THE CAMARILLA
The Camarilla is a great sect of vampires that formed in the late medieval period. A vampire "United Nations" of sorts, it was formed to protect vampires from the purges of the Inquisition, to uphold the Traditions of Caine, and to enforce the great Masquerade. Many Camarilla vampires, remember-ing the nights of fire when vampires were uprooted and destroyed, uphold the Masquerade fanatically. Camarilla vam-pires reject the idea of vampires as monstrous predators, instead preferring to live clandestinely among mortals and feed cautiously. The Camarilla is the most populous sect, and (in theory) the most powerful. But it comprises seven clans of vampires, each with its own culture and agenda, and this renders it prone to discord. Ruled as it is by a fractious sort of parliamentarianism, the Camarilla is slow to act and often indecisive in the face of threats; when it brings its combined might to bear, however, the Camarilla is virtually unstoppable. The Camarilla clans are:

  • Brujah: A clan of violent, antiauthoritarian vampires espousing freedom from societal restrictions.

  • Gangrel: A clan of solitary, nomadic shapeshifters who prefer the wilderness to the confines of the cities.

  • Malkavian: A bizarre clan of lunatics whose members are infamous for their insanity — and insight.

  • Nosferatu: A loathsome clan of deformed monsters who skulk in subterranean tunnels and sewers.

  • Toreador: A clan of elegant, passionate vampires who patronize artists, musicians, actors and the like.

  • Tremere: A secretive, treacherous clan of vampire warlocks who practice blood magic.

  • Ventrue: A clan of aristocrats and nobles who consider it their duty to lead the Camarilla.