Whether dreaded, nistrusted, feared or reviled,
the insular vampires of Clan Tremere are anything but ignored. Those who have
heard of the clan's doings are typically suspicious of the Tremere, and with
good reason - for the Warlocks are aptly named. Through their own artifice,
they have mastered a form of vampiric sorcery, complete with rituals and spells,
that is as potent - if not more so - than any other power of the Blood. Paired
with the clan's rigid hierarchy and the smoldering ambition so common among
Warlocks, this power is an unsettling thing indeed to those who know what
the Tremere are capable of doing.
According to some Kindred records, the Tremere came into being as a clan very
recently, at least by an immortal's standards. Legend has it that, during
Europe's Dark Ages, a cabal of human wizards enacted a great ritual over the
slumbering body of an Antediluvian and thereby wrested for themselves the
gift of vampirism. War followed soon thereafter - the fledgling clan found
itself besieged by enraged Kindred on every side. But the Tremere are nothing
if not survivors.
Their human magicks lost, they nonetheless managed to alter their rituals
and wardings to utilize the power of their vitae. These magical skills, now
practiced as the Discipline of Thaumaturgy, have ensured the Tremere's place
among the Kindred ever since.
The Warlocks gladly play the games of diplomacy and intrigue with their newfound
brethren. However, their dealings are always tinged with a touch of paranoia,
for the Tremere know that the elders of no fewer than three clans bear them
a terrible grudge that has yet to be repaid. Therefore, the Tremere work to
cultivate what allies they can, even as they strive to heighten their magical
mastery. No less is required for their survival. As a result, the childer
of Clan Tremere are among the most driven and learned of all Cainites; few
cross these undead sorcerers and escape unscarred.
The Tremere are vampires of the Old World, but have traveled across the continents
to establish footholds elsewhere. The clan's seat of power lies in Vienna,
where the Tremere elders convene in council and discuss the clan's future
direction. But many larger cities across the globe house Tremere "chantries"
- well-defended houses that are equal parts university, monastery and stronghold.
There the Warlocks gather to exchange information and study their vampiric
witchcraft, safe from the attentions of their rivals.
Nickname: Warlocks
Sect: The Tremere were more than glad to join the fledgling
Camarilla when the sect was forming, and they quickly made themselves invaluable
there. In fact, the Tremere are one of the linchpins of the sect. They have
a marked interest in keeping the Camarilla strong, of course - I with their
hated Tzimisce enemies directing their Sabbat minions against any Tremere
they find, the Warlocks require allies. And with the valuable magical power
they offer, the Tremere find the Camarilla glad to provide the support they
require. With the Camarilla's protection, the Tremere are free to pursue the
arcane mastery they so avidly desire.
Appearance: The sorcerous Tremere are typically imposing
or sinister in mien. Some favor classic suits; others prefer a slightly more
antiquated look, dressing in 1940s-cut suits, Edwardian finery or the simple
black turtlenecks of the Beat era. Many wear charms or amulets inscribed with
cabalistic or other arcane symbols, as a sign of their learning. Although
individual Warlocks may run the gamut from immaculately precise to disheveled
and eccentric, the vampiric sorcerers' eyes
always gleam with hidden insight and frightening acuity.
Haven: While Warlocks may maintain their own individual havens
(often complete with extensive libraries), the clan maintains a chantry in
every city that harbors a strong Tremere presence. A chantry is open to any
of Tremere's bloodline and absolutely forbidden to all others. The Warlocks
are infamous for their well-guarded havens; almost all boast mystical wards
that even other Tremere would find difficult to circumvent.
Background: Many Tremere dabbled in occult or other scholarly
pursuits in life. However, a fascination with the unknown is hardly enough
to draw a Warlock's attention; clan members seek "apprentices" with
aggressive natures and clear thinking, and care little for muddle-headed New
Agers or befuddled conspiracy theorists. Clan Tremere has an unspoken tradition
of sexism, and most of its elders are male. Tremere ancillae have become rather
more open-minded of late, though, and draw ample numbers of suitably ambitious
and persistent acolytes from both sexes.
Character Creation: Tremere typically have strong Mental
Attributes and a high Willpower to match; dilettantes and churls cannot meet
the grueling demands of sorcery. Many have Knowledges as their primary Abilities,
although Skills are also highly in demand. Although a few Tremere specialize
in one particular area of excellence, many more prefer; a more well-rounded
approach to personal aptitudes; after all, a Warlock can typically rely on
no one other than himself.
Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate, Thaumaturgy.
Weaknesses: By clan law, all neonate Tremere must drink the
blood of the clan's seven elders when they are created. All Tremere are at
least one step toward being blood bound! to their elders, and therefore usually
act with great clan loyalty - in order to avoid having such loyalty forced
on them. What's more, this arrangement means that Tremere are hard-pressed
to resist the will of their elders; the difficulty of any Dominate attempt
from a clan superior is one less.
Organization: No tighter internal structure exists among
the clans. No clan binds its neonates so strictly. And no clan acts with such
unity of purpose as the Tremere. Although younger clan members generally are
free to do more or less as they wish, occasionally they receive instructions
from their elders that they may not ignore. Paranoia keeps the clan well-oiled;
and unified. Of course, the Tremere do encourage individual achievement among
the group, seeing it as a Darwinian method of ensuring the clan's strength.
With such ambitious, powerful young vampires cooperating with such commendable
clan unity, it's no wonder the Warlocks have plenty of envious and spiteful
enemies among the Kindred. The Tremere's pyramidal hierarchy contains several
ranks, each divided into seven mystical "circles" that an aspirant
must master if he desires to advance in rank (and nearly every Tremere desires
that very thing). The lowest rank, that of apprentice, belongs to neonates.
Above the apprentices are the regents, each one the master of a chantry; then
the lords, whose domains include several chantries each. Forty-nine Tremere
hold the title of pontifex, each bearing great responsibilities. And at the
top of the pyramid sits the Inner Council of Seven, some the masters of entire
continents, and all whispered to be in constant mental communication with
the others.
Bloodlines: The strict organization of the Tremere, as well
as their insistence on obeying one's elders, offers few freedoms. No variants
of the Tremere bloodline have been allowed to survive to the present night.
A small group of Tremere rebels once made its home in the Sabbat, but recent
events have seen to that group's destruction.
Quote: We are more than vampires. We are the next step
in Cainite evolution. We will direct the others if they allow us to do so,
or we will stand alone if we must. But we will survive.