Toreador

"Oh, yes, isn't she exquisite. Yes, she's my newest find - I'm her muse, the sweet little creature. Imagine! And what of - oh, Thomas? Why, I could hardly say - after all, he had his "15 minutes," as they say, but it just wasn't going to last, and it all became so very' tedious, So I had to say adieu. Suicide? Really! Silly boy - he should thank me, then, that I didn't give him the Embrace. It would have made things so difficult, after all..."

"Beauty is the curse and blessing of this clan. The vampiric condition engenders in the Toreador a capacity for a fugue-like appreciation or absorption with the beautiful; it is the well-known and often mocked weakness of the Toreador. (Despite the Romantic connotations, no reference to Toro or to Spanish origin are part of the oral and written tradition of these kindred.) This is the precondition for their obsession with art, or the wholesale rejection of it. These reactions, properties of the artiste and poseur cliques respectively, reenact the classic attempts to gain some form of control over that which dominates the individual." "Toreador are social creatures. They often behave as nouveau riche striving to master the salon culture they believe to be their duty, much like the subjects of television melodramas. They have internalized an aesthetic of their elders, most without considering the benefits and restrictions."

"The opposite extreme is that of the tortured artist, the Byronic hero who must suffer for his art in an attempt to recreate as a capricious muse the petty tyrant that controls his perceptions. Despite their position on the polaric scale, all Toreador are primarily concerned with beauty and the artificial attempt to create it. Politically, they seek protection for and access to these works and the environments that create them. " -- The Prince's Primer

The Toreador are called many things - "degenerates," "artistes," "poseurs" and "hedonists" being but a few. But any such lumpen categorization does the clan a disservice. Depending on the individual and her mood, Toreador are alternately elegant and flamboyant, brilliant and ludicrous, visionary and dissipated.

Perhaps the only truism that can be applied to the clan is its members aesthetic zeal. Whatever a Toreador does, she does with passion. Whatever a Toreador is, she is with passion. To the Toreador, eternal life is to be savored. Many Toreador were artists, musicians or poets in life; many more have spent frustrating centuries producing laughable attempts at art, music or poetry Toreador tout themselves as cultivators of all that is best about humanity.. Occasionally, a particularly gifted or inspired creator is Embraced into the clan, to preserve her talent for eternity. In this manner, Clan Toreador has inducted some of humanity's greatest artists, poets and musicians into its ranks; -of course, if one thing can be said about the Toreador, it is that no two of them agree on precisely what "gifted" or "inspired" means. Of all clans, Toreador are the vampires most connected to the mortal world. While other vampires view the kine as pawns or simple sustenance, Toreador glide gracefully and effortlessly through the society of the Canaille, sampling the delights of each age as a gourmand savors rare delicacies. Toreador are the Kindred most likely to fall in love with mortals, and they surround themselves with the best, most elegant and most luxurious things - and people - that the world has to offer. It is, thus, acutely tragic when a Toreador succumbs to ennui and discards aesthetic pursuits in favor of pointless hedonism. Such Kindred become decadent sybarites, concerned only with indulging personal whims and vices.

Toreador are committed to the Camarilla and share the Ventrue's love of high society, though not for them the tedium of actually running things - that's what functionaries are for, after all. Toreador know that their place is to captivate and inspire - through their witty speech, graceful deeds and simple, scintillating existence.

Nickname: Degenerates

Sect: Most Toreador are in the Camarilla, as only that august organization promotes "culture" and allows the Toreador to live among the mortals they so favor. Those in the Sabbat pursue bizarre "artistic" pastimes, such as torture and blood-painting, or are the rulers of the most decadent underground movements.

Appearance: Toreador Embrace out of passion as much as any other reason; accordingly, many Toreador are creatures of surpassing beauty. Of all Kindred, Toreador are the vampires most attuned to human fashion trends; centuries-old Degenerates are often more stylish than Some 30-year-old mortals. If it's in, chances are that at least one Toreador will adopt it.

Haven: Toreador take care to ensure that their havens are comfortable, convenient for socializing and - above all conform to their aesthetic tastes. Vampires of a more artistic bent might maintain spacious lofts to display their works, while their "poseur" counterparts love opulent suites perfect for hosting parties.

Background: Toreador range across a spectrum of concepts, from lonely, tortured artists to debauched jetsetters. Some Toreador are Embraced for no reason other than their beauty or personal style, as a passionate sire decides that they simply must be preserved for eternity.

Character Creation: Social Attributes and Abilities are prized among the clan, though Toreador are typically concerned less with outright control than with making a good impression. Perception is also favored, both for creation and for critiquing. Artistes favor Abilities such as Expression and Performance, often enjoying very high levels in these aesthetic Traits; their poseur brethren must make do with Abilities like Subterfuge.

Etiquette: Toreador are very social creatures, and love adoration from both Kindred and kine; as such, Backgrounds like Allies, Contacts, Fame, Herd, Resources and Status are common.

Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Presence

Weaknesses: Toreador are preternaturally attuned to the aesthetic and beautiful, but this sensitivity can prove dangerous. When a Toreador views, hears or even smells something that is truly beautiful - a person, a painting, a song, a particularly lovely sunrise - he must make a Self-control roll (difficulty 6) or become entranced by the sensation. The Toreador will stand in rapt fascination for a scene or until the beautiful thing withdraws. Enraptured Toreador may not even defend themselves if attacked, though being wounded allows them to make another Self-control roll to "break the spell."

Organization: Toreador have little practical organization, though their cliquishness and social networks are legendary . The clan meets frequently, but more as an excuse to host lavish parties and showings than to accomplish anything. Status among the Toreador is a tempestuous whirlwind in which one subtle smile or catty critique can lead to fortune or disaster; a prodigy may be adored one night, commit a barely perceptible faux pas, and be ostracized the next.

Bloodlines: Toreador put a fair degree of stock in lineage; a vampire fortunate enough to descend from a favored sire is lavished with adoration ( to her face, anyway) , while childer of a sire "on the outs" suffer social humiliation. Few of these lines deviate from the main clan in any significant way. The Toreador antitribu of the Sabbat are a notable exception, for they take equal aesthetic delight in great beauty or great ugliness.