“If you are to drop your coin on one thing, let it be that you understand; if you are to lie, it should be a good one. Because a good lie can be a great story.” 

– Stefan Marcu, Survivor of the Week of Nightmares 

Ravnos prefer subtlety over physicality, masters of deception and manipulation. Why fight your way in when you can charm your way in. This mentality is well known to other clans and many Raven’s keep their identity hidden. When discovered they generally move on to places that are not familiar with them. Many Ravnos believe they are akin to the trickster gods: Coyote, Anansi, Loki, Raven, and others. All cultures seem to have a tale of a capricious deity whose divine task is to teach humility and more through their tricks and chaos. The Ravens take this sacred duty to heart, and they continue to ‘instruct’ vampires in all walks of life on a nightly basis. This earns them precious few allies and innumerable hostile relationships. Forced to live on the move, and continually on the outskirts of all society, their lives are lonely and difficult.

The Ravnos take these hardships in stride, looking at each task with the smirk of an overconfident stuntman about to make their next leap. For potential childer, they look to mortals who have already severed their close ties to other people. Their isolation makes it so that many newly Embraced Ravnos adjust to the rigors of their changed lives easier than most vampires. 

The clan is disorganized. Due to their need to be constantly on the move, it is difficult for Ravnos to gather in any number. Through an established and elaborate system of symbols, iconography and gestures, Ravnos come to recognize and know each other, even when they would hide their identities from other clans. Whenever they get the chance, they stop moving in the presence of their clanmates long enough to share stories, a warm meal, and a safe place to spend the day. 

Disciplines 

Animalism: Furthering the belief that they are the children of capricious trickster deities, the Ravens find they have an affinity towards animals, especially ravens, foxes, coyotes, spiders and monkeys. Ravnos use animals as spies, distractions and companions while on the move. 

Obfuscate: The Ravnos excel at manipulating the powers of Obfuscate to create elaborate and sustained hallucinations. The ability to vanish and change their appearance is a must-have in any Raven’s arsenal, but the Ravnos have mastered combining this Discipline with Presence to propel certain properties of Obfuscate beyond themselves into the world. 

Presence: Ravens lean heavily on the use of Presence. It is an obvious tactic in situations where their innate charm and persuasion just isn’t enough. Almost every Ravnos utilizes this Discipline to some degree. 

Archetypes 

Master of Illusions: Every good magician knows that magic is all about misdirection. Perhaps during their mortal lives they were illusionists, street game hustlers, or even carnival barkers, but one thing remains constant: their force of personality allows them to misdirect and control the narrative. No matter how hard others try to keep their eyes on both hands, there is always a split second where someone blinks. Once this Ravnos has the upper hand, it’s all downhill from there. 

Faceless One: These Ravens found a way to set down stable locations, multiple havens in cities large enough that they can sleep in a different place every day, avoiding the curse of their bloodline. Maybe they have a mobile haven, and they park in a different lot each night to avoid detection. Whatever it is, these Ravnos wear different aliases and are comfortable no matter what illusory face they are wearing on a given night. It’s unlikely anyone outside the clan even knows what their real clan is. 

Daredevil Extraordinaire: A rare exception to the rule that most Ravnos tend to hide who they are from the surrounding vampiric populace, this Raven thrives in the limelight. They are the ultimate distraction, keeping their cousins safe by drawing attention towards themselves. They teach lessons through their actions and back up every one of their wild claims. 

Bane 

The fire of the sun that incinerated their clan founder erupts from a Raven’s Blood if they ever settle in one place too long. If a Ravnos does not spend one downtime action per month moving from haven to haven or sleeping in different locations, they take a number of Aggravated Damage equal to their Bane Severity. This damage is unaffected by any levels of Fortitude they possess. Instead, for each point of damage she would take, she can make a simple test against the Storyteller. On an outright win, she avoids one point of Aggravated Damage. The Ravnos starts the next game with any remaining Aggravated Damage from failed or tied tests, as well as any other Aggravated Damage unmended between game sessions (See Damage Mended, page XX). The downtime action is spent making sure the Ravnos does not sleep within a mile of the last place for seven days in a row. Ravnos cannot take the No Haven Flaw at character creation. 

Compulsion: Tempting Fate 

A Ravnos is driven by their Blood to pursue danger. When suffering from their Compulsion, a Ravnos is incapable of attempting a safe solution to any problem. She suffers a -2 penalty to any actions that the Storyteller deems safe or unthreatening. This penalty does not apply to defensive test pools. 

For example, a Ravnos fleeing from an assailant while under this Compulsion could attempt to cross the river safely and quietly on foot. She would suffer a -2 penalty to her Athletics and her Stealth pools by taking this safe action. On the other hand, she could drive her motorcycle through open territory while under her opponent’s gunfire. This Drive check would not suffer a penalty. In combat, a Ravnos suffering from her Clan Compulsion uses dangerous and unsafe tactics, either fighting against the odds or not retreating when she otherwise would. As long as the player can appropriately describe why her combat actions are dangerous, she does not suffer a penalty. 

This Compulsion persists until the problem is solved, the scene ends, or further attempts become impossible.