Tremere            The members of this clan are dedicated and extremely well-organised. Others, how ever, think of them as arcane and untrustworthy. They are aggressive, highly intellectual and manipulative, and respect only those who struggle and persevere despite all odds. The Tremere believe they must use the other clans in order to prosper. 'Be friendly with them, let them think that we are one with them, but never forget that we serve our clan first and foremost,' the Tremere elders whisper to their progeny. 'If you must use your friends in service to the clan, then you know that your time was not wasted.' .            The Tremere are an odd lot indeed. They claim to have once been wizards who voluntarily gave up their "art" for the powers and eternal life of the vampire. They have never named a founder, and some claim they have none, having instead harnessed mystical powers to achieve their state. Most elder Kindred discount this claim, however.            Their link to the substance of blood apparently runs deep, and they are rumoured to be able to use blood in special ways to gain extraordinary powers. Many also believe that the knowledge of those practices has been passed down from generation to generation, and that it is no viewed by the younger Tremere as natural and commonplace - certainly not magic.            The leaders of this clan are based in Vienna, though they have chantries ("guild houses" for the practice of magic) on every continent of the world. A council of seven elders is said to control the entire clan from the Vienna chantry. From that locus, they maintain a tightly ordered, highly hierarchical group, one that allows no outsider to view their inner workings.            Tremere typically have immense love for and loyalty to their clan, and the younger members of Clan Tremere are expected to obey their elders without question. This is not as true in practice as it once was, however. Though there are some rebels and anarchs from the Tremere line, it is thought that they are posing as such on the orders of the clan, as part of its long-term plots.           Nickname: Warlocks           Appearance: Tremere traditionally wear black coats or even cloaks with high, upturned collars and arcane symbols sewn on the lining. Though this is no longer universal, they still prefer black, impressive-looking clothing (such as the pinstripe power suit). Many Tremere also carry props such as canes; some of these "ornaments" are rumoured to be potent mystical talismans.           Haven: The Tremere clan operates a chantry in almost every city where it has members. All those of the Tremere clan are welcome in any chantry. Those live on their own have a wide variety of accommodations.           Background: They choose the most aggressive and ambitious people as their neonates, preferring males. They carefully train and nurture them for years, calling them 'apprentices.' <          Character Creation: Tremere usually have professional and highly educated concepts and their Natures and Demeanours tend to be archetypes connected with power or science. Mental Attributes are primary, as are Knowledge Abilities. They often have the Mentor Background Trait.           Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate, Thaumaturgy.           Weaknesses: Tremere neonates must drink from the blood of the seven elders of the clan when they are created. This means that all Tremere are at least one step toward being Blood Bound to the clan, a therefore must watch their step very carefully when around their leaders.           Organisation: The Tremere are tightly organised and very hierarchical. The younger members are expected to obey the older ones without question, but this is not as strong a tenet as it once was.           Stereotypes:           Nosferatu - These creatures may make useful servants, but they are too noxious to tolerate for long.           Toreador .           Ventrue - Too fractious to be truly effective; nonetheless, they are our chief rivals for control of the Camarilla.           Brujah - Ignorant revolutionaries who don't even comprehend what it is that they oppose. They respect only power.           Gangrel - Noble Kindred, in their own way.           Malkavian - So often they seem norma1, but all their lineage carry their strange curse. They are occasionally useful.           Assamite - What is there to say? If they have thwarted our sorceries, then we have no choice but to erase them from the face of the planet as quickly as we can - or convince others to do it for us.           Followers of set (SETITES) - Damn them! Always prying with their slitted eyes and forked tongues, and always slipping back into the darkest corners, smiling all the time! What do they know?           img src="images/pball.gif">Giovanni - They have made some rather impressive inroads into the arts, in a narrow-minded, limited sort of way. Still, it would seem that necrophillia is as unhealthy for the undead mind as it is for the living.           Lasombra - For all their pretence of sophistication, their willingness to lie down with the Tzimisce clearly reveals their true savagery.           Ravnos - They may fancy themselves magicians after a fashion but give me 10 minutes with one of these charlatans and we shall see whose art has the true power.           Tzimisce - One of the first lessons we all learn is that these Old World monsters still want nothing more than to rend our flesh from our bones. If that is the tune they prefer, we shall see how they dance when their rotting mansions are burning down around them.           Caitiff - The other clans scorn our lineage, yet look how many of these bastard childer they create.           Camarilla - There is strength in a tower, no matter how decrepit some of the bricks be.           Sabbat - They fancy themselves free? Fools.           Sect: The Tremere were more than glad to join the fledgling Camarilla when the sect was forming, and they quickly made themselves invaluable there. In fact, the Tremere are one of the linchpins of the sect. They have a marked interest in keeping the Camarilla strong, of course with their hated Tzimisce enemies directing their Sabbat minions against any Tremere they find, the Warlocks require allies. And with the valuable magical power they offer' the Tremere find the Camarilla glad to provide the support they require. With the Camarilla's protection, the Tremere are free to pursue the arcane mastery they so avidly desire.           Bloodlines: The strict organisation of the Tremere, as well as their insistence on obeying one's elders, offers few freedoms. No variants of the Tremere bloodline have been allowed to survive to the present night. A small group of Tremere rebels once made its home in the Sabbat, but recent events have seen to that group's destruction.           Quote: 'We must survive Gehenna and establish the tenets of the new world order once the horror is overcome. If we are to succeed, we must control the other clans. No more time can be wasted. If they cannot be convinced to aid us, they must be forced.'