By Jay Knioum (madafro@trip.net)
The Modi are a Scandinavian bloodline of Cainites descended from the Vikings. The line is named for its founder, a 6th-Generation Gangrel who was so vicious, and his berserk rages so intense that other, mortal berserkers took to worshipping him as a god.
When he breathed, Modi was special in that not only did he possess the physical and mental ability to go berserk, as did a few others of Viking blood, but this ability approached Numina status. Modi actually channeled spirits into his body to increase his courage and killing rage. Often during Modi's berserks, his clan-mates would hear him shouting in tongues, usually in many different voices, as if the warrior was host to the souls of his ancestors, his sword guided by their ancient rage.
Modi's bizarre power and sheer, unequalled savagery in battle earned him the attention of an ancient Danish Gangrel named Bjold who wanted the man's vitae for the spirits it held. Bjold conducted the feeding as he would an invasion, waiting until Modi and his clan were returning exhausted from a raid, and then attacking with a platoon of ghouls. Modi fought as a man possessed, but fell to the ancient Bjold's attack. Bjold claimed his prize in the midst of a northland blizzard, and drank of his vitae with abandon. However, the potence of the man's blood, and the spirits of his ancestors bombarded the old vampire with a thousand emotions which the Cainite had thought long-dead within himself. Acting on sheer impulse, Bjold Embraced the young warrior there in the ice, and then fled in the night, haunted by the ghosts of Modi's clan.
Modi soon revived, and trekked across the snowy wastes seeking out surviving members of his mortal clan. Soon, however, the Hunger gnawed at him, and drove him to bring down a bear to sate it. He eventually did find his remaining kinsmen, who had scattered during Bjold's attack. Yet, since they thought their clansman was dead, they drove Modi away, thinking him a spawn of Hell. Little did they know how right they were.
Modi went mad, and descended fully into the Beast's lures. He feasted upon animal and human alike, and lived as a monster for nearly two decades before being found by the most unlikely of mentors: a renegade Fenrir werewolf. Lars, as he called himself, had barely escaped being torn apart by his sept after he displayed cowardice in the face of the Wyrm's creatures. Since then, the lone Garou had wandered the wastes, forever avoiding the Fenrir who surely hunted him.
Upon meeting, the Modi and Lars fought each other savagely. However, so formidable were the both of them that the melee continued all night, until the sun threatened to rise. The Garou and Modi were exhausted, and had fought to a standstill. When the glow appeared on the horizon, Modi succumbed to the Rotschreck, and thus dispelled any doubt the Fenrir still had as to his opponent's nature. The renegade Lars knew well that there was cover nearby, but the exhausted Cainite could never reach it on his own. He also knew that the sun would destroy his foe for him, and he could return to his tribe with the honor of killing such a powerful vampire. He could once again run with his pack, if they accepted him.
However, the unquenchable rage and the spiritual presence of the Cainite, never before seen by Lars in such a creature, sparked a streak of honor in the werewolf. Vowing that this warrior should not die from the dawn, the Garou carried Modi to safety.
After that, the two outcasts fought often, but one was never able to best the other. After a while, and fully without their knowledge, they became friends. Each admired the spirit of the other, and the unfailing zeal for survival. Each, in turn, was an outcast, and could never really go home again.
Time passed. As is inevitable for a vampire and a werewolf who befriend each other, they grew apart, as their natures could not be reconciled. Eventually, the vampire and the werewolf went their separate ways. Modi in his travels throughout the northlands, encountered a group of Gangrel. In a short and brutal battle, Modi slew the leader of the group and took his place. For years, Modi and his new "clan" crisscrossed Scandinavia, raiding villages and cutting a bloody swath across the North. During this time, Modi sired numerous childer, looking for mortal berserkers with which to infuse with his blood. All the while, Modi developed his ability to Berserk into a full-fledged Discipline, using the power of his vitae to house the spirits he channeled, and he taught his childer to do the same.
Modi's unlife was to take a turn for the worse, however. The Fenrir, the same sept that Lars had belonged to, finally caught up with him. They had tracked the ravaging vampire and his cohorts across the northern wastes. At their head was an aging Lars, determined to regain honor in the face of his tribe, to insure his place in Valhalla. Lars still harbored a deep respect for the Cainite he hunted, but this was nothing compared to the monstrosity his former friend had become.
The Fenrir finally caught up with Modi and his get. The battle lasted an entire night, until finally, succumbing to their leader's orders (and the Blood Oaths Modi had placed on each of his childer), Modi's brood fled into the night, and many escaped the slaughter. Modi himself faced down the remaining Garou, and the end came with the dawn.
Modi was turned to ashes, but the Garou were not satisfied. They sought out what remained of Modi's childer, and found some few of them. However, a handful escaped and fled to mainland Europe, Russia, and lands beyond. They did not forget their sire, who died a warrior's death at the hands of the Lupines. They took the name of Modi to set their clan apart, and have called themselves this ever since. Ever since, the Modi have sought out Lupines, most notably Fenrir, to repay them for Modi's destruction. The Fenrir, now called the Get of Fenris, are all to happy to meet them on the field of battle even today. Wherever wars have been fought since then, the Modi and their Garou enemies have appeared to soak the ground in blood.
As are many Brujah, the Modi are warriors with few equals, but also without a cause. The anger that fuels them comes not from the outside, but from within their souls, their vitae. The Modi need to be angry, for this rage gives power to their blood, and makes them what they are. They are Vikings to the core, but do not fight for profit, or to feed their families, but for sport, or to fill the endless voids of their hearts with rage and glory.
The Modi believe that the berserk is the supreme state of mind, and that they are blessed because of it. To them, courage and honor are paramount, and the best they can hope for out of eternity is to reach Final Death in battle. Because of this, the Modi are found wherever in the world there is conflict. Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Central and South America are prime attractions for these bloodthirsty nomads. They may also be found in crime-ridden sections of large cities, where police patrols are virtually unknown, and perpetual gang wars slake the Modi thirst for violence. The greatest numbers of American Modi are found in the Anarch Free States in Los Angeles, with Miami and New York running a close second and third.
To fight, to show valor in battle, to give oneself to the Berserk is the goal of the Modi. They will seek out any place where there is armed conflict, whether between mortals, or between supernaturals. Sometimes they may choose a side. Often they will not, instead fighting anyone they come across. Sometimes, groups of Modi will form for a purpose, such as the destruction of a Prince, or of a pack of Fenris. Others act as mercenaries, unequalled in ferocity, but who could turn on their employers at any time.
Understandably, the Modi have had a hard existence. Their almost total xenophobia and hostility toward all outside influence has gained them little or no friends in the world, and many enemies. Those of like mind tend to respect the Modi's courage and savagery, but this is not the respect one gives to a friend. As a result, there are few Modi in the world, and their numbers are dwindling. One of them, however, is more than enough.
Even though their thirst for conflict knows no allegiances, Modi sometimes adopt the causes they find themselves fighting for. Many of these vampires turned to the Nazi cause in the 1930s and '40s, as they followed the Blitzkrieg across Europe. It is these Modi that have darkened the reputation of these already unpopular Kindred in recent times. These Modi were partly responsible for many Nazi victories in the early stages of the war, and many atrocities attributed to German soldiers were because of them. In fact, there are many rumors among Kindred that Hitler himself was not unaware of the vampiric presence in his Reich.
Of course, a bloodline such as this is an open invitation for parties looking for pawns. Even so, the Modi usually know they are being manipulated to fight others' wars, but they care very little. The Camarilla all but wants them destroyed (or as tools), and the Modi are not given to the teamwork and pack mentality necessary for positions in the Sabbat.
Indeed, if the Modi have any real passion that is universal to them, it is a love of battle and a hatred of Garou, particularly Get of Fenris. The Modi have knowledge of the Garou rivaling that of the Gangrel, but this knowledge is tactical rather than academic. The Modi study the Lupines to better fight them, not understand them. To the Fenris and most Garou, the Modi are spawn of the Wyrm. To other Kindred, the Modi are mindless savages.
Desperate Camarilla princes under invasion by the Sabbat or Lupines will sometimes seek out the Modi to purge her city of the invaders. The Modi are all too happy to oblige, but the solution is sometimes just as bad as the problem; to invite a horde of Modi into the city is almost guaranteeing a Masquerade breach of the worst kind. The Sabbat also "employs" them to similar purposes, and far more often, caring not for the Masquerade. However, this is not done on a whim, for the Modi prove impossible to control once they arrive. Summoning the Modi to fight is easy; getting rid of them is a challenge in itself.
To those Garou who despise the Fenris or those Cainites who hate the Modi, the tribe and the clan deserve each other. Indeed, these two groups fight each other more often and with more regularity than any other clan or tribe.
If by some small chance someone befriends a Modi, he can be sure the berserker will do anything for him, even charge into the dawn. Modi take the concepts of loyalty and honor to an extreme. Modi are hard to befriend, but neither will their friends ever doubt them.
Still, having friends like the Modi is no easy task. Modi loyalty is narrow-minded, dogged, and militant. These vampires tend to have very simplistic views on life, and will tend to impose such views on those whom they care about. For example, if a Modi befriends a vampire who happens to be blood-bound to an Elder, the Modi may engage in a personal quest to destroy that Elder, firmly believing this action to be for the Thrall's own good. The Thrall's personal feelings in this matter are secondary, if considered at all.
Even though the bloodline badly needs friends, and even though their loyalty is unbreakable, the Modi rarely seek friendships. For most, it is simple xenophobia and ignorance of outsiders. For some, it is the burden of knowing that even the closest of friends or lovers mean nothing if Frenzy overcomes the vampire's control. All vampires must deal with the pain of losing hundreds of mortal friends; the Modi must also deal with the mortal friends they have killed in their rage.
With the onset of technology and the advancement of law enforcement, the Modi have adopted many means to gain access to weapons. Some seek out and learn the discipline of Obfuscate, thereby allowing them to carry large axes and swords around in public. Others use more subtle means (for these vampires, anyway) and delve into the underworld, gaining numerous allies, contacts, and influences in arms-dealing circles.
Other than these raids, which are formed sporadically and last for only one night, Modi have no formal gatherings or structure. When the raid is over, these berserk vampires go their separate ways.
Raids are formed when a Modi issues what they refer to as a Call to War. The berserk frenzy that bubbles just beneath the surface of all Modi connects and bonds these vampires to each other in a such a way that they may use their blood to summon other Modi. See the Berserkergang Discipline for details on this ability.
The oldest Modi are mostly Scandinavian (blonde or red-haired, blue-eyed), but they have taken to Embrace those of other ethnic backgrounds over time. Common traits among them are a fearsome, bestial expression, a well-developed form, and a weapon of some sort. Even today, most Modi still favor bladed weapons to firearms. Most Modi will carry several knives on their persons, but some die-hards will keep broadswords, battleaxes and claymores mounted within easy reach in their havens. The Modi care for their weapons with more devotion than they show even their ghouls or herds; to face an unarmed Modi is rare in the extreme.
If by some chance a Modi is forced to break this rule (during a Hunger Frenzy, for example), she will lose half of her available Willpower points. These may only be replaced by normal means.
Quite simply, the Modi Embrace warriors. It doesn't matter to them whether they Embrace a decorated war veteran, a prizefighter or a hardened gangland survivor. They seek those who not only are competent fighters, but have the passion to fight and win against the worst odds. Once, they only Embraced men, and only those with a heritage of berserker blood. However, these days such blood has thinned, and the Modi have found over centuries that women are just as determined, deadly, and potentially savage as men.
Surprisingly enough, the Modi do not ghoul often, preferring to fight their own battles than hurling faceless minions at their opponents. When they do ghoul, it is usually to create "shield bearers" or servants that will see to the vampire's recovery after a Berserk. They also ghoul when entering a new city, as they will be in need of guardians during the day in a city that will react harshly when they find out about the Modi's presence.
Physical attributes are invariably primary, with Mental secondary. The socially-minded Modi is usually a leader, not a debutante. Talents and Skills will come before Knowledges in all but the most rare circumstances.
Modi typically have high Willpower ratings; these vampires do not Embrace weaklings. A starting character of this line should not have a Willpower of less than 5, although this is only a suggestion. Humanity/Path ratings, however, run the gamut.
"Tools who work for peanuts, until they get bored and go away. If only the Brujah were like them."
The Sabbat: They play the same game we do, just with more frickin' rhetoric. Shut up, already. Still, they take care of their own, and they know how to fight a war . . . .
"If those weak [Camarilla vampires] had half the balls that the Modi do, they might survive Gehenna."
The Inconnu: Okay, so what else is new?
"An unstable line created accidentally and on the decline. We have them suitably contained in regions of our choosing."
Assamites: There's no such thing as toe-to-toe with a Saracen. If you actually see one, he's dead, and there are three more behind you.
Giovanni: Sick, twisted bastards with a lot of enemies. Be careful. They'll make you rich; you'll never want for some heads to crack, but honor is unknown to them.
Ravnos: In their own way, they're just like us.
Setites: If you need to start a war, look these guys up. If you can stomach the eyeliner and boa constrictors, that is . . . .
Lupines: You just show me where.