There are those who say that the days of Rome laid down the template for Kindred Societies: a codified system of positions, a hierarchy of status that everyone understood, and accepted avenues to use both to gain and wield ones influence.  While this may be true, it’s undeniable that Kindred have been measuring themselves against each other, and Kine, for as long as anyone stalked the night.  The hows and whys have been different through the ages, but the basic premise of status has remained the same.

 

Clan Status

It is obvious that the different clans measure status in different ways.  The Venture, for example, view the accomplishments of their clan mates by different criteria then, say, the Gangrel do.  The Ventrue have titles, heraldry, and elaborate rituals to mark the status gained and lost.  The Gangrel do as well, just not in the form that a Ventrue would recognize.  Two Gangrel staring each other down from across a crowed room – challenging each others Beast  without saying a word – may be playing out one such ritual.  But to the Ventrue host of the gathering, they are just being rude and frightening the guests.

 

Clan loyalty is not, of course, absolute.    Two powerful Daeva at odds with each other can toss an entire city into drama.   On the other hand, when a Brother Worm suddenly goes missing after a clash with another, no one really notices.  There are also those who may not care so much about status within the Clan, or who, at most, only give it lipservice.  But in a world where there are few alliances strong enough to survive, the call of ones blood can be a powerful thing.  A Kindred’s blood knows him, understands him, comforts him, and gives him an outlet to be what he was embraced to be.   Kindred who have completely alienated their ties of Clan find little refuge during the long, dark night.

 

The ties of clan go further then just the ideas of family or blood.  There is no great notion of a unified Kindred society.   Ask a Daeva about Kindred origins, and she may tell you that she is descended from a beautiful and bloody goddess, while the Nosferatu are a mistake of nature spit up from a grave, surely not even, really, Kindred.  The Gangrel, with such an intimate tie to their Beast, may wonder how it is a Ventrue could be created without a soul.  Kindred, then, is simply a loose term that includes various monsters, all of whom happen to drink blood and share an aversion to light.  Clan defines the type of monster a Kindred is, from how they were created to what they may become.

 

Therefore clan status is no small thing.  Every clan defines it differently, every clan has their own way of expressing it, awarding it, or taking it away.  However, for the sake of game play, there are simple guidelines for what gets a Kindred recognized within his or her clan:

• Defining an overall goal for the clan and organizing the members to achieve it; assuming a position of recognized leadership within the clan
• Designing plans or removing obstacles in ways that advance the goals of the clan; serving the clan significantly above and beyond the expected
• Recognizing clan leaders and obeying their edits; promoting loyalty among fellow members of the clan
• Regular attendance at clan gatherings, active participation in regular clan activities

 

As with so many things in Kindred existence, it is easier to fall from grace then to be recognized for excellence.  The following is the list of crimes one might commit against ones clan that might get one in trouble:

• Deliberately disrespecting, lying to or giving bad information to a clan member of equal or higher standing
• Stealing from, betraying, or otherwise directly harming a clan member
• Betraying a clan secret
• Destroying a clan member

 

Clan Positions

 

Prisci

 

Each clan has a Priscus.  The Priscus is simply the Kindred whom the rest of the clan can acknowledge as being the head of the clan.  This is the Kindred whose clan and city status is highest.  Alternately, this is the person appointed to that position by the Kindred whose clan and city status is highest.  For example:

 

Jane Deava has been a constant figure in Daeva circles.  During the Crusade, however, she particularly distinguished herself to the Deava and Kindred societies.   With her 3 Deava and 3 City status, she has a total of 6, which is higher then any other Deava in the city.  Jane is considered the cities Priscus.

 

Joe Nosferatu has lived under the city for as long as anyone can remember.  He has held the Clan together through every siege and occupation, and has been a central pillar of the community.  Joe has 4 Nosferatu status and 2 city status.  His total is high enough for him to be Priscus, but he recognized that Dan Nosferatu, with 2 Nos status and 3 city status, may be better received.  If they can work out an arrangement, Joe may proclaim Dan Priscus.  

 

Clan Harpy

 

There are those Kindred within a Clan that are simply recognized as being connected to everyone else.  These are the people who can put a good word in for another with the Priscus, or start a nasty rumor campaign against someone whose sins against the Clan are legendary.   Each Clan has one, and that harpy is only recognized as such within their Clan.  The Ventrue Harpy has little effect on how the Gangrel status machine works, and so on. 

 

A Harpy can spend a number of temporary status points to raise, or lower, the clan status of a clan mate.   The amount of temporary status required is equal to the new level, but Harpies can barrow temporary status from other clan members to accomplish this.  For example:

 

Jake Ventrue has been able to secure a very prominent feeding ground for the Ventrue.  The Ventrue Harpy  rewards Jake by telling everyone of his important accomplishment.  He increases Jake’s Ventrue status from 2 to 3 by spending 2 temporary status of his own and by barrowing 1 from the Ventrue Prisci, who is also pleased by the deed.

 

Joan Ventrue has been caught colluding with the Gangrel, and passing on clan information to them about the upcoming Praxis.  The Harpy makes sure that everyone is aware of this, and in the process, lowers Joan’s clan status from 2 to 1.  It only costs the Harpy 1 temporary status to do so.

 

Others Positions

 

Outside of the Prisci and Harpy, different clans may have different positions.  Ventrue, for example, are known to have Whips to carry out the Prisucs plans to Knights to make sure the Whips message got across.   But a Gangrel Priscus may not bother.  It depends to the individual Prisci to decide how best to organize the clan.

 

City Positions

 

As different as the clans might be, and as important as clan allegiances are, at some point, everyone has to figure out some way to coexist in the same city.   The general rule of society, then, has evolved over the last few centuries, and is much more reflective of the feudal courts of Charlemagne then the legacy of Rome.    Every Prince has its own laws, their own way of doing things, their own systems.  No two cities are alike.  However, most are organized around the following:

 

The Prince

 

The Prince is the central figure in Kindred politics, the person who rules over the city.  Some are, of course, more powerful than others. But for the most part, a Prince rises to that position because they were strong enough to do so.    The Prince walks a delicate line between keeping so many monsters in line, and defending what is theirs from outside threats.  This is not an easy thing, and anyone who can survive at it for more than a few decades is a creature to be reckoned with.  The Prince can grant, or strip, city status from a character by spending a temporary status point. 

 

The Prince of London is Aschur Fecamp, and he rules from Montfichet's Castle.

 

The Lord Chancellor

 

The Prince may be the central political figure, but in a city a large as London, it is not unusal for him to appoint someone to assist with the night to night dealings of the city.  In London, that person was the Lord Chancellor.  He ran the Court, met with the various Barons, and controlled, to a certain extent, access to the Prince and his estates.   In a city contested by Normans and Saxons, having a Saxon Chancellor was important in establishing Prince Aschur's praxis.  However, the position has remained vacent since Lord Chancellor Edmund perished during the First Crusade.

 

The Barons

As part of the negotiations involving his Praxis, Prince Aschur divided the city up into four Baronies: the Watling Barony, All-Hallows Barony, Bishopgate Barony, and St. Bartholomew's Barony.  The Barons swore their fedility to the Prince, and in return were given some amount of freedom regarding their lands.  The Barons control access to resources, such as feeding grounds, and can reconize personal domains held by those who live in their Barony.  A minor violation of the Prince's Laws in a Barony is left up to the Baron to deal with.  Indeed, most issues that break out in the Barony are first handled by the Baron, and tend not to travel to the Prince's Court unless there is a significant problem. 

 

While it has never been offically reconized by Princely decree, there is a fifth Barony in London.  The Nosferatu have claimed the undercity, the series of tunnels, canals, and ruins on which modren London has been built.  While the power of the Nosferatu in the city might wax and wane, no one doubts their control of the dark recesses of London.

 

Chamberlain

 

The Chamberlain is simply a Kindred who is well known and well respected by a wide variety of Kindred.  They are the ones who know what ears to whisper in, keep tabs of who is doing what, and know how to get things done.    A word spoken by a Chamberlain can sometimes make more happen then a decree granted by an Elder or Prince.   Sometimes the Chamberlain is appointed by the Prince, but quite often the Chamberlain rises to such position through nothing more then personal power and charisma.   One who rises on their own regard is that much more respected for it.   The Chamberlain can raise or lower another Kindred’s city status by expending a number of temporary status equal to the characters new status.  They can also barrow the status of others and use it for this purpose.    The mechanism for this is the same as for a Clan Harpy.

 

Chamberlains tend to come from Clans which hold such social conventions in high regard.  Daeva and Ventrue Chamberlains are quite common.

 

Thane

 

In the Dark Ages, war is often inevitable.   It is not uncommon for powerful Princes, particularly those of large domains, to have someone who organized the defense of the Domain.   In London, that person is refered to as the Thane.  The Thane is also responsible for making sure that the Prince's decrees are carried out.  He can, if necessary, appoint Deputies to assist him, and he has a certain amount of latitude in calling up the cities Knights, should the need arise.

 

Herald

 

The Herald is the mouthpiece of the Prince.  When the Prince makes a decree, the Herald makes sure others hear of it.  When the Prince convienes his Court, the Herald ensures those that must attend are alerted to it.    It can be assumed that messages given to the Herald are relayed to the Prince, and if the Prince is not present, the Herald often assumes the position of Proxy. 

 

Keeper

 

The Greeks had Oracles.  The Romans had Priestess.  The Christians have confessors.  Many Kindred of power in the dark ages have Keepers.  Keepers are officially the spiritual advisor – often tied, in some way, to the Church, but not always.    They are confidents and advisors whose task is not simply the soul of their charge, but also his or her temporal holdings.  These Shadowy figures call little attention to themselves, but one way or another, they always seem to know exactly what is going on.   For this reason, Nosferatu and Mekhet tend to make excellent Keepers.

 

Praxis

 

The notion of Praxis comes from the Greeks.  To Aristotle, praxis was one of the three basic activities of human beings.  It is the idea of taking the theoretical and acting on it.  This includes the act of learning, but it also had a specific legal meaning.    In Greek law, Praxis became the trial which served to determine the justification of a claim to seize the defendant’s person or belongings.

 

In Kindred parlance, Praxis is the process in which one takes the action to become Prince.  Praxis can be a bloody, horrifying affair.  However, those sort of Praxis tend to lead to unstable and short rules.  You can kill a Prince and slaughter his allies.  But then you are left with far fewer defenses the next time someone decides to set your city under siege.  And you have to assume that those around you are looking to your example and planning a move of their own.

 

As a result, the popular concept of Praxis evolved and taken its cue from the feudal courts.  A Kindred who claimed Praxis can be successful if he, or she, had the majority of support from the Kindred with status in the area.  This is not the same thing as the support of the majority of Kindred.  A handful of well placed Elders with a great deal of status can sway the entire proceeding one way or another.  There are ways to manipulate the system – just ask the Ventrue, who probably invented it. Nor is this to say that a Praxis is an entirely civil affair.   Kindred go missing in a Praxis.   In Kindred society, the appearance of civility and order is more important then actual civility and order.