Camarilla

The Camarilla are a group of vampires who feature prominently in White Wolf Publishing’s World of Darkness setting. They comprise the major player-characters and protagonists in the roleplaying game Vampire: The Masquerade.

History
The largest of the vampiric sects, the Camarilla was first conceived in 1394 when a group of Elder Kindred met to discuss the possibility of a grand alliance between several of the Great Clans in response to the growing threat posed by both the Anarch Revolt and the Roman Catholic Church’s Inquisition. Whilst little came of these initial talks, the Camarilla as we know it today came into being in 1435, as the Clan Elders began to rally against all outside threats. Creating the Traditions, a code of conduct designed to hide the Kindred’s existence from mortals by which all members must abide, the newly-formed sect set to the task of creating a better world for vampires to live in.

As the Camarilla brought the full weight of its member Clans to bear in a concerted effort, the Anarch Revolt was quickly put to rest, and over the years many of the former Anarchs, under the leadership of Clans Lasombra and Tzimisce, formed their own sect - the Sabbat - in order to combat the Camarilla. However, the Camarilla’s superior numbers and resources were enough to drive most of these Kindred from Europe to the New World, and to this day the majority of the Old World lies in Camarilla hands.

Although the Camarilla enforces a sort of peace within its holdings, a state of constant war still exists any place that their territory borders with that of the Sabbat, and even those whose lands lie far from the conflict must always be wary of enemy infiltration. Domains in the Americas in particular are frequently contested by one sect or another.

Members
The Camarilla was created by the union of seven of the Great Clans, although there are many of its members whose parent Clan does not belong to the sect as a whole, and the group claims to welcome any who will abide by its laws.

Founding Clans

 * Brujah
 * Gangrel
 * Malkavian
 * Nosferatu
 * Toreador
 * Tremere
 * Ventrue

Society
The Camarilla was initially formed to guard against outside threats, and still enforces the Traditions set down at its founding. These Traditions are a series of governing rules on how vampires should interact with mortal society, and are designed to conceal the existence of the Kindred as a whole. The Camarilla punishes severely those who break these laws, often with the Final Death of the perpetrator. It should be noted that, although the Camarilla are usually seen as the “good guys” amongst vampires (an image that they constantly strive to promote), the creation of a human ghoul, whilst not usually frowned upon, is technically a breach of the Traditions, and such may by vampiric law be exterminated at any time if such an act would prevent mortal society from uncovering the existence of the Kindred.

Another, unofficial, policy of the Camarilla is to stamp out belief in the Antediluvians, the ancient vampires said to have created the Clans. Whilst none of the Elders will acknowledge the existence of these beings, there is a very real fear amongst the Camarilla leadership that one day they will rise from wherever they may rest to destroy all of Kindred society.

Structure
In comparison to other vampiric groups, the Camarilla has a fairly rigid hierarchy. Some of the more prominent titles are given below.

The Inner Circle
These Kindred are the eldest of their Clans and form the ruling council of the Camarilla. Very little is known about them as they take great pains to keep their identities secret. The Inner Circle meets once every thirteen years to discuss matters of policy, borders and the appointment of the Justicars. Each of the founding Clans has a single member to cast its vote on the Inner Circle.



Justicars
The Justicars are the judges, juries and executioners of the Camarilla, answering only to the Inner Circle. Each Justicar has been given the power to requisition any and all resources necessary to enforce the Traditions, although they spend much of their time mediating lesser disputes between smaller domains. There are seven Justicars in total, one for each of the founding Clans, and are attended by a hand-picked group of Kindred known as Archons to act as their eyes, ears and strong right hands wherever the Justicar is unable to be in person. Two or more Justicars in agreement may add a vampire who has committed a particularly heinous crime to the Red List, a list of the thirteen Most Wanted vampires in Kindred society, and a death sentence to those on it.

Princes
The ruler of each of the Camarilla domains is known as a Prince. He or she is generally the eldest and most powerful vampire in the city, although sometimes he is the one who can command the greatest loyalty from its vampiric population. The Prince is ultimately responsible for upholding the Traditions, and any who do not take swift action if these laws are breached can expect an unpleasant - and possibly fatal - visit from a Justicar.



Primogen
The Primogen are a Prince’s council. Usually composed of the local Clan leaders or those with a great deal of influence with the mortal populace, the Primogen are technically no more than advisors; however, a weak Prince or a particularly powerful Primogen may lead to a de facto rule by these Kindred. Primogen can either be appointed by a Prince, or elected by a group of vampires who feel that he or she will represent their best interests.