Nagaraja

A bizarre bloodline of flesh-eating witches, the Nagaraja are legends, feared by Kindred on all sides of the Jyhad. As a result of their hideous appetites, the Nagaraja have been hunted to near extinction in the modern nights by political enemies and the ghosts upon whom they prey. A few of these vampires still prowl the darkness, however, continuing their subtle plans.

Although not particularly forthcoming with their origins, the Nagaraja supposedly hail from the Middle East. They are associated with a death cult in that region that ritually consumed human flesh and opened gateways into the lands of the dead.

How these cultists became vampires is lost to history, but those few Kindred that have met the Nagaraja have theories: maybe a wandering Giovanni trader Embraced them, perhaps they tried to follow in Tremere’s footsteps, or they could be the last surviving Cappadocians. The Nagaraja refuse to confirm or deny such speculations, however, so the truth and rumor continue to entwine around these mysterious Kindred.

Some of the Flesh-Eaters belong to a Sect of vampires called the Tal’Mahe’Ra or the “True Black Hand,” apparently distinct from the Black Hand of the Sabbat. What the Tal’Mahe’Ra is doing in the Deadlands isn’t clear, nor why they war with the Restless Dead, but their city in the Underworld is home to a number of the Nagaraja. Those in the land of the living are independent, now seeking to eke out whatever unlife they can.

**Nickname:** Flesh-Eaters

**Sect:** The Nagaraja as a whole refuse membership in either the Camarilla or the Sabbat, but in Camarilla cities they follow the rules as well as they can (given their weakness).

**Appearance:** Nagaraja have pointed, irregular teeth, rather than the usual retractable fangs. This means that they seldom smile, and they tend to speak quietly around mortals — unless they plan to eat them.

**Haven:** The Nagaraja take havens where they can. One thing that the Flesh-Eaters do try to incorporate into their havens, when they can, is a means for disposing of bodies. They do not have the luxury of merely sipping a bit of blood the way other Kindred do.

**Background:** Most Nagaraja are well-educated, and many have some medical knowledge (either from their mortal lives or acquired post-Embrace). The bloodline’s small numbers make further assertions difficult to support. Some Nagaraja were priests or cultists before the Embrace, some antiquarians, and some exorcists or ghost-hunters.

**Character Creation:** Nagaraja usually have solitary or selfish concepts and Natures, though their Demeanors may be practically anything. Mental Attributes are usually primary, as are Knowledges. The most common Backgrounds for Nagaraja are Contacts, Resources, and Retainers, though a few twisted Mentors sometimes Embrace childer.

**Clan Disciplines :** Auspex, Dominate, Necromancy

**Weakness:** The Nagaraja require raw flesh in addition to blood to survive. For every night a Nagaraja goes without consuming flesh, he loses one cumulative die from all his Physical dice pools. Eating one point worth of flesh restores one die to these pools until the vampire has “caught up.” A human body has 10 “flesh points,” which work just like blood points: A Nagaraja consuming one flesh point increases his blood pool by one. Unlike blood points, however, taking a “flesh point” from a vessel does one health level of unsoakable lethal damage to that vessel. The flesh the Nagaraja consume must be relatively fresh, though not necessarily “alive.” Indeed, some Nagaraja keep stores of ritually preserved corpses in their havens. This weakness does not allow them to eat food or consume other liquids.

**Organization:** While some claim this bloodline belongs to the Tal’Mahe’Ra in its entirety, there are ample exceptions. A given Nagaraja might keep contact with another, but the bloodline as a whole has no organization.

**Stereotypes**

***Camarilla:** An umbrella, until the drops grow heavy enough to break it.*

***Sabbat:** Perhaps we can kill enough of them? No. The contagion has taken root.*

***Giovanni:** You think you’re so powerful and decadent? How quaint.*

**The View From Without**

***Camarilla:** Ghost problem? Go out to that busted-down house on 65th and follow the smell. You’ll find a guy that can help you. Bring along a mortal you don’t like.*

***Sabbat:** These guys have backup you can’t see or touch. Beyond that, no idea.*

***Giovanni:** Hey, when did we pick up a bunch of towel-heads?*