Ravnos Antediluvian

The nature of the Ravnos Antediluvian is shrouded in lies and half-truthes, perhaps even more so than most of the Antediluvians. The Ravnos are known for being tricksters and liars, and there is certainly a measure of truth to that stereotype. On the otherhand, they might argue that the real value of storytelling comes from the lessons learned and impressions made rather preserving the facts of a time long past. Either way, there are widely different portrayals of the clan's founder and almost no stories of him since recorded history. Whatever the true story might be, the Eldest Ravnos is believed to have risen in India in 1999 during the Week of Nightmares and to have been slain.

Origin and History
There are several stories concerning the origin of the Ravnos. The first, detailed in Clanbook: Ravnos, speaks of the Rom as outcasts of the First City and of Ravnos as the favored childe of Caine. This would imply that the Ravnos clan founder was actually a member of the Second Generation. There are some notable problems with this story, however, namely that the Gypsies did not exist as a culture so long ago and that if Ravnos was killed in the Second City, as the tale atests, then he certainly wasn't the one to have risen in the Week of Nightmares.

The Tale of Ravnos
The history of the Roma begins as wanderers and outcasts of the Enoch, the First City. One family of these Gypsies was known as the Powara and were kinfolk of the descendents of Sarrath, werewolves that would later be known as the Silent Striders. One night during their travels the youngest daughter of the Powara's leader, Laetshi, invited a stranger to camp with them. The man introduced himself as Caine, though he would be called Kaen in the Powara tongue. After sharing with the Gypsies tales of the fall of the First City and his curse to never walk among the children of Eve, Kaen was surprised to be invited by the Powara to travel alongside them for as long as he liked, provided he did not feed from among them. The lupines that had long lived alongside the Powara refused to welcome Kaen amongst them, but for the time being they tolerated his presence.

During the months that Kaen walked with the Powara he came to be loved by them, particularly by their leader's son, a adolescent boy named Ravnos who was filled with the passions and dreams of youth. When his father was killed by wandering vampires, Ravnos pleaded with Kaen to give his father eternal life, but upon realizing that was not possible Ravnos instead accepted the Embrace himself. But when the werewolves realized what had happened to Ravnos, they fell into a rage and advanced against Kaen and his new childe. Bloodshed was avoided only by the intervention of Laetshi, who shared with everyone her visions of the future where Ravnos and his descendents would protect the Rom from other vampires that would otherwise drain them of their blood and souls. It was the destiny of the Ravnos to watch over their family among the living. Moved by her words, the lupines departed, though swearing curses upon Kaen and Ravnos. Kaen, for his part, realized that his time among the Roma was over, but taught Ravnos the powers of Animalism and Fortitude before departing. Ravnos is said to have later developed the signature Discipline of his clan, Chimerstry, himself with the help of his sister.

The story continues to speak of the meeting of Ravnos and Ennoia, who would eventually betray him and bring about his death. Guided by Ravnos and his childer, the Rom eventually came to the Second City and made camp outside its walls. There Ravnos witnessed the vampire Ennoia being banished from the city, and he pitied her as one outcast for another. He welcomed Ennoia among his family, and overtime they become close friends as they shared tales of their journeys, and then lovers as they made daring raids together to steal and beguile the Cainites of the Second City. But Ennoia grew bored of their time together, and endeavored to supplant him as leader of the Gypsies by handing Ravnos over to the leaders of the Second City. But when Ravnos and Ennoia did not return from a foray into the city, Laetshi used her Sight to find them and witnessed the destruction of her brother as he was left tied atop the city's high temple to meet the sun's morning light. Furious with rage, Laetshi summoned her kin among the childer of Ravnos and the descendents of Sarrath so that they might subdue Ennoia. When Ennoia returned to the Gypsy camps she was captured, and the Rom gathered to pass judgment upon her. According to the tale it was Kaen who would hand out punishment, however, joining the Rom's gathering to condemn the betrayer of his favorite son. Cursing Ennoia as a beast, Kaen placed upon her what would become the clan curse of all Gangrel. Condemned, Ennoia fleed, but in her descendents a feud would continue to be waged between the Ravnos and Gangrel.