Ordo Dracul: Titles and Offices

Vampire the Requiem - Covenant - Ordo Dracul

Ranks and Titles

The Ordo Dracul may have the most meaningful titles of any Kindred covenant, though The Invictus give them some competition for “most elaborate.” What few outsiders truly appreciate is how the titles of the Dragons form a sort of cipher. When you understand the real meaning of a Dragon’s title, you are able to discern quite a bit about the Dragon himself. Savvy Dragons can even convey secret messages to one another via their titles.
An official title of The Ordo Dracul is made up of three grammatical components. The first component is the Dragon’s “rank,” the second is his “domain” and the optional third component is made up of “decorations.” A Dragon’s rank is an expression of how much he knows about the covenant’s mystic philosophy. His domain and decorations describe what he knows.
The proper presentation of a Dragon’s title follows this formula: [The Dragon’s name], [the Dragon’s rank] of [one or more decorations] + [the Dragon’s domain] + [one or more decorations]. For example: “Alexander, Scholar of the Sanguine Terror.” In practice, a Dragon has a great deal of flexibility with the grammar, provided he gets the vocabulary right. So, “Alexander, Sanguine Scholar of Terror” conveys the same information as the previous example. First, find the proper vocabulary for your character. Then assemble it into a title that suits your taste (or his).

Rank

Determining rank is simple: it all comes down to how well a Dragon knows the philosophies of The Coils of the Dragon. The more dots your character has in Coils of the Dragon, the higher his rank within the covenant. Unlike some other covenants, rank and Covenant Status are not innately linked in the Order. It is possible for a Dragon to be well advanced in the Coils but have very little esteem among his peers and few responsibilities within the local covenant chapter.
As far as most Dragons under the level of Initiate know, these are all the ranks there are to be had within the Order.
Total Dots in Coils | Rank
0 | Slave
1 | Supplicant
2 | Scribe
3 | Scholar
4 | Initiate
5 | Adept
6 | Master
7 | Philosopher
8 | Illuminus
9 | Architect

Domain

A Dragon’s “domain” indicates the Coil in which he is most advanced. The association of a Dragon’s knowledge with the traditional term for Kindred territory is intentional: this is the character’s area of authority. A Dragon with the same level of advancement in two or more Coils should pick the territory that best describes his ambitions, philosophies or area of focus. If all of a Dragon’s Coils are equally advanced, she may choose the domain “…of Equilibrium.”
Coil | Domain
Blood | …of Hunger
Banes | …of the Curse
Beast | …of Terror
Flesh | …of Pain
Soul | …of the Void
All Equal | …of Equilibrium

Standard Decoration

Decorations are optional, but many Dragons use them to convey more information, or appear more impressive, to their peers. The most common decorations indicate the Dragon’s second-strongest Coil, but other decorations, and even ranks and titles, are sometimes used to convey hidden messages to other Dragons.
Meaning | Decoration
Blood Coil is secondary. | “Sanguine” or “Bloody”
Bane Coil is secondary. | “Burning” or “Fiery”
Beast Coil is secondary. | “Wild” or “Untamed”
Flesh Coil is secondary. | “Carnal” or “Vital”
Soul Coil is secondary. | “Rarefied” or “Elysian”

Honor Titles

Some titles, when used in the company of the covenant’s general membership, have meanings appreciated only by the most advanced and honored Dragons. These titles are used primarily to set covenant icons apart from common Dragons, but they are also used to intimidate less-impressive colleagues and rivals.
Meaning | Title (Type) Rank 10 (“I know 10 tiers of Coils.”) | Visionary (Rank)
Rank 11+ (“I have 10+ ranks in Coils.”) | Immortal (Rank)
(“I have studied a fourth Coil.”) | Invisible (Decoration)

Cipher-Titles

The standard titles of The Ordo Dracul were set forth in Rites of the Dragon, and most members of the covenant learn to use and recognize them very quickly. Over the centuries, however, additional layers of meaning have been added to the titles in use in some domains. Secret titles serve as a kind of “house cipher,” conveying sensitive information or hidden messages through dummy decorations used only among the knowledgeable.
In some cases, a Dragon is given a title by his tutor, Mentor or superior without any explanation of its hidden meaning (or even if it has a hidden meaning). Thus, a Dragon who believes he is being rewarded or promoted may find he is being humiliated (or worse) in front of his betters. How a Dragon wears such a title is as much a test of his character as any of the covenant’s other social games. Some titles, on the other hand (“Scribe of the Dedicated Hunger and the Fourth Darkness”), are a test of much more than character.
The following decorations represent just a sample of the many cipher-titles in operation throughout the covenant and across the globe. Some titles see use in a single domain, while others have become virtually ubiquitous. Players and Storytellers should devise new titles for use in the coterie and domain in your own chronicle.
Meaning | Decoration
“I know only one Coil.” | “Dedicated”
“I know rituals of another covenant.” | “Questing” or “Tested”
“I’m showing off for the audience.” | “Sublime” or “Transcendent” or “Dreadful”
“I am here against my own will.” | “Terrible”
“I am lying or disguised.” | “Forgotten” or “Withered”
“Outsiders are listening.” | “Subtle”
“Enemies are listening.” | “Invincible”
“I need immediate aid.” | “Esoteric”
“We are in immediate danger.” | “Sterling” or “Omnipotent”
“I am favored.” or “I am to be protected.” | “Renewed” or “Remarkable”
“My master wants you to destroy me.”| “…of the Fourth Darkness”

Titles in Action

Here are some examples of assembled titles that you can use when devising your own. In these examples, Coils are extremely abbreviated, for simplicity.
Blood •••, Banes •, Beast 0: “Initiate of the Burning Hunger”
Blood 0, Banes 0, Beast •: “Supplicant of the Dedicated Curse”
Blood •, Banes •, Beast •: “Scholar of Equilibrium”
Blood •, Banes ••, Beast ••• and showing off in front of onlooking Invictus vampires: “Philosopher of the Sublime and Fiery Terror”
Blood 0, Banes 0, Beast •••• plus “I need some immediate help, but stay calm because a traitor who doesn’t know the code is listening”: “Adept of the Invincible and Esoteric Terror”

False Titles

Because the titles of The Ordo Dracul are so rigidly structured, some titles are obviously impossible or nonsensical to an informed listener, such as “Supplicant of the Bloody Terror” or “Adept of Sanguine Hunger.” These sorts of titles may still see use, however, as a means of bluffing would-be infiltrators. (“I’m sorry, only Adepts of Sanguine Hunger are permitted in this area. You’re not one, are you?”)

Positions

As mentioned previously, the mentor-student relationship is the backbone of the Order of the Dragon. Many members introduce themselves as their mentors’ protégés (if a Mentor is well respected), and an elder Dragon with an especially promising student might even reverse the compliment, calling herself “[so-and-so]’s master.”
Not all members of the Ordo Dracul are constantly embroiled in the process of learning, however, and the covenant has great respect for those who take up the other duties that the Dragons consider important.

Other Positions

Beyond these Academy-wide positions, there are usually a number of others that vary greatly depending on location. Some Academies hand out titles like they were going out of style, unable to resist creating an official position out of even the lowliest of duties, especially in large domains. Butlers, Librarians, Watchers, Antiquarians, Armorers, Cartographers, Houndsmen, Notaries, Couriers, Ambassadors and Scryers are just some examples of the kinds of titles used. Storytellers should feel free to invent as many positions as they wish to create type of Academy that exists in your chronicle, using whichever titles best suit the intended flavor.