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The Serpents of the Light are a renegade cult of the Followers of Set. The Serpents bear little connection to their parent clan: While many Setites trace their lineage to Egypt, the Serpents claim they originated in the West Indies. Some Cainites propose that the first Serpents were orphaned Setites who agreed with the political ideology of the Sabbat. The formative Serpents sought protection from their hostile forebears in the ranks of the Sabbat, and the animosity between the Serpents of the Light and the Setites grew nightly afterward until the Serpents proclaimed total independence from the Followers of Set. Most modern Serpents recognize that the Setites would have destroyed them if not for the Sabbat's support, and they pledge their undying loyalty to the sect in return. The Followers of Set despise the Serpents, and the Serpents return the favor. Hatred between the two factions runs deep; indeed, the Setites consider the Serpents heretics. Likewise, the Serpents of the Light believe the Followers or Set to be traitors to the Cainite race for their reverence an undead vampire god. The two groups take great pains to torment each other, waging nocturnal war across the continents. Serpents of the Light oppose the other Antediluvians as well, pointing to a cultic voudoun prophecy similar to the Gehenna foretold in the Book of Nod. As such, their ideology makes them ideal Sabbat members. While the Cobras may differ in philosophy from their parent clan, their means are very similar. Serpents of the Light remain very active in vice trade, not only to garner their own influence, but to "fight fire with fire," opposing the Setites with their own methods. Drugs, prostitution, smuggling and other staples of organized crime draw the Cobras, which they use to bring their victims under their sway. In fact, for such a small and specialized bloodline, the Serpents of the Light have significant influence over the contacts with whom they interact.
Roleplaying Hints: Manipulation by seduction is your tool of choice, after which you discern your mark's weakness - be it drugs, sex, power or whatever - and bring your victim under your influence. You generally prefer to operate under cover or away from the sight of others, extending your influence through minions and dupes without identifying yourself and drawing attention. You have a "fight fire with fire" attitude when it comes to conflict with the Setites and, when you encounter it, the Camarilla.
Disciplines: Obfuscate, Presence, Serpentis
Advantage: Like their parent clan, the Serpents of the Light involve themselves in the underworld and its vice markets. Of course, they do this for good reason: Their vitality depends upon it. To reflect their connections with the criminal culture and those peripheral to it, each Serpent of the Light gains one extra Streetwise Ability at no additional cost during character creation. Also, the Serpent may take one Influence at no extra cost from the following list: Political, Street or Underworld.
Weakness: As vampires - especially those who hail from a dark god of the Egyptian underworld - Serpents of the Light are creatures of the night, despite their name. They are very sensitive to light, even from the dimmest and most artificial source. Exposure to sunlight causes them to suffer an additional health level of damage. Other sources of bright light (such as spotlights, flares, halogen street lights, etc.) inflict a one-Trait penalty for all actions undertaken in the light.
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