The clearest indicator of a vampire's quality lies in their clan, the "consanguineous family" that has chosen them as progeny so that they may carry on its essence in their very veins. Of course, this is a highly Victorian conceit. The vast majority of Victorian vampires are static creatures complacent with the status quo - if heroes are to be found among their kind, they are invariably the Kindred who inevitably challenge them.
By contrast, the Victorian Camarilla depends upon the idea of each clan measuring up to society's ideals. When an errant childe defies her breeding, the vampires of the prince's city must punish her. When she goes against the least of these traditions, she meets with righteous defiance, and if she goes as far as to defy its laws, she must be destroyed. It is much easier for sires to begin their proper education by teaching their childer the seven rightful lineages of vampires: the seven Camarilla clans.
This page acts as a summary of information for each clan's flavour in 1880; in addition there is a separate page for every clan with more information and containing its clan merits/bloodlines; the links for which are throughout this page.
Toreador flourish where mortals thrive more than any other clan, even if they do not emulate it as well as they would prefer. Toreadors master the intricate dance of high society, often claiming to lead it by example. They would act as the shepherds of humanity - though, sometimes, only to feed off the flock and sate their hunger for life. Art reflects the highest aspirations of Victorian society, and as such, the Toreador treasure artistic achievement. Drawn to the luminaries of the artistic world like moths to the flame, these Kindred hunger for the spark of brilliance livig artists possess. Sadly, many Toreador have lost such vital qualities. Vampires are inherently static creatures, relics of bygone ages, and most lack the fire of mortal creativity. Their figures are preserved in undying flesh, but they can only marvel at the transient state of life. The Toreadors' flesh, like the marble edifices of the Elysiums they protect, has grown cold, but the blood of passionate men and women keep them warm.
Traditional Kindred praise this clan as one of the pillars upholding the Camarila society, but secretely, they regard the Toreador as indulgent and hedonistic Degenrates. They scandalously sully themselves by mingling a bit too freely with the herd of humankind, allowing themselves to be ruled by passion. What they cannot feel, they appropriate from their living victims. Of course, it was one of their own, Rafael de Corazon, who spoke so eloquently at the founding of the Camarilla, and thus, his brethren should be welcomed - if only to keep up appearances. Unconventional Kindred know that Toreador hold insights into human society their elders have all but forgotten. On rare and wonderful occasions, they can even recapture the passions they once held in life.
Toreador Clan Page
The Tremere preserve a centuries-old society of mystics and sorcerers. For them, the age heralds a renaissance of the occult, and they eagerly follow and document its evolution. Visionaries like Blavatsky, Whyte, Gardner and even Crowley follow different reflections of the light of true knowledge. Tremere warlocks study their innovations and adapt them into their own thaumoturgical practices. For House Tremere, this is the age of spiritualism, theosophy, Masonry and the Golden Dawn. Many of these orders speak of secret masters who will guide them to greater knowledge. Clan Tremere is ready to fill this spiritual void, acting as enlightened masters who will elevate those who may one day achieve greatness and victimise the rest. For centuries, they have acted as usurpers of supernatural knowledge and power.
Traditional Kindred know that these Witches have seized a remarkable amount of power within the Camarilla, forming a united front against all who would question their Council of Seven clan elders in Vienna. Of course, the leader of that council, Tremere himself, has disappeared, no doubt slumbering in torpor for centuries because of his blasphemous acts. Wise Kindred know that Tremere routinely betray each other in their shcemes for power within their clan, so all of them must be closely watched. Unconventional Kindred know that the Tremere's command of Thaumoturgy is a potent weapon, one many childer loyally wield in support of allies outside of the clan. However, more than any other lineage, Tremere are epexcted to place loyalty to their clan above all other associations. Those who exploit the clan's secret lore to teach it to others outside the clan may be recalled to Vienna to be properly "instructed" in obedience.
Tremere Clan Page
Victorian Ventrue are the aristocracy of the night, culled from the noble dynasties - many of the living leaders of the world are their descendants. While a few Ventrue are recruited from the leaders of business and industry, they are currently regarded with scorn by those who follow older, nobler traditions. The civilised world reveres status, and none demonstrate the virtues (or folly) of the upper class of society like Clan Ventrue.
Traditional Kindred acknowledge the Nobles as the aristocracy of the Un-Dead and even concoct fictions that different Ventrue dynasties uphold different ideals. Camarilla vampires may praise the clan as a whole but secretly malign them as individuals, remembering the shortcomings and failures of each one in meticulous detail. Unconventional Kindred find little scandal in a Ventrue who choose not to rule, even if he should pursue a profession so base as dabbling in business or industry.
Ventrue Clan Page
The Brujah are regarded as revolutionary, intellectual and unpredictably violent. As the growing masses of humanity are suppressed through politics, poverty and squalor, Clan Brujah is eager to exploit their dissent, supporting any movement to displace the status quo. The Brujah are drawn to modern movements of political activism, from anarchism and syndicalism to communism and collectivism. For these vampires, this is the era of the Fabian Society, Bakunin and the first inheritors of Karl Marx's legacy. Accordingly, many see themselves as the proletariat of vampiric society. In hidden rooms, they fervently debate how to liberate mankind, if only for their own benefit. Often, in their fervour, the Brujah turn on each other out of egotism and fanaticism, but when they are united, they lash out in violent retribution, sending shock-waves of discord through the Camarilla like a satchel of nitroglycerin in a crowded room.
Traditional Kindred regard them as Rabble. Their violent nature suit them for the purpose of war; thus, some princes tolerate their presence as soldiers to be drafted when the threat of a Sabbat Crusade is near. Unconventional Kindred value them instead for their intellectual idealism, even if it does often extol the virtues of the lowest strata of society. The lot of Clan Brujah is as tumultuous in the Victorian era as it has been historically, as the clan seems forever embroiled in some schismatic issue or another. As is typical, then, much of the clan ignores that the issue is an issue, while other members hotly contest the minutiae of the matter at hand. While such behaviour may seem a comedy of errors to outside observers, savvy Kindred know that it is not. Indeed, making light of the issue is a way to earn any Brujah's enmity, for who are others to second-guess the grave matters of the most passionate of the Damned? And few make for a more tenacious and deadly adversary than a Brujah who feels slighted.
Brujah Clan Page
Gangrel vampires wander the wilderness. While human in form, they feel greater kinship with the beasts of the wild than the race of man. As increasing populations of Kindred have drifted toward the greatest cities, the Gangrel have remained true to the older ways, prowling vast domains as they feed. This places their very existence in jeopardy, for the Gangrel are among the first to notice when the enemies of the Camairlla are on the move. Yet, these Kindred have not completely forsaken mankind. Gangrel routinely return to the cities where princes claim dominance, for even they crave the company of their own kind. Even the animalistic vampire knows that, if he were ever to abandon the Camarilla entirely, the slow degeneracy into monstrous abandon would be inevitable.
Traditional Victorian vampires expect these Animals to protect the boundaries surrounding their domains and to be aware of threats to their cities. Such beasts shouldn't be so uncouth as to hunt mortal prey within their domains; instead, they should spend that time scouring the countryside for trouble. This attitude is not unlike that which a servant inside an estate would have toward the groundskeepers and wardens of the property. Princes tolerate the Gangrel's help if they are content to act as hunters and guardians; many find acceptance by serving as coachmen, couriers and bodyguards. Unconventional Kindred welcome the Gangrel as equals, knowing their sharp fangs and claws may well be needed should danger enter the midst of their city havens.
Gangrel Clan Page
Victorian Malkavians are masters of the mind. As Victorian science explores the nature of the human intellect and the very boundaries of sanity, the vampires eagerly await its revelations. Once they were prophets of darkness, but scholars such as Freud have given a new meaning to their madness. Insanity is no longer seen as a commination; instead, Victorian alienists have found new and daring methods to study it. Just as they analyse their patients in drawing rooms - or herd them into madhouses - Malkavians manipulate both doctor and patient unseen, acting with an insight instilled in their very blood. In larger gatherings, they turn this same insight upon other Malkavians, rapturously analysing concentrated madness.
Traditional Kindred refer to this whole clan as one of Lunatics, dangerous creatures that should, perhaps, be kept on a leash. Most are capable of feigning sanity for long periods of time, but when hard-pressed, their afflictions manifest in unsightly and distasteful ways. No matter how well they may emulate proper behaviour, insanity surges through them like a roiling tempest. No doubt their attempts to understand mortal madness are little more than a shallow attempt to portray themselves as something other than what they are. Unconventional vampires value the Malkavians' insight and perspicacity - if one can reason the method behind their madness, one often gains a fresh perspective on one's situation.
Malkavian Clan Page
Nosferatu are drawn to the squalor and decay of the age. The curse of vampirism transforms them into hideous creatures; thus, they are drawn to the ugliest quarters of the Victorian underworld. The lowest classes of humanity victimise each other for a scant chance at survival. When their blood flows freely, the Nosferatu swarm to feed.
When this bloodlust has passed, they organise with preternatural cunning. Throughout this age, many of the largest cities expand their infrastructure and underground, from the arching waterways of London's Athenium to the subsurface trains of Victorian Gotham. Nosferatu elders and primogen have come to regard these new lands as their own private kingdoms. Strangely enough, few princes have the courage to challenge such claims - or the power to wipe out the denizens of their kindgoms. As such, princes accept such boasts so as to draw as little attention to the Nosferatu as possible.
Traditional Kindred regard the Sewer Rats as vermin, particularly since it may be difficult to ascertain their true numbers in a city. Who knows what foul plots they conceive underground? Who do they talk to when they unearth secrets no prince or primogen can find? While their ability to gather such facts make the Nosferatu an asset to a sagacious prince, welcoming one to a social gathering is madness. In true Victorian fashion, most Kindred believe that a Nosferatu's hideous exterior no doubt reflects the moral blight within the monster's very soul - much as the phrenologist may note evidence of a criminal mind in the deformations of a degenerate's sloping brow. Unconventional Kindred cannot forgive such moral laxity, but they may find innovative ways to exploit it. Some tortured Nosferatu eternally strive to achieve humane ends as penance for the sins that have condemned them to such an unkind fate. By giving them that chance, some good may come from the evil that lies within such beastial creatures. One must remember, however, that the Sewer Rats are the basest and most bestial creatures in the Race of Caine. It is just and right for society to afflict them with the stigma of social ostracism.
Nosferatu Clan Page
Both the Camarilla and the Sabbat are embroiled in bloody rights and treacherous politics. It is no wonder, then, that some forsake both unions, keeping to their own kind above all else. By the Victorian era, several independent clans have emerged as politically significant in their own right.
The Giovanni are unified by an act of treachery. During the Italisn Renaissance, their mortal ancestors became masters of necromantic arts.
Their bold innovations attracted the attention of the Antidiluvian progenitor of a forgotten clan, a death cult fascinated by the cryptic mysteries of thanatosis. The Giovanni united and conspired to diablerise the elders of the clan, earning a place of infamy among the Un-Dead. Thereafter, the Necromancers Embraced generations of their descendents and adopted new families into their deathless conspiracy. With characteristic ambition, the Giovanni and allied families have expanded their influence wherever the Camarilla's vigilance has fallen lax. With their command of occult arts, the Giovanni summon the very spirits of the dead to prey upon their enemies. With the mania of spiritualism so prevalent in this age, shades and spectres find the boundary between world easier to circumvent with each passing year - bringing power to the Giovanni.
The Followers of Set gather like nests of vipers, slithering into hidden places throughout the world. In the civilised lands, they have begun to exploit the birth of a new archaeological science: Egyptology.
Egyptian myths and legends feature prominently in the beliefs of many Victorian students of the occult. After Sir Petrie's archaeological expeditions in the 1889s and excavations at Akhenaton, interest in Egyptology soars. The names of Egyptian gods become well-known in academic circles. Yet, at the same time, Egypt has become a battleground between England and France. Two empires contest for control of a nation they do not understand.
Just as Victorian scholars have found new revelations into magic and the occult by studying Egyptian lore, the Serpents believe they possess occult knowledge that predates the Camarilla, the First City and even the damnation of Caine. By their heretical beliefs, Set created what they consider the oldest and original clan in his image. Cults of Setites in the Victorian age prepare the world for a time when the Empire can be remade in Set's image. Mortals the clan exploits have lost all semblance of Victorian restraint, as they are often secretly addicted to the substances, services and degenerate activities Set's childer provide. Setite cults guard temples hidden in darkness where the old names may be spoken and the true ways preserved. As the nests of these snakes spawn, they strive to recover holy antiquities that have been stolen, to undermine the religious that defy their god, to retake Britain's Egyptian colonies and to reclaim the world for Set's glory.
The Ravnos are the unliving inheritors of nomadic traditions, watching over companies of mortal wanderers as they roam across Europe.
These vampires move between cities and wilderness with equal freedom, never staying long enough to fully endure the scorn of princes, the schemes of Sabbat or the consequences of their actionsm Furious that the world has no place for them, the Deceivers take revenge against those in power, giving princes and archbishops alike the "Treatment": schemes designed to unleash spite and misery in their wake.
The Assamites are an enigma to the Camarilla, for they are seldom seen save in legends... and nightmares.
As a clan of Middle Eastern vampires, they uphold a culture far older than the Camarilla or Sabbat. Kindred presume they know all about these "swarthy assassins," vilifying them as racist epithets. Yet, these childer do not know of the clan's secrets: their centuries of scholarship in Arabic blood magic, their mastery of hidden disciplines of sound and silence and their dominance over cultures of the Arabic Un-Dead - secret societies surprisingly similar to those of the Kindred. As part of the Treat of Tyre, the Saracens submitted to a curse: Tremere warlocks enacted a ritual that would remove their ability to perform diablerie. Ignorant Kindred do not suspect that several elder Ventrue, as part of the Treat, have formed a secret alliance with masters of the clan, ensuring their enforcers keep knives pointed at the throats of common enemies.