| History |
| While classifying all the Brujah is an exercise in futility, the clan has three major factions. The first and largest is the Iconoclastics, the true anarchs. They lash out at anyone and everyone, with no respect for any organization or establishment. History is no use to them: the here and now is what counts. Only the Masquerade limits their actions, and the only reason they respect that is out of self-preservation. |
| The second camp is the Idealists, which consists mostly of older Brujah. Most Brujah elders are Idealists, looking to the past for guidance and wisdom. Some still remember Carthage, and it's founders' dreams of a perfect society of vampires. Idealists believe the Brujah should unite to achieve these dreams. Iconoclasts consider them sellouts. They figure a Brujah elder has traded his heritage for a comfortable seat on a city's council. |
| The third camp, the Individualists, is the smallest but the most successful. They combine the traits of Iconoclast and Idealist. They try to work together for the good of the clan. However, they do not insist others obey their orders, like the Idealists do. |
| Because of the attitudes of these three groups, the history of the Brujah is difficult to trace. What is known about the clan founder comes from the knowledge of other clans. Those clans believe the vampire now referred to as Brujah was, like the other clan founders, of the Third Generation. He was present at the great battle of the Second City, when the Third Generation turned against the Second. Most clan scholars claim Brujah was the one who provoded the great battle between generations. However, some Kindred researchers whisper that Brujah was a conservative voice among the 13 Antediluvians, and others of the Third Generation used Brujah as their scapegoat. |
| Ironically, modern Brujah believe it was one of Brujah's progeny, Troile, who turned against his sire and slew him through diablerie. Many clans point to this act as the cause of the infighting that broke out throughout the Second City. They claim this is the reason why the Brujah should never be trusted. |
| Those who seek the truth say several of the Fourth Generation prodded each other into challenging their sires. In fact, the few surviving records indicate that the ferocious nature of the Brujah did not arise until centuries after the fall of the city. However, the established belief in Brujah ferocity is so strong that most other clans point the finger of blame at Troile. Even current-day Brujah believe the common story to be true. In fact, they take great pride in being rebels from the very beginning. Only a few Brujah elders make any effort to dispute these falsehoods, and they are held in contempt by the younger clan members. |
| These elders say Troile fled the Second City, and traveled much of Europe and Asia. Some claim he opposed the strict rules the Third Generation had placed upon the Fourth. Others believe he feared for his existence. Through his practice of diablerie, Troile now possessed the powers of the Third Generation. Because of this, or perhaps because of other, darker rumors, Troile avoided his peers. Possessed by a wanderlust and fearing for his immortal existence, Troile rarely remained long in one place. |
| While Troile never took an active role in establishing Carthage, he was proud of it's success. In Carthage, he saw the dream of the Second City as it could have been. He often lent his influence to his progeny living there, though he rarely stayed long and never took a direct hand in it's government. |
| While no Brujah can say whether this is true, the Ventrue say Troile threw himself into the fray when Carthage's enemies launched their final assault. However, many of his most powerful Progeny had already fallen or chosen to absent themselves, foreseeing the coming conflict. Without their support, Troile was overwhelmed by mystical assaults and apparently destroyed. |
| It is a point of some dispute among Brujah elders whether Troile forfeited his existence, or took refuge in the ground. The winning side salted the ground, and powerful rituals were established to prevent any excavation. Therefore, no one has established exactly who survived in torpor and who actually died. Brujah who believe in the legend of Troile discount this story, saying no force of undead could have brought down an Antediluvian on his own grounds. |
| The surviving members of the Brujah clan soon realized they tended to frenzy much more easily. Some Brujah elders point to this as evidence of Troile's continuing existence. They believe the mystical assualts made him a "transmitter" of the hatred and anger he felt at the moment he entered torpor. Other elders claim Troile died, but his dying emotions took on a life of their own and passed on to all of his bloodline. And a few claim the surviving Brujah had good reason to frenzy, and passed this trait to their Progeny. |
