The Bishop's Caricature
Carthian Status: •
Description: In 1858, a Carthian citizen of New York commissioned a series of caricatures by one of his mortal Allies, asking him to create portraits parodying three prominent Sanctified Kindred in the city. Without awareness as to the significance of his subjects, the artist is said to have created three images so unbecoming and yet so accurate that Kindred viewers were struck dumb with merry amazement. Eventually, the Sanctified vampires in question dispatched their loyal flock with instructions to find and destroy all three images. Two were successfully stained and torn to pieces, but one survived the hunt — the image of the Bishop himself. Insane as it sounds, several Kindred were thrust into Torpor in battles over the images.
Hidden away, the image was eventually forgotten by all but the Carthians. They remembered it not just for its humorous effect, but also for the surprising rage it provoked in the Sanctified vampires of the city and the violence that followed. Astonished at The Lancea Sanctum’s inability to endure criticism, the Carthians incorporated spirited mockery into their political arsenal, finding that it often threw the officials of the Sanctified off-balance while enhancing the image of the Carthians among younger vampires in the city.
The Caricature was eventually sold, and has since passed into the possession of several Carthians. Whether or not the Caricature has left the domain of New York is unknown.
Interpretation: The Bishop’s Caricature is funny, but in the words of a recent observer, “it’s not that big a deal.” The image itself is hardly damning enough to provoke conflict, and thus it’s valued more as a symbol of Sanctified Irrationality than as a propaganda piece. Anyone who examines the Caricature closely will understand that the individual who drew it was especially skilled, and the viewer may actually be able to trace its origin by comparing it to archived political cartoons of the day. Although the Bishop portrayed in the image still walks, nobody has attempted to discover whether or not he still remembers it.
Hidden away, the image was eventually forgotten by all but the Carthians. They remembered it not just for its humorous effect, but also for the surprising rage it provoked in the Sanctified vampires of the city and the violence that followed. Astonished at The Lancea Sanctum’s inability to endure criticism, the Carthians incorporated spirited mockery into their political arsenal, finding that it often threw the officials of the Sanctified off-balance while enhancing the image of the Carthians among younger vampires in the city.
The Caricature was eventually sold, and has since passed into the possession of several Carthians. Whether or not the Caricature has left the domain of New York is unknown.
Interpretation: The Bishop’s Caricature is funny, but in the words of a recent observer, “it’s not that big a deal.” The image itself is hardly damning enough to provoke conflict, and thus it’s valued more as a symbol of Sanctified Irrationality than as a propaganda piece. Anyone who examines the Caricature closely will understand that the individual who drew it was especially skilled, and the viewer may actually be able to trace its origin by comparing it to archived political cartoons of the day. Although the Bishop portrayed in the image still walks, nobody has attempted to discover whether or not he still remembers it.
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