                               RAZOR CHILDREN



   By dkomlos@mechanical.watstar.uwaterloo.ca (24 Feb, 1994)

   Nickname: Rippers

   Masters of stealth and wild bringers of confusion and destruction,
   many have commented that the mere presence of a member of this small,
   tightly-knit bloodline is an omen of trouble to come.

   Much speculation abounds on the origin of the Children, but the most
   popularly accepted assumption involves an elder arising from an
   experimental embracing with combined Lasombra and Ravnos blood. Anyone
   with knowledge in the workings of vitae knows that this belief is
   false, but no one has ever come forth with a better story. Whether or
   not they know their own derivation is moot though, because this bunch
   isn't telling. What is obvious (infuriatingly so for the Sabbat
   Lasombra) is that they have full command of the discipline of
   Obtenebration, so their roots are considered to be intermingled with
   the Sabbat leaders.

   As a defect passed along in the embrace, the Razor Children are unable
   to heal wounds with their saliva. Because of this, their greatest
   curse, their only recourse in the interest of secrecy and security is
   to inflict the necessary wounds for feeding with mundane weaponry,
   usually knives (although some have been known to utilise hypodermic
   needles). Since the curse is not widely known, the image most Kindred
   have of the Razor Children is that of merciless, inhuman sadists.
   Their habits are considered to be at best disgusting and at worst a
   threat to all Kindred.

   Many members of the bloodline, overcome by guilt, tend to lean one of
   two ways. Either they become strict farmers and bankers, never feeding
   directly on human blood, or they take on an "avenging angel" persona,
   feeding on and slaying only those they believe are hurtful to others
   and deserve punishment.

   A rather treasured item for the Razor Children is a small vial of
   Kindred saliva. They never say why they want it, but often times they
   can be found performing small services for it. Seeing as many
   mysterious rumors exist about the Children, though, most Kindred are
   far too paranoid to endorse such activity. Any vampire who attempts to
   take advantage of this dealing should be wary, though. The Razor
   Children have a distinct hatred for those who would patronize or use
   them, and they will not hesitate to lash out if they begin to believe
   this is the case.

   In a way, the most prominent agenda of the Razor Children seems to be
   a direct "clean-up" or "cover-up" crew in emergency masquerade
   situations. They do the dirty work. Sometimes it entails hunting down
   and helping a witch-hunter to "disappear", sometimes it may require
   slaughtering all the inhabitants of a household. In the past, they
   have even been called upon to issue a physical "warning" to Kindred
   who are not careful enough. They have no qualms about being asked to
   kill, and their terror tactics are so well executed, they rarely have
   to ask anyone to watch their step twice. Rare is the individual who
   witnesses them swarming through an area, destroying all who might
   jeopardize the masquerade, and still does not fear their force. Note
   that the Children do seem to have a secondary agenda of their own, and
   that seems to affect their decisions when asked to embark on such a
   "clean-up" mission. Sometimes they seem to have no reason to refuse,
   and yet still do. There are some who disagree violently with their
   methods, arguing that the brutality of the Children can only be hidden
   with many times more blood than was originally spilled. These
   individuals claim that the Children are just violence addicts, and
   work to satisfy their own urges, nothing more. More often than not,
   these opinions are never heard in anything but whispers.

   Appearance: The Razor Children are almost always relatively young when
   embraced, rarely appearing to be over thirty years of age. They tend
   to dress in dark clothing, most often wearing garments of leather,
   suede, or denim. All of them have a ritualistic, elaborate tattoo
   somewhere on their bodies, which contains a specific bloodline symbol
   and their name encoded in it. All members of the bloodline are taught
   to read this code, and no one outside the line is permitted to know of
   it. Impostors who are identified in this manner are taught a swift
   lesson. Other ritual self-mutilation is popular, such as body piercing
   and branding (!) .

   Haven: The Razor Children live where they can. Individual preferences
   determine individual choices.

   Background: The Children generally select their progeny from young
   individuals who have demonstrated their ability to survive on their
   own with only wits and muscle to rely on. They only choose those that
   they believe are mature enough and worthy of their trust, and often
   consult with others of their kind before enacting the embrace. The
   punishment within the bloodline for a "bad choice" is severe.

   Character Creation: These vampires usually come from some sort of
   underclass background, most often being runaways or criminals. They
   have highly diverse natures, but their demeanors tend along the
   rebellious or survivalistic lines. Physical attributes are primary, as
   are skills.

   Disciplines: Obtenebration, Potence, Jumble

   Weakness: As mentioned above, the Razor Children cannot heal the
   wounds they inflict by licking them, so maintaining the secrecy of
   their existence is that much more difficult.

   Organization: Very loosely organized, they rely on a "buddy" system.
   They always know how to contact at least two or three of their
   kindred, and each of THEM always knows how to contact a couple more,
   etc. They are known to converge on specific locations upon the request
   of a single member, but only in very special cases. Most of their
   communication is informal. All members of the bloodline are expected
   to treat each other with respect, as "brothers" and "sisters".
   Betrayal of trust or consistently disrespectful behaviour is usually
   punished by groups of three nearby members of the bloodline, but
   individual "justice" is not uncommon. Note that "right" or "wrong" in
   these cases depends on the bloodline's perception of the acts as a
   whole, and the general feeling of the line is made obvious in their
   individual communications.

   Gaining Lineage Prestige: Anyone who helps promote their image of
   fearlessness, imperviousness to pain, and efficiency is well
   appreciated. There are no disticnt positions of prestige in the Line,
   though.

   Quote: "You screwed up. Now we're here to make sure that no one finds
   out. Get out of our way, unless you want to be packed away with the
   rest of the bodies."

   Stereotypes:

    The Camarilla: I wish they'd learn to relax. We don't bother them,
   they shouldn't bother us. We've saved their butts more than a few
   times, but still they try to rein us in. They'd just love it if we
   knuckled under to them and their laws. Well, everybody's allowed to
   dream.

   "Trickier than the Ravnos, spookier than the Malkavians, and man, do
   they ever put a burr in the Ventrues' collective shorts. God, I love
   these guys!" - Schack, Brujah individualist.

   The Sabbat: Lots of sick mothers in that bunch. They may seem like
   plenty of fun at first, but believe you me, when the joke gets old, it
   always ends in serious business.

   "They have secret knowledge, knowledge that is by no right theirs.
   They dance uncontrolled through my city, MY CITY, causing unwarrented
   mayhem and attacking the most undeserving of targets. They have no
   concept of Gehenna. They have no concept of what they are. They must
   be dealt with." -Tyren, Lasombra Bishop.

   The Inconnu: Forget them. Just forget all about them. I don't know
   what goes on in their heads, but I tell you, I really prefer it that
   way. "Their quiet ways and sad curse are interesting, but only
   briefly. I trust their existence will prove to be equally fleeting."
   -Lycius, fourth generation Toreador.

   View Jumble discipline.
