Some historical Background:
From time immortal the Tzimisce have haunted Europe beyond the Elbe. Along the Oder and Danube, through the Pripet Marshes, amid the Carpathian crags stalk the Fiends, each claiming its lair and wreaking a terrible vengeance on intruders. Millennia of defending their holdings from all sides have made Tzimisce extremely vicious, and Tzimisce cruelty is infamous even among vampires. (Traveler's legends of cynocephali, vrykolas and other monsters can often be traced to some wretch disfigured by an annoyed Tzimisce.)
Of all the clans, the Tzimisce is perhaps the least human. Tzimisce are scholarly, even brilliant beings, but their studies (and their Vicissitude Discipline) have led them to the unequivocal conclusion that vampires are superior to humans and Tzimisce are superior to other vampires. The "best" (by Tzimisce standards) humans are to be elevated; the rest are fodder. Unlike many vampires, Tzimisce do not see themselves as dammed or accursed. If God has dammed them, they say, then perhaps it is time for new and better gods....
During the years immediately following Rome's fall, the clan made vassals/slaves of various Eastern Europeans hereditary chieftains, thereby creating "ghoul families" with noble lineage and inbred supernatural powers. These families provide the Tzimisce with great temporal power, and thereafter the inhabitants of the East have groaned under the yoke of their Tzimisce masters. For centuries Tzimisce dominance in the East remained unchallenged, and the clan itself was arguably the most powerful in Europe.
But recent times have proved troubling for the Fiends. A skirmish with the sorcerous Tremere (who gained immortality using stolen Tzimisce vitae) quickly blossomed into a full-scale war. At first the Tzimisce's raw power and terror tactics gave them the upper hand, but the Usurpers' superior organization and magical might have recently turned the tide. Moreover, the Fiends' distress has been a balm to the hearts to rival clans. Under the cover of mortal invasions, other vampires have begun to jockey for the Tzimisce's dwindling holdings. Fearful voivodes increasingly send their young to fight and die in their names, and the Blood-Oath bound progeny dutifully go, though for the first time ever they have begun to grumble at their servitude....
THE TZIMISCE:
It is a common misconception that the Tzimisce are merely sadistic killers. On the contrary, the Tzimisce of old were scholars and potentates, and those of modern times still possess those skills. Still, they are viewed as the most horrifying of all the Clans of the Sabbat. The fear they create is not solely based upon their brutality, but also their dreaded Discipline of Vicissitude. In actuality, it is not a Discipline but a blood disease, and the legend of its creation is an interesting one. It is said that ages ago, there were members of the original Clan, now referred to as the Old Clan, which set off to learn the deeper secrets of the Umbra. With the assistance of mages, the Tzimisce delved into the Deep Umbra, where, it is said, they confronted a horrifying beast of unknown origin. It was from the bite of this beast that the Tzimisce were infected with Vicissitude, and when they returned to their Clanmates, they were cast out to prevent the disease from destroying the bloodline. It was thought that they would die out from this disease, but instead, this new breed of Tzimisce flourished, and has become one of the most powerful Clans in Kindred society. As a result, the Old Clan Tzimisce now wish to erradicate their diseased brethren to prevent the disease from spreading throughout all of Kindred society. Vicissitude, being a disease of the blood, can be spread through ingestion of tainted blood, or even receiving a bite from a Tzimisce.
Stats on the Tzimisce: The Tzimisce are wise Kindred with roots that go back a long way. As a result, they are amongst the most respected of all Kindred in the Sabbat. Unfortunately for them, since they have been infected with Vicissitude, they are actively hunted by their forefathers, the Old Clan Tzimisce. Also, since Vicissitude is technically a disease, it seems to have a detrimental effect upon the mind of its possessor if used too frequently. If anyone possessing Vicissitude uses it three or more times in an evening, they receive an additional derangement. When put together, the wisdom, respect, and effective mix of Disciplines(the feral nature of Animalism, the penetrating sight of Auspex, and the body-shaping disease of Vicissitude) possessed by the Tzimisce make them powerful amongst the ranks of the Sabbat.
Clan Background:
The Tzimisce clan is a venerable clan, stepped in tradition and lore. They are renowned within the Kindred community for its evil. Among the most renowned of this line is Vlad Tepes, the Impaler, who split centuries ago not only from the clan, but the sect as well. Tepes is especially infamous for his cruelty, but this trait is common among the members of the Tzimisce. From time immemorial, the Tzimisce clan has stretched across the Baltic regions of Eastern Europe, haunting the region beyond the Elbe, along the Oder and Danube rivers, through the Pripet marshes, amid the peaks of the Carpathian Mountains. It established a great uncontested power base there until the Tremere, then a house of mortal magi, established covens in what later became northern Bulgaria. The two factions, Kindred and Magi, coexisted for a time, not intruding upon the domains of one another. But eventually, the power-mad magi of the Tremere captured some Tzimisce Elders, experimented on them and used them in perverse rituals, aimed at extracting the essence of their immortality from them. This experimentation on the stolen members of the Tzimisce clan was the end of the House Tremere and the beginning of the Clan Tremere.
A rival group of magi known as the House Tytalus, uncovered the Tremere activities and began maneuvering against that order with the aid of other Magi. The Tremere had seen this coming and were prepared, gathering additional magical support from an unrevealed source. House Tytalus met with defeat and the early efforts of the Inquisition curtailed its activities. The Tzimisce also suffered greatly at the hands of the new Clan Tremere by the end of the war between the magi orders.
Seeking revenge against the Clan Tremere, the Tzimisce offered to aid the House Tytalus. The Tzimisce offered support and, in exchange, House Tytalus promised to ensure that no mages encroached any further into the clan's territory. The two groups began working together against the Tremere. The uneasy alliance between the Tzimisce Kindred and the Tytalus Magi lasted for centuries. Even long after the need for the alliance passed, the two groups continued to aid one another as contacts and as occasional supporters. This was all kept very quiet as the the alliance continued. In fact, the Tzimisce still have connections with certain magi, which the clan keeps very secret to avoid censure by the leaders of other Kindred clans.
During the time of the Inquisition, Tzimisce anarchs went to great extremes to destroying the Elders of their clan, but in time, gave up in their efforts to destroy the remaining few. Most of the remaining Elders live as Inconnu in Bulgaria, Romania, Austria and Hungary, sitting alone in their cold dark mansions and castle havens. Over the centuries, they have accumulated so much magical and political power that they have no fear of their former clan, and fear the Camarilla even less.
Of all the clans, the Tzimisce are among the most educated and have a strong appreciation for learning. They have long been among the most knowledgeable and erudite Cainites. For millennia, other Kindred have made the perilous journey into the Carpathian mountains in search of Tzimisce wisdom (the fact that many of these vampires did not return deters other little) They are scholarly and are some of the most brilliant and enlightened beings on the earth. They seek to understand magic, as well as science, but have not quite reached the level of the Tremere in this understanding. But their studies (and experimentation with their Vicissitude discipline) have led them to the unequivocal conclusion that as vampires are more superior and more evolved than humans, so the Tzimisce are more advanced that other Kindred. The "best" (by Tzimisce standards) humans are to elevated; the rest are fodder. Unlike most Kindred, Tzimisce do not consider themselves cursed or damned, but a higher form of life.
A millennia of defending their domains from all sides has made the Tzimisce extremely vicious, and Tzimisce cruelty is infamous, even among the Kindred. While they are inhuman, they do not show it as overtly as do the Toreador Antitribu, for instance, but any significant time spent with a Tzimisce will eventually reveal their demented and twisted soul. Most Tzimisce tend to be grim and serious, and are noted for their twisted and warped sense of humor (or a lack of one in some cases). They are also known for the high value they place on their privacy and are very territorial, about their domains and especially their havens.
The Tzimisce is the second most powerful and numerous clan of the Sabbat. The Lasombra hold the top position in both categories. However, the Tzimisce are a driving force behind most of the Sabbat's ideology, goals and planning. The Tzimisce clan appears happy to let the Lasombra believe that the hold the reins of power in the sect.
About the Clan Weakness:
Tzimisce are inexplictedly tied to the land, either of their birth or Embrace. When a Tzimisce sleeps, he must surround himself with at least two handfuls of earth from a land important to him as a mortal (the land of his birth, the soil of his demense, the earth of his grave, etc). Failure to do this leaves the Tzimisce weakened, more with each day, until this is rectified by a night's rest in this sacred earth. Tzimisce are also very territorial about their domains and especially their havens. Extremely brave (or foolish) are those who trespass on a Tzimisce's haven. However, those lucky visitors a Tzimisce invites into his haven are treated like royalty, but should take care to display extreme courtesy in return.
Old Clan Tzimisce:
The majority of Tzimisce Elders met the Final Death when the clan joined the Sabbat, but a fair number escaped the wrath of their vindictive progeny. Securing their demenes against the ravages of the Sabbat, these vampires continued to exist much as they had for centuries, albeit more warily. Though some refer to these Tzimisce Elders as the "Old Clan," that is a misnomer. These hoary vampires have little use for sect, clan or other ties. They remember well the nights of old, when each vampire was a law unto itself and any other vampire was a potential enemy. (Note that Old Clan Tzimisce do not call themselves "Antitribu", as do the surviving non-Sabbat Lasombra).
The Tzimisce Embrace:
Given that the clan as a whole holds the Tradition of Progeny in contempt, Tzimisce are notoriously selective about whom they Embrace. Tzimisce are not human, and seek to Embrace people who have in some way deviated from their species -- socially, mentally, or emotionally. Such deviation, however, must not preclude adherence to the clan's precepts or the capacity for wit, honor and charm. Tzimisce infinitely prefer a Hannibal Lector to a Jeffrey Dahmer. Tzimisce prize intelligence and insight, but intelligence of a particular variety -- the ability to perceive new ways of looking at things rather than the conventional problem-solving or logical sort. In many ways this approach resembles that of the Malkavians, but Tzimisce do not respect insanity for its own sake. A catatonic vegetable or dysfunctional schizophrenic is a manifestation of frailty, not proto-vampiric insight. A Tzimisce must be able to shape their madness rather than be shaped by it.
Even expedience rarely excuses a hasty Embrace. Tzimisce often hang back during wartime Creation Rites, allowing their Brujah and Pander comrades-in-arms to sully themselves with the animation of cannon fodder. A fiend in need of muscle would much rather construct a dozen ghouls than transmit precious Tzimisce vitae to an unworthy being.
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