To the mind of a Lasombra, it is better to reign in

hell than to serve in heaven. Fear, frenzy, the power

to determine whether another lives or dies: these are
at the root of the power that the Lasombra hold dear.
Whereas other vampires try vainly to hold the Beast at
bay or give themselves wholly to it, the Lasombra beat
the Beast into submission,
invoking it when it
suits them but leaving
it trapped inside
when they wish to
govern themselves.
It is with these
predilections that
the Lasombra style
themselves a �dark
nobility,� an aristocracy
of the night that
chose the supremacy
of the Cainites over
veneration of the
Masquerade.
Their regard for such ideas as redemption and salvation
are cynical at best, and much of the pomp that shaped
the Clan�s pre-Sabbat outlook remains only with a
sense of blackest irony or open mockery. The grandeur
and rituals of the Church and aristocracy remain dear
to the Lasombra, however, and the Clan was instrumental
not only in establishing many of the rituals of
the Sabbat, but in the institutions that keep it from
descending into chaos each night.
Whether they see themselves as God�s instruments
or as outcasts from His creation, the Lasombra believe
they have a duty (whether to Sect, Clan, pack, or even
just themselves), and obligation to their responsibilities
gives them a wicked sense of purpose. Even a Lasombra
shovelhead may consider himself a cut above the rest; a
surprising number of Lasombra mass Embraces survive,
perhaps owing to the intervention of their sires.
While the night belongs to all Kindred, the Lasombra
are truly born to darkness, to the degree that their
very Clan name reveals their tie to shadow. Theirs is
the Discipline of Obtenebration, and it allows them
to wield the stuff of shadow and darkness, and even
reach beyond the darkness of the physical world into
the abyss that lies beyond.
Nickname: Keepers (as in �my brother�s��)
Sect: The Sabbat would be very different without
the influence of the Lasombra, and they remain its
most prominent Clan. Young Lasombra often make
auspicious starts as Sabbat Ducti or Priests, leading
their fellows by charging into the fray or demonstrating
mastery of the Beast.
Appearance: The Lasombra are frequently attractive.
Whether through the Spanish, Italian, and Moorish
stock associated with the Clan, or due to more cosmopolitan
modern backgrounds, the Keepers cut a striking
figure. Their dress is often conservative or religious,
drawing on years of ceremony and faithful ritual. Rare
is the Lasombra who cannot at least manipulate shadows
to affect a dramatic entrance or enigmatic pose.
Haven: The obligation of their leadership leads many
young Lasombra to maintain communal havens with
VAMPIRE THE MASQUERADE 20th ANNIVERSARY EDITION 59
other members of their pack. Wealthier Keepers and
those who predate the Sect often maintain their own
havens, whether sinister penthouse suites or sprawling
Old World villas.
Background: Prospective sires of Clan Lasombra
seek both erudition and ambition in their potential
childer. As such, many Lasombra come from professional
backgrounds, and display outgoing and even
aggressive personalities. Merit in their sires� eyes takes
fledgling Lasombra far, and the Keepers do not hesitate
to cull their ranks of flawed, lazy, or boorish childer.
Character Creation: Lasombra often have disparate
Natures and Demeanors. Mental or Social Attributes
are equally likely to be primary. Attributes tend to be
narrow and specialized, showing individual expertise.
Keepers cultivate Backgrounds of all types similarly
in (initially) low quantities, to better diversify themselves.
Clan Disciplines: Dominate, Obtenebration, Potence
Weaknesses: Lasombra vampires cast no reflections.
Whether in a mirror, in a body of water, on a polished
surface, or in the rear-view of a taxicab, the image of
the Keeper does not reflect.
Organization: For the Lasombra, the nights of high
aristocracy never faded, and the titles and offices a
modern onlooker might associate with history still carry
great weight among the Keepers. A complex system
of patronage, mentorship, and lineage characterizes
the Clan, similar to the courts and churches of centuries
gone by. Childer benefit greatly from esteemed
sires and vice versa, while acts that confer Sect or Clan
status may also elevate a Lasombra�s peers, so long as
she associates her success with her fellows.
Quote: Wielding the shadows is an extension of controlling the darkness into
which we are all Embraced.
Stereotypes
Assamite: They believe themselves lions but possess
only the ways of jackals.
Brujah: Petulant whelps in a rage over their own
loss of rule from a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Followers of Set: Peer too deeply into the darkness,
serpent, and you shall find that it has the
means to smite.
Gangrel: Every society needs its beasts of burden.
Giovanni: Their inner foulness manifests in their
every action.
Malkavian: The fool does not dine at the table
with the lords.
Nosferatu: They are martyrs, not monsters, and
their faces are the stigmata they must bear.
Ravnos: Filth, suitable only from which to make
an example.
Toreador: A rose plucked from its garden remains
lovely for only so long before it crumbles to dust.
Tremere: They revere only themselves, and they
will reap a just reward for the sacrilege they practice.
Tzimisce: Although we may share a common
goal, a murder of crows is always an ill omen.
Ventrue: Such a misguided effort, to use the scepter
of kings only to hide oneself from his lessers.
Caitiff: Lords have ever sired bastards, and have
ever hidden them as their marks of shame.
Camarilla: Who would wish to dwell in a castle
that closes its gates for fear of unruly peasants?
Sabbat: Imperfect, and thus in need of ever more
investment.
Anarchs: They must never be equals � it is
enough that they think they are.