Brujah
The Brujah can trace their roots
back to ancient Babylon, and the clay tablets of the
first scholars. They were the lovers and guardians of
knowledge, and the founder of their line was the inventor
of written language. However, in their quest for freedom,
they slew their founder and were banished from the first
city. Today, the Brujah are scorned as riffraff who have
lost their heritage and are without pride. For over a
millennium they have been rebels among the Kindred,
forever questioning and testing the Traditions.
The clan is very poorly organised; its members meet only irregularly, and share little in common besides their love of rebellion. They are among the supports of the anarchs, and aiding them is one of the only matters upon which they ever agree. They are often unestimated, as much by themselves as anyone.
Gangrel
Clan Gangrel is said to be the only
clan whose founder is still involved in and concerned
with the wlefare of here progeny. Her concern for them is
matched only by her concern for mortal descendants - the
Gypsies. Though many Antediluvians use their progeny as
pawns in the Jyhad, the Gangrel pride themselves on their
freedom from such manipulation. There is a close bond
between the clan and the Gypsies. In recent years, as
Gehenna approaches, their interaction has been
considerable.
Malkavian
The history of the Malkavian clan
is completely shrouded in the past. The Malkavians
themeselves have many tales about their origin, but do
not believe most of them. A favored legend among the
kindred is that the founder of the house was cursed by
Caine, and his descendants have lived with the madness
since. The Malkavians have always existed on the
periphery of the vampire culture, watching, but never
truly involving themselves in it. Long ago, before the
curse and the madness, the founder was said to be the
greatest among third generation. Now it is his madness
that keep the weakest of those involved in the Jyhad
"alive".
Nosferatu
It is the unfortunate plight of the
mebers of this clan to display the beast within their
hearts upon their countenances. Though their founder was
known for his rabid predilections and monstrous impulses,
the Nosferatu of today are known for being cool-headed.
Though they tend to choose only the most depraved
individuals as progeny, some how the members of this clan
seem to retain their sanity better than most vampires.
The founder is said to have been a man of regal visage who incurred the wrath of Caine for his barbaric activities and was thereby cursed with the face of a hag. The savagery of his soul is reflected upon his face and that of all his progeny.
Of course, many clans have legends in which an all-powerful Caine curses their founder just as God cursed Caine. It is not likely that all of these stories are true, but some, such as this, might be. Presently, the Nosferatu clan is estranged from their founder, and do not serve him - at least to their knowledge.
Toreador
Throughout history, the Toreador
have been involved in the arts. This tradition is said to
have begun with the first progeny of the founder, a pair
of beautiful and artistically gifted twins. Their sire
was a leader of the cabal of third generation vampires
who slew their own sires. Though ruthless, he was very
doting upon his progeny, proffering them far more
independence than any other fourth generation vampires
were given. They used their freedom to nurture the full
panorama of the arts, and their sire protected them
throughout war and famine. To this day, the Toreador
claim that they are watched over by Arikel, their
founder. Though the Toreador are not as formally
organised as some other clans, they are furiously loyal
to one another and to the art they claim to serve.
Tremere
The Tremere are unique and no other
clan has a history as rich, yet short, as theirs. Long
ago, there were others of their line who were not
warlocks, nor did the clan have mastery over the
discipline of Thaumaturgy. Less than 1,000 years ago, a
metamorphosis occurred. Deep in the Romanian mountains,
in the district known as Transylvania, a group of magi
from the ancient order were Embraced by a foolish clan
leader. Combining their new powers with their ancient
lore, the magi were quickly able to assume control of the
clan. They Embraced many others from their arcane order,
and drank the blood of all the elders of their clan. It
is even hinted that the most powerful among them managed
to hunt down and slay the founder of the line. The
Tremere have adopted the most rigid hierarchical system
among the clans, and this has allowed them to acheive
great power within Kindred society. The other clans
distrust the Tremere, both out of fear and a sense that
something is not quite right with them. The political
center of the Tremere is in Vienna.
Ventrue
The Ventrue suspect that their
founder has been slain by one of the Brujah clan. Though
this is a blow to their pride, it has given them some
distance and protection from the chaos and strife of the
Jyhad. Without the intrigue and demands of a god-like
founder, the Ventrue have acheived a remarkable
independence from the Antediluvians. They do not know how
much truth is contained in this legend, but it is
nonetheless one of the basic tenets of their clan, no
matter how much other Kindred scoff at it.
Much of the respect accorded to the Ventrue is due to the independence they are preceived to have from the Antediluvians. It is out of pride for this respect they are given that they conceal their presecution of the Brujah clan. More princes and Justicars come from the Ventrue clan than from any other; they are clearly leaders of the Camarilla. The Ventrue have regular clan meetings in various parts of the world, including a Grand Council in London every seven years.
Some Kindred do not have a clan at all, but are of bastard blood. This is sometimes because they were abandoned by their sire, or were Embraced an outcast vampire. A combination of thinness of blood and a lack of social training has made them Clanless. This is a fairly recent phenomenon, and thus they are disdained by many of the other Kindred. Though not many Caitiff are considered to be pariahs or anarchs, not all of them are outcasts. Some are accepted among the Damned, but none have yet reched an age where they have acheived any real power. Indeed, it seems as though the greatest explosion of the Clanless has incurred in the last 50 years.
There are many clans besides the ones described above. These clans do not claim membership in the Camarilla, though individual members of any such lines may do so. Some clans are members of the Sabbat, while others are truly independent of any sect.