Society of the Cyclopean Scholars
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What the hell do you want to do, unleash a thousand nameless ones on the city?
Just stand there, not touching anything, and hand me that bottle when I tell you to.
Contents |
Overview
The Society of the Cyclopean Scholars' founder was a particularly nuts Ventrue who was a member of the transcendental Cthonian camp, he had delusional obsession and embraced to help him in his search. Ultimately, his obsession took him to creating an entire bloodline based to try and find the mysteries of the unspeakable horrors from other dimensions and planes of existence.
The Cyclopean Scholars started off small, but then as soon as the founder – named George Webb – realized a devotion based on the Coils of Blood that allowed him to bring in membership from all clans – not just the Ventrue. This caused him to be delusional in the fact that he didn’t believe that his two childer previous would be able to assist him in gaining the same sort of membership, and killed them off, before inducting one of every clan into the ranks of the bloodline with his power.
It wasn’t long before those vampires also sired, and the Ordo Dracul became suspicious of Webb’s teachings. Some of them believed he was teaching the coils of blood, since all of the individuals he had brought into the line, were able to pass on the traits of their inceptor. This caused an internal academy riot, thereabouts, and Webb and his bloodline had to flee to the Eastern United States in the early 1910’s.
Factionalizing happened after the bloodline spread like wildfire in the mid 20th century and the entities themselves became a cult classic sort of interest for many fringe “academics”.
A popular, and almost universally considered infallible truth by members of the bloodline, is that in 1957 Webb was dragged into a ritual of summoning, along with six other individuals – two of which were his own childer – in his attempt to recreate a ritual of summoning and binding of the Ancient God Daoloth. Thus, no individuals of the bloodline (to anyone’s knowledge) have successfully summoned an Ancient God and survived, mainly because no one seems to be brave enough to try again.
Parent Clan
Due to a quirk of the blood from the inceptor, Webb, any clan may join the Bloodline, provided they have an Avus (or their sire is counted as a member).
Nickname
Eccentrics
Covenant
The Ordo Dracul, unsurprisingly, is where the vast majority of those in the bloodline have found as their home, though the bloodline as a whole recognizes the need to be a hair bit more subtle than the original batch of Cyclopean Scholars. The Circle of the Crone also hosts a fair number of these Kindred, who adopt the customs of the covenant with a ferociousness that few can match, and seem just as fine inflicting tribulation on those that seek enlightenment from them as taking it for themselves. A few Cyclopean Scholars who have elected to shun the establishment of Kindred altogether can be found amongst the Unaligned, though the road for these Kindred is tough indeed (and sometimes damn near come close to being accused of being Belial's Brood). Rarely will you find a member in the Carthian Movement or Invictus, since both covenants don't have time for such malarky. Never, ever, ever will you find one in the Lancea Sanctum (and it's possible if the Sanctified knew these existed, officially, that they could be designated as heretics unrepentant).
Factions and Enemies
When the factionalizing of the bloodline occurred, it split the bloodline up into two distinct entities entirely - both entirely hating of the other. Both faction, assured of it's belief of the "true" purpose for the bloodline, has made it a point to violently exterminate (if possible) other opposing factioners if found.
The Two Factions
- The Whisperers of the Far Daemon-Sultan Azathoth or The Whisperers are the most populous faction, which sprung off the opposing faction counterpart. These Eccentrics are often simply involved in hording their knowledge and rites for their own selfish and greedy purposes. These Kindred believe that through the use of the bloodline's rites, can become Gods in their own right.
- The Keepers of the Gate or The Keepers are the offshoot faction that appeared after the bloodline fled to the Eastern coast of America. These Kindred seek out The Whisperers and try to put a stop to their rites and ability to obtain materials for themselves. These Kindred are fewer than the other faction and thus tend to keep a much tighter knit with each others, and it is not uncommon to see them move about and work within coteries.
Enemies
It should be noted that the Khaibit have an especially foul disposition towards this bloodline for obvious reasons. Though the Khaibit would likely get along with The Keepers well enough, the bloodline itself finds it hard to distinguish the two, if it even does so at all.
Appearance
Since the majority of the bloodline hails from intellectual, librarish stock, you'll often find that members of the bloodline dress in staid, boring fashions. This is not through any compulsion, however, and is more an aspect of simply how the Kindred was before he died.
Havens
The bigger the better. They have to have room for many things! Books are the most important to these Kindred, and enough area to keep them all in their perfectly aligned state. Furthermore, it's exceptionally important to these Kindred that they have room to create various objects in, so workshops and garages are important as well. More wealthy members of the bloodline might even go so far as to erect great basement areas for... well... academic purposes, of course. Rarely will you find one of the bloodline in a tiny, cramped apartment, unless they're on the run.
Bloodline Disciplines
The parent clan's disciplines and Indictum.
Weakness
Eccentrics are, well, eccentric. Their blood is tainted by the Ventrue madness of their founder and all of them share at least one characteristic with their inceptor as soon as their blood becomes that of the line.
A character must choose between one of the following derangements, which may never be bought off, for their character (they have been reprinted for ease of reference, here):
- Grandiose Delusion (mild): Your character fixates on her favorite territory, occupation or subject, feeling an inflated sense of knowledge and influence in relation to it. She will believe that she knows best in all cases related to the matter of choice, and will begin to guard the object of fixation jealously, working to ensure that nobody else can “interfere.” Whenever your character encounters an individual who is attempting to exert influence in the matter (and isn’t already in her service), roll Resolve + Composure to keep her from responding aggressively.
On a failed roll, your character must immediately answer the perceived threat with an attempt to exclude the interloper. The attempt can take any form that seems appropriate to her — bribery, intimidation, coercion — whatever she thinks will work. For the remainder of the scene, this attempt must be the character’s first priority, even if there are more pressing matters at hand.
- Hypnagogic Hallucination (mild): The character suffers hallucinations while in the state between waking and sleeping. Just before going to sleep, the character might see one or several dark shapes standing around, a shadowy hag, dark insects on the walls or some other “presence.” The hallucinations are often accompanied by sleep paralysis, discomfiting sounds (such as wind rushing in one’s ears or a highpitched mechanical whine) or the feeling that something is squatting on the character’s chest and thus inhibiting his ability to breathe properly.
The hallucinations seem to occur following days (or nights, if a vampire) that were particularly stressful. The Storyteller may request a Resolve + Composure roll before going to sleep. Failing the roll results in the pre-sleep hallucinations.
Effect: Experiencing the hallucinations leaves any character, even one of the Kindred, feeling oddly fatigued the following day or night. The character will suffer a –1 penalty to all Mental rolls during that day.
- Delusional Obsession from the Vampire the Requiem book (they would not need to have Irrationality first).
Organization
No rigid hierarchy lies within the bloodline, because of the warring factions. Most scholars don't even let anyone know they are a part of the bloodline, let alone contact each other - excepting in the case of when they travel together in coteries. Such coteries are exceedingly tight-knit, often having loyalties above covenant to each other, if only for their own protection. It is not uncommon for sires who have brought childer into the bloodline to force the childe into the blood oath before giving them any information at all - though this tactic is less practiced as it used to be due to suspicion from the Ordo Dracul covenant.
Character Creation
Characters who tend to have strong personalities and particularly intelligent are the right fit for this finical bloodline. Such individuals who are particularly high in both the Mental and Social aspects are a good fit for this bloodline, though they must be frankly very careful with their tongue and their habits. Physical aspects are often less important than the other two, just out of simple lack of time devoted to the pursuit of martial capabilities.
Sample Concepts
Creepy Professor, Half-crazed Librarian, Occult Scholar, Nosy Bookworm, Charismatic Cult Leader, Godhead Seeker