CROWN OF THORNS

By David Youngberg(teferi@hotmail.com)

History

James Thorn, the bloodline's founder, was Embraced during the Dark Ages, when the Tremere were young. Driven by the pursuit of knowledge, he became a master of Thaumaturgy and created at least a dozen paths. Thorn Embraced only the smartest and sharpest, which was very few at the time. A few hundred years later, the Sabbat was formed and one of Thorn's kine, grand kine or great-grand kine (it is unknown which) taught the organization thaumaturgy as well as some of the paths Thorn created, which were later modified to fit the Sabbat better. (Modern day Path of Pestilence, for example, is a take on Thorn's Path of the Carrier.

) Because the times of the Tremere were young when Thorn was Embraced, he never knew blood bond. And, until the Sabbat, Thorn did not use blood bonding to any extent for he believed it slowed progress and research. When he learned of the leak in the Tremere, Thorn instantly flew into frenzy. When he recovered, he ordered all of his kine to be blood bond to their sires to prevent a future leak. Crown of Thorns was born.

Nickname

Thornites

Appearance

Thornites range in all sizes and ages, but they tend have facial scars or disfigurements, increasing the likeliness for them to stay inside and study instead of going gallivanting like a bunch of Toreador. Of course, some of them have high a appearance for much information can be gained through others.

Haven

Thornites have havens in places of knowledge. Libraries are favored, but museums and college campuses are not uncommon. Many young Crowns have their haven in the same city-or same place-as their sire.

Background

Strong-willed with a thirst for knowledge and inventiveness. Loners and outsiders are common.

Character Creation

Mental attributes are favored, followed by social. Knowledges and skills are also preferred. Mentor, Allies and Contacts are the most sought after Backgrounds.

Clan Disciplines

All Thornites start with one dot in Thaumaturgy. Their disciplines are Thaumaturgy, Auspex and Celerity.

Thaumaturgical Paths

Path of the Carrier

Path of Vanishment

Weakness

All Crowns must be blood bonded to their sires and must spend at least fifteen hours a week studying or gathering information. All Thornite sires know sneaky rituals to keep an eye on their kine and are very rigid when it comes to breaking the rules.

Organization

The ultimate power among the Crowns is, no surprise, their founder, James Thorn. Few have actually seen the puppet master of their sires but it is rumored that Thorn was Embraced when he was only eight or nine years old. Furthermore, he is thought to have a disfigured face, a relic of an accident with a bonfire when he was mortal.

Quotes

"To compare us to any other clan is like comparing a cheetah to a legless mouse. While they thrash vainly on the ground, we wait in the bushes, hiding, watching, waiting."
-- Thornite Scripture

"If the Tremere are the next step in Cainites, then we are the masters of the stairs."

-- Sara Times, Keeper of the Centennial Scrolls