The Primogen

[Tami]

How the primogen council is chosen can vary from city to city, but there are a few standard themes to the process.

Appointment

This method is fairly uncommon in the system, and requires a Prince who is despotic and powerful enough to choose primogen even against the will of their clans. Such appointed primogen rarely have influence over the prince's decisions, mainly because the Prince put them there herself. In other instances, a primogen can be appointed from within the clan, a resigning primogen can name a successor, or a clan elder (such as in strongly heirarchal clans like the Tremere) can name the person who sits on the counsel.

Election

One the most common means of selecting a primogen, clan vote on who can represent them best. Though it seems very democratic, the process may not be as straightforward as that. Boons can be called in to sway the votes and sometimes the most powerful or most reputable clan member is not chosen due to personal grudges from other clanmates. It is possible in the case of the "election" method that the lowest denominator is chosen, because the clan itself ends up choosing the one person whom no one seems to have a grudge against or who hasn't made waves in the past - the lesser of all evils

Popular Aclaim

Similar to the election process, this primogen gains his seat due to clan popularity. He is seen as a person who is helpful and gets the job done, and many clan members are willing to follow his lead. Usually primogen who gain position by popular acclaim are the most effective, since they were not appointed and not voted in (as the lesser of evils) and truly seem to have the clan's best interests in mind. He also can hold a good deal of sway in the political arena, because other elders are aware that the clan is truly behind the person.

Personal Power

Elders with sufficient power or influence in a domain may just declare themselves primogen. All that is required is the prince and other primogen acknowledge them in their position. The personal power required to be successful in this type of campaign can be derived from several sources - city elders owe you boons, you have a large sway over mortal institutions, or you are just basically liked and respected among all the city and court members.

Contests

Usually this method is only employed by very old city models, where the elders still believe that God will favor the righteous in a trial by ordeal or trial by combat. Newer cities where kindred are younger would scoff at this notion - it would be like awarding the presidency to the NBA's most valuable player.

Accidental Office

"Its a dirty job but someone has to do it". In cities where there are engagements with enemies, no one wants to wear the shiney red bullseye, though many individuals will take up the cause because no one else wants it. Oftentimes, the person has been doing the job of primogen without the title - seeing to it that clan members get acknowledged, taking problems to the prince, etc. Eventually the title is tacked on, regardless of whether the person wanted it or not.

Mixed Bag

In many cities, a mix of all methods can be used for choosing primogen. Depends on the poltiical climate. In one city, a Prince may appoint a primogen of the malkavians, maybe because the malkavians can't seem to get it together enough to choose for themselves, the same prince may allow an electoral process to choose the Toreador primogen, and meanwhile the Brujah ends up on the council due to popular acclaim. Unless the Prince specifically states the rules of the game, all methods may be employed.

But theres a Catch.....

The Prince and reigning counsel can reject or accept the choice of Primogen. A Brujah that says he's primogen and gets all puffed up about it, may find he's excluded from counsel proceedings because the rest of the elders do not see him as a fit choice. This is probably a rare case, but can prevent a clearly disliked person from holding any true power in the city, even if the clan accepts him as primogen. A risky endeavor if the clan is powerful and large in number, because the counsel effectively cuts themselves off from that clan's resources.

[Tami]

The council's duties, political structure and balance of power can vary city by city. Listed here are some of the more stable and reasonably fair types of primogen counsils.

Strong, Balanced Democratic Council Under a Weak Prince

This is the best arrangement for the primogen, the counsil is democratic and holds power over a weak prince. Typically the primogen will suggest proposal to the prince, the prince will rubber-stamp them, and the primogen will decide the matter through a vote. Primogen on these types of counsils are most likely to keep their clans in check, to keep friction between the prince and clans to a minimum and avoid upsetting the advantageous balance.

Strong Counsil, Balanced in Favor of a Bloc

This model is similar to the first, only a bloc of four primogen have allied themselves in order to push through agendas. Anytime a long-term voting bloc enters the arean, elders outside the bloc are going to experience frustration. Little can be done about the bloc until it crumbles under internal pressure or the prince intercedes due to questionable agendas. If the bloc itself becomes too powerful, and the Prince attempts to intercede, the Prince herself may become a victim of the bloc, in worst case scenarios, a justicar may be sent to remove one or all members of the bloc.

Strong, Balanced Democratic Council Under a Strong Prince

This is an ideal state, if the parties involved can refrain from killing each other. In this state, neither the prince or the primogen can push through an agenda (or in the case of the Prince, act in an autocratic manner). This arrangement cannot work unless the prince is on relatively good terms with the primogen. Unfortunately, a butting of heads can occur if the prince and counsil are divided on an issue, hostility can erupt which may even result in the expulsion of the Prince. The benefactors of this type of counsel are really the camarilla of the city. With a strong prince and counsel who are able to deal with city affairs and city threats in a timely rational way, individuals in the city are safer and freer to go about their nightly activities.

Weak Council Under a Strong Prince

In this situation, the primogen are little more than advisors or a rubber stamp brigade. The prince introduces proposals, the council okays them, and that's that. If the prince is relatively ethical, such arrangements are necessarily bad, its certainly an efficient way to approach things.

Weak Council Under a Weak Prince

Among the worst arrangements in the Cammarilla is a situation where a weak prince oversees a weak primogen council. Under such conditions, order barely holds sway. Elysium in such cases is typically controlled by unofficial "warlords" (i.e. any Kindred with enough charisma or ray power to convince others to side with her instead of any of the othe elders) who can, if they so choose run roughshod over the traditions of the Camarilla. As order breaks down, so do the distinctions between Camarilla and Sabbat. Cities following this model are often refuges for the unaligned, if not for actual members of the Sabbat itself. This is the kind of city the archons are most likely to visit with notable frequency. it is not uncommoin for archons to be instructed to be looking for Kindred in the city who would make better primogen than those currently in office. The interesting thing about cities with such weak leadership is where the power does lie. Power is always somewhere, and if its hidden, there's generally a reason, cities with weak power structures may actually be largely in the hands of Giovanni, Setites, or other outside institutions.

The Advisory Council

In this case, the prince is the ultimate authority with regard to Kindred matters in the city. There is no democratice vote of the primogen council to determine anything, only the decree of the Prince after she has heard the opinions of the primogens.

Some Strange Cases

Democracy is not necessarily seen as an inherent good by all (or even most) elder Kindred. Too muich democracy can lead to a lowest-common-denominator rule that serves no one well. left to thir own devices, Kindred power structures can wax Byzantine. Ghent has three Ventrue primogen, two Toreador primogen, a Tremere whip with a vote on council matters, and a Tremere Prince who's vote counts twice. While they continue to have a Gangrel Primogen, they do not have an Assamite representative on the council, and probably won't until a new prince comes into office. In the city of Venice, on the other hand, had no Gangrel or Assamite primogen, but does have seven voices weighing in on policy issues - the seventh is provided by a family representative of Clan Giovanni.

In Fort Worth, Texas, which is just a half hour away from Dallas, the city lost its prince, and the primogen council has never seated a new regent. Instead, they are shadowed by the Prince of Dallas, who allows the council to exist to manage the affairs of the smaller city. The council reports their formal decisions to the Prince of Dallas who may veto or approve the decision. In this way, the Kindred of Fort Worth maintain some autonomy, and the Prince of Dallas maintains a much larger territory.

[Tami]

The primogen's relationship between other members of the camarilla can be a defining element. The primogen is going to be seen as a wheeler and dealer, perhaps a rising star, or maybe just a solitary elder who has power in his own right.

The Prince

The relationship a primogen has with the prince can determine whether she looks forward to or dreads those regular elysium visits. While some kindred may have not ever speak to the Prince after being acknowledged, the Primogen do not have this option. Consequently, it is advantageous to maintain good relations with the Prince. If the Primogen thinks she can be an independent, devil-may-care, stand up to the man type Primogen, she's not likely to last long. Diplomacy can be potent tools, and the Prince does have access to resources that Primogen may not easily gain on her own. These include, resources, contacts, herd, and an "in" to higher ups (maybe even the inner circle). Primogen must think very carefully before incurring prestation debts from the Prince, as it may undermine the authority and standing of the primogen. A Prince even has to be careful in accepting too many prestation debts from the primogen, lest the Prince lose the integrity of the council. Some princes may overcome this by asking asking that the favor be repaid by a one time major influence "donation". But that, of course, depends on the Prince.

Archons

Nothing forces a primogen to behave respectuflly toward archons. That said, primogen rush to court, flatter and offer favors to few others fastor or more enthusiastically. Few primogen ever have access to higher-ranking members of the Camarillathan archons, and many primogen find the notion somewhat heady. The proportion of those encounters that end welll for the primogen is relatively low.

Primogen would love to do a favor for an archon, but the Kindres is in the same boat, or worse, with regard to the archon as she is with the prince; what do you do for the Lick who has everything? Few primogen are above trying. Being owed a boon by an archon is like having Jesus owe you a favor. Archons are not blind to this, however, and the vase majority of them accept proferred boons only with the greatest hesitation.

Harpies

Primogen may attempt to give and receive favors from harpies, but then again this can be risky business. No one watches the nightly flow, accumulation and disruption of social power as closey as the do, and no one sees more clearer the costs. As such, harpies are likely to be paragons of the social arena, and hesitant to enter enter a bargain that may damage their hard-won reputations. Though, being owed a boon by a primogen may be enough for some harpies to rethink their "ethics". They may be persuaded to watch another kindred more closely, or even purposely spread information that could damage another's reputation. But they would do so with caution, Harpies do have a loose pecking order among each other, and abuse or misuse of power may result in the harpy finding herself cast out of the order (or cast down). Only a major boon could convince a harpy to lie or change a prestation ledger, for the price that the harpy would pay for such a thing should she be caught, are staggering.

Sheriff

Outside of his whip and the other primogen, the sheriff is the Camarilla officer with whom the primogen is likely to have the most interaction. It behooves a primogen to be not just on good terms with the sheriff, but on excellent terms. Ideally, the sheriff shoiuld owe the primogen a handful of boons just to be on the safe side, because , if nothing else, many times will come when the sheriff is the only Kindred standing between the primgoen and an unpleasant visit to the prince's chambers to discuss the behavior of a member of the primogen's clan. The greater likelihood is that the primogen, all of the, will almost always ower the sheriff many, many boons, in effect making him one of the most powerful Kindred in the city (in ways that most Licks won't even pause to think about)

As the enforcer of Kindred custom within a city, the sheriff is typically the first to have to deal with Licks who have been stupid:those who have unthinkingly violated the masquerade, those who have lost control, or those who have simply broken the laws of Elysium. In that regard, he also functions as a buffer between the perptrator (and by extension the perpetrators clan) and the prince. No primogen wants a member of his clan to be dragged into Elysiuym by the sheriff.l At the very least it makes him look as if he can't keep his clan in line. Some elders have been known to offer major boons to a sheriff who routinely brings problem members of his clan to him instead of taking them to the Prince. If the primogen is that desparate to not have his claan brought before the prince, something is likely amiss, but the fact reamins that those kinds of visits to the prince's chambers are among the most despised expereinces a primogen can suffer through.

That's the most common interaction between primogen and sheriff, though not the most interesting.

The sheriff has his job because he is capable, by use of whatever means, of taking down rogue Kindred. Obviously, Brujah, Gangrel, and now Assamite Kindred are effective in the role of sheriff. The kind of raw power typically found in a sheriff, combined with the position's relative immunity to the Tradition of Destruction, makes the sheriff an ideal tool. If he sends a Kindred to Final Death, it's a relatively simple matter (assuming there are no witnesses) to say that he was put in a position where he had to do so. What better agent could an elderask for? Does the primogen need a mercenary, thug, bounty hunter or hit man? The sheriff is the Kindred to talk to. These extracurricular activies are considered abuses of office and formally frowned upon, but that makes them no less common

Things get stick, however, if the other clans start to notice that the sheriff seems to be doing an awful lot of extra work on behalf of Clan X. It make sthe other primogen wag their fingers at the sheriff (publicly) even as they begin offering him boons by the handful (privately) to do their wet work as well. The primogen council is the body that would normally censure the sheriff for such malfeasance, but if the majority of the primogen are either using the sheriff or hoping to, he doesn't have much motivation to stop what he's doing.

It also works in the sheriff's favor because he's collecting major boons by the bucketful. Everyone wins except for the the Licks who get whacked because they made an enemy of the primogen.

The other common means by which a sheriff might earn boons from priogen is by doing nothing, that is looking the other way while the primogen (or primogen's clan) do something dodgy. If a primogen offers the sheriff a major boon simply to "investigate" some niggling loose thread in an out-of-the-way location for an hour or two, its generally in the sheriff's best interest to do so.

This kind of corruption, once begun, generally runs into a brick wall at some point when someone starts asking too many questions. A sheriff who plays far too loose with his "side job" can easily wind up sending the wrong Lick to final death. Maybe the sheirff offed the harpy's favorite childe or a close ally of a primogen in another city. The wronged party calls for an investigation of the sheriff's evidence and methods. When the archons come snooping around, the sheriff will be forced to call in many of the boons owed to him by the elders just to save his ass.

[Tami]

How a primogen goes about getting business done, depends largely on the clan, and clans themselves have particular tendencies and views toward how primogen behave and how to manage their own clans.

Keep in mind that the primogen is not actually the defacto leader of a clan. The Prince is the ultimate authority in the city, and Primogen do not ~rule~ their clans persay, though they should and do have a good deal of influence over clan members (or as much as the clan gives them). A primogen can encourage their clans to follow an edict, even promote the prince's agenda with flowery speeches that convince the clan to follow her lead, OR the primogen may just deliver the message, and that's that. The primogen is not required to enforce traditions or punish clan members, that is the job of the Prince (or by extension the sheiff). This does not mean that primogen do not act as authorities of their own clans...some do rule their clans with an iron fist, and take it upon themselves to punish, berate or ostracize members, again it depends on the individual and how much authority he or she is allowed to have.

The primogen represents clan interest in the counsel, he advices clan members privately, he marshals the clan in battle, and, in the case of the mildest transgressions against the Traditions or the city's Kindred, a primogen can oversee the punishment of a clanmate. Any political power the primogen has comes from his clan. A primogen who is viewed as a leader and influencer of a large clan (and a large pool of resource) is much more likely to have pull over city politics than Joe Nosferatu who is a voice and not a leader for a group of sewer rats few people have ever seen.



Brujah

Brujah tend to view primogen chairs as representative government. Brujah will often come to the table espousing some pet cause or project that he will not let another clan touch. Their politics seem to be more visionary than others. In dealing with his own clan the Brujah has an eclectic group of hot-tempered and often young charges who will not likely follow him if he's viewed as "the man". Though a fledgling who pushes her primogen's patience may find herself on the receiving end of an asskicking, unfortunately this usually doesn't teach the neonate much of anything- now they are more likely to rally other clan members against the primogen because of such "unfair treatment". To get around this by taking a whip much younger than the primogen who acts as a liaison or buffy between the primogen and the rabble. Often the whip and primogen feign some dislike for each other so that the clan members view the whip as a sympathetic peer, and not the primogen's lacky.

Malkavian

The madness of the malkavians does not make them inept or ineffective as primogen (in most cases). In fact, malkavians seem to approach issues with singular focus, and can be unpredictable in how they will vote or what cause they will pursue. Malkavians rely on omens and patterns that others do not see, and while a malkavian understands the implications of such visions, he may have a difficult time getting his peers to understand. As far as leading the clan, malkavian primogen have no standard or set way, and for the most part may leave their clan members to their own devices, yet stay in close contact, serving as representatives, rather than governors.

Nosferatu

Some counsels will not allow primogen of the nosferatu to take their seats at all, and while the reasons sited are flimsy reasons (personal hygeine included). When they do come to the table, they are most likely to have the best information, and they are just as likely to not share it or only share portions of it. Nosferatu often work for their own agendas, the pursuit of more information and leave the rest of the politicking to the other primogen. In dealings with their own clan, Nosferatu show the least concern for titltles and formality. The primogen is seen more as a knowledge resource than a political authority or leader. The nosferatu has to deal with problems other clans do not, as clan members are often limited in their access to elysium or other kindred functions. Because many nosferatu are hermitlike, representing one, can be problematic, as other primogen may not even know the man in question, at this point, the primogen can rely on boons gained from information trading to save his clan member. Since boons and information are the currency of the nosferatu, the primogen often serves as the director of his clans information gathering, so as to garner influence through these boons.

Toreador

Toreador primogen are some of the busiest socialites in elysium, they keep in touch with everyone and try to learn everything about the views of others before stepping into the counsel chamber - in truth often having their finger on the pulse of the kindred population, they know who's screwing who, and who's screwing who over, and what causes are likely to move the population as a whole. Toreador primogen often have a great grasp of the hidden social interactions that are behind all the exterior moves, and they are adept at stirring and settling the waters of the primogen chamber. The Toreador primogen leads by subtlety, protocol, and etiquette, and the unofficial hierarchy of the clan is determined largely by social status. These social nuances can be applied to shephard the clan (or all kindred) in whatever direction the primogen deems necessary.

Tremere

Tremere often view the primogen position as a stepping stone to higher power (princedom?) though it may also be a respectable position to hold once the glass ceiling within their own clan has been reached. They are often the ones that know the most about the regent (though regents sometimes serve as primogen) and can use this close association to their advantage. They are often the least tolerant of idiocy and will come to the counsel chamber prepared and with notes in hand. The leading of the tremere clan is a relatively simple thing, they often have a clear and concise set of guidelines to follow, which are in order with the tremere clan's methodology. The role of the primogen is clear: the primogen speaks and the clan members obey. The dynamic between the regent and the primogen can become a tricky thing. The primogen outranks the regent in social politics, but the regent outranks the primogen within the clan, setting the state for intense, if subtle, conflict.

Ventrue

Like Tremere, Ventrue also tend to view the primogen chair as a stepping stone to greater things. The chair is also a place for a Ventrue to return to after leaving princedom (provided she wasn't removed in a coup). The Ventrue are seen as pillars of the camarilla, and as such they cannot be seen engaged in unsordid shenanigans, and often Primogen of the Ventrue are very old and conservative. When dealing with their own clans, Ventrue take a governor, rather than representative, position. The ventrue primogen is typically one part field marshal, two parts corporate manager, and one part charming master of the fine art of schmoozing. There is no tactic that the Ventrue primogen will not adopt to ger her way, support her clan and further her standing in the camarilla. Within the clan, the ends often justify the means, and focus is placed on success (and not the manner with which one achieved the success). Ventrue weild influence very effectivly in the game of politics, and the best way for other clans to make sure they don't lose, is to not go against the Ventrue.

Gangrel

Gangrel primogen are seen in cities that host a large gangrel population, usually areas that are surrounded by enough space and wilderness to host such a large population. A gangrel on the counsel may seem like an oxymoron, but it would be folly to assume that their wandering ways makes them stupid. Many gangrel have a rich education due to their traveling. Most gangrel primogen tend to be younger and visionary. Older gangrel usually have left the trappings of politics behind, and their appearance may be disturbing to others. As primogen, Gangrel are usually on their best behavior, feeling the need to convince others they are still a faithful part of the sect. Here and there throughout the Camarilla are those gangrel who remain affiliated with the sect solely for the boons they receive in exchange for their martial abilities. Some even say the warlord Karsh is the ultimate example of this approach (though they don't say it too loudly). Gangrel primgoen are as laissez-faire as they come and are about as antiheirarchical as they can get away with. A Gangrel primogen is as likely to hold his seat for telling enthralling tales as for his combat prowess. One rare occasions when a Gangrel primogen needs to act as an authority figure for his clan, its likely to take the form of a blunt, no-nonsense statement of fact. "Stop hunting in the Malkavians' feeding grounds or the prince is going to stake your ass. Don't say you weren't warned." One the message is delivered, the primogen shrugs off the mantle of authority and reverts to the role of solitary predator.

[Tami]

Resource Management

The primogen council must determine how the city will be managed, particularly where hunting grounds are and granting turf and territory to clans. Granting turf is one way to manage large cities, because a prince and her sheriffs can't be everywhere at one, territory is granted to clans for feeding and haven purposes, and in return they keep their houses in order - watch for masquerade breaches, or threats like the sabbat or witch-hunters.

Checks and Balances

The primogen provide a check to the prince's power. The prince's behavior and decisions are monitored by the primogen, and their support of the prince's regime can be withdrawn if the prince steps over the line too many times.

Promote Clan Interests

The primogen can defend clan members from attack, or represent them in legal proceedings if they are accused of a crime. In addition to defending their own clans, they can also promote interests by suggesting territory rights, rights over businesses, and appointment to other key positions in the Camarilla.

Disagreements

The primogen counsel is not a close knit organization where everyone gets along and works together for the good of everyone. Most vampires are not that altruistic and counsel chambers can become a place of heated debate. Primogen may disagree with each other, or disagree with the Prince. When an issue comes up for a vote, the primogen may have already done some pre-emptives and called in boons (or offered them) to sway counsel members voting.

Most issues will go to a counsel vote, only the strongest and most dictatorial princes will go against the wishes of his counsel, and to do so is risky. The voting process and decision making can become extremely tangled, fraught with backbiting and favor trading.

When primogen disagree, there are a few methods by which she can get her point across or push an issue through.


Weapons of Choice

You May Not Sit

The counsel may decide to block a clan from taking its seat on the counsel, by simply stating that they do not recognize the authority of that person to speak for her clan. The Prince may even do the same.

Resource Wrangling

Resources held by clans can be used to against others. The brujah may block access to certain institutions or feeding grounds that fall in his turf. On the flipside, primogen may point out shortcomings of other clans to manage their own resources, if masquerade breaches and other unsavory things are constantly occuring in the Brujah's territory, the Ventrue may suggest that someone else should take over, present it for a vote which could result in the loss and gain of resources.

Filibustering

This method is used to either force the counsel's attention on a topic, by not letting it go, or to prolong the discussion and thereby prevent a vote over a particularly tricky topic. Kindred only have the night hours to make a decisioin, and a clever primogen can be long winded enough to prevent the vote from occurring at all...perhaps so he or she can regroup or consult with her clan on the subject, or just to get things done before a decision is made. For instance, if the primogen are considering granting turf rights to an industrial district, a primogen may use filibustering to waylay the votes, so that she can gather her interests or present a better case for the acquisition of the territory.

That Old Gang-up of Mine

Primogen may coalesce together to thwart a movement by either the primogen or the prince. A proposition that goes to vote may be struck down with finality if a bloc on the primogen has decided (usually prior to the meeting) to block the proposition. This method may require some politicking on the primogen's part, to ensure the gang-up is successful.

Social Maneuvers

A favored technique among toreador and ventrue, it involves getting harpy cooperation to watch a primogen closely, pointing out shortcomings that result in a loss of status. Primogen with low status will not have a strong influence over the council or even over their own clans.