The Camarilla

The Camarilla is a vampiric sect, a loose organization which ostensibly represents and protects all vampires by enforcing and promulgating the Masquerade. It is primarily composed of seven clans, though officially it considers all Kindred under its purview and welcomes any that obey its laws.

In addition to preventing the growing mortals masses from discovering the existence of vampires, the Camarilla aims to maintain the status quo of Kindred society; as such, much of its structure and traditions mirror that of Cainite society in feudal Europe in the Dark Ages, and places it at odds with the agenda of the Sabbat and Anarchs, both of whom seek to overthrow Kindred society.

The Camarilla was born as a reactionary measure against the growing threat of the Anarch Revolts. There had been similar talking in the past of a more formalised alliance of Cainites that had produced little in the way of results. It was not until a unifying threat emerged that the Elders reacted.

History
The first recorded meeting of what would become the Camarilla was in Vienna in 1394, at a meeting gathered by the Ventrue elder Hardestadt and the Tremere Councilor Meerlinda in response to the threats posed by the Anarch Revolt. There, Hardestadt proposed the institution of a shadow society of vampires, hidden away from Inquisitors and other mortal witch-hunters. Some, such as Prince Mithras of London, rejected this suggestion, but a few heeded Hardestadt's call. These few, the Founders, joined Hardestadt in spreading the word of the necessity of this shadow society, which would eventually be called the Camarilla.

After the diablerie of [Lasombra] in 1405 and [Tzimisce] in 1413, the growing threat of the Anarchs

The formation of the "Camarilla" (a word that denoted both that it was a convocation of peers or comrades and that it met in session secret from mortal knowledge) was announced in 1435 as the Founders began openly rallying support for a coalition to protect vampires from the dangers of roving anarchs, the invading Assamites, and the increasingly dangerous mortal mobs.

The Camarilla was not recognized as a formal organisation until the first conclave was held in 1486. Through the efforts of Ventrue Elder Hardestadt, he was able to convince the major European Cainite clans to send representatives to a meeting in Vienna, where they agree to the formation of the Camarilla. During the conclave the justicars were given broader authority to punish vampires who violated the Traditions. A body of agents was also formed to report to the justicars and free them to further develop the sect, creating what would eventually become the position of archon.

The Convention of Thorns
Throughout the week of October 19-23rd 1493, a gathering was held outside of the English villages of Thorns. What became known as the Convention of Thorns ended the Anarch Revolt in a peace treaty between the Camarilla and the majority of the Anarch rebels.

The Anarchs were granted amnesty for all but the most heinous crimes as long as they returned to their sires and submitted the clan elders.

The convention set up the authority of the Camarilla, through its Justicars, Archons, and the Traditions. It also laid the foundation for the core clans which comprise it.

Representatives for the Brujah, Gangrel, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere, and Ventrue clans officially joined the sect, while those speaking for the Lasombra and Tzimisce, who were majoritarily anarchs, rebelled against what they considered an offensive ultimatum.

Treaty of Tyre
The Treaty of Tyre was a truce called between the Camarilla and clan Assamite in 1496. The Camarilla agreed to call off all hostilities towards the clan ("hold back its Hand from the Full and Ultimate Extinction of Clan Assamite") and stop contracting Assamite assassins, whereas the Assamites agreed to cease their practice of diablerie against Camarilla members (submitting to a blood curse levied by the Tremere to ensure this), dismantle the defenses of their stronghold Alamut, and no longer work as assassins.

The Treaty followed ten years of violence and near-open warfare between the Camarilla and the Assamites, begun in 1486 when the Camarilla called a Blood Hunt against them (the first and only time a hunt was called against an entire clan). The warriors of the clan had already been striking against the Kindred of the West during the years of the Anarch Revolt, largely in retribution for the Crusades, seen by many in the clan as a gambit of the Jyhad they had long sought to avoid. Despite the bloodthirst of the warrior caste, the Assamites attacked less in open combat and diablerie than in giving advice and support to the Anarchs.

The Blood Hunt can be attributed in large part to the Great Lie of the Tremere elder Etrius, who painted the Assamites as nothing more than vicious killers and diablerists. This accusation was fed not only by politically-motivated rumours but also the actions of the Assamite warriors in Europe. Once the Blood Hunt was called, the Assamites fought all the harder, and especially after the Convention of Thorns when their Anarch allies were lured back into the fold of the Camarilla.

The conflict would likely have continued indefinitely, probably ending with the death of every Assamite in Europe, had not a lone Nosferatu been found to have somehow breached Alamut's defenses in late 1495. The worrying revelation that their stronghold could be found by Camarilla agents forced the elders of the clan to sue for peace, and they agreed to the Treaty early the next year.

Promise of 1528
The Promise of 1528 was the treaty between the Camarilla and the Giovanni that formally accepted the Giovanni as the successors of the Cappadocians. It was given by the Founders and Claudius Giovanni, officially ending the feud between them that had silently festered since the Conspiracy of Isaac.

The Promise included the assurance of non-interference of both Giovanni and Camarilla into each other's affairs. It also granted the Giovanni authority over the city of Venice, although the Inner Circle claimed the right to hold their annual meetings there.

The New World
Over the next two centuries those Anarchs who refused to accept the Convention of Thorns coalesced into the Sabbat and struck out against the Camarilla's power. The organization and superior numbers of the older sect gave it a distinct advantage, however, and during the 17th century the younger Sabbat vampires began migrating to the New World en masse, leaving most of Europe to the Camarilla.

For a time there was some debate as to whether to pursue their enemy to the Americas, but eventually the idea of staking out new territories was accepted as a means of placating younger Kindred. Whereas it had seemed that the Sabbat might claim all of the New World, as their enemies fell into internal conflicts over dwindling resources the Ivory Tower consolidated power in the English, Dutch, and French colonies. The War of 1812 mirrored a renewed battle for the Atlantic coast where the Camarilla gradually lost city after city throughout the first half of the 19th century. As the war expanded to the American frontier the Camarilla was barely able to hold on its domains only because of civil war within the Sabbat's ranks.

In the 20th century, the Camarilla was greatly weakened by internal disputes as Kindred took differing sides in the mortal conflicts in Europe. This was especially true during the Second World War when many elders, particularly among the Toreador, Tremere, and Ventrue, supported the Axis Powers; the Inner Circle refused to take sides, and even individual justicars ended up working against one another. However, when the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, it became deadly apparent how important preserving the Masquerade and global peace was, for mortals now possessed the power to destroy both themselves and all Kindred.

Week of Nightmares
The Week of Nightmares took place from Monday, June 28 to Sunday, July 4, 1999 and was perhaps the most significant event to take place in Vampiric history since the original Anarch Revolt.

The Traditions

 * Masquerade
 * This is the most important Tradition, for its observance protects the race of Caine from discovery by a mortal world that would unite against them in fear and hatred. Many Princes and other Kindred authorities spend a great deal of time using their influence or wealth to cover up breaches of the Masquerade, for the greater good of the Damned who may not even understand the peril in which they place themselves when they breach it. The Camarilla tends to err on the side of the pragmatic, cultivating its power from the shadows, but the Sabbat longs for a time when the Masquerade is no longer necessary, when mortals are little more than blood-thralls born into the shackles of their vampiric masters.
 * Domain
 * Of all the Traditions, Princes often employ the widest range of interpretations when it comes to the Second Tradition. Some Princes maintain that the Second Tradition applies only to those of their station, that a given city is entirely a Prince’s domain and that everyone in it owes him fealty and perhaps tribute. Other Princes are much more liberal, granting each (acknowledged) Kindred in her domain the power of sovereignty over their own territory. Most Princes fall somewhere in the middle, acknowledging that each Kindred makes his own fortune and has a right to authority in areas accepted as his, but not complete autonomy.
 * Progeny
 * Many if not most Princes require that prospective sires seek their permission before performing the Embrace to create fledglings. However, some domains interpret “thine elder” to signify either the elder of one’s own Clan, or even one’s own sire. Note that such liberal domains are often the ones with the greatest Kindred populations, and often ones that come closest to jeopardizing the Masquerade due to Kindred overpopulation.
 * Accounting
 * This Tradition imposes a twofold rule. First, a sire effectively owns her progeny until such a time as she deems them fit to face Kindred society on their own. Second, a wayward childe brings trouble upon his sire’s head, for the sire is responsible for the actions and consequences of her childe until the point at which she is emancipated. This Tradition is simultaneously at the center of some Kindred’s policy of making their childer earn their freedom through a long and arduous process, and other Kindred’s policy of, “Fuck it; you’re a vampire now. Don’t ruin it for the rest of us or I’ll tear your heart out myself. Good luck.”
 * Hospitality
 * A Prince has the right to dictate who may stay in his domain and who must leave or suffer punishment. This Tradition also imposes the responsibility on a traveling or relocating Kindred to present herself to the local Kindred authority and make herself known and accountable for any missteps. Again, this Tradition’s enforcement falls to the whim of individual Princes. Some are iron-fisted dictators who demand to know the comings and goings of all the Kindred in their cities, while others don’t mind so much as everyone heeds the other Traditions and doesn’t disturb the social order.
 * Destruction
 * The Blood Hunt — the Lextalionis — is the Princely decree that declares another vampire persona non grata. The right of Princes (or “elders,” depending upon the interpretation of the Tradition) to call the Blood Hunt effectively forfeits the hunted Kindred’s unlife; it is the ultimate punishment levied for the most grievous of crimes. Indeed, it is used so sparing and so severely in most domains that many Princes will even pardon those Kindred who perform diablerie on a vampire under the Lextalionis.

Ranks and Titles

 * Alastor: If the Archons and Justicars are the law enforcement agencies of the Camarilla, the Alastors are the secret police. Moving unseen and unnoticed through the Camarilla, they serve a variety of purposes at the Inner Circle’s command. Mostly, however, the Alastors hunt the most dangerous criminals to the Camarilla — those on the so-called “Red List.” While the
 * anonymous existence of the Alastors can be a difficult one, it does have its rewards, specifically a more-or-less universal immunity to prosecution from local Princes.
 * Archon: Each Justicar selects a number of minions, known as Archons, to act in his name as suits his purposes. Archons are typically chosen from the upper ranks of ancillae and occasionally elders of lesser station. Justicars occasionally choose Archons to carry out specific missions, and prefer political savvy, insight, and skill over standing and clout. An Archon’s position typically lasts for as long as a Justicar wishes to retain her, but no longer than the Justicar’s tenure.
 * Harpy: Harpies are the opinion leaders and the trend-setters to whom other Kindred look when it comes to matters of taste, style, philosophy, or politics. A Harpy’s word influences the domain’s attitudes and can be a powerful supporter of the status quo or a force for insidious change. Harpies are rarely appointed directly (and Kindred rarely trust those who are). Instead, a Harpy paradoxically becomes so by acting as a Harpy. The Harpy’s role is often intertwined with domain politics, and it is a bold or foolish Prince who neglects those vampires who represent the cutting edge of popular opinion in her domain.
 * Justicar: These are the judges appointed by the Inner Circle to be the Camarilla’s eyes, hands and, if necessary, fists. It is the Justicars who decide the punishment for those who have violated the Traditions on a widespread level. A Justicar serves for 13 years, and her actions may be challenged only by another Justicar.
 * Keeper of Elysium: This is a largely honorific title, though it has many practical responsibilities. The Keeper of Elysium assures that the customs of Elysium are observed, and is a caretaker of sites declared Elysium by a Prince.
 * Prætor: Prætor, or project leader, are terms used to describe notable archons who have been given authority over their peers. The position normally only lasts as long as a given assignment, but some continue to use the title with pride.
 * Primogen: Primogen is a flexible title. In some domains, a Primogen is simply the eldest and most influential Kindred of a given Clan. In others, a Primogen is a member of a council of advisors to the Prince. In some domains, Princes appoint the Primogen (and they may even appoint multiple Primogen of the same Clan, to keep that Clan divided) while in other cities, Primogen arise from among the most powerful members of that Clan or as a result of popular Clan politics. This is perhaps the most difficult of Camarilla titles for a new Kindred to understand.
 * Prince: 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. Kindred of any age can in theory be Princes, but in reality, praxis — the right of Princes to rule — goes only so far as the Kindred members of a domain respect and allow it. A weak or young Prince might be ineffectual or even a laughingstock, while just speaking the name of the aforementioned Mithras or Prince Lodin of Chicago might be enough to cause a shiver of fear down the spines of those cities’ vampires. 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.
 * Seneschal: Generally, a Seneschal is an influential vampire who is empowered by a Prince to act on their behalf on all matters except as they pertain directly to other influential Kindred (such as Clan Elders or vampires with great Standing, where the Prince must act directly) or where the issue involves destroying a vampire of significance, whether an elder or a vampire of standing or great status. At any time, they may be asked to step into the prince's place if they leave town on business, abdicate, or are slain. However, all actions taken by a Seneschal may be revoked by the Prince. They are always appointed by the Prince alone and are oftentimes either the childe or chosen successor of the Prince. In this way, the Prince can assure that someone similar to them will rule in the event of their Final Death. As not all Princes wish to dwell on such a succession, not all appoint Seneschals.
 * Scourge: In this time, which many elders believe to be the Time of Thin Blood, the Scourge is responsible for destroying those vampires of 14th and higher Generation. This is a position most often found in paranoid domains where elders believe that fighting the symptoms of the Final Nights will stave off the coming of Gehenna.
 * Sheriff: The Sheriff is the Prince’s right-hand Kindred, responsible for the physical enforcement of Princely decree. Some Sheriffs are diligent masters-atarms while others are thuggish, bloody fuckheads who abuse their authority to torment those beneath their station. A Sheriff may appoint Hounds to assist him (or the Prince may appoint them, in the interests of curtailing a Sheriff’s overt power).
 * The Inner Circle: The true hub of the Camarilla, this group meets once every 13 years to plan out the business and direction of vampire society — as much as any group can presume to dictate the doings of a race of immortal predators. Every Clan is permitted one representative, usually the eldest member of the Clan, as only the eldest may cast the Clan’s vote.
 * Whip: A whip acts as a primogen's messenger and liaison to members of their clan, with the dual purpose of gathering support for a primogen's agenda as well as gauging the prevailing mood and needs of their clanmates within the city.

Founders

 * (Brujah) Adana de Sforza
 * (Gangrel) Milov Petrenkov†
 * (Malkavian) Camilla Banes
 * (Nosferatu) Josef von Bauren
 * (Toreador) Rafael de Corazón
 * (Tremere) Mistress Fanchon
 * (Ventrue) Hardestadt

Traditional Strongholds

 * Chicago
 * London
 * New Orleans
 * Paris
 * Vienna