Why struggle to command a king when the same results can be obtained with much less effort if pressure is applied in the correct place? Why rule directly if you can puppet a ruler with the right word or the right person: A mistress, an advisor, a clergyman, a queen, a debtor? The Lasombra understand power and know to rule a Kingdom you needn’t sit directly upon a throne.

They apply this mindset to all they do, striving with efficiency, competence and ambition. Though many focus their talents on the game of thrones, others climb the priesthoods of Christianity and Islam trading barbs on points of dogma. Yet others still focus on more mercantile activity, ruthlessly undercutting their competition sometimes quite literally.

Anywhere there is a chance to prove themselves, you will likely find a Lasombra testing themselves against others. For if you are not striving to be the best, you are an embarrassment to the blood and those who are an embarrassment do not live long in a cold unforgiving world.

Religious sentiment also runs deep within the clan, sharing both those who see Church or Caliphate as a powerful means to an end and true believers. Many Lasombra walk the Path of Heaven and in Iberia tensions are high between the Christian and Islamic communities of the clan. In the Italian Peninsula, where the Christian clan holds dominance, rumours of Heresy abound. A group speaks to being demons and dark angels sent to punish the wicked. Most Lasombra consider this blasphemy - and those that don’t consider it problematic enough to take quick, decisive and fatal action against the followers of these teachings. They remember the Baali and the other clans they have corrupted only too well.

While mostly found in their strongholds in the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily or the Italian City-States, Lasombra can still be found in Central Europe. Some spread with the Romans and others are more recent arrivals, joining the Fiefs of the Black Cross when the Ventrue took control of cities like Verona, Trent and Aquileia. Aquileia and Verona in particular were formerly Lasombra domains and many of them still dwell there.

While often they do not hold positions of power, as these are held by those more trusted by the ruling Ventrue, Lasombra often have power over the mortal institutions of the domain, making them useful to Princes and their agents.

When the clan seeks to sire, it sires with an eye to merit and those with mettle. For the childe must survive the rigorous and cruel testing most Lasombra sires inflict upon them. Their blood is not for the meek or easily cowed, as determined thrives where strength falters. The clan pride themselves on selecting for excellence and those who do not make the cut do not survive to the current nights. It is rumoured this is handled by a group inside the clan who uphold the rigid standards that the clan prides itself on.

The Clan chooses their ghouls carefully. Almost all are chosen for their positions of influence over a mortal power: A mistress of a king, a bishop with a deciding vote, a council member with power over river traffic on the Danube. The more subtle this agent is the better. They are also tested, often placed in difficult or adversarial positions, to better remove weakness.

As the agent ages, their use in mortal institutions tends to wane. As this happens, the Lasombra have a choice, do they fold the Ghoul into their household, do they dispose of the asset or do they consider them for the Clan. Those who can think on their feet, have proved themselves and have not been ground down by the litany of small aggressions, may be marked as potential Clan material.