Nosferatu

@Nosferatu

Nicknames: The Clan of the Hidden, Sewer Rats, Lepers, Information Brokers

Sect: A foundational pillar of @The Camarilla, with a significant Anarch presence.

Archetypes: Hacker, Spy, Investigator, Urban Explorer, Spymaster, Outcast King.

Description

The Nosferatu are the keepers of secrets, a clan of spies and information brokers cursed with monstrous, inhuman visages. The Embrace twists every member of the clan into a grotesque form, forcing them to shun mortal society and make their havens in the sewers, subway tunnels, and forgotten places of the world. From these shadows, they have turned their curse into their greatest strength. They are the eyes and ears of the Damned, seeing and hearing everything that happens in a city. They trade in the most valuable currency of the Jyhad: the truth.

Known History

The clan’s progenitor was said to have been a great hunter, cursed by Caine with a hideous form. His childer have carried that curse through the ages, forever shunned and forced to the margins. They survived by becoming masters of stealth and secrecy, building vast subterranean warrens beneath the cities of the world. In the modern nights, they have adapted with terrifying efficiency to the information age, creating the legendary encrypted network known as SchreckNET to share secrets and stay one step ahead of their enemies.

Clan Characteristics

Disciplines: Animalism, Obfuscate, Potence

Bane: A Nosferatu's body is irrevocably twisted by the Embrace into a monstrous form. This repulsive and frightening appearance is their curse. Any attempt to disguise themselves as "normal" is incredibly difficult, and they suffer a penalty to all Social rolls when interacting with mortals, except those involving intimidation. A Nosferatu walking openly among mortals is a walking Masquerade breach.

Compulsion: Cryptophilia. The vampire is overcome with an obsessive desire for secrets. They become fixated on learning a piece of information they believe is being withheld by someone in their presence. They will use any means necessary—eavesdropping, theft, intimidation, or social engineering—to acquire this secret, often to the detriment of their other goals.

Views and Standing

Stereotypes: "They're all disgusting, sewer-dwelling monsters." "If you need to know something, ask a Rat. Just be prepared to pay their price." "Ugly as sin, but loyal to their own." "They know everything that happens in this city, probably before it even happens."

In Chicago Tonight: The Nosferatu are a powerful and indispensable part of the city's Camarilla. They are led by their pragmatic Primogen, the tech-savvy @Khalid al-Rashid. Their domain is the "Undercity," a sprawling network of sewers and tunnels that they rule undisputed. Prince Jackson relies heavily on Khalid's intelligence network, giving the Nosferatu a protected and highly influential position. They are the city's spymasters, and their ancient member, @The Archivist, serves as a quiet, legendary reminder of the clan's deep roots and long memory.