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Who would have guessed, over eight centuries ago, that the Witches would survive their tumultuous transition into the world of the Damned and stave off the hostilities of clans millennia their betters, only to rise to a position of prominence by the late 19th century and excel, unequalled, as practitioners of their own unique brand of undead power? The road for the Tremere has been long and hard, but by focusing themselves in a manner the other damnable Kindred have been unable to do since their Biblical (pah!) inception, the Tremere have cast any doubts as to their ability aside.
The Victorian era seems custom-tailored toward the purposes of the Tremere. With its enthusiasm for the occult - even to the extent of recognising secret societies dedicated to such purposes - and the interest of the laity in sorcerous secrets, previously undeard of across the Empire and beyond. While before, the Inquisition suppressed participation in the occult under pain of excommunication or death, the secular modern culture restricts the degree to which it allows the Inquisition to operate, which, in turn, relaxes the grip placed on the Tremere and allows them ever more freedom. Even those individuals with spiritual interests don't necessarily tithe them to Rome any longer, and hand in hand with the new-found spiritual mysticism goes even more latitude to the Tremere.
As a result, a sort of hubris has overcome the Witches. One would think, to hear a few of their number talk, that they aren't vampires at all any longer, but have finally reached the chrysalis toward "immortality" they discovered and that originally dragged them into damnation. Indeed, Clan Tremere presents a very sociable face to the world during the Victorian era but not through any doing of their own. It is this last that so many of them fail to realise - their current prominence rests not on the careful reinvention of self practiced by the Toreador or on the reliance on conservatism of the Ventrue. Rather, the exaltation of the Tremere currently experience relies on little more than coincidence. Is it any wonder, then, that at the close of the Victorian era, with all its occult sympathies, that the Tremere will find themselves marginalised once again? The true question, however, is what will the Witches have gleaned from the experience?
Clan Weakness
The blood of the Tremere holds difficulties and inequities not found in the other clans. Because of these failings,
Tremere are easily made dependent on the blood of another. It takes only two draughts of another vampire’s blood for a Tremere to become blood bound instead of the normal three — the first drink counts as if the Tremere had taken two drinks.
Nickname: Warlocks or Witches (older term)
Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate, Thaumaturgy: Path of Blood
Overview
The metier of the Tremere has always been one of self-conceptualisation, the understanding of which as a result of the birth of psychology aligns with the meteoric rise of the clan during this period. the Tremere have always perceived themselves as sorcerers first and Kindred second - a fact that may be largely to blame for the mistrust other Kindred place in them. Now, however, the sympathies of the world give them this latitude, and as their temporal power rises, few Tremere see the resentment their philosophy has engendered in others of the Race of Caine. Even those who do recognise it dismiss it, waving it off as the jealously of lesser mystic creatures.
Hauteur, then, characterises the Tremere in the Victorian era as much as their magic does. True, the practice of magic has made them valuable allies, finally cementing their status as one of the new hegemony of political clans (the other two being the Toreador and the Ventrue, at least among the Camarilla). Those allies, though, will be quick to turn their knives to the Tremere's backs once sentiment for the occult wanes. Whether or not the Tremere understand this remains in doubt, as they revel in their newfound prominence with all the grace one might expect of insular, asocial, bookish types unknowingly cast into the light of popular favour.
This is not to say the Tremere are boorish. Rather, with their haughtiness comes wariness, and the Witches' pragmatic natures keep them from becomming unbearable. As such, many have taken to the politics of the night with renewed fervour, hoping to extend for as long as possible what they believe to be a temporary situation. Alliance of the clans, support of local princes, exchanging blood magic for boons - all of these have become the modus operandi of Clan Tremere.
Old habits prove remarkably resilient, however, and the more experienced members of the clan have demonstrated a marked resistance to embrace the glory age affords them. To these annuated Kindred, this mortal dalliance with the occult shall pass, and by never indulging themselves in the excesses it permits them, they will never find themselves pining for splendours lost. While this hasn't developed into a full-formed schism within the clan (and within a 20-year period, how could it have, to creatures for whom a year passes in a moment?), it does cast the outlooks of elders and neonates into stark contrast.
The Tremere Embrace remains as rigorous as it has ever been, with sires choosing potential childer based upon what degree of utility they might bring the clan. In most cases, this translates as skill in the art of sorcery or academic capacity, but in other cases, the clan needs a few silver-tongued diplomats and socialites to allow them to maximise the potential afforded to them by the cultural Zeitgeist. Thus, it is not uncommon these nights to find a Tremere Embraced from the ranks of old-guard nobility or a well-connected merchant family - or even for the Tremere to Embrace a smuggler skilled in turning up forgotten artefacts and sneaking them past dubious authorities.
Domain
Most Kindred would be surprised to learn that the Tremere have always had territories that would seem to outstrip their relatively few numbers. However, many of these lie in remote fastnesses or on the borders of civilised lands and the hoary expanses of the Sabbat's barbarous wilds. As a bulwark against the dreaded Tzimisce, the Tremere erected a chantry in the Transylvanian Alps centuries ago, though its name remains known to only a few tonight and its fate eludes even most of them. Other witch-houses, by their very nature, had to be secluded and protected from the fires of the Inquisition and lie in similar mountain expanses or deep in the reaches of swamps, woods or even in the catacombs beneath cities. Even the headquarters of the clan itself, in Vienna, lies perilously close to Sabbat territory.
The Tremere of Durham have formed a potent political entity, as have those London Tremere allowed to gain status in the area during the previous torpor of that city's Prince Mithras. The Tremere also have numerous domains in Germany and Austria, with somewhat less prevalence in the western portions of Eastern Europe unclaimed by the Sword of Caine and in Italy.
Truly, Tremere chantries lie in almost every major population centre of the Empire and beyond, some with only one member, but all of them duly devoted (insofar as a vampire's allegiances ever are) to the clan's pyramidal structure. Interests have even followed the British colonisations of India and points further East, as well as into the more accessible regions of Africa.
For the most part, Tremere have never been Kindred who pursued individual domains, preferring to establish hunting grounds so that their members might hunt with greater ease and thereby return to their pursuit of the arcane arts. Exceptions occur, of course, but rare is the domain-claiming Tremere who won't extend some degree of hospitality to a clanmate truly in need. It bears mention, however, that bitter rivalries do develop between Tremere, and a sworn foe of a given Tremere should probably expect no succour, even if one can claim ties of clan or even sire. Usually, logistics dictate that the Tremere spend less time dealing with the nightly functions of their unlives, and the good of the clan comes before the right of the individual Tremere. In practice, of course, this might vary.
Interests
As one might expect, the majority of most Tremere's unlives revolve around study or service to one's elders. Even those unskilled in the thaumaturgical arts typically work with a Tremere who makes it her raison d'etre whether as gatherers of ritual components, as liaisons (political and professional) to other Kindred or as agents and enforcers.
Tremere influence, growing as it has in the Victorian era, lies predominantly in the arena of the occult, though connections with such organisations as the Freemasons has introduced the Witches to other avenues of contact. As such, Tremere influences have a surprising breadth but a predictable depth. Because so many of the newly influential Tremere have made their contacts only recently through secret societies, the amount of favours they can call upon and the number of contacts they have made increases slowly. While a few noteworthy Kindred have developed non-traditional influences over the years, such as the cabal of Witches who garner power in the Church and those who have cultivated commercial success with the East India Company, the Witches still don't have the worldly power wielded by the Ventrue or the Toreador or even well-placed members of other clans.
The discussions of Tremere domain mentions "nightly functions" of Kindred unlife, which also bear more heavily upon the Tremere than many of them readily admit. While they see themselves as sorcerers first and vampires second, the truth of the matter is quite the opposite. Tremere must still feed upon living blood to survive; they still fear the sun, and fire scorches them as viciously as it does other Kindred. Many candidates for the Tremere hierarchy have difficulty reconciling these (un)natural facts with their artificial social structure, and humanitas wanes quickly for power-hungry Tremere during the Victorian era. In response, many Tremere find themselves working as functionaries of a prince's entourage, both the political power it yields and to prove that the frustratingly climbing number of "bad seed" Witches lost to the Beast shouldn't reflect poorly on the clan as a whole. Indeed, a sheriff, scourge or hound gifted with the abilities of blood magic is nothing at which to scoff.
The clan continues to exploit traditional avenues of Tremere influence, of course, as its members see little value in abandoning time-tested ways in favour of their new-found prominence. Of course, academia remains popular and takes several forms. Tremere tutors occasionally find work in the households of wealthy patrons (who may even allow them as an "assistant"), schooling mortal children in letters and the humanities as a cover for their more esoteric study. Some Tremere cloister themselves among neglected monasteries, whose monks still toil on hand-made reproductions of books too delicate, rare or dangerous for mass consumption by presses. Others still establish themselves among local schools and universities, where the eccentricities of a gifted scholar are indulged for the sake of his sagacity.
Naturally, many Tremere are most at home when surrounded by the trappings of the occult, and the secret societies of the day allow them the opportunity to do just that and expand their base of power at the same time. From the formulised rituals of the Freemasons and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn to the arcane bookseller or corner shop fortune-teller, the public's hunger for mystical knowledge allows the Witches contact with kine that would have theretofore been verboten or heretical. An entrepreneurial few have even taken to the unlife of the charlatan, teaching a few quack rituals or hedge magic tricks to the idle rich and morbidly curious in exchange for favours or cash.
Tremere Clan Merits
Thaumaturgic Expertise (1 point merit)
You can purchase a path of Thaumaturgy in addition to the Path of Blood.
This additional path is learned without a teacher and is purchased at in-clan XP costs, but is not considered an in-clan discipline. For example, when using the Dominate power Possession, these Thaumaturgic paths cannot be brought along. You can purchase this merit multiple times, thus allowing you to learn multiple paths of Thaumaturgy.
Talisman (3 point merit)
You possess a magical talisman. Your talisman must be a straight, rigid item between five inches and six feet long.
Ancient Tremere sometimes carry staves and wands, while a more modern or subtle Tremere may carry a cane, a drum stick, or a baton. As long as you are holding it in or touching it with your hand, you receive a +2 bonus to all Thaumaturgy test pools. If your talisman is broken, lost, or stolen, it is unavailable until you remake it, a process which takes four game sessions or two months, whichever is greater. Only you can use your talisman; other characters gain no benefit from your talisman.
Many talismans may be wielded as melee weapons, but that is not their primary purpose. If a talisman is sturdy enough to be wielded in melee, it should be built using the improvised weapon rules (giving it one weapon quality). Telyavetic Tremere who buy this merit can choose their talisman to be an Athame (or other bladed implement appropriate to a pre-Christian religion). Some religions scorn the use of an Athame as a weapon, but if wielded in combat, an Athame has the weapon qualities Concealable and either Fast, Silver, or Cold Iron.
Countermagic (4 point merit)
You are extraordinarily adept with magic and can pull apart the threads of a spell as well as you can weave them.
You gain a +3 bonus to defensive test pools when resisting Thamaturgy. Additionally, you can use a standard action and spend 1 Blood to target an individual or area and attempt to dispel active thaumaturgical effects. If you target an individual, you must make a challenge (Mental attribute + Occult versus the target’s (Mental attribute + Willpower). If successful, all active thaumaturgical powers affecting your target end, and all magical items on the target become defunct for one hour. If you target an area, you can make a test (using your Mental attribute + Occult, difficulty 12) to dispel all rituals within five steps of you. Targeting an area has no effect on magic directly affecting another individual, but it does dispel rituals, wards, and items that are not in an individual’s direct possession.
Bloodline: Telyav (4 point merit) Sabbat
You are a member of the Telyav bloodline, a group of Lithuanian pagan Tremere believed to be extinct by the majority of the parent clan.
Disciplines: Auspex, Presence, Thaumaturgy: Path of Blood
The Telyavelic Tremere were a bloodline of the Tremere in the Dark Ages. During Clan Tremere’s rapid rise to the forefront of vampiric politics and power, the Telyav were a small cabal of Lithuanian warlocks Embraced for their knowledge and influence. The founders of this bloodline split from their parent clan when they were sent to learn the magic of eastern European pagans (which resembled Koldunism in some ways). They studied the myths of the legendary godhero Telyavel, the Lithuanian protector of the dead.
Those Tremere converted to the worship of the deity Telyavel and developed their own animistic branch of Thaumaturgy, Sielanic Thaumaturgy.
These pagan Tremere watched the atrocities performed by the clan through the Dark Ages and began to pull away from the Tremere. In return, the parent clan did not support the Telyav against their enemies, and by the 1600s, the Telyav were nearly extinct. The cabals of the Telyav, preferring animistic magic over the formal hermetic style of their parent clan, sought to escape the strict Tremere hierarchy. When given the opportunity, they allowed the other Tremere to believe their bloodline had been wiped out, with no survivors to tell the tale. They exist in these nights, always hiding from the Pyramid, knowing that if other Tremere discover their existence, they will be utterly destroyed. Members of this bloodline are found almost entirely among the Sabbat.
