Toreador Antitribu

The Toreador antitribu were instrumental in the formation of the Sabbat, and much of what came out of the Convention of Thorns did so under the direction of Toreador anarchs who would later guide the sect. With the organizational efforts of the Lasombra and Tzimisce, and a few Ventrue antitribu, the Toreador created much of the sect’s structure, as well as codifying many of the sect’s beliefs. Indeed, the early, anarchic nights of the sect may have seen its destruction, “if not for the masterful misdirection of our esteemed artistes.”
In the modern nights, the Toreador antitribu have similar interests as their Camarilla siblings, only their appreciation for the aesthetic has grown to include pain, savagery, cruelty and depravity. How is a rose, sonnet or portrait any more enrapturing than a masterfully executed flaying, reason the Toreador antitribu? What is beauty, if not subjective? The Perverts’ talent for torture rivals even the Tzimisce in pain and duration. Young clan members begin on human subjects, while their elders graduate to ~other~ subjects. Some of the more practiced members have actually gotten their art introduced into Camarilla salons and Elysia, where they have garnered much Cainite support, to the dismay of the vampires whose bastions have been violated. In the 1980s, an anonymous artist showed “Woman’s Submission at the Hands of Man” through the medium of a dress made of raw meat. This exhibit toured several Camarilla-held national galleries and made headlines in every city it visited. No one ever questioned the type of meat used, nor the method of creating the sculpture.
Tattoos, scarification and body piercing among Toreador antitribu provide another opportunity as well one to which very few members inside the Sabbat (and none outside) are privy. The artists have created their own language of symbols and codes, which they use to pass information to each other for their own benefit and the benefit of the pack. A certain lattice of keloids or a particular stone in a nose-stud can provide vital information to those pack members who can read the hidden message. Tattoos and piercings heal over and force themselves out of Vampire bodies unless they existed before the Embrace: Toreador antitribu can send different messages each night, relishing the exquisite pain of the process every time they do so.
Of all the Sabbat clans, the Toreador antitribu interact most frequently with mortals. They move in the most glamorous mortal circles, plying their trade in art and society, feeding as they will from the rich and indolent. Like the Toreador of the Camarilla, the Sabbat Toreador are lethal social butterflies, moving visibly yet mysteriously through mortal circles. Little do their sycophants and admirers know that behind every invitation, innuendo and expression lies the horror of the Sabbat.

Nickname: Perverts, Pervs

Appearance: Most Toreador antitribu are attractive--often horribly so--or at least flamboyant. They dress in the latest and most blatant fashions, and most have flashy jewelry in their piercings or intricate tattoos. They sport the latest hairstyles, listen to newest music, and speak the coolest street lingo. They’re the people everyone else aspires to be on the surface.

Haven: Toreador antitribu often keep lofts or apartments in the part of town known for its fashions, fine food and scintillating conversation. In cities where the Sabbat is the prominent influence, they mingle with the high-class “beautiful people,” attending theater premieres, art exhibits and private balls, and keeping havens in the heart of the hip neighborhoods. If a Toreador must spend time in a communal pack haven, it is usually because he has been asked to organize an upcoming event for the Sabbat. Not that Sabbat Toreador mind their packmates, necessarily; they just don’t want to share the attention or be seen someplace gauche.

Background: Toreador antitribu seem to select childer from a wider range than their Camarilla counterparts. They Embrace from the expected ranks of artists, writers and creative types, but they also select childer from the medical profession or the military anyone they feel practices their talent in an exemplary fashion. Often they watch their potential victims for months or even years, to ensure that they have the talent and ability to sustain their fellow. clanmates’ interest and be useful to the pack at large. Toreador antitribu do not choose shallow childer, in spite of the image they present, and more than one arrogant Sabbat has learned painfully that the Pervs are not the “limp-wristed art fags and rotten cheerleaders” he thought they were. Allowing one’s rivals to underestimate one is the surest way to maintain the upper hand, as many vampires know too well.

Character Creation: Sabbat Toreador usually have artist, entertainer or dilettante concepts, unless they are not of the traditional creative upbringings. They have flamboyant Demeanors and unique Natures, the latter of which tend to be selfish, vain or otherwise self-interested. Social Attributes are almost always primary, with a secondary focus on Mental Attributes. Talents and Skills take precedence over Knowledges, as the Perverts prefer to do rather than know. Common Background Traits include Contacts, Fame, Herd, Resources, Retainers and Sabbat Status. Toreador antitribu often maintain their Humanity for a few years, but they almost always “transcend” into the beliefs of the Path of Death and the Soul, the Path of Cathari or the Path of Power and the Inner Voice.

Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Presence.

Weaknesses: The Toreador antitribu once possessed the same flaw as their non-Sabbat counterparts, though their indulgence in blood-games and twisted passions has warped this failing somewhat. While they once found beauty even in extreme violence or sadism, they have since become needlessly cruel, inflicting their own viciousness on those around them. If presented with an ample opportunity (feeding, a rival embarrassing herself, torturing a captive Cainite), a Toreador antitribu will inflict physical or emotional pain on her subject more often than not. When confronted with such a situation, the player must roll the vampire’s Self-Control (difficulty 6) or spend a Willpower point. If the roll fails or the player refuses to spend a point (which must be declared before the roll is made, as leaving things to fate has its consequences), the character must indulge her need to “act out” against the subject. Whether this acting out is as simple as a devastating remark or as base as cutting the victim’s thumbs off is up to the vampire in question, and is a darkness best explored by the player.

Organization: The Sabbat Toreador have their own division between poseurs and artistes, but no one on the outside can figure out exactly what it is. Most serve themselves first, the Sabbat second and their clan third, though some forego the glory of the sect for the vanity of the clan. Toreador antitribu interact with greater ease than most Sabbat do with mortals, and some distorted Perverts prefer kine company to Cainites. Most Toreador antitribu have some instrumental role in the ritae of the Palla Grande and Festivo dello Estinto.

Quote: Really, darling, you must not squirm so. It spoils the overall effect.
(Guide to Sabbat)

Clans