Salubri

The symbol of Clan Salubri.

The Salubri is one of the original 13 Kindred Clans in Vampire: The Masquerade. Descended from the Antediluvian Saulot, the original Clan is all-but extinct in the modern age, though its branches still survive in other parts of the world.

Their Clan Discipline is Valeren, but in later editions this got split into Valeren and Obeah. Ostensibly related to healing the mind and soul (of both Kindred and Kine alike), Valeren in modern nights has shown an offensive use as well.

The Gentle Hand

As a mystic who felt a distinct discomfort with being a vampire, Saulot only Embraced rarely, but when he did he sought out peaceful individuals, like healers, peacemakers, scholars and philosophers, who would help him in his quest to quiet his Beast. This resulted in a clan that was unusually kind and selfless, who looked to ease the pain of Mortal and Kindred alike.

Eventually Saulot decided to journey Eastward to pursue his quest, and left his Clan behind in the Second City. He was away for many centuries, but when he finally returned he was much changed by his travels. He had a third eye, and seemed to finally at peace, with his Beast now in control, and described his condition as Golconda. The Clan, overjoyed with his return, embraced this new Discipline, called Valeren, which enhanced their Healing capabilities further. Saulot's third eye, the sign of enlightenment, became the mark of the Clan forever more.

What WAS Saulot Doing in China?

As he sought to pacify his Beast, Saulot wandered ever to the East, where he first conferred with Indian gurus and learned meditative techniques. His journeys eventually landed him in China, and it is his stay in the Middle Kingdom where (among the Wan Kuei at least) he has earned lasting infamy.

At this time, the Middle Kingdom was in spiritual upheaval. Its chosen guardians, the Wan Xian, had grown corrupt, and as a result the August Personage in Jade had cursed them with unlife. Those who survived either consolidated in what would become the Ancestor Courts, or wandered the countryside, pondering the gravity of their new existence. It was with one of these wandering Wan Xian, Xue, would become Saulot's new traveling companion, and together they would try to figure what it meant to be unliving in a world of Mortals.

As history would soon show, the philosophical and introspective Xue would become the first Arhat, and his teachings would become the cornerstones of the Fivefold Path, the Dharmas that show the the Road Back to Heaven. Saulot would become his first student, but as he was not Wan Xian, his situation didn't quite match up with his teacher's. In particular, his P'o was out of control, which led to interesting results as far as some of the lessons were concerned.

(Hilariously, the Kindred of the East books imply that peaceful and thoughtful Saulot... was more of a Devil Tiger. You know, the evil bastards who want to become PERFECT evil bastards that Rip and Tear evil? Given how much he supposedly flaked out while in China, this paints what followed AFTER he returns from the Middle Kingdom in a new light.)

Saulot was disappointed at his lack of progress, parted ways with Xue, but as he learned of the Wheel of Ages and the coming Sixth Age, he hit upon another plan. He Embraced two individuals -- Zao-Zei, a thief who could uncover the secrets of the Thousand Hells, and Zao-Xue, a scholar who could decipher those secrets. The trio would adventure through the Middle Kingdom, raiding akuma nests, and likely causing Xue and his fellow student Ki to shake their heads and facepalm.

With this plundered knowledge, Saulot left the Middle Kingdom, and left behind his two Childer to continue this hunt for (and preservation of) knowledge. They would become the first of the Wu Zao, the Watchers, and there they remain (much to the consternation of the Wan Kuei), still following their sire's will.

Rise of the Warriors

While Saulot's return was celebrated by his Clan, news of something alarming followed in his wake. An unknown line of devil-worshipping Vampires was spreading through the lands, and attacked the Second City in force. Much to the surprise of many, Saulot roused his Clan to actively resist the invaders.

One of his childer, Mathiel, took up the sword. He would become the first of the Warrior Caste Salubri, and along with the Assamites would take the fight to the Baali, and be enemies of evildoers from that point on.

So About Those Baali...

Saulot's relationship with the Baali is... complex to say the least.

Legend has it that, on the way back from his journey to the East, he (or Ashur/Cappadocius, but given the context, it's likely Saulot) happened upon a city whose people were performing all sorts of depraved practices in order to keep a trio of powerful eldritch entities asleep underneath the earth. Saulot being Saulot, he went full Devil Tiger on the settlement, and slaughtered the evildoers. He then threw the remains of the settlers into a deep pit, then for reasons only known to the Antediluvian, dropped some of his blood into the hole, and with a sneer (again, Devil Tiger) announced that the people had no idea what "true evil" was like.

Some time after he left three survivors climbed out of the pit. Desperate to keep these three entities sealed, the survivors... started worshipping them. These Methuselah would go on and create the Baali, a persistent Infernal-flavored threat to the Kindred clans until well into the Middle Ages. Whoops.

The Scouring of the Clan

The Salubri continued with their existence as the healers and peacemakers of the Kindred Clans. While its Warrior Caste pursued its mandate to destroy evil-doers, the mainline clan busied themselves with the business of attaining Golconda. Because the Clan were by and large uncomfortable with their unliving state, they embraced very rarely, and as a result the Salubri was never a large clan.

As for Saulot himself, he remained active up until the time of Christ, before he eventually fell into torpor.

Things changed during the middle ages when a house of mages from the Order of Hermes, desperate to find an alternative to their failing longevity potions, decided to try out vampirism via elixir brewed from the blood of different Clans (but from Tzimisce mostly). They succeeded, but in the process gained a LOT of enemies. The clan, now calling themselves the Tremere, needed legitimacy, which meant they needed power, more than they currently had.

They needed an Antediluvian of their own, and barring that, one they can conveniently diablerize. And they found that in Saulot.

The mages raided Saulot's resting place, and its namesake himself did the deed... Then suddenly dropped into torpor himself.

The entire Kindred community in Europe at the time reeled at the sheer audacity of the act, and this garnered the Tremere even MORE enemies, especially among the Salubri themselves. But with their newfound power, the Tremere soon turned the tables, and launched a smear campaign against Saulot's clan, painting them as soul-eaters. NOT helped as the Tremere were instrumental in the establishment of the Camarilla, which gave them political protection as well.

Despite the best efforts of the Warrior caste, the Salubri were slowly hunted down by the Tremere. As many wanted to cozy up with the blood mages and their convenient magic, many looked the other way and did nothing while the Clan was driven to near-extinction. Due to an ancient pact, the Assammites smuggled a small number into their lands, but officially the Clan ceased to exist, as its surviving members scattered to the winds.

Modern Nights

Barring furtive survivors, the Salubri are considered extinct in the West, and many modern Kindred know little of them barring distorted myths and legends about soul-eaters.

Then sometime during the start of the 20th Century, a Salubri Warrior named Adonai woke up from his torpor. After he learned of what happened to his Clan, he was upset to say the least, and set about planning revenge on the Tremere, and their Camarilla patrons.

Adonai threw his lot with the Sabbat, embraced new recruits to his cause, and in so doing revived the long-extinct Warrior caste. Called the Furies, these new-age warriors are a vengeful lot, and will not rest until the last Tremere gets dusted.