Vampire Society and Sites of Power
     
Vampire Lords

Vampire Prestiges

Vampie Biographies

The Four Bloodlines

Vampire Society and Sites of Power

Rules

Character Creation

Rumours and Site registry

 

Vampire Society


VAMPIRE SOCIETY

After centuries of infighting, some attempt was made to codify a set of rules of behavior. What was created was the Council.

The Council is a permanently established body located in New Orleans in the basement of a building in the French quarter known as the Chambre de Minuit

This building is guarded by the Protezioni Dell'Anima: 100 combat troops and 10 vampires of the Blood of Caine, who are neutral and owe allegiance to no faction. The leader of these defenders is Caius, an old Roman campaigner and security expert. Their mission is to protect the Council and the Chambre de Minuit.

The Council Chambers consist of a low arena area that comprises 80% of the floor space. People who sit here are called the Low Council. In this arena, oak tables and chairs are provided. On an elevated dias, there is a long table and nine chairs, at which the representatives of the nine Vampire Lords of North America sit. They comprise the High Council.

Nine Vampire Lords have a representative on the High Council. Each peer and noble is invited to have representation in the Low Council. There are also often non-affiliated hangers-on, hoping to get wind of something exciting or to ally themselves with one of the powers.

With the exception of the Protezioni, no humans are allowed to attend the Council.

Public claims on Sites of Power and artifacts of power may be made at the Council. These claims are not binding in any way, but increase the prestige of the claimant.

Alliances between the powers are often made at the Council.

The High Council consists of only nine Vampire Lords. If an tenth presents himself (having reached 200 or more prestige), the council may vote to expand the council. Or, if this fails, the upstart Lord can always create an opening. The tradition has been that a Vampire Lord may take a seat that has been vacated without a vote.

The High Council often brokers peace between rival factions.

The High Council may, but majority vote, call a Blood Hunt. A Blood Hunt declares open season on a vampire, and offers addition opportunities for prestige. A Vampire Lord may not sit on the High Council if a Blood Hunt has been called on him, but may return to the Council if the Hunt is called off.

A Blood Hunt may be called for any of the following reasons:

  • Actions that are deemed a risk to the vampire nation, most commonly actions that alert humankind to your presence.
  • Attacking or compromising the Chambre de Minuit or the Council
  • Summoning one of the greater demons
  • Breaking a pact that had been brokered or sanctified by the High Council
  • Destroying one of the great artifacts

Molesting vampires who are trying to attend or depart the Council while in New Orleans. (Outside the city limits and everybody's fair game.)

Travel and Correspondence

Travel and correspondence for vampires are tricky.Travel

Cross continent travel tends to be by private plane or car, both of which allow for maximum privacy and nighttime itineraries.Correspondence

Email and standard phone lines are shunned, because of the ease at which it can compromise vampiric actions. Vampires tend to communicate by messenger and letter. You may send letters at any time and as many times a week as you would like.

Flow of Play

Each Week

Roll encounter. Receive prestige listings if change has occurred. Collect rumors. Submit play turn.

Each Month

Collect Empire Points. Collect Human Influence Points. Collect goods made by specialists. Occult specialist rolls to uncover artifact. Necromancer animates skeletons. Submit three rumors (two must be accurate and substantial.)

Things Vampires May Do

Attack one another. Move to unclaimed site of power or to find artifact. Correspond with one another to make alliances, mislead, lie, cajole, trade information, seek assistance militarily-for human influence-for trade-in seeking assistance with the High Council. Spend Empire Points. Exchange human influence points, specialist goods, artifacts. Summon demons.

Things to Do at Council

Claim site of power or artifact at Council

Make public pronouncements (for example, push for Blood Hunt on particular player, spill the secrets of rivals)

Initiate auction for excess human influence, goods, services

Press for seat on High Council (if prestige has reached 200 or more)

If on High Council: arbitrate disputes, vote on blood hunt.

The World of Vampire Lords

North America

41 known sites of power of weak to moderate power.

Vampires are ascendant. Their society is less rigid and more chaotic than European vampire society. No predominant codes of behavior have been established as a societal norm beyond the supremacy of might.

Each urban center has about 20 unaligned vampires. Each town has about 10 unaligned vampires. Each rural center has 0-5 unaligned vampires.

Many vampires keep werewolf slaves.

South America

23 known sites of power of weak power.

Vampires and werewolves are equally ascendant.

Vampire society is less rigid and more chaotic than European vampire society. No predominant codes of behavior have been established as a societal norm beyond the supremacy of might.

Vampires keep werewolf slaves.

Werewolves in South America are rebelling against their former masters for their freedom.

Europe and North Africa

96 known sites of power of weak to powerful power. He most powerful sites each offer an array of advantages including summoner's bonuses, necromatic bonuses, Empire bonuses and specialty bonuses.

Vampires are ascendant. The most powerful among them are known as Overlords and are roughly 5 times more powerful than American Lords.

General Society

Vampire society is as concerned with power and prestige as the Americas. But stricter rules of conduct exist which must be operated within.

For example, if a vampire chose to attack another for no reason, or an unacceptable reason, all of vampire society would come down on the rogue vampire like a hammer.

For another example, claims on the sites of power are ratified by the European Council. Once done, the Council as a whole will defend the right of the claimant.

The European Council has an enforcement arm which immediately enforces these rules. All vampires of note must contribute to this force.

Factional Codes of Behavior

European vampiric culture sees the labyrinthine-like series of factions, and splits within factions, each with its own codes of behavior. To break these codes can mean expulsion or death. Most codes require fidelity to the ruling body within that faction, but usually includes other codes.

For example, the Southern Judasian Covenant requires a tithe of goods to the Overlords of the Southern Judasian Covenant and requires two years service in the Church of Judas. The Northern Judasian Covenant, recently broken away from the Southern, has been asserting their claims to the sites claimed by the orginal Judasian Covenant and strife is on its way, with both sides gathering allies.

For another example, the Cainite Vanguard required half of the members force be enrolled in the general military service of the Vanguard and are not allowed to have dealings with any vampires of the Blood of Lilith, while the Cainish Guard of Prussia can deal with Liliths but must engage in ritual combat yearly.

Many vampires have werewolf slaves.

Africa

Little is known of occult lower Africa. Vampires who journey there do not return.

India

Little in known of the occult sub continent. Vampires who journey there report hostile spirit activity and rarely remain.

North Asia

Werewolfs are ascendant. Vampires who journey there take their unlife in their own hands.

South Asia

Dragons are ascendant. Vampires are not welcome.

Japan

18 sites of power, from weak to moderate power.

Vampires are ascendant. Social life is dictated by honor as well as power and prestige. Vampires swear allegiance to a daimyo, whom they must serve faithfully. Prestige can be lost or won by acts of honor and allegiance, dishonor and treachery.

80 percent of the vampires here are of the Blood of Hamm. Combat in Japan is often ceremonial combat between rival summoner's demon hordes.

Werewolf slavery is forbidden.

 

Sites of Power

  1. Canada: Calgary
  2. Canada: Montreal: (urban)
  3. Haiti: Port-au-Prince: (necromancers here summon 4 more skeletons, +10 prestige)
  4. Mexico: remote bar just over the US border: (rural)
  5. Mexico: Chichen Itza
  6. Mexico: Kabah: Palace of Masks (+1 to Power of defending troops)
  7. USA: California, Drago
  8. USA: California, Los Angeles: (urban)
  9. USA: California, Santa Carla
  10. USA: California, Sunnydale: The Hellmouth (summoners at this site get +10% to success, +5 empire point per month)
  11. USA: Colorado, Marshall Pass: (rural)
  12. USA: Florida, Citrusvilla swamps: (rural)
  13. USA: Georgia, headwaters of the Chichamunga River: (rural)
  14. USA: Illinois, Chicago, Kolchak Estate: (urban)
  15. USA: Louisiana, bayou swamp around Terrebonne Parish: (rural)
  16. USA: Louisiana, New Orleans: (necromancers summon 2 more skeletons, Lord of New Orleans must allow universal access to and from the Council of Blood, urban, +5 empire points a month)
  17. USA: Maine, Castle Rock
  18. USA: Maine, Jerusalem's Lot (+10 prestige)
  19. USA: Massachusetts, Arkham (occult specialists here get +10%)
  20. USA: Massachusetts, Dunwich
  21. USA: Massachusetts, Salem: (urban)
  22. USA: Michigan, Hell
  23. USA: Nebraska, Gatlin
  24. USA: Nevada, Las Vegas: (urban)
  25. USA: New Jersey, Pine Barrens, Leeds home: (rural)
  26. USA: New Mexico, Fort Union (+1 to Power of defending troops)
  27. USA: New York, Amityville, Long Island: (urban)
  28. USA: New York, New York, former home of Doctor Stephen Strange in Greenwich Village: (urban)
  29. USA: New York, New York: Fox News Headquarters: (urban, +1 Human Influence per month)
  30. USA: New York, Sleepy Hollow (+10 prestige)
  31. USA: North Carolina, Guilford
  32. USA: North Dakota, Black Hills: (rural)
  33. USA: Pennsylvania, foothills of the Alleghanies: (rural)
  34. USA: Pennsylvania, the little valley between Bald Eagle Mountains north of Nippenese Valley: (rural)
  35. USA: Tennessee, Nashville: (urban)
  36. USA: Tennessee, Clarkesville: (urban)
  37. USA: Texas, Lubbok
  38. USA: Texas, Waco
  39. USA: Utah, Salt Lake City: (urban)
  40. USA: Virginia, Jamestown, where first colony in America disappeared
  41. USA: Virginia, Lynchberg
  • Rural centers subtract 4 from the cost to buy off federal agencies or media (see Human Influence).

Urban centers add 4 to the cost to buy off federal agencies or media (see Human Influence), but give the holder an additional +10 prestige.