Mike, i've certainly got to hand it to you, you certainly do your research.
i think, then, just by glancing over the link Mike provided, that we can all see that the "vampire" concept is relatively universal. it simply goes to show that white wolf also did a bit of research in creating their fantasy world. i'm certain all of the various vampires around the world are nothing at all like the ones we're most familiar with in the west; white wolf even created KotE/LotE just to establish a clear differentiation in the origins of each. I can see how Ravnos can be viewed as a bone of contention because they are a western vampire in an Asian shell. but then again, white wolf has made a point of writing how the Indian sub-continent is a battle ground between eastern and western vampires. therefore, i think Ravnos are a perfectly acceptable clan to include as they demonstrate this clash of cultures, and it's the clashing that white wolf has always used as a storytelling vehicle.
Jim, about Africa. You can't say there are African "vampires," and the presence of the Setites covers those myths. first off, the setites are egyptian. they worship an egyptian deity, they are centrally based in egypt and furthermore, the rest of africa ain't nothing like egypt. egypt is exclusively setite. while egypt is a muslim country, the other muslim nations of africa do not share the same cultural roots as egypt, and i would venture to say they would more likely be under the sway of the assamites. even many sub-saharan african countries are deeply tied to islam (just as many asian nations are, too: indonesia, malaysia, bangladesh, pakistan, etc.). even a country like the sudan, which does have an ancient connection to the dynasties of egypt is today a muslim country, and i'd dare say you would, again, find more assamite influence (especially given that it is an incredibly hostile, fanatical muslim country). and sure, only a faction of the assamites are muslim, but i'm sure the assamite elders are not about to give up a power base just because they may no longer believe in the same God as the people they secretly rule over.
As for the non-muslim portions of Africa, to my knowledge they are ruled by european clans who rode the wave of colonialism into Africa. each clanbook always throws in its geographical ties to each continent. i recall the toreador book describes a legend about an ancient powerful vampire-like being in sub-saharan africa, but until the europeans came that was about it. it's obviously easy for white wolf to adapt any folk legend into their own vampire mythology. they've done it already with a lot of western myths. i mean, heck, white wolf's vampire mythology is based entirely upon a Judeo-Christian creation myth! as such, i give white wolf some credit for universalizing the genre, for being able to adapt alot of the myths from around the world to fit their game.
a note on the "Turkey theory." Muslim invaders made it far past Turkey into Europe. they were in spain in the west and were on Austria's doorstep in the east. much of our western vampire mythology comes from teh germanic and slavic legends. of course, transylvania itself lies within hungary and rumania, neither of which are germanic nor slavic, incidentally. but both were under the rule of the ottoman empire at one time. vlad "dracula" tepes, himself, was actually a "defender of the faith" for helping to fight the Turks in rumania, where he is now a fok hero. but, why don't we see vampire legends in the middle east or turkey? well, for one, muslim culture was one that imposed itself on the cultures it conquered. the duty of assimilation was placed firmly on the heads of the conquered. the ottomans weren't about to become rumanian. Islam isn't an adaptable religion (look at the problems we're having today with its fanatics, unwilling to give an inch to the west). if you are conquered by a muslim army, you become a muslim, you become like the ones who conquered you. furthermore, muslim rulers, generally, were relatively gracious. they were the enlightened people of the middle ages. if a muslim traveler or conqueror were to hear stories of vampires or other creatures in europe, he'd probably say, "oh, that's nice pat *pat*. have you heard the one about the magic lamp?" their own culture was so established that i'm sure folklore was just a local spice.
but, if you want to get rid of a clan, how 'bout the Samedi? i mean, they're named after a voodoo deity (baron samedi). what's voodoo got to do with vampirism? it's about spirits, magic and zombies and such. and fer cryin' out loud, someone please consult a french dictionary and learn the correct pronucniation of the name! also, i'll be honest, the Salubri don't make a lot of sense. Healers, fine, you can have a "healer" clan, but where the heck does a third eye come in? i know, i know, the Eastern connection, but still, they seem a bit like an afterthought, to me at least.
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