Clans of the Sabbat
Lasombra
The clan of darkness has led the Sabbat since its inception. Those who are selected for the Lasombra Embrace tend to come from the ranks of the most skilled and callous manipulators that the world has ever known. Whereas those of the Clan Ventrue led the Camarilla because they believe it is their sacred trust and duty to do so, the Lasombra lead the Sabbat because they believe themselves superior to all other vampires and indeed, all other creatures in the world. The Lasombra also understand the need for the use of force and will not hesitate to physically devastate any foe that they cannot outmaneuver politically, so long as it can be done by the rules, or at least in the shadows. They live by the adage; I am my brother's keeper, whether he likes it or not.
Tzimisce
The fiends, as they have been known since the dawn of time, are, as a clan, the most inhuman of vampires. Those rare Tzimisce with a sense of humor tend to laugh only at the pain and suffering of others. The Tzimisce and honorable, erudite and extremely evil. They are often odd by any standards, being taken from the ranks of some of the most cleverly deviant human beings in the world. Even young Tzimisce often seem much older than they truly are, clinging to the traditions of their clan and their timeless evil with a too-calm fanaticism. Tzimisce have been traditional advisors to the leaders of the Sabbat, as well as some of its most accomplished sorcerers. The members of this clan value privacy and personal honor and will never, for any reason, forgive a slight or forget a grudge.
Assamite Antitribu
This bloodline is perhaps the closest thing to clan in the Sabbat, next to the Lasombra and the Tzimisce, having never submitted to the Curse of the Tremere, despite the fact that their Antediluvian did. Thus, they, and not the Clan Assamite, are the original clan. As Assamites live and die by their honor, so did the Assamite Antitribu separate from their brethren on a point of honor, refusing to surrender the right to commit diablerie for spiritual reasons. The Assamite Antitribu are among the most feared vampires in the undead world, being the pillar upon which the Black Hand stands and comprising well over half the membership of that deadly organization. These vampires are often not trusted by their fellow Sabbat, due to their Black Hand ties.
Brujah Antitribu
These Sabbat differ little from their clan brethren, being rebels and malcontents of all kinds. However, unlike Camarilla Brujah, the Brujah Antitribus rebellion is accepted and encouraged by their sect. Brujah Antitribu sometimes try to establish a sense of clan unity among their numbers, so as to defy the Sabbat tradition of ignoring clan ties in favor of sect loyalties. They are and always will be Brujah at heart. Brujah Antitribu, with the amazing fighting prowess and personal magnetism derived from their Disciplines, are often brutal and inspiring soldiers for their sect and many become leaders on the pack level. They are the Camarilla clan whose Antitribu are most trusted by the sect, probably due to the distrust heaped upon the heads of Clan Brujah.
Gangrel Antitribu
These hunters are of two breeds among the Sabbat; City Gangrel and Country Gangrel. City Gangrel have abandoned the wilds and have taken to stalking a new territory. They are among some of the most brutal and dangerous Sabbat, competing fiercely, in many cases, with the Assamite Antitribu, both for position and status within the Black Hand and to establish themselves as the foremost killers of the vampiric world. Country Gangrel, unlike their Camarilla brethren, do not resemble Gypsies in attitudes and outlook, but are more akin to Native Americans in their beliefs. They tend to be aloof and crave time apart from even those pack members with whom they have a high Vinculum. For they most part, they are simply loners by nature.
Malkavian Antitribu
If there is one thing in the world capable of making a Malkavian look normal, it is a Malkavian Antitribu. These vampires are typically so crazed as to make them totally incapable of functioning in society. For these vampires, breaching the Masquerade is not a matter of rebellion, they're far too psychotic to maintain it, even if they try. Something simply marks them as totally inhuman and abnormal. Sabbat Malkavians are not trusted to do anything but be terrifying and crazy. They do, however, possess an uncanny insight into the workings of the Sabbat, the Camarilla and the Paths of Enlightenment, so a few individuals among the bloodline are sought out as demented viziers to Sabbat leaders on all levels, provided these leaders can put up with their antics.
Nosferatu Antitribu
Filling the same role of skulkers and spies as their Camarilla brethren, the Nosferatu Antitribu also perform another, truly vital function which has contributed throughout the ages to the reputation of the Sabbat. The Nosferatu Antitribu are naturally truly terrifying and, unlike those of Clan Nosferatu, they often do not regret their condition, but revel in the horror they are capable of causing. Strangely enough, they are also known to be some of the most humane of all Sabbat and many maintain ties to their Camarilla counterparts, going so far as to play host to members of Clan Nosferatu. They have also been known to trade non-vital information with Camarilla Nosferatu, though the common ties of being Nosferatu mean nothing during Jyhad.
Panders
These vampires are both more and less than a true clan. Consisting of the Sabbat Caitiff brought together under the banner of the vampire Joseph Pander (who is today a Priscus), they have few of the traditions and guidelines which mark the members of the other clans and bloodlines. However, Panders are also free of many of the stereotypes and weaknesses associated with clans and bloodlines, their only true handicap being the lack of respect they receive due to the thinness of their blood. Even the most respected Pander Archbishop is less revered than nine out of ten Lasombra Bishops. Panders are often among the most courageous and daring of Sabbat, as they have the most to prove. Also, in a sect renowned for lack of clan ties, they are extremely loyal to one another.
Ravnos Antitribu
Perhaps the most good-natured of all Sabbat, the Ravnos Antitribu have lost none of the roguish charm possessed by most members of the Clan Ravnos. Liars and thieves to a man, Ravnos Antitribu relish the freedom granted them in undeath and enjoy playing games with their powers almost as much as Malkavian Antitribu. The only thing that truly separates them from the Clan Ravnos is the extension of their code of honor to include all True Sabbat, whom they regard as brothers and sisters. They are despised by their clan with the same kind of fervor displayed by Ventrue in hating their own Antitribu, as many Ravnos Antitribu have allowed the Ravnos Embrace to pass out of the Romany world and into the hands of gaje.
Serpents of the Light
The only Sabbat bloodline which is less evil than its clan counterpart, Serpents of the Light are those Haitian Setites who rebelled from the Followers of Set several decades ago and the Progeny they have Embraced since. A relatively new Sabbat bloodline, Serpents of the Light are largely distrusted by other Sabbat, due to the corruptive nature of Setites. Some Sabbat are worried that the Serpents of the Light never really severed ties with their clan and are working to poison the Sabbat from within. Surely, their fanatical loyalty to the Sabbat is not in keeping with Setite philosophy, but some, particularly among the Lasombra and Tzimisce, believe this to be an elaborate ruse. Many Serpents of the Light function as advisors to Sabbat leaders.
Toreador Antitribu
To a Toreador, art is life. To a Toreador Antitribu, life is pain. The members of this bloodline are among the most twisted and perverse of all Sabbat. They are often inhuman in ways that cause others to fear them not on account of physical prowess, but raw, unadulterated deviancy. Toreador Antitribu do not often fill positions of any great authority within the Sabbat, instead preferring to spend their time developing their art and exploring what it means to be immortal, inhuman and evil. These vampires are often jaded in their evil, however, and are suspiciously devoid of the fanaticism and fervor associated with many of the Antitribu. Toreador Antitribu have little to prove, as they are rather well-liked within the Sabbat, and have few duties within the sect.
Tremere Antitribu
Tremere are among the most feared of all vampires, the sinister nature of their immortality, coupled with their terrifying Discipline of Thaumaturgy, often sufficient to cause revulsion and horror in most other vampires. Tremere Antitribu are even worse than this legacy would indicate, willingly casting aside the humanity that Camarilla Tremere must often work so hard to hold on to. Due to the Tzimisce-Tremere wars of the Middle Ages, Tremere Antitribu are given no more trust within the Sabbat than they need to pursue their most vital work; defeating the Thaumaturgy of Clan Tremere. Tremere Antitribu are also not allowed to hold positions of power within the sect, and any who manipulate other Sabbat for power are put to Final Death.
Ventrue Antitribu
Originally derived from the few rebels among the tradition-bound Clan Ventrue, the Ventrue Antitribu are one of the least respected bloodlines within the Sabbat. The central role played by their clan in the night-to-night management of the enemy virtually assures that any Ventrue Antitribu must work twice as hard to achieve half the recognition within their sect. Ventrue Antitribu often try to ally themselves with the Brujah Antitribu and the Panders, rejecting the law-abiding and orderly nature of the Clan Ventrue and seeking to cultivate the image of rebels. However, Ventrue Antitribu are neither very good at this nor are they trusted with open leadership roles in the Sabbat, so they must often revert to the Ventrue tradition of behind-the-scenes manipulation.
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