Obtenebration

Obtenebration
Clans	Lasombra, Lasombra Antitribu, Lëpweokàn, Maxinkwelësëwakàn, Xi Dundu
Bloodlines	Angellis Ater, Azaneali, Khaibit, Kiasyd, Ramanga
Sects	Camarilla, Laibon, Quiet Nations, Sabbat
Rituals	Abyss Mysticism
Combination Disciplines	Obtenebration Combination Disciplines
Rarity	Uncommon

The ancient aristocratic Lasombra are the traditional wielders of Obtenebration, which grants them the ability to shape and control shadows and darkness itself as if it were a solid and living thing. The eldest of the clan claim that the great Abyss, into which all light will eventually be swallowed, is manifest in their powers, slowly making them one with it, so that one day they will dissolve completely into the primordial darkness before all things. This seems unreasonably dramatic to most younger Kindred, but there's no denying that the shadows of those Kindred who master Obtenebration tend to behave oddly, occasionally seeming to move on their own, caress passersby as if alive, or pool in their owners' deep, stygian eyes...

Kindred with the powers of Obtenebration cannot strictly see through darkness (created by themselves or otherwise), but they can sense where things are in it and generally operate as if they could see in spite of the blackness around them.

Basic Powers

Shadow Play

You may move and shape the natural shadows around you, warping their shapes to show messages or images that should not be there, or extending their reach to shroud someone or something in darkness that by rights should have been well-lit. There must already be shadows in the vicinity for this power to function, and if an intensely strong light removes shadows from the area, you can no longer manipulate them.

Shroud of Night

You may cover the area immediately around you for a few yards in a sudden, impenetrable shroud of blackness, in spite of any lights that should be brightening it. Within that zone, not only sight but also hearing and temperature are obscured, all retreating into a muffled, silent emptiness. Anyone within the zone is blind and unable to get their bearings, although if they lurch far enough in any one direction they may be able to accidentally escape; anyone with the Auspex Discipline may be able to use some of its powers to get additional information, but even they still won't be able to see well. You also cannot see, but can find your way in the zone of darkness as easily as if you could.

Intermediate Powers

Arms of the Abyss

You may create tentacles of darkness that reach out of the shadows to do your bidding. They are not intelligent and cannot do anything that requires a great deal of finesse, but they can carry or move items, flip switches and break things, or attack enemies with as much strength as you yourself could do (potentially allowing you to attack someone twice, once yourself and once with the Arms). The tentacles are very difficult to dodge, since they're difficult to see at all, and they can also be used to wrap around and restrain others that aren't quick enough to avoid them.

Black Metamorphosis

You may cover yourself in living shadow, creating functional armor that cushions any blows that might strike you, your touch begins to inflict deadening cold on all living and unliving things, and you grow shadow tentacles from your body that you carry with you regardless of whether or not there are other shadows or light sources nearby. These tentacles may do anything that you could have done with Arms of the Abyss, but cannot be dispelled by using light to drive away the shadows they grow from.

Nightshades

You may create small, temporary items out of solid shadow; they last for the rest of the scene, and work for you just like the real thing, although anyone else trying to use them will probably fail due to their difficult-to-see and impossible-to-manipulate nature. You can only create simple items and tools (so no smartphones or intricate moving parts), but they remain regardless of changes to the light level around you.

Advanced Powers

Tenebrous Form

You may transform yourself completely into a shadow, slipping away into the darkness as if part of its very substance. You can travel anywhere a shadow could - through keyholes and cracks, up into the corners of ceilings, beneath someone's footsteps, or anywhere else you think might be advantageous. You cannot touch or manipulate anyone or anything in this form, but you can wrap your shadowy self around someone to affect them with darkness and disorientation; and similarly, no one can touch you, and you are immune to all attacks and forms of damage except for fire and sunlight, which hurt you even more than they normally would.

Important Things to Keep in Mind

Outside of Africa, Obtenebration traditionally belongs only to Sabbat vampires, so anyone else using it in a Camarilla city like DC will immediately be viewed with vast suspicion, if not outright kneejerk violence. The Prince and his childer do have and use Obtenebration, but they are possibly even more alert and unamused by the idea of Sabbat Lasombra in their midst, and any Kindred who dares to have and use these powers should be prepared to either do so carefully in secret or spend a lot of time running for their life.