Nosferatu
Nickname: Sewer Rats, Nos, Spuds/Tatties (allegedly from "Potato Heads")
Character and Society: The Nosferatu look like feral animals. Their smell and appearence is revolting - some would say monstrous. After Nosferatu are Embraced, they undergo an exceptionally painful transformation. Over a period of weeks, they slowly shift from their mortal appearences into terrible troll-like monsters. The psychological trauma of this change is usually much more painful than the physical transformation.
Nosferatu usually Embrace those who are twisted in one way or another; emotionally, physically, spiritually or intellectually. They consider the Embrace too horrific to bestow on any worthwhile human beings with anything to offer their fellow man. They sometimes Embrace the terminally ill, although for different reasons. With the change into vampire, the Nosferatu seek to somehow redeem these mortals, to give them a second chance. It is surprising how often it works; underneath their grim exteriors, the Nosferatu are practical and surprisingly sane. Though their Obfuscate power enables the Nosferatu to travel through mortal society, they are unable to interact with it. They must live apart. The habits they develop during such an existence influence their interaction with other Kindred. They avoid all contact, preferring a solitary existence to the chaos of social interaction. They are "known" to be grumpy, rude and lewd, and unable to conform to the rules of a civilised society. What is generally not known is that they are without doubt the most spiritually advanced and altruistic of all the Kindred outside of the lost Salubri Clan. Though Nosferatu may not deal much with other Kindred, they remain remarkably in touch with the affairs of the city. They favour such tactics as eavesdropping from hiding or sneaking into others' havens. Anyone wishing to know any information about the city need only ask a Nosferatu. The Nosferatu stay in contact with each other, and have a remarkable information network. They control a vast web of sewers, subways, hidden passages and secret rooms that connect them to the heart of the city. They have informers among all levels of society. They work to learn all secrets.Of Monsters and men The most bizarre relationships can occur between Nosferatu and mortals. Even the most hard-bitten Nosferatu may discover a weakness for a certain human or humans. Living as they do in places many would consider to be Hell, there is a long tradition of the Nosferatu offering help to others like them. There are many, many cases of cruel kindred preying on homeless people, children or mental patients who have inexplicably been beaten black and blue and left somewhere as a warning to others. Cliché as it may be, many orphanages, scholarships and self-help organisations owe at least part of their funding to the Sewer Rats. Living in the gutter, there are a lot of Nosferatu who want to help those who still can get out of it. Unlike the Toreador and the Ventrue, they seldom if ever brag about their accomplishments, and most outside the clan are unaware of them.
Elder and Childe: Nosferatu are usually uncouth with outsiders, but can be tender and gentle among themselves. A city with a wise elder will usually have a close-knit group of Nosferatu who work together constantly. Only another Nosferatu, and the rare Samedi, truly understand what it is to be apart in a society that is itself apart from the world. They are forever marked with the stigma of monstrousness, and only with other monsters do they find acceptance and Empathy. Like the Brujah and the Malkavians, Nosferatu find that their strength comes from working closely together.
It is not uncommon for Nosferatu to gather together for informal meetings once a month to chat with the Elder and to share gossip and plans. What seems a useless titbit of scandal to one Nosferatu ,may prove to be the final piece another needs to complete a plot or plan. Information is the currency of the Nosferatu, and they generally choose to spend this currency wisely.The Spawning Pool and the Ghouls of the Sewer Rats When the Nosferatu choose to create a Spawning Pool, they find a deep underground source of clean water and mingle their blood together there over many months. The creatures of the underground, attracted by the sweet smell of the blood, drink from the water and become ghouls. As they continue to drink from this constantly replenished source of blood, they are Bonded to the Nosferatu who have made the pool. Thus, the Nosferatu provide a ready-made group of guardians and warriors for times of need.
The Blood of the Nosferatu is tainted. Those who drink of it too deeply are themselves tainted. Animals become larger, more monstrous, and often mutate. Humans become stronger, true, but they also become uglier as the tainted blood warps and changes them. Thus can the learned spot the presence of a Nosferatu, by the slow tainting of the mortals that the Nosferatu must use.History: Nosferat (whatever his name) was once the most beautiful of men, all sources agree. Some say he was the lover of Toreador. Some say he was a great warrior, others a great builder. Stories differ as to why Caine cursed him with his monstrous form. Some say that Nosferatu willingly sacrificed his beauty to Caine, others that his pride in his beauty lead him to strike his own sire. He is said to hate his children, the constant reminder of his bestial form and of what he is lost, without reward. He is said to sleep in deep caves and fissures in the rock beneath what is now Russia.
It is said that all Nosferatu living today descended from one unimaginably powerful elder, named the Baba Yaga, the crone, a sorceress immeasurably old when Tremere first picked up his master's wand. It is said she roamed Russia in the distant past in her chicken-legged hut, or riding the winds in her pestle and mortar, hunting for her sire who she will destroy and diablerize. It is said she slipped into Torpor long before the Redeemer was born in Bethlehem. And it is said she has awoken . . . The Nosferatu have always been around. It is said that they lurked in the darkness listening to secrets for so long that they came upon the One Answer, to Life and the Universe. It is said they seek mundane secrets because they are looking for some great secret of their own. It is said they placed the Ventrue and the Brujah at war over Carthage, for unknown reasons. That they spread the Black Death by accident or design. That they are the motivating forces behind most cures for pestilence that have made the world a little brighter. That they both built up and helped destroy Constantinople, and Rome before it. That they have ferreted out more secrets than any other clan is without question. That they have allies across the world, unwholesome faerie and unwholesome werewolf and worse is often believed. That they know what lies beneath the surface of the world and the soul of man and vampire is without doubt. And that they are afraid of something that moves in the dark, and of shadows that shift when not looked at is whispered behind closed doors by the wise, and that the Nosferatu hear even that.The Nictiku The Nosferatu do not speak of it, but there are few (if any) Nosferatu of the Fourth Generation. It is said that when Nosferatu became a monster, his blood-bonded childer changed also. As the Nosferatu are to normal men, so the Nictiku (or Chosen as they call themselves) are to Nosferatu. It is said that they believe that, if they can destroy all of the progeny of Nosferatu's line their sire will be made beautiful again. So, the Nosferatu constantly listen for rumours of powerful, hideous creatures th at may be their Nictiku forebears hunting them down and seeking to destroy them. Entire countries' worth of Nosferatu have been wiped out in the past by a single one of these beasts, so the Nosferatu take them very seriously indeed. It is also said that if they are killed, their death will draw the attention of all other Nictiku, so they must be sent into torpor but never slain. The other clans are dimly aware of the Nictiku, but only the Nosferatu know their full terror.
Concepts: Nosferatu tend to choose their progeny from the cast-offs of society: the homeless, the mentally ill and the hopelessly antisocial. Some "beautiful people" are Embraced as a "punishment". They generally live under the city, in the sewers, or else in abandoned houses and graveyards. The Nosferatu need a hook as much as any other clan, although the "Elephant Man" style of play is quite acceptable. Spies and journalists - people who made a living seeking out the secrets of others - are usually well equipped to make it as Nosferatu, but soldiers with Post-traumatic Stress Syndrome, coppers and underworld figures, street people and slightly bent clergy all make for interesting characters.
Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Obfuscate, Potence
Clan Advantages: Network
All Nosferatu receive 1 extra Influence Point, which may be applied to the areas of Street or Underworld. These points are never permanently lost, and do not count against the maximum Influence available in a given area. The Nosferatu clan are often privy to secrets that others are not, and can often determine the truth (or lack thereof) of a rumour or tale. Often, their ear for the seedier side of life will pick up rumours of what other kindred are up to. The Nosferatu cannot control this "ability", but they will often find that their return sheets contain rumours or evidence of another Kindred's doings. The Nosferatu know the sewers better than any other clan. By touching a sewer grate or covering a Nosferatu may claim "Fair Escape" unless their opponent is using a higher level of Celerity than they are. They may not return to play for at least 15 minutes after using such an escape. If two Nosferatu chase each other through the sewers, it is at the Ref's discretion whether one catches up to the other: it should involve a comparison of Physical Attack and Defence, Mental Attack (knowledge of the sewers), Strategies and Escapology (contortions) ability, Obfuscate and Celerity. Two Nosferatu co-operating can escort one willing victim through the sewers in this fashion. They cannot take an unwilling victim unless he is staked or otherwise immobile.Clan Disadvantages: Monstrous
Because of their horrifying visage and lack of patience with social niceties, Nosferatu are considered to have a Social Attack of zero when initiating Challenges based on Social Abilities, except where that Ability is fear, threat or intimidation based. They may still spend Willpower to increase their base Social Attack, however. Apply any modifiers to the challenge after reducing Social Attack to zero: low Generation Nosferatu may effectively have Negative Social Attack against mortals, which means they cannot succeed unless they spend a lot of Willpower. Nosferatu can use their Social Abilities against other Nosferatu or Samedi irrelevant of whether their true visages are apparent or not: there is a certain sympathy among both clans for those who appear hideously deformed. Nosferatu must wear make-up or otherwise make themselves look monstrous, unless they use Obfuscate. The uglier you look, the better. It is not usual for a Nosferatu to hide his appearance when he is in a gathering of other Kindred, only one where mortals may appear.Character Creation and Development: All Nosferatu should learn at least one level of Obfuscate, and you must have Mask of 1,000 Faces (Obfuscate 2) if you do not want to wear make- up constantly. Obfuscate is the strength of the Nosferatu clan. Potence is useful (if you learn it, be sure to learn Melee or Brawl to go with it, or it's usefulness is much reduced). Animalism is a powerful tool as well, which many overlook, giving access to the Beast of others and to hordes of willing animal spies. Because it relies on Social Challenges, how ever, and few Nosferatu have good Social Attributes, it can be difficult to use.
Most Nosferatu have a good Mental Defence, and usually only those who are intending to rely on their Animalism build up their Social Attack, although it can come in useful when used in conjunction with the Intimidate ability. Most have good Physical Attack and Defence scores. Abilities are variable, although at least one of Streetwise, Scrounge, Brawl, Investigate and Security is encouraged as these will help a Nosferatu survive on the streets and gather information. Nosferatu tend to cultivate small amounts of a large number of Influences, the better to spy on people. However, some build up control over an area: the most common areas of interest for Nosferatu are Street, Underworld and Bureaucracy.Character Development: Influence is a common area the Nosferatu build up, as the more Influence they have, and the more varied their access, the more they can learn and accomplish.
Discipline-wise, it is usual for a Nosferatu to build up one Discipline. A good choice of a non-clan Discipline can give a Nosferatu an unexpected edge; Celerity and Wolf Claws go well with Potence, and Presence makes an interesting side-line for an Animalism Nosferatu. One of the most powerful combat combinations in the game is a Nosferatu with Embrace the Beast (Animalism 5) and Potence, as the bonus attribute levels Embracing the Beast provides can make a for a truly terrifying fighter who still has the advantage of more subtle social attacks. Auspex is another good Discipline choice because of it's information gathering ability. Even more useful is the fact that Heightened Senses and Spirit Touch (Auspex 1 and Auspex 3) do not require mental attacks to work, and that Aura Sight (Auspex 2) can often be used in a "resist and admit your guilt" fashion when testing for truth and lies. The more bizarre Disciplines are of variable use, as they are for most clans, although Obtenebration and Vicissitude both have a certain "coolness" when used by Nosferatu; Thanatosis can make people think you are a Samedi and there is a certain pleasure in using the ability to rot faces on uppity Toreador; and Protean can give a variety of useful infiltration abilities to a canny Sewer Rat. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Vampire: The Masquerade is © White Wolf Publishing Inc.
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