the oldest and first revenant family, and elders proclaim that all other revenant families are descended from them. Though their claim is likely incorrect, their bold words are indicative of their pride.
The Rafastio appeared among the early civilizations found along the Po River long before the rise of the Roman Empire. The matriarchal family began practicing witchcraft, and embraced maternal deities as their patron goddess. They had a talent for learning rituals and spells, and their reputation to heal and to curse grew over time.
Eventually, the Rafastio attracted the attention of the local vampires in the area, and grew curious about their unsettling visitors from the Tal’Mahe’Ra sometime during the Dark Ages. Recognizing that they were undead, the witches regarded vampires as damned creatures whose magical blood contained equal amounts of great power and curses. Though they were not welcome as their equals, the witches were invited to watch as the vampires empowered ordinary mortals, at the cost of eternal servitude.
The story about how some of the Rafastio became the True Black Hand’s first revenant family has been retold to fit the witch’s narrative of professed independence. What has been confirmed, however, is that a faction of the witches tentatively explored alliances with different patrons until they settled on the Tal’Mahe’Ra for reasons unknown. Some say that the Rafastio assisted the Giovanni with their experiments, and carefully covered their tracks during the destruction of the Cappadocian Clan. Others believe the witches’ interest in vitae and Disciplines led them to work with Lasombra Abyss mystics, or the Fiends attempting to rediscover the secrets of Koldunic Sorcery.
After they became revenants, the Rafastio continued to sell their services to a mix of Clans and bloodlines in exchange for occult knowledge related to
Necromancy, Thaumaturgy, and other magics. Some witches, however, worked within the Tal’Mahe’Ra, and their fate was uniquely tied to that Sect. Over time, however, though the family contained many revenants, the Rafastio expanded to included
mortals and hedge witches as well.
Like other revenant families, the Rafastio were at risk of being hunted
down, arrested, tortured, and killed during the early days of the Inquisition
and the witch trials that plagued Europe for centuries. Unlike the others, however, the Rafastio bribed
and manipulated hunters to look the other way, and may have even gone so far as to become hunters themselves. In truth, most revenant families
believe the Rafastio traded their services to Clans and other families in exchange for protection, and most likely changed their surname many times over to avoid scrutiny. In truth, their unpredictable nature is part of what makes this family so dangerous; they have a tendency to lie and spin wild stories rather than face reality.
In the modern era, the Rafastio serve no one but themselves. Every now and then a Rafastio revenant makes a timely appearance, offering her services to an elder in exchange for seemingly harmless information. Most vampires think little of the Rafastio, and do not consider them
to be a threat. However, it is unknown how many revenants, hedge witches,
and mortals there are, and which family names are connected to the Rafastio. It is also unclear, much to the chagrin of Sect leaders, what the family’s true goals are. On the surface, it appears as if the Rafastio think and scheme as vampires do, and have been working toward a specific goal ever since they first came
CHAPTER FOUR: REVENANTS AND THEIR FAMILIES 106
Though the Rafastio claim many members, it is suspected that less than a few hundred revenants have survived to present day. Some vampires believe that they have flocked to large, metropolitan areas throughout the United States and parts of eastern Europe, but there is a strong possibility the Rafastio may be found in any country, provided one knew where to look.
Appearance: When compared to the other revenant families, the Rafastio vary in terms of ethnicity and other traits due to their tendency to interbreed with those who have a natural affinity for magic. They seldom dress ostentatiously outside their rites, and tend to wear plain clothes in drab colors that will not attract attention.
Character Creation: Nature and Demeanor tend to vary wildly, but Mental Attributes and Knowledges are almost always prized. Most, if not all, Rafastio revenants have a
penchant for the occult, and all other rules should support either a specific field of study, such as thaumaturgy, or a broad range of them to include other forms of magic.
Disciplines: Animalism, Auspex, Thaumaturgy Weakness: The Rafastio witches have suffered a curse since the earliest days of their line. During the new moon, the difficulty to use Disciplines increases by two. During waxing and waning, it increases by one; during a full moon their difficulty decreases by one.
Additionally, Rafastio blood rejects vampirism outright. Attempts to Embrace a Rafastio have always failed, and usually results in the revenant’s death. The corpse retains not one drop of blood, and it decomposes so quickly it cannot be examined further.
Quote: “The owls hear my whispers, and the crows take to the sky. These are good omens.”