Clan (World of Darkness)

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In White Wolf Game Studio's role-playing games about vampires, a clan (often spelled Clan, in uppercase) is a group of vampires joined by blood relations (i.e. the vampiric equivalent of an extended family or lineage). A clan is usually a large group, acknowledged widely in the vampiric society, and not a small offshoot (which is called a bloodline).

In each version of the World of Darkness, it is assumed that each clan descended from a single progenitor who passed to each of his descendants, or childer, his unique gifts and flaws. In Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire: The Dark Ages these individuals are called Antediluvians. Though unnamed in Vampire: The Requiem, each clan is still assumed to have a founder. A significant point of difference is that in the original World of Darkness, it is also assumed that each of these Antediluvians came from a single source: commonly accepted to be Caine, the first murderer of biblical notoriety. No such assumption is made in Vampire: The Requiem, and vampires are left with no unifying creation myth, adopting the Caine story, assuming to have arisen as distinct races from their clan founders, or otherwise.

Each clan is particularly gifted in three of the vampiric Disciplines. In terms of game mechanics, this translates as a reduced experience point cost to learn them. Each clan also possesses a specific weakness that is unique to them.

Each clan within a domain may provide a representative, called a Primogen, to attend the prince's advisory council. This is usually the eldest and most powerful member of the clan. In the Masquerade game this council had significant position, though its power has been largely usurped by the Priscus Council in Requiem.

[edit] Bloodlines

It is worth noting that not all vampires belong to one of the major clans, smaller familial groupings of vampires, called Bloodlines. While some bloodlines are descended from the great clans, others origins are more mysterious and obscure.