Post by Tami on Aug 5, 2006 17:09:11 GMT -5
A vampire living in a price-ruled city must accept certain responsibilities for the privileges of security and stability. This stability is maintained only when the Kindred within behave in a proper manner, one dictated by a near-universal set of rules. These rules are known by the gentle-sounding name of the six traditions, although they are hardly polite suggestions. For Camarilla Kindred, and the princes who enforce them, they are the law. A vampire may be assured that wherever she travels, the Traditions will be in force. They may be interpreted differently, but they remain. It is through the enforcement of these laws, and through the laws themselves, that princes recieve much of their power. Obviously, then, princes are among the most zealous of the Traditions' enforcers.
The Six Traditions that form the laws of vampire society are believed to have been passed down since the wars that slew the second generation. They are rarely written down, but they have never been forgotten, and they are known by all Kindred in some form. Even vampires who scorn the Traditions know them; though their specific wordings may vary, the intent behind them never falters.
It is a popular Camarilla conceit that a sire recite the Traditions to his childe before that chidle is recognized as a neonate. Some princes stage grand spectacles to honor new childer's transition from fledgling to neonate, while others need not even witness the release, trusting the sire with the proper execution. Almost all childer learn the Traditions well before this recitation, but the act is accorded great symbolism and gravity in Camarilla affairs. Staunch supporters of the Camarilla and the Traditions maintain that a newly embraced Kindred has not truly become a vampire until her sire speaks the Traditions to her. Obviously, the Traditions are quite a serious matter, and the sire is held accountable for the childe until, by speaking them to her, he makes her responsible for upholding the code herself.
Some vampires believe that Caine himself created the Traditions when he sired his childer, and that what modern vampires follow are their progenitor's original wishes for his descendants. Others, however, think that the Antediluvians created them to maintain control over their childer, or that they were simply a set of common-sense ideas that were upheld over the millennia because thy worked. The Traditions of the Masquerade, for example, is thought to have existed in some form since the nights of the first city, but it changed in response to the inquisition.
A number of young vampires, children of the modern world, see the Traditions as being merely a tool of the elders to maintain their stranglehold on Kindred society, and an antique tool at that. The times that produced the need for the Masquerade are over and done, ancient history. Caine, Gehenna, the Antediluvians - all myths with about as much substance as the flood or the tower of babel, and all for the sake of controlling the younger generations. It's time to drop the Traditions and live in the modern age. The vampires of the Sabbat rabidly adhere to this reasoning, and their scorn for the Traditions is one of the primary motivations behind their constant attacks on the ancient power structures.
Most elders see the young as tempermental adolescents who think they know everything but who lack the wisdom and experience of age. As many of the rebels are anarchs and neonates, mostly powerless and without voice in Kindred society, it should come as no great suprise that they are so wild. However, not every elder takes such and indulgent viewpoint. Many feel that the reckless whelps who demand the Traditions be dropped may get their wish when they bring mortal society down on their heads. Natural selection takes care of a few of these, but such selection has occasionally been "assisted" by a prince exasperated beyond patience with a partiularly recalcitrant young vampire.
What follows is the most common wording of the Traditions, and following will be a more detailed descriptions of each:
The First Tradition: The Masquerade
Thou shall not reveal thy nature to those not of the Blood. Doing so shall renounce thy claims of Blood. Age old law demands that the knowledge of the existence of true vampires be kept from mortals. To reveal out presence to them would place all Kindred in dire jeopardy. Violation of the Masquerade is the most serious and heinous offense a Kindred can commit. The strength and resources of humanity in this day and age are such that were Kine and Kindred to go to war, the survival of the Kindred would be seriously questionable. If a vampire violates this Tradition, this is grounds for a blood hunt to be called against that vampire. What this means is not only can a mortal never be told of the existence of vampires, but also no Vampiric power can be displayed in the presence of mortals.
The Second Tradition: The Domain
Thy domain is thy concern. All others owe thee respect while in it. None may challenge thy word in thy domain. his Tradition has faded in importance in recent times as the population of cities has risen so dramatically. In the past, this Tradition allowed individual vampires to claim areas as their domain, but now, this right is reserved for the Prince. By that count, this Tradition now gives the vampire the right to claim Princedom.
The Third Tradition: The Progeny
Thou shalt sire another only with permission of thine elder. If thou createst another without thine elder's leave, both thou and thy progeny shalt be slain.
Throughout history, the Elder referred to in this Tradition was one's sire. However, in recent times, this Tradition has evolved to become a vampire must obtain the permission of the Prince before siring Progeny in his domain. The Camarilla support this newer interpretation to curb the population of Anarchs.
The Fourth Tradition: The Accounting
Those thou create are thine own childer. Until thy progeny shall be released, thou shalt command them in all things. Their sins are thine to endure.
A Kindred who sires a Childe assumes responsibility for that Childe's existence until such time as the Childe is prepared to be presented to the Prince. If the Childe is unable to endure the burden of the Vampiric existence, the sire must take the responsibility to end the Childe's existence. The Sire is held responsible for all actions taken by the Childe which may threaten the security of other Kindred, and will be held accountable for them.
The Fifth Tradtion: Hospitality
Honor one another's domain. When thou comest to a foreign city, thou shalt present thyself to the one who ruleth there. Without the word of acceptance, thou art nothing.
If a Kindred enters the domain of another Prince, the Kindred is expected and required to present himself to that Prince, making his presence known. While this Tradition is now primarily being used by Princes to keep track of what Kindred are in their domains, it is still expected to be followed.
The Sixth Tradition: Destruction
Thou art forbidden to destroy another of thy kind. The right of destruction belongeth only to thine elder. Only the eldest among thee shall call the blood hunt.
Over the course of Vampiric history, the interpretation of this Tradition has moved from only the Primogen in a Clan has the right to destroy a member of that clan, to only the Prince of an area has the right to destroy a vampire in his domain. Although this interpretation is disputed to this day, the Camarilla supports the fact that only the Prince has the right to destroy Kindred. That means only the Prince in the city has the right to call a Blood Hunt upon a vampire, at which point that Kindred will be slain.
The Six Traditions that form the laws of vampire society are believed to have been passed down since the wars that slew the second generation. They are rarely written down, but they have never been forgotten, and they are known by all Kindred in some form. Even vampires who scorn the Traditions know them; though their specific wordings may vary, the intent behind them never falters.
It is a popular Camarilla conceit that a sire recite the Traditions to his childe before that chidle is recognized as a neonate. Some princes stage grand spectacles to honor new childer's transition from fledgling to neonate, while others need not even witness the release, trusting the sire with the proper execution. Almost all childer learn the Traditions well before this recitation, but the act is accorded great symbolism and gravity in Camarilla affairs. Staunch supporters of the Camarilla and the Traditions maintain that a newly embraced Kindred has not truly become a vampire until her sire speaks the Traditions to her. Obviously, the Traditions are quite a serious matter, and the sire is held accountable for the childe until, by speaking them to her, he makes her responsible for upholding the code herself.
Some vampires believe that Caine himself created the Traditions when he sired his childer, and that what modern vampires follow are their progenitor's original wishes for his descendants. Others, however, think that the Antediluvians created them to maintain control over their childer, or that they were simply a set of common-sense ideas that were upheld over the millennia because thy worked. The Traditions of the Masquerade, for example, is thought to have existed in some form since the nights of the first city, but it changed in response to the inquisition.
A number of young vampires, children of the modern world, see the Traditions as being merely a tool of the elders to maintain their stranglehold on Kindred society, and an antique tool at that. The times that produced the need for the Masquerade are over and done, ancient history. Caine, Gehenna, the Antediluvians - all myths with about as much substance as the flood or the tower of babel, and all for the sake of controlling the younger generations. It's time to drop the Traditions and live in the modern age. The vampires of the Sabbat rabidly adhere to this reasoning, and their scorn for the Traditions is one of the primary motivations behind their constant attacks on the ancient power structures.
Most elders see the young as tempermental adolescents who think they know everything but who lack the wisdom and experience of age. As many of the rebels are anarchs and neonates, mostly powerless and without voice in Kindred society, it should come as no great suprise that they are so wild. However, not every elder takes such and indulgent viewpoint. Many feel that the reckless whelps who demand the Traditions be dropped may get their wish when they bring mortal society down on their heads. Natural selection takes care of a few of these, but such selection has occasionally been "assisted" by a prince exasperated beyond patience with a partiularly recalcitrant young vampire.
What follows is the most common wording of the Traditions, and following will be a more detailed descriptions of each:
The First Tradition: The Masquerade
Thou shall not reveal thy nature to those not of the Blood. Doing so shall renounce thy claims of Blood. Age old law demands that the knowledge of the existence of true vampires be kept from mortals. To reveal out presence to them would place all Kindred in dire jeopardy. Violation of the Masquerade is the most serious and heinous offense a Kindred can commit. The strength and resources of humanity in this day and age are such that were Kine and Kindred to go to war, the survival of the Kindred would be seriously questionable. If a vampire violates this Tradition, this is grounds for a blood hunt to be called against that vampire. What this means is not only can a mortal never be told of the existence of vampires, but also no Vampiric power can be displayed in the presence of mortals.
The Second Tradition: The Domain
Thy domain is thy concern. All others owe thee respect while in it. None may challenge thy word in thy domain. his Tradition has faded in importance in recent times as the population of cities has risen so dramatically. In the past, this Tradition allowed individual vampires to claim areas as their domain, but now, this right is reserved for the Prince. By that count, this Tradition now gives the vampire the right to claim Princedom.
The Third Tradition: The Progeny
Thou shalt sire another only with permission of thine elder. If thou createst another without thine elder's leave, both thou and thy progeny shalt be slain.
Throughout history, the Elder referred to in this Tradition was one's sire. However, in recent times, this Tradition has evolved to become a vampire must obtain the permission of the Prince before siring Progeny in his domain. The Camarilla support this newer interpretation to curb the population of Anarchs.
The Fourth Tradition: The Accounting
Those thou create are thine own childer. Until thy progeny shall be released, thou shalt command them in all things. Their sins are thine to endure.
A Kindred who sires a Childe assumes responsibility for that Childe's existence until such time as the Childe is prepared to be presented to the Prince. If the Childe is unable to endure the burden of the Vampiric existence, the sire must take the responsibility to end the Childe's existence. The Sire is held responsible for all actions taken by the Childe which may threaten the security of other Kindred, and will be held accountable for them.
The Fifth Tradtion: Hospitality
Honor one another's domain. When thou comest to a foreign city, thou shalt present thyself to the one who ruleth there. Without the word of acceptance, thou art nothing.
If a Kindred enters the domain of another Prince, the Kindred is expected and required to present himself to that Prince, making his presence known. While this Tradition is now primarily being used by Princes to keep track of what Kindred are in their domains, it is still expected to be followed.
The Sixth Tradition: Destruction
Thou art forbidden to destroy another of thy kind. The right of destruction belongeth only to thine elder. Only the eldest among thee shall call the blood hunt.
Over the course of Vampiric history, the interpretation of this Tradition has moved from only the Primogen in a Clan has the right to destroy a member of that clan, to only the Prince of an area has the right to destroy a vampire in his domain. Although this interpretation is disputed to this day, the Camarilla supports the fact that only the Prince has the right to destroy Kindred. That means only the Prince in the city has the right to call a Blood Hunt upon a vampire, at which point that Kindred will be slain.