Chapter 127: As the Sun Sets

### Clans of the Sabbat

#### Clan Lasombra

The Lasombra are elegant creatures of the fall, and their members are quite pleased with that reputation. In them, elegance coexists with cruelty, while nobility stands beside decadence. The Lasombra are natural leaders, and they firmly believe themselves far superior to the other clans.

After the former Brujah leaders betrayed the Anarchs, the Lasombra began to lead the Sabbat. Nearly every regent of the Sabbat has come from Clan Lasombra. They guide—and at times whip—the sect forward, shaping it into an unyielding force. Lasombra members believe they possess the authority and the right to Embrace, murder, and surrender to frenzy. Many of them ask: if one wishes to become a vampire, why fear such things?

Most Lasombra also belong to a pack, through which they increase their power. Unlike the Tzimisce, they do not despise or reject all of humanity. They simply find it more entertaining to be the ones controlling those creatures.

#### Clan Tzimisce

If the Lasombra are the heart of the Sabbat, then the Tzimisce are its soul.

They were once the most powerful of all the clans, but the wars against the Tremere and the Anarch Revolt left them gravely wounded. After the revolution, the Tzimisce joined the Lasombra in founding the Sabbat.

Through their supernatural abilities, the Tzimisce can alter their appearance, leaving the vampires around them perpetually uneasy. The title “Demon” was given to them by vampires who had been frightened by their transformations.

In truth, however, the Tzimisce are the most scholarly of all vampires, and most of their members have received an advanced education. They possess an intense thirst for knowledge, and the elder Tzimisce may be among the most learned beings in the world. Their mastery of magic is comparable to their mastery of science, though it still falls short of that of the Tremere.

In their quest to understand the true nature of vampirism, the Tzimisce have conducted countless horrifying experiments, using both mortals and other vampires as test subjects.

### Independent Clans

#### Clan Giovanni

Compared with the other clans, the Giovanni may be praised less often than they are condemned. Most of their members are entrepreneurs or necromancers.

By manipulating the goods and economies of mortal society, the Giovanni have acquired enormous wealth and power. Not long after becoming a vampire, the founder of the clan murdered his own sire and established the clan according to his will.

#### Clan Ravnos

The Ravnos are travelers and brigands, scattered across the continent of Europe like stalks of straw blown by the wind. Their footprints can be found in every country, yet their movements are erratic, appearing wherever whim takes them. They prefer solitude, choosing to communicate with their fellows through traces and signs.

The wandering Ravnos originated in India and are descendants of the Roma. They are famous for their ability to manipulate astonishing illusions. Many vampires persecute the Ravnos because they so often bring disorder wherever they go.

The Ravnos, however, respond with even greater contempt, making relations between the two sides as hostile as fire and water.

#### Clan Assamite

The Assamites, who hail from the deserts of the Middle East, are the assassins of the vampire world. They work for those who can pay their price, which is usually the client’s blood.

Once they accept a contract, they pursue their target until they either kill it or discover that their employer has deceived them—for example, by claiming that the target is a ninth-generation vampire when it is actually of the sixth generation.

If a hired Assamite is instead killed by the target, the clan will neither seek revenge nor accept another contract against that individual in the future.

Because of their unique origins, Assamite beliefs are a mixture of various Middle Eastern religions and vampire mythology. They believe that the only way for a vampire to reach heaven is to draw as close as possible to the First Vampire, thereby narrowing the gap between themselves and that primordial ancestor.

They accomplish this through diablerie—the consumption of the blood and soul of a vampire older than themselves. To prove the justice and legitimacy of their actions, the Assamites claim that the founder of their clan personally slew two vampires of the Second Generation. To an Assamite, drinking the blood of another vampire is much like partaking in holy communion.

#### Followers of Set

The Followers of Set, usually called Setites, are met with far greater suspicion in vampire society than any other clan.

The reason lies in their faith. They believe themselves descended from Set, the Egyptian god of night and darkness. Set was originally known as Sutekh, a powerful vampire who, after arriving in Egypt, frequently appeared at night in terrifying forms. Thus, mortals came to worship him as the god of night and darkness.

Later, Sutekh took the name Set and entered into conflict with another vampire, Osiris, the Egyptian god of the underworld. In the end, Set was defeated, his followers were slaughtered, and he himself was exiled.

He eventually began rebuilding his power, continually attracting new followers. Among them were Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Persians, and even Semitic peoples. His influence spread across the lands between the mountains of Spain and the Black Sea.

Yet in the year 33, Set suddenly disappeared. Before vanishing, he told his followers that one day he would return to the world. The Setites—his loyal worshipers—have continued striving to revive him, seeking to accomplish this by shrouding the entire world in darkness.

Although the Setites believe that Set existed in the world longer than even Cain, the other clans believe that he was actually a vampire of the Third Generation, and that his sudden disappearance was meant to spare him from being wounded in the ancient war known as the Jyhad.

Whatever the truth, the Setites have never ceased their efforts to drag the world into darkness and bring about Set’s return.

### Extinct Clans

#### Clan Cappadocian

Throughout the thousand-year history of the vampires, the Cappadocians have been known as the Clan of Death. Indeed, other vampires often avoided contact with them because of their morbid interests. Though the Cappadocians’ mysterious nature inspired fear, it also earned them considerable respect.

In vampire society, Cappadocians commonly served as advisers or princes. Their insight and wisdom were widely admired, while their lack of interest in worldly power made them worthy of trust. They also used their abilities for research. It is said that the Brujah were once a branch of the Cappadocians.

Under the evening sun, Hua Feng and Yun Meng had finally come out for some fresh air. The enormous frozen lake still stretched behind the academy.

They arrived at one of the elevated platforms the academy had built above ground, a helipad used to maintain contact between the academy and the outside world. Although the platforms were rarely needed for their intended purpose, the dozens of them scattered near the academy’s underground city had become places where students could relax in their free time. Here and there, small groups stood together, chatting among themselves.

“Brother Hua Feng, now that we’ve finished studying the thirteen clans of vampire history, I wonder what classes the academy will have waiting for us next. This past month feels as though it lasted a whole year. Every day has been nothing but cultivation and classes—classes, and more classes. It wasn’t until the end of the month that we finally got half a day off.”

Yun Meng had not spent time alone with Hua Feng like this in a long while. The feeling reminded her of their high-school days, back when they had been preparing for the college entrance examinations.

But no matter when or where, their hearts had always been joined. Just as on so many similar nights, they now stood together in the wind, talking softly.

Bai Feng had not come with them this time. She had said she needed to review her recent lessons and had gone off alone to somewhere unknown. When Hua Feng saw her earlier, he had wanted to say something, but in the end, he had remained silent.

“Little Meng, I’m afraid we can’t predict what comes next. We can only leave it to the academy’s arrangements. No matter what happens, our ultimate goal is the same: to become stronger and more capable of shouldering the responsibility of being the pillars of this age. Though it may seem that we’ve already come a long way, in truth, it still isn’t nearly enough.”

As he spoke, Hua Feng’s white coat stirred gently in the wind. The embroidered golden sheaf of wheat on it shimmered faintly.

“If you had a choice, Brother Hua Feng, would you still choose this path?” Yun Meng paused, then asked softly while looking directly into his eyes.

Hua Feng withdrew his gaze from the distant horizon.

“Someone has to walk this road. If we don’t, someone else will take our place. If Zhang San refuses, then Li Si will have to go. None of us can remain untouched by the world. Rather than passively endure whatever suffering awaits us, it is better to meet it head-on. Perhaps we still have time to change something.”

His voice was firm, though a trace of weariness lay hidden beneath it.

Yun Meng fell silent. She merely raised a hand and gently stroked Hua Feng’s forehead.

In that moment, time itself seemed to stop. There was nothing left but the glow of the setting sun and the soft breeze against their faces.

No one knew how long such moments could last, but none of them wished for this one to end suddenly someday.