#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.

[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?

[dykeferatu]

just found out there's at least a small vtm larp scene in my city.... ooohohohohohoho

[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

[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.

[inquisitor-of-hearts]

Escalate (2)

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: 1,946

Link to Chapter 1

on Ao3

Oh, silver lion, playing my mind Overflow, underflow, lions just everywhere

Should I just leave it alone? It wants to enter my mind

You should not come close but You never had that chance, right?

“You can call me Galeb.”

The music provided them with a certain degree of privacy but also came with a hindrance to speech. Galeb made sure his voice came out loud and clear enough.

A gesture of his hand advised them to sit and he lowered himself onto the cushioned couch as well, adjusting his perfectly fitted black suit in the process.

“In that case, I’m Cyrene Roberts. You can call me Cyrene.” she replied and sat back down across from him, just next to her dark-skinned bodyguard. She raised her hand towards him casually once he was seated as well. “This is James Walker. We work for Mr. Elias Hartwell and represent his business interests.”

“Him too?” Galeb asked, looking towards the aforementioned man in the black suit whose lips in turn curled to a short-lived smile.

“Well, no” Cyrene chuckled softly, her head tilted a little about the slip-up, “It’s mainly me who represents the official business.”

Something in Galeb stirred. The hair on his arms stood upright like that of a mortal, or of an animal, his vitae pumping blood through his veins, reminding him faintly of mortality. But it was something else. It was in her voice, a sense of innocence, purity. Something in her undivided presence stirred him as his body mimicked the one of a human, causing a visceral reaction within him in the process. It was most likely just an image in his head, a distant memory of someone from his mortal life that she reminded him of, a hint of his humanity. The modest white suit with the light blue blouse beneath reflected her demeanour, the black light in the club gave the white colour an illuminating neon effect.

A night club waiter approached their table and Galeb was thrown off guard momentarily, a double-take towards the waiter revealed his state for a split second before they were asked about their order.

Galeb watched his company, silently inviting them to speak up first.

“Gin and tonic please.” the secretary spoke.

“Same” the bodyguard answered with a dismissive wave of his hand.

The waiter looked at Galeb.

“The usual” he ordered.

The waiter nodded and left at once.

“Come here a lot?” the woman asked, a slight look of surprise on her face.

“Occasionally.” Galeb answered truthfully. “A bit too gaudy for my taste.”

The woman nodded, the hint of a frown on her face.

“I was surprised your company insisted on a meeting in a night club. And at this hour.”

“We could turn this into a dinner meeting anytime.” Galeb spoke, his voice raspy, invoking a slight confused smile on the secretary’s face, distracting from the unreasonably late hour. He knew women all too well and had learned far too much in the past 300 years. Perhaps he could elicit a faint blush on her cheeks.

“I know a place. They serve an excellent medium-rare steak.” As if he remembered what that tasted like.

He watched her like a predator his prey. Indeed the smile that appeared on her lips was one of a flustered woman, although efforts were made to conceal it.

“That-- is not what I meant, Mr. Bazory.”

“Galeb.” he corrected her.

“Of course” she nodded, regaining her composure. “Galeb. No matter -- I appreciate you reached out to us. We would really like to work with you. There is just some-- let’s say precautions we have to take into account.”

“I understand, Miss -- or, Mis’ess? Roberts.” He tested the waters, kindly, softly. With curiosity. He looked at her hands, no ring in sight.

“Miss.” She answered, another confused smile on her lips paired with a frown, but she let it go. “Just Cyrene is fine.”

“Of course.”

“So, I’ve heard there is these assets you want Mr. Hartwell to manage. We would need to know the approximate volume of, well, the assets, contracts, stock portfolios, investments and the like.”

“Of course. Unfortunately I am just the middleman, so I know nothing about these things in particular, not the details anyway. But I would like Mr. Hartwell to meet with one of our people in charge.”

“That--” Cyrene broke in, “That is where my concerns come in. Mr. Hartwell has become very careful with who he lets close to him. There has been some asset managers in the financial world disappearing lately. It’s quite frightening news actually.”

“It is. Although the financial world has always been frightening in that sense.” Galeb remembered his life at sea, how ships were sunken in pursuit of gold and riches.

“That might be true.” Cyrene agreed, then looked up as the waiter returned to their table and served their drinks.

The tonic water in the cocktails the secretary and her bodyguard had ordered showed a similar neon reflection as the woman’s white suit from the effects of the black light. The drink set before Galeb appeared deep red in colour.

“Bloody Mary?” the woman asked curiously, her hand wrapping around her own glass.

“You could call it that. A special recipe, infused with only the best local organic ingredients” Galeb answered. Sometimes he had to hold back a chuckle. Organic. That was what they called it.

Swiftly and soundlessly the waiter had disappeared. The secretary raised her glass and watched the other two who followed suit. Their gazes meeting in understanding served as acknowledgment of table manners. She drank a few sips before she set the glass down on the coaster, the ice cubes falling into place soundlessly against the music of the club.

“To make it a bit more clear, Mr. Hartwell has become sort of reclusive in the past months. He needs a lot of trust to agree to meetings with new clients.”

“Understandable, given the recent events.” Galeb’s fingertip chased a condensed water drop on the outer side of the glass before he raised his gaze. “Would it be considered safe enough for him if you trusted someone and were present for that meeting?”

She met his gaze, stared right into him.

“I suppose. I am not sure. To be honest we haven’t taken any new clients in months. I have proposed some to him but he was not willing to take the risk.”

“He barely leaves his home anymore” James added casually under his breath.

“How does he manage the assets of his clients?” Galeb asked.

“Online mostly. Sometimes conference calls.” Cyrene responded, drawing an instant look of disgust from Galeb’s features. “And sometimes through me.”

James scratched his beard, itching to speak.

“He goes out at times to meet existing clients, but it’s very rare.”

“Yeah” Cyrene recalled, “He was meeting one of his clients a few weeks ago. But it is really rare. Only if his signature is required. But usually that too can be done online.”

“I suppose that makes you the executive.” Galeb concluded.

The woman shrugged and breathed out in half a chuckle.

“I suppose. In theory.” She smiled a little. “Look, Galeb, I’ll get to the point. I would like some statements of your assets first. I want to present them to Mr. Hartwell and see what he says. If you could get in touch with your people in the department that handles these things--”

“Oh, we currently don’t have any department.” he interrupted her matter-of-factly.

“Well, that’s unfortunate. But in any case, recent statements from whoever handles it right now. Anything with big numbers. Nothing confidential of course, just an overview of the approximate amount. And we also do a quick background check on the clients we work with, nothing major though. We don’t mean to invade your privacy.”

“I understand.” the Kindred reassured.

“Great. And I will talk to Mr. Hartwell when I receive the details from you.” she repeated herself, making it vaguely clear that the deal had not been sealed. Her fingers were around her glass again and she raised it and drank from it. James joined her, emptying his glass.

Galeb had been watching his half-downed drink but now his gaze was drawn towards her again.

“I suppose that concludes it.” She looked at James, then at Galeb again. “Oh--”

From her handbag she took out a small leather case and from that a paper card.

“Here is my business card by the way.”

The Kindred took it from her hands and looked at it. She gave him a second before she rose. James followed suit. Slowly Galeb looked up, patient in all the matters that she was hasty with. He took his time but rose eventually and with the business card in his left hand, he held out his right hand across the table.

Cyrene paused, her expression neutral but she reached out, touching his warm hand, a gesture of trust, a firm handshake to seal an unofficial deal. At least that was what it had always been for Galeb in the past centuries.

She let go finally, his fingers lingered, brushing against in inner side of her palm as he was deprived of her touch. Her eyes widened. James walked to the end of the table and let her who was seated behind him out.

Galeb followed them to the end of the table and Cyrene pulled out her wallet. Once more his fingers were laying on her hand; soft, warm, friendly.

“Please” he said, “Let me get it.”

“At least for James’ and my drinks” she insisted, “I didn’t mean to waste your time if this doesn’t work out.”

“Cyrene, please.” His hand ran towards her forearm, once more reassuringly. James' gaze followed him but he did not interfere. “It was my pleasure.”

A moment of hesitation.

“Alright.” she agreed and stored her wallet in her handbag again. “Thank you.”

“There is just one more favour I’d like to ask from you.”

Innocently she looked up at him.

“And that would be?”

He looked at her as if she was the only person in the world. Everything else vanished, she stared into his eyes, unable to pull away. Then his gaze lifted towards James who kept his respectful distance. Galeb took one step closer towards her, his hand raised subtly to touch her arm. He met her gaze once more before he leaned in, his own eyes flashing. His face came closer towards her face and ear but there was enough distance between them to not give a wrong impression. It was just so he could speak against the music without effort, his low voice dominant but calm.

“Have another drink with me at the bar. Right now, right here. We need to get to know each other. Just you and me. James will have to wait outside.”

Emem smirked, visibly trying to hide her amusement but unable to conceal her one-sided smile as she stood at the end of the bar counter and watched Galeb and his associate coming towards her. The woman had shooed her bodyguard away. He had resisted, visibly, with his hands raised signaling confusion, but it only had taken her a moment to convince him to give up and walk off.

Emem’s gaze lowered as she, through her curled lashes, watched the dark-skinned man walk out the doors and noticed Bazory’s hand barely hovering over the side of the woman’s waist, guiding and controlling. Involuntarily Emem shook her head, the smirk still on her lips. Oh, he was playing for keeps. Hazel must have given him quite the task for him to use that subtle trick on neutral ground.

[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.

[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.

[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

[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

[paragonrobits]

I was rewatching the 2nd episode of Hunter the Parenting and I was thinking about how Pyotr isn’t that weird looking for a Nosferatu and it hit me that all of the Sabbat group here are deliberately contrary to how their Clans normally function, both in the sense of stereotypes about them but also in the way the outlooks fostered by those Clans don’t apply to them in a way that doesn’t quite feel like the way Antitrubu (Vampires who go against the grain of their Clan’s normal political leanings by joining the Sabbat if they are normally Camarilla aligned) tend to do

Pyotr is the obvious one and the one who sparked this whole avenue of thought. The first and most obvious case is that he’s weird looking but not as much as expected for a Nosferatu. He looks odd, yes, but huge eyes, a somewhat skeletal face and exposed teeth is incredibly mild by the standards of the Nosferatu. The fact that he’s something of a sexyman here also adds to it, since the Nosferatu curse (whether in this setting or in Requiem) manifests as instinctive revulsion so its not the sort of thing that gets found attractive except through sheer charisma, and he’s so determined to be a monster that he doesn’t even bother to try that.

The second bit though is that he is the most loose-lipped of the vampires, barring Ape’s attempts to be a Sabbat speaker so much that he annoys the others. He doesn’t just drop terminology like Ape, he actively explains things to them and tries to win them over to the cause by just telling them all about the vampire condition, albieit from the Sabbat’s warped perspective. This is notable because the Nosferatu are widely known as the Clan of information brokers. They do NOT just tell stuff like this. They know everything. A Nossie just telling info like this is deeply subversive.

Additionally, he is the most overwhelming evil of the Sabbat and while that is expected for the Sabbat, especially someone as fanatical as he seems to be, the Nosferatu have a reputation for being more moral. Not that much in this setting, true; they ARE still vampires. But the rejection and being forced to live in the shadows tends to make the Nosferatu more inclined to notice the plights of others and feel compassion in a way other vampires often refuse to, and they can’t pretend they’re something better. They’re monsters, and acknowledging this makes it easier to be something more than just the beast that haunts the blood. Pyotr on the other hand is remarkably cruel and unpleasant to the point that of all the TTS characters, he bears the most resemblence to the DARK ELDAR of all things!

Ape is a stand out example. Firstly, while he’s odd looking its a bit weird that he LOOKS so human; its honestly hard to tell he’s animalistic and not just a weird looking guy if you don’t notice his teeth and claws. The Gangrel in this edition developed permanent animal features whenever they frenzied, and even a young would-be Sabbat should look absolutely inhuman, and yet he doesn’t ,which indicates he’s probably not quite as genuine about it as he tries to act. The second bit is that he’s kind of a dumbass; the Gangrel are genuinely a Clan of cagey, cunning survivors and they tend to be smart, since you have to be smart to survive as a Gangrel; Requiem goes a lot further with this. but a meathead Gangrel is a pretty big difference given that the signature Gangrel character was Beckett, who is a professional scholar.

On a more tragic level is Shitbeard; its been noted he was most likely a highly moral man who felt passionate enough about learning that he went to college later in life, only to have that mortal life taken from him when he took part in a blood drive. And this ties into his biggest grief, the feeling of losing his mortal mundanity and the pleasures of being truly human, when as a Brujah he should have the easiest time holding onto those feelings. The vampires of this setting are often depicted as creatively sterile and burned out, with difficulty maintaining genuine passion for anything other than bloodlust or darker pursuits, but the Brujah are deeply passionate to a degree that it can imbalance them into destructive rages. Not for nothing are they the ones that keep the Anarch Movement going; they can muster a raw passion most humans can’t match, let alone a vampire. (Werewolves probably have them beat, though.)

So for Shitbeard to so intensely feel and mourn everything he’s lost is deeply tragic, because he should have the easiest time keeping in touch with what once kept him human.

This brings us to Kevin, who is the most different from the usual expectations to such a degree I honestly think it’s likely Alfabusa and the rest sat down, worked out the Tremere’s normal stereotypes, and wrote a character that flaunts them at every measure. The Tremere are proud, arrogant and widely disliked assholes that are so broadly evil that the very concept of a likable Tremere is, itself, kind of shocking, given that they tend to be arrogant and disdainful to everyone and everything. Kevin, on the other hand, is a very likable guy.

Tremere are also tightly linked to heirarchy and the dictates of their sires; while Kevin has worked his way free of it, the Pyramid is such an integral part of the Tremere mindset that this is even more shocking on a huge level.

He’s compassionate and attached to animals, when casual cruelty is very common to the Tremere. He’s as human as a vampire can be while being in modest standing among the Sabbat, he tends to use his Dominate powers in surprisingly nonviolent ways (i meant he did try to stab Big D but in the world of darkness, a delaying tactic at all is pretty humane), and perhaps most noteworthy, it’s not clear if he can use thaumaturgy, the blood magic of the Tremere. He clearly knows ABOUT it and he’s very defensive, but he has very clearly not used it at all, which is odd for a Tremere, they’re very stuck up about it. This is possible given that since he has a clear low ranking among his fellows, its possible he was only given the most basic training in thaumaturgy before he cut his own way loose and finds it better to exploit Dominate rather than more bloody skills.