Cockscomb Society
The Nosferatu have a reputation for flaunting their monstrosity. Their curse is impossible to conceal, so why not wear it with pride? Not so for the Cockscomb Society. They may be frightening, but that shouldn’t mean they abandon all sense of propriety. More so even than other, more “presentable” Kindred, Ladies and Gents of the Society practice the Masquerade with a dogmatic ardor. They rehearse every step of the Danse Macabre until they can walk it in their daysleep. They have little choice, as anything less would belie their station as one of the most well-to-do lineages in the All Night Society.
Founded in the late 18th century, the Cockscomb Society climbed the social ladder with alarming speed, and they’ve remained at the top ever since. Their founder, Potter Woolsthorpe Wycombe, accomplished this by rejecting the insularity of his clan and immersing himself in human high society. Forging countless relationships with the rich and powerful, he pulled himself out of the Necropolis by his own bootstraps. So what if a few moral compromises had to be made along the way? That’s the cost of building a legacy.
It began with revenants. Reasoning these undesirables wouldn’t be missed among the Kindred, Wycombe scoured the Warrens for cast-off victims and failed Embraces. Using the resources he’d accumulated from his mortal pawns, he provided orphaned vampires with just enough blood to keep their hunger at bay. Then, once they were dependent on him for survival, he sold them to wealthy mortals belonging to the most infamous Hellfire Club in the world: Ashwood Abbey, notorious for visiting all manner of depraved abuses upon captive vampires, among other exotic victims.
For a time, this was a profitable endeavor, but the Abbey’s appetite for dead flesh was nigh infinite. As demand grew, Wycombe began uplifting followers from among his captives, gradually expanding his operation to keep up with the developing market. Soon, revenants alone weren’t enough. Buyers wanted more dangerous toys, and before long Wycombe and his uplifted childer began Embracing hapless mortals directly into their chattel. Finally, the disappearances became too much for the local court to ignore, and Wycombe’s operations were shut down. However, by this time, Wycombe’s brood and their fortune had grown so large that they had secured their place as indispensable members of the Kindred ruling class.
Tonight, Wycombe’s descendants struggle to escape the shadow of their progenitors’ crimes, while still enjoying their long-term benefits. Of course, the Cockscomb Society no longer engages in such untoward business practices, but the reputation hangs over its members like bad English weather. The Society’s commitment to decorum and politesse is therefore a social necessity, not only to disprove assumptions other Kindred make based on their clan, but also to dispel any suspicion they may also be guilty of their grandsire’s improprieties. They wouldn’t be caught dead otherwise.
Why you want to be us
You don’t want to wallow in your monstrosity like the others. You aren’t proud of being a freak, but you’re not about to let it hold you back. You recognize your curse for what it is, but you’re prepared to take it in stride, and still put everyone else to shame. The others may sneer and whisper behind your back, but who cares what they think when you have more connections than the harpies, more blood dolls than a prince, and more money than God?
Why you should fear us
We have our finger on the pulse of the herd. We’re closer to the kine than anyone else, and we control the flow of the most valuable resource there is… cash. You weren’t expecting that, were you? Be honest, you thought I was going to say blood. Typical. See, that’s what separates us from the other Haunts. We recognize the value in material wealth. Spooky powers and disappearing acts are cute and all, but money can alter the course of history in ways even elders could never dream.
Why we should fear ourselves
It’s no secret we got where we are because of the awful things our founder did. We all carry that with us. We all benefit from his crimes, and it would be so easy to fall into the same trap he did. Wycombe may be a monster, but he did what he did so you could have a better Requiem than he ever had. Can you honestly say you wouldn’t have done the same in his position? What would you be willing to do to hold on to the privileges his indiscretions bought you? What wouldn’t you be willing to do to insure your own childer and grandchilder can enjoy the same advantages you have?
Parent Clan: Nosferatu
Nicknames: Cockerels, the Society, Ladies/Gents, Biddies/Gumps, Cockheads (but never to their faces)
Bloodline Bane: The Curse of Ennui
The Ladies and Gents play their roles well, but it does get so dreadfully tiring. After playing at civility all night long, one can hardly be blamed for indulging just a little bit every now and then, can one? A Cockerel applies the same penalty she takes to Social actions to relate with mortals on all rolls to resist her baser urges, such as those resulting from the Bestial, Competitive, or Wanton Conditions (take the higher penalty in cases where modifiers might compound). Furthermore, she treats all failures on such rolls as dramatic failures.
Disciplines: Majesty, Nightmare, Obfuscate, Vigor
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