Our Birth
covered in blood. This was the beast that had been eating him piece by piece for weeks.
It spoke.“ Do you really want to die? Do you mortals not cling to life with every last breath?”
He didn’ t hesitate.“ Yes! Please! Do—” He was cut off by a fist being plunged into his gut and twisting his organs, killing him.
Sometime later, Eric awoke again. He was still in that horrific room and he felt his body being pulled toward … the monster. What was this? Death was supposed to be his release, but it seemed it was only another prison.
The monster bared its blood-covered teeth.“ So, now that you’ re dead, I think I’ ll begin with your legs again.”
A True Telling
There was once a time when the children of Caine bit at each other’ s throats and sucked the blood so deep that they drained personalities, smiles, and dreams. Some yearned for such power and others wished it away, but everyone who came to the curse were born of another’ s selfishness and desire. Each sire wanted a companion, a slave, or even just food, but it was their Blood who drove them and nothing else.
We of the Nagaraja have what no Bloodline has: a higher purpose. To rule the night like some Prince isn’ t what we strive for. Running around with our friends in blood-crazed parties to devour anyone in our way has never been a thing with us. Not even a little bit. No, our kind are looking beyond this world and into the next. We have gifts no other Kindred possess, and certain trials in our existences we alone must bear.
Let me introduce you to what the Nagaraja really are, beyond what you’ ve heard from conceited harpies or wayward pack priests. Ours is a sacred birthright, though few are truly worthy of what we possess. I could spout stories of little girls and snakes and churches, but I’ ll keep it simple for you.
Our Birth
Our kind were once death mages in the ancient days of Enoch, necromancers of the highest caliber who delved into the mysteries of the barriers between life and death. They were pioneers in their field, many of whom lived among Cainites in the first Necropolis. When the fall of that great place came and the Kindred fractured, our people knew it was only a matter of time before chaos would destroy everything. A war had started, and the necromancers knew they had to play their part if there was to be order in the world which was to follow.
They obtained a sample of Cainite blood from the strongest they could find among the residents of Enoch, and enacted blood rites to make themselves into beings who were possessed of both life and death, the only type of creature who could live within Enoch. Within this ritual, they also crafted protections that kept them safe within the city. We could walk on ground known to swallow the wicked whole. Air that was cool to our skin burned anyone else, erupting from their lungs to their skin. Even the ghosts who resided there beside the Cainites became cordial and would bend over backwards to aid us.
Let me stop you before you ask, since it’ s the first question most pose when hearing how we came to be. Is it really important which Clan’ s blood was used to create the Nagaraja? I know of a few it couldn’ t have been from, but the staggering number of Clans they had access to in those times tells us— or me at least— that there really isn’ t any way of knowing. Of course, just ask any other Kindred and they’ ll gladly tell you that we are Brujah bastards or the corrupt by-product of a Cappadocian or whatever. Some even say that some Nagaraja went on to create the Samedi in our image. Like I said— everyone’ s got an opinion.
One thing I do know, however, is that even though some Kindred speculate the Tremere were the first mages to play with mixing magic and vitae, that is far from the truth. We were the first, but we don’ t pretend like it’ s a big secret and then let everyone know about it. To be honest, we’ re much happier without all the attention. We have other business to attend to.
64 NAGARAJA