CHAPTER S SEVEN: THE PROTOCOLS OF THE C AMARILLA If you give your players fl eshed out, working models of political systems and let them m anipu- late those systems, they will worship you always. OK, maybe not worship, worship, but they will greatly appreciate the effort you put into into the game. You can give them the experience of learning lear ning to play the manipulators game: exulting when their plans work o ut and paying the price when their plots fail... fail... So the question is, how do you provide a consistent, workable framework for your players? playe rs? It must be clear enough en ough so your players pla yers can find f ind a way in, but not n ot so transparent that there are no surprises. It must must be flexible flex ible enough to allow allow real manipulation, but not not so flimsy f limsy that th at the players play ers gain complete complet e control over ove r it and always get their own ow n way. Th Thee secret is in agreements: small small deals and large compacts. Deal making is the heart and soul of of politi- cal systems and Vampire is no exception.1
INTRODUCTION What follows follow s is an out of character explanation ex planation of in character charac ter rules. rule s. These ProtoProto cols are the unspoken unspoken rules of the Camarilla; what follows follows is a guide to them. Unlike game mechanics, these are not meant to be quoted at people; none of these rules is hard and fast. Rather, they are representati representative ve of the ancient protocols of the societ societyy of the undead formed formed the best part of 500 years ago. In this, they reflect ref lect that world and what it stands for to this night. Imagine the society of the t he living dead, beings of immense power and age; drinking blood, they have survived the centuries living l iving in secret, sec ret, hidden behind behind the veil that is the Masquerade. They are strong, fast, beautiful, immortal and deadly. Above all, you 1
Vampire the Masquerade: Storyteller’s Handbook (First Edition), page 62
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are one of them. You are Kindred. You drift through the neon lit streets street s like a shark, silent and terr terrif ifyin ying. g. You are the top of the food chain. Nothing can get to you. Except your fellow Kindred of course, for there is always someone older, meaner and more deadly than you. Even if you stand as some ancient Elder, Elder, imperial in i n power and authority, there is something else more deadly that surrounds you: the society of the Undead, Und ead, the very Camarilla itself. Let us look at the the Camarilla shall we? A society of Undead Undead immortals, immortals, that has existed for several hundreds of years; it has witnessed the Reformation, the Age of Empires, and the overwhelming and rapid changes of the last 200 years, and it still remains. It is all persuasive persuasive and all-powerful. It is also cruel, harsh and ruthless. This would be a society that has hundreds of years to develop; as Kindred don’t age, don’t “pass away”, they have years to continue and perpetuate the standards of behavior that they held in their youth; existing in the t he dustless2 Elysium, they have a shield against the changing world; they have protection protection from a society that t wists and turns at a speed even the young have difficulty comprehending; your average neonate can understand how television spread around the world and changed the world in over a decade; but even they are shocked how the Internet has changed the world in half that time. Society twists tw ists and turns; turn s; yesterday’s yesterday’s common word becomes tomorrow’ tomorrow’ss inf lammatory racist comment; last night’s scandal is acceptable conversation on tomorrow’s children’s television show. So they maintain in place their own codes, their own standards and their own ru les. A society societ y that is a gross gro ss reflection ref lection of themselves; themsel ves; a hybrid mixture mix ture of feudal tradition, t radition, age of enlightenment “reform” and 18th Century conservatism with a few smatterings of 16th 16th Century court politics. Refo Reform rm is stif led, change is fought fought against and new Kindred soon find that a single rule applies—follow the system or be killed. That system—complex, intricate and confusing, full of pitfalls and silent traps—is there to bring down all Kindred. Even the Elders cannot escape it; it; no one can. No one is free. All are trapped, like insects in amber amber..
WELCOME TO THE CAMARILLA, LICK! Play hard, play smart and don’t forget... so much as wipe yourself with the wrong hand and these Cammies will have the Justicar down on you faster than a Brujah on acid. 2
Kindred don’t don’t shed skin. As a side effec effectt many secret Elysia tend not to get dusty.
AN IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION For the sake of story and campaign, it is assumed that these ‘rules’ have always existed, for as long long as the Camarilla has. If these systems are new to your your Chronicle, then it assumed that the political climate has changed to have them reintroduced by the Elders and conservative elements of Kindred society. This re-introduction of “traditional values” is being called the “Restoration” of the Camarilla by some, “Renewal” by others and the “Backlash” by some of the younger Kindred.
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LEVELS OF INTRIGUE The politics of the Camarilla, the ancient society of the Kindred, is one layered in growing circles. At the basic level is the interaction between individual Kindred within the context of members of a Clan living locally. At the highest level is the Jyhad of the ancients. Each level brings its own mysteries, danger and intrigue. These levels also reflect a natural dividing line observed across the world in terms of roleplay. Almost all in character interaction will take place in the first three levels. You may never need to move any higher than this. Good. Nevertheless, higher levels do exist: the deadly games of politics Princes play between themselves, the intricate games of the Elders and the deadly politics of the Jyhad. At each level, more complexity is added and things become more deadly. Read carefully; work out where your character stands now, where you would like to be, and try the system on for size. Levels of Intrigue: Clan, Court, Prince, Faction, and Jyhad
CLAN LEVEL INTRIGUE This is the lowest level of intrigue and interaction. Most characters will be happy here. At this level is the never-ending struggle between Primogen and Clan members; it is the relationship between each single member of a Clan in a local area and his Primogen and Whip. In some places, you may find that only one or two members of a given Clan exist, in others there will be scores. In some places, a given Clan might be tightly knit, discussing and agreeing upon everything. In another, they may only recognize each other by face. Whatever the case, this is the basic level of Kindred Protocol. Before the Camarilla, Kindred were defined by their Clan and paid it more service; Clans were the only way to unite Kindred, to give them identity. As time has passed, Clans have found their role subjugated in the face of the growth of the Sect. Certain elements of the past do remain; however, and one of these is the role of the Primogen.
PRIMOGEN The Primogen is a creation of the late 16 th Century. As the rapid urbanization of Europe began to take effect, more and more Kindred found themselves living in close proximity. Princes ruled the cities, but often they faced situations where more powerful Elders sought residence. For Elders who arrived in these good feeding grounds, a Prince ruling over them was not acceptable. Many began to force Princes to concede power in return for support. Thus were born the first Primogen. The Primogen is the local head of a Camarilla Clan. While many Primogen are no more than pawns for local Elders, and some hold just token power within their Clan, Primogen are formally seen as the final power. Primogen have the ability to topple Princes, a fact that is not lost on the Princes themselves. Primogen is a post that flies in the face of the Second Tradition, because Primogen can and have successfully questioned the Praxis of many a Prince. Indeed, the Primogen have toppled many a Prince. For many Elders, the post of Primogen acts as a legal and legitimate way to keep Princes in check.
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As time has passed, the post has become widely accepted and now no one really bats an eye at the existence of a Primogen. Some Primogen do indeed keep their Princes in check, while others are only there because everyone else has them. Some are pawns to rubber stamp whatever the Prince decides. Around the 1750s, a new precedent was created in terms of social interaction and responsibilities for Primogen. Princes sought to keep the Primogen busy by maintaining a series of rules for the Primogen Council. The most important rule is simple but deadly. It is assumed that a Primogen of a Clan speaks and acts for the entire Clan in a Domain. Primogen are the living representatives of a Clan’s power and meaning in the eyes of the Camarilla. Therefore, if the Nosferatu Primogen of a Domain is caught trying to overthrow the Prince, then the entire Clan in that Domain is assumed to be trying to overthrow the Prince—even if they knew nothing about it. If the Brujah Primogen of a Domain calls the Malkavians a “bunch of traitors to the Camarilla” then it is assumed that all Brujah in that Domain think the same thing. This can lead to those under the jurisdiction of the Primogen getting it in the neck for the actions of their Primogen. This is intentional. It keeps the Clans on their toes watching their Primogen and keeps the Primogen worried about how their Clan will react. In cases where a Primogen upsets a Prince—not necessarily breaking a law, just angering or defying him—it is standard for the Clan to be punished. If the Primogen broke the law or the Traditions as well as upsetting the Prince, the Clan can also be punished. A Clan should know what their Primogen is thinking and doing at all times. If not, they may find themselves reduced in Status, their havens burned to the ground, and facing charges of treason, all because their Primogen said the wrong thing at the wrong time.
WHIP Often in the earliest days of the Primogen position, Princes tried to tie Elders down by decreeing that Primogen had to maintain their Clan. At other times, Primogen vied with others for positions of power within their Clan and had to enforce their will on
OTHER T YPES OF PRIMOGEN COUNCILS The views presented here would seem to indicate that this is the only t ype of Primogen Council. That is not correct. It is entirely possible that the Primogen Council is entirely made up of powerful Elders and Ancilla, regardless of Clan. Especially with those t ypes of Councils, new members will only gain a seat if they can earn the respect, or fear, of the existing Primogen. It is also not unheard of for other Clans to have a seat on the Council. This usually depends on how many of their members are in each Domain. Occasionally, a seat on the Council is created to represent all other Camarilla members in a Domain. Counsel of Primogen includes an in depth look at the Primogen Council and
the other types of Primogen that can exist.
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those members of their Clan whose support was unreliable. Thus, the Camarilla saw the creation of the Whips. Whips have the same powers as the Primogen to grant or remove a permanent Status Trait at a cost of one temporary Status Trait each. A Whip does not suffer from the constraints placed upon the Primogen in terms of speaking. They do not gain an additional Status Trait, and the Primogen of their clan may revoke their powers at any time. Whips occupy a strange position within the Camarilla: They are recognized as a Camarilla post, yet they carry no Status. In many ways, they are a Clan position, but their power is limited to a Camarilla setting. Usually they are very loyal to the Primogen, but it has been known for Whips to use their power to undermine and topple Primogen. The Whip is sometimes seen as the first step on the ladder up the slippery slope to power. The Whip is usually the Primogen’s designated successor, and a Whip only exists if the Primogen of a given Domain decrees that they will have one.
PRIMOGEN REMOVAL: THE CALL OF THE SEASONS Princes cannot appoint or remove individual Primogen. Primogen represent their Clans, and only members of a Clan can decide who is or is not their Primogen. The Prince has to live with whom they choose. It may be his nemesis whom he hates, but he simply has to accept it. This was also a reason behind the “Primogen speak for their Clan” ruling. It is not uncommon for Princes to use what a Primogen does to punish a Clan so much that they will change t heir Primogen. Primogen are chosen any way the Clan decides. For example, it is a common practice among Tremere for the Regent to decide that one of their apprentices is Primogen. Thus, the Primogen seems to be the main Tremere locally while the real power is hidden. The Brujah, on the other hand, have been known to fight it out with the victor tacking the seat. Each way is valid and accepted. The Camarilla does not care how a Primogen is chosen, only that the Clan chooses it. The Prince must accept the choice of Primogen come what may. This being said, the Prince can call for a new Primogen Council. This is a bit like calling for a general election in the middle of a powerful political controversy. Once the Prince calls for a new Council to be chosen, no Primogen business can be dealt with, as all six (or more) Primogen positions must be contested. While this process is being done, the Primogen cannot decide anything until the whole thing is sorted. This is seen as a good delaying tactic for certain Princes and sometimes the only way a Prince can have a political rival removed from office. The Prince cannot single out one Clan to choose a new Primogen; this is an all or nothing proposition. This can lead to those Primogen who support the Prince to rebel against him: In an attempt to undermine one rival, the Prince is now holding up all the Primogen to re-election. It is a double-edged sword. A Prince can only issue this call for a new Primogen once every three months. This process was once called the “Change of the Seasons.” It originated in northern Italy around the 1620s. Certain Princes, in an attempt to keep their Primogen unsettled, would call for a new Primogen council on the first evening of each new season. While that practice has stopped in the intervening years, it is still referred to by this name.
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The ultimate power of the Prince over the Council is to dissolve the Primogen Council. They then rule without a Primogen Council. This is completely legal. There is no need for a Primogen Council. Princes can, at least in theory, rule as they see fit. Once a Prince accepts the existence of a Primogen Council, he is also giving up some of his power. With this in mind, many Princes decide not to have any Primogen. This is a dangerous strateg y; however, because a Prince without Primogen will often find themselves isolated and faced with increased dissent. Indeed, Princes who dissolve their Primogen usually find that they do not remain in power very long unless they are ver y powerful on their own.
COURT LEVEL INTRIGUE Court intrigue is the realm of most games. The interaction between Kindred of a given court, be it their home Domain or a Domain elsewhere, is the mainstay of most Chronicles. Primogen against Primogen, Clan against Clan, with the Harpies sitting and watching it all. The line between the first two levels of intrigue is very thin and crossed often without thought.
SHERIFF The Sheriff has been called many things by many Princes. Common variations of the title Sheriff include Bailiff, Constable, Judge, Justice, Justice of the Peace, Marshal and Magistrate. Less well-known titles include Lord Protector, Enforcer, and Juryman. Whatever the title, the job remains the same. The Sheriff is the enforcer of the Prince’s laws. The differences in this role from Domain to Domain depend on the differences in the Prince’s laws. Many modern Princes have no more than the Traditions as their laws. The laws of the ancient city of York, however, are several pages long and include regulations on meeting times, feeding grounds and dress codes. Each Prince is free to make his own Laws as he sees fit. The Sheriff simply enforces them, usually ruthlessly. Sheriffs often fall into two camps with two differing mind sets. The first are the Idealist Sheriffs. These men and women uphold the law and seek justice for all. They are in the minority. The majority of Sheriffs have been chosen by a Prince to enforce their laws, come what may. In Domains where Anarchs are bloodhunted, for example, Sheriffs usually lead the fight. For many reasons, Sheriffs are usually perceived as the most loyal of the Princes followers—indeed, many are bound to their Prince. Others retain the position as several Princes come and go. Arguably, the greatest of all Sheriffs, and indeed the first Kindred to hold such a title, was Kett, a Brujah of the 7 th generation. He was “Sheriff of the Lands of London” for 600 years, seeing many Princes come and go. A Sheriff takes orders solely from the Prince, although the Prince’s Seneschal may also give him orders. A Sheriff will follow “suggestions” offered by the the Primogen within a given Domain. If a Sheriff openly defies a Primogen, he may find the Primogen having a quiet word with the Harpies. Not even the Sheriff is immune to the Harpies’ powers. As will be described in “Kindred Law” on page 75, the Sheriff is also expected to punish those who break the Prince’s laws. It is expected that all loyal Kindred will aid
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a Sheriff, so if the Sheriff t ries to arrest a suspect and the suspect attacks the Sheriff, it is expected that all Kindred shall rush to the Sheriff’s aid. That they don’t always do so is a given. As is the fact that if the Sheriff survives, they may ask those Kindred in for questioning later. Some Harpies feel that to help a Sheriff suggests they can’t do their job, though there is no set rule for this. The Sheriff is immune to the powers of the Keeper of Elysium—those conferred by the position, that is—as long as he is performing in an official capacity. However, the Sheriff must still honor the Traditions. The Sheriff may sponsor deputies by giving another Kindred a Status Trait of their own. These deputies have the same powers as the Sheriff, but the Sheriff may revoke their authority at any time.
KEEPER OF ELYSIUM While not as old as many of the others, this position is indeed vitally important. Its origins lie in the explosion of populations during the last few hundred years. Kindred population has grown, and Elysium is no longer venerated as much as it once was. This is a problem. Elysium is the only place where Kindred are guaranteed to be able to meet together on civilized terms. Violence is banned. With the threat of violence removed, Kindred can freely gather and commune. If Elysium falls, so does the very principal that upholds Kindred society. In recent years, this concept is often overlooked. Several Princes and Elders have insisted that Elysium is no more than a social convention. In saying this, they are not lying. It is a social convention, but that does not dismiss it. The entire Camarilla is a social convention. Elysium’s power lies in its veneration. Many, including several Justicars, believe that Elysia must be enforced as absolutes. That is, if a member of the Sabbat walks into the room and someone attacks him, the attacker is the criminal. Once someone breaks the Elysium, though, everyone else can then do whatever is required to end the violence. This is usually accomplished by killing or incapacitating the offender. This, then, is the role of Keeper of Elysium. If a Prince does not believe that Elysia are all, then they do not have a Keeper of Elysium. It is a simple as that. The moment a Prince creates this post, he is clearly saying that he will uphold Elysium come what may and tolerate no violence by any, not even himself. It is this fact that leads to many visiting Kindred to ask, upon arrival at a given Domain, to meet with the Keeper of Elysium. If there is no Keeper, it means that the Elysium is not safe; many will then leave as quickly as they arrived. The Keeper also holds other duties. While some just maintain the Elysium, some are more hosts than enforcers, working very closely with the Harpies and making Elysium a more splendid place for Kindred to meet. This has led to certain Keepers being called “Harpies with swords.” The scale and scope of Elysium depends on the Prince and the Keeper. Certain Elysia ban all weapons—the very idea of bringing a weapon to them denotes a willingness to break the Elysium, which brings the offender under the Keeper’s power. Others allow weapons but ban their use. Some Princes view offensive discipline use as a break of the Elysium. A few Princes have made the use of Dominate to be an offensive act and punishable by the Keeper.
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How any given Elysium is enforced depends upon the Elder, Keeper or Prince in charge. Indeed, in any single city there may be several grades of Elysium. If this is so, it falls upon the Keeper to make sure Kindred know the rules. If a Kindred is killed because she went to the wrong Elysium gathering and acted in a way that is not acceptable there but is elsewhere, it is the Keeper who is held responsible, usually forfeiting his own life. This failure to keep Kindred up to date is one of the most negative things about this job, and indeed has led to many Keepers only taking the post provided the Prince dictates that all Elysia are to be held to the same standard. If there are grades of Elysium, it means more for the Keeper to learn and thus leaves more chances for the Keeper to make a mistake. One grade of Elysium, one standard applied across the Domain is something all Keepers fervently wish for. There is also an older tradition that dates back to the earliest nights of the post of Keeper of Elysium. The Keeper reports to the Justicars. This is not a duty in any formal sense, but if they cannot enforce Elysium because a Kindred is too powerful, then in the name of keeping the Elysium they sometimes send letters to the Archons reporting Kindred for their crimes. It is expected that Kindred will aid a Keeper of Elysium if he is enforcing Elysium. The Sheriff is also expected to aid the Keeper in his duties if need be.
SCOURGE The most distasteful of all Court posts, the Scourge is one that was out of vogue for many years. Recently they have appeared more and more, and now it is estimated that as many as half of all Princes have appointed one. Not all cities have reinstated the office of Scourge, and even those that have do not consider it a noble aspiration but rather a necessary evil born of the Final Nights. The duties of a Scourge are simple. The Scourge can harass, detain or destroy without penalty any Kindred that have been created without permission from the Prince, or who have not been presented formally to the Prince. They are the population control of the Prince, and they have license to kill. This punishment also applies to the Sire of any Kindred so created.
HARPY Harpies are the real power of the Camarilla. It is the Harpies who have helped create the Protocols of the Camarilla, and it is the Harpies who are the ultimate judges of the Sect. Make no mistake, even a Justicar listens to and watches the actions of a wellorganized group of Harpies. Their power is that great. Harpies, many of them quite weak and young, are able to topple Princes, have people bloodhunted and bring down entire domains. The Harpies are the true social power, equal in their own way to the Princes’ political power and the Justicars’ legal power. None can defeat them; none can counteract them. They are devastating and terrifying. Yet they are limited. Being a Harpy is a position of paradox. On the one hand, they judge all, but on another, they are judged more harshly. Taking the position of Harpy means being reactive, not proactive; Heaven help the Harpy who is discovered to be plotting to overthrow a Prince or a Primogen. For fear of being tarred with the same brush, their fellow Harpies will fall upon them with a savagery few ever see.
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The leader of the Harpies in a given Domain—often called t he Chief Harpy—is in the same position as Primogen; he speaks for all Harpies. However, if a Chief Harpy says something controversial, and if the other Harpies back him, it matters not what is said. If the Harpies are united against a Kindred for the way she acts, then she is damned. A Harpy is often the easiest post for young Kindred to attain—indeed, it is the one way young Kindred can judge their elders and betters. The Harpies are by nature conservative, because any new change in Kindred society means two things. First, that there become more rules to learn and protocols to follow. And second, change leads to a potential undermining of their authority. Remember these rules of protocol give power to the Harpies—perhaps the only power any will receive. Anything that can undermine this power is dangerous to the Harpies. It was once said that in some Domains that everyone was a Harpy who was not Primogen. This is indeed a prudent move. One of the main purposes of these Protocols is to give Harpies a framework in which to utilize this power. These rules give a frame of reference by which you can judge everyone. Usually it is Harpy players who learn these rules by heart and who then can judge everyone they see.
PRINCE LEVEL INTRIGUE One up, and very close, is the level of Princely intrigue. This is where you get to play power games with the Prince; perhaps you are behind the scenes aid for the Prince, doing secret missions; or maybe you are secretly trying to bring them down. But when you play with a Prince, you must remember... they have the power to just kill you out of hand. And perhaps the Prince isn’t the real danger. Who’s to say that the little Toreador you’ve been insulting for months isn’t the secret power behind the Prince? Getting to this level is dangerous to say the least.
SENESCHAL The Seneschal, or Deputy Prince, is second only to the ruler of a Domain within that Domain. Some Princes have this post, some do not. There are many reasons for both cases. For many Princes, a Seneschal is often their Childer, or designated successor. They create the post in the event of them being killed. This way someone with the same attitude can hold the Throne after they have died. This being said, Seneschals have the great capacity to rebel against their Prince- many a Prince has learned to their cost the mistake of trusting one so closely. An interesting use of Seneschals has been when the Domain in question is too large or the Prince does not want to be involved in the night-to-night running of said Domain. This is usually popular with Elder Princes. If this is the case, the Seneschal becomes much like a first minister—indeed, legitimate other titles for Seneschal include First Minister, Chamberlain, Chancellor and Crown Prince. Though this last one fell out of fashion some centuries ago. The Seneschal can act in the Prince’s stead when the Prince is out of the city. He is therefore entitled to all of the powers of the Prince, although the Prince may reverse or revoke them at any time. There is an unwritten agreement among all Kindred that if any Seneschal attempts to seize Praxis, it is a natural succession. They will not aid their Prince in such an event.
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Certainly, no Prince has ever punished a Kindred for not aiding him against his Seneschal. It goes with the territory—if one has a Seneschal, one must accept the risk.
PRINCE The Prince is he who holds power, he who has Praxis. Under the Second Tradition, he rules without question. “None may question thee in thy own Domain.” And this is his Domain. He may rule as he sees fit. However, Princes have to make sure they never break any law or Protocol. Why? They are the big fish, and as such, they get treated a lot more brutally than the little fish. If two Kindred commit the same crime, one is staked and tortured and then released, and the other is slowly and savagely killed. Why? Because the second Kindred is a Prince and should know better. Princes are judged by two groups, the Justicars and their peers.
FACTION LEVEL INTRIGUE Get to the Faction level and you are doing really well. This level represents the large political factions of the Camarilla—Elders, political coteries, etc. These are the powers behind the Camarilla, and if you want to play their games, then be ready for a big fall. This is an extremely complicated level of intrigue—the games played here can get someone killed very easily. This is where one can meet the Justicar at times. This is where things start to get really scary.
ELDER It is at this level that Elders really find they can sink their teeth into the politics of the Camarilla. Many Elders have vast influence over Princes. Certain Elders will band together to have their Princes form a certain faction; it is not unknown for factions to be no more than creations of a small cabal of like-minded Elders, allowing them to exercise control without being such an obvious target. It is known that many factions seek Elder backing informally, giving them more weight. Elders will be able to use their inf luence within a Clan to inf luence a Prince in a different faction but of the same Clan. It is here that the Elders make their presence, in terms of Camarilla politics, most felt. By concentrating on the Princes, Elders who do not hold Praxis become more important. It allows them to influence the decision making process of the Camarilla all the easier—this is intentional.
IMPERIAL PRINCE This is perhaps one of the more interesting aspects of Faction level Jyhad. In the process of forming a political faction, several Princes may agree—or may be forced—to unite their Domains under a single ruler. This super-domain is hereafter known as an Imperial Domain, and its rulers are Imperial Princes. A popular alternative to Imperial Prince is Imperator . Imagine three Princes whose Domains are close to each other. For whatever reason, they decide to unite the Domains under a single Prince. That Prince gains no extra Status, but can now call himself an Imperial Prince—this sends out a very big message. An Imperial Prince is one who has increased his Domain at the expense of others—it either means he is very charismatic or very powerful. Just the title Imperial Prince car-
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ries with it weight and gravity. In this regard, the most powerful Imperial Prince in the world must be Villon, Prince of All France—all Kindred within that nation come under his Praxis. When Domains combine, several new positions are created. The first and most important is the position of Duke or Duchess. This title is often given to the former Prince of a part of the larger Domain or a trusted underling of the Imperial Prince. The Dukes can have the same powers as a Seneschal and exercise those powers in the name of the Prince; or they can be nothing more than a title. Either way, Dukes and the Duchies they control are extensions of the Imperial Domain and thus come under some specific rules: The Duke can create a Sheriff post and a Keeper post for that Duchy. They retain the same powers as any other. •
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•
•
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The Duke may allow a group of Kindred act as advisors. They are Primogen for the Duchy, but not for the entire Domain. The Duke may hold gatherings or meetings in Elysium, but it is clear they rule in the Prince’s name. The biggest problem with Imperial Domains is that they become the focus of much resentment. Not all Imperators can maintain a grip on power as well as Villon. In all other respects, a Duke has the same power and Status as a Seneschal.
J YHAD LEVEL INTRIGUE This is the level of politics where things get really deadly. If you make it to this level you are either very old, very powerful, very important or very stupid. There are no real rules to given this level of politics—this is the highest level. At this level, you interact with the true Elders—the factions and coteries of Elders, who in turn dictate all the way down to the lowest levels how things are run. There are no set rules here, except one: Show any stupidity and you shall be killed. The players here play a subtle game—one that takes years to play. New players are looked on in a mix of amusement and contempt. If they don’t follow the unwritten rules—that are never explained—then they can expect to die very quickly.
BOONS The Boon system has created a race of beings who owe loyalty to lea ders they do not respect and would often gladly tear down. Unlike human political factions, which are often designed to promote inspirational leadership based upon trust, Cainite political systems promote treacherous leadership based on fear. Betrayals are common in the Camarilla, as are reprisals for betrayal.3
Boons are the currency of the Kindred. If no one owes you a Boon, then you are broke. Remember that. Boons are how the society works. If we take a look at the Chronicle around us, we notice a situation where younger and weaker Kindred outnum3
Vampire the Masquerade: Storyteller’s Handbook (First Edition), page 66
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ber older more powerful ones three to one if not more. So how do the older Kindred keep everyone under control? Boons. Boons are all. They are the single most important way the Camarilla is run. They are the only way younger Kindred can rise in power. There is no such thing as a favor among the Kindred, there are only Boons. Boons allow you to do things. You can ask an Elder something; but they can refuse; if they owe you a Boon, you can force them to do it. There are other options. You could always do it yourself. No doubt this means you have a hugely powerful character who has a sheet that is t wice the size of a Justicar’s and could take on Caine in a straight fight. Good for you. Now, please leave. The Camarilla is designed so that everyone needs to make deals. Boons are the currency of the Kindred. Unless you tell someone about your Boon, it doesn’t exist. Boons have to be registered, and the natural people to keep track of Boons are the Harpies. Harpies need to keep records of everyone’s Boons. It is said the Chief Harpy of Dublin carries a large book into which is added each Boon between every resident of that city. In certain cases, clever Kindred do not register their Boons with their own Har py, but rather with Harpies outside their Domain. This way, no one knows who has a record of who owes whom. Another way to register Boons is to have it publicly announced; if it is publicly announced to and by the Harpy, the Boon is registered. Only in the case of secret deals does writing it down become important. A few enterprising Kindred merely write down the Boon and get the Boon giver to sign it along with a witness. The importance of making sure a record of the Boon exists cannot be underestimated. If there is no record of the Boon, there is nothing to make other Kindred uphold it. This leads into the nastiest part of all this—not keeping a promise. Failing to respond to a Boon is a really bad thing. If someone is discovered to have defaulted, they get it in the neck. They are undermining the currency of the Camarilla. If this became a common occurrence, Boons would become worthless. Those who do so face a harsh penalty. Immediately they are considered to have lost all their Status. They should be ostracized. Exile from their home Domain is to be considered a good thing. Their assets and goods are free to be seized by any Kindred. Their Ghouls, their Influences, their money—all of it is open to be taken. Some old-fashioned Princes may even use this as an excuse to have them Bloodhunted. It’s that nasty and that simple. If you owe, you had better pay, or else you lose everything . Primogen who refuse their debts are automatically assumed to be representing their entire Clans locally. If a Prince defaults and is publicly announced to have defaulted, it usually gets the attention of a Justicar and his Archons. On the other hand, if the Prince has been lied about and it is proven that they where lied about, then the one who brought the allegation—another Prince—suffers the same fate. There is a weakness here. Someone could say someone else has defaulted when they haven’t. That is called false witness. Bring false witness against someone and you are killed. No appeal. No bloodhunt. Everyone knows you brought false witness, and they know you have to die. In order to prevent false witness from ever happening, it has led to both parties making damn sure that either the Boons are announced or that both are there when it is recorded.
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To offer some perspective, 95% of Boons should be trivial, minor and major Boons. Blood Boons should be rare. Life Boons should be like diamonds. When you have a Life Boon, you own someone. It’s not nice. With a Life Boon, you can have a Kindred do anything you want; they must do it unless they somehow save your life, which won’t happen as you are now making them take all the risks. The best thing about holding a Court position is that it automatically allows you to collect Boons. If a Primogen has a Clan Member who wishes to petition a Prince, he may charge them a Boon. All this stuff and nonsense about Clan Loyalty can only go so far. Consider the argument that members of a Clan should not charge each other Boons a bit like saying no American should pay another American any wages because they are working in the same country. Boons are currency, and a Kindred must make a living! Princes have the best position of all. Extending Hospitality to a Kindred is the only duty they do for free; after that everything comes with a price. Someone wants to Sire? That’s a Boon. Someone wants to establish a new haven in another part of town? That’s a Boon. Someone wants to be Sheriff but not be bound to the Prince? That’s a Boon. A non-Camarilla Kindred wants to live in your Domain? Yes, you guessed it, that’s a Boon. This way Princes collect many Boons. They either use them to prevent Praxis seizures or they allow someone else to take over and quietly run things from the shadows. If the Prince doesn’t charge Boons, guess what? He’s weak. A Prince without Boons is a rich man without money. They look the part but have no power to back it up. When a Prince asks you to do something, he can get out of it being a Boon by saying it is to do with the security of the Domain. A Domain is a Prince’s concern, so it can be said that asking for a Boon can be seen a s undermining the Princes right to rule. That is not a good thing. One can only charge a Boon to the Prince if you are doing a personal favor. The Justicars never offer or owe Boons. They are above Boons. They don’t do favors. They do their duty. They don’t accept favors. If you help them, it is because if you don’t, they get to hurt you. Lots. Justicars and Archons don’t need Boons. They have might and the entire Camarilla backing them up. Archons tend to have more leeway to bargain and deal on a personal level, but they also can always take the same approach that a Prince has, they can get out of it by saying that it has to do with the security of the Sect of the sanctity of a Tradition.
WHAT AM I LETTING M YSELF IN FOR? The hardest thing about Boons for many players is getting a sense of perspective on them, what each Boon means to the person giving the Boon. Below are suggested guidelines to understand what it means when you give a Boon. By taking this Boon I understand that...
TRIVIAL BOON I shall do a one-time favor for the person to whom I owe this Boon. I shall aid him by protecting him when I have no reason to do that, even if it places me into conflict with people. I shall agree use a discipline for him if he requires it. I shall support his political maneuver this night, even if it means I have to f ly in the face of my Clan or my Prince. It is a single favor that I owe. Once he has called it in, it is
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cancelled. I will not place myself in a position to break my word; however, nor will I betray my Clan or My Prince or any Oaths of loyalty I have taken.
MINOR BOON I shall endeavor to fulfill the debt I owe. I have inconvenienced the person who I owe this boon by asking him to do the favor for me in the first place. I understand that I may be inconvenienced by the favors he asks back in return. If need be, I will secure his safe passage into a hostile city. I shall reveal unto him secrets I know that could endanger members of my Clan or my Domain. I shall destroy his enemies, whoever they may be. I shall offer physical protection for many nights—this I accept because I asked roughly the same of the one I owe.
MAJOR BOON I shall accept that I have earned a great debt to the one to whom I owe this Boon. He has given much time, effort and compromised perhaps many things he believes in to give me this favor; thus I do return it. I understand that if required I would even teach him the immortal powers that the Embrace conferred upon me. I shall aid him in whatever political goal he so desires, even if this means openly standing against my Prince or my Clan. I would, if he so wished, locate for him or give him property I own or which he would wish, even if gaining this property is taken at the expense of another.
BLOOD BOON I do accept that the person to whom I owe this Boon to is one to whom I owe many things, perhaps more than can ever be repaid. I am in his debt now—my current existence was dependent upon him. Thus, I owe him things that can never be repaid. I will place myself in danger for him; if my Blood is shed, then I care not. If this means I betray my Clan and Prince and bring him low, I care not. He has done the same for me, so I accept that I shall do it for him.
LIFE BOON I owe someone a life boon; my life is his; my will is his; my body is his. The debt I owe can never be repaid, lest somehow I save his life. I am his to command; I am but a tool for his will; he rules me and he gives me purpose. I shall do whatever is asked of me, and if this means that I am to die then so be It- I live only because of him and thus my life is his to command. As you can see, once you get above minor Boons you start being in a position where everything you hold dear can be destroyed. Many would respond by reading the above, shaking their head and saying, “I am not ever going to owe anyone a Boon.” Many Princes and Primogen fear such characters, and not owing a Boon can be seen as a disadvantage. If you owe no one a Boon, you are a wildcard. A title such as Sheriff or Harpy or Primogen should never be given unto you, for you have nothing to moderate your bestial side.
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ADDITIONAL BOONS This is a silly situation, but one that happens often. Kindred A wants a favor of Kindred B. Kindred B charges a minor Boon. Later, Kindred A wants another favor— another minor one. Kindred B could charge another Boon, but what would be better is if they agree that Kindred A now owes Kindred B a major Boon. Additional favors may build it up to a Blood Boon. The final level is always either a Blood Boon or a Life Boon. Once Kindred A has sworn to that level it is unimportant what is agreed to, as Kindred A belongs to Kindred B. However, there is no hard and fast system for converting between Boons like this. Building up to a higher level of Boon requires the consent of both parties.
COMPENSATION There is something not being said in the above passage. Something is being missed that is without doubt one of the most important factors of Camarilla society and one of the reasons why violence becomes so rare in area where the protocols are strictly adhered to. That is compensation. A Boon is an investment. You never know what you may need a Boon for, so you take a Boon out with as many people as possible. But Boons don’t really work if the person who owes you a Boon is killed; once they are gone the Boon you where owed is lost. Right? No. Think about it like this: That Boon was an investment that you had simply not cashed in yet. Now someone has destroyed your investment, and they have to compensate you—usually to the same degree of the Boon they just cost you. If you kill someone who owed someone else a Boon, they have the right to ask you to now compensate them by owning them a Boon—usually the same amount, but at times more. If you fail to compensate them, you will be treated as someone who will not uphold Boons. Remember that the entire economy of the Kindred depends upon everyone placing Boons high above all else. Failure to give them due reverence leads always to the hardest penalties. The weakest case—that of a trivial Boon being ignored by a neonate for example—can be dealt with as described in “Harpy” on page 67. Be careful whom you strike against, for you may find you have slain your worst foe, only now to owe someone else a major Boon because you did so. The real secret to all this is that clever, ingenious or sneaky Kindred may actually seek out powerful, hated or inf luential Kindred and offer to be in their debt in order to use their name as protection. That annoying Anarch in the corner may be ripe for a good kicking—but if he suddenly announces that he owes a Minor Boon to Samuel Ward, a major Boon to Prince Romanov of Atlanta, or a life Boon to Xavier Luxembourg, you must realize that if you destroy him you will owe that person a Boon. Indeed, powerful Kindred may well find many seeking to offer their serv ice by way of a Boon to them, in order to access this very protection. Thus some give Boons but rarely. Some accept all petitions, and thus collect power and influence around them like a vortex of some kind. Because they are Elders, people perceive that they have power; so they give them Boons, so their power grows, so that more give them Boons. Thus the power of the Camarilla is maintained.
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The only people who are immune to paying compensation are Princes, Archons and Justicars. If someone breaks a Prince’s laws and the Prince kills them, then the investment is lost; the same applies to Archons and Justicars.
KINDRED LAW Kindred law is based upon one simple idea–within each Domain, the Prince has final say. End of story. The end. That’s it. Simple isn’t it? You can’t win. For the record Kindred justice within the Camarill a is not based upon trial by jury, the use of Aura Perception, Bone of Lies, or anything like them. None of these is accepted. Status and Station wins. The Camarilla usually does not like investigations to get to the bottom of things. Why investigate? Better to find a scapegoat, like a Caitiff, and kill him for the crime. If the crime happens again, then the Caitiff was obviously in league with someone. Mind you, if in doubt, blame any Anarch/Autark. They have no Status and as such are guilty of everything. It depends on the Prince, but most of the time, investigations are not carried out and for very good reason. Many criminal acts can be carried out and ignored if you remember one thing: while murder and Diablerie are terrible crimes and while Princes and Justicars want the criminals punished. The society must be maintained. The biggest crime in the Camarilla is to disregard Status and station.
AN EXAMPLE OF WHY CAMARILLA LAW IS SO UNFAIR Picture the scene: The Tremere Primogen has been found in a room with the recently killed corpse of the Ventrue Primogen. He claims he didn’t do it. The Prince summons him and the entire court. This is a bad move, but we’ll come back to that in a bit. Prince: My Lord Tremere, did you kill the Ventrue Primogen? Tremere: My Lord, I cannot tell a lie. Nope. I had nothing to do with it. Near-By Toreador: A-ha! Your majesty, my learned Tremere Primogen is a lying, two faced murdering git. Tremere: You have evidence? Toreador: I don’t have to have any. I just read your aura and me and EVERYONE could see that you were lying your bloody head off... Tremere: YOUR MAJESTY! What on Earth is going on? You’ve allowed a Toreador Anarch to present evidence. Toreador: WHAT!? Prince: (Who knows where this is going and what is going to happen) My God, I think your right! Toreador: What the hell? Tremere: A viper in our midst. I wonder, are the entire Toreador so affected? Toreador: What the Hell are you talking about?
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Tremere: You, Sir. You and your disregard for the Traditions and laws of the Camarilla. You and your attempt to subvert the Camarilla from within. Toreador: I beg your pardon? Tremere: I had given my word as a Primogen. You say you glanced at my aura and contradict me! You glance at my aura... you doubt my word! Toreador: Well, of course I bloody well do, you’re a sneaky git! Tremere: That’s MR. Sneaky Git to you, Sunshine! Or, rather, Lord PRIMOGEN Sneaky Git. You, Sir, have decided to disregard our sacred Traditions, disregard the rules that have kept the Camarill a in place for the past seven hundred years. You have taken the system of Status, which unites us and binds us, and defines our place in our society, and you have thrown it out the window. You doubt my word in public... by doing so, you suggest that Status is redundant. You wish to destroy it, eh? Toreador: Er... no, that’s not... Tremere: No doubt you wish to get rid of Boons and introduce democracy as well. Probably hang about with the Anarchs, don’t you? Toreador: No, now wait a minute! Tremere: Your majesty, I insist that this criminal be staked immediately.
And like that, the bad guy gets away with it. Why? Because Kindred societ y is deadlier than any Kindred. It is not based upon fairness or justice. The Tremere Primogen did kill the Ventrue, but the Toreador broke an even bigger rule. He disregarded station. The Tremere committed murder. The Toreador committed treason and sedition. And since his act of treason was to say he had read the Tremere’s aura, then the very accusation is treason. Thus the case is dropped and the Toreador gets it. This could lead to people like the Harpies judging and ruling cases, and that’s almost right! Mind you, the Prince made a mistake. He should have gotten the Toreador to ask the Tremere in private and then used the Aura Reading as evidence when coming up later. The evidence would have been in beforehand, and the statement that the Primogen was lying more acceptable because the Prince can say it. Committing a crime becomes something anyone can get away with if they are smart. Bringing someone to justice is as easy as just saying the right thing at the right time to the right person. Who cares if they did it? Who cares what their Aura says? It’s about how you appear and what power you have. An Elder can make your life miserable for years. That’s the whole point of the game. You must out nasty the nasty guy. Just think, if that Toreador in the above example had been the Primogen, not only would have the Tremere Primogen got away with the murder of the Ventrue Primogen, but the Prince would have been forced to punish the entire Toreador Clan! Also, remember; accusations of criminal activity against Kindred must be made by those of high standing in a court. It’s not enough that you get evidence against the
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Tremere Primogen. The evidence and the accusation must be made by the Prince, the Seneschal, the Chief Harpy, the Sheriff, the Keeper of Elysium or the other Primogen. Someone has to stand up and make the accusation—and take the blame if the accusation falls down. Anonymous tip-offs and so forth are instantly discounted. The reason someone important has to bring the accusation is that if it goes wrong, someone important has to take the blame, at least until they pass the buck onto the little person who made the accusation in the first place. If you make an accusation and it is thrown out, you are guilty of bringing false witness. Even if what you told is the truth, you have brought false witness. The very act of accusation is a dangerous thing. Heaven forbid you accuse a Prince in good standing of a crime—the very act is sedition and should only be carried out by another Prince! Remember that the Prince of a Domain is t he final judge of all things.
STATUS If you give Status to someone and they are found to be a criminal or get into trouble or something, it could come back and haunt you. You must be careful when giving out Status—call someone Loyal and they attack a Prince, you could be asked why you called them Loyal. If you gave someone two Traits of Status it becomes more serious. If it was three Traits of Status and that person commits a crime, you are placed on trial with them at the same time—after all, you must support everything they say and do. Status also follows on to the above mention of the Law. Two Kindred are accused of a crime and both claim the other one did it. The person with the most Status wins. Any Prince who does not take into account the Status of a person in cases such as these will attract the attention of the Justicars. This is not to say that Kindred of high Status can get away with murder, but a Prince has to be sure about it and get proof in secret so that they cannot wiggle out of it by publicly saying they didn’t. Be aware if you are a low Status Kindred and a high Status Kindred is accusing you of something. The best bet is to find an even higher Status Kindred, offer them a Boon and let them offer you an alibi.
PRAXIS So how does one become Prince without the Prince’s allies killing you? Dead easy, really. A Prince stops being a Prince when he is killed, deposed4 or resigns. A Prince may be deposed by a Justicar for breaking the law. The Primogen can depose them if the Primogen en masse5 permanently give up some of their Patronage Status Traits 6. If the final number exceeds the Prince’s Status Trait total, including his traits for being Prince, the Prince is out. Then they simply choose a candidate whom they want. In the case where the Primogen have deposed the Prince but cannot decide on a single candidate, they merely say whom they support. The Storyteller works out who wins based on the simple system of 4
5 6
By another Camarilla Kindred. Being overthrown by the Anarchs or the Sabbat is seen as a temporary set-back and the character still retains the title de jure Prince, with al l the benefits that go with it. All of them without one voice of dissent. Status given to them by other Kindred, not based on position or social class.
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one vote per Status trait those with the most Status support win; an interesting way to decide after the Primogen just blew a lot of Status to get into that position. When a Seneschal attempts to take Praxis, it’s between a Prince and the voice of the Prince; anything goes.
BLOODHUNTS Bloodhunts are a tricky thing. When Princes call a Bloodhunt they are staking their claim to Praxis upon the Hunted. Bloodhunts should never be taken lightly. If a Prince calls a hunt and then retracts it, unwanted attention will be brought his Domain. This is a serious affair; calling a Bloodhunt and then retracting it is nearly impossible—the usual punishment is that the Justicars send an Archon to punish the Prince and make sure the hunt is enforced. There are only a few ways a Bloodhunt may be lifted:
THE PRINCE WHO CALLED IT IS KILLED This means that the person who calls the Hunt is no longer around to enforce it. To address all those who reply, “That Prince just called a Bloodhunt on me, I think I will kill him,” this option is not really open unless you are smart. If you get away with this, it undermines the other Princes. Most, if they discover this, will automatically Bloodhunt you as well.
IT IS ILLEGAL TO BLOODHUNT ANOTHER KINDRED WITH THE TITLE OF PRINCE To do that will bring Domains into a conflict that weakens the Camarilla. This was why Tribunals were created. If you Bloodhunt a Kindred and then they gain Praxis elsewhere, the Bloodhunt drops. This creates an interesting position; many Princes may wish to give shelter to one of their Domain who they feel is unjustly hunted—usually for a Boon. The problem is that Kindred and the Prince both know that if they seize Praxis they are free from the Hunt and the Boon.
IT IS ILLEGAL TO BLOODHUNT AN ENTIRE CAMARILLA CLAN. Saying you wish to Bloodhunt all Tremere within a Domain is against the “alliance of the seven” and will lead to Archons being sent. This is never a pretty picture. Kindred who are under a Bloodhunt automatically lose half their Status traits. Several Kindred manage to make a good account for themselves by using Obfuscate to hide themselves and turning up in Elysiums and having fun on the run. So be it, but people found to be associating with these people, for whatever reason, shall be subject to the charge of aiding and abetting the Bloodhunted person. This charge is enough to have them killed in the Domain the Bloodhunt was originally called. Even talking to a Bloodhunted person may be enough to get you killed. Be careful—always try and meet them in secret or in Domains where they are not Hunted. Some Princes operate on the policy of Bad Blood: If a Kindred is bloodhunted, the Prince invokes the Fourth Tradition to investigate all of that line.
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JUSTICARS AND ARCHONS Princes are expected to run a tight ship. They are expected to uphold the laws; they are expected to uphold the Traditions. Archons and Justicars are not here to wet nurse anyone. Archons and Justicars really don’t care how things are run as long as the Traditions and the Edicts of the Justicars are obeyed. That’s it. Archons and Justicars shall ignore any accusation against someone of high standing unless it comes from someone else of high standing. If they listened and allowed every accusation to be acted upon, then they would undermine the very society they are there to protect. Justicars tend to remember such things—sending an accusation to the Justicar about your Prince wil l lead to the Justicar reporting you to your Prince for breach of the Second Tradition, but you will die knowing that if the Prince ever does come under the Justicars’ attention they will no doubt look into this... Maybe. Some Justicars are very hands-on, but most are not. Most stand back and allow Kindred society moderate itself. If the Justicars have to send an Archon somewhere it is usually because the Prince has failed. This is important. If some criminal is terrorizing a Domain and the Prince is too weak to deal with it, the Archons are sent for. In cases like this, it is not uncommon for an Archon to pass sentence upon a Prince as well. When a Justicar arrives, it is because an Archon has failed. Justicars are very likely to be the most powerful Kindred your characters will ever meet. They are the wrath of the Camarilla. They are not here to see what an interesting person your character is. They are here to judge, to punish and to leave. When they turn up, there is no reason to assume that they are going to stay on any given subject—they may use their arrival to investigate everyone they see. It is rumored that the Nosferatu Justicar Markov, once said, “There are two ty pes of Princes in the world, those who are guilty of breaching the Traditions and those who have yet to be caught.” The best advice about the Justicars is to avoid them at all costs. The kid gloves have been taken off. In the past people used to complain about the treatment of their characters at the hands of the Justicars. This is the wake-up call: these NPCs are designed to judge and to kill. They are not designed to provide detailed roleplay encounters for your characters. They are not designed to give a damn about your character. Your character is an annoyance to them.
Justicars do not represent their Clan. The Nosferatu have no claim on their Justicar. It is the Nosferatu Justicar, not the Nosferatu’s Justicar; Justicars’ first and only allegiance is the Camarilla. For their term of office, this is all they care about. Supplying them with regular information, deferring to them as you would defer to any person who has the power to have you killed with but a word, and generally not trying to annoy them is a good way to get along with the Justicars. If a Justicar enters your character’s story, be aware that from that moment until it leaves, you may be killed at anytime for any reason. You are now roleplaying with the world’s most deadly creature.
THE OTHERS The protocols, it must be stressed, apply to those members of the Camarilla. But what of those not members of the Sect? This then leads to some interesting situations.
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The first advantage of not being a member of the Camarilla is that one does not have to follow these rules at all. You are free to act outside of them. The main disadvantage is that outside the Camarilla you are outside its protection and thus must face the consequences.
INDEPENDENT CLANS THE FOLLOWERS OF SET The Followers have a great advantage and a great disadvantage—they, being outside the protocols, are a lot freer to act; there is no ban on their behavior, on what they do and how they act. Followers of Set make a good living out of existing on the periphery of the Camarilla—they can do things the other Clans cannot do, for which they charge high prices and earn much by way of Boons. Indeed, if a Primogen wishes to move against a fellow Primogen they often use the Followers to do so. This allows the Followers to act, be owed a Boon by each Primogen and increase their power. The disadvantage here is of course the natural dislike of many Princes to the snakes. The standard response to Snakes by Princes is to charge them Boons to exist within their Domain. Princes know damn well that the Followers will quickly try and infiltrate a given Domain and make as many Kindred end up owing them. As long as the Prince keeps tabs on the Followers, they can utilize them to great effect. The Followers love the protocols and tend to follow them closely. They also tend to break them the most and get away with it, because they offer something the others cannot do. If caught, they know that by offering a Boon to the Prince to continue to work in the area, they can quickly gain more Boons. Those Followers of Set who are members of the Camarilla are expected to act slightly more circumspectly, but they do fulfill many roles within the Sect. Followers who hold the position of Harpy or Keeper of Elysium tend to be ideally suited to the job.
GIOVANNI The Giovanni are forbidden from getting involved in internal Camarilla political matters. They are immune to the powers of the protocols completely except where they are discovered to be trying to influence political matters—in which case they are worm food. Several Princes codif y the relationship with the Giovanni very simply—as holders of Praxis they can charge or tax the Giovanni a certain amount of their income to remain in any given Domain. This tax is to be paid directly to the Prince. Many Giovanni understand this completely. As merchants they have long understood the importance of paying the local despot a fee to be allowed to exist within his city. The more money the Giovanni makes, the more money the Prince makes, so many times the Giovanni arrange for positions such as Chancellor—which holds no Status and is not a Camarilla position, but allows the Giovanni to regulate all business deals. Giovanni use this as an excuse to create Coffeehouses or Exchequers that encourage those Kindred with business interests to come a trade freely in an atmosphere of relaxed gentility. These environments usually increase revenue and act as a way of allowing Kindred utilize their influences (not just finances) in a way that works out for them best. The Giovanni, as neutrals, are the only Clan suited to making sure that all such transactions are done fairly and well. For a small fee they will even be willing to underwrite certain actions.
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By acting as arbiters of Inf luences and making sure that no one does anything with them to damage the Prince’s Domain by reducing it in terms of wealth and social environment, the Giovanni are able to charge a small levy to those Kindred so involved. This increases their wealth, which in turn makes t he Princes cut larger—thus Giovanni are often the best at moderating Influences and Boons. Giovanni in the Camarilla are accepted members of the Camarilla, but still may hold no position.
ASSAMITES The Assamites are considered by many to be foes of the Camarilla. Their relationship is defined by the fact that they do a job—a nasty job but a job nonetheless. It is generally accepted that Assamites only do their job because someone else has hired them—an Assamite may be the weapon, but they are not the killers. In recent nights, a small group of Assamites—calling themselves Banu Haqim —have petitioned for membership in the Camarilla. The individuals in this group have been granted membership in the Camarilla; however, negotiations to recognize them as a separate Clan from the rest of the Assamites, as well as other benefits, are still ongoing.
L ASOMBRA A NTITRIBU The Lasombra are recognized and given full rights within the Camarilla. There are usually too few of them in any given Domain to effect any position such as Primogen.
CAITIFF One thing must be remembered about Caitiff and it is important. Caitiff are clanless. To many, they are bastards. Many are accepted as members of the Camarilla, but many more are killed on sight. A Caitiff has no Primogen to back him up, no Clan to help, no support at all. This has led to the often used term to describe Caitiff: Patsies. One can easily blame a Caitiff for a crime. Who is going to speak up for them? No one. And if someone does, many a Harpy will ask them why they are supporting a bastard. Because of this, Caitiffs usually find someone of power to attach to and stick there like glue. Many Caitiffs find themselves working for their Prince with a ferocious loyalty. If they don’t, they face the Prince’s displeasure and the end of their lives. A common practice for Princes when a Primogen breaks a law is that the Primogen gives the Prince a large Boon and the Prince then to publicly blames the Caitiff for the crime. Caitiff who hold Praxis are in a very dangerous position. If caught, they are usually killed.
ANARCHS Anarchs claim to be not members of the Camarilla; and indeed as such hold no Status or station in the Camarilla; they claim they are outside its remit. Many Princes would disagree. The question becomes then what is their relationship to the protocols, and the answer is grim. Anarchs, by their existence, suggest that one does not need the Protocols of behavior in order to live. They show that there exists another way for Kindred to live, and they undermine the very society around them. This makes them dangerous. This makes many Kindred want them dead. So be it. The main trump card Anarchs can play is that they can help the Prince or the Primogen. They can do favors for them when a Primogen wants to destroy a political rival,
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but cannot move for fear of their own Clan rejecting it. One can always ask an Anarch to do it, as the Anarchs are more than happy usually to take down a Camarilla Kindred. Many a Prince has also discovered, to their horror, that attacking and Bloodhunting Anarchs lead to his name being added to a list for retaliation. It may take months or even years, but come it will. The Anarchs have shown that they operate far more successfully on a global scale at times. A Prince in America may act and discover that a fellow member of his Clan is executed in Europe and Australia because of what he did. The relationship between the two groups is tense and deadly, but many Anarchs often act very much within the protocols, behaving in a manner that would put many of the local Camarilla Vampires to shame. They uphold Domain and Elysium with a strictness that many Elders admire; this is especially true of Anarchs who own their own territory. For those Anarchs who act in a manner in keeping with the protocols, many a Prince and Harpy like to have them around. The insult, “You act worse than those Anarchs,” is one which all Camarilla Kindred should take as a metaphor for, “Change the way you act or I shall Bloodhunt you.” Why do they act in a way that reinforces the protocols? The average Anarch knows that many a Camarilla Kindred wishes to kill him, but the Anarchs also real ize that these Camarilla Cold Warriors are also mainly admired for their physical powers as op posed to their mental ones. Chances are that if the Anarchs survive the attack they can and will use the protocols to force the local Prince to kil l those who attacked and probably broke the Protocols. Thus it is in the Anarchs interest to act fully within the Protocols in public at all times. As long as they follow the rules, the Camarilla has to do so as well or the Camarilla and the local Princes lose face. Therefore many Anarchs, when in conflict with a local Prince, soon find themselves being courted by other Princes who seek to bring down that Prince and know the Anarchs will be watching him closely. Players and storytellers should find a copy of the first edition of the Storytellers Guide by White Wolf and find within it a short piece of fiction on page 57. It is a great example of how Anarchs can run rings around Princes and the Princes be forced to take it. The way they do it is by playing within the rules.
AUTARKIS The Autarkis have left all Sects. They stand alone. They reject all title, all badges and all responsibilities. Good for them, but it isn’t a free lunch. If you are an Autark, you have to understand your role in the societ y. You have no Status and no station. Your voice counts for nothing; your opinions count for less. You have rejected the society of the Kindred and thus the society rejects you. You can be Bloodhunted at anytime for any reason. No Primogen will speak for you. Even some Anarchs refuse to aid you, seeing you as “a gutless fence sitter.” Autarkis have only one set of allies—Caitiff. Why? Because for a Caitiff, having an Autarkis in their domain means that there is someone who has lower standing in the society than them. It is very difficult to adopt this position and get away with it for long. This is why the majority of Kindred who do are the ones you see once a year if you are lucky. They withdraw from the society totally; it’s a lot safer that way. The only really successful Autarkis are those who roleplay hard enough or who are old and tough enough not to care. These Elder Autarkis are generally very mean, very wise or very usef ul on a personal basis and thus many Princes tolerate and allow them
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to live. Those who cannot make themselves useful can expect no mercy and no favors. The very act of going Autarkis is costly. To do so means you reject everything to do with the Sect—station, Status and above all, legal rights. You are outside the society, and you cannot expect to abuse its rules and remain. Autarkis cannot hold any Sect position at all. Any who does is not Autarkis. Autarkis is not the “I live by my own rules” option here. In Vampire, there is no “I live by my own rules” option. That option does not exist nor has it ever existed. Autarkis is the “I reject the society and the society rejects me” option. It is a lonely and dangerous path that the Autarkis take, and like all things, it costs. Many soon find they cannot afford the price. This does not stop Autarkis existing quite openly; they just have to be careful.
AND FINALLY ... The whole point of this system is to create in character rules of behavior. These are not out of character rules. Characters can and are expected to break them. Characters are expected to act how the Hell they like and have fun. The rules you see here are the way the game is played, the game being the intrigue, fear and sneakiness that generally pervades Kindred behavior across the world. This doesn’t mean you can’t get away with running around and causing trouble, but you must know how to play the game before you can buck the rules. These rules are here to make sure balance remains in all things. By applying strict codes of behavior, we now have the following situation: It don’t matter how strong or weak your character sheet is; it don’t matter what your generation is; it don’t matter what your clan is: If you decide to mess about you will be brought down. Got a Prince who’s throwing his weight around and making your life hell? Make sure he crosses the line and you can bring him down. Got a neonate whose disrupting everything? Now you can get rid of him without looking like the bad guy. In all things, remember the golden rule—the players who win the political game are those players who think nastier than the others, roleplay harder than the others and generally don’t take part in lame ideas and get caught. Play it straight and watch what happens. Remember that the whole thing is about how one is presented in public. The system we have is one where who you are decides what you can or cannot do; what you can or cannot say. Little people hold no station have no political power, but they have a lot more free reign than a Prince, who may like it on the top but soon finds that he is limited in what he can do.
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