But... what is the Ivory Tower?

Control.

It is the largest vampiric sect in existence, and it is fiercely devoted to its grand project: the Masquerade, the effort to preserve a place for the Kindred in the modern nights. It presents itself as an open society, insisting that all vampires belong to it whether they wish to or not, and that anyone may join regardless of lineage. The reality, my friend, is rather more ironic.

According to the Kindred's own contradictory histories, the Camarilla arose in the wake of, or in answer to, the Anarch Revolt sometime in the fifteenth century. Ventrue elders are especially fond of claiming they were indispensable to the sect's birth, and many vampires do in fact owe their continued unlife to that achievement. With the Masquerade in place, the Kindred gained a way to survive the Inquisition, that arm of the Church devoted to rooting out the supernatural.

Although the Camarilla is the largest of the sects, only half of the 13 known vampire clans take an active part in its affairs. It holds pompous convocations attended by representatives of every clan, as well as important periodic conclaves open to all members of the sect, where its gravest matters are debated. Only the feared Justicars, authorities chosen by the Inner Circle to oversee matters of the Traditions, may call a conclave. These dreaded Kindred are usually ancient, and rightly feared; their interpretation of the Traditions can determine whether another Kindred survives. Bands of vampires known as Archons assist the Justicars, and encountering one is exceedingly rare.

Officially, the Camarilla does not acknowledge the existence of either the Antediluvians or Caine. Its reasoning is that such vampires, if they ever existed at all, have long since perished, and invoking them usually invites ridicule.

Europe is the birthplace of the Ivory Tower, and it is here that the sect's power is strongest. The West may be in ruins, and the shadowed Third World may teem with Lupines and worse, but Europe's Ancients will not surrender to the depredations of the brutish Sabbat or the whims of unruly youth. Many elders still see the Camarilla as the vessel that carried them through the Inquisition, the Anarch Revolt and the Sabbat wars. They may find its protocols stiff and its regulations maddening, but they will not cast it aside in favor of democracy or any other fashionable absurdity.

About the Camarilla

The Traditions

First tradition: The Masquerade

The Masquerade lies at the heart of the Camarilla's very existence. The fact that we exist must be concealed from mortal eyes. Violations of this essential Tradition are usually punished with Final Death, or something worse. We all have a duty to uphold it, treat it seriously and avoid breaking it for our own safety. Other laws may, perhaps, be bent. The Masquerade endures.

Second tradition: The Domain

The meaning of this Tradition has changed over time. Once, domain meant territory, plain and simple. In theory, the prince rules the city, though he may carve out smaller parcels ranging from neighborhoods to municipalities and appoint other Kindred to govern them, like provinces of his kingdom. The prince remains the highest authority over all of them. Those appointed Kindred are responsible for enforcing "His Highness's" commands within their granted domains. At times, this is little more than a reward for loyal service. It is also one of the most misunderstood concepts. Over the last hundred years, the word domain has been extended to industries as well. Many Kindred petition for control over industries, software brands, companies and other assets over which important economic and commercial dealings are conducted.

Third tradition: The Progeny

The right of progeny is one of the most coveted favors a prince can grant. Through it, the prince controls how many Kindred exist in the city, which clans they belong to and who their sire is. It also matters when feeding is concerned: more Kindred in a city means fewer vessels for each of them. That is no small detail. In recent years, the right of progeny has also been extended to ghouls, especially in North America. The matter is still debated, although there are already cities where the authorities punish those who create such creatures without express permission. The penalties are severe, just as they are for illicit Embraces.

Fourth tradition: The Responsibility

Bringing a mortal into the world of the Camarilla is a grave risk. Neonates must be watched carefully, because one careless mistake can tear down the Masquerade. For that reason, the sire is responsible for their childe until that fledgling is prepared to stand alone. The sire may suffer harsh punishment for every misdeed committed by that childe, up to and including exile or Final Death. Once the neonate has been presented to the prince, approved by him and proven mature enough to be recognized as a free Kindred, that responsibility is lifted from the sire, and the neonate becomes accountable for their own actions.

Fifth tradition: Hospitality

The fifth Tradition is a perfect example of social compromise, allowing Kindred to move through another's territory without provoking conflict. It is simply the duty of any outsider to present themselves to a city's prince when they arrive. That presentation may be as brief as a greeting or as tedious as reciting the visitor's entire lineage. The prince may also demand a service from the newcomer. A proper presentation also helps avoid being cut down by the scourge for going unrecognized. Once accepted, the visitor earns the right to reside in the city, hunt there and remain as long as necessary. Refuse, and a vampire becomes an outlaw, passing from the prince's jurisdiction into that of the sheriff or the scourge.

Sixth tradition: Destruction

The sixth Tradition grants a sire the right to destroy any member of their own progeny. Under the Camarilla, that right has been reclaimed by the prince, who now holds power over the life and death of their subjects. Through the institution of the blood hunt, the prince may condemn any Kindred within their domain. This power is restricted to the prince alone. Sires are still allowed to destroy their childer before presentation, but outside that circumstance the murder of a Kindred is strictly forbidden. Breaking this rule may earn the offender a blood hunt from the prince of the city.

The Camarilla Law

The Lextalionis

The existence of the Kindred is written in blood, and so is the punishment for breaking the laws that govern it. Lextalionis is the universal system of Kindred law, as old as the histories of Caine, and it rests on the principle of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," though younger Kindred usually call it simply the blood hunt.
Lextalionis is closely tied to the Sixth Tradition, which states that only the eldest authority may call a blood hunt, with "eldest" meaning the prince or a council of primogen. Other elders in a city may try to call one, but they have neither the right nor the authority to do so. The declaration of the hunt belongs to the prince or the council, and they are fully entitled to punish anyone who usurps a right granted by Tradition.

Any Kindred foolish enough to answer the call of an elder grown too presumptuous often suffers the same punishment meant for the target.

Blood hunts may be called for several crimes: • Murder of fellow human beings. • Diablerie. • Large-scale breaches of the Masquerade or repeated offenses against it. • Invading a domain in a way that leads to the murder of mortals or breaches of the Masquerade. • Any conduct judged to threaten the safety of the Masquerade and the Kindred of the city.

The hunt is formally declared in Elysium, and the primogen and those present are expected to communicate that declaration to their clanmates, or at least to the city's rumor mill. Everyone who hears the call is expected to take part in the hunt, at least nominally, even if they find the act distasteful or unjust.

Ordinary Sentences

These are some of the most common punishments handed down by princes or councils of primogen within the Camarilla against those who violate its laws:

Ordeals

Ordeals are a form of trial among the Kindred, in which the accused undergoes some test, combat, sunlight and the like, to prove innocence against the charge laid upon them. Needless to say, very few endure such tests, since the primogen and princes make certain of that, but ordeals remain the last chance a transgressor of the Masquerade and the Laws of the Camarilla has to escape sentence and Final Death. An ordeal may only be granted if at least one primogen requests it on behalf of the accused, usually the primogen of the accused's clan, though no one says they are obliged to pull chestnuts from the fire. The most common ordeals are listed below, though the court's imagination can always be inventive.

Ordeals are a serious matter, and princes, councils and Justicars do not devise them lightly. A Kindred who proposes a frivolous or clearly impossible ordeal may end up serving as the guinea pig, or taking the accused's place instead.