Destined to rule Kindred and Kine alike, those who can count themselves amongst the so called High Clans and Bloodlines have blood of superior quality flowing through their veins, compelling these noble souls to acts and conquests that become the stuff of legends. Or so they would have you believe. The Ventrue are rarely willing to admit to the weakness of their easily fractured minds, and that's when they're even aware of it. Likewise, the Daeva can hardly be expected to acknowledge the drawbacks of their passionate natures, for it consumes them to the point where they either become incapable of seeing fault with it, or to the point where they simply cease to care. Yet though they are, despite the common perception that rules them, as flawed as the rest of the Kindred, those of High blood do seem to be in influential, powerful positions far more often than those of Low blood. Europe knows many a Ventrue or Daeva prince, who perhaps more often than not, prefer to keep counsel from their own blood rather than the unpleasant Nosferatu or beastial Gangrel.

In large parts of Europe, certain bloodlines are seen as Clans unto themselves, particularly those bloodlines whose members choose childer with great care, and instruct them in the ways of the lineage since the embrace. The Macellarius,Toreador, Agonistes, and many more are often seen as Clans themselves, and all belong to the so called High blood, even if their parent clan might not.

Examples of High Clans & Bloodlines: Ventrue, Daeva, Macellarius, Toreador, Agonistes, Taifa

Cursed creatures of the night, whose blood is polluted and whose very souls are flawed. This, the High-blooded state with near certainty. It would be complete certainty if it wasn't for the fact that despite their perceived inferiority, members of the Low Clans frequently manage to gain positions of prominence, even in the face of High Clan opposition. Still, there's something to be said for the Low Clan label, afterall, the Nosferatu are quite clearly cursed, so many of them posessive of hideous deformities, and even those who don't retain some other measure of unpleasantness, however vaguely defineable. The Gangrel, though once a blessed clan as they alone were able to traverse the wilderness with relative ease, have now fallen from their prominence, the modern methods of mortal transportation making the Gangrel gifts a mere 'parlor trick' in the eyes of some, while their inner fury strikes against their attempts to civilize themselves. The Mekhet, though clearly more civilized than either Gangrel or Nosferatu, are cursed in their own way, even more vulnerable to the dreaded bane of Kindred than others as they are.

The Low-Blooded do not usually see themselves as such, though some have taken the label and turned it into a badge of honor. Most of them, especially those of Nosferatu and Gangrel heritage, do recognize that it is harder for them to achieve their individual goals than it is for the High-Blooded, if only because of the stigma that they suffer from as the Low-Blooded.

Examples of Low Clans & Bloodlines: Nosferatu, Gangrel, Mekhet, Malkovians, Morbus, Norvegi, Burakumin, Complicen

Not since the nights of the Camarilla did Kindred battlelines get drawn by the descendancy of one's blood. It really doesn't matter which Clan one is from, what matters is one's idealogy, one's political and religious beliefs. One doesn't get to choose family, but one does get to choose one's friends. This basic concept is espoused in one way or the other by nearly every covenant recruiter. It is however, blatant bullshit. The truth is that blood matters, and not just as a means to satiate the hunger. While the embrace doesn't fundamentally change an individual's personality, it certainly does exert a considerable influence on it's future development. Can we really say that the Nosferatu curse has no impact on a person? That the Daeva's passions are meaningless and they can 'quit whenever they want to'? Like it or not, the blood eventually changes a person, and there certainly are enough members of each Clan and Bloodline that drift towards a certain personality or existence. Enough to establish stereotypes which aren't entirely inaccurate.

And just as much as it is bullshit that it doesn't matter who sired a Kindred, it's bullshit to say there have been no conflicts since the fall of the Camarilla that have centered around the Clans and Bloodlines. Though such conflicts are uncommon when compared to the nearly continuous state of conflict that exists between the covenants at any given time or place, they certainly aren't rare.

The Daeva and Ventrue have feuded for centuries in much of Europe, both Clans seeing themselves as the rightfull rulers of the night, both entertaining themselves with stories of how the other's abilities at manipulation are so 'obviously' inferior to their own. Both waging a war of influence in mortal governments and organizations. And they have done so for as long as any of them can remember. The conflict even transcends Covenants, as many a Daeva finds themselves attempting to uproot those Ventrue in superior positions within their own Covenant, and vice versa.

While it's certainly not the case that there's a Daeva or Ventrue clan council that dictates where resources are spent and where the 'war' efforts are to be directed, most Clan elders do recognize the division between the two High Clans, even if it is guided by individuals and not any overarching hierarchy. The Ancillae too, are aware of the constant race to score points for Clan pride. And that's ultimately what the conflict seems to be about; Pride. Oh, certainly, practical concerns of power and wealth are central to the divide; but at it's root lies pride. It is no secret amongst those with knowledge of Kindred history that the Ventrue are the youngest of the five great clans. Before the Ventrue came and overstepped their boundaries, say boastful Daeva, it was the succubi who ruled Kindred and Kine as the indisputed masters of manipulation. Indeed, they are quick to point out just how 'obvious' it is that the Ventrue discipline of Dominate is a poor attempt to improve upon the 'flawless' discipline of Majesty. Dominate is a sledgehammer, they say, whilst Majesty is a fine brush with which to paint a masterpiece. Ofcourse, the Ventrue say similarly nasty things about the Daeva…

Once, the Nosferatu were the indisputed peddler-kings of information in most of Europe. They could as easily use stealth to gain secrets as they could cajole them out of hapless fools who were eager to divulge their greatest sins under a careful application of Nightmare. But then came the Camarilla, and with them, the Mekhet. These strange foreigners who were so much more adapt at learning secrets than the Nosferatu seemed to be. True, there was little to be feared from these unimposing 'shadows', but damnit, they were stepping on a niche that many Haunts had made their own! And thus was born the first war between the Haunts and Shadows. Ofcourse, the details of that first conflict have been lost to the fog of time, but the division between the two lineages flares up every century or so, usually fueled by the inability of young Nosferatu to fit in.

Many Nosferatu revel in their monstrosity, taking it as a personal signature and coming to embody the stereotypes that run in the minds of the other Clans. But not all of them are so inclined, especially amongst those who are cursed by deformities. Unable to mingle with Kine in any meaningful way, and perhaps even more shunned by other Kindred than their less hideous brothers and sisters, they grow to resent their condition and come to see all other Clans as priviledged where they are not. Rather than focus on their ability to inspire terror, they choose to try and hide their nature through the discipline of Obfuscate, and sooner or later come to realize the other applications of the power, the ones more practical than hiding one's face from mortals. And in so doing, they come to realize that the Mekhet are more priviledged in these applications due to their Auspex ability. Yet another reason for these poor Haunts to resent others. While the other Clans are all to be resented to various degrees according to these type of Nosferatu, the Mekhet are thus to be doubly resented, because they are better at the one thing that helps the Nosferatu be both useful and hide their curse.

Such are the underlying principles as to why a growing group of Nosferatu Neonates and Ancillae wage their own private wars with the Mekhet. If the Mekhet are so much better than the Nosferatu at intelligence gathering, they argue, then it is the job of the Nosferatu to augment their own intelligence gathering capabilities with Nightmare and Vigor, for while the Mekhet are crafty, they are physically unimposing and vulnerable to the monstrosity that so exemplifies the Nosferatu. Thus, ironically, those young Nosferatu who sought to hide from their own monstrous curse, eventually come to embrace it as a weapon against their Mekhet adversaries.

For their own part, despite the Nosferatu belief that the Mekhet are superior intelligence gatherers, the Shadows are largely unaware of this cycle of Nosferatu antagonism aimed against them, even though more than one elder has noted the curious regularity with which periods of Nosferatu violence aimed at Clan Mekhet occur every century.

Most Ventrue would rather the Malkovians didn't exist at all. They're a blemish on an otherwise supposedly perfect Clan. It doesn't matter wether it's the Neonates who see the madness of the Malkovians as a liability, or those wise Elders who recognize that it draws attention to the inherent mental weakness of the Clan which so many other Ventrue would pretend doesn't even exist. The Ventrue as a whole are not pleased with their 'Charming Cousins'. More than one Ventrue Elder has expressed fears that the Malkovians may present a hidden contamination of the entire clan; some even go so far as to suggest that the Lunatics will one night replace the Ventrue as the fifth clan. Regardless of wether or not those concerns are valid, it's a fact that the Malkovians are growing in number. And not solely due to recent embraces either; More and more respected Ventrue are being unmasked as Malkovian infiltrators, having hidden their polluted lineage from their peers for decades. This fact, more than anything, is what concerns worried Ventrue Elders. How many more Malkovians posing as Ventrue go undetected, they ask.

A small, but growing group of Ventrue Elders and Ancillae support a radical proposition; to acknowledge the Malkovians as a Clan of their own, with no ties to the Ventrue at all. They argue that such recognition would not only remove the neccesity to pretend to be ordinary Ventrue that many Malkovians feel, but it would also direct attention away from the Ventrue's own difficulties with maintaining their mental acumen over the ages. This group of Elders and Ancillae are diligently searching for historical references in relation to the Ventrue's origins, hoping that in learning how the Clan came to be, they can enact the same change in their Malkovian cousins, and thus be rid of the affiliation with these lunatics.

The Malkovians ofcourse, have very little in the way of a formal organization, though the main branch of the bloodline maintains close enough ties so that Hartleigh and the other Malkovian Elders can trickle down directives and guidelines through their own childer and agents, down to most Malkovians. Wether such directives are followed, or wether they even make sense in the first place, is ofcourse never certain. Numerous such directives seem utterly senseless, though some, in retrospect, seem to actually achieve something positive regardless; a fact most Malkovians attribute to the unique insights of the bloodline.

Despite their obvious disability, the Malkovian discipline spread makes them masters of social manipulation and information gathering. But only when they want to be. It's hard to keep focus on such things when the stapler on your desk is telling you to puncture people's heads with it, afterall. Nonetheless, more and more european Malkovians are finding themselves in positions of considerable power and influence, sometimes even when they are out in the open about their lineage. Wise Princes and Primogen indulge the odd habits of the Lunatics in exchange for the occasional bits of insight and unusual, though useful, advice that they might provide. Particularly clever Malkovians take full advantage of this growing tendency amongst europe's elite by subtly influencing policy in their own favor. And where the Malkovians aren't yet seen as talented advisors and seers, they often concentrate their efforts, in order to enact a perception of themselves as prophets, oracles, and the occasional mad genius. All of this, ofcourse, much to the chagrin of the Ventrue.

Every Morothropian and Osite of Dutch descent know the tale; How one lineage betrayed the other, and sparked a bloodfeud that stretches across centuries. Ofcourse, neither bloodline can agree on who betrayed who. The origins of the feud stretch back to early 17th century Amsterdam; 1611 to be exact.

The inquisitional purges of Europe had uncovered traces of Kindred presence in a number of monastaries and churches that had served as the havens of the Morothrophian bloodline, Kindred with a near inability to leave the comforts of their residences. The fires of the mortal inquisitors purged many of the Kindred of the Nosferatu bloodline, almost bringing an untimely end to the fledgeling bloodline. Those who survived, fled the reaches of northern italy and the southern provinces of the holy roman empire. Some fled into France, where the newfangled confinement of the mentally ill in prison-like institutions proved a promising alternative for keeping havens in churches and monastaries; the peculiar weakness of the bloodline finding comfort in such new surroundings. Others fled north, to the protestant regions of Europe, where the fires of Catholic inquisitions no longer held sway, and there they once again settled in churches, monastaries and other religious institutions.

One Morothrophian fled to the Netherlands, to Amsterdam; Garinus Lueberge, or as he's commonly known tonight; Garinus the Elder. He made his home in a monastary just outside the city bounds that had been spared the Catholic purge of the country, and there he continued the studies that he had been involved with before the exodus of Morothrophians. Unlike other Morothrophians of his time, who were usually content with simply controlling their abodes and the people, or thralls, within them; he was fascinated by the occult, particularly as it related to the subject of death. And in any case, like many Morothrophians, he was never much of a 'true believer' as a mortal, indulging himself with various heresies as far as the church was concerned; thus why should he not pursue such studies in undeath?

This would all have been insignificant to the society of Kindred at large if it wasn't for the presence of a small cult of Osites in the domain of Amsterdam. The Osites considered themselves the true students of death, and had made their home in the domain for at least two centuries, and now they would have to share the mortal dead with this usurper? They had to contend with a challenger to their occult knowledge of the subject of death within the covenant? Oh yes, both Garinus and the Osites were Sanctified, yet distrust was rife between the two. Garinus was jealous of the knowledge of the Osites, knowledge they were unwilling to part with, and the Osites were wary of this newcomer; who made many a attempt to convince them to reveal their secrets.

The exact events that occured between the two bloodlines that led Garinus to become paranoid enough to embrace one of his trusted thralls is unknown; and largely unimportant. The Embrace of Garinus the Younger in 1652 led to even greater tensions between the two lineages, as another monastary, this time a hidden catholic one within the city wall, was usurped to the service of the Morothrophians. The Decade of Black Blood, which started in 1664, served as the backdrop of open conflict between the two sides. The facts are muddled at best; in 1666, Garinus the Elder was assasinated, while several nights prior, the Osites claim that a relic in their posession was stolen. Garinus the Younger claimed no knowledge of the theft, and saw it as an excuse by the Osites to justify murdering his Sire. The Osites in turn, claim they didn't assasinate Garinus the Elder, even though he 'undoubtedly' stole the relic from them.

Neither side managed to convince the other, and by the end of the decade of Black Blood, the Osites had been either killed or had fled the city, whilst the Childer of Garinus the Younger, now spread out across the Netherlands, presumably to seek out the remainder of the Osites in the country; but more probably just to get away from the machinations of their Sire.

Regardless of the truth of the matter, if there even is one, the Morothrophians and Osites of the Netherlands and immediate surroundings maintain this feud into the modern nights, though it has been at least half a century since any violence in the feud was reported.