Vampirism2

The Empires Kindred began to work together, manipulating civilizations.
Various empires rose and fell, Egypt, Persia,
and the empire of Alexander the Great.
The kindred fought for control of these empires.
The growth of empires peaked with Rome,
as most of the known world fell under the sway of a single nation,
and the last of the great vampiric city-states, Carthage, fell to Roman legions.

The vampires of the time ranged from the 4th to the 8th generation,
with 6th to 7th being typical, and the occasional 9th and 10th generation.
The clans became less like "families" and became more like
the lines of descent that they are today.
Younger vampires knew less and less of their history.

In the Roman Empire,
vampires of different clans began to inhabit
the same cities for the first time since the Second City.
Rome had members of nearly every clan,
and significant numbers of Ventrue, Lasombra,
Malkavians, Toreador and Nosferatu. Most of the large Roman cities were multi-clan,
with as many as a half dozen or a dozen vampires in each city.

Vampires of this time no longer lived openly.
Vampires were powerful patrons of worthy mortals,
and if one pried deeply enough one could learn of their true nature.
With the fall of the empire there was a bloodletting of unprecedented proportions.
Competition for the declining feeding grounds was fierce.
As much as half the worlds kindred died in the ensuing turmoil,
a disaster as great as the Inquisition that was to come.

Dark Ages

After the fall of the Roman empire the vampires of Europe
reverted to the practices of earlier days.
They were unable to reestablish their city states,
because a mortal organization: the Church.
Whether kindred of the dark ages were weaker or Christianity was a stronger,
the Church became a serious impediment to vampiric power.
Vampires clustered in broods along clan lines,
but many powerful kine were free from their grip.

The barbarism of Europe made the need for secrecy less important.
If a vampire engaged in wanton slaughter,
the most he need do was to move on to another city;
the only punishment likely to follow him were vague rumors.
The chaos after the fall of Rome had largely shattered kindred society.
Large numbers of kindred stalked the countryside that knew little
ornothing about the history of their race.
What organization there was largely fell along clan lines,
though a few vampiric sects survived from Roman time,
such as the Black Hand and the Inconnu.