Taifa

• Not to be confused with the Taifa Gangrel

Taifa
Plural	Taifa
Nicknames	Moors, the Civilized
Parent clan	Gangrel
Disciplines	Animalism, Protean, Resilience, Majesty

The Taifa are a bloodline of the Gangrel Clan that reverse many stereotypes about the Savages, as they are great supporters of mortal civilization and company.

They are usually allied to the Invictus and the Lancea Sanctum. They harbour an instinctive dislike against the practices of the Ordo Dracul. In addition, they are rivals to the Toreador bloodline of the Daeva.

Overview

All Taifa can trace their ancestry back to Hassan al-Maghrebi, a former Berber warrior and scholar who followed the armies of the Islamic general Tariq ibn Ziyad as they arrived on the Iberian peninsula. Al-Maghrebi watched as what had once been the outposts of Muslim Arab and Berber armies grew into rich and powerful cities, and he became enamored with the achievements of Moorish civilization. Although he never knew his sire, al-Maghrebi believes that his dedication and reputation as a brave fighter is what earned him the Embrace. However, he found little interest in bloodshed. What interested him were things such as learning, poetry, women and other comforts of civilization.

Proud, inspired by the majesty of the cities of Al-Andalus and empowered by the timely concentration of his Vitae, al-Maghrebi decided to create a line of his own - one that carried on a tradition of nobility and patriotism that he would impart to them. He made a vow that all who inherited his Blood would take up the cause he so loved: to protect and bear witness to the great achievements of the conquerors of Iberia. The Taifa fought to protect the moorish states, but could not save them from the political backstabbery that led to the fall of the muslims cities to the Reconquista in 1492.

The Taifa spread across the Middle East, but found themselves not entirely welcome. Others had already cemented their hold over the cities and saw the Gangrel bloodline as a threat to their own power. Only through adept social maneuvering and well-placed alliances was the bloodline able to survive through those dark and perilous nights. In Cairo, Damascus, Baghdad and Istanbul, the Taifa once again became famous as socially astute political manipulators, patrons of the arts and insightful scholars and translators. To this night, many Arab elders maintain a soft spot in their cold, dead hearts for the Taifa and their cultural achievements.

As the Middle East becomes embroiled with violence, many Taifa flee into Western Lands, only to find themselves again unwelcome. While members of the bloodline have yet to make their presence felt in North America, many Taifa can be found in Europe. They are particularly strong in France, where the Taifa lurk amongst "les Beurs", second- and third-generation immigrants of Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian descent. Many Taifa face prejudices that have survived into undeath and the craze around middle eastern terrorism has not exactly helped their cause.

Another problem facing Taifa in the West is that they are largely cut off from many of the bloodline’s traditions. Although the bloodline has established a good reputation and built up a large network of allies in their homelands, this does little good for Moors living in the West. Their customs and practices seem strange, alienating them from local Kindred at times, and some Taifa are shocked to find that the Western versions of the covenants they are familiar with use different titles.

Weakness

The Taifa share the weakness of their parent Clan.

Similar to wolves or lions, the Taifa are goaded by the Beast into forming packs with other vampires. Although they do not necessarily need to be around members of their own brood, many Taifa prefer to associate with their own kind, in no small part because they share the same weakness. When not in the presence of other vampires, a Taifa suffers a -2 dice penalty to all dice pools due to the unease of operating without a pack.

References

• VTR: Bloodlines: The Chosen, p. 75-84