Camarilla


Camarilla
Aliases:	The Ivory Tower
Continuity:	World of Darkness
Type:	Faction
Status:	Active
Leaders:	Princes
Members:	Brujah Gangrel Malkavians Nosferatu Toreador Tremere Ventrue
Enemies:	Sabbat
1st appearance:	Vampire: The Masquerade

The Camarilla is a fictional faction and a pseudo-governing power featured in the World of Darkness roleplaying game continuity. They are most often attributed to the Vampire: The Masquerade storyteller system. The Camarilla is the most organized of the vampiric sects, an elite club that favors tradition and control of the mortal populace from behind the scenes. Across their domains, they enforce six major Traditions, chief among them being the Masquerade. All clans have an individual presence in the Ivory Tower, though a select group of pillar clans make up the core of its membership. Once the Camarilla welcomed all Kindred who obeyed its laws, but recent events have caused the leadership to adopt more exclusive membership rules. No Anarchs, Caitiff, or thin-blooded vampires are allowed to exist in many Camarilla-controlled Domains. In addition to preventing the growing mortals masses from discovering the existence of vampires, the Camarilla aims to maintain the status quo of Kindred society; as such, much of its structure and traditions mirror that of Cainite society in feudal Europe in the Dark Ages, and places it at odds with the agenda of the Sabbat and Anarchs, both of whom seek to overthrow archaic Kindred society.

History[]

The Camarilla's birth was grounded in the growing threats of the Inquisition and the Anarch Revolt, both of which were threatening Cainite domains throughout Europe. Though there had been attempts to form alliances in the past, a meeting of elders to seriously consider the idea of forming a league of vampires was not held until 1394. Little came of it, however, until a bold attack was made on the castle of the elder Ventrue Hardestadt led by the famous Anarch Tyler. The Founders-to-be recognized the need for a unified front and so banded together several of their most trusted childer and servants into a joint task force to use against the Anarchs. Though meant to illustrate what could be accomplished if elders pooled their resources together, politics and rivalries would continue to divide them even as the Founders slowly made preparations for their new alliance.

The formation of the "Camarilla" (a word that denoted both that it was a convocation of peers or comrades and that it met in session secret from mortal knowledge) was announced in 1435 as the Founders began openly rallying support for a coalition to protect vampires from the dangers of roving anarchs, the invading Assamites, and the increasingly dangerous mortal mobs. After all, the very Spanish word camarilla also means to mutually scratch one another’s back, a meaning that would be given expression in the convoluted workings of prestation throughout the sect.

War continued to rage over the next several decades and the Founders, now called Justicars, fought to hold the nascent sect together. In 1486 the first national conclave was convened, during which the justicars were given broader authority to punish vampires who violated the Traditions. A new body of agents was also formed to report to the justicars and free them to further develop the sect, creating what would eventually become the position of archon.

In 1493, the Convention of Thorns marked the end of the First Anarch Revolt and the birth of the Camarilla as it is known today. The Traditions were accepted as law. Representatives for the Brujah, Gangrel, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere, and Ventrue clans officially joined the sect, while those speaking for the Lasombra and Tzimisce, who were anarchs, rebelled against what they considered an offensive ultimatum and went on to form the Sabbat in opposition to everything the Founders intended. While the Convention of Thorns was a significant victory for the Camarilla, it set the stage for the next five centuries of conflict between the two sects.

Over the next two centuries those Anarchs who refused to accept the Convention of Thorns coalesced into the Sabbat and struck out against the Camarilla's power. The organization and superior numbers of the older sect gave it a distinct advantage, however, and during the 17th century the younger Sabbat vampires began migrating to the New World en masse, leaving most of Europe to the Camarilla.

For a time there was some debate as to whether to pursue their enemy to the Americas, but eventually the idea of staking out new territories was accepted as a means of placating younger Kindred. Whereas it had seemed that the Sabbat might claim all of the New World, as their enemies fell into internal conflicts over dwindling resources the Ivory Tower consolidated power in the English, Dutch, and French colonies. The War of 1812 mirrored a renewed battle for the Atlantic coast where the Camarilla gradually lost city after city throughout the first half of the 19th century. As the war expanded to the American frontier the Camarilla was barely able to hold on its domains only because of civil war within the Sabbat's ranks.

In the 20th century, the Camarilla was greatly weakened by internal disputes as Kindred took differing sides in the mortal conflicts in Europe. This was especially true during the Second World War when many elders, particularly among the Toreador, Tremere, and Ventrue, supported the Axis Powers; the Inner Circle refused to take sides, and even individual justicars ended up working against one another. However, when the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, it became deadly apparent how important preserving the Masquerade and global peace was, for mortals now possessed the power to destroy both themselves and all Kindred.

Following the Sabbat invasion of the East Coast, the Camarilla suffered another blow with the departure of the Gangrel. The reasons for their withdrawal are unknown; it is rumored then Justicar Xaviar went before the Inner Circle, uttered a single sentence, and left. Word spread through the clan, and over the course of a month the majority of the clan abandoned the sect and became independent.

Ur-Shulgi rise from torpor led to a cleansing of all Assamites who do not follow the Path of Blood. Those that survive attempt to join the Camarilla. This includes virtually all of the Banu Haqim. They are led by Al-Ashrad and Tegyrius.

Many elders succumb to the Beckoning or enter hiding, and the rise of the Second Inquisition leaves the remaining sect leadership paranoid about relying on modern technology. A ban is placed and the Anarchs are blamed, as more elitist membership policies are levied and a prohibition on clanless vampires is enforced. Retribution is taken at the Conclave of Prague, when Theo Bell slays Hardestadt and the bulk of the Brujah finally join clan Gangrel in the Anarch Movement.

A large number of Banu Haqim vampires join the Camarilla following their schism and an agreement called the Odense Pact. Then, half of clan Lasombra and all of their clan leadership begin to join on a city-by-city basis, paying for their entry in service, staked Sabbat vampires, or more arcane prices. Chicago is the first domain where such a deal is attempted.

Camarilla

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History[]

Notes & Trivia[]

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