Lasombra

Who are the Lasombra?

Lasombra sires favor mortals who fit the mold of the clan. The Lasombra have been of a Darwinian philosophy since before the term existed. They have no time for weakness, feel the only way to survive is to excel, and cut away the trappings of sympathy and petty morality wherever it might slow down their ascent to power.
The Lasombra Embrace those who fight against the odds, survive dangerous situations, and exist at the pinnacle of excellence. The Magisters describe their Embrace tradition as “targeting those fit for more than a simple human life.” Sociopaths, counter-culturalists, deviants, and scarred survivors all hold appeal for the Lasombra. Anyone who can say they have seen the dark on the other side, and subsequently came back stronger, is a potential candidate for the Embrace. Many become vampires obsessed with the accumulation of social power, prepared to mislead and use mortals to elevate themselves. Others were like that before the Embrace, with such pragmatic traits leading to their ascent in Lasombra eyes.
The Lasombra lean heavily into the institutions of organized religion to find their prospective childer. They do not look for the truly faithful, or the truly depraved, but the priests who gained their role through a desire to have complete control over the spiritual destination of their congregations. Those nuns, monks, vicars, and rabbis who use their institutions as a tool to increase their power, often shaking hands with gangsters behind closed doors, are the kind of cold-hearted bastards Magisters adore.
The mortals Embraced into this clan surprise those who underestimate their ability, rising to positions of power in Camarilla cities more swiftly than anyone can predict.

Bane

Anyone seeing the reflection or recording (live and otherwise) of a Lasombra vampire can instantly recognize them for what they are, provided they know what they’re looking for. People with no prior knowledge will know something is wrong, but likely attribute the distortion to irregularities in the reflecting surface or recording errors. Note that this will not hide the identity of the vampire with any certainty, and the Lasombra are no less likely to be caught on surveillance than any other vampire. In addition, use of modern communication technology, including making a simple phone call, requires a Technology test at Difficulty 2 + Bane Severity as microphones have similar problems with the voice of a Lasombra as cameras with their image. Avoiding electronic vampire detection systems is also done at a penalty equal to Bane Severity