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Given that vampire society reveres status and accomplishment, it’s not a surprise
that those who acquire titles can bring those symbols of accomplishment to bear in
the social arena. Provided the Kindred in question doesn’t mind name-dropping or
laying it on thick, a Kindred can invoke her title for a Status bonus.
System: The player spends a Willpower point. For the duration of the scene, the
player may add the value of the character’s title in addition to the number of dice
granted by her Status Background to dice pools that would be modified by the Status
Background. Failure on this roll indicates that the character comes across as a
sycophant or overbearing. See p. 118 of V20 for more information on using Status in
social situations.
As such, Storytellers and players are encouraged to create titles that reflect the
unique state of their chronicles and home domains. So long as the result is something
that can create a story hook or impress another vampire with its formal recognition,
some Kindred somewhere probably calls it her title.
Negative Titles
Some titles are classified as ―negative.‖ Such titles are invariably detriments to their
holders, whether socially or as indicators of a caste system that marks the individual
as a second-class (or worse) Kindred. Negative titles aren’t stepped in terms of effect
like more positive titles are; they’re just bad — and they stay that way so long as the
title applies to the Cainite.
System: Negative titles inflict a variety of drawbacks upon those Kindred who labor
under their stigma. Cainites with negative titles subtract one from social dice pools in
actions involving those who know they bear the title.
Prince (Camarilla; 5-point Title)
A Kindred becomes Prince by claiming praxis - the right of Princes to rule - and,
if successful, she has the freedom to do as she wishes within her domain — at
least in theory.
A Prince keeps the peace and creates local laws known as the Curiosities; she
also does whatever is required to keep the city orderly and safe from
incursion.
Essas Curiosites são curiosas (risos foi mais forte que eu), mas fazem total
sentido quando se pensa na aplicação local dessa nossa bela relação
Multinacional que é a Camarilla. Acredito que a definição de Elisium seja
parte dessas Curiosites, assim como, por exemplo, etiquetas em Domains,
limitações de interações mortais, canais de comunicação inter-clans e demais
cousas que refletem a cultura local (mortal e kindred). Acrescento aí o nível de
paranóia e xenofobia de um Príncipe e o quanto ele delega para os cargos
existentes na cidade.
The preeminent vampire of a Camarilla city and probably the most numerous
position of ultimate authority among Western Kindred, Princes are the rulers
of given cities. Some Princes are tyrants or absolute monarchs of the Damned
while others are politically feeble puppets propped up by more powerful
supporters, but the position of Prince is one acknowledged and even
(grudgingly) respected by all vampires, even those not of the Camarilla.
A Prince’s duties and privileges are many, but the most important is the
interpretation and enforcement of the Traditions, particularly the
Masquerade. Beyond that, a Prince has any individual powers he can claim
and uphold, such as declaring Elysium, calling a Blood Hunt, adjudicating
disputes between residents of his domain, the right to claim a blood-tribute,
and potentially even the right to name, ignore, or even disband the Primogen.
Debandar a Primogenitura? Isso tudo na teooooriiiiiiiia….porque é um
caminho de duas vias essa relação de empossamento.
Kindred of any age can in theory be Princes, but in reality, goes only so far as
the Kindred members of a domain respect and allow it. A weak or young
Prince might be ineffectual or even a laughingstock, while just speaking the
name of Mithras or Prince Lodin of Chicago might be enough to cause a
shiver of fear down the spines of those cities’ vampires.
Até onde eu sei Porto Alegre nunca teve um Príncipe guasca cuiodo loco de
especial que tivesse tamanho poder. Ou foi falta de interesse em se instalar por
aqui, ou os Poderes Superiores nunca permitiram isso.
The role of Prince is a complex and varied one and much has been said about
it, but ultimately, a Prince is master of the domain.
A Prince’s authority includes:
• Interpreting and enforcing the Traditions within the domain;
• Acknowledging all Kindred arriving in the domain;
• Exiling the undesirable;
• Allotting feeding territory to the clans of the domain;
• Declaring or revoking Elysium;
• Issuing blood hunts on criminals and enemies of the sect;
• Holding Right of Destruction in accordance with the Sixth Tradition;
• Sanctioning breaches of the Traditions (granting the right to Embrace, and
so forth);
• Punishing miscreants for violating Traditions, especially the Masquerade;
• Holding status jurisdiction over her domain
A neonate Embraced into the strength of the Ivory Tower might find it
difficult to imagine the historical world of the ancient Camarilla. The
founding of the Camarilla caused a number of vampire customs to be codified
into a complex, world-wide system that invests a great deal of power into the
hands of a position known as Harpy. In the world of the Camarilla, where the
halls of power can often resemble an old boys’ club, the Harpy is as close to an
equal-opportunity position as one may find. A capable Harpy is an arbiter of
social propriety, an enforcer of Camarilla dogma, and a calculating favor
broker who ensures that the local boon economy is secure. Boons and scandals
have long been part of Kindred society, and since ancient times, Harpies have
ensured that the social mores were respected and boons were recorded.
Not only concerned with who said what to whom, harpies are also interested
in the intricacies of Kindred etiquette. There is a right way to do things and a
wrong way to do things, and the harpies make sure things are done right.
Essa questão de etiqueta certamente está inclusa nas Curiosites, que são
decretadas pela vontade nossa Graça, o Príncipe.
Someone on the harpies’ hit list often finds himself banned from all the
premiere social gatherings, and it is not all that difficult to incur this sort of
ostracism. Rudeness, crudeness, speaking out of turn, showing disrespect or
blatant stupidity – all of these can place a vampire squarely in the harpies’
crosshairs.
Harpies are often called on to assist their princes when dignitaries visit. In
these modern nights, the harpies are busy indeed, dealing with the
ramifications of email as a proper method of correspondence, the propriety of
requesting an elder to step through a metal detector or the polite way to
suggest that a potential disease-carrier hie himself to the lab for testing.
A wily Harpy can whisper a word in the right ear and cause untold damage to
a Kindred’s reputation; for this reason alone, they are respected. This respect
gives the Harpies a certain amount of protection against violent retribution.
Woe to the base villain who kills a Harpy for performing her duty! Every
Harpy in the world would band together to destroy such a threat. However,
those who live by the social sword can likewise die by it. A disgraced Harpy is
often punished twice as harshly by her former peers because she should know
better. Any Kindred with the right combination of wit, maliciousness, and
savoir-faire may insinuate herself into the position. Of course any pretender
who tries but falls short will find that news of this particular solecism has
reached the ears of all but the most bucolic of domains.
Many neonates question the actual power of the Harpies, claiming that a
Kindred with the strength to ignore the Harpy’s japes can simply enforce her
will through violence. Such naivete rarely lasts long. All of the elders have a
vested interest in maintaining social power. The Harpy’s work keeps conflicts
confined to the social arena, and that, in turn, keeps elder vampires safer.
These young vampires learn the error of their ways. A Harpy is the apex social
predator of the domain. If the Harpy feels especially vicious, she can
encourage the court to politically snub a social outcast, punishing anyone who
is kind to her target in public. She does so by declaring it scandalous to merely
speak to said vampire in public. A vampire ostracized like this is in an
impossible situation. She can’t leave without being turned into even more of a
laughingstock, and staying only invites more frustration as she endures barely
audible titters from those in on the snub. Further, frenzying due to taunts
leads to severe punishment. Kindred are supposed to be able to control their
Beasts, and the weak should stay at home. Biting insults can be more
devastating to ancient vampires than a blade or gun, especially in an arena
where wit is the only means of attack, such as an Elysium or a Prince’s court.
A vampire who relies solely on brute force is helpless before a Harpy’s assault.
A particularly cunning barb will be picked up and repeated by dozens of other
Kindred, humiliating the target wherever she appears. (Some neonates create
spectacular internet MEMEs and share them between allies to amuse
themselves.) These techniques might seem mild compared to, say, ripping
someone’s throat out with supernatural speed and strength, but remember
that the Camarilla is a society where violence against Acknowledged members
of the court is forbidden, except in special circumstances.
Lendo assim parece meio caricato, mas eu acredito que entendi o sentido em
descrever dessa forma os métodos de escárnio das Hárpias. Uma vez que elas só
vão se engajar em tal afrontas de deboche com razão, ou seja, com provas que o
alvo “merece~ser ridicularizado, agir dessa forma apenas valida o nome do
ofício. Monstros que somos, os Membros podem entrar em Rötschreck por
diversos motivos, dentre eles o escárnio. Manter o auto-controle em um salão
cheio de sussurros maliciosos é, sem dúvida, uma punição a altura de nossa
natureza.
The Harpy may sponsor other vampires as her assistants, as Lesser Harpies, to
bring news, gossip, and information her way. A Harpy with two or more
assistants is referred to by the title ―Master (or Mistress) of Harpies,‖ or simply
―Master (Mistress) Harpy.‖ Some more formal Domains addresses those
powerful Harpies as Chancellors, adding an even deeper sense of protocol to
their work.
As the complex social rules of status developed within the Camarilla, the
Harpies naturally asserted their authority over standing. In early nights, this
authority caused a number of problems. What if several Harpies disagreed?
How do you determine if a Harpy is important enough to remove standing?
Ironically, the mortal world faced a similar problem with the growing banking
industry. The solution for one mirrored the other. Harpies sought support
from the Primogen of their domains, much like banks sought backing from
their governments for legitimacy. These nights, the alliance between the
positions of Primogen and the Harpy serves as a counterbalance to the office
of the Prince. A Harpy must have backing from the Primogen to maintain her
position. The Primogen need a strong Harpy to ensure their power.
The Primogen Council formally selects the Harpy by a simple majority vote.
As long as the Harpy maintains the Primogen Council’s support, she
continues to serve in her office.
Em resumo, as Hárpias são operadores do direito e, na falta de um Chanceller,
a Master Harpy é o promotor e/ou juíz. E elas também são operadores da
bolsa de valores, pois lidam com os Boons que trocamos entre os Membros.
Complexo e cheio de conflitos de interesses, não é mesmo?
A Harpy (or Master Harpy) gains the abiding status traits Prominent, Noble,
and Guardian during her tenure in the office. A Lesser Harpy gains no
abiding status of her own, but temporarily gains the abiding status Guardian
at her local gathering, if the Master Harpy is not in attendance.
Elysium is a place designated by the Prince of a city as one of the few places
where Kindred can interact with their peers and be reasonably secure from
violence. It is an honor to be responsible for such a sacred place. The Keeper
of Elysium has impressive powers, but can only use them within certain
strictly delimited boundaries. The keeper may cancel an event at any time,
even minutes before it is to begin, on the grounds that it threatens security
and the Masquerade. (Whether or not the claim is accurate is irrelevant; the
keeper has that authority to use as she sees fit.) Such power, while not as
impressive as the scourge’s right of destruction, can be used to great effect; the
vampire who has spent months puffing himself up over a recital at Elysium
only to have it blithely cancelled stands to lose a great deal of status.
In the confines of Elysium, the Keeper has the authority to take whatever
actions she feels are necessary to preserve the Masquerade and the sanctity of
Elysium. Keepers are charged with the physical security of Elysium as well as
the societal ramifications of what transpires there.
Mestre de cerimônias e chefe da segurança em um só cargo. E nas entrelinhas,
mordomo, também.
On occasion, he may need to play host, circulating among his visitors and
making sure things are going smoothly. (mordomo, viu só?) If the prince
requests that refreshments be provided, it’s the keeper’s job to procure them.
When several Kindred want to make use of Elysium to stage some event (such
as dancing lessons, a debate or even a music recital), the keeper needs to juggle
the social calendar to ensure that everyone gets a turn and that the Brujah’s
often noisy debates will not be trampling the Malkavian performance artist’s
exhibit of silence. If curious mortals peek in the windows, or a hapless mortal
security guard wanders into a Kindred gathering by accident, the keeper must
see about removing the intruders neatly. If an incident occurs that attracts
the wrong kind of mortal attention, the keeper needs to clean it up, and he
may call on any necessary resources to do so. (inclusive Scourges e Hounds, com
a participação do Xerife) Relying on this sort of fiat too often, however, is a
good way to draw a prince’s ire, and the best keepers are often those who are
noticed least. The Keeper of Elysium must approve all gatherings held in
Elysium and may deny, without notice, any function, event, or party on
Elysium if she believes that it would be a threat to the Masquerade or the
attending Kindred. Residents of a domain derive prestige, power, and pleasure
from events held in Elysium. Kindred love to hold business dealings and
entertain visiting dignitaries from distant domains in impressive Elysiums as a
symbol of power for their domain. Prestige-conscious social climbers request
permission to host balls and exhibits in a beautiful Elysium. And, of course,
those who wish to speak with the Prince must often enter Elysium to do so.
Additionally, the Keeper is expected to control the presence of weapons
within Elysium, a job he often requests the sheriff perform. As such, she has
the right to search any Kindred who requests entrance, and to deny entrance
to anyone she pleases under the authority of her post. This includes refusing
her Prince entry; the Keeper’s powers overrule the Prince’s authority on
Elysium grounds (though exercising this authority capriciously or unwisely
almost always leads to problems).
Interessante, não? Primeira coisa que vem a mente é que o Keeper é um
sacerdote, que leva a sério a “santidade”do Elísio. Encarar dessa forma ajuda a
reforçar a importância do Elísio enquanto lugar de neutralidade e segurança.
No Brasil eu aludo o Keeper a Polícia Federal enquanto guarda de segurança
de dignatários. Nos EUA aludo o Keeper ao Serviço Secreto, que é
especializado nesse tipo de função.
A Keeper of Elysium gains the abiding status traits Enforcer and Guardian
during her tenure in office.
A Scourge gains the abiding status trait Enforcer during her tenure in office.
The function of a Sheriff is to serve as the Prince’s chief enforcer, policing the
Kindred community for violations of the Traditions. Though Princes are
increasingly employing cautious, tactically savvy enforcers and investigators,
common wisdom continues to cast the Sheriff as the Prince’s best thug. In
addition to repairing violations of the Masquerade – a task made more vital
and dangerous by the rise of public media and the hunter threat – the Sheriff
must always be prepared to defend the domain in time of crisis. Sheriffs and
their deputies visit communal and trending hunting grounds to ensure that
everything is suitably quiet. They listen to EMTs, the police, the local media,
and similar sources for rumors of suspicious occurrences.
During wartime, the Sheriff is often called upon to be the local warlord, called
Dux Bellorum, coordinating the domain’s actions and personally leading the
battle. A Sheriff may select deputies to assist her in this task, granting them
authority for the evening. Most Sheriffs see the Scourge’s duties as
encroaching on their jurisdiction, so the two positions rarely get along. The
rest of the city’s Kindred usually just try to stay out of their way.
A Prince typically expects the majority of her court officers to use elegant
solutions, but the Sheriff is allowed a certain amount of leniency in this
regard. Problems sometimes require physical resolution, and as long as Final
Death is not reached, the Prince and the Primogen will look the other way
when the Sheriff bends the rules. If the object of the Sheriff’s ire is disliked,
the Harpy might even gleefully reveal the details of her punishment to the
entire court. A crafty Sheriff knows where the line is between doing her job
and offending the court.
Keepers of Elysium and sheriffs can be each other’s best friends or worst
enemies. A keeper who insists on dealing with security herself at Elysium risks
stepping on the toes of the sheriff, who believes that such an action indicates
to the harpies he’s incompetent. A sheriff who muscles into Elysium and
conclave security without asking about existing plans may alienate the keeper,
depriving him of much-needed support when it comes time to press for
tighter security measures (such as heat sensors). On the other hand, when the
two offices work hand in hand, particularly during conclaves, they can weave
a web that could hold back the sea. Keepers and sheriffs often have a great
deal to say regarding the selection of the other, and it is not unknown for a
particularly tightly knit pair of Kindred to hold both offices jointly.
Precisa comentar alguma coisa? Acho que é isso aí sem tirar nem por. O que
muda de cidade pra cidade, obviamente, são os métodos e peculiaridades de cada
Xerife. Por aqui posso afirmar que nosso estimado Tenente Moreira conta com
toda a ajuda logística do Clan Tremere...aliada a rede de contatos Nosferatu.
Que bela rede de inteligência, não é mesmo?
A Sheriff gains the abiding status traits Enforcer and Privileged during her
tenure in office.
Eu! Eu! Olha mãe, olha, agora vão falar sobre mim!
A Primogen gains the abiding status trait Noble during her tenure in office.
The term Seneschal once described a role in ancient noble households charged
with managing domestic arrangements, overseeing servants, and
administrating outlaying provinces. In Camarilla domains, the Seneschal is
traditionally the Prince’s most trusted assistant, and she speaks for the Prince
in her absence. On any given night, the Seneschal must be a capable manager,
executive officer, proxy hostess, or any one of a dozen other functions the
Prince may require. A Prince will often direct her Seneschal to screen
Kindred who wish an audience, forcing them to convince the Seneschal of the
discussion’s importance. Unwise Princes may command their Seneschals to
perform unpleasant duties; this almost always comes back to haunt them later.
Others turn hapless Seneschals into scapegoats during uncomfortable political
situations, claiming the Seneschal did not give the Prince accurate, complete,
or timely information. Most vampires try to curry favor with the Seneschal,
for this august Kindred usually has the ear of the important vampires in the
domain.
While a prince may wish to have final authority on the choice, a number of
primogen councils have fought to ensure a seneschal candidate to their liking
is installed. If the prince is seen as weak or is not well-liked, the fight becomes
even fiercer. After all, accidents do happen, the primogen insist, and it were
best that the next in line is someone worth having to avoid entanglements at
such times.
The selection of a seneschal has any number of criteria, varying from prince
to prince, and from primogen to primogen. Some prefer tractability over
trust, while others see some independence and common sense as ideal
qualities. Few primogen have ever permitted a seneschal to be of the same
clan as the prince, seeing it as invitation to disaster in the form of clan
favoritism.
While a Seneschal may choose not to work directly against an offending
vampire, a clever one can easily filter the information she puts forth so as to
make the object of her ire appear a fool or a threat to the Prince.
Serving as the focus for those who would speak to the Prince allows the
Seneschal access to an impressive amount of information, and many manage
to keep as well informed as the Harpies. In certain cases, an informal rivalry
may develop between the Seneschal and the Harpies to determine who has
access to better gossip. Such competition is dangerous for any Seneschal, for
it is easy for other Kindred, from the Keeper of Elysium to the Prince, to
perceive her as a rival for power and influence. The primary advantage to
taking this labor-intensive position is that if the Prince dies or is cast out by
the Primogen without a clear contender for praxis, the Seneschal becomes the
legal Prince in the eyes of the Camarilla.
A Seneschal gains the abiding status trait Noble during her tenure in office,
and she temporarily gains the abiding status Authority when at a local
gathering, if the Prince is not in attendance.
The Sheriff is sometimes granted the ability to appoint Hounds, who serve as
his investigators and enforcers. Hounds may be keen-eyed, quick-witted fact-
finders, but just as frequently, they’re sadistic bullies who take pleasure in
their sanctioned brand of corrupt justice.
During an investigation or interrogation, a Hound may breach the Traditions
if it becomes necessary to bring a rogue Kindred to heel. Princes generally
grant Hounds a good deal of leeway in this regard, but repeated or egregious
breaches, or violations that compound the crimes of a transgressor may well
earn the Hound a censure or worse. See the entry for the Sheriff, above, for
more information on treating the Traditions too malleably.
Só cuidar pra esses Hounds não serem sem freio. Ou teremos de mandar o
Scourge atrás dele. E depois chamar um Alastor. E aí um Justicar...
Métodos de seleção e manutenção? Vários. Mas uma Humanidade bem
controlada é fator essencial para a função. Quem sabe uma bela aplicação de
Dominate pra impedir ímpetos mais ousados de violência. Idéias de
adestramento...
A Whip gains no abiding status of her own, but temporarily gains the abiding
status Noble when at her local gathering, if the Primogen is not in attendance.
Global Positions
Inner Circle (Camarilla; 7-point Title)
The Inner Circle is the secretive cabal, compromised of a single member of
every pillar clan, that controls the Ivory Tower. It is the archetypical secret
society, inspiring legends for countless conspiracy theorists’ nightmares,
exerting its will subtly, with frightening effectiveness. Few know the
identities of the current membership of the Inner Circle, but none can deny
that these Kindred are the true political hub around which the Camarilla
revolves. None are certain exactly how the members of the Inner Circle
achieve their position, except simply by surviving to be a ripe old age and
ascending to monstrous power.
Every 13 years, these secret masters meet in Vienna to discuss potential
threats to the Camarilla and the sect’s future. Many believe that the Inner
Circle takes an active hand in guiding the Ivory Tower, directing the Justicars
as necessary and shifting the direction of the sect. Those who have aroused
the Inner Circle’s collective anger have usually done so in spectacular fashion,
resulting in the greatest punishment that can be levied: a place on the Red
List, essentially guaranteeing the criminal an eternity-long blood hunt.
Members of the Inner Circle can expend their status namelessly, using the
Justicars as their mouthpieces for the expenditure. Often when they do this,
they choose to expend the status Ominous, which is only possessed by the
Inner Circle, in order to allow the politically savvy to understand where the
command originated.
A member of the Inner Circle gains the abiding status traits Ascendant,
Authority, Commander, and Ominous during her tenure in office. Ominous
is an NPC-only abiding status trait granting the highest level of command;
nearly everything that is allowable falls within its capacity. When a member
of the Inner Circle expends a status to give an offending Kindred the
negative status Disgraced or Forsaken, this status can only be removed by
another member of the Inner Circle.
Clan-Specific Titles
Each of the Cainite sects has a different ideology, and the agenda driven by this
philosophy dictates a variety of roles and responsibilities for those who would rise to
prominence in their sect.
A few of the titles and offices held by vampires are mentioned in the information
about sects. Indeed, with any number of domains and unique situations that
characterize the world of the Kindred, the number of distinct titles is never uniform,
nor is their exact function. What we have above are some of the more consistent and
widespread titles among the dominant sects. These may serve as models for
Storytellers to use in their domains, or they may be useful as points of comparison for
new titles. Please see the information on each sect for more about a position's duties
and priviledges.
Titles may emerge among clans as well as sects. The titles to which each clan accords
Status reflect the interests and agendas of those clans, rewarding both the individual
Kindred and the clan itself (if the titled Kindred is doing her job properly).
Independent clans are the most frequent users of unique, clan-specific titles because
these clans are essentially self-contained sects. Still, every clan, in having its own
unique identity, has certain functions or characteristics it reveres above others.