TremereWhether dreaded, nistrusted, feared or reviled, the insular vampires of Clan Tremere
are anything but ignored. Those who have heard of the clan's doings are typically suspicious
of the Tremere, and with good reason - for the Warlocks are aptly named. Through
their own artifice, they have mastered a form of vampiric sorcery, complete with
rituals and spells, that is as potent - if not more so - than any other power of
the Blood. Paired with the clan's rigid hierarchy and the smoldering ambition
so common among Warlocks, this power is an unsettling thing indeed to those
who know what the Tremere are capable of doing.
According to some Kindred records, the Tremere came into being as a clan
very recently, at least by an immortal's standards. Legend has it that,
during Europe's Dark Ages, a cabal of human wizards enacted a great ritual
over the slumbering body of an Antediluvian and thereby wrested for
themselves the gift of vampirism. War followed soon thereafter - the
fledgling clan found itself besieged by enraged Kindred on every side.
But the Tremere are nothing if not survivors. Their human
magicks lost, they nonetheless managed to alter their
rituals and wardings to utilize the power of their vitae.
These magical skills, now practiced as the Discipline of Thaumaturgy,
have ensured the Tremere's place among the Kindred ever since.
The Warlocks gladly play the games of diplomacy and intrigue
with their newfound brethren. However, their dealings are always
tinged with a touch of paranoia, for the Tremere know that the elders of
no fewer than three clans bear them a terrible grudge that has yet to be
repaid. Therefore, the Tremere work to cultivate what allies they can, even as
they strive to heighten their magical mastery. No less is required for their survival.
As a result, the childer of Clan Tremere are among the most driven and learned of
all Cainites; few cross these undead sorcerers and escape unscarred.
The Tremere are vampires of the Old World, but have traveled across the continents
to establish footholds elsewhere. The clan's seat of power lies in Vienna, where the
Tremere elders convene in council and discuss the clan's future direction. But many larger
cities across the globe house Tremere "chantries" - well-defended houses that are equal
parts university, monastery and stronghold. There the Warlocks gather to exchange
information and study their vampiric witchcraft, safe from the attentions of their rivals.
Nickname: Warlocks
Sect: The Tremere were more than glad to join the fledgling Camarilla when the sect was
forming, and they quickly made themselves invaluable there. In fact, the Tremere are one of the
linchpins of the sect. They have a marked interest in keeping the Camarilla strong, of course -
I with their hated Tzimisce enemies directing their Sabbat minions against any Tremere they find,
the Warlocks require allies. And with the valuable magical power they offer, the Tremere find
the Camarilla glad to provide the support they require. With the Camarilla's protection, the
Tremere are free to pursue the arcane mastery they so avidly desire.
Appearance: The sorcerous Tremere are typically imposing or sinister in mien. Some favor
classic suits; others prefer a slightly more antiquated look, dressing in 1940s-cut suits, Edwardian
finery or the simple black turtlenecks of the Beat era. Many wear charms or amulets inscribed
with cabalistic or other arcane symbols, as a sign of their learning. Although individual
Warlocks may run the gamut from immaculately precise to disheveled and eccentric, the
vampiric sorcerers' eyes always gleam with hidden insight and frightening acuity.
Haven: While Warlocks may maintain their own individual havens (often complete with extensive libraries), the clan
maintains a chantry in every city that harbors a strong Tremere
presence. A chantry is open to any of Tremere's bloodline and
absolutely forbidden to all others. The Warlocks are infamous for
their well-guarded havens; almost all boast mystical wards that
even other Tremere would find difficult to circumvent.
Background: Many Tremere dabbled in occult or other scholarly
pursuits in life. However, a fascination with the unknown is hardly
enough to draw a Warlock's attention; clan members seek "apprentices"
with aggressive natures and clear thinking, and care little for
muddle-headed New Agers or befuddled conspiracy theorists. Clan Tremere
has an unspoken tradition of sexism, and most of its elders are male.
Tremere ancillae have become rather more open-minded of late, though,
and draw ample numbers of suitably ambitious and persistent acolytes
from both sexes.
Character Creation: Tremere typically have strong Mental Attributes and a high Willpower to match; dilettantes and
churls cannot meet the grueling demands of sorcery. Many have
Knowledges as their primary Abilities, although Skills are also
highly in demand. Although a few Tremere specialize in one
particular area of excellence, many more prefer; a more well-rounded approach to personal aptitudes; after all, a Warlock can
typically rely on no one other than himself.
Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate, Thaumaturgy.
Weaknesses: By clan law, all neonate Tremere must drink the
blood of the clan's seven elders when they are created. All Tremere are
at least one step toward being blood bound! to their elders, and
therefore usually act with great clan loyalty - in order to avoid
having such loyalty forced on them. What's more, this arrangement means
that Tremere are hard-pressed to resist the will of their elders; the
difficulty of any Dominate attempt from a clan superior is one less.
Organization: No tighter internal structure exists among the
clans. No clan binds its neonates so strictly. And no clan acts with
such unity of purpose as the Tremere. Although younger clan members
generally are free to do more or less as they wish, occasionally they
receive instructions from their elders that they may not ignore.
Paranoia keeps the clan well-oiled; and unified.
Of course, the Tremere do encourage individual achievement among the
group, seeing it as a Darwinian method of ensuring the clan's strength.
With such ambitious, powerful young vampires cooperating with such
commendable clan unity, it's no wonder the Warlocks have plenty of
envious and spiteful enemies among the Kindred.
The Tremere's pyramidal hierarchy contains several ranks, each divided
into seven mystical "circles" that an aspirant must master if he
desires to advance in rank (and nearly every Tremere desires that very
thing). The lowest rank, that of apprentice, belongs to neonates. Above
the apprentices are the regents, each one the master of a chantry; then
the lords, whose domains include several chantries each. Forty-nine
Tremere hold the title of pontifex, each bearing great
responsibilities. And at the top of the pyramid sits the Inner Council
of Seven, some the masters of entire continents, and all whispered to
be in constant mental communication with the others.
Bloodlines: The strict organization of the Tremere, as well as
their insistence on obeying one's elders, offers few freedoms. No
variants of the Tremere bloodline have been allowed to survive to the
present night. A small group of Tremere rebels once made its home in
the Sabbat, but recent events have seen to that group's destruction.
Quote: We are more than vampires. We are the next step in
Cainite evolution. We will direct the others if they allow us to do so,
or we will stand alone if we must. But we will survive.
