The Nictuku
And what, many a Nosferatu has asked, of Nosferatu's other childer,
the Nictuku? Did they die out, or do they still lurk in the dark corners of
the world? The Nosferatu certainly believe in their existence, and many a
night in the warrens is spent telling tales of these horrible and malign beings.
The precise roster of the Nictuku is unknown, though there are many. A few
names have been passed down through the ages: Abraxes, Lord of Mists; the
cannibal hag Baba Yaga; Nuckalavee the Skinless; Gorgo, She Who Screams in
Darkness; Echnida the Mother of Foulness.
According to the stories, each Nictuku has its own unique characteristics and
appearance, but all are monstrous. Though the Nictuku are, or were, vampires,
they possess a far greater quantity of the original Antediluvian vitae and have
thus been transformed far beyond the ken of most "pure" Nosferatu. The Nictuku
are monsters in the truest sense of the word.
The Nictuku, so the stories go, are all Blood Bound to the sleeping
Antediluvian, and all are consumed with the desire to destroy the entire
Nosferatu line. Only then will Caine's curse be lifted and Nosferatu's face
restored.
The existence of the Nictuku is still conjecture, but it cannot be denied that
Nosferatu who choose to operate apart from the clan often disappear
mysteriously. There have also been instances of entire Nosferatu warrens
disappearing without a trace.
Few non-Nosferatu have heard the legend of the Nictuku; those who have heard it
largely scoff at the idea, considering the entire tale and exercise in
self-gratification ("the beasts just want to believe that there are things out
there even more repulsive than they are.") The Nictuku themselves are seen as
mere bogeymen whose purpose is to enforce clan unity. Most Nosferatu, however,
take the Nictuku very seriously indeed.
Fear of these creatures is the primary reason the Nosferatu spend so many
of their nights in hiding. The threat of these monsters also does much to
explain why the Nosferatu are so obsessive about garnering information - for
the Nictuku strike silently from the dark, and fade into the dark again.
The Nosferatu believe that constant vigilance against these creatures is
the only way to prevent their attacks. Rumors of strange creatures and
inexplicable occurences are snapped up by the Nosferatu.
A few Nosferatu have devoted themselves to protecting the clan from these evils.
They spend their nights investigating any rumor that might hint at the presence
of the Nictuku, tracking these ancient predators and relaying warnings to clan
members. Some have even teamed up with members of other clans, using their
allies' contacts and powers to help the Nosferatu.