Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2015 2:09:14 GMT
Nutshell:
Clan Lasombra - proud nobles who command the very essence of darkness and shadow — to the point of worshiping it, some say.
General:
Yes, the Lasombra are one of the clans of the evil Sabbat, and yes, they tend to have those traditionally evil, full jet-black eyes and they’re also the vampires whose reflections don’t show up on mirrors and thus are considered extra-damned by God for some reason. But if you don’t mind being outright evil, Lasombra are awesome. They’re basically evil Ventrue, with the same society and power and resources, but with more backstabbing. Plus, Lasombra have super-awesome shadow powers, including crazy-black shadow tentacles… and at only Stage 3 of the Obtenebration ability. If you don’t mind being evil — and if you do, maybe you shouldn’t be playing Vampire in the first place — Lasombra are the way to go.
In Depth:
The leaders of the Sabbat, clan Lasombra are social Darwinists, predators, elegant and inhuman and with a wicked sense of humor. Firm believers in the worthy ruling and the unworthy serving, the Lasombra have maintained their traditions even as they have turned the Sabbat to their own purposes.
Due to their inherent clan weakness, Lasombra vampires cast no reflections. They cannot be seen in mirrors, bodies of water, reflective windows, polished metals, photographs and security cameras, etc. This curious anomaly even extends to the clothes they wear and objects they carry. Many Kindred believe that the Lasombra have been cursed in this manner for their vanity. Additionally, due to their penchant for darkness, Lasombra take an extra level of damage from sunlight.
Lasombra naturally seek positions of power and authority, as a result they form the bulk of the Sabbat's administrative offices - ducti, prisci and the like. Tzimisce are more likely to be pack priests, while the Lasombra focus on the practical matters of administration and leadership. The Lasombra operate under the metaphor of "shadows". They do not stand in the limelight, preferring to manipulate others to their own ends while doing as little as possible to make themselves a target. This is not done soley out of fear, but because many Lasombra have domineering and superior personalities that neccessitates having someone beneath them. This role is usually filled by mortals; though they are not quite as adept at manipulating the living world as the Ventrue are, those cultures that still revere the Catholic Church often have several generations of Lasombra pulling their strings. Those who find themselves under the control of a Lasombra can expect a demanding and unrewarding experience. Their domitor will use any and all tools available to ensure loyalty, such as the Blood Bond, coercion, physical intimidation, and unapologetic use of Dominate. The wise Lasombra will judge just how much of this force is neccessary; too little, and the servant is untrustworthy - too much, and the servant is spineless and afraid to act when they need to act.
Separate from Sabbat organization, the Lasombra maintain a clan-specific organization, the Friends of the Night, usually called les amies noires (amici noctis during the Dark Ages). While a Lasombra can be in the clan and not a Friend of the Night, all Lasombra who matter are part of the organization. The Friends are something of a formalized favor network within the Lasombra - they grant prestige and prestation, but the most notable feature of the friends are the Courts of Blood, which regulate diablerie.
The Lasombra are a clan driven by ambition, and consequently they accept diablerie as a necessary facet of their existence; from the Lasombra perspective, the only tragedy in diablerie is that such an unworthy vampire as the vessel was sired in the first place. The courts regulate diablerie by accepting petitions to diablerize other Lasombra and authorize hunts - these hunts usually have conditions attached because the target must be guilty of something before the hunt is authorized. The court system ensures that diablerie is managed - Lasombra are allowed, if not flat-out encouraged to cannibalize appropriate targets, but those targets must be judged worthy of this attention by a court before the attack can take place.
LaSombra In Birmingham: (All Yours Badger)
Clan Lasombra - proud nobles who command the very essence of darkness and shadow — to the point of worshiping it, some say.
General:
Yes, the Lasombra are one of the clans of the evil Sabbat, and yes, they tend to have those traditionally evil, full jet-black eyes and they’re also the vampires whose reflections don’t show up on mirrors and thus are considered extra-damned by God for some reason. But if you don’t mind being outright evil, Lasombra are awesome. They’re basically evil Ventrue, with the same society and power and resources, but with more backstabbing. Plus, Lasombra have super-awesome shadow powers, including crazy-black shadow tentacles… and at only Stage 3 of the Obtenebration ability. If you don’t mind being evil — and if you do, maybe you shouldn’t be playing Vampire in the first place — Lasombra are the way to go.
In Depth:
The leaders of the Sabbat, clan Lasombra are social Darwinists, predators, elegant and inhuman and with a wicked sense of humor. Firm believers in the worthy ruling and the unworthy serving, the Lasombra have maintained their traditions even as they have turned the Sabbat to their own purposes.
Due to their inherent clan weakness, Lasombra vampires cast no reflections. They cannot be seen in mirrors, bodies of water, reflective windows, polished metals, photographs and security cameras, etc. This curious anomaly even extends to the clothes they wear and objects they carry. Many Kindred believe that the Lasombra have been cursed in this manner for their vanity. Additionally, due to their penchant for darkness, Lasombra take an extra level of damage from sunlight.
Lasombra naturally seek positions of power and authority, as a result they form the bulk of the Sabbat's administrative offices - ducti, prisci and the like. Tzimisce are more likely to be pack priests, while the Lasombra focus on the practical matters of administration and leadership. The Lasombra operate under the metaphor of "shadows". They do not stand in the limelight, preferring to manipulate others to their own ends while doing as little as possible to make themselves a target. This is not done soley out of fear, but because many Lasombra have domineering and superior personalities that neccessitates having someone beneath them. This role is usually filled by mortals; though they are not quite as adept at manipulating the living world as the Ventrue are, those cultures that still revere the Catholic Church often have several generations of Lasombra pulling their strings. Those who find themselves under the control of a Lasombra can expect a demanding and unrewarding experience. Their domitor will use any and all tools available to ensure loyalty, such as the Blood Bond, coercion, physical intimidation, and unapologetic use of Dominate. The wise Lasombra will judge just how much of this force is neccessary; too little, and the servant is untrustworthy - too much, and the servant is spineless and afraid to act when they need to act.
Separate from Sabbat organization, the Lasombra maintain a clan-specific organization, the Friends of the Night, usually called les amies noires (amici noctis during the Dark Ages). While a Lasombra can be in the clan and not a Friend of the Night, all Lasombra who matter are part of the organization. The Friends are something of a formalized favor network within the Lasombra - they grant prestige and prestation, but the most notable feature of the friends are the Courts of Blood, which regulate diablerie.
The Lasombra are a clan driven by ambition, and consequently they accept diablerie as a necessary facet of their existence; from the Lasombra perspective, the only tragedy in diablerie is that such an unworthy vampire as the vessel was sired in the first place. The courts regulate diablerie by accepting petitions to diablerize other Lasombra and authorize hunts - these hunts usually have conditions attached because the target must be guilty of something before the hunt is authorized. The court system ensures that diablerie is managed - Lasombra are allowed, if not flat-out encouraged to cannibalize appropriate targets, but those targets must be judged worthy of this attention by a court before the attack can take place.
LaSombra In Birmingham: (All Yours Badger)