Tzimisce

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==General==
Name: 	Tzimisce
Pronounciation:	zhi-mee-zee
Nicknames: 	Fiends
Antediluvian: 	Tzimisce
Allegiance: 	Sabbat
Disciplines: 	Animalism, Auspex, Vicissitude or Dominate
The Tzimisce were once the most feared of all clans. With the downfall of feudalism, and the rise of the usurper Tremere, they are a shadow of their former selves. Disjointed as any clan in the Sabbat, they don't even fill the majority of the leadership positions. Still, they hold a great deal of power, regardless of who realizes it. The clan has access to many powerful sorceries, Disciplines, and eldritch lores.
The clan has many dark points of its history. However, bargains with demons, twisted experiments, and unforgivable sins have yielded powerful weapons.
Revenant Families
Koldunic Sorcery
Kupala
===Disciplines===
The clan at large practices the following disciplines: Animalism, Auspex, Vicissitude
The Old Clan eschews the corruption of Vicissitude for Dominate.
The witches of the clan practice the paths of Koldunic Sorcery.
===The Generic Tzimisce===
Strength 4, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2 / Charisma 3, Manipulation 4, Appearance 3 / Perception 2, Intelligence 2, Wits 2
*The legacy of the Voivodes is a long and glorious one, and the Clan as a whole has followed in their footsteps, creating vast and complex systems of rules that govern hospitality and protocol. As such, many Tzimisce still value social grace, as both good hosts and good guests require knowledge of the niceties. These honors are closely followed by accolades earned from battle - havens must be kept secure, and estates defended from those who seek to usurp them. The elders respect a neonate who can both serve on the battlefield and in the court of bishops, though they are careful to keep an eye on such a precocious vampire... Masters of the Path of Metamorphosis often cultivate their mental powers, but such scholars are few and far between in the Final Nights.
Brawl 2, Empathy 1, Intimidation 3, Leadership 1-3, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 1
*Tzimisce are surprisingly social creatures - at least those of the Old Blood are. Their experience with people comes in all forms: from bloody-knuckled battle to the verbal sparring of court. Knowing people inside and out (literally!) has also given them the ability to tell things that other, less empathetic, beings would miss.
Animal Ken 2, Crafts 1-4 (Body Crafts 1-3, Sculpture), Ride/Drive 1, Etiquette 1, Melee 1, Survival 1
*The social nature of Tzimisce also extends to animals; between the gentleman's pursuits of hawking, hunting, and breeding livestock, most Old Blood have a way with dumb beasts. Thanks to Vicissitude, their own ghouls often degenerate into such a state. Their skill at shaping flesh and bone is masterful, and working with the human body has given them incredible insight into such crafts as sculpture, placing piercings, tattooing, and other fleshy art forms.
Academics 1 (European History), Law 1-2, Linguistics 1-3, Medicine 2, Occult 1 (Kindred Strengths and Weaknesses), Politics 2
*Depending on how cosmopolitan the Tzimisce is, they can either be very well-traveled or extremely isolated. Many are the elders who refuse to leave their own ancestral grounds for fear of being caught abroad without their earth-filled coffins. However, being a good host means knowing your guests, so many dabble in a variety of interests and languages. Most Tzimisce learn human anatomy and physiology as a matter of course, thanks to their practice of fleshcrafting.
Generation 3, Herd 1-3, Retainers 1-5, Resources 2-4
*The more selective Tzimisce sires choose only those who will somehow improve the Clan, whether for a new experiment in Vicissitude, combat prowess, or influence in the mortal world, passing on the strength of their blood for the good of the Clan. There are few lonely Tzimisce in the World of Darkness, and most surround themselves with the trappings of wealth and power, which includes servants and a well-stocked human larder. To support this lifestyle, Old Blood Tzimisce accumulate Resources, typically in the form of property such as an ancestral estate in Romania, hotels or other hospitality services, and criminal patronage. It is a matter of purest coincidence that these occupations give them access to as much blood as they could ever desire.
Animalism 1, Auspex 1, Vicissitude 2 / Animalism 1, Auspex 1, Dominate 2
*The "Old Clan" Tzimisce have refused to give up their lordly ways as dominators of humanity, preferring mental coercion rather than physical threat. New Clan Tzimisce, however - those who have studied Vicissitude and given in to the corruption of their blood - seem happy enough molding and twisting the flesh of their prey until they become broken and dispirited. The end is accomplished either way, and both enjoy the use of Heightened Senses to experience their victims' suffering on entirely new levels. Animalism lets them extend this control even more widely, thanks to animal spies and szlachta minions.
Common Natures and Demeanors
(See pages 112-115 of the Vampire: The Masquerade sourcebook for a list of most of these Natures and Demeanors and their function in gameplay, unless otherwise noted.)
Autocrat, Bon Vivant, Conniver, Deviant, Fanatic, Masochist, Monster, Perfectionist, Haughty
==Clan History==
===Earth and Ashes - the Early History===
Kupala's Night
Kupala's instruction of Tzimisce eventually culminated in an event known as Kupala's Night. Before the Biblical Flood, and long before the rise of Rome, Tzimisce and its eldest and wisest childer gathered in the depths of the Carpathian mountains. Though the Lupines attempted to keep the demon-spirit imprisoned, the Tzimisce triumphed, and Kupala was set free - mostly. All of its chains to the mortal world were broken, save two: the Carpathian mountains, within which it had been bound for so long... and [Tzimisce] itself.
With the rest of the great demon freed, its only outlet was into the Clan, through the blood of the Antediluvian. The childer of the Eldest speak of a legendary single night in the Clan's history, during which their powers of Vicissitude were heightened to incredible levels, and their sorcerous magicks rivaled that of the gods. This was known as Kupala's Night - the night the Tzimisce Clan established their power and damned themselves for the rest of eternity.
Since Kupala's Night, the Clan has waged a private war with the werewolf tribes of Eastern Europe for custodianship of the Carpathians. Though any single werewolf is easily a match for an elder vampire, with the aid of koldunic sorcery and fleshcrafted war ghouls, the Tzimisce eventually gained the upper hand, and from there largely drove off or slew the Lupines. Occassionally in later years, werewolf "crusades" were launched against the Carpathians, but the Tzimisce (oftentimes aided by Gangrel allies), kept the terrain free of their shamanistic influences.
===Vision and Blindness - the Roman Empire===
The Tzimisce had little to do with Rome and its many conquests. Their real influence lay further eastward, in Constantinople. There, noted scholars such as Myca Vykos and the Dracon furthered the knowledge of the Clan in unheard-of ways. The city was the site of a major spiritual movement among Cainites: it seems that the Damned may not be so Damned after all. With this revelation, the Clan Tzimisce, along with many others (Malkavians, Brujah, even Nosferatu) could learn to enjoy the fruits of their decades-long labor and co-exist more-or-less peacefully among the mortals.
The Obertus order was involved in this movement most heavily, of all the Tzimisce lines. They had preserved quite a bit of the lost Library of Alexandria, making them some of the most well-read supernaturals in the world at that time.
===Wars and Pieces- the Dark Ages===
The Dark Ages could easily be said to be the golden era of the Tzimisce. The Clan dominated Eastern Europe since their influence in Rome and Byzantium waned centuries ago. They adapted very well, creating a strong power base upon the foundation of feudal politics and animistic religion.
The central government of the Tzimisce, so to speak, was the Council of Voivodes, guided by the Viceroy. The Viceroy was elected by his peers, but his tenure was set "for life". However, given the jealousy and suspicion among the Clan, there was a fairly regular progression of Viceroys, as one after another fell to the political or physical traps set by another ambitious clanmember. The Council had anywhere from less than a dozen to nearly a hundred members during the Dark Ages, making it the single most influential factor in Clan politics.
One act of this Council was to censure one of its own members, the Methuselah Vukodlak, whose blatant attempts to wrestle control of the Council was met with bare-fanged resistance. He was driven into torpor by a mighty Koldunic spell, to ruminate on his failure for twenty centuries.
One of the most famous Voivodes of the period was Vladimir Rustovich, the Hammer of the Tremere. As perhaps the Clan's most pre-eminent Voivode during the early years of the conflict with the Warlocks, Rustovich wielded enormous political power, establishing a web of allied Voivodes throughout Tzimisce holdings. Between his military brilliance and mastery of Koldunism, Rustovich waged war against the Eastern-European Tremere for more than two centuries before a succession of stalls and failures brought about by Ventrue scheming ended his prominence in the Clan. From that point on, diplomats such as Myca Vykos and Radu Szantovitch were responsible for consolidating the Tzimisce claim in Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and Russian territories.
===Lord and Monster - the Victorian Era===
The most embarrassing anecdote in the Clan's modern history was the publication of Dracula, by Bram Stoker. Dracula, being a fairly human Tzimisce elder, sought to expand his holdings and resources into England, and had indeed hired an estate agent to aid him. However, from that point on, Stoker's account grows more and more fictional. No vampire of Dracula's years would ever have been so careless as to be discovered feeding on nubile young Englishwomen as portrayed in the book. There was no confrontation with a mortal hunter, by Van Helsing or any other name. By Dracula's own account, he invested heavily in English land and stocks and did fairly well for himself in spite of never setting foot on the actual soil of England.
Literary historians among the Kindred suspect that Stoker was under the influence of a Malkavian at the time of the writing.
===Flesh and Blood - the Final Nights===
==Organization==
===Antitribu===
There are no known Tzimisce antitribu. The Camarilla rejects the Clan entire, and the Sabbat are careful to breed fervid loyalty to the sect in their members, from shovelheads to prisci. It is possible that there are a few Tzimisce among the Inconnu, such as the infamous Lord Dracula (who in turn might be the ancient "Dracon" of Constantinople). The only group of Tzimisce that could be called antitribu are the elders who refused to join the Sabbat during its inception. They are all Old World and Old Clan Tzimisce, and maintain demenses in and around the Carpathian Mountains and other locations in Eastern Europe.
===Sects===
The Tzimisce belong to the Sabbat - or perhaps it would be fairer to say that the Tzimisce think that the Sabbat belongs to them. The Clan takes credit for many of the Sabbat's ritae and ideological movements, a point that has been fought over between the Tzimisce and the Lasombra since the Sabbat's inception. For the past five-hundred years, then, the Tzimisce have struggled for supremacy over the sect, and at two separate times this exploded into outright war with the Lasombra. It speaks to the inherent self-centeredness of both Clans that neither of them consider the antitribu or the Panders much of a threat to their rule, in spite of the fact that the current Regent of the Sabbat is a Toreador antitribu.
The Tzimisce role in the Sabbat occupies both the most spiritual and most base position. They often serve - simultaneously - as both the priest and the most vicious and depraved warrior of a pack. Though the Clan's childer are not well-known for their cunning or intelligence, the elders of the Clan still operate a rigorous political machine that seeks to maintain the status quo of the sect. The Clan has even carried the position of the voivode into the Modern Nights; labelling the position as a "figurehead" would be generous, as few Tzimisce bother listening to the current voivode, Minerva Schwalke-Wojtkiewicz, at all.
===Bloodlines===
The Tzimisce have no formal bloodlines, as they regard the dilution of their blood as a base, impure thing, much like the Ventrue. They look down on the Gangrel in particular for their diverging lineages, nodding sagely to themselves at this "proof" of other Clans' lesser blood.
Sometime during the 20th century (most likely the 1940s or 1950s), Tzimisce magicians and occult scholars joined forces with a small cabal of Tremere antitribu to create the bloodline known as the Blood Brothers. They were supposed to be shock troops to use against the Camarilla and its Masquerade, completely loyal to the Sabbat and to their keepers. Though the Tzimisce may be considered the "parent" Clan, they are only a bloodline of the Tzimisce in the sense that the Gargoyles are a bloodline of the Tremere, or the Kiasyd are a bloodline of the Lasombra - that is, a creation, rather than a childe.
===Tzimisce by Continent===
Africa
One or two noble bloodlines of the Tzimisce infiltrated Africa centuries ago, disavowing any interest in the war pursued by the Sabbat and the Camarilla. Please see Kindred of the Ebony Kingdom for more information.
Antarctica
There are no known Fiends in Antarctica, though one has to wonder just how far [Tzimisce]'s tentacles spread...
Asia
Australia/New Zealand
The Tzimisce of the Pacific Southwest tend to be punks, to put it frankly. Whether imported from Europe or the Americas, or newly Embraced in their home country, Australian and New Zealander Tzimisce epitomize the free, wild, and ever-so-slightly-deranged Sabbat shovelhead.
Europe
The Tzimisce have a huge presence in Europe, though focused mainly in the east. Romania ("Transylvania", or "the Land Beyond the Forest") is perhaps the homeland of the Tzimisce, and as such they exercise complete dominion over the country and surrounding nations. The Tzimisce are also noted in Russia, where they have recently evicted (to hear them tell it) the Brujah and a great deal of Nosferatu. Tzimisce in western Europe are rare, as there the Ventrue and Camarilla have an indomitable sway.
*The most famous Tzimisce of Europe include: Velya the Vivisectionist, Cardinal of the Land Beyond the Forest; hereditarily, Sascha Vykos hails from the Carpathians
North America
Tzimisce in the Americas tend to be young, rebellious, and monstrous. There are also quite a few of ancilla-age or older, as the Sabbat have had a presence on the North American continent since well before the American Revolutionary War. They are well-established in the rural Apalachian mountains, and nomad packs range throughout the East and Midwest. Several Old World Tzimisce have made the journey across the Atlantic to pursue a Crusade against the East-Coast Camarilla, including Sascha Vykos, who took the title of Archbishop of Washington, D. C.
South America
The Tzimisce do not have a concentrated presence in South America, unlike the Lasombra. What Tzimisce there are include a few Metamorphosists who wish to study the werewolves in their "native habitat", and others who pursue research into modern medicine and science.
==Culture==
The Tzimisce value the appearance of many things: the appearance of honor, the appearance of generosity, and the appearance of authority. So long as the rules of conduct are not forcibly thrown out the window, members of the Clan can get away with some truly inhuman acts. It should be noted that these rules only apply to the Tzimisce themselves; other Clans are on their own, and considered free game for anything a Tzimisce wishes to take from them.
Clan culture has devolved noticably from the ancient days when Tzimisce ruled the nights with an iron fist, but offered unconditional hospitality to their guests. Now, the tables have turned: Tzimisce rule other Tzimisce with an iron fist, and seem to cater to the whims of other Clans in order to fulfill their political goals. The ancient fear of diablerie is present nightly in the Clan. If rumors are true, elder Tzimisce not only have to fear their childer, but their own cannibalistic Antediluvian, as well. This breeds a society of paranoia and jealousy like nothing else on earth. Old Clan Tzimisce are very popular as targets, since they tend to rule huge estates, have armies of retainers, whole yards of herd-humans, and are of low generation. Oh, and they are not protected by the Sabbat. That said, there's also some very good reasons why they've managed to survive for the past five-hundred-plus years: they rule huge estates, have armies of retainers, and are of low generation.
This dichotomy is prevalent among the Clan, whether New or Old. The appearance of a Tzimisce is often genteel, beautiful, intriguing. Though many of the youngest generations promote aspects of brutality and monstrosity, the Tzimisce who have any real power in the sect must cultivate their appearance for the benefit of politics. Typically, this contrast of appearance hides an ironic nature: young, demonic-looking Tzimisce are often still "too-human", and use their constant cruelty and depravity to conquer their own fears and misgivings. Keep in mind, dear reader, that most "shovelheads" were mostly normal humans prior to their Embrace - it is the shock of the Creation Rites that drives them mad, not their own personalities.
On the other hand, the elder Tzimisce who make the effort to appear more beautiful and human have the darkest, most twisted natures of any vampire Clan. They have distanced themselves from anything that is human either by pursuing intellect to its highest and most detached form, or by giving in to their rabid natures and descending to the level of the Beast. Either way, even the most degraded Tzimisce knows that the best way to capture prey is to present a beguiling face.
The Laws of Hospitality
The rights and treatment of guests forms an indelible part of Tzimisce culture. There are many and archaic rules concerning deportment, manners, greetings, goodbyes, allowances, and settlement of grievances, but there are a few Clan-wide obligations that are always honored. A guest of the Tzimisce is entitled to several things: 1) shelter and nourishment for three days and three nights (not counting the night of arrival); 2) the protection of the host against third-party aggressors; 3) suspension of inter-family grievances for the duration of the stay; 4) the best quarters in the home of the host (up to and incuding the host's own chambers).
However, the guest also has a few obligations that makes them worthy of such special treatment: 1) a ritual exchange of gifts or services (on arriving, departing, or sometimes both); 2) respecting the host's boundaries and property; 3) not needlessly angering the host or any of his family; 4) not staying any longer than the requisite three days and three nights unless invited to. The balance of these laws is to ensure that no advantage is taken of either the host or guest - a Fiend's honor can be completely shattered by infringing upon either one of these sets of rules. Given the warfare that exists between lineages of Tzimisce, exercising patience and honoring these laws is a way to ensure that there is always a sort of "neutral ground" where combative families can meet and prevent any further outrages.
The older a Tzimisce is, the more seriously they treat these laws, for they remember the nights when the only shelter to be had was in the domain of a rival voivode, when travel was arduous and only undertaken when neccessary. Most elder Tzimisce respect these laws in the modern nights, but their grandchilder may not even be aware that these laws exist, much less still enforced in their ancestors' domains. Minor breaches can be forgiven, though some sort of effort must be made to show that the trespasser is apologetic. Major breaches can fix a Tzimisce's reputation in a very bad way - slaughtering guests during the day is a sure way to make sure no-one comes to visit you, or ever wants to make a deal.
===Clan Prestige===
• Obscure; you are probably a member of a revenant family, or from an established line of Tzimisce. While your family name may be known, you in particular haven't done much in service to the Clan
•• Known; your rise to power is off to a good start. The packs of your city fear your vengeance while at the same time curry your favor (Zachary Sikorsky, Righteous Endeavor)
••• Popular; you are respected for your scholarship in Vicissitude, and may even be a koldun. The physical body and the body politic hold few secrets from you (the Little Tailor of Prague, Dracula, Miverva Schwalke-Wojtkiewicz, Voivode, Ilias)
•••• Storied; flesh is nothing but a puppet for your manipulations. Your reputation is surpassed only by your ruthlessness and strength of will (Velya the Vivisectionist, Radu Bistri, Lugoj, Triglav the Three-Headed, Vladimir Rustovich)
••••• Legend; you are the very incarnation of power and gentility, aided by your mastery of Vicissitude and legendary hospitality. Few still exist who can compete with your sheer viciousness and cunning (Sascha Vykos, the Dracon)
===Style and Appearance===
The Clan's practice of Vicissitude makes describing any single Clan-wide "appearance" an exercise in futility. However, there are a couple of trends that stand out. As mentioned above, many younger Tzimisce revel in the act of looking like a monster, purely for the shock value. To this end, they grant themselves horns, scales, spikes, demonic visages, and any other sort of sickening or frightening trait they can imagine. Ritualistic tattoos and piercings are also fairly common. Many pursue the work on their appearance as an art form, and packs compete to present the most disturbing member.
Older Tzimisce, who were Embraced during the Victorian Era or earlier, have a greater tendency to dress like archaic nobility. The elder Sascha Vykos once made an appearance as the infamous Countess Bathory, who bathed in the blood of one-hundred virgins. Other elders - or those who wish to cultivate the image of age - wear attire such as ermine robes, flowing cloaks, ceremonial pieces of armor, and basically anything else that says "I am not a human of this time"; at least, "I am not human". To that effect, several Tzimisce, young and old, sometimes cure the skin of mortals and make up fantastic masks or accessories out of Vicissitude-modified bits of their victims. Yes, that nose ring really is bone.
*Countess Bathory: see pages 80-84 of Clannovel: Tzimisce
===Religion and Philosophy===
The religious traditions of the Tzimisce wax and wane - at times, members of the Clan have adopted Catholicism, Judaism, animism, and ancestor worship. However, the most consistent philosophy of the Clan revolves around the studies of the Koldun, sorcerers who wield the strength of the earth, sky, and blood against foes of the Tzimisce. The earth and its products are sacred to the Koldun, in the same way that a saint's sword is regarded as a relic: a powerful weapon, one that can cut both ways.
===Experimental Subjects: Clan Relationships===
The Tzimisce and the Gangrel have a rather bumpy history. Gangrel spread out across the earth, and that includes venturing into the homelands of the Tzimisce, who were outraged that other vampires would dare set foot in their territory without permission. Once the initial squabbles had settled, the Tzimisce found that the Gangrel made useful agents, and in return offered some of their famous hospitality to travelling Outlanders. This state of things continued for several hundred years; the Gangrel brought news of the outside world to the Tzimisce and occasionally acted as messengers in exchange for a safe lair for the day and a drink. This relationship changed drastically after the formation of the Camarilla and Sabbat, when the two Clans became ideologically opposed. The Tzimisce never forgave the Gangrel for siding with the Camarilla, and several Gangrel found themselves driven out of Tzimisce lands as soon as could be politely managed.
*In the modern nights, many other Clans act surprised that there's so much antagonism remaining between the two Clans: surely their mutual ability to shapeshift and wild natures would endear them to one another? This is generally not the case, as both Clans develop inhuman mentalities that prevent them from enjoying the companionship of the Dark Ages. However, there are still a few Gangrel and Tzimisce elders that remain cordial, thanks to their mutual hatred of the Tremere.
While the Nosferatu suffer from hideousness thanks the curse of Caine, the Tzimisce suffer hideousness thanks to their own design. While they share this common trait of ugliness, the Clan responses to it are radically different: for the Nosferatu, it has meant millenia of ostracization and shunning, driving them underground and making them unable to engage in the mortal world except in the most limited or brutal of ways. For the Tzimisce, the twisted visage brought about by fleshcrafting is a sign of individual strength and stamina, and celebrated as a hallmark of a Tzimisce's monstrousness. The typical Nosferatu is repulsed by the sheer glee Tzimisce take being a facial abomination, while the Fiends question the Nosferatu obstinacy in maintaining their humanity: they are already physically monsters, and the world treats them as such, so why not be the monster?
*There are a few cases where the Tzimisce and Nosfertu get along spendidly, but this is more a weakness on the part of individual Nosferatu than any real philosophical concession of the Tzimisce. Young Tzimisce and Nosferatu Leatherfaces enjoy the same kinds of pastimes: serial murder, torture, general tragedy and atrocity committed against humankind. In fact, there are even entire packs that run amok in the Modern Nights, living out their favorite horror-movie fantasies.
The Tzimisce hate the Tremere. There is no other emotion that comes close to its sheer depth, unless it is a sneering disgust. When the Tremere forced their way into the night as vampires, they affronted the Tzimisce on many levels: with their experiments on Tzimisce vitae, they attacked the Clan physically; with their demands of legitimacy (and later siding with the Camarilla), they attacked the Clan politically and morally. The Tremere blood magic was a direct challenge to the ancient Tzimisce rites of the koldun. The Tremere, for their part, realize that the Tzimisce are their oldest and most bitter enemies, and even the antitribu go out of their way not to interact with the childer of Fiends.
*There is one - carefully not documented - case of cooperation between the Tzimisce and the Tremere antitribu of the Sabbat, during the creation of the Blood Brothers. With the destruction of the Tremere antitribu in 1998, any such hopes of more attempts was lost. The Tzimisce were not sorry to see them go.
Flesh: Tzimisce in the Jyhad
The Tzimisce would like to consider themselves above such things as a war fought over petty insults and momentary games, but in reality they are some of the most active members in the Jyhad. Like the Ventrue and Lasombra, Tzimisce seek positions of control and leadership; however, unlike the Ventrue, they do not seek any dominion over the realms of mortals, and generally only consider their existence when hungry or when they need materials for fleshcrafting. Unlike the Lasombra, the Tzimisce believe in ruling openly and with demonstratable power. Elders in particular are stuck in the feudal mindset, and cultivate temporal power and riches alongside their studies of Metamorphosis. Since these studies occupy a great deal of their time, many Tzimisce take periodic breaks from Cainite politics and devote themselves to improving their knowledge of occult, scientific, and koldunic lore. If this just so happens to make them more of a force to be reckoned with when they return to Sabbat society, it's only a very large bonus.
The Tzimisce contributions to the Sabbat war effort are usually newly-Embraced childer to serve as footsoldiers, or, for the elders who have mastered Vicissitude, massive war ghouls that take their place in assaults so the vampire can pursue other interests. Aside from Crusades, however, Tzimisce rarely act in sync with the rest of the Sabbat, as their political and personal goals hardly coincide with the Lasombra's.
==Tzimisce: Nobility and Spite==
===Clan Flaw===
The clan itself is tied into the land it lives upon, as is the way of any true ruler. Any Tzimisce that leaves its native soil without bringing it with them, suffers without its strength. As each night passes without having the sanctity of its soil with it the Tzimisce shall grow weaker and weaker. The effects are mitigated if one is able to recieve a full day's rest within its native earth.
===Szlachta, War Ghouls, Revenants, and Vozhd===
"Szlachta" comes from the Slavic word for "gentry" or "landholder". In the feudalistic system, szlachta served under the Tzimisce lords as managers and caretakers of their domains. In more modern nights, the term is a catchall describing Tzimisce servants, bodyguards, and retainers, particularly if they've undergone a bit of fleshcrafting.
"War Ghouls" is the term used to describe Tzimisce ghouls that have been fleshcrafted for the exclusive purpose of combat. Most are driven insane by the pain and trauma of becoming a War Ghoul, only fit for berserk rampages when set loose.
Revenant families have been a staple of the Tzimisce for centuries, if not millenia. They are powerful ghouled bloodlines that serve the Clan more-or-less loyally thanks to the Blood Bond and a shared fascination for depravity.
*Zantosa: on the surface, the Zantosa seem like the most normal of revenants... Behind closed doors, however, their depravity, wicked hungers, and congenital insanity bubble to the fore.
*Bratovitch: the most visible of all the revenant families, the Bratovitch are famous for their hair-trigger tempers and role as bodyguards and assassins.
*Grimaldi: the Grimaldi do not serve the Tzimisce alone; they are hired out to other members of the Sabbat as retainers and middle-men, managing a great deal of the financial resources of the sect.
*Obertus: the Obertus might be the oldest of the revenant families - they can trace their lineage easily back to Constantinople, and possibly farther. As a family of intensely focused scholars, they keep excellent records of all things.
*(Oprichniki: scions of the Russian Tzimisce houses, a product of Ivan the Terrible, a ruthless and bloody dictator. The ghosts of their crimes haunt them, and they continually add more to the lists with their violent and brutal service to the Clan.)
Vozhd are huge amalgamations of dozens of Vicissitude victims. They stand the height of two (or more) humans, and have huge crushing claws or bone spikes they use to demolish anything in their way - sometimes including their keepers.
===Quotes and Criticisms===
"I don't even want to talk about it." - Rick Gentle, on his experiences with the Tzimisce
"Cruentus." ("bloodstained/blood-covered") - Gustavo Ionescu, Sabbat Templar
"Art is life! And sometimes, unlife! Let the flesh overtake you!" - Bolesl Zantosa, revenant artist
"'What does it mean to be Tzimisce?' The mere fact that you have to ask proves you will never know." - Vichel Tabara, metamorphosist
"Yeah, yeah, I'll be right there. Keep your face on." - Grimaldi revenant, to a Tzimisce patron
"If you repay me not on such a day, / In such a place... / ... / let the forfeit / Be nominated for an equal pound / Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken / In what part of your body pleaseth me." - Shylock, The Merchant of Venice I.iii.146-151, W. Shakespeare
===Notable Tzimisce===
*Tzimisce/The Eldest, the Antediluvian Founder of the Clan. Childe of Ynosh/Enoch. Believed Diablerized during the Anarch Revolt but still growing (as living in any sense really doesn't apply to the mass that It has become) underneath New York City, where it secretly draws all of it's descendants to their doom shortly before Gehenna.
*Kartarirya, first childe of Tzimisce. Sire of Ratti-Ben and largely responsible for a Tzimisce foothold in India's powerbase.
*Gallod, second childe of Tzimisce. Was destroyed before the fall of Enoch.
*Andeleon, Childe of Tzimisce. Member of the Tal'Mahe'Ra, once rumoured to have been responsible for the Clan's Tainted Blood. Destroyed by members of the Tal'Mahe'Ra's Shadow Crusaders.
*Yorak High Priest of the Path of Metamorphosis. Childe of Tzimisce. Keeper of the Cathedral of Flesh, which ultimately destroyed him in 1460.
*Byelobog childe of Tzimisce. One of his mightiest until he was Diablerized by Lugoj.
*Demdemeh childe of Tzimisce which spawned the variant bloodline covered in Kindred of the Ebony Kingdom. Sire of Sycorax.
*Tabak Childe of Tzimisce. Sire of Lambach Ruthven. Diablerized by Dracula in 1495.
*Triglav the Three-Headed monstrous creature and Sire of Shaagra. Childe of Tzimisce. His multiple heads were eventually removed by The Dracon.
*The Dracon, a childe of Tzimisce. Vanished in 888 A.D. Possibly the Sire of the 'Bloodline' known as the Children of the Dracon. Sire of Gesu. Sire of the Keeper of the Faith.
*Ratti-Ben childe of Kartarirya and currently responsible for the recent success of the Tzimisce in India while her sire is in torpor.
*Lugoj, childe and diablerizer (more or less) of Tzimisce.
*Hedeon Yaroslavich, a monstrous and powerful Tzimisce elder of some repute. Sire of Elica.
*Lambach Ruthven, childe of Tabach, and considered by Tzimisce to be the Clan's 'archiver'.
*Shaagra Regnant of the Ghoul Libussa. Driven mad by the Demon Kupala. Destroyed during a blaze in Prague during WWII. Maybe that Shaagra is Vukodlak.
*Dracula, childe of Lambach Ruthven, the famous Vampire of literary history. Believed to be a member of the Inconnu. Diablerized his Grandsire Tabak.
*Keeper of the Faith, Enigmatic keeper of the Library of the Forgotten which was once located in Constantinople. Wherabouts and status since the fall of Constantinople in 1204 is unknown. Rumoured to be the mastermind behind the Children of the Dracon. Rumoured to be the Childe of The Dracon. Sire of The Watchers and Alexus Simocatta.
*Kosczecsyku Sire of Vladimir Rustovich.
*Jedrik Sire of Razkoljna.
*Noriz Sire of Lugoj Blood-Breaker. "The Corrupter of Legions".
*Laanto Dormotji Sire of Valenko Dmiritav.
*Sycorax Childe of Demdemeh. Accomplished witch.
*Mandalay Posesses the Third Eye. Rumoured to be related to Cappadocious in some way.
*Gorchist former Sabbat Regent. Signed the Purchase Pact in 1803 and constructed the Code of Milan in 1933.
*Gesu, childe of The Dracon. Brother and Sire of Symeon.
*Gunnhild a Nordic Tzimisce of great potency and age.
*Velya the Vivisectionist, unknown Sire. Sire (and symbiote of) its deranged Childe, Elaine Cassidy. Cardinal of the Land Beyond the Forest.
*Vladimir Rustovich was the previous Voivode among Voivodes. Childe of Kosczecsyku.
*Minerva Schawlke-Wojtkiewicz Current Voivode of the Tzimisce. Highly ambitious but with little recognition, and some scorn for not being a Koldun.
*Symeon, Brother and Childe of Gesu. Sire of Myca (now Sascha) Vykos. Diablerized by his Childe.
*Danika Ruthven Childe of Damek Ruthven, Grandchilde of 'Ruthven', and Great Grandchilde of Tzimisce. Member of the Inconnu and mistress of Hunedoara Castle. Member of The Twelve. Sire of Anastazi. Accomplished Koldun.
*Szechenyi Jolan Childe of Baian, Grandchilde of Lugoj Blood-Breaker. Tzimisce responsible for crafting Vozhds through pure Discipline use instead of prolonged rituals. Resident of Mexico City.
*Sascha Vykos, Embraced by Symeon as Myca Vykos. Devoured Symeon spectacularly during the Anarch Revolt. Castrated itself at the Convention of Thorns. Priscus of the Sabbat.
*Razkoljna childe of Jedrik. Prince of Krakow for a time.
*Vidor Sire of Darvag Grozny.
*Vysia Sire of Radu Bistri.
*Lord Mieczyslav. (see Giovanni Chronicles I: The Last Supper.)
*Lars Sveengard/The Kraken Former Prince of Thessalonica. Black Hand Dominion.
*Alexus Simocatta Childe of the Keeper of the Faith. Monitored situations in Jerusalem.
*The Watchers Two childer of the Keeper of the Faith. Performing mostly menial tasks.
*Agatha of Maidstone Sire of Jack.
*Lady Vadislava Supposed founder of the Path of Death and the Soul.
*Valenko Dmiritav Childe of Laanko Dormotji. Priscus of the Sabbat.
*Elica Prince of Szczecin, Poland. Childe of Hedeon Yaroslavich.
*Landulf II sired an unknown African Tzimisce. Enjoys protection by the Giovanni.
*John Paleologus former Prince of Istanbul.
*Lady Zara Slatikov Childe of Razkolnja and Koldun and ancient Metamorphosist. Coordinated clanmates in battle against encroaching Baali when the Demon Kupala awoke.
*Radu Bistri Childe of Vysia. Sire of Marelle. Cardinal in the Sabbat, largely to do with political Negotiation. Recently helped with the indoctrination of the Salubri antitribu. Also was instrumental in the creation of the Purchase Pact.
*Darvag Grozny Childe of Vidor. Sire of Piotr Krezhinsky. Prince of Kiev crica 1203. Locked in Torpor until 1991.
*Anastazi childe of Danika Ruthven, novice Koldun and reluctant member of The Twelve.
*Kazimir Savostin acting Seraph of the Black Hand, codename "Hurul". Koldun. Former double-agent for the Tal'Mahe'Ra or True Black Hand. Childe of Andras Tholdy.
*Gerlo sire of Mircea.
*Vintila Childe of, and Diablerized by Dragomir Basarab.
*Jack Childe of Agatha of Maidstone. Destroyed by Theo Bell.
*Maciej Zarnovich Ductus of Zarnovich's Circus Pack, in Montreal. Sire of Stéphanie L'Heureux.
*Stéphanie L'Heureux Priest of The Wretched Pack in Montreal. Childe of Maciej Zarnovich. Practicioner of the Path of Power and the Inner Voice that has garnered large amounts of respect among followers of both the Path of Metamorphosis and the Path of Death and the Soul.
*Count Vikto Danislav Ruler of the Danislav estate.
*Count Florescu Tzimisce Voivode who founded the now-extinct Danislav Revenant Family.
*Beatrice Archbishop circa 1933. Signed the revised Code of Milan.
*Xipe Totec, Archbishop of Guatemala.
*Violet Tremain supposed Bishop of New York, who vanished mysteriously.
*Duality Koldun. Templar to Lasombra Archbishop of Guadalajara Percival. 1/2 male, 1/2 female. Conspirator involved in the The Ritual of the Red Sign.
*Esteban Agua y Tierra - a Diablerist and Koldun who has recently gained a great deal of prestige in Mexico City. Childe of the deceased Rafaela Lapaz.
*Vassilij Alexander Pushkin - A 9th generation Tzimisce embraced in 1666 in London. Childe of Marelle. Koldunic Sorcerer. During the WWII made experiments on the Jews Race. During the '60s he moves to Milan under the control of Radu Bistri. At the beginning of the '90s he moves to Pavia to investigate about strange events connected to S. Michele's Church. In 2000 he became Bishop of Prague. Member of the Nomad Zanna Rossa Pack.
*Dario Fortuna - An Italian Tzimisce. 9th Generation. Embraced in 1711. Koldunic Sorcerer. He works with Vassilij Alexander Pushkin in Milan under the control of Count Radu Bistri during the 90s.
*Righteous Endeavor former mortal witch-hunter, now a respected member of the Sabbat Inquisition.
*Efrain Sortano former Dominion of the Black Hand, and current Priscus of the Sabbat, representing Metamorphosist interests. Resident of Mexico City and childe of Fyodor Andreyev.
*Illyana Dmitju a 10th Generation Romani Tzimisce living in Berlin, part of the only active Sabbat Pack in the city. Childe of the deceased Bardto Cermak.
*Rurik Rakoczy semi-Priest of the remains of Love's Easy Tears pack in New York. Childe and servant of the apocryphal Ludmijla Rokoczy who are trying to uncover the state of Tzimisce.
*Ana Rita Montana Childe of Efrain Sortana. Former lover of Bishop Rodolfo of Mexico City. Believes herself to be a failed manifestation of the Virgin Mary.
*Boo Priest of The Lawdogs Pack, placed in Atlanta and hatchetmen for Dr. Julius Sutphen, Bishop of Atlanta. Former minor-league baseball player. Favourite weapon is a Louisville Slugger.
*Dr. Vermudo de Sancha paragon of the Path of Death and the Soul in Mexico City. Childe of Efrain Sortano.
*Father Yoel Rosen deranged former-priest and childe of Dr. Vermudo de Sancha. Priest of the Machete Cross pack in Mexico City.
*Piotr Andreikov codename "Winter", emissary for the Black Hand. Priest of the Druid Hill pack in Baltimore. Childe of Deloris.
*Zachary Sikorsky former cross-dresser turned Tzimisce. Was part of Regent Melinda Galbraith's 'Beauty entourage' and masqueraded as the Regent after her destruction during the 2001 Palla Grande. He was eventually discovered and destroyed.
*Jaime Sangriento Ductus of the Filth Angels pack in Mexico City, and nicknamed both "Bloody Jim" and "The Voivode of Garbage". Childe of Lita Dumas.
*Vukodlak Appeared in the PC game Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption. The word "vukodlak" comes from South Slav "vampir." The modern word is "vukodlak," meaning "wolf's hair", though in myth this creature is like a cross between a vampire and a werewolf. Vukodlak was an ancient Tzimisce methuselah. Vukodlak held the belief that it had gained enough power during torpor to destroy the Antediluvians as they slept via diablerie. Little-to-nothing else is known about Vukodlak except that it held the title of Voivod during the Dark Ages until it fell from favor with the rest of its clan. Vukodlak disappeared shortly after until its resurrection from torpor in New York City on the eve of 2000, where it was destroyed within its Cathedral of Flesh by Christof Romuald. It may be that Vukodlak is Shaagra.
*Dr. Bratovitch True name Brun Bratovitch, Childe of Sir Bratovitch. Brun is sixth generation embraced secret member of the sabbat hiding in Worcester Ma. inside the Camarilla as a member of House Tremere. Brun has stolen the knowledge of Thaumaturgy at level seven with six paths. Currently working on the creation of Gargoyles with Bio-thaumaturgy and vicissitude.
*Lolita Houston
*Wendy Wade
*The Little Tailor of Prague
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