As some Toreador become increasingly involved with the Arabs and Moors, others found a beauty in the solemn but unusually impassioned art and architecture of Western Europe. It has been a slow process to nurture the fledgling artistic creativity of the Christians, but as the foundations for the great cathedrals are set, the Toreador consider their time well spent.

Many clans are surprised by the change that came over the Toreador. Where once they joined Nero's revelry and Caligula's perversions, now they keep to sober monasteries and chill stone castles. Even the clan's sobriquet has changed to reflect their attitudes: where once they were scorned as "Dionysians", now they are labeled "Artisans".

And so, while some Toreador make perilous journeys to the North to seek out worthy skalds, and some wander Byzantine halls to Eastern music, most stay where they are, quietly encouraging human achievement. When humanity is ready for a second Golden Age, the Toreador will teach them of ancient art and literature. Until then, patience is the Artisans' watchword. Time will tell if they can hold to it.

The Toreador are not an overly influential clan. They abstain from the dickerings of petty princes and Cainite fishmongers, preferring to follow their calling. Still, they are one of the most perceptive of clans. Many elders and princes who dislike trusting Malkavian or Cappadocian seers will instead keep a Toreador advisor on hand. Constantinople is one place which has benefited from a constant Toreador presence.

The Toreador's military strength is not overwhelmingly impressive. Apart from a few Retainers or Dominated kine, they have few people to call on to fight for them. Some Toreador are excellent fighters, but not all. For this reason, some tend to keep a loose alliance with local Brujah, who also see the need to preserve learning. However, not that many Toreador are openly attacked. Because they seem harmless, few vampires actually seek their destruction. Because they seem useless, they are not targets to be controlled.

The Toreador do not involve themselves heavily in Cainite politics, and so their organization is reasonably loose. Sires tend to create childer they can trust, and so most Toreador are relatively free to pursue their own ends (which often coincidentally match those of their elders). They gather in Iberia, Alexandria, Constantinople and even in Rome.

Some Toreador gather in groups akin to craft guilds, exchanging information and insight concerning their particular field of interest. These "guids" are extremely secretive, full of ritual and mysticism. Occasionally they adopt a mortal member into their fold, but only those they deem worthy of receiving the secrets of the ages. These lucky few often return to their work inspired but troubled by what they have seen.

The Toreador are currently working hard to preserve the arts and culture of the lands where they have settled. Most European Toreador have worked themselves into Church, realizing that the majority of modern art and sculpture serves a religious purpose. Some travel to Eastern lands to bring back cultural advancements, but this is a tenuous practice, particularly considering the Easterners' hostility brought on by the Crusades. They tend to arrange benefactors and work for the finer artisans, and encourage creative people to follow their visions. Some French Toreador oversee the construction of cathedrals; tragically, they will never know the buildings in their full glory, with sunlight streaming through the stained glass.

Distasteful though it is, the Toreador find themselves entangled in mortal politics and locked in fierce conflicts with other clans. They are among the strongest defenders of Constantinople and its culture, vocally arguing that the Cainites should play an active role in defending it from the "barbarians" who slowly steal away its territories. They also disapprove of recent Lasombra forays into the Church, believing that the Magisters will turn more and more churchmen away from art and education, emphasizing instead control, intolerance and politics.

The clan also respects Moslem art and achievements and tries to persuade the Brujah and Lasombra to help nurture the Moslem kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula. Unfortunately, rumors of Assamite footholds are hindering this pact. 

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