The members of this clan are dedicated and extremely well-organized. others, however, think of them as arcane and untrustworthy. they are aggressive, highly intellectual and manipulative, and respect only those who struggle and persevere despite all odds. the Tremere believe they must use the other clans in order to prosper. "be friendly with them, let them think that we are one with them, but never forget that we serve our clan first and foremost," the Tremere elders whisper to their progeny. "if you must use your friends in service to the clan, then you know your time was not wasted." the Tremer are an odd lot indeed. they claim to have once been wizards who voluntarily gave up their "art" for the power and eternal life of the vampire. they have never named a founder, and some claim they have none, having instead harnessed mystical powers to achieve their state. most elder kindred discount this claim, however. their link to the substance of blood apparently runs deep, and they are rumored to be able to use blood in special ways to gain extraordinary powers. many also believe that the knowledge of those practices has been passed down from generation to generation, and that it is now viewed by the younger Tremere as natural and commonplace- certainly not magic. the leaders of this clan are based in Vienna, though they have chantries (guild houses for the purpose of magic) on every continent of the world. a council of seven elders is said to control the entire clan from the Vienna chantry. from that locus, they maintain a tightly ordered, hierarchical group, one that allows no outsider to view their inner workings. Tremere typically have immense love for and loyalty to their clan, and the younger members of clan Tremere are expected to obey their elders without question. this is not as true in practice as it once was, however. though there are some rebels and anarchs from the Tremere line, it is thought that they are posing as such on the orders of the clan, as part of its long-term plots.