Mind's Eye Theatre - Vampire The Requiem.pdf - RoseRed

in any warren until she provides her brethren reason to expel her. The Haunts might not all
get along, but they recognize their common bond — not that they have any choice, since it
follows their aspect like a miasma.
Feared by and ostracized from society, many Nosferatu become as alien as their demeanor.
Others choose the opposite path, becoming surprisingly cultured, well mannered and well
spoken to compensate for their unnerving seeming. The latter are the Haunts most frequently
found playing politics with other Kindred. The Nosferatu are also known as purveyors of
information. Not only do their supernatural powers make them foes to be reckoned with, but
many elder Nosferatu are keepers of ancient lore, rivaling anything preserved by the Ventrue
or Mekhet. Sophisticated Haunts trade knowledge the way other Kindred trade favors, and
if a Nosferatu doesn’t know something, he can probably scare someone who does into telling
him. It is this trade in terror, more than anything else, that makes the Nosferatu too valuable
— and too dangerous — to ignore. After all, one never knows what the horrid Haunts tell
one’s enemies, or how many of them wait in ambush.
Nickname: Haunts
Covenant: The Nosferatu are everywhere. The Invictus nervously welcomes them as enforcers,
informants and soldiers. Those Nosferatu who obtain power in the First Estate tend
to extremes. They become relatively benevolent rulers, remembering what it was like to be
downtrodden, or they attempt to make up for the anguish they suffered by heaping it upon
others. Haunts who seek to understand why God has done this to them, and those penitents
who feel that they must atone for whatever sins drew the curse upon them, fi nd solace in
the ranks of the Lancea Sanctum. Haunts often fi nd a place among the Ordo Dracul, where
their disturbing bearing has little immediate effect on their achievements in the covenant
(and might even aid them, as it discourages casual social calls). The Carthians appeal to those
who are concerned with constructing a society in which everyone, no matter how unsettling,
has a voice. Those Nosferatu who truly suffer beneath the weight of their curse often fi nd the
redemptive teachings of the Circle of the Crone far too tempting to resist. Even the unbound
attract those who accept their terrifying nature and who want to tear down the system that
quakes at their passing — or those who just want to get away.
Appearance: No two Nosferatu have exactly the same air, though troubling characteristics
often follow patterns within “families.” Discolored leathery skin, gaping maws, rubbery skin,
misshapen heads, odors like grave earth, bulging eyes, queasy stares and personal habits,
gnarled hands, ineffable feelings of dread, sagging fl esh — all these and more are the hallmarks
of the clan. Not every Haunt is physically deformed. Indeed, many are not, instead discomfi ting
those who look upon them with indescribable unease. The darkness and fi lth in which
many Nosferatu dwell make their foul miens (and fouler odors) even worse.
Havens: Most Nosferatu dwell in places far from mortals, such as abandoned warehouses,
graveyards, basements and of course the ever-popular sewers and subway tunnels. That said, some
few Nosferatu choose to fl out tradition and take their havens in penthouses, fantastic manors
— anyplace where they can enjoy the luxuries of wealth yet still count on substantial privacy.
Background: Nosferatu normally choose progeny from among society’s castoffs, such as
the homeless, the mentally ill and criminals. Many Nosferatu Embrace out of spite, using
the curse to punish vanity, cruelty or other such “sins.” Assuming a sire wants a childe to
survive — which isn’t always the case — Haunts tend to choose self-reliant individuals who
might actually be able to manage their new condition. Few Nosferatu Embrace out of love
or affection, though even this is not unheard of. Rare but heartbreaking are the tales of a
Nosferatu determined to “gift” his love with the Requiem, only to fi nd himself the object of
his beloved’s loathing when she learns what’s been done to her.
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chapter two: character