By Arthur-Trevor D.M. Lasher (atlasher@ix.netcom.com) (4 July, 1995)
Machiavellians, in fact, are now the de facto leaders of the Sicarii, having subsumed the secular aspects of the Abaddonite priesthood as more and more attention was paid by the Sabbat to mortal politics and the inevitable dirty tricks that went with them. Eventually, the Childer of Abaddon hurried along this quiet revolution as they became more and more withdrawn from the scene, either acquiescing to the change or out of profound fright. No one really knows.
With the leadership role resting uneasily on their shoulders, the Belialians have sought to desperately hold the subsect together. Internal divisions-- mostly over the Loyalist movement -- and external worries (is the Regent turning on us?) make that job exceedingly difficult, though.
Above all, the Machiavellians attempt to bridge together all the factions within the Sicarii and still present a strong enough front to deter all would-be takers (in particular, the Black Hand). They can come across as cold and ruthless, but no more so than your average Lasombra pack leader. Their most noteworthy trait, however, is their uncanny knack for diplomacy. If it wasn't for the Belialians, the Sicariot would've fractured two decades ago.
Of course, don't forget to be courteous while you're slitting your paramour's throat...
Tzimisce: Poor, deluded souls. They could've been our greatest allies. There is something amiss with them, though. The Inquisition has been most unusually interested in them. That is a cause for great concern.
Assamite antitribu: Our antithesis, as surely as if we were speaking of the Black Hand in general. Make a note of this: they are the Hand and it is they who are our enemy. The Lasombra think they control them, but they are as naive as they are heretical.
Brujah antitribu: Rabble-rousers, all. However, their ideology is helping us undermine the Lasombra puppeteers. We'll support them as long as they continue to adhere to their anarchic idiosyncrasies. I don't think that'll be too much of a problem...
Gangrel antitribu: Filthy beasts! Stay clear from them. Anyone who prefers a romp in the woods to a nice bath, some cognac-laced A- and a woman by his side is a truly sick person.
Malkavian antitribu: We're extremely close to securing a pact with them. They have access to knowledges beyond even what Omniscience has given us. I, for one, understand fully what they're all about. Thankfully, few others do.
Nosferatu antitribu: Too dangerous to be dealt with in any way. I'd prefer to see them ousted or exterminated, but we simply have other fish to fry first. First the Lasombra, then the Nosferatu, then...
Panders: Useful as wannabe Brujah or a poor replacement for a Baelite. Otherwise, forgetful.
Ravnos antitribu: Their adherence to the sect is false. We know them. They'd better watch their step.
Serpents of the Light: A historical mistake. They should've been cut off and burned, not invited in. Now we've Set to deal with. Lucifer help us all...
Toreador antitribu: What good are they? Bottom line: useless.
Tremere antitribu: Blasphemous heretics! If they weren't so cunning and powerful, we'd've isolated them and driven them all to the Ninth Circle of Hell. As it is, we're making damn sure they don't get closer to the higher echelons of power...
Ventrue antitribu: Ah, the Loyalist instigators themselves. Poor fools. We're manipulating you so well, even we don't know it sometimes. A string here, a string there. Soon, you'll help us bring the Keepers down to size...
The Black Hand: Our Clan found salvation as the counter-weight to the Hand when the Hand became a tad too large for its knickers. We have a natural institutional suspicion of them, and, so our sources tell us, for good reason. At some time, we'll have to deal with them. They might need neutralisation before we move on the Keepers. Oh. Joy. That'll be fun.
The Camarilla: When the Antediluvians come, they will all see the error of their ways -- shortly before they become a delicacy for their progenitors. Bon appetite...