by Jenny L. Parr (1 Jun 94)
The Sanatan are by far the least understood and the least trusted of the Hibakusha clans because of their weakness - probably the greatest restriction ever placed on a Kindred - because they cannot drink the blood of kine. The blood of humans is both repulsive and unnourishing to them, the blood of other kindred, however, gave them the life they needed to survive. The Sanatan were therefore one of the weakest but one of the most feared clans on the face of the earth. The Sanatan were also feared because all of the Hibakushas' `magic' came from blood and the other Hibakusha clans thought that as the Sanatan fed off their kin they were tainted by the Sanatan `magic'.
However the Sanatan grew to find the blood of animals unnourishing and the blood of Kindred hard to find and difficult to obtain so they desperately sought a solution to their ordeal. Help came from the one place they never expected to find it. The Salubri Saulot, who's childe had be diablerised by the first Sanatan took pity upon the killers of his son and took under his wing a Hindu priest who had been embraced by a Seventh generation Sanatan. As the priest journeyed along the road to Golconda (called Narayana in Sanskrit) he had visions of a future where Kindred no longer preyed on Kine to satisfy their need for blood. Out of that dream the discipline of Ahinsa was formed, the ability to survive without violence it's goal.
The Elders of the Sanatan did not like the next turn of events. The "Patient One" who had developed Ahinsa travelled around India teaching it to the later generations so the Elders decided to wage war on their own childer. Seeing a chance to be rid of the Sanatan once and for all the other Hibakusha clans entered the war on the side of the younger Kindred and proceeded to wipe out all Sanatan above seventh generation. Seeing the younger Sanatan as no threat they thought that without Kine blood the disciples of the "Patient One" would die out. Eight hundred years later they are still around and mainly living in the crowded streets of Delhi and Calcutta.
Opinions
Nickname: Brahman
Origins: India
Appearance: As all the Sanatan were Hindu before their embrace they are most likely to be Indian in origin but recently there have been a few Europeans joining.
Haven: The Sanatan usually band together in small flats in slum areas.
Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Ahinsa, Obeah.
Weaknesses: The Sanatanas are not able to drink mortal blood, instead gaining nourishment from meat (which sustains them due to Ahinsa level 1) Sanatan can drink both animal and Kindred blood.
Backgrounds: Sanatanas are usually caregivers in nature but can be from all walks of life. They all speak Sanskrit and Hindi.
[1] Snehah: This allows the Sanatan to eat raw meat (1 blood point per pound) and drink the blood of animals to sustain himself while it is as nourishing as the blood of humans. The Sanatan may eat cooked meat to sustain himself but this provides only one blood point per 5 pound). In addition the difficulty to frenzy at the sight of blood is two less than normal.
[2] Satyam: By rolling wits + empathy vs manipulation + subterfuge the Sanatan can tell if the subject is lying or not .If detected a successful resisted test of willpower can force the subject to tell the truth.
[3] Manaso Yad: By rolling Charisma + empathy vs willpower the Sanatan's subject stands mutely in awe for the rest of the scene if not attacked or otherwise snapped out of the trance ( ie: a face full of water )
[4] Osadhinam: By rolling intelligence + medicine vs 6 and touching a wound each success heals a health level. To cure aggravated wounds a willpower point must be spent before the roll. He cannot heal himself.
[5] Sete: By rolling Dexterity + medicine vs Stamina + athletics and touching the foe it will fall to the ground. Each success is one turn trying to get up.