Once a cabal of mortal wizards, the Tremere supposedly wrested the secrets of vampirism through their own arcane studies in a covert war during the Dark Ages. With their stolen birthright, they carved a place for themselves in vampiric society, hunting down and extinguishing an ancient of another lost bloodline in order to gain legitimacy while refining their own potent magics with their new unliving power. Tightly bound by common studies of the arcane and the mistrust of other clans, the Warlocks are mysterious, distrusted and feared - and that's just how they like it.
Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate, Thaumaturgy
Clan Advantage: One free dot of Occult influence and one free dot of the Occult ability. Generally reliable aid from any Mentor background the character might buy.
Clan Disadvantage: One step blood bound to the Council of Tremere elders.
Clan Tremere has the following Active PCs in Unmasqued:
REINO HALDOR
A.K.A.: THE FIRE WAR!
Player: Greg
Appearance: n/a
Appearance (Mechanics): [0] Appearance-related Traits, obvious Supernatural Flaw (Eerie Presence)
Description: Burning. All around me, burning, a blaze that is all consuming. Burning. Under the roar of a flame that seared the heavens, the stars, little black dots between the roaring inferno of what was once inky blackness, I could hear something else, too. Fire, fire always makes the same sound. The sound of burning. But the other sound I could hear is a sound that is never the same. In every age, at every time, ever since the first man crawled up out of the depths and dreamed of something greater than himself, he has been able to hear that sound.
It is the sound of battle.
Some would say that the screams of the dying have stayed the same, that perhaps there is a constant in war. The hoarse gasping of an eighteen year old dough boy caught without his gasmask and drowning in the mud and yellow fumes just behind the powerful machine gun he had been marveling over; the agonized cries of a lancer, his hips and legs crushed and pinned beneath the beast that once bore him with lightning speed across the battlefield; the whistle of an arrow as it plunges into a sentry's throat, silencing him. There are an infinite number of ways that battle can ring in the ear, and yet deep, deep within each of those sounds, you can hear something else. A dull roar that creates by destroying. A hunger that drives forward the engine of mankind's progress. A crackling that signals how we rose from nothing, and how we will return to it.
It is the sound of fire.
I cannot speak of what created the beasts and the spirits. I cannot speak of what keeps the beasts and the spirits. I cannot speak of what will end the beasts and the spirits. I will speak of what created man, what keeps man, and what will end man. Fire created man, battle sustains him, and fire will end him. So it was foretold, and so it will come to pass. I was created, I am sustained, I will end.
Uncharacteristically poetic bio submitted by John.
OLAN AJORA
Player: Ernest
Appearance: n/a
Appearance (Mechanics): [1] Appearance-related Trait (Alluring)
Description: No bio submitted.
SOURIS DE SANG
Player: Diane
Appearance: Souris is approximately 5'6" tall, and emaciated. Her eyes have constant dark hollows around them, and her skin is pale and sallow. She looks like something escaped from an anorexia clinic or a concentration camp. Otherwise, her face is mousey and unremarkable. She looks a bit nerdy with the glasses. She dresses well, often in a conservative pants suit, and her jewelry seems always to be somehow science-related.
Appearance (Mechanics): [2] Appearance-related Traits (Elegant x2), obvious Negative Physcial Traits (Delicate, Sickly)
Description: No, no, sir-EES. De. De like French. De SONG. No, no, I-- I mean-- Oh God, I'm sorry, I--
Starting again. Souris de Sang arrived in the City in the fall of 2007. She's the one with the notepad. No, the one who twitches. The one that everyone is always trying to calm down, the fastidious note-taker, the shy one. Yeah, that one.
Come to think of it, no one knows that much about her. Only that she does biochemical research with the Netchurch project. And that she's a big nerd. Whatever you do, don't ask her about science. You'll be there for days."
Bio submitted by Diane.
ADAM JONES
A.K.A.: The Hat, Jonsie, Mr. J.
Player: UnMasqued NPC (generally played by Carlson)
Appearance:
Appearance (Mechanics): [1] Appearance-related Traits (Elegant), obvious Negative Physcial Trait (Delicate)
Description: Adam Jones first arrived in New York from Boston in early 2005. Despite Clan Tremere's less than perfect reputation at that time, he made great strides toward repairing the relationship between his Clan and the New York Camarilla and joined the Primogen Council shortly after his arrival. He was extremely polite and formal and tended to introduce himself to every newcomer and offer his assistance should they ever need help with anything. Subtle inquiries to Kindred in Boston fail to reveal much about Jones prior to New York. He only showed up at Elysium three or four times a year and no one can recall seeing him anywhere else.
In his early years, he was more than a bit of a mystery. He seemed to split his time at Elysium between meetings with various Camarilla officials and making small talk with whomever else is in the room. Whenever he found himself in a room with a view of Central Park, he often just stared out the window, seemingly oblivious to what is going on around him. The only Kindred outside of his own Clan with whom he seemed to have frequent conversations with was Dr. Faustus before her unfortunate demise.
In the months since the 2005 Sabbat attack, Adam Jones became no less of an enigma. During the fall of 2005, he aggressively challenged Clan Ventrue's position, only stopping when the Ventrue Primogen at the time vanished unexpectedly while visiting Boston. Although Jones had frequently disagreed with the Ventrue on the Council and the Ventrue had adamantly opposed the appointment of a Tremere Harpy, the response of Adam Jones seemed out of proportion with the perceived slights against him and his Clan. He never has discussed his reasons for this at length, or if he has, whoever he talked to has kept their mouth shut. As these events happened, Jones' behavior became more odd. He began dressing in an older anachronistic fashion that bordered on the ridiculous and has been heard to wistfully reflect on his youth in England, whenever that was. His unusual behavior continued into the late fall of the same year, when he led the bulk of the Camarilla on a raid on an empty building.
The Janurary 2006 coup attempt further revealed the capabilities of Jones and his Clanmates. Over the course of the evening, Adam Jones and his Clanmates were frighteningly effective and produced a wide array of resources of very short notice in what seemed to be every field relevant to the events of the evening. In the aftermath of the failed coup attempt, one thing was suddenly very clear about Adam Jones; he had somehow led Clan Tremere from being a laughingstock to being an undisputed major power in the city. Although he had repeatedly insisted that he did not wish to be Prince and that he will support the sitting Prince unless directly wronged.
Jones suffered a period of significant disgrace, however, when West, still alive from the coup, returned and assumed the throne. Having so staunchly supported Evans previously, Jones was demoted significantly in rank and lost a great deal of face before the court. During the brief reign of the young Brujah Prince, Jones maintained a noted rivalry with Toreador Seneschal Emanuel James Richardson, and it seemed Clan Tremere's hold over the city might well be wavering. However, after rallying several of the high standing members of the Sect against Richardson, and following the mysterious death of Prince West, Jones cemented the position of the Tremere nigh absolutely in the city, briefly taking the Seneschalship alongside Prince Rogerson.
Since his seeming triumph in the New York Camarilla, however, Jones began acting increasingly oddly (even for Jones), and seemed paranoid about what his position of power foreboded. Unexpectedly, he renounced his seat in early February of 2007, relinquished the Primogenship and Seneschalship, and announced his intention to retire from court society. That very night, he was nearly the victim of a swift and sudden assassination attempt by Sabbat operatives.
Jones has not been seen often since this incident, and seems to have withdrawn largely from normal Kindred society. While he is still in regular contact with the Clan at large, he makes few sojourns to Elysium these nights, although he is rumored to keep up a passing correspondence with Prince Rogerson.
DIANNA BRESLIN
A.K.A.: n/a
Player: UnMasqued NPC
Appearance: n/a
Appearance (Mechanics): n/a
Description: Sometimes referred to as the "Forgotten Prince of New York," Diana Breslin briefly reigned over the city following the defection of former Prince Joven Verditus to the Sabbat. She was a powerful Camarilla Archon before her seizure of the throne, and many see her reign as a heavy handed appointment by the Inner Circle to keep the nascent territory of New York in line.
She was eventually succeeded by Hadrian Evans and has not had any hand in New York politics since. Little about her reign has been recorded or remembered in the political consciousness of the city.
NICCOLAI ANTONESCU
A.K.A.: Plot Hammer
Player: Canonical NPC (played by anyone and everyone)
Appearance: n/a
Appearance (Mechanics): n/a
Description: Nicolai comes from the depths of the World Dream to do the will of the Dream Weavers. Nicolai's appearance heralds earth shattering wonk and the downfall of empires. His touch leaves all in its wake, shaken, hollow, and disturbed. Be assured, if Nicolai appears, something, somewhere, has already gone terribly, terribly wrong. Sometimes, that something is that Nicolai is being used in the plot.
Utterly accurate bio submitted by John.
AUBERON XERICES
A.K.A.: AX, Aubs
Player: Justin
Appearance: Auberon dressed far beyond his personal appearance, and was often seen business-clad with a prominently displayed crucifix and well-framed glasses.
Appearance (Mechanics): [1] Appearance-related traits (Magnetic)
Description: Auberon Xerices of clan Tremere arrived in New York City in early 2006, dispatched by his well known and respected Sire Aurelius Xerices to the then war-torn domain of New York to assist the Camarilla in any way that his skillful mind and manner could accomplish. He was instructed in the myriad layers of political and organizational webbing that most neonates would find themselves lost in and as such found himself climbing to attain the position of Greater Harpy within the Domain. Once attaining his post, he often admitted that he found himself confused as to the nature and culture of the New World, though he strove to find his footing in a world "turned upside down".
All such nonsense aside, Auberon was seemingly as dedicated to Clan Tremere as a living being was dedicated to oxygen. He lived to be a powerful stone in their massive pyramid and thrived on seeing his Clan grow in power and standing. He rarely had thoughts of himself when it came to his beloved organization and though he once had disagreed with the majority of the Council of Seven, he apparently understood their worth and wisdom and would sooner see a Kindred magus slain and dust on the wind before tolerating their doubts as to the whole of the structured Clan.
Shortly after arriving in the city, he became close friends with one Dr. Lillian Greer, and after her untimely death, he found himself mired in inner turmoil. The laws had been conflicted on the matter of her execution and his ire had been raised. While he spoke of her in gently remembered terms and was reported to chide those who insult her memory,those who were closest to him knew of his sharp thoughts on the matter. Her death left him... shaken, to say the least.
In the months following Greer's death, however, Xerices gained no shortage of notoriety over his public marriage to the young Follower of Set Lynn Gladius, who publicly defected to the Camarilla following their union. While Lynn showed no signs of anything other than unswerving loyalty to he husband, the fact he saw fit to engage in the human sacrament of matrimony as a Cainite, and the fact he had chosen to do so with a member of a Clan infamous for corruption has raised several eyebrows.
Further eyebrows, however, were to be raised.
Perhaps it started with his interactions with the fallen prodigy Montgomery. Perhaps it started with his frequent, albeit sanctioned, communications with Ductus Reese regarding inter-Sect affairs. Regardless, however it happened, Auberon became uncharacteristically sympathetic to the stance of the Sabbat as time went by, going so far as to "adopt" a fleeing Malkavian antitribu Kaya Miakoda and try to convert her from her parent Sect.
While he had some success in this endeavor, and Kaya was grudgingly tolerated by the community at large, he finally overstepped the line when he was found complicit in aiding and abetting both her flight from the city and by extension the escape of the Tzimisce, Diego, a dangerous operative noted for launching a great number of unpleasant guerrilla attacks on Camarilla holdings with numerous fatalities.
This infraction proved unforgivable and after fleeing the city himself, Auberon was eventually captured - presumably by members of his Clan. Prince Rogerson coldly announced his crimes and capture in assembled court a month later.
He is assumed to be awaiting execution.
MICHAEL MONTGOMERY
A.K.A.: Feck Face, Lucas Brighton, Lucasta
Player: Inactive (formerly played by Jonathan)
Appearance: [0] Appearance-related Traits
Appearance (Mechanics): Tall, moderately well-dressed, if a bit scruffy-looking.
Description: Michael Montgomery's past was not something he discussed often, but when he did, the foul-mouthed Irishman grew uncharacteristically somber. It is generally understood that he is native to the Irish isle of Inishmaan, that he and his sister Helen were orphans, and that he watched her die at the hands of an Assimite. He was embraced by Dr. Ryan O'Hara, who was unfortunately, quite mad, and kept the bewildered childe captive for sixty years, unbeknownst to the Tremere Elders. When the Tremere arrived to discuss Dr. O'Hara's newly inspired work, they found that he knew next to nothing regarding "his" groundbreaking Thamaturgical discoveries.
They also found Montgomery.
Liberated, and with his sire, well, no longer moving, Montgomery was taken to Vienna, where his (now universally recognized) Path Of Levinbolt was met with opened arms, and critical acclaim. His confrontational, foul-mouthed personality however, was just met with the ordinary kind of criticism. So, he was shipped off to New York in the fall of 2002 with precious little in the way of expectations. Ostensibly, his purpose in being sent was to discern what had happened to all the Tremere, why they had all died. It was implied that nary a tear would be shed should Montgomery himself meet the same fate. Miraculously enough, he not only didn't die, but seemed to find a niche for himself within the Camarilla, holding the titles of scourge, Primogen, and eventually the office of Dux Bellorum, or war - master of the Camarilla, as well as becoming the Tremere Regent of New York. And while his personality was something of an acquired taste, he was generally seen as a well-meaning individual. But when Lord Piotr began making his presence known in New York, those few souls misguided enough to befriend Montgomery noticed a change. The fun-loving, wise-cracking rouge became embroiled in a series of increasingly suspicious events, and one day, simply disappeared. No record of Michael Montgomery existed for the span of about a year, either in New York, New Jersey, Vienna, or Ireland. He simply vanished.
He resurfaced late in 2006, returning to the city in the guise of an Autark Caitiff and using the pseudonym "Lucas Brighton." Apparently, fall out from strange events in New Jersey had left Montgomery wary of his Clan and Sect, and possibly more than a bit deranged. When he was eventually discovered to be Michael Montgomery, Clan Tremere and the New York Camarilla both became entangled in a delicate and dangerous web of conspiracies and back door deals to keep the prodigy alive, stable and as helpful to House Clan and Sect as possible. Lucas, as he was called now, was treading the deadly path of being an independent Tremere - and one officially sanctioned by his Clan. He had the potential to open doors previously though up-openable, making contacts among the Sabbat and allegedly delving into some of the secrets of the Lasombra.
Unfortunately for all parties involved, Lucas nature moved him down a problematic path. Possibly due to dementia or possibly due to that rarest of qualities in Kindred, idealism, Lucas became convinced that he should use his supernatural powers for the betterment of society, and took to engaging in vigilante activity, making full used of his blood magic. He called himself Lucasta, and took on the trappings of the fallen angel Lucifer in his work, attempting to strike terror into the hearts of New York's criminal element and to offer up some scant form of atonement for his fallen state. As he skirted into more and more blatant breaches of the Masquerade and his contacts with the Sabbat became dangerously friendly, Clan Tremere was eventually forced to drop the hammer.
Around the beginning of 2007, Lucas informed the assembled court that he would be leaving for Ireland again. The politics behind this remain opaque, but people suspect a fatal accident may befall the young magus shortly, especially in light of the recent events perpetuated by TJ Phillips in Lucasta's name.
SAMUEL MCCOY
A.K.A.: Sam
Player: Michael
Appearance: Of average build, with a height of just under 6 feet, an alternately somber and casually gregarious manner, and ever-present sunglasses and jeans.
Appearance (Mechanics): [1] Appearance-related Traits (Magnetic)
Description: A lot of people called him McCoy. He hailed from Louisville, Kentucky and professed to hate it. He wore sunglasses to his first Elysium in New York because television had convinced him that everyone in the city wears them, and then just kept wearing them when it turned out that he was the only one. When he disapproved of someone's actions, he often expressed it through prank phone calls or making fun of them to other people when he knew they were within earshot.
His favorite TV show was Boston Legal.
He was Sheriff for a span, and, at the time, successfully avoided the traditional fate of Sheriffs in New York: facing constant crisis, disappearing almost entirely from Elysium and vampiric society, and then dying unpleasantly.
After the ascension of Prince Rogerson, however, he attained the post of Seneschal, and also apparently attained a place in the enigmatic Ventrue's heart, although their personal relationship was something not widely known.
Perhaps the curse of Sheriff-dom came back to bite him in the end, however.
After the a long and ongoing withdrawal from all but the highest echelons of the Camarilla (that is to say, his own coterie consisting of Auberon, his wife Lynn and Auberon's ward Kaya), he was suddenly caught up in a number of personal conflicts, including apparent bad blood from his Sire, allegations of treason leveled at his companions, and some matter vaguely hinted at relating back to the enigmatic and, by then, long dead Sheriff Greer.
While the details of what precisely befell him the night of November 9th, 2007 aren't yet clear, it is known that he met his final end that night unexpectedly, at the hands of what seemed to be a Sabbat pack laying siege to the holdings of one Bromme Frederich III.
Prince Rogerson has been expectedly somber since the incident.
ROGER WILKINSON
Player: Inactive (formerly played by Rick)
Appearance: Nerdy. Very nerdy.
Appearance (Mechanics): [1] Appearance-related Traits (Magnetic), obvious Negative Physcial Trait (Delicate)
Description: Roger Wilkinson was a young skittish apprentice of Clan Tremere noted for his interest in the mystical properties of computing and electronics. It is unsurprising that he should have visiting New York as such, being home for a brief time to some of the innovators of the radical and oft derided path of Technomancy.
Within the hierarchy of the Clan, he was notably often at the beck and call of his eventual superior, Adam Jones and many saw the young Kindred as unduly bullied by his superior.
Wilkinson briefly was given the position of Harpy in the city, although it was evidently nothing more than a glorified note-taking position - and had not of the status or powers accompanying the office. He left the city early in the winter of 2006, and has not been heard from since.
- Go to the Clan Page
- Go to the Camarilla Page
- Go to the Tremere Lore Page
- Go to the Thaumaturgy Lore Page
If you play or have played a Tremere in UnMasqued and wish to contribute your character's bio for this site, e-mail the ominous LG at theominouslg AT unmasqued DOM com
The portraits above were created by LG. They understandably look nothing like the players of the characters, and do their best to represent the general vibe the artist gets from the PCs in question. If you play one of these characters and are dissatisfied/ecstatically happy/homicidally disgusted with the portrait, feel free to email me at the address above and let me know.
Clan description from Laws of the Night.
