Three Eyes by Gaslight
Who We Are
Usupers had more value in existing than we . They had magics they were prepared to use on behalf of their clients , while we chided them for their depredations . Is it any wonder why they chose the magi ? With us gone , disease in herds began to grow , and the mortals took notice .
Most of us hid . Only the al-Amin , Salubri who embraced Islam , were open about their heritage ; the Ashirra covenant of the Levant treasured them as members of the community . Others like Mokur , Saulot ’ s childe and companion upon his return from the East , continued to preach Golconda . Too often , this led the Tremere right to us . Most never put up a fight unless it involved defending the mortal flock around them , and even then there was a decided tendency to surrender in exchange for communities remaining unharmed .
The Anarch Revolt and mortal upheavals were a welcome respite for us , even if it was traumatic for the rest of Kindred society . It turns out that not having very many elders , Embracing rarely while maintaining a deep sirechilde mentorship , and hiding within dispossessed mortal communities , tends to insulate a Clan against upstart neonates and downtrodden ancillae . Who knew ? We survived , even thrived , in some isolated Cathar communities .
The Convention of Thorns ended our somewhat-blessed nights . Backed by the Camarilla , the Tremere resumed their hunt . In 1525 , Mokur himself fell to Etrius ’ fangs , and when word spread , those Salubri left in Europe knew it was time to leave . We took root in the far corners of the world , where the Camarilla could not or would not reach : crossing the bright Sahara to become the Nkulu Zao , being adopted by our long-lost cousins the Wu Zao , or joining the Ravnos in their eternal war against the Cathayan menace . And we took steps to stay ahead of the Camarilla , prepping our hiding spaces before they could sweep across the area . The results are writ across my face , childe .
Three Eyes by Gaslight
Our first flirtation with the Sabbat should be seen as our Anarch Revolt some four centuries too late . Emboldened by the Tremere becoming more involved with the Camarilla , we Salubri ancillae Embraced anew , bringing bright lights into the Clan . Globalization brought the Clan back into contact once again . Those lights flared when they became aware of the larger political situation , and demanded we help the enemies of our ancient foes . They defected en masse to the Sabbat , becoming the first Salubri antitribu .
Their tenure was an unhappy one , for several reasons . We were poorly suited to the Sabbat , at least as it was during the Victoria ’ s reign . I was still in my homeland at the time , before Samiel ’ s Precept shook me out of my quiescence , but I learned the results years later : Salubri lost to Wassail or torn apart by their packmates , trying in vain to cling to Humanity or stop their pack from ripping into some unfortunate group of mortals . And the Tremere of the Sabbat weren ’ t terribly fond of the new Salubri . And so our neonates returned to us chastened , or they never returned at all .
Three Eyes in the Modern Nights
A dead Clan ? Hardly . We have to hide our light under a bushel , as my sire was fond of saying , but we shine all the same . The Clan exists in the corners of the world , though I ’ ll grant that “ thrive ” is too strong a word . Where the Camarilla is weak , where humanity is strong : these are where we ensconce ourselves , cleaving to community and duty . For the most part , it ’ s a solitary existence , defaulting to the deep sire-childe mentorship that has always defined our Clan . When we ’ re separated , forced to run , we try to find or found communities based around our heritage . Why else would I come to Utah , to the lion ’ s den ? It is one of the largest Maori communities in the world .
We ’ re hunted by the Camarilla , and our dedication to humanity keeps us separate from the Sabbat , except for a resurgent antitribu . Mortality shields us . Service defines us . Golconda will save us .
Who We Are
The answer to that question , “ Who are we ?” depends on circumstance . In most cases , we ’ re hunted and scorned , victims of a still-ongoing Tremere pogrom and propaganda campaign . Even when they ’ re not actively hunting us — and truth be told , their attempts these nights are half-hearted at best — they oppose us ideologically , and keep us from surfacing openly in Camarilla cities , even if that was something we desired . We cling to Saulot ’ s example : be a light for those Kindred seeking Golconda , even if we haven ’ t found it . Safeguard those who wish to cling to Humanity . Keep the human herds safe , clean , and ready for reaping .
Look for suffering , and you ’ ll find us there , Embracing a childe to act as our eyes and our hands in a community . We ensure they do not suffer overmuch , even as they remain easy targets for Kindred . We keep fangs from a permanent culling , from taking too much . We avoid most vampires of the Camarilla , unless they seek us for the right reasons — and those reasons are enough to suffer risk of exposure . We avoid too the Sabbat , for they are opposed to all we
LORE OF THE BLOODLINES 77