TITANS

By Adam J. Solis (ajsolis@aol.com)

History

The titans have supposedly lived among us as long as the clans have existed. My research into the bloodlines, kindred family trees, and the caitiff has brought to my attention that there are pretenders among the clans and established bloodlines. Oh, many of them do not even know it, but most suspect. They are the titans. Like the deities of the mythic age, they carry in them the seed of power. The titans, you see, are a myth and a rumor, a secret that most kindred will never uncover because of their own fears and insecurities. However, the secret is really quite simple -- they are caitiff among the clans.

I am not talking about the caitiff who have managed to ingratiate themselves among the clans, nor do I speak of those who have earned their way into the clans by merit. The titans are caitiff who have managed to fool others and usually even themselves into believing that they are of the clans. How is that possible, you may wonder. The answer is one that might surprise you, for you see, the titans are caitiff who manifest all of the traits of the clan or bloodline they were embraced in. How then could they be considered caitiff? They retain the caitiff ability to learn exotic and non-inherent disciplines. They even have the ability to create (or according to some myths, recreate) their own disciplines just like their caitiff brethren and can also create their own bloodlines. That is the source of all bloodlines that sprang from an established clan. The samedi, the nagaraja, kiasyd, ahrimanes, the city gangrel; most of the bloodlines sprang from a titan founder. The blood brothers are an obvious exception, and my research into the gargoyles is so far inconclusive in determining if the altered vampires demonstrate titan characteristics. I will, of course, keep you informed of any developments. There is also a theory I have so far been unable to confirm or deny. Namely, are the Antediluvians Titans? They were the first to pass on their predilections onto their own progeny. Perhaps I will have the privilege of finding out when Gehenna arrives.

In faith,
The Pretender,
Member of the Manus Nigrum,
Archon of the Malkavian Justicar,
Knight Inquisitor of the Sabbat Inquisition,
Vulture of the Shadow Lord tribe of lupines,
Child of Huitzilopoctli the Left Handed Hummingbird,
Child of Cappadocius,
Child of Enoch,
Child of Caine the fratricide

Mechanics

The titans are created as caitiff characters. They have standard dots in backgrounds, disciplines, and other traits. They can even choose which disciplines they will initially possess, but they must have at least some dots in the innate clan disciplines. The titans always have the following merits and flaw: Innate vampiric ability (3 pt merit from the Risen book) for all clan disciplines so usually it will be taken three times for a total of 9 freebie points, and Clan Weakness (2 pt flaw, from the book Outcasts A Players Guide to Pariahs), for a total of seven freebie points. For convenience sake, treat it as a single merit Titan (7 freebie points, Supernatural). Titans can purchase any additional merits or flaws depending upon their clan, sect, and age bracket, including the caitiff merits and flaws from Pariahs, subject to Storyteller approval of course.