Clan Organization

Children of Osiris

Through out the ages, the Children of Osiris have gathered in small groups lead by a single priest, who helped guide the members of the group in the ways of Bardo and helped them to maintain their humanity. The various groups would keep in touch through messengers and come to aid each other in time of need. The Clan's organization of the past has now largely been replaced by the Sabbat, which the acolytes have helped to form and build the structure of. Many of the priests of the Sabbat are Children of Osiris and the old organization of the Clan has transformed itself into the organization of the Sabbat. There are more elders amongst the Children of Osiris than any of the other Clans of the Sabbat, and it's customary for young members of the Clan to show deference to their elders. Elders of the Clan also hold occasional ceremonies which younger members attend, which is a chance for members of the Clan to strengthen ties, share information, and make plans as a Clan. Depending on the elders involved, sometimes members of other Clans are allowed to attendant sometimes not. The Children of Osiris essentially lead the Sabbat and have unified goals and a single ideology that unites them, the interests of individual acolytes seldom collide beyond minor disagreements. There are some truly ancient Children of Osiris who are still active and while they claim no authority over the Clan or Sabbat, when they speak younger vampires listen.

Gargoyles

This Clan is very loose knit in its organization, depending mostly on the loyalty of their fellow gargoyles combined with the structure of the Sabbat. Usually groups of gargoyles will cling together under the wing of the strongest among their ranks, often but not always the sire of the others. Gargoyles feel a stronger bond with each other than with members of other Clans so even within a common Circle, the Gargoyle members might form their own little clique and spend most of their time with each other. There is no greater organization than these small groups aside from the general respect given to elders of the Clan, especially those who survived the Anarch Revolts. Some groups of gargoyles form their own Circles exclusively for their own Clan, where other vampires are not allowed to join. This causes some irritation within certain segments of the Sabbat who oppose Clan loyalty as being overly divisive, especially among Panders who form a large segment of the Sabbat. Despite eschewing strict organization, the Gargoyles are fiercely loyal to each other as a Clan on an almost instinctive level. They will seldom fail to come to the side of another Gargoyle against a vampire of any other Clan, regardless of the nature of the dispute.

Baali

The Baali have a looser organization than some of the other Clans of the Camarilla. Baali fear competition and so have some reluctance to embrace new Childer, but alternatively they understand that if they do not expand and replace new members that their Clan will wither and die. In the past, many young Baali were kept as blood bound thralls to their sires, used as slave labor and expected to be obedient. In the modern age this tradition has virtually disappeared. Baali now fear the power that being a sire gains in creating a childe and when the childe is embraced, he is expected to be cut loose from the sire relatively quickly so that there is no real bond of loyalty. The Baali neonate is then usually watched over by other Baali in the city, none taking too active of a hand but all providing advice and trying to establish a mutually beneficial relationship with the young Baali. The world of the Baali is cutthroat and personal interest always takes precedent over Clan loyalty. Despite this, the Baali know that they are neither loved nor trusted by the other Clans and realize that working together is more beneficial to the Clan than is fighting amongst themselves. For this reason, the Baali try avoid stabbing Clan mates in the back, unless of course the potential benefits of doing so are too enticing. For the most part, seniority in the Baali Clan garners no inherent respect or obedience, the Baali respect power and the degree to which that power can harm or benefit them. Among older Baali, there exist various cults that worship and claim to be able to commune with demons. These cults tend to be more tightly knit than the Clan in general and are looked upon somewhat suspiciously by the more independent members of the Clan. Despite embracing evil and selfishness, the Baali can still form personal friendships with others, especially their fellow Baali with whom they share common interests and often enjoy the company of. In a strange way, the shared experience embracing hedonism or inflicting pain helps to maintain a semblance of Clan unity.

Lamia

The Lamia are one of the most tightly knit and organized of the Clans. They follow their traditions from ancient times of childer being blood bound to their sire, meaning that there is a relatively strict hierarchy enforced by blood bonds as well as tradition. The Lamia have codes of honor and personal conduct which governs how they treat their childer, so only a small number were able to break free during the Great Ritual and many who did remained loyal to the Clan. The Clan is ruled by a handful of ancients, who some say are in direct contact with the founder of their Clan. In theory, there is a chain of blood bound Lamia extending from a newly embraced childe all the way up to the Clan's founder, though in practice deaths within the Clan along with distance and infrequent contact mean that there are many broken links in the chain. The Lamia do not see the blood bond as a necessity, they merely see it as an added bit of protection especially against being blood bound by members of other Clans. The Clan, so the Lamia claim, is held together by loyalty, purpose, and love more than blood. All Lamia start off as ghouls and spend many decades in this state before being embraced by their sires. Childer are relatively well treated as they are taught the ways and powers of the Lamia, though they are still expected to serve and obey. At some point a young Lamia may be released of the blood bond when she has proven herself competent and loyal, especially if she is needed at some location far away from her sire for a prolonged period of time. All Lamia must show complete obedience to their sires, blood bond or no, and to give proper respect for Clan elders as well.

Lhiannan

The Lhiannan organize themselves in small groups, sometimes called covens. These covens lay claim to large swaths of land, usually in rural or wilderness areas. The members of the coven live with or near each other for centuries and are quite loyal to each other, acting almost as a vampiric family. The covens are usually lead by the eldest in the coven, sometimes the sire of the other members. Covens of Lhiannan are fairly territorial and don't like other vampires to come into the area under their protection - it is expected that any traveling Lhiannan must get permission from the local owners of a domain before entering it. On special holy days, various different covens of the Clan from miles around gather during certain days of the year (winter solstice is the holiest of days to the Lhiannan) and have a great celebration in some neutral area, often a holy place the Lhiaanan. During the holy day, the Lhiaanan establish friendships between covens, share mystical knowledge, and generally grow closer as a Clan. In some cities, the Lhiannan presence may include a number of different covens from the surrounding area. In most cases, Lhiaanan give each other preferential treatment, even to members of other covens. There are some cases where two covens might have a rivalry, in which case other Clans may play upon these rivalries for their own benefit.

Samedi

The structure of the Samedi Clan is based on the hoarding and exchange of magical secrets. The Samedi greatly value necromantic and even mundane secrets, gaining power and influence from their ability to utilize or exchange this knowledge. As each Samedi researches rituals or performs experiments with the dead, he gains wealth and status within his Clan. Young Samedi are usually embraced by a local elder to act as a research assistant, often serving the sire for many decades or even centuries before venturing out on his own. The Samedi value their privacy and do not allow themselves to get close to others, and that is fine by most other ampires. Still, the Samedi do at times feel isolated and lonely, seeking out others of their Clan for interaction - which usually means conducting research together in the dark arts or sharing macabre tales about death or the dead. The Samedi, while distant even from each other, are loath to act against members of their own Clan and display an amazing amount of loyalty to other Samedi even when they don't know those Samedi or consider them to be rivals. A Samedi who openly acts against his own Clan does not face any official sanction, but his brethren simply turn their back on him and refuse to share any knowledge with him or interact - leaving the offender truly isolated.

The Sybarites

The Sybarites have very little Clan organization. After a short period of tutelage or artistic patronage, a Sybarite sire will grow tired of her childe and let her go her own way. Sometimes a close friendship will remain between the two, but just as frequently there will be a terrible rivalry. The Sybarites see each other as kindred spirits and so connect to each other over shared interests in music and the arts, but they rarely act together politically and usually follow their own agenda. This makes the Sybarites a political wild card in Camarilla cities, as different Sybarites can be enticed to ally themselves with various other Clans or individuals if the reward is adequately tempting. In some cases, Sybarite elders will attempt to form some coalition of Sybarites to act together to achieve some common political goal - though these projects usually meet with either limited success or total failure. Pride, cattiness, or sometimes even apathy can split apart such alliances. Despite their lack of unity, the Sybarites still thrive within the Camarilla in part because they aren't collectively seen as a threat to other Clans and in fact are perceived as potentially useful allies or pawns. Many of the Sybarites are more crafty than other vampires give them credit for, and will frequently play off potential puppet masters against each other or build up vast sums of wealth or influence in the mortal world under the noses of the other Clans - though almost always to their own benefit and not that of the Clan.

Kiasyd

The Kiasyd Clan are highly territorial. Each member if the Clan will claim a section of a city, or in some cases an entire small city or town, for himself. They do not like trespassers and travelers are expected to get permission before entering another Kiasyd's domain. In modern cities, retaining this policy is all but impossible, though at least other Kiasyd are expected to follow these traditions and other vampires are pressured to do so as well, especially by Kiasyd in positions of power. Sometimes there will be a single powerful Kiasyd who controls vast sections of a city and has a number of younger Kiasyd who have divided up subsections for themselves but still pay homage to the elder - very much like vampiric feudalism. Within an individual Kiasyd's domain, they will almost always be the only Kiasyd except for their own childer who spend a number of decades to centuries learning from and obediently serving their sire. When a city has a Kiasyd prince, he usually divides up the city along feudal lines with the Primogen of each Clan controlling certain territories. The one exception to the above policy is the expectation of obedience to a sire. A Kiasyd is expected to always obey and show deference for his own sire, and the sire has the authority to enter his childe's domain if he so desires. The Kiasyd lords usually have cordial relationships with each other that obey ancient protocols and formalities. They strongly believe in honor and truthfulness, in repaying debts and keeping their word. While Kiasyd from different domains sometimes view each other as rivals or even enemies, the sense of honor and tradition that permeates through the Clans facilitates interaction as they can depend on their Clan mates to act in certain ways. The youngest members of the Clan, those who have rejected their fae nature and the Clan's traditions, are often outcasts and not welcome in any domains of the elders. They are sometimes forced to join together in small groups in less desirable areas of a city, sometimes forming alliances with other Clans or trying to keep a low profile.

Salubri

The Salubri usually exist in pairs, a sire and a childe, with the elder acting as mentor and master for the younger vampire. This relationship usually lasts for centuries until such time as the two decide that they have learned all that they can from each other and decide to part ways, the younger vampire by then is ready to embrace a childe of his own. Such partings are almost always on good terms and the two remain friends thereafter. The Salubri value learning and knowledge as much or more than any Clan, but instead of hoarding knowledge and keeping secrets, they freely share their knowledge with each other and with other Clans as well. Aside from the relationship of sire and childe, there are no strict hierarchies or organization within the Clan, but there is much in the way of friendly interaction as Salubri meet to share knowledge or debate issues of philosophy. Very few Salubri take action against their fellow Salubri. Usually the only rivalries that arise within the Clan are based on ideological differences and these conflicts usually take the form of heated debates. The Salubri rarely directly involve themselves in political conflicts within the Camarilla and as such, the Clan rarely has to act in concert to defend itself against political pressure from other Clans. Salubri generally consider other Salubri to be friends and allies and seldom act against the interests of Clan mates, the closest the Salubri come to direct conflict with each other is when two Salubri become advisers to rival vampires - though even in that case they don't consider the opposing Salubri to be a personal enemy.

Blood Brothers

In the ancient days of early civilization, the Brotherhood of Blood was completely unified under the Clan's founder, totally obedient to him and worked as a single body to conquer foes and drain the life force from other vampires. Those days are long past, as the Clan torn apart by the warlock's curse. For centuries, the Blood Brothers have had to operate in small groups of 13 or less or face frenzy and destruction. Within each of these hives, loyalty is absolute, like a single soul sharing multiple bodies - between hives there can be very little direct interaction. In the past century, the Clan has been growing in power and unity because of the ease of communication from technology. Different hives have been able to learn of each other and coordinate activities over the phone or by e-mail. This allows the Blood Brothers to avoid killing each other on sight and to work together against mutual enemies. Other vampires are only just learning that the Blood Brothers have found a way to undermine the curse and fear that there may be a terrible conflict to come.

Brujah

The Brujah reject ties based on emotion, thus they oppose the very concepts of friendship or even Clan loyalty. Brujah make alliances based on shared interest, it just happens to be the case that most of the individuals who share the Brujah's unusual philosophical goals are also Brujah themselves. Brujah embrace childer who show the potential to progress in the Brujah's ideology and to eventually further the ideology themselves. If the childe shows progress they are released to exist in their own. If not, they are destroyed as an unfortunate error. A Brujah will seldom aid another individual, even a long term associate or ally, unless they see some advantage in doing so - which in a way makes the Brujah even more cold blooded than the Baali. The Brujah sometimes gather together to share knowledge or discuss plans on furthering their ideological goals, in such cases there are debates but these never become heated or lead to rivalries. For the most part, the Clan merely act as aloof individuals, though individuals who share a common ideology and agenda.

Ahrimanes

Ahrimanes have virtually no Clan organization, they reject such notions and their lifestyle of frequent travel and subsisting from animals make organization largely unneeded. When two unfamiliar Ahrimanes cross paths, they either politely greet each other and share a night of telling stories, or the two fight for dominance before the loser flees or is killed. In most cases Ahrimanes are solitary, though the sire of a childe will often stay with the childe for a few years to show him the ropes. In some instances, an Ahrimane will attach itself to a tribe of humans, helping to protect them and feeding off of them as well. In such cases, a childe is allowed to stay as long as it doesn't strain the tribe, though other vampires are driven off or killed. As Ahrimane territory is being reduced by the expansion of other Clans, some groups of Ahrimanes have begun to form rough alliances to fight off the invaders. These alliances seldom last longer than the external threat does. In many places in the world since colonialism, the threat of "civilized" Clans is so great that it is creating regional and long term organizations of Ahrimanes.

Nagaraja

The Nagaraja don't have much Clan structure, the have a distaste for obeying orders or respecting boundaries and don't have much sense of loyalty to any one or any thing. Many times, several Nagaraja who have resided next to each other for prolonged periods have come to respect each other's hunting grounds - in large part because the risk of conflict outweighs potential gains. In most cases though, Nagaraja exist in a state of rivalry with each other that makes conflict common. Though Nagaraja are much better at hiding from each other than at finding each other, they also avoid "fair fights" when they can, so it isn't unusual for multiple Nagaraja to cross each others' paths on a regular basis without being aware of it. Nagaraja embrace childer to have foot soldiers against their rivals, not for companionship or to propagate their Clan, so they always blood bind childer to themselves. Childer are frequently mistreated or ordered into dangerous conflict, building resentment for their sires that comes to the surface should the blood bond ever expire - and which caused much trouble for the Nagaraja after the great ritual. The only cases when a childe is well treated is if they are embraced with the intent of going off to some far away land (or the territory of a rival) where they will not trouble the parent, though the best result is usually complete detachment. Strangely, the Nagaraja find the closest allies among other Clans in the event that a Nagaraja joins the Sabbat or Camarilla - where they can be respected spies, agents, or assassins. For some reason, the Nagaraja cannot abide each other's company for long.