Ventrue

'Many of the unenlightened call us false leaders, egotists, tyrants, war lords, blue bloods - they can call us whatever they want, the fact is, we were born to rule and there is no better clan to rule than us. They know it, we know it. When trouble comes at their door, all clans come to us to lead. We are Ventrue, hold that title with pride and never let any lower clan bring you down to their level.'

- Hardestat the Younger

Clan of Kings

A clan of would-be leaders, clan Ventrue has gained a reputation as being the one clan who wishes to exert their control over the night. This of course has spurned the ire of many other clans of the night. Ventrue have a penchant for thinking themselves above their fellow Kindred and they have the history to back such a claim up. The clan has by in large been in charge of many Kindred institutions, Anarch, Camarilla or most other sects. Their natural drive and affinity towards leadership have made the clan obvious rulers of the night. In their eyes, the title, clan of kings, is an earned one. Many other Kindred tend to see it differently however.

For almost all Kindred recorded history, clan Ventrue, have been at the top of the chain. Be they Anarch or Camarilla, the titles of Prince or Baron more likely or not have been occupied by a member of clan Ventrue. Modern Nights however has seen this clan fall. With the Beckoning summoning Elders to the Middle East, many domains that previously were held by the clan have been lost. Ventrue Princes or Primogen have lost their seats, either due to the Beckoning, political maneuvering or even meeting the Final Death. The clan of Kings will not be denied however, many Camarilla cities still controlled by Ventrue have consolidated power; bringing in sweeping reforms to remind fellow Kindred of their might. Chicago for instance bought in a new Ventrue Prince after having over a decade ruled over by the Primogen Council. They want Kindred to know that they not only rule with the scepter, but they also rule with the sword.

'You need only to look at our story and our lineage to understand the truth many ignore. Even Noddist lore say that we were chosen by Caine himself. Whether true or not is irrelevant; we have ruled and shepherded the greatest empires this world has seen. Sparta, Rome, Francia, Itallia, Great Britain - we have been emperors, queens, kings, rulers. Tonight we rule as CEO's, tycoons, stock investors. Money is the new empire, we rule that too. It's not some fable or some myth, we are the rulers and the others know it deep down'

- Fiorenza Savona

History

Whether Kindred believe the ancient myths surrounding their kind or not, Ventrue have always been leaders of the night. More than any clan, Ventrue, embrace their heritage - perhaps because it proves to other clans their superiority, or just to continue the myth surrounding their clan. But it cannot be disputed that Ventrue stand above the rest in history. Those who ascribe to the Cainite belief and the church of Caine claim that the Ventrue Antediluvian, Ventru, was first chosen of the third Generation. Ventru was said to be Caine's right hand and most trusted adviser in the early nights. When Caine left the first city, he left Ventru the burden of ruling in his place.

The Ventrue Artemis would help shepherd the first major Ventrue empire. It was Artemis whom saw potential in he philosopher Lycurgus and supported him, seeing the mortals as more as just food - but tools to help and support Kindred goals. It was through this that Artemis became the patron God of Sparta. Through this Kindred kind saw one of the first wars between themselves. The war between Athens and Sparta was stoked by both sides, with the Brujah seeing Ventrue as power hungry barbarians - while the Ventrue saw the Brujah and Toreador of Athens as dangerous idealists. This conflict began the millenia long rivalry between the clan of kings and the clan of idealists.

When Sparta fell, Ventrue set their sights on Rome as their new empire. Here the Ventrue flourished and ruled over the city from the shadows. Previous empires saw Kindred influencing kine by presenting themselves as God's, with Rome however, a new tactic was born. The first Prince ruled in secret, creating a network of politics and ghouls to help keep the mortals in check. This new system would later become the backbone of what would become the Masquerade. Vampires lived in secret, influencing mortal affairs to suit their desires. In contrast was Carthage, an empire of Brujah, Assamite and those who subscribed to the faith of the Dark Queen Lilith, the Bahari. It was in Carthage it was said mortal and kindred would walk hand in hand. Though some texts suggest that Carthage was ripe with blood sacrifices and superstitious fear. The Ventrue invaded the land with their Roman forces, razing Carthage to the ground.

The fall of Rome signaled a change for clan Ventrue, many of the elders scattered elsewhere, taking the lessons they learnt from Sparta and Rome, applying these to new empires. The Ventrue would place themselves as leaders and fuedal lords of different domains around the known world. Clan Ventrue began to rise in prominence once more, as if they had never left. With the rise of Roman Catholicism, Ventrue set their sights upon Italy as the next empire to fall under heel. Clan Lasombra however had claimed Rome in the Ventrue's absence, wielding considerable influence over the church. Ventrue went to claim domain in Millan, Venice, Genoa and Fienze; directly opposing the clan of Shadows within Rome.

Clan Ventrue would be one of the founders and the champions of the Camarilla; though some other Ventrue saw little use for such an organization, in turn joining the recently formed Sabbat. Under Camarilla and Ventrue guidance, Kindred kind would flourish and successfully survive the Inquisition that was tenaciously hunting down their kind. The Victorian age saw Ventrue sitting comfortably at the top of the tower. With this, the clan of kings attempted to extend their influence over the world with the British empire colonizing many territories around the globe. Ventrue spread propaganda that Kindred from the colonies were heathens and heretics, particularly Ravnos and The Followers of Set. Such falsehoods and propaganda even permeate these nights.

Times were good for clan Ventrue. Even London was bought under Ventrue and the wider Camarilla influence around this age. The Prince of London, Mithras was in staunch opposition of his clan-mates and the Camarilla at large. With his slumber, acting Prince, Valerius opened the gates to the city.

Modern nights has seen clan Ventrue desperately holding onto their empire with an ironclad grip. The mortal World Wars saw Ventrue's standing diminish in many domains. Now it is more often that other (lesser) clans hold high positions in a city domain. Those colonies that the Ventrue fought to claim have largely fallen away. Lineage doesn't bare as much sway in most courts. The Beckoning has called many of the clan elders away, leaving their domains vulnerable. Talent-less are left to the way-side, while the strong leaders continue trying to hold everything together. Clan Ventrue may still be the face of the Camarilla, but many wonder how long that is to last.

'We Ventrue revel in our legacy. Problem with legacy is it works both ways. Ask anyone who comes from a "royal" bloodline and they'll talk yo ear off about how their grand-sire did this or their sire did that. Or they say - "well, you see, Caine chose us - blah, blah, blah" - fucking idiots. Trouble is, those grand-sires aint you, where the fuck are they now? You shouldn't be talking about the great shit your sire did - what have YOU done? See, the clan of kings biggest fault is our dammed pride and arrogance. My sire fucked up a great many deal of things; I'm sure his sire before him as well. That's the problem with legacy, always bigger and will always come to bite you in the ass. What matters is what you do tonight. How you keep everything together and pick up the pieces."

- Kevin Jackson, Prince of Chicago

Blue Bloods

Ventrue often embrace those who show a drive and potential towards leadership or influence. Politicians, corporate tycoons, online influencers, mob bosses - even religious leaders to some extent. Anybody who has understood the power of influence and leadership is a perfect candidate for clan Ventrue. That isn't to say the clan doesn't embrace outside of these archetypes - but they are exceedingly rare.

Clan Ventrue see themselves as the establishment, as the pack leaders and they want it to keep it that way. But power breeds contempt. Childer have no less drive or desire than their sires. Once the afterglow of the embrace wears off, childer often find themselves questioning why they are taking the orders rather than giving them. This makes clan Ventrue a volatile clan filled with paranoia in some cases. The clan crave power and leadership, often politically maneuvering themselves to take over a city.

Former Prince of Chicago, Lodin, created an embrace ban in his domain to ensure his enemies would never steal his power. He created an army of childer to surround himself - but he foolishly overlooked his childer's ambitions. This led him to making more childer, and more - creating a never ending cycle. Conversely, Queen Anne of London consolidated her domain, keeping London within her tight grip. Such is the folly of clan Ventrue, a clan hungry for power and too busy maintaining such power.