Murderer Conventions
The Followers of Set
The True Black Hand
number in the hundreds, far below what other Clans tout as their badge of superiority, but with smaller numbers we can make moves with much less focus put on us. Seeing as we began with only a handful and have had to contend with being hunted, I think those are commendable numbers.
Some of us have come to terms with their monstrous sides and hide on the outskirts of cities, feasting on the occasional traveler but otherwise staying away from people. Most necessities can be ordered via the internet now, so interaction with mortals is really unnecessary except for when it’ s time to eat. One or two missing persons can go by without a blink. Depending on the city, several hundred is dismissible by the authorities who don’ t need the extra paperwork.
Wise Nagaraja have created dungeons, places to eat in silence. These are preferably soundproof and easy to clean, with plastic sheet wrap or built-in drainage for the blood that spills. To the laymen, dungeons resemble slaughter houses, but the human animal often requires special tools. Always having duct tape and plastic zip ties on hand can keep a Nagaraja alive. No matter where Kindred end up on the food pyramid, humans fight back with alarming regularity. With no Kiss to lull our prey, tranquilizers work as a suitable replacement.
Murderer Conventions
Our existence is, by necessity, a solitary one. There’ s just no way to incorporate any kind of normal life of friends and family when you’ re a monster. A few of us have tried to rope in ghosts as companions, but even they grow scarce when our hunger overtakes us and we rip into their ectoplasm just as easily as a human’ s flesh. We eat everything and anything we can get out hands on, after all.
Living in such a way can be damaging to the mental state of even the most stable Nagaraja, however, which is why we cling to others within our bloodline. About every decade or so, as many Nagaraja as we can contact gather in a strange … well, I call them murderer conventions. Others call them silent conclaves, but it never seemed to capture what it was like to attend one of these surreal events. The strongest among our bloodline keep the younger Nagaraja up to date on our biggest threats. Young Nagaraja catch our elders up on the latest technological advancements that can help us survive. I’ ve been to six of these conventions, and each one grows larger and larger. Of course, by“ large” I mean it started off with around ten Nagaraja and today it’ s closer to seventy-five. Each of us is encouraged to bring an offering to share and help stave off the amount of hunting necessary to sustain such a large group. This combined with the fact that we always pick a different city for each of these larger gatherings, allows us to avoid the police( or other Kindred) from picking up any kind of scent.
The logistics behind silent conclaves with more than a handful Nagaraja isn’ t as simple as one might think, and usually involves a collective effort of all attendees. Ghouls with connections in real estate find homes for rent large enough to hold the event, and the Nagaraja who live in the hosting town painstakingly prepare the neighborhood for others’ arrival. This includes feasting on nosy neighbors and making ghouls of the local security agencies. It can take months to prepare for this sort of event, and missing one detail can be devastating.
We had an incident like this occur at the last gathering in Detroit, where a random coterie of Brujah decided to enter the convention in some sort of macho display. Seeing how many of us there were, the Brujah quickly turned to run, but it was over for them the moment they stepped across the doorway. We make sure to avoid that city now, as I’ m sure word of Nagaraja has spread. No need to go looking for trouble.
The Followers of Set
Make no mistake … there is no Clan more an enemy to the Nagaraja than the Followers of Set. Regardless of whether a sire sticks around to teach that to their childer, it is a deep-rooted urge that each of us has to rid the world of any Setite. They are liars, cheats, and swindlers, and are extremely proud of it. A Nagaraja’ s blood boils in their presence, though the truly gifted can hold themselves back from annihilating their enemy on sight. As the elders tell it, the entire purpose our bloodline was created was to rid the world( the current one or the afterlife, whichever you prefer) of these wretched creatures and everything they stand for.
Seems during the modern nights, the Followers of Set have burned almost as many bridges as we have. They’ re allowed more freedom of movement, but a wise Kindred won’ t believe a word they say, regardless of how well they sell their snake oil.
The True Black Hand
The silent conclaves are good for a number of things, but none more than the ability to speak with our elders who apparently still serve the True Black Hand. They say there is a way back to Enoch and some of them have left their depressing, solitary existence to go serve that great purpose I was speaking of before.
I know what you’ re thinking … why am I here talking to you instead of following my betters into the void? That’ s an easy
68 NAGARAJA