By Justin Whitney (ravnos101@aol.com or MULS26C@prodigy.com)
"Ah, greetings friends, to the Chantry -- and what brings you to Cleveland on this fine evening? If you are looking for our aid, how may we help you? Ahhh I see... You want to know the history of our clan, but just who are you childe? I'm afraid if you are working for Augustus you will not leave this place with your soul or life. We are the Cappadocians, formerly known as the Graverobbers, or the Scholars. Some have even called us Cadavers. Now you may call us the Os Voyoux, translated to your language that's Bone Thugs. Ahh friend you are funny; we are not the musicians, but some of the neonates enjoy their rhymes. Only the neonates; I stick to classical music. I can't stand music today; Metallica and such! Where do these mortals get the names of their bands?! Ah, the music today is as twisted as the Childer of Malkav. But you wish to know our history; step this way, to my sire's chamber. He will tell you, for he is one of the three. What? you don't know of the three? My sire will tell you, but it will cost a heavy price. And you may not be able to pay my friend. Well if you're willing, go on...
The Vampire with a heavy french accent leads you to a room in the back of the Chantry. You look at the walls where black tapastries hang, the clan's old crest sewn in to them. Black candles light the hallways and you look left to right noticing the shadows seeming to creep and grow, engulfing the hallway. He takes you to a black silk curtain and knocks on the cold stone then draws the curtain a you walk in to greet the elder.
He appears to be in his mid-twenties, with shoulder length black hair, dressed in black clothing, his pale skin illuminated from all of the black he is wearing. He is writing in a book, and a few pages of the original Book of Nod are scattered about the desk. An eerie music seems to come from the walls. Behind him is a woman, about his age, clutching his shoulders and reading what he is writing, searching for errors in his penmanship. She is clad in a black dress, and her long, raven hair flows down her back, and her black lipstick makes her pale face seem to stand out more than it normally would. She leans down and whispers in to his ear in Latin about the visitor and he looks up to you and smirks.
"And what brings you here Childe? Ahh, I see. You wish to know our history. Why not talk to one of the Samedi if you want to know of my clan? They could tell you of our withered demise. If you must know from me then we must travel back to around 1200 A.D. I was an elder then, as my love Sharon here. She stayed in Paris, studying the corpse of a freshly deceased, and I had set out to travel to Paris, but the dawn sun came. I had to Invoked the Death's Whisper in some nearby bushes to escape. When I awoke the next night and rummaged through the forest for something to tie me over, perhaps a small rabbit, I heard of Kindred searching for members of our clan, something about a meeting with Augustus Giovanni, My sire's sire's Childe. I was curious, but I did not think they would miss an elder who was supposedly traveling. I sensed a great evil in the aura of the Giovanni riders as they passed, and decided to hide. I ran deeply in to the forest and invoked the ability of Death's Whisper. I had evaded Caine's curse, but little to my knowledge, I had forgotten to feed, and I was not sure I could awaken from my death. Over the years the weather covered and preserved me in the forest. I guess the Giovanni never found me, for I dreamt of the evil I felt when they passed me, and I dreamt that if they found me I would know it. Yes Childe, I know you can't use the ability of Auspex while in that state, but I knew I would feel the fangs of evil pierce my throat.
I had no knowledge of the time, but I felt the warm taste of Vitae drip in to my split lips, and slide down my tongue in to my throat. I then spent the blood to make myself awaken back in to my form to find I couldn't move. I invoked the ability to heighten my sensory organs and saw I was covered in dirt, leaves, sticks, sharp ones at that, if i had tried to move I may have been paralyzed as if it were driven in to me by a hunter. I saw that a rat had impaled itself crawling through the rubble I was covered in. Instantly I thought "That could have been me!" I chuckled at my fear of the Final Death, for I should not be. We all die some time; I just didn't want to die there. I then drew strength from my blood, and I pushed as hard as I could with my hands. In a burst of speed my hands shot up in to the cold night's air. I was glad it was night. I scratched at the rubble and dug myself out from my prison in to the night. I look around scared, then crawled out of the woods. Instead of the dirt path I expected to see, I saw a road of smooth stone. I decided to follow it to Paris, for though it was covered with stone, it was the same road. I had waved to a horseless carriage speeding by and it slowed. A man opened the door and I asked him the date. He told me it was All Hallow's Eve.
Excellent! I had awakened on a good night. I fed from the man and tossed his weary body in to the back. It would be dawn before he awoke in his carriage. I was now revived and Had the energy to walk on. Another carriage then stopped and a woman asked me where I was going. I told her I was going to Paris. She smiled and invited me in, and was talking quickly how she loved All Hallow's Eve. She was apparently going to a party and said she didn't have a friend to take with her, so she said I could pass as somone dressed as a Vampire. I chuckled for she thought I was just a mortal like her dressed in celebration. She took me to her Ball and we danced the night away. I took two or three victims to a back room and fed from them. I then asked my new friend if I could find a place to stay, slowly reading her aura. I noticed that it was pale, meaning she was a Cainite. I was kind of cautious then. She smiled and took me back to her 'apartment.' After a shower she drew the curtains shrouded the room in darkness. She said I could sleep on the couch as she undressed in the back room. I began to scry her mind, trying to find what clan she was from, wondering if she would know if I was or not. I found that she was a Ravnos. Just my luck, a Charlatan and I was sure she would try to Diablerise me while I slept. I was on my guard then, but I wanted to sleep very badly. She then looked to me and said 'I'm an Elder Honey, I wouldn't dream of it.' and she smiled sweetly as she slipped a cloak on. 'Besides, I know who you are and I have a friend who can help you.' She then brought my weary body in to her arms and kissed my forehead ' I am of the Olde Ravnos sweetie. I'm here to help you, for I couldn't help one of my friends who was of your clan that long ago, so I guess I'll help you out.' She hugged me tightly and I felt her breasts press against my chest. She then went in to the back room. I slowly drifted off to sleep as the crack of dawn approached. I awoke the next night to the smell of Bacon and Potatoes frying. I looked over to my friend who was cooking. She smiled and pointed to the door. Suddenly I heard a rapping at the door and I went over to ansewer it. I saw one of the younger Ravnos and grumbled. He handed me a bundle of rolled up clothes and stepped in, then flopped on to the couch I had slept on. The Neonate then looked to me and asked 'Hey, you like to read?' I nodded. 'I got some books to help you in the more modern world out there.' He pointed to a steel carriage. I walked out to it and took a rather heavy stack of books. On the cover the first one read Encyclopedia Britannica: 1977 Edition. I began to read the first volume.
Over the course of twelve days and nights I brought myself up to date with the world's history. I was glad I was a scholarly reader or else I may not have had the determination to finish. I even thought they were boring, so Childer, don't be discouraged. I then asked my friend if I could get to London any time soon. She said she could get me there in two nights if we hurried. I ran out in to her car and said 'Let's go!'
We drove to London, England. I ran as fast as I could to Sharon's Ossuary, and searched the room, looking for her, panicking. I didn't think she would still be alive after all these centuries, but I still had to have hope. I then slipped my hand on some cold flesh under the many bones. I then dug up the corpse of a young woman. It was Sharon. I was so greatful, but I didn't think she had any Vitae in her veins after all of these years. I took an old withered bone and jabbed it in to my wrist, piercing it. I let my blood flow between her lips then invoked the gift of Awakening upon her corpus. She choked and coughed, then swallowed the blood in the mouth. She then latched her mouth on to my open wrist and began sucking my Vitae deeply. I groaned in pain, but knew she needed the blood more than I. I embraced her in to my arms and carried her naked body out to the Charlatan's car. I covered her in an ebony blanket, and she spat out her French quickly. I listened as she told me how she felt in her deathly sleep, also forgetting that she had no blood in her body when she entered her sleep. I hugged her tightly and asked her of Lafayette. She didn't know what happened to him, but said he left a letter for her at the Haven. We briskly went to the old Ossuary where we dwelt, and searched it until we found Lafayette's letter. I opened it and read:
"My dear Ven Deras, my eternal Sire. By the time you read this, if you ever do, you will know of what Augustus has done to us. The meeting was about diablarising Cappadocius. I was mortified at what I heard. Then the three riders chased me far from Paris, almost to London. I wrote to you and sent this letter with a messenger boy who delivered it our home. Once you read this I would have sealed myself at Death's peak, at the cave to the far south. If you ever read this find me, free me, and awaken me with your Vitae.
Eternally,
Lafayette de Lazarus
We then drove to a Hotel and slept during the day. As soon as the evening cracked, Sharon and I went to a bar for hunting. We filled up on vitae and returned to the Charlatan's car. She drove us to Death's Peak. We all knew about the south cave, and how it led to a secret Haven. We worked most of the night trying to move the rock with no luck. But the Neonate chuckled and rammed a small rod in to the boulders blocking the entrance. He told us to get back. I listened to him. He lit the rod and I watched the explosion blow rocks everywhere. He smiled and walked in to the cave. I quickly caught up with him, and led them all through the twisting labyrinth of stone to the Haven. I broke open the lid of a wooden coffin with a skull carved on to it. Inside was the body of Lafayette. Again I pierced my wrist and let my blood flow on to his split lips. I then awoke him with my Vampiric powers. His mouth opened wider and the blood flowed down his throat. Stretching, LAfayette reached over the coffin and sat up. sleepily he ask me 'What year is it sire?'
'It's 1979 Lafayette.'
'I guess I've had a rather long rest then.' Lafayette chuckled with us and he wearily came from the coffin. He looked about the Haven and then to Sharon 'Where to next M'lady?'
'We are going to see an old friend. The Tzimisce.'
'That's good; let's get going'
As we drove to the castle of the Tzimisce who was once our friend before what happened to us. As we pulled in to his realm, the Ravnos Vampires abandoned us as they drove in to the darkness. We stepped up to the castle gates. I saw those huge ghouls, and they were as eerie as when I first saw them: two large romanians with ragged beards. They took us to the Tzimisce who greeted us with joy. We spent about a month at his castle, catching up on the modern world even more. He gave us his bottled blood which I joked about the first time we met. I referred to it a 'very' red wine. His limousine driver took us to an airport where we had plane tickets scdeuled for Cleveland, Ohio in a few minutes. Sharon and Lafayette slept the whole trip and I read books about death and the dead. We arrived in Cleveland just at the moon's rising. We walked about the streets, looking for a good place to establish a Haven. But first, as in the olde days, we asked the prince if we could establish a Haven in his city. The ventrue allowed us to, and even gave us a stable allowance for monthly costs, as long as we didn't cause any upstarts. I also joined him in his Camarilla meetings, learning of the Kindred polotics over the past 800 years. I asked at the Conclave that was called by the Ventrue for political matters if the Camarilla would accept our clan in to their asssociation of kindred. We told them that we would be loyal to the Camarilla and great allies to them. They accepted my offer and elected me Justicar of the Remaining Cappadocians. By 1980 My friends that helped me in Europe came over to help my clan out. The Ravnos told me of the Giovanni Crisis that had taken place. My clan was enraged. How could they have diablerised Cappadocius? Though I was angry I couldn't let it effect our studies of the dead. Through these studies we found of the Samedi. I had met with many Samedi elders, and Ancilla. We had talked many hours. They taught us much of the Giovanni and their Discipline Thanatosis, as well as the more developed levels of the discipline we began to study long ago.
Though we promised not to cause an upstart we had Embraced some Occultists who were studying the dead and hedge magics in to our clan. Over the next few years we buil an elite family of Cainites, ghouls, and five Dhampir. We are still researching on these Dhampir. One of the most famnous we have read about is Vladimir Tepes Dracul V (Hunter D), son of Vladimir Tepes, the Impaler. There were a few Cimmerian and Romanian tales of him being a Vampire hunter. My Tzimisce friend had a book with a few pages of this Dhampir with him. The Ravnos had the means of creating the Dhampir. We were grateful for their help, and in return offered to help them when they needed it. I regret that too. The Ravnos wanted a new car, and that was just the top of her list of 'favors'. Childe, never offer a favor to a Ravnos; they have scrolls a mile long of Favors they need! I then hired a small groupe of Assamites in Europe to steal a book containing my clan's age old secrets that should never have been given to any Giovanni. They were perfectionests. They had gotten every volume they could from the Giovanni, and even stole their computers during the day while they all slept. My blood ran thin the night I had to pay them. But they did their jobs well, I must confess. The Dark Scythe Legion is the group of twelve Assamites you want to hire if you need a job done. The cost is pricy, but it's worth it. The Giovanni have lost all of their information about the old Cappadocians. Only what remains in the eldest heads is the knowledge. We will soon get Magi to read and erase those memmories. In about 1985 we had the Dark Scythe Legion pull another heist for us. They stole a book containing the Knowledge of the Tremere's Thamaturgy Discipline, and the path of Spirit Thamaturgy. You may ask why we are requesting these strange books. I also had them find my old copy of the Necronomicon. Yes, the one written in blood and bound in flesh, one of the five . . . Anyway, We do business with the Dark Scythe Legion any time we need any Books or texts about the Kindred. We have recently tried to keep quiet, but search the streets of our new city for Occultists and Thanatologists that are worthy of the Embrace...
Now, why is it that you have come Childe? To be Embraced? Ahh my friend, first you must understand death before you understand immortality. Come a little closer Childe, let me see that necklace you are wearing. . .
Considering the fact that all of the Cappadocians will hate the Giovanni, when one is in the area, resisting a Frenzy has a +3 difficulty. (This can be devastating for those Cappadocians who still follow the Path of Bones)
When A Risen asks for help from a Cappadocian, he must make a willpower roll (difficulty 9) to resist helping the wraith (this only applies if the Cappadocian doesn't want to). Their craving for the knowledge of death draws them to helping the dead find Transcendence and completing their tasks in the Skinlands. They can learn a lot from the dead, who may be willing to teach their powers of Argos to the Cappadocians in time.
Brujah: They are good for fighting what they believe in. I'm still wondering what that is.
Dhampir: They're good for taking Kindred out quickly and efficiently.
Setites: They are true Evil and we must put a stop to them.
Gangrel: They'll end up like we did if they continue dancing around on the Lupines' hunting grounds like they do.
Giovanni: Die!Die!Die!Die!Die!Die!Die!Die!Die!Die!Die!Die!Die!Die!Die! ( Sounds of aoutomatic weapons firging, then a splat)
Lasombra: What is the Darkness without the spark of life?
Malkavians: They're smarter than everyone perceives them to be.
Nosferatu: You want the downright dirty stuff on someone? Ask a Nosferatu, and pay him for his efforts.
Ravnos: They act like Charlatans, but the elders know more than they pretend to. They have helped us in our struggle, and robbed us blind when we weren't looking.
Samedi: Samedi was a defected Cappadocian so they say. We are close to them, and learn much from them. We're just not as ugly.
Toreador: Will your sculptures help you in the unlife? I think not. Study something of value. You need to know about death for it happens to us all.
Tremere: I still don't trust the Warlocks.
Tzimisce: The antitribu, Inconnu, and the Old Clan Tzimisce we could call friends, but the Ones now a days are corrupted beyond belief.
Ventrue: Their arrogance is annoying at times, but they have helped to bring us back to unlife.
Lupines: I stay away from most of them, But I have spoken with an Uktena once.
Magi: Euthanatos: Whoopie. Most Magi make good allies against the Giovanni.
Faeries: Grow up children. Whine about Arcadia's doors being closed. Remember how you treated the Bastet, then Whine when they slay you all. Then I'll cash your soul in for money to get me acrossed the River Styx.
Mummies: During the Dark Ages we shared much knowledge with each other about death. The Reborn are always welcome in my Chantry.
Wraiths: They are the dead, held to the mortal realms by chains holding them in limbo, somewhere between life and death. We help and study them whenever we can.
Risen: We help them to complete their goals and end their sadness.
Bastet: The Bubasti share an occasional chat with us about the dead and Immortality.
NSG REAPER: My best friend.
Todd Cole: The best damn ST in Houston, TX.
Mark Kinney: For writing Dhampir.
Caffiene: For keeping me up.
White Wolf: Y'all kick ass.
Bone thugs ~n~ Harmony: Your music great!
Metallica: Their music kept me alive too.