The Tzimisce Viewpoint

"Sit my childe for it is now time for you to learn of your birthright. We are the childer of Mehket, greatest amongst the Antediluvians. You will hear both the Ventrue and the Lasombra call themselves the 'Masters of State,' but they often forget that their Founders learned those lessons from our Ancient's hand. Never forget that childe, when dealing with either of them, and never forget to subtly remind them of this each time you deal with them."

"From time immemorial we have hunted along the banks of the Danube and Oder. We ruled over the Carpathian peaks for millennia, we have always defended our lands. Only under the combined might of the Lasombra, Ventrue, and Malkavians have we ever been truly conquered, and they had to have the might of the Roman Empire to do it!"

"Their conquest did not last long though, with the fall of Rome, all of that which the kine call the Balkans belonged to us once again. The so called Dark Ages was an era of great scientific achievement for our kind, it was our golden age. We ruled unopposed until the turn of the first millennium. While our brethren were sneaking for vitae, we dwelt proud and unafraid, the kine willingly sending tribute to our door, they knew all too well what ruled over them."

"Centuries of unopposed rule took their toll and lead to our downfall. While we grew complacent we also warred amongst ourselves, sending our lands into chaos. Then they came...."

"So busy were we fighting each other, that we missed the coven of wizardlings who came to leech the power of our land. And they stole much more than that. The abduction of one of our own elders lead to the Great Jyhad, one that will not end until the last Usurper coughs up his stolen gift from under our hands."

"Our elders could have, and should have, wiped their blight from the face of the earth, but they wavered. We found few allies amongst the other clans, and a few, like the Ventrue, pursued alliances with the foul Usurpers. Our elder's centuries of war had bred mistrust and they failed to unite in their cause. This is the only reason the Usurpers survive to this night, and not because of their bastard creations, the Gargoyles, as they would lead you to believe."

"And what of the other Kindred you ask? Well they didn't remain idle, the Ventrue sent their German invaders from the west, as well as the Lasombra and the kine's Inquisition. To the south was the greedy eyes of the Assamites and the Turks, and from our east came the Gangrel with their Mongol hoards. And what of our sires? They sat complacent and did nothing, sending us, their childer, to die for them."

"What fools we were for following their orders, but the oath of blood is strong indeed. That is until Lugoj came to us upon Kupala's night. He showed us how to break the shackles of blood the elders held over us, and with our new found freedom we returned to our sires' havens, to burn them to the ground."

"Ours was the first blow in what they now call the Antitribu Uprising, soon others began to follow our example, the Brujah, Lasombra, even some of the Ventrue and Toreador broke free of the elder's tyranny. Soon it came to pass, one of the mighty Founders, Lasombra, met final death at the hands of his childer. Shortly thereafter we unearthed our Ancient and he was quickly felled by the mighty Lugoj."

"Yet as all infernos do, ours soon grew cold as well. Many of our 'brothers' quickly begged for peace from the newly formed Camarilla, even the Brujah, as much as they would like to deny it. The Assamites knuckled under to the Usurper's blood curse, but for us...surrender was never an option. Never will one of us bend our knee to a Usurper, never! Along with the Lasombra, a few Assamites who defied the Usurper's curse, and the remaining Antitribu, we made our way north. If the Ancient's lackeys will have a sect, then we shall have ours. It was then we founded our beloved Sabbat."

"As the decades passed we warred with the Camarilla, often to discover that they were well entrenched in the Old World. Ever thinking of the future we turned our eyes to the New. Our first victories were too easy, the Camarilla's stotic views allowed us to quickly gain the upper hand. Many cities on America's east coast were founded by us, cities that we still hold tonight, and we will keep until the Final Nights. We quickly made our strongholds in Mexico to the south and the major cities of Canada in the north. Come now my childe, do you really think that had Camarilla founded the United States that it would be the nation it is today? Of course not, they and the Usurpers would have ran it into the ground within three or four decades."

"What since then you ask. Well look and see. We still hold the lands of the north, as well as Mexico. The east coast is all but ours, save Washington DC and Atlanta, the former remaining in Camarilla hands due to nothing short of luck. With the Autarkis Free States to their west, our noose is already around the Camarilla's neck, and we are waiting for the right time to squeeze the unlife out of it."

"But enough of your history lesson. It is time for you to learn about those whom you will someday deal with...."

Assamites: These Ottoman jackals have mastered the art of slaying and Amaranth but little else. Do not seek to anger them, but instead channel their aggression against your enemies, remember they harbor a special hatred for the Usurpers as well. When one attacks you though, don't fail to smite him.

Brujah: Most speak out for and represent that for which the Sabbat already stands, how delicious that those in the Camarilla belong to us already. Still, they are far too disorganized to accomplish anything as a clan.

Followers of Set: They are snakes; we are Dragons. They had best slither into their holes when we pass.

Gangrel: Their understanding of the Beast is second to our own, it is unfortunate that instead they have chosen to devolve rather than transcend. But never forget, we still share a common enemy in the Usurpers, for that treat them with respect always. We always honor our allies.

Gargoyles: These Usurper half-breeds deserve not even a quick death, be sure to extensively practice your Vicissitude upon them.

Giovanni: Yes, an interesting clan indeed. What a treat it must be to torture a soul in this world and in the next. There is much to be learned from these hybrids.

Lasombra: So much effort and so many nights wasted in an endless chess game. They think they rule because we let them. Allow them to direct their little shadow play, but when necessary, dispel it with the harsh light of reality.

Malkavians: Their lunacy, while debilitating to them, can prove very inspirational for you. Craft a goblet from a Malkavian's skull and drink it's blood from the vessel. The residual humors in the brain pan will provide you with profoundly revelatory visions.

Nosferatu: When not bemoaning over their lost visages they are quite useful. Their understanding of power in terror matches our own. If you can stand one's presence in short, their information on the Usurpers, or anyone else, is first class. If you can stand one's presence for the long term, you will find them excellent allies against the Usurpers.

Toreador: Oh, how cute, domesticated little Kindred. They perform their "talents" and demand that we like it, yet how they balk at ours. Their search for art and praise bores one quickly, surely Caine would have thought twice about bestowing the gift if immortality upon their line, if he knew they would waste it in such narcissistic masturbation.

Tremere: The Usurpers. Do not spare any chance to kill one. Rip our stolen gift form their innards, and hang their skin upon your Manse wall. Feed their humors to your Szlachta and the rest leave for carrion birds. Then we will truly begin to teach them the meaning of pain.

Ventrue: Were these fatally misguided dupes of the Antediluvians more like the Lasombra, there would be reason to fear the Camarilla. These pale imitations of majesty have forgotten who the true masters of the night are. In time we will remind them again.

Lupines: The werewolves are formidable indeed, but remember armed silver and your Zulo form and they will think twice about attacking you. So much the better that you can direct them towards some nice crunchy Camarilla Kindred.

The Camarilla: Listen. Do you hear it? The cries of lost humanity, the feined devotion to the Traditions, lies of protecting kine. Oh forgive me, I thought I was a blood drinking nocturnal marauder, but I must be mistaken. Obviously this sect is the greatest tool for the Antediluvians, it is only a matter of time before we dull and blunt it's edge.