.gif)
Samedi (World of Darkness)
Encyclopedia
The Samedi are a minor independent bloodline of vampire
s from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade
book
s and role-playing game
s, native to the Caribbean
.
The Samedi bloodline has a relatively short but immensely curious history within kindred society. Originating most likely in the Caribbean, the bloodline's members all seem to resemble a zombie or a corpse. Unlike the Nosferatu, who merely become disfigured, the body of the Samedi appears to be in a constant state of decay. Social interactions often fail miserably, as do attempts to integrate into mortal society. Rotting chunks of flesh fall off of their bodies with increasing frequency as they age, and the smell of death clings to them wherever they roam.
The Samedi often serve as Assassins, working for both the Camarilla and the Sabbat.The founder of the bloodline is known only as The Baron and is believed to be the source of the vodoun spirit Baron Samedi
. Along with their powers of Fortitude (unnatural endurance), Obfuscate (invisibility) & Thanatosis (manipulation of the processes of aging and decay), many Samedi are accomplished Necromancers
.
The Samedi were first encountered in Italy and Caribbean, and the bloodline has only been known to exist for the last several hundred years. While there is not a wealth of information available on the bloodline's history, they seem to have some sort of kinship with both the Giovanni and the Nosferatu. Like the Giovanni, they exhibit a morbid fascination with death and dying. Like the Nosferatu, they are absolutely hideous to behold. Each member of the Samedi bloodline appears as a corpse in an advanced stage of decomposition, and their bodies radiate the smell of rotting flesh.
The clan has spread slowly across the globe, though they remain quite small in number. Most progeny are picked from mortals obsessed with death and dying. Those who worked in the mortuary field during their mortal lives appear to be very common, and many members of the clan seem to possess some sort of tranquility with their own mortality.
Rumors persist of some link between the Samedi and the mysterious Sabbat bloodline, the Harbingers of Skulls. In addition, the Nagaraja
bloodline may have some connection to the Samedi's origins.
Many Samedi find employment among kindred society in the form of assassins or bodyguards. While not as skilled in the ways of battle as the Assamites, they prove to be potent foes. Their use of Thanatosis and Necromancy cause other clans to adopt a healthy fear of the Samedi, if not respect.
The members of the clan are often very solitary in nature, and they don't often seek out companionship. Those lucky enough to have actually conversed with a member of this bloodline often recall a certain wisdom and intelligence within them that otherwise would have been overlooked or dismissed outright. While obsessed with death, most of these vampires still seem to possess a wisdom that betrays their short existence.
.
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade is a role-playing game. Created by Mark Rein·Hagen, it was the first of White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness role-playing games, based on the Storyteller System and centered around vampires in a modern gothic-punk world....
book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
s and role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s, native to the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
.
The Samedi bloodline has a relatively short but immensely curious history within kindred society. Originating most likely in the Caribbean, the bloodline's members all seem to resemble a zombie or a corpse. Unlike the Nosferatu, who merely become disfigured, the body of the Samedi appears to be in a constant state of decay. Social interactions often fail miserably, as do attempts to integrate into mortal society. Rotting chunks of flesh fall off of their bodies with increasing frequency as they age, and the smell of death clings to them wherever they roam.
The Samedi often serve as Assassins, working for both the Camarilla and the Sabbat.The founder of the bloodline is known only as The Baron and is believed to be the source of the vodoun spirit Baron Samedi
Baron Samedi
Baron Samedi is one of the Loa of Haitian Voodoo. Samedi is a Loa of the dead, along with Baron's numerous other incarnations Baron Cimetière, Baron La Croix, and Baron Kriminel. He is the head of the Guédé family of Loa, or an aspect of them, or possibly their spiritual father...
. Along with their powers of Fortitude (unnatural endurance), Obfuscate (invisibility) & Thanatosis (manipulation of the processes of aging and decay), many Samedi are accomplished Necromancers
Necromancy
Necromancy is a claimed form of magic that involves communication with the deceased, either by summoning their spirit in the form of an apparition or raising them bodily, for the purpose of divination, imparting the ability to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge...
.
The Samedi were first encountered in Italy and Caribbean, and the bloodline has only been known to exist for the last several hundred years. While there is not a wealth of information available on the bloodline's history, they seem to have some sort of kinship with both the Giovanni and the Nosferatu. Like the Giovanni, they exhibit a morbid fascination with death and dying. Like the Nosferatu, they are absolutely hideous to behold. Each member of the Samedi bloodline appears as a corpse in an advanced stage of decomposition, and their bodies radiate the smell of rotting flesh.
The clan has spread slowly across the globe, though they remain quite small in number. Most progeny are picked from mortals obsessed with death and dying. Those who worked in the mortuary field during their mortal lives appear to be very common, and many members of the clan seem to possess some sort of tranquility with their own mortality.
Rumors persist of some link between the Samedi and the mysterious Sabbat bloodline, the Harbingers of Skulls. In addition, the Nagaraja
Nagaraja
Nagaraja is a Sanskrit word from naga and raj meaning King of Snakes. It is applied to three main deities, Anantha , Takshak, and Vasuki. Anantha, Vasuki and Takshak are brothers, children of Kashyap and Kadru, who are the parents of all snakes...
bloodline may have some connection to the Samedi's origins.
Organization
The Samedi very rarely congregate as a clan, and those chance occurrences where they meet are merely informal gatherings of two or three members who gossip and then go their separate ways. The bloodline claims absolutely no affiliation with any sect or cause, though it has members within the ranks of both the Camarilla and the Sabbat.Many Samedi find employment among kindred society in the form of assassins or bodyguards. While not as skilled in the ways of battle as the Assamites, they prove to be potent foes. Their use of Thanatosis and Necromancy cause other clans to adopt a healthy fear of the Samedi, if not respect.
The members of the clan are often very solitary in nature, and they don't often seek out companionship. Those lucky enough to have actually conversed with a member of this bloodline often recall a certain wisdom and intelligence within them that otherwise would have been overlooked or dismissed outright. While obsessed with death, most of these vampires still seem to possess a wisdom that betrays their short existence.
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle
The Samedi also appear as a bloodline in the card game Vampire: The Eternal StruggleVampire: The Eternal Struggle
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, published as Jyhad in the first or "Limited" edition and often abbreviated as VTES, V:TES or V:tES, is a multiplayer collectible card game set in the World of Darkness. It is published by White Wolf, Inc....
.
Strategy
The Samedi cards mix well with the Giovanni and Harbingers of Skulls, and to a lesser extent, with the Ventrue. The Samedi can be played in a single-clan deck but, like most bloodlines, don't have the numbers to be as strong alone as when mixed with other clans.Further reading
- White Wolf Games Studio et al., Vampire Storytellers Companion (White Wolf Game Studio, 1998, ISBN 1-56504-259-X)
- Justin Achilli, Clanbook: Cappadocian (White Wolf Game Studio, 1997, ISBN 1-56504-280-8)
- Andrew Greenberg, Vampire Players Guide (White Wolf Game Studio, 1993, ISBN 1-56504-053-8)