MOTD: DRAFT SITE - WORK IN PROGRESS - COMING SOON!
How much must I repeat?
We only play for keeps
No time-outs, no free-throws
No refs, no penalties
No handouts, no pit-stops
No cheat codes, no sleep
But the drinks are on us
If you with it, pull up a seat
-BoB, "Play for Keeps"
The Camarilla of Chicago find themselves in the most interesting of times. While some may say that they find themselves greatly dimnished, all will agree that they are no less dangerous for it.
Chicago is one of the Camarilla's "crown jewels" - the domains that anchor its global power. The Prince of Chicago is one of the most powerful Princes in the United States, able to exert their influence over lesser Princedoms for hundreds of miles in every direction. While all cities in America are young compared to cities in Europe, Chicago has a pedigree of powerful Princes, which also makes it the most prestigious Princedom in the United States, only rivaled by New York or New Orleans.
The first Prince, Maxwell of the Brujah, began his rule in 1831, just after the city's founding. Maxwell ruled over the city during its initial boom during the heyday of Westward expansion and Manifest Destiny, but the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 was the backdrop of his undoing. As the city burned and Maxwell desperately tried to steer mortal resources to stop the fire, the Ventrue Primogen Lodin launched his play, swaying the Primogen Council and deposing the Brujah. From then on, Chicago was Lodin's city, and all those who challenged his praxis, like the Toreador Modius, were crushed and banished. Lodin secured his Praxis by selecting powerful and dangerous mortals with deep ties to Chicago, like legendary gangster Al Capone. He would embrace these individuals into Clan Ventrue, and blood bond them to himself, thus making the Ventrue Board in Chicago the strongest slate of Blue-Bloods on the continent.
Lodin ruled Chicago and sat as the most powerful Prince in the United States for the next 120 years, until 1993, when a three-way war between the Camarilla, the Sabbat, and the Lupines ended in the Ventrue's destruction at the hands of the werewolves. Over a third of Chicago's kindred died in the fighting, though in the end the Camarilla was able to keep control.
Lodin's childe Joseph Peterson claimed the Princedom, but his rule was never secure - the Primogen Council viewed him as weak, and the Ventrue never united behind him. When Peterson's broodmate Kevin "Paladin" Jackson and the Gangrel Inayanga forged a tenuous peace treaty with the city's Lupines, Jackson used his new influence to topple Peterson from power, and wasted little time securing his rule. He drove the Anarchs out of the heart of the city and reinvigorated the Camarilla court. The fact that the much-ballyhooed peace treaty with the werewolves was shredded by Inayanga's successor the second the old Akunanse departed from the city was immaterial - it had served its purpose in bringing Jackson to power.
Under Jackson's Princedom, Chicago is solidly in the hands of the Camarilla - at least for now. In many ways his court is unusual. Two seats on the council belong to Brujah and Gangrel elders, the Tremere are political pariahs, and the Ventrue have no Primogen - Jackson states that the Ventrue have no need of a Primogen as long as he is Prince, and that their energy should go toward uniting behind him as leader. The Justiciary supports Jackson as long as his rule keeps Chicago secure and in the hands of the Camarilla, as a strong prince in Chicago allows them to turn their energy toward decisively taking Los Angeles from the Anarchs.
But quietly, out of his earshot, they mumble that Kevin Jackson is no Lodin. They even unfavorably compare him to Maxwell, a Brujah who's been gone for 150 years. Part of that, perhaps, is the prejudice of the Elder Kindred. But to many, Jackson is an inexperienced Prince who lucked into a powerful domain. The real test is how long can he hold it?
Prince: Kevin "Paladin" Jackson, Ventrue
Seneschal: Alan Sovereign, Ventrue
Primogen Council:
Critias, Brujah
Rosa Hernandez, Gangrel
Jason "Son" Newberry, Malkavian
Khalid, Nosferatu
Annabelle, Toreador
Sheriff: Damien, Brujah
Chief Hound ("Magnus Canis") Alexa Santos, Malkavian
Hounds: Wauneka, Nosferatu;
Principal of Faith: None as yet
Herald: None as yet
Scourge: None (Prince Jackson's official statement is the city has no need of Scourges, in practice their duties are given to Damien and the Hounds)
Amicus Curiae (Ambassador from the Anarchs): Marcel, Ministry
Ambassador from the Ashirra: Khadja al-Kindi, Banu Haqim
Speaker for Lasombra: Sierra van Burrace
The Domain of Chicago is such a powerful prize that the Prince who rules there exerts influence over the other domains of the Central United States. A few of the more noteworthy domains caught in Chicago's orbit are:
Ruled for over a century by the Toreador elder Samantha Merrain, the Twin Cities recently went through a period of tumult after her assassination. This led to the demise of a number of prominent Kindred, battles with Anathema and hunters, and the ascension of the Brujah ex-Anarch Cecily Bain to the Princedom. That was not the end of the city's troubles, as an issue with an Elysium site built over one of their sacred locations exploded into a conflict with the area's Lupines, which culminated in the death of Tremere Justicar Ian Carfax. Bain seems to have ruthlessly settled matters of internal security in the Twin Cities since the death of the Justicar, but time will tell how secure Bain's hold on her domain is - and how obedient the fierce and cunning Brujah will be to the rulers of Chicago. (See the graphic series Vampire: the Masquerade - Winter's Teeth and World of Darkness: Crimson Thaw for more information on the ascension of Cecily Bain and the death of Justicar Carfax).
In the world of the Kindred there are still frontier domains, places on the edge of the Wild and fraught with danger. Milwaukee is one such city. Besieged by Lupines and caught in a rivalry between two Ventrue broodmates, the city is tense with occult intrigues and dangerous politics. Due to its isolation, it is also frequently used as a "dumping ground" for undesirables whose crimes do not merit Final Death or expulsion from the Camarilla - a practice which blew up in the Camarilla's face when Carna the Princess Witch lauched her revolt from within the city. Somehow, the Gangrel prince Mark Decker holds it all together, holding off the Lupines with one hand and with the other hand restraining the Ventrue brothers Hrothulf and Gracis Nostinus from destroying one another and Milwaukee along with them.
Once a symbol of the United States' industrial might, Gary collapsed into a rusty hellhole in the 20th century thanks to the machinations of Prince Lodin of Chicago against his hated rival, the Toreador Modius. Modius became a laughingstock and Gary became an object lesson in what the Prince of Chicago could do to his enemies without ever lifting a finger in violence. Even though Lodin is years-dead, Gary has still not recovered, and is still an impoverished swamp of crime, empty homes and decaying warehouses. Both Modius and his enemy Juggler have disappeared, and the Camarilla has not yet moved to reclaim the city from the directionless Anarchs that dwell there. Gary is no great prize, and no influential member of the Camarilla wants the prestigeless job of securing a decaying city with the stink of Modius' failure all over it just to protect Chicago's flank from the Anarch Movement, but the Justiciary are pressuring Prince Jackson to install a new Prince of Gary for just that reason, and soon.
Traditionally at the Eastern edge of Chicago's influence, Detroit has been a failed Kindred state for over 30 years - it fell to the Sabbat, and then when the Sabbat withdrew and the Second Inqusition ravaged the city it became a No-Man's-Land where Anarch gangs feuded over tattered scraps, one which the distracted rulers of Chicago did not have the resources to secure. However recent years have seen an unusual player emerge to make a bid for Detroit - the Ashirra. With the help of the Hecata Mordechai Ben-Nun and the distant support of Prince Jackson the Ashirra have been able to consolidate their power within the city and install a Sultana, Sawada al-Shakir of the Banu Haqim. The Ashirra's rule over Detroit are contested by the Anarchs, many of whom have bent the knee to a powerful Baron, Tzimisce Voivode Zekistraya and her coterie, the Kerberoi. The Detroit Anarchs and the Ashirra are held in detente by clandestine Sabbat activity that neither side has been able to stamp out on their own.
Chicago's traditional influence over Kindred domains extends West into Iowa and Missouri, beyond which lies territories under the sway of the powerful Court of Denver. The Camarilla Court of Nashville has dominated the domains of Kentucky since after the Civil War and resists all attempts by "Northerners" to exert influence over them. Chicago's influence can be felt as far east as Columbus, OH, though the Princes of Ohio are currently playing a game where they court the favor of both Prince Jackson and the Camarilla Court of New York without explicitly coming down on the side of either domain.
"Describing the Camarilla as "ruthlessly secular" is an understatement, so there are few official holidays penciled into the calendar. Kindred will observe holidays - or not - as their personal culture and religion dictate. But there are a few nights every year that stand out, and I suppose you'd call those holidays.
There's the Toreador Gala that falls around the beginning of Spring, if you can snag an invitation - the Artistes do know how to put on a fantastic party, and their guest list generally dictates who's "on the list" at the best Kindred parties for the rest of the year. You want to be on the list, trust me.
Halloween is a huge to-do with parties thrown all over the city by both the Anarchs and the Camarilla. It's a time when we can undo the strings on our masks just a bit and give the kine a quick glimpse at our real selves without threatening the Masquerade too much, so take advantage of it. If you get invited to the Nosferatu's haunted house, go - it's scary as fuck. You'll find an increasingly loaded slate of parties and events as October progresses - but this is all pre-gaming for Halloween. Given that the un-dead will take any excuse to party, in recent years the Kindred have begun celebrating Dia de Muertos in addition to Halloween, which means the parties continue through All Souls' Day. Why confine the celebration to just one night when you can party for three?
The other big night of the year for the Kindred is December 21, the Winter Solstice AKA Midwinter - the longest night of the year, which means we're awake for the longest amount of time. That, as they say, makes it our night, one loaded with metaphorical significance to the Kindred that only the oldest of us really understand but all of us can feel. On the 21st, the Chicago Camarilla throws the Prince's Masquerade, and all Kindred of Quality - meaning members of the Camarilla - have a standing invitation to attend, with other Kindred invited to attend at His Highness's pleasure. Since Chicago is one of the Camarilla's "crown jewels" - the biggest, most influential domains it controls - there will frequently be important figures from outside of the city in attendance at the Masquerade - the Justicars will at the very least each dispatch one of their archons to attend the celebration, and often other Kindred of note from outside of the domain will be in attendance.
The costumes, art, status games and music at the Prince's Masquerade need to be witnessed to be believed. You may think you understand what bacchanal means but I assure you, until you attend this party, you don't. The Prince's Masquerade is also a night of scheming, plotting, social and sometimes physical entrapment. Come for the ice sculptures, stay to see who ends up owing a Major Boon. Of course, if you're an outsider Kindred invited to attend and you fail to do so without a damn good reason it's considered a major insult to the Camarilla and a cassus belli for them to make your life an un-living hell. Then again, that invitation just might be a trap to see you humiliated and at the Ivory Tower's mercy anyway. Damned if you do... Anyway, the Prince's Masquerade is a big deal and I know Nosferatu who spend the year fussing over exactly what they're going to wear and what statement it'll make on the night of. The entertainment is top-notch, the drinks are superb and the after-parties are a hotbed of scheming and... other things that end in -ing.
Aside from that... like I said, whatever other ways we celebrate tend to be personal and not sanctioned by the Camarilla the way Halloween and the Solstice are. On Christmas I usually watch both versions of The Lion in Winter and then I go out to see what mischief the night holds in store, for example. I also tend to be in the habit of giving my friends gifts, because even the un-dead enjoy presents. New Year's Eve tends to be a de facto holiday for the Kindred, but that's mostly because the kine want to party, which makes for good hunting."
The Government is the Court of Prince Jackson, the Primogen Council, the Seneschal, the Sheriff, assorted wanna-bes, hangers-on, agents, emissaries, and minions. They're bound together because they're in power and they want to stay there. Their happiness with Prince Jackson varies, though most members of the court acknowledge that he is the one candidate they can all get behind. Jackson shapes his court according to the reality of the situation in Chicago and what the city's needs dictate - that's why there's still a Brujah and a Gangrel sitting on the Primogen Council, there's a member of the Ministry acting as de facto Anarch diplomat and why the Tremere are out on the stoop, at least for the time being. Those affiliated with the Government are agents of a particular member of the Court or those jockeying to attain the power and influence to attain a position for themselves. There's still some room at the top, though Jackson makes sure no one is in a position to threaten his standing as Prince.
This sub-coterie is open to Player Characters and is ocmprised of those indisviduals who officially serve beneath the various members of the Government of the Court. They keep the wheels of the Government turning, ensure the proverbial trains run on time, and genrally serve as step'n'fetches to the Court.
While still aligned with the Camarilla, the Tremere are on the outs, unable to agree on a political direction. The Tremere are unpopular with the rest of the court, politically divided on the direction in which the clan should go - Regent DuSable is a Pyramid loyalist, and Erichtho supports House Carna, and no one member of the clan is powerful enough to command a seat on the Primogen Council the way Nicolai was. The real power behind the city's chantry is the mysterious vampire Portia, who acts as a Mawla to its members, though in the end she serves only herself. With its ability to coordinate severely limited compared to even a few years ago, Clan Tremere has been directing its energy to domains other than Chicago, and with the death of Justicar Carfax, it looks like orders won't be coming from on high anytime soon. However, despite his apparent death Nicolai left a considerable inheritance behind him in the form of a powerful Chantry house and many hidden secrets. Though they do not have a position at Court, Prince Jackson still calls upon DuSable when an issue needs occult expertise, though with the presence of the Banu Haqim in the court, DuSable's phone is ringing less often these nights.
Connected to the Government by its lead vocalist Damien, who's also the Sheriff and with an artistic vision guided by the Toreador Kathy Glens, Baby Chorus is a Kindred faction that's all about the music. They have enormous influence in Chicago's club and music scenes, and can command whatever stage they like within the city - the issue the Chorus is having is that their core members are beginning to visibly not age out of their front-facing roles after more than 30 years on stage, and though he's been able to hold things off so far by serving as Sheriff and contriving plausible excuses (Kathy Glens "has a very good plastic surgeon," and the bass player is currently billed as an impersonator who replaced his own past fake identity), the clock is ticking. Damien has begun to experiment with bringing new members into the coterie as affiliated musicians, with the eventual goal of turning Baby Chorus from strictly a performing act to a full-fledged music studio with a coterie of Kindred artists at its core. The members of Baby Chorus will be able to "retire" for awhile, invent new identities for themselves, and re-emerge on stage without giving up having their finger on the pulse of the Chicago music scene. Kathy Glens is - not wholly on board with this plan, as she suspects it will adulterate the band's art and infect Baby Chorus with political ambitions.
With affiliated coteries in over 11 domains (and counting) the Blood Disco is one of the largest coteries - and Blood Cults - within the Camarilla, and the Mother Chapter is currently located in Chicago thanks to the presence of High Priestess Erzulie. It commands influence via its presence in the Chicago club scene, its immense reach outside of the city, and because to the Camarilla the Blood Disco is a place where they can sweep Caitiff trash and other undesirables and not have to think about them anymore - not that Erzulie sees it that way. Everyone is welcome at the party, and no one is judged for things they can't control like race, gender, sexuality, or lineage. The Blood Disco is also possibly the largest and best organized Bahari cult in the world, with Erzulie as its founder. She makes no effort to conceal her beliefs from the Kindred, who tolerate it because the Blood Disco's events foster good hunting and because Erzulie's lover Adze takes pains to maintain the Masquerade. The issue that threatens the Blood Disco most is that FIRSTLIGHT is taking an interest in its events, and that could mean an end to the party for good.
This "social club" represents the Lasombra contingent of Chicago's Camarilla court. The current goal of the Lasombra as handed down to them from the Amici Noctis is build enough clout in the Camarilla for Prince Jackson to name Sierra van Burrace as the city's first Lasombra Primogen. In reality, each member of the clan has their own agendas that take up a considerable amount of their attention: van Burrace wants to grow her hotel businesses so she can increase her personal wealth and clout, Rabbi Basaras is fixated on his religious studies and his concurrent exploration of the deepest secrets of Oblivion as the city's pre-eminient Venificis Tenebris, and Braden White is wholly consumed by his self-serving political agenda. When he is in the city, Talley tries to keep all the city's Magisters on-task, though his duties often see him elsewhere. Though they've each individually begun to notice someone in the shadows moving against them, the Lasombra are currently so self-involved that they simply assume it's other members of La Sociedad jockeying for power, or members of the Camarilla attempting to undermine them.
Dominated by (but not truly exclusive to) the Banu Haqim of Chicago, the Ashirra currently act as diplomats with a goal of establishing a fixed presence in Chicago's Camarilla court with a seat on the Primogen Council. With the Tremere existing as political pariahs, there's a good chance Khadja can make it happen, too, though the canny Vizier is growing pre-occupied with her own slipping Humanity. Her childe, Aicha, is dutiful to her sire but beginning to feel the call to walk the Path of Blood as she witnesses the crimes of Chicago's Kindred, and Arjun Shah's influence spans the circuit between Chicago and Montreal, as he attempts to establish the Cult of Mithras in the Camarilla courts of both cities. Khadja disdains Shah's apostasy - Mithras is no god - but the Banu Haqim need his influence.
From Anarchs pg. 175:
"Prince Jackson has authorized a Blood Hunt on all Illinois Ventrue found to have voluntarily abandoned the Camarilla. All Kindred are hereby entitled and encouraged to destroy Ventrue affiliated with:
■ The Anarch Movement
■ The Sabbat
■ The Cainite Heresy
Exceptions are to be made for fledglings and neonates never invited into the Camarilla. In all cases, proof of treachery such as recorded confessions, five or more individual witness statements, or similar, will be required in order for completion of said Blood Hunt to be considered as more than opportunistic murder. Any such murders will be punished under the fullness of the Traditions.
As the eminent Prince in the State of Illinois,Prince Jackson agrees to award all faithful Camarilla Kindred who pursue this hunt to completion with territory to call their own carved from Joliet, Rockford, or Naperville. Bringing said quarry intact to the Prince Jackson’s court, suitable for questioning, is rewardable with territory from the city of Chicago itself.
Prince Jackson wants it known that the Clan of Kings is a clan of the Camarilla, and the Camarilla alone. All who rebel against this edict will be considered Caitiff."
Prince Jackson, in his magnanimity, extends the privileges of Elysium to Kindred outside of the Camarilla's Acknowledgement regardless of their provenance so long as they acknowledge the authority of the Camarilla and its Ministers in those places. Safe travel to and from Elysia shall not be impeded. Those who do not acknowledge the Prince's Peace or the authority of the Camarilla in and over Elysia shall find these privileges withdrawn.
Current Justicars:
Banu Haqim: Tegyrius
Malkavian: Juliet Parr
Nosferatu: Molly MacDonald
Toreador: Diana Idanza
Tremere: None (Justicar Ian Carfax was destroyed by Lupines in St. Paul, the clan has not yet appointed a replacement)
Ventrue: Lucinde
Alastor: Traveling agents of the Camarilla charged with destroying Anathema, specifically those on the Red List.
Archon: Agents of a Justicar.
Blood Marriage: A Kindred tradition that had fallen out of vogue that has returned to popularity thanks to the Blood Wedding of Tegyrius and Victoria Ash, wherein two Kindred who wish to make a political or a love-match engage in a ceremonial mutual blood bond.
Chancellor: A Herald with the specific privilege/responsibility of overseeing Prestation in a Camarilla court.
Conclave: A gathering of the Camarilla to address political issues of great import. If the Inner Circle is going to convene at a Conclave, it is a Grand Conclave.
Blood Hunt: A punishment for the highest crimes. The Blood Hunted has two choices: Flee the domain or die. The Blood Hunt is the only time in which a Kindred is sanctioned to commit Diablerie - while still scandalous, the diablerie of a Blood Hunted Kindred is automatically pardoned by long-standing tradition.
Dux Bellorum: A general responsible for coordinating the Camarilla's efforts when it goes to war.
Elysium: A site covered by the "Prince's Peace" where all Kindred who are members of the Camarilla are bound to refrain from violence and act with decorum. Any member of the Camarilla may claim sanctuary at an Elysium site unless that sanctuary is revoked by the Prince. These privileges extended to all Kindred in times past, but in the modern nights Kindred outside of the Camarilla are not protected by the Laws of Elysium unless that right is specifically awarded to them by the Prince.
Josian: Also called Josian Archon, the Josians are agents of the Camarilla specially trained to hunt down and destroy diabolists or otherwise "unapproved" practitioners of Blood Sorcery who become a problem.
Justicar: The direct agents of the Inner Circle, traveling enforcers of Camarilla law and enactors of its plans. Each Pillar Clan has one Justicar.
Herald: The "Voice of the Prince". An officer assigned with handling communication within and beyond the Court. Often has Ambassadorial responsibilities. A Herald who has the duty of overseeing a domain's Prestation is called the Chancellor. An officialization of the role of Harpy, tying it closer to the court and placing it more firmly under control of the Prince. The most notorious Kindred gossip-mongers and scandal-spinners among the Heralds are still called Harpies.
Hounds: Enforcers and agents of the Sheriff.
Imperator: A supreme war-leader appointed by the Inner Circle. Formerly held by the Gangrel Karsh. Since his Final Death the Camarilla is in no hurry to appoint a new one.
Inner Circle: The shadowy coterie that leads the Camarilla. The exact membership of the Inner Circle is not known for certain, though many Kindred have educated guesses as to its composition. A few of the most common guesses (Hardestadt of the Ventrue, Etrius of Clan Tremere) have met Final Death or otherwise disappeared, so the exact membership of the Inner Circle is murkier than ever.
Keeper of Elysium: Kindred who have the responsibility of overseeing and protecting an Elysium site.
Pillar Clans: The clans which comprise the Camarilla and who are represented by a Justicar. Currently there are six - Banu Haqim, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere, and Ventrue. It is generally accepted the Lasombra will soon be taking the empty seventh seat, once their "Hazing Period" is done.
Principal of Faith: A figure responsible for solemnizing and officiating court ceremonies, as well as acting as a religious/occult advisor to a Camarilla court. May affect dramatically different miens depending on the domain and the religion of the Principal, but for some reason overtly Catholic trappings and titles are usually avoided even by devoutly Catholic Principals.
Primogen: The most powerful/influential vampires within a Camarilla-controlled domain who aren't Prince or holding another seat at court. Though the "sterling" concept entails seven Primogen from each of the Camarilla's Pillar Clans, in truth the local council hardly ever adheres to this model. For instance, in Chicago there are currently five Primogen - A Malkavian, a Toreador, a Nosferatu, a Gangrel, and a Brujah. Their assembled body is the Primogeniture or Primogen Council, sometimes called the Senate, Presidium, or Council of Elders. Proper address for a Primogen is Your Grace though only Primogen in Europe really use it.
Prince: The supreme Camarilla magistrate that rules a domain. Called Sultan or Sultana among the Ashirra. Proper address is "Your Highness" not "Your Grace." You're talking to a Prince, not a Duke. Claiming a title in the peerage higher than Prince is considered extremely gaudy though a few Kindred over the years have had the clout to pull it off. The title of Prince is a gender-neutral term used by male and female vampires alike, by long-standing custom.
Scourge: Kindred appointed by the Prince to slaughter and drive out undesirables such as Caitiff and Thin-Blooded.
Seneschal: A Prince's primary agent and advisor in a domain. Sometimes called Chamberlain, Chatelaine (if the office-holder is a woman) or Vizier, the latter especially among the Ashirra.
Shadow: A Kindred appointed by a court as an official Mawla to advise an individual vampire or a Coterie.
Sheriff: The chief enforcer of the Prince's laws and edicts, also responsible for overseeing the investigation of crimes and the maintaining of the Masquerade within a domain.
Whip: A Primogen's second-in-command.
Red List: A list of vampires (and other creatures) the Camarilla has declared to be Anathema and seeks to destroy.