The Camarilla History

The Camarilla came about in an attempt to hold vampire society together in the face of the inquisition during the 15th century.  Under its iron guidance, the Tradition of the Masquerade grew from a cautious suggestion to the guiding principle of Kindred unlife.  Even today, the Camarilla concearns itself with the enforcement of the Masquerade, maintaning harmony between the Kindred and kin, and battling the Sabbat, which it views as a direct opponent.

 The Camarilla touts itself as "the" society of Kindred, and it is partially correct.  It is the largest sect of undead on the planet.  Almost any vampire, regardless of lineagle, may claim membership in the Camarilla.  In truth, the Camarilla asserts that all vampires are already under its aegis, regardless of the wishe's of the vampires in quesion.

 Over the years, the sect has attempted to extend its influences over other area's of vampire life, and each time has had its hands soundly slapped for its insolance.  Princes brook no interference in the in the affairs of their cities, while the ancient Methuselahs scoff at the tremerity of the younglings who think they can play at Jyhad.  In the end, the Camarilla's influence begins and ends with the protection of the Masquerade and ensuring Kindred-kine coexistance.

 The Camarilla claims to allow membership to any interested vampire, regardless of bloodline, but the vast majority represent the seven founding clans.  It was their members who founded the sect, and only these clans regulary make up the Camarillas governing Inner Circle.  Vampires of other bloodlines may attend conclaves and meetings, but their voices usually go unheard.

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 After the Anarch Revolt, the Camarilla placed itself squarly against the Sabbat, seeing itself as the only means to hold the warpacks at bay.  The Camarilla alone upheld the Masquerade and protected its own, while the Sabbat would as soon throw away the Traditions and everything sacred to sustain its paranoid dreams of Gehenna.  Dissent is a luxury that cannot be afforded during times of war, and the Camarilla believes quite firmly that those who are not with the sect must be against it.  However, for the frieghtened elders who make up the higher echelons, the Camarilla has quite a few enemies

  In these nights, the Camarilla is hardly the monolith its proponents advertise it to be.  Elders cling to their positions, refusing to relinquish them to those who have reached the age of consideration.  Younger Kindred feel left out of an organization they are expected to uphold, but offers little or no reward for their work save the threat of punishment if they fail.  Amcillae are trapped in the middle, unable to turn to either the younger or older vampires; taking up with the neonates means relogation to the lower strata of power, while attempting to fall in with the elders risks the appearance of overstepping bonderies and being crushed for insolence

Many elders in the Camarilla find themselves in the position of relics.  A good many are unwilling or unable to pick up the new technology that the young ones have mastered, and in the modern world, being barely able to use a phone or radio leaves these elders at a distinct disadvantage.  Should they relinquish their positions and find themselves outside the halls of power, they become targets as their personal might lessons without the backing of the Camarilla behind it.  A few gangs of Ancillae with diabelier on their minds and the latest technology in their hands, and an elder might find himself becoming obsolete in more ways than one.  Therefore, in preemptive strikes of paranoira run rampant, the elders kill the best and brightest who might some day pose a threat.  The result is an organization that cannibalizes itself, and might on night regret its mistakes.

The Camarilla is, at best, a loose affiliation of Kindred.  There are few laws among the Kindred, just Traditions.  There are no policies on immigration or borders, only customs.  Indeed, for a sect that places such a heavy reliance on tradition and history, the Camarilla has precious few mandated behaviors.  Most of those are covered by the Six Traditions; the others are common sense.  Otherwise, the Kindred of the Camarilla act as they please, within the bonderies established by the local princes.

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 Almost all Camarilla Kindred are urban.  They are social creatures, and few who are not seeking Golcanda have the slightest use for solitude.  Even the relitively spacious suburbs are to sparsely populated for most Kindred to feel at home, so the vast mavority crowd into urban hives.  The basic ratio is one vampire for every 100,000 mortals; in some neighborhoods that can drop by as much as 75%, while in others there are no vampires to be found at all

  The rule of the Camarilla is theoreticly the rule of the princes.  While the sect claims the entire world as its purview, there are regions (the Amercian Northeast, for example, and Central America) wherein the Sabbat holds near absolute sway.  Furthermore, as the Camarilla has no true centralized government, only an Inner Circle that meets infrequently and a roving enforcement squad of justicars, the attitude of the sect towards its territories could best be described as laissez-faire.  As long as there arent obvious problems, each prince is left to run her domain as she see's fit.  Clan ties are often stronger than sect ties, and this also makes it difficult to impose central authority on the Camarilla's membership.  In truth, though, many elders say in private that a lack of central authority in the Camarilla is a good thing; any attempt to impose more regulations on a bunch of ancient and powerfull Kindred would only meet with disaster.  As is, the Camarilla rules with a light touch and eye towards preventing disaster, not creating policy.

Commerce and travel between the cities is brisk, though the former is usually carried out by catspaws.  Travel through Lupine- or Sabbat-infested territory is difficult and unsafe, so many vampires spend centuries at a time in a single metropolis.  Those who rove either learn survival skills very quickly or meet Final Death within a few short years.  There are no legal restrictions on travel, other than the Tradrition of Hospitality, so those Kindred who dare wander can do so with equanimity---so long as they are polite.

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The Camarilla has no standing millitary, other than the cadres of justicars, archons and alastors whose work more closely resembles espionage than special op's.  Each city is responsible for its own defense, drawing on its on populations to gaurd its borders and territories.  Occasionaly one city will "lend" support to another, but such maneuvers are rare; to often the city offering help has found itself under attack immediatly after detaching part of its strength to help a neighbor.

Socially, the Camarilla is an exeeding polite society.  With bloodshed outlawed and carefully watched for, it has to be.  Salons, Elysiums, meetings and deal-cutting---all of these are part and parcel of nightly life for the sects Kindred.  Even the Nosferatu occasionally indulge, climbing out of the sewers to sell secrets or shock the Toreador with their presence.  Insults and damning praise, left-handed compliments and shock to vampiric composure---the art of delivering such is one of the higherst to which the Kindred of the Camarilla will aspire.

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Camarilla Factors