The Pisanob are a bloodline of necromancers that is centered around Mexico and South America and are allied with the Giovanni. They were formerly led by Pochtli, a powerful premascine necromancer.
Overview[]
The Pisanob originated from Aztec necromancers that were Embraced during the 16th century in order to preserve their unique traditions from extinction. Even today, the Pisanob's style of Necromancy, as well as their rituals, remain different from the main clan.
Although most of their temple havens in the Mexican hinterlands remain secure, many outlying Pisanob havens in Mexico have been compromised. Between unchecked rampages by the Sabbat and Underworld conflicts with the resurfaced Harbingers of Skulls, the Pisanob were beleaguered even before the crippling maelstrom in the spirit world. When half their phantom servants were destroyed in an instant, the Pisanob were finally vulnerable to the vengeance of spirits who had awaited a chance since before Columbus came to the Americas.
The only reason the temple of Pochtli has survived is that the maelstrom and its aftermath caught the Pisanob's enemies as flat-footed as it did the Kindred themselves. The Harbingers of Skulls suffered the ghostly apocalypse at least as badly as the Central and South American Giovanni. As for other Pisanob, they have found themselves frequently targeted by a group of humans who claim to be driven by a higher power to reclaim the world. Numerous Pisanob have met their ends at the hands of these mortal Hunters, too, finding themselves caught between the warring sects or compromised to save another Kindred's skin.
In secret, the Pisanob fear that Gehenna has come. To answer this threat, Pochtli revitalized Aztec sacrificial ceremonies to gather the hearts of enough Kindred to appease the things that will rise. Most Pisanob who knew of this keep it a secret, because they fear retaliation from the Giovanni family that would surely destroy them.
In recent nights, the Harbingers brought them closer than ever to the absolute brink of extinction. Only the willing sacrifice of Pochtli brought their hostilities to a close. The Pisanob, even in their diminished state, were soon after recognized as their own bloodline within the Hecata at the Family Reunion.
Bloodline (V5)[]
In the early sixteenth century, Spanish Giovanni met representatives of the Aztec civilization as part of the Cortes expeditions. In the city of Tenochtitlan (now part of Mexico City), these Giovanni were introduced to a massive, formalized necromantic tradition. So naturally, they killed, enslaved, and converted the “heathens,” bringing them into the fold. The Giovanni called these converts Pisanob, a Mayan term that roughly translates to “ghosts of the dead that walk the Earth” (the fact that the Aztecs weren’t Mayan didn’t concern the Europeans). That these vampires already had a name, a legacy, and their own beliefs mattered little to the Giovanni.
Their leader, Pochtli, was still in charge of the Pisanob up through the Family Reunion. However, the family had been whittled down to a bare few remaining Kindred after the ongoing attacks by the Harbingers of Skulls, although the reasons for the attacks were unknown. Pochtli offered his unlife to the Harbingers in exchange for an end to hostilities, which the Harbingers accepted.
Now, the remaining children of Tenochtitlan are deciding on a new leader while planning their revenge.
Hiding from the Wolf: The Pisanob is skilled in being unseen by both predator and prey, getting one extra die on any roll to hide by any means, including by Disciplines or Ceremonies.- Ghostly Instincts: The Pisanob is in the loop about the family's necromantic secrets, receiving two additional dice to any Oblivion Ceremony roll relating to ghosts.
- Forward Thinking: The Pisanob is in the habit of planning ahead, receiving a free Skill reroll once every story, as well as in any scene in which they work against another Hecata. If the target is a Harbinger of Skulls, an additional success is added.
- Necromantic Prodigy: The Pisanob is an adept at Oblivion Ceremonies, receiving two automatic successes on any roll necessary for activating one related to Necromancy.
- Next in Line: The Pisanob is in a position of leadership in the family, retaining an additional 2 dots of Status within the Hecata, as well as an ally among the anziani that acts as a 5-dot Mawla once every other story.
Gallery[]
References[]
- Fifth Edition
- VTM: Cults of the Blood Gods, p. 221
- VTM: Cults of the Blood Gods, p. 221
- VTM: Clanbook: Giovanni, p. 30-32
- VAV: Victorian Age: Vampire Rulebook
- WTO: Mediums: Speakers with the Dead, p. 86
- VTM: Clanbook: Giovanni Revised, p. 30-31, 42-43
- VTM: Lore of the Clans, p. 101-102