Toreador

**Nickname:** Degenerates

## Sect

The Camarilla would not have survived in the nights
following the Anarch Revolt without substantial participation from the
Toreador, and they remain among its most ardent supporters.

 From the Toreador perspective, when the sun fades, darkness gives
rise to an eternal and wondrous world. Everything is fraught with wonder
 and terror, low politics and sensual glories, the profound and the
profane, and an undeniable undercurrent of the sanguinary. These Kindred
 are the Toreador, and they spend unlives ensconced in pleasure.

 Of course, for vampires of this disposition, it's easy to become
jaded and bitter. More than the other Clans, Toreador often succumb to
ennui, or fight the eventual boredom of unchanging immortality by
playing at rivalries. An excess of stimulation turns them into slaves to
 the sensations they seek. The most debased Toreador can become true
monsters, sinking to unimaginable levels of depravity in order to feel
anything at all.

 The Kindred of Clan Toreador often involve themselves greatly in
the world of mortals. They have any number of reasons, whether enjoying
proximity to the blush of life, cultivating veritable cults of doting
followers, or influencing and following the trends that their own kind
simultaneously mock and venerate. To hear the Toreador tell it, they are
 the Muses of a desperate mortal world, inspiring through their beauty
or patronage.

 Toreador culture is a mixture of sybarites, dilettantes, and
visionaries. Some Toreador, with echoes of mortal passion, Embrace
lovers or "project" progeny who seem to fly in the face of every
Toreador custom. These either don't last long or rise to great
prominence as subversives and individualists. Ideas, trends, and "the
next great thing" spread through the Clan, and other Kindred often look
to the Toreador to guide them. The Degenerates know this, and many
become Harpies, Princes, and other key figures in vampiric society.

## Appearance

Almost to the last, they are attractive in some way, whether the
traditional beauty of a runway model or the dangerous allure of
something more predatory. The Degenerates augment their physical beauty
with a sense of personal style, which may take the form of expensive
couture, avant-garde street wear, or classical fashions designed to
emphasize their appealing qualities. Toreador Embrace out of passion as much as any other reason;
accordingly, many Toreador are creatures of surpassing beauty. Of all
Kindred, Toreador are the vampires most attuned to human fashion trends;
 centuries-old vampires are often more stylish than some 30-year-old
mortals. If it's in, chances are that at least one Toreador will adopt it.This isn't to say that ugly Toreador don't exist. Indeed, those gifted with less physical beauty
often go that much further with their choice of accoutrements.

## Havens

The Degenerates spare no expense in appointing their havens in luxury,
often with many original works of art. It is a point of pride among
Toreador to have an unconventional (and thus memorable) haven with
modern comforts; thus, many have striking lofts and penthouses, while
the bolder among them renovate or repurpose everything from abandoned
aquariums or deconsecrated churches to rooftop gardens or converted
warehouse-galleries in fashion-forward neighborhoods. Toreador take care to ensure that their havens are comfortable,
convenient for socializing and - above all – conform to their aesthetic
tastes. Vampires of a more artistic bent might maintain spacious lofts
to display their works, while their "poseur" counterparts love opulent
suites perfect for hosting parties.

## Background

Many Toreador hail from high-society or "bohemian" backgrounds. Indeed,
many are themselves artists or influential among local art scenes or
other subcultures. Actors, singers, musicians, sculptors, poets,
playwrights, authors, and creative folk of any stripe may well find a
home in the Clan, as do those who serve as patrons to (or travel in the
entourages of) those artistic types. Some Toreador are Embraced for no
reason other than their beauty or personal style, as a passionate sire
decides that they simply must be "preserved" for eternity.

## Character Creation

Social attributes are almost always primary, with an even split among
Talents, Skills, and Knowledges depending on how the Toreador
distinguishes herself. Artistes favor Abilities such as Expression and Performance, often
enjoying very high levels in these aesthetic Traits; their poseur
brethren must make do with Abilities like Subterfuge and Etiquette.
Toreador are very social creatures, and love adoration from both Kindred
 and kine; as such, Backgrounds like Allies, Contacts, Fame, Herd,
Resources and Status are common.

## Clan Weakness

Toreador are preternaturally attuned to the aesthetic and beautiful, but
 this sensitivity can prove dangerous, When a Toreador views, hears or
even smells something that is truly beautiful - a person, a painting, a
song, a particularly lovely sunrise - he must make a Self-Control roll
(difficulty 6) or become entranced by the sensation. The Toreador will
stand in rapt fascination for a scene or until the beautiful thing
withdraws. Enraptured Toreador may not even defend themselves if
attacked, though being wounded allows them to make another Self-Control
roll to "break the spell."

## Organization

Toreador have little practical organization, though their cliquishness
and social networks are legendary. The clan meets frequently during 'Salons', but more
as an excuse to host lavish parties and showings than to accomplish
anything. Status among the Toreador is a tempestuous whirlwind in which
one subtle smile or catty critique can lead to fortune or disaster; a
prodigy may be adored one night, commit a barely perceptible faux pas,
and be ostracized the next. Clan Toreador is cliquish and parochial in its local domains, but very
rarely on a level that affects Clan-wide custom. Certain Toreador (and a
 few outside the Clan) sometimes use the terms "artiste" and "poseur"
when describing individual Toreador, often derisively, to describe
whether the Degenerate in question is one who is seen as creative or
simply a follower of established trends, but these are certainly
informal distinctions.