to the next, sewing wrath now stirring beyond the tent.
and violence that destroys even the most disciplined unit or • The crowd-favorite charioteer for the Greens looks primed to
the most iron-clad tactic. win the race in this year’s games. That is, until his lead horse

bolts as if chased by the Furies themselves — right off the Shadow Potency: 8
track, crashing through the Blues’ champion, and smashing Corpus: 9
into the stands. A riot erupts, Greens and Blues fighting,
slinging blame at each other, crying sabotage, murder, and Willpower: 10
corruption. The riot spills into the street, and with each act Size: 3
of violence, tainted blood splatters hapless bystanders. Each Speed: 12
person the blood touches is filled with sudden and irresistible
wrath. They join the savage fray, and so the rage spreads like Defense: 7
a plague through the city. How can it be stopped? And where Initiative: 14
did the fateful horse that started it all disappear to? Dread Powers: Command the Lost, Dominate
Archetype: Dira ••••, Dark Places, The Beast’s Rebuke, Fated Foe,
Materialize, Talons of Fury
Vice: Chaotic
Banes: Fire, Invitation, Material Bane (Copper),
Attributes: Finesse 7, Power 7, Resistance 7 Ravening, Running Water, Sunlight
Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 5, Occult 3, Weaponry 4
Strigid Systems
The following rules apply to Striges in Requiem for Rome
chronicles. These systems supplant those described in Chapter Shadow Potency
Five of Vampire: The Requiem Second Edition. Striges are vampires, but they Shadow Potency instead of
Blood Potency. An Owl’s Shadow Potency determines its
Anchors maximum Attributes and total Attribute dots, in addition
to the number of Vitae it can spend per turn and how many
Striges possess Vices but no Virtues, as they lack any sort of
personal banes it has.
nobler nature. Furthermore, as Storyteller characters, Striges
don’t track Aspirations. For the purposes of Social maneuver- Shadow Potency also grants something resembling a
ing, use a goal based on the Owl’s Vice. Predatory Aura, enough for a Propinquus Beast to recognize
it as such, though not as anything other than another vampire.
Triadic Archetype Therefore, Striges are capable of lashing out. Each Triatic
Archetype tends to prefer a specific Predatory Aspect. The
Each Strix belongs to one of three Triadic Archetypes: the Cerberi favor the Monstrous Beast, the Dirae the Competitive
Cerberi, Dirae, or Parcae. This archetype grants access to cer- Beast, and the Parcae the Seductive Beast. They take a +2 to
tain Dread Powers and enhances lashing out. invoke this aspect.
If a Strix’s abilities provoke a Clash of Wills, whether from its
Attributes and Skills inherent powers of Dread Powers, it uses Resistance + Shadow
Potency for the contested action.
Striges are similar to ephemeral entities, using the attributes
of Finesse, Power, and Resistance.
Power is the Owl’s raw ability to impose itself on the world,
Advantages
used for all rolls that call for Intelligence or Presence. When Striges gain the following advantages:
not in a host, it is also used for Strength.
Corpus
Finesse is how deft the Strix is at imposing its desires with
fine control, used for all rolls that call for Wits or Manipulation. Corpus is equal to Size + Resistance.
When not in a host, it is also used for Dexterity. This trait works like Health, but Striges do not suffer wound
Resistance is how well the Nemesis can avoid imposition. It penalties. Owls in Shadow Form heal by spending Willpower;
is used for all rolls that call for Resolve or Composure. When the costs are the same as for Vitae. In stolen bodies, they heal
not in a host, it is also used for Stamina. their hosts like vampires.
All Striges have at least two dots in Athletics, Brawl, and Vitae
Occult. By default, a base Strix character has up to its Attribute Striges use Vitae like vampires with a couple of exceptions.
dot maximum in Skill dots, not counting its default Skills, and Instead of just Physical actions, a Strix can apply Physical
no Skill may be raised above 5. If a Strix wants to learn a new Intensity to all Attributes. Furthermore, Striges cannot feed
Skill dot when already at its maximum, it may replace one of material creatures Vitae in Shadow Form and hence cannot
its existing dots. create ghouls unless they take Kindred hosts.

Effects of Shadow Potency
Shadow Attribute Attribute Vitae/ Dread
Potency Maximum Dots Per Turn Powers Banes*
1 5 4–6 10/1 3 Fire and Sunlight
2 5 7–10 11/2 4 +1
3 5 7–10 12/3 4 None
4 5 10–15 13/4 5 +1
5 5 10–15 15/5 5 None
6 6 13–18 20/6 6 +1
7 7 13–18 25/7 7 None
8 8 16–21 30/8 8 +1
9 9 16–21 50/10 9 None
10 10 19–24 75/15 10 +1
* Striges have all banes according to their Shadow Potency level, plus any from lower
ratings. For example, a Shadow Potency 6 Strix suffers the banes of sunlight and fire plus
three more.
Striges are always immune to Vitae addiction and Vincula, anywhere to hide or flee, they suffer one level of lethal damage
even when consuming blood directly from vampires. per minute. Possessing a body lets them bypass this limitation,
even in Kindred hosts, though this doesn’t grant immunity to
Willpower mundane fire damage.
Striges have Willpower dots equal to the lower of Finesse +
Resistance or ten, whichever is lower. They regain Willpower Uncommon Banes
whenever they witness the sun setting. An Owl may also spend At higher levels of Shadow Potency, Striges develop unique
three Vitae to regain a spent Willpower once per scene. banes, not unlike those the Kindred gain.
Integrity Abjuration: The Strix can be abjured, warded, and exorcised
as though it were a spirit, using the rules in the Chronicles
Striges have neither Integrity nor Humanity. If an effect calls
of Darkness Rulebook. If an abjuration would cancel the
for Humanity/Integrity as a dice pool or another factor that
Conditions created by a spirit’s Manifestation, it forcibly ends
affects the Owl, use Shadow Potency or 10 – Shadow Potency
a Strix’s possession of a host.
instead, depending on the context.
Bells: The Strix cannot abide the sound of bells, and hearing
Other Advantages them causes intense pain. Every minute it is exposed, it takes
Defense: Higher of Power or Finesse in Shadow Form; lower (Shadow Potency) dice in bashing damage.
of host’s Dexterity or Finesse + Athletics when possessing a host. Counting: The Strix must stop to count small objects. Unless
Initiative: Finesse + Resistance it’s injured or forced to stop (because of another bane, for
example), it can’t cease for (Shadow Potency) minutes.
Speed: 12; Striges can fly like birds in Shadow Form, and
they can move through openings large enough to see through. Hated by Beasts: Animals sense and despise the Strix.
Any attempts to deal with animals through Animal Ken or
Size: 2; at Shadow Potency 8 and higher, increase Size by a
Animalism suffer a penalty equal to Shadow Potency.
step for each dot above 7.
Invitation: The Strix cannot enter a private dwelling
Banes uninvited and treats the interior as though it were filled
with sunlight.
The Striges suffer banes similar to vampires, but these are Material Bane: The Strix is repelled by a particular sub-
different in effect. stance, such as garlic, salt, or silver. Treat this bane as though
it were sunlight, and if the material is used as a weapon against
Fire and Sunlight the Strix — even in Shadow Form — it deals lethal damage.
Striges cannot pass through areas illuminated by the sun This bane may be taken multiple times to represent different
or through flames. If cornered with these banes and lacking materials the Strix finds abhorrent.

Plague of Purity: The Strix loathes self-possession and good-
ness. Any touch by a human with Integrity 8 or higher inflicts Owl Amaranth
(Shadow Potency) dice of bashing damage. Striges can commit diablerie on each other,
Ravening: The Strix is consumed by a terrible hunger, like a smashing their shadowy forms together and fighting
starving vampire. It cannot stop feeding for (Shadow Potency) it out, gaining a dot of Shadow Potency for their
trouble. As these are not player characters, when
turns unless its victim dies.
and how this occurs is at the Storyteller’s discretion.
Running Water: The Strix treats flowing water and the air However, if you need a system, use the one starting
above it as though it were sunlight. It can fly over a bridge, but on p. 200 of Vampire.
not over a stream, and if immersed in moving water, it suffers
a lethal damage per turn.
Symbols: Symbols of faith and devotion weaken the Owl.
When touching such a symbol, or when acting against someone
brandishing it, all its dice pools are capped by a number equal
GATHERING CRY
to (10 – Shadow Potency). Physical contact also deals one level
of bashing damage per turn. On rare occasions, the ordinarily solitary Striges may hunt in
flocks. To do so, a Strix can let out a keening call that can only
Inherent Powers be heard by other Striges, small children, scavenger animals,
vampires, and creatures with supernaturally enhanced senses.
All Striges have access to the following abilities. This covers an area equal to double its Resistance + Shadow
Potency in kilometers. They have no control over what creatures
BREATH EATER hear or how they might respond.
In Shadow Form, Nemeses can feed on mortals by stealing INFLICT DOOM

their breath by perching above (usually) sleeping or uncon-
scious victims. The Striges are agents of strife and discord. Each member of
The Owl must “grapple” a waking victim with Power + the unholy triad represents a specific kind of ill fate, and those
Brawl to feed upon them. This works the same as the Feed who set eyes on them are sure to face certain doom. A Strix
move (Vampire, p. 94), but the damage is inflicted because spends a point of Vitae and rolls Finesse + Shadow Potency
of suffocation rather than blood loss. Conscious victims gain versus their victim’s Composure + Blood Potency. Success
the Scarred Condition. Used on ghouls, the half-damned imposes the Doomed Condition (p. 272), with varying effects
lose Vitae first, then their breath. Striges cannot feed on based on the Strix’s Triadic Archetype.
Kindred or revenants with this ability, nor on creatures who In the modern nights, this ability will become just another
lack true souls. Dread Power, but it is an inherent tool of the Nemeses in
Striges learn new Skills by breath-eating; the Storyteller can Ancient Rome.
decide if the creature wants to learn a new dot or switch out
one of its current Skill dots during a feeding, the latter if it’s
at its maximum.
LANGUAGE
Striges can communicate telepathically with anyone; there
DOOM SENSE is no resistance. They can also speak aloud, which will be
perceived as whatever the listener’s native tongue is. In
The Owls automatically sense any supernatural powers Shadow Form, the creature’s eyes glow bright yellow when
related to fate within their sensory range and instinctively know it speaks aloud.
when a disaster is imminent in an area, including the rough
details of what it will entail. They’re likely to stick around for
it or (more likely) will try to accelerate it.
POSSESSION
The ability to invade and control another person’s body is
ENHANCED SENSES the most dangerous part of an Owl’s arsenal, and it’s a power
it will use as often as possible. It’s what the Striges do for fun,
The Nemeses can see perfectly in mundane and supernat- after all, reveling in destroying or toying with those who knew
ural darkness. They can track anyone who they’ve fed from their victims.
or possessed in the past regardless of how far away their Striges can possess corpses, Kindred, and humans. In addi-
quarry might be and automatically smell out any Vitae in tion to specific systems below, some general rules apply to all
their immediate vicinity. types of possession:

• Initiating possession always costs a Willpower point. • A Strix can only possess torpid vampires or torpid/sleeping
revenants (sleeping revenants are sent into torpor if the Owl
• A Nemesis gains access to all its host’s memories when it
is successful). Roll Finesse + Power + Shadow Potency vs.
possesses her, barring any mental protections and with the
Resolve + Blood Potency. Success allows the Owl to possess
exception of corpses. If the host has a higher Skill rating than
the vampire. Failure causes it to be ejected from their body,
the Owl, once per night, it may learn a dot this way, or swap
and it cannot attempt to possess the victim again until after
out an old one if it’s at its Shadow Potency limit.
the next sundown.
• A Strix uses the Physical Attributes of its new host but still
• Upon possession, Striges gain all Vitae in a host’s system, up
uses its simplified Attributes for Social and Mental actions.
to Shadow Potency limits. Remainders are lost.
It gains access to the host’s Skills if they’re higher than its
own. Again, this does not apply to corpses, so the Owl must • Striges gain all the inherent vampire abilities in Kindred
use its own traits. hosts. An Owl ignores its host’s banes and is not vulnerable
to stakes to the heart apart from the damage they deal.
• The Strix suffers a –5 modifier to use all the victim’s
Furthermore, it doesn’t need rest, nor does it need to spend
Attributes, Skills, and Disciplines on the first night of posses-
Vitae at each sunset. It can fake daysleep if necessary.
sion (this does not apply to corpses). This penalty decreases
a step per night. • A Strix can use any Disciplines and Devotions the host
knows. However, it cannot use Theban Sorcery, the
• Striges do not fall into torpor or unconsciousness with full
Veneficium, or Fenestrae. It can use the Crúac Discipline,
damage in their hosts’ Health boxes.
but it’s largely unknown in the Camarilla. It also can’t be
• Striges can use their Dread Powers and Disciplines while in a subject to or use Legislatio and Jura Merits.
host. However, in a human, the same restrictions on ghouls
• Striges in Kindred hosts can Embrace, but their lack of
for powers that require spilling blood apply.
Humanity means they can only spawn revenants. However,
• Injuries to the host do not damage the Owl’s Corpus, and see Synthesis (p. 199).
destroying a host will not kill the Strix unless the host’s final
• Striges can commit diablerie using the host, increasing
health box is filled with aggravated damage while the Bird
Shadow Potency by a dot if successful. The host also gains
still possesses it, in which case, it goes down with its victim.
the benefits of any diablerie(s) when and if the Strix leaves
It has a final chance to escape if this occurs, with the aim of
her body, and she must still suffer the usual Humanity 1
achieving more successes on a Shadow Potency roll than the
breaking point(s).
attack that inflicted damage. On a success, it ejects. Otherwise,
a Strix can leave a host as an instant action, dissipating into • Leaving the host wakes her from torpor. Those systems
the night to find new prey. If a host is on fire or in the middle resolve as usual, if applicable. However, the Strix steals away
of a sunlit day, however, the Strix may have other problems. as much Vitae as it can hold, leaving only the remainder.
Corpses Mortals
Striges can seize control of a mostly intact corpse with no While they don’t have the same affinity for human hosts as
resistance, nestling in where a soul once was and puppeteering they do for Kindred, the Birds of Dis love living mortal lives,
the flesh left behind. especially when it hurts the Propinqui.
• This new form is transient, and the Owl’s corruption hastens • The mortal must be sleeping when the Strix attempts to
its rot. It loses a Physical Attribute dot per week; at Strength possess her.
0, it can no longer lift things; at Dexterity 0, it can no longer
• Finding purchase within the living is difficult. The Storyteller
move. After that, what’s left of its Health dots atrophy as
rolls Finesse + Power as a Disadvantaged Action (p. 118),
well, with the corpse decaying and ejecting the Strix when
while the mortal’s player rolls Resolve + Composure (+
it reaches zero if it bothers to stay that long.
Supernatural Tolerance) as an Advantaged Action.
• While in this form, the Strix can feed as a vampire but it
• While the mortal will heal from injury as normal, she will
inflicts two lethal damage per Vitae stolen.
die if the Strix doesn’t feed her body or bother to heal her
• Corpse hosts take bashing damage from all mundane injuries. The Owl can also feed directly from its host for a
sources of injury. Vitae per lethal damage inflicted, allowing the victim to
heal before it does it all over again. If the host dies but is not
Vampires physically destroyed, the possession subsequently follows the
What are Propinqui if not particularly sophisticated corpses? rules for corpses, as above.
There’s still enough of something left in them to resist being • If a Strix convinces a vampire to grant her the Embrace while
controlled, but it’s a small comfort. Kindred hosts are prized occupying a human body, she effectively gains possession of
among the Owls, though acquiring them requires a combina- a Kindred host.
tion of skill and luck.

Dread Powers
SHADOW FORM All Nemeses have access to the Dread Powers listed below. In
addition, an Owl can also learn two dots-worth of Disciplines
Without hosts, the Owls exist in Shadow Form, out of step for each Dread Power it would normally allocate, though it
with material reality though still visible to the human and must learn abilities sequentially as Kindred do.
Kindred eye. In Shadow Form, Striges always take a +3 to
A Strix may gain three Experiences’ worth of Devotions per
Stealth, owing to their innate affinity for shadows.
Dread Power, provided it knows the prerequisites. It can learn
In their Shadow Forms, Striges are immune to injury except the five common Disciplines and (in Ancient Rome) Dominate
from their banes and supernatural powers that deal aggravated inherently, but it must possess a member of one of the other clans
damage, the latter of which they suffer as bashing damage. at some point to learn its unique powers. Note that the passive
When an Owl in Shadow Form takes enough damage to gain effects of physical Disciplines only apply when an Owl occupies
lethal or aggravated wounds, it loses an equal amount of Vitae a host, not while it’s in its Shadow Form. If a Strix loses Shadow
per injury. Potency, it must discard Dread Powers if it’s over its limit.
Some Dread Powers are keyed to one of the Triatic
SYNTHESIS Archetypes. Other Striges cannot learn these Dread Powers,
though some Owls are known to shift their Archetypes to
This ability is one of the strangest of the Owls, as it confers keep the Kindred guessing; in which case, the Strix simply
power on their hosts rather than ruin (mostly) at the cost of its exchanges Dread Powers with the appropriate prerequisites.
existence. The very few scholars of the Striges in the Camarilla The Storyteller is the arbiter of when and how a Strix changes
believe this is how the Owls created the Julii. its Archetype in her chronicles.
To use this ability, the Strix must possess a host. To initiate Dread Powers are either permanent effects or activated with
Synthesis, it spends a Willpower per night for a number of Power + Finesse; resistance is noted where relevant. Unless
nights according to the chart below; failure to spend these otherwise specified, activating a Dread Power is an instant
Willpower points consecutively means the Owl must start over. action that costs one Vitae.
Once it completes this process, the Strix is destroyed, at least
as it existed. Depending on the host, one of the following occurs: THE BEAST’S REBUKE
• Corpse hosts become Kindred. Reduce the vampire’s start-
ing Humanity by a third of the Strix’s Shadow Potency, Prerequisite: Cerberus
rounding up. Contested: by Resolve + Blood Potency
• Revenants become full Kindred. Reduce the vampire’s The Propinqui may wear their sheep’s clothing, but they’ll
starting Humanity by a third of the Strix’s Shadow Potency, never hide the wolf beneath. It’s too easy for the Owls to tear
rounding up. away that façade of Humanity.
• Kindred gain Blood Potency equal to a third of the Strix’s For nights equal to the Bird’s Shadow Potency, the victim
Shadow Potency, rounding up, but lose an equal number of suffers a (10 – Humanity) penalty on Social actions with mor-
Humanity dots. tals because of horrible hallucinations tempting her to vice.
Furthermore, she either suffers the same penalty divided by
• Living hosts die, rising the next night as Blood Potency 1
two (rounding up) on rolls to resist frenzy, or they detach from
vampires.
all Touchstones for the duration; Storyteller’s choice. If the
A player character cannot lose their last Humanity dot this activation was an exceptional success, it’s both.
way, though other characters can if the Storyteller wishes to
go through this process offscreen.
As for the new vampire’s clan, it depends on when the Strix
CASSANDRA TRUTH
uses this ability. In the modern nights, and perhaps other parts
of the ancient world, it’s the clan of the last vampire the Strix Prerequisite: Parca
possessed. In Rome? Julii. Always. Contested: by Composure + Blood Potency
There is only one thing worse than knowing an awful
Victim Nights/Willpower truth: not being able to convince anyone it is true. The
Corpse 1 victim gains an acute image of some disaster about to strike
Revenant 3 their community. All Social actions to convince others of
this truth dramatically fail. However, those with whom the
Kindred 5
victim has a mutual three-step blood bond are immune and
Living 7 will believe him.

the ingress of its alien place. If successful, it pours itself into
the area, with each success merging one meter of the physical
Resisting Synthesis
Storyteller characters can resist or succumb to world with the Strix’s native realm, a place of pitch blackness.
Synthesis as the plot dictates. As an optional rule, Anyone or thing that carries Vitae may spend a Willpower to
player characters can resist the effect reflexively, cross into this area, but if they remain, they disappear along
pitting the Strix’s Power + Finesse + Shadow with the realm at the end of the scene.
Potency versus the host’s Resolve + Blood Potency.
The action is extended and contested: Whichever This Dread Power is likely to summon other Nemeses or, more
character accumulates the most successes by the rarely, other spirits from that dark place. The shapes and names
last night prevails. If the host wins, the Owl may of these spirits are wildly variable, but those summoned by the
not attempt Synthesis on the subject again unless call of the Birds of Dis are certain to be hostile to vampires.
it repossesses her.
FATED FOE
COMMAND THE LOST Prerequisite: Dira
Contested: by Composure + Blood Potency (highest of victims)
Resisted: by Resolve The Dirae pull the threads of fate and set the stage for bloody
conflicts. An Owl with this Dread Power names two people who
Vampires do so love their toys, and the Nemeses are happy
have met within the past lunar month. If the Strix succeeds,
to claim that which has been broken and discarded. The Strix
both parties gain the Obsession Condition with regard to one
may only use this Dread Power if a mortal victim encountered
another, as well as a + 3 modifier on all rolls to attack each
a vampire within the last lunar month and walked away from
other, whether physically or metaphorically through damaging
the experience with no Willpower; a third-step Vinculum; or
social reputations, and suffer a –3 to Defense when facing off
the Amnesia, Broken, False Memories, Fugue, Intoxicated, or
against each other.
Soulless Conditions.
If the Owl succeeds, for the rest of the night, the victim
cannot refuse an order given to them by the Strix, even if that HOLLOW BONES
order could be lethal. He also cannot spend Willpower to resist
the Dread Powers of the Nemesis. Like the birds they superficially resemble, a Strix with this
Dread Power can take wing even in a host body. As a permanent
CONTAGIOUS GENESIS effect, the Nemesis triples its host’s jumping distance, taking
only one level of bashing damage per ten yards it falls, though
it can never take damage in its last Health box because of this.
It’s frightening enough that the Birds of Dis exist in the first The Strix may also spend a Vitae to instead glide gracefully
place, but the fact that some can reproduce by twisting the to the ground and suffer no falling damage at all. However, if
Blood into smoke and shadow is enough to make the faint of it does so, bystanders will see strange wisps of smoke trailing
heart hide away in their Havens. behind that look almost like wings.
This Dread Power may only be used when the Strix is pos-
sessing a vampire, but it has no activation roll or Vitae cost.
Instead, using it consumes a dot of Blood Potency from the host, INDOMITABLE
at which point, the host becomes spiritually impregnated with
a larval Nemesis. The Strix must then find a torpid Kindred Prerequisite: Shadow Potency ••• or •••••
victim to feed its host’s Vitae. If it does so, the larva immediately One of the greatest weapons the dead can wield is their
possesses the victim and becomes a Shadow Potency 1 Strix. power over the minds of others, whether their Kindred or
A Strix can remove a vampire’s last Blood Potency dot with the kine but the Birds of Dis are not so weak-minded as kine
this effect, turning them into a revenant. and other Propinqui, and some of the most powerful Strix
can defy their manipulations altogether.
DARK PLACES At Shadow Potency •••, the Nemesis with this Dread Power
is permanently immune to Dominate and any associated
Devotions. At Shadow Potency ••••, it is also immune to
Cost: 1 Willpower Majesty, Nightmare, and Obfuscate, along with any Devotions
The Birds of Dis fly strange and terrible paths hidden from derived from them.
mortal and immortal alike. Sometimes, they find it entertaining If the Owl would be subject to one of these powers, roll its
to bring a bit of home to their victims. Shadow Potency versus the vampire’s Blood Potency. If the Strix
To use this Dread Power, the Strix must be in an area of wins, the power is reflected back on the vampire.
total darkness — even the dim light of the stars will prohibit

Condition, using Shadow Potency to determine the duration.
LABYRINTH Anyone who touches the Vitae or blood of a carrier will then
become a carrier themself and similarly take the Competitive
Condition. Contagiousness lasts until the next sunrise.
Cost: 3 Vitae
Resisted: by Safe Place dots invested in the target area (up
to the size of a large building) SCREECH
There can be no escape from the Nemeses, but that won’t
stop their victims from trying. To deal with this inconvenience, Cost: 2 Vitae
some Owls twist the world into a reflection of whatever sinister The call of the Owl heralds death, afflicting those who hear
realm they came from. it with the horrible knowledge of their own mortality. To use
If activating this Dread Power was successful, in a single this Dread Power, the Strix must let out an ear-splitting scream
building, all exits but one that the Nemesis chooses will be similar to the Gathering Cry. If the activation is successful,
sealed off, disappearing rather than simply being locked. the victim suffers the Stunned Tilt. If the Nemesis achieves an
The Durability and Structure of all parts of the building are exceptional success, the victim instead takes the Immobilized
increased by the Strix’s Shadow Potency. No sound can enter Tilt as they reel from the horror of their looming end.
or exit the Labyrinth, ensuring help is unlikely to come.
The interior of any place afflicted by the Labyrinth becomes
visibly unnatural. Darkness sets in, torchlight is snuffed out,
SEE THE CRACKS
and the cries of strange birds can be heard throughout it. Not
that it will help the trapped victim; it appears perfectly normal With this Dread Power, it’s a trivial matter for the Striges to
from the outside. pry out the worst aspects of their victims. For each success on
the activation roll, they may learn one of the following details
about their victim:
MATERIALIZE • One Aspiration;
• Vice/Dirge;
Cost: 1 Willpower
An Owl can pull itself out of its Shadow Form into a more • Integrity/Humanity level;
solid shape, shifting its body into the physical realm for a scene. • A Condition relating to Integrity/Humanity loss;
No roll is required.
• An event that led to Integrity/Humanity loss, in general
While in the physical world, its talons are 3L weapons, and
terms, starting with the most recent;
its beak is a 2L weapon. It can now feed by eating human flesh
or drinking vampire blood. Injuries are applied to the Strix’s • A bane (vampires) or their greatest fear (humans).
Corpus, but it only takes bashing injuries from damage sources
other than banes.
In physical form, the Strix may also spend Vitae to heal
SHADOW INFECTION
wounds at the same cost as a vampire; it may also spend
Willpower to heal as normal, but it can only heal from one Cost: 3 Vitae
method in a single turn. Resisted: by Stamina (highest in group)
A Strix is an omen of death. With this Dread Power, it can
PLAGUE OF HATRED drag those unfortunate enough to cross its path closer to their
inevitable end. Upon successful activation, it leeches away the
vitality of all those within a radius of (Shadow Potency) meters.
Prerequisite: Cerberus Its victims suffer a penalty to all dice pools equal to half the
Cost: 1 Willpower Strix’s Shadow Potency for the scene, rounding up. In addition,
This Dread Power corrupts the power of the Blood running they take one lethal damage per success, which cannot be
through a host’s veins into a metaphysical curse. No activation downgraded with Resilience.
roll is required. For the night, anyone who comes into contact
with the Owl’s host must resist this effect with Stamina + Blood
Potency versus the Owl’s Power + Shadow Potency. If they fail,
SHEEP’S CLOTHING
they become a carrier for this mystical disease.
Those suffering from the contagion are irrationally aggressive The host of a Strix with this Dread Power always seems per-
even by the standards of the Beast. Debates become shouting fectly fine, utterly without injury — not like a rotting corpse or
matches, arguments become brutal duels, and honorable com- a starving-to-death mortal. This effect holds as long as the Owl
bats become fights to the death. Victims take the Competitive has at least a third of its Vitae pool (rounding up), but it can be
pierced with supernatural sight, provoking a Clash of Wills.

SHADOW JUMP TIP OF THE TONGUE
The Birds of Dis are made of shadow-stuff, and so they find Prerequisite: Parca
it all too easy to return to darkness. When within an area of The Birds of Dis have a natural aptitude for pulling the
shadow, the Strix may activate this Dread Power. On a success, strings of lesser creatures. Against all non-Striges, the Nemesis
it emerges from any other area of shade within up to (Shadow permanently adds its Shadow Potency to Finesse rolls to lie or
Potency × 2) kilometers. However, it suffers a lethal damage hide its own goals.
for every kilometer traveled. A Strix can use this ability while
possessing a host, but this levies a –5 on the activation roll.
The host suffers the damage instead of the Owl, but the Strix TWILIGHT FORM
loses Vitae equal to the damage.
Cost: 1 Willpower
SOUL BITE The Strix can enter a Twilight form for the scene. No acti-
vation roll is required. It is invisible to the naked eye, can
pass through physical obstacles, and damage from its banes
Prerequisite: Materialize is downgraded by one type (to nothing if it’s bashing). It can
Contested: by Resolve + Stamina attack ghosts and spirits as if it were Materialized, and it can
Some believe that the breath, pneuma, is the very substance feed on them by eating their Corpus, one Vitae for every
of the soul. Some of the most powerful owls can not only drink three consumed.
of the soul but swallow it whole. A Strix cannot use this Dread Power while possessing a host
The Strix must grapple its victim as though it were using or else it automatically abandons the body.
Breath Eater. However, instead of dealing bashing damage
and gaining Vitae, the Owl activates this Dread Power. If
successful, it consumes the victim’s soul whole, inflicting the VICE MANIPULATION
Soulless Condition.
Simply carrying about the soul provides the Strix with no Prerequisite: Dira
benefits, but it may take a physical vessel and regurgitate its Contested: by Resolve + Blood Potency
stolen prize into it. The vessel then generates one Vitae each Everyone, no matter how saintly they think themselves, has a
night, which the Strix may draw from. A vessel can never hold darker side, and with this Dread Power, the Strix can dig it up,
more than one Vitae at a time. twist it around, and make sure it suits its goals. If successful, it
This Dread Power only functions on mortals with no may change its victim’s Vice or Dirge for one lunar month. On
Supernatural Tolerance trait. an exceptional success, any attempt to fulfill this new Vice or
Dirge regains all Willpower so long as it remains.
SURPRISE!
WEB OF DESTINY
The Birds of Dis are silent as the shadows they’re made of.
A Strix with this Dread Power permanently adds its Shadow Cost: 2 Vitae
Potency to all rolls to ambush victims. Contested: by Resolve + Blood Potency
The Birds of Dis are creatures of ill omen, and they can see
TALONS OF FURY the strands of fate all too easily. The Owl may target itself or
a victim with this power. If using it for personal benefit, no
activation is required; the Strix gains the 8-again quality on a
Prerequisites: Cerberus, Materialize number of dice rolls equal to Shadow Potency, though it can
The talons of the Nemesis are anathema to living and dead only do so once per scene. If used against a victim, that person
alike. The Strix deals aggravated damage with its talons and loses the 10-again quality on all actions for turns equal the
beak when Materialized. Owl’s successes, and any failures are dramatic.

TRADITORES
THE ONES WE MUST NOT NAME
Betrayers, The Lost Tribe, Innominati
We must not speak of them. Yet, we do. So, we don’t talk about them.
Before the Camarilla, another clan drank Roman blood Still, vampires possess both long memories and an abundance
alongside their cousins. Were they native to the Eternal City? of time. Eternity is fertile soil for speculation, and as any student
A foreign bloodline? Or were they something stranger? of the human (or Kindred) mind can tell you, to brand something
These are questions that cannot be asked. To name this taboo is to raise its profile and invite scrutiny.
blood clan anything but traitors is punishable by Final Death. Elders still whisper about the Traditores in their private
To speak of them at all is to risk all. Their appellation has chambers. Their childer are no different. Wait around long
been struck from every record: every tablet shattered; every enough at any orgy or gala and you’ll inevitably find someone
scroll burned. Their legacy is dust, and to sift through it is whispering in a distant corner about the traitor clan. And
tantamount to treason. within those whispers, the story of the Traditores grows.
The Legend
Eventually, everyone learns the story. Once, another On the same night Brutus expelled the last King of
clan walked among the Propinqui. These others served the Rome above, the dead were at work below. Senex rallied the
Nemeses and were endowed with special privileges for their Propinqui and accused the Traditores of secret collusion with
service. Thus, while the Kindred toiled beneath Rome, digging the Striges. He accused them of dark magic and witchcraft.
the ever-expanding labyrinth of tunnels, the Traditores were With a voice unheard since Remus himself, the Old Man
exempt. When the Striges demanded the sacrifice of human called upon the Kindred to rid themselves of this corruption,
lives or Kindred Vitae, the Traditores were never the ones to and they fell upon the Traditores like a wave.
bleed. Eventually, the Owls grew too greedy in their demands. Every last member of that accursed clan met Final Death.
They asked the Propinqui to surrender their descendants in From that night, the Camarilla would rise, its foundations
body and soul so the Striges could profane mortal bodies buried in the destruction of the clan I must not name, whose
with their own damned essences. And they wanted to start ashes were scattered into sea winds and whose records and
with the Julii’s family. histories were reduced to dust. The Camarilla’s first true
This pushed Aulus Julius beyond his limit. Though he had edict was that, henceforth, these Traditores would never be
faithfully served his sire and the Pact of Dis, he would no spoken of again.
longer sit idly by.
The Truth
The mystery of the Traditores grants them a mystique a few of come from? What sin did they really commit? And how was
the dead find unbearable. Indeed, after Nero’s Great Fire, when it so great as to earn their destruction? The Nameless Society
the eldest vampires in the Eternal City perished, the traitor clan’s seeks answers.
myth only grew, for few (if any) still remember these events first- But the Julii were thorough, their record purge almost abso-
hand. As time passes, more Kindred begin their search, and more lute. What’s survived through the ages are mere fragments
come together in their common, hidden purpose. pieced together through a combination of historical negative
The Societas Innominata (The Nameless Society) is dedicated space, context clues, and a few heretical (frequently non-Ro-
to asking questions their sires and grandsires refuse to even man) sources.
acknowledge. Who were the Traditores? Where did they So, who were the Traditores? No one knows. Yet.

They Were the Akhud He agreed, and the Akhud were given a special task: to gather
sacrifices for the Birds’ sanguine hunger. And in this, they
Olim, Gomorrah stood as a bastion excelled. But as their power grew, Aulus Julius Senex became
of justice, ruled by a mighty and jealous of their power. He branded them witches and worship-
wise king who guided his people ers of vile things, and eventually lured them into a trap in the
with wisdom and kindness. But Fons Ater before setting them ablaze. Yet even tonight, when
one day, a stranger requested the moon turns to blood and Kindred go missing, a glyph can
an audience with the king. The be found drawn in blood: an ancient Gomorrahan symbol that
stranger enticed the monarch means “as we have been devoured, so shall we devour you,”
to sin, and over the months, though to most Roman eyes, it simply looks like a number…
that kind and just rule turned to
depraved tyranny. The king led his peo-
ple into sin, encouraging the most deplorable acts imaginable.
They Were
When the king’s sons attempted to show their father the error
of his ways, he attempted to cast them out, but the sons feared
the Clan of Romulus
the damage their father would do to their city. The stranger Olim, the founder of Rome was a
had come to them in a different guise and told them all the hard man. Orphan, kinslayer, and
horrors that would befall the world if the madness did not end. the Eternal City’s first king, the
And so, the king’s sons slew him, and in doing so, violated the people respected and feared
most sacred law. Romulus equally, but they did
not love him. For forty years,
Their god descended from the heavens and rained fire and
Romulus drove his people as a
brimstone down on the city. As the brothers watched their
cruel father. His body grew old
people burn to cinders, they swore a blood oath that they
and slow, but his mind was still
would hunt the stranger to the ends of the Earth and avenge
sharp. Yet, he refused to admit his time
their people, even if it took an eternity. They called themselves
would soon come to an end and pushed himself ever harder to
Akhud, an ancient word meaning oath or pact, and swore that
lead by example. Too hard.
until the day of their vengeance, they would see neither the light
of day nor enjoy any pleasure but blood. History says Romulus died at the hands of assassins, patricians
who grew weary of his callous rule. But that is not the case. One
The Akhud set off across the world, soon discovering they
day as age began to take its toll, he attended a military parade
could create others of their line, sometimes allowing themselves
at the Campus Martius, just before the city walls. However, the
to be consumed to strengthen their progeny. Years passed,
beautiful day was almost instantly overtaken by a violent storm.
and the youngest son and his childer traveled west. When he
The sky turned black as night and was torn with streaks of light-
reached the Latin hills, he met others like himself and learned
ning. A smoke-like cloud belched out across the land, throwing
the story of Remus, and how he too had been visited by a strange
the soldiers and assembled crowd into a panic. In the chaos,
creature as he lay dying. The youngest was eager to know more
Romulus spied an owl flying through the storm and followed it
and traveled into the belly of the Necropolis to seek the guid-
to the wall. As Romulus approached, he felt ice in his veins, for
ance of beings called Striges. The Owls promised to reveal the
beneath the bird’s talons was an ancient bloodstain, left upon the
truth about the stranger in exchange for the Akhud’s services.
wall by his own hand decades before. A familiar figure emerged
from the shadows: Thirty-seven years had passed since Romulus
killed Remus and left him for Mars’ vultures, yet his twin had
not aged a day, his face still bearing the violence delivered upon
Societas Innominata Initiation it. The younger brother reached out for the King, and when the
The Nameless Society would never describe itself
as a “mystery cult.” Still, their obsession with the
clouds parted overhead, Romulus was nowhere to be found. But
Traditores is fanatical, and the more they study this he was not loved, and his people did not weep.
enigma, the more power they gain… Remus took his twin into the caves beneath Rome, the younger
• Gain a Traditores Specialty in Investigation. twin boasting of how in death he had gained an eternity to create
•• Gain Trained Observer 1, ignoring prerequisites. a kingdom of his own. And though Remus’ kingdom of filthy
••• Gain a dot of Subterfuge. tunnels and caves was far from the grand Necropolis it would
•••• Gain three dots of Library. one night become, Romulus still tore at his hair in spite.
••••• Anonymity is the ultimate research tool. The
However, though the King was no longer the impatient youth
cultist can spend a Willpower to erase her
presence from the memory of anyone who who committed fratricide in a fit of rage, his mind had learned
saw her in a scene if she didn’t interact with a lifetime of hard lessons. Even as he felt his body failing, he
them or do anything notable. Supernatural clung to his twin’s every word and asked pointed questions. But
protections provoke a Clash of Wills. Remus merely laughed and left his twin to die in the dark as a
fitting repayment for his sins.

The Birds of Dis found the dying monarch. Though he had few others of similar age and experiences. As contentious as
not strength enough to stand, Romulus remained prideful, their relationship had become, they knew each other with a
wrathful, and unmoved. He would not accept his brother simple understanding. Or so Remus thought.
having even a shadow city beneath his own, so when the But he was deceived. For years, Julius had planned a coup.
Striges offered him a pact, he was all too ready to accept. And Compared with himself, Remus was akin to a god, beyond
Romulus promised them everything. Blood. Service. Whatever pain or death. But Aulus knew better than most that being
they asked. Thus, they asked for something only a king can close to something and being something are two separate
grant: subjects. things, and so he sought a higher power. He beseeched mortal
Romulus agreed without hesitation. If the people were weak oracles for guidance, and after offering them a permanent
enough to become the vessels of these demons, they deserved it. place in his future empire, they whispered the solution in his
The strong would survive and prosper. In return, he was given ear: That which has killed once may kill again.
eternal life and the means to create his own dead lineage. He It would take a lifetime of searching, but Aulus had many to
Embraced the strongest and best of his line and named them spare. A century and many false leads later, his agents finally deliv-
Quirini, after the name his people deified him with. Soon, his ered a box containing the bones of King Romulus. He ground
clan flourished and touted their power over the Julii, for unlike the dead man’s bones into a powder and fed them to Remus’s
their cousins, the Kings refused to set foot in the Etruscan tun- victim that night. When the sire drank deep, the poison took
nels beneath Rome. They dwelt among their descendants and hold, and the ancient monster froze in terror, if but for a moment.
manipulated mortal affairs from the shadows. A moment is all it takes. Julius drove a stake through Remus’s
But Romulus and his clan’s arrogance grew alongside their heart and consumed his soul while his sire’s yellow eyes wept at
power, and soon, Remus vanished. Perhaps into torpor; perhaps whatever horrible sights glistened through crimson tears. With
into Final Death. Eventually, the Quirini’s control of the royalty the strength of his sire, the Old Man forged his Camarilla.
and affairs of Rome grew so impertinent that the Julii could no Yet not all the Propinqui supported Senex. He was the old-
longer stand it. Aulus Julius Senex united the Propinqui, and est, yes, but not the only one who Remus sired. Worse, many
together, they stormed the homes of each of the Quirini, and grew suspicious of him, fearing for Remus. And so, on the
like the people of Rome, they removed the stain of Romulus and night the Romans rid themselves of their king, Senex assem-
his line of kings. In doing so, the Julii may have freed themselves bled the Propinqui in the small chamber. There, he revealed
from tyranny, but they earned the eternal ire of the Striges. Remus had forged a dark conspiracy with the Striges, forced
Quirini: The Royal Dead upon his bloodline eternal servitude, and that Senex himself
had slain his sire to free them all. When the Julii learned of
The Quirini were much like the Julii, but they were also what had happened, most rejoiced. But some, the other childer
masters of deception. Perhaps they still exist, hidden just out of Remus and their own progeny, were outraged. But Senex
of sight and awaiting the perfect opportunity for revenge. had prepared for this, and in the years since Remus’s murder,
Nicknames: Kings, Queens, Domini he had been busy. His line had sired more than double that
Clan Bane (The Patriotic Curse): The Quirini are only at of his broodmates combined.
ease within the city of King Romulus. Whenever a Queen sets Those descended from Senex slaughtered their kin to the
foot outside the walls of Rome, her dice pools are limited by last that night and scattered their ashes on the wind. When
Humanity unless she spends a Willpower for the scene. it was over, they told the other dead the Julii had purged the
Favored Attributes: Manipulation or Resolve traitors for their protection. They did not question it. What
Disciplines: Dominate, Obfuscate, Resilience did they care for the loss of so many Julii, after all, if there
were no witnesses to argue?
They Were Remus’s But there were witnesses. The Owls watched as childe slew
sire, the one they granted eternal life. They watched as Julius
Other Childer planned to break his bloodline’s vow in outrage, but waited
to see if another of Remus’ grandchilder would set it right.
Olim, Remus vanished, never to
be seen again. And when none did, the Striges swore they would have
their vengeance on the Julii and their Camarilla. They will
In his stead, the Julii say, he
take back the gift that was stolen and perverted.
left his childe, Aulus Julius,
to watch over his get while he
slept away the ageless centu- They Are
ries. But that is not the truth.
One night, sire and childe met the Enemy Within
to drink and talk of things, as they Olim, Senex turned the Kindred against the Traditores,
often did in those nights. Though the making them swear an oath to leave the blood of the fallen
son had grown to loathe his father (and vice versa), there were untouched. But why was Julius so afraid of his people partaking

in their enemy’s Vitae? Was it fear that her clay. Within each of these sacrifices, he built a labyrinth for
there was something within that these monsters, and at the heart of each, a secret command so
blood so cursed that it would potent that it would bind the Owls within their fleshy cages and
taint the drinker, or perhaps make them forget who — and what — they ever were.
something even more insidi- And it worked. Now Kindred, the wretches and the owls
ous? Who the Traditores were become one, believing themselves to be the real Julii and that
is not nearly as important as they had destroyed the “traitors,” who abandoned Rome for
what they were capable of, for the the far reaches of the world. Even Senex left, free from his sire’s
damned clan was endowed with a burdens. What directed the construction of the Camarilla after
strange and potent Discipline that that point is impossible to say. Perhaps the old clan still exists,
allowed them to control the flow of blood itself. these true Julii, lords of whatever new ventures they undertake
On that bloody night, every Traditor met their end, but a or new domain they seize. Should they return one night, they
few Julii were overcome with lust for Vitae and power, and they would be unrecognizable to the false clan they left behind.
betrayed their oath to Senex. Seven of the Propinqui drank the
heartsblood of seven Traditores and consumed their power,
but in doing so, they gained something worse. The Traditores’
They Were
mastery over blood was so great that to drink their Vitae was Belial’s Brood
to invite their souls within one’s heart. And so, each of these
Olim, a dead thing named Belial
seven traitors survived within the very Vitae of their killers,
helped found the Camarilla. He
and within all those Embraced thereafter.
was a witch, a sorcerer, a wor-
Though these Traditores still exist, their consciousnesses shiper of dark chthonic gods,
have been watered down across time and countless bodies, and a fallen angel. The legends say
their existences are ones of fury and confusion. But sometimes, he was many things. What
these shattered minds coalesce into a shadow of their former they agree on, however, is
selves. And when this happens, a power struggle begins with that he was blessed with power
their hosts. When the Traditores gain control, they use the beyond the ken of the other dead.
bodies of their hosts like marionettes and enact bloody ven- He could see the future in pools of
geance against all Kindred, acting as beacons for the Striges blood and control the weather with a whisper to the clouds.
to take new hosts. Countless Embraces and blood bonds have
And he was beloved by the Striges. Something in Belial was
transmitted the Traditores’ tainted Vitae from the Founders
wild. Unchecked. And though they remade Remus with their
to every clan in the Camarilla. For you see, it does not matter
pact, he was not their favorite. Belial and his childer could see and
who the Traditores were. They are the Kindred.
speak with the Striges even as they hid in the realm beyond flesh.
They Were the Julii Before his slumber, Belial and Remus were like brothers, but
when the Inauspicious Twin left his kingdom to his childe, the
Olim, the Striges grew greedy. After Birds’ favor for Belial and his childer drew Aulus’s ire. Belial’s
centuries of service, fulfilling the unique perspective allowed him and his kin to exist between the
pact of Remus was no longer an worlds of matter and spirit, but so too did he walk between the
adequate chore for his childer. realm of the living and the dead. He entwined himself with mor-
After thousands of sacrifices, tal lives, warping their minds and souls. Those who survived the
the blood of the slaves and ordeals were gifted riches, Vitae, or the Embrace. From Roman
conquered could no longer stock, Belial added to his brood by the dozens, never bothering
satiate the Birds’ bloodlust. The to ensure they didn’t emerge as half-formed draugr. To Senex,
Striges wanted more, and so they this was the final insult.
changed the terms of their pact. The The Old Man could no longer bear the preferential treatment
Striges demanded that the Propinqui offer up the bodies of given to Belial and his kin. It was bad enough that they idled
their mortal kin as sacrifices and vessels for their amusement. while Propinqui toiled, but now they dared sully Roman blood
However, in changing the deal, the Strix inadvertently weak- with foreign profanities. In a night, Aulus rallied the Kindred
ened their position. Senex agreed to their terms and summoned to his side, and they slew every last member of this brood, with
up the dregs of each of his mortal bloodlines — the bastards and Senex dealing the deathblow to Belial himself, who did not resist.
disowned and dishonored — and brought them to the Small And though their cause was righteous, Julius swore the
Chamber as a gift the Striges would eagerly accept. Propinqui to secrecy that night. This was not to hide their
And accept they did. But in this, they were betrayed, for Senex actions, which they proudly announced to the other dead,
had mastered the secret words the Birds had taught his sire, and but in an attempt to forget. For the Striges had whispered a
he had prepared well. Before the Striges could take their new warning to Belial, and told him a secret truth. When the Julii
forms, he reshaped each of those mortal minds as a potter shapes struck down his childer, they met their Final Deaths with serene

smiles. And when Julius dealt his final blow, Belial sloughed
off his flesh like a moldering robe.
The Simplest Explanation
And though Belial’s clan is gone, his lessons survived. Kindred Maybe the Traditores never existed. While a few
often wake to find that throughout their daysleeps they’ve tran- Kindred might’ve been branded enemies of the new
scribed strange verses in old, foreign tongues they do not speak covenant and executed when Senex took power, they
or read — the writings of Belial. This can happen to any Kindred, were nothing as unified as a clan until Final Death
made them so. The traitor clan is nothing more than
but for some reason, but it happens most often to Julii. No matter
a fable meant to frighten neonates — and a warning
how often these passages are destroyed, they — and those who to the other clans.
take his lessons to heart — will always eventually return. Perhaps
the Propinqui were right to destroy Belial and his brood. Perhaps
they should have done it right the first time.
became first of the Kindred. For centuries, he watched Rome
They Were a Sacrifice grow, and he too expanded his domain. Yet as his children
multiplied, the city above strained to feed them. And so, the
Olim, when Romulus and Remus dead did what they always do: They killed their brothers. Lots
set about digging the Eternal City’s were drawn at the altar of Dis, and half of all Remus’s childer
foundations, Remus stumbled accepted their fates.
upon something deep within In truth, the game was rigged. Aulus Julius oversaw the
the old Etruscan crypts. It was lottery, handing out winning tokens to his allies and doom to
a black stone altar buried in the each of his enemies. Each loser was slain upon Dis Pater’s altar,
earth, marked with symbols of their souls given in sacrifice to the Infernal King. But Dis Pater
Dis Pater. took pity on them for their kin’s betrayal and allowed them to
When he showed it to his brother, return. Without bodies, these betrayed creatures could only
Romulus believed it to be a bad omen. appear as smoke that smelled of burned blood. For you see,
The two fought, and in the end, Remus was struck dead by the Striges did not exist before the honest Julii were betrayed.
his twin, his body left to cool on the altar. But he did not The Owls did not create the Julii, but were created by them,
die. The altar changed him, and blessed by Dis Pater, he and that is why they are their Nemeses.

HORRID LEGIONS
Rome’s monsters are as diverse as they are debased. Some are vampires who’ve evolved beyond the capabilities of their breth-
ren, unleashing unique abilities on the unwary. Others are stranger variations of the Blood, manifesting uncanny and bizarre
powers. Some are even mortals: blessed by the gods, possessing sorcerous powers, or just cornered prey who lash out when
faced with death. None of them should be underestimated. By birth, by law, or by custom, they are the children of Romulus,
and just as dangerous.
Aventine Harpies
I see your future, bloodsucker. It’s not pretty.
AKA: The Sibyls

All good Romans know the legend. Romulus and Remus
Three Sibyls
took auguries to see where to build their city. First, Remus saw The dead must leave Rome’s walls if they seek Sanquinia’s
six vultures on the Aventine Hill, then Romulus saw twelve gifts. She refuses to enter Rome, citing Romulus’s murder
eagles on the Palatine Hill. A quarrel broke out over which of Remus as the reason, but refuses to elaborate. Instead,
birds showed greater favor from the gods, and Romulus slew she dwells in a villa beyond the city walls with her ghouls,
his brother. And as the Kindred know, Remus then arose as a although she’s moved multiple times over the centuries as
walking corpse to found the Julii. the city encroaches further into the farmland surrounding
Less well known is what happened next. After many weeks, it. Sanquinia extorts future favors from those who beg for
Remus tracked down those fateful vultures and brought them her aid, using them to manipulate politics within the city
back to the Aventine, where he made them his own. What that she refuses to enter.
means changes from tale to tale. In some, he transformed them Vampires hide themselves from mortals, but some harpies
into ghouls, mutating them over time into beasts with more have no qualms about revealing themselves. Every pleb who
humanoid forms. In others, they’re trained animals, but after lives near the Aventine Hill hears rumors that an oracle will
repeated exposure to his Disciplines, they become something meet them in the abandoned home behind Libera’s temple. Few
else entirely. Some even whisper that Remus murdered the pluck up the courage to take their woes to a being as monstrous
treacherous birds, using their entrails to read the future and as Ceres, but she will help them if they serve her. The Senex
presenting their corpses to the Striges as offerings. fear she will whittle away at Mendacium, and they plot to either
Whatever the truth, those vultures became the first Aventine bring the harpy in line or take her out.
Harpies, skull-faced avians who feast on blood to divine the Ages ago, in the time of the kings, the harpies and the
future. A Sybil is an unliving monstrosity that only vaguely Kindred banished Aegaeon from Rome for crimes history did
resembles a vulture; numerous arms protrude from under its not record. The exiled Sibyl fled to the Alps, haunting the
wings, and a fanged skull caps its long neck. The most common mountain passes until Hannibal and his elephants arrived.
of these heads are human or bird, but any animal skull can He feasted on Carthaginian dead and followed the army to
take its place. Cannae, where he gorged upon the slain. Now swollen to gigan-
While the original harpies only numbered six (or twelve, tic proportions, boasting dozens of dead limbs, renowned for
depending on who tells the tale), through profane rituals, their his prophetic gifts, and calling himself Centimanus, Aegaeon
numbers swelled across the Italian peninsula. Tonight, they can plots revenge against those who drove him off so long ago.
be found anywhere Romans (and Propinqui) dwell, and they
frequently demand aid in swelling or spreading their numbers Systems
from Kindred seeking their oracular gifts. The rarely possess Create an Aventine Harpy using the same rules as vampires
numbers sufficient to rival even a single clan, a Propinquus in with the following changes:
need of their abilities can find within a day or two’s journey Augury: By spending 3 Vitae, a Harpy can read the future,
of their settlement. seeing what Fate has in store for a person. The subject gains
the Informed Condition regarding events foreseen in the

prophecy. The Vitae required for an Augury doesn’t have to
be spent by the Harpy herself; vampires or ghouls can donate
Story Seeds
them, although doing so inflicts one point of lethal damage • People are going missing, leaving only blood-soaked cobbles
to the donor. and a smear of gore behind. Ala Militaris is certain an
Blasphemous Embrace: Sibyls create more of their kind Aventine Harpy is hunting mortals, tearing them to pieces
through a twisted posthumous Embrace that requires both to empower its magic. They don’t know if they’re about to
a dead vulture and a fresh human corpse. By spending a dot face down a horde of freshly created Sibyls or one powerful
of Blood Potency, the harpy disgorges Vitae into the corpses, and very bloodthirsty vulture.
twisting them together into a single disgusting whole. • Tensions run high when a Sybil sups from a powerful
Carrion Feeders: Aventine Harpies can drain Vitae from Vaticinator’s mortal granddaughter. Open violence hasn’t
mortals as vampires do, but they do not enter torpor or need broken out yet, but the two parties are recruiting allies to
to spend Vitae to wake at sundown. Sibyls can also consume their sides and becoming increasingly territorial. Each offers
(2 × Blood Potency) fresh corpses in a night-long ritual to per- their gift of foresight to those who aid them and declares
manently increase their Blood Potency by a dot. dire omens that will befall their rival. All the while, clever
Creatures of the Night: Aventine Harpies have Blood Propinqui try to play the two off each other and reap the
Potency and suffer damage from fire like Kindred. Harpies do benefits of multiple prophecies.
not suffer damage from exposure to sunlight, but it does inflict • The local Harpies seem docile enough, serving as underlings
a –3 penalty to all dice pools. for both the Senex and the Cult of Augurs. Rumors abound,
Disciplines: Aventine Harpies can possess any combina- however, that they conspire against their Propinquus lords
tion of dots taken from the Auspex, Dominate, Majesty, and and plot the Camarilla’s downfall. Wary Kindred swear
Nightmare Disciplines. they’ve seen the harpies sneaking into the forest just before
Shared Bloodline: Aventine Harpies have no clans, but dawn, whispering to golden-eyed shadows. The Sibyls swear
they’re treated as Julii for the purposes of Blood Sympathy. they are loyal servants of Remus’s heirs and that their detrac-
tors slander to seize power for themselves.
Cineres
<a chorus of whispers followed by rushing wind>
AKA: Whispering Ashes goal. They are, however, implacable and untiring creatures,
No one dies without regret. Whether those regrets are as big impossible to dissuade. Whispering Ashes understand little
as never confessing your feelings to that beautiful person in your besides their goals, including the needs of their hosts. Human
past, or as small as being unable to finish one more book, none hosts have died of starvation or exposure under the yoke of a
of us leave this life without wishing we could have done more. Cinis, and a Propinqua unfortunate enough to be caught by
one will burn as the entity attempts to take care of unfinished
The Eternal City’s no different. Its people die every day full business in the middle of the day.
of desires unfulfilled, ambitions thwarted, actions untaken. In
Rome, however, the dead are kept close to home. Even moder- What creates a Cinis varies, but it’s usually something so egre-
ately wealthy families maintain a crypt, a place to keep the ashes gious it offends an entire catacomb-worth of shades. Something
of their ancestors. For a relatively modest family, this means like, say, a parasitic corpse pretending to be one of them while
perhaps a handful of funerary urns, but catacombs can hold feasting on the blood of their descendants. Manifestations of
dozens. There, the family dead rest, row upon row, listening to the Whispering Ash are, therefore, something of an urban
the troubles and prayers of their descendants, unable to help legend among Propinqui, and one of the reasons it’s considered
with their hardships… until something wakes them up. prudent to treat dead mortals respectfully within their crypts.
After all, the whole family is watching…
Cineres form when something galvanizes the lingering
regrets, ambitions, and desires left in the ashen remains of
multiple humans in the same family line. Not true ghosts, Three
but not exactly spirits, either, these wraiths are composed of
swirling clouds of ash, from which the constant muttering of
Whispering Ashes
many voices can be heard. This sound is what gives the Cineres Anger of Stlaccius formed when a starving vampire lost con-
their nickname: Whispering Ash. In their base form, Cineres trol of herself and murdered gens Stlaccia’s patriarch during a
don’t have much power to affect the world, and so they hijack clandestine meeting in the family catacomb. It attached itself
the bodies of others to enact their simplistic agendas. to the dead man’s oldest daughter and is currently stalking
Cineres aren’t sophisticated; they’re the shards of dozens of the upper levels of the Necropolis, attacking anyone who
dead family members temporarily united to achieve a single resembles the murderer.

Pride of Digitius is trying to restore its family’s glory. Gens adding its Power to any Strength-based action or its Resistance
Digitia has fallen far in recent years, but their catacomb is still to any Stamina-based action. However, every time it does this,
large, meaning Pride is a powerful Cinis. While attached to a the host suffers a bashing damage. Hosts are fully aware while
young, brash son of the line, Pride has been toppling emblems they’re being piloted but are unable to move under their own
and statues of the family’s rivals and erecting crude monuments volition, even to speak. Humans are utterly powerless, and all
to the Digitii in their place — with no signs of stopping. Kindred can do is reflexively spend Vitae to heal or use Physical
Regret of Pedanius has trapped its Kindred victim in endless Intensity. Finally, the layer of hardened ash coating the victim
acts of horrifying contrition. While trying to make amends to grants the host a point of general armor.
another family the gens Pedania wronged long ago, Regret has Dust to Dust: Once the Cinis has completed its goal, or its
forced its host to commit several acts of self-mutilation in front host dies, it disperses, retreating back to the catacomb that
of mortal witnesses, repeating the cycle when the injuries heal. spawned it. There are two ways to detach a Whispering Ash
For its next attempt, Regret is going to deliver gifts… early: the first is destroying the funerary jars that once con-
tained its ashes. For every jar broken, it loses an Attribute dot.
Systems If any Attribute is reduced to zero, the creature is destroyed. The
second is fire. Flames remind the Cinis of its individual deaths,
Ephemeral Traits: Like Striges, Cineres use the simplified confusing it and weakening its hold. Whenever an attached
traits of Power, Finesse, and Resistance (p. 195). They have a Cinis takes damage from fire, roll Finesse + Resistance minus
number of dots to distribute among these traits equal to the the damage inflicted by the attack. If it fails, the Whispering
number of ash-filled funerary jars in the catacomb they first Ash releases its host, but it does not disperse, and it can attempt
manifested within, which can be placed freely in each category, to attach to a different host the following turn. This method
but Finesse must always be their lowest trait. They can alter the is obviously perilous for a human host — even more so for a
distribution of these dots once per scene as an instant action. Kindred one.
Calculate Advantages as with other ephemeral beings, but
Cineres can do little to affect the world without a host besides
frightening onlookers and obscuring an area with ash.
Story Seeds
Dread Powers: Unattached Cineres possess Discorporate • A Cinis has manifested in the family catacomb of a powerful
and Unbreakable (Chronicles of Darkness, pp. 145 and 148). Augur, attaching to one of her most beloved descendants.
Taking Control: Cineres can take control of an animate Now, the entity is running amok trying to smash every shrine
creature by compacting their form around them to create it can find. This is obviously embarrassing for the Augur,
a thick layer of ash. Roll the Cinis’s Power + Finesse in a and she’d like the coterie to end the Cinis’s rampage, but
contested and extended action versus the victim’s Stamina + she insists both that her descendant survives the process and
Blood Potency. The target is the victim’s Stamina + Resolve. her family’s remains not be further desecrated.
Each roll represents a turn of struggle. If the victim reaches • A silent, ash-covered vampire attacks one of the characters,
his goal first, he shakes off the ash and is immune to further and they barely fend it off. Some research leads the charac-
attempts for the rest of the scene. If the Cinis wins, it gains ters to discover what the Cineres are and why they manifest.
control of the victim’s body. Once attached, the victim can Unfortunately, they don’t know which family this particular
spend a point of Willpower once per day to try and struggle Whispering Ash is from, or why it’s targeting one of them.
free, repeating the contested action. But it’s only a matter of time before it appears again.
Ashen Puppeteer: A Cinis’ control isn’t true possession; • An ally of the characters has been snatched by a Cinis and
instead, the entity forces its victim’s body to comply, awkwardly is systematically murdering the mortal family of one of their
piloting it in the pursuit of its goals. While controlling a victim, rivals. No doubt harsh repercussions will follow, so they
the creature uses the victim’s Physical Attributes and Skills, should probably rescue their friend… or they could allow
substituting its Finesse for any Mental or Social actions. A the events to unfold and strike at their rivals in the chaos,
Whispering Ash can force its host past his physical limitations, leaving their erstwhile ally to take the blame in the end.
Colossi
Bow before your gods.
AKA: Ichor Giants Colossi rise at the sites of great battles, where exceptionally
The Lancea et Sanctum has its One God, bound in a mortal vicious wars lay mortals low in a sanguine harvest. They tower
form, humiliated through crucifixion. It can keep him. Romans over Kindred and kine alike, standing up to 10 feet tall, clad
descend from more glorious deities — divine Venus and victori- in armor, and wielding the finest weaponry. While the Ichor
ous Mars — who are not confined to such puny forms. Giants possess the forms of beautiful mortals, they would

never be mistaken for them, as their bodies are composed Bloody Deity: Ichor Giants are terrifyingly powerful, possess-
entirely of blood. Kin feel the power coursing through these ing a minimum Blood Potency of 3. Fire can’t harm Colossi,
effigies instinctively, and even the least of them are as potent but they’re unable to pass through flames. Colossi discorporate
as vampires who transcend their mortal limits. into a sticky pile of blood at the break of dawn, only to rise
Most of the dead treat the Ichor Giants with deference again the following sunset with maximum Vitae and Health.
and respect; those who don’t rarely last the night. How the Furthermore, the Strigid Curse applies to these creatures.
Colossi come into being is an open question, one the Cult Disciplines: Colossi have three Discipline dots for every
of Augurs debates fiercely. The predominant theory is that point of Blood Potency they possess. They can choose from
the Ichor Giants are avatars of the Olympians, sent into the the following powers: Animalism, Celerity, Dominate, Protean,
mortal world through the bloody offerings of battle to achieve Resilience, and Vigor.
some divine purpose. More agnostic Kindred believe they are Deathless Legions: For a Willpower, an Ichor Giant can
gestalt beings, the souls of hundreds of warriors fused into animate a number of corpses on the battlefield equal to five
a sanguine form that is given purpose and meaning through times its Blood Potency as an instant action. Treat each corpse
faith. But if the Colossi know the truth, they refuse to bestow as a two-dot Retainer that specializes in attack and defense.
it upon the dead. Immortal Ends: Colossi can’t be killed just through
damage, and they do not fall into torpor unless they wish
Three Ichor Giants to. Complete aggravated damage causes them to disintegrate
Mars is the most common Ichor Giant vampires encounter into a bloody heap, but they rise again upon the next sunset
and shows great fondness for what he calls “my children.” Mars as above. Instead, each Colossus has a purpose, and fulfilling
believes he is the Camarilla’s patron, a granter of discipline, it is the only way to rid an area of its presence. Some Ichor
virtue, and bloodthirsty violence. He is the ultimate general, Giants recruit vampires in an effort to make this purpose
expecting loyalty even other Ichor Giants would deem fanatical, come to pass, while others hide their goal, hoping to prolong
but rewarding vampires for their obedience with riches and their deathless existence.
power beyond their wildest dreams. Mars deeply opposes the Masters of the Battlefield: Each Ichor Giant is bound to a
Striges’ and their machinations, claiming they are Minerva’s single location where warriors clashed with each other. The
minions and that his sister’s reputation as the kinder war god Colossus knows intuitively where the boundary of its battlefield
is entirely undeserved. lies and cannot cross beyond that threshold. By spending a
In Illyricum, a Colossus claiming to be Apollo stalks the Willpower, an Ichor Giant can sense the presence of all living
night. But while many vampires fear this Ichor Giant will blast and dead beings present on their battlefield. Attempts to hide
them into dust with the sun’s rays, it isn’t that Apollo. This one’s presence with magic provoke a Clash of Wills.
is Apollo in his role as both disease-bringer and healer. The
corpse legions he raises fester and rot, causing anyone who Story Seeds
trespasses on the Colossus’s lands to fall ill. Those afflicted • As the Sanctified gain power and the Striges stalk the nights,
often experience prophetic visions, and those who survive several members of Ala Senecta beseech Mars (above) for aid.
can achieve greatness by acting upon what they saw. At the The Colossus from Cannae is willing to assist the vampires
same time, the Giant can cure maladies mundane and super- with its cult, but they must help it complete its mission in
natural, tempting some vampires to brave his battlefield to return — gathering the bones of Marius, the ashes of Sulla,
partake of his wisdom. and the head of Pompey. However, the Cult of Augurs has
While rare, the Ichor Giants can make homes within a city, received a prophecy that states that an even greater monstros-
including Rome. Since Augustus’ rise as Princeps, one such ity shall arise if the Colossus gets what it wants…
Colossus has stalked the halls of the Senate, claiming to be
none other than Divus Julius himself. The Colossus certainly • Far from the Eternal City, vampires have discovered a Colossus
knows enough about Caesar’s life and exploits to pass as the unlike any other. It appears as a massive, ornate fountain that
genuine article, drawing the curiosity of vampires who knew serves as a perpetual font of Vitae in the Necropolis. Propinqui
the dictator. While he seems uninterested in mortal affairs, freely imbibe this blood, but those who do are subject to a
rumors persist that the Emperor is his puppet and that Caesar potent Vinculum, feeling the Colossus urging them to feast
still rules Rome as his successors’ divine patron. and drink in the back of their head. While the creature doesn’t
name itself, most assume it is related to Bacchus, although a
Systems few simply call the strange fountain Ambrosia…

• Bound as he is in a single location, the Colossus of Typhon
Create a Colossus using the same rules as vampires with the must be cunning if he wishes to undermine the other Ichor
following modifications. Giants. He sends minions far and wide to enact his will and
Above It All: Colossi possess Dirges, but not Humanity, thwart all though who bow before gods. To this end, he has
Masks, or Touchstones, and they do not acquire banes. Treat allied with the Strix to make war upon Rome’s Kindred,
Humanity as 1 for all purposes. seeing their piety as a human frailty they cling to.

The Cult of Faces
Do you like him? He looks just like you. I made certain.
AKA: The Waxen, Larvae Tiber. From his sacrifice, the Cult of Faces rose — or just the
Among the wealthy and elite, it’s an honor to have your Waxen — and these players dedicate themselves to accumulating
living visage preserved in wax so that your face could live on the power and privilege afforded by their masks.
forever. No patrician household is without a room of death And the statue? It now dwells in the heart of Rome where
masks making up a macabre gallery — a testament to the family’s its magic can be more readily accessed…
station and history.
Death masks are only ever worn twice. The first time is atop Three Waxen
the oft still-living flesh of their subject. The second is by an actor Maximian believes the masks can be used for good. Too
to embody them at the funeral. Ironic that a “lesser” should many miserable old bastards die in Rome, and few make
wear the face of an esteemed patrician, but the elite understand amends before they go to Dis Pater, so Maximian tries to clean
even the underclasses have their purposes. Without someone up affairs for the worst of Rome. He’s had a lot of success so
to embody the dead, how can grief rise to the divine heights far, though he’s often frustrated at how hale and healthy his
needed to gain the gods’ attention? targets often are. Too often the bad prosper while the best die
The trouble begins when an actor takes their role too seri- young, so Maximian has had to hurry a few subjects to their
ously. But the Waxen know just how to handle such egos. postmortem redemptions.
It’s not known when the first Waxen mask was made, but Could the Waxen steal the visage as high as the Emperor?
the Cult of Faces credits it to one Appius Pulcher. At a partic- Catia Celeris wants to find out. A young member of the cult,
ularly debauched funeral, he was plied with obscene amounts she has an in at the palace, and when the Emperor croaks (not
of alcohol by friends of the deceased until the libations drove long now, so they say), she wants to do a little switcheroo. The
him into a fit. Only then did he don the death mask, but rather kine already speak of Nero redivivus, so why couldn’t one of them
than perform, he fled the country villa hosting the ceremony return from the dead?
in ecstasy and madness. He awoke hours later in a forest and Marcus Nasidius knows there’s more to this than a broken
discovered, to his horror, that he had cracked the priceless old statue. Mellona? Please. A third-rate deity at best. Nasidius
heirloom in his flight. has been retracing Appius’s steps, hoping to learn the true
The relic was worth nearly a decade of Appius’ wages, but nature of the statue his cult reveres. Though he doesn’t know it,
as he began to panic, he heard a strange buzzing. He followed his search is bringing him closer and closer to the Necropolis.
the noise and discovered a horrifying sign: a hive, teeming This has not gone unnoted by the Kindred — but they’d also
with thousands of fat honeybees, formed around the hollow like to know what he might find.
eyes and mouth of a shattered statue. Desperate to repair the
mask, Appius donned it to protect his face and eyes and set
about raiding the nest. Despite his efforts, he suffered dozens
Systems
of stings, and as he scooped the beeswax out with his injured While wearing one of these masks, a person becomes the
hands, the blood and venom mixed with the wax he used to seal deceased in body and mind. The effect is flawless, and the actor
the damaged mask. Soon, he was unable, or perhaps unwilling, can pass among the deceased’s friends and family with little
to remove it, and was astonished to find that when he returned effort. However, the sensation is addictive; wearing the mask
to the villa the following morning, he was greeted warmly and automatically inflicts the Addicted Condition.
treated to breakfast with the departed’s family. To them, the Characters wearing a mask use the following systems:
mask had resurrected their son, and Appius was all too happy Perfect Doubles: The cult’s masks can only be cast from
to accept their generosity. the dead. Masks made from still-living subjects have no effect.
Later, Appius returned to the nest in the woods and acquire When a character dons a mask, they become the person whose
more wax for more masks, and with each creation, his skill visage they wear. Their appearance, build, voice, and man-
grew greater. Soon, he taught others how to create these pecu- nerisms all alter to match the deceased, and no mundane or
liar relics with the same simple ingredients: blood and wax. supernatural perceptions can see through the disguise.
Although Appius never learned who the hive’s ancient statue Command Performance: While wearing the mask, the
was meant to resemble, he believed the masks were a blessing cultist gains the 8-again quality on all actions to convince
from Mellona, goddess of bees, a reward for his gentle care of others of her identity, and she gains access to any Social Merits
the hive. And perhaps it was. the original had in life. The mask’s innate glamor convinces
Appius returned to Rome and shared his secrets with other onlookers that not only is the Waxen the deceased, but that
actors, trusted friends, and lovers who would one day slit his the rumors regarding their death must have been a grave
throat with a broken clay urn and leave his body floating in the exaggeration.

Death Tax: If it is not anointed with at least a lethal also a functioning and popular butcher shop, known for
damage–worth of blood (or a Vitae), the mask will extract a surprisingly cheap prices. But with so many piles of offal
price of its own. This inflicts lethal damage on a human and and trimmings stored close to the masks, some have been
drains Vitae from a ghoul or vampire. The mask must be fed known to go walkabout…
an increasing amount of blood each night the wearer keeps
• A relatively levelheaded and humane Propinquus has had an
it on, plus one for each sunrise passed (to a limit of five per
odd change in personality, hosting lavish parties involving
night). Once removed, the mask can’t be used again until
literal orgies of blood. In truth, he’s been replaced by one of
about a week passes. If the mask kills its wearer, she rises as
the Waxen, but the mask is faulty and requires more than
a revenant the next night, permanently transformed into an
three times the normal amount of blood to sustain itself.
exact double of the deceased.
What will the coterie do when they accidentally come across
Kindred Spirits: If the mask was crafted from a vampire’s the Cultist removing his mask? Will they rat him out and
face, a human wearer gains additional benefits. She may use reap the rewards? Or is this imposter a far better ally than
Physical Intensity or any of the vampire’s Disciplines, and she the stodgy original?
gains Blood Potency 0 for the purposes of Vitae storage and
expenditure. She can drink human and Kindred blood to refill • Each mask contains a queen bee larva taken from the sacred
her pool, but if she’s empty, spending Vitae draws on her own hive. Should a cultist wear a mask long enough, the larva
blood supply, inflicting a lethal damage per point. will burrow into their skull through their eyes or nose and
slowly transform them into a hybrid monstrosity of human
Story Seeds and bee. These creatures would do everything to ensure the
propagation of their species, viewing the darkest parts of
• The Cult of Faces hides a library of masks hidden in the Necropolis, such as the Fons Ater (p. 76), as the perfect
Rome. To keep them in good condition, the building is places to construct hives.
Lamiae
Come here, little one.
AKA: Child-Eaters, Empusae, Mormolyce Lamiae have no love for the Propinqui. The conquerors stole
Lamia was a consort of Zeus, cursed by Hera to become a the cities and urban centers of Greece, territories that were
monster and devour her own children for her sacrilege. Zeus, occupied by the Lamiae for centuries. Now, the Child-Eaters
in pity, bestowed Lamia with prophecy and the ability to take plot and scheme to wrest control of their cities back from the
the forms of creatures most pleasing to him. Literally true or Roman dead, but their odds aren’t great. As always, it’s a num-
not, the Lamia curse spread all across Greece, transforming bers game: The Propinqui can Embrace much more quickly and
those who murder their children or kill their lovers into easily. That said, some Lamiae have attempted to integrate, but
bloodthirsty monsters. this makes them traitors to their kin, and a strange curiosity
to the Propinqui at best.
The Greeks give these creatures many names. Those with
snake-like features they call Lamia, those with donkey’s legs
and flaming hair they call Empusae, and those too monstrous Three Child-Eaters
to describe they call Mormolyce. But, in truth, there is only Orithyia haunts a long trading road, waiting for young men
one curse, no matter what form it takes. to wander by. She offers to share the night with them, and most
Lamiae are not truly vampires, but living beings cursed to agree. In months of plenty, she drains a little blood and sends
feed on innocence and youth. Each day, a Lamia loses more of them on their way come morning. But when travelers are sparse,
her Humanity and draws closer to becoming a ravening beast. and the months grow lean and hungry, she devours them whole.
By devouring the blood and flesh of others, she can feast on Phaia has given up on trying to be human. She is a monster,
the youth locked inside their bodies, and deny her fate. A and will not pretend to be otherwise. She drinks from children
Lamia’s most succulent meals are young lovers, children, and in their beds, ones whose parents do not believe tales of mon-
her own mortal kin. sters lurking in the dark.
After Lamiae feed and restore their Humanity, they’re often Ismene has fallen in love with a Bourkolakas (p. 186). They
wracked with guilt. Thus, they seek out lovers or companions live in the wilds beyond Corinth, preying upon its people
to assuage their long, lonely lives. Some even start families, and trying to find some peace and happiness. But as Ismene
feasting only enough to keep themselves human. But even- gluts herself to maintain her love and compassion for her new
tually, something goes awry; their Humanity slips away, and husband, he falls farther away from Humanity as the slaughter
they devour those closest to them in a bloody feast. Again increases. Ismene so deeply wants their love to endure — espe-
and again and again and… cially now that she is, somehow, pregnant with his child.

Systems
Lamiae function like Kindred except in the following ways:
Warm Bodies: Lamiae do not age, but they are alive. They
breathe, sleep, and bleed as mortals do, needing no blush of
life. They can eat food, though it doesn’t nourish them; they
don’t feel the pull of the daysleep; and they don’t undergo
the Cleansing each night.
Vulnerabilities: Lamiae are immune to disease but vul-
nerable to poison. They suffer damage and heal like mortals,
though they don’t pass out from damage in their final Health
boxes. Finally, the sun is harmless to Lamiae, though fire
is still a bane.
Degeneration: Once per night, a Lamia must take at least
one Vitae from a child, adolescent, or members of her own
mortal family (within two generations). If she fails to meet
this requirement, every time the sun sets, her player rolls
Humanity: On a failure, she gains a cumulative –1 modifier
to that trait. This does not actually lower her Humanity
rating, but she treats it as though it were lower in every
meaningful way. These penalties are instantly removed if
she feeds from one of these favored vessels. Otherwise, if
they would lower the creature’s effective Humanity to zero,
she falls to hunger frenzy until she can drain an appropriate
victim. She can feed on other victims to gain Vitae, but this
doesn’t alleviate her curse.
Progeny: Lamiae can only Embrace murderesses (cis or
trans), specifically those who’ve killed their own children,
lovers, or spouses. All other attempts to Embrace fail. They can
also bear human children, but this is rare, and they often pos-
sess supernatural Merits and are born under strange omens.
Disciplines: Lamiae treat Auspex, Majesty, Obfuscate, and
Vigor as in-clan Disciplines. They can learn Animalism and
Resilience, but they cannot learn other unique clan powers.
They also can’t learn the Veneficium or Fenestrae, but they
can learn Crúac.
Thin Blood: A Lamia’s Blood Potency cannot exceed five
dots, and they cannot commit diablerie.
Monstrosity: Lamiae inherently have access to the
Predatory Aspect power of Protean. However, their adap-
tations are always active unless they spend Vitae equal to
Blood Potency to suppress them for the night as an instant
action, and they cannot be swapped. Reverting to the default
monstrous form only takes a reflexive action at no cost.
Shapeshifter: A Lamia may spend a Vitae as an instant
action to take on the form of a human or predatory animal
she’s killed. When a Lamia assumes an alternate human form,
her monstrous adaptations are suppressed, she cannot feed,
and she gains the Striking Looks Merit if her victim possessed
it. This transformation lasts until sunset unless she spends
another Vitae to revert to her monstrous form. A Lamia can
keep a number of forms equal to her Presence dots. Whenever
a Lamia kills a human or predatory animal, she may choose to
gain them as a new form and forget one of their old ones. As
above, a Lamia may assume her true form as a reflexive action.

New Adaptations the adaptation would add Protean dots to a dice pool or another
value, substitute Stamina. If a Lamia character gains this Merit
Lamiae and creatures with Protean have access to the fol- in play rather than at character creation, she may exchange one
lowing adaptations. of her Predatory Aspects for another.
Snake Tail (Predatory Aspect): The vampire’s legs collapse Drawback: The Vitae cost of maintaining a human form is
into a monstrous serpent tail. Her Speed increases by 2, and increased by Blood Potency divided by two (rounding down).
in a grapple, she can choose to inflict two additional bashing
damage to a victim as she squeezes the life out of him, even if
she doesn’t win the contested roll. This damage applies each
Story Seeds
turn the grapple continues. This tail is mostly for movement • An elder’s favorite ghoul starts acting strangely. Her speech pat-
and crushing, but the vampire can use the Prehensile Tail terns, her movement — everything about her seems… off. More
adaptation to make it more dexterous. confident, more self-possessed. For some reason, this doesn’t
Snake-Person (Unnatural Aspect): The vampire becomes a worry her regnant. In fact, he finds himself more enchanted
true hybrid between human and snake. She gains a level of Size, by her each day. It isn’t until the catches her feeding on his
and her constriction now deals lethal damage, even to vampires. still-mortal children that he realizes she isn’t a ghoul anymore.
She must have the Snake Tail adaptation active to use this one. • In a small town in Macedon, a powerful Lamia named
Sebasteia has allied with some lesser Child-Eaters to slaughter
New Merit any Propinquus who sets foot in their territory. Together, they
wage a guerrilla campaign against the Roman dead and have
The Lamiae are sometimes called Mormolyceae, though the
set the Camarilla’s interests back years. Someone had better
two words aren’t quite synonymous. These creatures are far more
put these monsters down. Soon.
physically monstrous than other Child-Eaters, and many Lamiae
fear transforming into them as depravity takes hold. • It’s said the oldest and most powerful Lamiae can pluck out
their eyes to speak to the gods, who grant the Child-Eaters
Mormolyce (••) oracular visions far beyond the scope of Kindred second
Prerequisite: Lamiae sight or the Veneficium. Some desperate fools actually seek
Effect: Your character gains one adaptation from Unnatural out these ancient monsters and beg for glimpses into their
Aspect. As above, it’s always manifested unless suppressed. If futures. But who knows if such tales are true, or if it’s just
another lie to lure victims to the Lamiae’s jaws.
Plani
How could you?
AKA: Lures the Lure’s eyes should be are instead two coins pressed into
All Kindred are murderers. No matter how hard they try, the blank flesh behind them.
mistakes are made, the Beast slips free, and hard choices force Most Kindred haven’t even heard of the Plani, which makes
their hands. Eventually, most vampires grow to accept this; their work that much easier. When confronted by the image of
others stop caring altogether. But each Propinquus has a few someone they last saw dead in their arms, most vampires are
deaths they can’t forget. People they didn’t want to kill, people going to want to know more, and the Lures are happy to talk,
they regret having to end, murders they got away with but, in so long as the vampire keeps following them ever-downward.
their secret hearts, they feel they should have paid a price for.
The Plani are that price. Three Lures
A rare phenomenon, the Plani are only found in the Hooks of Grief stalks young Kindred, those who still experi-
Necropolis, usually in its deepest depths. Called “Lures” by ence the bite of shame and sorrow when they feel a vessel’s heart
those who know of them, their true form, if they have one, stop. It appears sympathetic and understanding to its intended
is a mystery. They appear to all who observe them as a victim victims, telling them it forgives them, and that everything can
of the vampire they’ve chosen to stalk. This victim is always be made right if they just follow it for a little longer…
someone the vampire murdered who still has a powerful
Confront Pain chooses Propinqui who try to erase their
emotional resonance for them, usually sorrow or grief, but
crimes, building up walls of denial and refusing to think about
any strong emotion will do, such as the deep satisfaction of
their victim. This Lure is, unsurprisingly, very confrontational,
watching the light go out of a hated enemy’s eyes. To the
demanding that the vampire acknowledges their crime before
Propinquus being targeted by the Planus, this disguise is per-
others. It tells them it will only let them rest once they’ve done
fect — the creature looks, acts, and speaks just like its victim.
it a service, down in the dark tunnels.
To onlookers, there’s one small but disturbing flaw: where

Kill You Twice appears as a person its victim is glad to have Near-Perfect Disguise: Plani appear as physical copies of the
killed, whose death is a source of relief and even strength. It murder victims they’re imitating, save for the coins where their
taunts its chosen Kindred, telling them they’ll never be rid of eyes should be, but this flaw can only be seen by characters other
it and insulting previous attempts to kill it. This Planus goads than the creature’s intended target. Lures have all the memories
its victims into chasing it down, keeping them angry so they of those they imitate and are capable of mirroring their personali-
never notice how deep they’ve gone. ties and mannerisms perfectly. They possess the same Attributes,
Skills, and Merits (save for those that rely on other people, such
Systems as Contacts or Retainer), but their Resolve, Composure, and
Subterfuge scores are all 5. Lures do not require food, water, or
Plani are created as per mortal characters, except as outlined sleep, and they do not age. The victim of a Planus needs to make a
below, and they should mimic the abilities of the person they successful Wits + Empathy roll to spot some flaw in the creature’s
are imitating as closely as possible. They have Potency equal to performance, contested by the Lure’s Composure + Subterfuge.
the Blood Potency of the vampire they are stalking.
Void of Thought: Lures are immune to Auspex, Dominate,
Bound to the Dark: Plani cannot leave the Necropolis, and Majesty, Nightmare, Obfuscate, and Devotions derived from
they are only active at night, vanishing into the shadows when those Disciplines.
the sun rises.
Debt Paid: The only way to stop a Planus is to either kill it
with its bane or by reducing or altering the emotional resonance
Story Seeds
its victim has to the person it’s imitating. The Lure’s victim • The Assembly is set to discuss an issue important to the
can do this by coming to terms with their actions, sincerely coterie, but their key ally in the Senex refuses to enter the
seeking to make amends for the crime, or growing even more Necropolis. When the characters confront him, he claims
callous so that their past actions no longer trouble them. If a he’s being punished by the gods for his sins. In truth, he’s
Planus is haunting a player character, she should work with the being stalked by a Planus that’s tormenting him whenever
Storyteller to devise a course of action significant enough to he enters the Undercity. The characters need to resolve this
release her from its attention. Of course, Lures cannot pursue problem before the debate, but it will mean digging into areas
their quarry outside the Necropolis, so a victim who’s willing of their ally’s past he would prefer remain buried.
to never set foot in the most important sociopolitical hub in • One of the characters is the victim of a Planus, but while
the Camarilla can continue to pretend there’s nothing wrong… she feels a rush of grief and regret whenever the creature
Dread Powers: Hunter’s Senses, with their victim as its focus; appears, she can’t remember who the Lure is imitating. The
Surprise Entrance, which they manifest by coming around blind first challenge, of course, will be for the characters to figure
corners; and Immortal, with a bane of the physical remains of the out what they’re dealing with. After that, how do they help
person they are imitating (see Chronicles of Darkness, p. 144). the Lure’s victim come to terms with a murder she doesn’t
From Beneath: When a Lure enters the Necropolis for the remember committing?
first time, it leaves behind a large, unnatural opening in the • A few nights ago, there was an earthquake deep in the
rock, like an open wound in the tunnels. If the creature forces Necropolis, and now there are Plani everywhere. Where once
or convinces its victim to follow it inside, the opening closes, Lures were rare, now it seems every third Propinquus has one
and both are lost to whatever fate lies within. haunting her, and the All Night Society is breaking down
I Know What You Did: When a Planus manifests in the in short order. As one of the few groups spared from this
Necropolis, it does so having already selected its victim, which torment, the characters have been tasked with descending
can be any vampire within the Undercity who took a breaking into the broken depths of the Undercity to find a solution
point for killing in the past lunar year. for this plague of guilt.
Reflections
What a waste you are.
AKA: Kas, Lemures offerings of food to the dead so it would not starve. In turn,
The Mekhet did not always Embrace as the Kindred. Egyptian the Mekhet believed they could not Embrace without removing
Seers prepared their childer in a profane rite, desecrating a this force from a childe’s corpse, or else their curse would find
victim’s grave or resting place and then performing a posthu- no purchase.
mous Embrace, cleaving the body from the ka, the vital essence They were right, in a sense, though whether the thing that
of the soul. The people of Kemet believed one could not die spawns from the Mekhet Embrace is truly the ka is debatable.
without the ka first leaving the body, and this essence was so These creatures are the double of their vampires in every way,
important that the living would often feed it, making special albeit more desiccated and feral. Like ghosts, they exist mostly in a

state of Twilight, but they’re far more pathetic than the ephemeral Supernatural Tolerance
dead. A Ka can only occupy reflective surfaces, like glass or pools The Ka has a Potency trait equal to its vampire’s Blood
of water, and for this, they despise their vampire counterparts, Potency. It can spend a number of Willpower points per action
envying every moment they cavort among the living. equal to this trait.
This creature haunts its Mekhet, making her Requiem
miserable whenever it can. It pretends to be the vampire, Injury
whispering lies in friends’ ears and secrets to enemies, or Kas take damage like vampires, downgrading lethal to bash-
murdering prey and feasting on the flesh, leaving evidence ing and aggravated to lethal. However, a Reflection does not
that the Seer was responsible. More than anything, however, fall into torpor unless its Seer does, and it cannot be killed.
the Ka wants to merge with its vampire, taking back the “life” Only the Final Death of a Hollow Mekhet can destroy her
it believes the Mekhet stole. As such, a Reflection will never Ka. Instead, if the Reflection suffers full aggravated damage,
do anything to put its vampire in mortal danger, though as the it disappears, reviving in Twilight near the vampire’s location
Seer loses Humanity, the creature will grow more unhinged (Humanity) nights later, fully healed. Otherwise, it heals like
and hostile. Yet the Ka can never truly hate its vampire; it a vampire, spending Willpower instead of Vitae.
can resent her and envy her, but in its own, twisted way, it
only cares about her. Dread Powers
While the Hollow Mekhet are most common among Egyptian All Kas have Dread Powers equal to half the vampire’s total
Seers, native Roman Mekhet have their own name for these Discipline dots, rounding up; if a Dread Power is rated with
monsters: Lemures. In this view, the Reflection is an echo of dots, one Discipline level is equivalent. Furthermore, the Ka
the vampire’s sins in life, her lack of honor and pietas, and it always has access to the vampire’s Auspex powers, spending
returns to torment her for the final insult of becoming a walking Willpower in place of Vitae and rolling its best dice pool to
corpse rather than one of the honored dead. use effects.
Manifestation
Systems The Ka is a Twilight being, similar to a ghost but not quite
Reflections use the following systems. on the same plane of existence as ephemera. Normally, it
can only physically occupy reflective surfaces such as water
Traits and glass (or electronic devices like phones and computers
The Ka draws power from its Mekhet’s inhumanity. Reflections in modern nights), and it exists in a hazy, reversed world
of humane Seers are barely wisps in the night, whereas those of where it cannot interact with the living or the dead. It can
the most monstrous are almost as solid as they are. move around different surfaces in odd, stuttering ways, but
A Reflection has three traits based on a number equal to it can only use its powers on things it can see. It can spend a
11 – Humanity: its average, best, and worst dice pools. Willpower to manifest in the material world for a scene, but
• Its average dice pool is the unmodified sum. Whenever a Ka only within these confines.
takes an action unrelated to the best and worst pools, roll its
average pool unless otherwise specified.
Range
The Ka can exist in sunlight and does not need to sleep, but
• Its worst dice pool is half its average, rounding up, and it it can only move (Potency × 2) kilometers away from its vampire
relates to any action that falls under the purview of the whilst in Twilight. It can spend a Willpower to return to the
vampire’s mortal Virtue. Seer as a reflexive action no matter how far away it is.
• Its best dice pool is double its average pool and is used for
any action that falls under the purview of the vampire’s Possession and Materialization
mortal Vice. If a Hollow fails a breaking point, her player can accept a Beat
to have the Ka materialize in the real world outside its usual
The Storyteller should interpret these purviews broadly; confines for the rest of the chapter (or the next, if appropriate),
if it feels like an action could apply to the Vice/Virtue, it and if she dramatically fails, she can allow the Reflection to
does. Think of these more like bans and influences rather possess her character for (10 – Humanity) scenes or the rest of
than aptitudes. the night, whichever comes first. The player gains this Beat
The Ka’s Health, Defense, Speed, Initiative, and Size are the even if her character’s bane normally prevents that.
same as the Mekhet’s, including trait boosts from Merits but While materialized, the Ka does not appear in reflective sur-
not from Disciplines faces, but its voice does have an echo, and it can communicate
Willpower over phones and other electronics.
While possessing its vampire, the Ka uses her traits and has
The Ka has a Willpower pool equal to its worst dice pool
access to all her powers, though if it suffers any of her banes
plus Potency. It replenishes a Willpower per chapter, or it can
in that time, it will be forced back into Twilight.
feed (see below).

Feeding average dice pool. All Reflections have the Spite Dread Power
A materialized Ka can feed on rotten carrion and stagnant inherently, in addition to those they gain over time.
water to refresh its Willpower pool, one point for each level of A Ka can’t learn Fire Elemental or Immortal. Furthermore, it
Size consumed. If it eats dead human flesh in any amount, it can’t take Firestarter if it takes the Numen Dread Power.
regains all spent Willpower.
Becoming Hollow MATERIALIZE

Creating a Hollow Mekhet follows the rules of the post-mor-
tem Embrace (Vampire, p. 93), but the sire must defile the A rare Dread Power for Kas, with this ability, the ghost can
victim’s grave or resting place. Some Seers use Egyptian step out of its mirror world to hunt and harass its vampire, just
funerary magic, while others just vandalize the site. Once that as it would if the Mekhet’s player had chosen to summon it after
condition is met, the system resolves as usual. The Storyteller a breaking point. The Storyteller must spend three Willpower
might even add a bonus to Blood Potency if the desecration and make an activation roll; the effect lasts a scene per success.
was especially thorough. If the post-mortem Embrace succeeds,
the new vampire is Hollow. Furthermore, any Seer who hasn’t
gained her clan bane can become Hollow. To do so, she must
SELECTIVE REVELATION
taste the blood of a Hollow Mekhet and voluntarily shed a dot
of Humanity before the end of the scene. This grants a Beat When the Ka manifests in the physical world, it can choose
and inflicts the Haunted Curse rather than the Tenebrous. If to be selective, appearing only to those it wishes. Short of
she tastes Hollow blood and rejects this choice, she can never supernatural powers, it cannot be seen through any means.
become Hollow, short of blood sorcery or other foul magics. However, it can never hide from its Mekhet.
Dread Powers SNATCH

In addition to the powers listed below, Kas can learn the
Dread Powers starting on p. 144 of Chronicles of Darkness as If the Ka manifests in a reflective surface, it can reach out
well as those starting on p. 199 of this book (at the Storyteller’s and grab a victim within its arm span, dragging him into the
discretion). If a Dread power calls for a roll, use the creature’s mirror. This costs two Willpower. If it succeeds on the activa-

Ages Pass: Modern Hollow SPITE
The Ka of this era is slightly different from those
of modern nights. It’s possible Hollow Mekhet still Once per chapter, the Ka can impose its average dice pool
weren’t quite Kindred in the time of the Camarilla, as a penalty to its Mekhet’s actions or as a bonus to someone
with their rejected souls manifesting as hungry
in direct opposition to her. However, if it does so, the vampire
beasts reminiscent of Egyptian legend rather than
true ghosts. That said, you aren’t required to use the gains a Beat, regardless of her bane.
Haunted Curse as it appears here. The ephemeral
being–based systems in Thousand Years of Night
works fine in Requiem for Rome chronicles, just as
Story Seeds
well as the ones here work in a modern story. • When a Hollow meets Final Death, most Reflections expire
If you want to use the Spectral Communion Merit as well. Most. A strange creature has been haunting a recently
(Thousand Years, p. 85) with this system, the Ka
unearthed section of the Necropolis, a shallow pool of stagnant
uses its best dice pool to contest the effect. If the
player takes the Imprisoned Echo Condition (p. 136), water that drains deep into the earth. It leaves fetid carrion and
substitute the ghost’s worst dice pool for Rank in sometimes even human corpses, and dead authorities suspect
both instances. a draugr. The Seers know better. But if this creature lingered
even after its counterpart’s death, can it be killed?
• The coterie encounters a strange Seer whose haven is filled
tion roll versus the victim’s Stamina + Blood Potency, it pulls wall-to-wall with mirrors. She says she has come to an accord
him inside for the rest of the scene. Being in the mirror world with her restless spirit, creating a liminal world for her and
is similar to being in a Twilight state, a faded reflection of her Reflection to occupy together using a strange blood
whatever the surface is facing. The victim can’t communicate magic foreign to Rome. However, she requires a sacrifice to
with others while trapped, and bystanders won’t see him. The complete the rite: another Hollow Mekhet.
Ka is capable of attacking or talking to its victim (and vice • Can a Strix possess a Ka? In the modern nights, no. But in
versa), and if it spends an additional Willpower, it can take Rome, the Ka is a far more solid being, somewhere between
him to mirror worlds at other locations. If the ghost kills him, a revenant and a specter. Perhaps one of the Nemeses could
his body will fade back into the real world in the same place it take control of such a creature. Striges are not quite ephemeral
falls in the reflection. beings themselves, so perhaps they’re on the same wavelength…
The Sabine Order

For all its supposed piety, murderers and thugs founded Rome.
And what’s a few vampires on top of all that?
AKA: Quaestors backs it up. Furthermore, the Sabini ceased to exist as an

After the Sabines and the Romans went to war, there was independent tribe centuries ago; now, there are only Romans.
peace for five years while Titus Tatius ruled alongside Romulus But the story’s emotional core resonates so profoundly with
as co-regent. According to the Sabine Order, they formed after the compact that they care little for its historicity. Instead, they
Romulus refused to lift a finger in avenging Tatius’s murder, truly believe in the Roman cause, fighting against vampires
vowing to never forget the Romans’ treacherous and foul and human degeneracy with equal fervor. They hope it will be
nature. They would watch for the duplicity, backstabbing, and enough for the Eternal City to overcome its debased origins.
betrayal Rome was known for to ensure the Sabines wouldn’t These Quaestors (“investigators”) rarely confront Kindred
be caught off-guard again. Their investigations led them deeper head-on, at least initially. Instead, they see the mortal and
into the darkness until they discovered the Kindred. They saw supernatural worlds as intimately connected and use this to
the supernatural as a physical manifestation of Rome’s corrupt track down their prey. The Sabine Order reaches out to sus-
origins and pledged to eradicate the dead plague while forcing pected ghouls, Touchstones, and members of a vampire’s herd
the city’s mortal population to live up to its virtuous ideals. long before they confront the Propinquus. By helping those
They murdered a childe of Senex, stole themselves out of the touched by darkness, they hope to set them on a better path,
Necropolis, and began their never-ending war. far from the thirsting fangs in shadowed alleys. In doing so,
Or that’s how the story goes. Tonight, the Sabine Order of they gain invaluable information they can corroborate with
hunters is primarily made of politicians and historians, who Rome’s history and legends. When they go for the kill, they
wield the earliest Roman traditions and legends as legionaries aim to infiltrate the vampire’s mortal connections, presenting
wield a gladius. Few of its high-ranking members believe their themselves as prospective ghouls or childer before dragging
compact’s founding legend is literal truth, as little evidence their target into the sun. It’s a dangerous tactic, but they know

if they end up Embraced, their allies will hunt them down their Status in the compact, they gain the following additional
quickly to free them from the festering curse of vampirism. benefits:
• You’ve studied Rome’s history, leveraging your knowl-
Three Quaestors edge to bring down the dead who won’t die. Gain an
Academics or Politics specialty to reflect your under-
Antonia Quintilla isn’t a soldier, scholar, or public servant,
standing of Roman history and customs.
but a homebody. She’s well respected and participates in all the
required public rituals, but if you asked anyone, they’d say she ••• You’ve fought the dead long enough that their magic
isn’t remarkable, to which she would likely agree. Antonia fell no longer lies to you. Gain the Clear-Sighted Merit.
in with a vampire’s herd before she was married, but the Sabine ••••• You know the Kindred’s networks as well as they do,
Order got her out. Since then, she’s been a loyal foot soldier, gaining an in with those the vampires overlook. Gain
although there are still nights she dreams of the Kiss, and it three dots in Allies and/or Contacts to represent your
disturbs her. connections to ghouls and vampire herds.
Cornelius wasn’t just born a patrician — he was born a ghoul.
His family’s regnant was present for his birth, as she had been
for every child and adoption over the last six generations. Story Seeds
Unfortunately, Cornelius always chaffed under the family’s • When a Senex elder’s still-living children disappear while
traditions, so when the Quaestors approached him, he was he’s in torpor, he insists his rival is to blame. The accused
more than willing to become a mole. Now he watches, noting professes their innocence, and indeed, they’re telling the
everything and passing it on to cells around the city. truth. The Sabine Order helped the mortals escape and
Numa isn’t his real name, but the second King of Rome’s hopes the Kindred will turn on each other as they seek
serves him well, given his importance to Roman religion. someone to blame.
Numa’s first brush with the supernatural wasn’t with the • A sword has been found — a holy relic Mars himself
Kindred, but with a Waxen cultist (p. 212) impersonating bequeathed Romulus and Remus. It weeps Vitae and would
his dead father. He investigates the myths and legends of the bring prestige to any vampire holding it, but it currently
Latin countryside for clues on how to hunt monsters, and he’s belongs to the Sabine Order. The hunters study it to uncover
convinced the secret to defeating vampires lies in the myths of the secrets of Kindred history and plan on turning the blade
Romulus and Remus. He’ll stop at nothing to uncover the truth. against any Nefastus who tries to take it back.
Systems • A new censor has been elected to office, and suddenly, mortal
allies of many Kindred are being targeted for political exclu-
The Sabine Order is a hunter compact as described in sion. No one believes it to be a coincidence. Now the coterie
Hunter: The Vigil, mortal men and women unwilling to must determine if the censor is a Sabine or if the hunters are
become part of an undead predator’s herd. As they advance manipulating him instead.
Tullians
I embrace the flames you fear. It is my destiny, and your doom.
AKA: The Fire-Marked good of Sodalitas Pernox. Still, few are willing to go to such
Tullians are mortals, ghouls, and dhampirs marked by the extremes, fearful of angering the gods who bestowed the fiery
gods for greatness with fire upon their brow, but the same blessing upon them. Some vampires even consider having a
flames that proclaim their destinies make them a constant Tullian ghoul or dhampir child a sign of prestige and pietas.
threat to vampires. At a bare minimum, rival dead think twice before bringing
violence to such a vampire’s doorstep.
The sixth king of Rome, Servius Tullius, was born a slave
but was adopted by Tarquin the Elder when flames wreathed The Fire-Marked are just as divided in their opinion of vam-
his head as a child. Vampires know Tullius was not the first to pires, if not more so. There’s no overarching society to unite
bear such an omen from the gods, but he is the most famous, the Tullians; they are Romans first and foremost, each shaped
so the Fire-Marked bear his name. by their beliefs and roles within society. Many aren’t even
aware of the supernatural world beyond their own personal
Collectively, the Camarilla isn’t sure what to think of the omens before a vampire or some other monster shows up on
Tullians. Encountering them isn’t a nightly occurrence, but their doorstep, demanding allegiance or fealty. Being destined
most Kindred have heard of them. Many vampires, understand- for greatness, the Fire-Marked tend to end up in leadership
ably, regard them as a threat for their ability to conjure flame positions of some sort, although, like Tullius, many of them
and provoke frenzy, and as such, there’s always a handful of come from humble origins.
elders who insist the Tullians must be exterminated for the

Three Fire-Marked pride and debase themself in some way, often with political
or religious consequences.
When Lupilla isn’t haunting the Capitoline Hill, she’s
wandering the countryside up and down the Tiber. She has
an eerie affinity for wolves, and while she isn’t a ghoul, many
Systems
vampires still wonder if she’s mastered the Beast’s Words. Tullians possess one or more of the following Merits. At the
Lupilla claims her animalistic talents and the flames upon Storyteller’s discretion, other creatures, such as Wolf-Blooded
her brow are not the gifts of some god, but of the She-Wolf and Proximi, may take these Merits as well. All Fire-Marked
who raised Romulus and Remus. She also warns anyone who begin play with a dot of Tullian Corona.
listens that the She-Wolf sees what’s happening in Rome,
and if the people do not change their ways, she will return to Tullian Corona (• to •••••)
cleanse the city with tooth and flame. Prerequisite: Not a vampire
Hostus would rather stay far, far away from vampires, but fate Effect: Once per chapter per dot, you may declare your charac-
keeps conspiring to put this Tullian astrologer on a collision ter’s actions in the present scene are part of his destiny. He gains
course with the dead. Hostus has a secret, the proverbial loaded the Informed or Inspired Conditions, and his head becomes
dice hidden within his robes for the next time the vile corpses try wreathed in flames that cast light but not heat. While these
to shake him down. He’s interpreted the desires of the city’s lares illusions can’t harm vampires, they still trigger frenzy as if they
many times, and now, one of these guardian deities has reached were true fire. The flames disappear at the scene’s end, at which
out to him. It promises vengeance and freedom in exchange for point, the Condition fades without resolving if it went unused.
utter obedience, which Hostus gladly gave before the small god’s Drawback: Once per story, your character must consume
smoky form and yellow eyes melted into the night. the raw flesh of a fresh sacrifice. If not, he loses the benefits of
Lucida is the alias of a Tullian dhampir (Half-Damned, this Merit until he next feeds.
p. 12) who hunts Kindred she deems corrupt and unworthy.
For those who meet her prices, she’s also willing to serve as Burning Brand (••)
a private assassin, striking down Propinqui of their choice. Prerequisite: Tullian Corona ••
The financial compensation she requires is steep, but the true Effect: While your character’s Tullian Corona is active,
cost is a single task from her client. While they seem simple their touch burns vampires as if it were a bonfire that causes
at first, they inevitably require the vampire to swallow their second-degree burns.

Boiling Blood (• or •••) Story Seeds
Prerequisite: Tullian Corona ••• • A body of Tullians has gathered in Rome intent on freeing
Effect: Your character’s blood burns vampires. The dead their kind from the subjugation they’ve suffered under the
can still extract Vitae from her, but for every lethal damage Camarilla. Sodalitas Pernox is divided. Should they extend the
they inflict, they take damage as if exposed to a torch that Tullians rights as equals to head off the brewing conflict — or
causes first-degree burns. should they raze them to the ground as Scipio razed Carthage?
At one dot, this effect only occurs when the Tullian’s
• Competition among the living is fierce for influence over this
Corona is active; at three dots, it’s permanent, though your
year’s quaestors. One of these officials is a Tullian, unaware
character can suppress this effect for a scene by spending a
vampires lurk in the city’s shadows. If the coterie can become
Willpower point.
his patrons without getting their faces burned off, they’ll have
Solar Blessing (••) a mortal pawn destined for great things.
Prerequisite: Tullian Corona •• • A prominent Tullian ghoul is found dead in the Forum at
Effect: When your character deceives, persuades, or oth- nightfall, and the authorities suspect foul play. The coterie
erwise emotionally manipulates a vampire, she achieves an is tasked with solving the murder, but the deeper they dig,
exceptional success on three successes instead of five. the more it feels like a setup. Everyone — even the Tullian’s
regnant — is a suspect, and the investigators will have to tread
Drawback: A failure on this action becomes a dramatic failure.
carefully if they want to avoid seeing the next sunrise.
Vitae Angels
Accept your fear. Then, accept God’s might.
AKA: Caelestes Sanctified believe when you pass through a dark alleyway and
A winged skeleton, dripping viscera through pure white feel eyes on the back of your neck, Malice is judging you and
robes. A giant bloodshot eye orbited by burning, floating tallow. your hunger.
A severed head with flowing locks, sprouting nine wings each Abraxas, Ruler of 365 Heavens, is among the most well-known
trailing drops of blood in its wake. and feared Vitae Angels. While their torso is that of a beautiful
To the Lancea et Sanctum, these are not monsters but God’s human, they are borne on midnight wings, and two massive
divine messengers calling the faithful to overthrow the corrupt serpents take the place of their legs. Abraxas is draped in pelts
and rotting pagans. and amulets of all kinds, which offer protection from various
ills if bestowed upon mortals or vampires — supposedly even
The Vitae Angels are ancient horrors, far predating protecting against fire and sunlight. Abraxas’ wrath, however,
Christianity, but it wasn’t until the time of Longinus and the is ferocious, and those who fail to meet their high standards are
Monachus that Sodalitas Pernox took them seriously. Before immolated on the spot.
the Christ, the Propinqui largely disregarded them, convinced
as the dead were of their cultural and religious superiority. As Complete and utter frenzy is the calling card of Crimson
the Lancea et Sanctum and Theban Sorcery spread across the Tide. Those who encounter this angel and survive to tell
Empire, however, opinions of the Caelestes changed, casting the tale say it looks like a skeleton drenched in gore, except
them instead as heavenly messengers. Regardless of when it a single, massive bloodshot eyeball, crowned in laurels of
happens, meeting a Caelestis is a miracle in itself, and many flame, floats where the skull should be. The mere presence
Sanctified would kill for the opportunity. of Crimson Tide triggers every nearby vampire’s fight-or-flight
response, driving most into a murderous panic. Those who
That said, the Vitae Angels don’t give the Witnesses uncon- can clamp down on their instincts can receive the angel’s
ditional support or aid. To other wings, they seem mercurial, blessing, and Sanctified eager to prove their worth are prone
sometimes supporting ardent Roman traditionalists, some- to summoning it, despite the risks.
times aiding Longinian malcontents. To the Witnesses, this
is part of God’s ineffable plan, either a test of faith or a sign
of divine omnipotence. Systems
It’s debatable whether the Vitae Angels are living, dead,
Three Caelestes or undead, but they use the same rules as vampires with the
following modifications:
Malice is the angel of shadows. Darkness, confusion, and
deception are his domains, which he uses to cloud minds and Dark Miracle: Spend two Willpower points and roll the
sow despair in the Lord’s enemies. Lacking a physical body, Angel’s Presence + Blood Potency, contested by Stamina +
he’s just a shade, and could be lurking in any dark corner. The Blood Potency. On a success, the victim suffers a point of aggra-

vated damage. If the victim dies as a result, they’re rendered
down into pure Vitae equal to their Health dots. This blood
Story Seeds
then flows into the Angel’s Vitae pool, (Blood Potency) points • A Vermilion Angel is found dead in the Necropolis. Already,
per turn. The Angel can also choose to distribute the Vitae to scarlet anemones blossom where its blood fell, while small
any number of individuals present in the scene. rodents, reptiles, and insects spontaneously arise from its
Divine Grace: Vitae Angels do not fall into torpor and decaying flesh. Though the Caelestis’s body is rapidly disin-
cannot feed on the living or dead to regain Vitae. They do tegrating, it’s obvious someone fed from it. Who would be
not track Humanity and are unaffected by the banes of fire willing to murder one of God’s messengers, and how will
and sunlight. their angelic feast transform them?
Fear Itself: Whenever a character gains or resolves a • The Caelestes are at war with each other. No Propinquus has
Condition related to fear in the Angel’s presence, the Angel seen an angel fight, but they send their catspaws to murder
regains a Vitae. Furthermore, regardless of the Angel’s Blood one another and stoke conflict in general. The Sanctified try
Potency, vampires must always spend a point of Willpower to to understand what lies at the heart of this conflict, while
fight against a Caelestis’ Predatory Aura. the Senex just want it to end before it tears the All Night
Petitioner’s Call: A Vitae Angel can sense anywhere its Society apart. Has one of the angels rebelled against God’s
name is written or spoken as if it were present in the scene. grace, or is this conflict itself a divine plan?
By spending 5 Vitae, the angel can appear at that location as • Kindred all across the empire, pagan and Sanctified alike,
an instant action. are plagued by visions of angels calling themselves Amoniel
Theban Master: Each Caelestis possesses Theban Sorcery and Vahishtael. In these prophecies, the angels warn that the
dots equal to one-half its Blood Potency, rounded up. time to repent has come, for the darkness of night is drawing
Additionally, each knows a minimum number of rituals equal near. While most worshippers of the old gods dismiss this as
to twice their Blood Potency, although they are capable of some type of Sanctified trickery, a growing movement aims
learning more. to seek out the two angels to get to the truth of the matter.

Interlude VI
ome burns. The Camarilla is dead. the ships have already sailed away, but most that
R Barbarians, mortal and Kindred alike, flood
the streets above and the tunnels below.
remain are unharmed. One vessel, a merchant ship,
calls to me.
They pillage, rape, and diablerize, all with the impu- I approach carefully, and as I near it, I see a tall,
nity that comes with might. I’m reminded of an old broad man unfurling the sail. I recognize him as
military saying: vae victis.
victis. That phrase has never felt Severus Julius Juventus, a lesser member of the
so alive as it does right now. Senex, always concerned with helping rather than
Nearby, a horse rides through the street, its dead ruling his Kindred. It’s no wonder he never achieved
rider peppered with arrows. The horse’s shoulder any real status.
strikes a woman sheltering a screaming babe. A hol- He startles when he sees me, but calms as recog-
low, wet noise follows, and she falls to the ground. nition crosses his face.
I can no longer hear the child. “Julia Sabina!” he calls out to me. “Is that you?”
In the alley between two flaming insulae, a trio “In the flesh.”
of Virgatores battle a dozen long-toothed war- I smile and wave up at him. I can’t imagine
riors, our little lie forgotten. I watch as a barbar- the contrast: the city behind me burning like an
ian woman hurls a weighted net stolen from the offering to its betrayed gods, and myself, standing
fish market — an eel net! — and binds two of the before it all, dressed in clean clothes unmarred by
soldiers, pulling them into the swords and axes of smoke, hair immaculately pinned. I must look like
her comrades. a spirit.
I could try to rescue them, but I am known for “Thank the gods! I tried to find as many of the
my social acumen, not for my battle prowess, and family as I could, but I feared you were lost.”
I would be torn apart before I could even delay
“No, friend,” I say, shaking my head. “I’ve been
their deaths.
here all along.”
Rome is finished, and I must be finished with it.
He smiles, his genuine relief naked on his face.
I hurry to the docks, a tickle in my blood drawing So uncharacteristic for the dead. “Hurry, cousin,
me to it like iron filings to a lodestone. No sane we must depart for the east. There’s safety there.”
Propinquus would seek safety in the Necropolis
I take his large hand in my own, and he pulls me
tonight. Above ground, the city’s walls and gates are
aboard the ship.
breached. There’s only one way to escape the doom
“You found some of the family? Other Julii?”
that’s befallen Rome: the sea.
“Three in the hold: Arvina, Messor, and Corbulo’s
I quicken my already hurried pace, pulling
grandchilde. I’m glad you’re here; I could use the
the shadows around me and hoping none of the
extra weight to offset that last one. I was worried
invaders possess greater sight to see me. However,
we’d just move in circles.”
as hordes of Vandals surge past, both with and
without fangs, I begin to relax. Perhaps I will reach “That you’ve managed to round up so many Julii
my destination unmolested. is a welcome surprise. I’d begun to believe they were
all dead.”
After an agonizing press through the city, I do.
Behind me is the sound of roaring fire, but the “Yes, though I fear you’re not far off.” Juventus
barbarians have either not yet made their way to rushes around the ship, making its final prepara-
the dockyards on the Tiber or decided the city tions. His voice is loud and strong, but even then, it’s
contains greater plunder and treasure. Many of hard to hear him against the cacophony of Rome’s
224
downfall. “So many of us have died tonight! I can would’ve wanted. Hell, it’s what Remus himself
feel them in my blood. Their deaths echo in my would’ve wanted.”
veins. It’s damn distracting — I’m surprised you’re “No, my friend,” I say, and lay my hand upon his
so composed.” shoulder in comfort. He turns his broad, friendly
I whisper into the sea breeze, “Many lives of prac- face back to me, and as the firelight of the city
tice, little bird…” exposes my true eyes to him, I watch his relief
“What?” He squints his eyes as if that will help dissolve into horror.
him hear me over the cacophony. He sees what I am but knows it’s too late. For him,
“Never mind.” I step closer to him. “What’s the for Rome, and for the misbegotten Julii. This ship
next step?” will never reach Constantinople.
“Next step? Escape! We sail down the Tiber and We will not let it.
make way for Constantinople. It’s what Senex “I know exactly what Remus wanted.”
225
CHAPTER SIX
COGNATI
Everybody is a book of blood;
wherever we’re opened, we’re red.
— Clive Barker, Books of Blood
The clans of Rome are united, but they are not homogeneous. Each dead gens has different roles to play within its caste,
and sometimes the Blood itself aids them with these designated duties.
This chapter details five bloodlines common to the Camarilla. Some have survived into the modern nights, while others
couldn’t keep up with Time’s relentless march. Others still became something else altogether, remade in the Danse Macabre
and shuffling off the inconvenience of recorded history.
The Julii have more dirty secrets than even the most illustrious patrician families, but the Cassii are the only one that brings
them genuine shame.
Perfection must be earned. In the early nights of the Camarilla, the Ferrati learned fast that Rome offers all manner of ways
to refine oneself. All of them delicious.
The Great Mother favors her worshipers with vision and beauty, but not all graces are created equal. The Galli possess Cybele’s
most dreadful gifts, and they’re eager to share them.
Death is just part of life; two sides of the same coin. The Phersui take this philosophy to its most mercenary conclusion,
but what price their two-faced patron truly desires, even they can’t say.
Power — real power — belongs to the mob. The people together can bring down the mightiest kings and most beloved celeb-
rities, and just at the back of the riot, the Rotulae are making sure it all goes according to plan.
CHAPTER SIX: COGNATI 227

CASSII
THE REJECTED DEAD
One man’s trash is another man’s revenge.
Fuck the Julii. my words: It’s going to be them that drive this thing beyond
The great “Founders” who graciously allow the rest of us to the point of no return, and they’ll be dragged down with it.
exist in this paradise of dirt tunnels… I’d vomit, but I don’t We’ll make sure of it.
want to waste the blood. The history the Senex spouts about how
Aulus gave a bunch of pretty speeches and everyone decided, Why you want to be us
you know what, his way really is the best way after all, is the Being one of us isn’t pretty, but the truth rarely is. We’ll peel
rankest sort of bullshit. Truth is, Pater Aulus was always more back the tarnished mask to reveal the true rot beneath, and
tyrant than statesman. When you can control a mind, you can you’re going to thank us for it because it means you’re going to
just make your subjects agree with you — and if that doesn’t survive what’s coming. Better to be the first rat off the sinking
work? Violence will see to anyone too stubborn for the Words. ship than the fool trying to bail out the hold with a bucket.
Best con the Julii ever pulled was pretending they don’t have
an enormous capacity for violence. Why you should fear us
Oh, and that farce about being “without weakness.” But We know. We know where your bodies are buried, and we’re
that’s another story. going to dig them up and beat you with the bones. We’ve spent
centuries gnawing at the supports of everything you know, and
They’re liars, is what I’m saying. Shocking, I know, a bunch of
we’re just about ready to kick them over.
vampires lying, but it still needs to be said. We are one of those
lies. Not many know the name Cassius these nights, and that’s Why we should fear ourselves
by design. They don’t want to admit we Rejects exist, because
When we finally get our revenge, what’s left for us? If we’re
we’re proof that Julii unity is just another lie they’ve managed to
really Spite-Born, then do we have a place when the scales are
sell as history. More than that, though, we’re proof the Founders
finally balanced? We have no guarantee that we’ll survive the
can fall — and if they can fall, then the whole Camarilla can go
reckoning that’s coming — only that they won’t.
tumbling down as well. We’re here to give it a push.
The whole story is a mouthful, but here’s what’s important:
a Julia spoke up against her namesake and she got made an Bloodline Origins
example of. Not your usual swift-but-painful execution, either. • Cassia Florentia dared to question the wisdom of Julius
No. This was a “fuck you, your children, and your children’s Senex. She questioned his right to destroy the relationship
children” sort of deal. Stripped of power, cast down, and forced between Kindred and Striges, one that had brought power
to exist in the cracks with the rats and roaches. All for having to both parties. She further questioned the pogrom against
the audacity to ask a few very reasonable questions. Thing is, the the Traditores, asking by what authority Senex felt he had to
Old Man should’ve just killed her, because she didn’t take that wipe an entire gens from Rome. For her audacity, the Old
lying down. Spite is a powerful motivator, especially when it’s Man used the hideous strength of his Words to force Cassia
all you have left. “She” became “they”, Cassia became Cassius, to publicly purge her own blood, tearing the knowledge of
and Cassius multiplied to become Cassii. Whenever a Founder’s commanding others from her mind. Cassia, whose nomen
rejected by the rest of her “family,” we’re here to take her in. would come to be synonymous with worthlessness, swore
If they can’t find a place anywhere within this blood-grubbing revenge from the shadows and raised her childer to loathe
death cult, they have one with us — no exceptions. the Julii and Camarilla alike. So great was her spite that she
Despite everything, we’re still here, wearing away at the made deals with Striges, demons, and worse to ensure the
foundations of the whole sick enterprise. They may have ruined works of Senex would end in suffering and humiliation — a
us, but we’re going to ruin them right back, and they have so goal her line still works toward tonight.
much farther to fall. • The creature that spoke out against Julius Senex was not
Look around. The Senex puts on a good front, but this whole Cassia but a hollow thing made of wishes and brambles
castle is made of sand, and the tide is coming in. Some of that is wearing her face. Cassia was already gone, victim of a bad
us; some of it’s just the nature of trying to get monsters to play deal with a laughing godling, and her replacement didn’t
house. But a lot of it? A lot of it is the gods damned Julii. Mark understand why it shouldn’t ask questions. Lonely in its exile,

the hollow thing tried to make company for itself, and it mayhem by directing petitioners to perform rites on inauspi-
was just enough of a vampire to accomplish this. But every cious nights. However, only the bitterest Spite-Born will risk
one of its “children” was as imperfect as it, destined to be the gods’ wrath in this way, so such things remain rare.
rejected forever more. The Legion of the Dead: Rejects have a game
• Olim, Echo fell in love with beautiful Narcissus but was they like to play with the Legion called “How
harshly rejected, for he loved no one so much as his Many Times Can I Lead My Unit to Ruin
own reflection. Echo followed Narcissus as he courted Without Getting Caught?” With their ability
himself, trying to capture his attention away from his to use the shadows to take on new faces and
own visage, but never succeeding. Finally, as Narcissus personas, the number is higher than one
lay dying upon a pond’s bank, unable to look away from might think. Still, sometimes the deep comrad-
his reflection to eat, Echo realized she could save him. ery present among the Soldiers can worm its way
She could bring him food, force him to eat… and into the dead heart of a Spite-Born, producing
then she remembered his vapid rejection of her tenacious loyalty. If not to the Legion itself,
love, and all the pain came flowing into her then to the Kindred he fights beside.
breast. She decided she’d rather watch him The Peregrine Collegium: Most Cassii
die. When Narcissus stilled, Echo drank who join a wing sincerely choose the
down his last breath, exalting in finally Strangers, seeing a compromise between
capturing the essence of her never-was freedom and safety in their ranks, but those
lover — invidiose in aeternum. who infiltrate as agents of ruin are among
the most insidious of their line. Sabotaging
Parent Clan: Julii
merchandise to destroy an artisan’s repu-
Nicknames: Rejects, the Spite-Born tation and fixing arena fights to engender
(among themselves) bitter rivalries are standard Cassian plays
Bloodline Bane (The Vindictive in these circumstances. However, the
Curse): The Spite-Born simmer with resent- highest goal a Reject can aspire to here
ment for their “Kindred,” and this clouds is to ruin a blood dole. The tidal wave of
every interaction with other dead. Cassius rage and violence that results is akin to
die pools for mundane Empathy, Expression, a work of art, one they hope inspires
Persuasion, and Socialize rolls are capped more Kindred to turn against the
by Humanity when dealing with vampires. Julii and their Camarilla.
The Spiteful Curse does not affect interac- The Senex: The Spite-Born
tions with other Cassii or any vampire that would love to infiltrate Ala
the Spite-Born has a blood tie to (including Senecta to strike a blow against
via Vincula). their most loathed enemies, but
Disciplines: Animalism, Obfuscate, most don’t have enough self-control.
Resilience, Vigor Their bane makes conversing with a
single self-righteous Julius difficult, let
In the alone a whole room of Founders. The
fear of discovery is also omnipresent;
Camarilla some of the oldest in the Assembly may
Spite-Born who are true to their lineage actually remember who they are and decide
loathe the Camarilla, and those who join to turn their full attention to finishing what
its wings do so only as a means of sab- the Old Man started. But, whatever else they
otage. However, on the rare occasion a might be doing, most Rejects won’t give up the
Reject finds acceptance away from their chance to take vengeance on the Legislators,
kin, they can display fanatical loyalty to no matter how petty or indirect.
their new companions. The Lancea et Sanctum: Here’s the one “wing”
The Cult of Augurs: Because of the the Cassii join without reservation or deception,
scrutiny the Fates place each other pleased this One God has a purpose for them no
under, it’s difficult for Cassii to gain matter their flaws. Rejects make eager spies and attack
prominence in this wing. However, dogs for the Witnesses, the zeal of the converted on
a few have had some success posing full display. The tragedy, however, is that their
as Seers, with the goal of stealing the curse doesn’t discriminate, and Cassii have just
secrets of the Veneficium or causing as much difficulty finding true connections
with their fellow Damned as anywhere else.

Three Rejects are difficult to explain but can grant her access to things that
mundane networking simply can’t.
Numerius Allienus Falco wants to burn it all down. A loud All Julii can purchase this Merit for an additional dot (making
and proud convert of the Lancea et Sanctum, he constantly it a 2–4-dot Merit), but this additional rank does not apply to
advocates for more violent responses to the Camarilla’s oppres- the number of Merits a character can access.
sion. Unfortunately, his bane ensures his rants make him
Drawback: The Nemeses do nothing for free. Also, it should
seem even more unreasonable than his methods really are, so
go without saying that being discovered by the Camarilla as an
Numerius hasn’t gotten much traction. His failure to mobilize
ally of the Striges is… bad.
his fellow Sanctified is leaving the young Reject frustrated,
enough so that he might decide forcing a fight is the only way Shield of Hate (••)
to make the others see what must be done.
Prerequisites: Cassii, Resolve ••• or Composure •••
Albinia Lucilla is actually pretty content, thanks. She spent
Effect: The rage that fills a Spite-Born upon hearing the
years placing herself in the perfect position to control one of
Founder’s Words drowns out everything else. Once per scene, if
the most popular gambling houses under Peregrine Collegium
your character would be the victim of Dominate, she can forgo
control, with the intent of selling her clients’ secrets to the high-
the normal resistance to ignore the power and instead enter
est bidder before burning the whole thing down with everyone
frenzy, with whoever attempted to command her as the target.
inside. But now that she’s in charge, Sabina finds she enjoys her
new position and is rather reluctant to destroy what she spent so Wing Infiltrator (••)
long building up. Surely she can do more harm to the Camarilla
Prerequisites: Cassii, Subterfuge •••, no Wing Status in
with constant blackmail than a few Final Deaths — right?
the faction chosen for this Merit
Publius Aquinius has found the perfect partner-in-crime.
Effect: Your character has studied the ways of a Camarilla
Falling Ashes is a Strix who watched his continuing efforts to
wing, the better to pass herself off as one of its own long enough
destroy the Julii, first with amusement, then with admiration,
to do some damage. When you purchase this Merit, select the
before approaching him with an offer of partnership. Publius
Cult of Augurs, Legion of the Dead, Peregrine Collegium, or
knows he’s nothing but a tool to his supposed “friend,” no
Senex (the Cassii don’t need to infiltrate the Lancea et Sanctum;
matter how it flatters him, but he doesn’t care. Just so long as
the Witnesses are happy to have them). Your character gains
he gets to reduce more Founders to screams and soot.
the 9-again quality on all Politics rolls relating to the chosen
wing and on Subterfuge rolls to convince anyone she belongs
Bloodline Gift: to said wing.
Inside Man Your character may only infiltrate one wing at a time. However,
if she wishes, she may change factions by taking a month to slowly
Cassia was supposedly a privileged member of the Inner faze out her old cover and introduce a new one.
Circle before being cast out, and she was privy to secrets This Merit grants a particular benefit based on the wing
unknown outside the eldest Julii, like what their clan bane you select:
really is. The Rejects intimately know the flaw of the Founder’s
Cult of Augurs: Once per night, your character can per-
blood and can force their way into the minds of their hated
form a ritual mimicking true divination. Roll Manipulation +
originators by exploiting it. Cassii may spend a Willpower to
Subterfuge to convince someone her insights into the future
count as ephemeral beings for the purpose of the Strigid Curse.
are correct. This roll becomes contested against an observer’s
This lasts a scene. A Reject may only use their bloodline gift
Wits + Occult if they possess Cult of Augurs Status.
once per night on any given Julian.
Legion of the Dead: Once per scene, when your character
New Merits would be the victim of a Brawl or Weaponry attack, she can
spend a Willpower to have a nearby ally become the victim of
Cassii can access the following Merits. that attack instead.
Peregrine Collegium: Once per week, your character can
Parliamentarian (• to •••) spend a Willpower to start a rumor within the ranks of the
Prerequisite: Cassii Strangers. The exact reaction to your rumor is out of her con-
Effect: Through her efforts to exact vengeance on the Julii, trol, but at least a few Propinqui will believe it wholeheartedly.
your character is known to the Nemeses in a positive way (rel- Senex: Once per night, you may spend a Willpower to sup-
atively speaking), and they support her vendetta with advice press your character’s bloodline bane for a scene, but she gains
and secrets from the shadows. Once per chapter, your character the Tempted Condition as if she had successfully resisted frenzy.
can access Allies, Contacts, Mentor, Resources, or Retainer Drawback: If your character’s ruse is discovered, she loses
dots in any combination (so long as no single Merit exceeds this Merit and cannot attempt to infiltrate that wing again.
five) equal to twice her dots in Parliamentarian by requesting Sanctity of Merits applies, and dots can be used to take an
aid from her shadowy friends. Benefits gained from using this identity in a different wing.
Merit always come through strange and sinister channels that

Ferrati
The unfinished dead
You are about to become a part of something greater — me.
When the Senex talks about the wild, hungry things that to becoming something that will rise above the Camarilla and
wait beyond the walls, they’re speaking of the Ferrati, an insular all its petty laws. Maybe the Ferrati will even thank them before
bloodline of Gangrel that says the Kindred condition is not a they reduce it to ashes.
destination but a journey to become something greater. They
believe that by consuming powerful beings, they will undergo Why you want to be us
a transformation into something darkly divine, something that All Kindred want to be us; they just don’t want to admit it.
will no longer need to concern itself with the petty needs of Our existence is about real power, not the false kind the Old
blood and earth. Man would sell you on a scrap of parchment. Real power is
Until that time, they are Unfinished. snapping bones and breaking wills, about traveling beyond the
At first, the Ferrati despaired at the coming of the Camarilla. need for anything or anyone but yourself. Being us is the first
They feared the taming of the dead would weaken the blood, step along that journey.
leaving none worth consuming. They lashed out, ambushing Why you should fear us
patrols, murdering couriers, and generally making themselves
Your Legion couldn’t kill us, and your arenas couldn’t break
as large a thorn in the side of the Midnight Republic as they
us. We’re the ones you turn to when you don’t just want someone
could. The response was swift and overwhelming. The Legio
to die — you want them to die screaming. Pray to your gods that
Mortuum marched out in force, burning out the Ferrati from
your name will never find its way to our ears.
their forest havens, slaying many, and dragging a few back to
Rome to face what could be called a trial. The Unfinished Why we should fear ourselves
were nearly wiped out, and the line might have faded back into
Our journey is taking us off the edge of a cliff. All we know
obscurity if not for three escaped gladiators.
how to do is kill and devour, and we choke on our own hun-
Held in captivity for decades before escaping via treachery ger. For all our certainty and violence, none have completed
and murder, these three Unfinished were known as the the journey, and we wonder in our secret hearts if we’ll ever
Ironclad for the way their manacles had rusted into their skin. be finished.
While forced to fight for the amusement of the Propinqui,
the Ironclad learned its ways, and they understood they were
wrong before. The Camarilla wasn’t the end — the Camarilla Bloodline Origins
was a gift. Dozens of thick-blooded, idle elders all in one place, • The original Ferratus is called Prima in the bloodline’s
all trying to destroy each other with hired killers. Killers like lore: the First. A warrior queen among the Italic tribes
the Ferrati. devoted to Diana, Prima was devastated by her Embrace
The Ironclad returned to the city, slipping into the deep- because she could no longer join her patron in the after-
est parts of the Necropolis and slowly spreading the word. life. A hunter of peerless skill and ferocity, Prima decided
Remember the fighter who ripped the fangs from the jaws that if she could not accompany her beloved goddess, she
of lions and used them to cut gladiators’ throats? Remember would force Diana to come to her. Determined to become
the warrior who tore the arms from opponents and beat them a creature fierce enough to join Diana on her sacred hunt,
into bloody ruins? For a fee, they can be unleashed upon as either companion or prey, her first step upon this journey
your enemies. was devouring her sire’s soul. During her long existence,
This is how the Ferrati exist tonight, hired killers who no the First sired many times out of loneliness or admiration,
one admits to knowing but everyone knows how to find. It’s teaching the philosophy that living death was simply a
even whispered that the Unfinished drink the souls of their waypoint on a longer path. However, at some point during
most powerful targets, but these whispers don’t stop them from her travels, stories of the First cease. Whether she ever saw
getting work. Condemned by the Senex (their biggest client) her goddess again, or is still Unfinished, is unknown.
and hunted by the Legion (who’d love to recruit them), they ply • There never was any “First.” The true founders of the
their trade on the fringes of Sodalitas Pernox. Every indolent Unfinished are the Ironclad. Before them, the line was just
elder they’re paid to consume is another step in their journey a pack of Gangrel with delusions of grandeur. It took being

tempered in the arena, forced to perform for Kindred who reputation and ultimately led to the line’s resurgence. While
disgusted them, soaking in hate and resentment, to truly alter Strangers are mostly less squeamish about hiring Ironclad than
their blood. The Ironclad perpetuate their foundational myth others, they’re also more cautious about it. More than one
to provide the other Ferrati a sense of superiority, but the only Ferratus has decided consuming the heartsblood of a Stranger
“journey” they’re on is revenge. It will remain Unfinished client is a better step in their personal ascension quest than
until the Camarilla lies in ruins around them. whatever payment was being offered.
• Olim, a young slave fetching water for his master witnessed The Senex: At the same time the Unfinished’s most vocal
the spirit Bellum washing the blood from his form in a critics and their biggest client, the Senex almost never associates
beautiful clear spring. The slave was smitten, but he knew with Ironclad directly. However, most Ancients know Kindred
he was unworthy of the affections of such a powerful being. who can pass word to them. The Ferrati love Legislator contracts,
When the slave returned home, he took up a knife, slew his because the targets are inevitably old and heavy with blood, just
master, and brought his head back to the spring as tribute. begging to have their rich Vitae put to better use…
However, Bellum was no longer there, but in his place, a The Lancea et Sanctum: The Atheists are already on the
gladius lay upon the shore with a blade of deepest crimson. fringes, so what do the Ferrati have to lose by associating
The slave took up this gift and went out into the world to with other social pariahs? When they can scrape together an
kill greater and greater foes, hoping each would earn him appropriate payment, the Witnesses are all too happy to send
the attention of Bellum once more. He is out there killing Ironclad after one of their many oppressors in the Camarilla.
still, for Bellum loves nothing more than violence without Some Unfinished even offer a discount in recognition of how
end — cruente in aeternum. Sodalitas Pernox has persecuted them both.
Parent Clan: Gangrel
Nicknames: Unfinished, Ironclad (literal meaning)
Bloodline Bane (The Primal Curse): The Ferratus Beast
must answer any challenge with overwhelming violence. The
first time an Ironclad takes lethal or aggravated damage
in a scene, she must resist frenzy. If she fails, it counts as a
dramatic failure.
Disciplines: Animalism, Nightmare, Protean, Resilience
In the Camarilla
The Cult of Augurs: An excellent method of ensuring a
prediction of woe and misery for a blasphemer comes to
pass is to hire an Ironclad to ruin their night. Ferrati who
work in the shadow of the Vaticinators are rarely taught
the Veneficium, but they show great enthusiasm and gory
creativity in making examples of the Cult’s enemies.
The Legion of the Dead: Ferrati have no respect for
Camarilla authority, and not a single self-respecting
Soldier would suffer one in their unit. The Legion
of the Dead does not maintain a small stable of
Ironclad to attack targets
it can’t officially antago-
nize, and even if it did, it
would disavow all knowledge
of such activities.
The Peregrine Collegium: It was in
Collegium arenas that the Ironclad were
abused and tormented, but their gladiatorial perfor-
mances are what gave the Unfinished their terrifying

Three Unfinished New Devotions
Lucius Caninius is tired of being pushed around. Washed Ironclad are oft accused of being unsophisticated, but nothing
out of the Legion for a lack of discipline, Lucius managed to could be further from the truth — if you’re talking about violence.
get inducted into the Ironclad by walking up and asking — and
then failing to meet Final Death after the mauling he earned. Last Warning
Lucius is all in on Ferratus philosophy, and while he might be (Animalism ••, Nightmare ••)
more driven by personal vengeance than purity of ideal, the The Unfinished are possessive of what scraps of territory they
Unfinished respect his enthusiasm. That said, there’s a betting manage to take for their own, erecting grisly totems to warn
pool on how long before he bites off more than he can chew intruders of their fate should they trespass.
and chokes on it.
This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
Vergilia Clementia knows where to find real power, and
Cost: 3 Vitae
it’s not in weak Kindred souls. After watching her hardened
unit of Legionaries get slaughtered by a pack of werewolves, Requirement: A fresh corpse of a Size 3 or larger creature
Clementia became obsessed with devouring the souls of pow- that the Ironclad killed herself.
erful, non-Kindred supernatural creatures, certain that this Dice Pool: None
will accelerate her transformation. Clementia claims to have Action: Instant
already performed Amaranth on one werewolf, but even her Duration: Nights equal to Blood Potency
fellow Unfinished dismiss these stories as ravings. That said, The Ironclad creates a gory territorial marker out of a corpse.
she does seem to have gained a considerable amount of power Anyone who sees the totem must resist its horror with Resolve +
in a very small amount of time. Almost equal to the number Composure with a penalty equal to Nightmare. Failure means
of enemies she’s made. the viewer gains the Frightened Condition. The Unfinished can
Mettia is scared of what she’s becoming. One of the original choose to exempt a specific person or a class of people (e.g., her
Ironclad, her blood has grown thick with years and the souls coterie) from this effect when she creates the totem. Anointing
of her victims, and now she can feel it squirming within her, the totem with a Vitae refreshes its duration. The Unfinished
ready to change, ready to be reborn but she doesn’t feel the is aware of when her totem is destroyed, but not how.
joy she thought she would on the cusp of ascension: only
apprehension. Every night she feels her Beast tearing at the Shock and Awe
edges of her mind, and she fears that — should she relent and (Nightmare ••)
give in to whatever comes next — there won’t be enough of
The Ironclad’s sudden display of violence is so overwhelming
herself left to enjoy it.
that it can cause hesitation to outright terror in onlookers.
Bloodline Gift: This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.

Cost: None
Punching Up Requirement: The Ironclad can use this Devotion when she
makes an attack inflicting at least one point of damage.
Because of their focus on achieving — and surpassing — the
pinnacle of Kindred ability, the Ironclad are more discerning Dice Pool: None
about who they unleash their hunger on. Unfinished characters Action: Reflexive
addicted to Vitae and/or Amaranth do not have to resist rea- The vampire can activate any level of Nightmare she possesses
sonable opportunities to indulge their vice unless the would-be as a reflexive action as long as she is capable of paying its activa-
victim has higher Blood Potency. tion cost. This can only affect those who witnessed her attack.

GALLI
THE EXQUISITE DEAD
Beauty? Beauty is the least of the Great Mother’s blessings.
But yes, I can give you beauty.
All around, people chant the Great Mother’s name. You adjust your everything you could experience. We alone can watch the
earrings and pray for her blessing. You are heard, and her glory brings stream of life run from generation to generation, looking to
warmth to your cold, cold veins. You approach the bull, which snorts the sky and witnessing the changing of mountains. Don’t weep
and struggles against its bindings, but you cut its throat so lovingly it and moan like the dead things in the Necropolis, hiding away
settles into peaceful slumber. The beast gives its life to your goddess, in their crypts. The goddess commands you to live.
and its blood pours down into the pit below. One of your fellow priests
stands in the pit, now bathed in sacrifice. As she wipes the blood from Why you should fear us
her eyes, she is born anew through Cybele’s grace. You shouldn’t. Yes, some children go missing, but don’t trouble
The Galli are cursed with perfection. An utterly symmetrical yourself. They’re happier with us. You don’t trust us, but you must
smile. Flawless skin without a single wrinkle or pore. A body move past this. We know it hurts. And, of course, your choices are
proportioned more like a statue than a human being. Each of your own; it’s just that we’ve lived so much. We know how these
these Nosferatu is uniquely beautiful — and wrong. things go, seen it many times. It’s best if you defer to our wisdom.
Yet the Galli are also beloved of the goddess Cybele, and they Why we should fear ourselves
return her favor with transcendent passion. They dedicate their
Sometimes, we wonder if we could be more... circumspect.
Requiems to fertility, healing, and prophecy, all things sacred
Life is to be lived, yes, but all these ghouls and families… there
to the Magna Mater. These Eunuchs wander the Necropolis
are so many people. How much can you trust them? We have
and streets of Rome, offering divinations for scraps and pocket
enemies, fangs waiting in the dark. Wouldn’t it be simple for
change. They adopt human orphans or steal them from their
them to turn our families against… No, no, we would never
beds and raise them in the cult. They marry mortal lovers. They
doubt you, sister. Or your children. Never.
start great gardens of mandragora and matchmake for ghoul
families. Though they died long ago, the Galli live.
The Galli Embrace almost exclusively from Cybele’s mortal Bloodline Origins
priesthood (also called Galli), and like her mortal followers, • The Galli descend from a Nosferatu elder who received a
many castrate themselves and present either as female or tertium holy vision from the Great Mother while traveling in lands
sexus, a third gender outside Rome’s strict masculine/feminine that would become Phrygia. Their body was transformed,
divide. However, some leave the priesthood for the other wings their monstrous visage burned away to reveal the inhuman
and find new ways to spread the faith of the Great Mother. perfection beneath, and their faith blossomed. The elder
The Galli aren’t well liked by their fellow Vaticinators, or the began to proselytize, first in Phrygia, then Greece, then
Camarilla as a whole. Their zealous faith and honest prophe- Rome. The bloodline expanded across the Mediterranean, as
cies set them at odds with the corrupt and reactionary Cult of befitted worshippers of a fertility goddess, mixing in with her
Augurs, and their foreign conception of the Magna Mater and mortal cults until they found homes all across the Empire.
distinctly un-Roman attitude toward gender draws the Old Man’s • The Great Mother has many names; Cybele is just the most
ire. However, the Galli are also useful soothsayers, and they’re useful in this era. The Eunuchs are an old bloodline, truly
exceptionally good at cultivating communities of mortals for the ancient, and the first were born from the birthing pangs of
Camarilla to exploit, which keeps them safe for now. But more the Great Mother herself, back when flesh and spirit were one
than that, the rites of the Great Mother can grant beauty and and monstrous gods prowled the world. The goddess charged
fertility, even to the dead. And who doesn’t want to be beautiful? her children with safeguarding human fertility and life, of
Why you want to be us making sure they survived. And survive they did. The Galli
performed their task so well they dwindled and atrophied
We are the blessed of Cybele, chosen to shepherd her gifts like an unused limb, becoming more and more obsessed with
across all time. We sacrifice our mortality and fertility to the beauty instead of fertility and protection. Elder Galli fear the
Great Mother, and in exchange, we receive eternal beauty and day when their childer will not remember their goddess’ old
endless life. A cost well paid. Think of all you could learn, names and their sacred task will be completely forgotten.

• Olim, Attis was the consort and lover of Cybele. His beauty and kindness inspired her to gift him with every blessing
she could give. However, something went wrong. Accounts differ, but either Attis was unfaithful and Cybele cursed him
with madness, or he was dreadfully wounded in an attempt to escape a pursuer. Both stories end with Attis castrated and
dying beneath a tree as Cybele weeps. But as Attis lay dying, a once-living beast was drawn to the smell of his blood. The
beast drank deeply and was transformed into a creature of grace and beauty. Attis bade the
creature worship his beloved, for he could not. As Attis died, his body grew into a tree,
and his children came forth into the world in blood and beauty. Made to
love their goddess — fideliter in aeternum.
Parent Clan: Nosferatu
Nicknames: Eunuchs, Pretties
Bloodline Bane (The Infertile Curse): After being initiated into the
bloodline, a Gallus must choose to forever sacrifice either their power to
create ghouls or their ability to Embrace new vampires (player’s choice). In
addition, their blood bonds thin quickly, lasting only a number of weeks
equal to (11 – Humanity), requiring Galli to constantly reassert them.
Disciplines: Majesty, Nightmare, Obfuscate, Vigor
In the Camarilla
The Cult of Augurs: The vast majority of Galli belong to the Cult of
Augurs, even though they remain perpetual outsiders within its ranks.
They are too faithful, too earnest, and too attached to mortal life to truly
earn the respect of their fellow Vaticinators. However, their soothsayers
have a nasty habit of seeing the truth of things — an invaluable and
dangerous habit in the Camarilla.
The Legion of the Dead: The violence and brutality of the Legio
Mortuum hold scant appeal for the Galli unless their hearts have
truly turned away from the Great Mother. Those Eunuchs who
join the Soldiers find it difficult to fit in among the most
rigidly martial wing, though some find success as tacticians
and strategists.
The Peregrine Collegium: Pretties who tire of politics
and grow disillusioned with the Cult of Augurs often
join the Untouchables. Some keep their faith in Magna
Mater, ministering to their fellow outcasts, while
others abandon it altogether. Either way, those Galli
who join the Peregrine Collegium are welcomed with
open arms, finding some measure of acceptance and
peace among the lost.
The Senex: A small number of Galli don the purple
and abandon their faith in pursuit of power. Others
maintain their devotion but adopt a broader definition
of fertility: Though all its members are dead, the
Camarilla grows and breeds like a living thing, spread-
ing across all known corners of the world. What is the
fertility of an individual compared with the fertility of
Rome herself? The Greatest Mother of all. Who better
to guide her children?
The Lancea et Sanctum: Absurd. Ridiculous. No Galli would
ever join the Atheists. None worth speaking of, anyway. Only those exiled
from the worship of Cybele — only blasphemers and traitors — would dare join
the Spear and Chapel and earn the eternal hatred of all their kin. Still, the Galli
have always been attracted to zealotry…

Three Eunuchs Other Kindred can learn these rituals, in theory, but unless
they have access to Gallus Vitae, they automatically fail when cast.
Decimus Severius Balbus has such beauty that he is the envy of These rites come with a unique downside, a quality of the
all the Kindred around him. A Legislator, he has abandoned the specific Vitae required to empower them: Upon gaining the
worship of Cybele, but he still finds her rites useful to cultivate a benefits of either Criobolium or Taurobolium, a subject must
flock of addicts beholden to his will. It’s difficult work, as many resist becoming addicted to their effects, rolling Resolve +
Old Men still find the idea of a Eunuch in their ranks distasteful. Composure minus the rite’s Potency, with an additional –1
Lentulus never cared about Cybele, or any other god. The for each time they’ve been subject to the ritual within the last
gods can rot, for all he cares. But he does care about beauty. lunar month. Failure means the subject gains the Addicted
When he was Embraced, Lentulus became a hideous monster, Condition and must be bathed again before sliding into the
skulking through the catacombs for a decade of Requiem. No Deprived Condition. When Deprived, an addict loses access to
longer. Now, he’s a Pretty. Now, he can walk the streets of the Striking Looks Merit as their body becomes ghoulish and
Rome once more. Now he just has to ditch these goddess-ad- sunken. Deprived humans suffer a –2 on Social actions, while
dled idiots. Deprived vampires gain the Nosferatu clan bane.
Zelkia has been a priestess of Magna Mater for longer than Some Galli in Phrygia — or even those in other wings of the
she can remember, long before Phrygia. She woke from torpor Camarilla — perform these rites with what amounts to Crúac,
just in time to witness the rise of the Camarilla, and was instru- but there is effectively no mechanical difference.
mental in bringing the love of Cybele to the barbaric Romans.
She is a truly ancient monster, though you would never know Criobolium (•)
it. She loves mortals, traveling with hordes of her descendants, Contested: by Resolve + Blood Potency (if unwilling)
and her relatively high Humanity means the Ancients don’t In a religious ceremony honoring the beauty of Attis, a Gallus
know how dangerous she truly is. chooses a ritual subject and bathes them in the sacrifice along
with a few drops of ram’s blood. Once the procedure is com-
Bloodline Gift: plete, the subject transforms into an ideal version of herself,
gaining the two-dot version of Striking Looks. This effect lasts a
Beauty of Attis, week. However, the subject also gains the Swooning Condition
Sight of Cybele toward the vampire who performed the rite.
All Galli gain the Striking Looks 2 Merit upon induction Taurobolium (•••)
into their bloodline. If a character already has that Merit or Contested: by Resolve + Blood Potency (if unwilling)
the one-dot version, she is refunded any Experiences spent. In a religious ceremony honoring the fertility of the Great
Eunuchs still bear the Nosferatu curse, but those adopted into Mother, a Gallus chooses a ritual subject and bathes them in
the bloodline take on a strange beauty that’s far from human the sacrifice in addition to a bowlful of bull’s blood. The subject
but unique to each Galli. gains the following benefits for a week:
Galli also gain the Dream Visions Merit, ignoring the usual • The subject is invigorated with confidence and Cybele’s love.
clan prerequisite. However, to use this Merit, the vampire must She ignores the first Door in all Social maneuvering actions.
make a one-point Vitae sacrifice to Cybele before she enters
• A living subject gains three dots of the Hardy Merit
daysleep, or else she cannot call upon her goddess’s visions
(Chronicles of Darkness, p. 47), is temporarily cured of all
the next night.
forms of infertility and will conceive a child anytime she
New Veneficium engages in penetrative sex, even if biologically impossible.

• A vampire gains the ability to activate the blush of life without
Procedures cost, but the character also suffers a –5 modifier on Humanity
rolls to resist creating revenants.
The priesthood of the Great Mother has been given the
power to bless others with her beauty and fertility. All Galli • Plants bloom where the subject’s blood falls. The subject can
are taught the Criobolium procedure upon learning a dot of voluntarily suffer a lethal damage to cause a plant to bloom
the Veneficium, in addition to the usual free ritual. and bear fruit.

Phersui
The two-faced dead
Be careful how you step through the door,

lest you leave behind all your best parts.
You planned for this moment as soon as you knew death crept Why you want to be us
through the dark: beautiful, terrible, and ever closer.
There’s so much power in being indispensable. We straddle
He offered a new existence draped in the trappings of the grave, a the threshold between life and death, keeping our clients one
way to live on in the hearts and minds of kith and kin. All it would step ahead of mediocrity. We bestow blessings and protect
cost was a tithe of blood. Such a simple sacrifice. He held you tight them from their own weaknesses. We provide, we protect —
in his embrace as the wailers sent up the cries throughout the house and we profit.
that once was yours — and now would be ever after.
You will reign as ancestor, ghost, and god… at least as long you pay Why you should fear us
your dues. If not, the voices surging out of the darkness will overtake Every gain has a price. Some may call us usurers, driving
you. The marble pillars of your altar will crumble and your power too hard a bargain, but we just fulfill the demand. When
will crumble with them. you find your seat filled by another, your memory desecrated,
So remember: Never cheat the ferryman. don’t come crying to us. You sowed your own destruction by
Eternity is a long time to clutch to power. Wouldn’t it be withholding our dues.
better if you had someone to help you shoulder the burden, to
cover up your insufficiencies, to fulfill those duties you haven’t
got time for? The problem with following a liminal deity is that all our
bets are hedged. Sooner or later, we’ll need to choose a side: the
The Phersui are here to help. Don’t meet the requirements?
living or the dead? Our clients or ourselves? No matter where
Not a problem! On your behalf, they’ll supply the talent. Or
we side, we lose. All our dabbling upsets the balance, drawing
maybe you’re just not the right lar for the job, lacking the
forth all the monsters in the dark. When they come rushing in,
gravitas to guide your family in death. The Doubles can borrow
we won’t be able to hide behind any of our stolen faces. Come
your visage to present you at your ancestral best. Under their
the reckoning, our debts will be beyond counting.
care, a dead man’s legacy won’t just survive: It vaults to divine
heights! If you’ve got to ride out the eternal night, why not do
so in triumph? Bloodline Origins
In a sense, the Phersui are professional mourners, of the • The first Double was a sacred performer of funerary rites in
same ilk that don death masks and entertain at a funeral (not Etruria. She would wail for the dead as they passed on to
uncommon among Daeva), but this takes a strange and literal Orcus; not real grief, of course, but however much grief the
form among the Kindred. The Personae make the “afterlife” family paid for. From each corpse she danced for, breasts bared
smoother, serving the dead as consultants and doppelgängers, to the heavens, she would steal a kiss and wonder: What did
making sure your Requiem at least looks like you want it to. this man do that was worth remembering? She could sense it,
Once a minor cult to Janus among the Vaticinators, the feel it through that cold kiss, an innate understanding of what
Personae have skyrocketed in popularity since they showed up made them unique. She would ape their talents, pretending to
in the Necropolis, and their services are always in demand, even be them for a night, to be worthy of that outpouring of love
as they’re derided as cheats — a label they happily accept. They and grief and money. Until the night of her own death. She
are mystics and conmen, sibyls and scoundrels, bestowing their stood at the doorway into the afterlife, but no one paid her
boons for lavish prices as they help the dead defraud Death. own mourning. No one even remembered her. She screamed
But beneath the surface, this bloodline is more than a bunch of her self-grief into the void — and the Two-Faced God answered,
avaricious fixers. Their patron deity demands a fee too. Tonight, asking a price for a chance at life beyond death. She tossed
they call him Janus, but among the Etruscans, he was Culsans, two silver coins to the God of Paths, and he hurried her away
God of the Gate, a far crueler master. The Two-Faced God is from that dark doorway, back into her cold corpse. She rose
only interested in balance, and if one takes, one must also give that night, hungry, and went right back to all her old tricks
back. Refuse to pay the toll, and he shall find other uses for you. but with a new purpose.

• What the Phersui serve is neither Culsans nor Janus, nor any other god known to mortal or Propinquus. The Man at the
Crossroads appeared one night in the first of these Courtesans’ dreams, asking for tribute in exchange for power. Each night
it entered their minds, tormenting them until they submitted or fell to madness. Thus rose this
creature’s disciples, and tonight, they straddle both sides of mortality, meting out their god’s
“blessing” to feed his hunger.
• Olim, Hecuba, gracious Queen of Troy, was blessed for her piety with a dutiful family, and
her many children were her special pride. Thus, when the Greeks assembled the largest
army the world had ever known to besiege her great city’s walls, she sent her youngest son,
Polydorus, away with a generous price to buy his safety with a foreign king and his court.
When the rest of her house crumbled and all her kin were dead, she went to retrieve her last
child, only to find his lifeless body washed up on the moonlit shore. Her wrath transformed
her, teeth sharpening and skin paling as she razed the palace of the treacherous king.
She rent his eyes from his head and his face from his skull. She tore her hair and rent
her flesh, for her mercy had died along with her. She still roams those lonely rocks,
forever howling her grief, demanding restitution — lugubriter in aeternum.
Parent Clan: Daeva
Nicknames: Personae, Doubles
Bloodline Bane (The Bifrons Curse): The Phersui are steeped in the opposing
truths of life and death. Faced with imbalance, that rigid duality breaks down. Unless
she has defended her Mask within the same night, each time she would regain
Willpower from her Dirge, roll Humanity. On a failure, she gains no Willpower.
Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Majesty, Obfuscate
In the Camarilla
The Cult of Augurs: The Personae claim to have originated in this wing,
but considering the living have no flamens of Janus, the Vaticinators are
skeptical. They’re probably right, too, but they can’t deny the Phersui
have their uses. Whatever rituals they participate in, they bolster to
unparalleled heights, and the Fates know duality has certain magical
qualities. Still, the wing sees the shadows that hover about the Doubles
more clearly than most.
The Legion of the Dead: The Personae always know to go wherever business
opportunities lie. A formation of death fetishists obsessed with honor? The Doubles
barely need to make a pitch. They play a wily Ulysses rather than a bloodthirsty
Commodus, making speeches that inspire the whole battalion. Their most feared
warrior appears in multiple places across the battlefield to rout the enemy. Soldiers
appreciate good tactics.
The Peregrine Collegium: The Phersui understand being between extremes —
included yet kept on the outskirts, needed but barely trusted. They’ll perform their
rites to improve the reputation of any client, no matter their origin or wing. Doubles
wholeheartedly subscribe to the Collegium’s precept of “doing whatever’s required,”
and once they’ve solved one of your problems, they make it irresistible to call on
them for everything else.
The Senex: The Senex are the Phersui’s oldest and most devout clients. The Old
Man needs to curate its public image more than any other wing, and the Doubles
can help it hide all its scandals, increase its wealth, and build new contacts. Just let
them borrow your noble face. What could go wrong?
The Lancea et Sanctum: Many Phersui are willing to twist their rites from the
breast-beating of Janus to the Maledictions of Longinus. In the end, their lacquer of
godly worship doesn’t go deep enough for it to affect their practical tactics. Moreover,
community collections are already an accepted concept among the Sanctified, so paying
tithes into one more coffer for additional protection isn’t that big a stretch. And isn’t
a triune god better than a biune one? That’s just economics.

Three Personae If the Double reneges on his half of the deal, he suffers this
drawback instead.
Quintus Ostorius is an unassuming lover to the great men
and women of the Senex. He rarely brings forward a petition
and doesn’t seem especially skilled in employing pathos in his
New Merits
speeches, yet every senator or magistrate who takes Ostorius to In addition to the following Merits, Phersui gain the Boon
his bed sways the whole Assembly to their views. Some whisper of Janus Merit (p. 94) for free. If a character already has this
he calls down favors from the one God of the Christ, others that Merit, she gains the Experiences spent instead.
his kiss can protect his patrons from misfortune. Whatever his As a general requirement, all of these Merits require the
tactics, they’ve kept this obsequious Daeva in his seat despite vampire to first use her inherent bloodline gift.
the fact that, if you look closely, he never actually does anything.
Whenever a new Propinquus earns an Embraced among the Death Mask (•••)
high-born, Prosperina is there, leading the childe out of Apollo’s Prerequisite: Phersui
domain and into that of Nyx. With her blessing, anyone can make Effect: When a Phersua offers to take another’s place, she
an impressive and portentous beginning among the Camarilla’s must first become indistinguishable from her subject, and a
elite. But take heed, for power is addictive, and it requires fre- Death Mask enables her to fully become the perfect mimic
quent tending lest it withers. Rumors say at least three praetors of her client.
in the Legion have won battles because of Proserpina’s assistance. To do this, your character must remove the flesh on her
Tithes are so high for her services she no longer needs to hunt: face, dealing an aggravated damage, and then cover the wound
Blood flows unceasingly from her sacrificial altar. with a point of the subject’s Vitae. During daysleep, she heals
Through the warrens of Suburra, Sorex the Witch wanders, as normal, but instead of her own form, her body conforms
making deals at crossroads. She can enter any place unnoticed to her subject.
to spy on secret discussions, and her blessing shields her charges In addition to being a perfect duplicate, your character can
from harm. Her eerie proclamations make slaves of the freeborn access her subject’s highest Discipline instead of her own while
or make the enslaved free — for a time. She demands strange borrowing this form (if they are the same power, choose the
payments: a two-headed calf, a virgin’s menstrual blood, or the second highest, and so forth). The disguise lasts for nights equal
eyes of a crucified man. She claims these are the only things that to Blood Potency plus one; your character can renew the ritual,
can placate her master. But the horrors are never far, tearing but this requires her to spend a Willpower each night, or else
up the ones she leaves behind. the Cleansing will restore her form.
This disguise cannot be seen through with Auspex or oth-
Bloodline Gift: erwise disrupted.
The Toll Door Between Minds (••)

To use their special abilities, Phersui must pay the God of Prerequisite: Phersui
Gates, from whom all their power flows. This price must come Effect: Your character can choose to exchange an Attribute
from the client and be paid within an agreed-upon period or Skill with another for the duration of the scene. She must
after the vampire supplies a service using one of the Merits touch the individual to effect the transfer and spend a Vitae
below. This price can be anything: Vitae, money, favors, etc. (Skill) or a Willpower (Attribute). She may only do this once
Once chosen, this price cannot be changed. To solemnize the per subject night, and the subject must be willing.
agreement, one of the characters must spill a Vitae’s worth of
blood at a crossroad or some kind of aperture. Funeral Dirge (••)
If the subject fails to pay the price at the appointed time, she Prerequisite: Phersui
risks an Integrity breaking point/detachment at her current Effect: Your character performs funerary rites for her client:
Humanity level when next she sleeps, tormented by dreams of wailing for the dead, tearing her hair, beating her breast, or
horrors beyond the veil. She gains no Beat for facing a break- scratching her arms. She then spends a Vitae. As a result, the
ing point, but she can choose to dramatically fail for a Beat, subject she celebrates shares in her glorious mien. For the rest
drawing the attention of a ghost, spirit, or Strix (Storyteller’s of the night, they gain the vampire’s Presence dots as a bonus
choice) instead of the usual Conditions. to their own Attribute.

ROTULAE
THE POPULIST DEAD
Thoughts are deeds. Image is power.
Honorius watches the crowd gather around the dais to hear his Why, then, do they act from the shadows? Because they know
patron speak. Demetria is an eloquent demagogue all on her own, claiming power is like being a tall mast in a tempest, liable to
but tonight, she’s asked Honorius to grasp the reins of fate and ensure break; better to be the wind in the sails and change direction
everyone becomes a believer. He breathes deep, closes his eye, and when needed. Rotulae hold the center, spinning the multitudes
focuses on the crowd. around them. The goals they steer the people toward can be
Demetria’s energy bursts into a blaze against the darkness of his revolutionary, just, or self-serving, depending on the individual,
closed lids. Her speech shimmers out as ripples, stirring and prodding but if you have a cause, they can help it along.
the sentiments of her listeners. Honorius stretches out with his will But beware of the capriciousness of the gods they worship.
to gather up their souls, tugs them a little to bring them in line. The other Seers warn a price must be paid for calling on divine
Mild interest inflames into love; disagreement fizzles out into bland power so brazenly, so shamelessly, and they very much doubt
neutrality. He’s got them all in the palm of his hand. the Reds can pay it off.
Demetria beams down at the crowd, buoyed by their energy,
emboldened by their passion. Now all she needs to do is make her
Why you want to be us
request, and all her ambitions will be rewarded — except… something The world would have you believe birth ordains your place
bucks around her servant. and legacy limits your access to power, but we know one man
Honorius realizes, grimly, that he’s held the reins too tight, shoved can never stand to a whole city, no matter what color the blood
fate aside one too many times on her account. in his veins.
The crowd’s cheers turn into sullen silence. Demetria goes rigid, Why you should fear us
trapped under Honorius’s turning wheel, confessing all her dark deeds, The gods gave us the power to steer the world. Our will is
the bribes, the assassinations. The mob surges in with hands extended a legion of chariots crushing all who get in our way. Let the
claw-like, vengeful… politicians think they pull the strings. It’s us who install them
The last thing she sees is an absence. Honorius, her long-suffering — and destroy them.
lackey, is gone. She’s lost this race, but he has other chariots to drive.
The Blues and Greens rule the racetracks of daylit Rome, Why we should fear ourselves
but another faction is enthralling the Necropolis. First, the The masses remember, and they’re ready to rise up when our
“Reds” entertained their fellow dead, driving ghoul horses to whip misses the mark. When the tides change, they’ll swallow
impossible speeds. Even now, they spend much of their time us up, and we’ll have no one to blame but ourselves. You can’t
at the circus, whether hiding among mortal racers or wowing stop the wheels once set in motion.
even mortal crowds. But they’ve taken the lessons they learned
in the chariot to far grander ends. The Rotulae understand the
power of popular opinion, and how swiftly those tides can turn
Bloodline Origins
with a well-placed flick of the reins. • When her sire stole Chisisi from Egypt, she survived in Rome
by racing chariots. She was good at it, but she needed to be
But every driver needs her patron, and the Reds turn to
better if she was ever to earn her independence. She prayed
the highest patrons of all: the gods. The Egyptian ones, as
to her gods — Kherty, Set, Sobek — and they taught her a
befits their Seer blood, though it would probably work with
ritual that would make her unparalleled on the racetrack
the Roman pantheon if they bothered to try. The Reds curry
and beyond. She made ghouls of her lead horses, feeding
favor with the divine to manipulate the masses, pushing them
from them and feeding them her blood, over and over in a
to enact their agendas from afar. But despite their faith, the
cycle like the spinning of her wheels. Soon, the horses took
Charioteers are no incense-clad flamens, remote and aloof.
her direction before she ever put hand to whip. Then, her
They’re priests of the people, speaking in plain words, putting
fellows bent to her unspoken will. Then, the crowd. At long
power into simple gestures. They compel with their under-
last, Chisisi was master of her own destiny, and she would
standing of the mob, inspiring with their ability to lift even the
never let go of those reins again.
farthest fallen back into good graces… or unseat the proudest.

• Deep in the Land of the Dead, King Sneferka dipped his bend his will toward militarism, but crowd control can be a
stone bowl into the waters of resurrection and drank deeply. powerful way to vault through the ranks. Many Rotulae aim to
The spirits of the Duat laughed, taunting him, for it was truly become centurions or even praetors — but those who falter can
the blood of Set. “You are the wheel of my chariot for all end up at the center of a vicious and professionally lethal mob.
eternity,” the god decreed, “and you will do my bidding.” The The Peregrine Collegium: Kindred fans of the chariot races
king bowed before Set and returned through the doors can back their own drivers hiding among the Reds.
of his tomb to rule the land of night. He passed Set’s When the rivalry between the Blues and Greens gets
blood on to his children, ever turning the wheel in the way of Kindred interests, the Rotulae serve
to gain the god’s favor. as tiebreakers during deadlocks or, when the scales
• Olim, Iphis, called a woman at birth, yearned to unbalance, shore up the underdog. Generally, they
wed a maiden of night. Never one to bow to an siphon power down to the disadvantaged. Some
unfavorable fate, Iphis went to the Temple of Isis, claim their aims are altruistic, while others recog-
begging to be transformed. That great goddess, nize that by gaining power for the masses, they also
who remade her husband’s dismembered body, was gain power for themselves.
pleased by Iphis’s devotion. She granted him the The Senex: Many Rotulae are freedmen
power to change all outcomes — including or former slaves, rarely rising high in the
to become all he wished. In return, she Senex. No matter; it’s often easier to
would have him steer those around bend the wills of powerful Kindred
him, to alter their hearts and if they perceive you as a support-
minds. In her name, Iphis took ive aide — or at least allied
the reins — devote in aeternum. with their goals in swaying
other members. W hen
Parent Clan: Mekhet
they do step forward to
Nicknames: Reds, Populares, hold power, it’s usually in
Charioteers roles as magistrates, rep-
Bloodline Bane (The Curse of resenting the various bands
Ochlocracy): The horse can only of the Peregrine Collegium.
be whipped so much before it bucks. The Lancea et Sanctum: Rotulae
The same is true of the people. Over the often sympathize with the Sanctified,
course of a story, track the number of fail- as both came to Rome as outsiders. Those
ures the vampire experiences when exerting who convert to the word of Longinus
social control over humans via Intimidation, often cite the similarities between their
Persuasion, Subterfuge, and the Devotions rites and Theban words of power, but
below. Once this number exceeds Humanity whatever their beliefs, they know how to
(or if the vampire loses Humanity such that work a crowd. That’s the kind of power
the number would be greater), the nearest the Witnesses need to actually do some
area occupied by humans gains the Riot witnessing.
Environmental Tilt (p. 274) by the end of the
scene because of some unlikely circumstance,
and they’ll specifically target the vampire if Three Reds
she’s visible. This bane resets once it goes off. Myrtis, Magistrate of the Peregrine
Disciplines: Animalism, Auspex, Celerity, Collegium, has plenty of troubles on
Majesty her hands. The Senex has commanded
her to get recent riots in the feeding
In the Camarilla grounds near the Circus under control.
She’s preparing her rituals to placate
The Cult of Augurs: The Charioteers’ “vul- disgruntled gods, but if she makes the
gar” rites appeal to cynical Vaticinators. They slightest mistake, they’ll all know it was
require less faith or fuss, making them an afford- she who caused the riots in the first
able option when keeping up appearances. The place. Worse, they might even realize
Reds’ ability to rein in crowds provides whichever she did it deliberately.
results the gods (or patrons) require, enabling Ever since Vitrasia cast rituals before
them to placate and please whoever’s pulling the games, rumors have spread that she
the purse strings tonight. took liberties with the procedures.
The Legion of the Dead: It might Younger Augurs aren’t entirely sure
seem counterintuitive for a Red to what they saw. All went well until

she anointed the goddess’s statue, but then the whole room bonus, including other Auspex powers. She can also confer
exploded into chaos, as if a storm had boiled up in a single this bonus on another, anointing them with the cost of this
room. For her own part, Vitrasia really wishes she’d known the Devotion in a brief ritual honoring her favored pantheon.
statue was haunted, or that she could affect the mares with her Exceptional Success: The Charioteer’s understanding of
powers. Then, she’d be able to do it again… crowd dynamics is so astute she exceptionally succeeds on three
Habitus has lived more lives than he can count, sliding in successes instead of five on the first action.
and out of the wings, disguising his features and remaking Failure: Just because you hold the reins doesn’t mean you
himself. Fortune favors then fails him time and again, and the can handle the beast.
crowds won’t answer his call anymore. He’s convinced devils Dramatic Failure: The vampire misjudges the crowd. She
hound him, maybe because he turned his back on the old loses the 10-again quality on all Social actions for those she
gods to preach the word of Longinus, the true prophet of the tried to study and cannot use Auspex on them for the scene.
people. These nights, he hobbles up and down the corridors,
misshapen and filthy, but still he dreams of the days when he Vox Populi
wore the purple.
(Animalism ••• or Majesty •••)
New Merit Rotulae can harness a crowd’s sentiments, reshaping, inflam-
ing, or redirecting public opinion.
In addition to accessing the following Merit, Red characters This Devotion costs 2 Experiences to learn.
gain the Track Star Merit (p. 103) for free, provided they meet Requirement: The target crowd must include at least
the prerequisites. twenty people.
Mount Affinity (•) Cost: 1 Willpower (and variable Vitae; optional)
Prerequisite: Rotulae or Animal Ken ••, Ride •• Dice Pool: Manipulation + Persuasion + Animalism/Majesty
– Composure (highest in crowd)
Effect: Your character has a deep connection with the animals
she uses on the track. Her Animalism effects apply to horses and Action: Instant
other beasts trained for riding, including camels and elephants. Duration: Scene
Roll Results
New Devotions Success: The vampire can focus the crowd’s attention on
a particular action or person, whether that’s cheering for the
Rein in the Crowd “right” racer on the track or jeering the new magistrate. The
(Auspex •) crowd’s help or interference applies the Advanced Action
Dealing with people is messy. Too chaotic. But numbers? quality (p. 118) to any appropriate actions taken by the object
You can predict those. of their interest. This applies to a number of actions equal to
This Devotion costs 1 Experience to learn. the vampire’s successes or until the duration expires (whichever
comes first), after which, the crowd disperses or finds other
Cost: 1 Vitae
interests. The vampire can also spend a Vitae to alter the crowd’s
Requirement: The target crowd must include at least twenty attitude from positive to negative, or vice versa.
people.
Vampires and creatures with supernatural tolerance traits are
Dice Pool: Wits + Empathy + Auspex immune to this effect and obviate it entirely if they’re part of
Action: Instant the target crowd. Only the kine are so easily swayed.
Duration: Scene Exceptional Success: The Rotula’s control over the crowd
is absolute. She gains additional modified actions equal to her
Roll Results
relevant Discipline dots.
Success: The vampire learns about the crowd’s psychology
Failure: The crowd does as it will.
enough to avoid or redirect it. When taking an action to study
or manipulate the crowd, she applies her Auspex dots as a Dramatic Failure: The crowd goes wild, in the worst way
possible. The area gains the Riot Tilt.

APPENDIX ONE
THE PRETENDERS
There is only one step on the path to royalty.
It is the idiot’s step, and it stretches to the horizon.
Tom Parkinson-Morgan, Kill Six Billion Demons
The Camarilla has only ever had one undisputed leader: The Pretenders is a series of linked story seeds ready to plug
Aulus Julius Senex. Since his disappearance in 300 BCE, the into your ongoing chronicle or serve as the basis for a new one.
Kindred have kept his seat in the Small Chamber empty out of These plot hooks can be tailored to suit any character back-
protocol and deference, and legend has it a curse coils within ground, and they’ve been designed for customizability.
its hallowed stone. This is a promise. The Propinqui shall have
no more dictators, for none are as worthy as Senex. Mood: Chaos
But promises are made to be broken. Innumerable bad actors seize the Camarilla’s carefully held
Spurred by a prophecy, an ambitious elder lays claim to the reins and drive it toward a chasm. Even moments of calm or
Old Man’s throne, naming himself King of the Camarilla, and peace are merely eyes in the hurricane, or brief respites as the
this act sets off a series of copycats, conflicts, and catastrophes next domino teeters. Nothing is certain, everything is possible,
that threaten the very heart of the All Night Society. and none of it’s good.
Setting
This section provides all the background you’ll need to • Favor the Bold: This chronicle could easily occur in the
run the story, with suggestions on periods to set it in and a aftermath of Caesar’s conquest of Gaul (and/or the sub-
summary of Rome’s odd relationship with monarchy. sequent civil war), with some Kindred deciding a dictator
isn’t such a bad idea after all (p. 137).
Choose Your Own Era • Sic Semper Tyrannis: The parallels between this chronicle
The Pretenders is presented in the same rough period and era are almost too good to pass up, with a nice round
as the rest of this book, but you can place it in any era with year to fit in all the action. In this scenario, the pretenders
minor adjustments. The only elements that really date it are attempt to seize power in the wake of the Great Fire and
the Lancea et Sanctum and the involvement of Macellarius Nero’s downfall. You could even anchor their fortunes to
Corbulo, a character from Fall of the Camarilla (Embraced the various emperors’ regimes, basing them in different
in 81 CE and disappearing in 366 CE). However, neither are parts of the Empire controlled by the opposing mortal
intrinsic to the story: The Witnesses can be cut or replaced generals (p. 146).
with another Kindred cult, and the character represented by • The Sea of Fire: Perhaps the pretenders fight for the throne
Corbulo only needs a name change. That said, if you’re not a in the shadow of Vesuvius, tying their reigns to prophecies
stickler for lore, don’t sweat it. of destruction and rebirth. This is also a prime opportunity
With all that in mind, the following are suggestions on to throw something — or someone — into a volcano. Note
how The Pretenders might tie into the Dark Eras described too that Vesuvius erupts only a decade after the Year of the
in Chapter Four of this book: Four Emperors, and this chronicle might be a convenient
• For Vengeance, Triumph, and Blood: As the war between way to tie the two events together (p. 156).
the Camarilla and Baali escalates, the Propinqui look to • The Anarchy: These events could run concurrently with
strong leaders to bring them victory, only for opportunists the Crisis of the Third Century, with the Strix known as
to seek power. In vampire terms, Senex’s disappearance is Riot manipulating each new claimant to Senex’s throne.
still relatively recent in 218 BCE, and this might focus the Perhaps the Cult of Sol Invictus gets in on the action too,
story more on the power vacuum the Old Man left in his using the chaos wracking the Necropolis as cover to pick
absence (p. 126).

off Propinqui. Set during this era, the story could take place support. Augustus, the inaugural Emperor, portrayed himself
over many years, perhaps even setting the stage for Fall of as the Republic’s savior, partly because Julius Caesar’s enemies
the Camarilla (p. 163). were willing to kill to prevent him from taking a crown.
• City of Miracles: With a little finessing, The Pretenders Of course, this is all just semantics. The Emperor was a
would fit well in Ravenna toward the end of the Western monarch in every way that counts, even if calling him one was
Empire, with the various self-proclaimed monarchs scram- bad politics because of the quirks of Roman nationalism. As
bling to establish successor states as Sodalitas Pernox col- such, official propaganda emphasized the Republican nature of
lapses back in Rome. It could also be about power vacuums the Princeps’ role. After Diocletian established the Dominate,
in the aftermath, perhaps even taking the characters to the the Emperor did become a de jure monarch, but the state still
Byzantine Empire, though this would expand the chronicle made efforts to distinguish its leader from a king.
beyond the Requiem for Rome timeline as written (p. 172). This context should color every vampire’s opinion of the fol-
lowing events. Most Propinqui share their living counterparts’
On Monarchy allergy to monarchism, and indeed, anyone claiming to be a
king in the Necropolis would normally be labeled a traitor.
For most of their history, the Romans were fiercely anti- Julius Senex never took such a role for himself, and legally
monarchist, which is confusing to modern people considering speaking, he was just another Legislator. Besides, the Camarilla
they’re best known for founding an empire. But at least at first, considers itself part of the Roman state, so it wouldn’t make
the Emperor wasn’t a monarch at all. He was the First Citizen sense for it to have a separate monarch anyway. Or so goes
(Princeps Civitatis), an informal position based on unwritten laws the Old Man’s reasoning, an argument his eponymous wing
and executive powers tied to the army and state bureaucracy’s occasionally finds necessary to reiterate.
Affairs of the Dead

As with any crisis in the Necropolis, the wings have a
spectrum of reactions to these events. Below are suggestions The Peregrine
on how to handle each faction in this story, as well as advice
on involving player characters from their ranks. Some of the Collegium
flashpoints below are more oriented toward certain wings, The common Kindred shelter and protect each other from
though none require the characters to hail from any partic- the horrors of these events… all at a very reasonable price. The
ular faction. Peregrine Collegium offers the chance for social mobility and
profit: Several prominent Kindred may perish or be disgraced
The Cult of Augurs during these events, and Untouchables can use these downfalls
to rise through the ranks. Help Collegium players take advantage
It’s the Wing of Prophets for a reason, and the Propinqui are of these openings, as few like them will ever come again.
desperate to hear its voice in troubled times. Even the low-
est-ranking Fates can influence (or manipulate) their Kindred
with ritual bureaucracy, providing ample opportunities for The Senex
the scheming fanatics and frauds of the Cult of Augurs to As these events unfold, the Old Man’s ability to wield power
exercise their power. Encourage Vaticinator players to shape grows more and more uncertain, and for this reason, The
the chaos and use it to make a name for themselves that the Pretenders is prime material for Senex characters. Indulge them
gods won’t soon forget. in debates and power schemes, and put them in the Small Room
where it happens. Let them feel as though they have a direct
The Legion hand in shaping Camarilla history. Is it dangerous? Sure. But
events like these are why Kindred join the Senex.
of the Dead
Throughout these events, the Legion will vacillate between The Lancea et Sanctum
saviors and opportunists. Soldiers should feel the weight of their Turmoil tills the soil of dead hearts, allowing the devout to
responsibilities contrasting with the authority granted by their sow seeds of faith. One night, the Kindred will turn to the
role as the Camarilla’s enforcers. While the Senex may have a Sanctified for guidance, and it’s because of times like these.
monopoly on legitimized violence, it’s the Legion that enacts In the meantime, however, they’ve got to survive them. Let
that violence and, ultimately, decides its own legitimacy. Provide players interested in the Lancea et Sanctum know in advance
Soldier characters with lots of chances to test their loyalties and that these events will be difficult for the Church, and encour-
play different sides off each other. age them to look at their successes in the long term.
APPENDIX ONE: THE PRETENDERS 245

Flashpoints
Below, you’ll find seven flashpoints comprising the narrative separate from the Roman Empire. Festivals and other cele-
of this chronicle. Each begins with a synopsis and overview brations are plentiful in the first weeks, but the Necropolis
of the given circumstances, followed by a central Storyteller becomes a prison for those without political power. Only Julii
character (if relevant), advice on how to include the coterie, and and favorites at court are permitted to set foot in the Small
three sample events the characters can play out. Some events are Chamber now, and the King bans feeding on aristocrats and
potential resolutions, prompting the start of the next story seed. mystics. Violating these edicts is punishable by Final Death,
These flashpoints are loosely tied to a linear narrative, but they strain the blood supply and lead to a reliance on the
and while we’ve numbered them as such for convenience, dole… which Vulso readily provides.
Storytellers can easily alter the suggested sequence as they see
fit. Note that the character traits below are slightly abbreviated;
Pretender: Vulso
apply Merits and Devotions and adjust other traits per the On the outside, Lucius Manlius Vulso is everything
needs of your chronicle. a Roman politician should be: a tall man of middle age
Embraced at the early moments of distinction. The Embrace
I. The Stolen Throne has preserved just the right amount of gray at his temples
and wrinkles along his broad, smiling face, and when
Synopsis: A minor elder named Vulso sits in he laughs or speaks, his voice booms across the
Julius Senex’s throne, declaring himself King room like Jove’s thunder.
of the Camarilla. On the inside, Vulso is everything
a Roman politician really is: con-
Overview niving, deceitf ul, and driven
The Senex assembles within by unchecked ambition. He
the Camarilla chamber to hold craves the power Julius Senex
an important ceremony, per- wields even in absentia, and
haps for the ascension of a he doesn’t care who he has to
new Princeps or to dedicate a trample to get it. Whether or
major wartime victory to the not he’s the Old Man’s childe
gods. However, the proceed- is immaterial — he believes it
ings are thrown into disarray so much that no supernatural
when an elder named Vulso ability can reveal deception.
dares to sit in Senex’s throne,
Vulso is many things, but
dubbing himself Rex Camarulae.
most of all, he’s obliging. He has
T he L egislators gasp when no problem sharing the wealth
Vulso doesn’t meet Final Death for with his fellow elites as long as
tempting the chair’s curse, but once he’s the one handing out the spoils.
the shock dissipates, many begin heck- However, he’s also deeply superstitious,
ling, calling him a usurper of both Senex and and he’s spent years forging alliances with blood
the Emperor. But Vulso comes with justification: A sorcerers, werewolves, and mortal sorcerers. He’s never
prophecy states he will “ascend the seat of death” when the seen without a fascinum, a strange phallic talisman he wears
stars are right, but more than that, he dramatically reveals around his neck at all times and attributes much of his success
that he is Senex’s eldest childe. Even if he has no specific right to. More importantly, he believes it protects him from the
to kingship, he does have the right to sit his father’s throne. curse of Senex’s throne. If he lost it, the fear frenzy would
The assertion divides the room. Few are old enough to be quite dramatic.
dispute this last claim, and not all elders in attendance do so; Vulso is comparatively weak for an elder of his (supposed)
some were almost certainly aware of this plan beforehand, age, especially one who claims to be Senex’s heir. He’s spent
and a few respected voices side with Vulso. Soon, the Small most of his Requiem on the backbenches of the Assembly,
Chamber is on the verge of a riot. The Inner Circle calls in making his coup all the more surprising, and this may suggest
the Cult of Augurs to settle the matter, and the priests bring he has higher-level backers.
a goat and read the validity of Vulso’s statements in its spilled
entrails. As Vulso reclines on the foreboding stone seat, the Clan: Julii
Vaticinators confirm his story: He is as he says. Wing: Senex
While some refuse to call him Rex, this provides Vulso’s Attributes: Intelligence 4, Wits 4, Resolve 4, Strength
coup d’état enough legitimacy that it doesn’t matter. Soon, 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Presence 5, Manipulation 5,
he enacts sweeping changes, declaring the Camarilla a nation Composure 3

Camarilla’s rank and file, they’re right in the middle of things,
Schemes and elites are quick to bribe or goad them into action, particu-
We leave it to the Storyteller to decide if there’s larly if the Advenae can use Fenestrae to even the odds under
any truth to Vulso’s claims. For example, you the new regime.
might decide trickery’s afoot, with events playing Vulso’s connections to the occult could also lead the coterie
out so that the rituals all result in the pretender’s
to encounter other supernatural entities. As noted, the new
favor — even if the results shouldn’t — as if some
external force is interfering. Maybe Vulso has a monarch has contacts among the Uratha and Awakened, and
mortal mage hidden out of sight, or even a Strix it could be that he used their influence to claim the throne.
possessing a Vaticinator. Or maybe he just pays off
a high-ranking member of the Augurs to employ Event: The Victory Party
some clever stagecraft. Vulso hosts a massive celebration in his own honor a few
nights after taking the throne, open to all. The King has an
entire amphitheater flooded for a mock naval battle, complete
Skills: Animal Ken 1, Academics (Camarilla Law) 4, with sharks in the water.
Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Empathy 1, Expression (Speeches) In attendance is every Propinquus of note in Rome, and the
2, Intimidation 3, Occult (Fate, Mages, Werewolves) 5, characters have ample opportunities to socialize and mingle.
Politics 4, Ride 3, Socialize 3, Subterfuge (Self-Delusion) Alternatively, they’re welcome to participate in the naval battle,
4, Warfare 3, Weaponry 3 which involves a capture the flag–like game between a blue team
Disciplines: Animalism 2, Celerity 3, Dominate 5, and a green team, fighting their way through mortals who’ve
Nightmare 2, Resilience 3, Vigor 4 been stirred up into mania with liberal uses of Majesty and
Blood Potency: 5 Nightmare. A pair of ghoul gladiators guard each flag and have
permission to maim anyone who gets within armlength. The
Humanity: 3 sharks have also been given a taste for Vitae and will swarm
Initiative: 6 anyone unlucky enough to fall in the water.
Defense: 5 (Active Defense 8) Storyteller Tips
Health: 11 Vulso’s celebrations are a good way to draw characters into
Willpower: 7 other plots, or even to start a chronicle with their Embraces.
You could also tweak the event and have the coterie be in charge
Size: 5
of setting up the celebration; see Chapter Two of Sin Again:
Speed: 15 Daeva for a special party-hosting system.
Notes: If Vulso’s medallion figures into the story, it has
the following traits: Size 1, Durability 2, Structure 3. Event: Tainted Blood
Anyone who wears it gains the Boon of Fortuna Merit (p. Hoping to gain favor with the lower classes, King Vulso
93) as long as it remains around their neck, though its increases the blood dole to a degree previously unknown.
patron deity is actually Nurtia, the Etruscan goddess of But soon, rumors swirl that the supply is tainted. Some say
time and fate. The fascinum’s drawback is also different. it’s infected with the plague, while others claim Vulso spiked
It doesn’t cost a Willpower to use, but if the character’s it with his own Vitae. Others still claim the King is one of
Advanced roll fails, she loses the 10-again quality for the Traditores returned from the dead and that the blood is
the rest of the night on all actions. poisoned, infernal, or worse. As such, Kindred stop drinking
from the dole. Blood curdles and stinks in the tunnels where
Involving the Characters rats feast on the coagulated chunks.
The characters could be members of the Senex present to When these rumors reach Vulso, he grows paranoid,
cast their vote on the above event if they have the status to do employing the lower ranks of the wings to spy on their supe-
so. Enterprising Propinqui may even take part in debates for riors. Within weeks, he moves on from paying spies to paying
or against the self-proclaimed king. Augurs could assist those assassins, and he places generous bounties on rumormongers.
who perform the rituals that verify Vulso’s claims, or be called
The characters can quash further rumors of the tainted
on to hunt down the truth of the ritual and discover what
dole or act as eyes for the King, though they’ll meet resistance
really transpired. Vulso comes with backup too, so Soldiers
from several parties. Indeed, if they’re particularly effective,
could act as bodyguards or crowd control when the Senecti
they’ll get a visit from an assassin known as the Naked Blade
get rowdy. Sanctified characters could seek an audience with
(see Pretender: Julia Apollonia on p. 248). They can also
Vulso and prey on his superstitions in an attempt to convert
spread gossip themselves, but this will land them in Vulso’s
him, or they could sow discontent against the pagan beliefs
crosshairs instead.
that led to his rule.
Inquisitive characters can investigate the claims of blood
However, it’s the Strangers who have the most latitude
tainting. Their search will lead them to the Transtiberim neigh-
to advance their Requiems during this flashpoint. As the

borhood on the west bank of the Tiber. Here, they’ll discover
a secret stockyard where foreigners and petty criminals are
strung up on hooks and bled over days or weeks. The practice The Real Pretenders
may be monstrous, but the butchers are entirely human — a If Vulso did make it all up, maybe he’s one of
the Licinii, the aptly nicknamed Pretenders. This
half-dozen mortals hired with Vulso’s vast wealth. They won’t Julii–Nosferatu bloodline conceals its origins as the
give up their captives without a fight. product of a Strix-possessed Worm, and it’s long
yearned to take more power in the Camarilla. In this
Storyteller Tips scenario, Vulso works on his family’s behalf, with
This event can be action-oriented or investigative depending the fascinum concealing his bloodline curse and his
on what direction you want to take the story. It’s also a good lies about his lineage. Whether he’s truly a Founder
or actually a Nosferatu is up to you; note that this
place to set up Julia Apollonia (below) as an antagonist/ally if choice affects Julia Apollonia as well, but only if you
you want the characters in on her plans before the event below. want to keep her as Vulso’s childe.
She may be the source of the rumors, but even if not, she’s Licinii suffer the Strigid and Lonely Curses and
invested in keeping them going. favor Dominate, Nightmare, Resilience, and Vigor.
Event: The Countercoup

One night, a centurion called Julia Apollonia and her troops
drag one of the Vaticinators who read the entrails at the coup of force. Where her predecessor was known for subterfuge
before the King and his court. Apollonia is a magistrate for the and intrigue, Julia Apollonia is defined by an iron fist and a
Legion, but more than that, she’s Vulso’s estranged childe. She blood-stained sword.
forces the Augur to admit Vulso bribed him and his accomplices Upon her ascension, her allies in the Legion proclaim
in exchange for political power. Apollonia’s victory to be ordained by the gods, and its chap-
As soon as he finishes his confession, Apollonia cuts the lains bless her before the Temple of Mars in a bath of blood.
vampire’s head from his shoulders and tosses it into Vulso’s From this baptism, she emerges with a new title: Bellatrix
lap. The crowd goes berserk. Several of the assembled Senecti Regina — the Warrior Queen. She then announces a cam-
fall to a frenzy and attempt to tear Vulso limb from limb — and paign to purge the Camarilla of hostile forces and expand
amid the bloodshed, Apollonia takes a seat on the throne. its influence even to places the Roman Empire doesn’t hold,
thus beginning one of the largest recruitment drives in the
Storyteller Tips Legio Mortuum’s history. All over the Empire, the dead rise
The characters can resist the coup, join it, or escape it. to join its ranks.
They may even already be involved with it after encountering However, the Queen’s focus on warfare leads to neglect. She
Apollonia’s alter ego in the Tainted Blood event. ignores the blood dole and proclaims that if Kindred want free
Should they choose to fight, they’ll be up against numerous Vitae, they can join the military. Starving and desperate, many
frenzying Kindred, so regardless of which side they choose, do. Within weeks, the bloated Legion is unable to police its
they’ll be rewarded for valor in battle. However, their actions will membership. Corruption grows unchecked, and many meet
be noted by both Apollonia and Vulso’s supporters, for better Final Death at their comrades’ spears.
or worse. Alternatively, the coterie might attempt to restrain
or calm the riot, gaining the favor of those they rescue. But Pretender: Julia Apollonia
if they choose to escape, they’ll face scorn from those who Apollonia is everyone’s monster. She was Embraced at 20
didn’t or couldn’t. and isn’t even five feet tall, and she wears her fire-red hair in
The above assumes frenzying Senecti dispatch Vulso in short a different extravagant style each night. She never raises her
order, but if the characters decide to protect him, the attempt voice, even when enraged — yet people listen. And if they don’t,
on his Requiem hardens his reign, and he’ll become the same she’s more skilled with a blade than Nefasti twice her age. Her
tyrant his childe would’ve been, if not worse. If Sanctified char- precise fighting style has earned her a reputation as the Naked
acters had an important hand in his rescue, the superstitious Blade, an assassin persona she uses to silence enemies even after
King might swear himself to Longinus and attempt to convert she claims the throne. She delights in dividing her rivals, both
the entire Camarilla. from their allies and literally, and she won’t hesitate to oversee
executions personally.
II. The Warrior Queen However, for all her charm, poise, and martial skill, the
Warrior Queen is a poor leader. She has a quick wit, but she’s
Synopsis: Julia Apollonia, childe of Vulso, establishes a brutal shortsighted, acting without second thoughts because that’s
military dictatorship after usurping her sire. how you win a fight. She’s a Roman dictator in all the worst
Overview ways, believing military supremacy is both ordained by the gods
and crucial to survival. Hers in particular. She also fears what
In a single evening, Apollonia reverses all her sire’s edicts
she doesn’t understand, sharing all her sire’s superstitions but
and begins a campaign of control through an overt show
none of his occult understanding.

For the characters, the Warrior Queen is a fast friend if for a month. However, when the assembled Propinqui react
they’re willing to spill blood on her behalf, but she’s a quick poorly to her sentence, she decrees that Corbulo’s fate should
enemy if they show any ambition beyond servitude. be decided by public debate in the Assembly.
Clan: Julii Storyteller Tips
Wing: Legion of the Dead The coterie can choose to represent Corbulo in court or
Attributes: Intelligence 1, Wits 4, Resolve 3, Strength condemn him. If they prosecute Corbulo, he’s defended by
5, Dexterity 2, Stamina 4, Presence 4, Manipulation 4, Caecus, a Daeva more known for his skills as a pimp than an
Composure 4 orator (and who uses this preconception to his advantage). If
the characters choose to defend Corbulo, their opponent is
Skills: Athletics 5, Brawl 3, Expression 3, Intimidation
(Death Threats) 5, Larceny 1, Medicine 2, Politics 1, instead Tariolena Fausta, a Mekhet known for her sharp tongue,
Ride 3, Socialize 4, Stealth 2, Subterfuge 3, Warfare prudish sensibilities, and far-too-perceptive vision.
(Total War) 5, Weaponry (Blades) 5 To her credit, Apollonia will accept the results of the trial as a
Disciplines: Dominate 2, Majesty 1, Obfuscate 2, show of her merciful nature, though she may order Macellarius
Resilience 5, Vigor 4 beaten on some thin pretext later if she loses.
Regardless of whether or not he’s found innocent, Corbulo will
Blood Potency: 3
remember those who stood up for him — or wronged him — and
Humanity: 4 they’ll find their names or likenesses appearing through-
Initiative: 6 out his work for years to come. Macellarius could
act as a one-man chorus for subsequent
Defense: 7
events, either to spread gossip about the
Health: 14 characters or provide them with polit-
Willpower: 7 ical support. He might even broker
some of the coterie’s future work
Size: 5 if they impress him.
Speed: 16 This event could also fit in
with Vulso’s regime if you want
Involving the to bring Corbulo in earlier.
Characters
T he L egion is inf luen-
Event:
tial during this pretender’s The Hunt
reign. Characters who wish Apollonia believes Vulso had
to join up will find a foothold hidden backers among the night
in Apollonia’s policy of rapid folk of Rome. In her eyes, the city
expansion, and current Soldiers has only room for one monster,
may end up promoted to make room and she’s willing to pay to make that
for fresh recruits. a reality. She initiates a pogrom against
Conversely, Senecti suffer Apollonia’s werewolves and mages, assembling hunters
wrath if they misstep, and the Warrior Queen might drawn from all the Camarilla’s wings. The Queen
call upon them to commit heinous acts against “disloyal” rewards these exterminators with gold, status, and favor, and
members of their wing, setting up rivalries and enemies for sometimes she even leads their hunts. For each confirmed kill,
years to come. And Augur characters may wish to ingratiate she displays a trophy in the Camarilla.
themselves with the supernaturally ignorant Apollonia, play- Most Kindred see this hunt for the absurdly bad idea it is,
ing on her gullibility with self-serving prophecies. and after several botched operations, the other monsters realize
Strangers won’t find much comfort in the Warrior Queen’s Rome’s bloodsuckers are punching above their weight class.
rule, though if they’re unwilling to join up with the Legion,
she always needs informants (more and more as time passes).
Storyteller Tips
Sanctified characters will fair even worse, and if they act out of The coterie might try to convince the Warrior Queen of her
line, she may begin a persecution. Perfect time for evangelism! error, though they might also decide it’s easier to just help her
victims do her in. If no one stops her one way or another, the hunt
Event: The Trial will be ruinous, with sorcerers, shapeshifters, and even stranger
Though barely a virilis, the Warrior Queen suffers no disre- things hunting down Propinqui in the heart of the Necropolis.
spect. When a Julian author named Macellarius Corbulo makes Fortunately, even on the brink of doom, the Kindred have
a crude comment about her appearance, not realizing she’s in one surefire way to end the conflict: Apollonia’s head, struck
earshot, she orders his genitals cut out and fed to him nightly from her body and delivered to those she wronged.

This event expands the story’s scope into the broader willing to help her quell the uprising after their comrades’
Chronicles of Darkness, whether as an ill-fated monster hunt persecution, and more conspiracies rise. Realizing Final
or as a high-stakes political negotiation to smooth things over. Death is imminent, Apollonia abdicates and goes into exile.
While we use mages and werewolves here, any supernatural Alternatively, if she handles the coup judiciously, the Warrior
creatures will fit. If you don’t have access to Werewolf: The Queen could serve as a good foil for the Crypt Queen.
Forsaken or Mage: The Awakening, the following systems can
• If the coterie prefers neutrality, it’s up to the Storyteller to
represent supernatural antagonists.
decide how things shake out. She may decide the characters’
Werewolves: Werewolves work like vampires, but they don’t help would’ve made all the difference, and if so, they’ll suffer
suffer the banes of sunlight, fire, or torpor, and they heal consequences from those they could’ve helped.
naturally like humans. Instead, contact silver weapons deal
aggravated damage and may trigger frenzy. Older wolves have
other bans similar to banes. Werewolves have Primal Urge and III. The Tunnel Riots
Essence instead of Blood Potency and Vitae, and they regain Synopsis: A rebellion breaks out in the deep Necropolis led
Essence by hunting and killing prey. They can have any of the by a Worm known as Vitiflad.
common Disciplines and know the equivalent of the first four
dots of Protean inherently, which they can activate reflexively. Overview
They can also learn Crúac. Werewolves can enter a wolfman Eventually, the Necropolis has enough. The Senex and
form with an instant action, gaining two Size levels and healing Legion have been playing fast and loose with their power games,
a point of bashing or lethal damage per turn (worst first), and and the Kindred have suffered for it. The Strangers crave repre-
they can spend an Essence to heal all bashing damage once per sentation, and it’s in this environment that a Nosferatu digger
turn. However, if the werewolf spends more turns in her hybrid boss named Vitiflad is proclaimed Queen of the Crypts, swiftly
form than her Primal Urge, this is a frenzy trigger. declaring independence for the deep Necropolis.
Mages: Mages work like mortals but have access to magic. Vitiflad was a Germanic slave in life, and many Propinqui
Build a mage like a mature vampire, with the equivalent of are enraged at royal honors being bestowed on someone so
about 15 Experiences. A mage can have any Discipline at any distinctly un-Roman. As such, The Senex sends the Legion to
level, including those normally restricted to bloodlines. They enforce order and kill this latest monarch. Vitiflad is captured
have Gnosis instead of Blood Potency and spend Mana instead and crucified in the sun, her charred corpse left on display as
of Vitae, which can be gained by spending time in meditation a warning.
at places of mystical power. Mages do not have Devotions, but The next night, Vitiflad condemns the murder of an innocent
the Veneficium, Theban Sorcery, and Scales of the Dragon Propinqua. A confused Assembly sends the Legion back into
are all available. the tunnels to apprehend this second Vitiflad, but by then, the
Event: Conspiracy secessionists have fortified a dizzying network of passages. On
the orders of the Senex, the Legion tries to enforce martial law,
Eventually, Apollonia’s reign grows too erratic, and despite
but the depth of the tunnels grants the rebels a level of freedom
her military bona fides, a conspiracy forms among the Legion’s
they’re unwilling to give up without a fight.
high officers to take her out.
What follows is a series of riots in the lower Necropolis that
Storyteller Tips pit these Strangers and the Soldiers against each other. Former
If the characters participate, the conspiracy will task them Untouchables who joined the Legion during Apollonia’s reign
with finding a way through the Queen’s bodyguards during an turn against their comrades, and entire squads are lost. Over
orgy at the Aula Nigra (p. 68). It might even order them to lead the next few weeks, numerous Kindred claiming to be Vitiflad
the charge if they’re Soldiers, or just Untouchables known for are captured, only to have another emerge the following night.
wet work. If they’re aligned with Apollonia, they can instead
bring down the conspirators by playing double agents or val-
Pretender: Vitiflad
iantly defending her at the Black Court. In truth, the Crypt Queen is three Nosferatu broodmates,
each so hideously warped they bind themselves in rags from
The following are a few ways this event might resolve:
head to toe. Their personalities are quite distinct, but all are
• If the raid is successful, the Warrior Queen loses her throne, united in their wish to be free. They see themselves less as
and unless the coterie makes a point to spare her — perhaps leaders and more as loud organizing voices for the Strangers.
for a trial — she dies in battle, though she’ll try to take a few
Is there a “real” Vitiflad? Perhaps. A rumor among those in
regicides with her. The Necropolis enjoys a brief period of
the know states that one of these Worms dug too deep and
stability before the Tunnel Riots begin (below).
found a writhing creature in a void that no senses could pierce.
• If the raid is unsuccessful, Apollonia has the conspirators This creature warped her body and blessed her with horrible
crucified and leads a paranoid purge of the Legion, dispos- insight, and it’s said all who drink her Vitae become as twisted
ing of anyone even remotely associated with the plotters. in body as her. Whether or not this is the first Vitiflad or
However, when the Necropolis begins to riot, few officers are someone (or something) else entirely is up to the Storyteller.

The following traits can apply to any of the Nosferatu claim- Storyteller Tips
ing to be the Crypt Queen. This event is a good way to test the coterie’s political alle-
Clan: Nosferatu giances, or maybe even allow them to explore their ethics
Wing: Peregrine Collegium despite those loyalties.
Attributes: Intelligence 3, Wits 2, Resolve 2, Strength Event: Stuck in the Middle

4, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3, Presence 3, Manipulation 2, A riot breaks out in a part of the Necropolis the coterie
Composure 4 happens to be traveling through. Suddenly surrounded by
Skills: Athletics 3, Brawl 3, Crafts (Construction) 4, dozens of enraged or frenzied vampires on both sides of the
Empathy 3, Expression (For Freedom!) 3, Intimidation 3, issue, the characters must escape with their necks. What
Larceny 3, Politics 2, Streetwise 3, Stealth 4, Warfare follows is a chase through winding tunnels pursued by either
(Guerrilla) 3, Weaponry 2 avenging Strangers or wrathful Soldiers. Those caught by
Disciplines: Obfuscate 4, Nightmare 2, Vigor 3 their pursuers are not killed but instead ransomed back to
the highest bidder, which could obligate the characters to
Blood Potency: 2
their most unsavory rivals.
Humanity: 5
Initiative: 6
Storyteller Tips
You could easily combine this event with the one
Defense: 5 above, with the characters pursuing Vitiflad into
Health: 8 the deep tunnels. This might also make a
Willpower: 6 good lead into The Collapse flashpoint
on p. 253.
Size: 5
Speed: 14 Event: Repo Men
A Propinquus named Ulixes
Involving the contacts the characters. His sire
Characters went missing during Vitiflad’s
revolution, and the Cr ypt
Peregrine Collegium and
Queen has gifted his progen-
Legion of the Dead characters
itor’s underground villa to a
are front and center during
Sanctified coterie, who now
these events, and Sanctified
use it as a church away from the
characters will have lots of
All Night Society’s persecutions.
chances to preach. That said,
The haven is deep behind rebel
political revolutions often draw
lines, and Ulixes needs the coterie
opportunists from the elites. Senecti
to evict the Witnesses and secure the
and Vaticinators looking to gain a rep-
site so the Legion doesn’t sack it during
utation as peacemakers could hire armed
any future invasions. He’s willing to pay
goons to escort them into the depths.
handsomely in wealth and favors.
Finally, Storytellers looking to run a more action-
The villa is a sprawling estate complete with a private
packed chronicle could turn this scenario into a dungeon crawl
bath, as well as a secret passage to the Viminal Hill — something
through the depths of the Necropolis. The deep tunnels hold
its current occupants have yet to realize. Of course, if both
many secrets, and it’s a great time to plunder them. Or maybe
the squatters and Ulixes were out of the picture, it would be a
they have to navigate traps and hostile Nosferatu as they make
fantastic base of operations…
their way to the Crypt Queen’s stronghold.
Storyteller Tips
Event: Return of the Queen While the characters could attempt a straightforward assault,
The coterie is present when the second Vitiflad emerges this is also a great place to run an infiltration job, with the
from the tunnels and proclaims that the Camarilla has coterie knocking out/assassinating the squatters one by one.
murdered an innocent. If the characters are Soldiers, they Alternatively, you could also alter the scenario so Ulixes needs
technically have to capture this fugitive and bring her to an item hidden in the villa, turning it into a heist. In either
justice. Not all of them might agree, however, and may feel case, consider the following system:
compelled to help Vitiflad escape, either by convincing any
After a couple of planning scenes, ask each player what their
nearby Legionaries to turn a blind eye or through direct
character is doing to prepare. However, don’t play through
force. Should the Crypt Queen meet her end here, another
these efforts or describe the outcomes; just ask what they’re
will appear within a few nights.
intending to do and roll some dice, then skip to the mission.

If the characters run into unexpected complications, the Clan: Ghoul
players can choose to briefly take control of the story. If a Attributes: Intelligence 1, Wits 4, Resolve 4, Strength
player can explain how her character’s contribution foresaw 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4, Presence 4, Manipulation 2,
the complication and allowed the coterie to account for it, she Composure 2
can retroactively reveal the group’s “preparation.” A success on
Skills: Athletics 3, Brawl (Tusks) 4, Expression (Ugly
the roll above allows a player to take narrative control once, Cute) 1, Intimidation 3, Stealth 1, Survival 4
and an exceptional success offers two such opportunities.
Players take a Beat whenever they retroactively prepare for an Disciplines: Majesty 1, Vigor 2
obstacle this way. Blood Potency: 0
Initiative: 5
IV. The Pig Defense: 6
and the Fool Health: 9
Synopsis: A satirical prank among up-and-coming Senecti Willpower: 7
gets out of hand when two ghouls are acclaimed “co-emperors” Size: 5
of the Camarilla.
Speed: 14 (species factor 5)
Overview
As the Legion of the Dead and tunnel dwell- Pretender: Augustulus
ers struggle, the Senex watches from the Those who suck up to Augustulus earn
safety of their Assembly. Inspired by the favor of an alcoholic twit, but one
the “crowning” of Vitiflad, several who freely bestows wealth and prop-
neonate Legislators decide that if erty seized from Vulso, Apollonia,
a Nosferatu can be queen of the and their allies — at least on
tunnels, they should nominate anyone his regnants happen to
an emperor for the Camarilla. like. Augustulus deeply resents
The jokesters find a very dis- Porculus for stealing his thun-
tant relative of the Princeps, der, but he’s also a coward, and
feed him Vitae, and place him lives in fear that the pig will eat
on Senex’s throne. This man, him alive if provoked.
endowed with little brain and Augustulus doesn’t need
a whole cornucopia of vices, is traits. He’s always hammered
dubbed Augustulus. and is too soused to use his
But on the night of his so-called ghoul abilities effectively. He’ll
ascension, the joke grows out of con- die without meaningful resistance
trol. A rival group of Daeva proclaims if anyone deigns to kill him.
that if a mortal can lead the Camarilla, so
can any livestock, installing a boar they call Involving the
Publius Porculus as co-emperor. The pig is treated Characters
with identical honors to Augustulus and fed vast quantities of Characters from all the wings will have reasons to attend
Vitae. The two ghouls are even forced to share the throne until the parties held in honor of the ghoul emperors, whether as
the Senex session devolves into jeers and heckling. carousers, servants, or bodyguards. If you use The Boar War
Though some Senecti take (a little) humor in the stunt, most event (below), Legionaries have plenty of excuses to get involved.
elders vocally disapprove, which only encourages the young
Propinqui. They are not permitted to let the ghouls sit Senex’s Event: Pigs Take Flight
throne again, but the joke continues. Weeks of constant revelries Porculus’s “loyal subjects” hire the characters to smuggle
occur, drawing on internal funds for security and infrastructure. him out of Rome when the joke grows old. Doing so requires
This is poorly received by the rest of the Camarilla, particularly sneaking a Vitae-addicted boar onto a ship bound north from
because of the lavish parties thrown to honor these “rulers.” Portus, about 40 kilometers south of Rome. Not to be outdone,
someone hires an “assassin” to track Porculus in the hopes of
Pretender: Porculus humiliating his owners, which will cause trouble for the coterie
Publius Porculus is a boar, and he acts accordingly. He’s fond unless they see the pig safely to the dawn.
of anyone willing to feed him Vitae and raw meat, and he’s by far If they’re successful, rumors persist for years that Porculus
the more popular of the two co-emperors. Indeed, if he meets an found his way to Germania and sired a vast ghoul family of
untimely end, it will lead to a small outcry. He’s one hell of a pig. piglets in the Black Forest, terrorizing the locals for generations.

If they’re unsuccessful… well, someone’s ghoul is having Storyteller Tips
bacon for breakfast. If the characters were invited, they might act as mediators,
Storyteller Tips negotiating for the Legionaries’ pay and perhaps finally putting
an end to the stupid joke.
If you want to take a lighter tone between the main events
of the story, this task offers a chance for the characters to get Alternatively, they might help the Soldiers break into the
bogged down in a comedy of errors. Feel free to keep the stakes brothel, letting the vengeful Kindred deal with the juvenile
low; few Propinqui are willing to lose their Requiems over a neonates in whatever way they deem fit. If they help Porculus
ghoul, even an ironically popular one. Then again, comedy is and/or Augustulus escape, they might be able to cash in
often derived from taking absurd situations much too seriously… boons later, or hold them hostage for leverage (well, maybe
not Augustulus).
Event: Augustulus Redivivus This event is a good opportunity for more mercenary coteries,
The characters are tasked with bringing Augustulus to an whether they want to play all the sides against each other or
event, only to have the drunk take an unlucky fall and snap his just opportunistically ally with whoever’s in the best position.
neck. Now responsible for the death of the Camarilla’s second-fa- The co-emperors and their regnants are ultimately small fry,
vorite pet, the coterie must either find raise him from the dead, but even minor allegiances can help build status and repute
replace him with a lookalike, or puppet his body until they find a in the Camarilla.
better solution. No one actually gives a shit about Augustulus,
but his regnants are powerful Kindred despite their V. The Collapse
youth and puerile sense of humor, and they’ll
punish the coterie disproportionately for Synopsis: At the height of the tunnel
their careless mistake. riots, a catastrophic cave-in occurs.
Storyteller Tips Overview

If the characters are desperate, A Legionary patrol tracks some
magic users exist in the Eternal of Vitiflad’s supporters into the
City known for performing deep tunnels. This turns out
acts of necromancy. One such to be a trap, but before either
mystic is a Bourkolakas (p. side can gain the advantage,
186) named Ariadne, one of something sets off a collapse
the only Returned in the city, that seals off nearly half a
and she’s willing to brief ly kilometer of tunnel. Trapped
resurrect the dead man in behind the wreckage are a
exchange for 24 hours of the dozen rebels and almost as many
characters’ deaths. If they agree, at Soldiers, who will either starve
some point over the next year, they’ll into torpor or devour each other if
wake to find a full day has passed of left to rot. Those caught in the rubble
which they have no recollection. However, who weren’t sent into torpor call out for
ignorance won’t protect them from what they aid, but the stones are too heavy and Vitae
did in service to the sorceress that night. too precious to waste on displays of strength.
If one of the characters has the bright idea of Embracing A tense peace between the remaining Kindred emerges, and
Augustulus before he expires, it proves to be a half-measure. they make plans to dig into nearby tunnels. But which way is
The man is too stupid to live or die, and within a matter of the right one back? This part of the Necropolis is deep, and
nights, he loses himself to the Beast — but not before spawning finding the right direction will require both luck and skill.
several revenants among the upper classes. Worst of all, things lair beneath the earth far more dangerous
than falling rocks or the fangs of hungry vampires…
As above, this event has loads of opportunities for hijinks,
though the dangers are a bit more concrete here. If the char- Outside the collapsed tunnel, the wings are thrown into
acters encounter her, Ariadne opens up the weirder elements an uproar. Many Untouchables work the deep tunnels; some
of Sodalitas Pernox, and she could make a useful ally in later have friends and secrets buried in their depths, though a few
events (for example, The Haunting on p. 259). see the advantages of thinning the ranks within Ala Peregrina.
The Augurs hold services to seek the gods’ blessings, all while
Event: The Boar War asking for more lavish donations and offerings. The Sanctified
The co-emperors’ regnants hold a party at an infamous alternate between praying for the trapped Kindred and prose-
brothel in Rome, which is almost immediately besieged by a lytizing that the Camarilla’s sins are to blame for the disaster.
band of Soldiers when they discover their wages were diverted In the Senex, heated debates rage over the correct course of
to pay for the event. action. Many call for the Camarilla to abandon the trapped

rebels altogether, while others wish to show clemency or, at the Storyteller Tips
very least, make an effort to rescue the trapped Soldiers. All The characters can join the debate or provide evidence/
the while, the Legion’s leaders grow more impatient with the blackmail to the factions. However they participate, their
Senex dragging its feet. actions will have a lasting impact on the Necropolis: Each of
Worst of all, rumors swirl that the cave-in was planned… them is rewarded a free Camarilla Status dot if they aid the
winning faction, though they’re also likely to gain a slew of
Involving the Characters enemies based on which side they fell on.
If the characters are among those trapped by the collapsed Depending on how things shake out, the following three
tunnel, they’ll have to either figure out how to survive until scenarios are the most likely outcomes:
they’re rescued or escape using the tools at hand — all while
• If the first faction prevails, the lower tunnels are excavated
maintaining a tenuous peace. If they weren’t in the tunnels,
with minimal loss. Only a couple of Kindred are in torpor,
they might also be interested in organizing a rescue, whether
and none meet Final Death. Furthermore, the rapid response
for profit, glory, or (rarest of all) altruism. Members of the Legio
allows the tunnels to be repaired before the damage can spread.
Mortuum and Peregrine Collegium would be deeply invested
in rescuing their comrades, while Fates and Sanctified would • If the second faction prevails, several trapped vampires fall
have an excellent chance to earn prestige for their faiths. into torpor or consume each other to survive before the
Senex acts. The diablerists are put on trial by tradition, but
Event: Inside Man the prosecution is half-hearted, and exile is their punishment
Little do the victims know, a Strix is possessing a member rather than Final Death. The event is seen as a tragedy, and
of the Legionary force. The Owl seeks to manipulate the Soldiers who met Final Death are granted retroactive honors
assembled Kindred into murdering one another or releasing for their service to the Camarilla
something it knows is buried even deeper in this part of the
• If the third faction prevails, everyone trapped perishes but
Necropolis. However, the Strix is patient, and if caught, it will
for one, who devours all the other victims. Eventually, this
play torpid or abandon its host.
survivor makes a deal with the abovementioned Strix for
Storyteller Tips the power to escape the tunnels. This vampire now boasts a
If the characters are caught below, it’s up to them to smoke great deal of stolen power, as well as a thirst for vengeance
out the Owl before it can do any damage. If they’re above, they on the system that failed them.
might come across evidence of its presence among the Soldier’s
possessions, which may influence their decisions if they have Event: The Engineer
any say in the rescue plan. The Camarilla needs a way to reach the trapped Kindred,
but such an effort would require vast and specialized knowl-
Event: The Debate edge. Luckily, a legendary engineer named Gaius Epidius lives
When the Senex hears about the collapse in the deep tun- in the countryside two nights’ travel from Rome. The man is
nels, the news is initially met with derision. It’s just deserts responsible for some of the greatest feats of excavation and
for the rebels to fall victim to their own poor handiwork. stonework in the last generation, and though mortal, he’s had
However, as time drags on, pressure builds for the Legislators some minor dealings with the Kindred, and his knowledge may
to do something about the collapse, if not to save the Kindred, be the solution to the Camarilla’s predicament.
then to reclaim the tunnels. The debates rage on, and the Unfortunately, when the characters finally reach Epidius,
Assembly divides into three stances: they soon realize the man doesn’t measure up to the legend.
• The first faction wants to send aid. They’re steadfast in their Now in his 70s, he’s in the advanced stages of dementia, surviv-
belief that the Camarilla must intervene on behalf of its ing only through the doting care of his eldest daughter, Epidia
citizens, despite the recent troubles in the deep tunnels. Maxima. However, Canny or learned characters will realize
that — despite his woeful state — Epidius was submitting plans
• The second faction wants to delay. They hide behind notions
as early as the previous summer: His villa is full of freshly drawn
of careful planning and execution given the nature of the
plans and diagrams.
collapse and the inherent risk, but in reality, they want to
eliminate as many of the trapped rebels as possible while In truth, Maxima is the mastermind behind many of Epidius’s
making it seem like the Old Man took action. They think works. Despite her gender, her father educated her in the family
the loss of a few Virgatores is more than worth it. trade, which she mastered at an early age. She’s twice the engi-
neer Epidius was, and for the last decade, she’s used his name to
• The third faction believes the victims should be left to their submit her work to the Roman state. Now, as her father’s death
fate. This position is entirely self-serving: The leading mem- nears, she fears a future where her brilliant mind will no longer
bers of this group owe debts to the commander who led the be allowed to meet the challenges that gave her life meaning.
assault (perhaps Captain Serranus, p. 255). He’s known for Maxima is looking for a way to continue her work, and from
cultivating political favors, and these Senecti hope to clear her father’s dealings with the All Night Society, she knows
their ledgers through his Final Death or torpor. what the characters could do for her. She’d be happy to serve

the Camarilla as an engineer if she were provided a fresh male
identity from which to employ her skills among the living,
though she’d also be an excellent addition to the Necropolis The Brutes
Captain Serranus is part of a lineage of Wanderers
if Embraced.
that serves the Legion as an elite subdivision.
Storyteller Tips Commonly (and derisively) called Larvae, these
Brutes gain Celerity and must resist rage frenzy
This event is a convenient place to foment drama between when they first inflict lethal wounds in a scene. Their
coterie members, especially if more than one of them thinks bloodline gift is mechanically the same as Stir the
Epidia would make a good childe. Alternatively, maybe Epidia Beast (Vampire, p. 157), with the exception that it
can’t be used to obviate their bane.
has dealt with the Kindred before and wants nothing to do
Serranus is one of the few high-ranking Larvae in
with them, having prepared ingenious and deadly traps to keep Ala Militaris, but he’s still notorious for his bloodlust.
bloodsuckers out of her father’s home.
VI. The Revolution

Kindred, and if he pulls this off, he might prove it. He has a
Synopsis: Rogue Legionaries seize the Assembly and hold
natural resistance to mind games and politics, but his narrow
anyone present captive.
worldview leaves him vulnerable to deception and subtle tactics.
Overview Clan: Gangrel
In the aftermath of the riots and tunnel Bloodline: Larvae
collapse, respect and trust in the Senex
is at an all-time low. This is especially Wing: Legion of the Dead
true among the Legion of the Dead, Attributes: Intelligence 2,
who quietly question whether the Wits 2, Resolve 4, Strength
rule of law can last much longer. 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3,
In this environment, a pla-
Presence 3, Manipulation 2,
Composure 4
toon of Soldiers decides to
head off looming anarchy, Skills: Animal Ken (Horses)
breaking into the Assembly 2, Athletics 4, Brawl
one night (probably when (Grappling) 4, Expression
few elders are present) and (Addressing the Troops) 2,
Intimidation 4, Politics 3,
declaring their intention to
Streetwise 2, Warfare 4,
save the Camarilla from its Weaponry (Pila) 4
corrupt leaders. They push the
hostage Legislators to name their Disciplines: Animalism 4,
captain, Sextus Atilius Serranus, as Celerity 4, Protean 4, Resilience 4
First Citizen of the Camarilla, and they Blood Potency: 4
try to force a vote each night. The Senex Humanity: 2
stalls and debates, and each sunrise comes
without a decision. After ten nights, the Soldiers Initiative: 7
threaten to immolate one member of the Assembly at random Defense: 6 (Active Defense 10)
each morning until the Senex votes. Health: 12
The rest of the Legion is beside itself with shame and rage.
Willpower: 8
Some Soldiers plan a rescue, but despite its large size, the
Assembly is designed for defense. To keep the insurgents Size: 5
calm, they petition members of the Peregrine Collegium to Speed: 12
fetch blood and remove drained corpses from the structure
each night. Involving the Characters
Pretender: Captain Serranus Being trapped in the Assembly would be a tense encounter
for Senex members. Likewise, any Legionary caught up in
Serranus is a lout. A Wanderer through and through, he was
Serranus’s coup without foreknowledge would have a horrible
a Roman soldier Embraced in North Africa during the First
decision placed on their shoulders. Augurs could be presented
Punic War. Covered in scars, he’s spent a lot of time in torpor
with prophecies of this event and arrive in time to stop it or be
after many celebrated battles, most infamously after a one-on-
trapped within the chamber as hostages. And Strangers could
one duel with a Baali warrior mounted on a ghoul elephant. He
act as intermediaries and negotiators here, playing a role they
believes his wildness gives him an edge over the so-called civilized
normally don’t because of their stations.

Sanctified could also use this as an opportunity to undermine tage situation resolves, it ends with Serranus and his lieutenants
the Senex and further establish the Church’s power in the city, in chains and their troops dead by their own hands.
solving the situation with the help of their philosophy. Before the officers can be put to death, Serranus’s sec-
ond-in-command calls for a trial. The lieutenant, a Daeva
Event: Assassination named Vultuulf, believes their actions were taken out of loyalty
Whether Legislators or Augurs tasked with negotiating with to the Camarilla. Unsurprisingly, none of the Senecti elect to
Serranus or Strangers sent to deliver blood dolls, the characters defend him, which is exactly Vultuulf’s plan. Without legal
are allowed access to the seized Assembly. However, just an counsel, he calls for a trial by combat per the rights of his people
hour before, they’re approached by a mysterious figure called to prove his innocence. The Senex finds this very amusing and
Miu who wishes to use their proximity to Serranus to resolve allows it, with a member of the coterie encouraged to make a
the situation through guile. She asks the coterie to make a dis- name for themself by “proving” Vultuulf’s guilt.
traction during its visit while one of them releases a specially
bred viper near Serranus, its gray hide speckled with large spots Storyteller Tips
that resemble skulls. However, Miu warns that the snake may The character who slays or subdues Vultuulf gains a Status
strike them instead should it sense any fear. dot in Wing Status but may face future scorn from any Kindred
who privately supported Serranus.
Storyteller Tips
How this event resolves depends on if the characters take
up the assassin on her offer. If they do (and they’re successful),
VII. The Regicide
Serranus falls to a strange malady. He swells like a tick, his Synopsis: A serial killer stalks Julian members of the All
eyes bloating until they pop and Vitae foams from his veins. Night Society, leaving behind messages that suggest the victims
The viper is later found dead nearby. With Serranus gone, the may have had designs on the throne.
Assembly negotiates with its leaderless captors for its release,
promising clemency. The rattled Soldiers agree and are imme- Overview
diately staked for the sun by their brethren. One night, a nobody from the Cult of Augurs named
If the characters don’t take up on this offer and take no other Mercurius Julianus is burned to death in his haven. On the wall
actions, Serranus dies a few nights later after numerous hostages near the charred body, a message is carved into the stonework:
are slaughtered, with a story spreading of someone smuggling NO MORE LORDS. Soon thereafter, Tertia Julia Vopisca, an
a viper into the Assembly inside her womb. elder-but-outcast Founder in the Peregrine Collegium, is found
murdered in a similar manner.
Event: Mori Difficile The Propinqui aren’t sure what to think. The superstitious
Whether they’re a coterie of Strangers who happened to be believe this is the culmination of all the pretenders, and that
at the wrong place at the wrong time, or just a random Munifex the victims are being punished for their ambitions. It even
and her Senecta ex-wife waiting for a Saturnalia ceremony to becomes fashionable to publicly accuse one’s rivals of planning
end, the characters weren’t meant to be part of a hostage crisis. to claim Senex’s seat. Speeches are made and pamphlets are
But when Serranus and his troops seize the Assembly, they distributed to slander rivals, which leads to several street brawls
manage to hide in a series of storage hallways and tiny passages and even more vanishings. Soon, the Julii get skittish, with
designed to freshen the chamber’s air. While these tunnels many of their elders in the Senex and Augurs fleeing Rome
don’t lead to the surface or allow for escape, they do provide on extended vacations.
a way to engage Serranus’s troops through guerrilla warfare. The Vaticinators pull extra shifts beseeching the gods for
the identity of the killer but receive no answer save for curls of
Storyteller Tips black smoke. Undeterred, they continue their prayers in the
Ancient Roman Die Hard (with vampires) is pretty self-ex- hope of finding answers. Meanwhile, the murders stir up unrest
planatory, but there are a few ways you could handle it. For within the Necropolis, which keeps the Peregrine Collegium
example, you might adjust things so the coterie is split between busy policing their own, lest the Legion once again be called in
those stuck on the Assembly floor and those hiding in the to enforce the peace. At the same time, Soldiers are bribed by
tunnels, with much of the drama built around figuring out wealthy Julii to shirk their duties to act as personal bodyguards,
ways to coordinate. which leaves many platoons overwhelmed and under-supported.
If the characters aren’t very martial or not that formidable on
their own, they could also attempt to rally the hostages to stage Involving the Characters
a counter-offensive. The Senex may be made up of politicians, Julii characters must rely on their inferiors for shelter and
but all true Romans are warriors. Might be time to prove it. protection, and members of the other clans gain an opportu-
nity to make a name for themselves while prominent Founders
Event: A Few Good Kindred go to ground.
Instead of dealing with the crisis directly, the characters might The obvious entry point for the characters is solving the
get involved in its aftermath. In this scenario, however the hos- murders, under their own initiative or otherwise, but if one of

them is a Julia, she might be targeted as well, just barely avoiding was guided to commit the act by Juno and asks to be absolved
death through luck or intervention from the rest of the coterie. with a sign from his goddess.
This adds stakes to the story, especially if the murderer isn’t Against all odds, at that very moment, a peacock — Juno’s
finished with the one who got away. It also creates tension with sacred bird — wanders into the room. This isn’t unheard of at
the All Night Society as a whole, who may assume the character one of the goddess’s temples, but Zosimus still proclaims his
and her friends were planning a coup of their own. vindication. Whether the characters heed the intervention or
not is their choice, but should they turn in Zosimus, they’ll
Event: The Cache find strange occurrences start to plague them, ones that may
One of the coterie’s Julian allies is murdered. While investi- signal Juno’s displeasure…
gating their associate’s haven, the characters uncover detailed
reports from numerous spies placed throughout the Camarilla Storyteller Tips
and Rome. These dossiers target many prominent Propinqui — Divine intervention is seemingly much more common
including themselves. The documents reveal secrets about the among the Kindred of Rome than those of the modern nights
characters that even they didn’t know, like stolen inheritances, (see the Deific Boons on p. 93), and this event offers an illus-
illegitimate children, and evidence of crimes long thought for- trative example. On the other hand, maybe it’s all a setup.
gotten. If their dead ally had access to this information, who Perhaps Zosimus is far more cynical than he seems, using
else might? And do the characters hire these spies to work for human or Kindred allies to fool the coterie into thinking
them, or do they eliminate them to cover their tracks? they’ve incurred Juno’s wrath in a desperate attempt to avoid
the Final Death he’s so justly earned.
Storyteller Tips
Before the chronicle begins or just before this event, ask each Event: Owl Hunt
player to come up with blackmail material for her character. The culprit isn’t Kindred: It’s a Strix, one who’s reveling in
If you’ve run other flashpoints in this chronicle, maybe some- being a serial killer. Its modus operandi is to target lone Julii
thing the coterie did to resolve those scenarios comes back to with few connections to the halls of power, both because these
haunt them here. Founders make easy pickings and because the senselessness of
the pattern raises more questions than answers. If confronted,
Event: Wrongfully Accused? the Owl isn’t interested in allowing its vessel to stand trial and
The first victims were exclusively Julii, but the pattern sud- will fight to its host’s Final Death. If forced from its body, it
denly doesn’t hold. A prominent Mekhet is murdered with a will do its best to possess one of its accusers later on.
similar message left behind, but the death doesn’t add up. The
writing on the wall is in a different hand, and the scene of the Storyteller Tips
crime shows significant bloodshed before the body’s immola- If the characters encountered the Strix during The Collapse
tion. Furthermore, subtle animal tracks lead from the scene of and failed to deal with it, the Owl here might be one and the
the crime to the nearby Temple of Juno. same. This event is also a useful general introduction to the
The culprit is a Gangrel Augur named Zosimus, who used Birds of Dis if the coterie’s never encountered them before.
the rash of murders as cover to kill a lover who rejected him. If the characters fail to track the Strix down, the killings stop
If confronted, Zosimus will admit to the crime but refuses to after seven Julii meet Final Death. The Owl then sits back and
take responsibility for the others. Furthermore, he claims he enjoys the fallout.
Resolutions
Between kings, queens, co-emperors, coups, countercoups,
and assassinations, the Necropolis’s stability is collapsing. Print the Legend
Patrician Propinqui avoid gatherings, even at the Assembly, It’s clear the throne was never cursed, which is unfortunate,
and hole up in their havens; expansions of the Undercity grind as now any Nefastus with delusions of grandeur can make a
to a halt, the Strangers refusing to serve illegitimate masters; and run at the damn thing. As such, the only Propinquus who
riots great and small break out nightly, the people proclaiming could stop this is its proper occupant, but he hasn’t been seen
new monarchs or bringing Final Death to old ones. Sodalitas in years, if he even still exists.
Pernox feels like a conflagration waiting to happen, and the But what if someone stood in for Senex? Surely no one
Kindred fear whatever fresh tribulations await. would be fooled. While few Kindred still exist who knew the
What galvanizes the Necropolis once more and diffuses the Old Man personally, at least some do, and elder memories can
tension? After so much misfortune, can it stand united again? be sharp when you least expect. Perhaps, then, actions speak
Below are three possible paths back to stability, as well as louder than faces.
suggestions for success and failure epilogues depending on This scenario requires one of the coterie’s contacts to request
the players’ actions. a meeting on behalf of several powerful Kindred. If the charac-

ters made an ally of Macellarius Corbulo at his trial (p. 249), he the City of the Dead would be one hell of an image. More than
works well as a point man. He may have even come up with this that, she fears setting a precedent. Thus, she stalls, consulting
plot with the coterie in mind — it’s just his style. In any case, with her adjutants.
someone requests the characters’ help, believing them to be the When Tacita makes a noncommittal response, the coterie
only Propinqui willing to act in the Camarilla’s best interests. is ordered to escort several Invicti to make their case in per-
Or maybe they’re just competent and cheap. son. Having directly participated in many of the events of the
The plot is as simple as it is audacious: Shatter the throne chronicle, the characters will also be providing testimony.
of Julius Senex and make it look like the Old Man did it him- However, more than a few parties are interested in seeing the
self. In effect, this would be a high-level manipulation of the chaos continue, and they’ll set plots in motion to make sure
Camarilla’s Cacophony, scaring off any future pretenders and Tacita never receives the Inner Circle.
assuring the Propinqui that things are finally under control. Worse, many of Tacita’s adjutants want her to cross the
Easier said than done. Though the Small Chamber is open to Rubicon like Divus Julius, taking the throne with the entire
all, it’s heavily guarded by elite ghouls by day and a contingent Legio Mortuum at her back. The old Worm is popular enough
of fearsome Virgatores by night. Security has only grown tighter with the Soldiers that it might work, but she’s also aware of
since Vulso’s assassination, not to mention the heightened sus- what happened to the other pretenders, especially her former
picion toward anyone who even looks at the chair. Worse, any lieutenant, Julia Apollonia. She might even mourn the Warrior
Seer with a decent command of her clan gift would perceive the Queen, though it’s hard to tell; they don’t call her Tacita for
fraud with a touch. Not to mention blood sorcerers. nothing. If the coterie had a hand in dethroning/dispatching
So? It had better be a damn good plan. Apollonia, it will be hard to tell how that affected their stand-
ing. At any rate, they’ll need to convince Tacita to put the good
Success: Pax Nocturna Nova of the Camarilla above all, but they’ll also have to argue with
Should the characters pull this off, their employers’ propa- — or defeat — some very ambitious Soldiers first.
ganda network moves into action. Through various informal
channels, “Senex” reasserts his imperium and loyalty to Rome, Success: Tacita’s March
and until he returns for good, puts forward a law strength- After tense negotiations with the characters and the Invictus,
ening the Night Senate’s right to speak with his voice. The Tacita and her forces arrive in Rome just in time, invading the
Assembly ratifies this edict unanimously, with the remains of Undercity through secret tunnels outside the walls. They meet
the throne hewn into a monument celebrating a renewed era resistance from what remains of the Crypt Queen’s rebels, but
of Pax Nocturna. How many Senecti genuinely buy this story is the Legion’s numbers overwhelm them. Anyone left claiming
difficult to say, but they know it’s best not to look into it too the throne is summarily executed, their bodies left for the
closely. As long as most vampires believe it, it doesn’t matter. vultures. Tacita’s troops remain to enforce the rule of law,
The characters earn many rewards for their success, though, and the crisis finally ends. The Praetor even withdraws when
given the mission’s secretive nature, they enjoy no official rec- the time comes. Ala Senecta honors her for her bravery (and
ognition. However, if Senex ever does return, he’ll be sure to for not double-crossing the Invictus), gifting her the agnomen
pay his respects. Personally. Defenstrix. Her political future is bright indeed.
As for the characters, the Inner Circle owes them a debt, one
Failure: Bellum Civile it’s eager to pay off as soon as possible. Important positions in
If the coterie fumbles the throne job or it’s traced back to the Assembly aren’t out of the question, and they might also be
them, the scandal rocks the Camarilla. The characters will be granted lavish properties seized from the various false monarchs
lucky if they keep their heads — their sponsors certainly won’t. and their allies. At least in the short term, death is sweet.
Such a brazen attack on the literal seat of Kindred power
emboldens more pretenders, who now claim to act in defense Failure: Tacita’s Reforms
of the throne and all it represents. This soon escalates into the If the coterie fails, Tacita’s lieutenants convince her to act
Camarilla’s first civil war. only after the Necropolis falls to anarchy. However, while
The War of the Throne doesn’t end the Empire of Night, she does restore order, the Praetor refuses the throne, stating
but it spreads far beyond the Eternal City. The Propinqui won’t that a Worm is unworthy of such a position. Furthermore,
know peace for decades, and the characters’ names will long be she affirms the Camarilla’s republican values, noting the
associated with disaster in the All Night Society. true leader of Sodalitas Pernox is the Emperor, the ultimate
defender of democracy.
The Good Soldier Nonetheless, a caretaker government is clearly required until
Julius Senex can return to act on the Roman state’s behalf. A
In desperation, the Inner Circle recalls the Camarilla’s Italian new Inner Circle forms, and it commands Tacita to serve as
deployment to restore order under the command of Marcia first among equals. Despite misgivings and a warrior’s heart,
Aufidia Tacita, a respected Nosferatu praetor. But from her she obeys. Over subsequent decades, the council grants her
castrum in the north, Tacita is hesitant to comply. She recog- numerous constitutional powers to eliminate any chance of
nizes the power of symbolism, and her full forces marching on usurpers perverting the Traditions, such that the Night Senate

eventually votes to dissolve itself for obsolescence. Tacita’s whether he’s in torpor or hiding somewhere in the Empire.
reforms are slow, methodical, and to the exact letter of the law, As an added wrinkle, whatever they do, it must involve the
all in the name of protecting the Midnight Republic. death of a Julian vampire, the closer to Senex in blood ties, the
After a century, Invicta (as the Propinqui now call her) dis- better (if Vulso or Apollonia are still kicking and the former
appears like Aulus Julius before her. The Necropolis mourns, king was telling the truth about his parentage, they both make
bestowing her with deific titles, and a new namesake wing ideal sacrifices).
proclaims her adopted childe as her successor. She soon intro- Of course, some in the Sanctified may also know ways to
duces measures to assure her divine mother’s work can never undo the curse without a sacrifice, but this would command
be undone. a high price.
No one ever sits in Senex’s throne again.
Success: Late Spring
The Haunting The coterie manages to make proper homage to Senex,
though it costs them much. Slowly, the rioting abates, and
Long before the pretenders sat the throne, Senex’s seat without much fanfare, the Legislators and Legionaries reassert
was known to be cursed. However, most felt this belief was control. No more pretenders rear their fool heads.
debunked when Vulso didn’t drop dead after seizing power. Depending on the ritual’s sacrifice, the victim’s allies will
They were wrong. The curse wasn’t set loose on the pre- come looking for answers, so the coterie’s Requiems may be
tenders, but on the entire Necropolis. Indeed, it grew more fraught for the foreseeable future. If they’re public about their
wrathful with each usurper, even those who didn’t take the actions, few believe them, but some elder Augurs will sense they
seat, and far worse misfortunes will come of it. Several Augurs speak the truth, and the Cult may offer quiet tributes to the
knew something like this would happen, but Vulso had them Camarilla’s saviors, including blood magic normally reserved
quietly assassinated in the lead-up to his surprise coronation, for the Inner Circle’s use.
fearing they might use their knowledge to depose him. He also If the characters convinced the Sanctified to help, the Church
believed he could contain the curse with his supernatural allies. doesn’t reward good works, and it remembers all debts. Still,
This alone wouldn’t have resulted in the endless chaos now it will offer a place at the Dark Father’s feet, as it does for all
pervading the city, but Vulso’s fascinum magnified the curse. Kindred, and maybe a fast track to learning Theban Sorcery.
Much older than Rome, the charm’s phallus was once a sacred
nail of the Etruscan goddess Nurtia, whose domain is destiny Failure: Early Fall
and chance. Disastrously, its primordial fate magic lent Senex’s If the coterie can’t find the right ritual or a sufficient sacri-
authoritarian hex a wild streak. fice, the chaos worsens, and the characters will have to fight
Whether through deduction or prophecy, the characters are for survival as ceaseless violence becomes a fact of death in
the only ones who’ve realized this. The other Propinqui are too the Necropolis. If you want a bleak ending, perhaps the Old
concerned with self-preservation or opportunism to listen, and Man’s curse rages so out of control that it sets off the end of the
few would believe the coterie anyway. Camarilla sooner than history records, with the Striges finally
To end the curse, the Old Man must be placated. This may taking their revenge. Perhaps that was their plan in putting
involve locating Vulso’s fascinum, or even Senex himself, Vulso on the throne all along…

APPENDIX TWO
LATIN AND ROMAN NAMES
…those that understood him smiled at one another and shook their heads;
but, for mine own part, it was Greek to me.
Casca, Julius Caesar
This appendix provides a brief guide to using Latin in your Requiem for Rome chronicles, followed by an overview of Roman
naming conventions.
Latin
Latin is the language of the Roman Empire, and the • N and M are nasalized in certain positions, similar to modern
Propinqui have watched it evolve over many centuries. Below French: when M follows a vowel at the end of a word and
you’ll find a brief guide to Latin pronunciation and an abbrevi- when N follows a vowel before S or F. This feature can be
ated discussion of its declension system. These guidelines aren’t hard for English speakers to produce, so don’t sweat it if you
here to box you into any specific mode, but they may help you can’t make it sound right.
give your stories a more Roman perspective.
• OE is pronounced like OY (i.e., boy).
Pronunciations • PH is just P.
• TH is just T.
The pronunciation of Latin isn’t set in stone. Even by the
time of the Empire, the common tongue had greatly diverged • U is pronounced like OO (i.e., boom).
from the formal language we know as Classical Latin.
• V is pronounced like W (i.e., womb).
While our lexicon (p. 9) mostly uses those Classical pronun-
ciations, that doesn’t mean you have to. But how should you Both Classical Latin and Ecclesiastical Latin (below) follow
pronounce Latin in Requiem for Rome? That depends on the a strict stress pattern depending on the length of syllables.
tone you want to set. Explaining the rules of stress and length is beyond the scope
of this appendix, but there are plenty of guides in books and
Classical free online resources. In brief, the stress of a multisyllabic word
The Latinitas of Cicero and Caesar will lend your chronicles can either fall on the second-to-last syllable (the penult) or the
historical weight. This system is mostly phonetic (i.e., each third-to-last syllable (the antepenult).
letter almost always represents the same sound), though the
values are a bit different from English. The following is a list of
Ecclesiastical
pronunciations that differ from typical English pronunciations; For a more sword-and-sandal feel, use the pronunciation
if something isn’t in the list below, it’s pronounced the usual of the Catholic Church. This is anachronistic, but hey, so is
English way. This is very simplified; for instance, there’s lots Spartacus. This system is similar to modern Italian and slightly
of scholarly debate about the pronunciation of Latin long and less phonetic than Classical Latin. Assume the rules above apply
short vowels, so we’ve gone with the simplest system. While not unless they’re overwritten.
“accurate,” it should feel authentic. • AE and OE are always pronounced like a long A.
• AE is pronounced like a long I (i.e., bike). • C is pronounced like a K before A, O, and U and like CH
• C is pronounced like a K. (i.e., chat) before AE, E, I, OE, and Y.
• E is pronounced like a long A (i.e., late) and is never silent. • G is pronounced with a hard sound before A, O, and U and
a soft sound (i.e., genuine) before AE, E, I, and Y.
• G is pronounced as a hard sound (i.e., gap).
• H is usually silent except between two vowels, in which case,
• I is pronounced like a long E (i.e., been), but at the beginning it’s pronounced like a K.
of a word, it’s a consonant like Y (i.e., yard). A J at the start of
a Latin word in this book always represents a consonantal I. • N and M aren’t nasalized.

• PH is now F. • Third-declension nouns have a grab-bag of endings and
encompass about half of Latin nouns, but they can’t be as
• SC is pronounced like SH (i.e., sheep) before E and I.
easily defined or gendered. Examples: rex/reges (king), volu-
• V is now pronounced like a V in English. men/volumina (scroll), urbs/urbes (city).
• Z is pronounced DZ (i.e., ads). The easiest way to determine the declension of a noun is to
find its singular “genitive” ending, which is like a possessive.
English If the genitive ends in -ae, it’s the first declension; if it ends in
Strange as it may sound, there’s a long tradition of Latin’s -i, it’s the second declension; and if it ends in -is, it’s the third
English pronunciation. This system was abandoned by the declension. There are several more cases, but in general, you
mid-20th century, but it’s effectively how we say Latin words probably only need the nominatives and genitives if you’re
and names borrowed into our language: SEE • zer for Caesar trying to come up with simple Latin phrases. Typically, the
or JOO • lee • eye for Julii. There were/are similar systems in genitive comes after the word it modifies (e.g., stola Juliae:
other European languages, and Anglo-American law terms are “Julia’s dress”).
still pronounced using the English system.
If you’re not concerned with accuracy, this is the way to go. Registers
Just pronounce Latin words as you would following English
Latin is like a language made up by fussy bureaucrats who
rules, especially if they’re already borrowings. Don’t worry; we
were fond of dick jokes. It’s both the Word of the Catholic Mass
won’t tell Cicero.
and the language of Catullus, who wrote hendecasyllabic verses
about face-fucking his rivals. A language of contrasts.
Declensions Latin is as austere as it is vulgar, and you can make great use
Latin is a highly inflected language, in that a noun’s meaning of that dichotomy in your chronicles, as it fits well with the
changes depending on different suffixes appended to a base Kindred and their double lives. It also doesn’t require you to
word. We don’t have the space to explain how this works in know any Latin: Give a high-ranking member of the Senex a
detail, but here are the basics if you want a starting point to quadruple-barrel name with an exalted nomen and then have
do some research. him swear like a sailor. Have a priestess of the Cult of Augurs
There are five declensions in Latin, categories that define how quote Virgil as she slaughters her sacrifice.
nouns are inflicted. The first, second, and third are the most
common; the fourth and fifth are rare, and for our purposes, Greek to Us
not relevant.
Greek was widely spoken among the patricians, so much so
• First-declension nouns always end in -a in the singular and that Emperor Claudius referred to Greek and Latin together as
are usually feminine in the grammatical sense, like in mod- “our two languages.” For a time, Greek was the lingua franca of
ern Romance languages and German. Plurals end in -ae. most of the Mediterranean, and many patricians could switch
Examples: femina/feminae (woman), agricola/agricolae (farmer), between the two with ease.
hora/horae (hour).
We’re not going to go into the ins and outs of Ancient Greek
• Second-declension nouns always end in -us, -um, or -r in the or provide Hellenized vampire vocabulary here. We don’t have
singular, with -us/r being masculine and -um being neuter. the space or interest, and it’s a good example of reality being
Plurals end in -i (masculine) or -a (neuter). Examples: oculus/ unreal. Romans running around speaking Greek? That just
oculi (eye), vir/viri (man), templum/templa (temple). When doesn’t feel authentic (there’s that word again).
addressing a man with a second-declension name that ends In your chronicles, assume there’s a heavy helping of Greek.
in -us, Romans changed that suffix to -e: “Et tu, Brute?” This Storytellers may want to provide a free dot of Language: Greek
is the vocative case, which basically doesn’t matter in the to characters from the higher classes or the eastern reaches of
other declensions. the Empire.
Roman Names
In Rome, a name was just as much a sign of one’s place in more — but assigning specific functions to names was an import-
society as their profession, and the Empire had elaborate sys- ant feature of Roman culture. This system would begin to fall
tems of determining how people should refer to themselves. away during the Severin dynasty, but its influence can still be
felt tonight, particularly among Kindred and covenants who
Tria Nomina wish to make an implicit connection to the Camarilla.
The Romans used a naming structure called the tria nomina, As much as we’d love to cover all the nuances of this par-
wherein people had a praenomen, a nomen, and, sometimes, a ticular topic, it could literally fill a book. What follows is a
cognomen. Not everyone had three names — some had many simplification and summary of Latin naming conventions,
APPENDIX TWO: 261

and we encourage the reader to look to other sources for more Nomen
in-depth explanations. For most of Roman history, the nomen was a family name
indicating a person’s paternal lineage. In some ways, it was
Praenomen the most important, as nomen can just mean “name” in Latin.
Praenomina are similar to given names. These were noto- A Roman family was called a gens, with specific families
riously limited among the patricians, such that they could be referred to by the feminine form of their nomina. For exam-
represented with an initial and people understood what they ple, Emperor Claudius was a member of the gens Claudia.
referred to. Plebeians drew from a more varied pool, and their Plebeians could belong to the same gentes as patricians,
names were typically more prosaic. usually distinguished by a cognomen (below).
People often referred to their friends and family members by As the Empire grew, the nomen became more of a status
their praenomina, just as modern people do, though the nomen symbol than a marker of heritage. This was partly a result of the
(below) was used in more formal venues, or the nomen and Edict of Caracalla, which bestowed citizenship on all freedmen
cognomen in combination. There were no Roman equivalents in the Empire: The vast majority thus gained Caracalla’s prae-
to honorifics like Mr., Mrs., or Ms. nomen and nomen, Marcus Aurelius, and this even included a
In the early Republic, Romans had a habit of giving their few future emperors. This makes naming characters born in the
children numerical praenomina: Primus, Secundus, Tertius, later Empire a bit easier, as nomina (and, therefore, praenomina)
Quartus, Quintus, Septimus, etc. However, some were rarer weren’t necessarily attached to particular families.
than others, and it’s not quite clear why they did this at all. Some There were many nomina, and we can’t possibly provide an
scholars suggest it was to distinguish birth order or to mark the exhaustive list. Instead, the samples on p. 264 include some of
month of birth, but this practice didn’t last long, if it was ever the most common, famous, or just aesthetically pleasing). A few
genuine, as many numerical praenomina became inherited. are based on praenomina, a practice that became more frequent
You can find a list of praenomina on p. 264. Masculine later in the Empire. The same rules for feminizing these names
names are before the slash and feminine names are after, with apply as above.
abbreviations in parenthesis. Praenomina were interchangeable
between genders (though see below for more on women’s names), Cognomen and Agnomen
with masculine names taking the second declension form and The cognomen began as a nickname, a way to further distin-
feminine names taking the first: Typically, a name is feminized guish between Romans with the same praenomina and nomina
by replacing -us with -a, though some names take an -ia or other combinations. Praenomina were often inherited along with
variations. There were exceptions to these conventions, of course, nomina, and they even ran in families (Roman fathers loved
Agrippa being an older men’s name, and some were in the third naming sons after themselves), so it was necessary to add more
declension, typically those ending in -o (e.g., Caeso). variations. Eventually, cognomina would become inherited as
Despite Latin having plenty of neuter suffixes to throw well, often defining the branch of a gens. Gaius Julius Caesar
around, there wasn’t a lot of space for nonbinary people, came from the Julii Caesares, for example.
who tended to go with one side of the spectrum or the other Cognomina based on nomina were sometimes modified
for their names. While there are some parallels with modern with the suffix -ianus and other variations, as they were
ideas of queerness in Ancient Rome, their views of this aspect frequently the result of adoption. For example, before he
of their culture differed significantly from ours, and in ways became Augustus, the future Emperor was known as Gaius
that are difficult to contend with. To put it another way, Julius Caesar Octavianus (of Octavius) since he took the elder
Rome wasn’t straight, but it wasn’t great for queer people as Caesar’s full name after his assassination, replacing his given
we would define them. nomen (apparently “Octavian” never actually called himself
All that said, we hasten to note that we’ve already crossed the that, but that’s neither here nor there). This practice was
historical-accuracy Rubicon by making a game about undead more common for men, but some women gained adoptive
corpses living in an impossible underground city. cognomina as well.
If a little creative anachronism makes your chronicles more However, because the cognomen became inherited, many
fun and the troupe more comfortable, that’s the best way to Romans used a fourth name as a nickname or title: the agnomen.
handle things (for reference, the -um suffix in the second This served the original nickname purpose of the cognomen,
declension would theoretically render a name gender-neu- typically a descriptor or a reference to a great deed: Felix (the
tral). If you want to approach this topic with more historical Fortunate), Magnus (the Great), Africanus (of Africa), etc. To reuse
accuracy, proceed with caution, and as always, make sure the the previous example, Augustus (the Majestic) was the Emperor’s
table is up for it. agnomen, which would eventually become a royal title in itself.
Finally, praenomina were often associated with particular We leave it to the reader to look into the meanings and
families, but we encourage the reader to do their own research appropriate eras for these names (p. 264), as well as any associ-
if veracity is a concern. For reference, the three most common ated families, though some are more obvious than others. But
praenomina throughout all of Roman history (in descending don’t fret over historical accuracy if you’re just looking for a
order) were Lucius, Gaius, and Marcus. cool nickname for your character.

Women Slaves could also have descriptive names or ones derived
from verbs, often referring to appearance, job, or nationality
In early Rome, everyone had a praenomen, but as time went (e.g., Thrax for a Thracian). It was also common to give slaves
on, women used them less and less. The reasons for this are numerical names combined with a diminutive: Primus/Prima
both sexist and practical. Women didn’t have much influence > Primulus/Primula; Tertius/Tertia > Tertullus/Tertullia.
over public life, where it was important to have a distinct legal Sometimes these names used Latinized Greek numbers
name. Furthermore, the praenomen became less important (Deuter/Deuterus/Deutera).
than the nomen in general, even among men. A married woman In early Rome, male slaves were often referred to by a com-
also pretty much always kept her nomen, so there was no need bination of their master’s praenomen and a shortening of the
to distinguish between mothers and daughters. If a woman was Latin word for “boy” (puer, an older term for a slave): Olipor
born out of wedlock, she bore her mother’s nomen, and while for Aulus (Aulus’s boy), Cassipor for Cassius, Flavipor for
not as well recorded as for men, women could be adopted too, Flavius, Marcipor for Marcus, etc. These were more like labels
and an adoptive daughter would take her adoptive father’s than true names, and this practice fell out of use as Roman
nomen and cognomen. citizens gained more slaves in their households and needed to
Because of all this, nicknames were common. Some women distinguish between them.
took the genitive of their husbands’ nomina as cognomina: The chart on p. 265 is a selection of attested Roman slave
Julia, daughter of Caesar, was called Julia Pompeii after she names found throughout the Empire’s history. Unlike patri-
married Pompey the Great (Pompey’s Julia). Other women had cian or plebeian names, it can be hard to find these appella-
cognomina like Minor (the Younger) and Major (the Elder), or tions without some digging. For reference, we sampled our list
even Maxima (the Eldest). Sisters could also be distinguished from “Some Roman Slave-Names,” by F. F. Bruce.
this way, usually involving diminutives like -illa: Julilla for Julia,
Drusilla for Drusa, and so forth. A few of these nicknames even Christians
became cognomina. If they chose not to keep their given Latin names, Christians
All that said, rural women sometimes had praenomina, and often took Latinized versions of Greek and Syrian names or the
they became more common again during the late Empire, espe- names of saints and martyrs after baptism (p. 265).
cially in families with more than two daughters. Furthermore, a
few urban women during the Republic had personal names even Foreigners
after they became rare. Still, it’s sometimes hard to know when A foreigner usually used his given first name, followed by his
these were true praenomina or just cognomina, as they could be father’s name with a genitive case ending pinned to the end. If a
written before and after the nomen. Word order wasn’t all that foreign person became a citizen, he would choose a praenomen
important to the Romans, and they likely felt the distinction was and take his sponsor’s nomen, the same way as a freedman. He
obvious; so obvious, in fact, that they didn’t bother telling us what then used his original name as a cognomen. For example, the
it was. In any case, decide what works best for you. Greek poet Archias became Aulus Licinius Archias, since his
Indeed, with the Kindred’s comparatively liberal views on sponsor was a member of the gens Licinia.
women, feminine praenomina might be common among vam-
pires in your stories. It could even be a rite of passage to take Germanic Names
one in the liberation of death.
The Germani were a thorn in the Romans’ side for many
Slaves, Christians, years, and their names are relatively easy to construct. Germanic
names were dithematic, meaning they consisted of two ele-
and Foreigners ments: a prefix and a suffix. We offer examples on p. 265;
you can combine these elements freely, though some are more
Not using the Roman naming system marked one as a for- common among men than women. We leave it to the reader to
eigner or an outsider. conduct more thorough research, but we’ve separated common
masculine and feminine suffixes as a starting point. If a pair
Slaves doesn’t sound quite right together, add a vowel between them,
Slaves typically had a single name. Most were Greek (Eros, or remove one.
Hermes, Leander, Ganymedes, Onesimus, etc.), as many slaves The spellings we list are a bit arbitrary, partly because most
were taken from Greece, and traders often named their captives Germans didn’t use the Latin alphabet, and partly because
thusly as a mark of “quality,” regardless of nationality. pronunciations varied between tribes and dialects.
APPENDIX TWO: 263

Sample Praenomina
Agrippa/Agrippina (Agr.)* Appius/Appia (Ap.) Aulus/Aula (A.) Caeso/Caesula (K.)†
Decimus/Decima (D.) Faustus/Fausta (F.)* Gaius/Gaia (C.) Gnaeus/Gnaea (Cn.)
Hostus/Hosta* Lucius/Lucia (L.) Mamercus/Mamerca (Mam.) Manius/Mania (M')
Maximus/Maxima Marcus/Marcia (M.) Mettius/Mettia* Nonus/Nona*
Numerius/Numeria (N.) Octavius/Octavia (Oct.)* Opiter/Opita (Opet.)* Paullus/Paulla (Paul.)*
Postumus/Postuma (Post.)*‡ Proculus/Procula (Pro.)* Publius/Publia (P.) Quintus/Quinta (Q.)
Septimus/Septima* Sertor/Sertora (Sert.)* Servius/Servia (Ser.) Sextus/Sexta (Sex.)
Spurius/Spuria (S.) Statius/Statia (St.)* Tiberius/Tiberia (Ti.) Titus/Titia (T.)
Tullus/Tulla* Vibius/Vibia (V.)* Volesus/Volusa (Vol.)* Vopiscus/Vopisca (Vop.)*
* Archaic/rare.
† Spelled with a K during the Kingdom and early Republic, hence the abbreviation.
‡ Generally reserved for a child born after the death of its father.
Nomina
Aemilius Anicius Antonius Apronius Asinius Aurelius
Accoleius Calpurnius Caecilius Caelius Cassius Cincius
Claudius Cornelius Dalius Domitius Drusus Egilius
Ferasius Firmicus Flavius Horatius Ignius Julius
Junius Licinius Livius Lollius Marius Messius
Mucius Octavius Opimius Orfius Ostorius Ovidius
Petronius Plautus Pompeius Porcius Salvius Sammius
Sempronius Septimius Sertorius Servilius Tadius Taracius
Tarquinius Tullius Valerius Vergilius Vitrasius Vulpius
Cognomina/Agnomina
Ahenobarbus Alypius Anatolius Aquila Arbiter Arbitio Avircius
Balbus Barbatio Brutus Bassianus Camillus Calvus Catullus
Celsus Cicero Cinna Constans Crassus Crispus Cyprius
Equitius Eutherius Fabullus Fimbria Florens Galba Gothicus
Gracchus Heliodorus Jovius Mamertius Marcellus Maternus Mavortius
Maximus Metellus Milo Musonius Nasica Naso Oceanus
Olybrius Otho Pelagius Pelagius Piso Pius Pollio
Probus Prosper Pulcher Sabinus Sallustius Saturninus Scapula
Scipio Serenus Severus Silvanus Sulla Sulpicius Tacitus
Tertullius Traianus Tremerus Trogus Urbicus Urgulanus Ursicus
Ursus Valens Venter Verus Victoricus Volusius Vulso

Christian Names
Masculine Christian Names
Adeodatus Andreias Barnabas Clemens Daniel
Esaias Eusebius Genesius Hermas Hieronymus
Jacobus Jeremias Joannas Josephus Judas
Justus Justinus Leo Loukos Matthias
Michael Petros Philemon Polycarpus Stephanas
Theodorus Theodoret Theophilus Tobias Zachariah
Feminine Christian Names
Anna Dorcas Elisabeta Maria Prisca/Priscilla
Rebecca/Rebekah Sara/Sarai Tabitha Thecla/Thekla Thaïs
Slave Names
Masculine
Anthio Auxetus Boetus Caprius Felix
Graptus Heuretus Lychnis Palmesis Paradotus
Sorex Synthetis Thaumastus Thelus Zmaragdus
Feminine
Anthusa Apria Chaerusa Capria Damale
Lanthanusa Melissa Myrtale Oecusa Philumina
Primilla Rhoda Staphyla Viola Viticula
Germanic Name Affixes

Prefixes
Ahta- Airmana- Alha- Amala- Anda- Ansa-
Arya- Auda- Auha- Badua- Balta- Daga-
Filu- Friti- Ilda- Gaesu- Gau- Goda-
Gunth- Hildi- Huna- Liuda- Mata- Nanta-
Odo- Ragina- Rica- Reda- Tank- Sax-
Sigis- Sunya- Sinth- Swintha- Theod- Tauris-
Thrasa- Ulf- Vandila- Vili- Vinita- Viti-
Masculine Suffixes
-abad -aberit -abalt -frith -funs -gar
-gern -gis -hroth -laf -mer -mund
-noth -red -ric -swith -vacer -ulf/-wulf
Feminine Suffixes
-ara -beorg -berga -burg -dis -flad
-gild -gotha -gund -gyth -haid -heit
-hild -laug -lind -swintha -swith -thruth
APPENDIX TWO: 265

APPENDIX THREE
CULTS OF ROME
No man can lose either the past or the future,
for how can a man be deprived of what he has not?
— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
Every day, we cross the Rubicon. Every day, we sacrifice the Legion of the Dead recruits more Christians (or Monachals,
one before. Every day, we hang upon the cross. or Sanctified) every night, and these creatures refuse to arrest
This appendix tells a flicker, a sliver, a nail of those their fellows.
crossings. Here, we tell you of the coming struggles between Yet, what this new system of beliefs called Christianity actu-
pagan and Christian, fires so consuming that the darkened ally is creates almost as much confusion and violence among
halls of Necropolis and even the chamber from which the the Christians themselves as between Christians and pagans.
Camarilla takes its hallowed name will be scorched and Emperor Constantine attempted to create a single, universal
indelibly marked. Church when he declared his new religion to be that of the
Here, you will learn the secrets of mortal violence and Empire, but adherents of his Nicene Creed still shout and
Propinquus brutality. brawl in the streets with Arians, while the Gnostics gather in
Prepare yourself for the fires of tomorrow. private, seeking salvation not only from sin and suffering, but
from their own fleshly bodies. In the underworld, disciples of
During the peak and collapse of the Roman civilization,
the Monachus debate adherents of Vitericus Minor… sometimes
Christianity finds a home in the hearts of the living, from
even on the Camarilla floor itself.
which it is drunk greedily by the dead. The mortal legions
now serve a Christian emperor, turning people out of pagan In Rome, Christianity has yet to coagulate, and instead runs
temples and breaking up ancient rites. The ostensibly pagan hot and wet from believers. They paint pictures of heaven in
the blood of their enemies, and the dead follow suit.
Cities on the Cross

The Roman poor are packed into the cities, trapped with
nowhere to go. Others shelter below the ground, taking refuge The Chapel
in caves, tunnels, and sewers. Some even squat in abandoned The same urban poor who embrace Christianity are the staple
temples, too cynical — or desperate — to believe the rumors of food of vampires. The dead are often messy when they feed,
ancient and bloody rites reenacted by ghosts in the dark. particularly in Rome itself. Their passion gets away from them
From the very beginning, these people — spat upon, degraded and they kill. Roman citizens are missed when they disappear,
and hopeless — will be fertile ground for the seeds of faith. and vanishing slaves don’t go unnoticed, either. A Roman who
The promises of Jesus, however, are not the only appeal of the has only one or two slaves likely has personal relationships
new faith. Christian faiths, though varied and complex, share with them, and even the rare Roman with hundreds of slaves
a central message of friendship and brotherhood. Christianity may jealously guard his property. Either slave owner is likely
spreads quickly, then, through social webs of friends and to pursue runaways. All but a few vampires, therefore, feed on
family. It also encourages not merely evangelism but service the poor, who will only be missed by other wretches. While
and generosity to one’s fellow man. Jesus spread the word of victims’ families and the mob may be dangerous, poor people
God first to his friends, and then took them to Jerusalem as are generally safer victims than the rich.
missionaries; the early Christians are no different. The ritual The dead, like Augustus, spend nights in Masquerade
which will become Catholic communion, for example, is a full among the rabble. Many of the mob also crowd the upper
meal, shared by Christians at the houses of friends. levels of Necropolis, more frightened of cold and abuse than
These social networks that spread and form through the strange noises below. The dead feed upon the living, and
Christianity thrive in urban areas. Christianity, in all its many they hear their words. They show mercy, and Embrace childer
early forms, is a religion of the city. with strange new beliefs.

The cults of the living have always infiltrated the dead. Often,
the Propinqui welcome them for their novelty, bringing color
and flavor to unlives spent among bleached bones. By the end
The Monachal Apocrypha
No extant version of the Testament of Longinus
of the first century, there are already Kindred in Necropolis explains quite why Longinus Embraced the Monachus.
babbling about the son of God, whose cult will admit no other Most versions of Torments contain a passage in which
divinity. The Nosferatu, who have deliberately Embraced the Longinus is impressed by the Monachus’s faith and
anonymous poor for centuries, carve a meeting place in the courage, but many vampires of the Spear and Chapel
say the story began before that. They say that the
rock. The Worms sing and hiss the praises of the One God,
Monachus was a Christian theologian called Theodas,
whose name is Jealous. They drink wine mixed with blood, whose writing impressed Longinus.
and by miracles do not spit it forth again. They produce as evidence copies of first-century
They are betrayed. The other Worms know well the ways of epistles, which share a distinctly Longinian interest
their kind, and tell the dead above that there is Vitae in the com- in the punishment of sinners. The Monachus, they
argue, is the true author of the Testament and
munion draught, tapped from the veins of slumbering elders scholar of the Damned, and the actual recipient of
and unwary Kindred. The Legion of the Dead takes torches divine revelation. Longinus was merely the hand that
into the depths, felling or burning any vampire they find. thrust the spear, where the Monachus’s lips speak
To their surprise, there are not just Worms, but Courtesans, the word of God.
Wanderers, and even Founders. When they reach the sanctum Few of the Damned in Rome have ever met the
Monachus. Those who have reject the Theodas
of the Christians, it is filled with a foul vapor, and it explodes letters, and particularly the implicit belief that the
on contact with the flame. Legionary and Christian alike per- Monachus received revelation as a mortal. But
ish in the flames. Some claim the explosion was an accident. several of them enthusiastically acknowledge that
Others believe that the resurrection cult committed suicide, he was a Christian before the Embrace and a great
imagining a life beyond Final Death. scholar besides.
The last positive reference to the letters of Theodas
The explosion is felt throughout Necropolis, and it echoes. is a copy of a sermon transcribed in Jerusalem in the
The Camarilla forbids the cult of the atheists. They prescribe sixth century.
crucifixion before the dawn for any creature found praying
or sacrificing to the Jealous God. Their mistake is critical.
The Nosferatu sense fear, and along with the Gangrel see a
weapon to be used against the Julii. The Mekhet wonder about his teaching is that vampires are Damned through sin: either
the secrets of death and resurrection underlying the myth of their own or that of their sires. They are given the shadow of
the Nazarene, even as the Daeva smile at a new taboo. Only a life to herd the living back to righteousness.
few dead actively defy the Senex’s mandate, but those few are Longinus is met at first with confusion, and then with anger.
enough. They cajole their friends, Embrace Christian childer. He begins to stalk the pagan cults of the Middle East, appearing
Above all, they remember and they resent, nursing long grudges to them as an angel of blood and annihilation, revealing the
as only vampires can. They remember the Sanctum. falseness of their gods. He smashes idols and decries sloth. The
established dead of the region are shocked by his actions, yet
The Spear some are drawn to his teachings. Longinus’s followers (who
may or may not include his childer) are not only Jews, but
When Jesus, called Christ, is executed on the hill of skulls, representatives from the pagan faiths. From the cults of Lilith,
his followers beg for his body. To ensure that he is dead, the tended faithfully by the Daeva, they learn the subtle tempting
soldier standing watch pierces Jesus’ side with a spear, and is of the living, even as they throw down the Dark Maiden from
rewarded with a torrent of blood and water. The blood covers her pedestals.
his arm, and a droplet falls upon his lips. The taste is sweet, The Disciples of the Blood are not numerous, though. Later
and as the disciples retrieve their teacher from the cross, the stories name only thirteen of the admitted Damned. When the
soldier licks his arm and spear clean. The spearman becomes Jews of Jerusalem revolt against Roman rule in 70 CE, many of
Damned without passing the jaws of death, transfigured by the Longinus’s followers, and perhaps the spearman himself, join
blood of the Savior. them. When the rubble settles and the vampires of Jerusalem
The undead soldier finds himself wracked by hunger for gorge themselves on Jew and Roman alike, the mad preacher
more blood, but nothing from the veins of human or animal is nowhere to be found. They assume the soldier and his cult
can match that which fell from the body of the so-called King have been destroyed. They are very wrong.
of the Jews. He takes the name “Longinus,” from the spear with Over the next century, letters emerge discussing the teachings
which he murdered God. of Longinus, many allegedly transcribed from the words of the
Thirty-three years after that murder, Longinus receives a soldier himself. The source is the Monachus, a Christian theo-
revelation from God, through an angel called Vahishtael. logian Embraced to the bosom of the Damned. His followers
Vahishtael reveals to Longinus that there are other dead who say he is the childe of Longinus, or one of the first thirteen.
refuse to die, and that the soldier must bring them purpose. His letters achieve great popularity among Jewish vampires, as
Longinus goes forth to preach among the dead. The core of well as those Embraced from the growing Christian movement.
APPENDIX THREE: CULTS OF ROME 267

Covenant
From the Testament of Longinus The Monachus and his followers are expelled from Jerusalem.
The dead men of the city gathered there, with Though their partisans remain hidden among the city’s dead,
murder in their hearts and flames in their hands. But
the most visible of the preachers and penitents are scattered
the angel of the Lord whispered to the Monachus:
“Do not go to your haven, for you will be set upon throughout. Many of the Mekhet, as well as members of other
by your enemies.” So the Monachus and the disciples clans, return west to the ancestral home of their Blood in
slept in the cave. Egypt. Others march by night for Rome, where they hide and
When they arose the next night, the Damned tempt the Christians.
looked out of the cave, and their enemies had been
burnt up by the sun. The Monachus laughed: “They Longinian theology becomes widely popular among the
are slothful, and continue their Sabbath past sunset.” vampiric Jesus cults in the late third century, and is well on its
And so those who gather in numbers but do not way to becoming the dominant paradigm in the fourth.
accept God are called sabbat. The Testament of Longinus provides the dead with their
— 1 Sanguinaria 9:16, trans. Roberts
own messiah, and an identity separate from the living they
consume. They are the Damned, and they know what their
covenant with God is.
In 232 CE, the Monachus and his followers openly celebrate Word spreads East to Rome of a Black Abbey consecrated
Mass for the first time in a cave just outside Jerusalem. Inside the somewhere by the Monachus, a new Sanctuary of the Lance
cave are only the Monachus and his closest followers. Outside, and beacon of strength for the Damned.
a group of the dead lie in wait, to destroy them. The angel In Rome, neither the followers of Longinus nor any
Vahishtael whispers word to the Monachus, however, and he Christians are accepted by the Camarilla. The hundred cults
keeps those in the cave praying until dawn. Sunrise somehow of damnation and salvation fight among each other like dogs,
catches the assassins unaware, and they are destroyed in fire but can always spare the bite of their fangs or the growls of their
and frenzy. The followers of the Monachus rejoice, and declare sermons for those who have not yet learned the truth. After all,
the cave the Sanctuary of the Lance. they say, we are all Damned and all Kindred in the eyes of God.
Blood and Bulls

Rome’s pagan religions were once spectacular. The Cybelene Isis
priests dressed as women and castrated themselves in the city
In the centuries before Christianity, Romans embraced a
streets. Pagan belief wasn’t just a matter of holy days and cele-
series of cults of supreme gods, who were seen as the highest
brations, though. The gods, many and varied as they were, were
among their pantheons. In her native Egypt, Isis was the wife
woven into the fabric of the state.
of her twin, Osiris, who she coupled with even in her mother’s
Take Cybele again. Her cult in Rome was small and politically womb. Osiris was murdered and dismembered by their other
insignificant until the Punic Wars (p. 126). Her partisans in the brother, Set. Isis, however, was able to find most of his body
Senate insisted Cybele would deliver Rome from Hannibal; and bring him back to life. Osiris lacked only his penis; but Isis’
when Rome was victorious, the Senate enthusiastically brought generative powers were so great that she could still conceive.
her worship to Rome, and built her a shrine on the Palatine Hill.
The Isis myth is genuinely ancient (Mekhet elders say that
There, along with the older gods of Rome, she watched over the
she was old when their sires were young), but her cult might
business of the government, giving her implicit assent to the
never have found Rome if she had not been attached to another
Senate’s actions. In the Republic, statues of gods were sometimes
deity, Serapis.
arranged to share meals with the Senate, usually to thank them
for military victory or to propitiate them following its defeat. When Alexander the Great died, his general Ptolemy
became King of Egypt. Ptolemy saw strife between priests of
Today, Cybele is gone from the Palatine Hill, along with the
the Egyptian and Greek deities, and so recruited the two wisest
other gods and the power of the Senate. Rome, dwindling and
and most cunning priests in Alexandria. He employed them
no longer the home of the gods, is a city spiritually wounded.
to create a new deity, one who would unite followers of gods
Some of those wounds are easily filled by the Church of Christ,
from both pantheons.
but some become abscessed.
At the priests’ instruction, Ptolemy procured a foreboding
The Great idol, its name and origin lost to the people of his time. It had
been resculpted at least twice, and the chisel-marks left its sur-
Foreign Gods face pitted and scarred. It had the majesty of a cliff face, and
the brooding countenance of a cruel father.
Rome’s most popular gods, particularly those whose cults sur- He christened it Serapis. Serapis combined the best — and
vive underground, were imported within the memory of elders. most frightening — traits of several deities. The priests’ clev-

erest move was explaining Serapis’ connection to Osiris. The of Cybele. The Punic Wars were a period of relatively slow
Egyptian priests led the worship of Osiris’ ka, which was only Embrace, so few living Cybelenes were brought into the fold.
one-ninth of the Egyptian soul. Ptolemy’s priests declared that Vampiric rites venerating Cybele often feature the castration
Serapis possessed Osiris’s ka — but also his entire soul, and so of dead priests. The castration of Attis is performed with all
his cult was greater than that of Osiris. the attendant spectacle of mortal celebrations, but just before
With his wife, still Isis, Serapis was exported all along the dawn instead of at high noon. The next night, the worshipers
Nile and then abroad. Isis, with her impressive resume, grad- awake, and the priest regrows his genitals, even as he rises from
ually began to dominate the worship of their followers. By the the sleep of the dead.
time she was brought to Rome, she had been declared Queen
of Heaven and greater than all other gods. Empty Houses
Isis is also a good example of how faith could divide the dead
The living still use the temples as landmarks. A traveler who
long before Christianity.
asks for directions will be oriented with reference to a temple
Many Daeva consider themselves the priests and priestesses of Apollo or Minerva.
of a feminine deity, whose husband died and who raised him
Yet, they are beginning to forget. They simply describe the
from the dead, along with their line’s sire (usually called Lilith).
building by its facade, or by the faceless statue standing in
Some Daeva, therefore, took enthusiastically to the worship
front of it. The gods have been cast out of their houses. Many
of Isis, seeing her as an equivalent to Inanna, Ishtar, or other
Christians won’t even set foot upon grounds once consecrated
gods of their sires.
to the old gods, except to leave their garbage.
Others, however, viewed her as an enemy; her mortal cult
The earliest temples that still stand are built of wood. They
performed rituals with alignment to the sun and fertility, nei-
occupy rectangular lots originally set aside for priests to contem-
ther of which they thought appropriate for the goddess who
plate the night sky. To divine the future, these augurs required
raised the Dark Maiden.
an open view of the night sky to the horizon. Thus, they were
Since the rise of Christianity, many pagan Kindred believe set on high ground or facing away from obstacles. The most
they were right, that Isis was a forerunner of the hated important feature of the temple was the boundary lines, which
Christians. They see parallels between the Virgin Mary of could be marked with walls, cloth, or even shallow trenches.
the Christians and Lancea et Sanctum and Isis, Queen of
The Cult of Augurs remembers these temples. Many still
Heaven. This bitter memory has been enough to quiet those
mark out consecrated spaces, sprinkling blood and salt along
who would venerate the mother of Longinus (a prostitute and,
a carefully-determined rectangle. Yet, it is hard to see the sky
some say, murderess).
in Rome, with buildings crushed against each other, rising two
Still, such a cult seems almost inevitable. and three stories, and with the smoke and vapors of the city
Cybele rising. Some priests complain that they cannot tell the future
with these obstacles, while others cry blood or cackle with
Cybele, so the story goes, was a goddess who admired a sick delight, concluding that there is nothing left to see. The
young shepherd named Attis. Unfortunately for Attis, Cybele Eternal City has been tall and crowded for centuries, but the
witnessed him having sex with another woman, and struck him arguments of dead priests rarely change.
with madness as revenge. Attis castrated himself, and swiftly
bled to death. The gory spectacle moved Cybele to mercy, and Temples from more recent centuries are made of stone, a
she resurrected him from the dead. practice imported from Greece. They are fronted with imposing
facades, and often arranged in rows, creating long, imposing
Rome did not adopt Cybele in her role as a fertility god- blocks of black against the sky. Marble also became common
dess, however. When Rome seemed destined to fall beneath for a time, though usually only as decoration. Temples once pale
Hannibal, Cybele’s worshipers preached that she could deliver and gleaming in the moonlight are now defaced with chunks of
victory over the Carthaginian invader. Indeed, they said, it had darkness where the marble has fallen or is being quarried away.
already been foretold, and they displayed prophecies to prove
it. The prophecies were confirmed by the Oracle of Delphi, Those statues that still stand in or before their temples are
representative of the popular Greek god Apollo. pock-marked with chipped paint and obscene graffiti, and many
of the terracotta roof tiles lie in pieces in the street, drifting
The Senate made a sacrifice to Cybele, and when she deliv- like autumn leaves and without regard for the boundaries of
ered the promised victory, they welcomed her to the Palatine sacred space.
Hill. She was brought before them in a fragment of a fallen
star, which was enshrined in a new temple. The other vital piece of a temple was the altar, where sacrifices
(of produce; animals; or, by night, men) were offered. The altars
Once again, the Daeva see easy parallels with the story of of the most popular gods were crowded with treasure donated
Inanna and Lilith, and the claim that Attis died from madness by conquering generals and wealthy devotees, and every being
rather than direct violence appeals to them. Many of them worth praying to had at least one interesting artifact. The
came to Rome already devoted Cybelenes. The Gangrel find humblest might have only the broken bowls of beggars, but
something to admire in self-mutilation, in overcoming pain those possessions were once dear as well.
through devotion to God. The Julii never took to the worship

These treasures are long since vanished. Most were looted, by
Christians or common thieves or even by the Senate, to pay for
some long-forgotten war. For any given temple, though, there is
Spirits
Early Roman spirituality was heavily animistic, and
a tale of how the priests escaped with gold and gems and hid the people of Rome carry its little legacies to this
them underground, and how a keen young man might find it. day. Many family or personal rituals descend from
These are the tales young men tell each other, for they do not obeisance to the spirits of the hearth or the threshold.
know the world beneath. Players and Storytellers familiar with the modern
Chronicles of Darkness know that there are many
Through fires and rebuilding, many temples have effectively spirits that personify the natural world and attend
sunk into Necropolis, and those still see use. Some are still places to mortal thoughts. Are they the same ones the
of worship, where gods selected by the Propinqui are revered by Romans believed in? Could they have inspired not
the solemn dead. Others have become havens, stuffed with the only Roman ritual but even its famous gods? That’s
bodies of whole broods or coteries during their daily sleep. up to you; we’re referring to practices that vampires
will see in Rome, not importing the mechanics of
In previous decades and centuries, when a temple fell or the present day.
burned, it was almost always rebuilt eventually. The God The dead, of course, have their own spirit legends.
housed within might change, but the space was still sacred, They speak of owl-cries in the desert which precede
and, more to the point, available. Today, however, the for- delirious visions, of witch-corpses who tell tales in
groves long ago given over to the weeds.
tunes of Rome have declined; even if the worship of pagan
gods was still permitted, there are fewer wealthy patrons to
endow the temples.
Cults of One chicken. When her mother dies, she finds herself conducting
the sacrifice in her absence. Her children chide her, but they
The Romans’ former policy of tolerance left each individual let her alone, and she knows they will carry on the practice
or household to choose their own gods, as long as they paid when she, too passes on.
lip service to the gods of the Roman state, and this created The laws of the dead exempt them from the laws of the living,
tremendous diversity. No Roman knows how many gods are but the laws of gods and spirits are something else. Many of the
worshiped in the city; even if he could count the temples, the dead adapt personal spiritual practices to take with them into
worshipers have gone home, driven out by soldiers. the long night. Indeed, compared with pagan Roman life, death
In this way, the rise of Christianity has only made the in Necropolis has a paucity of public ritual, making personal
pagan faiths harder to count. They worship in caves or in practices even more important.
darkened houses, or quietly in the insulae to avoid the hearing
of Christian neighbors. Even a soldier who evicts worshipers Ancestor Worship
from a pagan temple may retreat to a cave with his fellows to
sacrifice a bull to Mithras. Religion among the Romans is and Though each clan keeps its own Masquerade, and the
always has been personal. Christian priests rant ecstatically about eternal paradise and
the evils of consorting with spirits, many Romans know that
How does a pagan cult spread? They don’t generally inspire
the dead do not entirely depart the living. The vast weight of
mass conversions in the sense Christianity does. Most gods
pagan and Christian beliefs has not yet crushed the belief that
attract worshipers by recommendation from one friend to
the living can still reach out to the dead, and vice versa. After
another, or by being passed down from father to son or mother
all, how could it crush love?
to daughter. Many Romans perform peculiar rituals whose
origin — or patron — they cannot even say, if asked. Ancestor worship is a household cult, with each family having
their own rituals, their own ways of remembering lost fathers
Every fifth day, a man pricks his finger and smears a design of
and grandfathers. There are almost always gifts or sacrifices;
three pillars upon the south wall of his room. He doesn’t know
often these are buried in the ground or immolated in the
why he does it; perhaps he picked it up when he was a soldier,
hearth. Some treat their ancestors like minor gods, leaving a
or his father taught it to him. What he does know is that if he
slaughtered, but whole, animal in the place of memory for a
does not do it, he has nightmares of a beautiful woman whose
night or two.
eyes are obscured by smoke. She caresses him until dawn with
fingers like razors. So he performs his little ritual, even as he There are always stories, too. When a man dies, the only
mutters a prayer to his savior Christ. stories told are of his life; what used to make him laugh, what
he was like when he was angry. His daughter might retell stories
This kind of uncertainty haunts Christians and pagans
he in turn told about the war, or about his own father. As years
alike, and particularly those who don’t know which they are.
go by, though, as the father becomes a grandfather, the stories
A woman’s mother sacrifices a chicken to Juno and sprinkles
grow. His daughter, cradling a child, tells him about the time
its blood across the garden. The daughter cares for the old
their landlord’s bully-boys tried to throw the family out, and
woman with some embarrassment, chiding her for ridiculous
how her father brought her gold coins, even though she had
pagan practices, but never quite arriving in time to save the
neglected his sacrifice. She tells him about his older brother,

Crassus
Quintus Crassus’s family remembers him for his wealth, and for his brush with greatness. They remember him for
the fortune in real estate and slaves, which he left to them and which they have retained through Rome’s changing
luck. They remember that he funded Julius Caesar in his bid for Praetor and later Consul.
They don’t remember him as an inveterate gambler and they don’t remember how he fell to the edge of ruin.
Crassus was a talented architect, but a drunkard and a fool. He trusted easily, but everyone he trusted betrayed him,
with two exceptions: his wife, Livonia, and his uncle, Lysander. Crassus wasn’t particularly close to his uncle when he
was growing up; Lysander lived some ways outside the city, his father told him, in a grand villa. Quintus Crassus met
him only a few times.
When Crassus was in his cups, and on the edge of ruin, though, his uncle came to see him. He promised the young
man that if he did as he was told, he could have riches beyond what he had gambled away, beyond what he owed.
The older man told Crassus that all he had to do was bring his wife and make sacrifice with her to honored relatives.
The ritual was short, and confusing; Crassus passed out after sipping his uncle’s strange wine. Sure enough, though,
his fortunes picked up. Not only did the customers his uncle introduced him to pay well, his luck at gambling improved;
he was blessed.
The months passed and, in gratitude, Crassus set out to visit his uncle, bringing a cart full of gifts and his newborn
son. He found Lysander’s villa, but the slaves did not recognize Lysander’s name. Confused, Crassus demanded to
meet the owner of the house.
The man told Crassus that his uncle was many years dead, but that he himself owed his fortune to Lysander’s
generosity. Lysander had left him the villa and slaves, though most of those who knew the old master were dead or
freed. Crassus realized he had met a ghost, and drank heartily to thank his uncle.
His descendants do not know this story. Sometimes they are helped by a man with family features, or asked
to do him small favors. They call him Quintus Crassus. But he is not Quintus, and he was not Lysander.
who died in his blankets, and how her father returned that Vampires also venerate their ancestors, whether by blood
night to hold her. mortal or eternal. Many broods, particularly among the Daeva,
In her later years, graying and weak, she tells only good things perform rituals of abasement before their sires, and address
about her father, because she knows she goes to join him soon. them in explicitly religious terms. Most, however, worship
She cautions her children to only speak well of the dead, and their sires and grandsires only after they have succumbed to
never to forget the sacrifice. torpor. They gather by their forebears’ moldy sepulchers and
Rituals for ancestors are usually simple affairs, particularly sing hymns of mourning and fear. Some broods Embrace only
tonight. The exception used to be the Parentalia, from February on these days; others shed no blood upon them.
13th to the 21st. During the Parentalia, the temples were closed Dead whose sires come from the Middle East tell stories of
and no business was conducted, for fear of retribution from the distant ancestors whose blood does not thin with torpor, and
dead, whose jealousy frightened even the gods. Dinners were who, though mad and wild, can recall with perfect memory the
held in honor of parents and siblings gone. deeds and names of their enemies. These are called Ancients,
The poet Ovid, still read tonight, warns of a Parentalia which or, among the Jews, Methuselahs.
was neglected. He describes tremendous losses at war and to They attempt to keep these creatures away through rituals
plague, and funeral fires around the city. The dead, Ovid that might be supplications or might be wards. The most
claims, rose in an army that night to take their due. Deformed, common is to stake a mortal corpse as they would transfix a
moaning creatures roamed the streets, taking any of their vampire, and to bury him at a crossroads in the world above.
descendants they found back to the underworld with them. The dates vary, but the task is always performed in silence, lest
Some elder Propinqui claim to remember this event, and recall the sound attracts the Methuselahs’ attention.
it with satisfied smiles to their childer. They boast that once The Julii perform a similar observance of their own on
upon a time, the living denied the dead, and even lit fires over February 4th, in which they murder a young boy on the floor
their tombs; they say that they entered the city in force with of the Camarilla, then bury him in a shallow, stone-lined pit
the Nosferatu to take vengeance. The living would not feast for near the surface. The exact reason has changed with time.
the dead, and so the dead feasted upon the living. Tonight, they devote the sacrifice to Julius Senex, and they
Younger vampires listen, and they disbelieve. For though individually offer the same prayers and gifts they would to
some of them still visit their families, they cannot imagine a their immediate sires.
night without Masquerade. Above, the living listen in their They remember, though, that Senex himself once performed
Christian churches during what was once the Parentalia, and this ritual with them. Did he seek to propitiate Remus, or
they shiver. For it has been neglected for many years. something else?

APPENDIX FOUR
CONDITIONS AND TILTS
This appendix includes a range of Conditions and Tilts that can be applied to characters throughout the events of the story.
Conditions
ADORED COWED
You are a champion of the ring. Gain the 9-again quality on You have been put in your place through the violence and
Social actions with anyone who witnessed your performance. dominance of another. Suffer a –2 modifier on any Physical
This Condition fades without resolving at the end of the night. and Social rolls to oppose the character who inflicted this
Resolution: Spend this Condition to add +3 to a Social action Condition if you do not spend Willpower. This Condition
with one of your adoring fans, in addition to the effect above. fades without resolving at the end of the scene.
Resolution: Successfully injure or intimidate the character
who inflicted the Condition. Regain Willpower.
ADRIFT
(PERSISTENT)
DEMORALIZED
You are hopelessly lost at sea. You suffer the Potency of the
ritual that inflicted this Condition as a penalty to all actions Cruel fate or a superior foe has left your Beast cowering. If
to navigate the ocean or defend yourself against water-born you try to spend Willpower to attack someone, add only one
threats (or –2 if you acquired this Condition mundanely). die to your dice pool. Take a –4 to Initiative rolls and a –2
You gain no Willpower from sleep if you’re human and lose to Resolve or Composure when trying to resist or contest an
a Willpower each morning as the horror of your situation opposing dice pool. This Condition fades without resolving
begins to sink in. after a week.
Resolution: Be rescued. Achieve an exceptional success on Resolution: Exceptionally succeed an attack roll. Escape a
a Wits + Survival action while navigating the open ocean for foe unharmed. Emerge victorious from a violent conflict.
at least a day to get yourself back on track.
Beat: Give into despair at the cost of an important tool
or asset. DOOMED
(PERSISTENT)
ANAGNORISIS The Nemeses have marked you for destruction. Accept your
fate or suffer; you’ll amuse them either way. You suffer a –2
It may not lead to your Final Death, but your role in the modifier to all actions. If you are a Julii, this penalty is doubled.
greater scheme of things is star-crossed. At best. Pick one type The resolution and Beat criterion vary depending on the kind
of action: Mental, Physical, or Social. There is a disastrous of Strix that inflicted this Condition.
event on the horizon relating to that type of action, which
Cerberi
you must name in general terms. Until it occurs, take a pen-
alty on all actions relating to that category equal to the dot Resolution: Accept a dramatic failure on an action to avoid
rating of the ritual that inflicted this Condition, and any violent conflict and take the Demoralized Condition (above)
actions taken by others that would help it come to pass gain in its place.
a commensurate bonus. Beat: Hurt someone in their last three Health boxes.
Resolution: Accept a dramatic failure on the chosen action Dirae
category, at which point, the ill omen comes to pass.
Resolution: Drop a Social Merit (Sanctity of Merits applies).

Beat: Use hard leverage against someone who has an average bearing Status in the Cult of Augurs, including Merits with a
or higher impression of you in Social maneuvering. Status prerequisite, and you lose the 10-again quality on Social
actions with other Prophets. This Condition fades without
Parcae resolving in a number of nights equal to the ritual’s dot level.
Resolution: Abandon a long-term Aspiration for one that Resolution: Accept a task from a Vaticinator of equal or
the Owl chooses for you. You may not like the result. higher rank. This should be a deed proportionate to how
Beat: Voluntarily fail an action that would have led you to powerful the ritual was, but regardless of what the task may
fulfill a long-term Aspiration. be, it’s very likely to advance someone else’s political ambitions.
EXPOSED MISSION
You’ve laid bare your monstrosity and it echoes across the You’ve drawn too deep from your nature as an agent of divine
Blood. Anyone with blood sympathy to you can tell when you wrath. The worst aspects of your inhuman nature overtake
use a Discipline or Devotion or when you lash out, and they may you, and you dedicate yourself to this cause with manic fervor.
spend a Willpower to learn who you used it against and a rough You can only spend Willpower on actions that would directly
idea of the scenario. Your first- and second-removed relatives harm another person. This does not need to be physical harm;
may also lash out at you regardless of distance. This Condition causing damage to someone’s reputation will serve just as well.
resolves in nights equal to the dot rating of the rite performed. This Condition fades without resolving in a number of nights
Resolution: Let the Beast protect you, dramatically failing equal to the dot level of the ritual that inflicted it.
frenzy resistance. Accept a blood bond. Resolution: Take a breaking point in God’s name.
FIXATION PLAGUE OF BLOOD

(PERSISTENT)
You are driven solely by your need to satisfy one of your goals
and can think of nothing else. Pick one of your Aspirations. You are infected with the Plague of Blood. Vitae flows slug-
You lose the 10-again quality on any rolls that won’t actively gishly in your veins, rendering your limbs rigid and dulling
help you achieve it. You cannot take any extended action that your hunter’s senses. Your skin becomes cold and grayish in
wouldn’t advance that Aspiration, as focusing on anything pallor, and you cannot use the blush of life. Perception, Kindred
else for an extended period proves impossible. If faced with Senses, and actions requiring finesse suffer a –2 modifier, and
an opportunity to advance that Aspiration, you must spend whenever you use Physical Intensity or an active effect of a
a point of Willpower to resist the impulse to take it or suffer Physical Discipline, roll a die: on a 1, the effect doesn’t work.
a breaking point at your current Humanity level/Integrity –3. Anyone who feeds on you must resist gaining the disease,
This Condition ends without resolving after a week. rolling Resolve + Stamina minus nights you’ve been infected,
Resolution: Complete the chosen Aspiration. to a maximum of –5.
Once you resolve this Condition, you are immune to the
Plague of the Blood.
HUMBLED BLOOD Resolution: Drain the tainted Vitae from your body and
(PERSISTENT) fully sate yourself on healthy blood. Veneficium achieving
purification. A god’s blessing.
You have lost access to one of your Disciplines for violating Beat: Purposely spread the plague to another vampire.
Camarilla law. Until you perform a certain task, resources spent
on this power are wasted, and any passive effects are nullified.
Resolution: Do your community service. TAXPAYER
Beat: Suffer a major setback where your ability would’ve (PERSISTENT)
made all the difference.
By decree of the Senex, your Vitae has been taxed as a pun-
ishment for your crimes. One out of every three points of Vitae
INDEBTED you consume disappears from your pool and instead appears
within a vessel chosen when you gained this Condition.
Everything has a price, and everyone knows when you’ve Resolution: Vitae equal to half your maximum pool is taxed
taken more than you should for less than it’s worth. If you’re by this Condition.
asking more than you should of the gods, you’d better expect Beat: You fail to resist frenzy brought on by low Vitae because
to make some sacrifices. You no longer enjoy any benefits for of your taxed blood.
APPENDIX FOUR: 273

CONDITIONS AND T I LT S
Tilts
Ending the Tilt: Even during the eruption, earthquakes
AVALANCHE aren’t constant, ending within one minute (20 turns) and taking
some time before the next one strikes.
(ENVIRONMENTAL TILT)
Effect: Each turn your character is within the avalanche’s
reach, he takes a point of lethal damage from the force. Unless HEAVY WINDS
he also succeeds a Dexterity + Athletics roll, he’s also moved (ENVIRONMENTAL TILT)
along by the wave of material, usually going at about 80 kilo-
Effect: Loud winds impose a –3 modifier to aural Perception
meters an hour, though this can vary wildly. This may have its
rolls. Grade the wind from one to five: a penalty equal to the
own detrimental effects — if you’re swept off a cliff, for instance,
wind’s grade applies to Physical actions. Characters suffer bash-
you have a lot more to worry about than some rocks rolling
ing damage equal to the grade each turn, though the damage
down a mountain at you.
may be avoided with a reflexive Dexterity + Athletics action.
Ending the Tilt: Avalanches continue until they run out of
Ending the Tilt: Finding shelter from the winds.
momentum or material.
COLLAPSING CEILING INFERNO

Effect: All characters suffer a 2-die penalty to all rolls because
Effect: Halve each character’s Speed as falling debris gets of smoke and pain from the fire. After two turns, any character
in everyone’s way. Characters take between 1 and 3 points of who breathes suffers 2 bashing damage per turn from smoke
lethal damage per turn, with a successful Dexterity + Athletics inhalation. After three turns, the character suffers 1 lethal
roll downgrading this to bashing damage and an exceptional damage per turn from burns. If the character catches fire, he
success negating it entirely. suffers 4L per turn until he dies or is put out.
Ending the Tilt: Most buildings in Pompeii don’t contain Ending the Tilt: All fires burn out eventually, but suppres-
enough material to collapse for more than a few turns, but large sion methods help.
buildings and underground structures can collapse for a whole
scene. The Tilt ends when the ceiling disintegrates or stabilizes.
RIOT
DUST STORM
(ENVIRONMENTAL TILT) Tension permeates the hot Italian night. Tempers simmer
as everyone wonders what happens next. Then, someone
Effect: Dust storms make it hard to see anything beyond throws a rock.
one’s immediate surroundings. Perception rolls to see things
Effect: Every turn, all characters stuck in the riot are bumped,
within five yards of the character suffer a 1-die penalty. Each
struck, and pushed by the enraged crowd. Roll Stamina +
additional five yards inflicts a cumulative –1. The blowing
Athletics reflexively each turn; failure means the character
dust also imposes a –3 on all Physical actions while out in the
suffers two bashing damage. Any other effects — smashed
storm. Living characters take one bashing damage each turn
storefronts, destroyed public property, murdered public fig-
as the dust scours their lungs, but Kindred are immune to this.
ures — depend on the location of the riot and are down to the
Ending the Tilt: The best way to avoid dust storms is to Storyteller’s discretion.
move indoors.
Causing the Tilt: Mostly this Tilt will be applied as the story
dictates, not by anything the characters control. If the char-
EARTHQUAKE acters do something stupidly high-profile in an already-tense
situation, they just might touch one off. Certain Disciplines and
(ENVIRONMENTAL TILT) Devotions, might also allow vampire characters to start a riot.
Effect: All Dexterity-based dice pools (and Defense) suffer a Ending the Tilt: Barring supernatural powers, most characters
1-to-5-die penalty. Characters take between 1 and 3 points of can’t stop a riot once it really gets going. Depending on the size
lethal damage per turn of the earthquake’s duration. A reflexive of the mob, the nature of the triggering event, and the ability
Stamina + Athletics roll downgrades that damage to bashing (and willingness) of authorities to respond, the riot might run
or cancels it on an exceptional success. anywhere from a couple of hours to a few weeks.

Name: Clan:
Mask: Bloodline:
Dirge: Wing:
Concept: Chronicle:
attributes
POWER Intelligence Strength Presence
FINESSE Wits Dexterity Manipulation
RESISTANCE Resolve Stamina Composure
skills other traits

mental disciplines heal
th
(-3 unskilled)
OOOOO
Academics OOOOO OOOOO
Crafts OOOOO OOOOO
Investigation OOOOO OOOOO wi
llpower
Medicine OOOOO OOOOO
Occult OOOOO OOOOO
Politics OOOOO OOOOO
Religion OOOOO OOOOO b
lood potency
Warfare OOOOO OOOOO
vi
tae
physical merits
(-1 unskilled)
OOOOO
Archery OOOOO OOOOO
Athletics OOOOO OOOOO humanity
Brawl OOOOO OOOOO 10
Larceny OOOOO OOOOO 9
Ride OOOOO OOOOO 8
Stealth OOOOO OOOOO 7
Survival OOOOO OOOOO 6
Weaponry OOOOO OOOOO 5
4
3
social aspirations 2
(-1 unskilled)
1
Animal Ken OOOOO
Empathy OOOOO
Expression OOOOO
Intimidation OOOOO Size: Speed:
Persuasion OOOOO conditions Defense: Armor:
Socialize OOOOO Initiative Mod:
Streetwise OOOOO Beats: ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨
Subterfuge OOOOO Experiences:
More
from NMD
Available at
WE ARE ROME.
We are her hallowed ancestors
and her unholy specters.
We are her miracles and her sins.
We are her glory and her depravity.
WE ARE HER KINDRED,

AND WE ARE WAITING FOR YOU.
Join us beneath the earth
and know our triumphs and our sorrows.
Bask in the wonders of our secret Necropolis,

and Bear witness as we conquer death
in the Eternal City’s shadow.
AND THEN WATCH CLOSELY

AS IT ALL COMES CRASHING DOWN.
This book includes:

• A complete update and expansion of Requiem for Rome for Vampire: The
Requiem Second Edition.
• The Julii, doomed Founders of the All Night Society.
• The wings of the Camarilla, the first blood covenant of the dead.
• The history of the Propinqui and an inside look at the hidden empire they rule
away from mortal eyes.
• Supernatural powers and sorceries forgotten in the modern nights.
• Six Dark Eras throughout the ages of the Roman Empire.
• Thirteen horrors from the depths of ancient history and streamlined rules for
the Strix.
• Errata for the core Requiem system.

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What are some of the clans and wings mentioned in the document?

What are some of the clans and wings mentioned in the document?

What is the Necropolis?

What is the Necropolis?

Credits

Authors: Kelly J Clark, Jesse Charles Cowell, Astra Crompton,

2 REQUIEM FOR ROME SECOND EDITION

4 REQUIEM FOR ROME SECOND EDITION

6 REQUIEM FOR ROME SECOND EDITION

How to Use This Book

THE INVICTUS IS THE CAMARILLA’S RIGHTFUL SUCCESSOR

THE CAMARILLA NEARLY DESTROYED THE LANCEA ET SANCTUM

THE STRIX DESTROYED THE CAMARILLA

THE VENTRUE DESCEND FROM THE JULII

8 REQUIEM FOR ROME SECOND EDITION

10 REQUIEM FOR ROME SECOND EDITION

I The darkness is incomplete, but still so dim

THE CLANS OF ROME

You have the blood of a Roman! Good.

Why you should fear us

Why we should fear ourselves

18 REQUIEM FOR ROME SECOND EDITION

You call these games?

20 REQUIEM FOR ROME SECOND EDITION

24 REQUIEM FOR ROME SECOND EDITION

Give me your sins.

26 REQUIEM FOR ROME SECOND EDITION

Move or don’t. No matter.

Why we should fear ourselves

30 REQUIEM FOR ROME SECOND EDITION

Keep your emperor.

32 REQUIEM FOR ROME SECOND EDITION

Yes, Senator, the gods favor your election

Accept the boot on your neck

38 REQUIEM FOR ROME SECOND EDITION

Laws? Laws are scratches in stone marked by

Your sentence has already been chosen.

44 REQUIEM FOR ROME SECOND EDITION

Bless me, Dark Father,

CHAPTER TWO: SODALITAS PERNOX 51

52 REQUIEM FOR ROME SECOND EDITION

CHAPTER TWO: SODALITAS PERNOX 53

54 REQUIEM FOR ROME SECOND EDITION

CHAPTER TWO: SODALITAS PERNOX 55

56 REQUIEM FOR ROME SECOND EDITION

CHAPTER TWO: SODALITAS PERNOX 57

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CHAPTER TWO: SODALITAS PERNOX 59

60 REQUIEM FOR ROME SECOND EDITION

CHAPTER TWO: SODALITAS PERNOX 61

THE SECOND TRADITION: DESTRUCTION

THE THIRD TRADITION: AMARANTH

62 REQUIEM FOR ROME SECOND EDITION

CHAPTER TWO: SODALITAS PERNOX 63

The Peregrine Collegium

64 REQUIEM FOR ROME SECOND EDITION

CHAPTER TWO: SODALITAS PERNOX 65

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CHAPTER TWO: SODALITAS PERNOX 67