by: Don Lara for Sanguinus Curae
Am I not my brother's keeper?
Are not we, the exalted of Caine, charged with the responsibility of leading the blind into the darkness that is our thrall?
To view the grandeur of the Lasombra, one needs only to peer into the darkness in which we thrive: it is boundless. Thus, so are we.
To be Lasombra is to be wholly confident in one's abilities, and in one's intent. There must be an "end" by which we are to devise the "means." But that end, whatever it is, must benefit the whole. Do what it takes to achieve your own goals, but do so with a consideration for how it might benefit the Sabbat, in whole or in part.
Never assume anyone else will do it for you: you must be as singular as the shade cast by a stone in the moonlight. But never forget your place. Singular, you may be, but it is to the darkness, within "and" without, that your loyalty must lie.
Unlike the fools of the Camarilla, we do not "live to exist," we "exist to LIVE." While others may weep about their lost Humanity, we know of the freedom that comes from being released from the shackles of our pitiful, weak, human shells.
We embrace the darkness, and make it our own, because each one of us feels the darkness boiling within ourselves: that dark fire within one's belly that cries out for release upon those that oppose us. Call it the Beast, if you must. I call it the touch of Caine upon my very being, striving to break free of the bonds of mortality. The embrace is a blessing, not a curse.
Never take the blood of the Lasombra lightly. To be Lasombra is a gift that only the most worthy may be granted. To embrace one, and then to have that one fail, cannot be tolerated. A Childe that fails speaks of a Sire that is himself a failure. Such flawed members must be weeded out of the Clan at all costs, and their blood returned to the Clan, so that it may be bestowed upon another, more worthy pupil of the Abyss.
In similar fashion, our command of the Abyss must not be allowed to leave the confines of the Clan. It is my belief that our control of the Abyss was given unto the Lasombra, and "only" the Lasombra, for a reason. Therefore, I shall not be the one to share the knowledge of darkness, nor tolerate those who reveal it to others not of the blood. For the Abyss to be manipulated by any not given the power at their creation...I fear that, like an imbecile allowed to exist within the Clan Lasombra, such manipulation taints and makes impure the perfection of the Abyss.
But I digress. My passions override my eloquence. If you know nothing else, know that the power we wield, the control we hold, was not "given" to us, nor is it "owed" us. It was "earned." From the moment we freed ourselves from the machinations of the Antediluvian who thought to control us as the others do their own, we have fought for every inch of control we possess. Never let complacency or ego cloud your mind to the fact that to be Lasombra is to be ever ready to do battle for the freedom others seek to steal from us. Lead the charge when it is your responsibility to do so, or when others are unwilling to.
After all: Are we not our brother's keepers?
Don Nilijandro Lara
Archbishop of Bellingham
Student of the Shadow's Grace
by: Adamus for Sanguinus Curae
No other clan embraces what it means to be a vampire as the Lasombra do. The Keepers are known for their mastery of shadows in the form of their dreaded Obtenebration Discipline, as well as for their Machiavellian attitude towards their own members and their barely veiled disgust towards all other vampires. This clan prizes ruthlessness and resourcefulness, actively encouraging their members to engage in subversive manipulations and devious sect politics. Those most cunning will come out on top, and this strengthens the clan as a whole.
The Lasombra clan is to the Sabbat what the Ventrue clan is to the Camarilla. But where the Ventrue uphold a facade of civility, the Lasombra have no problems with reveling in their monstrous natures. They are vampires, and they find great pleasure in their damnation. These uncontested masters of the Sabbat sect have a hold on mortal financial affairs that rivals that of clan Ventrue, and the Catholic Church has been infested with Lasombra influence for over a millennium.
The Lasombra is a true Sabbat clan, and embodies this sect's ideal nigh perfectly. The strong survive, these Darwinian shadow lords reason, and those who perish along the way are a necessary sacrifice. The Lasombra have no qualms about sending dozens of Sabbat to their final deaths in a siege, as long as it serves their greater purpose.
At the time of the Anarch Revolt, the vast majority of the clan turned against their elders, and the clan claims to have slain its Antediluvian founder. While a scattered few Lasombra Antitribu - those who survived the Anarch Revolt and did not join the Sword of Caine - do exist among the Camarilla, these are a tiny minority and often the target of Sabbat warpacks.
Vague rumors circulate about a faction within the clan - a group of Lasombra elders who guide the clan as a whole - accepting the greatest of their number in their midst, but such remains unconfirmed speculation.
When parting company with a Lasombra, praise yourself lucky. The Keeper has judged you worthy of continued existence... for now.
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