Lhiannan: Storytellers Companion

=Lhiannan=

Write-up
Dark Ages: Storyteller's Companion, p. 16

Most Cainites who know of the Lhiannan believe them to be a subspecies of the Gangrel clan. After all, they're wild and fey, they live almost exclusively in rural areas, and they still follow pre-Christendom traditions. No one knows exactly where the Lhiannan line started. Even the bloodline itself only knows that at some time in the distant past, a woodland spirit was somehow bound into the body of a vampire by a shadowy female figure called the Crone, and with that act began the Lhiannan.

Fragments of Europe's older cultures still survive in isolated villages, and where they survive, the Lhiannan continue. As the forces of Christendom drive back the last of the pagan religions and stamp out (or assimilate) the superstitions of the common peasant, the Lhiannan are pushed further and further from the lights of civilizaiton. The breed is dying, for several reasons. Their mystical nature marks them indelibly, giving them an aura that even ordinary humans can sense. This makes them easy targets for witch hunts and ambitious Cainites. In addition,t he spirit that gave them their identity and much of their power is fading.

The spirit that joined with the first Lhiannan was a highly territorial, bloodthirsty being that demanded sacrifice form those around it. When the first Lhiannan Embraced the second, that spirit broke off a piece of itself into a new spirit and passed it into the newly-made vampire. That spirit has been broken again and again over the centuries, and the newer Lhiannan are much weaker than the original. Each Lhiannan who makes a chlide becomes weaker, and each childe is weaker than her sire. With each Lhiannan destroyed, a piece of the spirit disappears forever.

Because of this,t he Lhiannan sire only rarely, jealously guarding the shards of spirit they still hold within them. Only when loneliness overcomes them do they diminish their power by producing a childe. The entirety of Europe now holds less than 20 Lhiannan.

The Lhiannan have inherited a great deal from the spirit that inhabits them all. Fiercely territorial creatures, they choose an area and then stay with it, keeping most others out. They leave their territories only in an emergency. They are strongly tied to woodland areas; cities make them constantly uncomfortable, even physically ill. The Lhiannan also have a certain amount of power over spirits through their Discipline of Ogham. They have tried to find a way to bind a new and powerful spirit into their bloodline to renew their strength, but so far they've failed.

Other European Cainites see the Lhiannan as little more than savages. The Gangrel, however, view them with intense hatred and slay them whenever possible. The Animals are characteristically tight-lipped about the reasons for their vitriol, but do sometimes speak of a "great betrayal" when referring to the Lhiannan. Magda, possibly the eldest of the bloodline, resides in Ireland and has thus far repelled attempts on her unlife.


 * Sobriquet: Druids, Barbarians, Savages
 * Appearance: In general, the Lhiannan appear much like any other rustic inhabitants of rural Europe. When using their Ogham Discipline, however, they often anoint themselves with blood glyphs and runes. When in their havens, the Lhiannan sometimes dress in old garb and adorn themselves with talismans.
 * Haven and Prey: Lhiannan favor forest glens and isolated rural villages where the old ways are still practiced. Failing this, they occasionally try to blend in on the fringes of urban areas. The Lhiannan prefer to feed by setting themselves up as cult priests or by terrorizing local villagers into offering blood sacrifices to appease them. Some Lhiannan become jealously protective of their villages and the trees within their forests-- not out of any fondness for them, but out of simple possessiveness.
 * The Embrace: The Lhiannan prefer to Embrace rural men and women with strong ties to the land they live on, a belief in the old ways, and a strong will. They refuse to Embrace anyone who follows a monotheistic faith. A childe stays with her sire or a couple of years at most, by which time the sire's territorial tendencies usually drive her to evict her childe from the nest. As the spirit within the Lhiannan grows weaker, however, some newer childer are less territorial than their elders, and occasionally two or three Lhiannan will join together for a time.
 * Character Creation: Any Attribute set can be primary. Lhiannan often have high scores in animal- and survival-related Abilities due to their rural upbringing. Many Lhiannan also have Retainers (typically animals) and Herd, but very few have Allies or Mentor. Most Lhiannan follow the Road of the Beast; a few follow the Road of Kings or the Road of Sin.
 * Bloodline Disciplines: Animalism, Ogham, Presence
 * Weaknesses: The Lhiannan are part nature spirit, and the mark of their inhumanity runs strong within them. All difficulties to detect their nature via Auspex are reduced by two, and even normal humans feel vaguely uncomfortable int heir presence. Additionally, any Lhiannan who leaves her territory is too upset, uncomfortable, and even physically ill to act quickly and well-- all dice pools are reduced by one die per week (to a minimum of the character's Stamina) that she is gone. Once she re-enters her territory, her dice pools return to normal within a few hours.
 * Organization: The Lhiannan are extremely individualistic and territorial. They do experience loneliness, but they usually slake it by allowing it to build to the breaking point over decades and then Embracing someone. It only takes a couple of years for them to grow tired of their new childe's company and send her away. Most Lhiannan keep a wary truce with each other, and allow each other to quickly travel through their territories if the need arises.
 * Quote: Stay out of my forest if you wish to live-- the trees themselves will rise up to stay your grasping fingers.

Lhiannan in Play

 * As Storyteller Characters: Lhiannan are alien to the average Cainite, and their plight is particularly tragic--they are clearly a dying breed, regardless of whether they create more of their kind or not. They cannot halt the spread of urban areas and Christianity, nor can they renew the spirit that touches them all. The Lhiannan are desperate, and desperate vampires are dangerous. A Lhiannan might try to use the characters as experimental subjects, seeking to bind new spirits into them. Or a Lhiannan might plead, cajole, threaten, or blackmail the characters in order to gain their aid.
 * As Characters for Players: In general, the Lhiannan don't make good characters for players. They don't like the urban areas most vampires frequent, they're highly territorial (and don't like to leave their turf), and hey have little in common with other Cainites. On the other hand, a Lhiannan on a quest to save her people might make an interesting character-- perhaps the spirit within her is so weak that she isn't quite as territorial as her sisters.

Stereotypes

 * The High Clans: They cut down our trees and hunt our sisters. I would destroy every last one of them if I could.
 * The Low Clans: They try to call us brothers and sisters and tell us they'll help us against their betters, but the other hand always conceals the knife.
 * Gangrel: A Gangrel once came for my blood. I dropped out his heart and fed it to the spirits of the trees in my grove.
 * Tremere: The Tremere think they know magic, but they are wrong. The magic of dusty tomes and Latin screeds is nothing to the raw power of the spirits themselves.