By Fabian Alvarez (maldoror@eucmax.sim.ucm.es)
She was only mortal (only mortal, such is my pride), but he was Kindred. I think he was diablerized by a rampaging mongrel, somewhere in the slums of Rome. I wonder what was he doing in Rome. Maybe he was searching the mythic Kindred clerics that dwell in the Vatican. I will never have peace, I know. For me, there are not happy roads, only ones that are less sad than others.
I'm one of the Kindred, a Cainite. I am of the lineage of Plakats, mighty Plakats who refuse the gifts of his father, who didn't want to rule from battlements and for such pride was exiled to dwell among graves and tombstones. We, the Plakatsi, are the Children of pain and the Children of sorrow, and ours is the road that crosses the graveyard. The mighty Tzimisce ruled from their castles while we see thousands and thousands of peasants dying for their twisted pleasures. Finally our father found True Love; if ever one of you find True Love, it will be as rain for a withered land. Her name was Nina... she was a beautiful Hungarian maiden, and he loved her. Accursed Tzimisce, blessed be his rebellious children for having killed him, took Nina away from our father.
Ah, Plakats could be a sad bard, but he was Kindred; he was not a coward, so he climbed the sheer cliffs where Castle Tzimisce stood, and dared to return to the Halls he has promised he would never return. In the throne room was the mighty Fiend and, naked, tortured, there was beautiful Nina. And when our father try to release her, she smiled, mad, Embraced, lost in the horrible power of the Tzimisce clan, may their hubris be their condemnation...
Plakats begged his father pardon, begged for the release of Nina and them, promised he would return to Castle Plakatsaya in the Russian frontier to help his father rule the Mighty Mother.
The Antediluvian Fiend released Nina.
Our father kissed her hand and, crying, set fire to her silky nightgown; she was barely a neonate, and died almost instantly, bloody tears running across her cheeks.
Our father ran, ran away from his wrathful father, and hid in a shallow grave, and composed a sad poem for his dear Nina...
She is dead... and so is my happiness, forever.
All was lost... Nina was dead, and the Antediluvian Fiend was searching for him. So great was the pain and sadness of Plakats that he hid himself in a dark mausoleum, and spent many, many nights consumed by his pain. But finally he felt the weight of loneliness, and wished to be with children like him, and roamed his ancient land, forever hiding from the Tzimisce, and then he found another maiden, the first of us.
We are the Sons of He who cries, and we wear our misery almost with pride because, shouldn't be all of us mourning all we have lost? They say that to cry is the way of the weakling but, look at the powerful Ventrue and the snobbish Toreador. How mighty are they; how great; how inhumane. I do not wish to be like them, because the more I cry, the less a monster I become.
Corax Companion: (4 pt Merit) You have a friend and ally that happens to be a Corax, a wereraven. The relationship between Corax and Plakatsi is almost friendly, but it's better the Garou don't know about it. The ST should refer to the Werewolf PG.
Funeral Parlor: (2 pt Merit) You own a funeral parlor, a funeral flower shop, or a funeral statuary workshop This business serves you as a haven and may be the source of your resources.
Guilt: (3 pt Flaw) Due to your self-loathing after your Embrace, all your difficulties to frenzy have a +2 difficulty. Also, all difficulties to calm you while you are in frenzy have a +1 difficulty.
Morbidity: (3 pt Flaw) You are extremely obssesed with the sadness surrounding death over all other matters. You are an extremely morbid person; you possess automatically the Flaw: Taint of Corruption (it doesn't give you freebie points) and while in a graveyard, crypt or any other place related to death, you suffer a +1 difficulty to all Mental and Social rolls.
Aura of Angst: (5 pt Flaw) Happiness withers when you are around; any mortal standing around you loses a Willpower point each half-hour until they leave your presence. Mages and Werewolves dislike you strongly, and Changelings take one level of non-soakable damage if you are near them. Kindred suffer no adverse effect, but any Willpower roll has a +1 difficulty (even those made by you)
These Kindred are really pathetic. There no backspine in them.
Brujah: So rebellious, so bored, so hopeless... pity.
They are intriguing; I wonder if they could be useful in our war with the Princes.
Caitiff: They are lost children.
The who? No, I don't know anything about them.
Giovanni: It's better do not play with the dead. Someday, they are going to have big problems.
It's better not to trifle with them. They look deceptively weak, but they can be dangerous.
Gangrel: Yes, yeah... to run with wolves. I'm sure it'll help you a lot. Do it.
They are lost in a forest they cannot see. We try to help them, because they share our link with our animal brothers, but they are usually too depressed to share our points of view.
Lasombra: Mighty, dark, powerful Lasombra. When you will fully understand what's the meaning of losing your reflection, you will mourn it. And nobody will hear your cries.
They are dangerous, even for us. Point them the nearest happy kine, and wait for the screams.
Malkavian: Too lost in their own madness, too cursed to not be mourned.
Yes, yes, I understand what you are saying. Now, let's do something funny.
Nosferatu: Interesting, talkative good chaps. I like them.
They don't care our looks and respect our customs. I like them, even the ones that are Toreadorously tragic.
Ravnos: Ignore them; to speak of sadness is bujo, it brings bad luck.
They are cursed, but they don't understand it. Stay away from them.
Setites: The snakes slither and hiss on their dark holes... and they say I'm the morbid one?
They should be easily corrupted, but they are not... I do not understand why.
Toreador: They are not really bad, but some of them need to be pushed along a hillside; then, they will see why our existence is tragic and horrific.
Curious Kindred; a bit too morbid, but I like the art they made.
Tremere: They hate the Fiends, and that's enough for me.
While they are weaklings that cannot stop crying, they hate the Fiends. They can be used.
Tzimisce: The enemy; kill, burn, slay them and scatter their ashes.
They should be destroyed; they are bastards, unworthy of our noble blood.
Ventrue: The kings have to most to mourn.
Who? Oh, yes... they respect us and the Camarilla, and that's makes them a bit better that the damned Brujah.
They are lost children that cannot find the true path. They are damned.
Baali: I'm sure that some of them are crazier than the Malkavians; others are a bunch of psychopathic demonic sorcerers. They are stupid; we are Dammned already, so why should we seek the Damners?
Contemptible. Destroy them.
They are no better or worse that other Kindred. Everyone is welcome in the Camarilla.
The Sabbat: Lets get loose! I think our antitribu brothers can deal with this bunch of demented Kindred.
The ones that are in our sect are strong; the others should be slain like the weaklings they are.
The Inconnu: A bunch of elders trying to escape from the world? Sure, they will succeed.
Do not speak with them. They are damned forever, and can damn you if you listen to their words."
These Kindred are even more morbid than us, but they seem as interested in death as us. Sadly, they have the souls of artistes and can't think in scientific terms. A pity.
They have no backbone, and are useless in the Jyhad.
Brujah antitribu: Funny, screaming bastards ready to blast up the damned Camarilla. Also, easily manipulable...
They are good chaps; I like them.
Gangrel antitribu: Fuzzy guys ready to slash you open. Don't mess with them.
They are neither our friend nor our enemies. I ignore them.
Lasombra: Good leaders, but as worthy of trust as the shadows they command.
They hate their brothers; their brothers serve the Camarilla. They are useful."
Malkavian antitribu: Good chaps; be ready to run when they really get "boing!"
"Who? Those guys? And you say I'm mad, and dangerous, and a crashing bore? Yeah, sure."
Nosferatu antitribu: They are useful sources of information, and honest friends. I like them.
They are not bad, but they should have left all their dramatic ways behind with their Humanity...
Ravnos antitribu: I cannot understand them; I don't want to understand them.
They are more stuffy than the Tzimisce but as dangerous as the Lasombra; stay away from them... some day, they will pay (mumble).
Serpents of the Light: Yeah, little bad Setites trying to be worse...
We are allies, but not friends. They are enigmatic, untrustworthy and, worst of all, idiots.
Toreador antitribu: They are better artists that the dupes of the Camarilla.
Charming; I like their art and they like mine. I bet they can teach me some things about pain...
Tremere antitribu: They are despised: we'll be able to get some help from them...
Potential allies against the Tzimisce and the Lasombra... but, I haven't said that, remember?
Tzimisce: They are still stuffy and pompous; now, however, all their pride is lost. They will fall.
They are bastards, and they are plotting against us... they will perish.
Ventrue antitribu: Oh, I remember a tale about a poor rich boy that tried to become a gang member... What happened to him, you ask? He died...
They are worthless of any thought; let's talk about more interesting matters...