Samedi

The Samedi bloodline may be an offshoot of the Nosferatu, or possibly a branch of the Giovanni. Neither clan will take the credit (or the blame?) for these Kindred. The Samedi bloodline has only been around for a few hundred years. The line appeared in Italy and the Caribbean. Only a very few of these Kindred have come to the United States.
The Samedi are easily identified by the shreds of rotting flesh constantly falling from their bodies, and are often confused for zombies by those unfamiliar with them. This bloodline claims no allegiances, but is known to have members in both the Sabbat and the Camarilla. Those who have done battle with the Samedi seldom forget the experience, for the bloodline has the power to rob other Kindred of their immortality at least temporarily. The Samedi are generally reviled as too disgusting to be allowed to survive; only the fact that they can be powerful allies has kept the bloodline from meeting obliteration at the hands of the Camarilla.
The Samedi are known to be competent assassins and bodyguards, and can often be found serving anyone who can meet their price. The Nosferatu and the Giovanni both seem to have an affinity with these twisted Kindred, and most Samedi will refuse to attack either of these clans unless paid a substantial amount of money.

Nickname: Stiffs or Zombies

Appearance: Samedi look like corpses in fairly advanced stages of decomposition. Their skin is soft to the touch, leaking foul fluids at the lightest contact. Certain Samedi are leathery and emaciated, resembling shriveled mummies in appearance. In either case, the Samedi’s eyes are sunken in their heads and the lips and gums have receded from their teeth. Almost all Samedi lose the majority of their noses.

Haven: Most Samedi prefer to maintain their havens in or near graveyards, digging concealed tunnels into mausoleums or under the basement levels of funeral homes.

Background: The Samedi have only been appearing for a short time, but over the last 200 years the bloodline has heavily expanded. As a general rule, these Kindred seldom associate, and it is extremely rare to find more than two of them in a city, even one of substantial size. Most Samedi will confess to having worked as coroners or morticians before being Embraced. Many will also admit to being at the edge of suicide at the time of the Embrace.

Character Creation: Most Samedi were fascinated with death in their kine lives, and are equally fascinated after having been Embraced. Mental Attributes are Primary, and Knowledges should be emphasised.

Disciplines: Necromancy, Obfuscate, Thanatosis Discipline information

Weaknesses: Like the Nosferatu, the Samedi are hideous to look upon and suffer from a zero in Appearance. The stench of decay wafts from these Kindred, even in the lightest of winds, and the unusual texture of the Samedi’s skin is enough to repulse even the strongest constitutions.

Organization: Samedi appear to have no true organization. On the rare occasions when two or more of these Kindred meet, they gossip and go their separate ways. There is a small faction of this bloodline that is trying to rectify this situation, but so far no major changes have occurred, On the other hand, reports have been made of small groups of these Kindred meeting in graveyards late at night.

Quote: “Are you so certain you are immortal? Come here; let’s discuss the truths of immortality ... let us join together in a discussion of death.”

(VPG)

Updated section from Guide to Camarilla

The Samedi of the Camarilla are a curious lot. Solitary by nature, they are seldom offered the option of being gregarious in any case; no one wants to get too close to them. Highly transient, Samedi bounce from city to city and Elysium to Elysium, following the scent of contract work for high-ranking Camarilla officials. Sufficiently distanced observers look on this migratory existence as a survival tactic stay too long in one place and the locals eventually stop being afraid of you. Familiarity breeds contempt, and for the Samedi, contempt can be fatal. Camarilla Samedi aren’t after acceptance in any case. Rather, they’re with the organization for a variety of reasons: dislike of Sabbat tactics, a desire for the protection the Camarilla aegis offers, and sometimes just better pay on the Camarilla side of the fence. Pretty much all of the Camarilla Stiffs, however, share an unrelenting hatred of the Giovanni, and use what influence they have to encourage the Camarilla to move against the Necromancers. The degree of influence individual Samedi can wield (there is no “organization” of Samedi worthy of the name) is impressive, as many are close to vampires of considerable power.

Dealings With Others: The average Samedi’s appearance is so repulsive and the wry humor with which the Stiffs invariably present themselves so contrary to expectations — that other vampires can’t deal with them without some sort of frame of reference. A Samedi who’s in town specifically to serve as a bodyguard for an archon or a prince can he accepted, on a certain level. He’s here to do a job, after all, and even the most prejudicial Toreador has to admit that the unique talents of the Samedi let them do certain jobs very well. But to admit a Samedi into normal discourse and society, well, that goes beyond the pale. Nosferatu are ugly, but Samedi are corpselike, revealing a bit too much about the true nature of vampirism for other Kindred to be comfortable around them.
For their own part, the Samedi enjoy keeping everyone else off-balance, as it makes their usual job of bodyguard that much easier. And, as no one can actually afford to offend the Samedi for fear of retribution, the Stiffs push that advantage for all it’s worth. Samedi aren’t actually contemptuous of their fellows in the Camarilla, just amused by them. Even the monsters find some things a little too monstrous, it seems.

Roleplaying Despite their monstrous appearance, Samedi are, in their own way, urbane and civilized — they don’t shamble ooze or moan, and most can hold up their end of a conversation with the best of them. A great many Samedi worked as coroners, morticians and the like, and as such have a long- standing acquaintance with death and other uncomfortable topics. In addition, there’s a streak of semi-sadistic humor endemic to the bloodline, and any Samedi simply can’t resist subtly playing up their deformity while being as polite as possible, just to watch the Toreador and Ventrue squirm.
When it comes time fcr business, however, Samedi are more than happy to get their hands dirty. Members of the bloodline have a very low bullshit tolerance; when you look like the stuff at the bottom of the pile in the dumpster, you can’t afford to judge anything other than results. While Samedi do show a small preference for spending time in the presence of Nosferatu (whom they generally won’t take as targets on assassination contracts) as opposed to any other vampires, they still prefer professional contacts to social ones. It’s easier for all concerned that way.

Clans