Ventrue (VENN-true)
Let me be clear. You will accept my offer now or later. You will like it much less later.
The Ventrue are regal, commanding and aristocratic. Vampires as everything from Eastern European lords on the mountain to gentrified nobles to modern corporate raiders belong to this clan.
Surprisingly, the Ventrue are understood to be the youngest of the clans, almost certainly originating in Rome itself, probably in tandem with the formation of the Camarilla. While their history is relatively short (in vampiric terms), it is also distinguished, as the Ventrue are made to rule. Although none remember the name of the first Ventrue, various vampiric histories do ascribe the origin of the clan, which was believed to once be a covenant, to a single female vampire. A darker history implies that this Kindred was not the first of the Ventrue line, but that she consumed the soul of her own sire, and in so doing founded a new bloodline that rose to the Status of a proper clan.
As might be surmised, the Ventrue have historically been strongest in Europe, from which they grew into North and Central America, but their presence elsewhere in the world has been relatively minor. As a clan, their numbers are probably fewer than those of any other clan, but such things vary by domain, as one vampire community might consist of nothing but Ventrue — likely all the preeminent Kindred’s progeny. The Ventrue offer a very simple boast: They win. They always win.
Other Kindred often despise the Lords, but they seldom dispute the clan’s boast. All too often, a Kindred works and schemes to win some prize, only to find that a Ventrue owned it all along. The officers who lead a city’s Kindred almost always include several highly placed Ventrue. The Lords acknowledge no defeats, only setbacks. The clan shares a ruthless will to power and the power to enforce its will.
Their favored Disciplines account for some of their success. The Ventrue learn to command the thoughts of other beings almost by instinct. Their mastery of lesser animals harks back to nights of domains in which the Lord was a master of beasts as well as men. Although they do not especially cultivate the arts of combat, they often prove remarkably hard to kill. Ventrue regard their supernatural gifts, however, as merely a tool to begin the acquisition of real power — the power of money, property, corporate stock, political Contacts, rank in Kindred society and large numbers of mortals, at every level of society, begging to lick their boots and fulfill their commands.
The Ventrue take the feudal nature of Kindred society very seriously. Every sire tells her childe that some people rule, and some are ruled. As Lords, they should strive to place themselves among the rulers. Most Ventrue neonates already believed this before their Embrace. Throughout the clan’s history, the Ventrue have sought power in whatever forms mortals offered. Kindred historians say that in ancient Rome the clan Embraced senators and patricians. In the Middle Ages, they brought knights and churchmen into the fold. As commerce became an avenue to power, they cultivated merchant princes, bankers and magnates. When states grew more bureaucratic, the Lords Embraced high-ranking civil servants. The rise of organized crime brought mob bosses and drug kingpins into the clan. At the start of the 21st century, Ventrue elders ponder the Merits of Embracing scientists, engineers and computer wizards. No matter where in society the power lies, the Ventrue vow to exploit it before other Kindred even know it exists.
Surprisingly, the Ventrue are understood to be the youngest of the clans, almost certainly originating in Rome itself, probably in tandem with the formation of the Camarilla. While their history is relatively short (in vampiric terms), it is also distinguished, as the Ventrue are made to rule. Although none remember the name of the first Ventrue, various vampiric histories do ascribe the origin of the clan, which was believed to once be a covenant, to a single female vampire. A darker history implies that this Kindred was not the first of the Ventrue line, but that she consumed the soul of her own sire, and in so doing founded a new bloodline that rose to the Status of a proper clan.
As might be surmised, the Ventrue have historically been strongest in Europe, from which they grew into North and Central America, but their presence elsewhere in the world has been relatively minor. As a clan, their numbers are probably fewer than those of any other clan, but such things vary by domain, as one vampire community might consist of nothing but Ventrue — likely all the preeminent Kindred’s progeny. The Ventrue offer a very simple boast: They win. They always win.
Other Kindred often despise the Lords, but they seldom dispute the clan’s boast. All too often, a Kindred works and schemes to win some prize, only to find that a Ventrue owned it all along. The officers who lead a city’s Kindred almost always include several highly placed Ventrue. The Lords acknowledge no defeats, only setbacks. The clan shares a ruthless will to power and the power to enforce its will.
Their favored Disciplines account for some of their success. The Ventrue learn to command the thoughts of other beings almost by instinct. Their mastery of lesser animals harks back to nights of domains in which the Lord was a master of beasts as well as men. Although they do not especially cultivate the arts of combat, they often prove remarkably hard to kill. Ventrue regard their supernatural gifts, however, as merely a tool to begin the acquisition of real power — the power of money, property, corporate stock, political Contacts, rank in Kindred society and large numbers of mortals, at every level of society, begging to lick their boots and fulfill their commands.
The Ventrue take the feudal nature of Kindred society very seriously. Every sire tells her childe that some people rule, and some are ruled. As Lords, they should strive to place themselves among the rulers. Most Ventrue neonates already believed this before their Embrace. Throughout the clan’s history, the Ventrue have sought power in whatever forms mortals offered. Kindred historians say that in ancient Rome the clan Embraced senators and patricians. In the Middle Ages, they brought knights and churchmen into the fold. As commerce became an avenue to power, they cultivated merchant princes, bankers and magnates. When states grew more bureaucratic, the Lords Embraced high-ranking civil servants. The rise of organized crime brought mob bosses and drug kingpins into the clan. At the start of the 21st century, Ventrue elders ponder the Merits of Embracing scientists, engineers and computer wizards. No matter where in society the power lies, the Ventrue vow to exploit it before other Kindred even know it exists.
Culture
Culture and cultural heritage
The Ventrue most often seek childer among the ranks of professionals or the cream of high society. Some Lords prefer childer from “old money” families or political dynasties, as the closest the modern world comes to feudal nobility. Other Lords prefer self-made leaders such as millionaire entrepreneurs, politicians, military officers or even crime bosses. As new professions and new forms of power arise, the Ventrue bring them into the clan. The rise of the computer industry, for instance, has prompted a wave of tech-sector childer.
Common Dress code
Appearance: Ventrue often adopt a conservative, lowkey appearance that expresses high Status without being flashy. Young Lords sometimes favor a “preppy” look, the timeless suit-and-tie uniform of business, or (for female Lords) elegant gowns or business skirt-suits, with unobtrusive jewelry. Ventrue elders might keep the styles of long ago, at least in their own havens, and in public they still tend to look decades out of date. Even rebellious young Ventrue wear their metal-studded jackets like a uniform, asserting their dominance. A Lord surrounds himself with other trappings of wealth and Status, too, from the big, fancy car in the garage to the wine cellar full of vintages he will never again have the opportunity to enjoy.
Art & Architecture
Haven: If a Ventrue did not possess great wealth before the Embrace, she often becomes rich afterward. Ventrue select their havens to reflect their wealth and power. Many Lords dwell in mansions or actual walled estates. Few would settle for anything less than a classic townhouse or penthouse apartment (with secure curtains, of course).
Clan tradition holds that any Ventrue may claim sanctuary from the sun at any other Lord’s Haven and not be refused, but few Lords ever invoke this right. Not only do proud Lords hate to beg another Kindred’s aid, a supplicant henceforth owes a debt of honor to the Ventrue who provided refuge. Great shame would befall any Lord who denied a clanmate or who could not provide a comfortable rest, however, so a prudent Ventrue makes sure his Haven can accommodate a Kindred guest or two.
Clan tradition holds that any Ventrue may claim sanctuary from the sun at any other Lord’s Haven and not be refused, but few Lords ever invoke this right. Not only do proud Lords hate to beg another Kindred’s aid, a supplicant henceforth owes a debt of honor to the Ventrue who provided refuge. Great shame would befall any Lord who denied a clanmate or who could not provide a comfortable rest, however, so a prudent Ventrue makes sure his Haven can accommodate a Kindred guest or two.
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
Nomads
Of all the clans, the Ventrue are perhaps least likely to adopt a roving existence, or to even go on the occasional trip between cities. The strength of the Lords rests in the unparalleled ability to construct and control power structures in both mortal and Kindred societies. Take them away from those structures, from the retainers and bank accounts and tame politicians and obligated vampires, and what’s left? A Ventrue removed from his home base and put in a new city (or worse, in the power vacuum between cities) is disarmed and vulnerable, facing new and unknown dangers without any of the support and tools he relies upon.On the other hand, a few Ventrue use the nomadic unlife to reconnect with something primal or even atavistic within them. Once, the Ventrue were lords of entire lands, as their Animalism and the course of governmental history suggest. For these Ventrue, going nomad isn’t a matter of slumming or roughing it, it’s the call of something inherent to the Lords’ Blood.
Roughing It
Sometimes a Lord must leave his comfortable, well-guarded, sumptuously appointed Haven and venture forth into the outside world — probably in a Learjet or caravan of limousines with a retinue of followers rather than a van with the windows painted black and a few like-minded Kindred, but the risks are still there. Why do these rare Ventrue sally forth into the unknown?Most Ventrue found away from their homes and havens didn’t want to leave. But someone always loses in the political intrigues and scrambles for position that occupy the clan’s attention. The more you gamble. the more you’re going to lose. For Ventrue who have made a grab for power and failed, exile to another domain (or simply from their home city) may be the only alternative to punishments that range from humiliation and being stripped completely of power, to even the Final Death. “Honorable exile” at least holds out some possibility of leveraging what political and temporal power you have left into a new beginning in a new locale.
The world is changing and the Kindred always lag a step or two behind. The Ventrue pride themselves on exploiting any new avenue of power first, however, before other Kindred even know it exists. Opportunities don’t come to you; you have to find them. Some Ventrue become nomads to do exactly that — to always be hunting down the next discovery, the next industry, the Next Big Thing, and take control of it before their rivals and enemies can. It’s an existence that leaves little room for joy or satisfaction or concrete achievement, but these are things none of the Damned can truthfully claim regardless.
In feudal Europe, nobles and aristocrats would often tour their holdings and subjects, hearing grievances and demonstrating the power and prestige they held. The tradition still holds value for the modern Ventrue, especially in a society where one’s rivals and inferiors are always looking for weakness. Powerful Lords with extensive holdings often conduct a tour every few years or decades, not only to check on how their little empires are running, but also to show off their power and project an untouchable aura of confidence and invulnerability even if it’s not true. Especially if it’s not true.
Naturally, not every Ventrue is that powerful. Less influential Lords have their own version of a Grand Tour — networking. Traveling to foreign cities is an unwelcome task, but it’s the only way to make allegiances with other, less powerful Lords for mutual aid and assistance. This is usually done for the vampire’s own sake, but she sometimes acts as a proxy for a more influential Ventrue who prefers to stay safe at home. Of course, sometimes “proxy” is overstating things; sometimes the best description is “minion.” Neonate Lords also may form part of a touring master’s entourage, taking care of the incidental business (and trying to find some advantage for themselves in the process) while their overlord focuses on his own equals and rivals.
The Ventrue relate as a clan by means of tangled networks of obligations, favors, old debts and new. When those debts have to be paid, someone has to do the legwork. Someone has to carry the bad news in person, deliver the money or escort the enthralled blood slaves as a peace offering to the rival elder. No Ventrue wants to be in this position, but the obligation to obey is part of the clan’s structure — as is the debt of obligation the less influential vampire might gain from his superiors for carrying out his duties.
Some reasons for roaming show little profit for the Lords, but are better than the alternative. The price of power is damnation and the cost of temporal and political glory is madness. The Venture are doomed to slow corruption of their mental and emotional faculties; the curse of madness can be enough to drive them from domain and safety. Some Lords flee safety, driven by delusions and Paranoia and urges that cannot be met in the city streets; some are forced to leave by their own broods or covenants, held at arm’s length so that their madness and lusts don’t embarrass or endanger other Kindred.
No matter what reason a Ventrue might have for roaming, she will almost never travel without some kind of coterie, retinue or entourage. Safety comes from numbers, whether by controlling and commanding others or by a simple arrangement of the odds to threaten oneself as little as possible. The Ventrue need not be able to outrun the ravaging Lupine, he needs only to outrun his erstwhile coterie-mates; that’s the bottom line. Without a support structure of some kind, a Ventrue may as well be staked and in Torpor. Powerful and influential Lords surround themselves with lesser vampires, as well as a small army of retainers and guards. Neonates have to be content with a handful of mortal and ghoul employees, associates or even family members — plus, of course, the assistance of other Kindred in her coterie.
Ventrue in Road Coteries
Ventrue are rare on the road, but if they have to become nomads they almost always do so as part of a coterie. Allies are vital for survival, especially those with the skills and instincts to protect a coterie in unknown territory or while traveling. Traveling alone or just with mortal followers and servants is usually a Final Death sentence; few Ventrue roamers have the experience or the primal connection with their origins to truly thrive away from the civilization of established domains. This isn’t to say it can’t happen, however — some truly fearsome Lords have indeed become terrors of highways and rural “domains” that few others even knew existed.Ventrue in road coteries tend toward three primary roles.
Leader
If a road coterie has a vampire-in-charge (and most do), it will often be the Ventrue member. The Lords rise to positions of power in nearly every group and covenant, and a coterie is no different. Having a Ventrue leader often translates into money, Resources and the potential for outside assistance. It can also mean mortal followers to guard you during the day, a luxury car to travel in and perhaps a friendlier reception in a foreign city. In almost all cases, it means a leader with vision, finely honed Mental and Social Skills, and a talent for organization and logistics. It can potentially mean becoming slaves to her superhuman force of will and powers of superiority, but few think about that aspect until too late.
Diplomat
Roaming isn’t all driving and flying and crashing desperately through the wilderness looking for shelter. Nomad or not, vampires are city creatures, and roaming coteries have to spend some time in civilization, if only to feed. Cities mean Kindred, though; interacting with a set of paranoid strangers who must fight the instinct to fight or flee as soon as they meet you isn’t an easy task.
This is where the Ventrue has a chance to shine and pilot the coterie out of danger (well, some forms of danger). It’s not just talent, charisma and Disciplines that make the Ventrue perfect for this role (though those matter a lot), it’s simply that they’re Ventrue. They’re part of a clan that has fingers in every pie, and they can call upon obligations (or accept new ones) from the Lords they meet. Almost every vampiric court has simply been conditioned over centuries to respect the Lords, no matter how much they dislike the clan as a whole.
Provider
For those coteries without Gangrel members or other suitable scouts, Ventrue have the occasionally overlooked powers of Animalism to draw upon. At their grossest use, a Ventrue using Animalism can provide (animal) Vitae by calling creatures to her. He can also provide information, however, if he’s able to glean it from communication with those lesser beasts he can compel to attend him. The Ventrue masters of older times certainly used animals to extend their power and sources of information, becoming “one with the land” through their connection to its men and beasts. This legacy has obvious benefit to those Lords observing nomadic Requiems.
Major organizations
The Lords track their ties of blood and obligation through an old-boy network that extends across generations, bloodlines and continents. A respectable Ventrue knows his fellow Lords’ ancestors, their broodmates, Allies, enemies and Kindred owed and owing favors (though the information might be a century out of date). Two Ventrue often compare lineages and acquaintances when they first meet. Thus do they establish their relationships and Status within the clan.
The Ventrue also take clan offices very seriously. Ventrue Whips, Prisci and other clan leaders often try to hold monthly meetings of all clanmates, regardless of covenant. The Lords use these meetings as opportunities to brag, size up the competition, cut deals and chide clanmates who seem to show insufficient ambition. After all, the Ventrue have a reputation for steel-fisted power to uphold. One does not want other Kindred thinking that any Lord might go soft.
Once one of these coteries does establish itself, it is truly formidable. The Ventrue are capable of puppet tactics (using Animalism and Dominate to make others attack their foes) the likes of which few Kindred can take for long. The will of the Ventrue, especially wielded in concert, is difficult to stand against. A single coterie in which most of the members possess the ability to command beasts, mortals and other Kindred is almost impossible to withstand.
Ventrue coteries are adept at manipulation, but they’re not as skilled at pure violence. They can take it, but they’re not good at dishing it out — for that they use others. Ventrue are past masters of using bureaucrats, assassins, private investigators, police, lawyers, animals, Manchurian candidates and their targets’ closest Allies to take vengeance on those who have earned their ire. A Ventrue coterie can often pass itself off as harmless and beneath notice, largely because it has others do its dirty work. Yet an intelligent Ventrue coterie is far from harmless. Between its amassed Allies, retainers and Contacts, its Herd, its Ghouls and its living pawns and any Kindred under its sway, a Ventrue coterie can amass a small army with which to carry out its will.
Many Ventrue coteries have found that they’re able to establish a larger Herd of mortal vessels if they establish “an alternative, primordial spiritual organization” (which is to say, a cult) or the like. Once the first few mortals experience the “will-bending power” of the Ventrue cult leaders (in the form of the Dominate Discipline), they become easy targets. Obviously, the coterie can tailor the tenor of the cult to draw in mortals who are more likely to suit them.
Ventrue who’ve grown accustomed to having their own cult typically find the power and adulation to be moderately addictive, and once a coterie of this type comes into being, few things short of a direct decree from the Prince or ranking covenant figurehead carry enough weight to break it up.
The Ventrue also take clan offices very seriously. Ventrue Whips, Prisci and other clan leaders often try to hold monthly meetings of all clanmates, regardless of covenant. The Lords use these meetings as opportunities to brag, size up the competition, cut deals and chide clanmates who seem to show insufficient ambition. After all, the Ventrue have a reputation for steel-fisted power to uphold. One does not want other Kindred thinking that any Lord might go soft.
Covenant
Many Kindred see the Ventrue as almost synonymous with The Invictus. Indeed, Ventrue tend to rise to leadership positions within that covenant. Almost as many find a place in The Ordo Dracul, acquiring immediate power of a different stripe, which the Lords ultimately turn toward the same ends. They also rise to leadership among the Sanctified, however, and some Ventrue find the power they crave within the Carthians, The Circle of the Crone or even amid the ranks of the unbound. Some Ventrue neonates hardly bother to hide their intent to use a gang of unaligned Kindred as a stepping-stone to power within another covenant.Coteries
All-Ventrue coteries are relatively rare, which is surprising given that the Lords are often thought of as being inclined toward the social end of the Kindred specturm. And while the Ventrue are social in some ways, they are strongly inclined to think in terms of “I,” not “we.” Teamwork is an option only when rulership is not. As a general rule, the Ventrue prefer to manipulate others, not cooperate with them. When the Ventrue do form coteries, it is almost always to pull off some grand power grab that lies beyond their power to attain separately. In such cases, the coterie’s hierarchy is established as early in its founding night as possible, and the struggle for dominance within the group lurks barely under the coterie’s placid surface even then. In most cases, such coteries are led by the Ventrue with the most Status (meaning that such coteries frequently have an unusual degree and variety of Status, as members constantly try to surpass one another).Once one of these coteries does establish itself, it is truly formidable. The Ventrue are capable of puppet tactics (using Animalism and Dominate to make others attack their foes) the likes of which few Kindred can take for long. The will of the Ventrue, especially wielded in concert, is difficult to stand against. A single coterie in which most of the members possess the ability to command beasts, mortals and other Kindred is almost impossible to withstand.
Ventrue coteries are adept at manipulation, but they’re not as skilled at pure violence. They can take it, but they’re not good at dishing it out — for that they use others. Ventrue are past masters of using bureaucrats, assassins, private investigators, police, lawyers, animals, Manchurian candidates and their targets’ closest Allies to take vengeance on those who have earned their ire. A Ventrue coterie can often pass itself off as harmless and beneath notice, largely because it has others do its dirty work. Yet an intelligent Ventrue coterie is far from harmless. Between its amassed Allies, retainers and Contacts, its Herd, its Ghouls and its living pawns and any Kindred under its sway, a Ventrue coterie can amass a small army with which to carry out its will.
Influence Brokers
The Ventrue frequently manage extensive amounts of influence in the mortal world. On occasion, influence-rich Lords might find it in their best interest to pool their influence to achieve results that would be beyond their reach individually. The results can be astonishing. Corporations and small cities alike can be manipulated almost entirely by a coterie wielding its influence in concert. Such an alliance of Lords is incredibly powerful, particularly in the mortal world. If another Kindred offends them, they can turn their collective might on him and strip him entirely of mortal influence. If they focus on the mortal realm, they can manipulate elections, slate whole neighborhoods for “urban renewal” (or outright demolition), establish an organized crime cartel or put into action any number of large-scale projects. The power of such a coterie is often quiet, hidden and slow to evince itself, placing it beneath the radar of many less savvy Kindred, but when the coterie aggressively wields its combined influence, it can depose Princes, affect the policies of city governments and change the course of history. Other Kindred, those who curry favor with the coterie, might be able to make deals with these influence brokers to benefit from their clout, but the cost for such “favors” is usually just one step short of totally outrageous.Blood Cult Leaders
The organizational skills of the Ventrue coterie need not always be channeled in constructive directions. The Ventrue possess the ability to take control of mortal minds to an uncanny degree. Power, as they say, corrupts.Many Ventrue coteries have found that they’re able to establish a larger Herd of mortal vessels if they establish “an alternative, primordial spiritual organization” (which is to say, a cult) or the like. Once the first few mortals experience the “will-bending power” of the Ventrue cult leaders (in the form of the Dominate Discipline), they become easy targets. Obviously, the coterie can tailor the tenor of the cult to draw in mortals who are more likely to suit them.
Ventrue who’ve grown accustomed to having their own cult typically find the power and adulation to be moderately addictive, and once a coterie of this type comes into being, few things short of a direct decree from the Prince or ranking covenant figurehead carry enough weight to break it up.
Oligarchs
Sometimes a city doesn’t have a Prince, but a ruling council comprising a coterie of cooperating Ventrue oligarchs. Oligarchic coteries function exactly as a Prince would, ruling the domain and policing Elysium. Sometimes the oligarchs divide power among themselves, with one taking responsibility for parceling out feeding grounds, another enforcing the Masquerade, another for dealing with non-vampiric threats et cetera. Coteries of this sort frequently have more influence over their city than a Prince of similar or slightly greater power. Four or five Kindred wield four or five times the influences of a single vampire and generally wield it aggressively. Established Princes — wise ones, anyway — watch Ventrue coteries very closely. Even a powerful Prince can find himself outwitted and outmaneuvered by a determined coterie of Ventrue oligarchs.Social Club
Many Ventrue who do not, for whatever reasons, choose to align themselves with a covenant often form loose “micro-covenants” of their own that they typically refer to as social clubs. Club coteries are generally relatively loose aggregates of Lords who gather for camaraderie, influence networking and personal and political safety. Such coteries might have a political agenda, though that is rarely their raison d’etre. Being Ventrue, however, even the least political coteries might weigh in on one side or another of issues relevant to a city’s Kindred population. On occasion, such coteries might take an interest in something a bit more active (confounding a particularly resilient witch-hunter, for example), but for the most part, they are content to remain a loose confederation of political Allies looking out for each other’s best interests.
Nickname: Lords
Lexicon: Lexicon, Ventrue
Character Creation: Ventrue favor Social Attributes and Skills — the traits needed for leadership — though they also value Mental Attributes and Skills such as Politics and Academics. The clan excels at Social Merits such as Resources, Contacts and Status. Most Lords possessed great social influence in life, and they acquire more in undeath. Favored Attributes: Presence or Resolve
Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Dominate, Resilience
Weakness: Power corrupts, and among the Ventrue, even the thirst for power can corrode an ambitious Kindred’s moral bearings. Over time, some Ventrue grow paranoid, ever more wary of rivals’ desires (real or imagined) for their own holdings. Others become willing to do whatever it takes to acquire the smallest iota of additional power. Still others turn inward, delude themselves as to their ability and importance, or trouble their minds with other maladies. Ventrue Kindred suffer a -2 penalty to Humanity rolls to avoid acquiring Derangements after a failed degeneration roll.
Concepts: Corporate CEO, crooked cop, gang chief, military officer, old-time ward boss, patron of the arts, political consultant, rave promoter, realtor, society matron, technical wizard
Lexicon: Lexicon, Ventrue
Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Dominate, Resilience
Weakness: Power corrupts, and among the Ventrue, even the thirst for power can corrode an ambitious Kindred’s moral bearings. Over time, some Ventrue grow paranoid, ever more wary of rivals’ desires (real or imagined) for their own holdings. Others become willing to do whatever it takes to acquire the smallest iota of additional power. Still others turn inward, delude themselves as to their ability and importance, or trouble their minds with other maladies. Ventrue Kindred suffer a -2 penalty to Humanity rolls to avoid acquiring Derangements after a failed degeneration roll.
Concepts: Corporate CEO, crooked cop, gang chief, military officer, old-time ward boss, patron of the arts, political consultant, rave promoter, realtor, society matron, technical wizard
Stereotypes
Daeva: Our only serious rivals. Watch them as you would a deadly viper.Gangrel: Stray dogs with sharp teeth. Train them when you can.
Mekhet: Acknowledge their wisdom, but be sure they know that they have their place.
Nosferatu: What was it Machiabelli said about love and fear?
***
Lupines: You can no more rule their kingdom than you can rule a wildfire. Treat them with care - or avoid them if you want to see another night.Mages: Do not try to understand their powers. You cannot. Do not use your powers upon them. Their revenge, should you fail, will be terrible. Their fears and desires, however, remain human - and so you can bend them to your will.
Mortals: Rule them, use them, feed upon them without pity. They are born to serve and suffer and never know why.
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