In the underground tunnels of Clan of the Hidden, there are whispered legends and cautionary tales shared among the Sewer Rats. Sires warn their childer of dangers lurking in the darkest corners of the night and the monstrosities that would chill the vitae of even most hideous of horrors.
Nictuku
That single word is enough to spread like wildfire throughout the ranks of the Nosferatu rumor mill, sending neonates and elders alike scuttling back to their warrens in paranoid dread. To some, they are believed to be the vengeful offspring of the clan progenitor — a vindictive and cannibalistic bloodline whose thirst can only be stated by the blood of Antediluvian’s lesser childer. To others, it is the colorful sobriquet applied to those Nosferatu who have succumbed to their Beasts — a less existential, if similarly harrowing, threat — and now stalk the caverns and catacombs of the world, hunting their own kind. Even others maintain that it is a title taken by the eldest of the clan, merely another mask adopted to feed upon their own.
Whatever the truth may be, no Kindred currently active in the modern nights knows for sure, and those who are unlucky enough to actually encounter one of the Nictuku are certain never to survive to tell about it. You, however, have managed to piece together key pieces of knowledge that may, one night, save your unlife.
• Signal-To-Noise: More than one mysterious death or disappearance has been attributed, by conspiracy-minded Sewer Rats, to be the work of the dreaded Nictuku. Whether it’s a scouting party that has vanished beneath the streets of Manhattan, or a warren in St. Louis suddenly going dark, time and resources are often wasted on wild goose chases. Once per story, by examining the tell-tale signs (or lack thereof), you may definitively know whether such a crime was committed by your ancestral enemy or some other circumstance.
•• Morbid Curiosity: Whether through legend, gossip, or indirect exposure, you have grown obsessed with the concept of these ancestral nemeses and have devoted your unlife to the study of the Nictuku. When making an Occult or Investigation roll regarding the Nictuku you may add +2 to the roll.
••• Blindspot: Most Nosferatu believe the most powerful weapon in their arsenal is the Discipline of Obfuscate. However, while this may make them all but imperceptible to humans, Kindred and other supernatural beings have senses that extend beyond mortal means. In keeping with their name, the Hidden have had to hone their skills to count not only the perceptive Tremere regent on whom they are spying, but also the unknown shadows that haunt their every step. Once per session, when contesting against a power such as Sense the Unseen, you may add two dice to your Obfuscate roll.
•••• Deathmark: Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you. You’ve managed to attract the attention of one of the Nictuku (or something that appears as one), and now it is but a matter of time before they catch up with you. You gain Adversary; however, you may spend an equal number of points on haven merits relating to the added security measures taken against your phantom nemesis. Once per story, you may permanently sacrifice up to three dots in Backgrounds to make a clean getaway, at the Storyteller’s discretion.
••••• Hunted-Becomes-Hunter: You have developed skills of survival and combat against more than just the Nictuku. Indeed, you have managed to hone yourself into a defensive weapon against any Kindred who would seek to consume the vitae within you. You gain the specialization Brawl(Kindred) and may add an additional +2 dice to all conflicted rolls against cannibalistic Kindred (diablerists, Blood Leeches, and the like.)