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Clan: Ravnos
Nickname: Rogues, Ravens, Daredevils, Vagabonds, Wanderers, Tricksters, Mystics, The Haunted, Gypsies, Criminals, Deceivers, Charlatans, Shapers, Seekers, Unwelcome, Hundred-Mask Clowns (by the Kuei-jin)
Faction: Independent
Disciple: Ravnos
Antediluvian: Cryso Kenoth, Vano, Durga Syn, Chandraputra
Methuselah: Ace

"Gypsies, vagabonds and charlatans, the cunning vampires of Clan Ravnos roam the night as they indulge in the most dangerous of games – lying to the liars, tricking the tricksters, and gleefully receiving curses from the Damned. From Bel Air to Bombay, from Shanghai to Sarajevo, these nomadic vampires wander where their citybound Kindred fear to tread. The Ravnos' know well their secret arts, and hide centuries of hate behind a jester's smile."

Known as wandering tricksters, mystics, and vagabonds, the Ravnos are incurable daredevils who gleefully pursue the art of unliving dangerously. If ever a clan was renowned for a wickedly black sense of humor, the Ravnos would be that clan. These Cainites are deceivers of the first order, weaving illusion and lies into elaborate schemes to part the foolish from whatever it is the Ravnos might fancy -- be it wealth, blood or even their victims' freedom. Like Mephistopheles or Old Scratch, the Ravnos ply their devil's deals with whomever they choose, be it human or Kindred, and woe to those who wind up unable to pay the hidden costs.

Although many Ravnos see themselves as great tricksters, the generally benevolent tricks of Coyote and Raven aren't so much their style. Instead, they draw on a tradition of illusion and deceit inherited from the rakshasas and ghuls of the Middle and Far East. A Ravnos is a highly dangerous being with whom to sup or bargain. And these devils have been making their wagers and bargains for a long time indeed.

The Ravnos are nomadic to the core and care little for permanent havens or positions in a city's established power structure. Even those who have chosen a given city for their home tend to establish and abandon havens as the mood strikes them, taking whatever lairs they like, doing as they please, and moving on when bored. This habit infuriates princes across the world, who resent the Ravnos' disregard for the Tradition of Hospitality. Few punish violators, though, for fear drawing the malice of the clan as a whole.

Although the clan has long-standing ties with the Gypsies, few Ravnos enjoy the hospitality of their mortal kin. Perhaps the Gypsies know these vampires' true natures too well, and are loath to offer friendship to the undying. Perhaps the Ravnos themselves alienate their mortal families through their dangerous tricks. Whatever the reason, a Ravnos typically has no allies he can rely on regularly. His charm may win him a few temporary companions, and clan loyalty may draw fellow Ravnos to his side in times of dire need, but the vampire's path ultimately lies alone.

Naturally, the princes of many cities are leery of allowing such tricksters free rein in their domains. The Ravnos' eccentric code of honor is strong, but rarely coincides with another Kindred's definition of the term. A Ravnos may break her word at will, unless she's spit in her palm and shaken n the deal. She'll defend her "good name" for all it's worth -- depending on what she considers slander. And she'll usually come to the defense of a clanmate, and vice versa; the Ravnos may take advantages of one another, but they consider it their privilege. Outsiders aren't allowed the same.

Perhaps the most worrisome thing about the Ravnos is that as a clan, they managed to survive for centuries in Asia, where most Kindred are quickly hunted down and devoured by the ruthless Cathayans. No other Cainites know exactly how they managed this -- but now a possible reason is emerging. Rumores filted back to Europe and the Americas of elder things awakening, of ancient vampires shrugging off the earth of millennia and throwing the Cainite courts into disorder. Theses elder Ravnos -- if rumor speaks correctly -- have demonstrated terrifying mystical powers, including a talent for illusions so powerful they can affef the physical world. Time can only tell what part the reemergence of these "demon "kinds" will play in the Jyhad.

The Ravnos do not have much in the way of a clan organization, but more communally-minded members of the clan have established their own system of tradecraft in order to communicate and organize meetings.

The Ravnos are broken into western and eastern divisions. Western Ravnos are largely individuals without larger clan loyalties outside of perhaps tribal (and Rroma loyalties). Eastern Ravnos have their own caste system, developed from lineages.

Western Ravnos, historically connected with the oppressed Rroma, maintained a strong sense of clan solidarity for a very long time. The most common manifestation of this solidarity was through a form of retaliation called "The Treatment". The Treatment was a vengeance attack where a mistreated Ravnos would contact fellows in the clan, who would then swarm upon the city where the original Ravnos was victimized. In general, a dozen Ravnos running amok could bring even the most experienced Prince to the brink, and well-placed exaggerations about the impact of the Treatment was the main weapon the Ravnos used to squeeze out what place they did have in Western society.

In India, the Ravnos dominated the continent, probably the largest concentration of a single clan in one country. In several ways, the Ravnos paralleled the Assamites – both clans had a caste system invisible to outsiders, and both clans were defined by a military role.

As with everything else in the clan, Embraces differed between Indian and Western Ravnos. Western Ravnos generally embraced only Gypsies (with the exception of the Ravnos antitribu who were noted for embracing gorgios) and generally embraced for any reason. Indian Ravnos viewed the Embrace as a means to fulfilling the fledgling's svadharma. In India, one's Jāti in life also defined one's Jati in undeath.

Due to their inherent clan weakness, the Ravnos clan are all criminals; each Ravnos has a specific vice ranging from plagiarism to mass murder. When the opportunity to indulge that vice is present, Ravnos must succeed in a self-control check to avoid indulging it.

Active Members:

Elders:

• Ace
  
• Shenzi

Ancillaes:

• Alitia De Veniza
  
• Benifacia
  
• Fennix
  
• Jaxom
  
• Lillian
  
• Nicabar
  
• Rares

Neonates:

• Balthazar
  
• Emppu Lunaris
  
• Exile
  
• Jorge Reyes
  
• Kraal
  
• Lilineon
  
• Lucy
  
• Valaina

Fledglings:

• Raylin
  
• Rebecca
  
• Zahara

Rank Unknown:

Ravnos Lexicon

The words of our people.

• Amria (AHM-ree-uh) A Gypsy curse.
• Baro (BAH-roh) Litterally, "big man." The leader of a Ravnos or Gypsy Kumpania.
• Draba (DRAH-bah) Gypsy charms and talismans.
• Gajo (GAH-zhoh) Literally, "peasant." Any non-Gypsy, mortal or Kindred.
• Gaje (GAH-zhay) Plural for gajo
• Georgio (JOOR-jee-oh) A Ravnos of non-Gypsy stock; a gajo-Ravnos.
• Juvindo (joo-VEEN-doh) Literally, "alive." A member of the living Rom.
• Kaen (KAIN) The Romani spelling for Caine, the first vampire.
• Kris (KREASE) A Gypsy trial.
• Krisatora (KREASE-ah-tor-ah) Those who preside over a kris.
• Kumpania (koom-pah-NEE-ah) A band of Gypsies or Ravnos.
• Kumpaniyi (koom-pah-NEE-yee) Plural for kumpania.
• Marhime (MAH-ree-may) Literally, "tainted." The condition of an object or person being somehow unclean or corrupt.
• Mulo (MOO-loh) Literally, "dead." A contemptuous term for non-Ravos vampires.
• Patshiv (paht-SHEEV) _A kind of Ravnos "clan meeting"; A feast or celebration that occur whenever two or more kumpamiyi happen to meet while traveling.
• Patshiva (paht-SHEEV-ah) Plural for patshiv.
• Phralmulo (FRAHL-moo-loh) A Ravnos of Gypsy herritage.

Ravnos Himself



The Mortal Man

The Rroma Family

How Ravnos Came To Be

His Travels

Love

Children
With Cryso Kenoth
Zapathasura

With Baroness Leila
Lady Amria
Lord ???

With Grendel
Vadoma
Kieran
Sorendav
Draven
Theodosia
Dani—-
Hazimel
Seu’s girl
Lash
Ambrose
???
???
???
???

Assamite
Half of he Assassins are dangerous psychopaths who would just as soon devour your soul as look a you. Th other half smile while doing it: I admit, that’s a harsh judgement, but these guys got hit with a nasty curse five centuries ago because they couldn’t behave in civilized company. Now they act polite and cultured, but turn your back on them and they’ll have a stake in you faster than you can say “Allahu Akbar!”

All right, so some have overly rejected their bloodthirstier cousins’ nastier habits. But be careful around this pack. For all we know, they could be the front line for another wave of disvlerists. If an Assamite is interested in you, be polite and give him every reason to find someone else to bother should he decide to obey his thirst.

Brujah
I think the Brujah largely support the Camarilla because it gives them something to b***h about. At length. They’re as much a part of the establishment as the Ventrue they’re always bitching by out, unending streams of vitriolic rhetoric aside. Some Brujah go on about the fabled glories of their pet cause and the absolute necessity to strike down the Centrue with all the fury they can muster. This is why they’re one of the six pillars of the Camarilla, right?

Followers of Set
This clan must have stepped out fo a bad fantasy pulp. "Okay, we're all dead and we worship an evil snake god! 'Cause he has snakes!" Then they run around promoting pedestrian acts of infamy that are supposed to prove their commitment to their naughty lord. The best thing about Setites is this. The first time is always free. No, I'm not kidding. They figure if they hook you, they can keep you forever. The trick is to hook them. If one of the serpents is dumb enough to give me stuff to do evil things, then I'll take it. Of course, when the s**t hits the fan and everything falls apart, he's the one who should take all the credit right?

Gangrel
Ever since my sire and my sire's sire and my sire's sire's sire can remember, the Gangrel have been at odds with our clan. I don't know what their malfunction is, but I've heard quite a few theories. One says the Gangrel were created to fight an enemy alongside the Ravnos, but that the Gangrel turned tail and ran rather than assume their rightful bplace. Personally, I think it's more likely we ran into trouble over kine herds, For several centuries, Ravnos were coming into Europe with Gypsy families. Gangrel poached the herds and Ravnos responded appropriately. Eventually, it got so you couldn;t introduce yourself before the Gangrel had his claws in the Ravnos' gut and the Ravnos had imaginary priests shoving illusory torches into the Ganglre's face. In the modern nights, half the fights you see start because one side knows the toeher side is an enemy, but neither party uite knows why.

I hesitate to say that we can't get along with Gangrel. Among the anarchs, it wasn't unusual to see Ravnos and Gangrel side-by-side without either deciding the other one just had to go. I'm not saying I saw any bosom buddies in the mis, but I rarely saw any of those vague irreconcilable differences that the elders always went on about. Rule of thumb, though when you're around Gangrel, watch your back. You never know when one might decide your existence is a blight on his world and start waving his six inch press-ons in your face.

Giovanni
I have an oidd relationship with the Giovanni I've met. They are a fanukym we act like a family. They're into money and dead things; we're into money. The Necromancers are among the creepiest Kindred I've had the displeasure to meet. All that aside, they make great business partners. Just keep all interactions on a professional level and don't let them count the money until you're long gone.

Sometimes a Giovanni will come looking for someone to do psecial jobs for them. They especially like Ravnos because we;re not well known to other Kindred and we can conver our tracks. If approached, act accoding to your conscience and don't give them your name. They have eeriuie powers over the dead, and they can use your name as a link. Your real name, that is.

Lasombra
The Lasombra epitomize the Sabbat's core tenet. The strong prevail, the weak perish. Rumor has it they destroyed their eldest just before the Camarilla formed. I can't confirm that, but the few I've met were hardcore enough to try anything if they thought it would get them ahead. When you're around a Lasombra, give her the respect she thinks she deserves. If you're tired of existence, just start taunting her. Unlike our clan's ppower over perception, the Lasombra's power over shadows can get downright physical.

Malkavian
The Malkavians bother me, and not just because they know too damned much. Half the time they do something utterly clever, we get blamed for it, think most of our reputation for uncivilized behavior comes from a Ma;kavian's lunacy. They're not stupid of clownish, but that's no consolation. They have a weird ability to see throgh any deception or trickery. Personally, I'd rather kill one than deal with him. Kindred who likw to think in shortcuts will compare Ravnos (because we're tricksters, right?" and Malkavians (because they're "tricksters," right?) and lump us into the same category. This is plainly stupid. I don't recall when Ravnos became blood drooling maniacs by detault. If you come across that kind of lazy thinking, milk it for what it's worth. Either the Kindred will assume you're a blood-drooling maniac or think you're much more frightening than you have any right to be. Either misconcpetion will be to your advantage if ou're on the ball.

Nosferatu
For such a group of ugly sonsabitches,, theyse guys make my vitae itch just thinking about them. They know far too much for my own good, Sure, it's easy to deal with them -- they, we're outcasts, they're outcasts, we talk to the animals and they talk to the animals. We have a lot in common, right? Sure, but don't count on their goodwill and caring nature to extend to you if they can turn the dirt they have into benefit for them. You haven't unlived until a sewer rat's blackmailed you.

Here's a trick in dealing with them: The Nosferatu know many things about the goings-on in their cities. Better yet, they get together and discuss it. If you feel up to it, you can use your power over animals to get a little of that action for yourself. It's simple -- just find a real rat and send him in to spy on the Nosferatu. Okay, it's not that simpe. They'll turn that damned rodent against you half the time. So send a few dozen -- the Sewer Rats can't get them all. If you have the skill, possess one fo the rats. Spend enough time in the sewers and you're bound to learn something. The Nosferatu know their game, but they don't always pay much attention to the animals in their warrens. They're used to them, so a few extras don't always set off their paranoia circuits. Hell, don't even use rats. Use roaches.

Toreador
If I ever thought there was an underlying cosmic significance to my existence as one of the bloodsucking undead, the Toreador are the best evidence against that foolish belief. I'm not saying that I think all these dry-humpers need to burn in the sun, but I wouldn't shed any tears if they did. I've rarely encountered creatures so convinced of their importance to the universe and yet so utterly lacking in evidence to support their delusions. I mean, these losers use supernatural powers of charusma to win firends and influence people.

Naturally, if you want to get anywhere with a Toreador, you have to treat him as if he's an important as he believes he is. Anything less and he'll throw a temper tantrum and bed a primogen or the Prince to swat your knuckles.

Tremere
Here we have a pack of paranoid blood witches. What do they want to do? The same thing they do every night. They want to rule the world. Okay, I don't know that for sure, but look at these two-bit special effects rejects. Sure, they can toss fireballs, fly around like a superhero and summon the very elements to strike down their enemies. What's the flaw? Subtlety, or raather, the lack of it. I'm continually surprised that the Brujah have such a reputation for brute force when the Tremere have refined it to an art form. The most iimportant rules when dealing with Tremere: Don't meet their gaze and don't give them your blood. Anything beyond that is up to you.

I've heard ruymors that at least one branch of the Ravnos enjoyed positive relations with the Tremere before the Camarilla formed. I haven't seen any evidence of that in my own dealings. Either they have a short memory of my sire was sucking down punks tweaking on crank. I wouldn't rely on the possibility, either way.

Tzimisce
These guys redefine the words :sick ********.: The Fiends are the walking embodiment of the Sabbat's core aesthetic. They have no human connnections. To be more precise, they work really hard at convincing themselves that whatever was human before the Embrace withered away afterward. The psycho protests too much, methinks.

I have never met a Tzimisce I didn't want to shove a stake into and put on a rooftop. Not one. I hate these shapeshifting bastards like nothing else. They're vile, polluted things. I'm not even sure they're really Kindred. Stay aaway from them if you value your existence. If you're lucky, any Tzimisce you meet will turn you into a carnival sideshow act. If you're unlucky, you'll spend forever as a quadriplegic blood d***o.

Ventrue
If you put the Toreador at one extreme of behavior and the Lasombra at the other end, the Ventrue fall somewhere in the middle. Your typical Ventue probably believes that she's owed the world, but she'll do everything in her pwer to take it. Overall, they do the leadership thing better than the Lasombra and they just aren't as pathetic as the Toreador. They're dangerous as hell. One call from a Ventrue's call phone and you'll find your bank accounts frozen, a warrant out for your arrest and your haven paved over to make a goddamned parking lot. Don't make them angry -- or if you have to make one angry, do it in such a way that she's not angry with you. I don't care how much of a hardcore rebel ******** you think you are, when you're in the presence of a Ventrue Prince, treat her with the r4espect she claims to deserve. You'll find it pays off in the long run.

Born Criminals: The Ravnos Weakness

This is the simple truth: Every Ravnos is a criminal. Let me restate that: Every Ravnos is a criminal. The Embrace awakens the Beast within every Kindred, but the Ravnos Beast is a bit more cunning, a bit more deceptive and a bit more underhanded than that of other Kindred. This is not an advantage. We are subject to the same psychotic episodes that every
other Kindred suffers, but we also have to deal with a little voice in the back of our heads that whispers,"Go ahead. Take it — no one will notice. If they do,they won't think you did it." It's persuasive, it knows every dark corner in your soul and eventually you'll give in.

Other Kindred think that Ravnos are thieves. If it were that simple, existence wouldn't be such a pain. Truthfully, our weakness gives many princes
and other Kindred valid reasons to distrust or even hate our clan (though they come to us whenever they need something underhanded done). Ravnos suffer from compulsions that range from the pedestrian
habit of kleptomania to the far more exotic and dangerous drive to commit diablerie on fellow Kindred. Fortunately, relatively few Ravnos are driven
to the latter.

What I said in the first paragraph sounds a bit metaphorical, so I'll expand. That little voice is not external, it's not like a demon gibbering in the dark
places of your conscious mind that you can ignore or argue with. It is part of your own deepest self. Often, you'll find yourself acting on that impulse before you realize what you're about to do. It's quieter than
frenzy and less likely to be noticed, but it's no less compelling when it happens. Path of Paradox followers say this destructive inner drive is one of the temptations laid in our path that we must control or direct toward our own needs, but I think they're just rationalizing their own behavior.
The fact is, we Ravnos don't have to give in to every sudden impulse. With effort, most of us can fight down the urge and move on, at least for a while.

The Ravnos who ignores it for too long feels a gnawing ache, like the thirst for blood. She might even seek out opportunities to commit crimes, or else
find herself subject to temptation more and more often until she gives in. How often a Ravnos gives in depends on each individual's degree of self-control and strength of will.

In the end, it's not really that we're inclined toward crime. We're simply doomed to prove to ourselves that we are the masters of our own
svadharma.

According to old stories, the curse of tempation under which the Ravnos labor was inflicted as a punishment because the clan founder desired the
pleasures of the life lost to him. His need to steal life from mortals, as well as his desire to regain what he no longer had, expanded to encompass all aspects of mortal life. Rather than simply seek out what he wanted on his terms, he was compelled to take whatever he could get as a reminder that no matter how much he had or how he got it, he would never benefit from it. I note that the curse did not simply include theft, but many crimes. Some stories say "all possible crimes.
"
One version of the story goes on to state that the Antediluvian could weaken the curse placed upon him by spreading it to others — his childer, their
childer, and so on. The more Ravnos in the world, the weaker the founder's own curse would become.

The Shape of Vice
For every Ravnos, the crime is different — some bear strong similarities to each other, but the driving motivation and intent usually differs in some key
way. Ravnos develop criminal inclinations based on their activities in life, either a temptation they indulged often as mortals or something they especially despised, as the Embrace is an ironic gift. This means that the meticulous serial killer will probably have an even stronger urge to kill, and his murders will probably become more intricate. Or the police officer who loathes the drug dealers she routinely arrests will develop an urge to obtain those same drugs, or partake of them through her vessels (the
two urges are not incompatible).

Some Ravnos develop impulses toward crimes they never would have considered in mortal life. The Kindred form and its powers provide opportunities to commit acts that no mortal would attempt, and the
Embrace occasionally brings such urges forth. A newly Embraced Ravnos may be unaware of any reason she might be tempted to commit such of fenses, but even these derive in some way from the childe's personality.'

Rroma Ravnos and the Weakness
Some Ravnos who were Rroma as mortals claim that they are less bound by the weakness, that the thin nature of "giorgio" vitae has made us too weak to resist stronger impulses toward specific crimes. They go on to say that they are instead driven to break society's mores and laws, in any way they choose. I think they're deceiving themselves. Some Rroma may suffer under such a compulsion, and I do mean suffer. If you think getting the urge to hold up a convenience store every time you see the cash drawer
open is bad, imagine the need to act against whatever society you're in.

The Ravnos Embrace

The Ravnos treat the Embrace in different ways depending on which segment of the clan is involved. Indian Ravnos and Path of Paradox
adherents see the Embrace as a metaphysical sacrifice to one or more gods so the childe can move on to fulfil her svadharma, as well as assist other
Kindred in the fulfillment of theirs. Among many of the younger American lineages, the Embrace is usually given without much ceremony — it depends on personal taste and the individua l sire's background and preferences.

Ravnos create new childer for a vast number of reasons. Some Ravnos select a criminal mind as care-fully as an artist seeks a prote'ge, while others look for candidates who can assist them in their own schemes.In many cases, a Ravnos sire expects his childer to stayaround for a long time — before the Week of Night-mares, many Ravnos structured their broods a
s familiesalbeit dysfunctional ones. During the disaster, mostsuch familieswere wiped out in blood-crazed frenzies. Of the few that survived, many have not been heardfrom since.

The Ravnos clan as a whole adheres to no singlerule that all must follow — everything is fairly informal among most of them.