B Brian Connors (connorbd@bc.edu
In the early days of the Sabbat, a group of Lasombra refused to go with the tide of the revolt. Their elders fell under the onslaught of the anarchs, and the Antediluvian they called the Shadow was the first among them. A small group of the surviving loyalists rallied together in the Basque country, the land that the ancestral clan Lasombra called its home base, and made a pact to fight the Sabbat whereever it existed. Among the things they promised was to try to find a way to remove the ancient Lasombra weakness of not being able to be seen in reflection. This has been partially successful over the years; even the oldest of them can be seen if they stand still. With a bit of help from a friendly Tremere, the new bloodline has extended this to all who are for some reason rejected from the clan yet retain Lasombra blood.
Most Lasombra antitribu are anarchs. There are some within the Camarilla, but few are open about their bloodline. The rest count themselves among the Violators, a sect of mostly-anarch Caitiff. Like the Violators, they practice many Sabbat rituals out of a combination of loyalty and mockery. Few hold leadership positions, as they are no more trusted within the Camarilla than the Panders are within the Sabbat; they have therefore jettisoned most of the trappings of leadership in favor of focusing on studying the arts of Thaumaturgy. The Tremere find it something of an annoyance, but for reasons known only to them some are willing to teach these Sabbat expatriates if they feel that they can trust them.
The Lasombra antitribu are very secretive about their identity. They have little use for leading others except themselves, and most who do act as some kind of leader tend to gather around them a sort of pack who are among the few who are privy to said vampire's identity. They are typically mistaken for Brujah or Tremere, and have no qualms about perpetuating the deception.
"They don't exist. Now shut up and go away before I start finding creative ways to stake you.
Assamites: One tends to have more respect for their comrades in the Sabbat, but their curse is not strictly their fault. I still tend to think of them as the antitribu.
"They have no reason to continue the charade of being Lasombra. They would be wise to admit it to themselves."
Brujah: Nobody seems to bother to learn the truth about them on this side of the ocean, least of all them. It's saddening.
"In their own way, they're much like us. But they are too independent to truly be one with the Camarilla."
Gangrel: Hey, if you're a beast, show it, right?
"Slime. You can't trust that which will not admit to what it is."
Giovanni: If the Sabbat only knew where they had their fingers, the Lasombra would turn into scared little puppies. But let's let them find out for themselves, eh?
"The Shadow had his own plans. Though he is long dead, how do we know that these are not part of them?"
Malkavians: Tell me they're not up to something. Just try and tell me. These weirdos owned Imperial Rome and you know what things were like in those days.
"Delusional, but so are most of the Kindred I meet. At least they're wise enough to be something different."
Nosferatu: Living among them might be an interesting proposition. Lack of tact is a virtue among us, and that's certainly one of their better-known points.
"They're a little too close to their roots for comfort, but they're on the up and up. Trust me."
Ravnos: They can't be trusted, but they're useful to have around. Just check your pockets (and your bank account, if you let them anywhere near a computer) after you're done with them.
"You know, you'd never think you'd see a Lasombra grow up. But hey, I like these guys."
Salubri: What exactly is the problem the Tremere have with them? They aren't quite that bad.
Toreador: The ones in the Sabbat show just how sick this art thing can get. I don't trust them, not at all.
"Icky. You have to like the Brujah first, and it doesn't get any easier after that."
Tremere: Too secretive, but very helpful to us. We owed them a debt at one point, and we remain friends.
"They are most reliable, but their interest in our arts is unsettling."
Tzimisce: Despicable, inhuman, idiotic, monstrous, and not very nice either. I don't even trust the Old Clan types, and they're supposed to be on our sides.
"Traitors and losers on top of it. Their communion with the Tremere only indicts them further."
Ventrue: They think they're out of the loop. This may be true, but I don't want to take my chances.