Posting it herer as well, to get some additional input, but here comes a custom bloodline for your enjoyment to read, written to be part of the Victorian Age line of VtM material.
And for readers I have a rather different question, in what direction could or should it be developed? I feel it’s not really distinct enough from the normal Nosferatu to warrant its bloodline status at this point but I don’t really feel any obvious direction in which to develop these guys. Suggestions would be welcome.
Brothers of the Rat
The Brothers of the Rat appeared as the great cities of the industrialization grew across the world. Some say they were active also earlier but there have been few reliable records of such presence. What is known is that the Brothers of the Rat are a breed who are shunned by most and seldom find camaraderie beyond each other and sometimes the Nosferatu Clan who can at times see their own in these Kindred. While many have reacted with surprise and disgust at the Brothers of the Rat there have also been some interest and employment of them in ways of skulduggery for scrapings from the tables of the wealthy. Many of them do come to the Camarilla like other lower class Clans and there make their gestures before withdrawing as fast as possible away from the condemning eyes of their “betters”.
One of the main problems for the Brothers of the Rat is that as not being proper Nosferatu and Embraced into the fold, they seldom find acceptance without proving their mettle to the Sewer Rats, thus it’s not unheard of for a message of an incoming sheriff to not pass by the Brother of the Rat who thus gets caught. The one true companion to the Ratmen is the vermin of their name with which they gain their needed sustenance from the dead and together with whom they share their unfortunate unlives, unfortunate lives that can breed both great empathy but also the most bitter hate imaginable.
Nickname: Ratmen
Sect: Mostly Camarilla but with some Sabbat members.
Appearance: Like all the brood of Absimilard the Brothers of the Rat are disfigured and walking breeches of the Masquerade. But unlike the traditional disfigurement of the Sewer Rats the Ratmen are drawn to a more animalistic look but not quite animal. Instead they might have rat-like teeth, a skittish movement or thick brown body hair. All of which makes them look to hint at the rodents. But given how their bodies tend to be wracked by the Embrace and their bent, broken and cracked forms along with their animal-like looks can make for an, unpleasant, appearance.
Havens: The havens of the Brothers of the Rat are mostly filthy with the difference that rats seems to more or less make it as much of their homes as that of the Kindred himself or herself. But given the rats’ presence it’s most often in some place where rats can thrive and a signs is often that cats goes missing with great frequency in the local neighbourhood.
Background: Almost all Ratmen are from a poor social standing and most of them lacks social graces and were known cohabitations with rats, vermin and worse also before their Embrace. With a few unfortunate people from more established classes who are brought into the night as a Brother of the Rat, often in bitter revenge from a member of the bloodline.
Character Creation: Most Brothers of the Rat focus on physical attributes and learn stealth and the skills to live as one of, and manipulate, the rats. Social skills are last while wits and quick thinking makes for excellent mental traits for a Ratman. Given the poor social standing most of the bloodline has before their Embrace, intellectual skills are seldom parts of the parcel while physical are more often used and social skills were useful in their mortal lives.
Disciplines: Animalism, Obfuscate, Celerity
Weakness: Beyond the normal appearance weakness of the Nosferatu, which in this case takers the form of breaking down the humanoid form and giving them rat-like traits, the Brothers of the Rat are also cursed with scavenging their unlife from the leftovers of others. The Brothers of the Rat are unable to drink blood properly but can only gain Vitae from consuming coagulated blood. This often means them feasting on the dead poor who have been lying around for a while or keep corpses in their havens from which they nibble away in order to get to the precious Vitae inside. It’s a forced habit that has not endeared much sympathy from polite society and created more than a few problems for risking the Masquerade.
Organization: Mostly the Brothers of the Rat are more or less alone or contact with a Sire or Childer. But on occasion the bloodline will keep together in almost tribal broods that are filled with back-biting bitches and assholes under single patriarch or matriarch that unites against outsider threats. When these gatherings happen isolationism and hostility towards the outside world often set in and they form unhealthy cult-like tribes with a siege mentality, warranted or not. God help any mortal or Kindred outsider who happens to wander into their arms. There has even been tales traded among the Ratmen and the Nosferatu that Brothers of the Rat, living together in squalor and darkness find each other in other ways as well. Tales of rat kings where groups of Ratmen meld together in body and mind to slowly grow towards a horrible thing. In fact some travelled Nosferatu have speculate if there isn’t a connection between the Ratmen and the fleshcrafting of the Fiends.
Quote: To me death, decay and darkness are the foundations of life and energy for both myself and my living companions.
Stereotypes
Camarilla
Upper Class
Sigh, more riffraff to pollute our fair city. Keep them in their place and away from me if you would, officer.
Middle Class
Damnable, lazy and cowardly they must be forced at every minute to do an honest day’s work and would rather live in the sewer than do an honest day’s work.
Lower Class
Our unseen brothers in misery
Brujah
Driven away by the arrogance of greed, we’re standing up for them and will be there to give them a hand and a smile should they come to claim their due and join with us.
Nosferatu
We are kin and share much the same, I am happy that the vermin will at least keep these brothers of mine company.
Sabbat
Many of them are despondent but we are the vehicles through which they can find a purpose and revenge
I posted this on several forums at the same time and I've gotten some good feedback. Don't feel any pressure.