The Sesshain
A once powerful Moonkeeper clan in the Black Shroud, the Sesshain have a very proud and traditional view. Unfortunately this is part of what destroyed them, as their refusal to adopt new members or mate with commoners has meant that they were not able to recover from the triple blows of war with the Ala Mhigans, Garleans, and the Calamity.
A steadfast clan, the Sesshain were a pillar of stability in the Black Shroud, where they settled half a millennia ago. At its height, the Sesshain were equal to the Rosavuoto - a secretive but strong Duskwight clan - in strength, and were known for their mastery of the shadow arts. They sought to hold onto their glorious history, but the combination of waning power, dwindling numbers, and outside invasions stifled the clan from restarting its hopes. Outclassed, the Sesshain returned to their ancestral practice of isolation. Their numbers are now severely diminished, and no remaining Sesshain clans exist.
Tropes:
Blue Blood: They have a very old aristocratic bloodline, but their attempts to keep it this way is largely responsible for their current state.
Cornered Rattlesnake: During both invasions of the Black Shroud, they fought a largely unseen fight against superior numbers and managed to cause both forces a significant amount of trouble by taking very desperate measures.
Dark Is Not Evil: They dress in all black and revere the darkness... but they are no better or worse on average than the other Keeper clans.
Lawful Neutral: Their general strategy and clan philosophy is to wait, like a spider, and not involve themselves in outside disputes unless necessary.
Pride: The Sesshain are a Blue Blood clan and look down on the commoners. While they have long served as de facto vassals to the Rosavuoto clan, they had the sense to treat them as if they were equal allies.
Proud Scholar Race: They had an entire house devoted to scholarly pursuits.
Slobs vs. Snobs: Somewhat on the snobbish side of the scale as they pointedly refused to mate with non-nobles and did not adopt commoners.
Vestigial Empire: The Sesshain are descendants from what was once a powerful Moonkeeper nation to the east, which is where the Vhakara also originated. For several centuries the Sesshain were a major power within the Black Shroud. Unfortunately their numbers took a big hit recently and entire houses have died out, with the Calamity destroying the last strongholds of Sesshain power.