Post by Katie on Jul 11, 2020 19:17:38 GMT -5
Titles
“It is not titles that honour men, but men that honour titles.”
― Niccolò Machiavelli
“It is not titles that honour men, but men that honour titles.”
― Niccolò Machiavelli
The Kindred are a proud and acquisitive race. Regardless of which sect, if any, owns their allegiance, the social contract among vampires demands a pecking order, and the more Cainites who dwell in a domain, the more complex the hierarchy of who’s superior to whom and who can demand respect from whom.
In its simplest form, Kindred social structure has one preeminent vampire at the top, who maintains her primacy based on strength, cunning, or zeal. Titles add dimension to this and complexity to the network if Kindred relations. More importantly, for the vampires themselves, they add something a vampire can lord over other vampires: a social recognition of their achievements or a symbol of their commitment to their domain’s culture.
Titles are part of the landscape of the vampires’ World of Darkness. From the Machiavellian Camarilla, to the turbulent Anarchs, titles define sectarian causes and illustrate what Kindred collectives find important. Without titles, if the whole of the society of the Damned comprised unrelated Autarkis, the night would be an even more anarchic place. Indeed, to many Kindred, the only thing more important than a sense of superiority in the night is blood itself.
Camarilla
While the Convention of Thorns has not yet taken place, and the Camarilla is not yet the codified organization it will become, the Kindred under the Camarilla's umbrella have a need for hierarchy. Venice is a strange case, as the Camarilla is far from holding this Domain. The Sect is at war, and Venice is just another front (complicated with diplomacy as it may be), so the titles in the Camarilla are as follows:
Prince
(Camarilla; 5-point Title)
The preeminent vampire of a Camarilla city and probably the most numerous position of ultimate authority among Camarilla Kindred, Princes are the rulers of given cities. Some Princes are tyrants or absolute monarchs of the Damned while others are politically feeble puppets propped up by more powerful supporters, but the position of Prince is one acknowledged and even (grudgingly) respected by all vampires, even those not of the Camarilla.
A Prince’s duties and privileges are many, but the most important is the interpretation and enforcement of the Traditions, particularly the Masquerade. Beyond that, a Prince has any individual powers he can claim and uphold, such as declaring Elysium, calling a Blood Hunt, adjudicating disputes between residents of his domain, the right to claim a blood-tribute, and potentially even the right to name, ignore, or even disband the Primogen.
Kindred of any age can in theory be Princes, but in reality, praxis — the right of Princes to rule — goes only so far as the Kindred members of a domain respect and allow it.
The role of Prince is a complex and varied one and much has been said about it, but ultimately, a Prince is master of the domain.
The Prince enforces and interprets the Traditions; her word is law in her domain, which extends so far as she has the might or influence to back it up. So long as the other Kindred of the domain respect the Prince’s authority, the Prince may render a verdict on any matter involving the Traditions, up to and including another Kindred’s claim to the Blood. Everything from censure to declaring a Blood Hunt is at the Prince’s disposal.
The types of Prince who rule domains are many and varied. A wise Prince knows that rule must be just to enjoy continued support, but a tyrant Prince may well rule through fear.
Dux Bellorum
(Camarilla; 4-point Title)
The Dux Bellorum is a battle marshal, the master of a Camarilla combat engagement. He may be a front-line warlord, leading a bloody charge into a Sabbat domain, or he may be a scheming tactician, organizing guerilla strikes to destabilize an enemy territory from within.
The wrath or cleverness of the Dux Bellorum motivates the other Kindred. The Dux Bellorum is the field authority in matters of war, so this title’s value indicates his narrow but unquestioned rank during assault, sieges, and other periods of open conflict. The Dux Bellorum are answerable to an Imperator (6pt. Title), who directs the tenor of the battle plans and speaks with the authority of the Founders.
Seneschal
(Camarilla; 4-point Title)
The Seneschal is the Prince’s right-hand agent. The title itself is liquid, and has different responsibilities in different domains. In some cases, a Seneschal has little actual power, and is more of an honorific title intended to exalt a peer or grant Status to a trusted aide. In other cases, the Seneschal wields as much or even more power than the Prince himself, issuing decrees, rendering judgment, and enforcing the Traditions himself. Whether the Prince is unable or unwilling to perform her responsibilities, the Seneschal may handle some or all of these, or may simply wait until the Prince is deposed and claim the title himself.
The Prince decides which of his own duties and privileges belong to the Seneschal. In the case that 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 (or until a new Prince excuses a Seneschal from her role).
Primogen
(Camarilla; 3-point Title)
Primogen is a flexible title. In Venice, the Primogen title is bestowed upon (or assumed by) a Kindred with sufficient influence in the city to prove a reliable pillar of the Camarilla's diplomatic and martial efforts in the Domain as well as any Kindred powerful enough to demand a 'seat at the table' when overall Sect strategy is discussed in Venice. Like in other Domains, Primogen make up a council who offers advice to the ruler of the Domain. In the case of Venice, Primogen advise the Dux Belloram on their various spheres of influences and what information or boons they are able to extract from the native Giovanni clan, perceived Anarch threats, and the supremacy of the Camarilla Sect in Venice.
Unlike in other Domains, Primogen are not selected one from each Camarilla-affiliated clan in Venice. Rather, a Primogen's sphere of influence and personal power enable them to claim the role. The council may meet without the presence of a Dux Belloram, but such meetings should always include the Seneschal in order to remain official. Unity is seen as paramount in Venice, and the Primogen council are meant to be the high ranking field agents in a war of influences against the Giovanni and the encroachment of Anarchs.
Sheriff
(Camarilla; 2-point Title)
The Sheriff is the Seneschal’s right-hand Kindred, responsible for the physical enforcement of Princely decree. Some Sheriffs are diligent masters-at-arms while others are thuggish, bloody fuckheads who abuse their authority to torment those beneath their station. A Sheriff may appoint Hounds to assist him (or the Seneschal may appoint them, in the interests of curtailing a Sheriff’s overt power).
By invoking the authority of the Seneschal, the Sheriff may violate the Traditions themselves. The Sheriff may employ these benefits only so long as the Seneschal grants her license, but it is sufficiently broad to make for a very versatile trump card, especially when dealing with those who threaten the Kindred order in a domain.
Of course, empowering one’s agents to act above the law is the textbook indicator of tyranny, and the sign of a desperate struggle for power in the Domain of Venice. Such Sheriffs may not last long, but they do so at great cost to their reputations in the long term.
Needless to say, those Sheriffs who breach the Traditions out of their own political expediency rather than in the Seneschal's interests may soon find themselves stripped of their titles and starved of blood.
Harpy
(Camarilla; 2-point Title)
Harpies are the opinion leaders and the trend-setters to whom other Kindred look when it comes to matters of taste, style, philosophy, or politics. A Harpy’s word influences the domain’s attitudes and can be a powerful supporter of the status quo or a force for insidious change. Harpies are rarely appointed directly (and Kindred rarely trust those who are). Instead, a Harpy paradoxically becomes so by acting as a Harpy. The Harpy’s role is often intertwined with domain politics, and it is a bold or foolish Prince who neglects those vampires who represent the cutting edge of popular opinion in her domain.
For chronicles using the prestation rules from V20 Companion, Harpies may be the arbiters of the validity or satisfaction of a boon. In these situations, if a Harpy declares a boon satisfied or still owed, such is the case, and any grievance in such a matter held either by the debtor or the debt-holder must be broached with the Harpies themselves.
Optional System:
Harpies as Status-Mongers
The approval of a Harpy can make or break a fellow Kindred, and many Harpies are sparing with their praise but liberal with their scorn. A Harpy’s favor grants a +2 increase to a Kindred’s Status for as long as the Harpy extolls his virtue. Similarly, a Harpy’s disapproval reduces a Kindred’s Status by 1 (but never below 0), for as long as the Harpy speaks ill of him. A Harpy may generate only a single Status effect at a given time, and the effect lasts until the end of the scene in which the Harpy ends her favor or disfavor.
Keeper of Elysium
(Camarilla; 1-point Title)
This is a largely honorific title, though it has many practical responsibilities. The Keeper of Elysium assures that the customs of Elysium are observed, and is a caretaker of sites declared Elysium by the Camarilla.
The duties and privileges of the Keeper of Elysium begin and end in those hallowed halls. Once outside an area with Elysium status, the Keeper is just another Kindred. In fact, the Title of Keeper of Elysium is seen by some as not a job one volunteers for; who wants to keep a room full of Kindred pacified while their Beasts lurk just under the surface? Still, becoming a Keeper of Elysium allows relatively new Kindred a chance at playing the game of Titles. It is possible for any Kindred to be recognized as a Keeper of Elysium by either the Seneschal or the Primogen council; all it takes is a steady hand on one's personal Domain and enough reputation to dissuade outward explosions of violence or violations of the Silence of the Blood.
Hound
(Camarilla; 1-point Title)
The Sheriff is sometimes granted the ability to appoint Hounds, who serve as his investigators and enforcers. Hounds may be keen-eyed, quick-witted factfinders, but just as frequently, they’re sadistic bullies who take pleasure in their sanctioned brand of corrupt justice.
During an investigation or interrogation, a Hound may breach the Traditions if it becomes necessary to bring a rogue Kindred to heel. The Seneschal generally grant Hounds a good deal of leeway in this regard, but repeated or egregious breaches, or violations that compound the crimes of a transgressor may well earn the Hound a censure or worse. See the entry for the Sheriff, above, for more information on treating the Traditions too malleably.
Chancellor
(Camarilla; 1-point Title)
In the Domain of Venice, the art of Prestation is the currency of diplomacy. In the Camarilla sect, the economy of boons and favors is monitored by the Chancellor. Any prestation given or received by Camarilla in Venice, whether boons traded between Camarilla members or garnered from the Giovanni must be reported to the Chancellor. This Title is also respected by the native Giovanni, who are eager to prove themselves a civilized clan on the rise, rather than a pack of devilish Diablerists and Ghost-worshippers.
Any boon earned, owed or satisfied must be approved by the Chancellor, who is instructed to take every precaution to avoid conflicts with the Giovanni clan (and certainly does not recognize any prestation in the ranks of the traitorous Anarchs).
Confessor
(Camarilla; 1-point Title)
The Confessor is a new title, established as the Anarch War reaches it's zenith. Called hubris by some, the Camarilla has began to accept the surrender of Anarchs and other traitors. In order to assure compliance, the Dux Belloram have instructed a blood-magician of the Tremere clan to test the vitae of these supplicants. The agenda is to look for variations in the blood; to find evidence of the Tzimisce ritual that is rumored to bind the more vicious packs of Anarchs to each other by blood, and shatter those blood oaths previously held by elders.
Outcast
(Camarilla; Negative Title)
An Outcast is a Kindred who is considered persona non grata by the Camarilla. An Outcast enjoys none of the rights or privileges granted to all acknowledged Kindred in that domain. An Outcast isn’t necessarily banished from the domain, though she may be. Often, the title is conferred upon truculent fledglings or other “inconsequential” vampires a Prince considers below his notice, when the tumult caused by declaring a Blood Hunt upon her is unwarranted. Indeed, once the transgressing Kindred calms down or apologizes, many Princes often rescind the Outcast title. Only a Prince may declare or revoke the title of Outcast, though she may delegate this authority at her discretion.
The Outcast title supersedes all other titles or Status Backgrounds a Kindred may have. Thus, an Outcast adds no Status bonuses to social dice pools; instead he subtracts one from social dice pools in actions involving those who know he’s an Outcast.
Giovanni Titles
Anziani (Singular: Anziano/Anziana)
[Title:6]
The circle of elders in direct communication with clan founder, Augustus Giovanni. Most reside in or very close to the Giovanni Loggia and are engaged in clan expansion and big picture goals. In the absence of Augustus Giovanni, the Anziani speak for him.
Padrone/Padrona
[Title 5]
The Giovanni responsible for all of the Venetian Republic's night to night machinations. They take their orders (and report back to) the Anziani and delegate responsibilities to the Nonna/Nonno of each household. Also delegates Domain responsibilities to each household.
Nonno/Nonna
[Title 4]
The head of a Giovanni household, most often the oldest member of a specific family branch. There is one for each branch of the family in Venice, including those minor families with enough influence and power to control large swathes of Domain. The “Grandparent” title is acknowledged by the Padrone/Padrona. Each Nonna coordinates with the Don/Donna in charge of each Sestiere or other Domain.
Consiglere
[Title 3]
A Nonna/Nonno's closest advisor, often acting in the household's best interest and sometimes given authority to speak on behalf of the Nonna/Nonno. When a household is big enough or very highly respected (as is the case with the Giovanni-Contarini household), the Consegliere is often the face that most lower ranking members of a household deal with.
Don/Donna
[Title 3]
The movers and shakers of the Giovanni population. These Cainites have been granted domain, often over an entire Sestiere, in accordance with their spheres of influence and ability to control and hold Domain for the clan. Each Don/Donna reports to the Nonna/Nonno of their household, advising them on concerns to the clan arising in their particular Domains. Often dignitaries of the “minor families” begin their upward social movements here, building influence and power enough to petition the Padrone/Padrona for their household's official recognition.
Capo
[Title 2]
The enforcers of the clan, a Capo can be “made” by a Nonna/Nonno, and this is most often the case. Occasionally a Capo will be made by a Padrona/Padrone to better enforce the wishes of that title, but this occurs infrequently. In the Giovanni clan, your family is always ready to step into your place if you aren't delivering for the good of the Clan, so loyalty is the norm.
Becchino
[Title 2]
“The Undertaker,” tasked with preparations and maintenance of bodies for the clan. Corpses could be useful in many Necromantic rituals, also fresh corpses are helpful with circumventing the Clan's painful feeding weakness. Often skilled in Necromancy, a collector of Spirit Slaves, Memento de Morte, or curator of other deathly artifacts, the Becchino is an important role for the clan. There can be multiple Becchino in a city, with each serving one (or more) of the larger households.
Paisan
[Title 1]
Acknowledged member of Clan Giovanni, having completed all prerequisites and responsibilities in order to be considered an “adult” in the family. Every Paisan should serve a specific household, though fealty may change if a Paisan's minor family rises to prominence.
A NOTE ON “Minor Families”
The Giovanni in Venice before the Promise of 1528 are still a young clan, struggling to find their place in the wider political landscape. They have not yet co-opted other large families (this will begin with the Dunsirn in the 1700s), but the obsession with lineage and family ties is present from the start. Marriages of Giovanni mortals to members of prominent mortal families breed ambitious people who are often good candidates for the Embrace. Some of these new Giovanni embrace members of their own extended families in the tradition of the clan founder and tend to try and win favor for their mortal relatives after death.
We enjoy the clannish politics and potential to grasp power that this situation presents. To this end, at FOTA we would like to allow players to create their own fledgling “minor families.” These are not entirely separate families from the Giovanni mortal bloodline like the Dunsirn (and other future minor families), but instead represent important inter-marriages between prominent mortal families and the “mainline” Giovanni family. When these family branches gain enough respect and power for themselves, the 'head' of the family can petition the Padrone/Padrona of Venice for recognition of their household. If successful, this family branch becomes it's own Household and will require at least a Nonna/Nonno (usually the petitioner, though occasionally an older vampiric member of the family).
Other Titles
Not every title needs to necessarily draw its esteem from the sect or clan that honors it. Some Kindred rise to prominence outside the sectarian model, while the practices of others are considered noteworthy whether a Prince or Archbishop claims the domain. The following examples can fit well into many different chronicle styles, and may also be used as models for players to consider their own merit- or expertise- based Kindred titles.
Mystic
(1-point Title)
The Mystic Kindred is known by many appellations: sage, spiritualist, sorcerer, witch. The vampires who earn the title of Mystic (or its local equivalent) are acknowledged as skilled in the secret ways of the occult, “the black arts,” witchcraft, or even infernalism (see the Inquisitor, above). Tremere and Tzimisce often hate Mystics, whom they regard as either threats to their own power or bloody pretenders.
Few seek to rouse the ire of a known mystic, because those who bargain their souls or their standing for otherworldly power make heinous foes. Of course, a Mystic may well be a charlatan, with little more than trickery or clever Discipline use supporting this title and reputation.
Warden
(2-point Title)
Kindred society occasionally gives rise to Wardens, particularly in contested or tenuously-held domains.
Wardens exist in some form or another in all the sects. The duty of the Warden is to beat the boundaries and patrol the borders of the domain so that “they” don’t get in, whoever “they” may be. Sabbat, Anarchs, conniving Camarilla — so long as someone’s trying to take the territory away from the vampires who hold sway there, a Warden has people to turn back... or destroy.
To hear the powers that be tell it, the Warden is an ugly responsibility, but someone has to do it. The Warden has the right to attack and kill unidentified or foreign Kindred in an established domain. Of course, if the Warden is overzealous and finds out that he’s just killed someone granted the Prince’s privilege or recognition by the archbishop, he’d better have a good alibi or a clueless patsy. In some domains, Wardens are compensated because their work is so unpleasant: Princely decree or ecumenical favor can grant an additional point of Resources, Herd, or Influence so long as the Warden remains faithful in her duties.
Eschatologist
(1-point Title)
The undead have no end of prophecies that inspire them to ever-greater acts of terror, fiendishness, and desperation. Eschatologists study these portents of the end times and consult with their local leaders on how best to approach them. Part soothsayer, part doomsayer, and part esoteric scholar, the eschatologist may find himself an advisor of last resort or may be the first Kindred to whom concerned elders speak. Whatever the case, the eschatologist rarely has good news for local vampires.
When an eschatologist speaks, it’s generally with advice about some dire method for staving off the End Times.
Transcendant
(3-point Title)
Those who seek the state of Golconda seek to transcend the curse of Caine. A Transcendant is one who is known — or believed — to have achieved that lofty state. A true Transcendant is one who has in fact achieved Golconda. A false claimant to the Transcendant’s title still enjoys the Status benefits of the title... until he’s found out for the pretender he is. A false Transcendant pays only half the normal cost to acquire this title. Note, too, that among vampires who hold Golconda in low esteem, such as followers of certain Paths, the standard Status benefit may be nonexistent.
Consul
(3-point Title)
The title of Consul has many variations, but the primary responsibility is to act as a cultural diplomat between sects, clans, or any other Kindred factions. For example, two neighboring domains, one Camarilla and one Sabbat, might each have a resident Consul in the other sect’s city to act as liaison and advisor. When a member of the home domain has a question about the organization to which the Consul belongs, she may approach and ask the Consul.
Needless to say, the duties of the Consul sometimes place her in very difficult political situations, many of which can escalate into violence, especially if the relationship between the two Kindred factions is hostile. Thus, Consul is often a title granted to either very powerful Kindred or those whom the home domain wants to simply disappear.
The honesty and respect of the Consul is paramount. When a domain doesn’t trust its visiting Consul, that Consul had better head quickly home, or he may well find himself banished, staked, or even burned in protest. If the Consul’s home domain believes he’s more of a liability than an asset, the home authority may revoke his diplomatic status, effectively stranding the erstwhile Consul in a hostile domain.
A Consul may apply Status accumulated in her home domain as well as the Status reflected by her title to social dice pools while in her diplomatic domain. (For other Kindred, Status in one sect is unrecognized by other sects, at least formally; see V20, p. 118.) Note that this Status benefit ceases to exist in times of open war between the two factions.
Headhunter
(2-point Title)
Those vampires who devote themselves to war with the non-Kindred dwellers in the night occasionally earn the title of Headhunter. Those brazen Cainites who take on the savage Lupines and claim trophy over the shape-shifters claim this title at times, but so do those who engage with hostile mages or even slay one of the incomprehensible Good Folk. Headhunters often make names for themselves at meetings of the Kindred in the local domain, where they show off their grisly trophies and boast before their fellow Damned.
Only lucky Headhunters manage to slay their prey without preparation. Any Headhunter worth her Blood knows much about what she’s hunting, and spends significant effort learning the lore and behavior of the supernaturals she has devoted herself to stalking.
Rat-Catcher
(Negative Title)
Not every Kindred chooses to quell the Beast with the blood of the kine. Some choose to slake their thirsts with the vitae of lesser creatures. Especially among young Kindred, an initial reaction to the horror of becoming a vampire and the need to feed on the blood of what they once were proves too much to bear. They forsake mortal blood, subsisting on that of rats, bats, birds, dogs, cats — anything they can catch that won’t plead or reason with them. Rat-Catchers have a stigma among older or “better-adjusted” Kindred, who see little purpose in denying what they have become.
Caitiff
(Negative Title)
The word Caitiff has two connotations. The first means that a Kindred is a member of flawed or unknown lineage, or perhaps that she has been disowned but not extinguished by her sire. It implies that the Kindred is a mistake, not even worthy of being a vampire. “Caitiff” in this context is an imprecise and arbitrarily used title — it may colloquially refer to an Outcast (see above, p. 23), or it may be used as a denigration of one’s Embrace by one’s blood-siblings or sire. In another context (see the following two-page spread), a Caitiff is a Kindred who has no distinguishing clan characteristics, a vampire who hasn’t been “imprinted” with the legacy of her sire’s bloodline.