triding from battlefield
to battlefield and throne room to throne room, the Ventrue are the knights
and kings of the Cainite chessboard. Theirs are the conquests, the wars
and the Crusades; they rule from the manor houses and the throne rooms.
Many were conquerors in life and have yet to shake the habit in death,
while others achieved success as merchants or moneylenders. All triumphed,
however, and as a reward were taken into Clan Ventrue. There are no failures
among the Ventrue, only successes and the fondly remembered dead.
Tradition is very important to the Ventrue, and they place great store in both etiquette and age. The longer a Ventrue has been a Cainite, the more respect she will garner from the younger members of her clan. Indeed, many elder Ventrue enjoy "apprenticing" newer members of the clan for a decade or so, to pass on their wisdom and so they can vicariously enjoy their proteges successes.
Mortal status does not count for much among the Ventrue, and even those titles and lands carried over into death don't bear as much weight as a single city taken postmortem. Many of the successes the clan garners are the result of individual action or the team building effort of charismatic individuals; if a matter os brought to the attention of the clan as a whole, it is likely to become bogged down irretrievably in matters of precedence and credit.
However, when the Ventrue do act, they do so swiftly, effectively and decisively. A Ventrue with an ambition is a terrible thing to behold, for she will not stop until it is achieved, and woe betide any who obstruct her. Ventrue are not above allying with members of other clans, as it is their own kind they have the most trouble working with.
obriquet:
Patricians
ppearance:
Immaculately dressed, the Ventrue
prefer garb appropriate to their station in life. Ventrue several centuries
old will take every opportunity to wear the weeds of their days among the
living. Meetings of Ventrue tend to resemble a masque of historical costuming.
aven:Castles
and fortresses, generally those controlled by their mortal descendants,
are where many Ventrue slumber the day away. They are never found far from
civilization.
ackground:Ventrue
are often Embraced from the ranks of the nobility. Those who are not tend
to be successful military leaders, though there is a sizeable minority
of moneylenders and merchants, and more than a few Knights Templar have
joined the clan as well. The most tradition-obsessed clan members attempt
to keep the clan notion literal, and will only Embrace their descendants.
haracter
Creation:Ventrue tend to have
noble or military concepts. Mental Attributes are usually primary, as are
Knowledge Abilities. Most Ventrue have Influence and Resources as Backgrounds;
there are very few poor Ventrue.
lan
Disciplines:Dominate, Fortitude,
Presence
eaknesses:All
Ventrue have a specific limitation on their feeding habits. They may only
drink the vitae of one particular type of prey (priests, non-Christians,
virgins, Englishmen, etc), chosen at the time of character creation. Ventrue
will not feed in a method that 
violates
their prey exclusion, even if starving, wounded or deranged.
rganization:There
exists a court of Ventrue, with an everchanging king and queen. While property
is observed during the clan's frequent gatherings, more attention is paid
to garnering status within the clan than is paid to accomplishing anything,
even in the enlightened self-interest of the clan. If a good idea is brought
up at a Ventrue gathering, it will almost certainly be stymied by a half-dozen
other Ventrue who refuse to see anything that doesn't have their name attached
to it succeed.
uote:"
Your wishes may matter on your lands, Baron. This night you stand on mine,
and here my word is law. "
tereotypesssamites:
They'd not be half so frightful
on the field of battle, instead of striking from the shadows and vanishing.
rujah:
One would think they'd forget
Carthage after a millenium, but it would seem not to be the case. They
have an admirable talent for holding grudges, and nothing else.
appadocians:
Some of what they're researching
may well have application; the rest seem to be pointless. Frankly, most
of them are simply boring.
ollowers
of Set: The next Crusade
should be to the waters of the Nile, so we can wipe these vipers from the
Earth. Never mind the Saracens - these are the true infidels.
angrel:
Bestial at best, perhaps they
might some night be tamed and used for sport. Like hounds, perhaps, or
falcons.
asombra:
The lot of them is about as
noble as a knife between the shoulder blades. Treachery and condescension
make such a charming combination.
alkavians:
From the mouths of madmen come
revelations. Mind you Ezekiel and Amos, and then watch the Malkavians closely.
osferatu:
It's quite astounding that
so many of these wear the faces of demons yet fall prey to their own religious
manias. The sane ones, on the other hand, are quite talented.
avnos:
The antithesis of all we stand
for, the Ravnos ought to be banished from the continent and sent to practice
their tricks on each other in the Antipodes.
oreador:
Value their opinions on art
and architecture, but not on anything else.
remere:
One must admire their ambition
and ingenuity in seizing for themselves the mantle of Caine. Alas, there's
precious little else to admire in them.
zimisce:
Obviously, in the lands of
the East nobility means something a trifle different than it does in the
West. Treat them as you would a slow-burning fire: with respect and distance.
aali:
Why does anyone hesitate when
confronted with the chance to annihilate one of these cringing diabolists?
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