RAZOR CHILDREN

By dkomlos@mechanical.watstar.uwaterloo.ca (24 Feb, 1994)

Nickname

Rippers

Description

Masters of stealth and wild bringers of confusion and destruction, many have commented that the mere presence of a member of this small, tightly-knit bloodline is an omen of trouble to come.

Much speculation abounds on the origin of the Children, but the most popularly accepted assumption involves an elder arising from an experimental embrace with combined Lasombra and Ravnos blood. Anyone with knowledge in the workings of vitae knows that this belief is false, but no one has ever come forth with a better story. Whether or not they know their own derivation is moot though, because this bunch isn't telling. What is obvious (infuriatingly so for the Sabbat Lasombra) is that they have full command of the discipline of Obtenebration, so their roots are considered to be intermingled with the Sabbat leaders.

As a defect passed along in the embrace, the Razor Children are unable to heal wounds with their saliva. Because of this, their greatest curse, their only recourse in the interest of secrecy and security is to inflict the necessary wounds for feeding with mundane weaponry, usually knives (although some have been known to utilise hypodermic needles). Since the curse is not widely known, the image most Kindred have of the Razor Children is that of merciless, inhuman sadists. Their habits are considered to be at best disgusting and at worst a threat to all Kindred.

Many members of the bloodline, overcome by guilt, tend to lean one of two ways. Either they become strict farmers and bankers, never feeding directly on human blood, or they take on an "avenging angel" persona, feeding on and slaying only those they believe are hurtful to others and deserve punishment.

A rather treasured item for the Razor Children is a small vial of Kindred saliva. They never say why they want it, but often times they can be found performing small services for it. Seeing as many mysterious rumors exist about the Children, though, most Kindred are far too paranoid to endorse such activity. Any vampire who attempts to take advantage of this dealing should be wary, though. The Razor Children have a distinct hatred for those who would patronize or use them, and they will not hesitate to lash out if they begin to believe this is the case.

In a way, the most prominent agenda of the Razor Children seems to be a direct "clean-up" or "cover-up" crew in emergency masquerade situations. They do the dirty work. Sometimes it entails hunting down and helping a witch-hunter to "disappear." Sometimes it may require slaughtering all the inhabitants of a household. In the past, they have even been called upon to issue a physical "warning" to Kindred who are not careful enough. They have no qualms about being asked to kill, and their terror tactics are so well executed, they rarely have to ask anyone to watch her step twice. Rare is the individual who witnesses them swarming through an area, destroying all who might jeopardize the masquerade, and still does not fear their force. Note that the Children do seem to have a secondary agenda of their own, and that seems to affect their decisions when asked to embark on such a "clean-up" mission. Sometimes they seem to have no reason to refuse, and yet still do. There are some who disagree violently with their methods, arguing that the brutality of the Children can only be hidden with many times more blood than was originally spilled. These individuals claim that the Children are just violence addicts, and work to satisfy their own urges, nothing more. More often than not, these opinions are never heard in anything but whispers.

Appearance

The Razor Children are almost always relatively young when embraced, rarely appearing older than thirty. They tend to dress in dark clothing, most often wearing garments of leather, suede, or denim. All of them have a ritualistic, elaborate tattoo somewhere on their bodies, which contains a specific bloodline symbol and their name encoded in it. All members of the bloodline are taught to read this code, and no one outside the line is permitted to know of it. Impostors who are identified in this manner are taught a swift lesson. Other ritual self-mutilation is popular, such as body piercing and branding (!) .

Haven

The Razor Children live where they can. Individual preferences determine individual choices.

Background

The Children generally select their progeny from young individuals who have demonstrated their ability to survive on their own with only wits and muscle to rely on. They only choose those who they believe are mature enough and worthy of their trust, and often consult with others of their kind before enacting the embrace. The punishment within the bloodline for a "bad choice" is severe.

Character Creation

These vampires usually come from some sort of underclass background, most often being runaways or criminals. They have highly diverse natures, but their demeanors tend along the rebellious or survivalistic lines. Physical attributes are primary, as are skills.

Disciplines

Obtenebration, Potence, Jumble

Weakness

As mentioned above, the Razor Children cannot heal the wounds they inflict by licking them, so maintaining the secrecy of their existences is that much more difficult.

Organization

Very loosely organized, they rely on a "buddy" system. They always know how to contact at least two or three of their kindred, and each of them always knows how to contact a couple more, etc. They are known to converge on specific locations upon the request of a single member, but only in very special cases. Most of their communication is informal. All members of the bloodline are expected to treat each other with respect, as "brothers" and "sisters". Betrayal of trust or consistently disrespectful behaviour is usually punished by groups of three nearby members of the bloodline, but individual "justice" is not uncommon. Note that "right" or "wrong" in these cases depends on the bloodline's perception of the acts as a whole, and the general feeling of the line is made obvious in their individual communications.

Gaining Lineage Prestige

Anyone who helps promote their image of fearlessness, imperviousness to pain, and efficiency is well appreciated. There are no distinct positions of prestige in the Line, though.

Quote

"You screwed up. Now we're here to make sure that no one finds out. Get out of our way, unless you want to be packed away with the rest of the bodies."

Stereotypes

The Camarilla: I wish they'd learn to relax. We don't bother them; they shouldn't bother us. We've saved their butts more than a few times, but still they try to rein us in. They'd just love it if we knuckled under to them and their laws. Well, everybody's allowed to dream.

"Trickier than the Ravnos, spookier than the Malkavians, and man, do they ever put a burr in the Ventrues' collective shorts. God, I love these guys!"

-- Schack, Brujah individualist

The Sabbat: Lots of sick mothers in that bunch. They may seem like plenty of fun at first, but believe you me, when the joke gets old, it always ends in serious business.

"They have secret knowledge, knowledge that is by no right theirs. They dance uncontrolled through my city, my city, causing unwarrented mayhem and attacking the most undeserving of targets. They have no concept of Gehenna. They have no concept of what they are. They must be dealt with."

-- Tyren, Lasombra Bishop

The Inconnu: Forget them. Just forget all about them. I don't know what goes on in their heads, but I tell you, I really prefer it that way.

"Their quiet ways and sad curse are interesting, but only briefly. I trust their existence will prove to be equally fleeting."

-- Lycius, fourth generation Toreador