Gangrel Bloodlines/Bloodline: Streiter
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Description
The Bloodline known as Streiter seems like something out of a late sixties to early seventies movie or nightmare. It's a gang of vampires, ghouls and some blood slaves with shaved head, jeans, thin suspenders, steel tipped combat or Doc Martens boots and bomber jacket or leather jackets – all mean-as-hell, tough, patriotic monsters with definite working-class attitudes and no scruples against hitting somebody over the back of the head with a lead filled aluminum baseball bat they could swear to have smelled Gods cologne.
The late Sixties and early Seventies saw a continuation of the entrenched class system, which offered most working class people substandard educational, housing and economic opportunities. Working class districts were a rough area and that's were it all started; mass violence and gangs taking off in a big way. Overcrowding and rising unemployment rates made things just worse and gave birth of the first "no future" generations. Herbert Streiter's gang – known back then as Streiter's Bande – grew out of these times and circumstance. They were Skinheads, without doubt, but identified themselves with the heyday and original movement of 69', in fact, priding themselves with being original or Trojan Skins and not mindless, fascist boneheads (the slang term used by their ilk for Fascist Skinheads).
They maintained a working class attitude, but where others of their kind laid the blame for societies problems on those who run society, not on other parts of society who differ from them in race or country of birth, Streiter's Bande cared little about such considerations. Primarily turf orientated, they were equal opportunity brutes. Where other Trojans identified themselves with soul and reggae music, they preferred Oi! for the faster and more brutal beat. Despite being a very small gang, they quickly spread from the district of Josefstadt deeper into the surrounding neighborhoods, taking on several other gangs along the way. Streiter's Bande soon got a reputation of being extremely vicious and brutal – even by standards of Skinheads – and hardcore in whatever they are doing. They fought hard, partied even harder and were hard on themselves. Initiation into the gang was reserved for the toughest only and their initiation rituals no less brutal than the warfare they led against anyone opposing them or even doing only as much as getting in their way.
Whatever did get in their way was removed, whomever was foolish – or unfortunate – enough to cross their path usually found himself coming to his senses again in the gutters, soaked in a puddle of his own blood. They even put early bikers and soccer hooligans to shame. By the mid seventies the gang finally caught the attention of a Gangrel called Malek Popovitz. Particularly impressed by Streiter's working class pride, self-respect and a deep devotion to his gang, Popovitz thought to turn him into a compliant but violent weapon in the ongoing struggle for power within local Kindred society. He Embraced Herbert Streiter and tried to urge him towards the cause, only to learn the childe would have none of it.
For some reasons Herbert's ties to his family, to his gang, proved almost as strong if ultimately not stronger than even the bound of blood. However, the potent Vitae kept Streiter from any direct action against his Sire, he found new power in his undead condition and went back to Embrace his closest friends in the gang. When Popovitz finally managed to track his errant childe down, the newly Embraced Skinheads jumped him – and, as the story goes, bashed his head in, staked him and Streiter himself diablerised him on the spot. Ever since, the gang Embraced its remaining members and has been growing slowly ever since. When order was finally restored in the Kindred Society of Vienna, Streiter and his original crew were no where to be found and rumor has it they left for another Austrian or South-German city to spread their bloodline there. Some of their childer, however, have remained, most of them having remained unaligned and maintaining loyalty first and foremost to their own ilk.
General
Parent Clan: Gangrel
Nickname: Skinheads
Bloodline Disciplines: Animalism, Protean, Resilience, Vigor
Weakness: Streiter share the weakness of Clan Gangrel and are equally prone to succumb to their feral urges. In addition, their "working class" pride often gets the best of them – Streiter must succeed in a Resolve roll or spend a point of Willpower to back down from any challenge. Furthermore, should a Streiter ever be bested in a challenge, they automatically lose one point of Willpower.
Covenant
The bloodline is really too small and young to include members in many different covenants. Those who get involved with Kindred politics and covenants usually will pursue martial positions like leg-breakers, enforcers, inquisitors, possibly Sworn of the Axe and the like. However, based on their past crimes and deeply rooted loyalty to their own Bloodline, many covenants tend to mistrust them too much to put them in positions of any real power.
Appearance
Born of a Skinhead gang and with members of the bloodline still selecting childer with similar attitude, Streiter have a very distinctive style – males have their head cut bald (usually 2 and 4 grade clip-guard hair cut or shorter, some even use a razor) and often sport sideburns in various style, usually neatly trimmed. Females wear a Chelsea hairstyle (also known as feathercut) – short (or shaved) on top, with fringes at the front, back and sides.
For dress, Streiter normally fit themselves with Ben Sherman, Fred Perry, Brutus, Jaytex or Arnold Palmer polo shirts, V-neck or Cardigan sweaters with fitted blazers or vests. Women dress similarly, with addition of dress suits – comprised of a 3/4 quarter length jacket and matching short skirt. For coats, members of the line usually prefer MA-1 type flight jackets (popular brands: Warrior and Alpha) in black, green or blue, or German leather jackets.
Bottoms for men normally always are jeans with rolled cuffs (turn-ups) to show off the menacing combat or steel tipped boots; popular are also combat trousers (plain or camouflage). Women wear either similar pants as men, or skirts and stockings with loafers replacing combat or steel-tipped boots. Streiter wearing pants usually also wear laces and braces, but instead of choosing the colors to make a political statement, they are more likely to choose colors for fashion purposes. Most Streiter are very particular about their attire and usually never wear anything different – they are proud of what they are, their heritage and bloodline and maintaining this particular appearance and hairstyle is, on one hand, to look menacing (and besides, hair can get in the way if things get lively) and, on the other hand, to display unity with the rest of their ilk.
Havens
Streiter are not picky about their havens. Pretty much anything they can get their hands on will do (not that they can necessarily afford it; they are as likely to kick old residents out as to actually purchase property). Those with large and better equipped havens usually will offer shelters to those in need. Members of this bloodline are also known to keep well-trained guard dogs for security purposes, preferring breeds like Pit Bulls, Doberman, German Shepherds, Great Danes or Rottweilers.
Background
The Streiter Bloodline adopted – or rather maintains – a very strict rule about Embracing anyone. It's not because they want to keep their numbers limited, but due to their extreme prerequisites. Streiter usually recruit from working class environments, but sometimes exceptions are made. The most important traits for a potential new member to the Bloodline to have is displaying potential to a sheer mindless loyalty and, especially for men, brutality. If someone shows only the least scruple against bashing someone's head in with a baseball bat, he is out of consideration.
Requirements for women are less restrictive in the second aspect, but they still must display potential for loyalty and some skill useful to the Bloodline. The Streiter do not necessarily have a common political or social agenda – they merely maintained traditions rooting in their history as brutal street gang; in their undead existence they redefined the meaning of "blood in, blood out".
To them, it is about unity and family bonds and reputation. Usually, even once someone is found fitting the bill, the potential new member still most undergo a "training" period as ghoul, which is remarkably brutal: ritual beatings, humiliation and all sorts activities usually associated with the worst fraternities and military or paramilitary training – only those who endure this for several years without loosing "working class" pride are considered for Embrace.
Organization
Skinhead culture is more than fashion sense and musical taste, but it definitely requires the two. It requires working class pride and self-respect and a deep devotion to the subculture. Seeing themselves very much like a family that holds together, supporting each other in times of need (financially, socially or otherwise) no matter what. The Bloodline has maintained many of their traditions from their times as gang; the structure, and discipline; a sense of belonging and commitment; the need for recognition and power; companionship, training, excitement and activities; sense of self-worth and status; a place of acceptance; the need for physical safety and protection.
Character Generation
Streiter Kindred don't tend to be intellectual powerhouses, but they are neither are they entirely thuggish, apelike brutes. They merely need to be loyal, mindlessly loyal does too. Physical attributes are usually primary – especially among males – and Social secondary. Many Streiter can be as commanding and charismatic as they are powerful and tough. For females, sometimes Social Attributes replace Physical as primary, but even then Physical are normally at least secondary – women can be even more vicious as men and many of the female Streiter lived up to this reputation when 'initiating' new potential members of the Bloodline. Most Streiter rely on Physical Skills above all others. For one, since most of their recruits come from working class environments. Many have a strong preference for close-combat skills and Merits (even above ranged combat).
Concepts
Skinhead, bar brawler, gang banger, pimp, blood-doll, loan shark, tough guy, thug, mob enforcer, brute
