It is said that Nosferatu wear the Beast on the outside. They are all invariably hideous, and unless they hide themselves behind the masks of Obfuscate, cannot appear to mortals. They are gatherers of secrets, and often know things no-one else does.
- Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Obfuscate, Potence
- Advantages: Nosferatu start with one level of City Secrets. They also are able to "buy off" their Beast Traits and Inhumanity Traits for half XP cost.
- Disadvantages: Appearance is 0, and cannot be increased. Nosferatu always lose social challenges that involve their appearance while their true visage is visible.
Nosferatu Theme
The Nosferatu clan personifies the dilemma of the good man in a bad situation. When everyone around you is a monster, how do you survive? How far are you willing to go to stop the evil in the world, even if only for a little while? They wear their curse on their face, and it is enough. The Nosferatu represent the dying sense of morality - scheming blood-drinkers who are given to moments of compassion and humanity. If such a thing were possible, they would be the "heroes" of the vampiric world. But such a thing is not possible, for vampires are monsters, and none can see that more plainly than the hideous Nosferatu.
Nosferatu in Los Angeles
Perhaps it is the arrogance of the other clans that gives rise to the popular notion that the Nosferatu do not enjoy power and influence. In Los Angeles, as with every other city in the world, this is patently false. But in Los Angeles, the other clans are more aware of that power. The difference is that in Los Angeles, the Nosferatu are more involved with mortal affairs than is typical, and they do wield power. And yes, part of that power links right back to the Nosferatu's traditional niche of being -extremely- well informed, and their willingness to sell (or not sell) that information to the highest bidder.
The Nosferatu are everywhere, with their fingers in a bit of every dish. As a new city, Los Angeles does not have the grand, arching sewers of Prague or Vienna or even New York, so the Nosferatu are forced to the surface. They move among the mortals, cloaked and disguised. Nosferatu influence can be found in transportation and other civil works, and even in city bureaucracies.
It also deserves mentioning that the Nosferatu were at the forefront of the city's defense against the Sabbat in 1957, and even earned a clanwide boon from Prince Rodrigo for their service. (A boon that obviously will never be repaid.)