View source for Domain Positions: The Foundation of the Camarilla

The backbone of the Camarilla is the strength of domains
and the Princes that rule them. The Justicars argue that
the Tradition of Masquerade justifies their ever-increasing
authority. Princes counter by simply pointing to the Second
Tradition: “Thy domain is thine own concern.” Advocates
for domain-centric politics argue that the Camarilla doesn’t
have a true centralized government, only an Inner Circle
that meets infrequently and a roving enforcement squad of
Justicars, many of whom are as hypocritical and corrupt as
any other self-interested Kindred.

Princes are considered the true strength of the Camarilla.
Most Kindred develop ties of loyalty through lineages or
clans, making it difficult to truly impose central authority
on the Camarilla’s membership. A strong Prince with a
good deal of support can hold off a Justicar politically, if
she is clever and has gathered a good deal of support. The
advancement of technology has allowed the Justicars to
keep a watchful eye on the Camarilla and slowly claim
political territory traditionally held by Princes.

Over the centuries, the Camarilla has established a standard
set of leadership positions used in most domains. Kindred
society has come to accept these positions as honorable
and necessary to help domains act according to the dictates
of the Traditions. These offices offer a structured society a
bloodless way for perpetuating the Masquerade, granting
power to those who can best promote the way of the
Camarilla, and punishing those who work against it.

== Prince ==

''“You’ve been reborn into a sect hundreds of years old,
whose leaders convinced the world our existence is a fabrication.
Suffice to say, there are some expectations. In exchange for the
birthright and education you have already been given,
you will adhere to our laws and customs — the Traditions.
And should you wish to advance in our society,
you will have to impress me.”''

— Paul Walker, Brujah Elder,
Prince of Kenosha

The Prince is the vampire who claims the right to rule over
a domain. A Kindred becomes Prince by claiming praxis,
and, if successful, she has the freedom to do as she wishes
within her domain — at least in theory. In modern nights,
the title of Prince is synonymous with the Camarilla, but
the designation stretches back to the feudal structures of
the Dark Ages and is occasionally used by vampires who
predate the Camarilla. The title Prince applies to rulers of
either gender; despite the title’s patrician origins, modern
usage of the term owes more to Machiavelli than to royalty.

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. A Prince
wears many hats, including diplomat, commander in chief,
lawmaker, patron of the arts, and judge. While her authority
derives from the Traditions, her success as a Prince depends
as much if not more on her ability to manage a domain
full of supernatural nocturnal predators through skillful
application of influence, persuasion, personal charisma, and
sheer force of will. Some Princes are indeed despotic tyrants,
but few can maintain their praxis for long without some
talent for able administration.

Historically, the position was claimed by the strongest vampire
in a given region, ruling as she wished. Slowly, after the
Convention of Thorns, the Camarilla reshaped the modern
perception of a Prince, including the addition of an advisory
council of Primogen. Over time, certain privileges and
responsibilities became attached to the position, either at the
whim of the ruler or the demands of the ruled. The position
reached its familiar modern form during the Renaissance.
The true capability and powers of a Prince vary from domain
to domain. A powerful Prince might elect to micromanage
the entire city personally, while a less-capable Prince may be
a figurehead for a potent Primogen council. The Camarilla
has no set policy for succession and will usually recognize the
most powerful vampire who wants to claim the title of Prince.

A Prince rules absolutely, until she loses power and another
takes her place via political maneuver or a bloody coup d’état.
If a Prince shows herself incapable of maintaining the safety
of the city against incursion, she may be forced to abdicate by
her citizens or via a Judicial Conclave.

If the Prince suffers the Final Death or is forced from office
without a clear successor, the position usually falls to the
Seneschal. More than one hapless Prince has “accidently”
gone to Final Death, allowing an ambitious Seneschal to
ascend to the position.

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 Prince gains the abiding status traits Authority, Commander,
and Sovereign during her tenure in office. She can offer the
acceptance of Acknowledged to any individual within her
territory, without expending a status trait.

'''Hollow Titles and Petty Princes'''

Small towns or rural areas can only support a handful of Kindred, but a structure is still required to
ensure that the business of the Camarilla, especially the Masquerade, is maintained. These thinly
populated domains are often led by petty Princes who have the responsibilities of a Prince in a large
city without the resources or prestige for the effort. Many times, elders prefer the relative safety of
cities and find rural areas both dangerous and boring. Those young vampires who choose to brave
small towns occasionally set themselves up in a semi-structured organization, with the “Prince” being
the one who has the biggest gun or has earned the most respect. Neonates often refer to these petty
Princes as “Prince of the couch,” meaning that the entire domain could meet on the Prince’s couch.
A petty Prince only gains the abiding status traits Authority and Sovereign during her tenure in office.


'''The Power of the Primogen: Removing the Prince '''

The power of the Prince over her domain is absolute as long as she holds praxis of the domain.
Should the Primogen Council stand united against their Prince, they have the ability to remove the
Prince without bloodshed.

The local Primogen Council must, as a group, expend four Noble abiding status, the first three to
symbolically strip all three positional abiding status from their Prince, and then the fourth to remove
her praxis. This is a unique usage of the Noble status, and it can only be performed by Primogen of
a domain upon the Prince of that same domain. Primogen who oppose the removal of the Prince can
expend their Noble status to cancel one of their rival Primogen’s disloyal rebellion.

Should the Primogen Council be successful in this political maneuver, the former Prince loses her
praxis, the related abiding status, and all of the rights of the position. The praxis remains unclaimed
and vacant until another seizes it or the former Prince forces the Primogen to submit to her will via
coercion or violence.

However, this tactic does not come without a price. Primogen who expended their Noble status to
remove the Prince must reaffirm their position as Primogen amongst their clan before they can regain
that abiding status.

== Seneschal ==

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 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’s authority includes:

• Holding authority to act and speak in the Prince’s
stead, when the Prince is not in attendance or when
the Prince is absent from the domain

• Gaining the ear of the Prince: the Prince cannot refuse
to hear a request from the Seneschal. (Whether or not
the Prince grants the request is another matter, but she
cannot refuse the Seneschal the opportunity to make it.)

• Holding status jurisdiction over her Prince’s physical
domain

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.

== Primogen ==

Jürgen von Verden, Prince of Magdeburg, is believed to
have coined the term Primogen. He recruited a number
of important elders to his Primogeniture Assembly to
provide counsel for his war efforts to take the old Kingdom
of Transylvania from the Tzimisce. Individual Princes,
wanting the support of local elders and other important
Kindred, shared their power with these councils. After the
Convention of Thorns, it became common for domains
to have a Primogen Council to ensure stability. In fact, it
became a matter of prestige for a Prince to have important
elders on her council as a show of strength.

The Primogens’ main authority is to socially monitor, reward,
or punish their clanmates within the domain. Primogen
carefully watch their peers to ensure against abuse of the
office’s powers. Primogen who boost the prestige of their
clans undeservedly and get caught will certainly receive
backlash from the Harpy.

Primogen speak for their clans during Primogen meetings and
at formal court. In modern nights, the Primogen Council acts as
an advisory council to the Prince. Traditionally, the Primogen
Council is drawn from the most influential member of each
pillar clan of the Camarilla. Occasionally, a Prince might offer
an influential member of a non-pillar clan a place on the
council. This is unusual, but is not considered scandalous, if
said Primogen is powerful and seen as a benefit to the Ivory
Tower. However, should this unusual Primogen fail, the Prince
pays the political price in terms of scandal from the Harpies.

The Courtesies of a domain determine exactly how a Primogen
is selected. Some domains may have their clans elect their
Primogen through democratic vote, while others seem to merely
reach a popular consensus amongst the elders of the clan.
The Prince has the right to refuse a Primogen seat to a clan
if it lacks sufficient population within the domain, or as
punishment for miscreant misbehavior. This is a dangerous
political maneuver, as it can lead to grudges and bad blood
between the Primogen and the Prince.

Wise Kindred visiting a new city will meet first with the
Primogen to learn the local Courtesies before seeking
Acknowledgement, lest they blunder into a social error.

A Primogen’s authority includes:

• Administering punishments or rewards to members of
her clan

• Advising and informing the Prince about recent events

• Speaking for the clan at meetings of the Primogen Council

• Allotting feeding territory to the members of her clan,
from territory granted to the clan by the Prince

• Holding jurisdiction over members of her clan who have
recently visited or dwell within her Prince’s domain.

A Primogen gains the abiding status trait Noble during her
tenure in office.

'''Gangrel Primogen'''

Clan Gangrel recently returned to the fold of the Ivory Tower, but a significant number of Princes
have not yet forgiven the Outlanders for their betrayal. Many Princes do not allow them a Primogen
Council seat.

'''The Primogen Council'''

A city requires at least four Primogen to be considered a proper Camarilla domain, or the city is
considered a Petty Domain (see Hollow Titles and Petty Princes, above), and that city cannot
sanction a proper Harpy. A Prince who blatantly appoints excessive Kindred to the Primogen Council
discovers that it is actually easier for his enemies to oust him in a bloodless coup. Should a Prince
accept more than eight Primogen to her council, her own standing is reduced to a Petty Prince for
being unable to rule without an excess of advisors.

== Whip ==

The Primogen Council is usually limited to the single eldest
or most influential member of each pillar clan, which limits
the council membership to six or seven Kindred in most cases.
Nevertheless, many Primogen like to maintain a lieutenant or
executive assistant of sorts, as a means of displaying clan unity
and to help manage particularly numerous clan populations
within a domain. This assistant is often assigned to keep
track of tedious details that do not demand the Primogen’s
complete attention. In Great Britain and the United States,
the Primogen have adopted the term Whip from their mortal
legislatures to describe the Kindred serving under them. The
jockeying and maneuvering among these lesser Kindred can
be quite intense as the Primogen like to present the position of
Whip as a route to prestige and power. Primogen gloss over the
fact that there is room for only one Primogen in each clan, and
these subservient vampires will only get that post by leaving
for another domain or over the dead body of the current one.

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.

== Harpy ==

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.
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 naïveté 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.

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.”

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.

A Harpy’s authority includes:

• Brokering and negotiating boons on behalf of members
of the domain

• Maintaining the official record of boons for the domain

• Judging and mediating conflicts over boons for the domain

• Advising and informing the Prince about recent events

• Administering praise or scandal to the Kindred of the
domain

• Appointing up to two Lesser Harpies (permanent
deputies) into her service

• Exiling the undesirable from the domain

• Monitoring and enforcing status expenditures within the
jurisdiction of her Prince’s domain

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.

'''Social Warfare in the Camarilla'''

Violence in open court is detested. Kindred are expected to be in control over their Beasts and can’t
simply slug someone who insults them. Social miscreants who resort to this crude behavior quickly
incur the wrath of the Harpies and everyone else in the domain invested in the social order of the
Ivory Tower. Ignoring the accepted protocol of society is a direct affront to the entire concept of the
Camarilla and cannot be tolerated, lest the idea spread that such behavior is viable. Of course, what
happens outside of the eyes of the court is another matter entirely.

'''Note of Caution: Avoid Bleed'''

Harpy players should exercise caution to ensure that their characters direct their biting comments
at the mistakes of other characters, but never at the players themselves. Always keep the distinction
between the character and player in mind.

== Keeper of Elysium ==

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. 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.

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. 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).

A Keeper of Elysium’s authority includes:

• Removing weapons from Kindred on Elysium

• Using any force necessary to defend Elysium

• Exiling the undesirable from the Elysium

• Commanding all mortals (including Retainers) within Elysium

• Holding immunity from prosecution from the Prince or Harpy when in defense of Elysium

• Holding status jurisdiction in the Elysiums within her Prince’s physical domain

A Keeper of Elysium gains the abiding status traits Enforcer
and Guardian during her tenure in office.

== Sheriff ==

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, 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.

A Sheriff’s authority includes:

• Protecting and repairing the Masquerade

• Appointing up to two temporary deputies into her service

• Preparing and carrying out strategies for a military crisis

• Combatting the Sabbat or other enemies of the sect

• Protecting the Prince within her domain

• Holding status jurisdiction in her Prince’s physical domain

A Sheriff gains the abiding status traits Enforcer and
Privileged during her tenure in office.

== Scourge ==

The Scourge is charged with culling the city of undesirable
vampires, specifically those created without the Prince’s
permission; often these undesirables include Caitiff and
other thin-blooded vampires. Many cities have refused to
institute a Scourge, but a number of Princes leveraged the
fear of the infamous “Time of Thin Blood” prophesied in
the Book of Nod to add to their muscle. Princes sometimes
secretly use the Scourge to eliminate enemies.

Some claim that the station of Scourge is an ancient post
dating back to the Dark Ages resurrected in modern times,
others argue that it is an entirely new creation. Regardless
of the historical truth, in cities where a Scourge stalks
the night, she is a mythic bogeyman and source of fear for
illegitimate vampires.

The Ivory Tower treats the position with a certain amount
of disdain. Many humane Kindred actively shun those who
serve as Scourge, calling them unredeemable slaughterers.
The few Kindred who attempt to keep the Scourge fully
integrated in Camarilla society are rarely appreciated by
either the Scourge or their fellow Kindred.

On a typical night, a Scourge may travel to dismal, lesspopulated
parts of the city. There, she searches for signs
of fugitives, such as rats and stray dogs drained of blood
or street people who are more jumpy than usual. Some
Scourges set traps, while others hunt Caitiff down like
beasts. Some Princes demand the prey be brought back alive
for questioning, in hopes of learning who sired the childe.
Others are content to see the heads or fangs of the night’s
take. Occasionally, sometimes based on a rumor or a tip,
sometimes not, the Scourge visits the city’s regular Kindred,
looking to see if they are harboring illegally created childer.

On such occasions, wise Scourges are even more cautious
than normal, since older vampires are far more cunning and
dangerous than the fledglings they normally hunt.

A Scourge’s authority includes:

• Destroying vampires who are not Acknowledged by the Camarilla

• Combatting the Sabbat or other enemies of the sect

• Holding status jurisdiction in her Prince’s physical domain

A Scourge gains the abiding status trait Enforcer during her
tenure in office.
----

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