Any Kindred historian will tell you that the Ventrue were absent from the Roman Camarilla

and the place now occupied by the Lords in the Danse Macabre, was held by the Dead Julii. Yet the Lasombra proudly maintain that their founder was once an active political figure in the Senex of the Roman undead, leaving many questions to be asked but only the Lasombra themselves know the truth -partly. The Lasombra founder was indeed a powerful elder in Roman times and an esteemed childe of clan Julii. One of the earliest converts to the Longinian doctrine, divine visions plagued the elder's dreams. Visions of death, destruction and the inevitable end of the Founders under the wrath of the Owls. Yet, in the terrifying dreams and visions, God commanded the elder to retreat to Alexandria, Egypt, and sire childer according to the local customs of the Mekhet. When the events foretold in the dreams came to pass, the elder's childer were indeed not harmed and the elder himself was protected by the Birds of Dis. Yet the elder could not find solace in his dreams during the day. He thought of returning to Rome but it was made clear to him that this was not part of the divine plan, not yet. So the elder remained in Alexandria, awaiting the arrival of a devout yet misunderstood woman -an outcast of Constantinople. Soon the woman -a Mekhet- arrived and sought the elder herself, guided by God's unseen hand. She shared the great power promised to the elder through his visions, dying soon after; having fulfilled her purpose in the divine plan, as it seemed. The elder, now called the Umbra by his offspring, shared his knowledge of Obtenebration with his childer. knowing that the Strix may claim him yet. His childer were safe, for they had ultimately deviated enough from their Julii ancestry to be spared, but the Umbra had to go into hiding until the Strix would return to where they had come from -the very same place from which the Lasombra drew their shadows of Obtenebration. The Strix were gone, soon enough, but so was the Umbra -remembered by his childer as the Las Ombra. Some of the eldest amongst his childer claim to have at least once talked to their sire in dreams or while putting the discipline of Obtenebration in use, but for the majority of the bloodline he had disappeared forever -becoming the Shadow they always claimed he was. The Lasombra spread across the the ruins of what was once the Western Roman Empire. Some returned to Rome to assist in the rebuilding of Kindred society under the authority of the Lancea et Sanctum. Soon enough, the bloodline spread to all centres of the former Roman world -Constantinople and the Iberian peninsula- as a Ventrue lineage. This divine mandate to positions of power and influence within the Lancea Sanctum drives the bloodline's ambitions to this night and draws them close to the Roman Catholic Church. Their blood forever carries the stain -or privilegeof the Julii, the drive of the Founders to lead and direct the

lesser clans and bloodlines under God. It also carries the millennia-old practices of the Mekhet, their postmortem embrace and the desire to derive meaning out of their chaotic surroundings, as well as the drive for knowledge of any kind. Lastly, they bear the lethargic mark of madness that lies within all Lords. This makes the Lasombra one of the most profound oddities of the World of Darkness, as well as one of the most dangerous players in the Danse Macabre. Parent Clan: Ventrue Nickname: Keepers (of the faith) Covenant: The bloodline's lore and deep relationship with God keeps the Lasombra close to Lancea Sanctum and even closer to the mortal Catholic Church. A substantial number of Keepers even uphold elaborate Masquerades within the clerical ranks of the mortal church and young Lasombra show a perverse interest in putting Longinian doctrine and the herd's faith to the test. Older Keepers shape one of the backbones of the covenant's hierarchy, pulling the threads of many Sanctified domains from the shadows and have established themselves as the dark aristocracy within the Lancea Sanctum. Within the First Estate, the Lasombra still maintain strong ties with the Sanctified stock of the bloodline. Their unprecedented ambition is often justified with the divine right of kings and they walk a fine line between direct claims to power and shadow politics. Even Carthian Keepers are not unheard of and the bloodline's natural charm and aptitude in leadership skills leaves plenty of room for the Lasombra to expand their influence. The Christian Democratic tradition within the Movement owes much to the Lasombra, who shape entire domains in that fashion -along with discreet, abuses of the Carthian favours system. Keepers who pay close attention to the bloodline's history, notice themes of change or even transcendence from their founder's previous, vulnerable state. Others see transcendence as the final step in the Umbra's initial plan and the Ordo Dracul boasts a small yet substantial number of Lasombra Dragons while the rare Acolyte Keeper would undoubtedly face a violent backlash from the rest of the bloodline. Appearance: The bloodline's early ties with the Mediterranean Sea has drawn great numbers of Greek, Italian, Spanish and even Turkish and Egyptian mortals into the bloodline's numbers. The rise of the Germanic Holy Roman Empire did much to expand the diversity of the Lasombra embraces during the Middle Ages. The Great Schism of 1054 and the Reformation, signalled a return for the bloodline to embracing almost exclusively from Mediterranean stock. Most Lasombra dress elegantly and in ways that make a profound statement for the bloodline and the individual's wealth and power. Even Keepers who prefer the vestments of the clergy over modern clothing and suits, tend to fashion fragrant and soft silk robes with extravagant details

of Christian symbols. Haven: Some Lasombra prefer havens of luxury and lavishness, although those seeking to embody the bloodline's darker influence archetype avoid havens that give away the owner's true wealth and influence on the outside -although rarely lacking the luxuries on the inside. Modern, minimal apartments downtown seem to be prevalent amongst the bloodline's young while all Keepers ensure that their havens are well-lit in ways that allow for a horrifying display of Obtenebration against the occasional rude guest. Background: Piety is the only common denominator for most, if not all, prospective childer. Many sires look for childer with some previous experience in influencing from the backstage; be it a prostitute with a well-known clientele (the Dark Magdalene, as such childer are known) or an accountant that has kept his employer from perilous exposure on several occasions. Others seek for the ruthlessly ambitious and natural leaders of well-off families, a tradition that dates back to the Dead Julii. Bloodline Disciplines: Dominate, Majesty, Obtenebration, Resilience Weakness: The Lasombra retain the Ventrues propensity for madness. In the case of Lasombra who operate within the Church, derangement often takes the form of religious obsession. For instance, a Confessor might refuse to conduct serious business with another Kindred until they both scourge themselves and pray for God to forgive their sins. Lasombra also suffer a greater fear of sunlight and fire than other Kindred. The 10 again rule does not apply to Lasombra for rolls to resist fear frenzies triggered by flame or light. Additionally, any 1s that come up on the roll subtract from successes. (This latter part of the weakness does not affect dramatic failure rules.) Those embraced in accordance with the medieval embrace rites of the Lasombra, also carry the weakness of the Hollow Mekhet. Even some of the childer of these Hollow Lasombra are rumoured demonstrate some aspect of their sire's weakness, by casting no reflection on mirrors or recording media; some mutation of the Keepers' blood -to which the bloodline is no stranger-, perhaps? Organization: The bloodline's past struggles for survival and escape from their dark Roman heritage has shaped the Lasombra into a close-knitted bloodline. Sires often remain in contact with their childer and the bloodline in general values lineage and the maintenance of (poisonous) familial ties. Moreover, in par with the bloodline's exposure to Mekhet practices, the Lasombra maintain at least one Shadow Cult that seeks to expand their influence over the Sanctified and the mortal church, as well as maintain communication across domains for the covenant.

Concepts: Kindred priest to the herd, mob boss, Sanctified cultist, business tycoon, political consultant, retired army officer, Our Lady of the Addicts, Dark Magdalene

shadows of themselves and instill a small part of their consciousness in to the shadow, creating a familiar. The Stare into the Abyss bloodline has found great use for these creations, which (Obtenebration 1, Auspex 1) serve its creator as either a vessel for memories or even a spy Allegedly developed by the Umbra itself, Stare into the that can move anywhere, at any time, even if its creator Abyss allows the Lasombra to clearly witness invisible and slumbers. incorporeal entities such as ghost and spirits, even without Cost: 1 Vitae complete darkness. Some practitioners of this power take Dice Pool: Manipulation + Crafts + Obtenebration. great pride in having unlocked its use and attribute to the Action: Instant devotion, the bloodline's escape from the infernal Owls that destroyed the rest of clan Julii. on the creates the shadow Some suggest that use of this devotion in complete Success through creation roll of Dominate, gainsservant which the power basic darkness, even allows a Keeper to stare through the other consciousness. These creatures, though, require Vitae to side of some barrier and into some entirely alien worlds sustain their unnatural state much like their creators do. For from where the spirits come from. This application may every number of nights, equal to the successes gained on the well be possible but most Keepers avoid pushing their activation roll, the spectre needs to spend 1 point of Vitae powers to this limit out of fear for perhaps encountering a for sustenance or the familiar dissolves into thin air. Often, long, lost enemy from beyond the veil. torpid Lasombra task their childer or associates with providing their shadow servants with the vitae needed, lest Cost: 1 Vitae they risk losing memories that will undoubtedly be altered Dice Pool: This power requires no roll. by the Fog of Eternity. Action: Reflexive

Devotions

Shadow Tentacles

(Obtenebration 2 or 5, Protean 3) This notorious devotion has brought much notoriety and respect to the Keepers. It seems like yet another fairytale to keep fledglings in line; "Do not disrespect your sire or the Bishop, childe, for the shadow tentacles may get you". Yet, the threats come true by intolerant Lasombra elders who need to keep the younger Sanctified in line, or even protect their domains from intruders who have no idea what they're up against. The Lasombra using this power, either takes her Shadow Form, as per the fifth-dot ability of Obtenebration, or manipulates shadows into taking the form of the tentacles. Then, the tentacles appear and spread around the caster, attacking according to her commands. Cost: 1 Vitae Dice Pool: Wits + Crafts + Obtenebration. Action: Instant On a successful roll, a number of tentacles equal to the character's Resolve transform from a disturbing twodimensional illusion into a tangible, six feet horror of great strength. The tentacles have ratings in all physical attributes, equal to the chracter's ratings and can attack with a +1 damage modifier (as well as grappling foes). They inflict lethal damage if the devotion is activated by the second-dot ability of Obtenebration. When activated along with Shadow Form, the tentacles are part of the character's shadow and grow small claws on various parts that inflict aggravated damage.

Umbral Familiar

(Obtenebration 2, Dominate 3) Another devotion that has become an essential and iconic application of Lasombra power, even when in Torpor, the Shadow Familiar allows a Keeper to literally bring darkness and shadow to life. Its powers allow the Lasombra to shape