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