“I am who I choose to be.” 

– Marie of Transylvania 

A distant lord in a castle atop a peak. Villagers going on a visit to the noble’s home, never to return. Crates of dirt are shipped across long distances, as ships fall under mysterious curses while crossing the ocean. Many vampire legends long past are whispered among mortals because of the Tzimisce. 

Above all things, the Tzimisce care about dominion. Some value owning an area; others value control of certain types of people. Whether it is a neighborhood, a gang, or a company that a Dragon has claimed as its hoard, they are relentless in the pursuit of their ambitions and difficult to remove once they have claimed their prize. To be Tzimisce is to possess because it is right to do so, and to give up one’s dominion willingly is unthinkable. The stereotypical domain of a Dragon was once the stuff of legend. Castles on crags, overlooking entire towns, were a common image for the past of Clan Tzimisce, but now young Dragons are just as often cruel slum lords as they are aloof rulers of beautiful estates. Dominion is not about the ruler helping the ruled to thrive. What matters to the Dragon is ownership. 

Even the Embrace is an act of dominion. When a Tzimisce chooses to Embrace, it is ultimately an act of control. Relationships between a sire and their childer are traditional and hierarchical. In many cases, they are downright controlling. Sometimes, the childe is willing to join the ranks of the Dragons, but, more often than not, the young descendant is Embraced and learns to fear their aloof master. In time, they too will covet, capture, and control in a cycle of dominion. The Tzimisce drive for control extends to their own bodies, which they learn to change and rework through their mastery of Protean. To many Tzimisce, it is essential to master one’s own mind and understand that they walk a philosophical road leading to transcendance of the limits of flesh itself. 

Tzimisce were once mighty leaders among the Sabbat, and some of the most relentless and cruel cell members terrorizing Camarilla domains are vengeful Dragons. Since the fall of the Sabbat as a sect, many younger Tzimisce have found their way into the Anarch Movement, where they can protect and guide their gangs. Wise Tzimisce in the Anarchs wear the trappings of a friend, rather than an owner. However, though they may present as a loving and guiding hand, it should never be forgotten that Tzimisce can slip from that loving and providing protector to a domineering tyrant in the blink of an eye. Few Tzimisce have joined the Camarilla. This is generally because they do not do well as possessions, bending knee to an unknowable ancient vampire overlord. 

Disciplines 

Animalism: In the oldest folk stories about vampires, there has always been a connection with the animal denizens of the land. The Tzimisce are a large part of the reason for this. Many Dragons use Animalism as a way of exercising their dominion, turning the local fauna into their dedicated servants. 

Dominate: Tzimisce will enforce loyalty over those they control, conditioning their servants to perform as extensions of their own will. When using Dominate against their vampiric rivals it gives them the ability to seize anything they desire. 

Protean: Tzimisce pride themselves on being masters of all, including their own bodies. Using Protean, they can force their bodies into other shapes commonly associated with vampire myths, such as the bat and the wolf. Many Tzimisce have developed methods which surpass the capabilities of basic Protean and allow them to work flesh and bone as easily as artists sculpt clay. 

Archetypes 

Effects Artist: Since the advent of the circus of the bizarre, people with the talent to imagine and create monsters have always been in demand. Dragons excel in this arena, being unafraid to look into the minds of those around them and put faces to their deepest fears. These Kindred become masters of creating living monstrosities, with more than a few students of Protean falling into this archetype. 

Statement Piece: Being able to walk into a room and own it with sheer presence is what so many strive to achieve. These Dragons perfect their image to exactly what is needed at that moment. Worshiped and adored as living gods, these Tzimisce cultivate a cult of followers who would lay down their lives for their master’s favor. 

Entomologist: Most vampires never really consider mastery of animals outside of mammals, and when they do they hardly think to look towards insects and spiders. These Dragons have made the so-called lesser orders of some arthropods their domain, playing on the fear and disgust it inspires.Often, they fashion themselves and their homes with insectoid traits, becoming more and more detached from anything appearing human. 

Bane 

Tzimisce are ruled by what they possess. Choose a charge, a group of people, an organization, a physical domain (such as dedicated Haven Background, which must be purchased by the Tzimisce) or something more esoteric – but defined and limited. The Dragon must sleep surrounded by their chosen charge. If they do not, when they Awaken they lose a number of Willpower equal to their Bane Severity. 

Compulsion: Covetousness 

To be Tzimisce is to own something completely, to be one with it beyond any doubt. When a Dragon suffers this Compulsion, they become obsessed with possessing something in the scene. This can be anything from a person, to a piece of property, or an object. Any action not taken towards this purpose incurs a -2 penalty. The Compulsion persists until ownership is established (the Storyteller decides what constitutes “ownership” for a non-physical object), the object of desire becomes unattainable, or the scene ends.