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