Camarilla

Overview

The Camarilla is the Sect with the most power and presence of all. Whilst instability has always rocked The Ivory Tower from time to time, it has withstood all tests that have come its way by adherence to the Traditions. It is through their efforts that order is maintained and safety is secured, they would claim.

And yet those outside would argue the Tower begins to falter, crumbling under its own weight. Elders find themselves in positions of power none but other elders could dream to contest. The Anarchs begin to secure territory more and more, threatening to become a true Sect themselves, and worse, the Sabbat even gains ground as the years pass.

Ways

Ranks

Prince

The Prince is the authority through which all power flows. In theory. In practice, the Prince’s word is final so long as the word is reasonable and does not incur enough enemies to question the finality with real force. And sometimes it is not their word at all. In any case, their powers are many. The power to declare Elysium, the power to appoint or dismiss Primogen, and the power to call Lextalionis. Even the interpretations of the Traditions, the basic law of all Camarilla domains, fall upon the Prince to make decisions on.

Seneschal

The hand of the Prince, the Seneschal is imbued with their authority on all matters in their absence. In San Francisco, the reclusive nature of the Prince in particular leaves the Seneschal as the most powerful Kindred of the domain; all authorities the Prince have are often authorities the Seneschal truly wields.

Primogen

The Primogen are often the most powerful member of a given clan, appointed to serve as a council of advisors to the Prince. When in court of the Prince (or Seneschal) they may force a vote on an issue of importance amongst those Primogen present. Princes who have any sense will usually comply with the results, but Primogens who have any sense will not call a vote unless they are certain it will proceed; to be dismissed after wasting time with a failed vote is not rare.

Sheriff

The Sheriff is the law. When Traditions are breached, it is the Sheriff and their Hounds who harry their prey. With the power of the Prince imbued in their very title on the issue, the Sixth Tradition applies not to them and their agents, The Sheriff is sometimes even allowed to breach other Traditions themselves in pursuit of enforcement, though this is best not done often should they wish to retain the title and their Blood. At least, not against those within the Camarilla’s loving arms.

Hound

Hounds are little more than deputies of the Sheriff. They typically serve as investigators and enforcers on the Sheriff’s behalf, and serve at the appointment or dismissal of the Sheriff or Seneschal. They are even given leeway on the Traditions much as the Sheriff does, but are far more likely to be thrown under the bus if it becomes a liability.

Harpy

More often de facto recognized than truly appointed, few trust the Harpy. Force of personality is their weapon, rather than anything physical, and tends to be more dangerous; swaying opinion against a figure brings far more danger than one set of hands could do on their own. Harpies act to record and set opinions in a domain, as well as manage the system of Prestation. When disputes of prestation arise, it is the Harpy who rules if a boon is satisfied or remains owed.

The Masses

Most Camarilla vampires do not hold a title. Particularly those taking interest in mortal business do not often take title, and simply accept both the protections and regulations that declaring themselves to be under the Camarilla offers. Indeed, most Kindred claim themselves to be Camarilla if they do not claim another Sect or the status of Autarkis.

Laws

The First Tradition: The Masquerade

Thou shall not reveal thy true nature to those not of the Blood. Doing such shall renounce thy claims of Blood.

The most important of the Traditions, the very core of the Camarilla’s purpose, the Masquerade is the act of hiding Kindred from Kine. All Camarilla vampires, regardless of any factors, have a duty to prevent violations of this tradition; masquerade breaches. To violate the Tradition easily incurs death, and to even fail to enforce the Tradition upon others can bring heavy consequences too.

If this were not enforced, it is inevitable, they say, that the Kine shall set their resources upon destroying the Kindred, and the Kine are too many for such a war to end in any way except death upon the Kindred. Any inhuman act is a breach of the Masquerade. To have fangs visible is a breach. To survive dangers no human would is a breach. To speak the language of Kindred is a breach. Witnesses of such must either be made to forget it, or they must be made unable to voice it.

There are more egregious breaches, there are less egregious breaches, and yet enforcement is always harsh. Those who make minor breaches will find themselves staked, subject to the will of their captors in resolution. Those who make major breaches would wish to simply be killed, as the tortures they endure can last years at a Prince’s will. It is impossible to understate the importance of this Tradition, and it is best to rectify violations before anyone could possibly know, if made.

The Second Tradition: The Domain

Thy domain is thine own concern. All others owe thee respect while in it. None may challenge thy word while in thy domain.

The Domain is simple to understand. It is the territory of a vampire, or a group thereof. Strictly speaking, the entirety of a given city is often the Prince’s domain to make fiefdoms of. For example, those given to Kindred of note, particularly Primogen and their clans. The will of the holder of the domain is absolute, and none may even begin to question it whilst within.

‘Domain’ does not, however, mean ownership in the human sense. Were a clan to hold domain over an area, that would not imply any authority over the Kine found within. At least, not beyond their status as prey to bar others from. Involvement in mortal affairs is not inherently more intimate than that.

There is also the question of the Anarchs and other malcontents. They have only the rights of squatters, permitted to handle their domain as their own, supposedly, simply because they are not worth crushing, and the Barrens hardly worth taking. Anarchs would contest this reason’s truthfulness.

The Third Tradition: The Progeny

Thou shall only Sire another with the permission of thine Elder. If thou createst another without thine Elder’s leave, both thou and thy Progeny shall be slain.

Itself largely justified to enforce the First, the Third Tradition mandates Kindred petition the right to embrace, or sometimes even ghoul, of the Prince. Violations are dealt with simply. All involved are granted final death.

The Fourth Tradition: The Accounting

Those thou create are thine own children. Until thy Progeny shall be Released, thou shall command them in all things. Their sins are thine to endure.

Directly connected to the prior, the actions of a fledgling childer are fully accountable to those who created them. Should they violate a Tradition, so too does their sire, to face consequence all the same.

The Fifth Tradition: Hospitality

Honor one another’s domain. When thou comest to a foreign city, thou shall present thyself to the one who ruleth there. Without the word of acceptance, thou art nothing.

This Tradition is simple as can be. When arriving in a place foreign to them, one must present themselves to the Prince. Many ignore this tradition, especially Anarchs or Sabbat, but to do so denies the Prince’s authority and thus the Prince’s protection. In this way, the Kindred in question brings risk upon themself; should they cause problems, they are not to be handled as though one of the Camarilla, but as though one of the Camarilla’s enemies. You are either subject to the Camarilla, or you are opposed to the Camarilla.

The Sixth Tradition: Destruction

Thou art forbidden to destroy another of thy kind. The right of destruction belongeth only to thine Elder. Only the Eldest among thee shall call the Blood Hunt.

Simply put, a vampire may not slay another vampire without the authority of the Prince behind them. To do so against another of the Camarilla, in particular, is itself a blatant violation of the Traditions to be prosecuted to the fullest extent.

It is also this tradition that establishes the Lextalionis - the Blood Hunt. To have the Blood Hunt called upon one is to have their life forfeit, with so much weight behind it that even amaranth can be pardoned in some cases. If a Prince were not cautious with the power of this act, they would find themself in a far worse position than their targets quickly enough.

Relations

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The Convention of Thorns

Members

Ventrue

There is no clan that one pictures sooner than the Ventrue when hearing the word ‘Camarilla.’ Their own blood is given credit for the idea of the Camarilla, and the clan is difficult to detach from the Camarilla. Their prestigious name tends to carry them far, and they curry favor within the authorities of the Sect with ease.

Toreador

Toreador are synonymous with beauty. At least, often enough. The Toreador count many Harpies amongst their ranks. Another great asset they have within San Francisco is the Papillon, which falls under their domain of the Dora.

Nosferatu

The currency of note to Nosferatu is information. If something happens, it would be astonishingly well-kept if the Nosferatu hadn’t heard whispers of it. With even communication infrastructure often being their duties to uphold, they fill a vital role within the ecosystem of the Camarilla. And when they are the predators of this ecosystem, blackmail is their weapon of choice.

Malkavian

Despite being as inscrutable to outsiders as ever, the Malkavians’ loyalty has always gone unquestioned. They offer utility in their nature as seers, offering enlightenment on situations that nobody else could even begin to peer into.

Tremere

Few know much about the Tremere. Even many Tremere do not know much about the Tremere. Their secrecy ensures their security, as other Clans have nearly naught to pry against them. This, alongside the Thaumaturgy they cultivate and keep as their dearest secret, makes them incredibly useful to other clans. Boons pile up very quickly as a result.

Brujah

Some predict the Brujah will go the way of the Gangrel in coming years. The Idealists tend towards the learned history of the Brujah and stand strong within the Camarilla as crusaders like no other, and yet many of the Iconoclasts of the clan abandon the Tower in droves, pursuing entry into the Anarchs or even Sabbat as they chafe under the rule of elders.

Banu Haqim

The newest entry to the Camarilla, the Banu Haqim had a difficult road to entry. They only succeeded, really, due to their own fears of Ur-Shulgi keeping them in line, and the exit of the Gangrel leaving a need for new warriors. They remain distrusted, particularly the Warriors - most of whom remain outside the Camarilla anyways. Nonetheless they are a member clan as the others, on paper.

Gangrel

The Gangrel are a particular case; whilst they have left the Camarilla, not all have departed, especially those with something to lose. Some domains continue to recognize their clan as one of the Camarilla despite this official exit. The remaining Gangrel, despite their Clan’s diminished status within the Tower, are often those of notable rank and pull greater influence than many Banu Haqim do.

Lasombra

The Lasombra are not and have never been a Camarilla clan; indeed, they are rather a Sabbat clan. In spite of this, a number of Lasombra antitribu seek the arms of the Camarilla and are welcomed - to an extent. So long as they eschew the ways of the Sabbat, and do not make any matter of using Obtenebration (which is widely considered a Sabbat discipline, and thus often treated as de facto prohibited in Camarilla domains) few issues tend to arise.

Followers of Set

The Setites are rarely found within the Camarilla, but those that are typically remain distrusted and on the fringes of the Sect. Their goal in this tends to simply be to ensure the destruction of the Sabbat, to further their own clan’s goals.

Daughters of Cacophony

The Sirens are of no great importance to anyone. Whilst they largely belong to the Camarilla, they congregate so rarely as to build little power, and are seemingly viewed as little more than a curiosity and an occasional utility.

Tzimisce

The dragons are essentially barred from the Camarilla. The amount found within can be counted on two hands, and making themselves known as one is, to say the least, a poor idea. Vicissitude is scorned as a discipline above any other, and is itself grounds to accuse someone of being of the Nemesis.

History

The Camarilla was founded to bring order to disorder. It came about to bring an end to a revolt that claimed the unlives of many elders and, perhaps more importantly, to bring the Kindred back into the shadows once more, hidden from Kine. Whilst some elders speak of the time before it fondly, regretful of the boot now on their throat, most fear the memory of the inquisition well enough to accept this state of things. And yet, the neonates and even ancillae of today seem not to have the reason to take these words for what they are, and risk stoking both those flames up once more.

Recommended Reading

Guide to the Camarilla
Counsel of Primogen
Vampire 20th Anniversary Edition Companion