After the fall of the Roman empire the vampires of Europe
reverted to the practices of earlier days.
They were unable to reestablish their city states,
because a mortal organization: the Church.
Whether kindred of the dark ages were weaker or Christianity was a stronger,
the Church became a serious impediment to vampiric power.
Vampires clustered in broods along clan lines,
but many powerful kine were free from their grip.

The barbarism of Europe made the need for secrecy less important.
If a vampire engaged in wanton slaughter,
the most he need do was to move on to another city;
the only punishment likely to follow him were vague rumors.
The chaos after the fall of Rome had largely shattered kindred society.
Large numbers of kindred stalked the countryside that knew little
ornothing about the history of their race.
What organization there was largely fell along clan lines,
though a few vampiric sects survived from Roman time,
such as the Black Hand and the Inconnu.

Vampiric population grew gradually throughout the Dark Ages.
In fact, vampiric population growth outstripped human growth,
as there were few restriction on breeding in the fragmented society of kindred.
By the early middle ages, vampiric population had grown to several thousand,
with generations ranging all the way from 4th to 10th,
with a few 11th and 12th generation.
No other time saw a greater generational spread of vampires active in the world.
A few Antediluvians still moved openly as well,
notably Lasombra, Tzimisce, Cappodocius, and Tremere.

By the 13th century vampiric population pressures were extreme.
Mortal backlash was not long in coming.
The Inquisition swept through vampiric population like a scythe,
it was mostly the young that fell to the human wolves.
This time, the young would not stand for such treatment by their elders.
The younger kindred rose against their elders in a terrible war,
as bloody as all the previous vampiric wars.
Perhaps a third of kindred fell to the Inquisition's flames,
and another third to vampiric infighting,
including many elders and even a few Antediluvians.
Very few of the young survived,
and those that did often partook of elder blood,
raising their generation.

Outside of Europe there never was an Inquisition.
The non-European vampires had a much stronger continuity from antiquity,
though in many ways the expansion of Islam affected them
much as the Inquisition did European vampires, just not so violently.
Because of this, the non-European clans like the Assamites,
Ravnos and Setites are less concerned with
the Masquerade and the war between the Sabbat and the Camarilla.