Chapter One: Power Structures

　The first time a man hurled a curse instead of a stone was the start of civilization.

　— Sigmund Freud, Collected Works

　Though elders are a jaded, world-weary lot, they are impressed by one thing: the unholy power that courses through their aged veins. They are always mindful of the fact that if the laws that hold together the fragile truce of the Camarilla were to shatter, they would be plunged into chaos that could destroy them all.

The Deadly Game

　Power, like a desolating pestilence,
　Pollutes whate'er it touches; and obedience,
　Bane of all genius, virtue, freedom, truth,
　Makes slaves of men, and of the human frame
　A mechanized automaton.

　— Percy Bysshe Shelley, Queen Mab

　This vision of "mutually assured destruction" haunts all elders and drives them to find solutions to their problems. That often reduces violence. However, they are not looking for answers that are violence-free so much as reprisal-free. Direct attacks usually breed direct responses, so elders plot, scheme and maneuver within the restrictive framework of the Masquerade. They focus on thwarting plans and crushing pawns while always maintaining a thin crust of civility over the seething hatred.

　This gives the impression that elders are absorbed with playing capricious games. And in many ways, they are. But the games are deadly serious, and have lethal consequences. Many younger Kindred, who bear their brunt, believe that the elders extract perverse enjoyment from their suffering and from the suffering of humans. And there is truth in this as well. But it is a simplistic explanation of a complex and frightfully misunderstood problem.

　The real explanation is a combination of sadism, fear and political survival.


Sadism: Relishing Suffering

　To be an elder is to be strapped onto a roller coaster that never stops and continues to accelerate for all eternity. The living world seems to speed by in bursts of frenzied passions. Looking long on the exuberance of life brings only a precipitous slide into regret and dangerous self-pity. Through a peculiar combination of bitter ennui and undead malaise, elders detach from the world by imperceptible degrees.

　The biological world has a built-in, organic connection to itself that manifests in higher creatures as empathy. The undead lack this connection, and must rely on intellectual sympathy to make compassionate connections. Inflicting suffering stirs the aged blood of elders only because they have, in self-defense, grown detached from the reality of the pain felt by others. They care less, trust less and allow less of the world to be important to them. This is the beginning of the end of their Humanity, and an invitation to the Beast.


Fear: Clinging to the Status Quo

　This detachment also creates openings for younger vampires to take over from elders who become less interested in everyday affairs. Ambitious ancillae try to turn stewardship chores into leadership powers. The elders see this and fear their own growing irrelevancy, but usually do not wish to take on the work that would put them back in a position of direct, day-to-day importance. That would require re-engagement with the living world and its painful memories. Instead, they resort to the politics of personal destruction.

　lf a young, energetic Kindred embarks on a plan to reform the stale, perverse, claustrophobic, incestuous world of vampiric society, the elders conspire to bring him down. They use any and all weaponry at their disposal, and even violate their most sacred laws in the fight, so invested in the sick status quo they have preserved for centuries. They ridicule much-needed reforms in their early stages, secretly maneuver against them in advanced stages and openly oppose them in the rare case when they start to succeed. And this, too, is an opening for the Beast.


Political Survival: How the Dead Live On

　Elders fight change because it reveals their irrelevancy, causing them to lose power and prestige. Their greatest fear is not loss of unlife (though that also consumes them) but loss of power. Once elders have tasted true control over Kindred and kine, few can bring themselves to willingly give up even a small amount. It is very difficult for them to pass power on to their young and let them act freely. Instead, the elders try to hang on for all of their immortal years. As a result, the younger vampires are caught in a deadly vise, unable to move up and forbidden to move out.

　The bitter irony is that many would prefer to rid themselves of the difficult chores and conflicts that come with power, but they are addicted to the tremendous status it confers. The absolute deference of peers and the powerless alike is a darkly seductive force that cannot be fully appreciated by one who has not felt it. Acclaim, veneration and obedience are more important than immortality to the un-loved. These are pathetic, artificial substitutes for love, but in the joyless halls of Elysium, they are all most elders have.

　Though not all elders are aware of their addiction to the perquisites of power, they are all acutely conscious of the humiliation that accompanies a loss of it. The more power an elder accumulates, the farther the fall and the more enemies who wish to see it. So this power becomes a prison. Elders must acquire more to preserve their station, leading to greater resistance from the young and perpetuating the cycle.

　Many older humans suffer from this affliction as well, but even the most extreme cases are inevitably betrayed by their own mortality. This potent psychological clock impels all mortals to resolve crises in their lifetime. Ultimately, if the debilitation of age does not force a power shift to a new generation, the finality of death will.

　But the inner voice of aged Kindred screams that they must never cut the strings — even when the relationship becomes poisonous. This partially explains the generational slaughter that bedevils the vampire community. Those most wicked of crimes mean yet more lost Humanity.

　These three forces rule Elysium and create a vortex that drags elders down. They have the wolf by the ears. They cannot win and they cannot get out of the game. The only possible solution is Golconda, though many consider that enlightened state a fool's paradise and see the only end to the game in Gehenna. A significant minority of elders reject the Camarilla party line that holds Gehenna as a myth, and form secret cults (see Chapter Two).

　In the meantime, elders continue an inexorable slide toward the Beast, tempered only by any good works they can possibly carry out.

权力五支柱


奖赏

　为防汝辈子嗣获得挑战汝之统治所需的牢固基础和可靠资源。务必让他失衡。迷惑他吧。

　那些出色地服侍长老的后代须被经常奖赏。经常，但并不一定。长老上级对他的喜爱不可预测，对他的奖赏也变化无常。长老上级要永远注意间断发放少许奖赏的需要，确保他的后代永不觉得自己真应得到它。奖赏须总被看作祝福，是长老大恩大德的一个例子。如此子嗣便会足够感激。

　但太频繁给予奖赏，那些忘恩负义的可怜虫就会期望得到奖励。这些被惯坏的子嗣相信奖赏是得来的，不是被赐予的。他们逐渐以行动控制长老。若他们因长老均匀奖赏自己而清楚能期待什么，那么他们就能密谋建立自己的帝国。他们因能依赖长老的回应，而有了勇气来密谋反对他们的同伴。然后让长老未能提供预期奖励，被惯坏的子嗣就会发脾气。他受伤、生气并被背叛了，并进行相应的反击。

　一个有理由觉得自己受委屈的子嗣，是远比须总寻求取悦无常主人的新方式的子嗣危险得多的存在。然而当此类进步的确应得奖赏时，汝万不可经常扣留，因为一无所有、一无所获的贫穷子嗣仍比被鄙夷的惯坏子嗣更危险。

　但长老能通过适时扣留奖赏，适时给予奖赏，保持对子嗣的控制。就像他的骏马般，给予奖赏就是骑手之果园的苹果，而扣留奖赏就是掌控之缰绳的刺痛。但它的痛苦只是暂时的。当痛苦过去后，子嗣又会急于取悦。只要适时给予苹果，她就会在夜里不断思索最能取悦主人的方式和行为。

　在吝啬长老和慷慨长老之路间，有一条上级长老之路。这是最艰难的路，因为吝啬长老有不散财的快乐，而慷慨长老有多奉承的快乐。两者中被奉承更具诱惑。

　上级长老须对他子嗣的奉承敬而远之。一个刚分得丰厚奖赏子嗣的阿谀奉承是诱人毒酒。它的味道令许多长老头晕目眩。但请注意，头晕目眩等同头首分离。


竞争

　子嗣是不安分、有野心和精力多的存在。若他的动力不被汝引导，那就会被引导对抗你。烦扰她吧。

　上级长老不会等着子嗣嫉妒地看着自己的地位，而是让她看着她弟兄的地位。若汝之爱女得罪了汝，改变她的地位。暂时宠爱另一个晚辈。长辈便会设法取悦汝，以重获你的宠爱。若她已对你下毒手，便会恐惧汝知晓，并感到愧疚。晚辈会努力保持他的好运，并继续取悦汝。

　长辈会鄙视后辈，试图把他拉下马，而后辈会努力巩固自己的地位来对抗长辈。只要汝禁止他们谋杀，或损害汝或汝之财产，他们的竞争将不使他们选择汝作为目标，并使他们自己的利刃变钝。这将消耗他们的精力，损耗他们的过剩资源。

　注意在圣战时期防止这种情况。在和平时期纵容他们的争斗，在战争时期打击有争斗行为者。


危险

　真正有野心的子嗣会小心保存施舍给他的奖赏，并不会在同他兄弟的竞争中挥霍它们，更糟的则与他们和平相处，这种子嗣总会是个危险。无论汝如何相信他是所有该隐后裔中最忠诚者。他都会是最大的威胁。伤害他吧。

　将他置于险境。派遣他进入敌方庇护所，派遣他刺探月族巢穴。他并未花在内斗上的精力也会被新任务消耗。若他胜出，他任务的风险也会增加；若他失败，他将无法让汝低头。

　这名子嗣是枚罕见的完美棋子。 别因害怕失去一枚珍贵骑士而保留他。若他从棋盘上被拿走，汝会更安全，而非更不安全。


血缚

　一个在巨大危险中幸存的子嗣是所有威胁中最大的。他聪明到能在无常而间断的奖赏中茁壮成长；他智慧到能和兄弟和平相处；他强壮到能在敌人面前幸存；他比汝更强大。打击他吧。

　所夺走他的意志。以血之仪式将他和汝绑定，但要小心其他长老的愤怒，他们当然恐惧如此受控的子嗣所组成的军队。当需要时，确保他永远不会在妒忌的怒火中使用他的力量对付汝。


死亡

　若子嗣抵抗了血缚，那么汝只有一条路可走。摧毁她吧。

　若汝并未摧毁她，那么她就会出于愚蠢的怜悯或骄傲摧毁汝。若汝无法摧毁她，那么她应得你的血。交出它，屈服于新生的上级长老吧。

Elder Relations to Childer

　For everyone that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death.

　— King James Bible, Leviticus 20:9

　The greatest war waged by the elders of the Camarilla is not with the Lupines, the anarchs or even the Sabbat. The bloodiest strife is the perpetual state of covert warfare the elders wage against their own progeny - all the Kindred who comprise the Camarilla. The elders receive the brunt of the Jyhad from the Methuselahs and pass the misery on to their descendants.

　Ancille and elders alike know that among humans, the young will replace the old, and for the old to cling to power is to injure everyone alike. But the old among the immortals need never give way to their offspring. This creates a state of eternal frustration in the young and eternal fear in the old, as the elder vampire is threatened by any sign of ambition in her childer, and the young vampire is thwarted at every turn by his sire.

　To keep the young in check, the elders resort to five time-honored stratagems, set out by the 12th-century Toreador Redondo de Vasquez.

Elder Relations to other Groups

　The best Party is but a kind of Conspiracy against the rest of the Nation.

　— Lord Halifax, Political Thoughts and Reflections

　Elders are always on strained relations with other groups inside the Camarilla and out. They work against their own as often as they work against non-Kindred. This is an explanation of those often complex relationships.


Neonates

　Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

　— King James Bible, Proverbs 23:13-14

　The elders have limited control over the great pool of neonates, since they must work through the sires to affect them, but they have a deep interest in all childer. As more and more new vampires become anarchs, or break their ties to the Camarilla and join the Sabbat, elders fear the unraveling of their centuries-old society. Without a fresh supply of obedient, humble young to act as foot soldiers in the endless Jyhad, the elders will have to face their foes directly. After centuries of indirect conflict, open warfare is not an attractive option.

　Some elders want to change the laws, allowing the creation of many new childer. They see strength of numbers as their only salvation. Cooler heads point out that as long as childer go over to the anarchs and Sabbat in increasing numbers, creating more vampires will make the enemy stronger.

　Most elders agree on the rearing of neonates. They believe the young should be disciplined harshly and instilled with fear of anarchic violence and revulsion for Sabbat practices. This approach cuts across clan lines, and finds as many adherents in Gangrel wastelands as Ventrue boardrooms. A prominent minority of elders reject this position, believing that strict control will only give progeny more cause to rebel. They advocate improved treatment of neonates.

　Most Malkavians and Nosferatu do not directly support the majority position, though other elders point to the frightening torments these clans sometimes inflict on their young as evidence of agreement. The Tremere refuse to accept any "childe-rearing" decrees from the Camarilla. They believe that their rigid hierarchical structure prevents neonates from escaping. Other clans insist that reality frequently proves this conviction wrong.


Ancillae

　lf a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: Then shall his father and mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place, and they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton. and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die.

　— King James Bible, Deuteronomy 21:18-21

　As the rank and file of the Camarilla, ancillae wield little power individually but more than they know when they act in concert. Clan rivalries, petty jealousies and personal tensions make any sort of ancilla organization difficult and unity very unlikely. Nevertheless, the elders intensely fear any steps in that direction with a passion, since most came to power over their own sires through secret pacts with other ancillae, and they obsessively watch for similar signs in their own progeny. Some elders have ordered their powerful progeny into battles against one another just to promote mutual hatred and head off any possible alliances.

　Overall, the ancillae are loyal and reasonably straightforward. Their minimal participation in the spoils of the Kindred world and hopes of future increase keep them toeing a very narrow line. They know their conduct will determine their reward, and those who elect not to rebel are eager to please their fickle masters. However, controlling the ancillae through reward is a double-edged sword. The better the an ancilla becomes at pleasing his masters, the more rewards he gets. The more rewards he gets, the more powerful he grows. As an ancilla learns to play the Elysium game created by his sires, he becomes an ever-greater threat to individual elders.

　The elders therefore make advancement within the ranks of the Camarilla torturously difficult and slow. But this builds friction, and many ancille smolder with resentment. To prevent the situation from flaring up, some elders argue in favor of increasing every ancilla's' share of Camarilla assets. They propose an end, or at least a decrease, in the rampant hoarding of vast resources. This is not a popular notion, but it gains support as the anarchs and the Sabbat attract more members.


Anarchs

　Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat well of the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured.

　— King James Bible, Isaiah 1:18-20

　To the anarchs, the elders' vise-like grip on power is a monstrous perversion of the natural order, and they conduct a running guerrilla. This has cost both camps dearly but has not shaken the elders' control. Still, fear of anarch incursions has caused them to tighten their grasp and resort to abuses that they once rejected. This could hand the anarchs the victory that has eluded their tacticians: in cracking down with excessive force, the elders risk losing the hearts and minds of all Kindred except the most tightly Blood Bound.

　The tactic that works best against the anarchs is demonization and propaganda. When the elders make themselves out to be victims of anarch savagery, they gain an odd measure of sympathy within the Camarilla. Blaming Sabbat horrors and other unexplained World of Darkness atrocities on anarchs also weakens the appeal of the rebellious Kindred.

　Surprisingly, the elders often reserve a greater personal hatred for anarchs than for the truly dangerous foes like the Sabbat. This is because the elders see the Sabbat as an enemy to be crushed, and proceed with straightforward, open warfare. They have no conflicting feelings about the servitors of the Black Hand. But the anarchs are still Camarilla, after a fashion.

　To face constant attacks from their own young makes the elders feel bitter and betrayed. Some progressive thinkers want the anarchs back in the Camarilla camp and have toyed with amnesty plans and even limited power sharing, though these ideas are continually shouted down in conclave. With Sabbat advances, however, even some of the more ancient elders are beginning to consider the unthinkable: détente with the anarchs.


The Sabbat

　Thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword: But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies.

　— King James Bible, Deuteronomy 20: 13-14

　Hatred for the Sabbat is rampant within the halls of Elysium. The gains made by the Black Hand and the losses felt by the Camarilla are eternally galling. The Sabbat's great success in breaking Blood Bonds has cost the elders supporters, territory, control and, worst of all, prestige.

　Some elders take pride in nothing but lording it over other Kindred. All their military victories and political stratagems are only tools to gain the reverence of the Camarilla. When the Sabbat break blood Bonds, or take over whole cities, these elders feel excruciating humiliation: to them, the resulting loss of face is nothing less than a symbolic stake in the heart. They react by hurling their resources into wave after wave of combat with the Sabbat. This lack of planning has cost the Camarilla dearly. The Sabbat have capitalized on many of these mistakes: were they better organized, they could have made even greater incursions on Camarilla territory.

　Many Justicars try to take this wild overreaction into account when planning strikes against the Sabbat. They must improve on the general strategy of the Conclaves but cannot deviate too far. They take great risks in countermanding direct orders, even when they create powerfully effective strategies.

　The Camarilla wants each "stolen" city back and will not hear arguments in favor of compromise or truce with their implacable foe. However, some elders have secretly begun to give up hope that they can stop the rising tide of Sabbat strength and believe that the Camarilla will end in the coming century. Though this prediction may simply be the result of an elder's morbidly obsessive imagination, more signs of its truth appear all the time.


Lupines

　For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

　— King James Bible, Acts: 20:29

　Elders have gained significant control over younger vampires by insisting that the Lupines are a grave threat to all Kindred, and that only strong leadership can keep the werewolves from overrunning them. This is an easy case to make, since Lupine-Kindred warfare has raged for centuries.

　In truth, the werewolves often adopt a live-and-let-live attitude towards vampires who successfully maintain their Humanity. But since many elders fear that age will inevitably erode their Humanity, they have reason to fear the werewolves. Though younger vampires are less at risk, they are more vulnerable to Lupine claws than the closeted elders. This is added incentive for elders to instill fear of the Lupines in their charges and claim special powers in fighting the shapechangers.

　However, the elders have little defense against the greatest Lupine weapon: the spirit world. Vampires do not understand this potent resource, and many are completely unaware of it. But it frightens the elders who have been studying the ease with which Garou move into and out of physical reality. They like to keep a constant eye on Garou who enter their cities, and exploit divisions within werewolf society wherever possible. Knowledge is strength, and some elders specialize in Lupine lore.


Mages

　Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

　— King James Bible, Exodus 22:18

　Elders are very wary of the perplexingly modern mages and their often invisible presence in Camarilla cities. Elders comprehend Thaumaturgy and trafficking with spirits, but Ascension and Spheres of magick are as alien to them as a steam engine to a medieval king.

　They fear what they do not understand and would very much like to see all mages destroyed. This is a very dangerous undertaking, since mages have obliterated even old and powerful Cainites, so elders usually opt to maintain a healthy distance. They keep close tabs on mage activities and make deals where they can. As long as the practitioners of magick steer clear of an elder's interests and pay proper deference, she is content to avoid open warfare. But when she finds a mage's throat beneath her heel, she is likely to swiftly crush it.


The lnconnu

　With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding, With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding… He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty. He discovereth deep things out of the darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death. He increaseth the nations, and destroyed them.

　— King James Bible, Job 12:12-23

　The elders bitterly loathe yet deeply respect the Inconnu. At the heart of their paradoxical reaction is an abiding fear of the mysterious Methuselahs. Most elders would be content to never hear from the Inconnu, but they know that is unlikely.

　When the Inconnu choose to involve themselves in the affairs of the Camarilla, those rare visits are always viewed with trepidation, but great interest, by all the elders. Some go in person and some send spies, but all powerful Kindred try to monitor the situation.

　Often Inconnu involvement adds measurably to peace and stability, defusing potentially explosive situations. But other times the Inconnu stir up trouble where a tense neutrality once existed. They have completely shaken up entire city structures and toppled princes. Some elders maintain that the change was necessary, but many are not convinced.

　Most elders know a way to contact the Inconnu, but few take the chance. Still, some are drawn to the hidden wisdom of the progeny of the Antediluvians. They seek out the secret counsel of the Inconnu against the will of their clan and even the Inner Circle. Those who have regular contact with the Inconnu are not trusted by the elder community, even though they are accorded great status within Elysium.

　Within the elders' hollow unlives is the flickering need for answers to the riddles wrapped in their undying skin. Though elders seldom speak to one another of the quiet voice that calls out across that gulf of emptiness, many try to follow its dictates and learn. The Inconnu have that knowledge, or are closer than anyone to determining it, for they have found Golconda. Even the staunchest defender of the Masquerade, in her darkest moments, craves sweet release.

　Many elders exhort against trafficking with the Inconnu and hold forth at great length during Conclaves about the grave dangers that follow such a visit. They claim that Golconda is a trap to ensnare idealistic Kindred who foolishly maintain hope of growth beyond vampirism and is really nothing more than a sophisticated form of the Blood Bond. The Tremere are especially vocal in this regard, but some elders maintain that the clan's leaders are actually inconstant contact with the Inconnu and selfishly want to keep others from gaining their secrets.

　Some virulent attacks on the Inconnu hold that the Methuselahs are thoroughly corrupted by demons and creatures from beyond the veil of death. Vampirism may be a great burden, they opine, but the curse of the demon kin is far, far worse.


Vampire Hunters

　They hunt our steps, that we cannot go into the streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come. Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.

　— King James Bible, Lamentations, 4:18-19

　Elders bear a long-standing grudge against the inflicted hunters. They eternally pick at the scabs of wounds inflicted on their clans by hunters of old, and brood on new revenge. Some elders who yet remember the time when they ruled over a frightened humanity resent the Masquerade and the swelling human population that made it necessary.

　Forbidden by the Masquerade to punish unsuspecting humanity for past insults, many Kindred seek revenge on the only human targets available to them: the hunters. When they have turned the tables and cornered their pursuers, elders take singular delight in inflicting as much suffering as their captives can endure (or as much as the elders' diminishing Humanity can stand).

　Many elders believe that they have won the fight against the hunters, and the only humans who still seek them out are considered insane by the rest of the mortal world. Still, some prudently point to the growing ranks of the Arcanum as evidence of a coming assault.

　Vengeance-seeking elders want to take the fight right to the Arcanum, and sever the head while the body slumbers. But other elders refuse to sanction such a plan, saying that it could inadvertently lead these hunters straight to the halls of Elysium. Time, they reason, is on the side of the immortals, not the moribund ranks of humans. The longer short-lived mortals take to carry out their plans, the less chance they have of success.

　But the vengeance-seekers insist that time only gives the hunters time to learn new skills, like magick. Elysium is filled with shadowy rumors of new computers that can vaporize opponents at a distance and give access to the innermost chamber of an elder's haven through any technological device he owns. Most of these tales are laughed off, but more and more elders take them very seriously.

　For now the battles consist of low-lying skirmishes: while some elders toy with hunters for pleasure and some hunters make lucky assaults on Kindred, other humans are building their power.