Ahrimanes

The Ahrimanes rose to prominence in the ancient Middle East. There they used their power to rule over mortals as god kings, controlling some of the earliest cities and agricultural communities. The Clan controlled great wealth and power during the bronze age, but with changing times and shifting fortunes, lost their power and human kingdoms. Since those days, the Ahrimanes have sought to reestablish themselves as masters over men and vampires. When the Anarch Revolts blazed across the Western world, the Ahrimanes saw their chance to reestablish themselves as leaders within the vampiric world and attacked both the anarchs and elders, carving out regions of control in both the Middle East and Europe.

After the conflict died out, the Ahrimanes were too proud, and now too hated by either faction, to ally with other vampires. They now had their own domains again and the new formed Camarilla and Sabbat were too spent, tired of war, and fearful of each other to strike out against the reemergent Ahrimanes. An uneasy coexistence was established. Since that time, the Ahrimanes have ruthlessly sought out power, control, and wealth to try to establish themselves as rulers among kindred and kine alike - refusing to bow before the Camarilla or the Sabbat. Unlike many of the other Clans who see themselves as nobility, the Ahrimanes have no sense of honor or duty, no goals for the exercise of their power, but merely crave power and prestige for their own sake and will lie, cheat, and steal from from each other. The Clan only maintains its unity in cohesion because of the nearly universal sense of superiority they have other other vampires and the hatred that other vampires have for them. Unfortunately for the Camarilla, the Ahrimanes have managed to develop no small amount of temporal power and they are sometimes forced into conflict or sometimes even alliance with the Ahrimanes.

Nickname: tyrants.

Disciplines: Dominate, Presence, Quietus

Weakness: Ahrimanes, from millennia of being rulers over mortals, routinely gorged themselves on mortal blood. As a result, their thirst became stronger and stronger with passing ages. Now the Ahrimanes require 2 blood points each day to awake from their slumber. Additionally, the difficulty to resist any hunger related frenzy is increased by +1.

Advantage: Ahrimanes traditionally never had difficulties finding victims to drink from, so they became more adept at rapidly expending their blood. The Ahrimanes can spend one additional blood point each turn above and beyond their generational limit.

Appearance: Though most elder Ahrimanes are middle eastern in appearance and usually male, since the middle ages they have embraced from all ethnicities and both genders. Virtually all Ahrimanes are embraced from the upper classes or from people who have the potential to work their way into that class. They tend to dress in expensive and dignified clothing, wearing what is appropriate for displaying wealth and power for their place and time. In the modern era, this usually means power suits, including pantsuits for women. They usually foster a conservative style, one which projects a degree of authority, though the Ahrimanes also strive towards keeping up with modern fashions and not living in the past.

Haven: The Tyrants almost universally dwell in havens of great expense and luxury. Mansions, castles, penthouses, are all common havens for the Ahrimanes. These dwelling are finely decorated with the most expensive modern styles meant to display wealth and opulence. As the Ahrimanes hate to share power, they seldom live with or even near each other, though most haven will have servants quarters for an assortment of ghouls and perhaps a herd. 

Background: Ahrimanes are often embraced from among people who crave power and who are talented in attaining it. This usually includes politicians, bureaucrats, nobility, and charismatic manipulators of all sorts. While these are the preferred candidates for the Ahrimanes, they are not particularly picky when choosing candidates for the embrace and - since they reject the authority of sects - embrace who ever they desire. New childer are blood bound to the sire and used as servants or cannon fodder until such time as the sire sees fit to release the childe to go their own way or becomes unable to hold the childe in blood bondage. Often a childer will be allowed to go his own way under the agreement that he goes to some far off location to establish himself there, away from his sire’s territory. Because of this, many young Ahrimanes lose their unlives in conflict with their master’s enemies, those who survive long enough have proven themselves worthy to be true members of the Clan. This means that a young Ahrimane could have a diverse set of skills and abilities, as some are embraced for their social ability while others are chosen as bodyguards to protect their sires - and in their case they develop any number of additional talents while the slave away for their masters and struggle to stay unliving. 

Organization: The Ahrimane Clan is ruled be a handful of ancients who still remember the golden age when Ahrimanes ruled mortal empires and drank the blood of kings and queens. These ancient are seldom active and their childer are the ones who act more directly. Each Ahrimane of any significant age, called a shah, is an independent agent of sorts, accumulating what ever power he can in his struggle against other vampires, even those of the Ahrimane Clan. The ancients, more unified than the younger members of the Clan, have commanded that Ahrimanes are never to act against other Ahrimanes. This edict is often violated, especially through proxies or other subtle means. The Ahrimanes will frequently join forces with each other to counter a common foe, especially members of other Clans, or when an ancient awakes and demands action. Beneath the various shahs are their childer, usually blood bound to them and thus subservient. Because the Ahrimane Clan did not rise to prominence again until after the Great Ritual, their Clan was not that impacted by the shattering of blood bonds. They are, however, wary about relying too much upon blood bonds to maintain Clan unity, which is why childer of a certain age are usually either sent away to establish power within some rival’s domain or sent on dangerous missions until they are destroyed. While the Ahrimanes can frequently work together, they never fully trust each other, especially not their childer who may come seeking their blood one day.

Stereotypes

Baali: It is unfortunate that these pathetic worms are so adept at hiding in the shadows.   
The Brotherhood of Blood: Savage beasts crazed with bloodlust. They would make adequate servants if they could be trusted to submit.
Children of Osiris: What madness could have gripped these creatures to cause them to reject divinity for mortality.
Gargoyles: Were that the Gargoyles our slaves, they would continue to serve us to these modern nights. 
Kiasyd: Our greatest rivals seek to justify their rule. In their hearts they know they are not worthy.
Laibon: These savages are below our notice.
Lamia: Their dedication is worthy of respect, but their foolish alliance with the Camarilla marks them as fools.  
Lhiannan: Superstitious fools who live in the woods. They would be wise to avoid our cites.
Nagaraja: Like rodents scurrying in the shadows, they are only frightening to the weak of heart.
Salubri: A Clan of ineffectual scholars. When their masters fall, they will bow before us.
Samedi: Such hideous abominations have no right to eternity.
Sybarites: Cowards one and all, they will bend the knee to who ever possesses the most power.
Caitiff: We judge these weaklings not by the purity of their blood but by their uselessness. 
Camarilla: Enough fools and weaklings gathered together in large enough power may wield more power than true kings, though they rule a house of cards. 
Sabbat: Their animosity with the Camarilla may some day prove useful. Beyond that, a sect which embraced chaos and weakness deserves no respect.
Anarchs: A day will come when rebellious childer will be brought to heel. Until such time, the provide a distraction to our enemies.

Ahrimane