Post by Katie on Aug 18, 2019 22:52:10 GMT -5
The Nature of Our Cause
People gather for many reasons. Vampires too form coteries for many reasons. Be sure to discuss the intentions which fueled your group to come together. Not everyone may be in the coterie for the same reason. Some may have been told to join by their sire while another player wishes to take advantage of the others' skills for a more clandestine reason.
The Coterie of Mutual Survival
Simple. Basic. A group of vampires who are able to work together, be through common Clan, similar age or some combination, stake a claim on a piece of land and those who dwell there. They do just that, leaving each other to their own devices for the most part. The members of the coterie can be as warm or aloof as the coterie necessitates or desires.
The Coterie of Influence
Many vampires come together to pool their influence in a sphere of mortal society. A coterie with many talents at its disposal and all night to plan can organize properly, keeping track of what is being said and done. They protect their interests by swaying the human mob which makes up what they seek to control. The chaos of the Cainite world is something to overcome, as well as a shield. Let them fight and quarrel. While their backs are turned, every ship leaving Napoli's harbor is slipping into our grasp.
The Coterie of Lineage
Bloodline stands in for family in this coterie, vampires made by the same sire or group of sires given a territory to hold and maintain. Brooded together, this coterie is often assigned a purpose by those responsible for their Embrace, though the coterie itself may report a different agenda altogether to outsiders who ask. Sharing the same sire may give a certain strength to this coterie, siblings in undeath. The patriarchal practices of mortals may spill over onto this type of coterie, with sires sending their childer to live in the broods of allies for training, resulting in mixed Clan coteries.
The Coterie of the Disaffected
Some vampires, once released from bonds of their sires, try to strike out on their own, severing ties between themselves and the society of Cainites they were brought into. Operating as openly as they dare, these coteries drift on the tumultuous ocean that is the War of Princes, occasionally dragged down to the depths or destroyed by sudden storms. Other coteries are made up of vampires trying to prove themselves to vampire society after their sires have lost favor, doing anything in their power to remain in good standing with those with more influence.
The Coterie of the Wayfarers
Many roads cross the Dark Medieval World and many vampires make use of them. Reasons innumerable tempt individuals to a dangerous and nomadic lifestyle. Holy war shifts armies from battlefield to battlefield. Shrines beckon pilgrims. And of course, there is money to be made. All the treasures of Europe, Africa and Asia lie in wait. All a vampire has to do is get there. Of course, one must convince many it would be worth their while to come to a moonlit market or have unquestioning servants to vend during the daylight hours.
This list is by no means exhaustive and players aren't required to pick one of the aforementioned Coteries. Oftentimes, people join groups for their own reasons and your vampires may find their own common reason for banding together. Share ideas among your group and with the Storyteller to flesh out the group dynamic and dependencies between players.