Protocols of the CamarillaTable of Contents1. Introduction2. Court Level Play

a. Princeb. Seneschalc. Primogen

i. Primogen Removal: Call of Seasonsd. Whipe. Harpyf. Sheriff, Keeper, and Scourge

3. Regional Level Playa. Imperiumb. Symposium

i. Domain of Bad Standing ii. Declaration of Censure iii. New Position: Royal Harpy4. Sect Level Play

a. New Position: Clanheadb Steward and Myrmidon

5. Boons6. Outside Elements

a. The Giovanni Promise of 1528

IntroductionThe Protocols of the Camarilla are an OOC explanation of the social status quo of the Camarilla. It is a guide to therules of behavior and expectation which all kindred are expected to know and understand. These are never taught tonew kindred in precisely this format, often the neonates simply learn each new layer as they run afoul of it and end upowing yet more boons to their Elders. But that’s the way society works. It is slow to change and protective of itself.The nature of the Elders has conspired to keep things in stasis for many years and the Elders react harshly toanything which challenges their stasis. Witness the unfortunate state of the Independent Clans for an illustration ofhow the Camarilla deals with outlying possibilities or hold­outs.

Court Level PlayA city’s Court is the center of its political life. It is the hub of all action, where Primogen vie with each other for favor,the Prince works to exert her will, and the Harpy sits in the center pointing the spotlight at the latest spectacle. ACourt is generally the collection of kindred in any given metropolitan area.

PrinceThe Prince is the fundamental power bloc of any Domain. According to Camarilla law and tradition, the Prince holdsPraxis of the Domain and thus everything in it is his or hers to do with as they see fit. Every kindred residing in theDomain does so at the discretion of the Prince and all claims of personal Domain or hunting grounds are made only atthe whim of the Prince.

The importance of this point is often lost on a great many kindred, as it means that there is no law and no justice

except as the Prince allows it. Longstanding arrangements of territory or fiefdom within a Domain could all disappearwhen a new Prince takes office, and there is little recourse except to engage in the long running jihad. All localpositions of authority exist at the discretion of the Prince.

SeneschalSeneschal is the Prince’s right hand, second only to him in terms of authority. The position originally was made tohandle some of the nightly administrative details of a Praxis, and it still serves that function, though the Seneschaloften has almost as much power in a Domain as the Prince has. Such power entails a great deal of trust and many aPrince has run afoul of a coup only to find that the Seneschal is now the Praxis holder of the Domain.

PrimogenWhile the Prince holds the ultimate authority of a Domain, in truth much of the political power of the Domain is in thehands of the Primogen. They are the voice of their clans and as such speak for the interests of those clans.Collectively they may even bring the Prince down if he ignores political realities too severely. This implicit threat isonly part of what makes the Primogen a powerful force though. In a city with a strong Primogen, the Prince had bestmake certain her plans are backed by the council or she will find that things just start going wrong.

This is not to say the Primogen are without weakness. The Primogen are the vocal representative of their Clan’spower in the Ivory Tower. Because of this, anything the Primogen does is often seen as the stance and action of theentire Clan in the city. If the Nosferatu Primogen of a Domain is caught in a coup attempt, the entire Clan is assumedto be in on it and likely to be punished for it. Thus, most clans like to keep a close eye on their Primogen’s activities,lest the rest of the Clan suffer for their mistakes.

Primogen Removal: Call of SeasonsIn a traditional Domain, Princes cannot appoint or remove individual Primogen. Primogen represent their Clans, andonly members of a Clan can decide who is or is not their Primogen. The Prince has to live with whom they choose. Itmay be his nemesis whom he hates ­ he simply has to accept it. This was also a reason behind the "Primogen speakfor their Clan" ruling: it is not uncommon for Princes to use what a Primogen does to punish a Clan so much that theClan decides a new Primogen is needed.

This being said, the Prince can call for a new Primogen Council. Once this is called for, all Primogen positions areconsidered vacant until the Clan meets to establish a new Primogen. No Prince can pick on a single Clan to re­choose.All the Clans do so, or none do. A Prince may only issue a Call of Seasons every three months. To do so more oftenrisks becoming a Domain of Bad Standing or a Declaration of Censure.

Many a Clan simply reinstates the same Primogen as before, but quick politics can make this a time of action andchange in a local Clan. If the Clan stands behind the same Primogen, then nothing happens, and everything moveson as it was. If the Primogen changes, then all status granted by the old Primogen is removed.

WhipThe Whip is generally the right hand of the Primogen. Whips occupy a strange position within the Camarilla: Theyare recognized as a Camarilla post, yet they carry no direct Status. In many ways they are a Clan position, but theirpower is limited to a Camarilla setting. Usually they are very loyal to the Primogen, but it has been known for Whipsto use their power to undermine and topple Primogen. In the modern nights, the Whip is uncommon except in citieswith a particularly large number of a single Clan.

HarpyHarpies are the real power of the Camarilla. It is the Harpies who have helped create the protocols of Camarillasociety, and indeed it is the Harpies who are the ultimate judges of the Sect. Make no mistake, even a Justicar listensand watches the actions of a well­organized group of Harpies. Harpies, many of them quite weak and young, are theKindred who are able to unseat Princes, have vampires bloodhunted and bring down entire domains. The Harpies arethe true social power, equal in weight to the Princes' political power and the Justicars' legal power.

The Harpy of a Domain is generally the individual tasked with tracking everyone’s status and boons. They are thesocial accountants of a Domain and thus, part of the power they hold is in knowing exactly who owes whom. IfBoons are the currency of society, the Harpies are the Banker and Bank all in one. Given that no one in a Domain isbeyond the reach of a Harpy’s sharp tongue, anyone who holds her standing dear pays attention to the Harpy.

Sheriff, Keeper, and ScourgeSheriffs are main functionaries of any Domain’s officers. They are answerable directly to the Prince and areresponsible for the maintenance of law and order in the Domain.

The Sheriff is most typically the enforcer of the Prince’s Law. In cases where there are outlaws or unrest in a city, it isoften the Sheriff who is out front, fighting the foes of the Prince. A rare few Sheriffs are more idealistic, attempting touse the Law as a way to ensure fairness or even­handed treatment, but that is uncommon. Most often, the Sheriff is abrute fist serving the powers that be.

The Keeper is a position tasked with the the maintenance and security of Elysium. Often the Keeper and Sheriff havea very close working relationship, as violations of the Keeper’s mandate generally results in someone for the Sheriffto go hunt down and bring to the Prince. Thus, the two posts are often more effective if they get along well, but manya city has a Sheriff and Keeper at odds. It is rare for a smaller domains to have this post, instead adding it to theduties of the Sheriff.

Scourge is the odd one out in the Court’s officers. Traditionally, it has been a post of exile, given to someone thePrince wants away from Court most of the time. In modern nights, many a kindred with a taste for violence has soughtout the Scourge position as a way to lord power over those too weak to enjoy the court’s favor. The Scourge istasked with patrolling the city and removing those who are not acknowledged or welcomed in the city. Some Princeshave given the Right of Destruction to the Scourge, others have made the Scourge less free by making him simplystake or incapacitate interlopers and bring them to the Prince for verdict. However a city handles it, running into theScourge is rarely a pleasant event. Scourge is a position rarely found in smaller domains, instead adding it to theduties of the Sheriff.

Regional Level PlayAt the level of a Region, members of the various Domains included are typically travelling quite a bit and the reach ofa nearby Prince or Harpy can actually carry some weight in neighboring domains. At this level of play, conflict isbetween Domains and settled in Fealty or in the Symposia.

ImperiumMany a Prince looks to his neighbor’s Domain and covets it. Occasionally a Prince may rise in power to the pointwhere they actually claim Domain over multiple cities, demanding fealty from those who reside there. In this case, an

Imperial Domain is born.

Imperiums can also be formed from more cooperative origins, as multiple Domains may decide to work together formutual protection against a larger or better connected neighbor. The reasons for such a thing are myriad, but the endeffect is the same – one Imperial Prince and her Dukes now rule the area instead of individual Princes.

The entirety of the Domain held by the Imperial Prince is generally referred to simply as the Domain or the ImperialDomain. Each of the previously independent Domains which now answer to the Imperial Prince are often referred toas Duchies, Fiefdoms, Vassal Domains, or Client Domains. At the founding of an Imperial Domain, certain positionsare created and others are altered. These changes are in effect only as long as the Imperial Domain is in effect. Themoment a Client is an independent state again, it reverts to the normal social rules and expectations of the Camarilla.

DukeThe first position so created is the Duke. Each Client Domain in the Imperial Domain has a Duke. Functionally, theDuke is identical to the Seneschal in a traditional Domain and has exactly the same status and powers as a Seneschal.The Duke is the representative of the Imperial Prince within that Client Domain.

Imperial Domain PositionsAny position within an Imperium other than Prince and Duke may be an Imperial Court position reflecting that there isonly one throughout the Imperium. These position gain the usual status and powers of those positions. Usuallythere are assistant appointed for each of the client domains to ensure business can be taken care of when the officerisn’t present. Some positions may be left as domain positions within the client domains and gain the usual status andpowers of these positions. associated with them.In instances where there is both an Imperial version and client domain version of the same position, the client domainversion gains the status and the powers of the position, and the Imperial title is honorary. In such cases, the Imperialversion of the position is usually held by one holders of the client domain version.

SymposiumWhile locally, the Prince is the Law and his word is nigh absolute, there often arise issues which affect severalDomains at once, or a Prince takes action which alarms her peerage, who then gather to address the issue.No Prince may dictate the activity of another Prince – within a Prince’s Domain, his word is all that matters – butother Princes can make it very difficult to maintain power or travel at all. By using the regional Symposia, the Princesof an area effectively set the standards of governance and travel that the region abides by. Those Princes who fail toabide by the collective will of the region often find themselves isolated and on the defensive.

In scope, North America has long treated several regional areas as governing entities. In play, these equate to MES’sout­of­play regions. Symposia are assumed to be regional in scope unless they occur at a National Convention.While a Prince from outside the scope of the Symposium may attend and speak at a Symposium, they are consideredto have participated only if they vote on an issue at the Symposium. If the Prince does not vote, his Domain is notconsidered to have participated, and thus, if he is not from that region, he is not bound by the rulings of thatSymposium.

Rules of the Symposium∙ The Symposium can only meet at a large gathering (Regional, National, or Global Conventions). Alternately itmay be held in a small normal Elysium with two months' warning.∙ Any Prince may call a Symposium.∙ The Agenda must be distributed at least two weeks ahead of time to allow those Kindred who are not Princes to

try and get their voices heard within the context of their own Domain.∙ If Princes cannot attend, they may send a Representative to speak and vote in their stead.∙ Within the Symposium all Princes are equal. Each has one vote on issues.∙ The Symposium decides political issues (e.g., should we bloodhunt all Setites?).∙ The Symposium may decide upon legal matters (e.g., should the use of Dominate inside an Elysium be seen as aviolation?) and the Justicars will usually back them up, provided the laws do not deviate from the Traditions.∙ There must be a minimum of seven Princes/Representatives there for it to be a quorum.∙ If there are 13 or more Princes/Representatives, the Symposium’s decisions are in effect for a year and a night. Ifless, the decisions can be changed at another Symposium.∙ If less than seven Princes meet, the decisions made there only affect those Domains which voted in theSymposium. The only exception to this is when a Region or Nation has less than seven Princes, at which time theresults of the Symposium are binding if and only if every Prince in the Region/Nation attends (just as if they hadachieved a quorum of seven).

Representatives∙ Representatives of Princes can be anyone from their Domain, but they must uphold the following laws:∙ The Prince must have contacted the person who is hosting the Symposium of their intention to send their votewith the Representative or the representative must have some form of IC letter/writ at the event itself.∙ The Representative can speak and vote on issues but must remember that he is not a Prince and therefore isexpected to show respect. Those that don't show respect can be ejected, and could even get their home Domain intotrouble (see Domain of Bad Standing and Declaration of Censure). The Harpies may also deem ejection from aSymposium as scandalous and thus merit removal of Status, or awarding of Negative Status.∙ The Representatives can be asked to leave the Symposium if a matter of extreme sensitivity comes up, such asthe existence of about 400 Sabbat locally, which the Justicars wish to keep secret.∙ A Prince may give his vote to another Prince. In this event, that Prince is under no obligation to vote the sameway as the Prince who gave her his vote, although voting differently may well lead to Censure. Princes holding morethan one vote must make sure it is known and cleared under the same conditions as the Representatives.

Domains of Bad StandingThe power of Symposia is that they allow Princes to dictate to other Princes how they want things run. A Princecannot openly undermine another Prince. That would be a breach of the Second Tradition. Rather, Princes canexpress their displeasure at the actions of another by bringing about a motion of Bad Standing.

Motion of Bad StandingA Motion of Bad Standing may be brought by one Prince against another for any reason. This Motion is voted on asan item on the Symposium agenda, though this specific agenda item must be announced at least 30 days in advanceof the Symposium. If the Motion fails, the Symposium immediately votes on a Motion of Bad Standing against thePrince who brought the Motion initially. Such is the price for wasting the time of the Princes of the Camarilla.A Prince may put forward a Motion of Bad Standing against a domain for the following reasons without risking aMotion against his domain if it fails:∙ The Prince changes Clans∙ The Prince leaves the Camarilla (declaring himself Autarkis, for example)∙ Harboring a criminal bloodhunted by a Justicar∙ Exposed to be aiding the enemies of the Camarilla∙ Bringing a false accusation against a fellow Prince

∙ Not repaying a debt of prestation

A Domain immediately falls into Bad Standing without the need for a motion if any of the following happens:

A Prince grants Acknowledgment to a member of Clan GiovanniThe Prince is discovered to be Caitiff

Effects of Bad StandingDomains in Bad Standing suffer the following effects until a new Prince rises to power (though the domain falls backinto Bad Standing again if he ever attains praxis again), or a Symposium of at least the same territory (Regional,National, Global) votes to remove the Bad Standing:∙ All Kindred from that Domain gain the Negative Status Traits of Distrusted and Unstable for as long as theDomain is in Bad Standing.∙ No other Domain is under any obligation to help the offending Domain ­ better that the Sabbat should destroy acity than the poison harbored there should spread.∙ All alliances, deals and bargains done with the offending Domain are now null and void until the Bad Standing isrevoked.∙ All Patronage Status given to those who reside in the Distrusted Domain counts as Negative Status.∙ All Boons made with Kindred from that Domain are now null and void until the Bad Standing is revoked.∙ Residents are made unwelcome in other Domains.∙ The Primogen may now remove their Prince with a simple majority vote and without having to sacrifice any oftheir own Status. The Primogen are the voice of reason when a Prince goes against Society.

Declaration of CensureWhile Bad Standing is having the full faith and credit of the Camarilla removed from a Prince, there is a milder rebukeavailable to a region’s Princes. They may simply Censure an offending Domain by declaring the Domain Unstable.Declaring a Domain Unstable sends the clear message that the Domain in question is viewed as unreliable andpotentially dangerous to the region’s health and well­being.

The declaration of misrule may be caused by anything which angers or alarms the Domains of a region. It is seen as awarning message to the Prince and Primogen of the offending city that the path they are on leads only to isolationand Bad Standing. Often, a declaration of Censure is the precursor to a Prince being deposed, but not always.Declaration of Censure is given in two ways. First, it may be voted on in exactly the same way as a Domain of BadStanding – as an agenda item at a Symposium of the Domain’s region or a National Symposium. Secondly, theJusticars have the ability to issue a Declaration of Censure.

The effects of a Censure are simple. The Domain itself gains the negative status of Unstable. This means that allkindred in that Domain are considered to be down one status trait against those not of that Domain. Thus, a Status 6Elder from an Unstable Domain is considered to be Status 5 when dealing with anyone outside that Domain.

The Unstable Status is removed in only a few ways. It may be removed by another vote at Symposium in theDomain’s home region. It is automatically removed if a new Prince takes office. If neither of those things happens, itexpires 6 months from the date it was issued. The declaration is a warning sign to a Domain that they are seen as adestabilizing force in the region and remaining solid in their support of the Prince is taken as proof that the region’smisgivings are unfounded.

New Position: Royal Harpy

The advent of a Symposium brings one more position: the Royal Harpy. The first item on any agenda for aSymposium is the election of the Royal Harpy. So ubiquitous is this, that it no longer even needs appear on theagenda, it is simply assumed as part of the proceedings. Though the Princes of a Symposium are under nocompunction to elect a Royal Harpy, it is rare that it does not happen.

The Royal Harpy exists only for the duration of the event at which the Symposium takes place, thus the positionnever lasts for longer than three nights at the most. At any time during the event, the Princes’ Symposium maydecide to remove their support of the Royal Harpy. The only ban on who may be Royal Harpy is that no Prince orClanhead may hold the post.

The Royal Harpy may grant a Patronage Status Trait to any Kindred at the event who did not vote on the matter ofRoyal Harpy at the Symposium. The Royal Harpy may grant Negative Status Trait to any Kindred whom attends theevent. These Status Traits are granted by announcing them publicly. These Patronage Status Traits persist unlessremoved.

Most importantly, the Royal Harpy may remove the Status of Acknowledged. Typically, all the Princes aresequestered for Symposium, and as such, their Harpy is effectively the Prince of the event during their meeting andthe remainder of the event.

At the close of a regional Symposium, the Royal Harpy gains the Patronage Status Trait of Royal Harpy of the XRegion for a period of 6 months or until the next Symposium in that region (whichever comes first). After this timeperiod, the Status goes away. This Status may be stripped by a Harpy or Prince as usual. For a national or globalSymposium, this status Royal Harpy of the X is gained for 1 year or until the next symposium of that scope takesplace (whichever comes first).

Sect Level PlayThis is the level of politics where things get extremely perilous. If you make it to this level you are either very old(Elder), very powerful (Clanhead, Imperial Prince), very important (Justicar and Archon) or very smart. There are noreal rules to this highest level of politics. At this level you interact with the true Ancients and the factions andcoteries of Elders, who, in turn, dictate all the way down to the lowest levels how things are run. There are no setrules here, except one. Show any stupidity, make any mistake, and you will be killed.

The characters here play a subtle game, one that takes years to play. New contenders are looked on in a mix ofamusement and contempt. If they don’t follow the unwritten rules, which are never explained, then they can expect todie very quickly.

New Position: ClanheadThe Clans instituted the office of the Clanhead in an attempt to keep others out of their internal business and providea universal face to the Camarilla that everyone can understand. Each large geographic area that contains a significantnumber of Kindred are encouraged to appoint a Clanhead. This Kindred serves as the visible and public leader of aclan in that geographic area. They report directly to the collective Elders of the Clan in their area and to arepresentative of the Camarilla as a whole.The selection of a Clanhead varies between the Clans, but the backing of the Elders is a minimum requirement. TheBrujah may hold a rant and debate over who has the proper vision for their Clan while the Ventrue may simply elect aChairman of the Board by other Board members. The power that the Clanhead wields is usually a directly related tohow much support they have from the Elders who place them into office.

During the first year of the Chronicle, the players will develop and flesh out the selection method which will beapproved by the Storytellers who have jurisdiction over that area.The Clanhead is a position designed to be held by a player character. This should be an Elder of considerableinfluence. They also have several positions that are attached to their office that will give opportunities for severalPCs to be involved in this level of politics.Key Points:The Clanhead is the “official” conduit to the higher level Clan NPCs. They submit reports to the STs on aquarterly basis, which we will use to form part of our official “what the NPCs know” doctrine. It is veryuseful when we can point to players and say “here is what the high level NPCs know, and they have notbeen

Steward ­ Appointed by the ClanheadThe Steward of the Clan is typically an Ancilla who is being groomed for higher leadership roles in thefuture. They often are the first line of communications those who wish to engage with the Clanhead.They are also charged with clan communications in the area of responsibility of their Clanhead. Any clanwide email or conference falls under their authority. They also are sent on diplomatic missions that arenot important enough for the Clanhead to risk the perils of travel.Key Points:The Steward is a gateway into the high level politics of Elders that can be attained by anyone. They arealso an approachable character for newer players to feel comfortable with interacting with while notinvoking the wrath of irritable Elders.

Myrmidon ­ Appointed by the ClanheadThe political power of the Clanhead is often all that is needed to settle intra clan disputes or handlenegotiations with other Clans. Sometimes there needs to be a more direct application of the will ofa Clan. The Myrmidon is not interested in Sect justice or in upholding the Traditions of the Camarilla.They are the Clanhead’s enforcer. If a member of the clan breaks internal clan laws, it is often better toquietly have the Myrmidon and his associate pay a visit to the offending party rather than drag the clansbusiness before a Prince or a Justicar. These are often Elders who employ several Ancilla in differentregions to make sure no one is too far away from threat of direct physical intervention if a clan memberstrays from the path. Clans which already have internal policing methods use the Myrmidon as a public method ofresolving such issues for the viewing of the other clans.Key Points:The Myrmidon is going to be the intra clan bruiser to handle things that the clan wants to keep quiet.They will take up a lot of the slack that we typically have to employ Archons or Justicars for even if theirinvolvement is not strictly what the setting would call for. It also puts it in the hands of the PCs.

The core 7 Camarilla Clans all have a Clanhead . (Brujah, Gangrel, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere, Ventrue)

BoonsThe System of Boons & Prestations

The Basics

What are Boons and Prestations?

There is only one true medium of exchange among Kindred – the barter of boons and prestations. When one Kindreddoes something for another Kindred, that service is a boon to the recipient. In Kindred culture, the recipient of aboon then has a legal obligation of repayment. The repayment of a debt, in services or goods, is called a prestation.Boons and prestation, two sides of the same barter system, are the currency of the Kindred world, working likemoney does for mortals. They serve the important functions of being a medium of exchange, a store of value and astandard of deferred payment.

Variable Value of Boons and Prestations

Unlike any single currency used by mortal nations (US$, Euro, etc.), boons and prestations do not have a singlestatic unit of measure for value – their value of an individual boon or prestation is based not only on itsDenomination (see below), but also on the standing of the Kindred who owes the prestation. (This is kind of likehow the currency of a country rises and falls in value in relation to other countries’ currencies, but for individualKindred in comparison to one another.) The value of any individual prestation, apart from its Denomination, can riseor fall – and so become more or less highly prized – based on how the Kindred who owes it gains or decreases inpower within society.

In addition to the rank of individual Kindred, the value of boons and prestation is also based on the faith and creditall Kindred of the Camarilla have in the system of boons and prestations itself. Kindred commonly call this the“system of prestation”, since boons are conferred in a relatively short period of time compared to the debts ofprestation they cause, which can last for centuries. If faith in the value of any boons or prestations should falter, theentire system would be at risk, in turn risking the investments and assets all Kindred have within the system. Thisshared threat motivates Kindred to uphold the faithful and orderly continuance of the system and to protect itagainst any who would act to threaten it.

Why do Kindred use Boons at all?

(Almost) all Kindred may both grant boons and owe prestations (see Eligible Parties of a Transaction below). Theydo this for reasons similar to mortals – they want to exchange in trade something of value between one another in aworld where money has no permanent meaning (even the value of gold and diamonds fluctuates) and actual goodsare bulky and impractical for frequent exchanges. Only a Kindred’s standing in society has any meaningful valuebetween undying predators.

How does this impact the nature of Camarilla society?

The system of prestations ties together the Kindred of the Camarilla in an interlocking web of mutually reinforcingbelief. This web of debts is the glue that holds the Camarilla together. Every Kindred who is owed debts ofprestation has a vested interest in preserving the value and faithful fulfillment of all prestation – to protect their owninvestment. Allowing another Kindred to renege on prestations is like allowing a friend to counterfeit money for hisown use alone – your own money would eventually become worthless. Likewise, any Kindred seeking the servicesor efforts of another has an interest in preserving the value of all boons and prestations. In this way, boons andprestations are more than a currency unit in an undead economy – they are hard­wired into the deep social fabric ofKindred interactions.

Mortals have established institutions to ensure the value of their currency: central banks determine the amount ofmoney in the system, and the treasury department guards against counterfeits. Likewise, Kindred have an institutioncharged with ensuring the value of boons and prestations – this is the special domain of the Harpies. However, it isalso in every Kindred’s best interest to enforce the precedents and customs of boons and prestations. As a store of

value, a debt of prestation is only useful as long as all Kindred believe that prestations will be honored. If anyKindred fails to value a debt of prestation properly, it jeopardizes the common belief in the validity of boons andprestations and the value of all prestations currently owed to anyone. This is important for players to understand.A Brujah Elder who might not give a Ventrue the time of day might still lean on a rash Brujah Neonate who isconsidering reneging on a debt of prestation to that Ventrue. Those Kindred who have no reason to do the BrujahNeonate any favors might just draw the attention of the Harpy to the matter, much as mortals call the police when abank robbery is in progress.

Do Boons and Prestations mean anything to non­Camarilla vampires?

Although in current nights it is the Camarilla and its Harpies which maintain and adjudicate the use of boons andprestations, it should be noted that boons and prestations are recognized and used by the other Clans as well. It isquite acceptable to owe or be owed by a Giovanni, Follower of Set, Assamite, or other outsider (but see Pedigreebelow). Indeed, the canny exchange of boons and prestations is one of the methods by which the Camarilla hasslowly conquered the territories previously owned by these Clans. The only exception to this is the Sabbat, who areconsidered far too depraved and untrustworthy to enter into such agreements in good faith.

Terms of Exchange

Some of the most important traditional (and thus common) terms used for negotiating, recording, adjudicating anddiscussing transactions of boons and prestations are presented here. While precise use of these legal terms is notrequired for a transaction to be valid, the concepts behind them are sacrosanct in Kindred society and for theCamarilla in particular.

Debtor:The Kindred who receives the boon that begins a transaction is the Debtor. Debtors are expected to repay the debtby providing the Grantor with services or goods at some point in the future (prestation). For any particular debt ofprestation, the Debtor is constant, except in the case of the Final Death of the original Debtor (see Death, Boons andPrestation below). Note this also prevents Debtors from “laundering” debts of prestation or circumventing thecommon law of Immutability of Boons and Prestations (see below).

Grantor:The Kindred who grants the boon that begins a transaction is the Grantor. The Grantor is entitled to call the debt ofprestation due at some point in the future. When a debt of prestation is traded to another individual, they thenbecome the Grantor, and the original Grantor loses any claim to that particular debt of prestation by the Debtor.Ways in which the change of Grantor for a transaction can be effected are addressed in several sections below and inthe Boons and Prestations Strategic Guide.

Boon:The boon is what the Debtor asks of the Grantor (or what the Grantor offers). It may be a service, item or even thelack of an action. Asking a Kindred *not* to do something can be a boon, even though there is no physical serviceor good being provided. The Camarilla strictly forbids any grant of permission to violate the Tradition ofMasquerade as a boon. No Harpy will honor a boon made under such terms if he has sense enough to fear theJusticars.

Prestation:This is what the Grantor of a boon requires of the Debtor to consider the boon fulfilled. Just about anything underthe sun can be considered prestation based on the Denomination of the boon, but the Camarilla prohibits the use of

boons to violate its most sacred laws. Requesting another to breach the Masquerade or to commit Diablerie (i.e.,calling due a debt of prestation in order to force another Kindred into such a heinous sin against the Humanitasvalued by the Camarilla) as a prestation is prohibited. Any Grantor who demands such a thing under the auspices ofa prestation will see his prestation nullified by the Harpy, his own Status diminished, and possibly further actionsundertaken by the Prince.

A Note on Diablerie as Prestation: This clause does not prevent Grantors from naming Diablerie as the repayment tobe received as prestation, however. Offensive as such a heinous act might be to the sensibilities of the Humanitasvalued by the Camarilla, the system of boons and prestations asserts no specific ban against someone choosingDiablerie as their reward when they desire it, only against forcing other Kindred to commit Diablerie. Of course, anyKindred who demonstrates the desire to collect the souls of other Kindred for Diablerie as prestation (either asGrantor or as Debtor paying off a Grantor) will have any number of other problems to contend with – in comparison,the reluctance of other Kindred to enter transactions with such Kindred may seem insignificant. In any case, debtssevere enough to warrant Diablerie as prestation are rare, and only a Life Boon should ever lead to prestation on thisscale. This is a key difference between Life Boons and Blood Boons (see Denomination below).

Denomination:The Denomination of a boon and prestation pair is considered its “face value”. There are five Denominations: Trivial,Minor, Major, Blood and Life. The Denomination of the prestation must be proportionate to the Denomination of theboon given. Denomination is only one aspect of value – the other is the Pedigree of the prestation, i.e., who theDebtor is (see Pedigree below).

Below are guidelines about the degree of service that is appropriate for boons and prestations for the differentdenominations. But remember that the exact nature of discharging the prestation is going to vary widely in eachcircumstance, and this is why the prior consent of the grantor who agreed to discharge the boon for a specific act iscritical.

(Note: Although the categories and guidelines here are adapted from Laws of the Night: Revised, p. 221, thePrestation mechanics and guidelines given on p. 220 are not adopted for the current Masquerade chronicle’streatment of boons and prestations.)

Trivial – A one­time favor, e.g., acting as a security escort for an evening to dissuade would­be attackers, aidingsomeone’s effort by use of a Discipline, or supporting someone’s political move at little political risk to oneself

Minor – A longer favor that can last more than a single evening and probably entail some kind of real inconvenience,e.g., safe passage through and/or short­term safe lodging in a hostile city, revealing crucial information, disposing ofa threat with little risk to oneself

Major – A great expenditure of time or resources, usually lasting for many game sessions, e.g., purchasing anightclub to serve as a haven for the recipient

Blood – A dangerous favor with high likelihood of mild or moderate injury, and a chance of serious injury or personaldisaster, i.e., willingness to shed one’s own blood on behalf of the recipient (figuratively or concretely), e.g., helpingthe recipient to escape or avoid an impending attack by a pack of Sabbat as quickly as possible

Life – A favor so dangerous that the bestower actively risks his or her own life (figuratively or concretely) so that therecipient can live, even if the bestower doesn’t, e.g., single­handedly holding off a pack of Sabbat inside a burningbuilding so that the recipient can make a clean getaway, charging into a fight against a clearly superior force of

Sabbat or Lupines, a Prince sparing a newly released Neonate’s life after the Neonate has breached the Masquerade

Further information on Denominations of boons and prestations and examples of appropriately scaled tasks andservices are given in the Boons and Prestations Strategic Guide.

Common Law of Boons and Prestations

A number of precedents have emerged within the Protocols of the Camarilla as they relate to boons and prestations,and these precedents have solidified into binding common law for the entire system. The Common Law of Boons andPrestations developed to preserve the value and credibility of the entire system of exchange. Although localdomains may vary slightly in flavor, the elements of the Common Law of Boons and Prestations listed below form thebaseline of what characters should expect and what all Harpies are expected to know and follow:

Eligible Parties of a Transaction:Only released Kindred may enter into the exchange of boons and prestations. Unreleased childer are considered theproperty of their sires and as such may not owe or be owed debts of prestation. If an unreleased childe performs anact on behalf of someone, the resulting prestation is owed to the sire, not the childe. In addition, Ghouls, mortals, etc.may neither owe nor be owed debts of prestation. Any Kindred trying to flout this principle should expect thedevastating scandal that any competent Harpy would deliver should someone come asking for judgment on anexchange of boon and prestation with a Ghoul or with one of the Kine (mortals).

Reciprocity of Boon and Prestation:Each party in the exchange of boons and prestations must gain something. The first delivered part of the exchange isthe boon. The delayed, or stored, part of the exchange is the prestation. (The words may occasionally vary, but theconcepts are universal to all exchanges of this type.) The prestation is a promise of future repayment for the originalboon.

Trading of Prestations:The Grantor who is owed prestation has the power to “hold” or “sell/trade” the prestation. (Just like the bank thatholds your school loans or mortgage can sell them to another bank whenever they want to.) For example: a Princeprovides a feeding territory to an Ancilla – a Major Boon. Both parties “gained” something (see Reciprocity above).The Ancilla gained the boon of a feeding territory right away, and the Prince gained the future prestation in like value– a future repayment of services or goods equivalent in value to the feeding territory. According to the common lawgoverning trading of prestations, the Prince can later choose to call it due himself or to trade the prestation to anotherKindred.

Prior Consent:All parties to an exchange of boon and prestation must willingly consent prior to the granting of the boon by theGrantor. Likewise, when repayment is called due, both sides must willingly consent to the terms to consider theprestation fulfilled. This can be done as simply as the Debtor stating: “Do [X] for me, and I will owe you [Y]”. If theGrantor agrees to the terms and then provides [X], a debt of prestation now exists. Discharging a prestation worksthe same way. The Grantor can request, “Do [Z] for me, and I will consider your [Y] fulfilled.” If the manner ofrepayment requested is real a problem for the Debtor for some reason (such as not even having the means to providethat particular service), then the common law of Prior Consent affords the Debtor protection from being labelled aBoonbreaker. In cases where the Debtor is clearly capable of fulfilling the requested prestation, the situation is moretenuous. Some Grantors might allow a Debtor to request a delay of the repayment or to plead for a different mannerof repayment than what is being requested. Other Grantors might be quicker to assume that the Debtor is seeking toback out of the prestation and seek swift justice from the Harpy upon the would­be Boonbreaker’s head. Debtors

who demonstrate a pattern of hiding behind the common law of Prior Consent when repayment is well within theirmeans are inviting the scrutiny of the Harpy and potential scandal, so invocation of this clause by Debtors when theGrantor wishes to call the debt due should be considered carefully.

If a Kindred acts on behalf of another, and then asks for a debt of prestation – or for an outstanding debt ofprestation to be considered fulfilled – in return based on their act after the fact , there is no requirement for thebeneficiary to agree to the request one other than his or her own personal honor. (It is this prior consent element ofboons and prestations that contributes to the famous delay and stall tactics of Elders, who seem to “squanderprecious time” before bringing their enormous resources to bear – they are acting to ensure that any matter ofprestation is thoroughly worked out.)

Any compulsion, including the use of Disciplines, Blood Bonds or other rituals to compel another to grant a boon ortake on a debt of prestation, or to discharge them, violates the concept of prior consent. Harpies who uncover suchcases can nullify the prestation and land the fraudster in hot water with scandal. Likewise, attacking someone andasking for a prestation as the price to cease is not considered prior consent, just like putting a gun to a person’s headand asking the captive to sign a contract renders the contract invalid. Remember, such a fraud doesn’t just impactthe boon and prestation in question – it throws into doubt the value of all boons and prestations, just like acounterfeiter threatens the value of all currency, not just his own.

This doesn’t mean that the debtor’s life and limb can’t be in jeopardy when a boon is offered. For example, lesseninga punishment in exchange for a boon (see Clemency in the Boons and Prestations Strategic Guide) is a very commonpractice among Princes and Elders. Also, a Kindred is never bound to act – if a Debtor finds himself about to beripped apart by ravening werewolves at the door, the Grantor can offer his services in exchange for a prestation later.Even though the Debtor’s life was at risk, it wasn’t the Grantor’s doing (at least not as far as anyone can tell!) and theGrantor was under no obligation to act.

A final note on Princes and boons as “tribute”: Some Princes might choose to demand boons from other Kindred intheir domain for so­called services, such as granting that Kindred acknowledgement in the city. While this isperfectly legal – it’s still a choice whether to accept the debt of prestation for the Prince’s acknowledgement – aPrince who does this routinely, or without cause based on who is seeking acknowledgement, might expect otherrepercussions. This is because the Prince already has the power of the Second Tradition behind him (Domain).Demanding prestation (especially in larger Denominations) should not be necessary for such banal matters, and thehabit of doing so might be interpreted as a lack of faith in the Prince’s ability to enforce their own right of Domain,making the Prince look weak.

Immutability of Boons and Prestations:Unlike money, boons and prestations cannot be consolidated or broken apart across categories of Denomination.(This is like the mortgage on your house: your bank can sell your 30­year mortgage to another bank, but it is notallowed to sell 10 years’ worth to one bank and 20 years’ worth to another.) Two Trivial Prestations cannot becombined into or renegotiated for one Minor Prestation, nor can a Major Prestation be broken into a Minor and aTrivial, then given to two separate Kindred or called due at separate times. Only one Kindred can ever be the Debtorand only one Kindred at a time can be the Grantor (though the Grantor can change as the boon is traded).

Durability of Boons and Prestations:Boons are durable. If a Grantor of a boon passes the resulting prestation off to another, the new holder of theprestation is owed the same level of service from the Debtor as if the original Grantor were asking it of him.Prestations can even persist beyond the Final Death of a Kindred (see Death, Boons & Prestations below).

Adjudication & Jurisdiction:Boons and prestations are the privileged domain of the Camarilla’s Harpies. It is the Harpy who acts as the judge,jury and record keeper of any dispute, question, or tracking involving a boon or prestation. The Harpy’s decision onsuch matters is final. Although technically subject to the Prince’s review under the Tradition of Domain, few Princesare stupid enough to second guess or, even worse, countermand or prescribe the judgment of a Harpy on thedisposition of a boon or prestation publically. Few circumstances or deeds can lead as quickly to a Domain of BadStanding or Declaration of Censure as a Prince who interferes in the realm of Harpies.

A Harpy can only adjudicate on issues relating to the granting or discharge of boons and prestations within theirown domain of residence. When issues arise between two domains, the duty of the Harpies to the Camarilla is toconfer with their peers in the domains involved and come to a joint decision (though the words of Harpies of higherstanding usually carry more weight than the opinions of Harpies of lower standing, a nuance that is only fitting fortheir office). If one of the Harpies involved in such a dispute resolution leaves office for any reason before theresolution is determined, then that Harpy’s successor is obliged to take over where the predecessor left off. TheHarpies take the cumulative value of boons and prestations within the Camarilla very seriously and recognize thatimpudent or biased rulings on a single boon can ripple through and impact the value of boons held by all Kindred.As a result, such disputes can be very impassioned when Harpies find themselves in disagreement about thedisposition of a boon or prestation.

Completion:In times past, a Kindred Grantor could lord a prestation over a Debtor for a long period of time by continually callingfor services of a lesser value than the prestation itself, in effect creating a form of indentured servitude. That systememerged from the feudal system of the Dark Ages where patronage and vassalage were common. But after theAnarch Revolt, and as a result of modern economics sensibilities seeping into the perception of the Camarilla, boonsbecame more transactional in nature. In modern times, a transaction is only held open until a specific prestation iscalled due. Then the transaction is considered discharged. Calling for many smaller services as fulfillment of a largerdebt of prestation (such as multiple Trivial Prestations for a single Minor Prestation) constitutes a violation of thecommon law of Immutability (see above).

What can a Harpy do to a Boonbreaker?

For someone who reneges on a prestation or violates a boon, the consequences can be severe. The most immediateaction is usually scandal resulting in the offender being branded a Boonbreaker (Negative Status). A Harpy may alsorefuse to acknowledge current prestations for which the Boonbreaker is the Grantor (cancelling all the debt owed tothe Boonbreaker, in effect foreclosing on the Boonbreaker’s potential assets). More severe measures, especially forlarger Denominations of boons and prestations, rely on the Harpy’s influence with powerful Kindred of the Camarilla.Whispering into a Prince’s or Clanhead Elder’s ear that a member of their court or bloodline is reneging on a booncan bring an immediate end to the deadbeat’s recalcitrance. Ultimately, if a Prince is so convinced by a Harpy’srequest, a Prince can command that the boon or prestation be honored. Then failure to obey becomes a violation ofthe Second Tradition (Domain), potentially leading to Final Death of the transgressor. Likewise, a Clanhead maythreaten Expulsion.

What can a Harpy do to a Grantor who violates or abuses the Common Law precedents or basic terms of exchangestated above? The most powerful act of a Harpy is to simply refuse to acknowledge that a boon or prestation exists.This wipes the slate clean – the Debtor has no more obligation to the Grantor for that transaction. This often occurswhen one of the Common Law precedents listed above is violated, or after a pattern of egregious behavior isdisplayed by a Kindred seeking to manipulate the system of prestation. Remember, a Harpy’s job is not to protectthe value of one individual boon or prestation, but rather all the transactions in the system of prestation within the

Camarilla. Lesser punishments might include a suggested reduced Denomination of the prestation (which the Grantoris free to ignore, but then the Harpy might simply wipe the prestation out completely, so better to take thesettlement!). Reneging on debts of Major, Blood or Life Prestations provoke the harshest punishments from theHarpy, because they threaten the system of boons and prestations most. In such cases, the offender may findhimself suddenly no longer able to call due debts of prestation that he had counted on (because the Harpy cancelledall debts for which he was the Grantor), known as a Boonbreaker to all Kindred, and perhaps utterly destroyedpolitically by additional scandalous news “unearthed” by the Harpy at just the wrong time. Such a Kindred may alsofind that as a Boonbreaker, even being a Debtor to powerful Kindred might not help him, because they can no longertrust that he will fulfill his prestations to them. A Kindred who cannot collect on any debts of prestation, is greatlyreduced in social standing and is no longer valuable as a Debtor is unlikely to have a bright future – his life would beof no more value to Kindred society.

Death, Boons & Prestation

Killing those indebted to others:When one Kindred kills another, the killer becomes the new Debtor of any prestations that the victim owed at thetime of Final Death. This preserves the value of the system of prestation.

Kindred estates after Final Death:When a Kindred dies, any prestation they were owed is lost to the ages. Kindred do not honor the wills of thedeceased.

Capital Punishment:There is one exception to the general disposition of boons and prestations upon a Kindred’s death. All theprestations a Kindred owes as a Debtor are nullified when they are killed under the authority of a Prince or Justicar ofthe Camarilla. Likewise, the Kindred who successfully killed the condemned Kindred becomes the Grantor for anyprestations that the deceased Kindred was owed. This serves as an additional bounty to encourage the lawfulpursuit of outlaws and criminals. It also serves as a check – Elders heavily invested in a Kindred will go to greatlengths, including staking them to “cool off” for a decade or two, if they feel their actions might precipitate a BloodHunt and nullify their investment in that Kindred.

A companion guide to the strategic use and value of Boons is presented here:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X9kKFK6FSJy3zFyuXIopG­cflkaFYjv73ltC­rrFy3k/edit

Final Words

The above material regarding Boons and Prestations states the minimal rules and expected practices for exchangingboons and prestations. It also outlines the nature of Kindred attitudes and beliefs about boons and prestations thatare an essential part of the Masquerade setting as it has been defined for the current chronicle. These comprise thelaws and beliefs surrounding boons and prestations in Kindred society, and characters played in the currentchronicle are expected to acknowledge these as facts of their world, even if they should choose to rebel against or toundermine the system for IC reasons of their own, which they would do at their own risk.

Further information about boons and prestations are provided in the Boons and Prestations Strategic Guide, whichincludes a much more extensive set of examples of appropriate services and risks to request in exchange for boons orin the fulfillment of prestation. Also provided there are some notes on the variety of strategies characters mightemploy in their dealings with regard to boons and prestations. Players are highly encouraged to read that documentas well in order to add to their mastery of the system of boons and prestations in their roleplay.

Outside ElementsThe Ivory Tower has hardened itself against outsiders, and yet there are still those children of the other clans thatexist in the fringes of the Camarilla’s Shadow. Occasionally, a Domain exists not ruled by the Camarilla, but suchoddities become rarer and rarer in the modern nights.

Most sensible kindred treat any Independently held Domain as a dangerous place they shouldn’t be caught dead in.To hammer the point home, some Harpies who live near to such outcast places have even made it scandalous to stepfoot into an Independent territory, or to go slumming into the Domain of the Anarchs, except on the business of thePrince or Primogen.

All of this is not to say that the Anarchs, Autarkis, and Independent Clans do not have their place. They do, as theyare sometimes able to perform acts the Camarilla Loyal simply cannot get away with. It is just that the places theyhold sway are outside of polite society, and thus, not bound by the same strictures. This makes them dangerous tothe reputation of kindred who would visit such impolite places.

Most outsiders exist in an uneasy truce with the Camarilla and its members. A great many have simply accepted thatthe Camarilla is the only venue in which to accomplish their goals and so they come to spend time in Camarilla cities,doing what is necessary so as to avoid unkind attention and leading a careful life. Many find some way to establishtheir usefulness to the local Prince or a powerful Primogen and then bargain for a way to make their haven in the city.

Those few who have enough power or friends that they may hold actual domain usually defend that domain fiercely,while being careful to not provoke the broader Camarilla agents against them. It is a constant tightrope of power andrestraint to make sure the borders stay clear.

Independents and StatusLiving as an independent in a Camarilla city doesn’t place you beyond the law. Just because you don’tconsider yourself part of their system, doesn’t make you a part of it at least locally. You are still part of thedomain, and you are at the bottom of it. If your word ends up against that of an acknowledged rank neonatebefore the Prince, they are right; and you are wrong. Most independents survive this by having members ofthe Camarilla who will speak on their behalf in exchange for boons or services. Those Camarilla membersgrow a reputation as being in the pocket of the independents, making it difficult for the Camarilla members togain standing within society.

Giovanni Promise of 1528The interactions between the Giovanni clan and the Camarilla are mediated by an agreement between the groups in1528 called the Promise. The Promise is an agreement by the Camarilla and Clan Giovanni not to engage in warfareagainst one another or get involved in one another’s politics.Just as a Prince in a Camarilla domain can’t bloodhunt an entire clan, he may not kill all the Giovanni from his cityeither. He may kill one who breaks the Masquerade or violates the laws of the domain, but he may not murder him forsimply being a Giovanni. Domains often have an agreement with resident Giovanni to assist the domain in some wayin exchange for being permitted to live in the city, attending gatherings, and feeding from the mortal populace. TheGiovanni may not involve themselves in the selection of political positions, including openly declared praxis seizures.The Giovanni may not assist those who are bloodhunted while in the relevant Camarilla domain.In official Giovanni territories, the same holds true. The Giovanni ruler of the territory may kill Camarilla kindred

should they violate the rule of law in that territory. The Camarilla may not involve itself in the selection of thehierarchy of the Giovanni.One group spying on the other is not considered a violation of this agreement in a larger sense, and should beconsidered as dangerous as a Nosferatu spying on a Toreador, which is to say, it depends on the person in charge ofthe territory..Punishments for any problems are generally handled in boons or required services. Problems beyond the local level,or which involve actual warfare upon one group by the other are taken very seriously and can quickly lead to deathat the hands of one’s own group.Major issues which are unresolved by one’s own group are discussed by a meeting between the leadership of theGiovanni and the Camarilla every 13 years in Venice, Italy.