They are vampires who hunt vampires. They leave behind the wreckage of their Kindred victims, often creatively destroyed, along with the three characters that make the Roman numeral for seven, displayed prominently on a wall, or a sheet of paper, or on a screen. And that’s all. They are the subjects of whispered rumor and terrified speculation. The fear of VII is the thing the five great covenants have in common.

Some connection between VII and the Strix seems to exist. When the Owls come, the hunters of VII are not far behind. But what? Do they serve the Owls or hunt them? Are VII the tools of the vampires’ destruction or their only hope for salvation from their shadowy screeching nemeses?

Where VII came from is a mystery. Are they old or new? Do they go back to the days of Rome or are they a new phenomenon? No one is sure. Seven rumors occasionally filter through the Cacophony. Any one of them may be true. More than one of them could be true. None of them may be.