The Protocols of the Camarilla

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Introduction

The Protocols of the Camarilla are an OOC explanation of the social status quo of the Camarilla. It is a guide to the rules of behaviour and expectation which all kindred are expected to know and understand. These are never taught to new kindred in precisely this format, often the neonates simply learn each new layer as they run afoul of it and end up owing yet more boons to their Elders. But that’s the way society works. It is slow to change and protective of itself.

The nature of the Elders has conspired to keep things in stasis for many years and the Elders react harshly to anything which challenges their stasis. Witness the unfortunate state of the Independent Clans for an illustration of how the Camarilla deals with outlying possibilities or holdouts.

This document introduces different 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 court 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 role-play.

At each level you must remember something new. If all the PC does is hang around with members of the Clan and rarely attend Elysium and court, then Court level is all you need. If the PC starts getting involved in politics between Princes, then all new levels of rules, advantages, and dangers present themselves.

Understand that almost all IC interaction will take place at the local court levels. You may never need, or want, to move any higher than this.

Higher levels do exist: the deadly games of politics Princes play between themselves (Symposium level politics), the intricate games of the Elders (faction level) and the simply deadly politics of Jyhad level. At each level, more twists and complexity are added… and things become more deadly.

Status

Permanent and Temporary Status Traits

• Status comes in two types: permanent and temporary.
• Permanent status is a measure of a Kindred's actual standing in Kindred society.
• Temporary Status, unless affected in some manner by loss or loan, is equal to a Kindred’s permanent Status.
• The loss or gain of temporary Status has no effect upon permanent Status.
• Temporary Status may be used to add to your Social Traits during an applicable Social

Challenge. (Note: This benefit does not include Discipline use, unless the Storyteller approves of such usage specifically).

• You may lend temporary Status to another to show your favour, through the individual to which you made the loan must return it immediately on the asking. The bearer may spend this Trait as a temporary Trait, after which it is gone for the duration of the month. (This is the only way a character's temporary Status can rise above her permanent Status rating).
• Loaned Status may be used exactly as you would use your own. You can give only one Trait of Status to any one person in this fashion.
• Patronage Status refers to Traits not gained by Sect position or social class. (Acknowledged is technically a Patronage Status but does not count towards Patronage Status limits )
• Camarilla Vampires are limited to three permanent Patronage Status Traits (as above, not counting acknowledged).
• Sect members who are not of the Seven clans (Brujah, Gangrel, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere or Ventrue) are limited to two permanent Patronage Status.
• Status granted by Sect position and social class may exceed the maximums applied to Patronage Status.

 

Gaining and Losing Status

The Prince, or a duly authorised Seneschal, may grant the Status Trait of Acknowledged to Kindred within their Domain. This acceptance costs the Prince or Seneschal nothing. This is the first step a Kindred takes on the journey of Status in a Domain.

Any time a character can grant or restore a Status Trait, they can remove a Negative Status Trait instead.

Status may be gained by

• Recognition of Social Class
• Gaining a Station
• Being granted a Status Trait by Kindred of Station with the ability to do so
• Being granted a Status Trait by a Primogen of your Clan
• You may grant permanent Status to another of your own clan if he has less than half your permanent Status. The cost of such a boon is one temporary Status Trait, and the boon must be made publically, such as a meeting of the Primogen or another such gathering.

Limits on Status Gain

A character may not gain more than one positive permanent Status Trait per month except for the following circumstances:

• Status Traits gained from gaining a Station are received immediately upon gaining Station, and do not count towards the monthly Status gain limit.
• Should a Kindred hold more than one Station, only one Station may be considered for Status Traits gained from Station
• Status Traits gained from being recognised as being of a Social Class are received immediately upon such recognition, and do not count towards the monthly Status gain limit.
• The Prince of the Domain, or a duly authorised Seneschal, may grant or sanction more than one Status Trait per month. If a Prince or Seneschal confers or sanctions more than three additional Status Traits in a month, the fourth and subsequent Traits cost them a permanent Status Trait for each Trait conferred after the third.
• A character cannot grant Status Traits to those of equal or greater standing.

Status may be lost by

• Loss of recognition of Social Class
• Losing a Station
• Being punished by an Officer of the Court
• Having Status Traits stripped by a Primogen of your Clan
• Being ridiculed by the Chief Harpy.
• Backing out of a Boon or being involved in a Scandal
• Being declared Outcast by the Prince or Seneschal
• Anyone of higher Status may remove permanent Status from those lower than themselves at a cost of one permanent Status Trait removed. Temporary Status may be removed in the same fashion. This is often done as punishment, including removing the Status of Acknowledged and thus leaving the person at the mercy of the scourge.
• A clan may remove one Status Trait from an Elder of the clan by expending a group total of permanent Status Traits equal to the Elder's permanent Status.
• The Primogen may lower the Prince's status by expending a group total of permanent Status Traits equal to the Prince's permanent Status.

Limits on Status Loss

A Kindred may lose multiple Status Traits in a month. While, in theory, other Officers of the Court can remove the Status Trait of Acknowledged, this act is usually considered to be infringing upon the prerogatives of the Prince.  

Negative Status Traits

If a Kindred has the power to remove a positive Status Trait, they may instead award a negative Status Trait.

If the target already has a negative Status Trait, the new negative Trait replaces it and they lose a positive Status Trait. In this circumstance Patronage Status Traits are lost before Traits associated with an Office of the Court of from membership of a Social Class.

If a Kindred has the power to award a positive Status Trait, they may instead remove a Negative Status Trait. This action counts as receiving a positive Status Trait for the month.

Using Status

• Temporary Status may be used to add to your Social Traits during an applicable Social Challenge, this applies to Social Challenges with members of the Camarilla in which the source of the challenge is obvious, but not to challenges where supernatural powers are involved.
• When characters compare Status Traits to determine social importance or credibility, only permanent Traits are considered.
• You may bid a temporary Status Trait instead of a regular Trait in any applicable Social Challenge.
• You must tell your opponent when you wish to use your Status traits in these ways, however, since they may choose to ignore them if they like. Such a disrespectful act typically means a loss of permanent Status for the offending Kindred, unless the vampire ignored was far less influential than the offender. Some form of punishment should be expected, though – elders consider those who flout the system dangerously disruptive.

Social Class

The Status Traits mentioned are used exclusively for social class.

Social class status may be lost if the character does not possess any traits of Patronage status.

Fledgling

Fledglings are newly embraced Kindred who remain under the Tradition of Accounting” of another Kindred, usually their Sire. They cannot hold city positions, and may not possess any Patronage Status. They remain so until a Prince grants them the status trait Acknowledged.

Neonate

Neonates may be Kindred of any Generation that has been granted the Acknowledged status trait, but have been Acknowledged for less than 50 years.

Ancilla

Ancilla are Kindred of 12th Generation or lower who have been Acknowledged for 50 years or more. They gain the new additional Status Trait Ancilla

Elder

Elders are Kindred of 10th Generation or lower who have been Acknowledged for 300 years or more. Elders gain the new additional Status Traits of Elder, Established, and Venerated

 

Court Level Play

A city’s Court is the centre of its political life. It is the hub of all action, where Primogen vie with each other for favour, the Prince works to exert her will, and the Harpy sits in the centre pointing the spotlight at the latest spectacle. A Court is generally the collection of kindred in any given metropolitan area.

Prince

Gains the permanent Status Traits of Exalted, Well-Known & Famous and cannot permanently lose these Traits while remaining Prince.

According to Camarilla law and tradition, the Prince holds Praxis of the Domain and thus everything in it is his or hers to do with as they see fit.

Every kindred residing in the Domain does so at the discretion of the Prince and all claims of personal Domain or hunting grounds are made only at the whim of the Prince. The importance of this point is often lost on a great many kindred, as it means that there is no law and no justice except as the Prince allows it. Long standing arrangements of territory or fiefdom within a Domain could all disappear when a new Prince takes office, and there is little recourse except to engage in the long running jihad.

All local positions of authority exist at the discretion of the Prince.

• It does not cost the prince temporary Status to award a Kindred the first Status Trait when she is first presented. The Trait: Acknowledged is conferred automatically as long as the Prince chooses to recognise the Kindred.
• If the Kindred is already Acknowledged in the Camarilla, the Prince may grant Hospitality for residency in the domain. Hospitality can be revoked at the whim of the Prince .
• Can remove one permanent Status from someone at the cost of one temporary Status Trait per point removed
• Can grant permanent Status Traits to any Kindred at a cost of one temporary trait for each Trait awarded. The Prince, and only the Prince, may thus break the rule of only gaining one Status Trait per story, allowing a character to gain more than one trait.
• If a Prince wishes to confer more than three permanent Status Traits on another Kindred in a single session, the fourth and

Praxis

Whilst only one Prince can hold the Praxis of a domain, more than one Kindred may lay claim to the throne during an insurrection or coup. There are scant few societal rules around owning a Praxis, with the general consensus being that Praxis belongs to he that can hold it.

So how does one become Prince without being killed? A Prince stops being a Prince when they:

• are killed;
• deposed by another Camarilla Kindred; or
• abdicate and resigns.

In the cases of more than one claimant to Praxis, this is known as a “contested Praxis”. A Prince does not even have to be present for such an event to occur, and Praxis in absentia is a hard Praxis to defend, indeed.

The few rules that do exist around a contested Praxis consist of the following:

• Claims to Praxis must be announced in person by the claimant/s;
• Claims to Praxis must be announced in Public; and
• Claims to Praxis must be done at a Court gathering (or similar).

Once a Praxis is contested, the positions of Prince and Seneschal are ineligible to be held, meaning that those who formerly occupied those positions no longer do, nor do they possess the status traits associated with such positions.

Generally, in such instances of a contested Praxis all bets are off. They are resolved in any number of ways from the politically savvy (such as acquiring boons to have one claimant drop their contestation) to outright destruction of the rival claimant/s.

Ultimately, Stability is the goal of owning Praxis. Unstable cities risk the Masquerade and tempt the enemies of the Camarilla. New Princes, or Princes who have successfully defeated an attempted coup, are not encouraged to freely and unconditionally extend mercy or hospitality to defeated rival claimants. Doing so risks stability.

Seneschal

Gains the following two additional Status Traits: Cherished and Esteemed, the character can never lose these traits permanently while remaining Seneschal

Seneschal is the Prince’s right hand, second only to him in terms of authority. The position originally was made to handle some of the nightly administrative details of a Praxis, and it still serves that function, though the Seneschal often has almost as much power in a Domain as the Prince has. Such power entails a great deal of trust and many a Prince has run afoul of a coup only to find that the Seneschal is now the Praxis holder of the Domain.

• The Prince decides which of his own duties and privileges belong to the Seneschal.
• If a Prince is unable to make a declaration of the Seneschal's powers, the Seneschal may claim any Princely privilege until the Prince refutes it.
• The Seneschal can act in the Prince's stead when the Prince is not present at Court. He is therefore entitled to all of the powers of the Prince, although the Prince may reverse or revoke them at any time.

Herald

Gains the Status Trait of Informed upon gaining this Title and cannot permanently lose this Trait while holding the Office.

The Herald acts as the Prince's voice, making the Prince's edicts known to the domain. If a Herald has not spoken a policy aloud, that policy does not yet affect the Kindred of the Domain.

Primogen

Each receive the additional Status Trait: Revered, upon attaining the position. As long as the character remains one of the Primogen she cannot lose this trait permanently.

While the Prince holds the ultimate authority of a Domain, in truth much of the political power of the Domain is in the hands of the Primogen.

Primogen is a flexible title In some domains; a Primogen is simply the eldest and most influential Kindred of a given clan. In others, a Primogen is a member of a council of advisors to the Prince. In some domains, Princes appoint the Primogen, while in other cities Primogen arise from among the most powerful members of that Clan or as a result of popular Clan politics. In some Domains the Prince may appoint more than one Primogen to keep the Clan divided.

They are the voice of their clans and as such speak for the interests of those clans. Collectively they may even bring the Prince down if he ignores political realities too severely. This implicit threat is only part of what makes the Primogen a powerful force though. In a city with a strong Primogen, the Prince had best make certain her plans are backed by the council or she will find that things just start going wrong.

This is not to say the Primogen are without weakness. However a Primogen is made, they are the vocal representative of their Clan’s power in the Ivory Tower. Because of this, anything the Primogen does is often seen as the stance and action of the entire Clan in the city. If the Nosferatu Primogen of a Domain is caught in a coup attempt, the entire Clan is assumed to be in on it and likely to be punished for it. Thus, most clans like to keep a close eye on their Primogen’s activities, lest the rest of the Clan suffer for their mistakes.

• A Primogen may seek to force a Prince to recognise a majority vote of the Primogen Council on a topic of significance, typically this is done in Elysium or while the Prince's Court is in session.
• If the Prince ignores this vote, the Primogen Council may strip the Prince of a Patronage status;
• A Primogen may call this vote as often as she wishes, but if the vote fails or lacks popular support of the Primogen Council, the Primogen calling the vote automatically loses a point of Status for one month.
• If a Primogen fails two subsequent votes, the Status loss is permanent (though it can be earned back).
• If the Primogen continues to lose votes in the Primogen Council, they continue to lose permanent Status for each failed call. This loss of permanent Status continues until they are removed as Primogen or they prevail in a Primogen vote.
• Primogen may grant or remove permanent Status Traits to or from any member of their clan at a cost of one temporary Status Trait for each trait granted or removed

Primogen Removal: Call of Seasons

In a traditional Domain, 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 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 the Clan decides a new Primogen is needed.

This being said, in a traditional Domain the Prince can call for a new Primogen Council. Once this is called for, all Primogen positions are considered vacant until the Clan meets to establish a new Primogen. No Prince can pick on a single Clan to rechoose. All the Clans do so, or none do. A Prince may only issue a Call of Seasons every three months. To do so more often risks becoming a Domain of Bad Standing or a Declaration of Censure. Many a Clan simply reinstates the same Primogen as before, but quick politics can make this a time of action and change in a local Clan. If the Clan stands behind the same Primogen, then nothing happens, and everything moves on as it was.

 

Whip

This Title does not receive a Status Trait with its conferral.

The Whip is generally the right hand of the Primogen. Whips occupy a strange position within the Camarilla: They are recognised as a Camarilla post, yet they carry no direct 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. In the modern nights, the Whip is uncommon except in cities with a particularly large number of a single Clan.

Harpies

Harpies are the real power of the Camarilla. It is the Harpies who have helped create the protocols of Camarilla society, and indeed it is the Harpies who are the ultimate judges of the Sect. Make no mistake, even a Justicar listens and watches the actions of a well-organised group of Harpies. Harpies, many of them quite weak and young, are the Kindred who are able to unseat Princes, have vampires blood hunted and bring down entire domains. The Harpies are the true social power, equal in weight to the Princes' political power and the Justicars' legal power.

Chief Harpy (The Harpy)

The Chief Harpy receives the additional Status Trait: Influential on attaining the position. As long as the character remains the leader, he cannot lose this Trait permanently.

The Chief Harpy of a Domain is generally the individual tasked with tracking everyone’s status and boons. They are the social accountants of a Domain and thus, part of the power they hold is in knowing exactly who owes whom. If Boons are the currency of society, the Harpies are the Banker and Bank all in one. Given that no one in a Domain is beyond the reach of a Harpy’s sharp tongue, anyone who holds her standing dear pays attention to the Harpy.

The Chief Harpy automatically gets one temporary Status Trait from each member of the Primogen, who bestow these Status Traits to demonstrate their support of the harpies. The harpy, in turn, may use these Traits however she desires, even against the owner.

The Chief Harpy may remove one permanent Status Trait from a Kindred who has backed out of a boon or is part of a major scandal. There is no cost for doing so, although there must be a grain of truth to the scandal. The Chief Harpy must produce some sort of evidence at a gathering of Kindred, at which time the Status Trait is removed.

It costs the Chief Harpy a temporary Status Trait to make the temporary loss of Status at the hands of a Lesser Harpy into a permanent loss.

The Chief Harpy may restore Status he, or a Lesser Harpy of the same Domain, has removed at a cost of one temporary Status Trait per Trait removed.

The Harpies (Lesser Harpies)

Lesser Harpies gain a Status Trait from the Leader of the Harpies

Lesser Harpies may remove temporary Status Traits just as the Chief Harpy removes permanent Status, although their leader may choose to make such loss permanent.

Chancellor

This Title has no Status attached to it.

In some Domains the Chancellor stands apart from the Harpies, in others the Chancellor is the Harpy tasked with the responsibility for maintaining the rolls of Prestation. Some Domains consider the duties of the Chancellor to be part of the duties of the Chief Harpy.

The Chancellor has final say over the validity or satisfaction of a boon.  

Keeper of Elysium

Gains the additional Status Trait: Honourable on attaining the office. As long as the character remains the keeper, he cannot lose this trait permanently.

The Keeper of Elysium assures that the customs of Elysium are observed, and is a caretaker of sites declared Elysium by a Prince.

The Keeper may immediately remove one permanent Status Trait from any Kindred he catches breaking the rules of Elysium. If he does not witness it himself, sufficient evidence must be brought forth. This removal costs the keeper nothing. Once outside an area with Elysium status, the Keeper is just another Kindred.

Sheriff

Gains the additional Status Trait: Feared when he attains the position. While he remains sheriff, he cannot permanently lose this trait.

May demand that any Kindred within the city accompany him for questioning or judgement. Failure to do so causes the offender to lose one permanent Status Trait. The sheriff is immune to the powers of the Keeper of Elysium (those conferred by the position, that is; he must still honour the Traditions)

The Sheriff may sponsor deputies, known as Hounds, by giving another Kindred a Status Trait of his own. These deputies have the same powers as the Sheriff, but the Sheriff may revoke their authority at any time.

Hounds

This Office gains a Status Trait from the Sheriff.

These deputies to the Sheriff have the same powers as the Sheriff, but the Sheriff may revoke their authority at any time.

Scourge

Gains the additional Status Trait: Feared when he attains the position. While he remains Scourge, he cannot permanently lose this Trait.

The Scourge can harass, detain or destroy without penalty any Kindred that have been created without permission from the prince, or have not been presented formally to the Prince. Additionally, the Scourge is responsible for destroying those vampires of 14th and higher Generation, unless they have managed to be Acknowledged in the Camarilla.

If the Scourge discovers another character harbouring or abetting vampires created without the Prince's permission or have not been presented formally, he may remove a permanent Status Trait from that character immediately. This removal costs the Scourge nothing, but he must present sufficient evidence of the crime to the Prince. Should the Prince find the evidence insufficient or be unconvinced of the crime, he may return the stripped Status to the character.

Outcast (Negative Title)

• A Kindred who is considered persona non grata by the Prince, but has not broken a Tradition or otherwise committed an offence sufficient to have their Acknowledgement removed by the Prince
• Enjoys none of the rights or privileges granted to all Acknowledged Kindred of the domain, though is still protected by the Tradition of Destruction.
• Only a Prince may declare or revoke the Title, though she may delegate this authority at her discretion.
• This Title supersedes all Stations or Status a Kindred may have. Thus if a Sheriff is declared Outcast, she no longer has the Station of Sheriff, loses the Status Trait of Feared that comes with the Station and gains the additional negative Status Trait of Outcast.
• Outcast have the negative Status Trait of Outcast as an additional negative Trait. This negative Title can cause a Camarilla Kindred to have two negative Status Traits. In the case of a Caitiff who is made Outcast, they can have at maximum three negative Status Traits.

 

Regional Level Play

At the level of a Region, members of the various Domains included are typically travelling quite a bit and the reach of a nearby Prince or Harpy can actually carry some weight in neighbouring domains. At this level of play, conflict is between Domains and settled in Fealty or in the Symposia.

Imperium

Many a Prince looks to his neighbour’s Domain and covets it. Occasionally a Prince may rise in power to the point where they actually claim Domain over multiple cities, demanding fealty from those who reside there. In this case, an Imperial Domain is born. Imperium’s can also be formed from more cooperative origins, as multiple Domains may decide to work together for mutual protection against a larger or better connected neighbour. The reasons for such a thing are myriad, but the end effect is the same – one Imperial Prince and her Dukes now rule the area instead of individual Princes. The entirety of the Domain held by the Imperial Prince is generally referred to simply as the Domain or the Imperial Domain.

Each of the previously independent Domains which now answer to the Imperial Prince are often referred to as Duchies, Fiefdoms, Vassal Domains, or Client Domains. At the founding of an Imperial Domain, certain positions are created and others are altered. These changes are in effect only as long as the Imperial Domain is in effect. The moment a Client is an independent state again, it reverts to the normal social rules and expectations of the Camarilla.

Duke

The first position so created is the Duke. Each Client Domain in the Imperial Domain has a Duke. Functionally, the Duke is identical to the Seneschal in a traditional Domain and has exactly the same status and powers as a Seneschal. The Duke is the representative of the Imperial Prince within that Client Domain.

Imperial Domain Positions

Any position within an Imperium other than Prince and Duke may be an Imperial Court position reflecting that there is only one throughout the Imperium. These position gain the usual status and powers of those positions. Usually there are assistant appointed for each of the client domains to ensure business can be taken care of when the officer isn’t present. Some positions may be left as domain positions within the client domains and gain the usual status and powers of these positions. associated with them. In instances where there is both an Imperial version and client domain version of the same position, the client domain version gains the status and the powers of the position, and the Imperial title is honorary. In such cases, the Imperial version of the position is usually held by one holders of the client domain version.

Symposium

While locally, the Prince is the Law and his word is nigh absolute, there often arise issues which affect several Domains at once, or a Prince takes action which alarms her peerage, who then gather to address the issue. No Prince may dictate the activity of another Prince – within a Prince’s Domain, his word is all that matters – but other Princes can make it very difficult to maintain power or travel at all.

By using the regional Symposia, the Princes of an area effectively set the standards of governance and travel that the region abides by. Those Princes who fail to abide by the collective will of the region often find themselves isolated and on the defensive. In scope, Symposia are assumed to be regional or national in scope unless they occur at a National Convention.

While a Prince from outside the scope of the Symposium may attend and speak at a Symposium, they are considered to have participated only if they vote on an issue at the Symposium. If the Prince does not vote, his Domain is not considered to have participated, and thus, if he is not from that region, he is not bound by the rulings of that Symposium.

 

Rules of the Symposium

• The Symposium can only meet at a large gathering (Regional, National, or Global Conventions). Alternately it may be held in a small normal Elysium with two months' warning.
• Any Prince may call a Symposium.
• The Agenda must be distributed at least two months ahead of time to allow those Kindred who are not Princes to try and get their voices heard within the context of their own Domain.
• If Princes cannot attend, they may send a Representative to speak and vote in their stead.
• Within the Symposium all Princes are equal. Each has one vote on issues.
• The Symposium decides political issues (e.g., should we blood hunt all Setites?).
• The Symposium may decide upon legal matters (e.g., should the use of Dominate inside an Elysium be seen as a violation?) and the Justicars will usually back them up, provided the laws do not deviate from the Traditions.
• There must be a minimum of seven Princes/Representatives there for it to be a quorum.
• If there are 13 or more Princes/Representatives, the Symposium’s decisions are in effect for a year and a night. If less, the decisions can be changed at another Symposium.
• If less than seven Princes meet, the decisions made there only affect those Domains which voted in the Symposium. The only exception to this is when a Region or Nation has less than seven Princes, at which time the results of the Symposium are binding if and only if every Prince in the Region/Nation attends (just as if they had achieved a quorum of seven).

Representatives

• Representatives of Princes can be anyone from their Domain, but they must uphold the following laws:
• The Prince must have contacted the person who is hosting the Symposium of their intention to send their vote with the Representative or the representative must have some form of IC letter/writ at the event itself.
• The Representative can speak and vote on issues but must remember that he is not a Prince and therefore is expected to show respect. Those that don't show respect can be ejected, and could even get their home Domain into trouble (see Domain of Bad Standing and Declaration of Censure). The Harpies may also deem ejection from a Symposium as scandalous and thus merit removal of Status, or awarding of Negative Status.
• The Representatives can be asked to leave the Symposium if a matter of extreme sensitivity comes up, such as the existence of about 400 Sabbat locally, which the Justicars wish to keep secret.
• A Prince may give his vote to another Prince. In this event, that Prince is under no obligation to vote the same way as the Prince who gave her his vote, although voting differently may well lead to Censure. Princes holding more than one vote must make sure it is known and cleared under the same conditions as the Representatives.

 

Domains of Bad Standing

The power of Symposia is that they allow Princes to dictate to other Princes how they want things run. A Prince cannot openly undermine another Prince. That would be a breach of the Second Tradition. Rather, Princes can express their displeasure at the actions of another by bringing about a motion of Bad Standing.

Motion of Bad Standing

A Motion of Bad Standing may be brought by one Prince against another for any reason. This Motion is voted on as an item on the Symposium agenda, though this specific agenda item must be announced at least 30 days in advance of the Symposium. If the Motion fails, the Symposium immediately votes on a Motion of Bad Standing against the Prince who brought the Motion initially. Such is the price for wasting the time of the Princes of the Camarilla.

A Prince may put forward a Motion of Bad Standing against a domain for the following reasons without risking a Motion against his domain if it fails:

• The Prince changes Clans
• The Prince leaves the Camarilla (declaring himself Autarkis, for example)
• Harbouring a criminal blood hunted by a Justicar
• Exposed to be aiding the enemies of the Camarilla
• Bringing a false accusation against a fellow Prince
• Not repaying a debt of prestation
• A Domain immediately falls into Bad Standing without the need for a motion if any of the following happens:
• A Prince grants Acknowledgment to a member of Clan Giovanni
• The Prince is discovered to be Caitiff

Effects of Bad Standing

Domains in Bad Standing suffer the following effects until a new Prince rises to power (though the domain falls back into Bad Standing again if he ever attains praxis again), or a Symposium of at least the same territory (Regional, National, Global) votes to remove the Bad Standing:

• All Kindred from that Domain gain the Negative Status Traits of Distrusted for as long as the Domain is in Bad Standing.
• No other Domain is under any obligation to help the offending Domain better that the Sabbat should destroy a city than the poison harboured there should spread.
• All alliances, deals and bargains done with the offending Domain are now null and void until the Bad Standing is revoked.
• All Patronage Status given to those who reside in the Distrusted Domain counts as Negative Status when visiting or interacting with other Domains.
• All Boons made with Kindred from that Domain are now null and void until the Bad Standing is revoked.
• Residents are made unwelcome in other Domains.
• The Primogen may now remove their Prince with a simple majority vote and without having to sacrifice any of their own Status. The Primogen are the voice of reason when a Prince goes against Society.

Declaration of Censure

While Bad Standing is having the full faith and credit of the Camarilla removed from a Prince, there is a milder rebuke available to a region’s Princes. They may simply Censure an offending Domain by declaring the Domain Unstable. Declaring a Domain Unstable sends the clear message that the Domain in question is viewed as unreliable and potentially dangerous to the region’s health and wellbeing.

The declaration of misrule may be caused by anything which angers or alarms the Domains of a region. It is seen as a warning message to the Prince and Primogen of the offending city that the path they are on leads only to isolation and Bad Standing. Often, a declaration of Censure is the precursor to a Prince being deposed, but not always. Declaration of Censure is given in two ways.

• First, it may be voted on in exactly the same way as a Domain of Bad Standing – as an agenda item at a Symposium of the Domain’s region or a National Symposium.
• Secondly, the Justicars have the ability to issue a Declaration of Censure.
• The effects of a Censure are simple. The Domain itself gains the negative status of Unstable. This means that all kindred in that Domain are considered to be down one status trait against those not of that Domain. Thus, a Status 6 Elder from an Unstable Domain is considered to be Status 5 when dealing with anyone outside that Domain.

The Unstable Status is removed in only a few ways.

• It may be removed by another vote at Symposium in the Domain’s home region.
• It may be removed by the Justicar office that issued the censure.
• It is automatically removed if a new Prince takes office.

If neither of those things happens, it expires 6 months from the date it was issued. The declaration is a warning sign to a Domain that they are seen as a destabilising force in the region and remaining solid in their support of the Prince is taken as proof that the region’s misgivings are unfounded.

New Position: Royal Harpy

This Office does not receive a Status Trait from Station until the duties are completed.

The advent of a Symposium brings one more position: the Royal Harpy. The first item on any agenda for a Symposium is the election of the Royal Harpy. So ubiquitous is this that it no longer even needs appear on the agenda, it is simply assumed as part of the proceedings. Though the Princes of a Symposium are under no compunction to elect a Royal Harpy, it is rare that it does not happen.

The Royal Harpy automatically gets one temporary Status Trait from each Prince attending the Symposium, who bestow these Status Traits to demonstrate their support of the harpy.

The Royal Harpy exists only for the duration of the event at which the Symposium takes place, thus the position never lasts for longer than three nights at the most. At any time during the event, the Princes’ Symposium may decide to remove their support of the Royal Harpy. The only ban on who may be Royal Harpy is that no Prince or Clanhead may hold the post.

• The Royal Harpy may grant a Patronage Status Trait to any Kindred at the event who did not vote on the matter of Royal Harpy at the Symposium. These Patronage Status Traits persist unless removed.
• The Royal Harpy may grant Negative Status Trait to any Kindred whom attends the event. These Status Traits are granted by announcing them publicly.
• Most importantly, the Royal Harpy may remove the Status of Acknowledged. Typically, all the Princes are sequestered for Symposium, and as such, their Harpy is effectively the Prince of the event during the meeting and the remainder of the event.
• At the close of a regional Symposium, the Royal Harpy gains the Patronage Status Trait of Royal Harpy of the X Region for a period of 12 months or until the next Symposium in that region (whichever comes first). After this time period, the Status goes away. This Status may be stripped by a Harpy or Prince as usual. For a national or global Symposium, this status Royal Harpy of the X is gained for 1 year or until the next symposium of that scope takes place (whichever comes first).

 

Sect Level Play

This is the level of politics where things get extremely perilous. If you make it to this level you are either very old (Elder), very powerful (Clanhead, Imperial Prince), very important (Justicar and Archon) or very smart. There are no real rules to this highest level of politics. At this level you interact with the true Ancients and 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, make any mistake, and you will be killed. The characters here play a subtle game, one that takes years to play. New contenders are looked on in a mix of amusement and contempt. If they don’t follow the unwritten rules, which are never explained, then they can expect to die very quickly.

New Position: Clanhead

The Clanhead gains the Status of Revered and Well-Known, and cannot permanently lose these traits while holding this Station.

The Clans instituted the office of the Clanhead in an attempt to keep others out of their internal business and provide a universal face to the Camarilla that everyone can understand. Each large geographic area that contains a significant number of Kindred are encouraged to appoint a Clanhead. This Kindred serves as the visible and public leader of a clan in that geographic area. They report directly to the collective Elders of the Clan in their area and to a representative of the Camarilla as a whole.

The selection of a Clanhead varies between the Clans, but the backing of the Elders is a minimum requirement. The Brujah may hold a rant and debate over who has the proper vision for their Clan while the Ventrue may simply elect a Chairman of the Board by other Board members. The power that the Clanhead wields is usually a directly related to how much support they have from the Elders who place them into office. There is a significant negative to being Clanhead, however. If a Clanhead receives a negative status, the entire clan in that country are also considered to have that status until such time as the Clanhead (or the status) is removed.

A Clanhead may grant a permanent Status Trait to a member of their Clan at the cost of a temporary Status Trait. They may also remove a permanent Status Trait from a member of their Clan at a cost of one temporary Status Trait.

A Clanhead may call for a vote from the Primogen of their Clan to cast out a Clan member and making them Caitiff. A Clanhead may also call for a vote from the Primogen of their Clan to accept the adoption of a Caitiff or Kindred of another clan as a recognised member of the Clan.

Steward

Appointed by the Clanhead This Office does not receive a Status Trait from Station.

The Steward of the Clan is typically an Ancilla who is being groomed for higher leadership roles in the future. They often are the first line of communications those who wish to engage with the Clanhead. They are also charged with clan communications in the area of responsibility of their Clanhead. Any clan wide email or conference falls under their authority. They also are sent on diplomatic missions that are not important enough for the Clanhead to risk the perils of travel.

Key Points: The Steward is a gateway into the high level politics of Elders that can be attained by anyone. They are also an approachable character for newer players to feel comfortable with interacting with while not invoking the wrath of irritable Elders.

Justicar

This position gains four permanent Status Traits, though it is not a standard set. These traits cannot be permanently lost while the Station is held.

These are the judges appointed by the Inner Circle to be the Camarilla’s eyes, hands and, if necessary, fists. It is the Justicars who decide the punishment for those who have violated the Traditions, on a widespread level. A Justicar serves for 13 years, and her actions may be challenged only by another Justicar.

A Justicar may overturn any and all Princely decrees. This is an immense amount of power, but is balanced by the inability of the Justicar to set policy. Ultimately the Justicars are answerable to the Inner Circle of the Camarilla, and those Justicars who cause more chaos than they instil order risk the ire of that secretive, puissant, and terrifying body of ancient Kindred.

Justicars are the only ones with the power to call for a Conclave.

Justicars may award, strip or grant negative status how they see fit.

Justicars themselves are completely immune to the powers of the Domain Stations, answering only to the Inner Circle of the Camarilla.

Archon

Gains the additional Status Traits: Feared and Empowered when he attains the position. While he remains sheriff, he cannot permanently lose this trait.

Each Justicar selects a number of minions, known as Archons, to act in his name as suits his purposes. Archons are typically chosen from the upper ranks of Ancilla and occasionally Elders of lesser Station. An Archon’s position typically lasts as long as a Justicar wishes to retain her, but no longer than the Justicar’s tenure.

Boons

The System of Boons & Prestation

What are Boons and Prestation?

There is only one true medium of exchange among Kindred – the barter of boons and prestation. When one Kindred does something for another Kindred, that service is a boon to the recipient. In Kindred culture, the recipient of a boon then has a legal obligation of repayment. The repayment of a debt, in services or goods, is called a prestation.

Why do Kindred use Boons at all?

(Almost) all Kindred may both grant boons and owe prestation (see Eligible Parties of a Transaction below). They do this for reasons similar to mortals – they want to exchange in trade something of value between one another in a world where money has no permanent meaning (even the value of gold and diamonds fluctuates) and actual goods are bulky and impractical for frequent exchanges. Only a Kindred’s standing in society has any meaningful value between undying predators.

How does this impact the nature of Camarilla society?

The system of prestation ties together the Kindred of the Camarilla in an interlocking web of mutually reinforcing belief. This web of debts is the glue that holds the Camarilla together. Every Kindred who is owed debts of prestation has a vested interest in preserving the value and faithful fulfilment of all prestation – to protect their own investment. Allowing another Kindred to renege on prestation is like allowing a friend to counterfeit money for his own use alone – your own money would eventually become worthless. Likewise, any Kindred seeking the services or efforts of another has an interest in preserving the value of all boons and prestation. In this way, boons and prestation are more than a currency unit in a Vampiric economy – they are hard wired into the deep social fabric of Kindred interactions.

Do Boons and Prestation mean anything to non-Camarilla vampires?

Although in current nights it is the Camarilla and it’s Harpies which maintain and adjudicate the use of boons and prestation, it should be noted that boons and prestation are recognised and used by the other Clans as well. It is quite acceptable to owe or be owed by a Giovanni, Follower of Set, Assamite, or other outsider (but see Pedigree below). Indeed, the canny exchange of boons and prestation is one of the methods by which the Camarilla has slowly conquered the territories previously owned by these Clans.

The only exception to this is the Sabbat, who are considered far too depraved and untrustworthy to enter into such agreements in good faith.

Terms of Exchange

Some of the most important traditional (and thus common) terms used for negotiating, recording, adjudicating and discussing transactions of boons and prestation are presented here. While precise use of these legal terms is not required for a transaction to be valid, the concepts behind them are sacrosanct in Kindred society and for the Camarilla in particular.

Debtor:

The Kindred who receives the boon that begins a transaction is the Debtor. Debtors are expected to repay the debt by providing the Grantor with services or goods at some point in the future (prestation).

Grantor:

The Kindred who grants the boon that begins a transaction is the Grantor. The Grantor is entitled to call the debt of prestation due at some point in the future. When a debt of prestation is traded to another individual, they then become the Grantor, and the original Grantor loses any claim to that particular debt of prestation by the Debtor.

Boon:

The boon is what the Debtor asks of the Grantor (or what the Grantor offers). It may be a service, item or even the lack of an action. Asking a Kindred *not* to do something can be a boon, even though there is no physical service or good being provided. The Camarilla strictly forbids any grant of permission to violate the Tradition of Masquerade as a boon. No Harpy will honour a boon made under such terms if he has sense enough to fear the Justicars.

Prestation:

This is what the Grantor of a boon requires of the Debtor to consider the boon fulfilled. Just about anything under the sun can be considered prestation based on the Denomination of the boon, but the Camarilla prohibits the use of boons to violate its most sacred laws. Requesting another to breach the Masquerade or to commit Diablerie (i.e. calling due a debt of prestation in order to force another Kindred into such a heinous sin against the humanity valued by the Camarilla) as a prestation is prohibited. Any Grantor who demands such a thing under the auspices of a prestation will see his prestation nullified by the Harpy, his own Status diminished, and possibly further actions undertaken by the Prince.

Denomination:

The Denomination of a boon and prestation pair is considered its “face value”. There are five Denominations: Trivial, Minor, Major, Blood and Life. The Denomination of the prestation must be proportionate to the Denomination of the boon given.

Below are guidelines about the degree of service that is appropriate for boons and prestation:

Trivial

– A one-time favour, e.g., acting as a security escort for an evening to dissuade would be attackers, aiding someone’s effort by use of a Discipline, or supporting someone’s political move at little political risk to oneself

Minor

– A longer favour that can last more than a single evening and probably entail some kind of real inconvenience, e.g., safe passage through and/or short term safe lodging in a hostile city, revealing crucial information, disposing of a threat with little risk to oneself

Major

– A great expenditure of time or resources, usually lasting for many game sessions, e.g., purchasing a nightclub to serve as a haven for the recipient

Blood

– A dangerous favour with high likelihood of mild or moderate injury, and a chance of serious injury or personal disaster, i.e., willingness to shed one’s own blood on behalf of the recipient (figuratively or concrete), e.g., helping the recipient to escape or avoid an impending attack by a pack of Sabbat as quickly as possible

Life

– A favour so dangerous that the bestower actively risks his or her own life (figuratively or concretely) so that the recipient can live, even if the bestower doesn’t, e.g., single handedly holding off a pack of Sabbat inside a burning building so that the recipient can make a clean getaway, charging into a fight against a clearly superior force of Sabbat or Lupines, a Prince sparing a newly released Neonate’s life after the Neonate has breached the Masquerade Further information on Denominations of boons and prestation and examples of appropriately scaled tasks and services are given in the Boons and Prestation Strategic Guide.

Precedents of Boons and Prestation

A number of precedents have emerged within the Protocols of the Camarilla as they relate to boons and prestation, and these precedents are considered the proper means of addressing prestation, to preserve the value and credibility of the entire system of exchange.

Although local domains may vary slightly in flavour, the elements of the precedents of Boons and Prestation listed below form the baseline of what characters should expect and what all Harpies are expected to know and follow:

Eligible Parties of a Transaction:

Only released Kindred may enter into the exchange of boons and prestation. Unreleased childer are considered the property of their sires and as such may not owe or be owed debts of prestation. If an unreleased childe performs an act on behalf of someone, the resulting prestation is owed to the sire, not the childe.

In addition, Ghouls, mortals, etc. may neither owe nor be owed debts of prestation, in the case of Ghouls any task they undertake for another Kindred may incur prestation owed to their Domitor. Any Kindred trying to flout this principle should expect the devastating scandal that any competent Harpy would deliver should someone come asking for judgement on an exchange of boon and prestation with a Ghoul or with one of the Kine (mortals).

Reciprocity of Boon and Prestation:

Each party in the exchange of boons and prestation must gain something. The first delivered part of the exchange is the boon. The delayed, or stored, part of the exchange is the prestation. (The words may occasionally vary, but the concepts are universal to all exchanges of this type.) The prestation is a promise of future repayment for the original boon.

Trading of Prestation:

The Grantor who is owed prestation has the power to “hold” or “sell/trade” the prestation.

For example: a Prince provides a feeding territory to an Ancilla – a Major Boon. Both parties “gained” something (see Reciprocity above). The Ancilla gained the boon of a feeding territory right away, and the Prince gained the future prestation in like value – a future repayment of services or goods equivalent in value to the feeding territory.

According to the precedent governing trading of prestation, the Prince can later choose to call it due himself or to trade the prestation to another Kindred. All that be required to the Granter is that they be informed their boon has been transferred to another.

A final note on Princes and boons as “tribute”: Some Princes might choose to demand boons from other Kindred in their domain for so called services, such as granting that Kindred Acknowledgement or Hospitality in the city. While this is perfectly legal – it’s still a choice whether to accept the debt of prestation for the Prince’s acknowledgement – a Prince who does this routinely, or without cause based on who is seeking acknowledgement, might expect other repercussions. This is because the Prince already has the power of the Second Tradition behind him (Domain). Demanding prestation (especially in larger Denominations) should not be necessary for such banal matters, and the habit of doing so might be interpreted as a lack of faith in the Prince’s ability to enforce their own right of Domain, making the Prince look weak.

Durability of Boons and Prestation:

Boons are durable. If a Grantor of a boon passes the resulting prestation off to another, the new holder of the prestation is owed the same level of service from the Debtor as if the original Grantor were asking it of him. Prestation can even persist beyond the Final Death of a Kindred (see Death, Boons & Prestation below).

Adjudication & Jurisdiction:

Boons and prestation are the privileged domain of the Camarilla’s Harpies, or in Domains with a Chancellor then that Kindred. It is the Harpy who acts as the judge, jury and record keeper of any dispute, question, or tracking involving a boon or prestation. The Harpy’s decision on such matters is final. Although technically subject to the Prince’s review under the Tradition of Domain, few Princes are stupid enough to second guess or, even worse, countermand or prescribe the judgement of a Harpy on the disposition of a boon or prestation publically. Few circumstances or deeds can lead as quickly to a Domain of Bad Standing or Declaration of Censure as a Prince who interferes in the realm of Harpies.

A Harpy can only adjudicate on issues relating to the granting or discharge of boons and prestation within their own domain of residence. When issues arise between two domains, the duty of the Harpies to the Camarilla is to confer with their peers in the domains involved and come to a joint decision (though the words of Harpies of higher standing usually carry more weight than the opinions of Harpies of lower standing, a nuance that is only fitting for their office).

As a result, such disputes can be very impassioned when Harpies find themselves in disagreement about the disposition of a boon or prestation.

Death, Boons & Prestation

Killing those indebted to others:

When one Kindred kills another, the killer becomes the new Debtor of any prestation that the victim owed at the time of Final Death. This preserves the value of the system of prestation.

Capital Punishment:

There is one exception to the general disposition of boons and prestation upon a Kindred’s death. All the prestation a Kindred owes as a Debtor are nullified when they are blood hunted or killed under the authority of a Prince or Justicar of the Camarilla. Likewise, the Kindred who successfully killed the condemned Kindred becomes the Grantor for any prestation that the deceased Kindred was owed.

This serves as an additional bounty to encourage the lawful pursuit of outlaws and criminals. It also serves as a check – Elders heavily invested in a Kindred will go to great lengths, including staking them to “cool off” for a decade or two, if they feel their actions might precipitate a Blood Hunt and nullify their investment in that Kindred.

Scandals

Scandals must be public; a private matter is not a Scandal as long as it stays private.

Examples of Scandal:

• Airing dirty Laundry (Unless you are a Harpy or your Station requires it as part of the duties of your office)
• Behaviour Unbecoming one's Station
• Ignoring Status
• Faking one's reputation
• Falsely claiming a Boon
• Reneging on a Boon
• Supporting a Scandalous Kindred (If a Kindred under Scandal has a word of Status from another Kindred the Harpies may well include the supporting Kindred in the Scandal)
• Violence
• Disrespecting Elysium
• Violation of Domain Protocols
• Frenzy
• Ignoring Camarilla Doctrine in public (This includes breaches of the Traditions, avowed belief in Gehenna, Golconda, Antediluvians, Time of Thin Blood, Red Stars, Lilith, quoting the Book of Nod, stating Boons are a waste of time)
• Public Miscegenation
• Strange Clans held to higher standards
• Adopt a Caitiff
• Failure to carry out duties
• Infiltrating a Clan, or being infiltrated as a Clan
• Faking your death
• Sabbat Infiltrators
• Elected Prince
• Blood hunting during a Praxis seizure
• Publically challenging a Praxis, and failing to seize it

Blood hunts

Blood hunts are reserved for society’s worst offenders. Only Princes or Justicars can call blood hunts, and blood-hunts follow the normal rules of affecting status unless noted below.

Kindred who are under Blood-hunts have the following penalties:

• Anyone who is blood hunted gains the negative status “blood hunted”;
• This status cannot be removed – even by the acquisition of another negative status trait – so long as the Prince who called the blood hunt retains Praxis;
• Anyone who has the negative status of “blood hunted” is counted as having zero status;
• Princes may not be blood hunted;
• Blood hunts are expected, but not required, to be supported by other Princes of the Camarilla’
• If the Prince who called the blood hunt no longer retains Praxis, a new Prince may rescind the Blood Hunt. A new Prince is not required to do so, but if he does, it must be publically announced;
• If the Blood hunt is rescinded, then the negative status trait of “blood hunted” is removed and the Blood hunt no longer exists

People found to be associating with blood hunted kindred, for whatever reason, shall be subject to the charge of aiding and abetting the Blood hunted person. This charge is enough to have them killed in the Domain the Blood hunt was originally called. Even talking to a Blood hunted person is enough to get you killed. Be careful -- always try and meet them in secret or in Domains where the Blood hunt on them isn’t in standing.

It is possible to have the negative Status trait “blood hunted” and not be blood hunted. For example, you get hunted and thus awarded the negative trait “blood hunted” in New York then flee to Chicago. Unless the Chicago Prince hunts you, you will have the negative trait “blood hunted” but not actually be hunted while in Chicago.

Justicars are the exception to the rules. A Justicar may call a Realm wide blood hunt which will be effective in all Domains under the Justicars jurisdiction. A Justicar can remove any blood hunt which will be effective in all Domains under the Justicars jurisdiction. A Justicar can remove the negative status trait of “Blood hunted”.