Brujah
The Brujah (derived from the Spanish Bruja, or witch) are one of the Thirteen Clans of Vampire: The Masquerade and a Gangrel Bloodline in Vampire: The Requiem.
Masquerade
In Vampire: The Masquerade, the Brujah are based on the "vampire punk" archetype, popularized by The Lost Boys and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They're heavily involved in counter-cultures and political activism, and whilst their modern members are associated with loudmouth punks who make a lot of noise but don't get anything done, their elders were often surprisingly educated and intellectual philosophers of the underground.
Requiem
The Bruja bloodline can be described as a vampire motorcycle club crossed with a Viking raiding party. It started with Carlos Saavedra, who earned the nickname Hijo de Bruja ("son of a witch") for his uncanny ability to dodge the law while growing up in Depression-era America. After a very short stint in the US Army, he fell in with the Booze Fighters motorcycle gang. While riding with the Booze Fighters, Carlos caught the attention of a Gangrel who developed an obsession with turning him into a weapon to use against his local Prince. Carlos had other ideas, so as soon as he figured out his powers, he returned to the gang and shared his gift with six of his closest friends. The seven split from the Booze Fighters and formed the Filhos de Bruja ("Children of the Witch") gang. Carlos's sire tracked him down, but the seven jumped him and allowed Carlos to diablerize him.
The Filhos de Bruja has been growing slowly in both size and scope. From seven troublemakers, the gang has become a widespread criminal organization involved in the drug trade, human trafficking and prostitution, extortion, arms dealing, and murder for hire. Their activities do get them customers and potential victims, but it also risks drawing attention from the authorities.
Bruja's disappearance five years ago has caused the gang to get rowdier. Carlos kept the gang somewhat restrained, even keeping their Blood Potency low so they could feed on animal blood, but that restraint is gone now and it's only a matter of time before the Bruja go full Viking and raid an isolated town somewhere.
As it stands, the Bruja are too small to count members from multiple Covenants. Their members' loyalty is more to the gang than any other ideal. There are some who think Carlos went to the Ordo Dracul and won't return until he's become something else. Others join the Circle of the Crone if they read too much into the gang's name. They work with the Carthians when their goals align. No Bruja will ever willingly join or work for the Lancea et Sanctum or the Invictus, mostly because those organizations would crack down on the bloodline's criminal operations.
The Bruja Embrace a very select few, preferring to stick with a close-knit, like-minded crew. That said, they aren't above occasionally Embracing or blood-binding for criminal contacts and a handful of hangers-on are random people who got Embraced for the lulz. To join the gang requires impressing the local leader, prove a blood connection to Bruja himself, and then ride out to meet the rest of the family.
The bloodline was founded on the feral urge for immediate satiation. As such, a Bruja suffers a penalty to resist hunger frenzies. They are predators that will eagerly stuff themselves as soon as an opportunity presents itself rather than risk missing a meal.
The Clans of Vampire: The Masquerade | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Camarilla | Camarilla Bloodlines | ||||||||
Brujah | Gangrel | Malkavian | Nosferatu | Toreador | Tremere | Ventrue | Daughters of Cacophony |
Gargoyles | |
Sabbat | Sabbat Bloodlines | ||||||||
Lasombra | Tzimisce | Ahrimanes | Blood Brothers |
Harbingers of Skulls |
Kiasyd | ||||
Independent Clans | Fallen Clans | ||||||||
Assamite | Danava | Setites | Giovanni | Ravnos | Cappadocian | Salubri | |||
Bloodlines | |||||||||
Anda | Azaneali | Baali | Children of Osiris |
Lamia | Lhiannan | Nagaraja | Noiad | Samedi | True Brujah |
Mixed Heritages | |||||||||
Antitribu | Caitiff | Panders | |||||||
The Antediluvians | |||||||||
Absimiliard - Augustus Giovanni - Arikel - Cappadocius - Ennoia - Haqim - Ilyes Lasombra - Malkav - Saulot - Set - Tremere - Tzimisce - Ventru - Zapathasura | |||||||||
Caine |