Kent By Night

Traditional Ranks

Camarilla Courts are very political things, what is openly said may be something else entirely under the surface, and it can lead to a quick death if a vampire or his servant in court if you don't grasp the finer points of the Court.

There are several positions of Power in the Court, and each one has its benefits and drawbacks.

The PRINCE is the one who ultimately runs the domain. They have the power of Life or Death over anyone in the domain who breaches the Masquerade.

The SENESHAL, the person who when needs be rules in the Regents absence, and also acts as a PA to the Regent and Prince.

The role of Seneshal is often rolled in to that of the KEEPER OF ELYSIUM, the person who looks after the supposedly violence free locations that the Camarilla hold with near sacred diligence.

On equal footing with the Seneshal is the SHERIFF, the person who enacts any decrees of law as dictated by the Prince or Regent. They are responsible for hunting down those who have breached the Masquerade or who are known Anarchs and Sabbat members.

At the Princes/Regents request a special position of PRIMOGEN may be held by a member of each clan who they trust. The Primogen is often selected by the Prince or Regent, but at times may be elected by the clan members themselves, and if a clan elected Primogen is ignored for a Chosen primogen, then the other clan members may become suspicious of the Princes reasons for choosing that member of the clan.

The role of primogen is there so that the prince/regent may pass information on to those best able to pass it on, and also so that any disputes within the clan are handled before they become a matter for the Prince to look in to.

Another unofficial role within the Court is that of Harpy.

A Harpy is a member of court who is not on the Primogen, but does hold some sway of the morale of the court. They are relied on to act as the ears and eyes of the prince or regent, as well as to keep track of any boons earned/owed, and even act as a Counsellor of sorts.

Presentation

When a new vampire arrives in court, they are often questioned by the Seneshal or the Sheriff, to ascertain if any word has come ahead of them.

Some kindred, especially those in the Camarilla know to seek out the nominal power of the court they will be visiting and ensure a Letter of Presentation is prepared by others of standing or their sires.

All kindred are expected to know their lineage but these days only the Ventrue and Lasombra keep a true account of their forefathers. At best a vampire from any other clan will know his sires name and his grand sires name.

The vampire is then presented to the Prince/Regent, often in order of known held status (which should be stated in the Letter of Presentation), and they are asked the following things:

• Their Name
• Their Clan
• Their Lineage (the name of their sire as far back as they can recall)
• Whether they adhere to the Laws of the Masquerade
• (They may at this point be asked to quote the laws)
• What they bring to the domain.
• Their purpose for being in the domain, whether to settle or just passing through
• And finally they will be asked if they will be prepared to pay the price for being allowed to live in the domain, and that if they fail the laws of the masquerade then their lives may be forfeit.

Often many Princes will require an Boon sworn to them from the fledgling court member in exchange for allowing them to reside within his/her domain.

These Boons are temporary, usually for no longer than a year, long enough for the vampire to show they can follow the rules of the Prince and not breach the Masquerade.

A Canny vampire new to the court will ask to speak to their respective Primogen member before they are presented to the Prince or Regent, so that they can inform them of what they can bring to the domain, and what areas of expertise they are able to hold sway over, as well as offer a minor boon for being given a brief of the domain so they know how best to change their speech to the Prince/Regent.