#camarilla politics

[inquisitor-of-hearts]

Escalate (3)

After some consideration Galeb decides to not follow the Beckoning. Hazel is quick to act and entrusts him with a new task for the Camarilla.

Spoilers for all of Vampire the Masquerade: Swansong.

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 1,631

Link to Chapter 1 Chapter 2

on Ao3

Can't you feel Electricity It's dripping through my veins The syzygy It's twisting me endlessly, endlessly

Like you don't know what they said a couple of nights ago But you didn't hear that one

Galeb was ravenous. Although his skin colour had faded to grey the moment he had walked the secretary back inside the club, the whole act had pushed him to his limits.

As he looked at the woman seated next to him, it hit him suddenly. He felt it in his whole being. It was his Ventrue nature that was making him so tense around her, giving him these visceral reactions. He craved her blood; the purity, the class. And the fact that he could not have it only intensified his desire.

“The usual?” Emem asked with a cocky grin as she stepped closer to them.

“Yes. And a gin and tonic for her.” he answered.

As Emem was about to turn around, Galeb rose from his seat.

“I must excuse myself, Cyrene.” he said, “I will be back momentarily.”

Emem turned back towards Galeb, he overcame the distance between them.

“I need a real drink” he spoke through clenched teeth. Drained of vitae, the beast in him had become far too impatient.

“Did you not eat before coming here?”

“I did” he hissed, “I didn’t think it would take that much convincing.”

“Well I don’t have anything for you. Go and serve yourself.” Emem hissed back. “Be careful with what you pick though.”

Without another word he disappeared into the darker corners of the club. His mind was racing, consumed by the desire for only one thing. But it could not just be anyone and he had to be careful it was not a ghoul. So he lurked in the dark, watched the prey and fellow predators. His gaze wandered back and forth between people, then fell back onto Cyrene. Her blood was perfect, truly, but he could not risk it. A soft growl escaped him. His trained senses made him aware of a human not bound to anyone. A man in a business suit -- dark brown hair, swept back, an expensive silver brand watch around his wrist, the old money kind not the electronic touchscreen trash -- walked towards the restrooms. Galeb followed him at once.

A deep sigh of relief escaped him as he regained his composure and left the stall with the man behind. He centered himself as he adjusted the collar of his shirt in the washroom, making sure his clothes had not been soiled during this moment of weakness. A quick glance reassured him of the fact that the bathroom stall doors were closed and the Kindred walked off.

“I made a bit of a mess in the men’s washroom” he confessed discreetly once he had arrived back at the bar.

“Ugh” Emem rolled her eyes, “Seriously?”

“He’s alive.” he reassured her firmly, “Just some stains on the floor.”

“I’ll have someone get it.” she sighed and shook her head in disapproval.

Galeb noticed their drinks that had been served as he lowered himself onto the bar seat next to his new acquaintance.

“I’m so sorry I made you wait.” he spoke softly.

“Oh don’t worry about that at all.” Cyrene replied with a smile towards him, her demeanour friendly, less suspicious. Now it seemed like a perfectly normal thing that this man wanted to get to know her.

“I’ve been thinking” Galeb spoke, “We should spend more time with each other until you feel comfortable with me. And then you could introduce me to Mr. Hartwell.”

Cyrene set down her glass that she drank from.

“I would like that. I think that might work.” she answered. Galeb could feel that she was honest, even less careful than before. His dominance over her mind was still apparent.

“You think?” Galeb checked. “You’re not sure?”

“I don’t know. I will have to make sure he doesn’t feel suspicious about anything that you do.” she answered.

“Maybe it’s better you manage our assets. Inofficially at least.” the Kindred suggested.

“Oh I can’t do that” she laughed casually, “I’m not in that position.”

“You give yourself far too little credit, Cyrene.” Galeb spoke, his influence over her strong.

“Maybe.” she chuckled, “But I can’t be doing anything like that behind his back.”

“Do you have access to his clients’ files?”

“I do.” she responded, “In case of emergencies. Or an urgent meeting that he doesn’t agree to.”

“What about confidentiality? How much trust does he have in you?"

"A lot. I don’t want to betray him. I wouldn’t-- I can’t--” There was a certain agitation in her voice, like her own will that struggled against Galeb’s influence.

“It’s okay” he calmed her with a soft voice, his eyes flashing just for a second. “You’re safe. You are not betraying Hartwell. Everything is alright.”

She visibly calmed again, her breathing and heartbeat normalizing. The Kindred watched her fingers wrap around the glass and drink from it again. He leaned over, his body turned towards her.

“Where does he live?”

Slowly her gaze was drawn from her glass towards Galeb. A smile formed on his lips before she could even answer.

“Where do you live?”

With his head lowered Galeb returned to Hazel’s quarters.

“What is it? You don’t look like you have good news for me.” Hazel spoke, behind her was the moon shining in through the tall windows, the light being reflected on the sleek surface of her desk.

Galeb sighed, shaking his head before speaking.

“It’s not the best news. Hartwell has turned into a recluse. He doesn’t take any new clients it seems. And the secretary,  Roberts, she is very careful. I think I can gain her trust but it will take some time.”

“Unfortunate news” Hazel spoke and turned around towards the windows, her arms crossed in front of her chest, her gaze lowered. “Is that all?”

“My Prince, forgive me the suggestion, but would it not be easier to find someone else?”

“No. I want Hartwell” she insisted, “All others out there are not malleable enough. I’ve seen the prospects.”

“This will not be easy.” Galeb suggested.

“But once we have him, he is ours. We can use his paranoia against him.” Hazel explained, turning around again.

“What if we use just the secretary? She does most of his business for him these days anyway.”

“But in his name, right?”

Galeb tilted his head, watching her as she paused.

“So it will be him either way. If she has access to everything, I’m not against it.” Hazel explained, her hand outstretched in a presenting fashion, “But remember, she can’t be influenced if she is the one working with us. And Emem told me you already forced your will onto her.”

“Of course she did.” Galeb sighed and looked down for a moment.

“Her bodyguard was at her heels and she was extremely cautious. I could not let her go just like that.”

“Galeb, I’m not mad at you.” Hazel reassured gently, shaking her head. “I just want to make sure you know that going any further than that will be out of the question. Especially if you choose her as the one to work with us.”

“We will never get our hands on Hartwell.”

“You don’t know that” Hazel disagreed with her voice a tone higher, trying to persuade him. “Maybe we just have to be careful and watch Roberts and Walker for a while. Why don’t you become friends with them?”

Galeb coughed up a laugh.

“You say that like it’s so easy.”

“You’ve done it before.” Hazel reminded him. “Just go slow.”

The pressure of her gaze made the man look away.

“Have you set up another appointment with her?”

“I have. I was worried she would not let me meet her again if she wasn’t under the influence of my power.” Galeb confessed.

“Smart move. I am sure you will be able to make her trust you and then in no time, she will be introducing you to Hartwell, you will see. Or, she will the one handling our finances. Your choice.”

“Would you at least consider giving this task to somebody else? Anyone else, in fact. Emem Louis could do this easily with her connections to the--”

“No” Hazel responded firmly. “It has to be you. Emem doesn’t even come close to you in strength. You can protect these people if anything happens. Don’t you think they will be swarmed with ghouls and other agents soon enough? You can sense them. You’re the only one I can rely on for this task.”

Galeb sighed in defeat.

“I hadn’t considered that.”

“I know it’s hard for you. She’s probably all a Ventrue like you could want in a vessel.” Hazel chuckled. Galeb’s eyes widened.

“It’s not-- it’s not that. That’s not a problem at all.”

“Oh come on now. Don’t be shy about this. We’re birds of a feather, you and me.” she reaffirmed with a smile. “Go downstairs to the lounge and have a drink. Ask Sylvia for what I had them prepare for you. It will relax you. I know your type.”

Galeb stood in shock, at a loss for words but finally spoke, unable to decline.

“Thank you, my Prince.”

“And then focus. We need these people.”

“Of course, my Prince.”

The following night a black car with tinted windows was parked in front a high-rise apartment complex at 10:30 pm. The front doors of the building opened and Cyrene walked out into the night. Her steps brought her to the car, she overlooked the license plate quickly before she opened the back door from the side of the pedestrian walkway. She climbed in, greeting the man that was sitting inside with a smile.

[kavalyera]

enir and vivienne with their big coats :3

[amygdalae]

I know im really hooked on vtmb because I'm at work and can't stop thinking abt playing it when I get home. Listening to some darkwave while boxing returns in the back room to get thru it

[blanketempress]

assuming that he has to be of one of the clans available in Bloodlines, Fledgling Lorenzo would be a Tremere and he'd very much do the same run as my fledgling Amber, killing everything and everyone, just a bulldozer through the narrative, trying to get everything done as fast as possible

Strauss and Nines would be the only bitches in town he'd have an ounce of respect for and he wouldn't be bound by the Giovanni clan upbringing/traditions like he is in canon, so he'd very much skip being polite to anyone

I think he would side with the Anarchs, not because he really likes them better but because he hates the other factions more

[faerune]

the last round coterie: discussing what to bring up at the next anarch movement meeting

valentina: do you have anything to add seth?

seth: ...what were we talking about?

[limblesstar]

i think writing the most NICHE au ever is kind of the funniest thing i could do. 1000 words already written with all the weird vtm lexicon. i dont need to be so specific with the terms but im going to for me, for the self indulgence of it

[cavegirlpoems]

you know what? I'm nailing my colours to the mast:

The default rpg that's used as a yardstick, in my view, is not D&D. It's Vampire The Masquerade 20th Aniversary Edition.

It has everything: Action! Melodrama! Politics! Intrigue! Horror! Romance! Bleak Social Realism!

Still want a fantasy game with swords and dragons? We got that, it's called Dark Ages Vampire!

When pitching me a game, the big hurdle you need to overcome is "why am I not running this in Vampire?" Call of Cthulhu? Vampire has plenty of cosmic-horror tentacle monster cults, just throw a hidden baali cell into your setting. D&D? Play a dark ages game and all be members of a vampiric order. Monsterhearts? That's just standard Camarilla Toreador behaviour! Paranoia? The prince is a malkavian, have fun. Rolemaster? That's just dark ages again, and trust me our mechanics are fiddly and pedantic too.

Being picky and don't want to play a vampire? No problem, there's a splat-book for playing as regular mortals, who may or may not have psychic powers.

Seriously, Vampire: The Masquerade has so much range as a game. Even more if you throw in bits of other WoD gamelines or elements from v5. Mage even has sci-fi space explorers fighting tentacle monsters on the surface of jupiter and I am not joking.

This is not a bit or a funny joke. I genuinely, 100% believe that Vampire is a better Default Game that can Do Everything than D&D and its imitators.

[deathandthesoul]

Hey you! Do you like LA by Night and NY by Night? Want to branch out into watching more VtM actual plays? There's a few I really enjoy that I'd like to share. They are all 5th edition

Blood on the Grand Strand/Are We Dead Yet? from Huddyvonschland Coterie clans: Ravnos, Tzimisce, Salubri, Tremere, and some more regulars who swap in and out. And then also oops all Thinbloods! The tourist town of Myrtle Beach enjoys a vibrant nightlife. An eclectic Anarch coterie must contend with the Camarilla (and later Sabbat) making moves in their city while the Second Inquisition begins their operation. There's funky cults, a suspicious drug operation, weird Thinblood stuff, and a lot of juicy worldbuilding which sometimes brings in other elements of the World of Darkness. The players are an absolute delight, Huddy's storytelling is fucking delicious, and the table has a ton of chemistry. The atmosphere is moody and it's a very chill time. I consider this my comfort chronicle

Vegas by Night from Mayday Roleplay Coterie clans: Ravnos, 2 Malkavians, 2 Gangrel, Warrior Salubri, Lasombra This show is nuts. It has everything. Vividly gritty ST narration, occult mysteries, a coterie of forcibly Camarilla kindred in way over their head, wacky Vegas hijinks, lifelike and captivating characters, a meat house, Lake Mead being terrifying, so much buck wild combat. A gospel singer Ravnos who sounds like Elvis and the world's horniest Malkavians. Every plan goes haywire. They always pick the solution that will create the most consequences for them. It's super high energy but man it's fun. Caleb has spread such a wide web of plots that all somehow interconnect. It's really impressive seeing it all gradually unveil and all make sense together in the greater scheme of things. His brain is seriously huge

Legacy of Bulls from Adventure Tavern Coterie clans: [Spoiler], Hecata, Brujah, Toreador A Birmingham coterie inherits the grudge of their forebears and has to race against the clock to solve a mystery and prevent any damage. I'm in love with CT lmao he's my favorite representation of that clan I've ever seen. The chronicle has elements of the occult/magic, investigation, and an atmosphere that is often moody and tense with the occasional chaos. I love the drama in this one

ATL by Night from the Facility Productions Coterie clans: Brujah, Tremere, Ventrue, Gangrel. And some more regulars who swap in and out. In later seasons there is a new coterie: Lasombra, Thinblood, Hecata, Tremere, Gangrel, Ravnos After taking heavy losses during the Final Nights, kindred society in Atlanta must rebuild. Many were hastily embraced during those confusing times and the coterie is tasked with bringing those lost childer into the fold. There is a focus on character development and kindred Politics with heavy Second Inquisition involvement. All in all I find it to be very cozy and intimate, it's really relaxing to watch

The Rook and the Rascal: Montreal by Night from ThreeKingsLoot (audio only) Coterie clans: Tremere, Toreador, Nosferatu It's been a while since I listened to this one so I forget a lot but I remember there were werewolves, Pentex, and a lot of over the top violence. And something about a cult leader, I think? But it's also very cozy and has themes of community and friendship. They utilize True Faith in a novel way and the characters and narration are very charming. They don't follow the game mechanics exactly but it makes things way more high stakes and dangerous and interesting. I had a good time listening to this

[organovore]

samar… a brand new character i’ve been cooking for a new chronicle. he’s an ex-sabbat lasombra who’s attempting to navigate the political landscape of the camarilla for the first time. everyone wants him dead but he could really care less <3

[gorbalsvampire]

You know what I can't stand about VtM?

Camarilla apologism.

The Camarilla are monsters with rules, and they will use those rules to justify slavery and exploitation and abuse and control and murder, for ever. And people tell me these are the good guys. They're absolutely not. The Beast is sitting down at table and wearing a pretty dress and her table manners are ever so lovely and her dinner conversation sparkles, but you're still getting eaten alive. And you have to love it. They have made you love it. Nothing in their rulebook says they can't.

I have never actually run a Camarilla game. Not properly. I think it's because that level of authoritarianism makes me urge. It's weird, because I love Dark Ages Vampire with all my soul and those are the same rules, but Dark Ages Vampire doesn't have the "default sect" phenomenon, the expectation that you the players are going to be aligned with this side and therefore that's the right side because you the players are on it.

Woobifying the Sabbat and apologising for the Camarilla makes the real default protagonists of V1 - the Anarchs - even more toothless than they already are, burdened by their writers' failure to imagine a way out of the status quo (not blaming them for that, progressive politics are hard and it's only a bloody game, innit?). And as the game drifted more and more into Camarilla-as-default-vs-Sabbat-the-Anarchs-are-also-there... I don't know where I'm going with this, I was just confronted by the monstrosity of the Camarilla before I'd even had a cup of tea this morning and it's great horror but don't ever tell me they're the good ones. Don't you dare.

[mystickingstuff]

NY by Night's first season is legit my favorite. Of course I love season 2, but season 1's last episode is just a rollercoaster of amazing moments. From Fuego side-eyeing Rey when Isaac asked them to be polite in his sire's presence to their whole talk with Vaclav to their discussion about Reyes's shady deal with the Camarilla. Like, it's everything. Man, I miss that coterie SO MUCH.

*and I miss my ships, okay.

[inquisitor-of-hearts]

Escalate (7)

After some consideration Galeb decides to not follow the Beckoning. Hazel is quick to act and entrusts him with a new task for the Camarilla.

Spoilers for all of Vampire the Masquerade: Swansong.

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 1,747

Link to Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6

on Ao3

Heavy is the head that wears the crown Handed on a plate but I love the chase

You don’t wanna dare bite the hand that feeds ya

Galeb scoffed as he recognized the woman, his feral instincts calming.

“You’re not so delirious that your senses aren’t working anymore, good.” Emem mocked, the hint of a grin on her lips.

“What are you doing here? Who sent you?” His tone was professional, although with a sense of hostility in it.

“Sent me?” She tilted her head at him. “I am a lover of the fine arts as you know. And tea ceremony is one among them. I did not take you for a connoisseur though.”

“Why hide then if you’re not here on business?”

“Is it just me or are you more tense than usual tonight?” she questioned in a teasing manner, her voice a pitch higher. “Fine, so followed you. Got curious about your retainer, but didn’t want to make it too obvious. ”

“She is not my retainer.”

“Oh. Good to know.” Emem spoke softly.

He sighed, looking away. He should have known.

“Get out of my sight, Diva.” he commanded.

“Don’t worry, I’m gone already.” she yielded, nothing but thin smoke remaining in her wake.

Galeb pushed the elevator button and waited. Internally he cursed himself. She had not been here by chance, that much was obvious. He knew the Herald, just as well as he knew the Prince. It was nothing but praise and sweet reassurance that he could take as much time as needed, but in reality they had started to doubt him, they had become impatient; so impatient they had sent someone after him to watch his every move. Trust was indeed hard to come by. He could hardly believe that the Prince had started to question his moves. But to send Emem Louis? Stepping inside the cabin, he thought about her words, how she had seen him with his guard down. He snarled in disgust while the elevator descended. She must have been in the same room with them, he realized.

At his arrival in the lobby he walked towards Cyrene who got up from her seat at once. Together with his ghoul they walked to his car. After they had dropped her off, Galeb felt weakened. Once again he felt the hunger pangs, just like after every night he spent with her.

In the wake of their farewell he arrived at a luxurious hotel downtown. He had promised the Prince to drop by at an event that was held as a second attempt of the reunification party, although on a much smaller scale. Iversen had after all secured the blood trade with the Hartford Chantry, although the trust once given had eroded and some ties had been severed. As he knew her, these days she wanted to be rather safe than sorry.

“Looks like Siaka hasn’t come.” Emem casually remarked towards Hazel as they stood at a cocktail table. Her black suit presented a sharp contrast against her fair complexion. It gave the Prince an aura of dominance and fearlessness, especially given the fact that the other women around her were clad in more vibrant colours.

“Yes, he has-- … Galeb” Hazel’s gaze was drawn to the man who had casually approached them, her tone friendly and upbeat suddenly. “I’m very glad you could make it. I was almost worried.”

“As promised, my Prince.”

“I know you would never neglect your duties.” the Prince remarked, then stretched her hand out, pointing around the place in an inviting fashion. “Please, grab a drink. Enjoy yourself.”

“I come just to oversee things, as discussed. There’s no need to accommodate me.” he reassured.

“Oh come on now” Emem, still standing next to the Prince on the other side, rolled her eyes. But she spoke no further word as Hazel’s gaze met hers for a moment. It had the power to silence, after all. The Prince turned towards Galeb again.

“I’ve already given my speech. So far everything is under control. Not all of the members of the Chantry are here.”

“Precautions I would guess.”

“I would guess so too.” Hazel spoke with a certain disappointment in her voice, just short of a sigh. “In any case, enjoy yourself.”

“Thank you, my Prince.” Galeb knew it was no opportunity to talk business, at least not about his. These parties were for show. Influence, power, connections. Sometimes gossip. Who was he trying to convince -- it always involved gossip. Exchanging secrets that later could be used for some political agenda or another. It was not his game. Not tonight at least.

“Bazory. Glad you could make it.” April spoke as she approached the three, her face not showing any hints of a smile despite her almost affectionate tone. She leaned over towards the Prince, whispering something. Hazel nodded, setting her glass down on the tall table.

“I have something to attend to, but I will surely see you around later.” she announced and walked ahead. Both pairs of heels clicked against the glazed white floor that showed faint reflections of the two women walking off, leaving Galeb and Emem behind. He shot her a glance. The corners of her mouth creased slightly, her eyebrows raised expectantly. It was the kind of gaze that told him she was ready to hear him out but would not start a conversation. The man walked off wordlessly. There was no point after all.

He detested these parties. It was always the most decadent of the most decadent, and if not on open display like the vessel that was just close to being sucked dry on a nearby couch in the corner, then it was something even worse behind closed doors. Doors he did not want to open, not even peek into. But there had often been cases when it had been his duty. Out of politeness he had taken a glass when next to the prince, but he could not stand the concoction. On top of that, the decadent display of seemingly endless blood supply. At the next table that he passed, he put the glass down again, deciding to watch the room from a darker and more quiet corner. He was hungry of course. But the display of all the excess, the vessels infused with various drugs, no doubt prepared by Richard Dunham with deliberate precision, made his stomach churn. He was a really picky eater anyway, but had he not been, it would have still sickened him. At this kind of buffet the mere presence of the guests and their taste made him lose appetite.

He should have become used to it long ago. He was used to it. Something had changed. It made him thoughtful. He had tasted innocence, a sense of hope and purity for too long. It had tainted him in a twisted way, a way that could not stand the sight of these carefully prepared vessels anymore.

“Ah, Galeb. We were just talking about you.”

Speak of the devil. Richard Dunham caught him just when he was passing through the room.

“We?”

“Yes, the Prince and I. That reminds me, did you enjoy the vessel I prepared for you?”

Galeb was taken aback momentarily, remembering the night.

“But of course.” he answered automatically. Richard must have known he could not answer in any other way, given that it was a gift by the Prince. He also most have known that he could have not possibly refused. What he could not know and could merely suspect was that Galeb hated this unnatural charade. He preferred a clean hunt, albeit the time he took watching his prey was unusually long and strangely intimate at times.

Richard’s face remained unmoved and Galeb ran a hand through his hair in an impatient manner, unusual for him.

“I enjoyed the subtle traces of caffeine. Not too strong, just barely a kick.”

“Ahh, I knew you would.” Richard spoke triumphantly. “I was thinking if you ever come by the Red Salon, we could look for something more refined for you.”

“Thank you, Richard, that is very kind. But I’m quite busy at the moment.” he declined politely. Of course this was all politics. Richard tried to make himself useful, the new Red Salon had been decided to be a much smaller space. Funds were directed elsewhere after what had happened at the old location. Galeb knew all too well that if Richard found a way for him to approve of the Salon, he could convince the Prince of further funding of his research, which must have been proven increasingly difficult after the loss of Leysha. He could not blame Richard. The man just tried to get by doing what he deemed needed to be done.

“I understand. But all the more, I could offer something that is more refreshing during these trying times. When I heard about Xu Feng-- That must have been a difficult situation.”

Galeb’s features turned sour. He had hoped the topic would not be brought up anymore but it seemed the Doctor had different plans in mind; possibly even to rile him up on purpose.

“And I’m very sorry about Leysha. It must have been painful to lose her.”

“Oh well” Richard sighed now, “It might be for the better in some ways.”

Galeb remained unfazed but the Doctor’s tone carried some empathy, causing him to think that maybe he had misjudged him for a moment.

“Either way, I would be happy to see you at the new location when you can find the time.”

“I really do not think I will be able to make it.” Galeb declined politely. He had enough and decided to cut it short at last. “Regardless, thank you for the invitation and I wish you a pleasant evening.”

“Likewise.” Richard responded. “But Galeb, just one more thing -- if you ever need my help, or anything really, please. Do not ever hesitate to reach out.”

There was a softness around him, almost that of a whelp, that he was not used to seeing. It was becoming clear that he had lost influence in the Court.

“Of course, Richard.”

As he looked up, he saw Prince Iversen leave a secluded room, nodding towards Delsin who was guarding the doors. Discreetly she wiped the corner of her mouth, her lipstick remained slightly smudged. She shot Galeb a glance, a subtle grin on her lips before she disappeared behind a different door.

[milk-crafting]

Watching tumblr kill the quality on this even when it's not great in the first place is insane to me, but here we are

This is Rosin, a Lamia neonate who was embraced when she ran off to the woods (in Sequoia/King's Canyon National park because that's my fave hehe) in 1990. She was running away from a shitty relationship, planning on not coming back if you catch my drift, and was jump-scared by her sire-to-be. She fell down a cliff, hence all the scars, and her sire (who was an Autarkis and had planned on embracing her much more 'gently' than that) ran to the bottom to embrace her before she could bleed out.

Her sire, Beryl, lived in the national park with a Harbinger named Alessandro, staying in a couple different caves and old, long-abandoned cabins where the both of them could work on Allessandro's research away from the Camarilla and its political machinations.

Rosin would set out on her own after 20 years, and would join the Camarilla to find a sense of stability. She'd become a bodyguard for hire, a pit fighter, and an occult scholar. She's trained in Camarilla dueling, and uses a hunting knife that was a gift from her sire.

She's loyal to the Family first and the Camarilla second, and finds herself in San Diego currently, but she's bound to set off and travel somewhere else if the city doesn't have the purpose she's looking for in her unlife.

[malevolententity]

Staring at you with my big eyes

(I know nothing about vtm aside from the suckening but it really interests me and I'd love to hear about about edward and the vampire micro politics)

HELLO!!!!!!! THANK YOU FOR ASKING!!! WELCOME TO VAMPIRE POLITICS 101 EDWARD TWILIGHT IS SO SO FASCINATING TO ME and i have no idea if charlie did any of it on purpose because i dont know if he actually looked that deep into the politics of vtm to plan for any of this.

how do i start this. youre getting an essay. dear lord this is going under a cut. because i gotta explain the normal politics before i can get into why edward politics is so fun for me personally.

everything below comes with a massive banner of context that i have been obsessed with vtm for a literal 13 years. so i have a lot of opinions on how stuff can be explained mechanics and lore wise. that charlie might not agree with and/or might not have been intending the read to be because we are two different storytellers.

SO in world of darkness (the book setting) there are three main political parties. there are the Camarilla which are traditionalists who created the rules of the masquerade and they want kindred society to be united and for there to be a hierarchy. this is the governing body that charlie has implemented and plays around with. then there are Anarchs who obey the general masquerade because they recognize its usefulness but they do not believe in a true hierarchy and bending the knee to The Prince of a city. and then theres the Sabbat who think the masquerade is stupid and think that kindred should live openly and blatantly rule over humans.

charlies camarilla is so interesting from the get go because queens are not a thing. thats a charlie thing. so were already off to a fun micro politics of what the fuck? hey charlie? is The Queen part of the inner circle and the head of the camarilla of the entire world? and you just invented a title? bro? because why would she as just prince of LA be called queen? female princes are still princes. so i work under the assumption that she is part of the main governing body for the entire world camarilla not just LA. because normal princes live in their cities. if she lives in fucking romania in umber castle shes not just a normal prince.

so within the camarilla theres a bunch of jobs but the main ones charlie plays with is primogen, sheriff, and prince. and he does a decent job at explaining them. primogen are voices of their clan. they are the most powerful person in the clan in a given city and serve to represent the needs of the clan within the camarilla. not every clan gets a primogen as it depends on if theres enough camarilla kindred in that clan to warrant needing a primogen. the sheriff is the front facing enforcer of the rules. who is elected by the primogen and prince together. and then the prince is The Prince. they are like a dictator mayor. they are the one who creates and expands the masquerade rules of the city to make sure that mortals do not become aware of vampires. princes are typically not elected; they come about from coups or if the old one wants to abdicate they endorse/instate a new prince.

theres also keepers, harpys, scourges, seneschals, heralds, archons, and justicars. but explaining those does not help with my why edward is fascinating so i can go into those a different time. also because we only have maybe two examples of those within suckening.

SO IN ANARCHS which charlie never brings up to my memory theres a lot less official titles! you have the Barons which function similarly to a prince but they will kill you if you say that; hate princes with a passion. cities depending on their size will have a number of barons who control neighborhoods/sections of the city. they all work together but compete with each other to maintain their footholds in the city and to resist the princes rule. and then the other main one is Proctors who just keep tabs on whos in the territory and doing what. which can function as mini sheriffs. 

so using LA as an example edward rules over the entire city but unless he killed all the anarchs in the city the specific territory of santa monica has a baron who also imposes rules on the kindred of that specific territory.

and then we have the Sabbat who charlie also never brings up. who also have their own chain of command in cities but also the world at large! the most important titles here for this talk are Bishop and Archbishop. a Bishop is going to be akin to a primogen it is a title that is given to a powerful kindred who then leads a large group of sabbat within a section of the city. bishops answer to archbishops. and an Archbishop is akin to a prince. they are the sabbat ruler of an entire city. every sabbat within that city ultimately answers to them.

a big thing with the Sabbat sect as a whole is they do not care about the masquerade. they commit mass masquerade breaches be it mass turning events or just having them run around in the wild doing whatever not caring if kine see a vampire using their powers or feeding.

Edward Twilight is a serial masquerade breacher. like theres no way around it. like yes he is a toreador so he is going to want and demand the attention of everyone. but theres a line. and one of those lines is mass ghouling an entire city and making a large portion of the mortals in your city look like you. that is an insane massive breach that is going to get the inquisition/grimslayers to raid your city because thats not normal. that is a massive red flag that vampires are there. that is a thing that only sabbat would do.

because even with charlies camarilla being his own spin on it and not 100% by the book. i can not bring myself to accept that a genuine camarilla member would pull the shit edward does. like it does not make sense to me. and thats slightly compounded by the fact that camarilla traditionally; even the toreadors; want to stay hidden. they do not like mortals knowing vampires exist they LOATHE cellphones because cellphones put a camera in everyones pocket and is the easiest way to make the entire world aware of your existence and status as a monster. and then your meet your final death when the city gets raided. camarilla toreadors chase fame and beauty but theres still a line ya know.

a sabbat on the other hand? loves a cellphone. doesn't give a shit if the world is aware of them because being known isnt a threat, its the goal. it is the goal to have humans aware that vampires are real and you can be one or to serve one.

so with all that said. i genuinely believe that Edward Twilight is an Archbishop of the Sabbat who has been playing the longcon with the Camarilla. because he is involved in the camarilla, theres no denying that. he has underlings that are clearly real camarilla and work in camarilla terms and conditions. but all of his goals that we know about just scream sabbat to me. he has been vying  for the prince position trying to get that endorsement from shilo to further legitimize himself and his hold on the city, that is a fact. but the amount and types of breaches he commits are the kind no right minded camarilla would commit and he does not have an affliction that drives him to madness. so to me he comes off as a sabbat agent trying to destabilize the cams.

theres also the factor of viv and vex. traditionally in VTM, clans are predisposed to certain political sects, with special cases made for individual vampires. in lore this is because the different sects will consider entire clans just a walking masquerade breach that they don’t want to deal with. so having them be a part of the sect is rare and special. now every storyteller handles this differently some are rigid by the book and some just do what fits best for the story they want to tell. charlie ran this in v20 and by v20 lore tzimisce are purely sabbat because they are an inherent breach. they are a clan who makes weird meatball creatures and turn themselves into literal flesh monster that barely look human. and in v5 tzimisce as a whole are welcome to anarchs but only individually welcome to camarilla. charlie mixes a bit of v20 and v5 because he read them both and touchstones are a thing so we know he pulled some v5 things. but with the shit viv and vex do i just find it hard to believe theyre genuine cam who respect the masquerade. those are edwards fellow weird little sabbat guys who are helping him destabilize and take over. they made edward sexy. they are the ones performing the procedures to turn ghouls and bloodbonded vampires alike into edward clones. that is the most sabbat ass shit ive ever heard of besides mass turning events and weird meatball snuff films

edward twilight is fascinating to me regardless of if m right. because knowing charlie and his love of bits and “well wouldn’t that be silly” it is likely that edward to him is just a genuine camarilla toreador primogen who climbed the ladder and his version of the camarilla are a little more lax in some regards. or because of the bloodbonding the other primogen and deacon won’t go against edward and his mass breaches.

but for me it is so much more interesting to think of edward as an archbishop who decided to infiltrate the camarilla god knows how long ago to become a prince and then probably climb up even higher into the Inner Circle because literally too many details line up and point at that being a possibility for me to ignore as coincidence.

because we do know that this campaign was supposed to be about the political climb until they all started playing and charlie realized that the boys ended up being more interested in the relationships and personal mysteries than an actual political power struggle against each other campaign. so i KNOW he had to do some amount of research into the camarilla i just dont know how far into the other sects that research went to have him genuinely on purpose make edward a sabbat.

and i cant wait for season 2 to drop eventually so i can learn if i put in waaaay too much thought into all this because i know too much about this system. or if charlie actually did an insane amount of research on vtm politics and i picked up on clues that are genuinely there LOL

i really hope this made sense and you enjoyed it! it’s like 4 pages long and if theres anything in here that needs clarifying i will gladly talk even more or explain other things within vtm because this is my favorite system and i do Not know how to be normal about it :D 

[apihtawtoussaint]

Another of my NPCs for my VTM campaign; Prince of Montréal, Amir Hashmi. Ruling with an iron hand in a velvet glove from Les Foufounes Electriques.

Players haven't met him in person yet, but correspondance has been exchanged.

In his living days, he was an integral part of a family of business men who had been desperately trying to stabilize their wealth in the tumultuous political landscape of 1930/40s Pakistan (what is modern day Pakistan).

His family had had the eyes of certain Ventrue on them for a while, and it was actually his uncle who was their main focus. But Amir's qualities were also noted and he was guided along as a spare.

By the end of the 50s, they had both been turned and Amir was placed in the service of his uncle. The two of them secured their family's status while carrying out Camarilla influence in the nascent country.

But Amir felt his potential was being stiffled, his growth stunted, being kept on a short leash by his uncle's short-sightedness.

For years he waited for an opportunity to present himself, for decades he watched chance after chance slip him by.

And in the end it was random happenstance that he was in Italy when the Tremere Pyramid fell. By even greater happenstance, he came across Dominique, a powerful scholar of blood sorcery who even the other Tremere had found offputting.

Dominique needed protection from the Camarilla and Kindred blood, Amir was had both in abundance in return for their service.

As long as their research was allowed to continue, Dominique had little mind for anything else. So they let themself be bound to Amir.

And when a power vacuum was left in Montreal after the Sabbat retreated, Amir took full advantage.

He excelled at the politicking, quickly ingratiating himself as a warm, approachable vampire of the people. All while Dominique served as a threat and a weapon to all those who took issue to this young, new Prince.

[porcelainseashore]

RE x VtM Crossover Fic Update & Poll!

Here's a quick update on the next fic I'm working on, which is proving to be a larger project than expected and therefore, taking some time to finalize!

I'll be placing our favorite Resident Evil characters in a Vampire: The Masquerade (VtM) AU crossover.

Imagine:

Leon as a Toreador, sired by none other than Ada, a Toreador Harpy (aka "voice of society") who enjoys political intrigue and acquiring favors. Although Leon holds a grudge against her for a past deception, he does her bidding by finding humans whose blood have the most exquisite taste.

Wesker as the Ventrue Prince.

Chris and Claire as Brujah Anarchs, passionate about their cause and who have struck up an uneasy friendship with Leon, due to his position in the Camarilla.

Hunnigan as a Nosferatu intel expert.

Sherry as the Prince's most prized blood doll.

Maybe the Baker family make an appearance as Malkavians? Wouldn't that just be grand?

... and other appearances to be determined.

Where does Reader fit in all of this? A draft summary:

In the all-night events cafe you run, there's a mysterious, peculiar man who frequents it that catches your eye. Both of you grow on each other, but you can never remember the last moments of your interactions together. When a disastrous ordeal occurs, you are thrust into a world of darkness, where nothing is as it seems. At the same time, the man you've come to know as Leon, and developed a love-hate relationship with, is called upon to investigate into the reasons behind the untimely attacks.

To get started with my writing, I would love your help with the poll below!

Thank you so much for your participation! ❤️

Dividers by @saradika-graphics