Samedi

The Samedi are among some of the most feared of vampires, they are even disconcerting to their own kind because their terrible appearance reflects to true nature of vampires - abominations, unholy monstrosities, ambulatory corpses. The Samedi resemble rotting corpses, either putrid and slime covered, perhaps crawling with insects, or withered and dried with bones protruding from papery flesh. Mortals recoil in horror from the sight of them and even vampires find their appearance highly unpleasant. The Samedi not only reflect death in their appearance, they seem to have an obsession with death and the undead state - which likely relates to their mastery of necromancy and the ability to speak with ghosts and animate the dead. The Samedi are also amazing survivors, able to thwart death at every turn. The Samedi attribute to their ingenuity and abilities while some others might say that beneath their hideous appearance that they are cowards. The Samedi, because of their horrible visage and association with death, tend to be kept at a distance by other kindred. Though they have proven their loyalty to the Camarilla on many occasions and their unique powers are frequently needed by other Clans, they are friends best kept at a distance. Many make a practice of only embracing humans who have some terminal illness or that are about to die, perhaps because they realize what a terrible curse being embraced into the Samedi Clan can be, or perhaps because they believe that the outlook of a dying human prepares someone for unlife in the Clan of death. Because they are highly skilled at stealth as well as necromancy, they are sometimes valued as spies or informants - they may not know as many dark secrets as the Baali do, but they are more trusted to provide the truth a a fair price.

Nickname: stiffs, liches.

Disciplines: Fortitude, Obfuscate, Necromancy (Thanatosis is now a path)

Weakness: the standard Samedi weakness.

Advantage: Samedi are immune to pain. They suffer no wound penalties unless they are taken to incapacitated, in which case they act as though they were mauled. Only being placed into torpor can keep them down, which affects them normally.

Appearance: Saying that a Samedi resembles a rotting corpse is, sadly, in no way a euphemism. Their flesh is soft and tends to leak fluid if poked too hard. Their ears and noses rot away (but still function normally), and tiny bits of their skin tend to slough off and regrow. Skin retracts from the eyes and teeth, giving them the appearance of grinning skulls, but too much meat clings to the cranium for them to achieve the cleaner horror of the Harbingers of Skulls. Some Samedi are leathery and dry, like unwrapped mummies. These Stiffs still stink, but their stench is more reminiscent of rotted flowers and old decay than fresh putrescence. Samedi frequently dress in rotted and tattered clothing from their mortal days or nothing at all, clothing being meaningless to such ruined created. Some others wear dark robes or concealing coats or cloaks, hiding their bodies from those who might catch a glance.  

Haven: As creatures of death, the Samedi are drawn towards havens that are often associated with death, scary places where mortals fear to go or where the Samedi can be near death or the dead. This could include old dilapidated “haunted” houses, mausoleums, old rotting manses, abandoned fairgrounds or amusement parks. Sometimes they like to live near places where large numbers of people have died - death camps, closed hospitals prisons, burned down buildings, or other such locations. The Samedi seldom make any attempt to maintain their havens, allowing them to appear deserted or condemned. Each Samedi usually has a haven of its own, but they often have a single centralized and isolated haven in a city for the Samedi to congregate and socialize or share necromantic secrets.

Background: The Samedi view themselves as a Clan of scholars and scientists of a sort, whose area of focus is death and the dead. Because of this, the Samedi almost always choose intellectuals and academics for the embrace. They also prefer loners and eccentrics, people who don't fit in with society or even their colleagues, for such individuality will suit them well in the Clan of death. They also prefer to select people who have had experience with death, either those who are dying, people who have witnessed much death and suffering, and even those who have caused many deaths. A cold hearted or detached view towards death is a big plus as well. In a city with Samedi, the right to embrace usually goes to the most senior Samedi, though sometimes elders take turns with the embrace. A newly embraced Samedi spends many years as an apprentice to his sire before being released. This involves not only helping the sire as a research assistant, but learning Necromancy from him as well as Obfuscate and establishing a method for getting blood on a regular basis without threatening the Masquerade - vital skills for a creature as hideous as the Samedi. New Samedi childer usually abandon their mortal lives entirely, they are dead to the world of mortals.

Organization: The structure of the Samedi Clan is based on the hoarding and exchange of magical secrets. The Samedi greatly value necromantic and even mundane secrets, gaining power and influence from their ability to utilize or exchange this knowledge. As each Samedi researches rituals or performs experiments with the dead, he gains wealth and status within his Clan. Young Samedi are usually embraced by a local elder to act as a research assistant, often serving the sire for many decades or even centuries before venturing out on his own. The Samedi value their privacy and do not allow themselves to get close to others, and that is fine by most other ampires. Still, the Samedi do at times feel isolated and lonely, seeking out others of their Clan for interaction - which usually means conducting research together in the dark arts or sharing macabre tales about death or the dead. The Samedi, while distant even from each other, are loath to act against members of their own Clan and display an amazing amount of loyalty to other Samedi even when they don't know those Samedi or consider them to be rivals. A Samedi who openly acts against his own Clan does not face any official sanction, but his brethren simply turn their back on him and refuse to share any knowledge with him or interact - leaving the offender truly isolated.

Stereotypes

Ahrimanes: Children who play at being kings, they will soon have to mature or die. 
Baali: Their dark magics are a rival to our own and their friends are far more dangerous.    
Blood Brothers: These kindred are nothing more than animals, they will be put like like rapid dogs.   
Children of Osiris: What miraculous powers these eccentric kindred command and what mad ends do they expect to achieve? 
Gargoyles: These strange constructs have turned upon their creators. Let that be a lesson to us all.    
Kiasyd: A trustworthy fool makes a better ally than an intelligent scoundrel.   
Laibon: They dwell in secret places and speak with strange spirits. What might we learn from them before they perish, or after?     
Lamia: These strange women serve their ancients, what plans might those inhuman creatures have for the world?   
Lhiannan: Why should creatures of death seek to command the magics of life? If they could cast away their mortality they would be a force to be reckoned with.      
Nagaraja: These silly children see themselves as frightening. If they could see what we have seen, they would hide beneath their beds for all of eternity.
Salubri: They see themselves as the great minds behind the Camarilla. Oh, how wrong they are.    
Sybarites: How long can the dead continue play acting as mortals and living among their prey?    
Caitiff: Their weak blood makes them minor threats at most, let the Kiasyd purge them if they desire, we have greater problems to worry about. 
Camarilla: It is better to have allies than to have enemies. It is better to have order than to have chaos. Only in unity can the kindred achieve their potential.   
Sabbat: No attempt to return to mortality or morality can succeed, no scheme to make childer the equal of elders could result in fate fate of disaster. The Sabbat are blind to reality, and so they must be eliminated for the betterment of all.    
Anarchs: They will fall in line when the time comes, until then they are only a distraction.

Samedi