The Clans

THE CLANS AND THEIR HOUSES

There were Seven Clans. Now there are only Four.

The Clan of Watchers

Spies, informants, hackers … all trained in magic and mundane ways of discovering and protecting secrets. Need your Name encrypted? Need to know something about someone’s ancestry? Contact a Watcher. Because they are merely observers, they stir the social and political waters little. They travel unnoticed, but they notice everything.

Their houses are everywhere, small and informal, disguised as simple places, or social places. Their people are quiet and polite, thoughtful and aware, and often hiding in plain sight.

The Clan of Whispers

Advisors, counselors, aides … They know how the mind works and how to own it. They master their own mind as well as the minds of others. They do not control the crowds, but they do control the masters. They whisper in the right ears at the right times, and their will is done.

Their Houses are prestigious to match their positions of trust and influence. Their words are gold, and their assistance is fought over. Their people are assertive, intelligent, and even tempered. They speak well and often, but it is their timing that gives them power.

The Clan of Guardians

Bodyguards, enforcers, protectors … They hone their bodies to be temples of stone, able to withstand direct physical punishment. They will survive the harshest hardships, and are, at once, the biggest threat and the safest asset The Secret has. They may shrug off bullets, but they can withstand the Sun’s glare the longest.

Their houses are military academies and sports camps. Their people are athletes and soldiers. They live by strict codes of behavior, and they do not appreciate being manipulated. ALL of their contracts have end dates, including the one protecting you from them. You have been warned.

The Clan of Shadows

Runners, messengers, couriers … They slip through society unnoticed, bringing news and packages to their targets. When a Shadow comes calling, however, always know who sends them. Sometimes, a Shadow brings death. They excel in evasion and escape tactics, and have bested the Guardians more than once. They are humble, however, and they know that not even shadows are invulnerable.

Their houses are ninja families, espionage safe houses, and abandoned buildings. They are even more hidden than the Watchers. While the Watchers hide in plain sight, the Shadows go where no one else will.

The Clan of the Forge

Blacksmiths, mechanics, tinkerers … They could build anything, it was said, and their devices were the stuff of legends. Some still exist in the vaults of the Great Houses, nearly as precious as the Ancient Ones themselves.

There are no more Houses of the Forge, for the Forgers are gone. None have been seen in centuries. Not since the last Great Cleansing has a Forger been reported, though it was with their devices that the four remaining Clans survived the Great Cleansing at all.

The Clan of Unity

There was once a clan that promoted unity of mind, focusing their power and knowledge into a communal overmind. They became a powerful ally in the Secret War, able to coordinate attacks matched only by today’s modern communications technology.

Then something went wrong. They lost touch with their bodies, and Cain’s blood could no longer hold them or sustain them. One of the Other Elder God’s had corrupted or seduced the United Ones. Now, Cain’s blood boils at their touch.

They can animate corpses, but the corpses begin to rot, so they must seek out new corpses. Cain’s Kindred are prime targets. It is not known what their agenda is, but they are now called the Wraith. Even the slightest hint of the Wraiths presence in a city is enough to call a Conclave of Houses.

The Clan of Therianthropes

These are the skin walkers, the shape changers. They found a way to transform their bodies into beastly shapes. They became powerful warriors, but they also corrupted Cain’s will, numbing their minds to His calling. They breed like living beings, but they are feral and vicious. They have forgotten all kinship with Cain’s Kindred.

They did this through breaking one of the Laws of Cain: “Drink deep the blood; Eat not the flesh.” They feasted on the bodies they had drained, finding power in the fresh flesh. It is said that they have been corrupted by The Predator, one of the most ancient of the Elder Gods, but Cain’s Wisdom has not yet revealed the Truth of this matter.

The shape changers go by many names, and have many tribes, but they no longer live under the rule of law, or the Code of Houses. The only reason they have not wiped out Cain’s own is that the shape changes fight amongst themselves as often as they fight outsiders. In the Great Cleansing, they were led by a charismatic leader, a great unifier. Their armies were held at bay only by the power of the artifacts of the House of Forge, and their leader was killed at great cost.