History of the Nagaraja

By Illumantus@aol.com

Introduction

This is some information I have gathered reading various books (The Last Supper, Dirty Secrets of the Black Hand). It details how the Nagaraja came into existence. This is just speculation, however, I believe this is true and have submitted a written form to White Wolf about it.

The History

The bloodline Nagaraja are in fact, the surviving Cappadocians that went underground when Cappadocious was Diablerized by Augustus Giovanni. Fearing persecution from both the Giovanni and the Camarilla, they hid their identities and continued their studies in Necromancy, taking them even futher, exploring the land of the dead and creating a new discipline known as Nihilistics.

To remain anonymous, they have set up a fabrication, claiming that Tremere blood was manipulated by Euthanatos mages and thus creating their kind. Because of their imminent hiding, and lack of living bodies, they began feasting on the flesh of humans recently dead. This became clan practice soon after, and all the childer there after found themselves forced to be cannibalistic. The younger vampires, displeased with the fact that they become cannibals in unlife, committed diablerie on the elders, gaining their generation and sealing the fate of the remaining Cappadocians.

They soon realized that they would have to come up with a name for their unique bloodline, after studying many lores and tomes of ancient years, nothing suitable was found. One vampire in particular, named Deimos after the Mythological God, spoke to wraiths constantly. They had a word for vampires among them, calling them Nagaraja, meaning "life's blood" in their odd language of the dead.

Still hidden from most eyes, with the exception of the Tremere, they learned, and explored their dark powers. Learning Thaumaturgy from the Tremere, who were now in league with them, they created new rituals, allowing them access to the land of the dead, so better to explore death. Cappadocious, whose soul escaped the diablerie fo Augustus Giovanni, helped his former clan from the land of the dead, teaching them more than they could ever know.

It was not until the late 18th century A.D. that the Nagaraja became known among Kindred society, mainly because of the Tal'Mahe'Ra (Black Hand). They became masters of the Underworld and Necromancy, equalling the Giovanni in their death studies, perhaps even surpassing them.

Early in the 19th century, a few unknown Nagaraja created a bloodline of fierce fighters. Also possessing the powers of Necromancy, yet creating a new power known as Thanatosis. These warriors became ugly and rotten as they were created from that of a dead body. A very powerful Nagaraja summoned the spirit of a dead mortal, and possessed the soul into that of a two week old corpse, decaying and putrid. Giving the decayed body his own blood, and empowing it with Necromancy, the soul began to take control of the body. The new vampire, later known as the Samedi, quickly discovered that he could not walk among the mortals for his brash, and disgusting appearance. After going to the Nosferatu for help, Samedi gained the powers of Obfuscate, allowing him to hide from view of mortals, yet feed off them as well. Samedi's odd powers of Thanatosis helping him in become a dangerous opponent. Samedi sired a few childer before he went into torpor, after imparting all he knew.

As the rumors spread about the Samedi bloodline, rumors spread about who made them. Some pointed to the dark Tremere, others pointed to the Giovanni. And yet others blamed the Nagaraja for this dreaded bloodline of decaying and rotting corpses.

Sensing the anger of the entire vampiric society, the Nagaraja made no claims to creating them, with Samedi in torpor, none were to find out the truth of the matter. To this day, none but the oldest Nagaraja know, and even they speak not of it.

The Nagaraja, never forgetting the past, of the time when their true founder Cappadocious was alive, have vowed to one another to destroy the Giovanni. Their task is hard, as they rarely create progeny and the Giovanni have become powerful, but at every given chance, they strike, and with deadly force, leaving nothing but the rotten decayed bones of a poor Giovanni.