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*v.1 (updated 09/21/2017)

MES Vampire the Masquerade  
Vampire the Masquerade
Cappadocian Clan Guide
“Is our undeath a curse or an exaltation? No easy answer exists. It is the
question that has plagued us since God cast out Caine.”

Introduction
In their prime, the Cappadocians were obsessed with the mysteries of death and the soul. Dubbed the
“Clan of Death” they sought to expand their knowledge and understanding of oblivion by bringing like
minded necrophiles into their fold. Unlike the Tremere who hunted an enemy Clan to become immortal,
the Cappadocians were betrayed by both their progenitor, and later by those they welcomed into their
ranks out of mutual respect; the Giovanni. These two internal betrayals resulted in the death of hundreds
upon hundreds of Cappadocians. Those few that survived to the modern night are largely dispersed with
little contact or organization. Nonetheless, the time that binds them remains: revenge.

Important Note: The Cappadocian Clan has a long and storied history within the “Vampire: the
Masquerade” setting. While this can be a source of great depth, more often than not it has become a
serious barrier to entry for newer players or those who have not spent past years playing the Clan. For
the Time of Reckoning chronicle, it is important to note that if something does not exist in the BNS VtM
sourcebook or in any of the MES NST Published Setting Guides, it does not exist in our game.

The following sections are contained within this Clan Guide:

❖ Recent Events: This section provides a brief overview of recent noteworthy events that affect the
Cappadocian Clan.
❖ Internal Structure: This section discusses the Clan’s traditional internal structure.
❖ Internal Factions: This section includes descriptions and role-play guidance for the various
internal NPC-run internal factions that exist within the Clan.
❖ Cathedrals of Bone: This section discusses the role of Player Lineages within the Clan.
❖ Sect Information: This section includes information regarding Clan membership within the
various vampiric Sects.
❖ Bloodlines: This section covers any additional bloodline information for the Clan.
❖ Chronicle Notes: This section provides OOC expectations for Players participating in this Clan
for the Time of Reckoning Chronicle, to include Alliances and Enmities, Culture of the Clan as a
whole, as well as the Cultures of the Lamia and Samedi Bloodlines, and other information not
found in the BNS V:tM sourcebook.
❖ Notable Clan NPCs: This section covers prominent Clan NPCs.

Recent Events
The Extermination Continues: Following the Feast of Folly, the Giovanni hunted all known remaining
Cappadocians to extinction. The only survivors were small offshoots of the Clan that managed to conceal
themselves in other Clans or by taking to the shroud. Despite their centuries of anonymity, the nights of
the Red Star caused rumors to circulate among the Giovanni of the occasional Cappadocian sighting.
This has caused the Giovanni to renew their hunt, with some claiming to have destroyed a member of the
Clan in modern nights.

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The Awakening of the Harbingers: Those Cappadocians who were sealed within Kaymakli during the
Feast of Folly survived for centuries in their Shadowlands prison and amassed great power in their
isolation far from the watch of their rivals. A little over a decade ago the ruins of Kaymakli were reopened
and these trapped and forsaken Cappadocians emerged into the night. Some accounts claim that these
masters of death were able to manipulate the Sixth Great Maelstrom to break through the Shroud,
possessing new bodies so they may seek vengeance, while others whisper that it was the Capuchin’s
magics which helped the cabal escape the Shadowlands. Whatever the truth may be, these Harbingers of
Skulls have found a home among the Sabbat.

The Harbingers Begin Embracing: Finding a new home within the Sabbat, the Harbingers began to
repopulate their Clan. Although selective in their efforts, slowly their numbers have grown and with them
the Sword of Caine has begun to stabilize. Many among the Sabbat credit these increased Sect numbers
to Unre’s elevation to the Prisci Council.

The Return of Lamia: When Constancia expressed her concern to Cappadocius about the ambitious
Giovanni, Lamia listened and agreed. As the Clan of Death’s guardian, Lamia suspected the Giovanni
would betray the Cappadocians and so she prepared, praying to Lilith for guidance. It is said that Lamia’s
prayers were answered and that under the guidance of Lilith a ritual was created that caused the
Giovanni to be cursed for their crimes. The tale says that Lamia ordered her Childer and their
descendants to flee so they could protect the few Cappadocians that would survive. Many assumed that
the Giovanni had destroyed Lamia, but during the decade of the Red Star rumors of encounters with the
Methuselah began to spread. Lamia has returned for her revenge.

The Death of Lazarus: In 2009 CE, one year after the attack on Venice and disappearance of Augustus,
Lazarus emerged from hiding to gather the few surviving Cappadocians and to seek solitude among his
remaining clanmates. With the appearance of Unre, Lazarus sought her out, sharing the same desire to
strike down the Giovanni, but his plans fell short. As he approached the gates of Golgotha he was
attacked and his body turned to ash before the Harbingers and Keeper of Golgotha could reach him. The
assailants left as quickly as they had arrived, leaving no time for Unre to identify them. The purpose
behind this attack and how they knew his location remains outstanding.

The Chicago Blood Accord: The Chicago Blood Accord affected the Clan in various ways. For those
calling themselves Harbingers, the temporary “truce” with the Camarilla was a blessing, allowing them to
rebuild the clan by embracing new childer and giving them the ability to focus their martial efforts on the
true enemy: the Giovanni. For the non-Sabbat Cappadocians, The Chicago Blood Accord was upsetting
and caused a wave of panic that they are still recovering from for one of the signatories was Unre herself.
By signing her name to the document Unre made a statement to all vampires and to most explicitly the
Giovanni; that statement: the Cappadocians exist and are coming. For those Cappadocians that did not
join the Sabbat, this announcement to the undead world caused panic and angst that continues to this
night as the unaligned members of the Clan redouble their efforts to mask their true-selves. Many
unaligned Cappadocians suspect that Unre’s public action was in part designed to bring the remaining
Cappadocians under the Sabbat banner.

Leadership & Organization 

Internal Structure
The Cappadocians have been, and always will be, loosely organized. Although Cappadocians correspond
with one another in regards to their work, they generally remain solitary with the exception of the
sire-childe relationship. Cappadocians have respected Elders such as Abraham, Constancia, and Japeth,
but given the generally loose structure of the Clan, prestige and power is mostly associated with insight
into the mysteries of death and life. As such, these few surviving methuselah who have not joined the

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Sabbat are seen more as mentors and bastions of wisdom than Clan leaders. If any leadership structure
does exist within the Clan, it is found within the individual bloodlines:

❖ Lamia: The Lamia remain a matriarchal bloodline as they are primarily female and led by Lamia
herself. Their communication with one another is far more common than those of the parent Clan
as they continue their role as guardians for the others. For them, communication is key to fulfilling
their duties to protect and serve the Cappadocians.

❖ Samedi: The Samedi are perhaps the least organized group, gathering on extremely rare
occasions. When they do come together it tends to be an informal congregation of two or three
members where they briefly gossip, brag, and then go their separate ways. Generally, Samedi
prefer to function on their own to fulfill their self-serving agendas without the concern of Samedi
getting in the way and stealing their profit. Nonetheless, all Samedi willingly defer to their
founder, known only as Baron Samedi.

❖ Harbingers of Skulls: While technically not a bloodline unto their own, the Harbingers of Skulls
is the name adopted by those Cappadocians who found a home within the Sabbat after the Feast
of Folly and their imprisonment within the tomb of Kaymakli. After their escape from Kaymakli in
1999 CE, they joined the Sword of Caine and formed a loose organization under Unre; under her
leadership they gather from time to time to discuss Clan matters.

Internal Factions
Due to the elusive nature of the Cappadocians, there are no internal factions. Much of the social
structure defaults simply to the Eldest holding the authority over her lessers.

Cathedrals of Bone
The Clan and its bloodlines do not have a large focus on lineages as such a thing is trivial in the grand
scheme of the Clan. The only aspect of lineage of any significance is whether a Cappadocian considers
herself a Cappadocian or a Harbinger, or if the vampire is part of the Lamia or Samedi bloodlines. As
such, there are no named Houses outside of those created by Player Characters. Instead, the
Cappadocians concentrate on the survival of the Clan at large and on their revenge.
OOC Note: The NST staff is not managing player created Houses outside of those aligned with the
Lineage Project

Sect Information 
The Sabbat
The Cappadocians that have joined the Sword of Caine have cast aside the name of their Clan, instead
calling themselves the Harbingers of Skulls. Having been trapped in Kaymakli for centuries, their anger
and hatred for what festered into a monsterous rage over what was done to them not only by
Cappadocius, but by the Giovanni who attempted to purge their Clan in 1444 CE. These Harbingers
follow Unre, their founder and keeper.

The motive behind the Harbingers joining the Sabbat is unknown. Many suspect their membership was
one of convenience as opposed to a strong belief in the ways of the Sect. Regardless of the motivation,
the Sword of Caine has offered them the opportunity to exact revenge on the Giovanni; something the
other Sects could not afford them. This new relationship provides both the freedom and support they
need in order to accomplish their goals. In addition to the Harbingers, there are a few Samedi that joined
the Sabbat, but generally the Sect’s extremist ways are seen as unappealing to the self-serving bloodline.

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Unaligned
Outside of the Sabbat, there are few Cappadocians. Those that do not claim the title of Harbinger are
loathe to join any Sect and prefer to continue their pursuits in private contemplation. Still, these modern
nights have birthed rumors that the clan is slowly reconnecting all its members, regardless of Sect, in
order to carry out the ultimate revenge.

Although most Cappadocians joined the Sabbat, the members of the Lamia bloodline did not. Instead,
they remain loyal to the protection of the unaligned Cappadocians and it is clear that Lamia herself has
made some distinction between the Harbingers and the rest of the Clan; the Harbingers do not receive
the protection of the Lamia, and no Lamia will ever join the Sword of Caine. Like the Lamia, the vast
majority of Samedi remain unaligned for the freedom it gives them to be mercenaries and to fulfill their
individual agendas.

The Camarilla
Unlike the Sabbat, there are no Cappadocians or Lamia openly among the Camarilla’s ranks. Though
some Samedi join the Tower, their membership within the Sect is extremely rare. Those few Samedi that
have joined typically do so to gain a sense of security that the Tower can provide or out of pressure from
the local Prince as opposed to a belief in the Traditions. Whatever their reasons, even within the Ivory
Tower the Samedi are looked upon as black sheep due to their reputation as mercenaries. This makes it
challenging for them to gain the trust of the Pillar Clans.

The Anarch Movement

Much like the Samedi that join the Sabbat and the Tower, there are no open Cappadocian or Lamia
members of the Movement. Those Samedi that join the Anarch Movement are few and far between.
While the Anarch Movement allows the Samedi more freedom than the Tower, it forces them to be bound
by a set of rules - however loose they may be - which can cause complications in their personal dealings
with the other Sects and unaligned vampires.

Bloodlines 
The Lamia
The Lamia, once called Gorgons, protected the Cappadocians and their sacred libraries centuries ago.
During the Giovanni revolt, most Lamia died fighting to protect their masters; they failed in this task. Male
Lamia exist, but they are even rarer than their female counterparts as the bloodline is not prone to
embrace those that identify as male. When a Lamia chooses to embrace, her childer are often chosen for
their interest in the occult. Post embrace all Lamia are educated as warriors. Unlike their parent Clan, the
Lamia do not study death; instead they focus on disease and its effects on both mortals and vampires.
The Lamia originally existed as a cult to Lilith and Lamia herself served as high priestess and was
rumored to have actually been the daughter of the Dark Mother herself. Lamia and her cult eventually
caught the attention of the Cappadocian Methuselah Lazarus, who embraced her in 457 BCE, turning the
newly developed bloodline into guardians of the Cappadocians. Ever since, the bloodline has served the
Clan of Death as warriors and bodyguards, accompanying them until their supposed elimination at the
hands of Augustus Giovanni and his Family.

❖ This bloodline is always inherited from Sire to Childe.

❖ For more information on this bloodline, see p. 73 of the BNS VtM sourcebook.

The Samedi
The Samedi’s story began in 1501 CE when Lazarus embraced a man known as Baron Samedi, rumored
to be the loa from vodoun lore. Their true history and origin beyond the Baron’s embrace is a mystery,
though some believe the Samedi are a Giovanni experiment gone wrong, while some whisper of a darker

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origin believing that they are a bloodline of the Nosferatu. If the Samedi know, they have not told anyone.
The Samedi are repulsive, even more so than their deathly, disfigured parent clan. The Samedi are putrid
beyond words; rotting skin, exposed bone, and the hideous smell of decomposition commonly afflict the
members of this bloodline, as does the tendency to be rude and uncompromising. Even as self-interested
mercenaries, Samedi are known for maintaining the absolute law and word of any bargain they make —
for good or for ill.

❖ This bloodline is always inherited from Sire to Childe.

❖ For more information on this bloodline, see p. 73 of the BNS VtM sourcebook.

Other Chronicle Notes 

Alliances and Enmities
❖ The Giovanni: The Clan and its bloodlines hold a relative sense of indifference to all others save
the Giovanni. To them, the Giovanni will always be the usurpers, the betrayers, and the reason for
their Clan’s near downfall. The Clan knows full well that the Giovanni would not exist but for their
crimes against them. The Cappadocians despise the Giovanni and all members of the Clan, and
its bloodlines share the same goal regardless of Sect - to see them erased from history. Only
when every last Giovanni is destroyed can Clan Cappadocian openly return to vampire society.
❖ Cappadocians and the Harbingers: Most of the Harbingers of Skulls have a deep anger and
resentment not only for the Giovanni - of whom they see as willing pawns of Cappadocius who
imprisoned them during the Feast of Folly and who crusaded to purge the remainder of the Clan -
but also for the remaining Cappadocians that were not locked away with them in Kaymakli. The
Harbingers see the other Cappadocians as having abandoned them during their imprisonment, as
cowards for failing to stop the Giovanni, and as traitors for not flocking to the side of the
Harbingers once freed. As far as the Harbingers are concerned, the other Cappadocians can join
them or stay out of their way.

Clan Culture
The Cappadocians in the Dark Ages were well known for serving as stewards and aides for various
Princes throughout Europe. In this role the Clan acquired resources and the protection they needed from
their enemies. Following the Feast of Folly and the Giovanni purge of the Clan, the Cappadocians have
remained hidden and isolated from open participation in vampire affairs. With the emergence of the
Harbingers the Cappadocians have gained a strong hand in Sabbat politics, but those remaining
unaligned continue to hide themselves out of the fear that the Giovanni will come for them.

❖ Religion: The Cappadocians had a tendency to be religious even after the embrace, often
adapting religious practices of Christianity. As a result, the Clan has a large populace of monks
and priests within their ranks.

❖ The Construction of Erciyes, Kaymakli, and Derinkuyu: Cappadocius, the Antediluvian

founder of the Clan, viewed the embrace as a unique opportunity to examine the condition of
death and unlife. As such, Cappadocius appeared uninterested in politics or power. Long after the
Flood and the fall of the Second City he embraced his first childe, Caias. This marked the first of
three major events in early Clan history.The other two major events were the visions
Cappadocius received that would guide the future of the Clan and an encounter outside of
Jerusalem where Cappadocius met a lone traveler who later become the subject of all of
Cappadocius' projects. The first of those projects was the construction of Erciyes, the vast
temple-complex at the mountain of the same name. This site became the Cappadocian

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headquarters, containing a monastery that served as the home of the Antediluvian and his oldest
childe. Erciyes became the heart and research center of the Clan. As the Antediluvian studied,
the progeny of Cappadocius were ruled over by his favored Childer: Japheth Cappadocius, Caias
Koine, and Lazarus. Under their guidance the Clan soon populated two cities known as Kaymakli
and Derinkuyu.

❖ The Embrace of Lamia: The Cult of Lamia was a closely guarded secret from tyrants, senators
and kings who ground men's destinies beneath their heels. Although the mortals ignored the Cult,
Lazarus took it upon himself to investigate a hidden temple in which Lamia performed her rites to
show homage to the Dark Mother. Lamia's erudition and fervor touched something long hidden in
Lazarus's heart and he gifted her with the Embrace; the beautiful priestess would now spend
eternity in contemplation of Death and the Dark Mother from whom none can escape. When
Lazarus went to leave the temple Lamia agreed to accompany him - but not until she could share
a dark secret with her Sire, to which Lazarus agreed. What she told him he never recorded. The
rest of the Cappadocians find it odd that Lazarus never again spoke to his childe since the night
of her embrace, and some whispered that he even took great effort to avoid her. Upon
introduction to the rest of the Clan, Lamia was initiated by Japheth himself. Lamia proved
formidable and it was soon accepted that she would not serve save in the way she chose and
that her Childer would be given the same privilege. From that moment forward Lamia's Childer
kept close to the Cappadocians, acting as warriors and bodyguards to the Clan of Death.

❖ The Feast of Folly: The growth of his line was largely ignored by Cappadocius. It was only when
the mortals of the two cities told Cappadocius that his clan was, in fact, the largest of all vampiric
clans did Cappadocius see the error of his ways. Recognizing that his failure to oversee his
childer had led to this imbalance of vampires, Cappadocius devised a plan to decrease their
numbers and be rid of those unworthy of his blood. To that end, in the mid-14th Century
Cappadocius called together his Clan to a Feast of Folly in the underground tombs of Kaymakli.
Over 12,000 Cappadocian vampires from all over the world travelled to this meeting. However,
Lazarus and Lamia along with a select few of their followers did not attend. Once assembled
Cappadocius divided his line into dilettantes and serious necromantic scholars. Leading the
members of the clan deeper into the cave complex underneath the city, Cappadocius asked his
descendants a sequence of questions to measure their worth to society. Sparing only those who
answered correctly, he locked away the unworthy socialites within the caves, leaving them to
succumb to madness and torpor. In the end, Cappadocius sealed thousands of his own
descendents in the caves with a curse: "Let no childe of Caine ever leave through this passage;
let no son of Seth ever enter". There, bound by their Clan Founder's ward, the rejected childer
starved, frenzied, fed, and fell to torpor. When word of this reached Lamia, she took her
remaining childer and disappeared into the shadows. Meanwhile, Lazarus and his Childer
remained in Egypt, protected by the Followers of Set and his own superior power of the blood.
Lazarus ensured their safety, but he and his childer were severed from the Clan, renouncing their
identity as Cappadocians in favor of their own projects.

❖ The Embrace of Augustus Giovanni: Following the Feast of Folly, Cappadocius sent the mortal
residents of Kaymakli into the world, telling them the city was cursed and that they should never
return. He and his surviving progeny then returned once more to the various tasks that lay ahead
of them. Soon, however, the need for further assistance in unraveling death's mysteries became
evident. Selecting a family of Venetian necromancers known as the Giovanni, Cappadocius
brought their Patriarch - Augustus Giovanni - into the fold of the undead in the hopes that the
Giovanni’s insights into Shadowlands would complement the Cappadocian mastery of death.
Embracing Augustus would become the undoing of the Clan for he had his own motives for the
embrace.

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❖ The Coup de Famille: By the mid-1400’s CE Cappadocius attempted to repopulate his Clan with
serious scholars of death outside of the ever growing Giovanni; the Giovanni took great offense to
this. With secret aid from the Ventrue Clan, the Giovanni hunted down the non-Giovanni
Cappadocians, diablerizing them as they pleased. In a final act of betrayal, Augustus diablerized
Cappadocius, taking his power.

❖ Harbingers of Skulls: The morbid Harbingers are often seen as archaic and foreign to the rest of
the Sabbat and few outside of the Sect know little more of them than their name. The Harbingers
of Skulls are said to have derived their name from their bizarre practice of flaying the flesh from
their faces which leaves them with a grinning and nightmarish appearance. Masks and ceremony
are a center of their culture and play a large role in their various necromantic rites, and many
Harbingers have their own personal collection of headgear and implements that they wear
regularly - each has their own story and their own purpose. The older a Harbinger is the more
elaborate and terrifying these masks become. Unre is a prime example of this, her mask is
carved from the head of a massive bull, and attached is a crown of disturbingly small human
skulls.

❖ Paths of Enlightenment: Cappadocians and their bloodlines rarely retain their humanitas, as the
emotional attachments and sympathy for others that it causes are counterproductive to their
studies. As such, the Clan of Death tends to follow the Path of Death and the Soul. This path is
most fitting for the Clan as its members share the same desire to understand death and what lies
beyond. This causes them to possess a coldly logical mindset. In order to understand death one
must embrace it, and to do so means casting your humanity aside and separating yourself from
the mortal world. The main exceptions to walking the Path of Death and the Soul can be found
among the Clan’s bloodlines. The Lamia bloodline have historically have held a different view of
the world than their parent Clan and many of the members are on the Path of Lilith.
Cappadocians and Samedi tend to refrain from following the teachings that worshiping the Dark
Mother brings. While pain can change certain aspects of death and perhaps warp the soul when it
leaves its body, the Cappadocians do not see it as a necessary aspect of their studies. To the
Lamia, however, pain and tribulation bring enlightenment.

Storyteller Warning
The Giovanni: All of vampiric society once thought the Cappadocians and Lamia were destroyed. When
Giovanni characters discover this is not the case, the Cappadocian and Lamia characters should expect
to encounter IC hostility and potentially PvP. The longevity of a Cappadocian or Lamia character will
depend on how a player handles this situation and what steps the player takes to protect the character’s
Alternate Identity. Cappadocians and their bloodlines will forever be enemies of the Giovanni; this
includes the Samedi who are still Cappadocians at their core. The Giovanni characters are expected to
seek the complete destruction of Cappadocian characters, and vice-versa; that grudge will never die.

Alternate Identity: All player character non-Sabbat Cappadocians and Lamia must have an Alternate
Identity of at least level 4. Sabbat Harbingers and Samedi do not need to have an Alt. Id.

Samedi: Samedi players should expect their characters to be treated harshly by other clans. Samedi are
scoundrels, black sheep, and self serving vampires and the rest of vampiric society knows it. The Samedi
are the most open minded about Sect. Though these characters may join the Anarchs, Camarilla or
Sabbat, it is extremely rare as they are often scorned by the rest of the bloodline. As self serving
mercenaries they are primarily unaligned, finding it easier to go about their way without the restrictions of
Sect. It is highly suggested that players of this bloodline take this into consideration at character creation.

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PvP: If you do not like PvP do not play this Clan. Due to their history with the Giovanni, it is inevitable
that Giovanni characters will attack Cappadocian characters and vice-versa. If a Cappadocian
character’s identity and location is revealed the Giovanni players are expected to hunt that character
down.

NPC Notes: In this setting Lamia is alive and active, guiding her Childer from the shadows until whatever
plan she has comes to fruition. How she survived the supposed diablerie at the hands of Augustus
remains unknown. Further, Constancia and Unre are two separate individuals in this setting.

Notable Clan NPCs 

All notable Clan NPCs are listed in the Lineage Project documents for the Cappadocian Clan, the Lamia,
and the Samedi.

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