Lore: Giovanni
This Lore represents knowledge of the social structure, traditions and myths of Clan Giovanni. It also represents how well a character might be able to recognize the names of famous Giovanni and know the trends of the Clan within given regions.
Generally Possessed By: Giovanni, Harbingers of Skulls, Samedi, a handful of not entirely dead Cappadocians
Potential Specializations: Dunsirn Lore, Jovian Lore, Giovanni/Cappadocian History, Geneology, Giovanni History, Milliner Lore, Pisanob Lore
Sources Consulted for this List: Chaining the Beast [WW2432], Children of the Night [WW2023], Children of the Inquisition: Who's Who Among Vampires [WW2250], Clanbook: Giovanni [WW2063], Clanbook: Giovanni (Revised Edition) [WW2363], Giovanni Chronicles I: The Last Supper [WW2090], Giovanni Chronicles II: Blood and Fire [WW2091], Giovanni Chronicles III: The Sun Has Set [WW2096], Giovanni Chronicles IV: Nuova Malattia [WW2097], Laws of the Night (Revised Edition) [WW5013], Player's Guide to the High Clans [WW20007], Vampire: The Masquerade (Revised Edition) [WW2300]
Contents
Lore: Giovanni *
You know that the primary Giovanni Disciplines are Dominate, Potence and Necromancy. (LotN [Rev]: 51; VtM [Rev]: 95)
You know that the Giovanni cannot bestow the Kiss while feeding, and that their bite instead brings excruciating agony to their victims. (LotN [Rev]: 51; VtM [Rev]: 95)
You are aware that the Giovanni are also a mortal merchant family in addition to being a Clan, and that all Giovanni are related through either blood or marriage. You are aware, however, that there are a few family lines included in the Clan that do not bear the surname Giovanni. (LotN [Rev]: 50; VtM [Rev]: 94)
You know that the history of the Giovanni family (as both businessmen and Necromancers) predates it's existence as a vampiric Clan, and that the Giovanni are far younger than most Clans, tracing their history as Cainites back to sometime in the Middle Ages or early Rennaisance. (VtM [Rev]: 94)
You have heard of Augustus Giovanni, and are aware that he is considered the founder and head of the Clan. (CbGi [Rev]: 16-17)
You know that both the Clan and family follow a rigid hierarchy, always defering to elder members. You know that the elders are referred to as the anziani, and that sizable portions of the mortal stock of the Giovanni family are kept as ghouls. (CbGi: 23-25; CbGi [Rev]: 36)
You know that the Giovanni's center of operations is in Venice. (CbGi [Rev]: 38)
Lore: Giovanni **
You know that the Giovanni seldom ever have successfully revealed the secrets of Necromancy to those outside of the Clan and family, either through prohibitive ritual magic, or through some affinity in the Giovanni blood that makes Necromancy diffuclt to teach to outsiders. (GC3 12)
You know that the Clan's painful bite is known as the "Curse of the Lamia." (CbGi: 14; CbGi [Rev]: 22)
You have heard of the Jovians, the Roman merchant family that eventually developed into the Giovanni. You know that Giovanni Necromancy developed, in part, from the Jovians' practices of ancestor worship - in particular, their reverence for the Dis Pater (Father of Wealth), a powerful lar familiar of the household. (CbGi [Rev]: 16-18; PGttHC: 136)
You know that in addition to the Giovanni, who comprise the Unico Sanguee (Single Blood) there are also three major families who are Doppio Sangue (Double Blood). They are the Dunsirn of Scotland, the Pisanob of Mexico, and most recently, the Milliners of Boston. You know that the anziani almost universally give the Unico Sanguee preference in all affairs and this often leaves the lesser families embittered. (CbGi [Rev]: 28-29)
You know that in the sixteenth century a non-aggression pact was made between Clan Giovanni and the nascent Camarilla, preventing them from interfering directly in one another's affairs. (CbGi: 15-16; CbGi [Rev]: 27)
You are aware of the Path of Bones, a path of enlightenment which seeks to examine the relationship between life, death and the Cainite condition as it stands in between the two. You know that this Path is practiced by some members of Clan Giovanni. (CbC: 39-40; CtB: 39-43)
You know that the Giovanni descended from a now-extinct Clan of death scholars known as the Cappadocians, although you don't know much more. (CbGi [Rev]: 20-25)
You have heard of the Proxy Kiss, a traditional name for the practice of making someone in the Giovanni family into a ghoul. You know some of the rituals and politics behind Giovanni ghouling and Embrace can get patently unpleasant. (CbGi: 25; CbGi [Rev]: 36)
You know that some Giovanni agree to become servitors after their own deaths and return as wraiths to further the family interests on the other side of the sundario. (CbGi [Rev]: 42)
You know that it is traditional (albeit optional) to tithe to one's elders within Clan Giovanni, usually either in the form of money or captured souls. To that end, you have heard rumors of the Ritual of Endless Night, a spell which Augustus and the anziani wish to perform that will supposedly bring the Giovanni great power. You further know that it will require a great deal of spiriti to perform, and that this is the reason that some Giovanni tithe wraiths. (CbGi: 14-15; CbGi [Rev]: 26-27, 42)
You know that April 4th is a significant holiday amongst the Giovanni, and that it is on this day that new Embracees and recipients of the Proxy Kiss are often decided. (CbGi [Rev]: 45, 49)
You have heard of legendary Giovanni, such as: Augustus' infamous childe, Claudius Giovanni; Potchtli, the head of the Pisanob line; and Francis Milliner, the head of the Milliner line. (CbGi: 65-67; CbGi [Rev]: 16-17, 30-32)
Lore: Giovanni ***
You know that Augustus was Embraced by Cappadocius in 1005 AD, somewhere in the region of modern day Turkey, and that the Giovanni bloodline was galvanized when he later diablerized his Sire and had his now-Cappadocian-Embraced family hunt down and destroy the remainder of the original Clan. (CbGi: 13-14; CbGi [Rev]: 20; PGttHC: 136)
You've heard that the "Curse of the Lamia" comes from Augustus' diablerie of Lamia, the leader of a now forgotten vampiric bloodline and cult which served the Cappadocians. Allegedly, the Lamiae were focused on rituals and magic involving the spread of infection and disease, and it's not inconceivable that such a curse might originate from them. (CbGi: 14; CbGi [Rev]: 22)
You have heard tell of the Jovians' affairs in both supernatural and mortal politics. You know that there are rumors of Jovian involvement in the Punic Wars and by extention the Ventrue/Brujah conflict of the times, with ocassional hints that they knew of the vampiric interests in Carthage. You further know that Flavius Iovianus, emperor of the Roman Empire in 364-365 AD, was allegedly of Jovian blood. (CbGi [Rev]: 18)
You know the the Jovian household suffered greatly during the barbarian sacks of Rome, and that at this time the lares familiares that had traditionally guarded the family seemingly abandoned them. You know that it is for this reason that the Giovanni no longer pay much reverence to the wraiths they deal with, chosing instead to use coercion and force rather than praise and oblation. For reasons not quite known, however, you know that the great Dis Pater is still held in high regard, especially amongst the anziani and even by Augustus himself. Futhermore, you know that the family's current ties to the region of Venice are a result of their flight from the city of Rome proper, and that the surname Giovanni was later adopted as a result of the Iconoclastic religious controversy (They did not want to seem irreverant in having the name of Jove in their surname). (CbGi [Rev]: 17-19)
You've heard of the Premascines, ancient Giovanni elders who dwell below the surface of the waters in Venice, and supposedly trace their lineage to before the diablerie of Cappadocius. You know that some anziani are apparently still in communication with them. (CbGi: 35-37; CbGi [Rev]: 23-25)
You know that the Scottish Dunsirn are reputably cannibals, and have heard some words as to how they killed the faction of the family that had less interesting culinary preferences. They were brought into the Giovanni fold sometime in the 1700s, as Augustus was apparently impressed with their financial prowess. (CbGi: 28-29; CbGi [Rev]: 29-30)
You know that the Pisanob are descended from a loose conglomeration of native Aztec priests encountered during Cortez's expeditions, and that they are not originally a single family. You know that they were brought into the Clan for allegedly possessing a number of new and potent ritual magics complementary to Necromancy. (CbGi: 29-32; CbGi [Rev]: 30-31)
You know that the Milliners have been Embraced into the family only over the past fifty years or so. You have heard stories regarding their ongoing feud with the Kennedys and there is speculation as to precisely how much of that mortal family's misfortune they are responsible for. (CbGi: 29-32; CbGi [Rev]: 31-32)
You've heard of some of the less common Doppio Sangue (Double Blood). These include the della Passaglia, a merchant family absorbed in the 1400s who have inroads into the Orient and a renown as opium sellers; the Ghiberti, a family of former slave traders involved in the West Indies and Africa; the Putanesca, a Sicilian family with a reputation as low-class criminals; and the Rosselini, a former rival family of Necromancers with a penchant for sadism. (CbGi: 32-33; CbGi [Rev]: 32-33)
You know about the existence of the Harbingers of Skulls and the Samedi, and you know that these vampiric bloodlines can also practice Necromancy. You also have heard a few whispers of the Nagaraja, a now extinct bloodline with similar capabilities. (CbGi: 65)
You are fully familiar with all of the terms of the treaty known as the Promise of 1528 between the Giovanni and the Camarilla. This includes a clause in which a group of Camarilla elders will come to Venice every thirteen years to inspect operations. You further know that at the time this agreement was made, it essentially meant that the Camarilla tacitly allowed for the slaughter of the Cappadocians at Giovanni hands. (CbGi: 15-16; CbGi [Rev]: 27)
You know that the Path of Bones (or the Via Ossis) originated with Clan Cappadocian. (CbC: 39-40; CtB: 39-43)
You know that the Endless Night ritual was apparently uncovered amongst Cappadocian documents found by Claudius Giovanni (something called the Khazar's Diary) shortly before his final demise, and that it will supposedly rend the sundario apart, bringing the spirit world and the material world together as one, giving the Giovanni sway over both the living and the dead. You have also heard of that there is a small group of Giovanni who oppose this ritual, although they are widely scorned and often lead short unlives when their sentiments are uncovered. (CbGi: 14-16; CbGi [Rev]: 26-27, 52)
You know that April 4th is celebrated because it is said to be the day that Augustus made the decision to diablerize Cappadocius back in 1444 AD. (CbGi [Rev]: 27, 49)
You have at least heard, in passing, of famous Giovanni such as: Ambrogino Giovanni, a scholar of various Cappadocian texts and ancient magics who has been searching for a rare artifact known as the Sargon Fragment; Genevra Giovanni, a necromancer who did extensive work with the Catholic Inquisition and who enacted a great many profitable agreements with the Sabbat before her death in Boston in 1999; and Isabel Giovanni, a spy who has managed to pose as multiple figures in the Sabbat and Camarilla. (CbGi: 64; CbGi [Rev]: 99; CotI: 59-61; GC2; GC3; GC4: 100-)
You've heard of the Capuchin, the mysterious necromancer and monk who occasionally intervenes in Giovanni affairs and whom allegedly has or had some manner of trade agreement with Augustus. (CbGi: 17)
Lore: Giovanni ****
You've heard stories about the details of Cappadocius' diablerie, and you have further heard of Cappadocius' two councillors Japheth and Constancia, who tried in vain to convince him not to Embrace Augustus in the first place. You have further heard that there might have been intervention from other Clans which led to the downfall of the Cappadocians. (CbC: 20-22; CbGi [Rev]: 20, 22; GC1: 8)
You've heard of the insane Cappadocian ambition toward godhood, and of the idea that Capaddocius somehow sought to "diablerize" God, due to a series of bizarre Gnostic beliefs that he held. You know that Ambrogiono Giovanni is infamous for looking into how precisely Cappadocius intended on doing this. (CbGi [Rev]: 20-21; GC2: 101)
You've heard variant stories from where the "Curse of the Lamia" originated, and have heard the idea tossed around that it might have come from Japheth instead of Lamia. (CbC: 20-22; CbGi: 14)
You've heard of the really minor families absorbed into the Giovanni by marriage. These include the the Beryn, who are Flemish traders with inroads to Africa; the Hidalgo, a Mexican bloodline, supposedly wiped out by the Sabbat; the Koenig, who are German death cultists; the Li Weng, who are Chinese geomancers based outside of San Fransisco; the Rothsteins, who are Jewish-American Kabbalists centered around Vegas; and the St. Johns, who are English Freemasons. (CbGi [Rev]: 33)
You know a little of the Harbingers of Skulls, a strange bloodline, seemingly of Cappadocian descent, who are all blighted with a skeletal appearance. You know they bear some sort of grudge against Clan Giovanni as a whole and that they have recently allied themselves with the Sabbat, particularly in South America. (CbGi: 65; CbGi [Rev]: 25)
You've heard rumors that Potchli, the founder of the Pisanob line, is not Giovanni by Embrace, but may, in fact, be a member of an earlier Cappadocian bloodline. You know that no Giovanni claims responsibility for Potchli's Embrace, and that Potchli has an eerie corpse-like quality to him, similar to the Cappadocian Clan's curse. You also have heard stories of Cainite presences amongst the Aztec Empire prior to European expansion, and know that the God Huitzilopochtli is rumored to have been a vampire masquerading as a God ...and possibly Pochtli's Sire. (CbGi [Rev]: 31)
You've heard tell of how the Rosselini were co-opted into the Giovanni. Apparently, Augustus, in a show of power, rent the very souls from the most prominent members of the Rosselini family and then refused to return them until they swore fealty to him. (CbGi: 34; CbGi [Rev]: 32-33)
You know that the Endless Night ritual will require 100,000,000 souls to complete, and that some overzealous elders have made plans to create large scale disasters or global conflicts to help fill out this number. You know of Valentina della Passaglia, a wraith formerly of Giovanni blood who warned her relatives that the Endless Night Ritual will ensure their destruction, given the number of hostile ghosts who await them on the other side. You know that those who take her warnings seriously are refered to as Valentinists, and that they are universally loathed in the Clan. (CbGi [Rev]: 40-41, 52)
You know that the Samedi have had dealings with the Giovanni in the past, although you hear that the Baron Samedi (progeintor of the Samedi bloodline) and Augustus hate one another vehemently. You further know that there have been rumors linking the Baron back to the Capuchin. (CbGi: 19-21)
You have heard rumors that the Nagaraja are not fully gone, at aleast according to a few della Passaglia in Korea. (CbGi [Rev]: 45)
You know that the Ventrue Jadviga Almanov of Bohemia and her Clan directly supported the nascent Giovanni in their attempts to usurp Cappadocian power, aiding Claudius Giovanni in an early attempt to overthrow Japheth. You know that it was under the cover of such support that Augustus perpetrated the diablerie of Cappadocius. You further know that Almanov was apparently joined by a multitude of other supporters from various interested Clans who met in covert on April 4th, 1444 AD, and that this group was known at the Conspiracy of Isaac. (GC1: 17-49)
You've heard of the True Vessel, a cup in which Japheth sealed a few drops of Cappadocius' blood before passing it to the Giovanni for the Embrace. You know that Augustus fervently seeks this artifact, and that he slew his childe Claudius Giovanni when he destroyed the Erciyes library where it was rumored to have been hidden. You further have heard tell that the Capuchin was much involved in bringing the True Vessel to Giovanni attention in the first place, and that he somehow came to possess the remains of Claudius Giovanni after his demise. (CbC: 20-22; CbGi: 17-18; CbGi [Rev]: 23, 27)
You've heard of some of the fairly obscure Giovanni of note, such as: Paolo Sardenzo, a failed innovator who attempted to use the events of World War I to complete the Endless Night; and Marianna, one of the rare Giovanni Embraced outside of the mortal Giovanni family, who has dedicated herself to thwarting the efforts of the Clan. (CbGi [Rev]: 97-98; GC1-GC4)
Lore: Giovanni *****
You know a little about the legendary Sargon Fragment which Ambrogino Giovanni seeks, and know it to be a Chaldean text which contains various ritual magics - magics potent enough that they just might allow somebody to assume the Godhead as Cappadocius intended. You have heard that some anziani hope that this ritual might just be a shortcut to the Endless Night, and that they might use it to rend apart the Shroud. (GC2: 101; GC4: 53)
You've gotten some word as to the bizarre origins of the Nagaraja, who allegedly used mortal magic to bring them to their current state of vampirism. You are fairly certain that a few of them are still active... somewhere.
You have an inkling as to the reason for the Harbingers of Skulls sudden appearance, their origins and why they allied themselves with the Sabbat. You have heard the name Unre before, and you have made some unpleasant connections regarding it. (CotN: 38-39)
You know that the Conspiracy of Isaac was quite nearly thwarted by the Founding members of the (then unformed) Camarilla. This ought be a little disconcerting, given the concerted Ventrue influence behind both the Conspiracy and the Ivory Tower. You suspect that the Clan of Kings had it's hand in the Giovanni's formation to a greater extent than anyone is likely to admit... (GC1: 8-9)
You have a few leads as to the true identity of the Capuchin. (GC3: 116)
From Unmasqued
Credit to the Source: http://www.unmasqued.com/lores_giovanni.php?PHPSESSID=09bd04d348bd776bfe8e5de8f6e7fa37
Some Notes for Outsiders: If you are utilizing this Lore page for a non-UnMasqued game, please take these changes into consideration when adapting the information here for your own chronicle:
- Due to a lack of access to source material at the time, UnMasqued originally used the setting material in the book Dark Colony (WW2212) to define it's NPCs in Boston and continues to do so to this day. As a result, UnMasqued Lore has not been updated for the Giovanni/Milliner takeover described in Giovanni Chronicles IV: Nuova Malattia (WW2097).
- Given the conflicting literature that the author has read about Giovanni and their views of the Path of Death and the Soul, I've refrained from including information about it on this page. Chaining the Beast (WW2432) clearly states (pg 54) that the Path is forbidden for study by the Giovanni Clan, although earlier books have included Giovanni NPCs with this as their listed Path. I encourage outside storytellers to come to their own decisions regarding this.
- UnMasqued does not include the Sixth Great Maelstrom in it's canon for wraith plot, and Giovanni events linked to this metaplot event are not included here or have been altered.
- UnMasqued has it's own interpretations of the Endless Night ritual, and as such does not try to emphasize it as being as central to Giovanni plot as it often is depicted in White Wolf literature.
- UnMasqued runs it's werewolves from a homebrew system, rather than from Werewolf: The Apocalypse. As such, there is no connection between the Dunsirn and Lupines listed here.
